Posts
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
india no1
India @ No 1: Dhoni's Midas touch and the Kirsten era
There has always been a sense of mystery surrounding Mahendra Singh Dhoni's instant success from the time he burst on to the scene from near obscurity. The 28-year-old Indian captain is yet to lose a Test match, and in one-dayers his success rate is better than any other Indian captain in history. So sudden and meteoric has the rise been that his success as skipper has often been attributed to an unexplained Midas touch.
But after Team India reached the top of the ICC Test rankings on Sunday, Dhoni said that luck had only little to do with the team achieving their long-term goal.
"I don't think it's about my golden touch at all. Instead, it's about what the players are doing on the field, or you would have more non-playing captains in cricket," Dhoni said, attributing the rise to a number of different players coming good during the 18 months that coach Gary Kirsten has been with the side.
At the end of the Greg Chappell era, post the 2007 World Cup, Indian cricket was in turmoil. Dhoni's young brigade did bring some solace by winning the inaugural T20 World Cup, but they were still without a coach when they traveled to Australia for a four Test series later that year.
By the time the team returned from their controversy-ridden tour, beaten 21 in the Test series, South Africa were already waiting for them at home. It was in this scenario that Kirsten officially took over.
"It wasn't like Gary came only to make the India the No 1 team in the world. The long-term goal was to achieve the top spot, but we were concentrating more on our short-term goals. It took us 18 months of hard work to reach here," said Dhoni.
Opener Virender Sehwag welcomed Kirsten to the Indian dressing-room by smashing the Proteas for 319, but India succumbed to an innings defeat in the second Test in Ahmedabad, and an injury to skipper Anil Kumble led to a change of guard as Dhoni took over for the Kanpur Test. On a turning track that kicked up quite a storm, he kicked off an unbeaten run to level the series 1-1.
With Dhoni already in charge in the shorter versions, the skipper and the coach -- diametrically different in terms of personality -- started to forge a working relationship that not only instilled confidence in the team but also acted as a balm for the fear and insecurity of the two preceding years.
Golden run
When Dhoni finally took over in the longer format as well -- once Kumble retired with an injury midway through the Australia series, shortly after a 2-0 defeat to Ajantha Mendis's mystery spin in Sri Lanka -- it seemed to start a golden run. All the frontline batsmen -playing in India and away in New Zealand -- have since averaged over 40, with openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag repeatedly giving India good starts, averaging 77.54 and 58.29 respectively.
"One good thing is that we've, more or less, seen the same team play most of the matches. There haven't been too many injuries. Naturally, there were games where some individuals stood out and carried the whole team," Dhoni said.
The heroes started to become more varied -- Tendulkar led India to an emotional win in Chennai against England, who had returned after going back home midway through the tour following the Mumbai terror attack, and then struck a masterly 160 to help register a crucial win in the first Test in New Zealand. In the second at Napier, Gambhir spent more than 10 hours at the crease to save the match, giving the side their first series win in the country in over 40 years.
Dravid, in a lean patch over the last year, then reinforced his value against Sri Lanka, finishing with an average of 108.25. He first saved India the blushes with a fighting century at Ahmedabad, where they were reduced to 32 for four on the first morning, and then added another ton in Kanpur.
Rest of the world
While India were recording all these series wins -- against Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka -- they were helped along the way by what was happening in the rest of the world. Table-toppers Australia, in a freefall after the retirement of eight of the senior players over a 24 month period,lost the Ashes series to England two years after a thumping 5-0 win.
They then lost out on valuable points by going down in their home series to South Africa, who seemed to be emerging as the clear front-runners in world cricket until the Aussies hit back like only they've been known to. Ponting's team went to South Africa still licking the wounds of their defeat, but crushed the Proteas in the first Test at Johannesburg to set the tone for a 2-1 victory. That result ensured South Africa did not open up an unassailable lead at the top.
Going into the India vs Sri Lanka series, the Proteas were still on top with 122 points, Lanka second on 120, India third on 119, and Australia fourth on 116 -- all very close for a series shake-up in the months to follow.
India have been the first beneficiaries of this flux, reaching the top slot for the first time since the rankings became official eight years ago. But with Dhoni's team not playing too many Tests in the coming months (South Africa are starting a home series against England next week, and Australia have back-to-back series with West Indies and New Zealand), the Indian skipper admitted that maintaining their position slot would not be easy.
"It is a bit of concern that we are playing just two Test matches in the next six months," Dhoni said. "But we've done something remarkable, so we would rather celebrate it than thinking about the future."
BUILDING BLOCKS
BATTING
Gambhir: Seven 100s (including one double) and seven half-centuries in 24 innings at 77.54.
