Cricket World News

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has said that he may stop playing One Day Internationals (ODIs) before retiring from Tests as the shorter version put a lot of pressure on the body.

“If I do quit, it will be from ODIs first,” Tendulkar told NDTV in an interview in Kolkata Tuesday.

Refuting rumours of his retirement, he said: “I don’t know where the rumours about me retiring after the Lords ODI against England started. I did not say anything, I spoke to my wife Anjali and she told me this news had started back home, I never said anything.’’

“I just had to focus on the game at hand. People were saying this is my last game in England, that may be possible, but certainly not my last One Day International,” the legendary batsman said.

He was in Kolkata to promote Sunfeast Open Tennis tournament as a brand ambassador of Sunfeast, a brand of ITC Foods.

“Test cricket is more challenging. One Day cricket puts a lot of load on the body, but if I make a decision I will let everyone know. At this stage I don’t know, but One Day cricket puts a lot of pressure and there are more chances of injury, so One Day cricket is what I may stop playing before Tests,” Tendulkar said when asked about his future plans.

Tendulkar said he had a great time watching India’s thrilling victory against Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Championship.

“Greatly enjoyed the bowl out versus Pakistan. The three stumps suddenly looked narrower. Harbhajan, Uthappa and Sehwag did a fantastic job and I especially enjoyed Uthappa’s reaction,” he said.

Asked about the poor umpiring decisions against him on the England tour, he said: “It’s part and parcel of the game. If the relationship between the players and umpires is good, the game moves forward. The umpire actually came and apologised to me, that was very nice of him, how many guys walk up and say they are sorry.”

“The fact that I missed the opportunity to score six hundreds on the England tour is definitely there at the back of my mind, but what’s more important to me is that India won on those occasions. Hundred is only important if India wins, and for me the excitement was there because we won.”

The master blaster said the best compliment he had ever received was from Sir Don Bradman, who had said that Tendulkar’s style of play was similar to his own style.

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An unbeaten 52-run partnership between Zaheer Khan and Murali Kartik gave India a tense two-wicket win in the final one dayer against Australia at Mumbai on Wednesday.
Andrew Symonds was named Man of the Series for his magnificent run with the bat and Kartik was adjudged Man of the Match. Australia take the Future Cup 4-2.
Chasing 194, India were home with four overs to spare with Zaheer unbeaten on 31 and Kartik 21 not out.
Kartik was the hero with the ball, picking up a career-best 6 for 27 as India nipped out the last eight wickets for 76 runs and keeping Australia to 193 in 41.3 overs.
Kartik’s 6 for 27 are the best figures ever by a left-arm spinner in ODIs, beating Sanath Jayasuriya’s 6 for 29 against England in Moratuwa in 1992-93.
In reply Australia pacers were excellent with the new ball, reducing India to 76 for three. But a brilliant Robin Uthappa was upto the challenge and kept things in check with a classy 47 before Kartik and Zaheer held their nerve to seal the deal in 46 overs.
Earlier, like has been a norm in the series, India’s chase at Mumbai was no different with Sourav Ganguly falling for a duck in the second over. Ganguly was all at sea as he got a thick outside edge through to Gilchrist.
Twelve balls later, Karthik took a walk back to the pavilion for the same score as Mitchell Johnson’s twin strike reduced India to eight for two.
Sachin Tendulkar was looking good during his 36-ball stay at the crease for 21 before Brett Lee clipped him and India slumped into further trouble with the scoreboard reading 38 for three in 10.2 overs. He put up 30 runs along with Yuvraj Singh for the third wicket.
Soon after, Nathan Bracken then got into the act to remove Yuvraj Singh (15) and MS Dhoni (5) in quick succession to leave India wobbling at 63 for five.
Earlier, Australia was bowled out for 193 in 41.3 overs after electing to bat.
A fired up Zaheer Khan trapped Micheal Clarke on the first delivery of the match to give India an early breakthrough. This was Clarke’s second consecutive first-ball duck in the series.
Ricky Ponting, who came in earlier than usual, went on the attack mode and along with Adam Gilchrist put up a 60-run partnership for the second wicket.
The duo scored briskly and were looking dangerous when Gilchrist played a wild slash and paid the price for it. He was caught by Harbhajan Singh for 19 runs off Irfan Pathan after a blistering start. Earlier, he got a reprieve when he was dropped on two by Robin Uthappa off Zaheer.
Ponting then hit a fluent half century - his 63rd in ODIs - and shared a 57-run partnership with Hodge to boost Australia.
Just when it seemed that the visitors were once enroute to a big total, Murali Kartik struck twice in two balls to pull things back for India. Kartik snared Hodge, who looked stratchy against spinners for 16 and Symonds, the hero of the last match for a golden duck.
After Kartik’s twin strike took the edge off Australia’s batting, RP Singh had Ponting caught behind for 57 runs, which came off 78 deliveries and included nine boundaries, to dent Australia further.
James Hopes and Brad Haddin then struck together for 33 runs before Kartik took three wickets in the 32nd over to send the Aussie innings into a tailspin. Haddin (19), Brag Hogg (0) and Brett Lee (0) fell in the span of five deliveries as Austalia were reduced to 162 for eight.
Kartik, who was on a hattrick on two ocassions in the innings, failed to achieve the feat.
Rahul Dravid was dropped and he was replaced by Dinesh Karthik. Sreesanth was also being given the miss. RP singh took his place.
Dravid has averaged just over 10 in his 6 innings against Australia in this series including 2 ducks.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said at the toss that Rahul Dravid had been ‘rested’.
Australia were unchanged from the previous game. Matthew Hayden had not recovered from his hip injury.

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Filed under: Australia, India Cricket, Cricket News, Cricket world, Cricket

Australia beat India by 18 runs in the sixth one-dayer at Nagpur on Sunday to seal the seven-match series 4-1.
In reply to Australia’s mammoth total of 317, India initiated a spirited start to their daunting run chase.
The Indian opening combo of Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar did exactly what they were expected to do. They not only shared a 140-run stand for the opening wicket but also showed the way to counter the world champion bowling attack.
Sixes from Sourav Ganguly again highlighted the fact that the Bengal southpaw is still good enough to play the shorter version of the game.
After Sachin Tendulkar’s run a ball 72, Irfan Pathan, who was promoted up the order, chipped in with an useful run-a-ball 29 before left-armer Brad Hogg claimed his wicket.
Earlier, Andrew Symonds’ maiden century against India powered Australia to 317 for eight after electing to bat.
Dropped by Sreesanth when he was on two, Symonds went on to score an unbeaten 107 off only 88 balls which included nine fours and four sixes.
He put up 75 runs with Brad Hodge for the 5th wicket and then 90 with Brad Haddin for the 6th wicket, helping Australia register yet another 300 plus total in the series.
In the 38th over, with Australia at 204/5, 300 looked far away, but regular partnerships helped them put up the daunting score.
India seemed to have run into the same old brick wall again at Nagpur - the solid Aussie batting line-up.
Australia won the toss at Nagpur and elected to bat first, but they had a dodgy situation right on top, with no Matthew Hayden to open the innings.
Michael Clarke was sent up the order to open with Adam Gilchrist. It was an unlucky edge and not a great ball that ended Clarke’s stay at the crease, the right hander managing to knick one that was going down leg side.
However, Gilchrist and skipper Ricky Ponting completely took centre-stage, with a display of quality timing and stroke-play.
The Indians were not great on the field either, Rahul Dravid put down Adam Gilchrist at gully, when he was on 16. The Aussies going on very well at that stage, at well over 7 runs per over.
After Ricky Ponting and his deputy Adam Gilchrist took the Indian new ball bowlers to the cleaners, the slower bowlers managed to pull things back.
The Aussies were finding it increasingly difficult to read the Indian spinners. Ponting was dismissed by Harbhajan Singh courtesy a great take in the slips by Rahul Dravid.
It was Irfan Pathan who gave India the much needed wicket of danger-man Gilchrist. The Baroda pacer deceived Gilly with a slower one with Yuvraj completing an easy catch at covers.
Post that, it was Murali Kartik’s turn to join in. The left arm spinner dismissed Brad Hodge in pretty much the same fashion as Ponting was taken care of - Dravid taking another great catch at first slip.
Despite the pitch doing plenty for the slower bowlers, Australia still managed to build on a rocket-fuelled start from Gilchrist and Ponting.

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Opener Alastair Cook scored 80 to guide England to a five-wicket win and their first one-day series victory in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

A lacklustre display by Sri Lanka’s top order meant they were restricted to a modest 211-9 after winning the toss and England surpassed this with 19 balls remaining.

It was England’s first series win on the sub-continent since 1987. They have an unassailable 3-1 lead with one match remaining.

Visibly confident after two successive wins in Dambulla, England started their run chase positively with Phil Mustard (19) smashing early boundaries before Lasith Malinga  grabbed a breakthrough with a cleverly disguised slower ball.

Cook and Ian Bell (25) settled down to compile 54 runs for the second wicket, laying the foundations for victory with a workmanlike partnership.

Sri Lanka were briefly buoyed by the fall of Bell, who mistimed a lofted drive to mid-off from leg spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi, before a short rain interruption.

However, Kevin Pietersen ended his lean run in the series with a characteristically aggressive unbeaten 63 from 75 balls.

While Pietersen looked to exert his authority, especially off Sri Lanka’s spinners, Cook intelligently worked the ball into gaps and accumulated his runs steadily. 

The pair sealed England’s win with a 110-run stand that was ended by Dilhara Fernando.

Ryan Sidebottom (3-27) and James Anderson (3-33) were the chief architects of Sri Lanka’s demise, bowling with accuracy and discipline to reduce the home team to 20 for 3 after 11 overs.

Kumar Sangakkara (69) and Chamara Silva (67) partially repaired the early damage during a 126-run fourth-wicket partnership, but Sri Lanka were never able to wrestle back the initiative from England.

Seamer Stuart Broad had Silva caught at third man and Sangakkara on the long-leg boundary.

Jehan Mubarak chipped in with 20 but England’s bowlers stemmed the flow of runs at the end of the innings.

Scorecard

Sri Lanka:
U Tharanga c Shah b Sidebottom 4
S Jayasuriya c Pietersen b Anderson 3
K Sangakkara c Bopara b Broad 69
M Jayawardene c Broad b Anderson 0
C Silva c Bopara b Broad 67
K Lokuarachchi lbw b Collingwood 9
T Dilshan b Anderson 17
J Mubarak b Sidebottom 20
C Vaas c Pietersen b Sidebottom 2
D Fernando not out 3
L Malinga not out 3,
Extras: (lb 3, w 11) 14
Total: (9 wickets; 50 overs) 211

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-16, 3-20, 4-146, 5-158, 6-166, 7-190, 8-195, 9-206.

Bowling: Anderson 10-1-33-3 (5w), Sidebottom 10-2-27-3 (3w), Broad 10-0-54-2 (1w), Collingwood 6-0-28-1, Swann 10-0-48-0 (2w), Bopara 4-0-18-0.

England:
A Cook b Fernando 80
P Mustard c&b Malinga 19
I Bell c Malinga b Lokuarachchi 25
K Pietersen not out 63
P Collingwood lbw b Fernando 0
O Shah b Malinga 9
R Bopara not out 1
Extras: (lb-4, w-11) 15
Total: (five wickets, 46.5 overs 212

Did not bat: G. Swann, S. Broad, R. Sidebottom, J. Anderson.

Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-84, 3-194, 4-194, 5-208

Bowling: Vaas 9-2-39-0 (2w), Malinga 9-1-39-2 (2w), Fernando 10-1-38-2 (3w), Lokuarachchi 10-0-57-1, Jayasuriya 4.5-0-18-0, Dilshan 4-0-17-0.

Result: England win by 5 wickets

Man of the match: Alastair Cook (England)

England win series 3-1 with one match remaining

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Well, this has been an absorbing day of cricket here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. We would have never thought that the South African tail would wag so well as Harris stayed there in the middle to support Boucher for more than a session to stretch the South African total. The Pakistani openers started off with a bang scoring runs at a blistering pace but once wickets started falling, the scoring rate started to dip as well. Misbah Ul-Haq and Inzamam are there in the middle and they would have to take up the responsibilty to consolidate the innings tomorrow. The Proteas would be all charged up after gaining the slightest of momentum here today. Day 3 also promises to be an exciting day of cricket. Do join us then. Till then from all of us here in the comm box, Adios…

Well, the umpires are having a chat now. It has certainly got a lot darker now at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. They offer the light to the batsmen and the Pakistani batsmen accept it gladly. Off go the players and with that, it is Stumps on Day 2!!!

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Filed under: Pakistan, South Africa, Test Cricket, Cricket News, Cricket world, Cricket