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| a bangladeshi´s response to joshi i got this off a bangladesh cricket site and enjoyed the read. it is a "letter" to all the BD´s on the board who were seriously offended by Joshi´s (the sports journalist) slighting of the BD team- it is long and has had an edit (by me) but i think it´s worth a read::: " We, Bangladeshi cricket fans and Bangladeshis in general, tend to get overly emotional when others are critical of us. It is irrelevant whether the criticism is valid or not. Having said that, many if not most of comments made in the thread is valid – from both POV. Amongst many things, Joshi is guilty with his tenses. Bangladesh cricket is NOT now a joke. But for a long time AFTER our one off Test against India, we were the laughing stock of many: record number of consecutive Test losses, record number of consecutive Innings defeats, record number of Test losses in 4 days or less. As an aside, Joshi’s comment denigrating Ganguli’s win against Bangladesh in that one-off Test is so off the mark. We were competitive for much of the Test, scoring 400 in our first innings and conceding only an 11 run lead after the end of their first Innings. It is our dismal record after that that was cause for much despair for us fans and for much mirth in the rest of the world. However, I think we crossed the Rubicon once Dav Whatmore came on board and we accounted ourselves creditably down under. Does anyone recall ICC Elite Umpire Taufel’s comment of “Let's hope the Bangladeshis go as long as their national anthem” and David Hooke’s comment about the possibility Bangladesh losing in 1 day. We have shown them and we have not looked back since. As Sourav said, let performance speak. And I think we have spoken. We are being taken seriously and baring some overly eager fan contemplating a Sarwan 500 we have earned respect (with Joshi being an exception) So perhaps we were given Test status earlier than we should have, but that is all overs already bowled. "Hindsight has a great advantage," said ICC president Ehsan Mani when he was in Dhaka for the launch of the U-19 World Cup. "They did very well in their first game against India but have fallen away quite dramatically since then. "They are, however, a member of the ICC and we can only think of ways to take them forward." This brings me to the other comments about the number of losses and years between points. As has been pointed out quite justifiably this is comparing apples with oranges. New Zealand took 22 years to achieve their first Test win. India 20. Granted, they were more competitive when they did play but Bangladesh was thrown into the deep as part of the ICC 10 year plan. We played more games in a much shorter time than any new entrant into the Test arena. We had not the time to lick our wounds and hone our skills before being thrown back into the fray. During the same U-19 launch event, ICC chief executive Ehsan Mani had this to say, "It was not a mistake to grant them Test status. Perhaps in the early stages we should have helped them by making them play more at home rather than away. Again, that is all water under the bridge. I had initially thought that perhaps we were given Test status a few years too early. All we had going for us was raw talent and immense desire. We did not have a good solid infrastructure of First Class cricket and our cricketers have been brought up in diet of one day games. What could have been done was to allow our skills to be developed by First Class tours against the A teams of the strong Test countries and perhaps participating in First Class tournaments such as the Busta Cup. Then we could have been given Test Status but with a reduced frequency. Part of the reason for our early induction was political and financial. Dalmiya was at the helm, and the Asian countries get one more vote for their "block" and the ICC was probably salivating at the crowds seen in Bangladesh during international cricket games. So whatever the reason, on hindsight, I am glad that we achieved Test Status when we did. I doubt we would have gotten any opportunities to hone and practice our craft. We would not have been given many opportunities. Just look at the example of Kenya. How many First Class or ODI tours have had they had in recent years? Final thoughts? Well, we have Test Status. Others just need to suck it up. Others may criticize us. We will just have to suck it up. [Edited on 21-4-2004 by Zunaid] " |
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| Bouncers N Beamers - April CRICKETFUNDAS.COM PRESENTS BOUNCERS N BEAMERS FOR APRIL For Extensive Coverage of International and Domestic Cricket, visit www.cricketfundas.com If you think you have a cricket writer in you, then email me your best write ups @ bvswagath@yahoo.com So, does Murali chuck his doosra? As of now, according to the team of biomechanical experts from the University of Western Australia led by Dr Bruce Elliot, the evidence to prove whether Muthiah Muralitharan chucks his doosra, is still INCONCLUSIVE. Using the "innocent till proven guilty" adage hence, Murali's action while he delivers his befuddling doosra, has proven to be within the letter of the bowling-actions-law envisaged by the expert committee. The Srilankan Board has forward this report to the ICC. Dr Elliot says that he would be recommending to the ICC to reconsider the "elbow-bending" threshold limit of 5 degrees to be increased to 10 degrees for spinners, adding categorically that a bending of the elbow worth 10 degrees would not suffice enough to provide an unfair advantage for the bowler. The ICC however has suggested that it wouldn't consider Dr