Yuvraj, Uthapa and dinesh are looking to a girl's back

Yuvraj, Uthapa and dinesh are looking to a girl's back

VVS Laxman with his son and wife

VVS Laxman with his son and wife outside the India team hotel, Sydney, January 8, 2007

Harbhajan Singh reacts to the crowd's boos

Sourav Ganguly is intercepted by a fan at Bondi Beach

Harbhajan Singh runs out with the Indian flag,

Harbhajan Singh runs out with the Indian flag

Saurav Ganguly Funny Run Out

Yuvraj Singh hits a record 6 Sixes vs England

Yuvraj was spurred by Flintoff

Yuvraj Singh said after his unbelievable six sixes in an over that he was motivated in part by comments Andrew Flintoff had made just before the penultimate over. Without revealing what passed between them, he said that "oppositions do have words with each other; it's part of the game. Outside we're good friends, but in the game, it's competitive. I just wanted to give it back with the bat."

There can never have been a more eloquent bat than Yuvraj's. It certainly drew admiration from the defeated England captain, Paul Collingwood. "The best striking I've ever seen," he declared.

Yuvraj's own captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, mentioned that he had recently been asked whether Yuvraj was in the team solely for his bowling. "I don't think I have to answer that question now."

When asked how it felt to have emulated Garry Sobers, Yuvraj modestly played down the comparison. "A lot of people tell me I bat like him [Garry Sobers], but I'm not even halfway there. But it's a great feeling when people tell you that."

He also claimed that the fifth six was a mishit. "The first one was the longest one. Second one was, I think, square; third one was long-off; fourth was over point; fifth was a mishit over midwicket and sixth was again to long-on."

Though he could barely suppress a smile for more than a moment, Yuvraj was acutely aware of what Stuart Broad would now be going through. "I was the one who got hit for five sixes in the Oval game [against England exactly a fortnight ago]. It's a horrible feeling and Stuart is one of their main bowlers so, I feel sorry for him. He had a horrible day. It can happen to anyone."

He said it was only after the fifth six sailed over the rope that he thought about all six. "After the fourth six I thought, if I use the crease much better, I'm sure I can hit one more. After the fifth I thought, 'Obviously, I have to go for the sixth.' It's a great feeling."

One handed catch by Sachin Tendulkar

Navjot Sidhu really scared Aamir Sohail

Navjot Sidhu really scared Aamir Sohail

Cricketers Bollywood night out in Kanpur with Shahrukh

Brian Lara will lead the Mumbai Champs in the ICL

Lara disappointed with boards' ICL reaction. The speculation regarding Brian Lara's participation in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) has ended after he arrived in India. Lara, who was named captain of the Mumbai team in the ICL, expressed his disappointment at the national boards' decision to ban players who have signed up for the unofficial tournament. "The reaction from the established cricket bodies was on expected lines but still I was disappointed," Lara said. "The intentions are quite honourable and I hope down the line people will understand what this league is all about and accept it." Lara said he was excited about strapping on the pads again. "I am looking forward to playing in the league," he said. "I would love to play alongside the young players from India who may not have had the opportunity to play with me and other international players." Besides 30 high-profile international players, the ICL will have local players drawn from across India. Lara said the Twenty20 format of the game was fun and had expectedly caught on with fans around the world. "I don't generally watch cricket on television but was glued to the TV when India took on Pakistan in the World Twenty20 final. "It's a very exciting game and is fun. It has given the authorities a chance to take the game to places not familiar with cricket."

Ganguly's all-round contribution will be more than enough to keep Yuvraj Singh on the sidelines

An hour after Sachin Tendulkar slapped one past point to sew up the Kotla Test, Yuvraj Singh walked out to the middle. Hardly anyone was left in the stands and only a few cameramen and officials watched his stint. Facing a group of net bowlers, one of whom tried his best to imitate Shoaib Akhtar, he went about pounding the netting. The fury in some of those shots was indicative of how hard he's knocking on the doors of selection.

By just being around, he's keeping an entire batting line-up, a selection committee, and a media contingent on its toes. His name has come up in four of the six press conferences here. Before the game he was being talked about as a replacement for VVS Laxman, now he's being linked to Dinesh Karthik. Often he's also giving Sourav Ganguly a run. At the danger of giving him too much credit, he's obliquely contributing towards a consistent batting effort, match after match.

