Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals by 10 wickets

Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals by 10 wickets, highest opening partnership between Sachin Tendulkar and Smith 163 in IPL

IPL preview: Mumbai Indians hope to seal playoff berth, RR to play for pride

Mumbai Indians would be looking to seal a playoffs berth and iron out minor flaws for the bigger battles ahead, while the Rajasthan Royals would play for pride when the two sides take on each other in their last league encounter of the IPL here tomorrow. Rajasthan Royals, who have not been consistent enough, bowed out of contention for the playoffs with a humiliating five wicket defeat against Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad. They must be ruing their close defeats against Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings but are left with no other options but to play for pride against the formidable Mumbai Indians. Skipper Rahul Dravid has already proved that he is not a spent force and that too in the shorter version of the game which has never been his forte. He, along with Australian Shane Watson, Shaun Tait, Ajinkya Rahane and others would like to prove a point with better performances. Mumbai are placed third with 18 points from 15 matches and Royal Challengers Bangalore have 17 points from 15 matches and they take on the lowly Deccan Chargers on Sunday in a day match. It will be a must-win situation for the visitors if RCB too wins. Mumbai Indians have a strong side featuring the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, South African Herschelle Gibbs, West Indian Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayudu. Rohit is in good nick with a hundred under his belt but Tendulkar is yet to play a big knock in the competition.

Chennai and Mumbai in same Champions League group

The Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni, the India captain, have been grouped with Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians for the Champions League Twenty20 (T20) tournament.

The September 23 to October 9 competition, which will feature 10 of the world's top T20 sides, will be played in two groups of five with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

The tournament will be played in the southern Indian cities of Chennai and Bangalore, as well as Kolkata in the east.

Chennai will host the final and a semi-final, while Bangalore will host the other semi-final.

Seven teams from India, Australia and South Africa have earned given direct entries, while six others will play off for the remaining three spots in a qualifying tournament at Hyderabad from September 19-21.

The qualifying event will have two pools of three teams with the top side from both advancing, along with the next best qualifier.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, Trinidad and Tobago of the West Indies and the Auckland Aces of New Zealand will be joined by two teams from England and one from Sri Lanka in qualifying.

The Super Kings are the defending champions.

Cricket World Cup 2011 Final, India Vs. Sri Lanka, India Are World Cup Winners

With five overs remaining, the game – whilst tipped in India’s favour

MS Dhoni will collect the World Cup trophy from Mr Sharad Pawar.. Jubilant scenes, champagnes all around, fireworks surround, Mumbai erupts and so, the entire nation. Party will be never ending.Mahendra Singh Dhoni: There were quite a few decisions that I took, two out of them were - Why not Ashwin? Why 'me' ahead of Yuvraj who is in terrific form? Each and every individual played his part, it has been a memorable month or two. My job was to stay down the order and let the youngsters play well. Against Sri Lanka, I thought, they have a couple of good spinners and it is time for me to go up the order. The team management backed me, the seniors backed me and I got the runs that I needed. Gauti and Kohli played really well after losing Sachin and Sehwag early. I would have loved to see Gauti score his hundred, but he has himself to blame.The Indian team now walks up to collect their medallions. Sehwag wants to be the opener here as well. Runs up to be the first one to collect it. Loud cheers for everyone, as expected. The noise levels reached the unattained levels when Sachin Tendulkar's name was called up. The noise doesn't seem to end.Yuvraj Singh: This is unbelievable, for the entire nation, the team and for Sachin Tendulkar. I want to dedicate this award to my gurujis and my family. We were chasing 359 in the previous World Cup and there was more pressure. But today, Gauti and Dhoni batted exceptionally well, took the pressure away and batted like champions. It was my job to come and bowl 10 overs every time I got a chance to bowl. Tonight's gonna be a good night! Thank you Team India, thank you the support staff.Clive Lloyd gives the Man of the Tournament award to 'Yuvraj Singh' for scoring 362 runs and for taking 15 wickets. If there is one person who played his part in almost every game, it is Yuvraj Singh. He is a proud man.MS Dhoni is the Man of the Match for an excellent knock of 91 under pressure.Kumar Sangakkara: Very proud of everyone, especially Jayawardene but looking at the Indian team, with the kind of batsmen they have, anything under 350 would look very less. The Indians have been the deserved winners, they thoroughly deserve the tag 'favorites'. Congratulations India, you were the better side. The only way to stop the Indians was to take wickets quickly, they played in front of a fantastic crowd and Gambhir played exceptionally well. Dhoni stepped up when it mattered the most.The big

presentation: Ravi Shastri is the man doing the honors. The top men of the ICC - Sharad Pawar and Haroon Lorgat, the top officials of the Sri Lankan and the Bangladesh board along with Clive Lloyd are the honorable guests. The umpires and the match officials are being invited to accept their medallions. The Sri Lankan team, who have been outstanding in this World Cup, come in alphabetical order to collect their mementos. Jayawardene and Malinga get the loudest of cheers, next to Muttiah Muralitharan though.`My heart goes out to them for coming second best.

Sehwag: We discussed last year in a match at Dambulla that we would be playing the World Cup final. The quarter-finals were hard and the way Gautam, Sachin and Yuvraj batted was fantastic. The batsmen and the bowlers gave everything to the team.Sachin (with Yuvraj and Zaheer): Winning the World Cup is the ultimate thing and I could not have asked for anything more. Without such fabulous performances, this was not possible. I could not control my tears. It is a dream come true for us and we wanted this badly. It was for a special man standing next to me (Sachin). It is also for Yuvraj. It is a dream come true and we did it for Sachin. The support staff worked really hard and Mike Horn worked hard on our mental side. The team stuck together and we coped well under pressure. We proved most people wrong who doubted our ability. The last couple of years, we have been consistent and it is a great honor. Special thanks to Gary and Paddy Upton.