Elliot's recommendation to increase the "elbow-bending" threshold. Hence the ICC has intimated that Murali's doosra is illegal and could tantamount to a ban if Murali keeps bowling it. Murali however seems to have ignored the ICC's diktat, by bowling quite a few doosras against the hapless Zimbabwean side in the first two ODIs. The final word is that Murali 's action is still in scrutiny. Considering that Srilanka is about to play 2 test matches against a watered-down Zimbabwe squad and also the fact that Murali is just 7 wickets behind Courtney Walsh's bowling world record, Murali's bowling action would still remain in controversy with a lot of newsbytes to be devoted on him. Was Ricky Ponting right when he suggested that Brian Lara's 400* wasn't that praiseworthy considering the fact that Lara's monumental innings had reduced chances for an outright win for the West Indies? Ponting's point seems to be right when the scorecard of the England-West Indies match is seen in hindsight. However, Lara's innings came at a time when the West Indies were deep in the lowest lows of their nadir after being beaten 0-3 against an arch-rival. This innings not only brought back the cheers among the cricket watching public, but also reaffirmed some more faith in Brian Lara's abilities as a batsman who can raise the notches of quality even when his team is mired in desperation. Eulogies aside, however, if Lara had probably declared early in the third day and given a session more to his bowlers to bowl out England, he might have been happier with a 1-3 result rather than a personal milestone and a 0-3 result in the end. Are Irfan Pathan and L.Balaji a potent new ball attack promising much in the future? Pathan and Balaji were drafted in the national squad just a few months after playing for the India Emerging XI along with other wannabes, youngsters and players of potential. Considering that these two have become a match winning combination in such a short duration, the future indeed seems bright for the Indian bowling attack. Irfan Pathan shows more natural talent than probably anybody else has ever exuded in the past few years. Pathan, according to even Akram, seems to be a better bowler at his age than Wasim Akram was at the same age. More heartwarming is the fact that there seems to be a lot of "upside" about his bowling. He is a very genuine swing bowler who bowls very natural out-swing and can also cut the ball away from the right-hander. He can bowl long spells, has shown the ability to reverse the ball and to add to all these promising features plays in the V with the bat and shows very good common sense. Pathan is a very promising find and the sky seems the limit for him if he keeps on improving himself. Balaji on the other hand seemed a one-dimensional bowler worth parodying, when he played for India against New Zealand on the batting friendly tracks of Motera and Mohali. A tendency to bowl wide from the crease and an arsenal of one in-swinger and one in-cutter was all Balaji was supposedly all about. This in spite of heavily strong domestic performances, where he single-handedly bowled out opposing sides while playing for Tamil Nadu, with a slew of 5-wicket hauls. After being selected to represent India instead of Avishkar Salvi who was injured, Balaji has underwent a tremendous metamorphosis under the tutelage of Bruce Reid in Australia and seems to be a different bowler altogether. He has worked on his wrist action, his point of delivery, his run-up and a host of lot of nuances, which has now made him to use out-swing as his primary delivery and the already present in-cutter as the stock delivery. His ability to learn and identify areas where he could improve has impressed one and all. Next questions on his learning curve should be "How do I increase my pace" and "How do I keep myself durable?” It seems he has realized them already, judging by the questions he has asked Waqar Younis, with respect to the diet for a fast bowler and fitness regimes. A fast bowler with tremendous potential and another with a voracious yen for improvement surely measure up to an ideal combination for project building. To add to the above-mentioned talents, Avishkar Salvi has come out of injury and should be back with his McGrath inspired accuracy as a contender for the fast bowling slots in the team. It certainly is a ripe time for Indian fast bowling. Will there ever be a cricketing equivalent of the UEFA Champions League? The UEFA Champions League featuring the marquee clubs of Europe who in-turn encapsulate the best talents in football, certainly is the stage for the best quality football. An equivalent of the talent-rich, profit-oriented, spectator-friendly, dream-team-galore UEFA Champions League in cricket seems a utopian thought. Not long ago, in 2000, a similar trophy called the Champions Cup was played between the domestic champions of some countries (viz. Mumbai, Western Australia, Central Districts and Kwazulu Natal). The Trophy however remained mired in invisibility probably because the marquee players were missing. Considering the fact that international cricket dominates the cricketing calendar already pretty heavily, there seems a remote chance of such tournaments occurring again. Maybe, the ICC can still chart out a plan for such events by reducing international commitments to some extent. In the opinion of yours-truly, a Champions Trophy between domestic champions involving even the international players would make for very interesting viewing. Add in a few elements of tinkering between squads by providing options for inter-club-inter-nation transfers, you have a very juicy recipe of first class cricket. |
