IPL-4: 350 players to be auctioned

350 best cricketers of the world will go under the hammer Jan 8-9 in Bangalore during the auction for the fourth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Indian cricket board said Wednesday that top Indian players like Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh will be up for grabs for the 10 franchises. But the participation of Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in the auction is subject to court orders.

The auction will be conducted by Richard Madley, a professional auctioneer from England who has conducted each of the previous IPL player auctions. The proceedings will be broadcast live by Sony Set Max.

Out of 421 cricketers, who had expressed an interest to participate in the auction, a short list of 350 cricketers has been produced by the various IPL franchises.


The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Gift
Inception (Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]
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India beat SA to level series 1-1

India underlined their status as the world's top Test team by outclassing South Africa by 87 runs to win the second Test and level the three-match series 1-1, on Day 4 at Kingsmead, Durban.


South Africa were dismissed for 215 in 72.3 overs in their second innings, pacers Zaheer Khan (3 for 57) and S Sreesanth (3 for 54) claiming three wickets each.

Ashwell Prince was left stranded on 39 from 108 balls after Lonwabo Tsotsobe (0) was the final wicket to fall; he was run-out by a sharp piece of fielding from Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg.

VVS Laxman also played a decisive role in India's victory, scoring a fluent 96 from 171 balls, the only half-century of the match to guide India to a respectable 228 in their second innings, on a pitch offering a lot of help to the pacers.

South Africa were dismissed for a paltry 131 in 37.2 overs in their first innings, after India had folded for 205 in 65.1 overs, as 18 wickets fell on day two of the Test.

Kallis wicket was the turning point of the end result. The Kerela speedster came up with a blinder of a delivery that bounced sharply on to Kallis from just short of length and the big man had no other option but to fend at it, only to glove it to Virender Sehwag at gully. Kallis made 17 off 52 deliveries and hit two boundaries in the process.

                         The Gift

It turned out to be an extraordinary Test with fortune fluctuating from one team to the other but the Indians eventually tilted the balance in their favour on a bouncy Kingsmead track which saw 40 wickets fall in three and half days.

The Indians, who had lost the first Test at Centurion by an innings and 25 runs, showed great character and resilience to demolish the Proteas in their own den and in conditions tailor-made to suit the home team.

It was India's second Test triumph in South Africa. The 123-run victory in the first Test at Johannesburg in 2006 was their first Test victory on South African soil.

The two teams will now travel to Cape Town for the third and final Test starting on Sunday.

Laxman was adjusted Man of the Match in the end. He again rise as a saviour for India.

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Eng slug Australia at MCG to retain the Ashes

England retained the Ashes on Australian soil for the first time in 24 years by completing an emphatic innings and 157-run win over Australia before lunch on Wednesday's fourth day of the fourth Test.

England's victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground means it travels to the final Test in Sydney starting on Sunday with a 2-1 series lead, but as the Ashes-holder, England needed to only draw the series to keep the urn.

The England team completed a lap of honour to the cheers of a vocal MCG crowd dominated by England's 'Barmy Army' fans.

After the match England cricket team break out the "sprinkler dance".

                                    The Gift

Australia's loss looked inevitable from day one when it was dismissed for a paltry 98 in two rain-shortened sessions on the first day. A capitulation became inevitable early on the third day when England replied with a first-innings total of 513 for a massive 415-run lead.

Bresnan claimed the vital wickets of Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey after tea on Tuesday to become the architect of yet another poor Australian batting performance.

Bresnan, who replaced Steven Finn in England's bowling attack for the fourth Test, ended the innings with figures of 4-50. Tremlett had 1-71, Anderson had 1-71 and Swan finished with 2-59.

Shane Watson provided Australia's second highest score of the match with 54, while the England lineup featured knocks of 168 from man of the match Jonathan Trott, 85 from Matt Prior and 82 by Alastair Cook, proving that the MCG wicket had plenty to offer the batsmen.

                                   Pride and Prejudice

Siddle's bowling provided the only highlight for the Australians, taking 6-75. Johnson, who took 9 wickets in Australia's 267-run win at Perth in the third Test, was far less effective in Melbourne, conceding 134 runs for his two wickets.

Australia captain Ponting's future has come under intense scrutiny in the light of the series loss, his failure with the bat, a finger injury and his unseemly remonstrations with the on-field umpires on Monday after having a reviewed decision ruled not out.

After making just 10 runs in Australia's disastrous first innings, Ponting was unable to make amends and managed 20 in the second.

Tendulkar´s historic ton - Smashed 50th test century

Cricket history was created at SuperSport Park on Sunday when Sachin Tendulkar posted a century against South Africa -- his 50th in Test Cricket.

Tendulkar thus became the first batsman in the 133-year history of Test cricket to complete a half-century of centuries.

                           The Gift

Test players showered lot of praise on Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar. Some of there statements links are below..have a look..

Tendulkar showed why he is great: Harris

Former Pak players salute the maestro

the 'professor of batting': Kirsten

'Sachin's records are insurmountable': Dilip Vengsarkar

• Sanjay Manjrekar: "He has got it finally! and judging from his reaction..meant a lot to him...the 50th test ton..this is one record that is there to stay."

• Harsha Bhogle: "All great players redefine their profession.50 Test hundreds was considered unthinkable. Sachin has done it."

• Yuvraj Singh: "Greatest achievement by a bats man ever! His name is sachinnnnnnn tendulkarrrrrrrrrr!! Wooohooooooooo."

• Iain O'Brien: "Congrats you little massive legend!"

Shane Warne may return for Sydney test

A superb Cricket drama is running on Australia pitch.

