Dravid revels in India's triumph

KINGSTON, July 3: Rahul Dravid credited India's series-winning triumph against the West Indies to team effort and hoped it would be spoken of in the same terms as the historic 1971 victory registered by Ajit Wadekar's men. "We have not won in the West Indies for 35 years and not won outside the sub-continent for 20. That makes this win that much more special," said the Indian captain soaking in the joy of having led his team to a rare overseas win. "It's good for this team to be the one that changed that and the one what will be sort of remembered. We had to work hard for it and I think it's been well deserved," he said after the match. "We've always heard about the 1971 team and Anil (Kumble) was the only one born, just born, when India won last in the West Indies," Dravid said. "For all of us, growing up hearing the history of Indian cricket that was a very significant series, and I think hopefully this will prove to be a significant one as well." Dravid starred in the victory with scores of 81 and 68 in the low-scoring match which folded up inside three days but he sought to give credit to the entire team. "It's probably one of my most satisfying innings when I look back at both the innings," he said. "To win the series and for it to be such a close game, it would probably be one of my most satisfying couple of knocks that I've played," added the 33-year-old who was adjudged both man of the match and man of the series. All praise for his young side, Dravid said the win would not have been possible without team effort. "It was a fantastic effort. We played good cricket throughout the series. It was a team effort." "The team needs to be praised particularly for the way they came back after the difficult ODI series loss." Dravid agreed with Brian Lara's opinion about the Sabina Park track which saw 40 wickets fall inside three days. "It wasn't a great wicket. We had to grind our way, and it was especially difficult for a new batsman." Leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who picked six for 78 in the second innings, said he was happy that he could play an important part in the win. "This is my third trip to the West Indies so I wanted to ensure that I did well. Being the senior bowler in the team, it was important that I delivered. courtesy:timesofindia

Angry Lara threatens to quit

KINGSTON, July 3: Here comes the first fallout of the West Indies losing a Test series to India. On Sunday evening, West Indies captain Brian Lara openly threatened to quit from his post after his side lost to India. The immediate provocation: matters related to selection of the team and the pitches on offer during the series. Revealing that he felt his hands were "tied at the back", Lara said that if things did not improve he had no option but to relinquish the captaincy. What also incensed Lara was that though he had been nominated as a selector since May 28 (at the end of the ODI series), he got an endorsement letter only a day before the final Test match. The West Indies selection panel spans former stars Joey Carew as convener, Gordon Greenidge and Clyde Butts. Though West Indies coach Bennett King is the fourth member on the panel, Lara had no say in selection. Incidentally, Carew has been Lara's mentor since childhood."When I think back I was given seven batsmen for a couple of Test matches, and I played six. Yet I was given eight for the last two Test matches. I don't know how you work that one out." "I would have liked to have seen Morton out there, if I was playing an extra batter. It's unfortunate.But that was a puzzle by itself," lamented Lara.Lara revealed that he had made a few phone calls "on my own" to seek inclusion of specific type of players like a genuine fast bowler but got an extra batsman in Marlon Samuels for the last two Test matches. "I was always clueless in certain situations," he said.Let down by "peripheral" issues, Lara declared that he would "revisit" his decision to be captain if the selectors were not changed. The two-year tenure of the selection panel comes to an end in a fortnight's time. A new panel will be nominated at the West Indies Cricket Boards annual meeting. courtesy:timesofindia