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| The Master Blaster from Matara The Master Blaster from Matara A tribute to Sanath Jayasuriya by B.V.Swagath For Extensive Coverage of International and Domestic Cricket, visit www.cricketfundas.com If you think you have a cricket writer in you, then email me your best write ups @ bvswagath@yahoo.com  Talking about Sanath Jayasuriya……….my mind dwindles back to the big semifinals at the Eden Gardens in the 1996 Wills World Cup. Sri Lanka were batting first in this high pressure game and shivers started in my mind as Sanath Jayasuriya walked in with little Kaluwithrana. I was unable to digest the way this Lankan opener had ended the career of my then favourite cricketer – Manoj Prabhakar at the Kotla and the career of this bowler was ended in just 4 overs of bowling to Sanath Jayasuriya! Jayasuriya had got out for a duck this time and that was a big relief for me and the entire Indian population. Even after 8 years, shivers with the same magnitude cross my mind whenever Sanath Jayasuriya is batting against India.So what makes this man so intimidating? What makes this man cause sleepless nights to many opening bowlers in the World? Its because of the way Sanath bats with utmost disrespect to the bowlers, an amazing hand-eye co-ordination and the shining and powerful forearms which send the ball flying to the ropes at lightning speed. Sanath Jayasuriya changed the face of an otherwise submissive Sri Lankan Cricket to roaring levels with the small island becoming the World Champions in 1996. A shrewd tactical move by the smart Arjuna Ranatunga of having Jayasuriya to open the innings has paid rich dividends and this must be one of the turning points in Lankan Cricket. Cricket in Sri Lanka was at one stage restricted to only Colombo and Kandy, and for an aspiring cricketer to come from a small remote village of Matara was always an uphill task. But a determined Sanath Jayasuriya came through all these initial hurdles and was all set to climb new heights in World Cricket. He was initially in the National side as an orthodox left arm slow bowler who could play some neat cameos in the slogs. Asanka Gurusingha in a tour of New Zealand in 1992 was injured during practice and that gave Jayasuriya to open the innings for the first time. Jayasuriya made a thunderous 87, but after Gurusingha was fit, he had to revert back to the lower middle order. But the brainwork of Ranatunga struck at the right time and Sanath Jayasuriya was going to open with the explosive Romesh Kaluwithrana during the 96 World Cup. The two openers were given an open license to go after the bowling from ball1. From that tournament to today, what has happened with Jayasuriya and Sri Lanka, the whole world knows! Some of the breathtaking batting records are with this Master Blaster from Matara. He holds the record for the fastest fifty in One Day Internationals, a pulverizing half century coming in just 16 balls off a Pakistani attack at Padang, Singapore. He also held the record for the fastest hundred in ODIs which was broken by another bludgeoning batsman Shahid Afridi. Jayasuriya blasted Chris Harris for 28 runs in an over and that became the record for the most expensive over in ODIs. He has the record for the most number of sixes in a one day innings – 12 in total against Pakistan. Sanath has a special love and affection for the Indian bowling attack just like the former Pakistani great Saeed Anwar. A monumental knock of 340 at Premadasa was what Sanath gave the Indian bowlers in test matches and a whirlwind 189 at Sharjah in One Dayers. Thanks to Sourav’s back of the hand slower delivery, Sanath Jayasuriya’s innings ended at 189 or it could have been an individual score of 220 or so. The latest record which has encouraged Cricketfundas.com to write a tribute on this Master Blaster is the HIGHEST RUN GETTER for Sri Lanka in One Dayers surpassing the record of the great Aravinda De Silva. Sanath took over as captain of the Sri Lankan team from Arjuna Ranatunga after the World Cup debacle of 1999. Those were real difficult times for Sri Lankan cricket and Sanath held the players together which gradually progressed into a team which had the talent and the ability to be a formidable one in its own way ! His captaincy improved and flourished from match to match and season to season. Under Sanath's captaincy, Sri Lanka did win many titles/trophies like the Morocco Cup, Sharjah Cups on a few occasions and he also helped Lanka to reach the World Cup 2003 Semi-Finals, before bowing out to the Aussies. And during his stint as captain, the highlight of this man was to lead from the front which inturn motivates his team-mates to win matches and indeed he was a successful captain. The trouble with Sanath Jayasuriya is if he fails with the bat, he still can make his presence felt with his intelligent left arm turners. And when he clicks with the bat and the ball, then Sri Lanka would only have cakewalk victories. Sanath Jayasuriya is a marvelous fielder with deadly accurate throws which has and had run out many batsmen and has changed the outcome of quite a few matches. A man who shows no mercy to bowlers early on in a one-dayer !A man who helps his team set unchasable targets with his whirlwind starts and who could make mockery of targets of 300 and above. With all these qualities, Sanath Jayasuriya would just walk in to the list of All Time Greats. |
