Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Praveen's injury will not affect India : Bedi
B S Bedi, the spinning legend, said that the exclusion of Praveen will not affect India's chances adversely.
"One person cannot affect a team's chances. In fact, it is good that Praveen has been replaced before the start of the World Cup because rather than having played in just a couple of games and then spending rest of the tournament on bench, it is always better to have a fit player becoming a part of the team from the very first match," said the famous left arm spinner.
India's greatest drawback are great expectations from the fans, which has built up tremendous pressure. Huge burden of expectations from the cricket crazy, who will not tolerate anything but the World Cup !
Indian cricket crazy fans feel that this is the best Indian side ever, the best batting line up in the world, the best side with maximum experienced spinning allrounders who can revel in subcontinental conditions, with favourable home conditions, so why not ?
Costly mistakes will not be forgiven ?
"Everybody wants India to win the World Cup and so do I. I want it more so because this would be Sachin's last World Cup and I hope India win it. And I am sure Sachin will lead the team to that final victory," said the left arm spinner, who was dreaded in the 1970s.
The dream final happens to be in Sachin's home town Bombay, on his favourite Wankhede Stadium. You can imagine the tension built around and this has immense pressure on the Bombay wonder !
"All these might mean a lot of pressure on Sachin but it is nothing new for him. He has been handling pressure for the last 21 years, so I don't think it would affect him at all. In fact, his game is beyond such trivialities."
In 1983, Kapil Dev had nothing to lose, as India was defined as 100/1 favourites !
"In 1975 and 1979 editions of the World Cups, India were just participating in the mega-event with no hopes attached to it. But after the 1983 triumph, we actually started to compete at the international arena. And since then, the expectations only mounted."
"Ever since the expectations have been only growing and now it has almost reached its peak. I feel we have a peculiar tendency of either putting the team on a pedestal or throw it to ground, which is not good."
Besides the weight of expectations, the former spinner also raised concerns about the bowling department of the Indian team, saying that it was not up to the mark.
"India's bowling is not as penetrating as it is required to win the matches on its own. The bowling would require a brilliant fielding effort. Moreover, even batsmen will have to score at least 50 more runs than an expected good total to give some margin to the bowlers."
He expressed doubts about the 3 spinners in the side ."We have an extra spinner in our side. I feel two would have been enough on these subcontinent pitches. Instead, I think Rohit Sharma should have been included in the team."
Advantage Subcontinental Teams : Raina
India, Pak and SL will fight it out for the WC and the days of Australian dominance are almost over, says Raina.
Raina said he is happy to be included in the WC squad. He missed out on the 2007 squad and playing in the WC is a dream come true.
"I see this World Cup as a fight among the sub continental teams -- Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. England can also be the real challengers. They are doing well, especially after their success in the Ashes.
"This is a fresh World Cup and in the last four years other teams have also improved a lot as compared to the Aussies. It's important to get a good start in the tournament," said the stylish southpaw.
"It's all about making it to the semis. I hope if we can make it to the last four stage, then we will definitely be in the final. We have some very good players now. It's very important to reach the semis".
"I think this is the best ever Indian side...we have the best batsman in Sachin Tendulkar and with Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir there as well at the top, the batting is very strong," said Raina.
Raina faces an uphill task, competing with the inform Pathan and Kohli. Which speaks volumes about the Indian batting line up !
"Gary Kirsten and Dhoni have been doing great with the side. He (Kirsten) is the best coach and 'captain cool' Dhoni is the best skipper.
"With Sreesanth back in the side, the pace attack looks very good, while in Harbhajan (Singh) leading the spin armoury along with (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Piyush) Chawla, it looks a fully balanced line-up."
Raina holds the record of being the first Indian to score centuries in all three formats of the game.
"It's (finishing a game) not easy. You have to read the situation well. Any miscalculation can go horribly wrong. You have to rotate the strike and at the same time it's very important to play your natural game", said he.
"I've been scoring for the Indian team. I am finishing the games well. It's true that I am scoring in the 30s. But batting at 6 or 7, those are valuable runs when you have to play for the team's cause," said the allrounder.
"I've been batting at different positions. Be it at No 3, 4, or at 5 and 6 as in last few years. I've improved as a batsman."
Is No 7 very important ?
I used to hear that the No 3 is very important in Test Cricket. Look at the sides and you will find that the No 3 is one of the best batsmen in the side.
Now there are talks that the No 7 is equally important. Not in Test, but in ODIs.
Experts say the No 7 player is a game changer. He can make a change, a contribution of 30/40 runs in the slog overs with some hefty blows and if the top order collapses, then he can be relied upon to bat out the complete 50 overs ! He should be a good bowler, who can support the main bowlers. In short, an effective allrounder.
Let us analyse who are the No 7s of major teams.
Kieron Pollard - He can be one of the deadliest batsmen in the slog overs. In a CL T20 match, he powered his team to victory singlehandedly. He sends even good length deliveries into the orbit. He is WI's secret weapon, their open weapon being Gayle ! He can bowl well too !
Shahid Afridi - He is one of the most dangerous hitters in the world. In an ODI, I watched him hit a six off the first ball he faced ! A dangerous pinch hitter and an excellent spinner. He is third in ICC Rankings as an allrounder.
Paul Collingwood - He may be struggling for form, but he can still send the ball out of the park at any time. He can time his innings to perfection and can bowl seam as well.
Angelo Mathews - A hefty hitter and a good medium pacer. He is the one of the most promising all rounders in the game. He can be SL's main weapon. He keeps the scoreboard ticking all the time and picks up a few wickets.
Yousuf Pathan - The whole world is stunned by the exploits of this Pathan, who knows no boundaries. With two ODI hundreds to his credit, he can be a Titan in this form of the game. He had shone in IPL matches, but now he is the rage in Indian cricket. Millions of cricket crazy Indians want him to loft India to victory !
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
High pressure neutrallises India's home advantage !
Great expectations are on the Indian team. Hence massive pressure.
If India wins, there is no problem. If India loses, the one billion Indian fans wont tolerate that !
India has never headed into a World Cup with such pressure. A good coach in Kirsten, with some good spinning allrounders and arguably the best batting line up in the world, India has to live upto her high expectations which millions of cricket crazy Indians have given her. Any loss will not be tolerated.
The format is favourable, there wont be any hasty elimination, which Dravid's men faced in 2007.
M Amarnath opined that the pressure on India will be more than on any other teams. "If you are doing well,it is great. Hell can break loose if you are not doing well".
When Sri Lanka beat India in the semifinals, in 1996, the crowds went bersek destroying all furniture in the stadium.
In 2007, after the Indian loss, Dravid's car was stoned and the walls of Kaif's residence were tarred.
Millions of cricket crazy Indians believe that the best scenario is that of Sachin holding aloft the WC, in the final at Mumbai ! What a fitting tribute it will be !
On paper, India looks strong, with a formidable batting line up. Are there any weaknesses ? Next six weeks will tell the story !
Bowling appears to be a bit weak and this can be India's Achilles heel. Will the bowlers strike for India ?
We advise the Indian team to let go of pressure and play positively. Those who fear die. We request Dhoni to go back to his fearless, swashbuckling days. We request Yousuf to be more cautious and try to build an innings. We request V Kohli to treat WC as another game. We request Yuvraj to silence his critics !
Similar to the 2003 team : Ganguly
Ganguly said that the current team is similar to the 2003 Indian team, which was fearless and almost won the Cup.
A strong batting line up like the 2003 team and fearlessness mark the characteristics of both teams. With such a combination, Ganguly feels that India can make it to the finals.
"Like 2003, this time also we are in the right frame of mind, we have a settled side which has been doing well for sometime now. The team is equally good and strong and have the potential to go all the way."