As Australian cricket is in desperate times. After crashing to their first innings defeat on home soil against England in 23 years, the Australian board is rumoured to be approaching spin legend Shane Warne to rush out of retirement and help the Aussies redeem themselves in the spin legend’s favourite cricketing destination, Syndey Cricket Ground.

When former Australian batsman Damien Martyn, who is a good friend of the king of spin Shane Warne, tweeted about the talks between Cricket Australia and Channel 9 on the leg spinner's availability, it took the whole world by surprise.

Even Australian coach Tim Nielsen revealed that selectors could today discuss a Warne comeback for the Sydney Test. Nielsen said Warne must quickly decide whether to make a sensational comeback.

After coach disclosure the desperation for Shane Warne to become Australia's Ashes saviour has reached fever pitch with a group of Queensland businessmen reportedly offering the King of Spin $1 million to make himself available for selection.

MI retain Tendulkar, Harbhajan, Pollard, Malinga

Mumbai Indians have informed the BCCI-owned Indian Premier League that they were retaining four players Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh,
West Indian Kieron Pollard and Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga for the next two seasons. 


The MI official also claimed that the franchisees have the option of retaining more than one foreigner in their squad as per the decision of the IPL governing council on retention of players.


A media release issued by the BCCI over player retention after the meeting of the IPL GC on September 5 stated: "Up to including four players per franchise may be signed for retention of which only up to three shall be Indian players. The Player must have been included in the franchise's registered squad for the 2010 season.


As a result of MI's decision to retain all four players as permitted, the franchise will have only $4.5 million at their disposal for buying the remaining members for 2011 and 2012 at next month's player auction as its salary cap has been halved.


The player contract will be for a period of two years plus one year right of extension by franchise, as per the decision of the IPL's governing council.

England win by an innings and 71 runs

England take a priceless 1-0 lead in ASHES. Swann had been identified as the man to spearhead England's push on the fifth day and he's done just that, finishing with 5 for 91to bowl England to their 100th Test win over Australia.


The hosts suffer the ignominy of their first innings defeat at home since their capitulation to the West Indies at Perth in 1993 and, to be brutally honest, it's hard to see them bouncing back to win two of the next three games to reclaim the urn. Stranger things have happened, of course, but Australia will need something truly inspirational.

                 Toy Story 3



Andrew Strauss's decision to bat on on the fourth morning is vindicated by the eventual result - the 69 runs added tallying nicely with the victory by an innings and 71. England will be slighted dented by the loss of Broad, but they've got the likes of Chris Tremlett, Ajmal Shahzad and Tim Bresnan as back-up. Tremlett, in particular, could be a real handful at the WACA, while Shahzad has the ability to reverse the old ball.


Man of the match  - KP Pietersen (England)


Captain's take after match -
Ricky Ponting - "We got off to a shambolic start to the Test match, and it was always going to be hard to fight back from there,". "We needed to make a big score in the first innings and 245 was never going to be enough. We also put down a few crucial catches in the field. It's just those little things which are literally slipping through our hands at the moment, you can't give good players second and third chances. We've got to go away and do some soul-searching. England have kept us under real pressure, and we've got to find a way to cope with that."


Andrew Strauss - "You're always thinking back to what happened here four years ago and asking 'could Australia find a way to get back into this game?' but we were pretty clinical out there. A lot of boxes ticked in this game,". "When you're confident things start happening for you as a matter of course, you don't have to push it," he says of England's dramatic start to this Test with the ball. 

Australia needs 137 runs to avoid innings defeat

England's Kevin Pietersen took the key wicket of Michael Clarke with the last ball of the fourth day of the second Ashes test Monday to reduce Australia to 238-4, still trailing the tourists by 137 runs.

                         The Gift


Clarke, who made 80, and Mike Hussey (44 not out) had fought a desperate rearguard action after England declared on 620-5 with a first-innings lead of 375 in the morning.


England took three Australian wickets after lunch and the Adelaide rain provided only an hour of respite for the hosts as they looked to the skies to help them avoid an innings defeat.


Pietersen, who had completed his career-best innings of 227 in the morning, was giving the specialist bowlers some rest as the day drew to a close when he made another crucial intervention.


Clarke initially walked when Alastair Cook took the catch but returned to his crease as the decision was reviewed by TV pictures. He was walking again when they clearly showed the ball hit the face of his bat.


Importantly, all the Australian batsmen played positively, refusing to simply bat for time and allow England to dictate the flow. Clarke struck 11 boundaries and Hussey, who continued his excellent series, slammed Swann over midwicket for six late in the day, ensuring that any bad balls were put away, as they would be in happier circumstances.

The only batsman who really struggled was Ponting, who was mesmerised by Swann and couldn't get off the mark until his 13th delivery. Despite punishing Swann with a vicious cut for four and a powerful sweep to the boundary, Ponting was eliminated by Swann on 9 when he played for the offspinner and edged a straighter ball low to Paul Collingwood at first slip.

The visitors would be sorely disappointed if that effort doesn't turn into a win. They'll want a lift from James Anderson, who didn't bowl at his best, while a stomach strain could keep Stuart Broad from playing much of a part on the final day. England can only hope the weather doesn't play any role either.

Tendulkar "Bradman of this era": Brain Lara

More extolment for Sachin Tendulkar. This time once again former West Indies captain and Tendulkar's good friend Brian Lara has called Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar the Don Bradman of this era.

Lara, himself a great batsman who broke the world records for highest Test score with an unbeaten 400 and an unconquered 501 in first class cricket, said he admires Tendulkar's longevity in the game and is looking forward to his 50th Test hundred.