Harbhajan & Kohli: It means a lot to me. I was part of three world cups and this is a big thing. This is for my nation. It is a wonderful feeling and this is for all the people who supported us. He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years on his shoulders and it is about time that we carried him on our shoulders. Without the support of the people, we would have not done it. We would like to thank all the Indians and this cup belongs to us. Gambhir: It has not sunk in yet. It is yet to sink in. The 2007 edition was a nightmare and we had to do it for Sachin. It is a dream come true.

Rajini mania: Someone said cheekily that if Rajinikanth - the Southern acting legend is in the audience - then nothing go wrong and nothing has. Tendulkar+Rajinikanth - what a combination. Unstoppable force+the immovable object. Rajini is sitting next to Neeta Ambani in the crowd along with his two daughters and are enjoying this win. Rajini and his daughters are wearing Team India Jerseys.

Reactions after the last hit: Dhoni swung that last hit and followed the path of the ball as it soared into the Mumbai night sky. He was watching it like a hawk. Then the camera focussed on Gary, who leant back, closed his eyes and then said a silent prayer. Funnily the official broadcasters have shown the winning hit a good 17 minutes after it was scored. Yuvraj went up to Dhoni and hugged him at full blast. He roared and roared, even as the crowd did too.What a show by MS and he was not allowed to get down as well as the Indian players came in swarms to crowd him. Finally Sachin emerged out after hiding somewhere. Then the crowd went mad. Now Gary Kirsten - the much liked and immensely low profile guy is being hoisted on Raina and Kohli's shoulders as the crowd shout Gary Gary. He can lay claim to being the most unsung, yet one of the best coaches of the Indian side of all time. World No.1 in tests and now a World Cup win - which was his last game incharge - would be the icing on the cake. Salute and respect to the man from Cape Town.

Post celebratory scenes: Lots of the Indian players are in tears. Gary Kirsten is hugged by Yuvi and Sachin is being carried on his shoulders by Kohli and Yusuf. He is being carried all around the ground. In front of his home crowd. What if he does not get his 100th ton, his dream of a WC medal has been fulfilled. A nation will rejoice for that. What a performer he has been. Amazing scenes. Two men - MS and Viru are so cool. An Indian flag is held by SRT as he is being given a lap of honor by his team-mates. Finally he is brought down. As soon as the winning hit was hit, huge roars, shouts and what not back here. That moment will forever be remembered in memory as long as an Indian citizen lives.Stop the Press!! MS Dhoni's India are the Champions of the 2011 World Cup.

Champion teams are born under pressure: For the 22 men who took the field today, it was probably the biggest moment of their lives, and it was all about stepping up and making it count. At the start of the game Zaheer did just that. At the end of his first spell, his bowling figures read: 5-3-6-1. The Indian bowlers were on the money and didn't let the Lankans blaze away. A fine innings from Sangakkara and a masterclass from Jayawardene showed the world that it takes a lot of courage, temperament and skill to deliver when it matters the most. A good batting powerplay helped them post a mammoth score of 274. Mind you, chasing 275 in the final of a World Cup in front of 40,000 supporters and against a strong bowling attack was an easy task by no means. The sorry tale of the openers: India lost Sehwag very early in the run chase, and Sachin didn't last long either. The scorecard read 31/2 in the 7th over and it was Gambhir and Kohli who had to do the rebuilding. Run rate was never a problem for the Indians as the duo, who are also terrific runners between the wickets, pinched the ones and twos without any hassles. It required the magic arm of Dilshan to remove a well set Kohli and the Indians were in a spot of bother at 114/3.Cometh the hour, cometh the man: Dhoni chose himself to come ahead of Yuvraj to keep the left hand - right hand combination intact. Remember, Dhoni was going through a very rough patch when it comes to batting. The big man made it count when it mattered the most. He along with Gambhir brought the runs required to less than a hundred and the required rate was just close to a run a ball. Sri Lanka desperately needed a couple of quick wickets and Perera gave them a ray of hope by removing Gambhir. It would be only fair to say that it was Gambhir who gave Sri Lanka some hope by throwing his wicket away.The finishers of old times: Dhoni and Yuvraj, who were popularly called 'The Finishers' against Pakistan and Sri Lanka a few years ago, took the game closer and a thrilling finish was on the cards. They needed 30 off 30 deliveries when the batting powerplay became mandatory. Could they do it? They were up against a lethal bowler in Malinga. Just three runs of the Malinga over meant the Indians needed 27 off the next four overs. There were nerves all around, but the two batsmen in the middle looked to be in a different world altogether. Pressure was just a distant relative and they kept their cool to help India romp home with 10 deliveries to spare. 48.2 Kulasekara to Dhoni, SIX!!, India are World Champions!, A nation of a billion will sleep well tonight. What a shot to end the game. Yuvraj can't control his emotions. He is in tears. Sachin runs in from the dressing room and is mobbed. What marvellous scenes in Mumbai. Dhoni got under the length ball and absolutely hammered that out of sight and out of the park. The White Kookaburra soared over the fence. Bhajji too is in tears. 28 years in waiting and the helicopter shot has brought an end to the game.Perfect time for Dhoni to hit the winning runs. He deserves to hit the runs.48.1 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 1 run, yorker outside off, dug out to point, Yuvraj and Dhoni scamper through for a singleend of over47.6 Malinga to Yuvraj, 1 run, low full toss on the stumps, whipped down to long on, retains the strike with that run, India are a hit away from being World Champions and Ravi Shaz is already thirsty.47.5 Malinga to Dhoni, 1 run, yorker length delivery outside off, dug out to point47.4 Malinga to Dhoni, no run, what a magnificent riposte, it was a superb in-swinging yorker, that snuck through Dhoni's legs as he was making room to go on side again, great take by Sanga diving to his left, saved some byes and some runs47.3 Malinga to Dhoni, FOUR!!, Tom Moody has been bitten by the Shaz bug, uses his iconic cliche - that went to the fence like a tracer bullet, a low full toss on middle has been whip flicked past Kula who dived, but only in vain, at fine leg, only a couple of steps to his left, but the pace of the ball was too hard and too tough to contain for the Lankan pacer47.2 Malinga to Dhoni, FOUR!!, Dhoni has timed the pants off that, it was the slower delivery that slipped down leg, Dhoni closes the face of the bat and tickled that past a diving Kula at fine leg, what timing from the Chennai Super King man, the crowd have gone ballistic and rightly so, Kula dived to his left, but could not cut it backThe ICC have announced that Yuvraj has been named the MoS.47.1 Malinga to Yuvraj, 1 run, fuller length delivery outside off, Yuvraj leans on it and drives hard to sweeper cover, only a singleend of over46.6 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 1 run, a low full toss has been chipped down to long on, only a single, a huge over for the Indians as 11 came off that46.5 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, no run, that has been slapped straight to the fielder at cover, took it on the full and smashed it, if he had found the gap, it was 4, didn't find the gap46.4 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, FOUR!!, and what does Yuvraj do? Take out his anger on Kulasekara, a harmless full toss has been swatted away regally through mid wicket, swung wide of the man and Yuvraj walks up to Dhoni who is in a much calmer mood, has a smile at him, hit powerfully by Yuvraj46.3 Kulasekara to Dhoni, 1 run, Dhoni is furious at Yuvraj for running in his way, a flat batted thwack to long on, the throw came in and hit direct at Dhoni's end, he was in, the third ump confirmed that, Dhoni wanted Yuvraj to run on one side of the pitch46.2 Kulasekara to Dhoni, FOUR!!, there comes Ravi Shaz's iconic cliche: That went to the boundary like a tracer bullet. That really did. Kulasekara misses the yorker and serves up a full delivery, Dhoni opens his stance and smears it wide of mid off who is standing inside the circle, tremendous bat spee46.1 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 1 run, low full toss, Yuvraj swung at that hard, it hit the toe end and went down to long onend of overNuwan Kulasekara [7.0-0-46-0] is back into the attackRight, we are into the crunch here. After so many days of this WC, we have come down to the last 4 overs. And this final continues to pulsate and move in one direction to the other. A huge meeting going on between Sanga, Mahela, Murali and others. Murali is right in Sanga's ear. Kula comes on. Can bowl right up there. Possesses a mean yorker too. Deep mid, long off and a long on in place.45.6 Malinga to Yuvraj, 1 run, that high back-lift from Yuvraj again, driven down to long on, retains the strike with that run45.5 Malinga to Yuvraj, 2 runs, Samara is taking his own sweet time to run back from mid wicket, to stop that ball, they take 2, a high back-lift and a sweetly timed flick through mid wicket45.4 Malinga to Yuvraj, no run, short of length delivery on middle, Yuvraj defends it back to Malinga, 4 dots in a row, the pressure is building on the Indians45.3 Malinga to Yuvraj, no run, at Yuvraj's feet and he manages to dig it out to backward point, wanted a single, but Dhoni was not up for it