The great fall of Windies cricket

Every time the West Indies manage to save a Test or an ODI, cricket pundits are prone to talk about guts and determination. But when they fail miserably (as happens more often), there is talk of the days of glory in the 1980s and a lot of moaning about inadequate replacements for the stars of those years. The dependency on Brian Lara for runs has not disappeared. And whenever he fires, the rest of the team seems able to score. If he falls cheaply, more often than not the rest follow suit. In the 1970s and 1980s the West Indies were unbeatable. Their fast bowlers terrified opponents while their batsmen piled on the runs. Not any more. The calypso kings have lost their crown. Morale is low and players are under-performing. Cricket at grass roots level also appears to be suffering, with more youngsters attracted to the rich glitz of American basketball. India's easy victory over West Indies in the fourth and final Test once again highlighted the downfall that has occurred in the cricketing fortunes of the Caribbean players. The current West Indies team that one sees nowadays is only a pale shadow of the side that was led by Clive Lloyd and which had in its ranks players of the calibre of Gordon Greenidge, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and others. But what one saw in the fourth Test at Sabina Park in Kingston was West Indies cricket at its nadir. The inability of the hosts to fight back, the lack of confidence and the spineless character of the batting especially even when facing spin was an unpleasant surprise for those who still remembered the sublime skills of Sobers, Richards, Lloyd, Greenidge and others who could flay any attack in the world on any kind of pitch. In 1970-71, India's best tour to date was also West Indies' fourth straight series defeat, and their second at home. The decisive Test was in Trinidad where Venkat took 9 for 149 in the match, eclipsing Jack Noreiga who returned 9 for 95 in India's first innings. Sobers was in supreme form with 597 runs at 74.62 while Charlie Davis, of Trinidad, playing one Test and two innings less, also totalled over 500 runs and finished at the top of the averages (132.25). But Sunil Gavaskar, who missed the first Test, amassed 774 runs at an average of 154.80. The West Indies' first tour victory in England came in 1950. That was where West Indies cricket came to maturity. The production line of wonderful talent started with the 3Ws: Clyde Walcott, Frank Worrell and Everton Weekes at the top of the order. Worrell's appointment as the side's first black captain came at a time when most top positions in Caribbean society were still filled by white people. He led the West Indies on their epic 1960-61 tour of Australia, which the visitors lost 2-1. At no other time did the cricket team reflect what was going on in Caribbean society as much as then. As the 3Ws' era came to a close, a new era had already begun - the era of Sir Garfield Sobers, the greatest all-rounder the world has seen. Sobers has a lasting impact on cricket in the Caribbean. His six sixes in one over playing for Nottinghamshire is now the stuff of legend, while his 365 against Pakistan was a Test record that stood for 36 years before fellow West Indian Brian Lara bettered it. Sobers' retirement in 1974 coincided with the dawn of West Indian cricket as the most potent force in the world. Under Lloyd, the Windies ruled Test cricket and won the first two limited-overs World Cups, in 1975 and '79. Their reign was built around by a four-pronged pace attack. Tall, fast bowlers like Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding Andy Roberts, and later Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh were feared by batsmen the world over. Add to that batsmen like Lloyd, Sir Viv Richards, Larry Gomes, Richie Richardson, Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge, and it is easy to see why the West Indies were head and shoulders above the rest for such a long time. Richards was greatest of them all, scoring over 8,000 Test runs and thrilling crowds with his combative style of batting. Carl Hooper, who captained the Windies in the 2003 World Cup, remembers the effect Richards had on the opposition. He said: "Viv had this aura, this dominating way when he was in the middle. You just sensed that as long as he was there, they looked a bit down and did not want to compete." A battery of fast bowlers struck fear into batsmen the world over Walsh was one of the last of the dominant era to retire, finishing with a record 519 Test wickets. Even at the best of times, West Indies cricket was dogged by competition between the islands to further their own cause within the West Indies Cricket Board. Fifteen years without a Test series defeat came to an end against Australia in 1995, and before the end of the decade a further 16 matches were lost. The decline in West Indies cricket is largely put down to complacency, particularly within the islands. One ray of light in the dark years has been the batting of Lara, who in 1994 scored 380 against England and a first-class record 501 for Warwickshire. His first term as captain was ignominious, but last year he returned to the post and is doing a good job at setting the record straight. Whether the team is winning or losing, the flamboyance and uninhibited style of West Indies cricket always shines through. courtesy:timesofindia

We will be in semi-finals: Chappell

MONTEGO BAY (JAMAICA), March 4: The Indian team is prepared to meet the challenges of the ICC Cricket World Cup, said captain Rahul Dravid on Sunday, while coach Greg Chappell was confident that they will reach the semi-final stage. After a long flight and a round of practice, Dravid was relaxed at his first press briefing before the start of the World Cup 2007. "We are prepared for the challenges of the ICC Cricket World Cup," he said at the Ritz Carlton in Montego Bay shortly after an early morning practice session at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium. Dravid was flanked by team-mates Zaheer Khan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, coach Chappell, and Sanjay Jagdale, manager of the team. Upbeat after the team's recent performance against Sri Lanka, he said: "Over the next two months we want to be able to take part in the sites and sounds of the Caribbean while playing some good cricket." Responding to questions, Chappell said: "I am convinced that the team will be in the semi-final. We have a good mix of youth and experience." Since their arrival in Jamaica, the Indians have been going through practice sessions. They play two warm-up matches against the Netherlands and the West Indies on March 6 and 9 respectively, before heading to Trinidad and Tobago for the group stage matches. India are in Group B with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda. India would return to Sabina Park in Kingston for the semi-final, should they sail through the Super Eight. courtesy:timesofindia

Sachin not under any pressure

MONTEGO BAY (JAMAICA), Mar 4: Sachin Tendulkar might have to cope with a new role in batting and the extra responsibility of being the vice-captain, but India's premier batsman on Sunday said he felt no pressure and was keen to contribute with both bat and ball at the World Cup. "I am looking forward to having a good World Cup. I am hoping that both my batting and bowling will come good. I am not under any pressure. I feel quite confident," Tendulkar said at the Indian team's first press conference after arriving in the Caribbean for the mega event. Tendulkar is the all-time leading run-getter in One-day cricket with 14,783 runs and, having played in 381 One-dayers since his debut in 1989, will be the most experienced cricketer at the 16-team event that begins on March 13. Despite the iconic status of Tendulkar, coach Greg Chappell said the team would rely less on a player's star value than the basics to win the quadrennial event. "We will not be relying on any special players because the team is fairly well balanced," the 58-year-old former Australian captain said. Captain Rahul Dravid said he was confident of a strong show by his team in the 51-match tournament which will have its final on April 28. "I know that all the other teams will be aiming to play their best cricket but we are very confident that this is going to be a very good tournament for us," he said. The opening ceremony of the event is slated for March 11. India, placed in Group B, are scheduled to play their opening match on March 17 against Bangladesh at Port of Spain, Trinidad. Sri Lanka and Bermuda are the two teams in the Group. They begin their campaign with two warm-up matches on March 6 against the Netherlands and on March 9 against the West Indies. India's World Cup win came in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. In the last edition in 2003, they reached the final before losing to Australia.

Tendulkar warns of wounded Australia

MONTEGO BAY, March 4: Sachin Tendulkar warned on Sunday that Australia should not be written off as a spent force despite the defending champions arriving at the World Cup dogged by injuries and poor form. Tendulkar, who will probably be playing his last World Cup, believes Ricky Ponting's team will use the rare criticism they have received as ammunition to fire back at their doubters. Sachin not under any pressure "You cannot write off the Australians, they are too good a team," said 33-year-old Tendulkar whose 673 runs at the last World Cup in South Africa helped India to the final where they were beaten by Ponting's men. "Australia are a team who know how to bounce back when they are under pressure." Australia are chasing a third successive World Cup title but they have lost their last five One-Day Internationals, costing them back-to-back series against England and New Zealand. They are also without pace spearhead Brett Lee who was ruled out of the tournament through injury while Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden are both struggling for fitness. South Africa then added insult to injury by deposing them as the world's top One-day team. Tendulkar, the highest run maker in the history of One-dayers with 14,783 runs to his name in a 381-match career, missed India's last tour of the Caribbean but believes that he can have a good tournament as his country seek to win a second World Cup to add to their 1983 title. "I am looking forward to having a good World Cup. I am hoping that both my batting and bowling will come good," he said. "I am not under any pressure at this time I feel quite confident and I am ready to go." Skipper Rahul Dravid, buoyed by seeing his team beat Sri Lanka in a recent home series, believes India have one of the best-balanced sides at the tournament. "We have a pretty good team and we are very confident," said Dravid. "I know that all the other teams will be aiming to play their best cricket but we are very confident that this is going to be a very good tournament for us." Coach Greg Chappell is also confident the squad's all-round strength will shine through. "We will not be relying on any special players because the team is fairly well balanced," Chappell, a former Australia captain, told reporters. India play two warm-up matches here against the Netherlands and West Indies on March 6 and 9 respectively before heading to Trinidad for their first round schedule where they face Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda. courtesy:timesofindia