Sehwag: Four centuries (one triple and two doubles) and six 50s in 31 innings at 58.29.
Dravid: Four 100s and seven 50s in 30 innings at 44.53.
Sachin: Four 100s and five 50s in 25 innings at 47.52.
Laxman: Two centuries (one double) and ten 50s in 24 innings at 52.45
Yuvraj: Five 50s in 12 innings at 47.90
Dhoni: Two 100s and eight 50s in 16 innings at 54.50
BOWLING
Zaheer: 50 wkts in 15 Tests at 35.20
Harbhajan: 87 wkts in 17 Tests at 29.12
More than 77 years after India began playing Tests, M S Dhoni's men have a real chance of going where no Indian team has before - the summit of
With Sri Lanka still needing 59 runs to make India bat again, and just four wickets to go, the ICC world No 1 Test ranking is tantalizingly within reach.
If achieved, it would be a fitting slot for a team that hasn't lost a Test series since August 2008 in Sri Lanka and has since proceeded to sort out ‘mystery spinner' Ajantha Mendis in no uncertain terms.
Before that, they lost narrowly to Australia in Australia - and even that was a bitter, scrappy affair in which they ran the then world champions down to the wire and would probably have drawn the series, but for the intervention of Steven Bucknor at Sydney.
India may have lost that series, but it was clearly on the right track, with the batsmen no longer cowed by lively tracks or short-pitched pace. Remember, during that series India beat Australia at Perth, considered a fast bowler's dream pitch. Just as importantly, the team finally had an attack that could match fire with fire, while also boasting the traditional Indian strengths of guile and tweak.
Long described as tigers at home but lambs abroad, India had briefly turned the tide under Sourav Ganguly. Even after he left the hot seat, India notched up some important wins, like the series win in England. But Rahul Dravid's abrupt resignation plunged Indian cricket into a fresh round of confusion after the chaos of the Greg Chappell era.
Enter Anil Kumble, the first bowler to captain India since Ravi Shastri led in a single Test in 1987-88. Kumble's vision document conveyed the need for focus and dedication. His mantra: Play fearless cricket and stop quibbling about factors you can't control, like the toss or the wicket. During his stint, the team found its feet again.
Kumble's exit paved the way for M S Dhoni. Having led India to victory at the first T20 world championship and the final Australian tri-series, Dhoni had already established his leadership credentials. His calm-but-ruthless style has worked equally well in Tests.
India, if they seal victory against Sri Lanka on Sunday, will become the world's No.1 Test team. The climb to the top began almost two years ago under the captaincy of Anil Kumble.
Pakistan were comfortably beaten under Kumble but the sole blip came in Sri Lanka, a 1-2 loss made possible by the confounding deliveries of the freakish Mendis. Since then, the team hasn't looked back.
Back at home, Australia were decisively humbled even as the smoothest of transitions, from Kumble to Dhoni, ensured there would no hiccups. England were beaten after an emotional Test that saw Sachin Tendulkar make arguably his greatest century ever, which he promptly dedicated to the victims of 26/11.
The final frontier was then conquered: victory in New Zealand after 41 years. Sri Lanka arrived in India ranked world No. 2 but has been decisively dominated; Murali defanged, Mendis hit out of the playing XI.
Some sections in the foreign media have already begun questioning whether India deserves to be No. 1. Well, Team India might not be head and shoulders above the opposition like Australia used to be, but they can certainly lay claim to being first among equals.
India made Australia look pedestrian in India and matched them Down Under. South Africa have been held here and memorably, in Johannesburg, given a scare.
India's batting lineup is arguably the best in the world, having delivered against all attacks, in all conditions. Tendulkar and Sehwag would walk into any World XI right now, Dravid and Gambhir would be strong contenders at the very least. While the team might not have the most potent attack around, it's one of the most versatile. And Dhoni is one of the canniest and most confident captains around.
MUMBAI: India became the number one team in Test rankings after they spanked Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final Test, on
Needing just four wickets to record an emphatic victory, the hosts took just about 40 minutes to polish off the visiting team's tail to record their second consecutive innings victory.
Resuming at 274/6, the Sri Lankans lost their heroic captain Kumar Sangakkara (137) in the very first over and were bundled out for 309 with Zaheer Khan being the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 5/72.
The Sunday crowd at the Brabourne Stadium, hosting a Test match after a gap of 36 years, witnessed a historic moment as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men crowned themselves the number one team.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy as Muttiah Muralitharan edged a flighted delivery from Harbhajan Singh to Dhoni to bring down the curtains on the Lankan innings.
The Indian players hugged each other and a beaming coach Gary Kirsten greeted them as they returned to the pavilion.
