Monday, October 11, 2010

Tendulkar and Vijay flay Aussies

Bangalore: Sachin Tendulkar smashed his 49th Test century and Murali Vijay his first as India matched Australia's batting prowess in the second and final Test on Monday. Australia managed just three wickets as the hosts took their overnight score of 128-2 to 435-5 by stumps on the third day at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore.

India, who lead 1-0 in the short series after winning the first Test in Mohali by one wicket, are 43 runs away from Australia's 478, with five wickets in hand.

Tendulkar finished the day unbeaten on a monumental 191 and opener Vijay scored 139 during a record stand of 308 runs for the third wicket - a remarkable recovery from 38-2 in Sunday's last session. It was the highest third-wicket partnership in India-Australia Tests, surpassing the 222-run stand between Aussies Allan Border and Kim Hughes in Chennai in 1979.

Tendulkar, the world's leading batsman who also has a record 46 one-day hundreds against his name, slammed 19 boundaries and two sixes in his seven-hour vigil at the crease. The Mumbai-born batsman, who started the day on 44 and was stuck in the eighties for almost 45 minutes, reached his century by smashing off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for two sixes over long-on.

Vijay, playing the Test only because Gautam Gambhir was ruled out with a knee injury, languished for an hour in the nineties before reaching his maiden hundred with a single, midway through the afternoon session. The opener, who was reprimanded by match referee Chris Broad for breaching the players' code of conduct for sporting several advertising logos on his batting pads, hit 14 fours and two sixes.

"It was a really special knock for me," said the 25-year-old Vijay, who is playing his eighth Test. "It was a dream to play with Sachin. He helped me a lot and gave me pep-talks through the day. I was just focussed on each ball and did not try to think too far ahead. I just want to do well whenever I get a chance."

Australia went wicketless in the first two sessions before they struck twice in one over from fast bowler Mitchell Johnson soon after the tea interval. Johnson had Murali edging a catch to wicket-keeper Tim Paine, before he trapped debutant Cheteshwar Pujara leg-before with a ball that kept alarmingly low.

Suresh Raina (32) put on 61 for the fifth wicket with Tendulkar when he drove Michael Clarke to mid-on, where Ben Hilfenhaus took a low catch.

"It's been a tough day," said Johnson. "As a fast bowler, you want to see some bounce and carry, but this one was a bit too slow. We stuck through the day and got a few wickets in the end to put some pressure on them. We saw signs of deterioration in the wicket at the end. Some kept low, a couple jumped. We have to wait and see what happens tomorrow."

Vijay survived an anxious moment when he was on 49 as he charged down the wicket, but a direct throw from Hauritz narrowly missed the stumps. Hauritz was the most expensive Australian bowler with 0-153 from 39 unsuccessful overs, while Johnson took 3-89 from 23 overs.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Sehwaag smashed 1000 four in International ODI

Dambula. Indian cricket team's explosive opener Virender Sehwag became the world's seventh cricketer to hit 1000 boundaries in international one-day matches. Sehwag got 13th century of his career in which he also hit 16 fours and a six.

Playing 227 th match of his career against New Zealand in the tri-series, Sehwag hit three consecutive fours on Kyle Mills balls. He is the seventh batsman to do so. Most fours in one-day cricket record of putting India's Sachin Tendulkar's name. 442 matches, Tendulkar is now 1927 boundaries. Sri Lanka's veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya is the second highest in the order. Jayasuriya 1500 boundaries are the names of 444 matches. Jayasuriya's 270 sixes most are planted. Hitting 200 in the case of applying the cross is the only batsman.

In the list of batsmen with over 1000 figure fours Australian captain Ricky Ponting [1164] Thirdly, the Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist East [1162] Fourth, the Indian team's former captain Sourav Ganguly [1122] The fifth and former West Indies captain Brian Lara [1035] is ranked sixth.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Randiv no-ball was not a coincidence - Sehwag

India's comfortable victory over Sri Lanka has been soured by a controversy over Suraj Randiv's massive no-ball, which proved to be the winning run and left Virender Sehwag stranded on 99, though the batsman slammed it over long-off for a six. Sehwag celebrated what would have been century No. 13, only to be told later the six didn't count. After the match, he said Randiv had bowled the no-ball deliberately, and that the move "has no place in good cricket".

