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Zaheer’s fitness remains a concern
Warne wishes Tendulkar to reach 100th ton
Simons named Daredevils head coach
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Chikka in quarters, Simarjeet beats Ashbeer
Modest Dhoni leads by example
MS Dhoni (pic) takes on the challenge of leading his team to a Test series triumph in Australia. The first Test of the series starts on December 26.
Ranji: Punjab v MumBAI
Boxing team leaves for Pak
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India’s tour of Australia
Melbourne, December 22 Fifteen overs in the three-day match against Cricket Australia Chairman's XI might have been good for keeping his critics at bay but there isn't enough evidence that the left-arm pacer would be able to handle a workload of 40 overs in a Test. Only 72 hours separate the first and second Tests of the series and the demands on the creaking joints of the 33-year-old are only going to multiply manifold. Zaheer simply hasn't exerted enough during the nets or in the middle to show that he could chase, dive around or throw from the deep with sufficient energy. His bowling, from afar, appeared to lack a strong finish and his famous rhythm, quite simply, was missing. Zaheer has often said he relies on bowling a great number of overs to improve his fitness and maintain his rhythm but post-recovery from an ankle surgery, the left-arm pacer just hasn't been able to bowl to his liking. Teammates quickly spring to his defence like young star Ravichandran Ashwin did in Canberra when he said Zaheer, and Ishant, are "gradually peaking for the Test series." Many reckon even a half-fit Zaheer is indispensable to India's chances but former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, under whose stewardship Zaheer first broke through into Indian ranks during the Champions Trophy in 2000, disagrees vehemently. "We can't afford to have a 50 per cent fit Zaheer Khan in Australia. For India to win, Zaheer still needs to play a lot more matches and for that he needs to be fully fit," Ganguly has said in India. Ian Chappell, former Australian captain and now a commentator, reckons Zaheer, alongwith Virender Sehwag, is absolutely vital if India is to break the 64-year drought of winning a Test series in Australia. He also feels Zaheer is a constant candidate "for the medical ward." Zaheer, on his part, has maintained that nothing is wrong with him and he is ahead of the schedule on his fitness. "Because I had a four-month break so I could prepare well for the series. In the past, it used to be at the end of the season that I would go to Australia and breakdown...We (alongwith physios) chalked out this plan. So far I've been achieving the milestones about 8-10 days before they were delivered." In Canberra, between the two Chairman's XI games, Zaheer bowled for about 20 minutes to Virender Sehwag then lay out on his stomach to receive a treatment on the back. Contrast this with James Pattinson of Australia who bowled flat out at the batting camp in Melbourne yesterday and hit Ricky Ponting painfully on his fingers. Zaheer hasn't been able to provide a similar test to the Indian batsmen in the nets. Freshly drafted opener in Australian squad for Melbourne Test, Ed Cowan, wondered cheekily in Canberra what would happen to India's chances if Zaheer, along with Ishant, was to breakdown mid-way through the game. "Zaheer is a great competitor on the world stage. I don't know how fit Sharma is going to be but it's a risk if both him and Zaheer are in the team and both break down--so I'm sure they're aware of that as well," said Cowan on Wednesday. Indians arrived in Melbourne on Thursday and ruled out any practice session for themselves. Zaheer, and the rest of the team, could have at the most three sessions before the Boxing Day Test is unveiled on December 26. For the Indian team to live up to its billing, Zaheer would have to turn up in top shape for the Test series. Marsh stakes claim
Leaving behind fitness concerns, Australian left-hander Shaun Marsh today smashed an unbeaten 99 to make a strong claim for the number three position in the Australian batting line-up for the first Test against India. Marsh, who has a nagging back problem, played for Perth Scorchers against Melbourne Renegades at Twenty20 Big Bash League at Etihad Stadium. After playing his scintillating knock off just 52 balls Marsh said his back is "pretty good" and that he is raring to go in the series-opener. "It has been (good) for a couple of days now and I am just happy I got out there and did well. I'm confident if I get selected I can go well," Marsh said. — PTI |
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Warne wishes Tendulkar to reach 100th ton
Melbourne, December 22
"I feel Sachin would get his 100th century (in Australia) but I wish he does so in Melbourne," Warne said on the sidelines of a function at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where his 300kg bronze statue was unveiled this morning. Warne, who in his entire career could claim Tendulkar's wicket only thrice in Test matches, has enormous respect for the champion Indian batsman whom he rates as the best willow-yielder of his time. The first match against Australia would be Tendulkar's 185th Test. He has so far made 15,183 runs from 303 innings with 51 centuries at an average of 56.03 in five-day games. Tendulkar also has 18,111 runs from 453 ODIs with 48 centuries under his belt at an average of 45.16. Tendulkar, though, has struggled to add to his tally of 99 international centuries this year - his last ton being 111 against South Africa at Nagpur in March during the World Cup. His last Test century was also against South Africa - 146 at the Newlands, Cape Town in January and has been without a ton in the longest format of the game in his last 14 innings. On the present tour, India revisits Melbourne again in February, though it would be for a 50-over match against Australia on February 3. Meanwhile, Warne also expects the famed Indian batting line up to do well in the upcoming series. "I think their batters, especially Rahul Dravid, will make big runs. He's a quality person, a quality act, a quality player. — PTI
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Simons named Daredevils head coach
New Delhi, December 22 Delhi Daredevils, in a statement, quoted captain Virender Sehwag as saying that it would be exciting working with Simons as head coach. “Eric has done a good job as bowling coach (of Delhi Daredevils) and now he can do that as head coach. I have a very good relationship with Eric,” Sehwag said. “He has given me some good suggestions and he is a man who has a lot of experience in cricket and in life. Our partnership will work well for the team,” he added.
