Vaughan joins Gough in coughing shit!!!

England are obsessed with India being the number 1 test side in the world. I think the englishmen aint able to digest this fact. 

After Gough gobbled yesterday, today its chance of Michael Vaughan to poke some shit on how India is an ageing side. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Vaughan-tips-England-to-replace-ageing-India-as-Tests-best/articleshow/7197298.cms

Read more on this link.

What Englishmen think about us, it hardly matters to us. We have been the top ranked side for over a year now and if it was fluke, they would have been displaced within a few series. 

England retained the Ashes, fine. Speak good about them, we wont complaint and wont care. But why drag the Indian side in this. 

SL without Murali

There were a lot of retirements from the Test cricket this year. Like Ryan Sidebottom, Shane Bond and all. Biggest of them was Muttaih Muralitharan of Sri Lanka. When he was around, SL were invincibles at home and continued to lamb abroad. Now with him no more bagging the whites, they are still continuing to play Test cricket and finding it difficult to win a test match cos they dont have the luxury to take 20 wikats anymore.

Evidence: they failed to bowl out India and West Indies in subsequent 5 Test matches after Murali retired. So much pissed off was Sangakara, that he called this tests as worst of his life. He'd be making runs in tons and thousands on flat pancake pitches in Lanka, but those runs wont count as they wont get him 20 wickets required to win the test match. Next year end they are slotted to tour SA by year end and SA have great chance to end the irritating habit of losing Boxing Day tests in Durban.

So why is SL even planning to play Test cricket? They dont have the bowlers to take 20 wkts and to hide this inefficiency the likes of Paravarariritana, Sangakara, Samarweera and of course the baap of them all Jayawardhena continue to make runs and bat longer. Much like gully cricket when a rowdy team refused to declare and continued to bully the lesser teams or touring teams in the home "gully".

2010 they played 6 tests and won just 1. They did not play against BD as they refused to tour SL every 2nd or 3rd month.

Now they are planning a test series against Pakistan. However hopeless Pakistan might be against other teams, but when it comes to SL, some of their bowlers -- known or debutants manage to get heapfuul of wickets.

Wasim Akram took 2 hattricks in Tests, all against SL in back to back tests.

Top cricket moments 2010

Top cricketing moments of 2010 for India :

1.  Sachin hitting 200 in Gwalior ODI

2.  Sachin's fabulous run in the tests when he scored close to 1400 runs, 7 centuries, 2 double hundreds and crossed 14000 run mark.

3.  VVS Laxman's awesome smashing 4th innings batting streaks in Sri Lanka, India and South Africa.

4.  India's 3 consecutive Test wins chasing a target in SL and India.

5.  Asia cup win in 15 years in SL.

6.  Suresh Raina's 100 in T20Is

7.  Sehwag's awesome form in Tests

8.  Dropping of Jadeja for SA series

9.  A 2-0 whitewash of Australia

10. An unbeaten home season, 2nd time in 3 years.

There were a few failures too:

1.  T20 failure 2nd time in running.

2.  Poor tri series in Zimbabwe and SL.

3.  Loss to SL in 2 tri series finals

4.  Allowing Chuck to get past 800 wickets.

5.  Fluctuating ODI form in the first half of the year.

6.  Fielding a weakened side with an obsession for Jadeja, Vijay, Sharma and Boss DK.

7.  IPL mess

8.  Allowing losers like Sangakara to score heavily against us.

9.  Centurion loss

10.  Poor bowling in slog overs

India played 14 tests this year and this was the record:

Lost 3.

Won 8

Drew 3.

This was the highest number of tests any team played in this year along side England.

Sachin and Sehwag were the topmost run getters in Tests for all teams.  The next 2 are Englishmen in Trott and Cook. The next 2 are Saffers in Amla and Kallis.

In bowling Swann took 64 and Steyn took 60 wickets.  Anderson and Morkel were next and Zaheer took 47 in 11 with an awesome average of 21.97.

In the ODIs India and BD played most ODIs. India played 27, won 17 and lost 10. They are on a 6 match winning streak now.  England played 17 and won 12. Lanka played 22 and won 15.  SA lost just 4 ODIs, 2 of them to India at the start of the year. Australia  won 16 and lost 8. Pakistan won just 5 and lost 13. 4 of them were against Eng and SA.