"Yes, it was done deliberately," Sehwag said, shedding the blase attitude with which he had reacted to the incident immediately after the match. "Because [of the size of the no-ball] ... that much from the crease. Till now in Test matches he hasn't bowled a no-ball [Randiv bowled two at the P Sara Oval], he hasn't bowled no-balls in one-day cricket, on 99 only why did he bowl a no-ball? And not a small no-ball, not a small margin, from one foot ahead."

Sehwag cracked 11 fours and two sixes as India overhauled Sri Lanka's modest total of 170 in the 35th over to earn themselves a bonus point. India suffered an embarrassing 200-run defeat by New Zealand in their opening match last week.

Sehwag hit Suraj Randiv for a six with the final delivery of the match but was denied a century after the umpire a signalled no-ball. India lost their way chasing Sri Lanka's total and slumped to 91-4 before captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23 not out) helped Sehwag add 80 off 79 balls in an unbroken fifth wicket partnership to steer them to victory.

Sri Lanka were outplayed by a good all-round performance by India who kept the pressure on the hosts throughout their innings after Praveen Kumar bowled Upul Tharanga first ball.

Only Tillakaratne Dilshan (45) and Randiv (43) made any impression against India's disciplined bowling and fielding.

Sri Lanka next play New Zealand on Thursday.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Suresh Raina scores century on Test match debut


Suresh Raina became the ninth Indian cricketer to score a century in his first Test innings when his completed his hundred on the fourth day of the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo. 

Raina had come into bat at the number six position for India when the side was struggling at 241/4 in reply to the mammoth total of 642 that the Sri Lankan side had got. At that stage, a follow-on looked a virtual certainty, but along with the maestro Sachin Tendulkar, the pair took the side out of trouble.

When Raina got to his maiden century, the pair had added 201 runs and were only 200 runs short of the target.

Raina joins greats like W G Grace, Lala Amarnath, Javed Miandad, Gordon Greenidge, Gundappa Vishwanath, Greg Chappell and Sourav Ganguly in the list of batsmen who have scored centuries on Test debut. The century will also help Raina get over a forgettable series as captain of a young Indian side in the recent tri-series in Zimbabwe.

He also became the 59th batsman in the world to score a century in the first innings of the debut Test match.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Sachin Tendulkar hit 48th Test century

Sachin Tendulkar once again came to his country's rescue and raised hopes of salvaging the second test on Wednesday after Sri Lankan spinners wreaked havoc by claiming four wickets to hinder India's fightback.

India were vulnerably placed on 243/4 at tea on day three needing 200 runs to avoid follow on, but it reached 382/4 at stumps. India just need 61 runs to avoid follow on with six wickets in hand.

Tendulkar, who holds the record of scoring highest number of centuries, played brilliant cricket with Suresh Raina to dominate the day. Sachin also equalled the former Australian captain Steve Waugh's Test record to have played the most number of matches (168).

Tendulkar shared an unbroken 141-run partnership for the fifth wicket with debutant Suresh Raina.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on 108 at stumps while Raina, who made a half-century in his maiden Test innings, was not out on 66 off 133 balls, including eight boundaries.

Tendulkar, who was dropped on 29 by Prasanna Jayawardene off Dilhara Fernando, was batting on 39 and debutant Suresh Raina was yet to open his account.

The mid-session produced 70 runs after the troubled opening session, which saw India being jolted by three quick blows including that of explosive Virender Sehwag. 


Day 4: - Lunch
India trail by 165 runsLast 5 Ovs : 19/0, RR : 3.8, 4s : 3, 6s : 0
SL: 642/4 in 159.4 ov Ind: 477/4 in 135 ov
S Tendulkar* 152(264)A Mendis* 28-2-98-2
S Raina 112(213)S Randiv 49-13-159-2