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| As a confirmed and devoted SL fan, I guess my biggest hope for Jaya is that he enjoys some consistency in the coming months. Leaving to one side the Zim shambles (which is a separate conversation altogether) I would like to see the mainman putting together some good scores both in the Asia Cup in SL and down under against the Aussies. Murali may not have committed himself yet to the Aus tour but Jaya will defo be there and we need him to perform. Let's try to revocer some pride afte the Aussies' blinding tour in SL. |
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| A profile on Ramnaresh Sarwan A New Tune for the Caribbean Calypso A profile on Ramnaresh Sarwan by B.V.Swagath for www.cricketfundas.com and www.world-a-team.com With just 4 years of International Cricket exposure, Ramnaresh Sarwan is considered as a force to reckon with. This youngster from Guyana has played some match winning knocks in both versions of the game and against the best bowling attacks. West Indies has produced some of the best stroke makers and Ramnaresh Ronnie Sarwan is no exception to that. As Brian Charles Lara, the record holder for the highest individual score in test cricket, rightly said that the future is with the youngsters - the Chirs Gayles and the Sarwans to take up the mantle of scoring heavily; West Indies are on their way to glory if these youngsters put their head down and justify their talents in the middle.  Competitive cricket started at an early age for Sarwan. In fact, Sarwan became the youngest regional first-class player ever with a first class debut against the fiery bowling attack of Barbados when he was just 15 years old. So that meant this little statured Guyanese right-hander was ready for International Cricket after 4 years of first class cricket. His test match debut was against Pakistan at the Kensington Oval at Bridgetown, Barbados and was against five dangerous bowlers in Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain and Razzaq. With some exemplary footwork, Sarwan defied all these bowlers and notched up a composed 84*. This innings is still remembered for Sarwan's wonderful technique against the spin twins of Saqlain and Mushy. Ever since his test debut, Sarwan has been producing some neat innings for the West Indies and a test match average of 38 from 79 test innings (as of date of this article), this stylish right-hander hasn't fully used his potential as yet. One of his best test innings was at the Antigua Recreation Ground against the unbeatable Aussies as West Indies chased the record breaking second innings total of 418. Sarwan wasn't going to back off either from the challenge of the never-say-die Aussies or the exaggerated sledging from the Pigeon - Glen McGrath. For a batsman with impeccable caliber, adjusting his game from Test matches to One Day Internationals isn't a difficult task at all, and Sarwan has proved that in his impressive one-day career. He can be called Mr. Consistent for Windies with his batting average of over 47 coming from 59 ODIs which includes two hundreds and nine half-centuries (as of date). Ramnaresh Sarwan won millions of hearts with his courageous knock against Sri Lanka in a World Cup clash at Newlands after defying medical advice for his team. In the initial stages of his innings, a nasty bouncer from Dilhara Fernando hit Sarwan above his left ear and he had to retire hurt. But with West Indies at 169/7 chasing an out-of-reach 229, Sarwan resumed his innings from 10 and he only had the tail with him. Sarwan blasted 37 more runs but West Indies in the end fell short by six runs. Cricket can be a heartless game sometimes, but the courage and the spirit shown by Sarwan on that night at Newlands would be remembered and talked about for many many years. Sarwan has become more responsible as a player now with the Vice Captaincy and the occasional Captaincy mantle on his small but broad shoulders. With such a blend of talent, match temperament and courage Ramnaresh Ronnie Sarwan, a little but gutsy player would play his part in many exciting victories of the West Indies and would do his best in reviving the Caribbean Calypso. |
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| 11th February, 1984 CRICKETFUNDAS.COM PRESENTS "AND ITS A TIE" Match : Australia Vs West Indies, 2nd Final, Benson and Hedges World Series, 1983-84 Venue : Melbourne Cricket Ground Author : B.V.Swagath Australia and West Indies, two top class teams were battling out each other amidst the heat of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. We are talking about the 2nd finals of the Benson and Hedges World Series way back in 1983/84. Australia have to prevent the West Indies from winning this final and take the Benson and Hedges World Series to the third and deciding final. The edge was with the West Indies with a dream bowling attack of the Whispering Death - Michael Holding, the Big Bird - Joel Garner, Baptiste and to finish the pace quartet was Malcolm Marshall. The West Indies skipper, Clive Lloyd won the toss and decided to take first strike at the MCG. To contain this cracking batting line-up of Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, King Vivian Richards, Clive Lloyd, Larry Gomes and the useful Jeff Dujon, the Aussie skipper Kim Hughes had an almighty job ahead of him. With the ball doing a bit early on, West Indies were off to a shaky start losing both their openers with the score at 54. But with the partnership of two of the best stroke makers Richie Richardson and Viv Richards, things started to fall in the right place for the West Indies. The NSW fast bowler Geoff Lawson who was bowling a miserly spell gave the breakthrough dismissing Richardson and the score halted to 116/3. To make it worse for the West Indies, part time bowler Keppler Wessels chipped in with the priced wickets of skipper Clive Lloyd and then Viv Richards and West Indies slumped to 173/5. But the innings got a perfect finish with two of the best lower middle order batsmen ever in ODIs - Larry Gomes and Jeff Dujon put on a fighting stand of 49 runs and ensured West Indies to set a fighting target of 223. Vivian Richards top scored with 59 with five hits to the fence. For the home side, Geoff Lawson was the most impressive with figures of 10-4-26-1 and the left arm spinner Tom Hogan keeping it extremely tight with 10-2-31-0.  