CSK trash RCB to retain the crown

Thanks to Murali Vijay's quick fire 95 and Mike Hussey's 63, Chennai Super Kings posted a mammoth 205/5 and defended the total successfully by keeping Bangalore to just 147/8.

India 2011 World Cup champions

Skipper MS Dhoni hit an unbeaten 91 while Gautam Gambhir scored a brilliant 97 to help India beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets and clinch the World Cup. Yuvraj Singh was named the Man of the series.

It's India vs SL in the finals

India maintained their record against Pakistan in World Cups with a superb 29 run win. Sachin Tendulkar was the Man of the Match for his 85.

India vs Pakistan: The statistical preview

An India versus Pakistan match on a big stage - and they don't come too much bigger than a World Cup semi-final - has layers of subtext running through it. Quite apart from the historical baggage that comes with representing one of these teams against the other, the cricketing sub-texts too make for fascinating study.

The current match has quickly acquired a "Indian batsmen versus Pakistan bowlers" label. Given that batting is India's strength and bowling Pakistan's, this is hardly surprising. However, little analysis has followed the labelling. Which batsman, for example, should India or Pakistan be wary about if they get set? Which bowler is the most devastating for either side when he gets into a rhythm? Equally - whether they be batsmen or bowlers - just how devastating are they? Here are some numbers that might answer those questions.

Note: In the following analysis, numbers against the Top Teams are used. The Top Teams, put simply, are the eight quarter-finalists of the 2011 World Cup. For each player, the numbers are against the seven other top sides, ie: Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and India/Pakistan.

The analysis also leaves out players such as R Ashwin, Wahab Riaz, Abdur Rehman and Asad Shafiq because they haven't played enough ODI matches and their stats get skewed in the absence of enough data.

The following two tables depict the Indian and Pakistan batsmen's averages and strike rates - in their career, against the Top Teams, and against their semi-final opponent.

India

	Career Average	Ave vs Top Teams	Ave vs Pakistan	Career St. Rate	St. Rate vs Top Teams	St. Rate vs Pakistan
Virender Sehwag	35.26	34.67	35.64	103.94	102.02	103.41
Sachin Tendulkar	45.13	43.52	39.16	86.36	85.29	87.70
Gautam Gambhir	40.29	36.20	34.85	86.58	86.35	87.76
Virat Kohli	45.47	42.83	17.00	82.71	80.94	66.66
Yuvraj Singh	37.69	36.65	48.11	87.59	85.68	92.94
MS Dhoni	48.23	45.38	54.22	87.39	85.95	95.87
Suresh Raina	35.22	32.19	37.00	89.80	87.55	95.79

Pakistan

	Career Average	Ave vs Top Teams	Ave vs India	Career St. Rate	St. Rate vs Top Teams	St. Rate vs India
Kamran Akmal	27.66	26.91	22.47	84.27	82.93	85.26
Mohammad Hafeez	23.26	24.12	24.50	65.53	65.80	59.75
Younis Khan	32.29	29.31	40.96	75.05	71.76	86.67
Misbah ul Haq	40.60	40.47	47.71	78.74	77.29	107.74
Umar Akmal	36.30	34.07	10.50	84.22	82.43	77.77
Abdul Razzaq	30.11	29.00	24.96	81.54	80.58	94.97
Shahid Afridi	23.65	22.79	25.26	113.89	109.57	108.67

It is clearly evident that there is a large batting gulf between the two teams, with the Indian batsmen almost uniformly averaging higher than their Pakistan counterparts. Misbah ul Haq and Younis Khan have the best numbers against India, and as they have done for much of the World Cup, they'll have to hold the middle for Pakistan again.

Young guns Virat Kohli and Umar Akmal have poor stats against Pakistan and India respectively, but that is purely because they have played very few matches.

These stats can be explored deeper to see just who is it exactly among the batsmen who kick on to get a big score once they are set. The tricky part is judging when a batsman is actually set. For this analysis, the batters' stats for innings in which they have scored at least 20 is taken. The short answer to why the figure is 20 runs - and not, say, 18 runs or 25 runs - is simply that it seemed a reasonable limit to set. If a batsman has reached a score of 20, he is well set. The stats for >20 scores are again taken only versus the top teams.

Along with how the batsmen perform when set, are their figures for the year 2011. This is to indicate recent form, and include all matches the batsman in question has played from January 1 2011 to date.

India

	Ave vs Top Teams	St. Rate vs Top Teams	Ave when >20 runs vs T.T.	St. Rate when >20 runs vs T. T.	% Inns >20 vs T. T.	2011 - Average	2011 - Strike Rate
Virender Sehwag	34.67	102.02	57.05	107.98	55.26%	57.00	120.84
Sachin Tendulkar	43.52	85.29	71.39	90.15	58.68%	45.55	91.11
Gautam Gambhir	36.20	86.35	65.23	92.17	52.69%	38.42	87.33
Virat Kohli	42.83	80.94	65.54	83.01	63.41%	43.10	83.52
Yuvraj Singh	36.65	85.68	67.00	91.20	52.86%	54.00	81.81
MS Dhoni	45.38	85.95	68.86	90.47	63.70%	22.22	66.66
Suresh Raina	32.19	87.55	56.47	93.12	52.87%	24.83	84.18

Pakistan

	Ave vs Top Teams	St. Rate vs Top Teams	Ave when >20 runs vs T.T.	St. Rate when >20 runs vs T. T.	% Inns >20 vs T. T.	2011 - Average	2011 - Strike Rate
Kamran Akmal	26.91	82.93	54.16	92.63	43.69%	32.80	75.22
Mohammad Hafeez	24.12	65.80	46.08	74.90	44.07%	30.72	78.97
Younis Khan	29.31	71.76	54.47	79.00	46.82%	28.70	71.92
Misbah ul Haq	40.47	77.29	63.61	81.86	66.67%	56.42	72.21
Umar Akmal	34.07	82.43	54.13	88.16	58.06%	33.88	87.39
Abdul Razzaq	29.00	80.58	62.89	92.94	43.88%	19.85	90.84
Shahid Afridi	22.79	109.57	45.81	122.47	39.68%	19.72	134.78

The above tables make for interesting reading. As he usually does when any sort of Batting numbers are looked at, Sachin Tendulkar leads the charge here too. He has averaged over 70 once he has crossed 20 against the top teams - the only man to do so in the list above. What is interesting though, is that the differences between the two teams' batsmen don't appear as magnified when the >20 scores are looked at. This suggests that once the Pakistan batsmen are set, they can come closer to matching the Indians even if they [the Indians] are also set. However, they are still behind, and among the key columns in the tables above is the one that shows, in percentage, the number of innings for each batsman in which he has crossed 20.

On an average, the Indians cross 20 a lot more than their Pakistan counterparts. What this means is that the Indian batsmen have a greater likelihood of going on to get big scores, simply because they 'get their eye in' a lot more often. This is where the difference in batting strengths in the two sides is visible: once set, both sets of batsmen do go on to cause damage, but the Indians get set a lot more often than the Pakistanis do.