"We have a very strong batting line-up with a lot of match-winners in the side. It's a very strong side."
"Personally, I don't believe in terming any favourites.
It's a tournament where last three games -- quarterfinal onwards -- will make a difference. Australia, India and South Africa look very strong."
"I see Pakistan as dark-horse, Sri Lanka too can be very strong in these conditions. Also, I expect Bangladesh to put up some good shows. They are an improved side now. But I see all the top teams making the last eight stage. From there on it can be anybody's game on a given day".
About his team which lost to Australia in the finals, Saurav added, ""We had a very good and strong side and we played well throughout the tournament. We beat every team except for Australia (in the final). We played fearless cricket. All players were in form, the way the team got together was excellent."
It was disappointing not to win the Cup in 2003 as we had the side.,"
About India's debacle in the Carribean in 2007, he said "2007 was a different story. We were never there. We did not start well and the team was dealt a huge blow after going down to Bangladesh. Thereafter the team lacked confidence and that became the turning point. The team was not settled with players going in and going out. There was an air of uncertainty."
"The format was such that only two team from the groups could make the cut. After losing to Bangladesh, we were on the back-foot and it was difficult to recover," he recalled.
"This time, the format is very good and allows every team a fair chance. Even if you had one bad day, there is time to recover."
"Mahendra Singh Dhoni has done very well as captain. He backs his teammates, supports them which helps in bringing the best of the side. Also, he has a very good side under him," he said.
"The batting is really strong with the likes of Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni. I hope things go well and it's important from India's point of view that players remain fit through out the long tournament," Ganguly added.
Spinning allrounders can play a pivotal role : Baig
Abbas Ali Baig, who zoomed into the cricket arena with a century on debut for India, feels that the spinning allrounders - Yuvraj, Sehwag, Pathan & Bajji - can play a big role on the spinning tracks of India.
Come March and the subcontinental pitches will deteriorate under the blistering heat. This happens when Sun transits Aquarius and Pisces. The WC opens on Feb 19 and ends on Apr 2. On Apr 8 the IPL IV starts and ends on May 28. On May 29, the Rainy Season starts, the Kala Varsha, when the Sun transits the 15th degree of Taurus.
So the organisers have planned it meticulously, under the immense heat, which may be more than 40 degrees.
During this hot season, it is only natural that the subcontinental pitches aid spin and the team which have the maximum spinning allrounders - a fact proven by Sri Lanka - have bright chances of lifting the Cup.
Baig said that the spin allrounders compensate for the lack of firepower in the pace bowling department. India's strengths are a good batting line up and spin allrounders. Her weaknessess are lack of genuine fast bowling and sometimes fielding !
"Absolutely, they have a big role. There is Yusuf Pathan, who is a genuine all-rounder. There is Yuvraj (Singh), (Virender) Sehwag, and Harbhajan Singh, who has actually turned into a mature batsman.
"The lower order batsmen also have to chip in. The lower order batsmen have supported the frontline bastmen, which was not the case earlier. They certainly have a role to play in Indian conditions," said the dashing strokemaker.
"If you look at Indian bowling. It does not have the firepower like that of batting....except for Zaheer. It's not up to the mark and may not be able to deal with the situation," he said.
"But having said that. Anything can happen in cricket and anyone can rise to occasion."
"No doubt, batting is our main strength. We have enough firepower. On an unusual day, it may collapse. But it take us the whole way on Indian pitches.
"Our fielding has also improved. I think we are among the best in world with lot of youngsters in the side. On paper batting is our strength. So we will have to produce runs and save some on the field," said the veteran.
"I would have picked either Pragyan Ojha or Murali Kartik. One of them would have been an ideal choice in place of Piyush Chawla. I would also have gone for an extra stumper. Parthiv Patel is a good batsman and wicketkeeper," he averred.
He advised Dhoni to be fearless and calm.
"Until now he has been a relaxed captain and has maintained his cool demeanour. But certainly World Cup is different. He is clear and bold and have to size up the situation and take on the opposition. I think these traits will remain with him and he can come out (with flying colours)."
He disagreed with others, that the young Indian players will be under immense pressure, as they are devoid of WC experience. Others say that only the tried and tested can perform well in the World Cup.
"Virat (Kohli) has been doing well and I don't think he should feel pressure. Harbhajan is not the kind of guy, who will let pressure damage his performance.
"But yes, Yuvraj Singh need to silence his critics. His performance (in the recent past) has been under cloud".
"Play for fun and enjoy the game."
Sreeshant is in
Sreeshant is a lucky cricketer. He was in the victorious World Cup T20 team of 2007. He held the matchwinning catch off Misbah in the final. He bowled India to victory in a Test in SA. He bowled well in the previous tour of SA.
When he was dropped unjustly, it was only natural that eyebrows were raised. Wasim Akram and Ganguly came for his defence.
David Llyod referred to him as "eccentric, but outstanding".
It is only providential that he is in. He replaces the injured Praveen Kumar. It seems Providence has intervened in reinstating the talented swing bowler.
If Sachin is the redeemer of millions of Indians, so is Sreeshant to millions of Keralites. He is part of the Kerala squad and after the inception of the Kochi team in IPL, Kerala cricket will rise to dizzy heights !
Meanwhile, reports has it that the official fan gear of the ICC World Cup XI is " made in Ludhiana". Pantaloon, which has the only merchandise rights for WC 2011, has got over 50,000 T Shirts made from Ludiana for the fan gear.
Massive pressure on Sachin !
He has all records under his belt. The highest 200 no for India against mighty SA in ODIs. The highest scorer of runs in the WC ( 1796 ).
There is one more record he is wanting. To be part of the WC winning team ?
The question is this ? C Lloyd powered WI to victory in the 1975 final. In the 1979 final, Viv Richards did the same. A DeSilva powered SL to victory in 1996. A century at the finals of the WC ! This is what is wanted ! Can Sachin do it ?
If Bradman is right " The bowlers can only bowl as the batsmen allow them to ", then Sachin can score centuries and win the WC for India.
All people say "Everything depends on Sachin".
Expectations about this little man and India are high ! Hence mammoth pressure is on him.
The one billion Indian audience heaved a sigh of relief when the No 7 spot was taken by Y Pathan firmly. A century in India is not fully recognised. But when he hit the SA bowlers to all parts of the field, at the Centurion, millions of Indian fans heaved a sigh of relief. R Jadeja was not upto the task.
Now Pathan and V Kohli, along with Sehwag, Gambhir, Dhoni and Yuvraj take the pressure off Sachin.
But then this cricket crazy nation expects him to hold aloft the 2011 World Cup. Great expectation can only mean immense pressure on the Little Master.
Even the mighty Bradman, whose feats during the Great Depression sustained a potential nation's morale, did not endure the pressure Sachin will confront, when the mega event begins on Feb 19.
Sachin is the best known Indian alive, whose status can be compared to a god or a Bollywood celluloid hero. When he faced Akram on TV, the audience in India exceeded the entire European population.
Normally all batsmen walk to the crease alone. Not Sachin. When he walks to the crease, a whole nation marches with him to the gladiator arena, says the poet C P Surendran ! "A pauper people pleading for relief, remission from the lifelong anxiety of being Indian, by joining in spirit their visored saviour."
Cricket fever is buiding up everywhere and numerous ads by different sponsors like Castrol, Big Bazaar, Reliance, Sony TV, LG, Pepsico etc are ready to be seen on TV with a total ad revenue estimate of 1500 crores, including IPL IV. This is commercial cricket at its Zenith !
