Indian spinners shake Australia

The second and final test between India and Australia was heading for a gripping climax after bowlers dominated the fourth day on Tuesday.

The Indian spinners reduced Australia to 202 for seven at the close, with Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Hauritz facing the task of extending a slender lead of 185 runs for the touring side who lost the first test by one wicket.

Captain Ricky Ponting made a defiant 72 to hold the innings together before falling to Zaheer Khan in the final session.

The tourists were let down by their top order which struggled against Indian spinners Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh.

Ojha removed in-form opener Shane Watson, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey, while Harbhajan accounted for Simon Katich and Marcus North.

India resumed on a commanding 435 for five and Sachin Tendulkar cruised to his sixth test double century before falling for 214.

Tendulkar, who hit two sixes and 22 fours, became debutant Peter George's first test victim when he dragged a delivery on to his stumps and Hauritz polished off the tail as India slumped to 495 all out.

The match can tilt any where. Whatever Aussie got is gettable but India have to bat sensibly tomorrow. The wicket is turning a lot.

Even Master predicted a close finish in the second and final cricket Test against Australia after scoring a brilliant double century. "This match is at a critical stage and it is all about how we handle pressure on the last day," Tendulkar said after the fourth day's play at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore.

Tanmay, Manoj guide India Blues to Challenger victory

Opener Tanmay Srivastava scored a run-a-ball 103 while talented Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary smashed a quick-fire 84 to help India Blue win the NKP Salve Challenger Series with a thumping 140-run victory over India Green here on Monday.

 

In reply to Blue's challenging score of 287 for seven, the Greens were all-out for 147 in 36.4 overs.

India discard Rudra Pratap Singh took three for 20 for the winners.

For the second day in a row, India Blue captain Yuvraj Singh opted to bat after winning the toss.

Srivastava and in-form Shikhar Dhawan (44, 51 balls, 4x6, 1x6) added 67 runs before the Delhi batsman was caught by Ravichandran Ashwin at deep square leg off Abhimanyu Mithun's bowling.

Ajinkya Rahane (7) and Yuvraj Singh (12) were both dismissed off leggie Sarabjit Ladda.

While Rahane mistimed a pull-shot, Yuvraj was done in by a googly.

At 118 for three, Srivastava was joined by Tiwary who was fluent from the onset, giving Srivastava a chance to score freely.

The centurion hit nine boundaries, while Tiwary hit seven fours and a six, adding 97 runs for the fourth wicket. 

After Srivastava departed in the 41st over, it was Tiwary who single-handedly took the score close to 300 with some delightful strokes.

The Bengal batsman hit Mithun for a four and a six off successive deliveries before falling in deep. 

When the Green team batted, they looked completely out of sorts as pacers Rudra Pratap, V Yomahesh and spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Piyush Chawla bowled well.

Robin Uthappa was the top scorer with 30, while S Badrinath, Kedar Jadhav, Aniruddha Srikkanth and Rohit Sharma fell cheaply.

Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab out of IPL

Governing Concil of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday axed two franchisees teams- Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. A showcase notice was served on IPL Kochi team.


Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi was earlier accused of having financial connections with these two teams.

The Governing Council of the IPL met at MCA Recreation Centre, BKC, Mumbai to discuss and decide on the breaches committed by three of the Franchisees viz., K.P.H. Dream Cricket Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt. Ltd. and the Unincorporated Joint Venture holding the Kochi Franchise.


On the other hand Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi lashed out at the Indian Cricket Board's decision to axe Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab from T20 tournament. He termed the BCCI action "illegal", and said the Board has chosen the path of vengeance.

Tendulkar completes 14000, leads Indian recovery

India started off shakily but Sachin Tendulkar scaled a new peak crossing 14,000 runs in Test cricket and steadied the hosts' innings against a massive Australian score of 478, at stumps, on the second day, of the second and final Test match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Courtesy an unbroken 90-run third wicket stand between Tendulkar (44 batting, 88 balls, 6x4) and opener Murali Vijay (42 batting, 83 balls, 4x4, 1x6), India were 128 for two when play was stopped after 34.2 overs.

Tendulkar's feat was watched by a packed Chinnaswamy stadium crowd and the maestro got a standing ovation from all present in the stadium. Australian captain Ricky Ponting remains Tendulkar's nearest rival but the Aussie is still behind by 1822 runs.

Ponting was one of the first among the opposition players to come up and congratulate Tendulkar for his achievement.

Sachin Tendulkar wins ICC Cricketer of the Year & People`s Choice Award at ICC Awards 2010

India's cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar named Cricketer of the Year at the prestigious LG ICC Awards, held at a glittering ceremony in Bengaluru.

