Sir Sachin Tendulkar - The Greatest Cricketer Ever

[crajkumar_be]

Maddy sonna madhiri munna oru sila nadavadikkai appadi oru 'rift' irukkara madhiri sandhegatha ezhupuchu.. Behavior-a severe a watch pannadhula appadi irukkadhu nu padudhu.. ippo setha thevala


Viv,

[Sanguine Sridhar]

As far as I have seen, Dhoni praises Yuvraj more than Sachin in the post match conferences [Rule: Sachin and Yuvraj would have played and scored well]. I have noted this many times.

[Vivasaayi]

As far as I have seen, Dhoni praises Yuvraj more than Sachin in the post match conferences [Rule: Sachin and Yuvraj would have played and scored well]. I have noted this many times.

pookadaikku edhuku vilambaram?...

[ajithfederer]

Atleast in the general notion, I would think so.

Sachin kooda rift varra alavukku dhoni valandhutara?

[ajithfederer]

Yenga ingae naalanju fans argue panna avangalukulla sandainnu aageduma ?

Oho MAddy ... neenga ivvaLo naaL appidi thaan nenachchittirundheengaLA

CB series threads - seri vidunga.......

[ajithfederer]

As of now

Dhoni>Mongia in terms of batting

Mongia>Dhoni in terms of wicket keeping.

Indha rendayum vittuta Dhoni is central to the team as a captain which is an other added advantage to him. Anga marupechae illa. .

Dhoni has still a lot to improve in wicket keeping. Some days before I came across an article in which Kirmani said that Dhoni lacked basic wicket keeping skills.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009...and-first-test

Tendulkar drives India towards lead

• Little Master unbeaten on 70 after hitting 52nd Test fifty

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar hit his 52nd Test fifty as India ended the second day in Hamilton in control against New Zealand. Photograph: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images

Half-centuries to Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar allowed India to gain the upper hand in the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton today. The tourists reached stumps on the second day on 278 for four, one run behind the Black Caps' first-innings total.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on 70 with Yuvraj Singh eight not out when bad light stopped play as India moved smoothly towards the hosts' 279.

New Zealand enjoyed some early success when a direct hit by James Franklin resulted in the run-out of Virender Sehwag in the third over of the day after India resumed on 29 without loss.

Sehwag had faced three deliveries when he was called for a risky second run after Gambhir had pushed a Kyle Mills delivery wide of gully, but he was well short of his ground and out after adding two to his overnight 22.

New Zealand could not make any further inroads in the first session, however, as Gambhir posted his 10th half-century in 97 balls and at lunch India were 108 for one. The 105-run second-wicket stand ended when Gambhir (72) edged Chris Martin to Brendon McCullum to leave India 142 for two.

Dravid reached his 54th Test fifty with his 10th four and added 16 more before being bowled by Iain O'Brien to leave India at 177 for three.

Tendulkar and VVS Laxman made it through to tea with the visitors at 197 without further loss. But in the first over with the second new ball, Laxman edged a Martin delivery to Ross Taylor in the slips to out for 30 and with India on 238. It was the final wicket to fall in the day as Tendulkar went on to claim his 52nd Test half-century with a cover drive off Martin.

For New Zealand, Mills finished with figures of none for 70 off 15 overs. Martin enjoyed the most success, taking two for 53 from 20 overs, while O'Brien took one for 56. Jesse Ryder, who hit a maiden Test century yesterday, bowled five maidens in his seven overs which cost 10 runs

[directhit]

// dig

AF

Some days before I came across an article in which Kirmani said that Dhoni lacked basic wicket keeping skills.

he meant technical skills i mean text book methods. avar logic ellam paatha sehwag/sourav/yuvi ellam cricket ae aada mudiyadhu :P //

[ajithfederer]

http://www.thesportscampus.com/20090...-1st-test-day2

Tendulkar gives India the advantage

Thursday, 19 March 2009 11:45 Aayush


Sachin Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 70 as he took India within one run of the Kiwi total of 279 at the end of Day 2 of the First Test between New Zealand and India being played at Hamilton. The master batsman showed his class as he played some delightful shots in his innings. Earlier in the day it was the pair of Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid who gave India a good start, with both batsmen scoring half centuries. The Kiwi bowlers tried their best but were just not good enough in front of a strong Indian batting line up.

The Indian team started the first session on a bad note as they lost Virender Sehwag due to some poor running between the wickets. Gautam Gambhir played a beautiful off drive for which the batsmen tried to take a non existent double; Sehwag was way short of his crease when Franklin threw the stumps down from deep cover. This brought Rahul Dravid in the middle and he looked at his supreme best both in defense and attack. Dravid's pre-series stint with the Cantebury Wizards seems to have done his form and confidence a world of good.

Gambhir and Dravid added 105 runs for the 2nd wicket, with both the batsmen playing some wonderful shots. The Indian players were enjoying the bounce in the pitch and it was helping them to play some breathtaking shots especially off the back foot. Gambhir reached fifty, and in the process took India to a strong position before getting out for 72. His innings comprised of 11 fours and took 135 balls. Chris Martin was the bowler who got the break through getting Gambhir to nudge one outside his off stump down to Brendon McCullum.

