Terror Attacks Has Effected Cricket Too

Because of terror attacks in Mumbai, England have cut short the seven-match ODI series and are scheduled to fly back home on Saturday morning. To save the two-match Test series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shifted the final Test from Mumbai to Chennai.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has assured BCCI that the team would return for the Test series starting in Ahmedabad on December 11.

Terror attacks has not only affected Englands tour of India but the weeklong Champions League which was scheduled to start Wednesday, involving eight teams from Australia, South Africa, India, England and Pakistan has also been postponed.

Yuvraj's Knock Led Big Victory to India over England

Yuvraj seemed to have no mercy over England bowlers in the first One-day international of the first India England ODI series at Rajkot. 4's and 6's were raining like hell. Yuvraj’s splendid knock of 138 of 78 balls led to a 158 rout by India beating England. Yuvraj’s knock which included 16 fours and 6 sixes was reminiscent of his T20 knock in 2007 Twenty 20 world cup in South Africa.

Yuvrajs exhilarating century was the quickest century in ODIs against England and the second fastest century by any Indian in this format of the game. Pietersen had nothing but admiration for Yuvraj later said that "If you stand and watch an innings like Yuvraj played and Sehwag you have just got to take your hat off to the way they played”. Yuvraj who batted with a runner because of a back injury during the early part of his innings scored his ninth one-day century. This innings was one of Yuvraj’s finest innings ever in the format of the game. Yuvraj later said "I've had a couple of bad months with not being in the Test side but I am coming back to my best and to hit a knock like that was a good effort".

Such a knock from Yuvraj was long overdue and no better way to come back in form from a couple of months of unsuccessful stretch. Yuvraj who scored 100 of his 138 runs in boundaries really got going after the power play was taken after 34 overs. Yuvraj lifted Andrew Flintoff with an elegant six down the ground and then he started his brute force attack getting to fifty from only 38 balls. At that time the stage was set for Yuvraj, his confidence and form seemed to back with a vengeance and he raced from 50 to 100 in just 22 balls and his last 37 runs were scored in 13 balls. This indeed was one of the finest knocks I had ever witnessed so much not for me for Yuvi himself.

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Ganguly's Interview on His Retirement

Having retired from international cricket, Sourav Ganguly will surely miss sharing the dressing room with his team-mates. So what does life hold for him after retirement? CNN-IBN caught up with him at his home in Kolkata for an exclusive interview.

CNN-IBN: It must be a fantastic feeling for you. When you left the Indian dressing room it was a happy dressing room, a victorious dressing room.

Sourav Ganguly: Oh yes, of course. When I announced my retirement, I hoped that it would finish this way. I finished with a smiling face on everyone.

I couldn't have expected more than this, beating the best team in the world 2-0 convincingly, in India, and performing so well, not just me but everyone. We finished (the series) with a lot of high. I couldn't have expected more than this.

CNN-IBN: You have got a T-shirt signed by the entire team and Sachin Tendulkar again failed to write correct Bengali on it.

Sourav Ganguly: Yes, it was pretty emotional, touching. I didn't even know about it. I had gone to do an interview so my wife took the shirt out from my bag and quietly asked all the boys to sign it. It was a nice gesture from her. It was the first time I found her so interested in the game.
They are a fantastic bunch of boys. You hear a lot of things when things don't go well, but unless and until you actually be in the dressing room you don't know what it's all about. So it's been a fantastic journey.

CNN-IBN: Sourav, how are you as a Dad? Are you a strict father?

Sourav Ganguly: No, not really.

Dona Ganguly: He has his times. There are times he becomes strict and says 'I should discipline my daughter'. But at times he is so liberal, but that's during the times when he used to come back from tours. But when he would stay for a longer time he felt like he should discipline.

Sourav Ganguly: With me she (his daughter) can get away with everything.

Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly Being felicitated

Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly are being felicitated by the BCCI in the chandelier-dripping club house at the stadium, in the presence of the who’s who of Indian cricket and there isn’t a cricketer who isn’t moved, writes S. Ram Mahesh.

Anil Kumble Takes Retiremet from Test Cricket Too

Anil Kumble has announced his retirement from cricket, saying the finger injury he sustained on the third day of the Test helped him make his decision. The news was made public minutes after the tea break on the final day; Kumble then bowled four overs before the match was called off as a draw.

"The body was asking questions every day," he said. "It was not easy to keep bowling the way I have been bowling the last 18 years, to keep going. The injury I had on the third day probably helped me make the decision."

The captaincy now passes on to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who already leads India in the shorter forms of the game.

Kumble made the formal announcement at the post-match press conference, at which he received a standing ovation from the journalists crowded into the room. He doffed his cap and sat down to speak to the media one last time as an India player and captain. He stayed composed throughout the conference, which took place minutes after the emotional farewell he had received on the field.

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India vs. Sri Lanka 4th ODI - India Wins Series For The First Time In Sri Lanka

Aspirited India today recorded their first ever bilateral ODI series triumph in Sri Lanka, beating the hosts by 46 runs in the fourth one day international to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five match series. Mahendra Singh Dhoni once again was involved in building a partnership as Raina and Virat Kohli also played a handsome role.
Brief Scores : India 258 all out (49.4 overs), Raina 76, Dhoni 71, Kohli 54. Bowling, T'shara 5/47. Sri Lanka 212 all out (46.3 overs), Jayasuria 60, T'shara 40. Bowling, Harbhajan 3/40.

India vs. Sri Lanka 4th ODI - Rain Forces Match Into Reserve Day

The fourth one dayer between India and Sri Lanka was called off today without a single ball being bowled due to intermittent rain at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The day night match will be played on the reserved day on Wednesday. Umpires Billy Doctrove and Gamini Silva made the final inspection at around 6 pm and took the decision to draw stumps.

Matthew Hayden To Miss Series Against Bangladesh

Australia's opening batsman Matthew Hayden will miss Australia's limited overs cricket series against Bangladesh starting Saturday because of an Achilles tendon injury. Michael Clarke will lead the team in Ponting's absence. Matthew Hayden has been the most successful opener for the Australian team in the recent past. We wish Hayden to recover soon.

India vs. Sri Lanka 3rd ODI

India managed to script a narrow 33-run victory in the third one dayer against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni led from front with his 76-run knock to help India put a fighting total on th board. It looked that Indian pacers were involved in a race to outshine each other as Zaheer Khan struck thrice.

Brief Scores : India 237/9 (50 overs), Dhoni 76, Raina 53. Bowling Mendis 3/56. Sri Lanka 204 all out (49 overs), Jayawardene 94. Bowling Zaheer 3/23, Patel 3/42.

Jayawardene : There Will Be More Runs

After two low scoring games in the series for both sides, Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene expects his batsmen to come good on the batting friendly track of Premadasa and said that Chaminda Vaas was shaping up well to play in Sunday's match. On talking about the fragile Indian batting Mahela said that "these are the players who are playing for quite some time. So you can't say that. It is just that probably you should give credit to our bowlers. So I think I am sure they will come stongly and we just have to be prepared.

Don't forget Fab Four's Contribution : Kumble

India Test captain Anil Kumble has come out strongly in defence of the starry Indian middle - order who came a cropper against the Sri Lankan spin duo of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan in the recently concluded three match test series which the visitors lost 1-2.

"I don't know who gave this tag - Fab Four. They have done so much for the Indian cricket over the last 15 years. Agreed, they failed in this Test series, but it happens in cricket. We should not forget their contribution in the past. The Fab Four the leg spinner was referring to - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman - performed much below expectations in the series.