The victory has given India three points in the ICC rankings, taking their overall tally to 122 and leaving them ahead of South Africa and Sri Lanka in the ICC table.
The teams will now gear up for two Twenty20 matches in Nagpur and Mohali followed by a five-match One-day series which begins at Rajkot from December 15.
The match would be best remembered for the blazing 293-run knock that Virender Sehwag played. The right-hander, however, missed out on becoming the first batsman in the game's history to score three triple tons.
Such was India's dominance that Dhoni's men completed the comprehensive victory in just 7.4 overs this morning.
Zaheer hastened Lanka to their doom by claiming three of the last four wickets to finish with his eighth five-wicket innings haul.
The 31-year-old pacer's figures in the morning sessions read an astonishing 4-1-21-3. Sri Lanka needed 59 more runs to make India bat again but with just four wickets in hand to start the day, only a miracle could have saved the match for them.
After having brought down the visitors to their knees last evening, India dismissed Sangakkara off the third ball to start their victory march.
Zaheer swung the ball a bit away and Sangakkara, who struck his 20th four off his previous ball, was drawn to it like a magnet but only managed to edge it to counterpart Dhoni.
He could add only four runs to his overnight score and fell for 137 in 349 minutes after having prevented the hosts from sweeping to victory last evening.
Zaheer then dismissed Rangana Herath in his third over, caught by a diving Pragyan Ojha at short mid-wicket while attempting a pull.
Muthiah Muralitharan then used the long handle against Zaheer by carting the bowler for three fours in one over before the left-arm pacer sent back overnight unbeaten batsman Nuwan Kulasekara.
Kulasekara, resuming at 9, could not negotiate a rising ball from Zaheer and edged it to second slip fielder VVS Laxman. He added 10 more runs including two boundary hits to his individual score.
Harbhajan then brought down curtains on the match by having Muralitharan caught behind as he tried an almighty heave to give Dhoni his sixth catch in the match.
Spinners Harbhajan, who looked unimpressive for the major part, and Pragyan Ojha finished with two wickets apiece for 80 and 84 runs respectively while S Sreesanth bagged 1 for 36.
It was the second successive innings victory for India following their resounding win by an innings and 144 runs in the second Test at Kanpur. The first Test at Ahmedabad was drawn.
With Sri Lanka still needing 59 runs to make India bat again, and just four wickets to go, the ICC world No 1 Test ranking is tantalizingly within reach.
If achieved, it would be a fitting slot for a team that hasn't lost a Test series since August 2008 in Sri Lanka and has since proceeded to sort out ‘mystery spinner' Ajantha Mendis in no uncertain terms.
Before that, they lost narrowly to Australia in Australia - and even that was a bitter, scrappy affair in which they ran the then world champions down to the wire and would probably have drawn the series, but for the intervention of Steven Bucknor at Sydney.
India may have lost that series, but it was clearly on the right track, with the batsmen no longer cowed by lively tracks or short-pitched pace. Remember, during that series India beat Australia at Perth, considered a fast bowler's dream pitch. Just as importantly, the team finally had an attack that could match fire with fire, while also boasting the traditional Indian strengths of guile and tweak.
Long described as tigers at home but lambs abroad, India had briefly turned the tide under Sourav Ganguly. Even after he left the hot seat, India notched up some important wins, like the series win in England. But Rahul Dravid's abrupt resignation plunged Indian cricket into a fresh round of confusion after the chaos of the Greg Chappell era.
Enter Anil Kumble, the first bowler to captain India since Ravi Shastri led in a single Test in 1987-88. Kumble's vision document conveyed the need for focus and dedication. His mantra: Play fearless cricket and stop quibbling about factors you can't control, like the toss or the wicket. During his stint, the team found its feet again.
Kumble's exit paved the way for M S Dhoni. Having led India to victory at the first T20 world championship and the final Australian tri-series, Dhoni had already established his leadership credentials. His calm-but-ruthless style has worked equally well in Tests.
India, if they seal victory against Sri Lanka on Sunday, will become the world's No.1 Test team. The climb to the top began almost two years ago under the captaincy of Anil Kumble.
Pakistan were comfortably beaten under Kumble but the sole blip came in Sri Lanka, a 1-2 loss made possible by the confounding deliveries of the freakish Mendis. Since then, the team hasn't looked back.
Back at home, Australia were decisively humbled even as the smoothest of transitions, from Kumble to Dhoni, ensured there would no hiccups. England were beaten after an emotional Test that saw Sachin Tendulkar make arguably his greatest century ever, which he promptly dedicated to the victims of 26/11.
