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finally he gets his moment!
Men and moments of the day!
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Mumbai, April 2 "We wanted to win it for Sachin Tendulkar. This World Cup is for him," Gambhir said shortly after the match. "It's yet to sink in and I don't know when it will sink in," said the southpaw whose brilliant 97 will be etched in the memories of the cricket crazy Indians. When asked about Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh who were seen shedding tears of joy, Gambhir said, "They have seen nightmare of 2007, so they know how it feels to win World Cup. This is a dream come true." Sachin: Proudest moment of my life
An emotional Sachin Tendulkar admitted that Saturday was the "proudest day of my life" after India beat Sri Lanka to win the cricket World Cup. "Couldn't have asked for more. This is ultimate. It is the proudest moment of my life," said Tendulkar in an emotionally choked voice. "I thank the team for putting up a fabulous performance and playing consistent cricket," the maestro added. Tendulkar who did a lap of honour on shoulder of his teammates said that there were tears in his eyes once Dhoni hit that six. "Yes, they were happy tears. So I don't mind. We have stuck together through ups and down," stated the smiling legend. Tendulkar who missed out on his 100th international ton lavished praise on the support staff especially adventure expert and motivational expert Mike Horn who joined the team a few days back. "I wanted to thank Mike Horn. The sessions with him were of immense help. Also I want to thank Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton. They have to be given the credit as they instilled a bit more self belief in us. We have been very consistent during the last two years and this is a result of that," Tendulkar said.
— PTI |
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finally he gets his moment!
Mumbai, April 2 When Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men crossed the finishing line after overhauling the stiff target of 275 set by Sri Lanka, it was the first-time ever in the tournament's history that the nation hosting the grand finale had come out trumps. England had hosted the tournament on four occasions (1975-1983 and 1999) without tasting success even once. India held the final of the 1987 tournament, joint co-hosts being Pakistan, and Allan Border's Australians fought Mike Gatting's England at the Eden Gardens successfully to snatch away the prize for the first time. Five years later, Australia hosted the final (the tournament’s joint co-hosts being New Zealand), and it was the turn of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan to win. In 1996 though ultimate winners Lanka were the co-hosts of the tournament with India and Pakistan, the final was held at Lahore. After the 1999 tournament won by Australia in England, Ricky Ponting-led the Aussies to back-to-back title triumphs in 2003 (South Africa hosting the final) and in 2007 (hosted by the West Indies). Egged on by the capacity crowd of 33,000, India created history as hosts of the summit clash by denying tournament co-hosts Lanka the Cup as well as the top prize of USD 3 million. The Emerald Islanders pocketed USD 1.5 million. The triumph also placed India alongside the West Indies and Australia as the teams to have won the coveted title on more than one occasion. — PTI
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Zaheer Khan with his two wickets, Tharanga and Kapugedara, has become the joint highest wicket taker in the World Cup along with Shahid Afridi of Pakistan. Zaheer ended up with a tally of 21 wickets. But the day that had started as a dream for the left-arm quick, ended pretty much as a nightmare as Mahela Jayawardene, aided by Kulasekara and Perrera, tore into the Indian bowling and were particulary harsh on Zaheer. He ended the innings with 10-3-60-2, after having conceded just 6 runs in his first five overs!
Yuvraj Singh
The Sri Lankan middle-order main stay Mahela Jayawardene had not been in his true form throughout the World Cup, but cometh the moment, cometh the man! Jayawardene led a sensational batting charge against the likes of Zaheer and Harbhajan as Sri Lanka raced to a challenging 274. A pity, that Dhoni and his boys had other plans!
One of the finest and at the same time controversial spinners of all time, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan today bowed out of international cricket as highest wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs though he failed to make any impact in his swansong match — the World Cup summit clash against India. The 38-year-old off-spinner walked into sunset after an illustrious 19-year career as Sri Lanka lost to India in the World Cup final by six wickets. Muralitharan has already quit Test cricket with a record 800 wickets.