TEAMS
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (c) (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thissara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan.

India: Zaheer Khan, S Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni (c) (wk), Suresh Raina.

Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Daredevils by 98 runs

It was a forgettable outing for Delhi Daredevils after two consecutive victories in the IPL, but they would be taking solace from the way the under-scrutiny Feroz Shah Kotla pitch behaved.

The ball came on to the bat fairly well, always a welcome sign for a team loaded with attractive stroke-players, though on this day, they were left looking on helplessly as Mumbai Indians took advantage of batting first, notching up 218 for seven.

The progress of the Kotla turfs has been of much interest after the venue was handed a one-year ban from international cricket for offering an ‘unfit’ pitch for a one-dayer against Sri Lanka. The one used for this match was adjacent to the track played on then, and had been worked on by former player Venkat Sundaram in the intervening period.

The venue, which is set to host four matches of next year’s World Cup, is banned till December this year but is hosting matches of the IPL, considered domestic cricket. Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir’s decision to field first boomeranged as the Mumbai batsmen hit the highway straight away and his day did not become any better as he pulled a hamstring while fielding. The left-hander was sorely missed by the home side, who were bowled out for 120 in their pursuit of a challenging total.

It was the second consecutive victory for the Mumbai side, for whom Sachin Tendulkar and Saurabh Tiwary struck fine half-centuries.

Tendulkar gave the initial thrust, which was capitalised on by Jharkhand left-hander Tiwary (61) and Ambati Rayudu (34), the pair adding 71 for the fourth wicket. The left-right combination showed a penchant for big shots down the ground, their three sixes each propelling the score towards the 200-run mark. The
Delhi bowlers failed to put the brakes on the opposition, not helped the least by a rather indifferent effort by the fielders.
Tendulkar mustered 63 off only 32 balls. The record-breaking machine set the tone with a superb square-drive off Dirk Nannes and it was to be followed by a number of cracking shots on either side of the wicket. Dropped by Amit Mishra at point off other leg-spinner Sarabjit Ladda on 35, Tendulkar completed his 50 off 31 balls and it took a superb diving effort from Yogesh Nagar, running in from long off, to help Mishra make amends by dismissing the master batsman.

Nagar, who had earlier brought off a brilliant one-handed catch at mid-off to dismiss Sanath Jayasuriya, ensured Tendulkar’s damages were restricted to 11 in terms of boundaries hit and he was the lone bright spot for Delhi on the field.

The Mumbai team could not use the services of West Indian players Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo like they would have anticipated, but they proved pretty useful in choking Delhi with their bowling.