For the respective bowlers from both sides, the initial tables with career, top teams and opponent stats, are depicted below.

India

	Career Ave	Ave vs Top Teams	Ave vs Pakistan	Career Econ Rate	Econ Rate vs Top Teams	Econ Rate vs Pakistan
Zaheer Khan	28.83	32.94	41.76	4.89	5.07	5.63
Harbhajan Singh	33.53	34.3	63.16	4.31	4.39	4.92
Munaf Patel	29.75	30.76	NA	4.89	4.97	NA
Yuvraj Singh	37.65	39.51	32.00	5.03	5.08	5.58
S Sreesanth	32.74	31.88	36.81	6.06	6.05	5.41
Ashish Nehra	31.92	31.42	31.29	5.21	5.37	6.15

Pakistan

	Career Ave	Ave vs Top Teams	Ave vs India	Career Econ Rate	Econ Rate vs Top Teams	Econ Rate vs India
Umar Gul	26.03	28.52	42.15	5.02	5.31	5.87
Shoaib Akhtar	24.97	25.70	26.78	4.76	4.91	4.59
Abdul Razzaq	31.79	34.07	39.45	4.70	4.75	5.03
Shahid Afridi	33.76	38.32	55.50	4.61	4.73	5.01
Saeed Ajmal	29.61	30.50	22.33	4.36	4.43	4.64
Mohammad Hafeez	33.69	37.2	57.00	4.43	4.43	6.90

This almost reads like an inverse of the batting table. The Pakistan bowlers have, on an average, comfortably out-performed their Indian brethren. The next two tables throw further light on the bowlers. In the same way as scores above 20 were taken for a batsman, for bowlers, their figures when taking 2 or more wickets have been considered. One can safely say, that in most cases where a bowler has picked up 2 or more wickets in an ODI, he would have bowled well on the whole and found good rhythm. Again, similarly to the batsmen, each bowler's 2011 figures are also provided to give an idea of current form. The relevant tables are:

India

	Ave vs Top Teams	E. Rate vs Top Teams	Ave vs T.T. when >2 wkts	E. Rate vs T.T. when >2wkts	% Inns >2 wkts vs T.T.	2011 - Average	2011 - Economy Rate
Zaheer Khan	32.94	5.07	17.74	4.77	39.46%	19.30	4.64
Harbhajan Singh	34.30	4.39	15.19	4.02	31.67%	50.20	4.40
Munaf Patel	30.76	4.97	16.42	4.83	39.22%	23.90	5.44
Yuvraj Singh	39.51	5.08	15.62	4.43	16.13%	25.93	4.94
S Sreesanth	31.88	6.05	16.60	5.63	41.30%	NA	10.60
Ashish Nehra	31.42	5.37	16.18	4.96	42.00%	65.25	6.57

Pakistan

	Ave vs Top Teams	E. Rate vs Top Teams	Ave vs T.T. when >2 wkts	E. Rate vs T.T. when >2wkts	% Inns >2 wkts vs T.T.	2011 - Average	2011 - Economy Rate
Umar Gul	28.52	5.31	15.16	4.85	43.94%	20.66	4.35
Shoaib Akhtar	25.70	4.91	14.26	4.44	47.01%	47.80	5.55
Abdul Razzaq	34.07	4.75	15.14	4.50	26.76%	31.75	4.09
Shahid Afridi	38.32	4.73	14.96	4.25	26.25%	17.00	4.01
Saeed Ajmal	30.50	4.43	15.59	4.17	45.71%	16.33	3.06
Mohammad Hafeez	37.20	4.43	19.54	4.83	18.87%	27.27	4.00

Zaheer Khan's recent form for India augurs extremely well, since when he is on song, his figures make for impressive reading. Even more impressive than that are Harbhajan Singh's figures when he has picked up a wicket. It's often said that Harbhajan is a different bowler when he has wickets, and the proof is in the table above. However, the worrying part is Harbhajan's rate of picking up 2 or more wickets. He has done so in less than a third of the times he has gone up to bowl. And his current form does not inspire too much confidence that he will strike-wicket taking mode against Pakistan, with a 50-plus average in 2011. His economy rate has been superb, but for India to win, they need Harbhajan to re-discover the wicket-taker in him. The stats and recent form also point to Munaf continuing to partner Zaheer. Sreesanth is out of favour and doesn't have the stats to back his case, while Nehra's recent form has been rather low.

In Pakistan's case, there is a fascinating study in contrasts between Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar. Over a career-wide length, Akhtar has been more impressive, but when recent form is taken into account he has been fairly ordinary, while Gul has been exceptional. However, it would be naive to discount Akhtar. History suggest that he has taken 2 wickets or more roughly half the time he has come to bowl, and when he has hit his stride, he's been an unquestioned match-winner. Perhaps it's time Shahid Afridi gave him the license to go full tilt one final time.

Pakistan would also do well to include Saeed Ajmal. Reports suggest, the track at Mohali is to be a batting-friendly one. In that case, it is better to go in with an Ajmal who has a better chance of taking wickets than someone like Abdur Rehman. Ajmal's economy rate has also been good, and with Hafeez too filing in admirably, Ajmal deserves to be in the team.

So what should the teams plan on? For India, the bowlers have to get Misbah ul Haq and Umar Akmal early. They have the best rate of getting starts for Pakistan, and both have performed very well once set. Recent form-wise too, they are Pakistan's best batsmen.

The stats bear out that Pakistan's best bet while batting is to limit the damage by Zaheer and take chances against the rest of the Indian attack. While bowling, it will be to ensure that Yuvraj Singh doesn't get off to a start. Curiously enough, Pakistan need to worry more about Yuvraj than Sehwag as a batsman. Given Sehwag's style of play, his starts often don't convert to huge scores, which is why he has the secondn lowest average in the 20-plus scores among the Indians. However, Yuvraj makes his starts count and has been in prime form lately - a lethal combo. Gautam Gambhir is similar in this respect, with the only difference being he hasn't been in the form Yuvraj has been in, during this year. And then of course, there is Sachin Tendulkar. If he gets set, he can play the perfect guiding role for India, since he is likely to bat a lot longer than anyone else while not letting his strike-rate suffer.

© Cricbuzz

Ponting quits as Australia cricket captain

Ricky Ponting quit as Australia's Test and one-day captain Tuesday, bowing to pressure after their World Cup exit, but said he hoped to extend his career as his country's most prolific batsman.

Ponting, 36, who led Australia in more than 300 Test and one-day matches, insisted there was no "tap on the shoulder" to step down and said he remained available for selection. He endorsed deputy Michael Clarke as his successor.

"I have thought long and hard about what Australian cricket needs. Now is the right time for the next captain to assume the responsibility for both the Test and one-day teams," he told a press conference.

Ponting is Australia's most successful Test captain and their leading Test run-scorer, and lies second only to India's Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time list of Test centurions.

But his record, straddling a transition period after the retirement of a host of greats, is tainted with three Ashes series defeats to England, along with occasional flashes of petulance.

Ponting said last week's World Cup quarter-final loss to India -- ending their 12-year reign as champions -- prompted his move, which also comes just three months after the latest Ashes loss brought strident calls for change.