Tendulkar was also named as the first recipient of the inaugural LG People's Choice Award and was named in both the Test and ODI Teams of the Year.

Tendulkar was joined on the winners' list by team-mate Virender Sehwag, who took the Test Player of the Year award while South Africa batsman AB de Villiers was named ODI Player of the Year. England's Steven Finn claimed his first ever ICC award when he was named Emerging Player of the Year.

During the period under consideration for the award - August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010 - Tendulkar scored 1064 runs at an average of 81.84 in ten Tests. He made 914 runs in 17 ODIs at 65.28, and also scored the format's first double-century against South Africa in Gwalior.

Tendulkar also received the People's Choice Award.

Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand batsman, won the award for the best Twenty20 Performance of the Year for his 116 not out against Australia in Christchurch in February

Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate won the Associate Player of the Year award.

New Zealand won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for the second time in row and the third time overall. Aleem Dar, the Pakistani umpire, also won the Umpire of the Year Award for the second time in a row.

Rachel Heyhoe-Flint, the former England women's captain, was the first woman cricketer inducted into the ICC's Hall of Fame, while Shelley Nitschke, the Australian allrounder, was the Woman Cricketer of the Year.

MS Dhoni was named captain of the Test team of the year, which included Sehwag, Kumar Sangakkara, Swann, Tendulkar, Amla, Simon Katich, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, James Anderson and Doug Bollinger.

Ricky Ponting was captain of the ODI team of the year, leading a side comprising Tendulkar, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, de Villiers, Paul Collingwood, Dhoni, Daniel Vettori, Stuart Broad, Bollinger and Ryan Harris.

Parthiv Patel & Mukund hits ton for Rest of India

A fine century by wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel and Abhinav Mukund helped Rest of India pile up a mammoth total of 668 in the Irani trophy against Ranji champions Mumbai at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday.

At the end of the second day's play, Mumbai were at 26 (rpt) 26 for no loss in 10 overs with Wasim Jaffer batting on 18 and S Marasthe on seven.

Earlier, an excellent five-wicket haul by medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni, who removed the likes of Abhinav Mukund (161), Yuvraj Singh (4) and S Badrinath (94) in the first session raised Mumbai's hopes.

But Virat Kohli (90) and Parthiv Patel dispelled all fears of a Mumbai comeback as the duo batted freely. While Badrinath (94) and Kohli missed out on hundreds, Parthiv plundered Mumbai attack sans veteran Ajit Agarkar, who did not the field today due to fever.

The biggest disappointment of the day was Yuvraj Singh, who fell cheaply.

Meanwhile, the lanky Mumbai lad Kurkarni finished with figures of five for 148 from 35.5 overs, while Rohit Sharma took three for 23 and Ramesh Powar chipped in with two for 160.

Brief Scores:

Rest of India 1st innings: 668 all out in 165.5 overs (A Mukund 161, Parthiv Patel 125, S Badrinath 94, Virat Kohli 90; D Kulkarni 5/148, Rohit Sharma 3/23).

Australia slightly ahead after Paine's blow

India rode on Virender Sehwag's record-equalling half-century to reach 110-2 in their first innings in reply to Australia's 428 in the opening Test on Saturday. The Indian opener scored a blazing 59 off 54 balls with 10 fours in the final session after Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine (92) had missed out on a maiden Test hundred on the second day.

Sehwag equalled the record of scoring a 50 or more in 11 consecutive Tests. West Indies' Viv Richards and Indian Gautam Gambhir are the other batsmen to have achieved the feat.

With the pitch offering no help to bowlers, Australia struggled to contain runs as Sehwag went for his shots from the beginning and raced to his half-century off 38 balls.

Australia introduced spin after 12 overs, but Nathan Hauritz was greeted with two fours by Sehwag, who was eventually caught by Michael Clarke in the covers off a leading edge to become paceman Mitchell Johnson's second victim.
Wicketkeeper Paine, playing only his third Test, was earlier instrumental in boosting Australia with a solid knock that came off 196 balls with the help of 12 boundaries.

Paine, who added 53 for the sixth wicket with opener Shane Watson (126), put on 82 for the seventh with Johnson and 54 for the ninth with Hilfenhaus to shatter India's hopes of restricting the tourists to a modest total.


India's bowlers struggled against determined Australian batting on an easy-paced pitch, taking just one wicket in the first session and two in the second.
Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan was the most impressive bowler with 5-94, his 10th haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh finished with 3-114.