Bravo’s dismissal of Virender Sehwag, caught at long-off, virtually decided the outcome of the match what with Tillakaratne Dilshan already out and Gambhir ruled out. Sri Lankan all-rounder Farveez Maharoof was the highest scorer for Delhi, clouting two sixes in his 28, but his dismissal in the 12th over reduced the side to 106 for six and it was only a matter of playing out time from then on.

The lower-order batsmen struggled to get into double-figures, even as Harbhajan Singh and Jayasuriya helped themselves to two wickets each with their slow stuff.

Sangakkara says India under pressure in upcoming Test series

Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara has said the islanders would be able to upstage India in the upcoming three-match Test series.

Addressing reporters here on Sunday, Sangakkara said India would be under pressure to maintain their home record of not losing a single Test to Sri Lanka in their previous 14 encounters.

"We know that we have not won a Test match here before so, we are here to change things up. But the pressure is probably on India as it was on during the Australian series to keep their home series record intact," said Sangakkara.

Sangakkara said that the Lankan fast bowling attack was experienced, but it may turn out to be an advantage.

"Inexperience again it's sometimes is a good thing because may be the Indian batsmen have not really played our fast bowler before regularly in longer format of the game. That can work for us," said Sangakkara.

He also said Sri Lanka had the option of playing three spinners in Tests because of the presence of a formidable all-rounder like Angelo Mathews.

"It is a great option to have, especially since we have Angelo Mathews who is bowling so well that gives us that flexibility of playing three spinners if we want to. We got him being a frontline fast bowler and batsman it frees that one spot if the wicket shows us that three spinners are a possibility," said Sangakkara.

The Sri Lankan cricket team arrived in Mumbai on Sunday for the upcoming three-match Test series.

The first test starts on November 16 in Ahmedabad.

The next two matches will be played in Nagpur and Mumbai.

12-year-old makes world record 439 in inter-school match

Twelve-year-old Sarfaraz Khan's wish for a mobile phone worth Rs5,000 is about to be granted by his father Naushad. On Wednesday, the boy made a record in inter-school cricket by smacking a mammoth 439 in the prestigious Harris Shield tournament at the MB Union Cricket Club grounds, Cross Maidan.

Naushad, who bought Sarfaraz a bicycle after the boy's extraordinary performance in the Giles Shield semi-final last year, said he would be happy to gift his son whatever he wants. "He has made me proud and I want to fulfil his wish," he said.

Harris Shield is the tournament in which a certain Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli piled up a world record 664 runs for the third wicket in February 1988, helping their school, Shardashram Vidyamandir, to score 748 for 2 in 122 overs against St Xavier's School at Azad Maidan.

"After breaking my icon Sachin Sir's record I wanted to create a new record by overtaking Sanjeev Jadhav who had made 422 runs [in 1985-86]," the excited Sarfaraz said.

The previous highest score in the 113-year-old tournament was by Ramesh Nagdev (427*, 1963-64). Sanjeev Jadhav, another Shardashram Vidyamandir student, had the second highest score. Other high scorers include Mumbai skipper and Test discard Wasim Jaffer, who made an unbeaten 400 in 1992-93. Tendulkar, with his unbeaten 346, is the 10th highest scorer.

Sarfaraz's innings, which came in 456 minutes, saw his Rizvi Springfield High School gather a mountain of first inning runs -- 750 for 9 -- against the Indian Education Society, Kandivli, who were tottering at 60 for 6 in 53 overs.

Sarfaraz did not waste deliveries, making the huge score off just 421 balls; he hit 12 sixes and 56 boundaries. He resumed his game on Wednesday -- day 2 -- at 235 runs and scored 204 in the first session before ending up caught, at point, just after lunch.

Rizvi Springfield coach Raju Pathak said: "It was Sarfaraz's debut Harris Shield match. Can you believe it? He is an extraordinary talent. I had to drop senior players to accommodate him in the playing XI. He has been doing extraordinarily well in the last few matches."

I don't want to get into any trouble: Sreesanth

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth is back home in Kerala but the news that the Kerala Cricket Association has received a letter from the BCCI about his Level II offence left him shaken. Sreesanth was involved in a verbal tiff with Mumbai bowler Dhawal Kulkarni and was fined 60 per cent of his match fees during the Irani Trophy.

"I haven't seen this letter yet. I have tried my best to stay calm and cool on the field and that incident involving Kulkarni was an exception. I want to play as many games as I can and really don't want to get involved in such incidents," Sreesanth told

The fast bowler admitted that his performance in the past has been overshadowed by other things."I want people to talk about my bowling and my performance. I don't want to get into any trouble. I have been working hard and trying my best. I have paid the price for my Level-II offence and I won't do anything that earns me a Level-III offence," Sreesanth said.

Talking about what happened between him and Kulkarni, Sreesanth said that he did not "abuse" the Mumbai bowler.

My dream rests in Hands of God

Phew, what a week that was! One of the most emotional ones of my life. There were more changes than I could handle, including moving cities and leaving behind too many friends. If that wasn't enough, dealing with worries about the qualification of Ivory Coast and Argentina for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa saw me at my emotional worst.

I've had to pack my bags and move thousands of kilometers north. Mumbai can be one of the hardest cities to leave. It was intimidating when I first came here six years back. But today, I feel more at home in its squalid lanes than anywhere else in the world.
In Mumbai, I grew to care about Indian football. Before that, the game was all about the Premier League, Jose Mourinho and Brazil.

It was at the Cooperage football ground that I first heard the thump of Baichung Bhutia's boots meeting the ball. The sound of the perfect kick can be as sweet as the ball meeting the middle of Sachin Tendulkar's bat.

It was in Mumbai that I realised Indian footballers don't just dream of a financially secure future but believe that great things are possible. They live in hope, not in desperation. And some of them, I honestly believe, are good enough to compete at the world level.