When it comes to cricket, which is more or less a religion in India, Bollywood cannot be far behind to make its contribution. Music maestroes - Loy, Ehsaan and Shankar - have composed the WC official song " De Ghuma Ke".
Astrologically, he is running the period of the North Node ( Rahu ) and the subperiod of Venus till 090611. This is not a bad time for him. He can still win many a laurel !
Monday, February 07, 2011
South Africa, a dangerous side !
South Africa appears to be a formidable side, and Steve Waugh favours South Africa, after India.
SA may be the 5/1 favourites, but this team has immense potential.
With Hashim Amla, rated as No 1 in ICC Rankings, leading the charge and with G Smith,Duminy and Bram Villiers as other batsmen, SA's batting appears to be great. Their fast bowling combination of Steyn and Morkel can be a threat to any opposition.
Any team which underestimates SA will do so at their on risk. They may not have broken the semi final jinx and the majority of their players may be short of WC experience. But when it comes to talent, they are second to none.
Greaeme Smith, the SA captain, says that this team is more prepared than the previous SA teams. "In 2007 we went there with the expectation of winning the tournament, and put ourselves under so much pressure. Yes, you have to want to win the World Cup and that has to be your mindset, otherwise, what's the point of going there. But we are much more relaxed in terms of the way we want to do things, and we want to take it step by step. Reaching the final is the goal, obviously, but we won't be approaching every game and every day looking too far ahead. We are certainly more relaxed about it than we have been in the past."
He believes that the current team is far more talented than the experienced 2007 side.
When I look back on the 2007 team, I think we were a little bit too rigid in terms of players and the squad. We are a lot more open-minded now, we have a lot more
options. We had a lot of the same type of players in 2007. We had a lot of
experience back then. We don't have a lot of World Cup experience in this
team, but we have a lot of variety, a lot of energy. We have got pace, we
have got spin and we have a lot of options, which is what I think we maybe
lacked in 2007.
"We stuck to a similar style of play in 2007, and now we can change the way
we play. We can be more innovative and more off the cuff, and be a lot more
unpredictable, while still having that solid base."
Smith had noted that SA lost steam in the Powerplay in the last series against India. This Powerplay will be crucial in the WC.
"For me, Powerplay three is not so much about when you take it, but how you
play it, the execution of it," Smith said. "I personally would like to take
it when guys are in and there's a good partnership going, rather than when
guys are just starting out at the crease. We have tried a few things through
some of the games and we have decided to make a gut decision on the day.
What the guys in the middle need to discuss is their execution; what they
need to do to get eight or nine runs an over.
"From a bowling point of view, an aggressive mindset is always crucial. So
often when you're bowling in the Powerplay, you back off because you think
the team is going to be attacking you. So we want to be aggressive and look
to pick up wickets, which is one way of using it to your advantage. That's
something Australia did very well in 2007, they attacked that Powerplay
whereas everyone else stood back."
Astrologically, SA is undergoing the favourable Jupiterian second Transit. But Saturn is adverse and the 12th lord, the Moon's reign, is also adverse !
Pak under tremendous pressure !
Pakistan is under great pressure in this WC. The fact that three of their top players have been banned sent shock waves thorough Pakistan.
They always lose in WC matches against India. Psychologists attribute this phenomenon to pressure or the fear of defeat. But if we analyse the number of matches played between the two countries, we find that they have won more than India, even though they have lost WC matches to India ! ( Out of 124 matches, 69 won by Pak and 46 by India ).
A strange phenomenon !
Pak is running Venus Dasa, Jupiter bhukthi. Venus, the 2nd and the 9th lord, appears to be well posited, in the 11th. He is slightly combust, as he is within 9 degrees of the Sun. Moreover, the 10th transit of Jupiter is adverse. All these heavenly factors justify their 8/1 favourites position.
Pak will have to overcome immense pressure. When the 14 matches were transferred to India, BD and SL, they said they will not play in India. So they have gone to SL. If they play the final, they will have to play in Mumbai.
Internal bickerings, power politics ( they took a long time to name the captain ) and the pressure of the World Cup which is mainly hosted in India, will test their nerves. If they hold on to their nerves, they can rise from the ashes.
It is to be noted that both India and Pak buckle under pressure, particularly when they start as favourites. India was considered as an underdog in the 1983 WC. So as Pak in 1992. So was Lanka in 1996. So we find that the teams rated high are always at sea in the high pressure tournament.
The only exception was Australia. Aussies in 2003 and 2007 were more or less invincible. Pressure never got onto their nerves and they won the Cup, ruthlessly crushing the opposition. O India and Pak, learn from the Aussies !
Pakistan play all matches in Sri Lanka.
On Feb 23, they play Kenya at Hambantota
On Feb 26, they play Sri Lanka at Colombo
On Mar 3, they play Canada at Colombo
On Mar 8, they play NZ at Kandy
On Mar 14, they play Zimbabwe at Pallekalle
On Mar 19, they play Australia at Colombo
If they are through these matches, they may have to play in BD and India.
Sri Lanka deserves to be 4/1 favourites
Sri Lanka is the second favourite at 4/1. This is also in line with Astrology.
Sri Lanka is undergoing the second Sade Sathi, as her constellation is Uthara. There can be huge gains during the second Sade Sathi.
Dasa wise, she is running the period of Jupiter and his own subperiod till 11072012. Jupiter's Dasa is good, but then he is the 5th and the 8th lord. As the 5th lord he is positive and as the 8th lord, he is negative.
Sri Lanka, as she is running the 8th lord's reign, will have to face immense pressure and adversity. The 8th house represents the hindrances and impediments on the path of progress.
We wish them luck. Let them handle great pressure and win !
Sangakkara is unhappy that his team wont get the opportunity to train at Hambantota and Pallakele, venues of WC matches. He said he is happy with the facilities in Colombo and it is a bit too late now to go and work camps in Hambantota or Pallakele.
From a small fishing town, Hambantota is growing to be a financial biggie, as she hosts a WC match.
Sri Lanka posess the best spinning combination in the world, with Murali, Mendis and Herath. Their batting with Mahela and Sanga can be dangerous to the opposition. Their only problem seems to be the middle order, according to Ranatunga.
South Africa has to overcome Adversity !
According to the bookies, SA are 11/2 favourites. This is in consonance with the position of the Heavens.
South Africa was born with Leo rising, Jupiter in the Second, Moon in the Seventh, and the Ascendant Lord, the Sun in the 10th. It is a powerful horoscope and she is undergoing the favourable 2nd Transit of Jupiter.
So far, so good. But the 12th lord's reign is fraught with dangers. South Africans are warned that the subcontinental conditions are different, the inexperience of the 11 a problem, spin tracks of the subcontient problematic etc. The 12th lord's Dasa or period of directional influence can be adverse and there are a lot of impediments and obstacles in their way !
Graeme Smith, captain of SA, feels that the subcontinental pitches will be conducive to batting.
"An open tournament will it be " said he. The powerplays will be highly important and good finishings in both batting and bowling will bring home the bacon.
"Conditions are going to be quite batter-friendly, so scores might be quite high. I think we have a solid top five and top six batting lineup. Finishing, with bat and ball, is something we need to be really strong on. I think that's going to be crucial throughout the World Cup," Smith averred.
"Power-play three, when that's taken and how that's used and how's its managed with both bat and ball, is also going to be important.
"For me, power-play three is not so much about when you take it but how you play it, the execution of it. We've spoken a lot about it and when to take it. I personally would like to take it when guys are in and there's going to be a good partnership going, rather than when guys are just starting out at the crease," he said.
Six teams are capable of winning the Cup and that it would be a "very open World Cup."
"It is a very open World Cup. England have some good players who will be fit for the World Cup. Australia are always very solid performers in this form of the game. Fatigue for the two of them might be an issue. I think England are home for three days before they travel to India for the World Cup," Smith said.
"The subcontinent teams are always wily and street smart in their own conditions. They will always be a factor. Bangladesh will pull off a few surprises in front of all their fans," said the world class opener.
Of the 15 SA players, only 4 have played in World Cup. Kallis, Smith, de Villiers and Dale Steyn. The rest 11 players are devoid of World Cup experience.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Odds favour India 3/1
Bookies are betting on India. India is given 3/1, Sri Lanka 4/1, England and Australia 5/1. Pakistan is 8/1. These ordds are according to the betting syndicate in London.
SA is 11/2, WI 20/1, NZ 20/1, Bangladesh 33/1, Zimbabwe 200/1, Ireland 500/1 and Holland 750/1.
India's 3/1 favourites position resonates with the position of the Heavens. Both the transits of Jupiter and Saturn are favourable. The only problem one encounters is the 4th lord's Dasa. The 4th lord, the Sun, is posited in the 3rd. The 4th lord as such is not bad, but his position in the 12th from the 4th, indicates tension and high pressure. Only after handling immense pressure, can India win ! India has a tendency to implode, particularly at the middle order, as shown in the SA tour. If India plays well, and uses the strategy not to lose too many wickets in the first 30-35 overs, accelerate later and bowl a good line and length, she can justify her 3/1 favourite position !
India are hot favourites, according to the modest pacer, Munaf Patel. He feels that 28 year jinx can be broken, as India has many positive factors in her favour, like home conditions, balanced squad and fanatical support.
This is a golden opportunity for Indian cricket. The subcontinental pitches favour India and the bowlers know the conditions too well. "Such an opportunity of playing on home pitches and favourable conditions don't come everyday," said the Indian swing bowler.
Munaf was born just a month after Kapil's Devils created history, said "The team is very strong as it has some of the best batsmen, fit all-rounders and in-form bowlers who have been delivering the goods consistently".
Munaf may not be as fast as Lee or Steyn, but bowls a good line and length. "I bowl in the right areas and focus on maintaining line and length, which have helped me in getting wickets."
Munaf's potential was spotted by Kiran More and now he has come of age.
South Africa will feel less pressure
When South Africa reached the 1992 semifinals, the public expected them to win. They couldnt break the semi final jinx.
Now this S A team can feel relaxed, as the public are not too sure, after their patchy performances.
The Australians and South Africans revolutioned one day cricket and SA rose to become one of the most feared teams, with their brilliant fielding, running in between the wickets, batting and fast bowling.
They have always lost at the semifinals. In 1996, the team led by Cronje and coach Bob Woolmer, established themselves as favourites in India and Pakistan, and were beaten by the Windies. They were still powerful in 1999, when Australia snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Aussies were in the dumps, when Gibbs floored a catch off S Waugh. Waugh just looked at Gibbs and said " You have just dropped the World Cup, my son ".
This is the jinx they have to overcome, a powerful team coming to the semis and then losing in the semis. Can they overcome this jinx during this World Cup ?
In 2007 again, they reached the semis, only to be beaten by a formidable Aussie team.
The previous SA had great allrounders, L Kluesner, Kallis and Shaun Pollock. The present team has only Kallis !
Previous SA had great fielders like Jonty Rhodes. Now the present team cannot boast of such fielders and overall the fielding had slackened.
So less pressure on SA. Will they emulate the 1983 Indian team, which had least pressure?
Australia today gave a warning to all drubbing England 6-1. All teams have taken note of this warning. No team dare take the Kangaroos slightly. But one must say that the present Aussie team is less strong than the 2007 team !
I will hold my nerves : Ashwin
R Ashwin, the Indian offie and all rounder, said that he will hold his nerves. He was talking about his preparation for the WC.
He says he is also concentrating on batting and wants to be a utility man, like Madan Lal, M Amarnath, Binny and Azad, all rounders who brought home the bacon in 1983.
He says pressure is number one enemy all right, but this time he will overcome pressure by staying cool. He is highly talented, having scored two centuries and 5 fifties in first class matches and is considered to be good offie having taken a number of wickets in first class and List A matches.
Experts consider this offie as a potential allrounder, who can be useful in the slog overs and an accurate bowler. He says he is working hard to calm himself in a pressure filled situation. His rise to the international level is no fluke but he is not sure of a place in the final XI, in star studded India.
"I'm trying my best to be an asset to the side. I'm working hard on my batting and want to be a utility man for the side so that I can be a real asset to the side. Pressure gets to me easily. I am working hard to be calm in a pressure-filled situation," Ashwin averred.
"I'm not overly-excited or thinking of figuring in the playing XI in the World Cup. I don't know if I have a chance to make the playing XI. I will do whatever is there in my hands. That is a part and parcel of every game. It really does not get to me. I'm focussed in whatever I'm doing," said the Indian offie.
"Bhajji will lead the attack well. He has really been bowling well... he's always been inspirational and a guiding force. Also, I have the confidence and trust of my skipper that helps in giving freedom as a bowler.
About the highly publicised WC, the Indian offspinner said: "Already there have been talks that this is the strongest Indian side ever. We are really good as a unit and well-suited to the domestic condition."
"Obviously I want the team to win the Cup. The atmosphere in the team is just perfect, honestly speaking we stand a very good chance. We definitely have all the ammunition to make it to the last stage. But it's just one game at a time after all," said the tall offie.
"Every team is good at this level. You cannot underestimate any team. Moreover aided by technology all the 10 Test playing nations are well-equipped to tackle any opposition."
We will create upsets : Borren
Netherlands captain Peter Borren promises that his team will create upsets. They defeated England in 2009 WC and beat Bangladesh in 2010.
He admits that he is in a difficult group. He says there is now a positive environment in the squad. We are highly prepared and can perform creditably. It will be fantastic if we reach the quarter finals !.
We need three wins : Bagai
Canada skipper Ashish Bagai feels that three wins will do intially. The Canada team has a lot of talented players, most of them Asians.
It is a great joy to play in Asia.
Asked why Canada has not performed like Sri Lanka, he said while cricket is the main sport in Lanka, in Canada, cricket is having competition from other sports.
Canada has a lot of talented youngsters. Gunasekhara and Hiral Patel are talented batsmen. Left spinning talent is Partha Desai. John Davison is coming back. Khurram Chauhan leads the attack and Canada can surprise anybody !
Saturday, February 05, 2011
The Pathan brothers !
Still Irfan and Yousuf make a formidable pair, but Srikanth & Co think otherwise.
Y Pathan was snapped up for 2.1 m dollars and Irfan for 1.9 m dollars in the IPL.
Irfan Pathan was the best allrounder India had after Kapil Dev. Since his batting had potential, Greg Chappell, the then coach, advised him to concentrate on batting, with the result his bowling fell apart.
Like Ishant Sharma who tried to bowl faster and lost his swing, Irfan could not be the new ball bowler he was. Irfan used to say that his elder brother is a better player than him.
Yousuf played well in IPL I and this attracted the attention of the selectors. Like Shane Watson, IPL was the cause of the rise of Yousuf.
Yousuf now has 2 centuries in ODIs, which had done his confidence a lot of good. 500 million cricket crzay Indians expect a lot from him in this World Cup.
He doesnt talk much. His willow does all the talking.
Yesterday many Indians were interviewed on TV channels. They were asked who will be India's stars for the World. Most of the Indians were unanimous in their opinion. It will be Sachin and Yousuf !
