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- MS Dhoni finds himself at centre of controversy ahead of 4th Test #IndvsEng
- England desperate to win test series in India: Alastair Cook #IndvsEng
- Steven Finn doubtful for Nagpur test against India #IndvsEng
- India vs England 4th Test Live Streams, Where to watch online #IndvsEng
- MS Dhoni unhappy with Gautam Gambhir’s attitude and on-field ethics #IndvsEng
- Difficult for selectors to ask Sachin Tendulkar to retire: Wasim Akram #IndvsEng
- Preview: India vs England, 4th Test, Nagpur, 13-17 Dec 2012 #IndvsEng
- India vs Pakistan Live Streaming Online 2012 #IndvsPak
- New Zealand Cricket board apologizes to Ross Taylor over captaincy issue
| MS Dhoni finds himself at centre of controversy ahead of 4th Test #IndvsEng Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:00 AM PST
All the five national selectors had decided to sack Dhoni in January this year, but BCCI president Srinivasan had intervened and disapproved the decision, according to one of the then selectors Mohinder Amarnath. Dhoni, who is Nagpur for the fourth and final Test against England starting on Thursday, did not appear to bothered by the controversy. In India, “every Tom, Dick and Harry have an opinion about the game”, he said, adding, “when people appreciate me a lot, I don’t feel as if I am in seventh heaven. And It’s the same when people criticise me. We (Indians) have extreme opinions”.
“We praise and then start pulling the same individuals down. I would say it’s very important to be in the middle path because that’s how you will enjoy the sport,” he insisted. Dhoni said that in the Indian cricket setup, everything was under the microscope and questions are asked for every decision you take. “If you are part of the Indian cricket set up everything is under the microscope and everybody has an opinion. You can ask plenty of questions on why that guy was not picked and why this guy was not given the new ball. It’s a team sport. It’s getting very critical,” he said. Dhoni continued to come under attack from former selector Amarnath, who said that the proposal to change the skipper after the disastrous tours of England and Australia was made in the larger interest of Indian cricket. “It was an unanimous decision, all five selectors supported it. The Board president (Srinivasan) did not approve the unanimous decision to replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” Amarnath said. “We are working on trust there and we are doing our job honestly. It was a unanimous decision of the selection committee to replace Dhoni with somebody after the disastrous series in Australia,” he added. Amarnath, who played 69 Tests and 74 one-dayers for India, said the selection committee had picked 17 players for the CB series in Australia but had not named a captain. “We selected the team for the triangular series, selected 17 players but we didn’t select the captain. The captain was selected by somebody else,” Amarnath, one of India’s heroes in the 1983 World Cup triumph, said. Asked about the specific reasons behind Srinivasan’s non-approval, Amarnath answered, “When you respect a person, you don’t ask questions…but my question here is you have a selection committee those who think what is best for Indian cricket then why are they not given free hand? Amarnath, however, did not comment on whether Dhoni’s association with Chennai Super Kings, which is owned by Srinivasan himself, had any bearing on the incident. “The Chennai Super Kings does not come into this. This is between captain and Mr Srinivasan. I have nothing to say on that. I’m not in favour or against anything like that,” he said. There was also one report that a miffed Dhoni was unhappy with Gautam Gambhir’s attitude and had lodged a complaint with the BCCI, though, at the press conference, he praised him. According to a website, Dhoni felt that Gambhir puts his interest above team and had become too “self-centred” which was hurting the team. However, at the press conference, Dhoni praised Gambhir for the way he had batted in Mumbai and Kolkata. “The best thing about Gautam is his aggressive character. He has batted very well in the last two games. Being aggressive is not only about stepping out and hitting the ball but also about positively defending.” Turning to the match, Dhoni said that the character of the team can be judged only during a tough situation. “As a captain and an individual such a situation does not happen often. It was a similar situation against South Africa too (in 2008) when we played at home and were down in the series and the last game was at Kanpur (and won the match to draw the rubber). “But such situations are very few. I won’t say it’s a very good situation to be in, but the true character of a person as well as the team comes out in tough situations. In a way it’s good we are in a situation like this. We have nowhere to go and have to do well in this game,” he remarked. Dhoni, however, got support from former captain Sunil Gavaskar. “There is no alternative to Dhoni. He and Virat Kohli have been tireless on the field. Virat has been exception and Dhoni has also been tireless. He hasn’t missed too many opportunities of catching and stumping,” Gavaskar said.  |
| England desperate to win test series in India: Alastair Cook #IndvsEng Posted: 12 Dec 2012 09:30 AM PST
Cook hoped that his side will continue the good run in the fourth and final game commencing at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha here tomorrow. “I am pleasantly surprised by the character shown by the team (after Ahmedabad) in the last two games. I am pleased. We have played good, tough cricket. But we have to continue that,” said Cook at the pre-match media conference.