"The fact that we went out of the World Cup when we did was the main reason," he said, while denying he had been forced out by Cricket Australia. "I will go on the record and say that I have had no tap on the shoulder from anybody, this has been a decision that has been wholly and solely made by me."

Ponting added that he was excited by the prospect of being unburdened by the captaincy and rediscovering his world-beating batting form.

His fighting 104 in Thursday's quarter-final was Ponting's first hundred in 39 international innings across all formats.

"Today is a new start for me and I am very excited about the future," he said.

"I will give my complete support to our new captain and continue to do my best to set the best possible example for my team-mates and emerging cricketers alike.

"I proved to myself the other day that I still have what it takes to play a good international innings and that was something that was really important to me."

Ponting endorsed his deputy Clarke as the next captain, starting with the three one-day match tour to Bangladesh in April.

"Absolutely. I think that is the way it will go, for the sheer fact that he (Clarke) has done a terrific job in almost every game he has had the chance to captain for Australia," he said.

"I think he's growing into the leadership role and I would totally endorse Michael Clarke as the next captain."

Ponting has been under growing pressure since earning the dubious distinction of becoming the only Australian skipper to fail to win the Ashes three times, and said he was proud of how he responded. "It's something I've had to deal with over the last six to eight months. There's been a lot of those questions out there about me, about my leadership, and even my batting at different times," he said.

"The thing that I am really proud about is how I have handled it and how I responded with the bat in the last game, under probably the most pressure that the team and I have been under for a long time, was really satisfying."

He did not say when he might retire altogether.

"I have not put a finish date or time on when my international career will be over. I haven't written off playing in the 2013 Ashes and to have another crack at winning another Ashes series in England," he said.

Ponting stands as one of the modern-day cricketing greats, amassing 12,363 runs in 152 Tests at 53.52, and 13,288 runs in 359 one-day internationals.

He has won more Tests as captain with 48 than any other Australian and has the astonishing success rate of almost 72 percent as the country's one-day leader, winning 164 of his 228 games.

"Ricky Ponting has been an outstanding batsman, one of the best to wear the baggy green," Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke said.

Cricket Australia meet later Tuesday to discuss who will succeed Ponting, with Clarke the overwhelming favourite.

© AFP

SL seal finals date with nervy win

Sri Lanka sneaked home to a nervous 5 wicket win against NZ in a hard fought semi final. Dilshan and Sangakkara starred with the bat.

Bunking work for the WC Semi final

With India facing Pakistan in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, employees are negotiating with management for a holiday. Some of course, have already planned to bunk work
It’s not just that he wants to watch the match. Varun Jha believes it could get awkward at work. A Business Development Analyst with Ashok Piramal Group, Mumbai-based Jha believes that he has the power to propel India to victory when his legs are crossed. “If I am made to report to work and and my boss calls for me, what will I do? I can’t uncross my legs. India will lose!” he squirms.
We want a holiday
Jha and his colleagues have already made a plea with their HR heads. On Monday, he is formally going to take up the matter with his boss. In case he is refused a holiday, he will follow the match on websites that stream it live. Aaswin Pradhan, an insurance executive at Capita India is unsure of what will happen if he and his colleagues are denied a holiday. “The management has set up a huge projector screen for us to watch the match, but many are already speaking of bunking,” he shares.
Company-speak
Google employees, however, have to face no dilemma. Globally known to be one of the most employee-friendly workplaces, Google staff will be let off by 2.30 pm to watch the match. Ferdinand D’Souza, Risk Operation Analyst at Google Hyderabad says, “The office has also set up a big screen for those who wish to watch the match at work.”
The HR team of ICICI bank at Mindspace, Malad is trying to get the management to declare Wednesday a half working day. Rupali Lahane on the HR team says, “In case we don’t get one, we have set up LCD screens in office so people can follow the match.” Silver Emporium in Kalbadevi is giving the day off to its employees.
Rahul Mehta, Director, says, “We (the family that runs the business) are going to the stadium to watch the match. So we are letting everyone else off too.” Advertising agency Purple Rabbit has readjusted meetings so that employees are free to watch the match at work. “We need to be in office in case something urgent turns up. But we have decided to set up a projector in the office.”
Echoing the same thoughts, Ameya Joshi of Mudra, an advertising agency said, “It will be a day of fun. We have this huge cafeteria space which can accommodate 150 people. The game will be screened on giant screens for everyone to watch.”

South Africa need to overcome knockout stage jinx

So, the World Cup jinx came back to haunt South Africa on March 25, 2011, in Dhaka against New Zealand. The Proteas were in sublime form in the group stage and only lost to England in a low-scoring thriller, as they justified their tag of being pre-tournament favourites.

South Africa came into the quarter-finals on the back of a thumping 206-run win over co-hosts Bangladesh; and though they had a few days off after that leading up to the knockout stages, it wasn't expected to affect the Proteas' run to the final. The bowlers and fielders did an outstanding job to restrict New Zealand to 221; and though Hashim Amla was out to a freakish dismissal and skipper Graeme Smith played a shot he is bound to regret now, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers seemed to get South Africa on course for a win but a terrific catch by the tall Jacob Oram on the boundary got rid of the ever-dependable Kallis, and this would have set panic bells ringing in the South African camp. The quick dismissals of JP Duminy quickly followed by de Villiers's run-out set the cat among the pigeons, and at this stage even the most ardent South African fan, myself included feared the worst all over again.

That worst nightmare was realised when South Africa was bowled out for 172 in 42.3 to lose yet another World Cup knockout match by 49 runs – this after having been 108 for 2 at one stage. South Africa may have erred in playing three frontline spin bowlers and could have been better off playing Colin Ingram at No. 7 to negate the long tail, but to give credit where it is due, New Zealand squeezed the Proteas and won the big moments en route to staging one of the biggest upsets of the 2011 World Cup.

As expected, the 'C' word that has been associated with South Africa in ICC tournaments is being bandied out loud and clear, but I would like to think of it has a failure to fulfill expectations and succumb to moments of madness under pressure. If this is my way of working around that 'C' word, allow me that luxury, because I am quite tired of that tag going with South African cricket.

Having said that, it is infuriating and exasperating to see South African teams fail to justify their talent and not win crunch matches in ICC tournaments – the sole exception being the 1998 Champions Trophy which the Proteas won. In non-ICC tournaments and series, South Africa look unbeatable more often than not, and the same can be said of them in the league stages of ICC tournaments. In the knockout stages of the ICC tournaments though, South Africa has always come up short in battles with their own demons which has seen them inexplicably come up second best twice in the quarter-finals against 'weaker' oppositions – West Indies in the 1996 World Cup and New Zealand in the 2011 edition.

At times, I wonder if the scars of the tied semi-final against Australia in the 1999 World Cup hangs like a Damocles' sword when South Africa get to the knockout stages of ICC tournaments.

The need of the hour for South African cricket could potentially be working on mental toughness in simulated match pressure situations, and hopefully that will make the difference when it comes to crunch situations in matches, including the knockout stages of ICC tournaments starting with the 2012 Twenty20 World Cup.