Now Yousuf is not inexperienced. Nor are the other batsmen ! Kohli and Raina are also now in form. So Indian batting is expected to do well, particularly in Indian conditions. The problem areas are fielding and bowling. One expert stated that is a slow squad on the field !
Yousuf is a good off spinner too and takes wickets. He is part of the five allrounders, others being Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvraj & Raina. On spin tracks, these five can be dangerous.
Yousuf has a strike rate of 115 in ODIs and is a nightmare for the opposition. Out of the 694 runs in ODIs he has scored, he has hit 55 fours and 36 sixes.
Experts feel that India's WC chances depends on Yousuf's broad shoulders, as they do on Sachin's and Sehwag's !
Pak Sports Minister defends ban on trio !
Pak Sports Minister defended the ICC decision to ban the Pak trio of Amir, Butt and Asif.
Butt was banned for ten years, Asif for seven and Amir for five.
Jakhrani, the Pak sports minister, welcomed the ban saying it is a deterrent punishment, which will be exemplary.
"If any player from any country is involved in dirty act, they should be punished and this will be good for the game of cricket."
"If players are involved, there should be a punishment as other players would learn and we accept the decision," said the sports minister.
In the cricketing fraternity, different opinions have been voiced. This decision had sent shock waves through Pakistan and Shehriyar Khan, the former PCB boss said the decision was taken in a hurry and that the players were not given time to put their defence properly.
"ICC has given the verdict in a hurry so that the issue is resolved. Mohammad Amir should have been given a fair chance; his defence should have been considered. It's a disappointment for the Pakistan fans."
"This same issue was raised earlier in the 90s but there was nothing to prove the accusations."
Khan pointed out that it will affect Pak team's preparedenss for the WC, undermining their confidence.
"This will surely affect the morale of the players. It's a disappointment for the entire team. Such a verdict is surely going to affect the team. We have always played for the team and we will always continue to do so. Our spirit for the World Cup will remain the same. Shahid Afridi has to keep the morale get going in the team," the former PCB boss averred.
Chauhan warns Indians !
Too much confidence may result in complacency and complacency is the greatest foundation of failure. If that be the Thesis, the Anti Thesis will be that too much low morale or confidence will result in additional pressure.
When it comes to complacency and pressure, we can say that since it is the World Cup and since it has been defined as a an even Cup, no team can afford to be complacent. There are dangerous players, matchwinners, in all teams. Afridi of Pak, Sehwag of India, Gayle of Windies, Watson of Australia, Trott of England, Amla of SA, Shakib of Bangladesh, Mahela of Lanka & Brendon McCullum of NZ. These are players who can win the game single handedly on their day.
In the 1975 final, Clive Lloyd scored a hundred and WI won.
In 1979, Viv Richards scored 138 no and WI won.
In 1996, A de Silva scored a hundred and SL won.
So a single player can bring home the bacon and every team has potential match winners.
The question is not complacency, it is pressure. It is the pressure of playing in the World Cup, which will test the players. Look at Virat Kohli. He is now second in ICC Rankings. But can he overcome the pressure of the WC. Or Ashwin?
Similarly, every team has potential young talent. We have Umar Akmal of Pakistan, a talented player. The Akmal brothers are talented but can they survive the immense pressure ?
Pak is under tremendous pressure. The pressure is more on Pak than India, as three of their top players have been banned. They are not playing on their home grounds. They have to win a Cup hosted in India ! All these factors add to the pressure. They announced their captain just now only. Shows the pressure on the Board and the selectors as well. We wish them luck, as they are highly talented.
Pressure is on Aussies also. They are the defending champions and they have to retain the Cup. The loss of major players, Hayden, Gilchrist, Warne etc affects them. They have now a world class all rounder in Shane Watson, who is only second to Shakib. He recently scored 161 not out against England and his team beat England 5-1, after losing the Ashes.
Immense pressure is on SL. All Lankans believe that they can do it. But will they ?
Can SA, who is also under pressure, break the jinx of losing in the semis. They play well, but lose in the semis.
England ? They are also under pressure. They are the current T20 champions, but they have never won an ODI Cup. Can they do it ?
And what about WI ? They have potential matchwinners in Gayle and Pollard. Can they do it ?
As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". The team which wins eventually will be the team who can handle pressure !
More than one billion people look for the result anxiously and this WC will be cricketing heaven !
Shakib Al Hasan, a dangerous player
In 2007 WC, Bangladesh created an upset beating India. Dravid's men had to quit ingloriously, following that defeat and many defeats.
Now Bangladesh take on India in the opening match at Dacca. Shakib and his men will be raring to go and India will try to take revenge.
It was that loss to Bangladesh which was responsible for India losing rhythm. Dravid and his men went on losing almost all games. In India, there was chaos. The public went mad and a mock funeral was arranged for the Indian team.
The reactions of the mob can be understood. In 2003, under Ganguly, India were the finalists. Ganguly's men performed well, despite the final loss. And here was Dravid's men not even entering the semis !
Now expectations are high in India. All experts say India are the current favourites. Australia many be numero uno in Ratings. They are the defending champions. But home conditions and the presence of spinning allrounders favour India.
Bangladesh's chances are bright, as the opener is in Dacca. They will get the 50 K odd home support and they know their conditions well.
Shakib al Hasan' services to cricket wouldnt have been there, if his talent was not spotted by Saddam Hussein, a local official. Shakib was playing football, when his great talent was spotted by S Hussein.
That Shakib is topping as an allrounder in ICC Rankings when Bangladesh is ranked 9th, speaks volumes about his class.
He is the main hope of a cricket crazy nation. They expect him and his team to perform well in home conditions.
The best Indian team ever : Hayden
Hayden opined that this is the best Indian team ever. With matchwinners in Sehwag, Sachin, Gauti, Yuvi, Dhoni, Kohli, Pathan & Raina !
But we are giving warning about Indian bowling. India is up against the pace trio of Lee, Tait & Johnson or against Murali or Mendis. Morkel and Steyn are also deadly.
Indian bowling is not so extraordinary, but then India has some skilful bowlers, as pointed out by Dhoni. Despite the powerful batting, bowling and fielding has to perform well to achieve what all Indians are hoping !
Friday, February 04, 2011
Sehwag, Pathan hold key : Roger Binny
"We have a balanced side and the home conditions and advantage would also suit us but I feel that the swashbuckling opener Virendra Sehwag and Yusuf Pathan might be the trump cards for the team India," Binny told reporters at Jaipur.
"We bat low down till eight and even the number nine batsman Habhajan Singh
can hit some lusty blows. We have the capability of adding more than 100
runs in last 10 overs," said Binny, who starred in the 1983 WC by taking 18
wickets.
Any problem with Dhoni as the lone wicketkeeper?
"Dhoni himself is an experienced guy and knows his limitations and also the
Indian think tank perhaps thought that he was capable of taking on the load
of keeping the entire World Cup," said the great allrounder.
Spinning allrounders give India the edge : Dravid
"India are obviously one of the favourites. They have been playing well for a number of years. Its a well-balanced side with a number of spinning all-rounders or part-time bowlers, which gives India a big advantage," said India's Test batting hero.
Meanwhile, Afridi has been retained as Pak skipper and Misbah his deputy. Some key players and ex players were against the decision and hence the delay. ( Salman Butt had requested the board to appoint Misbah ).
Lankans feels the same, like Indians. This is a big battle on home turfs ! Why not gift the WC as a gift to Murali? Subcontinental conditions are home conditions. In all probability, this WC will be the swan song of Murali and Sachin.
Sri Lanka rose in World Cricket, after the grand assault launched by Kalu and Jaya. They changed the way one day cricket is played. " Hit them, hit them and then hit them" said Jayasuriya, who was a terror to all opponents. Now SL are considered good contenders in one day cricket. With their ability to peak at the correct moment and as a team which revels in home conditions, they present a formidable challenge. Their team looks as strong as India and Australia on paper.
SL has good replacements for Vaas, Jaya, Kalu and Ranatunge. Malinga, Tharanga, Sanga, Mahela, Dilshan, Mathews and Mendis rose as good replacements for the aging veterans. Forget not that SL were last WC's finalists !
Thursday, February 03, 2011
The dew factor is crucial : Imran
It will be difficult to bowl with a wet ball. The great all rounder was signed by Geo Super to provide commentary, participate and be the brand ambassador for its Cricket World Cup presentation in Pakistan.
Imran will feature on expert reviews , opinions and analyses during the ICC WC 2011 on Geo Super. This tournament will be the most widely viewed sporting events in the world and the numero uno TV event in Pakistan in terms of revenue and ratings.
Geo Super has exclusive rights to broadcast all WC matches over satellite and cable networks in Pakistan.
Imran feels that Dhoni's Devils may emulate Kapil's Devils. "This could the most even, unpredictable World Cup ever. There are six teams who can beat anyone on a given day. Having said that, I think India stand the best chance. You have all-round strength in batting and bowling. The batting line-up, in fact, is great. The team is in good form, and it will play in home conditions."
Isnt India's bowling weak ? Pace attack not really fast ? Too many spinners?
"No, I don't think there are too many tweakers in this squad. In Test cricket, you can't get away with this, but in One-day cricket you can do with bowling all-rounders. Ideally, you need one express pace bowler but India can do without it also. Zaheer Khan, I feel, is at the peak of his game right now. He has experience and ability," Imran averred.
Everything depends on Sachin?
"Let's put it this way -- having given so much to world cricket over the years, it will be great for Sachin to leave the game with the high of a World Cup triumph. India are the favourites, and Sachin is in good form, so there just couldn't be a better situation for him. I wasn't supposed to play in the 1992 World Cup, but ended up playing it because I thought that if we win, we would get some money for the cancer hospital I wanted to build in my mother's memory. But I remember how privileged I felt that my last game was the World Cup final."
Can the six day breaks upset India's rhythm?
Maybe the schedule, which has every team playing after six-day breaks, can upset India's rhythm. "I think those breaks will be welcomed by the cricketers, because in our times, we didn't have much time to recover between games, and that was tough on the fast bowlers. So this is a positive thing," he opined.
Hayden guarded about WC favourite
He was promoting his book Standing My Ground in Chennai yesterday. Talking to media he said " It will be a near thing between India, Lanka and Australia. It would be hard to pick one team over another. S A and England come next"
Hayden said that his Chennai mate Dhoni headed a team with the right blend of youth and experience. " India has some very promising young cricketers. She also has the legendary Sachin on whom the cricketing gods are smiling".
"In Dhoni, India has a captain who is calm and unruffled, when even condtions are chaotic. He has the ability to bring the team together, which is the hallmark of a good leader. I enjoyed playing under Dhoni for the Chennai Super Kings".
Musing on Ricky Ponting's struggle for runs in the Ashes, he said " He has had a rough couple of months. But he is a gifted batsman and a warrior. He will fight back in the World Cup".
When asked why Australia has not found a good replacement for him, the ex hitter said" Shane Watson is doing a good job as an opener. He is growing in confidence all the time".
Hayden called Chennai the City of Destiny. He said he was proud that he was a member of a franchise that he respected in the IPL. "It has been a honour playing for the CSK at a venue, Chepauk, that I love. It is a memory which I will cherish".
The IPL brought players from different countries together. About Bajji, he said "Even though he had a stormy relationship with the ace spinner, one of the highlights of the IPL was me and Bajji chatting for a long time in a corner of the dressing room, exchanging ideas and thoughts".
The initial match India has got - on Feb 19 - causes jitters in one's spine. In WC 2007, India exited ingloriously, losing to Bangladesh and then losing to many. The first loss was to Bangladesh. So the initial match gives one the chills. Then India was under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid, who was running a bad phase astrologically, the period of the 8th lord. Dravid's astrological bad luck continued as he was dropped from ODIs and is not even considered now for the WC !
Cricket is defined as a game of chance by Bradman. All shots are risky and the game is fraught with vicissitudes. Fortunes normally fluctuate in ODIs and T20s. One ounce of luck is worth tons of talent. Only the combinaton of luck and merit can bring home the bacon !
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
India should break the jinx : Kapil
"The World Cup should be important to the Indian team as it is for Sachin. If you keep one player in front, then you are insulting the other players in the team". said the ex Indian captain.
But Kapil should understand that others have expressed this opinion as a great tribute to a legend, a great hero, who scored 97 international centuries !
Not only that such a comment should bring in team spirit, as all are sad that this will be the Master Blaster's last World Cup !
Sachin is running the Dasa of Rahu and the sub period of Venus. He has two planets exalted, Mars and the Sun. Mars is the sports planet and he represents bodily kinnaesthetic intelligence, the intelligence found normally in sports people. His time is not bad, but will it bring home the World Cup?
This is a man who scored 200 not out in an ODI against South Africa. Allan Border is of the view that there is a single player who can win the World Cup on his own, Chris Gayle. The same can be said about the man who scored 200 not out against the mighty South Africans !
Kapil should understand that this is an emotional statement and if implemented properly, can give India the World Cup. Cricket is a national integrator and Indian cricket owes a lot to this legend, this gem of a player, who scored 97 internatinonal hundreds ! The Sachin factor is another national integrator !
Not that other players are insignificant. Nobody said that. But the greatest gift the Indian players can pay to Sachin will be the the gift of the World Cup !
What Border said about Gayle can be said about Sachin. He is another matchwinner. India's chances more or less depend on this living legend ! This is the World Cup and you cant expect inexperienced players to bring home the bacon !
We have Pathan, we have Sehwag, Gauti and the rest. They should support and emulate this magnificent genius !
There is no use extolling others above him. His records speak volumes !
Kapil Dev said this at a function in Bombay. That India should break the home jinx. Present at the function were five more WC winning captains, Lloyd ( WI ), Border ( Aus ), Imran Khan ( Pak ), Ranatunga ( SL) and Steve Waugh ( Aus ).
So far no host nation has won the WC. Sri Lanka won, but then the final was in Lahore, Pakistan.
Kapil is of the view that Pathan will be the most important player in the team, a view shared by many. One hopes that the pressure of playing in the WC, will not get the better of Pathan !
"He can win the match from a losing position. The opposition will not have it easy as long as he is in the field or in the dressing room padded up".
Lloyd said that " Most of us were professionals playing county cricket in England ( about 1975 WC win ) In today's team, some are very talented. There are two or three good players, hopefully we can win a couple of games and spring a surprise or two".
Border said "I was fortunate to play with Steve Waugh. Australa will depend on fast bowling and their trio of pacemen - Lee, Tait and Johnson - can bring back the World Cup".
Imran Khan said " Pak is at a disadvantage, of not knowing who will be captain " ( There are many who support Misbah and many who support Afridi ). Misbah simply doesnt have the experience. It takes time to know a team. You need to be in a pressure situation to be able to cope with similar situations in the WC. They have had 5 captains in the last one year, it is unsettling."
"This will be one of the more even WCs. There are six teams that can create upsets. The format is such that the top teams will not be knocked out early".
"India is a favourite, followed by Sri Lanka for their form and home conditions. You need only two batsmen to take you to the winning situation."
"Pak's likley impact player is Boom Boom Afridi. But there is a big "If" with him. Umar Akmal is the dark horse. If he gets into form, he can win for Pak. "
Ranatunga said" We created new things. In 1996 Kalu and Jaya opened and the idea was to score 120/150 in the first 20 overs."
