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

Feeds: Sharda Ugra

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

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.