South Africa is too good a team to be without a World Cup trophy; and while the 2011 edition of the mega-event was potentially its best opportunity to win an ICC title again, the hopes of a nation, its team and its fans will now all be focussed on the 2012 T20 World Cup where it will be hoped the knockout round jinx surrounding South Africa comes to an end. It may take some time for South Africa to bounce back from the massive disappointment of exiting the 2011 World Cup in the quarter-finals stage, but when they take the field for their next series, the Proteas will not need any incentive to re-assert their superiority where it really matters – in the middle – as South Africa looks to show why they are regarded as one of the top teams in the business. Oh, and then, of course, there is the T20 World Cup to look forward to, where South Africa will get another chance to get that jinx off their back.

Misbah not worried by batting numbers

	Misbah-ul-Haq has Pakistan's highest score of this World Cup, while Shahid Afridi has struggled for runs © AFP

Misbah-ul-Haq is not impressed by statistics and he doesn't care about history either. That helps, particularly with an India-Pakistan match due to break out at the World Cup within three days.

One of the anchors of Pakistan's batting and the man with the team's top score in the World Cup so far - 83 not out against Sri Lanka - Misbah said numbers could be meaningless if they did not agree with the results column. Pakistan's certainly don't.

Umar Akmal is their heaviest run-scorer in this World Cup, but he is placed as low as 28th in the list of top run-getters. Never mind the batsmen from Test-playing nations, Umar follows players from Netherlands, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Canada in the table.

Umar has scored 211 runs from five innings, with a single half-century. Among his team-mates, he is followed by Misbah (192), Kamran Akmal (188), Younis Khan (172), Mohmmed Hafeez (172), Asad Shafiq (124 from two innings) and Abdul Razzaq (101). Of the batsmen, only Misbah and Younis have scored more than one fifty in the tournament, and the team have managed nine overall. When compared to India, those are paltry figures: India have five centuries, ten fifties and five India batsmen have scored more runs than Umar.

Yet Pakistan finished at the top of their group and, regardless of the weakness of some of its Associate opposition, had the more emphatic first four weeks of the tournament between the two teams. In Mohali, after a lengthy round of football, fielding and then the conventional nets, Misbah deconstructed the numbers down to their bare basics. "According to me, the most important thing for any team is winning. If we don't score a hundred and win the World Cup, then that is very good for us. If we score centuries and get knocked out of the tournament, then it's no use."

In India, Misbah's public persona is built on the image of the man who tried the scoop shot and failed, handing India the World Twenty20 title in 2007. In person, he carries himself with gravitas; he speaks slowly but certainly. He will be beaten in any short words-per-minute contest by his captain Shahid Afridi or Younis. Like he has done through his career, though, Misbah is the man for the long haul. He has been central to Pakistan's progress in the World Cup, where their batting may not look like a strong suit, but its main thread is holding firm.

"It's really a plus for teams whose batsmen are in form, are scoring centuries and are in the top 20 run-scorers, but winning is important," Misbah said. "If you score a fifty or even a timely twenty or thirty that is vital for a victory, then that's good enough for the team." This under-the-radar cricketing approach has worked for Pakistan, particularly after the horrors of the England tour now called the 'spot-fixing series.' Pakistan have won 14 of their 31 ODIs since the 2010 Asia Cup, their batsmen have managed totals of more than 250 the same number of times, with Pakistan winning nine of those games.

The Pakistan batsmen could find the best batting conditions they have encountered so far in the tournament in Mohali, after spending five weeks grinding it out on slow, low tracks in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The lack of pace off the pitches has been, Misbah said, a "struggle". In some parts of the subcontinent, contrary to the stereotype, "runs don't come easy," Misbah said. "The ball is turning, the bounce is low, so just like when we go outside these conditions and struggle against bounce and pace, scoring runs here on these wickets is an art too. And those who know how to play on low-bouncing wickets, they can do well and score runs. But batting can be a struggle." It is why this has been far from a batsman's World Cup.

In Sri Lanka, Misbah said, batsmen required a "tightness" of play. "The new ball seams, the spinners get help later and you have to work as a batsman, because the tracks help bowlers of both types." In Bangladesh, he said, batsmen needed to be patient, to adjust. "Because of both low bounce and turn, batting requires you to really spend time and build an innings."

Pakistan's players have watched several of the World Cup matches held in India, and Misbah said the variety he saw across venues meant there never really was one defined 'type' of Indian pitch.

Once upon a time Mohali had a 'type': quick, bouncy and friendly for the fast men. That legend has faded and it is what India, in particular, will be pleased about, as batsman for batsman and numbers for numbers, they will believe they are better than their semi-final opponents.

Pakistan need not have bothered to haul over a slab of black stone to be put to use in the nets. The throwdowns given to every batsman on one of the practice pitches were made to pitch on the stone, Misbah explained, to generate bounce that the practice wickets did not quite contain. The real wicket probably won't contain it either.

Of the World Twenty20 final which he had all but snatched away from India before that last-over shot, Misbah said: "You can't just stick to the past. Every game is a new game, it's not like this game is important because of that match. To us every game is special. This one especially; this is the World Cup, it is a semi-final. I really want to do well."

Memory is a meaningless ghost for a cricketer like Misbah, who has had an up-and-down career, at one stage dropped from the Test and one-day squads only to return as Test captain. There was speculation that he may have been handed the role of one-day captain as well for the World Cup, but the selectors stuck with Afridi, who is never under the radar, but in this World Cup has not come through as the destructive batsman the world knows he can be. He has only 65 runs at 10.83 in the tournament, but the strike-rate monster that lurks within him may just light up at the sight of the handkerchief-sized ground in Mohali.

From being under the radar for over five weeks, Misbah and his team will now face the floodlights in a World Cup semi-final at a stadium which may have a low capacity, but will have a heavy-duty crowd.

Sharda Ugra is senior editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Sachin, 501 Things You Don’t know About The Master

Biswajit Jha
Is there anything new about the greatest sporting icon in India, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar? So much space has been dedicated towards this genius that this question will automatically come to the mind if one wants you to believe that there are still some unknown facts about this legend, who has inspired many a famous writers to pen him.

So when I got my hands on the recently launched book, Sachin, 501 Things You Don’t know About the Master Blaster, I was very sceptical about the value the book would add to my knowledge-base and to the cricket-informed public in India.

Written by sports journalist Suvam Pal, the book immediately changed my initial perception. Little did I know that inside the book, there were certain facts and anecdotes which will help the readers relive the entertainment provided by Sachin and disappointments when he failed to do the same.

Those who have seen Sachin making his debut in front of world’s most fearsome pace attack comprising Waqar Younus, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan at a tender age of just 16, will immediately remember the day when the legend made his Test debut while flipping through the initial chapters of the book.


