Yuvraj posts bald picture on Twitter

Undergoing Chemotherapy for a malignant lung tumour, Yuvraj has gone bald and the Indian cricketer has posted his latest picture showing the after-effects of the treatment on Twitter. “Finally the hair has gone! But #livstrong #yuvistrong,” Yuvraj Singh posted alongside a link to a picture of him without hair on the site. The 30-year-old left-hander has been in the U.S. since last month and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the Cancer Research...

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Ausis manages to come on top in a thriller

As the ball soared high into the night sky, you could have heard a pin drop in the arena. The miscued blow seemed to be in the air forever – such was the tension - before being picked up by Daniel Christian at long-on. The home crowd roared. Mathews and his partner D.Prasad were in agony. Bowler Mitchell Starc's visage reflected relief. And the Australians converged after surviving a scare. What a match! The host, defending 231, clinched a...

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Pull through india against Sri Lanka

India lived at the death at the WACA here on Wednesday. The side found unlikely batting heroes in R.Jadeja and  Ashwin who held their nerve in the cauldron. At the end of it all, M.S.Dhoni's team clinched a match of twist and turns by four wickets. The side now has four points from two matches in the Commonwealth Bank triangular ODI series. Ausis has five from one and Sri Lanka is yet to open its account. India required 53 runs from...

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Peter Forrest's strength comes from battling adversity

At his first cricket training session when he was seven-years-old, Forrest felt so humiliated after he tripped and landed flat on his face as he ran into bowl that he pleaded for his grandfather Ern to take him home because he was ''hopeless''. But those close to Peter Forrest say that the 26-year-old possesses an old-school toughness that's allowed him to cope with events that could have left him broken and bitter. Now, he is on the verge of...

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Top-order batting let us down: MS.Dhoni

India's string of defeats away from home continues . The side has now lost 8 Tests, 3 ODIs and two twenty20 games beginning with the tour of England last year. After yet another set back here on Wednesday, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the top-order batting let the side down. “If a couple of the top order batsmen had stayed longer, it would have been much easier for the new batsman coming in to play his shots with someone else stable...

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Bharat looks to avoid T20 whitewash

India has to find that exclusive spark of inspiration to end a nightmarish sequence of overseas setbacks. It needs a victory  in any format  like oxygen. The side's 31-run defeat in the first KFC Twenty20 international at Sydney's Olympic Stadium on Wednesday meant India had now lost eight Tests, three ODIs, and two Twenty20 games in its last 15 matches on foreign soil. During this period, an ODI ended in a no-result while another was...

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Dilshan quits, jayawardene takes Over

sri lanka’s successful captain in the post-Muralitharan era, Tillakaratne Dilshan has submitted his resignation as captain of the national team to Chairman of the National Selection Committee with immediate effect. “dilshan has resigned as captain in all three formats of the game. Members of the Executive committee take this opportunity to thank Dilshan for his commitment and dedication during his tenure as the National Captain. We also wish...

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Rajasthan Holds On to the Ranji Trophy

The Scenes of jubilation at Chepauk here on Monday reflected the hard work and commitment behind the triumph. Rajasthan's back-to-back Ranji Trophy title wins meant its incredible flight upwards from the Plate division last season continues. The Visitor Clinched the final against Tamil Nadu on the basis of its mammoth 326-run lead in the first innings. Rajasthan declared its second innings at 204 for five at tea on the fifth day. The home side...

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Verendra Sehwag doesn't rule out future middle-order role

Veru has a reputation of treating opposition bowlers with disdain but India’s stand-in skipper and dashing opener Virender Sehwag on Monday said the current Australian attack is the best he has faced as it has tested his patience like none before. “this is the best bowling attack I have seen, especially Australia. They are not giving easy balls to hit boundaries, they are playing with your patience,” conceded Sehwag. Sehwag has scored just...

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Akram Slams British press for questioning Ajmal’s action

Pace bowling Legend Wasim Akram is exasperated with the way British press has been harping about the bowling action of Pakistan’s off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and termed as “stale” the pressure tactics of the home media. ajmal took a 10-wicket haul in the Pakistan’s impressive 10-wicket win over England in the Dubai Test. “instead of praising him (Saeed Ajmal) for he is someone special, instead of admitting their team didn’t do well and Pakistan played better cricket, they are after him,” said Akram. “It’s not funny anymore; it’s boring,...

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'We have a clear strategy'

Rajasthan captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar was in the thick of things as the Rajasthan team practised at Chepauk on Tuesday ahead of the five-day final beginning on January 19. “It's an honour to be in a Ranji Trophy final in successive years. We have worked hard, found answers even when we were under tremendous pressure in the league stages,” he said. SENIOR PROS The former India left-hander admitted he and opener Aakash Chopra, another former...