It wasn't just the goodbyes that were painful. Maradona really played havoc with my nerves and it was Didier Drogba who calmed them. Some months back, dear reader, I got lucky with the World Cup tickets for South Africa. I had applied for the T7 series, which gives the tickets of the team of your choice from the group stages onwards to the final. If your team loses in between, then you get the match ticket of the team that's beaten them.

I had applied for the T7 tickets of Ivory Coast, because of the love I have for Drogba and also because, in the first round, my application for Brazil and Argentina tickets was rejected. The validity of my tickets was subject to Ivory Coast's qualification for the tournament. And Drogba didn't let me down.

Ivory Coast qualified top of Group E in the African qualification after a 1-1 draw against Malawi. Drogba came off the bench to score the equaliser just two minutes after his introduction and helped secure my nerves and a second successive World Cup trip for the West Africans.

Maradona's appointment as Argentina coach was another reason I couldn't have missed this World Cup. However, their trip to South Africa almost got cancelled after losses to Brazil (1-3) and Paraguay (0-1).

But they've come through with wins over Peru (2-1) and Uruguay (1-0). Yet, Maradona's future as coach doesn't look secure. It's highly unlikely that the Argentina football association will trust the eccentric genius to lead the team in South Africa after the qualification fiasco. What can I say! My dream now rests in the Hands of God.

Impressed Dravid wants to play at DY Patil Stadium

Impressed with the facilities DY Patil Stadium, veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid today said today he wants to play at least one international tie at the venue in Navi Mumbai before quitting the game.

"I did not have the opportunity to play here in the IPL last year. But I had heard so much about the facilities here from others. Now I have been blown away. I hope I will get an opportunity one day to play here. I want to play at least once in an international tie here before I stop playing (cricket)," he said here today.

Dravid, who specially flew in from Bangalore this morning to inaugurate the DY Patil Sports Academy's website 'www.dypsa.in', said the stadium was comparable to the best cricket stadiums in the world.

"The facilities are truly magnificent. This stadium is comparable to any top stadium in the world and is better than most," the former India captain said.

Dravid, who has been recalled to the India ODI side after a two-year gap for the triangular series in Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa, said he was impressed with the sports facilities for other games which, he felt, could be utilised by budding sports persons.

"This place can be a training ground not only in cricket but for all disciplines and be a breeding ground for future sports people. I have no doubt that in future this will be the hub," Dravid said.

"When this stadium was started six years ago there was no concept of the IPL. The vision to build these facilities is remarkable," he added.

The sports academy's president Vijay Patil said in his welcome address that sports federations, especially of swimming, tennis and badminton, could utilise the facilities in the complex to conduct even national level meets.

There are five tennis courts, two badminton courts and an Olympic-size swimming pool other than three glass-backed squash courts, according to sports secretary and coordinator of the academy, Avinash Salvi.

India looking for hat trick

Aiming for a title hat trick under coach Mr Bob Houghton but hampered by lack of international match exposure, defending champion India will bid for a second consecutive Nehru Cup, taking on Lebanon in a tricky opener of the five-nation tournament on Wednesday.
Under Mr Houghton, India won the 2007 edition of the Nehru Cup before clinching the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup at home, which gave the country a berth in the elite AFC Asian Cup, to be held in Doha in January 2011, after 24 years.
The Nehru Cup will give Houghton a chance to test his boys how they measure up to at least two quality sides ~ Syria and Lebanon ~ who are now vying for a place in the Asian Cup.
Bhaichung Bhutia's side are a confident lot after a seven-week training tour of Dubai and Barcelona.

They played friendly games against Spanish third division sides in their month-long sojourn in Barcelona where they used top class facilities at Nou Camp. The sore point though would be the lack of international fixtures. The Indians played their last such match in January though Houghton claimed that the Spanish third division sides "were of our level". Houghton himself picked last edition runners-up Syria as the favourites to win the tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium, considering that the West Asians are inside top 100 in Fifa rankings at 95th and have beaten sides like China besides drawing Korea this year.

Sunil Chhetri's injury will give Sushil Kumar and tall Mumbai forward Abhishek Yadav the chance to be in the playing XI more often along with captain Bhaichung Bhutia upfront as has been done in the friendly games in Barcelona. East Bengal captain Syed Rahim Nabi has also been tried by Houghton as a striker in Spain.

With the 2011 Asian Cup in mind, Houghton has also indicated that he may start with younger legs in deep defence and in that case taller players Gouramangi Singh and Anwar may be seen in action. In the midfield also, Houghton is likely to field the younger Anthony Pereira at left wing more often than senior player Renedy Singh who has had minor injuries in recent times. In fact, Renedy was tried at the right wing position in four friendly games in Barcelona as Steven Dias' substitute. With the absence of Chhetri, talismanic captain Bhutia will have to find more goals for India besides trying to once again inspire his side to title victory.

The Sikkimese said his ongoing tussle with Mohun Bagan on his suspension issue has distracted him in the preparations of this tournament. But having said that he will have to put his distractions aside and try to motivate his teammates in front of the home crowd in a country virtually starved of international football matches. More than 20,000 people came to the Ambedkar Stadium in the final against Syria on August 29, 2007 to cheer the home team, which won 1-0.
Exuberant fans celebrated wildly and Bhaichung and Co. would want to see similar scenes here again on 31 August.

Buzz Up Players fresh after long break: Kirsten

Although India won the ODI series in the Caribbean 2-1, it was a bunch of exhausted players that coach Gary Kirsten was dealing with at the end of the season. But after all 16 players, who had toured the West Indies in June, underwent their fitness assessments in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days, the South African said they were a refreshed lot after a month-and-a-half-long break.

And though he will also get to assess Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid over the next few days, Kirsten will have to wait before he gets a proper look at Virender Sehwag, who is out with a shoulder injury.