England bounced back after the nine-wicket loss in Ahmedabad to win back-to-back Tests in Mumbai and Kolkata, by 10 and seven wickets respectively. They are heading into the last match 2-1 ahead and with the prospect of returning him with their first series win in India in 28 years. “The last game was a real team effort from everyone. At the beginning of the series we were desperate to win it and we are having an opportunity here to do it,” remarked Cook, who has literally led from the front by scoring 548 runs with three back to back hundreds in six innings so far. But Cook, who made his debut in this Orange City eight years ago but at the old VCA Stadium where he hit a half century and an unbeaten ton, insisted that it was important to focus on the job at hand and not at what can happen later. “Everyone knows how important this game is. As a player you have to focus on the job at hand and keep emotions out,” he said. “They will be desperate not to let the home record broken,” he said referring to the fact that India have not lost a home Test rubber in eight years. Asked whether it could be senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s last game in the face of the severe criticism he has faced recently, Cook looked bemused and said he had enjoyed playing against the world’s most prolific run-getter and century-maker. “He’s an amazing player with a fantastic record like his 100 100s. It has been a pleasure playing against him,” said Cook. Tendulkar has mustered a mere 110 runs in five games. On to the team composition, Cook said Stuart Broad was out of contention for a place in the eleven with a bruised heel. He also termed the wicket for the match as “very dry”. “I saw it yesterday. It was very dry and there are lots of cracks. But there were cracks in Kolkata too, but it held well,” he said.  |
| Steven Finn doubtful for Nagpur test against India #IndvsEng Posted: 12 Dec 2012 09:00 AM PST
The 6-foot, 7-inch tall fast bowler had gone for a scan and it showed he has a disc strain in lower back, according to official team sources. A final decision on the availability of Finn, who did not train with the team on Wednesday, will be taken on Thursday morning, the sources added. Finn had missed the opening two Test matches (Ahmedabad and Mumbai) of this tour after straining his thigh muscle on the opening day of the first warm-up game in Mumbai in late October.
He, then, played a practice game in Navi Mumbai for England’s second string team where he took four for 50 to prove his match fitness and was eventually included in the third Test at Kolkata that the visitors won by seven wickets to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series. Finn took four wickets in that Test, three of those in the second innings when he dismissed Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Zaheer Khan to finish with impressive figures of three for 45, and play a key role in England’s victory. His absence in the fourth game here would be a major blow for the tourists in their quest to clinch a Test series in India after 28 years. If Finn is found unfit, Tim Bresnan is likely to take his place in the playing eleven tomorrow.  |
| India vs England 4th Test Live Streams, Where to watch online #IndvsEng Posted: 12 Dec 2012 08:43 AM PST India vs England 4th Test Cricket Live Streams Online. Where to watch India vs England Test Series Online. India vs England 4th Test Nagpur Live streams online. Ind vs Eng watch online. India in a do-or-die situation when they take the ground at Nagpur for the fourth and final test of the series against England. India have a great track record at home and its been always difficult to win the series in India for any teams. But things may get change this time. England are currently with 2-1 series lead against India and India need to put in everything to draw the series. India batting and bowling both have failed at home which is something rare. Indian batsman haven’t been in the form and that has resulting in 1-2 results so far. England bowlers have so far been able to hold the Indian batsman but two of their key players are injured. India-England series fourth test can be watch online free on thecricket-tv.info or thecrictv.com. Match Timings: 09:30 local/IST | 04:00 GMT England: 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Nick Compton, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Samit Patel, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Steven Finn, 10 James Anderson, 11 Monty Panesar Watch India vs England Series Live Streams on below links: 1. Star Cricket, Sky Sports HD – TheCricket-TV.info 2. Star Cricket – TheCrictv.com  |
| MS Dhoni unhappy with Gautam Gambhir’s attitude and on-field ethics #IndvsEng Posted: 12 Dec 2012 02:01 AM PST
Dhoni feels that Gambhir puts his interest above the team and has become too self-centred. The Indian captain has gone to the extent of lodging a complaint to the BCCI tagging the opener’s approach as “selfish” and “hurtful to the team”, cricketnext website reported, quoting an Indian player who pleaded anonymity. “Of late Gambhir has gone into a shell and focusing on just to save his place in the team. His prolonged poor form has resulted in low self-esteem and he’s cut off from other issues pertaining to the team,” the player was quoted as saying.