The final frontier was then conquered: victory in New Zealand after 41 years. Sri Lanka arrived in India ranked world No. 2 but has been decisively dominated; Murali defanged, Mendis hit out of the playing XI.
Some sections in the foreign media have already begun questioning whether India deserves to be No. 1. Well, Team India might not be head and shoulders above the opposition like Australia used to be, but they can certainly lay claim to being first among equals.
India made Australia look pedestrian in India and matched them Down Under. South Africa have been held here and memorably, in Johannesburg, given a scare.
India's batting lineup is arguably the best in the world, having delivered against all attacks, in all conditions. Tendulkar and Sehwag would walk into any World XI right now, Dravid and Gambhir would be strong contenders at the very least. While the team might not have the most potent attack around, it's one of the most versatile. And Dhoni is one of the canniest and most confident captains around.
MUMBAI: India became the number one team in Test rankings after they spanked Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final Test, on
Needing just four wickets to record an emphatic victory, the hosts took just about 40 minutes to polish off the visiting team's tail to record their second consecutive innings victory.
Resuming at 274/6, the Sri Lankans lost their heroic captain Kumar Sangakkara (137) in the very first over and were bundled out for 309 with Zaheer Khan being the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 5/72.
The Sunday crowd at the Brabourne Stadium, hosting a Test match after a gap of 36 years, witnessed a historic moment as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men crowned themselves the number one team.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy as Muttiah Muralitharan edged a flighted delivery from Harbhajan Singh to Dhoni to bring down the curtains on the Lankan innings.
The Indian players hugged each other and a beaming coach Gary Kirsten greeted them as they returned to the pavilion.
The victory has given India three points in the ICC rankings, taking their overall tally to 122 and leaving them ahead of South Africa and Sri Lanka in the ICC table.
The teams will now gear up for two Twenty20 matches in Nagpur and Mohali followed by a five-match One-day series which begins at Rajkot from December 15.
The match would be best remembered for the blazing 293-run knock that Virender Sehwag played. The right-hander, however, missed out on becoming the first batsman in the game's history to score three triple tons.
Such was India's dominance that Dhoni's men completed the comprehensive victory in just 7.4 overs this morning.
Zaheer hastened Lanka to their doom by claiming three of the last four wickets to finish with his eighth five-wicket innings haul.
The 31-year-old pacer's figures in the morning sessions read an astonishing 4-1-21-3. Sri Lanka needed 59 more runs to make India bat again but with just four wickets in hand to start the day, only a miracle could have saved the match for them.
After having brought down the visitors to their knees last evening, India dismissed Sangakkara off the third ball to start their victory march.
Zaheer swung the ball a bit away and Sangakkara, who struck his 20th four off his previous ball, was drawn to it like a magnet but only managed to edge it to counterpart Dhoni.
He could add only four runs to his overnight score and fell for 137 in 349 minutes after having prevented the hosts from sweeping to victory last evening.
Zaheer then dismissed Rangana Herath in his third over, caught by a diving Pragyan Ojha at short mid-wicket while attempting a pull.
Muthiah Muralitharan then used the long handle against Zaheer by carting the bowler for three fours in one over before the left-arm pacer sent back overnight unbeaten batsman Nuwan Kulasekara.
Kulasekara, resuming at 9, could not negotiate a rising ball from Zaheer and edged it to second slip fielder VVS Laxman. He added 10 more runs including two boundary hits to his individual score.
Harbhajan then brought down curtains on the match by having Muralitharan caught behind as he tried an almighty heave to give Dhoni his sixth catch in the match.
Spinners Harbhajan, who looked unimpressive for the major part, and Pragyan Ojha finished with two wickets apiece for 80 and 84 runs respectively while S Sreesanth bagged 1 for 36.
It was the second successive innings victory for India following their resounding win by an innings and 144 runs in the second Test at Kanpur. The first Test at Ahmedabad was drawn.
Monday, December 7, 2009
GLOBAL WARMING
What is Global Warming?
Global Warming is defined as the increase of the average temperature on Earth. As the Earth is getting hotter, disasters like hurricanes, droughts and floods are getting more frequent.
Over the last 100 years, the average temperature of the air near the Earth´s surface has risen a little less than 1° Celsius (0.74 ± 0.18°C, or 1.3 ± 0.32° Fahrenheit). Does not seem all that much? It is responsible for the conspicuous increase in storms, floods and raging forest fires we have seen in the last ten years, though, say scientists.
Their data show that an increase of one degree Celsius makes the Earth warmer now than it has been for at least a thousand years. Out of the 20 warmest years on record, 19 have occurred since 1980. The three hottest years ever observed have all occurred in the last ten years, even.