Powar made to sit out practice

Mumbai: A negligent Ramesh Powar was disciplined by the West Zone team coach Chandrakant Pandit at the Brabourne Stadium, Cricket Club of India here on Thursday. The Mumbai off-spinner, who forgot to bring the formal colours, was not allowed to train and practise with the team on the eve of the clash between West and East Zones in the All Star Series tournament for the Deodhar Trophy.Pandit, who had even convinced Irfan Pathan to wear the official dress for practice sessions during the first round matches at Motera, forced Powar to watch the nets from a cane chair, but allowed him to join the team meeting."It would have been improper to train and practise wearing different clothes. Moreover, we have been given three sets for the tournament. He forgot to carry the team colours and hence I told him to sit behind the nets," said Pandit.
Vital role
In the inter-zonal tournament opener at Motera last Sunday, Powar captured four vital Central Zone wickets and along with Wasim Jaffer fashioned West Zone's win. Left out of the Indian team for the ICC World Cup, the portly off spinner hopes to sustain his performance in the remaining part of the BCCI's domestic tournament and be in the running for India's engagements after the World Cup.
Former chairman of the national selection committee Kiran More feels Powar's time will come, but said he should avoid playing too much league cricket in England.
"He can develop into an excellent Test match bowler," said More, who came to Mumbai on Wednesday to greet the Indian team that left for Montego Bay (Jamaica) early on Thursday morning.
Fine performances
Apart from Powar and Jaffer's performances, Assam junior Parvez Aziz's blitzkrieg, Rohan Gavaskar's match-winning knock against South Zone and Joginder Sharma's incisive spell against Central were some of the highlights of the first round matches played at Motera. Delhi opener Gautam Gambhir, cut out the frills and anchored North to an easy win against Central. North leads the table with five points, followed by West and East with four each.
The West versus East, South versus Central and North versus West matches will be played at the Brabourne Stadium on March 2, 3 and 4. The remaining four matches will be played at the Wankhede on March 7, 8, 10 and 11.
The teams (from):
West Zone: Amol Muzumdar (Captain), Wasim Jaffer, Rohit Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Ramesh Powar, Sairaj Bahutule, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Shrikant Mundhe, Rakesh Patel, Yusuf Pathan, Pinal Shah, Rajesh Pawar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Parthiv Patel, Sidharth Trivedi.
East Zone: Deep Dasgupta (Captain), Wriddhiman Saha, Parvez Aziz, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Manoj Tiwary, Rohan Gavaskar, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Mihir Diwakar, Shibsagar Singh, Ranadeb Bose, Shib Shankar Paul, Saurasish Lahiri, Bikas Pati, Timir Chanda, Abu Nachem, Debasis Mohanty.
Umpires: I. Sivaram and R. Radhakrishnan. Third umpire: Sanjeev Rao. Match Referee: Anil Patel. Hours of play: 1.30 to 5 p.m. and 5. 45 p.m. onwards.

courtesy:Hindu