Sachin Tendulkar was the next man in and he continued his fine form from the last ODI he had played, 10 days back. There were no signs of his injury as he stroked the ball nicely to all corners. Dravid at the other end slowly reached his half century. His innings of 66 was finally brought to an end by O'Brien, who got the ball to swing back from out side the off stump and find a way through Dravid's defense and on to the stumps.

Sachin then combined with Laxman, and the duo took the Indian score past the 200 mark. Laxman was taking his time to settle down but also showed glimpses of form while playing some trademark cover drives. The duo added 61 runs for the 4th wicket and were threatening to take the game away from the Kiwis.

With 80 overs up, the black caps wasted no time in taking the second new ball and they struck gold immediately. Laxman was out second ball when he played away from his body but could only manage an edge to Ross Taylor at first slip. Meanwhile Sachin decided to play some shots against the new ball and he added quick fire 40 runs in Yuvraj SIngh's company.

The little champ played some delightful shots, the best of them being a textbook back foot cover drive to reach his fifty. His exhibition innings was cut short on Day 2 due to bad light, which ended play 20 minutes earlier than scheduled.

The Indian team ended the day on 278-4, trailing the Kiwis by just one run. Sachin remained not out on 70 with 11 boundaries, while Yuvraj was unbeaten on 8. The duo would look to build a big partnership tomorrow and take the game away from the Kiwis. With rain predicted in the coming days, it would be important for India to get a good first innings lead and put the pressure on the hosts.


MINI SCORECARD

New Zealand 1st innings 279 all out

Vettori 118 Sharma 4-73
Ryder 102 Patel 3-60

India 1st innings 278-4

Gambhir 72 Martin 2-53
Sachin 70* O'Brien 1-56

[ajithfederer]

http://content.cricinfo.com/nzvind20...ry/395815.html

New Zealand v India, 1st Test, Hamilton, 2nd day

A slow yet absorbing day

Sidharth Monga in Hamilton

March 19, 2009
Sachin Tendulkar hits off the back foot, New Zealand v India, 1st Test, Hamilton, 2nd day, March 19, 2009
Sachin Tendulkar was slow and steady at first but played his shots against the second new ball © Getty Images

There were ten wickets and two hundreds on the first day of the Hamilton Test. The second day was always going to struggle to live up to such excitement and sure enough, India scored only 249 runs and lost just the four wickets. But what the second day lacked in drama, it made up in intensity.

If it was fun watching Daniel Vettori's punchy drives on Wednesday, it was interesting today to watch Gautam Gambhir walk out to pace bowlers to counter the swing. Where it was heart-stopping to watch the minutes before Jesse Ryder reached his century, there was typical sedateness in how Rahul Dravid reached his half-century. The return of the square-cut in the classical mould was an added bonus. If there were several twists and turns on day one, it took a determined effort from Sachin Tendulkar to prevent any towards the end of day two.

The second day had few surprises, but nevertheless it kept the spectator involved. The batsmen were prepared to not play at balls outside off stump. The bowlers realised wickets were not easy to get and were prepared to toil according to their fields.

That said, had Virender Sehwag not got out early - and it needed an almost freakish direct hit - we could have been in for a completely different day. Gambhir, however, put that mix-up behind him and focused on the testing conditions. He might have been given out lbw off the first ball of the day had Kyle Mills not over-stepped. Gambhir was rarely caught on the crease by a swinging ball after that. He was beaten at times when he stepped out and he was slow in the first half of his innings. However he stuck at it and finished with a strike-rate of over 50 after scoring only 11 runs off his first 40 balls.

Dravid displayed immaculate judgment about the location of his off stump and showed that while his kind of batting might be becoming rarer by the day, it is still very important for his team. Dravid left seven out of his first eight balls, two of them close to off and another that moved in, getting close to the line whenever he did so. His second instinct was to take singles, the short boundaries and the fast outfield could wait. Between them Gambhir and Dravid took 33 singles and wore the bowlers down.

When the pitch became easier for batting in the second session, and just when the second-wicket partnership seemed like putting it beyond New Zealand, the bowlers reaped rewards for disciplined bowling. Gambhir got out to a delivery that moved away from round the stumps. Dravid was allowed only two runs off his last 15 balls.

New Zealand utilised their limited resources excellently and did not allow India to run away with the game. If they could be faulted it was for being a touch on the shorter side, especially when the ball lost its hardness. Their other blip was the two difficult chances they failed to take either side of the tea break.

One of the beneficiaries, Sachin Tendulkar, made them pay. He was not his fluent self at the start but was not beaten often either; it was just that New Zealand made it hard for him to score. But Tendulkar waited, taking 11 balls to get off the mark, and once he was settled he played lovely shots. The straight drive off Vettori, the flick off Kyle Mills, and the backfoot punch off Chris Martin to bring up his fifty were his best.

Tendulkar's real test came against Jesse Ryder, who provided New Zealand with imagination when they were running short of ideas. Ryder gave nothing away, got the ball to move a bit, and almost had Tendulkar lbw but for an inside edge.

Tendulkar survived that period, and after Laxman fell in the first over with the second new ball, he stepped up a gear. He hit the new ball six times to the boundary, scoring 30 off 29, and provided India with the decisive edge, which was expected at the start of the day. In achieving that goal though, a new - in terms of this series - route had to be taken. New Zealand made India work hard for runs, India showed they were prepared to do so.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

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