Too Early For Mendis Mania : Kapil Dev

The legendary Kapil Dev praised Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis for his splendid show against India so far but felt that the medis was going overboard with the coverage of the bowler, who had to still prove his credentials. "No doubt that Mendis's performance in the on-going India Sri Lanka series is very good but the media has highlighted a bit too prominently. It is too early to say if he will continue to perform like this for long.

Regarding growth of the ICL, Kapil said that it is just a one year old baby and how could one expect it to grow overnight.

India vs. Sri Lanka 2nd ODI

Though India won the second one day international match but Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he was a bit worried when India lost seven wickets while chasing a victory target of 143 and lauded debutant Subramaniam Badrinath for his responsible knock.

Brief Scores : Sri Lanka 142 all out (38.3 overs) Thushara 44. Bowling Zaheer 4/21, Praveen 3/34. India 143/7 (39.4 overs) Dhoni 39. Bowling Mendis 2/22.

Mohammad Asif's B Sample Tests Positive

Mohammad Asif today found himself in deep trouble as the dope test of his B sample has also tested positive for a contraband, leaving the Pakistan pacer facing the possibility of being banned for two years. " I can only confirm the B sample test has come positive but the result of both the tests are different which is strange to us ". Asif's lawyer Shahid Karim said from Geneva. "Since he played in an Indian domestic event and was also tested there, it's not us who are going to launch an inquiry into the case." PCB's chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said".

India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI

The Indian batting once again failed as the visitors were thrashed by eight wickets in the first one day international match at Dambulla. Sri Lanka comfortably chased down the target in less than 35 overs as skipper Mahela Jayawardene hit a breezy half century.

Brief Scores : India 146 all out (46 overs) Yuvraj 23. Bowling Mendis 3/21, Muralitharan 3/37. Sri Lanka 147/2 (34.5 overs) Mahela 61 n.o., Kapugedera 45 n.o. Bowling Patel 2/32.

Good Start Is The Key : Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Team India ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said that the start from the openers was very important and there would be added responsibility on the opening duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the one dayers. On questioning about Virat Kohli Dhoni said " Depends on whether he gets a chance. There is pressure because he has come in place of the maestro Sachin Tendulkar. It's not that he is replacing Sachin Tendulkar. He's second in line. The extra batsman before him will get a chance and then Badrinath will get a chance."

Yuvraj Singh Shines In The Warm Up One Day Match Against Sri Lanka XI

India vice captain, Yuvraj Singh who played a scintillating knock of 172 said that, facing Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis will not be easy and India will have to do very well to win the upcoming one-dayers against the Sri Lanka team. On his injured back Yuvi said " Better now, so hopefully i'll be fully fit before the first match. I didn't have any problems running, after scoring 25-30, the body was getting fatigued, which was nothing unusual for a batsman batting at that position.
Brief Scores : India 342/5 (50 overs), Sri Lanka XI 250/6 (50 overs)

Patriotic Dhoni Gets Emotional

A proud player to lead his country, India ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni recalled how he would attend the Independence Day function at his school every year.

"That is a moment (of freedom) which we should enjoy. In reality we realise what its importance was. We should remember those who contributed (for India's Independence)." said Dhoni.

Mahela Jayawardene On Working Harder

Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene today said his team have gained in confidence after winning the Test series and would make sure that they did the right things in the ODIs against India as well. "We are very confident about the way we are playing. We are developing a young group of players to take over and senior guys are doing a great job. We just need to be working hard. Just make sure that we do all the things right". Jayawardene had not given much thought to the role of Ajantha Mendis against India because winning was important not an individual of a team.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Respects The Seniors

India ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who gave the Test series a miss but is returning to lead the team in the shorter version of the game said that experienced players should be more accountable than other members of the team in the Tests. " You cannot ask a Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman or Anil Kumble to prove their credentials", said Dhoni. The player from Jharkhand refused there was a need of separate sets of cricketers for Tests and the 50-50 or Twenty 20 matches. "Not at all. A player can be good in ODIs and Tests and T20 as well. Look at Virender Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir."