Ponting : Fast Start Vital

Australian Skipper has unfinished business with India

Australia captain Ricky Ponting is keen to end his dismal record in India during the upcoming two-Test series.
Ponting averages just 20.85 in 12 Tests on Indian soil, compared with a career mark of 54.66.
Now approaching his 36th birthday, the Tasmanian knows this could be his final chance to set the record straight.
"It's a place that I've never mastered," admitted Ponting prior to the series opener in Mohali, starting on Friday.
"I've never mastered batting in these conditions.

Positive

"I felt that in the last series over here (in 2008), I took some really big strides in becoming a better player on the subcontinent.
"My first hundred in Bangalore at the start of the series was satisfying.
"I made 80-odd in Delhi. There were some positive signs for me last time and learning a bit more about the conditions and the Indian bowlers gives me a chance to hopefully have a good series."
Ponting wants Australia to seize the initiative early on as there will be little time to bounce back in such a short series.
"You don't want to be going behind in a two-Test series, that's for sure," he added. "It's hard to work your way back into it from there.
"Generally, we are very good starters as well. Our record starting a Test series is very good. That's one area we can focus on a little bit more, making sure that we start the game well."
Australia have yet to decide on the participation of batsman Mike Hussey and left-arm paceman Bollinger
Both arrived late for the tour as they were playing for the Chennai Super Kings at the Champions League T20.
Harbhajan doubt
India will also wait until Friday morning before naming their starting XI as they wait on the fitness of spinner Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan, Ponting's tormentor in chief over the years, is battling to recover from an ankle sprain.
The Mohali wicket has a seamer-friendly reputation, meaning the hosts are likely to play just one spinner alongside a three-pronged seam attack of Zaheer Khan Ishant Sharma and Shantha Sreesanth.
If Harbhajan is ruled out, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha is his probable replacement, although leg-spinner Amit Mishra is also included in a 15-man squad.



India - Australia rivalry to resume at Mohali


Mohali: In an unusually low-profile series due to the buzz surrounding the Commonwealth Games, India go into the first cricket Test against Australia with serious concerns at the bowling front, with their key spinner Harabhajan Singh rendered a doubtful starter for the match starting here on Friday.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has just returned from South Africa after playing in the Champions League Twenty20, will also have to switch quickly from Twenty20 to Test mode for the series, which coincides with the Commonwealth Games from October 3 to 14 in Delhi.
The same is the case for Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina, who is set to play his third Test, though another CSK member Murali Vijay is expected to sit out.
But more than switching from shortest format to the longest, Dhoni's main worry would be the uncertainty over the fitness of off-spinner Harabhajan Singh who is suffering from an ankle sprain.
With Mohali pitch predicted to be on the slower side with low bounce after heavy rains this monsoon season, slow bowlers, especially Harbhajan, would be crucial to India's scheme of things.
In case of the feisty off-spinner's absence, who normally reserves his best against the Australians, Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra will have to take charge of the slow-bowling department.
"We will take a call on Bhajji tomorrow. The rest are all available for selection," Dhoni said at the pre-match media conference.
While leg-spinner Amit Mishra has had a dream debut against the Australians in the 2008 series, picking up a five-for at this very ground, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha is a more disciplined bowler, although a bit in the restrictive mould.
It has often been found out that Mishra has struggled on slow pitches as his leg breaks are rendered ineffective. Being too slow through the air has also been a problem.
Ojha, on the other hand, has the ability to keep the batsman quiet with tight line and length bowling. He gives an option to the bowler at the other end to have a go at the batsman.
The team-management will also have to take a call between pacers Ishant Sharma and S Sreesanth to share the new ball with experienced but injury-returned Zaheer Khan. It will be a tough call considering that both have not been in their best of shape and form at the international level.
Ishant has been struggling in the past season and bowled well in patches during the Test series in Sri Lanka. Sreesanth couldn't make much of an impact during the three-day game against the Australians after recovering from a knee injury, which led him to return home from Sri Lanka without playing a Test.
Ishant holds the edge if one goes by the record against Australians. He is one bowler who has earned the respect of the Australians after he made rival captain Ricky Ponting his bunny during his first tour of Australia in early 2008.
His ability to hit the deck hard and bring the ball back into the right-handers makes him a better option against the Australians.
Strike bowler Zaheer is also playing his first Test after seven months since India's second Test against South Africa in Kolkata in February.
The batting, however, looks formidable and settled with Gautam Gambhir coming into the mix after recovering from his injury while his opening partner Virender Sehwag was in terrific form in the Test series in Sri Lanka. Both came out unscathed of the injury scare just before the Test.
With their vast international experience, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar should not have much of a problem in switching from Twenty20 cricket in the Champions League in South Africa to Test mode.
Dhoni and Raina are the other two players who have to switch off the Twenty20 mindset and change it to Test cricket while stylish VVS Laxman would be fresh after a break since the Sri Lanka tour.
The Australians, on the other hand, seemed to have acclimatised to the Indian conditions having been here for more than a week and done reasonably well in the three-day tour game, though they also have to tackle with the Test match fitness of batsman Mike Hussey and pacer Dough Bollinger.
Hussey and Bollinger have just returned after winning the second edition of Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa for Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings and the team management had said they would not be automatic starters on Friday.
With the likes of captain Ricky Ponting, his deputy Michael Clarke, opener Simon Katich, all-rounder Shane Watson and Hussey, Australians have an experienced batting line-up.
Watson, Katich and Marcus North are in good knick with a century each against Board President's XI in the tour game.
But their weak-link would be the bowling department with left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson leading the pace attack while 15-Test-old right-arm off-spinner Nathan Hauritz would be the spin spearhead.
Ben Hilfenhaus, who has played 11 Tests, and uncapped Peter George could join Johnson if Bollinger is not fielded and Australia go with three-prong pace attack. Two-Test-old Steven Smith is the other spin option if Australia decide to go with two spinners.
For Ponting, it would be a chance to improve his record in India having had a moderate success here and with criticism from former Australian cricketers that he has crossed his prime with less-than-impressive performance off late.

Teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay

Australia: Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Philip Hughes, Mike Hussey, Marcus North, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson, Tim Paine (wk), James Pattinson, Peter George, Nathan Hauritz, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc

Shane Watson says his test series success depends on fitness


Even before Australia arrived in India for the Test and ODI series, skipper Ricky Ponting made it clear that the two Tests are a stepping stone to reclaiming the No 1 ranking.
Missing several players like  Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath, who have done well in Indian conditions, Ponting will have to depend heavily on players like Shane Watson to deliver the goods.

The all-rounder,  who scored his second century of the drawn match against the Board President's XI yesterday, has performed well at the top of the order and his medium pace bowling will be a key back up to the frontline pacers. And Watson is well aware of his role and the challenges.

"Playing as an all-rounder is a huge challenge in India because of the conditions. I need to be really fit. Fitness is going to be a huge factor and no matter what, I have to be a 100 per cent throughout the tour," Watson said.

Watson, was asked to open in the middle of the Ashes series last year and though he's not a regular opener, he took up the challenge and scored seven fifties and a century in his first eight Tests. 

Little wonder then that Ponting backs him to the hilt.

"Ricky has been of great help to me. He's been telling me since some time about the ways I can cope with the weather here. He has used me in a very intelligent way in the past two years and I am confident of doing well with bat and ball here," said Watson.

Having failed as an opener for his state side Queensland, facing the new ball in Test matches was a big challenge for the 29-year-old.  

But having overcome stress fractures in his back, troubles with his hip, calf and hamstring as well as a dislocated shoulder among other injuries to revive his international career, Watson is used to raising the bar.

"To take on the best bowlers in the world is a big challenge and I love it. Opening the batting has been a phenomenal experience and I am enjoying every moment of it," he said.

"The biggest challenge has been to adapt to the different formats. Batting in Tests is very different and the most challenging. But I don't think I have any mental problems while adjusting to Tests, one-dayers or T20. I know my duty is to give the team a good start," he added.

I never take anything for granted : Sachin



 Sachin Tendulkar will play his 170th Test at Mohali on Friday but even after over 20 years in international cricket the senior India batsman says he never takes anything for granted and his success is a reflection of his constant hard work.
"There are ups and downs when you complete a circle of life, its not always about being on the top and in life there are ups and downs but it's important to complete that circle and that's what has happened in my career," Tendulkar said on the sidelines of the unveiling of Nike apparels for Team India.
"I don't want to take anything for granted. I have worked hard over the years to be part of the Indian team. The key thing is to continue to work hard and try and get better each day of the life and make sure that you enjoy every moment and that's what I try to do," the 37-year-old said.
Asked how old was he when he started playing cricket, Tendulkar said, "I don't want to talk about that, but as long as I am enjoying, it's wonderful to be here (I will continue to play)."
Asked about the five-Test match series that used to be played earlier, Tendulkar said, "I think given the current schedule, it's going to be difficult to accommodate that ...
it will take a mega effort to organise it (such a series)."
"It requires a different temperament altogether.
Sometimes you start the series brilliantly, but don't end up that well. Sometimes, you start badly, but end up becoming man of the series. It's a great learning curve," he said.
On the blue colour in the team clothing, the Mumbaikar said, "I like most shades of blue and orange."
For a man who has made his country proud umpteen times, Tendulkar said it is always a moment of pride to wear the tri-colours.
"Having it (tri-colour) anywhere is something special. We are proud to wear this colour and we work hard for it...using tri-colour makes us feel special."
Tendulkar holds most batting records under his belt and is on the verge of reaching 14,000 runs in Test cricket.
Closely following him is Australian skipper Ricky Ponting with 12,026 runs but Tendulkar said he doesn't want to talk about records.
"I don't like to talk about records, let others talk about it. I will keep scoring runs."

Australia undecided on Bollinger - Nielson



The Australian team management is largely pleased with how Bollinger and Michael Hussey fared in the training session, but the fast bowler is not a sure starter for the first Test that begins on Friday. Bollinger and Hussey joined the team just two days before the Test, after returning from their successful Champions League Twenty20 campaign with Chennai Super Kings in South Africa.
"We just talked about it from the start that Michael and Doug wouldn't be here till a certain stage," Tim Nielsen, Australia's coach, said. "When that changed, we pushed it back. Everybody is understanding [of that]. We just let them [Bollinger and Hussey] know upfront that if they are fit, they are more than likely to take their place in the team. We have to make the right decision, not only on their getting a spot, but [make sure] they are physically and mentally and technically right to play.
"So we will have another look at them tomorrow, and make sure they are ready to go."
Nielsen said the uncertainty centered more on Bollinger than Hussey. He was pleased with how the fast bowler had got through his short bowling stint today, but how he performed tomorrow would be the big test. "It's not as if he was sitting on a beach on his bum, he has been playing cricket. He has got some miles in his legs. [However], he certainly hasn't had six-seven-over spells two or three times a day."
Bollinger bowled in the nets for about 20 minutes, and was seen working with the physio. "They are a little bit behind time wise," Nielsen said. "They are in pretty good place today, we will probably know more tomorrow morning. But at this moment, they have had a bat and a bowl today, and at this stage we are pretty positive about them."
Peter George, who played in the tour game against the Board President's XI, could make his Test debut if Bollinger is not picked. Nielsen had positive things to say about the tall fast bowler. "Peter George did a good job in the practice match, especially in the first innings. Admittedly he came on to bowl when we had already taken two or three wickets. So it was a little bit easier for him, and things didn't work out that well from results' point of view in the second innings when they batted nicely.
"The thing we know him about him is that he runs in, he is consistent with his pace, and we like to think he is a bit like McGrath in his action and in the bounce he extracts. He is not an express fast bowler, but he has got enough pace to make the ball bounce off a length. Most importantly he runs in all day to try the right thing for the captain. Given the opportunity he will do a very good job at Test level."
Last year, too, when Australia toured India for a seven-ODI series, they had a similar situation. Brett Lee, Bollinger and Nathan Hauritz joined the team on the eve of an early-morning start. Lee lasted just one match then. "We talked about it right from the start," Nielsen said. "There is no running away from these things. It could have been the captain if he was playing for a Champions League team.
"It's harder and throws a little bit more chaos in the system when somebody has a late injury or somebody is ill late in the last couple of days leading up to the Test. Your plans are set, you have a kind of idea in your head what players are going to play, then somebody gets hurt late... We understand what we had with Doug and Huss [ Hussey]. Yes, this is not ideal preparation, but this is the modern world of cricket.
"They play for different franchises, for different teams, and their countries. That's what we have to deal with. I suppose this is where we've got to earn our money. We have got to make sure that they are as close to their best as possible, come Friday."

Ponting finally admits he is Harbhajan's 'bunny'


Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has admitted that Harbhajan Singh is one of the few bowlers in world cricket to have dominated him down the years.
Harbhajan has been a thorn in the Australian sides and Ricky Ponting in particular, since his remarkable wicket-taking efforts in the 2001 tour of India, which the hosts won 2-1.
However, the 30-year-old looked in some discomfort during training on Monday, and was later taken to hospital for MRI scans.
"None of the other off spinners have their way around me as Harbhajan does," Ponting told ESPN.
"So I have to give it to him. He has bowled very well against me," he said.
Harbhajan's unorthodox lower order batting has also frustrated Australian bowlers.
Australia lost their commanding positions against India at Bangalore and Nagpur during the 2008 Test series due to half centuries from Harbhajan after the top order had collapsed.


Will be "huge bonus" if Harbhajan doesn't play: Clarke





 In Chandigarh: Australia have great respect for Harbhajan Singh but it will be a "huge bonus" for the visitors in case he misses out in the first Test at Mohali in the wake of injury scare surrounding him, vice-captain Michael Clarke said on Tuesday.
Clarke, however, he was confident that the Indian off-spinner will play at Mohali and they were preparing how to tackle him.
"I am very confident Harbhajan will play. I know how much he loves playing against Australia," Clarke told reporters at a press conference here.
"But if doesn't play, it would be a huge bonus for us. He has enjoyed quite a success against Australia," he said.
Asked about the confrontations involving Harbhajan and the Australian players in the past, Clarke said, "Certain players like confrontation and perform better with that but it was one aspect which we are not going to focus on and our eye would be on Harbhajan the bowler."
"There are guys like him in all teams around the world who perform better with that kind of confrontation.
In my opinion, Harbhajan is one of the best spinners in the world. He is always tough to face under any conditions," he said.
"Facing pace bowlers Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan is also going to be tough, with their reverse swing abilities."
Asked about too much cricket being played these days, Clarke said at the end of the day the choice has to be made by the players whether to play tournaments like IPL and the Champions League Twenty20 or not.
"I guess guys have a choice. They don't have to play all of IPL or the Champions League," he said.
Clarke, however, said that it was also one aspect of international cricket where players have to travel a lot, switch between formats and make adjustments to varying playing conditions.
"As professional athletes, you are trained to handle this and you have to adapt and make things do. I guess that's what makes you a successful international cricketer," he said.
He further said that at the end of the day, players have to see and make their own priorities and commitments.
"Playing for Australia, that is my priority. If you feel your body needs rest, play less IPL and the Champions League Twenty20," he said responding to a question.
"There are positives of this (more cricket being played). One gets to experience different cultures, be to different parts of world and have different experience," he said.
Clarke heaped praise on Ricky Ponting's leadership, saying he was a great motivator who led by example.
"Ricky is an inspiration for the youngsters. He is as fit as I have ever seen him. He's training as hard as ever and I think the next 6-12 months will be as big as you have seen from Ricky. His best is yet to come," Clarke said.
"He's keen as mustard to do well and he's really looking forward to the start of this tour and enjoying so much youth being around the squad. I wouldn't be surprised if this is Ricky's best 12 months of his career," he added.

Ponting should take inspiration form Sachin - Taylor



Former Australian captain Mark Taylor has said that current Australian skipper Ricky Ponting should take inspiration from Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar in order to resurrect his fading batting form.
Ponting is aware that the tour is a big one ahead of the big Ashes series down under and most importantly the World Cup 2011 scheduled to be held in the sub-continent.

Taylor said 35-year-old Ponting would not get any better but was still capable of match-turning innings.

“He is not getting any better. He may no longer be the batsman he was in his late 20s but he is still a very good batsman. Honestly, Ponting’s best is behind him but he is still capable of scoring big hundreds,” Taylor told DNA.

Taylor pointed out that the weight of leading a young and evolving Australian team was a burden that could bring down any batsman, according to the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

“I think Sachin has had a rebirth. He is really batting at his best and that can be a sort of inspiration for Ponting. It might be difficult for him to overhaul Sachin’s number of centuries because the Indian master is lengthening the gap between them,” said Taylor.

“But Ponting has this job of rebuilding the Australian side. The current Australian side is very much his. Seniors like Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden have all gone. It is a much younger side,” he said.

“I think Ponting’s focus has moved a little bit away from his personal milestones. In that sense, Sachin is fortunate. He does not have to worry about captaincy. That is probably the reason why he is making hundreds,” Taylor added.

Taylor said Ponting still had the challenge ahead of him to bring his team out of a phase in which good performances were too often undermined by the odd bad session.

Zimbabwe Seal ODI Series against Ireland



Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe clinched the one-day international series against Ireland with a three-wicket win led by Brendan Taylor's 71 on Tuesday to hold an unassailable 2-0 lead with one match to play.
Taylor put on stands of 42 with Sean Williams (21) and 80 with Tatenda Taibu (41) to help Zimbabwe reach 239-7 in pursuit of Ireland's 238-9 at Harare Sports Club with seven balls remaining.
Zimbabwe had a mini collapse after Taylor was out, losing 3-18, but Elton Chigumbura and Graeme Creamer steered the hosts home.
Kevin O'Brien was the pick of Ireland's bowlers with 2-33.
Earlier, O'Brien hit 73 not out and Paul Stirling made 52 in Ireland's total that was boosted by three last-over sixes.
Prosper Utseya took 2-37 for Zimbabwe.

Australia gear up for India Challenge



Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke is hopeful his team will be able to counter India's bowling attack in home conditions in a two-Test series starting on Friday.
The hosts' attack has been strengthened with the return of left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, who was forced to miss a recent three-Test series in Sri Lanka due to an injury.
"Zaheer and (paceman) Ishant Sharma are two very good bowlers of reverse swing. It can be very tough to combat at times and we have experienced that in the past," Clarke told reporters in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
"But we've been training and batting against reverse swing and against spin too. Hopefully, come Friday, we'll be able to do well."
Harbhajan Singh leads India's spin attack, having already given a good account of himself against the Australians with 79 wickets in 14 Tests.
The off-spinner rose to fame in 2001 when he took 32 wickets in three Tests against Steve Waugh's Australians to lead his side to a stunning 2-1 series victory at home.
"Every player plays spin differently. I think individually we all have a plan and it's all about trying to adapt to the pitch conditions and the bowler," said Clarke.
"I have a plan against the spinners and will try to stick to that. Hopefully, it works."
Australia, who lost the last Test series in India in 2008, will play the opening Test in Mohali and the second match in Bangalore (Oct 9-13). The Tests will be followed by three one-day internationals.
Harbhajan, who underwent an MRI scan for sprain on Monday, was expected to be fit for the match.
"I know how much he loves playing against Australia, so I'm pretty confident he will play," said Clarke.
"I will be very surprised if he doesn't play, so I am going to be preparing like he is going to. But of course, if he doesn't play it's a huge plus for us. He's a very good bowler and he has had a lot of success against Australia."
"He's always tough to face. He's always a great challenge and I really enjoy facing him because I think he is one of the best spinners in the world."
Clarke, who made a century on Test debut against India in Bangalore in 2004, said he had been trying to be more consistent in recent years.
"I think when I first started playing international cricket I wasn't nearly as consistent as I have been over the last 12 to 24 months," said Clarke, who has scored 4,514 runs in 62 Tests.
"That's one part of my game that has improved. I probably took more risks when I was younger, but consistency and shot-selection allow you to have success over a long period of time."

Fit again Harbhajan to play Mohali Test



Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh along with Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday took part in the practice session at the Sector 16 cricket stadium here.
India's spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh who on Monday underwent an MRI scan at a private hospital in Mohali after suffering a side sprain, had a bowling and batting session of about an hour here on Tuesday.
The offie bowled in his natural rhythm and later batted as well for a while.
At PCA stadium in Mohali on Monday, Harbhajan was seen limping during the practice session with his ankle bandaged.
He though took part in the training after taking a break. Monday evening , he had also bowled at Sector-16 stadium nets after the conclusion of the match between Australia and Board President's XI.
Then he went to Fortis Hospital in Mohali for the MRI scan. The hospital sources had told PTI that there was no serious injury but since he got a sprain, it would be advisable to take rest for the next few days.
Meanwhile, Sehwag batted with ease after having hurt his right knee while facing speedster Ishant Sharma during Sunday's net session, at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.
Left-handed batsman Gautam Gambhir, who was on Sunday rushed to a hospital here after being hit on the right wrist by a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery also had a knock on the day.
Gambhir didn't field or bat on the final day of the warm-up match against Australia. The opener appeared to be in good touch as he looked like stroking the balls well during the net session.
Rahul Dravid who arrived in here on Tuesday and straightway headed for the nets. Meanwhile, pacers Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan bowled with full steam during the three hour session here.
Skipper MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Murali Vijay are expected to reach here on Wednesday.

Will inexperiance hurt Australia against India



With the likes of Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and more recently Matthew Hayden and Brett Lee out of the side, Australia have been in the process of rebuilding. As a result of which, not only has their Test ranking has slipped to number four but the team is very short on experience as well. Will that work against them during this series as well?

With 52 Tests under his belt and 29 out of those as an opener, Simon Katich is well versed with the art of dealing with the new ball. In Shane Watson he will have an able partner but one who doesn't have any experience in opening the innings in India, and that begs the question, will the two Aussie openers be able to fill Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer's shoes?

"Not Justin Langer. His is pretty small. He's just around 5 ft, but Matty Hayden has got a big chest apart from that he is small from every where else," Katich said jokingly.

The batters could still afford to share a joke or two but it's the bowling that's hurting. 

Team's most experienced bowler Mitchell Johnson has been struggling of late and averaged only 3 wickets per Test the last time Australia toured India in 2008.

"I want to put that tour behind me. I want to improve upon and take that leadership role and try to show the younger guys. The young guys that we have in our side are very good listeners. I think they are very keen to learn from the leaders in the group," Johnson said.

And learn they would have too considering Australia's likely first XI will have four players in Marcus North, Tim Paine, Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus - who haven't played a Test in India and a specialist spinner who's played just one Test that too way back in 2004.






We will need a team effort to beat India : Katich



From individual to a team performance — that is what the transition has been in the Australian squad, feels Simon Katich. “We no longer have Hayden, Waughs (Steve and Mark), Gilchrist or bowlers like Warne and McGrath to bail us out in a crunch situation. On this tour, and in subsequent tours also, it will take all the 11 players performing to get the desired results,” he said. 
Katich, who is a senior member of the squad with 52 Tests experience, feels last time Australia lost trying to play catch up.

“We were on the back foot from the day we lost the toss. Chasing 400-plus scores on cracking sub-continent wickets is never easy. We have talked about these scenarios a lot in the meetings. But in the end, we will have to perform and there is no alternative to it,” said Katich, who is returning after an eight-week break to overcome shoulder injury.

Katich got the required confidence and feel of the wicket with a century on Day 1 of the three-day Board President XI match against some ordinary bowling from their hosts. He and Shane Watson’s ton must have put some worries in Ricky Ponting’s head to rest.

“Watson and I have enjoyed batting together and our main focus has been to build in blocks of tens and give a good platform for our team,” said Katich who at 35 is perhaps on his last trip to India.

The Aussies were done in by the reverse swing, which was exploited to the hilt by the Indian bowlers and that is something which is still playing in Katich’s mind. The problem is compounded by the fact that many of the players are still to play a Test match in India.

“You don’t have much of a chance if the ball is reversing late. We have spoken about this in the meetings and also about the batting in trying conditions. We have practiced with scruff older balls and that is what you can do to prepare against it,” he said.


Double for CSK, Triple for MSD


Not often do you see an emotional MS Dhoni, but on Sunday night the Chennai Super Kings skipper, who won his third major T20 title, showed some signs of choking as he spoke about how a champion side was playing its last game together.
The Super Kings on Sunday won their second major T20 title just five months after they were crowned the IPL Champions. The team, led by India's T20 World Cup winning captain, are now truly the best T20 club side in the world. They were runners-up in the first edition of the IPL in 2008, made it to the semi-finals in 2009 and won the tournament in 2010.
Despite not playing together right through the year, the team gelled as a cohesive unit and proved all their detractors wrong who though that an IPL team could not win the CL T20 in South African conditions, especially after a lacklustre show in the first edition of the tournament at home.
But Dhoni, truly destiny's child, had other plans. Even when he was severely criticised for his decision to bowl Ravichandran Ashwin in the Super Over in the game against Victoria that his team lost, Dhoni was his usual self. He knew he had taken a chance that had not paid off. That did not mean his Midas touch was gone.
In the final, played at the Wanderers, Johannesburg - the same venue where he had led India to the 2007 World T20 title over Pakistan- Dhoni did not put a foot wrong. How could he? After all this is the place where he started the resurrection of a team that had been down and out ever since it crashed out of the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.
But things are expected to change soon for the IPL team when fresh auctions take place before the fourth edition of the tournament. It needs to be seen how much of the core team will be possible to be retained. The form may change, but the soul of a champion side will remain. And one wishes that may the champions forever remain high on MSD!



Watson,Rahane crack tons as game ends in draw



Australians 505 for 8 dec. (Watson 115, Katich 104 retd*, North 124 retd*) and 187 for 6 dec. (Watson 104*, Chawla 3-64) drew with Board President's XI 177 (Chawla 82, Hilfenhaus 5-47) and 174 for 0 (Rahane 113*, Pujara 52*)

The Australians like to mentally disintegrate the visiting captains, while the Indians - lesser known domestic batsmen, that is - go after visiting spinners. For the third season in a row now, the Board President's XI batsmen have done the job of softening up the opposition's spinners ahead of a Test series.
Two years ago, when Australia visited India, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh took Jason Krejza's 31 wicketless overs for 199 runs. Last season South Africa's Paul Harris was unsuccessful as Manish Pandey and Abhishek Nayar hit him for 71 runs in 12 overs. Over the last three days, which have been almost ideal preparation for Australia for the upcoming two-Test series, Nathan Hauritz has emerged as a concern.
In the first innings, Piyush Chawla, known more for his legspin, repeatedly danced down the pitch and either pushed him for singles or lofted him over his head. In the second, Ajinkya Rahane, the Mumbai batsman, scored a stroke-filled century in two hours. Hauritz's figures over the two innings: 24 overs, 93 runs, and one wicket. Steven Smith's flat legbreaks at the other end extracted even less respect. Chawla hit him for a six in his first over in India, and he went for 55 in his 10 overs.
Before Rahane entertained the small crowd at the Sector 16 Stadium, though, the Australians had had another good day of practice. They took the remaining four BP XI wickets for 34 runs, and Shane Watson went onto score a second century in the match, hitting 18 boundaries in his unbeaten 104 off 121 deliveries.
Gautam Gambhir, Simon Katich and Marcus North chose to go easy on mild injury scares. Gambhir, who was hit in his right hand by a rising delivery from Bill Hilfenhaus on day 2, chose to stay away from action. Katich, who has a bruised thumb, opted out of batting but came on to field. North, who has a mild back strain, stayed away too.
The match was always going to be a draw when the Australians gave BP XI just a session to bat. Rahane's strokeplay, however, made sure it was an entertaining draw. His hook off Peter George, which went for six, and punches through the covers stood out.
While it could be argued that this session was just low-key practice, and not much should be read into it, Hauritz would have desperately wanted to improve on his first-innings effort.

Dominant Chennai Seal Title



Johannesburg: Murali Vijay and Mike Hussey cracked a sparkling half-century each as Chennai Super Kings were crowned the Champions League Twenty20 winners with their eight-wicket victory over Warriors in the grand finale.
Vijay (58 off 53 balls), who was let off when on 34, cracked his third half-century of the tournament while the other opener Hussey played sheet anchor and remained not out on 51 as Chennai chased down the small target of 129 with one over to spare.
Spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (3/16) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2/16) shared five wickets as Chennai restricted Warriors to 128 for seven after the South African champion side elected to bat at the New Wanderers Stadium. Vijay underlined his emergence as a fine Twenty20 batsman by becoming the highest run getter of the tournament with 294 runs from six matches, eight more than Warriors captain Davy Jacobs.
Vijay's 53-ball innings was studded with six fours and two sixes while Hussey hit only three fours from 46 balls in his unbeaten knock. CSK were richer by $2.5 millions for winning the second edition of the tournament, their second crown in five months after their IPL triumph in April.
Warriors received $1.3 million for finishing runners-up of the grand finale of the multi-dollar tournament, however, turned out to be a lopsided match with the Warriors bowlers failing to make any impact on the batsmen of the opposition who have beaten them in their last Group A league fixture four days ago.
The total of 128 was too small to defend and Chennai was always in control of the run chase though it got a bit tight with Suresh Raina, who was mainly responsible for CSK's semi-final win against Royal Challengers Bangalore with an aggressive 94, out cheaply for just two.
Hussey and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (17 not out), however, held on their nerves to pull off the win with a 25-run partnership for the unbroken third wicket. Dhoni hit the winning runs - a four off Juan Theron - as Chennai scored 132 for two in 19 overs to lift the title.
Vijay and Hussey did not need to take too much risk as they ran mostly in singles in their 103-run opening wicket stand in front of a capacity crowd. Vijay lived dangerously on a couple of occasions with an edge from his bat flying past wicketkepeer Mark Boucher and Justin Kreusch for a four.
He was also lucky to survive in the ninth over with wicketkeeper Mark Boucher missing a simple stumping chance off the bowling of Nicky Boje when on 34. But he made amends of these lapses later as he struck some fine shots, including two sixes off Nicky Boje.
Vijay fell to Boje in the 15th over after taking his side to the threshold of victory.

MS Dhoni: It is the last time we are playing as a unit. This is a real emotional moment, we may lose some players in the auctions and it's good to win this. We were fortunate to have some fabulous foreign players, Fleming was superb as a coach, Hayden and Hussey were constantly helping the youngsters. We did play well in the knock out stages. The Warriors were off to a great start today but the line that Ashwin bowled helped us. Balaji was brilliant throughout the series. Murali has been fantastic as well, we have been banking on our spinners and they have lived up to their expectations every single time. I would also like to thank the crowd for their support.
MS Dhoni and his team gets a cheque of 2,500,000 US$
Davey Jacobs: We are disappointed about today, they were better than us and Chennai deserved this win. We got off to a good start but Ashwin and Murali were fantastic. We lost the momentum in the middle overs. It was good to make it to the finals but credit to the boys for playing well and helping the team enter the final.
Vijay wins the golden bat for becoming the highest run scorer in the competition.
Ashwin wins the Golden wickets for being the highest wicket taker in the competition.
Ravichandran Ashwin: This has been special for me, could not have had a better finish with CSK winning the competition. There was some spongy bounce on the wicket and we made full use of it. After Jacobs fell, we bowled really well. I have gained a lot of experience playing with Muralitharan. All's well that ends well, I have put the super-over blemish behind and the game after that was perhaps the best I have played so far. When you are bowling with someone like Murali, the opposition would like to take you on and that worked in my favour.
Ravichandran Ashwin is the Man of the Series for taking 13 wickets in the competition.
Murali Vijay: After we restricted them to a low total, Dhoni said that it is a dicey score and we were asked to bat well. Myself and Hussey decided to play our natural game. The ball was not coming onto the bat nicely, we took our time to settle down. I would like to thank the crowd for their support, I would also like to thank my coach back home. He has always been supportive.
Murali Vijay is the Man of the Match for scoring 58 runs off 53 balls.
Now the Chennai team are in a huddle. It looks like Anirudha is belting out some kind of an anthem in Tamil and all the other guys are chipping in. Not sure about the foreign guys though, I see even Hayden, Albie and Kemp singing along, so guessing that they might know a few lines as well. It is their final game as a team - the auctions take place in November for the next edition of the IPL. It is a double for this CSK side, they have won the IPL and now the CL in the same year. A fabulous achievement and richly deserved too.
The Super Kings are now the Emperors of the T20 world. Nothing went wrong for Chennai as Hussey and Vijay got the team off to a fantastic start with a superb 103 run opening stand. It was a golden night for Vijay as he stroked a half century and he also became the proud owner of the Golden Bat for the most number of runs scored in this tournament. Hussey also went past his fifty as Chennai reached home by eight wickets and are now proud champions of this Champions League T20. Stay tuned for the presentation.
As soon as the winning shot was hit by Dhoni, all the Chennai players came rushing on to the ground. They are celebrating in their own way. Nice little scene out there when Dhoni had a word with Rudi Koertzen for his services to the game. Remember that this is Rudi's last game as an umpire.
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