jkr
แสดงบทความที่มีป้ายกำกับ CRICKET แสดงบทความทั้งหมด
แสดงบทความที่มีป้ายกำกับ CRICKET แสดงบทความทั้งหมด

Viru puts India in command; 16 runs short of creating history

Posted in Labels: 22:33

It was a performance that deserved a few minutes silence. Phew! We needed some time to recover from the hectic ride

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/edstoryImg/max_top_scores.jpg
Virender Sehwag and his accomplices had taken us on. But the thousands present at the Brabourne on Thursday were stunned not to silence but send decibel levels through the roof.

With only two Sri Lankan wickets to go, the crowd had lined outside the stadium in anticipation of the Indian batting blooming. But even they could not have predicted the massacre, especially given how the pitch behaved on the first day. They left after six hours of power batting, the image of one boundary getting blurred by the other. The beauty was difficult to miss even if you were a Sri Lankan supporter. Or maybe, the brutality of it.

In the morning, Angelo Mathews fell a run short of his maiden Test hundred as he tried to take on the arm of Sachin Tendulkar. Sri Lanka, after only 26 minutes of play on the second day, were bowled out for 393. India, making the most runs in a day in Tests, plundered 443 for one to take a 50-run lead.

When Sri Lanka ended the first day at 366 for eight, it remained to be seen who would prove to be the bigger monster on day two — the wicket or Muttiah Muralitharan. Both seemed lulled by Sehwag’s batsmanship. He scored the sixth double hundred of his career (including two triple centuries) and stamped it with trademark audacity. After all, that’s what you’d expect of a man who scored India’s first-ever triple hundred with a six.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/edstoryImg/sehwag_nears_hammond.jpg

Of the 284 runs he scored on the day, 202 came off boundaries. The numbers kept piling — 50 off 54 balls, 100 off 101, 150 off 130, 200 off 168, 250 off 207 balls — accelerating the scoring rate and denting Sri Lanka’s confidence and chances with every personal milestone. If he gets 16 more on Friday, Sehwag would be the first batsman to three triple centuries, overtaking Don Bradman and Brian Lara.

Sehwag, the star, shone so bright that even substitute opener Murali Vijay (87) and Rahul Dravid’s (62) efforts faded

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/edstoryImg/fastert_double.jpg
into the background.

The Tamil Nadu batsman, who replaced Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order, though was more than just a sleeping partner to Sehwag. Though Sri Lankan bowlers were hardly incisive, Vijay kept his calm to score 87 off 121 balls (10x4, 1x6). The only blemish was when he was dropped by Rangana Herath, off Nuwan Kulasekara, on 67.

Herath though had his man, when he trapped Vijay leg-before as the batsman missed the line while attempting to sweep.

That, incidentally, was the only success for the Sri Lankans, whose bowling looked off the boil. A lot weighed on

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/edstoryImg/most_doubles.jpg
Muralitharan and once the lead bowler goes for almost six an over and shows signs of dejection, it is bound to rub off on the rest of the team. Sri Lanka also had a poor day in the field, dropping two catches and there were numerous misfields.


  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
Read Users' Comments (0)

Opening the batting has made me a better player - Dilshan

Posted in Labels: 07:55

Sri Lankan centurion Tillakaratne Dilshan attributed his improvement as an international batsman to his decision to convert into an opener.

Dilshan struck a quick 112 to help Sri Lanka reach 275 for three in reply to India’s 426 at stumps on the second day of the first test on Tuesday.

Dilshan got an opportunity to open in one-day internationals in January when he replaced an out of form Upul Tharanga.

The explosive batsman was then chosen to open in test match cricket in August during the series against New Zealand and cracked 92 and 123 not out at Galle.

“Changing my spot in the batting order has helped me,” Dilshan told reporters after recording his fifth test century in 2009.

“Now there’s an opportunity for me to bat longer and I have got runs and I don’t want to throw my wicket away.”

Dilshan hit 12 fours while scoring his 10th test century and has been consistent at the top of the order in all three forms of the game this year and was named player of the series in the Twenty20 World Cup.

Sri Lanka are aiming to record a first test win on Indian soil in this series.

“Mahela (Jayawardene) and Thilan (Samaraweera) need to bat out the first session and the ball will start turning towards the end and a lead of around 150 will give us an edge,” he said.

The unbroken fourth-wicket pair have put on 81.

“The main target we have is to bat longer and get closer to 400 and see how it goes from there. We have two good spinners and if we get that lead we can control things.”

India coach Gary Kirsten praised Dilshan’s knock.

“Dilshan is a fantastic player, very talented and aggressive. He’s a dangerous player, we need to continuously work out how to get him out,” he told reporters.
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
Read Users' Comments (0)

Moves on to ensure that The Ashes return to free-to-air television

Posted in Labels: 11:53

LONDON - Cricket’s showpiece Test series has joined the list of legally protected “crown jewel” sporting events, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt.


A review of “crown jewel” events which must be shown live on terrestrial television, led by David Davies, the former Football Association executive, is understood to have recommended that the Ashes be made free to air, The Daily Telegraph reports.

It is expected that the Gordon Brown Government will fully back the recommendation in view of the fact that complaints were lodged about a large television audience unfairly missing out on live coverage this year.

This summer’s England-Australia Test series was shown live only by Sky, whose paid-for sports channel achieved a peak of two million viewers when it broadcast the deciding Test at the Oval, whereas in 2005, viewership peaked at seven million.

A senior Government source said: “It’s a no-brainer. This is one thing we can do that chimes in with the wishes of millions of voters.”

However, the ruling is likely to lead to an outbreak of hostilities with Sky, which acquired the rights to screen the next home Ashes series, in 2013, as part of a 300 million pound deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year.

Relations between the Government and Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Sky and News International newspapers, are at a low point after the decision by the Sun newspaper to abandon Labour and back David Cameron’s Conservatives following Gordon Brown’s speech to his party’s conference last month.

Sky would be likely to resist fiercely any move to end or water down its exclusive rights to the 2013 Ashes series.

Currently, Sky broadcasts all England Test matches live, with free-to-air channel Five showing highlights. (ANI)
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
Read Users' Comments (0)
สมัครสมาชิก: บทความ (Atom)
Copyright 2009 REFUGEE
Free WordPress Themes designed by EZwpthemes
Converted by Theme Craft
Powered by Blogger Templates