Ganguly and Laxman, though, must be a bit confused. One has reinvented himself over the last year and the other played his part in a quiet, efficient manner. Both have come through high-pressure situations, dealing with it in an assured manner. Ganguly has silenced those who doubted his ability against pace and Laxman has done the same against swing. Both have eked out runs with the tail, both have kept out the second new ball and both have, crucially, played out important final sessions. Ganguly has four fifties and a hundred in his last eight Tests; Laxman five fifties and a hundred in his last ten.

The Kotla Test was a case in point. If Laxman blunted the Shoaib threat in the first innings, Ganguly did the same in the second. If Laxman appeared far more comfortable than any batsman in the first dig, Ganguly occupied that slot in the second. Both walked in amid a collapse and, in contrasting styles, calmed the nerves. Both didn't hesitate to play their shots. They made some important contributions on the field too: Laxman plucking a sensational catch to break Pakistan's dangerous opening partnership and Ganguly having one of his best Tests with the ball.

Before the game, Kumble made it clear that Laxman would play. At the end of it, having seen his decision justified, he didn't understand the fuss. "I think Laxman's knock was very crucial considering the circumstances. He's a fantastic player and his partnership with Dhoni was very critical for us. I don't know why there is always a sword hanging over his head. It's only a perception from those not within the dressing room. We [the team] know what quality he brings in and his role in the team is very crucial."

Laxman's value is probably forgotten because of the long gaps between Test series. One-day performances are usually enough to make you a superstar and it doesn't help that Laxman leads a distinct double-life - one in the Test arena and another in the quiet confines of first-class cricket. Others may soon find themselves in his position, considering that half of India's Test squad don't play one-day matches.

Karthik, however absurd it sounds, seems to be the new one on the chopping block. He was the only batsman to not make a mark and the highs of the England series, when he cracked 263 runs at 43.9, suddenly seem a distant memory. Kumble, though, brushed aside any such suggestions. "He just missed out here," he said. "His contribution on the field was important - he took the crucial catch and effected the run-out [both off Misbah-ul-Haq]. He was the highest run-scorer in the last Test series and it's not fair on anyone to be judged on two innings."

India triumph in England was built on a slew of partnerships and they'll be heartened that the trend continued here. Not only do they have a batting line-up responding as a team but also a stand-by who's pushing everyone that little bit harder.

Source : www.cricinfo.com

Tendulkar goes past Border

With a glorious on-drive for four off Mohammad Sami, Sachin Tendulkar moved past Allan Border's Test aggregate of 11,174 to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket. At the end of the fourth day of the Delhi Test, Tendulkar's aggregate stood at 11,183, 770 fewer than Brian Lara's 11,953. A couple of deliveries earlier, Tendulkar had achieved another milestone, becoming only the third Indian, after Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid, to score 1000 runs in the fourth innings of a Test. Going into this Test, Tendulkar had 977 runs at an average of 32.56, well below his career average of nearly 55. If India do knock off the 32 more runs they need for victory, it'll be their seventh successive win at this ground. Since 1992-93, they've beaten Zimbabwe (three times), Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. (Click here for their overall results at the Kotla.) Their last defeat here came in 1987-88, when West Indies chased down 276 - the highest successful run-chase at this ground - for the loss of five wickets. A successful chase of 203 will also be India's fifth-highest victorious run-chase in Tests, and their second-highest at home, after the 256 for 8 they scored against Australia in Mumbai in 1964-65.

Source :www. cricinfo.com

Yuvraj will have to wait his turn - Kumble

Anil Kumble, India's newly-appointed Test captain, has said that Yuvraj Singh will have to continue to wait his turn for a berth in the Test line-up. Yuvraj has been in sublime form with the bat of late, picking up the Man-of-the-Series award in the one-dayers against Pakistan. However, the return of Sourav Ganguly, during the tour of South Africa last year, had kept Yuvraj in the reserves. Speaking ahead of the first Test in Delhi, Kumble said that India are almost certain to field two spinners, including Harbhajan Singh.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni in New Stylish Look

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni , sporting a new look with close cropped hair, returned home on Wednesday after the recently concluded hectic seven-match cricket series against Australia. Dhoni was whisked away by securitymen from one of the gates at the Birsa Munda airport as a folk troupe which was to greet him was stopped at another. Dhoni top tax payer in Jharkhand Dhoni looked neat and trim with his locks, which once drew attention of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, shorn off. "The enthusiasm would have been different had Dhoni returned immediately after the Twenty20 championship," said a fan and blamed the 2-4 loss to Australia in the one-day series for the low presence of fans. A few determined enthusiasts, however, shouted 'Dhoni Zindabad' and 'Welcome Dhoni' as their poster boy drove away to his brother-in-law's home. The cricketer did not speak to the media which was present in strength.

Source : rediff.com