“But what irked Dhoni was Gambhir playing for himself and not for the team. It was evident in the way Gambhir batted in the second innings of the Mumbai Test that he was more interested in carrying his bat by remaining not out, rather than shielding the tailenders and scoring quick runs. ” Every run was crucial but Gambhir chose to be a mute spectator. The whole world saw that and everyone was taken aback. The effort to contribute to the team wasn’t there. Look how well R Ashwin batted with maturity during his unbeaten 91 in the Kolkata Test and he isn’t a specialist batsman. He shepherded the tailenders superbly and scored vital runs. If Ashwin can do, why couldn’t Gambhir?” the player said. While assuaging thoughts of any bad blood between Dhoni and Gambhir, the report cited the run-outs of Virender Sehwag in the first innings of the Kolkata Test and Cheteshwar Pujara in the second as moments which precipitated India’s downfall and left Dhoni miffed with Gambhir’s current approach. Gambhir’s attitude has not gone down well with Dhoni, who is determined to win the Nagpur Test and level the series, and he conveyed his thoughts to the BCCI officials in no uncertain terms, the report claimed. The website report said one of the BCCI officials will speak to Gambhir before the match and the matter will be sorted out. “It is important that all the members take the field in the last Test with the motto of giving their best shot,” he concluded. A source close to Gambhir asserted that though the opener hasn’t performed to the potential in this series, Dhoni was playing gimmicks to undermine Gambhir. “Dhoni’s captaincy is under fire. He’s being censured by one and all. His place in the Test team is questioned; his defensive and unimaginative mindset as a captain is unmasked, so he’s trying to pass the buck and blame others – whether his batsmen, spinners, Sehwag and now Gambhir – to save his face,” the website said, quoting the source. “He (Dhoni) sees Gambhir as a potential threat to his captaincy and wants to undermine him. Mohinder Amarnath has tipped Gambhir to take over the captaincy from Dhoni and proclaimed that Dhoni uses his clout in the BCCI to push his agenda. He thinks that he can dictate terms in every matter…”, the report added.  |
| Difficult for selectors to ask Sachin Tendulkar to retire: Wasim Akram #IndvsEng Posted: 12 Dec 2012 01:31 AM PST
Stating that the pressure on Tendulkar has increased after India’s two back-to-back defeats in four-Test series against England, Akram said, “When your most experienced batsman hasn’t scored a Test century in almost two years, questions are bound to rise. “It finally boils down to your own assessment as (Australia’s Ricky) Ponting did. “The question is who will bell the cat? Who will pop the question? Today, former cricketers are openly asking for Dhoni’s head. Can you do the same with a Tendulkar? A lot of people, like Sourav Ganguly, feel he should retire, but Sachin himself might still want to continue for another six months or so. It’s difficult to give any advice to a legend like Sachin,” Akram told espnstar.com.