Imran and Kapi inspired me. If India and Pak can win WCs, why not Sri Lanka ? The current SL side is an allround side. It is a better bowling side than the 1996 team. My concern in the middle order"
Steve Waugh, the man who told Gibbs "You have just dropped the WC, my son" when Gibbs let him go, said " This edition will be tough. There are seven sides capable of winning. India has a slight edge, as she knows the conditions well and the team will receive fanatical support.
Sri Lanka has a very good chance. Australia has match winners, they are a bit hot and cold now. They have an outside chance. I dont think this Aussie side is weak, they are still ranked No 1 in ODIs. They have potential matchwinners in Tait, Johnson and Lee."
No favourites in this World Cup : Fletcher
The downfall of Australia has seen the emergence of India, SA and England and these teams are at their peak, remarks Fletcher.
The England coach says there are no clear favourites during this World Cup and it is going to be an open World Cup.
The three top teams, according to Fletcher, have their set of strengths and weaknesses. If we appy a SWOT ( Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats ), it is difficult preditct as to who will win the World Cup.
The England coach says there are no clear favourites during this World Cup and it is going to be an open World Cup.
With Australia leading in the pace bowling department, India and Sri Lanka in spin, England, Australia and SA in the all round department, it is difficult to predict a winner.
Anyway this World Cup, like all World Cups, will be marked by tears. All except one team will cry.
The three top teams, according to Fletcher, have their set of strengths and weaknesses. If we appy a SWOT ( Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats ), it is difficult preditct as to who will win the World Cup.
Fletcher also feels that Sri Lanka may be the dark horse of the tournament. " You cant rule out SL. They are always a dangerous side". With Murali and Mendis as spinners, a deadly combination, and with Mahela, Dilshan and Sanga as batsmen, they can create upsets at any time.
The 62 year old coach said , "England can be considered a good athletic side in one-day cricket. And the best part is their confidence is high after beating Australia on their backyard. But they do struggle on the slow wickets of the sub-continent because in England they don't play on those sorts of wickets. Few of the young players might find it difficult to adjust to the conditions here."
About SA, he said they are a huge threat. Australia has just beaten England with their younger players and they also cannot be underestimated.
"SA are undoubtedly going to be huge threat. With playing like Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers in their ranks, they would be a force to reckon with, No one can though never write off Australia ever,"Although claiming that India were the favourites at the moment, Fletcher said that the hosts would be under tremendous pressure to perform on their home ground.
"India are be favorites at this stage. But on their home ground, they would be under enormous pressure. Whether they can handle that pressure would determine a lot of things."
"India are be favorites at this stage. But on their home ground, they would be under enormous pressure. Whether they can handle that pressure would determine a lot of things."
Fletcher remarked that the role of spinners will be crucial on the spin tracks of Bangladesh, SL and India.."I really believe that the spinners are going to be crucial. Also, I think fitness would be a key issue as it's going to be hot there. Adapting to the sub-continent wickets would be another key area as a lot will depend on applying the right techniques," said the master coach.
He said that the success of the IPL is another major factor for psychological pressure on players."The pressure is being added by the success of the IPL. Not necessarily because the Indian players do well in the IPL but because of the mere fact that the cash-rich tournament takes place in India."
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Jupiter in Pisces augurs well for Indian Cricket
| JUP | KET | ||
| MARMER SUN | |||
| VEN RAH | MOO | SAT | |
Till May 6, Jupiter will be in Pisces, in the 9th. The World Cup, therefore, will take place when Jupiter transits the 9th. Saturn will be in the favourable third. The only negative factor is that Mars will be moving over to the 8th, on 20th March. So things are looking good for India ! There may be slices of bad luck after 20th March.
Jupiter was in the Fifth, a favourable house, in Scorpio when India won the 1983 World Cup.
Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.
On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.
Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.
About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.
Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.
Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.
There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !
The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !
It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !
India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !
India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )
It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?
Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.
On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.
Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.
About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.
Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.
Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.
There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !
The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !
It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !
India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !
India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )
It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?
Jupiter in the 9th good for Indian cricket !
| JUP | KET | ||
| MARMER SUN | |||
| VEN RAH | MOO | SAT | |
Till May 6, Jupiter will be in Pisces, in the 9th. The World Cup, therefore, will take place when Jupiter transits the 9th. Saturn will be in the favourable third. The only negative factor is that Mars will be moving over to the 8th, on 20th March. So things are looking good for India ! There may be slices of bad luck after 20th March.
Jupiter was in the Fifth, a favourable house, in Scorpio when India won the 1983 World Cup.
The Numerological Number Nine is an auspicious number. So is the number 5. Nine is ruled by Mars, and Five by Mercury.
Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.
On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.
Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.
About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.
Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.
Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.
There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !
The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !
It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !
India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !
India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )
It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?
Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.
On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.
Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.
About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.
Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.
Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.
There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !
The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !
It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !
India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !
India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )
It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?
Jupiter in the 9th, in Pisces, good for India !
| JUP | KET | ||
| MARMER SUN | |||
| VEN RAH | MOO | SAT | |
Till May 6, Jupiter will be in Pisces, in the 9th. The World Cup, therefore, will take place when Jupiter transits the 9th. Saturn will be in the favourable third. The only negative factor is that Mars will be moving over to the 8th, on 20th March. So things are looking good for India ! There may be slices of bad luck after 20th March.
Jupiter was in the Fifth, a favourable house, in Scorpio when India won the 1983 World Cup.
Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.
On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.
Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.
About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.
Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.
Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.
There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !
The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !
It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !
India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !
India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )
It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?
Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.
On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.
Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.
About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.
Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.
Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.
There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !
The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !
It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !
India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !
India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )
It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?
The heavens favour Indian cricket !
Astrologically, Jupiter in the 9th is a favourable transit and so is Saturn's transit of the 3rd.
As a result, Cricket Tourism will rise in India. There are about 103 matches to be played in India. Gate collections will rise, there will be more involvement by Industry and Bollywood, ad revenues will rise and Indian cricket will reach its Zenith in 2011 !
Look at Vibrant Gujarat ! It fetched 450 billion. Look at the overall GDP growth of 8.9%. Cricket is a 4 billion dollar industry in India !
The opening ceremony of the WC will held on Feb 17, two days before its kickoff. The final takes place at the Wankhede stadium on Apr 2. The World Cup was also supposed to be cohosted in Pak, but then in the wake of the terrorist 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, the ICC decided to strip Pak of its hosting rights. The 14 matches supposed to be in Pak, was given to the other nations. India got 8 matches, SL 4 and Bangladesh 2.
ESPN and Star Sports will finds their revenues increased, as they are the official telecasters of WC 2011. Sony, who bagged the TV rights for IPL for one billion dollar for ten years, will see their ad revenues rise ! As a result of Event Marketing of IPL, Hero Honda, Kingfisher Airlines and Pepsi will reap rewards !
This is the Golden Age of Indian cricket! Will our cricketers let us down ? There is no dearth of talent at all ! Astro predictions are that India has 70% chance, as both Jupiter and Saturn are benign.
IPL IV will be a huge success. So will be the WC 2011. More and more people will be attracted to T20 cricket, when the IPL IV starts on Apr 8.
For three months, we have non stop cricket. In India cricket is a religion, as it is avidly followed by the man in the street to even ministers. As a national integrator and a builder of genuine nationalism, cricket is unparalleled !