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We have let the nation down: Gambhir

Struggling Indian opener Gautam Gambhir conceded that his team has let the entire nation down in the ongoing Test series against Australia and has failed to live up to the expectations. India trail the four—match series 0—3 and are in danger of a second successive Test whitewash abroad after the England debacle last year. “We have let the entire nation down and I will be the first one to accept it. There is a backlash which is happening back...

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Ashes victory is the ultimate goal, says Australian coach Arthur

Australia coach Mickey Arthur considers the ongoing four—match Test series against India as a stepping stone for regaining the Ashes next year, which he says remains the team’s ultimate goal. “Winning back the Ashes is at the forefront of everybody’s mind. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that we were trying to build a really competitive team to go back and win them in 2013,” the Australian coach said. “Judging by reports that I’ve read they have...

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Laxman has no plans to retire, say teammates

He might be drawing flak for his poor run in the ongoing Test series against Australia, but veteran Indian batsman VVS Laxman has no plans of hanging up his boots just yet. Laxman carried this impression of defiance to the nets today at WACA as he strode out purposefully in the middle and had an extended batting session in sweltering heat. And later, at the press conference, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir also jumped to Laxman’s defence, saying,...

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Sehwag nonchalant at the nets

If Virender Sehwag was anxious about his role as India skipper for the fourth Test against Australia and his continued poor run with the bat, he didn't show it to the world during the nets at the WACA here on Tuesday. After batsmen — from Rahul Dravid to Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli to Gautam Gambhir — had gone through some serious nets, Sehwag preferred to bat in shorts without any protection of pads, against throw-downs and slow bowling, at...

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Laxman has no plans to retire, say teammates

He might be drawing flak for his poor run in the ongoing Test series against Australia, but veteran Indian batsman VVS Laxman has no plans of hanging up his boots just yet. Laxman carried this impression of defiance to the nets today at WACA as he strode out purposefully in the middle and had an extended batting session in sweltering heat. And later, at the press conference, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir also jumped to Laxman’s defence, saying,...

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We have let the nation down: Gambhir

Struggling Indian opener Gautam Gambhir conceded that his team has let the entire nation down in the ongoing Test series against Australia and has failed to live up to the expectations. India trail the four—match series 0—3 and are in danger of a second successive Test whitewash abroad after the England debacle last year. “We have let the entire nation down and I will be the first one to accept it. There is a backlash which is happening back...

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Superb Ajmal sparks England collapse

Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal was in mesmerizing form on Tuesday, taking career—best figures of 7—55 as England was bowled out for 192 before his team’s openers reached 42—0 at stumps on the first day of the first test. Ajmal won five lbw decisions after England won the toss and elected to bat first at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with Matt Prior’s gritty knock of 70 to rescue his top—ranked team from a precarious 94—7 the sole innings...

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Ashes victory is the ultimate goal, says Australian coach Arthur

Australia coach Mickey Arthur considers the ongoing four—match Test series against India as a stepping stone for regaining the Ashes next year, which he says remains the team’s ultimate goal. “Winning back the Ashes is at the forefront of everybody’s mind. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that we were trying to build a really competitive team to go back and win them in 2013,” the Australian coach said. “Judging by reports that I’ve read they have...

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Laxman must be allowed to be himself

By the time V.V.S. Laxman walked to the ‘nets' at the WACA, bat-bag slung across shoulder, helmet in hand, the Indians were hard at work in their sections. Rahul Dravid had arrived early with Trevor Penney, the fielding coach, and had discussed his batting grip, his back-lift, and the English system of batting. Dravid had done what he had on Tuesday — getting Penney to act as if he were whipping the ball at him, so he could freeze his stroke...

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A tete-a-tete with birthday boy Rahul Dravid

A press conference isn't what a cricketer would wish for on a birthday, let alone his 39th, but Rahul Dravid handled it with customary good humour. He denied allegations of the team being divided (“When you are down 2-0, all these things happen; there is absolutely no truth to any of it”), joked about his age (“Any number scares you after 30. Actually, 40. I'll be scared of that number”), and accepted several birthday wishes. Excerpts from...

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Our pace attack is confident: Clarke

Australia captain Michael Clarke on Thursday exuded confidence in his pace battery and said whether there is a four—prong pace attack or not, they are good enough to take the wickets in the third cricket Test against India starting here tomorrow. Australia would seek a replacement of James Pattinson in either Ryan Harris or Mitchell Starc, and Clarke believed both of them would be good enough to do the job. “He (Harris) is as good a fast bowler...

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Vijay's unbeaten century enhances TN's lead

Mumbai surrendered so quickly. Once its last specialist batsman Hiken Shah directed a harmless wide delivery into the hands of the `keeper, Tamil Nadu wrapped up the Mumbai tail to take a vital first innings lead of 202 in the Ranji Trophy semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday. The three seamers — L. Balaji, Yomahesh and J. Kaushik — got into the wicket-taking act and dismissed the home team for a meagre 157. Not in recent times...