"Sehwag is undergoing rehabilitation at the moment. I think things are looking really good there," said Kirsten. He also said that Sehwag's fitness would be assessed in a few days time at the NCA. "We are very happy with his progress and hopefully have him ready soon."

While the former South African opener spent Monday at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium with the likes of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and RP Singh, in Mumbai the indoor academy at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai was his ground zero. The coach said he was satisfied with the present fitness levels of the eight players - Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, S Badrinath, Dinesh Karthik, Pragyan Ojha and Abhishek Nayar - who participated in the session.

"It's been two good days. The purpose of it was to meet with up the guys while they got some time off, so we made a decision way back in the West Indies to get together. That's one area we feel that we can work on as a team. We wanted to do a series of assessments and obviously this was the first one," said Kirsten.

Good response

"The guys responded really well. In fact, they are pretty much in good condition or in a condition that we would like them to be at this stage. Obviously there are improvements to be made and we understand that, but we are very happy with the way it went," he added.

Kirsten said though there were a few injuries that surfaced after the West Indies tour, most of the players had recovered. "There were a fair amount of niggles after we left the West Indies. Everybody has recovered pretty well. I spoke to Nitin today and apart from the ones that we know everyone is in a pretty good condition," he said.

Kirsten also informed that Tendulkar, who was expected to show up at the BKC on Tuesday, would be undergoing his fitness assessments soon. "We have brought the squad that was in the West Indies. Sachin was also to be part of that but he is unavailable today. We really could not get everyone available at such short time but he will be doing his tests in the next day or two," he said.

Wooing women with the magic of football

When Noel Wilson learnt how a poor boycalled Diego Maradona played in the slum streets of Villa Fiorito in Buenos Aires, he secretly wished, "God, if only I could play like that..." He kicked a football for the first time when he was five, as one of the 60 boys of class one at St Antony's School in the city. And that was the beginning of a dalliance with the ball which propelled Wilson, born to a poor Anglo-Indian family at Austin Town in Bangalore, into the international soccer circuit.

Today, with more than 300 matches and 40 goals in his pocket, this young, stylish midfielder is back in his one-room shanty in Austin Town. The boy whose mother cried in fear of her only son getting hurt in the "ruffian game," is today the pride star of the family of five, and he adds with a simper, "by Lord's Grace."

Standing 5 ft 10, this stocky 28-year-old eligible bachelor now wears the jersey No 8 (his lucky number) for Mumbai FC.

What strikes a visitor most is his gangling hairstyle much like former Argentinian superstar Gabriel Batistula and several tattoos of the Virgin Mary and the Saviour in Cross on his body. "Because, I am a believer, and I also believe one has to be attractive on the field. After all, I'm an entertainer." His looks won him enough attention to model for Zee Sports as well.

"With his searing pace and excellent dribbling ability, Wilson gave the game a touch of class," observes a sportswriter from Goa, when the player was with Churchill Brothers, Goa. He was the find of the SAI coach Sampat, as an 11-year-old. "Books gave me a headache," Wilson smiles, "I stopped my studies after class 10, though my parents and my sisters wanted me to continue."

Wilson debunks the theory that one is born with a golden foot: "One could be born with certain facilities for a game but soccer playing is not something one can develop without love for the game and dedication."

His professional career began with FC Kochi. He later put on the spiked boots for Mohun Bagan, Churchill Brothers, and played for the country for four years. "My most memorable moment was in the final of the tournament to mark Sri Lanka's 50th year of Independence. My goal gave India the trophy." And, his last was the pre-qualifying World Cup match in 2002.

But the Golden Boy bowed to crass politics of Indian football in 2003, when four Bangalorean boys who had performed well were dumped and four others were inducted for the England tour.
Wilson's dream is to launch an initiative for his native Bangalore through a "football appreciation club": "Today, it's all a man's game, and women feel left out. We can make the game eve-friendly with a separate enclosure for them and a club that makes them familiar with the nuances of the game."

MLA Derrick Fullinfaw, a mentor of Wilson and a fan of football, has offered Rs5 lakhs from his MLA fund to start one for Bangalore.
Today, Wilson has one more passion in life besides football--Goa. He loves the state where "the game is enjoyed for the game's sake," and shyly admits, given a choice, he'd go for a Goan life-partner.

Making room for the sport
Wilson says playing football boosts one's concentration and self-confidence. In a city like Bangalore, where bricks and cement have taken over every inch of spare space, how will children play
football? Here are his suggestions:

Learn to control the ball with your foot and head. This does not warrant a playground. During the day, when vehicles are taken out your parking lot or basement, the space can serve your kids.

Play in parks, except during the peak walkers' time

Blind alleys make for good practice spots, where traffic is rare
In the backyard, if you are lucky to have an independent house

Even in the living room, if your room does not have much glassware

India grouped with US in U-21 World Volleyball

Hosts India, ranked tenth in the world, have been drawn in Pool A along with with the mighty United States of America, Tunisia and Belarus in the 16-nation fifth FIVB Mens Under 21 World Volleyball Championships to be held at Pune from July 31 to August 9.

The hosts were among the eight seeded teams for the tournament, which is to be held at the Shiv Chatrapati Sports City in Balewadi.

The other seeded teams in the fray are three-time winners (1993, 2001 and 2007) and defending champions Brazil, currently ranked third, their arch-rivals from South America Argentina (rank 2), top-ranked Iran, last editions losing finalists Russia (rank 4), France (rank 5), China (rank 6) and USA (rank 7).

The draw of lots assigning the preliminary groups were held here last night by the international volleyball federations technical delegate Shanrit Wongprasert in the presence of organising committee chairman and Maharashtra's Finance Minister, DilipValse Patil.

K Murugan, Secretary-General of the Volleyball Federation of India, assured the international volleyball federation (FIVB) representatives that top-class facilities would be offered to the teams during the championship.