Jupiter in the 9th good for Indian cricket !
| JUP | KET | ||
| MARMER SUN | |||
| VEN RAH | MOO | SAT | |
Till May 6, Jupiter will be in Pisces, in the 9th. The World Cup, therefore, will take place when Jupiter transits the 9th. Saturn will be in the favourable third. The only negative factor is that Mars will be moving over to the 8th, on 20th March. So things are looking good for India ! There may be slices of bad luck after 20th March.
Jupiter was in the Fifth, a favourable house, in Scorpio when India won the 1983 World Cup.
Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.
On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.
Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.
About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.
Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.
Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.
There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !
The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !
It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !
India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !
India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )
It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?
Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.
On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.
Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.
About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.
Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.
Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.
There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !
The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !
It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !
India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !
India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )
It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?
Sohail and Misbah pull Pak to victory
From the opposition's perspective, both S Tanvir and Misbah are dangerous players. They almost won the game for Pak in the T20 Final 2007 which India won. Here they are pulling Pak to victory over NZ.
Pak needed 25 off 18 balls, when Misbha smote a six and a four. Then Sohail at the other end hit 2 mighty fours and the match was over.
Zaheer Abbas was complaining the Pak is not dominating the NZ matches. Today he was disproved by Misbah and Sohail. Misbah remained on 93 not out.
Afridi and Younus Khan are also very capable players. Both the Akmals are excellent players. Pak may be the dark horse of the WC. Pakis thrive on the subcontinental conditions, like Sri Lanka and India.
There is criticism of Pak selection also. Former player Basit Ali is surprised at the omission of spinner Kaneria and openers Khalid Latif and Shazaib Hasan.
I just saw the thrilling last minutes on CricTime.
Sachin holds the key : Sandhu
When the Men in Blue go to play, there are no Keralites, no Tamilians, no
Bengalis, no Biharis ! In a land of diverse languages, diverse religions and
diverse cultures, Cricket is a great national integrator !
All India will be united and hoping that their team will emulate the team of
the 1983 World Cup. The present team is more potent than the team of 1983 !
The 1983 squad consisted of bits and pieces men like Roger Binny, Kirthi
Azad, Madan Lal, M Amarnath. Nobody gave them any chance and there were
apprehensions that they may not even see the semi finals. But they won
against odds 100-1 ! The present team has many matchwinners and Sachin is
their best bet, feels Balvidner Singh Sandhu, one of the players of the
1983 victorious team.
"In our days we (bowlers) had to think on our feet, be good observers. We
had to study the rival batsmen by watching other matches where they played
and form a strategy. Now this is done by the support staff with the help of
the video analysis and the players have to implement the strategy. Talent
wise today's team is way ahead. For example, in terms of ODI experience, a
player like Sachin Tendulkar has alone played more matches than all of our
team members put together."
Remember Sachin's 200 no, the highest ever recorded in one day
internationals, against mighty SA last year. Sachin will be crucial to
India's success and Dhoni's men are far superior to the Kapil's Devils, who
created history ! Apart from Tendulkar, the Indian team has plenty of match
winners in Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag and Dhoni, feels Sandhu.
Considering that this will be Sachin's last WC, we can expect fireworks from
the Master Blaster. He is known to prepare well, give more than 100 per cent
and his work ethics are simply magnificent. "Others will get inspired by his
presence," Sandhu told PTI. "The guy (Tendulkar) will not allow the team to
be complacent, like Sunil Gavaskar did in 1983. There are also brilliant
players like Yuvraj, Yusuf and Dhoni who can bring the team back from a
losing position"
"Teams should be smart in using the batting powerplays which can make a big
impact. If there are too many spinners in the side when the powerplay is
taken, the team will be in trouble. I expect India to field three seam
bowlers along with Harbhajan Singh as the lone spinner with the remaining 10
overs shared among floaters like Yuvi and Raina," he said.
Sandhu feels that Australie will be the dark horse of the tournament. Look
what they did to England in the ODIs. They took revenge on the Ashes loss.
Shane Watson towered with a grand 162 no in one ODI. He can be a formidable
competitor. Aussies are well versed in Indian conditions, as most of their
players play in IPL and they can get tips from coaches in the IPL, who are
mostly Australians. Sandhu is of the opinion that India, England, Australia,
SA or Sri Lanka will enter the semi finals. He said he is not backing
Pakistan, as they do not seem to have a good captain.
Sandhu says India in 1983 got a morale boosting win at Berbice in Guyana
before the World Cup. Those who went to the West Indies (a few months before
the Cup in England) were confident we could beat the West Indies if we
played well. We were not overawed by that team.
The Berbice victory was a major confidence booster," Sandhu reminiscenced.
"We knew the West Indies panicked if they lost quick wickets. My job during
the Cup was to get an early wicket or two and, if I remember correctly, we
won all the games in which I took an early wicket," said the bowler, who
represented India in 22 ODIs and 8 Tests.
Sandhu is remembered for a magnificent in dipper he bowled to G Greenidige,
which bowled the West Indian, in the final at Lord on June 25, 1983, when
the score was 5.
Greenidge shouldered arms to the in dipper from Sandhu and was bowled neck
and crop to start a slide that ended with India shocking the West Indies by
43 runs in a low-scoring summit clash.
"Everyone talks about that ball but to me that is not the best ball I have
bowled in international cricket. That, I feel, was the ball with which I
bowled Haroon Rashid of Pakistan in a Test match. The out swinger pitched
leg and middle and took the off stump. That is a more difficult ball to
bowl," Sandhu said.
Recollecting from his vast memory, Sandhu said Kapil Dev's masterly 175 not
out, which pulled India from a tottering 17 for five in a do-or-die league
clash against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells, changed the fortunes of the team.
"Kapil's 175 not out was the turning point. After we won that game we knew
we could do it. The victory over the West Indies in the opening game was
also a big morale booster. We also won all our practice games barring one
against Sri Lanka which also gave us lot of confidence in the run-up to the
tournament."
"We knew if we played to our potential we can win. Sunil (Gavaskar), Yashpal
(Sharma) and Mohinder (Amarnath) were there to steady the innings while the
other strokemakers were there to play their shots," said India's master
cutter bowler.
The heavens favour Indian cricket !
Astrologically, Jupiter in the 9th is a favourable transit and so is Saturn's transit of the 3rd.
As a result, Cricket Tourism will rise in India. There are about 103 matches to be played in India. Gate collections will rise, there will be more involvement by Industry and Bollywood, ad revenues will rise and Indian cricket will reach its Zenith in 2011 !
Look at Vibrant Gujarat ! It fetched 450 billion. Look at the overall GDP growth of 8.9%. Cricket is a 4 billion dollar industry in India !
The opening ceremony of the WC will held on Feb 17, two days before its kickoff. The final takes place at the Wankhede stadium on Apr 2. The World Cup was also supposed to be cohosted in Pak, but then in the wake of the terrorist 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, the ICC decided to strip Pak of its hosting rights. The 14 matches supposed to be in Pak, was given to the other nations. India got 8 matches, SL 4 and Bangladesh 2.
ESPN and Star Sports will finds their revenues increased, as they are the official telecasters of WC 2011. Sony, who bagged the TV rights for IPL for one billion dollar for ten years, will see their ad revenues rise ! As a result of Event Marketing of IPL, Hero Honda, Kingfisher Airlines and Pepsi will reap rewards !
This is the Golden Age of Indian cricket! Will our cricketers let us down ? There is no dearth of talent at all ! Astro predictions are that India has 70% chance, as both Jupiter and Saturn are benign.
IPL IV will be a huge success. So will be the WC 2011. More and more people will be attracted to T20 cricket, when the IPL IV starts on Apr 8.
For three months, we have non stop cricket. In India cricket is a religion, as it is avidly followed by the man in the street to even ministers. As a national integrator and a builder of genuine nationalism, cricket is unparalleled !
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