Through the quizzes and facts on Sachin, Suvam, himself an avid quizzer and a passionate follower of the game, has also taken us to the days of his first Test hundred at Manchester in 1991, his courageous ton at Perth in 1992, his promotion as an ODI opener in New Zealand in 93-94, his solo show in the 1996 World Cup, his ascendancy as the captain of Team India, the historic 2001 Eden Test against invincible Oz side where he won India a game as a bowler, his first five-wicket haul in ODIs, his supreme display in 2003 World Cup where he played like a true champion and took his team through to the final, his ODI double ton against the Proteas at Gwalior in 2010 and so many other things that are associated with the Little Master.

The book, which is divided into ten chapters, depicts the life of the master in a chronological order, from his childhood days to his first ICC award. It also touches upon some really unknown facts and figures of a man who never ceases to evoke in marvel you whenever he takes to the cricket field.

More than the quizzes, the trivia about Sachin is more interesting. Hardly anybody knows that once Sachin fielded for a Pakistan XI comprising Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Rameez Raja in Mumbai. It is also surprising to know that though Sachin scored a number of tons in his career, he neither scored an ODI ton against Bangladesh nor did he hit any century against any associate nations against whom he has played so far.

The book comes up with another startling fact: the batting maestro has never played a domestic match against his illustrious team mate Anil Kumble. But when they faced each other in England in the famous Princess of Wales Memorial Match in the memory of Lady Diana at Lord’s in 1998, the leggie did manage to get the batting legend out in that match.

The book, which is a result of an extensive research work by Suvam, also delves into Sachin’s off field life like his appearance in a movie, his famous gesture of calling his childhood nanny to his marriage party.

The book also gives every die-hard Sachin fan an opportunity to test his or her knowledge about the maestro.

Though there are umpteen numbers of books written on the Master Blaster, there was hardly any attempt before to study the life of the Cricketing God of India through the prism of quizzes and trivia.

Yuvraj sets up Pakistan showdown

India romped home to a fabulous 5 wicket victory to set up a dream semi-final clash against eternal rivals, Pakistan. Yuvraj starred with both bat and ball to help India clinch the game.

Ireland go down fighting to India

Ireland fought well but Yuvraj starred with both bat and ball, taking 5 wickets and hitting 50 to take India home to a 5 wicket win. The win takes IND to the top of the table.

South Africa choke again

Stuart Broad picked up a 4-wicket haul as England bowled out SA for 165 to successfully defend a total of 171.

India's Bowling is a concern : former Captain Kapil Dev

Former India captain Kapil Dev feels that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men should have won their match against England and team's bowling attack is a concern. "We can see that (bowling is weak). I don't need to say it," Kapil was forthright when asked about the performance of Indian bowlers. "If you compare the bowlers with our batsmen, then yes, the bowling is weak. But that does not mean they can't bowl at all. They are the ones who have won us matches in the last two years," the captain of the 1983 World Cup winning team added.

O'Brien brilliance pulls off stunning win

Ireland win by 3 wickets!
Kevin O'Brien (113 off 63) reached the fastest hundred in WCs, as Ireland pulled off a famous win against England, successfully chasing down a target of 328.

Malinga cherishes hat-trick haul

Lasith Malinga said his hat-trick against South Africa in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was more satisfying than the one he claimed against Kenya.

Malinga, playing his first match of the 2011 ICC CWC finished with a career best six for 38 as Sri Lanka crushed Kenya by nine wickets.

"I cherish my performance against South Africa where I got four wickets in four balls more. They needed something like four runs with five wickets remaining in that game and I got four wickets without conceding a run and that's against a very good side," Malinga said referring to the Super Eight game in the 2007 ICC CWC in Guyana.

South Africa were cruising at 206 for five chasing a target of 210 when Malinga removed Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis and Mkhaya Ntini in four balls to bring Sri Lanka right back into the game.

In the end, the Proteas had won by one wicket.

On Tuesday, Malinga's victims were Tanmay Mishra, Peter Ongondo and Shem Ngoche with all three batsmen failing to deal with Malinga's toe-crushing yorkers.

"This one is special in the sense I got my best bowling effort in this game including a hat-trick. I am happy with that. Against Australia on Saturday I have to start it all over again and I am looking forward for the challenge.

"I watched a lot as of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis those days. How they bowled with the older ball to devastating effect. I liked their style and I wanted emulate them bowling fast. The wicket here was a bit slow and I thought rather than bowling fast to bowl a few yorkers and that worked really well," Malinga said.

Sri Lanka rested Malinga from their opening two games saying that they were concerned to risk him as he was recovering from a back strain.

He said he could have played the last game against Pakistan, but opted out following medical advice.

"The physio felt that I could risk an injury had I played any of the previous games. They felt that if I pick up an injury, I could be ruled out for a longer period of time.

Now that I am fully recovered, I am looking forward to play all matches of the ICC CWC."

Kenya were progressing nicely having reached 102 for two with the Obuya brothers, Collins and David, making half-centuries. But with the introduction of Malinga they collapsed.

Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande paid tribute to the way Malinga bowled.

"We were looking for 230, but things did not work out. We were in a good position for 35 overs, but then the damage happened. If the Obuyas could have been there till the end, things could have been different. We have seen Malinga before, he's a world-class bowler," Kamande said.

ICC: Dhoni should read the rules

The ICC advised Mahendra Singh Dhoni to read the rules related to UDRS before questioning the implementation of technology during the matches.

Dhoni, who is not in favour of using the Umpire Decision Review System, had yet again raised a question mark over the system following the controversy surrounding Ian Bell's decision in the tied ICC Cricket World Cup game with England on Sunday.

"Adulteration of technology with human thinking is bad.

That's why we didn't get that wicket. Hopefully, next time it will be either technology or human intention," Dhoni had said after the match.

ICC General Manager, Dave Richardson, said Dhoni should be aware of the rules before commenting.

"There are a set of rules along with the hawk-eye to assist in making the decision when UDRS is implemented...Most of the time, a player is not fully aware of all the rules," Richardson said.

"If MS Dhoni is made aware of the specifications of these rules, then I am sure that he will accept the decision that was made," Richardson told a news channel.

The TV replays had showed that the ball bowled by Yuvraj Singh would have hit stumps but umpires ruled not out even after the review of the call.

"If the Hawkeye says it's going to hit the stumps, then there is no reason (why an appeal should be turned down)," Dhoni had said.

UDRS is being used in the ICC CWC for the first time.

Malinga stars as SL thump Kenya

Malinga was at his best taking 6 wickets to reduce Kenya to a paltry total before Dilshan and Tharanga combined well to take SL home in less than 20 overs with 9 overs to spare.

Roach hat-trick floors Netherlands

Kemar Roach took a hat-trick to bowl Netherlands out for 115 and end with figures of 6/27, taking West Indies to a 215-run win.

Pakistan aim for a winning start

Pakistan would be hoping for a controversy-free tournament and ensure that all the focus remains only on the cricket.

England survive Netherlands scare

Doeschate's all-round effort went in vain as England edged Netherlands by 6 wickets with the help of half centuries from Strauss and Trott. Doeschate was named the MoM.

“We are capable of causing an upset”

Ahead of the Australia clash in the ICC Cricket World Cup, Zimbabwe coach has declared that they are not overawed.

By Abhideep Das in Ahmedabad

The ICC CWC 2011 Group A fixture between four-time world champions Australia and minnows Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad on Monday is being viewed by many as a ‘David vs Goliath’ clash.

However, the Zimbabwe camp is quietly confident of causing an upset ahead of their opening fixture in the mega-tournament.

“Although Australia haven’t lost an ICC CWC encounter in the last 12 years, we sincerely believe that if we play to our potential on Monday then an upset is possible,” said head coach Alan Butcher in the pre-match press conference on Sunday.

History backs the Zimbabwean outfit. In their first ever ODI match in the 1983 ICC CWC, the African nation caused a ripple in the cricketing world by beating Australia by 13 runs at Nottingham. Although they have never been able to beat the ‘Men from Down Under’ since, Monday provides Zimbabwe an opportunity to once again send shock waves in the cricketing world.

The wicket at the Sardar Patel stadium in Motera had some green patches on Sunday. However Butcher was not at all worried by that. “The grass on the wicket hasn’t really grown but rather it has been inserted to bind the pitch together. Hence the green patches won’t worry us. Also there are some bare patches on the track as well.”

Australia and Zimbabwe have played in this stadium once before. The former won that encounter in 1998 by 13 runs defending a score of 252.

Queried on who are the main Australian players that his team needs to watch out for on Monday, the Zimbabwe head coach said tongue and cheek, “All of them! If both Australia and Zimbabwe play to potential, then it is likely that the Aussies will win the game. Our strategy will be to surprise the Australians with our spin bowlers since they wouldn’t have seen much of our bowling before.”

The ‘catch your opponents by surprise’ theme is thus resonating through the Zimbabwe camp at the moment.

"Win the ICC World Cup for Woolmer"

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has urged the team to put up a stellar show in the ICC Cricket World Cup for late coach Bob Woolmer.

"Pakistan should try to do well in this ICC Cricket World Cup not only for the country but also for our late coach Bob Woolmer, who always believed we had the potential to be the number one side in the world," Inzamam said.

"It will also help ease the pain of crashing out in the first round of the last World Cup when we had a fine combination that was disturbed by injuries," he added.

Inzamam also reckoned that senior batsman Younis Khan has a pivotal role to play for his side in the tournament

Younis, who played many a splendid knock under Inzamam's leadership, gave up captaincy in November 2009 to focus on his batting.

"He is a key member and has the capability to anchor the innings and play out the full 50 overs. He must bat at number three, a position he is most comfortable in, and has scored most of his runs in Test matches," Inzamam, who played 375 ODIs and 120 Tests, said.

The former batsman noted that Younis now have the experience to be the line-up's mainstay.

"The good thing is that Younis has lately been getting back his form and seems to be enjoying his cricket. I think for a player of his calibre, he will love to perform on the World Cup stage," Inzamam, who had played a stellar role in Pakistan's World Cup triumph in 1992, said.

He pointed out that experience was crucial in a high pressure tournament like the World Cup.

"Younis, Afridi, Razzaq, Kamran and Shoaib have played in the ICC Cricket World Cups and must now show the way to the others. They must perform and guide the others," he said.

Inzamam also felt that Pakistan's strength lies in their attack, especially considering the sub-continental conditions.

"Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar and Wahab Riaz they can all bowl at good pace and can reverse swing the ball. In the conditions in Sri Lanka and the two other host countries, these three have the ability to bowl out any side."

The former great noted that Pakistan's strategy must be based on attacking bowling.

"This plan worked well for us in 1992 and 1999 (Pakistan reached the final). The bowlers should be told not to worry about giving away runs in the powerplay, which that can happen to any bowler nowadays. They must be told to look for wickets.

"In any form of cricket, wickets keep the batting side under pressure. The good thing for Pakistan is that it has the pace and spin bowlers with the ability to take wickets."

Inzamam said that Pakistan were blessed with a potent spin attack.

"No other team has four quality spinners in every variety like we do and these guys are capable of not only taking wickets but also tightening up things under pressure and in middle overs."

He also saw no reason why Pakistan couldn't win the ICC CWC. "The team has tremendous potential and lately, it has been gelling well and performing under pressure. It is just a matter of getting a good start."

The former captain also felt that it should not be a surprise if Pakistan beat both Sri Lanka and Australia in their group matches as the team has the ability to do that.

Ponting prefers 10 teams in World Cups

The highly debated decision of International Cricket Council to prune down the number of World Cup participants to ten full members in 2015 got the backing of Australian captain Ricky Ponting who said the tournament belonged to the elite members.

"I have always been unsure if the World Cup and Champions Trophy are the right place for small nations. And I am not sure how much these teams actually learn when they are hammered in contests," Ponting said here ahead of his team's World Cup lung opener against Zimbabwe at Motera Stadium.

Ponting felt that the World Cup should be a tournament for fewer teams and making efforts to develop the game worldwide should not necessarily mean that smaller nations be allowed to take part in the flagship event.

"You need to bring on some of these small nations into the world of cricket. We want to the see the game develop and blossom around the world," said the 36-year-old twice World Cup-winning captain who is to feature in his fifth World Cup after making his debut in 1996.

"At the end of the day it would probably be a better tournament if they were fewer teams (in the World Cup). It's the pinnacle of the sport. We understand the responsibility to keep the game growing," Ponting, who is poised to make a record 40th World Cup appearance, said.

The 2011 World Cup has 14 teams, including associate members Kenya, Canada, Ireland and The Netherlands.

In 2015 edition, to be held in Australia and New Zealand, there would be only ten teams, as per the decision taken by the world governing body for the game.

© PTI

Gayle wants to be best all-rounder in WC

He is one of the most devastating batsmen in one-day cricket but West Indies opener Chris Gayle is not satisfied being just that and intends to emerge as the best all-rounder of the ongoing World Cup.

"I want to be the best all-rounder in the World Cup. I should be able to do a bit of bowling and get a few wickets as well and also set up a good total for the team," Gayle quipped when asked about his personal milestone in the World Cup.

West Indies will be opening their campaign against South Africa on Thursday and Gayle feels Graeme Smith's men are beatable and they need to go discreetly about their job.

"We are playing one of the favourites in South Africa and they are a top quality side in both batting and bowling. We have to be on our A game and capitalise on opportunities. They are beatable. We need to be discreet about the way we go about things," Gayle said after his team's practice session here.

"The preparation has been good. We came from Sri Lanka, of course things didn't go according to our plan but at the same time it is a big occasion and we want to get a winning start here."

"The key is to get a good start and in this new format, the top four get to the quarterfinals and that would be the objective and then anything is possible. We have not done well in the two World Cups that I played and I hope things turn here. We need to have the self belief," he added.

The former skipper said he has his task cut out and he would be leading the batting line up, which has a few debutantes.

"I am the first one to face the ball, so I would lead the batting. Young Darren Bravo can bat really well. He is a key player, though it is his first World Cup. He has been batting well," Gayle said.

"Unfortunately Barath missed out. We also have two experienced players in Shivnarine (Chanderpaul) and (Ramnaresh) Sarwan. Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard all can bat well," he added.

Gayle also hoped Dwayne, who has been a bit off colour, would regain his form in the World Cup.