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Kirsten leaves on an ecstatic note
Mumbai, April 2 When the South African took over the reins, Indian cricket was on the recovery trail after the tumultuous tenure of Greg Chappell, but as he prepares prepares to leave, Kirsten surely have several reasons to rejoice. During his hugely successful and path-breaking tenure, India have risen to the summit of Test cricket, by claiming the number one spot, before winning the ultimate prize of the limited-over game – the coveted World Cup. After the magnificent victory, Suresh Raina fittingly carried the former South African opener on his shoulder for a lap of honour, and he was accompanied by Virat Kohli, in front of 33,000 roaring spectators. Staying well in the background and not trying to steal the limelight, Kirsten had charted the glorious path for the Men in Blue. The former Proteas opener, a dour and doughty batsman, brought to the coach's job single-minded dedication and devotion as well as steely determination that helped India scale one peak after another. India needed Kirsten's calm and assured presence after their shock exit shock exit in the 2007 World Cup and how well he delivered. Kirsten's success mantra lay in giving as much space as they desired to the top Indian players. It's significant to note that Kirsten's tenure also coincided with the re-emergence of champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar after being troubled by a spate of injuries. Spearhead Zaheer Khan also rediscovered his form during Kirsten's tenure and has played a major role to the team's success. The coming-of-age of Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh, after his own spell of self-doubt, apart from the emergence of youngsters like Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina – in the limited overs format – during his the South African's time also helped India become a superpower. Though Kirsten can take pride in the fact that Indian batting wears an assured look, in both Tests (with the likes of Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman around), the same cannot be said of the team's bowling resources because of loss of form and a spate of injuries. That would be one of the biggest challenges for the man who takes over the reins from Kirsten. But for now, the South African should bask in glory of his boys' success. — PTI
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Miami, April 2 Djokovic reached his fourth final in as many tournaments this year with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over American Mardy Fish. Nadal, meanwhile, notched a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, now ranked third in the world. Nadal, who is seeking his first Miami title, was rarely troubled on his serve and broke the uncharacteristically error-prone Federer four times. Djokovic stretched his 2011 winning streak to 23 straight matches and will have a chance to add the Miami crown to the Australian Open, Dubai and Indian Wells Masters 1000 titles captured already this year. He defeated Nadal in the Indian Wells final less than a fortnight ago, and with his triumph in the California desert, overtook Federer for number two in the world rankings. In 30 years, only two players have made a better start to a season: American John McEnroe with 39 victories in 1984 and former Czechoslovakian Ivan Lendl with 25 in 1986. "I told Mardy at the end I got saved by the rain," Djokovic said. "It really seemed like that. After I went back to the locker room I had 45 minutes to get it together and I felt much better after I came back to the court." They resumed with the set level at 2-2, Djokovic serving. He saved a break point, then held with an ace. The real turning point came at 5-3, as Djokovic served for the set. — AFP
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Agadir, April 2 Kapur rode on his first round five-under 67 but managed only a even par 71 as the field was split over two courses, the Golf De L'Océan and Golf Du Palais Royal courses, in a pro-am format for the first two days. Jeev, two-under on the first, added a second round three-under 68, to go to five-under for 36 holes even as just two shots separated the top 17 players in a packed leaderboard. Kapur had a roller coaster of a round with five birdies and five bogeys, while Jeev had five birdies and two bogeys. Defending champion Rhys Davies moved into a share of the halfway lead with Joost Luiten as high winds led to a day of mixed scoring in the Moroccan city of Agadir. "The greens here are perfect. The surfaces are magnificent and if you have the putts on line, they go in. If you were to ask me which was easier, I'd say the Ocean course, but if it's windy that can be tricky because there are a lot more trees. This course is designed for the wind. It's magnificent and in such great conditions, if you play well you can post a score," said Kapur. Davies' victory 12 months ago kick-started an immensely impressive rookie campaign that saw the 25-year-old Welshman finish 18th on The Race to Dubai. He has yet to record a top-20 finish in 2011, but Davies insists he is not under pressure to perform after shooting a one-under 70 for a six under par 36-hole aggregate. Overnight leader Peter Lawrie was amongst those blown away by the testing conditions — his scintillating opening 64 followed by a five over 76. Davies was consistent with two birdies and a solitary bogey. No fewer than nine players are one off the pace — most notably Finland's Mikko Ilonen, who matched Lawrie's course-record 64 at Palais Royal. He is joined on five-under by English duo David Horsey and Robert Rock, Argentina's Julio Zapata, Swede Peter Hedblom, Indian pair Kapur and Jeev, South African George Coetzee and Ryder Cup Vice Captain Darren Clarke, the Northern Irishman carding a second consecutive 69. — PTI