Michael Holding and Joel Garner were charging their batteries waiting to have a dash at the Aussie top order. Makeshift opener Dean Jones found the pace combination too hot to handle and was back in the hut giving the ideal start for the defenders, Australia at 23/1. But the other opening batsman Keppler Wessels and his skipper Kim Hughes decimated the bombarding from the pace quartet to take Australia cruising at 132/1. But Malcolm Marshall just opened the floodgates for the Australians trapping Hughes lbw. A skipper’s innings from Kim Hughes ended at a personal score of 53, with Australia requiring only 91 runs. Coming back for their second spell, Holding and Garner ripped through the batting and Australia now found themselves at a shaky 192/6 having just lost their last recognized batsman in Rodney Marsh. Geoff Lawson, however kept the home side in the game with his useful hitting. But West Indies were not giving up either, taking wickets at regular intervals. It was still going in favour of the Aussies, but for a couple of run outs with Carl Rackeman run out of the last ball of the match. The Australian innings folded at 222/9 in 50 overs and the scores of both the teams were leveled. Keppler Wessels was the hero with an innings of 77 and for the West Indies, Holding and Garner the chief wreckers with both having figures of 3/39.This was an extraordinary result, which never happened in all the 246 One Day Internationals ever played prior to this game. History was created at the MCG on the 11th of February 1984 with the Australia Versus West Indies ODI ending in a TIE and it was the first ever tied ODI in history. Cricketfundas.com takes extreme pride in becoming the only cricket website to have a review of this sensational match at the MCG. |
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| India Vs Bangladesh India Vs Bangladesh at S.S.C, Colombo, 21.7.04 Source : Cricketfundas.com Cricketfundas Highlights by B.V.Swagath It’s time to say bye bye to the first round of this edition of the Asia Cup, where only one match was worth of watching – the India Vs Lanka match. The second phase however, which is on a round robin league basis promises lots of action. One cannot expect a neck-to-neck game between India and Bangladesh, but certainly India would try to play their best cricket in order to get into the top-notch performance levels before taking on archrivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka. For Bangladesh, it would be yet another of the many opportunities they have been receiving of late at the International level. The Flip of the coin Sourav Ganguly won the toss and elected to bowl first for a change. Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo has the reputation of aiding the seam and the swing bowlers early on in the innings and this wicket also looking to have some moisture might have forced Ganguly to bowl first. It was Balley Balley time for all the Turbunator’s fans as the Sardar walked back into the Indian team after a long gap of 8 months. Harbhajan replaced Anil Kumble who was rested or dropped? Parthiv Patel was sent back to school (oops was back to the bench) and in came V.V.S.Laxman after recovering from his knee injury. Bangladesh also made the same number of changes atleast to match India in this area. The Bangladesh Batting Give the new ball to Irfan Pathan and he would swing it on any day and poor Bangla chaps were in for a struggle early on. Their number 1 batsman – Habibul Bashar promoted himself to the opener’s slot. And that move backfired as Bashar was cleaned up by an inswinger from Irfan Pathan. The very next ball, Pathan kept it straight and the ball swung in late and trapped Razin Saleh, no way out for the batsman. The umpire had no option but to give Saleh out leg before. Irfan was on a hat trick, a feat that was earlier accomplished by only Chetan Sharma (in the World Cup) and Kapil Dev (in the Asia Cup). Alok Kapali, the new batsman however denied Irfy the feat and somehow managed to put bat on ball. Things settled down for Bangladesh from then and reversed in the case of the two Indian bowlers. Balaji was spraying the ball in both directions and was virtually helping Bangladesh’s recovery. Ashraful got stuck into his elements and played some fantastic drives to put up some solid score for his team. But like always, Kapali threw his wicket away as he poked Ashish Nehra’s delivery in the corridor of uncertainty. Bangladesh were now reduced to 56/3 in the 13th over. It was finally time to see Harbhajan in action, and he was in total control of what he was bowling right from ball no.1. Faisal Hossain, the left-hander showed a moment of heroics as he swept Bhajji into the long on stands for a six. But Harbhajan soon took revenge by rapping Faisal on his pads, an arm ball which took Faisal completely by surprise. A bad call for a single from new man Khaled Mashud ended the promising innings of Md.Ashraful for 35 and Bangladesh at 92/5. From then on, India took control by taking wickets at regular intervals. Bangladesh crumbled against the leg spin/googlies of Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar picked up three wickets and Pathan coming in for his