"Bravo is a kind of player who can come like a firework and get that buzz around and bring the energy back in the team. He is a positive player, I am not too worried about him."

Asked how would they adjust to the conditions in India, the 31-year-old Jamaican said they need to make necessary adjustments.

"We have to make necessary adjustments. We have a couple of young guys in the side. We know the wicket here would be slow but we would like to wait and see how the conditions are and adjust our game accordingly," he said.

"The bounce is a bit shorter here, in Sri Lanka it was bigger. The outfields are very fast. It is a challenge for bowlers, but spinners do well here," he added.

Gayle also felt that batsmen would win more matches during this quadrennial event.

"Batters will get runs and teams which bat well will win more games but we are not taking anything away from the bowlers. They are capable and know how to go about their business," he said.

Gayle also described opener Virender Sehwag's innings against Bangladesh as brilliant.

"Brilliant innings from Sehwag. We all know what he is capable of. He is one of the most dangerous batsman around," he said when asked if he had seen Sehwag's innings in the opener between India and Bangladesh yesterday.

Asked about the prospect of achieving a double century in the World Cup after Sehwag came close to it during his 140-ball 175 run innings, Gayle said it was a possibility.

"The master blaster got a double century. Sehwag has played such a good innings. If you stay back and play longer, it can be achieved. It is a possibility. Sachin has done it, Sehwag can do that," he said.

Asked if he fancied a chance to get to the double hundred, Gayle quipped, "Well, if I can get a chance, I'll definitely chase it."

Injuries have taken a toll on West Indies and even before facing a single ball in the World Cup, the Caribbeans lost two of their key players in Adrian Barath and Carlton Baugh and Gayle said it was a setback for them.

"It is a setback, losing two players who have been doing well. Adrian Barath had been batting well, it is unfortunate. But there are two new guys and we are trying to put them in the comfort zone as soon as possible," he said.

Asked if it is possible to regain the past aura for the West Indies, champions during the 1975 and 1979 World Cup, Gayle said it will happen with time.

"It is difficult to compare the past and present. We have some young and inexperienced players but we are all big men and we need to take that responsibility. We have to give some time. Things won't happen overnight, we need to rebuild as much as possible," he said.

Gayle said the inclusion of powerplays has infused excitement in 50 over cricket, a format that was struggling due to the advent of Twenty20s.

"I don't see 50 over cricket dying down. I don't see that happening. From a cricketing point of view, things are going fine. Two powerplays have made it more exciting, so it is going good."

"Twenty20 and 50 overs are very different. In 50 overs, you can give yourself a chance to settle in but in Twenty20, you have to go from the start," he said.

© PTI

Sehwag savours revenge game

For Virender Sehwag, the 87-run victory over Bangladesh in the World Cup opener today was a revenge that he waited to take for the past four years. After his magnificent knock of 175 off only 140 balls, Sehwag admitted that he was waiting for this day for the past four years having lost to same opponents in the Cup opener four years back.

"It was a good start for the team. I have said this is a revenge game and we have really played well," the man of the match said at the post match presentation ceremony.

Someone who never minces words, Sehwag said that Bangaldesh are a good outfit when it came to limited overs cricket.

"When I came here, the press asked me about Bangladesh team. I have said before Bangladesh are not good in Tests, but they can compete in ODIs, but today they could not," was his curt assessment about the opposition.

Sehwag who had expressed his intentions of batting long before the start of the tournament said that strategy was to get 100 within 30 overs.

"I was looking to bat long, maybe get a 100 in 30 overs and then go on. Special thanks to my physio Nitin (Patel) and trainer Ramji (Srinivasan) for helping me. I was carrying a couple of injuries and they got me ready for this game."

Sehwag was all praise for young Virat Kohli who also scored a century. "He batted superbly. He deserved that century."

The Nawab of Najafgarh as he is popularly known also praised the team effort. "Everyone has done well except Sreesanth. But one bowler can have an off-day but the others did well."

For skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, fielding is an area where there is lot of room for improvement.

"In the fielding department, we will need to contribute more. While fielding, we would like to save around ten runs. There are others in the tournament who are good fielding sides."

He showered accolades on Sehwag and Kohli for adding a whopping 203 runs in only 24.1 overs.

"When you have lost a couple of wickets, you need to stabilise, and it was nice to see Sehwag and Kohli do that. The pitch was on the slower side during the afternoon session and it would have been difficult for a new batsman to get going right from the start. So once the batsmen get going they should look to stay till the end," the captain said.

He also praised the bowlers for putting up a controlled performance.

"The bowlers did a good job on this kind of a track. Especially, the spinners had to fight it out."

Although a comfortable victory provides an ideal momentum but Dhoni believes that "everything starts from scratch once next match comes up."

The World Cup schedule has been dubbed as long by many but Dhoni feels that a week's time gives the players a chance to work on their niggles and turn 100 percent match fit before the next game against England in Bangalore from February 27.

Dhoni's counterpart Shakib Al Hasan admitted that they bowled badly.

"We gave away too many boundary balls. Also Sehwag took the game away from us. Actually our fast bowlers didn't execute their plans properly. They were a bit rusty and hopefully they will be back to form in next match," Shakib said.

Bangladesh dropped former captain and experienced batsman Mohammad Ashraful for the opening match against India but the skipper said the decision would have made hardly any impact on the outcome of the match.

"I think it was the best possible combination. For our openers the plan was simple, they had to bat properly and keep going. Tamim (Iqbal) and Junaed (Siddique) tried to do that. They didn't play too many bad shots and there wasn't many slogs. We almost got to 300," Shakib said.

Asked whether Bangladesh missed pacer Mushrafe Mortaza, who was not selected in the World Cup squad due to injury, Shakib said: "He is not in the squad but it wouldn't have been different if he was.

"The fast bowlers did well in the last 12 months and I am sure they'll come back strongly. Shafiul (Islam) was maybe slightly nervous and so he couldn't execute the plans. He bowled too many boundary balls.

Asked whether whether his decision to put India into bat backfired, the Bnagladesh captain said, "I still think my decision was right."

© PTI

SL complete massive win

Sri Lanka won their opening match by a whopping 210 runs after scoring 332 and bowling Canada out for 122. Mahela Jayawardene hit an 80-ball century, the fastest for SL in World Cups.

Bowlers set up emphatic win for NZ

Bennett is the Man of the Match: It's very tough for us after the India game, I was working on the yorkers and it paid rich dividends today. It's very hot in India and it's pretty difficult to get used to it.

Vettori: We didn't start well as we lost the toss, but our seamers exploited the conditions well. With big games coming up, nice to get a win under your belt. Mills might be back in the next game and Nathan has bowled well for us.

Kamande: I am disappointed with our batting performance. All credit to the NZ bowlers and they came hard against us. We didn't compete well today and we hope to do well in the future matches.

A clinical performance in the end by the Kiwis and they have knocked off the total in 8 overs to start their World Cup campaign in style. Their seamers did the damage by skittling out the Kenyans for a paltry 69, with Bennett taking 4 wickets and Southee and Oram sharing 3 each. Guptill and McCullum ensured they went past the target without any fuss. Stay tuned for the presentation....