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Rooney shines as ManU beat West Ham
London, April 2 Sloppy defensive mistakes looked like they might be costly as United found themselves 2-0 down in 25 minutes after Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic gave away penalties that Hammers midfielder Mark Noble converted. Reinvigorated by the introduction of Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov, United put themselves back in the match with a curling Rooney free kick midway through the second half before levelling through his low drive. The England striker completed a 14-minute treble by converting a penalty given for Matthew Upson's unlucky handball before Hernandez put the seal on the fightback with a well-taken goal from close range after being set up by Ryan Giggs. Giggs had switched to an unfamiliar left back role as manager Alex Ferguson, watching from the stands while serving the second of a five-match touchline ban, shuffled his team in a second-half transformation that has become a hallmark of their season. "It sends out a sign we don't give up. No matter what the score is in the game we keep going and we're grinding out results," Giggs told Sky Sports. "Some games we are not playing at our best but I thought today we were brilliant all over the park. Even when we've not been playing well we've been grinding out results so hopefully now with seven games to go we can keep doing that." United have 66 points from 31 matches while second-placed Arsenal are on 58 having played two games fewer. The Londoners face Blackburn Rovers later in the day (1630 GMT) and will rue what might have been at Upton Park, as will relegation-threatened West Ham. The Hammers had looked like recording a second victory over United this season, following the 4-0 rout in the League Cup, as the visitors struggled. Captain Vidic, returning after injury and suspension, had a miserable first half as he gave away a penalty and was lucky to escape a red card for hauling down Demba Ba when the striker was poised to go clear on goal. But Rooney showed he was still a class act, despite a below-par season, as he chalked up 101 league goals for United. He said his 101st was the key strike as United edged closer to a record 19th league title. "To score the goal that put us in front ... we were going to win the game from there so I'm delighted with that," said Rooney. — Reuters
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My brother an inspiration to me: Hamilton
London, April 2 Lewis is making a 13,500-mile two-day round trip from Kuala Lumpur, where he has been acclimatising for next week's Malaysian Grand Prix. "It's not the sort of thing you would normally do, make a trip like this before a race. But this is special. He has always been an inspiration to me," the Daily Express quoted Lewis, as saying. "This is my brother making his debut in a racing car. It's a massive thing and I wouldn't miss it. I'm really proud," he added. Nicolas, who has cerebral palsy, gained his National B Racing Licence earlier this year before signing with Total Control Racing for his maiden campaign in the Renault Clio Cup. The Renault Clio Cup is Britain's premier one-make saloon car series and breeding ground for drivers for the British Touring Car Championship. "I am quite nervous, but when I am in the car I will just focus on a massive learning curve," Nicolas said. "I'm honoured that Lewis has come. Maybe he and I will have a race later in the season for fun when I've learnt a bit more," he added. The 19-year-old hopes that he might be an inspiration for others. — ANI
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The World Cup win is for Sachin Tendulkar, an emotional Gautam Gambhir said tonight after the historic victory in World Cup finals against Sri Lanka.
"We wanted to win it for Sachin Tendulkar."
India first host to win World Cup
Zaheer Khan with his two wickets, Tharanga and Kapugedara, has become the joint highest wicket taker in the World Cup along with Shahid Afridi of Pakistan. Zaheer ended up with a tally of 21 wickets. But the day that had started as a dream for the left-arm quick, ended pretty much as a nightmare as Mahela
Jayawardene, aided by Kulasekara and Perrera, tore into the Indian bowling and were particulary harsh on
Zaheer.
Tillekeratne Dilshan
The dashing Sri Lankan opener was just three runs ahead of Sachin Tendulkar on the list of the highest run-scorers in the current World Cup, but he took his tally to 500 runs with what was not exactly his most fluent innings in the tournament. Dilshan was done in by Harbhajan Singh while attempting a sweep, as the ball rolled off his arms to hit the
stumps.
Indian cricket owes a big thanks pending to ICC’s biggest tournament, the 2011 ODI World Cup. For it doesn’t matter where the trophy goes, but India knows where Yuvraj Singh’s career is going from here on. The man, who had been written off by all and sundry till about a year ago, reinvented himself, and not just as a batsman, but as an equally effective and lethal bowler. Yuvraj hit the ground running in the World Cup, and never really looked back! His two wickets in the final made his total tally of wickets soar upto 15, making him the sixth highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He also has 341 runs in the World Cup prior to the final.
Mahela
Jayawardene
Sachin Tendulkar
It was supposed to be a dream final, and more ways than one it was! Tendulkar’s 100th international ton was supposed to come at this moment, and Sachin was supposed to play a BIGGER role in the win. The Little Master started well, but a Malinga delivery moving away caught the edge, and the plot went awry, albeit just for a little bit!
M Muralitharan
I got saved by rain.
After I went back to the locker room I had 45 minutes to get it together and I felt much better after I came back to the court.