Abhishek Nayar does Shardashram proud

Mumbai's Shardashram Vidya Mandir has given many cricketers to the Indian team, including Sachin Tendulkar. The latest entrant in the team from the school is all-rounder Abhishek Nayar.

The 25-year-old was picked in the 15-member squad of the Indian team that is to tour West Indies later this month for a four-match one-day international (ODI) series. "It was a big surprise. Srikkanth sir called me up and said that I've been picked in the squad. I am still unable to digest it. My phone hasn't stopped ringing and I have received almost 400 calls," Nayar told.

The southpaw says he feels proud to continue his school's tradition of producing cricketers. "It is a great feeling to be a part of the school which has produced so many cricketers and I am happy that I have continued the tradition," he said. "I am thankful to all of them, my parents, my coaches -- Praveen Amre, Naresh Churi -- friends for all the support they have given me all the time," he said.

Shardashram coach Naresh Churi praised his protégée, saying, "He was a stubborn guy and would never give up. He always wanted to succeed. If he wasn't picked for a match he would work very hard in the next and score good runs. So that next time there was no way he could be dropped," said Churi. "The best thing is that he has continued the tradition of Shardashram. It was said that the school is finished and is not a cricketing power anymore but he proved everyone wrong," he added.

Nayar said it was sheer hard work that got him through. "I have always believed in my self. My hard work has paid off finally." Nayar has been a vital cog in the Mumbai as well as IPL's Mumbai Indians side. He was one of the heroes in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy win this year. "It is not only because of the way I performed in T20 but my Ranji Trophy performances have helped me," Nayar said.

Mumbai coach Praveen Amre knew that he would make sooner or later. "He has always been a hardworking cricketer and I am happy that he made it. People have misconceptions about his batting, that he is a shorter version player but he has proved everyone wrong by performing in all forms of the game," Amre said.

Nayar's aim is to cement his place in the side. "I've got the opportunity and I would like to seal the berth," he said.

India batsman Rohit Sharma is his friend and he is looking forward to playing with him. "He is a close friend. We have a lot of fun and I am keen to play with him," Nayar said.

Zaheer to leave for England with India team: Sources

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, is set to leave with the India's Twenty20 squad for the World Cup in England, BCCI sources said on Thursday.

"The team is set to leave tomorrow. If there was anything about it (concerns over Zaheer's fitness) we would have let it be known to the media," BCCI sources said.

Doubts had cropped up about Zaheer's availability for the World Championship when he stayed back in South Africa after the conclusion of IPL for a treatment to his injury.
Zaheer, who played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, suffered the injury on his bowling shoulder while diving to stop a drive off Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Robin Uthappa in Johannesburg.

He underwent a scan that indicated some inflammation and the team management said the injury was not as serious as was thought before the scan. But he did not take part in the remaining matches of Mumbai Indians.

The left-arm pacer, who was not a part of the triumphant squad that clinched the title in the inaugural edition two years ago in South Africa, has emerged as chief wrecker for
India in the recent series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Tendulkar uncomfortable with fans touching his feet

He doesn't receive letters written in blood any more, but Sachin Tendulkar says that he does not feel comfortable when a fan touches his feet and tells him he is God.
Tendulkar, whose achievements with the bat have won him fans worldwide, says the adulation never ceases to surprise him.

"I used to receive letters written in blood...but not any more. It feels strange when a fan comes and touches your feet and says you are God. I don't feel comfortable with it, but it is the way they feel about you...that happened again just a couple of weeks ago actually," he says.

In a light-hearted interview published in celebrity magazine 'OK!', Tendulkar spoke about his love for Ferrari cars, his post-retirement plans and how he handles criticism.Tendulkar said retirement thoughts were far away from his mind at the moment but he may start a business when he stops playing competitive cricket.

"That's a big question. I don't know...I will definitely be involved with the game. When I retire, that is when the doors to other opportunities will open. As of now, other than just promoting various products, I haven't opened the door to anything else. Maybe I'll start a business," he said.

"I don't know when that would be yet, but that will be the time I will focus my energy in different directions. Right now it's only focussed in one direction -- that is cricket,"
Tendulkar said.

Asked when was the last time he received some constructive criticism, the batting maestro said, "criticism is hardly ever constructive. I try and stay away from newspapers when I am playing. You get to read so many things that are not constructive, but somehow the guy who is writing it all seems to think that it's constructive."

Tendulkar said his celebrity status has helped him wriggle out of situations that would be difficult to handle for a commoner.

"There's one time that I remember clearly...we were in Australia playing some exhibition games -- it was around 1994. I was out with two other players and when we got back to the hotel, the rest of the team had already left for the airport. They had packed my bags and gone and there were no mobiles or anything. We had no way of reaching them," he recalled.

"We were to fly from Sydney to Melbourne -- we had no tickets, no passports, nothing. I got to the counter at the airport and explained the situation. The guy at the counter
recognised me and he gave us three boarding passes from Sydney to Melbourne...without passports, without tickets. I felt that I was truly special," he said.

Asked when was the last time he spent an entire day without watching any sport, the 35-year-old batsman replied, "On December 31 last year. I spent time with my family in
Mussoorie about 7,000 feet above sea level looking at the snow-capped mountains. It was freezing and we went for a long walk. I was a fantastic feeling. That was the day when I didn't watch sports at all."

On the one moment he felt proud of, Tendulkar said, "I was truly proud of our performance during the Chennai Test. We won against England on the last day."

Asked about the most recent prank he had played on a teammate, Tendulkar said, "I am always doing that...a while ago, we had gone to a restaurant and we actually fooled Yuvraj Singh. We put wasabi on a toast and told him it was a delicious spread that he must try. He almost ate it. We stopped him at the last minute.