Sehwag brilliance sinks B'desh

Virender Sehwag scored a blazing 175 in the company of Virat Kohli who hit an unbeaten ton which contributed to India's emphatic 87 run win over Bangladesh.

Sehwag, Kohli power India to 370

Virender Sehwag slammed 175 runs and Kohli scored an unbeaten ton to power India to a massive total after they were put into bat by Bangladesh in the opening WC encounter.

Sehwag falls on 175

Virender Sehwag slammed 175 runs before being bowled by Shakib Al Hasan. India were 355/3 in the 48th over with Kohli batting on 94.

Sehwag ton propels India

Virender Sehwag got to his 14th ODI century to propel India forward. India were 205 for 2 in 32 overs with Sehwag and Kohli in the crease.

Shakib: Time to win against the best

Bangladesh skipper Shakib-al-Hasan is confident of a strong show against India in the opening tie of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

By Rajarshi Gupta in Dhaka

Having gained some ground over the last two years, Shakib felt Bangladesh were poised for the mega-event, starting Saturday. Facing India in-front of what will be a packed Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, the world's best all-rounder wants side to enjoy the significance of the occasion.

"I don't think it can get better than this. Playing a strong side like India has its advantages. We want to prove ourselves against the best," Shakib said at a press conference in the Mirpur stadium on the eve of the match.

Shakib believes his team is ready to deliver its best against India, touted as the pre-tournament favourites.

"Our bowlers are in good form, the batsmen have been doing their job and our fielding has improved a lot," Shakib said.

However, the skipper pointed out that there was way too much hype around the India game - there is a lot of cricket to be played in the ICC CWC. Bangladesh have to counter strong challenges from South Africa, England, West Indies, Netherlands and Ireland besides India, before they assure themselves of a quarter-final berth.

"This tournament is not only about playing India. We have six league matches to play and we have to perform in all of them. If we get our basics right, we will do well."

Playing at home will also mean pressure. Fans have gone berserk; gunning for nothing less than an emphatic Bangladesh victory, but Shakib maintained his players were ready to deal with the expectations.

"The guys have played enough cricket to cope-up with the pressure. We are not looking too far ahead. We will take it one game at a time and concentrate on the job at hand." An optimistic Bangladesh skipper added.

The wicket at the Sher-e-Bangla is expected to be a treat for the batsmen once they get their eyes but Shakib kept his fingers crossed over the dew factor: "If there is no dew, conditions will be good for batting till the end."

Bangladesh will go into the tournament without key pacer, Mashrafe Mortaza, but Shakib felt that there were others to fill in his shoes.

"He (Mortaza) has been a great performer for us over the past few years but this current side has been playing well over some time now and we have a very settled combination," Shakib added.

"I want 100 wickets before I retire"

Ray Price, the senior most player in the Zimbabwe team, is hoping to complete a century of wickets in ODIs, before he retires.

The left-arm spinner, who currently has taken 80 ODI wickets, would be leading the Zimbabwe spin attack along with young Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer.

"I would like to get 100 wickets before I retire. I am getting old now. But I am still young in my heart," Price said.

He also praised young Utseya and said, "Prosper and I work very well together. Just have different lines. He and I have played for long and I enjoy bowling with him," the veteran player said.

Price was of the opinion that while playing in India the pressure was on the spinners to perform on slow pitches.

When asked about their first World Cup match against defending champions Australia, Price said they were not afraid of the Aussies.

"Australians are highly competitive. We are not afraid of them but we respect them. I never like to make too much noise with my mouth. Once I get ball in my hand, I can make some noise," the senior player said.

Pietersen fires again as England win

England trumped Pakistan by 67 runs in their last ICC Cricket World Cup warm-up game at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah.

Heartening half-centuries from Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen, and more wickets for Stuart Broad, eased England to a comfortable win.

Pietersen (66) and Collingwood (65) were the main contributors to England's 273 all out, the former producing welcome evidence his move up the order may work in the sub-continent and the latter back to form in the nick of time before this tournament begins in earnest.

Broad continued his impressive return from injury with four top-order wickets to undermine Pakistan's reply under lights, and Younus Khan's hard-working 80 could not redress the balance - especially after Collingwood chipped in with figures of three for 48.

Pietersen's 78-ball innings earlier ended in the 27th over, leaving much work for other batsmen.

It fell principally therefore to Collingwood to engineer a defendable total after England had been asked to bat first.

They lost Andrew Strauss in the third over of their first meeting with Pakistan since last summer's Test and limited-overs series ended in acrimony thanks to the spot-fixing crisis.

Three Pakistan players have subsequently been banned for five years each by the International Cricket Council, but there was an otherwise familiar look to the opposition.

In front of a capacity crowd of 16,000 - hundreds had to queue outside and took their seats only midway through England's innings - it was veteran fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who struck first, as Strauss posted his second single-figure score in succession.

He followed Wednesday's one run against Canada at this same venue with five today - bowled, edging an ugly heave to leg on to his stumps.

Jonathan Trott joined Pietersen but could not get going, and when left-armer Junaid Khan (three for 44) changed the angle by going round the wicket he was soon rewarded - clipping a bail after the number three missed as he too aimed to leg.

Pietersen dominated a stand of 70 with Ian Bell, going to his 50 by hitting off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for a six over long-on and looked set for three figures until he went up the wicket to slow left-armer Abdur Rehman and failed to cover the spin.

Collingwood struggled early on, and Bell was stumped off Ajmal when he made ground only to miss an attempt to chip runs into the leg-side.

But Ravi Bopara struck the ball cleanly and ran well to help put on 82 in only 12 overs - and Collingwood found his touch to reach 50 in 60 balls, despite managing only two boundaries.

After Bopara holed out at long-on, Collingwood - without a half-century in his last 11 one-day international innings - and Matt Prior kept the tempo high until a late clatter of five wickets for 12 runs as Wahab Riaz finished with three for 52.

Broad (five for 25), who had taken three wickets with the new ball and five in all two days ago in his first match for more than two months, put Pakistan in instant trouble.

He had Mohammad Hafeez neatly caught at first slip by Strauss, then saw off a pair of Akmals - Kamran pinned lbw on off-stump and Umar undone by low bounce to be bowled on the back foot.

Younus responded with some typically sensible batting, for a 70-ball half-century.

But he needed support - and in the absence of Shahid Afridi or Abdul Razzaq's middle-order power, both all-rounders surprisingly rested by Pakistan, it was not forthcoming.

Tim Bresnan, back after his calf injury, bowled accurately - and although James Anderson was a little rusty, especially with the new ball, Strauss had plenty of back-up options.

Collingwood and Anderson bagged a wicket each when Asad Shafiq and then Ahmad Shehzad missed big hits.

Then with approaching nine-an-over required, Misbah-ul-Haq was lbw to Collingwood, attempting a drive down to long-on.

Younus was left with too much to do and eventually fell in a vain cause, appropriately to the returning Broad when he edged a wide ball and was well-caught behind by Prior.

Trott did not take the field, nursing a minor injury to his right little finger.