second spell signaled the end of Bangladesh’s innings by dismissing Razzaq. Pathan took three wickets for 32 runs. But look at Harbhajan’s figures – 10-2-20-1, he definitely has created some pleasant selection problems for the team management. Bangladesh managed only 177 runs on the board and they would thank their most valuable performer – Mr. Extras who top scored with 37. The Indian Chase The target was moderate; there were two batsmen with two different kinds of mindsets. One was our Veeru (Sehwag) who was batting the 1st over as if it was the last over of an innings. Other was Sachin Tendulkar – I am sure he must have set his eyes on a easy hundred – this is the chance – there’s no pressure of chasing a 280 – this isn’t a Sri Lankan attack – there was a hundred for the taking if he bats on and on and why not? Sehwag is 100 % pure entertainment, after he left the 1st ball alone as if it was a formality for an opener to do so; he stuck into the hapless bowler in the next few balls. Sehwag slapped and thumped the ball through the offside and flicked the ball to collect 16 runs after playing 8 balls (as they were no-balls in that over). But Sehwag’s show was way too short as his cut found Alok Kapoli in the way at Point. Ganguly was almost timed out after he was very slow in coming to the crease. A pull shot from Ganguly announced the presence of the Royal Bengal Tiger. End of the first over and India were 22/1 – the fortunate bowler was Tareq Aziz – isn’t he fortunate as he got his name into the record books for bowling the most expensive 1st over of an innings ever? Sachin and Sourav now controlled the chase - both determined to get a score atleast against Bangladesh. They took their time and with ease started to score some runs here and there. Both the batsmen especially showed lots of respect to 3 ODIs old Abdul Razzaq, who was sharing the new ball with Tareq. Things however changed after Rafique’s couple of maidens on the trot, Sachin wasn’t going to just wait and watch Ganguly run away with the runs first, and launched a slog sweep off Rafique to mid-wicket for a six. Ganguly said enough-is-enough and in his own vintage style stepped down and hit a big six. Ganguly hit 2 more crisp lofted shots for sixes and India were now coasting along. With just 5 runs away from the victory, Ganguly got out to Rafique, trying to hit the winning six. Ganguly was out for 60 which came in 100 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes. Laxman joined Tendulkar and the remaining runs were scored and India notched up a 7-wicket win. Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 82. Tendulkar walked away with the man of the match award for his all round display. For once, India didn’t require the heroics of Rahul Dravid! Cricketfundas.com |
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 Ray Lindwall: The man who turned fast bowling into an art form Another entertaining time filler for those like me who are waiting for some more England action [if one of the mods think this thread is better placed on the Aussie forum please move it] Quote:
__________________ Last edited by R W S : 19-10-2004 at 12:56 PM. |
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| Top 10 Test innings of all time Top 10 Test Innings of all time 1. Don Bradman 270 for Australia v England at Melbourne in 1936-37.  Wisden Rating: 262.4 Australia had lost the first two Tests by huge margins. Bradman, in his first series as captain, had made a duck in each match. Now, in the third, Australia were 97 for 5 in the second innings when The Don went out to bat. Struggling with 'flu, his reputation as a batsman and captain on the line, he faced Bill Voce and Gubby Allen, frighteningly fast on the rain-affected pitch, which also helped the master spinner Hedley Verity. Careful at first, increasing the tempo as he went on, Bradman hit his highest score against England at home, sharing a record stand of 346 with Jack Fingleton. Australia's win by 365 runs was the pivotal moment of the series: they're still the only side to win one after being 2-0 down. Bradman finished with 810 runs in the series and his place at the top secure for ever. 2. Brian Lara 153* for West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown in 1998-99 Wisden Rating: 255.2 If Lara's double-century in the previous Test (No.22 in the Wisden ratings) changed the course of the series, this stamped his name on it for ever. An Australian team containing Slater, Ponting, McGrath, Warne and the Waugh twins lost a match which they began by amassing 490. The bare details of West Indies' second innings are exciting enough: set 308 to win, they got there with one wicket to spare. But it was the manner in which Lara shepherded his lower order to victory that lives in the memory. West Indies were 105 for 5, then still 70 short with eight wickets down--one mistake by their captain would have cost them the match and probably the series. Instead he made half their runs and rescued West Indies cricket from its lowest ebb. The complete redemption of a prodigal son. 3. Graham Gooch 154* for England v West Indies at Headingley in 1991. Wisden Rating: 252.0 Graham Gooch had scored 333 against India the previous year, but this was his finest hour - or seven. Having fronted up to West Indies' four-pronged pace attack for more than a decade, he now enjoyed some serious payback. Faced with all-time greats like Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh, plus the spiteful pace of Patrick Patterson, in bad light, on a typically uncomfortable Headingley pitch, Gooch scored over 60% of England's runs in the second innings (no-one else made more than 27). The captain's