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Keen contest on the cards

Rural face of Indian cricket; so be it! The Haryanvi cricketer is proud of playing for the State. Three quarterfinal spots in the last three years and the Ranji Trophy semifinal clash with Rajasthan at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium here from Tuesday places Haryana among the elite teams of domestic circuit. A win here will mean a lot to a bunch of cricketers who hardly get any credit for their wonderful work on the field. FIGHTING UNIT With an encouraging show against Karnataka in the last match, Haryana has come a long way from the team...

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Arthur backs underfire Haddin

Australia coach Mickey Arthur on Tuesday lent support to struggling wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who he says will surely come out of his lean patch in the third Test against India, starting on Friday. Haddin had dropped Indian opener Gautam Gambhir in the Sydney Test and his wicketkeeping has been below par this series apart from poor form with the bat, prompting many critics to demand for his axing. But Arthur says, Haddin is a good cricketing brain and is an asset for the side. “I still believe in Brad (Haddin). I love his character. I love...

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Wickets fall like nine pins; Harshal wrecks havoc

Rajasthan 89. Haryana 82 for eight. Not a T20 contest but just a day-old Ranji Trophy semifinal on a lively pitch that tested the character and discipline of a batsman. It was just the playing surface that separates good from the ordinary. To call the pitch anything else would be a travesty as bowlers prided in their vocation at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium here on Tuesday. Haryana won the toss and exploited the conditions,courtesy Harshal...

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Bangladesh cricket CEO passes away

The Bangladesh Cricket Board said chief executive officer Manzur Ahmed has died of a heart attack while asleep in his Dhaka apartment. He was 57. Ahmed’s body was recovered from his room on Monday, the board said, adding Ahmed died overnight. He took over as chief of the BCB in 2010. His funeral prayers were held in a mosque in Dhaka, where several hundred cricket officials and fans gathered. Bangladesh Junior Sports Minister Ahad Ali Sarkar said, “His sudden death is a huge loss to the country’s sports arena.” International Cricket Council...

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Siddle doesn’t think he has got hold on Sachin

Australia’s pace spearhead Peter Siddle doesn’t think he has got a hold on Sachin Tendulkar, in contrary to the claim made by the home’s team’s wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. “The times I’ve bowled to Sachin, I probably have (been fortunate). I’m probably lucky enough I’ve got him two times in Melbourne. But in Sydney a couple of other blokes got him,” Siddle said on Tuesday. “We’re building the pressure and whether it’s against Sachin or against Dravid, or any of their batters, if I can build the pressure and it happens from the other end, we’re...

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Zaheer says there are good vibes and positive signs

Zaheer Khan has had success in the two Tests thus far on tour. But it was off the field that he put on quite the performance on Tuesday. Speaking to the media after India's rigorous, three-hour practice session at the WACA, Zaheer exuded calm assurance and spiky feistiness in equal measure. “This is not the first time we have been in a situation like this,” said the 33-year-old left-armer, referring to the 0-2 deficit. “We have come out of...

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Ridiculous to hear you are old, slow after a weak game: Kallis

Having recorded a career-best 224, South Africa’s all-rounder Jacques Kallis blasted the media, stating that only newspapers believed that he was too old and slow to have a place in the national cricket team.Just two days before hitting his double century against Sri Lanka in the third Test match at Cape Town, Kallis was being lambasted in the media for his performance in the second Test, which the Proteas lost by 208 runs.“Fortunately I do not...

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The bowlers need the cushion of extra runs, says Dhoni

M.S. Dhoni is criticised for saying the same thing every press conference — and it only gets tougher after six successive overseas defeats — but he improvised a metaphor on Friday evening.Asked how India could stop the free-fall, Dhoni said, “You need a parachute.”He elaborated: “If you see the last two series, our performance in England and now here, we didn't put enough runs on the board. It's important to take 20 wickets but you also need the...

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Australia crushes India

The embers of India's resistance smouldered on Friday, flickers of occasional brightness amidst the dull glow, but were quenched before they could burst into flame.Resuming on 114 for two, requiring a further 364 to make Australia bat again in the second Test, India was bowled out for 400 on the fourth evening. The innings defeat, which wasn't entirely unexpected after M.S. Dhoni's touring party had folded for 191 on the first day, gave Australia...

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Pattinson out of the Test series

Australian fast bowler James Pattinson will miss the remainder of the Test series against India because of a “bone stress injury” of the left foot.Pattinson complained of pain in his left foot towards the end of the second Test, which concluded here on Friday. Australian physio Alex Kountouris said scans had “cleared him of a stress fracture” but had revealed “early stage stress injury of the metatarsal bone.”Kountouris added that the 21-year-old...