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Chikka in quarters, Simarjeet beats Ashbeer
Chandigarh, December 22 Chikka, who performed modestly in the strokeplay segment on the first two days, looks like returning to the kind of form that had made him one of the leading youngsters in the country. He outplayed Rakesh to set up a quarter-final clash with another experienced player, Gagan Verma of Indian Oil. Verma beat young Bangalorean Trishul Chinappa on the 19th hole in a tense battle. Simarjeet, who plays at the NOIDA Golf Club and is a former Sri Lankan Amateur Open winner and an experienced golfer, beat Ashbeer 2-up after coming to the 18th tee with a one-hole lead. He will now meet Angad Cheema of Shivalik Golf Course. Cheema moved past Vikram Rana of ONGC. Delhi’s promising Honey Baisoya, who is also with Oil India, beat Imran Ali Mollah, who hails from a family of golfers. Baisoya on this day was very good and made few mistakes as he romped home a winner 5&4. Seasoned Manav Das, also from OIL beat Kader Ali of RCGC 3&1 and Khalin Joshi beat Jasjeet Singh 1-up. The quarters will be played on Friday, followed by semi-finals on Saturday and the final on Christmas Day. Results: Second round: Simarjeet Singh beat Ashbeer Singh Saini 2 up; Angad Cheema beat Vikram Rana 3 & 1; S.Chikkarangappa beat Rakesh Kumar 5 & 3; Gagan Verma beat Trishul Chinnappa 19th hole; Honey Baisoya beat Imran Ali Mollah 5 & 4; Manav Das beat Kader Ali 3 & 1; SK Pappu beat SK Pappu II 1 up; Khalin Joshi beat Jasjeet Singh 1 up.
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Sydney, December 22 As India's first skipper from outside the main urban centres, the 30-year-old has already delivered the Holy Grail of the World Cup and over the next month takes on the challenge of leading his team to a maiden Test series triumph in Australia. Hailed by master batsman Sachin Tendulkar as the finest captain he has played under in a career spanning more than two decades, Dhoni's leadership is not about rousing pep talks or even inspired gambles. "The important thing is that he keeps things simple and not complicated," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth said recently. What Dhoni does display is leadership by example, no less so than when he promoted himself up the batting order and hit 91 not out to lead India to the World Cup triumph on home soil in early April, sealing the dramatic victory with a six. The wicketkeeper-batsman cut his international captaincy teeth in the Twenty20 format by leading his country to victory of the inaugural World Cup in 2007. There was immediate success too when he took the reins of the one-day side and led them to a series victory in Australia. He assumed the Test captaincy in 2008. "I love to be in the moment, I love to analyse things a bit," Dhoni said in a recent interview. "Very often what is important is to realise what went wrong, not only when you are losing a series or a game, but also when you are winning a series. You need to realise which are the areas you need to work on." There have been calamities along the way, of course, including criticism of his wicket-keeping and his own poor form when India crashed out of the 2007 50-over World Cup in the first round. Subsequently, the biggest setback of his leadership came when the Test team where humiliated 4-0 in England earlier this year and relinquished the number one world ranking they had earned in December 2009. One of Dhoni's great attributes, however, has been his ability to keep his head in the midst of the frenzy that often surrounds the sport in cricket-mad India. — Reuters
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Jaffer goes to the top
Mumbai, December 22 Jaffer needed 50 runs to go past Muzumdar, who had overtaken Amarjeet Kaypee two years ago while playing for Assam and reached the milestone, and he did that during the course of his knock at the Wankhede Stadium. At stumps, the hosts were 308 for five, a lead of 82 runs over Punjab who made 226 in their first essay, with Ankit Chavan (17) and Ramesh Powar (30) remaining unbeaten. — PTI Mumbai’s Wasim Jaffer
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Boxing team leaves for Pak
Patiala, December 22 The second edition of the tournament is being organised by the Pakistan Boxing Federation in collaboration with International Boxing Association (IBA) and Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC). The event being held at the Liaquat Gymnasium Sports Complex in Islamabad, will offer a prize of US$ 5,000 to the team finishing first and $ 2,000 for the runners-up squad, along with cash incentives for individual medal winners. In the first edition of the tournament that was held in January of 2010, the Indian Boxing Federation sent a second string team, which returned with two bronze medals. With an idea to provide upcoming boxers with international exposure and an opportunity to spar and excel at the global arena, the IBF has fielded a fairly young team, with little or no international experience. National coach G.S. Sandhu believes participation in these competitions plays a vital role in the boxers’ development. “International exposure always builds an athlete’s confidence and performance and this tournament will offer good competition for our pugilists,” he said. The Indian squad includes Madan Lal (49 kg), who will lead the charge, Sandeep Kankerwal (60 kg), Devanshu Jaiswal (75 kg), Parminder Singh (81 kg), Narender (91 kg) and Manjeet Singh (+91 kg). Coach Jagdish C. Malik will accompany the squad.
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Injury-prone Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan's fitness remains a concern ahead of the first Test against Australia next week even though he did not show any discomfort while bowling during a practice match in Canberra.
Sydney, December 22
Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer today overtook former teammate Amol Muzumdar as the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy while notching up 82 as his team overhauled Punjab's modest first innings total of 226 on the second day of the Elite Division Group-A match here today.
London