concentration, sustained despite several breaks for rain, was as impressive as the typical power of his shots (18 fours). In becoming the first England opener for 11 years to carry his bat in a Test, he set up their first home win over West Indies since 1969 and, at long last, a competitive series between the two. 4. Ian Botham 149* for England v Australia at Headingley in 1981 Wisden Rating: 240.8 At the time, Mike Brearley's return as captain didn't seem quite so messianic. In their second innings, England were 92 behind with only three wickets left. Enter fast bowler Graham Dilley to help Ian Botham add some respectability before the inevitable defeat and a 2-0 series deficit. In the previous Test, his last as captain, Botham had made a pair. Here he added to his first-innings 50 with some of the most outrageous hitting ever seen at this level. Against a pace attack of Dennis Lillee, Terry Alderman and Geoff Lawson, he and Dilley added 117 in 80 minutes to turn the match on its head. England were the first side since 1894-95 to win a Test match after following on -- and Botham hadn't finished yet. His performances in this series, which uplifted a country ridden with riots and economic strife, made him England's last authentic cricketing hero. 5. Don Bradman 299* for Australia v South Africa at Adelaide in 1931-32. Wisden Rating: 236.8 Call this a culmination. Earlier in the series, Bradman had scored 226, 112 and 167. Now he capped it all with one of his definitive innings: in control and insatiable. Playing through a bad patch, he dominated every partnership, scoring 58% of Australia's total. He ran out Alan Kippax in trying to reach his hundred and poor Pud Thurlow in going for the 300 - but it was forgivable, given all the running he did: only 92 of his runs came from boundaries. The Don had now scored a hundred in each of his last seven matches. The greatest at his voracious best. 6. VVS Laxman 281 for India v Australia at Calcutta in 2000-01  Wisden Rating: 234.8Australia had set an astounding world record by winning their previous 16 Test matches, including the first in this series - and were surely about to make it 17. Forced to follow on, India were still 42 behind with six wickets left when Rahul Dravid came out to join Laxman, whose Test batting average was an undistinguished 27. The result: a day in which Australia conceded 335 runs without taking a wicket. Laxman was particularly severe on Shane Warne, often coming down the pitch to hit against the spin, but equally positive against the pace of Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie: his 281, a new Test record for India, was scored quickly enough for Australia to be bowled out. Their defeat in this match and the next completed one of the great reversals of all time. 7. Clem Hill 188 for Australia v England at Melbourne in 1897-98. Wisden Rating: 234.2 When Australia collapsed to 57 for 6 against some mighty fast bowling by Tom Richardson and the nip of JT Hearne, England were on the point of squaring the series. They were thwarted by a left-hander who would one day set a record for most runs in Test cricket but was now only 20 years old. Defying a lionhearted Richardson, the legspin brilliance of Johnny Briggs, and smoke from nearby bush fires, Clem Hill played probably the greatest innings in a Test between Australia and England, putting on 165 for the seventh wicket with Hugh Trumble to turn the match and regain the Ashes. 8. Azhar Mahmood 132 for Pakistan v South Africa at Durban in 1997-98. Wisden Rating: 232.6 South Africa's pace attack had more depth than at any other time in their history: Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock supported by Fanie de Villiers and Lance Klusener. No surprise that Pakistan were put in to bat on a treacherous pitch -- or that they should be reduced to 89 for 5. Salvation came in the form of a 22-year-old allrounder who seemed to be batting too low at No.7: his century was already his third in six Test innings against South Africa. Tucking into a great pace bowler like Donald, he scored 96 runs in boundaries while proving himself an expert shepherd of a tail: he made 90% of Pakistan's last 106 runs. They went on to win a low-scoring match by 29. 9. Kim Hughes 100* for Australia v West Indies at Melbourne in 1981-82 Wisden Rating: 229.7 Kim Hughes is best remembered for losing the 1981 Ashes series and a tearful resignation as Australia's captain against West Indies. But he deserves better than that. One of the most talented batsmen of his generation, he had brighter moments against the Windies. Facing perhaps the greatest fast-bowling quarters of all time -- Holding, Roberts, Garner and Croft with all their hostility and variety -- Hughes belied his youthful, even angelic looks with a brave and fluent hundred on a tricky pitch. Made out of a total of only 198, it enabled Australia to win a low-scoring match and take a 1-0 lead in the series. 