The former pacer also said that a definite answer on Tendulkar’s future plans would give the national selectors a chance to find a suitable replacement. “The changes have to be made carefully. One shouldn’t tamper too much with the team line-up. But the middle order needs a few new faces. And somebody needs to ask Sachin on what is his future plan and for how long does he want to continue. “A definite answer will only enable Indian selectors find a replacement, insisted Akram. Akram said had he been in Tendulkar’s place, he would have stepped down by now as there was hardly anything more left to achieve. “When Sachin first stepped into international cricket, nobody would have thought that this lad would go on to score 100 tons and smash all batting records. If I was in his shoes I would have stepped down by now because there is nothing else left to achieve.”  |
| Preview: India vs England, 4th Test, Nagpur, 13-17 Dec 2012 #IndvsEng Posted: 12 Dec 2012 12:17 AM PST
Trailing the buoyant visitors 1-2 in the rubber after being outplayed in the second and third encounters at Mumbai and Kolkata, the home players need to sort themselves out on several fronts to level the series at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha. Under-performing senior players in the Indian line-up, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and veteran batsman Sachin Tendulkar, are under severe pressure not only to lift the side with supreme personal efforts but also to save their careers after India’s spineless displays at the Wankhede Stadium and the Eden Gardens.
It would need a monumental display of grit and determination from several below-par players if India are to bounce back from this dismal situation and prevent England from walking off with their first Test series win in India in 28 years. The home team needs to buck up not just in one department but in several to stop the visiting team from running away triumphant for the first time since David Gower’s outfit in 1984-85. Indian openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have been pretty casual in their approach thus far, in stark contrast to the grinding efforts of rival skipper Alastair Cook, England’s top batsman in the series, and rookie Nick Compton, who has slowly and steadily found his feet after a nervous debut in Ahmedabad’s opening Test. The middle order has been pathetic with only Cheteshwar Pujara showing spunk in the first two Tests before going off the boil. Tendulkar, in the autumn of his glorious career, has looked a pale shadow of his former self, garnering just 110 runs in five innings thus far. Someone like Virat Kohli, who was the best batsman for the team in Australia, has fallen away so much to casual shots that he has mustered a pathetic 85 runs in six innings, an indication of the malaise afflicting the team. Dhoni has been poor with the bat and behind the stumps too, with just a lone half century in the previous game to crow about and his head is on the chopping block more than anyone else’s even though he has been defiant in his statements. “The easiest thing for me to say right now is to say, ‘I quit captaincy’ and be a part of the side. But that’s like running away from the responsibility. Of course there are others who will decide. There is BCCI and the administrative people who also want to look into that”, he had said after India were handed a seven-wicket defeat at the Eden Gardens. However, it is difficult to see him retained at the helm if India lose the series after having led the country to two massive defeats recently — the 0-4 whitewashes in England and Australia. To give an impetus to the non-performing middle order, the Indian selectors have chopped the under-performing Yuvraj Singh from the squad and brought in the in-form Ravindra Jadeja and the Saurashtra all-rounder is almost certain to make his Test debut. The 24-year-old, who has played 58 ODIs, comes into the do-or-die encounter on the strength of his national record that includes a third triple hundred in first class cricket against a weak Railways attack on the shirtfront wicket at Rajkot and would find the cauldron of Test cricket a different kettle to master. Where he can make some difference is not only in the number of overs he would bowl his left-arm spin but also at the pace at which he delivers, slightly faster than Pragyan Ojha who has been the standout player with the ball for the team – 19 wickets in three games at a decent average of 25. Jadeja can certainly complement the style of Ojha and the off-spin of Ravichandran Ashwin, who has not looked the part of a Test bowler except in the closing stages of the Kolkata game when he concentrated on sticking to a correct line and limiting his variations to the minimum. The other spinner, who has been included in the squad at the expense of Harbhajan Singh, leg spinner Piyush Chawla would bring in some more variety if picked in the eleven. India have also dropped the out-of-form Zaheer Khan and replaced him with Delhi pacer Parvinder Awana. But Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda, yet to play his first Test, appear to be the two first-choice pacers for the hosts and Awana may have to wait for his chance. While India have a load of problems to confront, England are having very few and are expected to retain the winning eleven for the