When was the last time he did something which he wished he hadn't?

"Probably the last innings I batted in Mohali. I felt that I shouldn't have played that shot. I got out on it. (Smiles) That's what I feel every time I get out," he quipped.

India want extra New Zealand Test

India have requested to play an extra Test on their tour of New Zealand in March to help recoup some of the $25m lost after the Mumbai terror attacks.

The Indian cricket board cancelled two one-day internationals against England and a proposed tour of Pakistan following the attacks.

The Champions Trophy, due to be held in Pakistan, was also postponed.

India are currently scheduled to play two Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match in New Zealand.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed it was hoping to generate extra funds by adding another Test to the tour.

"We have requested New Zealand to accommodate an extra Test to the series," said Ratnakar Shetty, from the BCCI.

"We are waiting for a response from them."

Tendulkar is egoless, gracious god : British media

Sachin Tendulkar is god to billion Indians but he is a "gracious god" who lifts his people out of the pit of despair in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, a leading British newspaper said, paying tribute to the champion batsman who has "not a scrap of ego".

Tendulkar offered balm to a country which was devastated by terror attacks in its finacial capital yet he remained a modest god, according to a write-up in Daily Telegraph.

"He (Tendulkar) is an unlikely-looking god. He stands there in the middle dwarfed by the gigantic Andrew Flintoff and the strapping Yuvraj Singh, a boy-like figure with a cherubic face whose Michelin man-style pads come half way up his thigh," Simon Hughes wrote.

"The poor Indian lifts his hands to Sachin Tendulkar in supplication; Give us respite, a sense of liberation; lift us up from the dark pit of our lives to well-lit places of the imagination with your skill-wrought perfection. He has not a scrap of ego. He is a gracious god. We will never see his like again".

The writer said that Tendulkar never shirked his enormous responsibility and spent considerable time preparing for a game.

"Tendulkar never shirks this enormous responsibility. He spends almost every waking hour seeking that perfection, practising, planning, preparing. He rings his brother, the man who knows his game best, every day, talking bowlers and bat angles and shot selection. He looks at the pitch and contemplates how he will make runs on it. He is thankful of his talent and dutifully delivers it to his public, the majority of whom have nothing," Hughes wrote.

A self-effacing man who keeps his emotions private, Tendulkar's inner urge to express the hurt caused to him by the audacious terror attack at the city he was born and brought up led him to dedicate his century in Chennai to the people of Mumbai and India, but he admits it was not his nature to play the role of a statesman too often.

"Sometimes I do it, but it is not my way," Tendulkar was quoted as saying by the newspaper. "Tendulkar lives in Bandra, in the north of Mumbai, Bollywoodville. But he often goes south to Colaba with family and friends, to eat in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel or the Oberoi.

"The Mumbai attacks were close to home and affected him deeply. The England players remarked on his extra patience and intensity at the crease. This time he was doubly determined to lift his people out of their pit," the article said.

Tendulkar wields a heavy bat unusual for his small frame, but he says he would not be the same batsman without his willow.

"I like a bow in it. I can't bat with anything else. I would not feel right at the crease," the master batsman said.

India pull out of Pakistan tour

India have pulled out of next year's planned cricket tour of Pakistan in the wake of November's attacks in Mumbai after receiving government advice.

They were due to arrive in Pakistan on 4 January for three Tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 international but the Indian government stepped in.

Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Salim Altaf conceded: "It was a decision neither in their nor in our hands."

Meanwhile, the PCB has invited Sri Lanka to tour in India's place.

This new tour would involve three Test matches, three one-day internationals and one Twenty20 game.

Altaf said: "We hope they will agree to it and come after 20 January, shortly after hosting Bangladesh."

India's tour had been in jeopardy since last month's attacks, which India has blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

Pakistan has denied involvement after the attacks left more than 170 dead.

It is the third major cricket tour to Pakistan this year to be cancelled on security grounds.

Australia pulled out of their scheduled visit in March, while the International Cricket Council also postponed the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in September.

As a result, Pakistan have played no Test cricket this year and just 21 one-day internationals, mostly against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

The Pakistan Cricket Board fears this latest decision could cost it £13m.

PCB's Altaf said: "If there is no India series we gain nothing from our new television deal and lose out on other sources of income as well."

The PCB recently signed a new television rights deal worth approximately £90m with the Dubai-based organisation Ten Sports, but it includes a clause which stipulates that if a series is cancelled, nothing will be paid.

Indian sports minister MS Gill made the final call on cancelling the tour, with the government's Ministry of External Affairs having already refused permission for a junior hockey team to travel to Pakistan.

"We received a communication from the government stating that in the present circumstances, it is not feasible to tour Pakistan," said Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) official Ratnakar Shetty.

But Shetty has not ruled out the possibility of playing the games at a neutral venue, with the PCB having previously floated the idea of moving the fixtures to the United Arab Emirates.

"No decision has been made on playing Pakistan at a neutral venue," said Shetty.

Meanwhile, he denied that the decision could damage the next Cricket World Cup, which is meant to be jointly hosted by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"It will not affect the 2011 World Cup as that is a different tournament," he said.

Shetty also believes that relations between the respective cricket boards would not be harmed and Altaf agrees.

He added: "We are still on normal terms with BCCI because it was a decision neither in their nor in our hands."

"They have also said that if the situation gets normal in the future it would send its team to Pakistan.

"We still maintain sport should not be mixed with politics.

"We believe cricket can help improve relations between the two nations."

Former PCB chief Shahryar Khan said he was not shocked by the Indian government's decision.

"It is a disappointment, but it does not come as a surprise," he said.

"We all hope that it can be rescheduled later.

"I know that the Pakistan Board is already making alternative arrangements."

It was to have been the fifth series between the two countries since 2004, when cricket ties resumed after a 15-year gap caused by cross-border tensions.