10. Brian Lara 375 for West Indies v England at Antigua in 1993-94. Wisden Rating: 228.1 Garry Sobers had predicted great things for Brian Lara from the start--so it was appropriate that the great man should be there to congratulate him in person when Lara broke his world record for the highest score in Test cricket. Against a bowling attack that included Angus Fraser, Andy Caddick and Phil Tufnell, Lara batted for the equivalent of two days without giving a chance, the innings of a man in a vein of form that batsmen usually only dream about: two months later, he set the world record for the highest score in all first-class cricket: an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham. 100. Dudley Nourse 208 for South Africa against England at Trent Bridge in 1951. Wisden Rating: 186.9 A captain's innings if ever there was one. In scoring his country's first double century against England, Nourse batted for over nine hours with a broken thumb. In great pain whenever he tried to play a forcing shot, he was forced to miss the second innings - but the platform had been established by then: South Africa won this first Test by 71 runs. Top batsmen A look at the Wisden -- 100 list shows the following batsmen who have secured the maximum number of spots: Bradman: 5 Greg Chappel: 3 Greenidge: 3 Hammond: 3 Lara: 3 Richards: 3 No surprise that Bradman has 5 spots. This only means that in whichever way we look at, Bradman's name comes through as the greatest cricketer who ever played cricket. Out of these players the only active player in the list is Brian Lara. If he plays another innings such as the 153*, 375 and the 213, the three innings in the list, he would take over the second spot. Great innings by Tendulkar are still to be played in the future. Last edited by Ernest : 08-11-2004 at 10:44 PM. |
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| Stephen Fleming believes several Australians are on a "walking" crusade  Left, the Australians jump for joy after McMillan's dismissal, one ball after the rejected caught behind appeal. Right: Kiwi batsman Craig McMillan and Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist get together after the match to discuss McMillan's decision not to walk.Photos: Craig Golding, Getty Images Related Stephen Fleming believes several Australians are on a "walking" crusade. Ricky Ponting is adamant the whole issue has been overexposed. But after a match that produced Glenn McGrath's maiden Test half-century, Jason Gillespie's bizarre cowboy-style celebration and an emphatic Australian victory, the on-field walking dispute between Craig McMillan and Adam Gilchrist dominated post-match discussions yesterday. With New Zealand foundering at 7-72 - en route to an innings and 156-run defeat and the worst innings total, 76, against Australia in 58 years - McMillan appeared to edge a Gillespie delivery to Gilchrist. McMillan stood his ground. Umpire Steve Bucknor ruled "not out". Gilchrist and McMillan exchanged words - the batsman reminding the wicketkeeper that, unlike Gilchrist, not everyone was a "walker". The wicket was of little consequence to the final outcome; McMillan was trapped lbw off the next delivery. But the exchange added further heat to the walking debate. "Just because one or two guys are on a crusade, it doesn't mean it changes the ways of 95 per cent of other cricketers," Fleming said. "It's still an individual decision, whether you walk or not. Whether you're placing pressure on players for walking or not walking, it's the same scenario. You do have to be very careful. We all like to see the game played in the best spirit, but if individuals choose not to (walk), and that is their right to do so, it's got to be respected either way." Ponting, though, held a different opinion. "That's not our philosophy at all on walking," he said. "We've got one player (Gilchrist) in our side that walks. To tell the truth, I think this whole walking thing has been blown completely out of proportion... (and) it doesn't put any pressure on anybody else. It doesn't change anything whatsoever and it doesn't put any pressure on opposition players. Adam doesn't expect that from anybody else. He doesn't expect anyone in our team to walk, either, so he can't expect that of any opposition players." In another matter related to the "spirit of cricket", Ponting approached Fleming before the match, seeking an understanding on issues such as accepting a fieldsman's word should he claim a catch. Fleming, however, said that several of his players were against the move. "I'm not going to, as captain, put a blanket rule on my side that they must walk or must obey every gentlemanly word that's said out there," Fleming said. "It's still international sport, some guys are playing for their livelihoods and some guys just can't see the ball in those situations." Ponting accepted Fleming's view, but said he would continue to reach such understandings with opposing captains in the "hope we can change things in the game slightly". Despite several on-field controversies during the first Test, match referee Mike Procter confirmed no official action would be taken. "It was expected to be a tough match and it was," Procter said. "But I didn't see a problem." Controversy aside, Australia's efforts with the ball yesterday were among the most clinical witnessed in recent times. Following McGrath's dismissal for a career-high 61, ending a record 10th-wicket partnership of 114 against NZ, the veteran paceman returned to claim the wickets of Mark Richardson, Mathew Sinclair and Fleming before the tourists had reached 20. And McGrath's 10th-wicket partner, Gillespie, proved equally punishing, reaching 54 not out before claiming the wickets of McMillan and Brendon McCullum. Gillespie celebrated his maiden Test half-century by riding his bat down the wicket to mimic a scene from the movie Happy Gilmore. According to Ponting, the partnership between McGrath and Gillespie broke the resolve of the New Zealanders, who then slumped to the third-lowest total by a NZ team against Australia. The previous worst scores came in 1946 in the Kiwis' first Test against Australia. "You could just see their whole body language change as the partnership grew," Ponting said.
__________________ It's hard enough to remember my opinions, without remembering my reasons for them! Nietzsche |
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