series finale. They can sit on the 2-1 lead by playing for a draw, but it’s fraught with danger and captain Cook has responded in a similar fashion after the team’s victory in the third match. “Definitely (a win would be on our mind). You can’t go into that game with that (draw) mentality. We have to do same as we have done in these last two games (at Mumbai and Kolkata). And again, produce the goods,” said Cook amassed 548 runs with centuries to boot in each of the three Tests so far. While Cook has led from the front with aplomb, the other leading batsmen have rallied around him, with top batsman Kevin Pietersen playing the defining knock in the Mumbai Test and Matt Prior and Compton playing the supporting roles with panache. The bowlers too have delivered and it is not only the spinners — Monty Panesar (16 wickets in 2 Tests) and Graeme Swann (17 in 3). The fast bowlers — James Anderson and fit-again Steven Finn — have also proved their worth by using reverse swing to telling effect in Kolkata. Vice-captain Stuart Broad has aggravated his heel injury and may not be available for selection though even otherwise he might sit out. A series victory here for England would be the icing on the cake for their mixed show in 2012 during which they lost to South Africa at home and went down without a whimper against Pakistan in the UAE. The wicket at the Jamtha stadium appears to be a dry one and should aid spin bowling quite early. This has been a result-oriented pitch as the last three games have ended in a result, two in favour of India (against Australia and New Zealand) and one against (against South Africa). Teams (from): India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt.), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Dinda, Murali Vijay, Parvinder Awana England: Alastair Cook (Capt.), James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Nick Compton, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Stuart Broad, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Graham Onions, Eoin Morgan, Monty Panesar and Steven Finn. Umpires: Tucker and Kumar Dharmasena  |
| India vs Pakistan Live Streaming Online 2012 #IndvsPak Posted: 11 Dec 2012 10:15 PM PST
Pakistan to tour India for 2 T20 and 3 ODI matches beginning from 25 December 2012 to 06 January 2013. Pakistan last played against India in the World Cup 20111 where it lost to India. This will be the first bilateral series organized since 2008. Peoples from both nations wanted to see India and Pakistan playing and this will be their chance to enjoy all the thrill and action. Pakistan recently announced the squad for the series, Shahid Afridi one of the key players has been axed from the ODI team. Shahid Afridi has a good track record against India and this decision can impact Pakistan team. India will definitely look to exploit the home conditions advantage. India vs Pakistan Series 2012-13 matches will be broadcasted on Star Cricket, Sky Sports HD and below are the links to watch the game live online. 1. TheCricTV – http://thecrictv.com 2. TheCricket-TV – http://thecricket-tv.info  |
| New Zealand Cricket board apologizes to Ross Taylor over captaincy issue Posted: 11 Dec 2012 09:49 PM PST
Taylor opted to sit out the tour against the Proteas after being replaced as skipper by opener Brendon McCullum last Friday, leaving a gaping hole in the New Zealand batting line-up as the side faces the world’s top-ranked Test team. The axing also exposed deep divisions within New Zealand cricketing circles and provoked a backlash against administrators over Taylor’s treatment. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chairman Chris Moller acknowledged the issue could have been handled better, but stood by the decision to appoint McCullum and said there would be no sackings at the organisation.
“The board has reviewed all aspects of the captaincy issue and wishes to publicly place on record its apologies to Ross Taylor and his family for the manner in which events have unfolded,” Moller told reporters. The drama is a distraction any team poised to confront the Proteas at home could do without, let alone one ranked eighth in the world and already without star spinner Daniel Vettori and gifted batsman Jesse Ryder. “What’s unfolding at the moment is very disappointing,” McCullum, a close associate of coach Mike Hesson, told reporters this week after denying he had any role in Taylor’s downfall. “I’m sure that will all heal in due course,” he added. McCullum’s optimism appears misplaced, as cricketing greats and media commentators called for heads to roll at NZC amid claims the sport has lost its way under the current leadership. Former coach Mark Greatbatch called for Moller’s departure Wednesday, accusing him on commercial radio of being “involved with too many underhand dealings in the last two or three years”. Former captain Martin Crowe has demanded NZC’s entire top echelon, including Hesson, stand down, saying they had permanently damaged cricket in New Zealand, where popularity for the sport runs a distant second to rugby union. Taylor himself has accused NZC of lying by saying he was initially asked to stay on as Test captain when told before the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month that the team’s leadership would be changed.  |
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