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SLC keen to hold IPL games to raise funds

Cash-starved Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has approached the BCCI, showing its interest to hold some Indian Premier League matches in the island country to raise some additional revenue. SLC's revenue got a beating when the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) was postponed last year after the BCCI refused to release Indian cricketers for the tournament. SLC also has been hit hard because of the construction of new stadiums in Pallekele and Hambantota and the renovation of the Premadasa Stadium for last year's World Cup. “I feel it (a T20 league) is...

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Clarke, Ponting centuries lead Australia

Michael Clarke’s unbeaten double century and Ricky Ponting’s first hundred in nearly two years placed Australia in total command on the second day of the second Test against India. Clarke and Ponting shared a record 288-run partnership as Australia flayed India’s attack to be 482-4 at stumps on Wednesday for a 291-run first innings lead. Clarke finished the day unbeaten on 251, his first double century and the highest score by an Australian...

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India v Australia - Day 1 - As it happened

Australia dominating proceedings on the first day of the second Test at Sydney, bundling out India for 191 before Ponting and Clarke helped post a strong reply with the bat. Send us all your match views and remarks to liveresponse@thehindu.co.in Check the live score ticker on the right of this page for the latest score Right, it was an entertaining day of Test cricket and I've enjoyed sharing my views. Be sure to tune in tomorrow...

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Dominant Australia take honours on first day

India’s famed batting line-up came a cropper yet again against a disciplined Australian pace attack as they allowed the home side to wrest the early initiative on an engrossing opening day of the second cricket Test on Tuesday.Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted to bat after winning the toss but his decision boomeranged as the visitors were dismissed for 191 in 59.3 overs on a seaming and bouncy pitch at the SCG, which is hosting its centenary...

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Prasad takes 2 but South Africa races to 135-2

Dhammika Prasad made an immediate impact for Sri Lanka with two wickets in his first match on tour but South Africa still hurried to 135-2 at lunch Tuesday on the first day of the third and final test at Newlands.Prasad struck with his first ball after Sri Lanka put the host in to bat in the series decider, forcing Graeme Smith to play on for 16.Prasad also removed Hashim Amla lbw for 16 to go to into the break with 2-30 after he was brought into...

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Virat Kohli likely to keep the No. 6 spot in the team

After an unscheduled day off and another spent travelling and enjoying the New Year festivities, the Indians began their preparation for the second Test.The team had a two-and-a-half hour practice session at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday morning. Watched by national selectors Mohinder Amarnath and Narendra Hirwani, the batsmen had the nets on wickets that were similar in appearance to the grassy pitch in the middle of the SCG.Sachin Tendulkar,...

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Australia will win 4-0, predicts McGrath

Pace legend Glenn McGrath foresees Australia whitewashing India 4-0 in the ongoing Test series as he feels the home team’s pace bowling attack, especially the young James Pattinson, gives it a decisive edge over the visitors.“Yesterday, I said 3-0 but I stuffed up because I thought there were only three Tests. But definitely 4-0 now,” said McGrath at the SCG where he was promoting McGrath Foundation for breast cancer.“The way the guys have played...

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Australian cricketers lost respect for Tendulkar after Monkeygate: report

In an attack on Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, an Australian newspaper slammed the batting maestro for backing his teammate Harbhajan Singh during the 2008 ‘Monkeygate’ scandal here, saying some Australian players lost respect for him after the incident. “While the cricket world is abuzz with anticipation that the Little Master will score his 100th international century during the second Test in Sydney, beginning tomorrow, some...

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SCG is Sachin's favourite ground overseas

It is his “favourite ground” outside India and Sachin Tendulkar is determined to continue this love affair with the SCG, where he averages a staggering 221, during the second Test against Australia starting on January 3. Tendulkar has two centuries and a double century from just four Tests at the SCG, with a highest score of an unbeaten 241. “The SCG has obviously been my favourite ground away from India,” Tendulkar said. “It's a terrific ground,...

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India's chances almost over

The ongoing rubber against Australia was seen as India's best chance of winning a series Down Under, but former captain Sunil Gavaskar said that the visitor should forget about such a possibility after the humiliating loss in the first Test in Melbourne. Asked whether the defeat has virtually ended India's chances of winning the four-match series, Gavaskar responded in the affirmative. “Yes, I think so (about India not winning the series). I will be happy to be proven wrong, but I don't see that happening,” he told NDTV. “In both the innings...

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India's bowlers should stir the batsmen

Virender Sehwag was asked during the first Test in Melbourne if Gautam Gambhir's lack of runs was worrying. Fixing the questioner in an unblinking gaze, Sehwag said: “One innings, man. Long tour.” This, of course, was before India's second innings. It was another of those moments between reporter and cricketer, a question inadequately articulated and thus intriguingly answered. The question was about long-term form, Sehwag's answer, about the...

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