Amla was the top scorer in ODIs followed by Virat Kohli, AB, Dilshan and Keyes.

Gough dont cough shit!!!

"For me, we're the best team in the world at this moment. I've watched the South Africa-India series and I see nothing to worry about. India are fantastic in their own country and have some great individuals but I'd fancy this England side to beat them every day of the week,"

This words of wisdom are from a man who missed more Tests than he played. From a man who chickened out of the Ashes 2002 and was never successful abroad or home. So poor was the standard of the team during his playing days that he was considered their best bowler and probably he still holds the most ODI wickets for England. 

He is talking probably nosense shit out of sheer chivalry ignoring the facts, figures and history. If England were to  beat India every day of the week, then what stopped them from beating India in a TEST series home and away for good 14 years.  14 years is a goddamn long period. It took 14 years for India to shed off the Durban monkey off its back, but probably it would take more 14 years for England to beat India in a TEST series. 

Now almost everybody of this playing 11 were part of the Chennai Test in 2008 which England lost despite setting a formidable target of 387.  Swann debuted in that series, they had almost same batting unit -- Strauss, Cook, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood, Prior and of course no Gough.

Gough dont cough!!!

England have just retained the Ashes in Australia, they have not won the series in Australia. England conquered Australia when the later was at its weakest in last 17 odd years. India gave hard fight to Australia in Australia in 2003 and 2007 when they were at their peak of the powers and had their greats playing. India was at almost even with Australia when it came to battling out the tests. 

On the other hand before 2005 Ashes which England won cos there was no McGrath in the tests which they won, they were pathetic travellers. Long back in 2000s start they were labelled worst Test playing nation just for their spectacular collapses in the tests home and away.  They were whitewashed 0-5 in last Ashes campaign. 

They have lost to India, South Africa at home in last 3 years. Wins only against pathetic Test playing teams like West Indies, Pakistan and of course Bangladesh but not before Tamim Iqbal did kam tamam in 2 consecutive Tests...

What shit Gough is talking about? Perhaps he needs to go back to school to learn the history and mathematics. Or perhaps he needs to have his vision checked to get rid of colonial hangover.

SA allege that Steve Davis was drunk going into Durban Test

Saffers like SriLanka are now coming up with a novel excuse for their loss in Durban Test. They aint blaming rains, weather, UDRS or the BCCI. They are blaming an Australian for their defeat.

The SA manager has come up with a weird finding that the umpire Steve Davis was drunk on Christmas day and he went into the test as drunk.  Now if he was drunk on evening before, how could he be still under the influence of alcohol good 10 hrs later?

And the reason for the ire on poor Davis is that he gave the so called dubious decisions to Boucher and DeVilliers in the 2nd innings of the Durban test.

Good lord they never or least faced Steve Bucknor at one of the ends else they would have been mad and they would have come up with some real weird allegations.

Like Sri Lanka, South Africa are not good losers.

By the way if Bucknor did not stand up in Sydney tests of 2004 and 2008, India would have won 2 series in Australia much before South Africa did in 2008.

Remember his decisions!!!!

Cricketing World

Pakistan have won the last T20 and avoided a clean sweep in NZ. They also ended the 6 match losing streak in T20s. And this time the Palak Paneer guy came good again with allround effort.

I am bit skeptical of planning PCB had for the team in the run up to the World Cup. 3 T20s and 2 tests in addition to 6 ODIs. Whats the meaning of 3 T20s? What purpose does it serve?

By the way they are the only team who have to give the 30 names for WC provisional squad. And they are hung up as Kakkumal, Shoaib Mirza and Danis Kaneria meet PCB's "integrity committee to decide over their future in cricket. Now what happens and what would happen is anybody's guess in Pak cricket.

Zim and BD are done playing their last games before the world cup and they sit idle for the next 43 days in the run up to the World Cup.

And perhaps SL and WI too.

SL are still a "formidable" side going to World Cup. I dont believe this. They are always formidable, they are always romantic side, they are fairy tale and what not. They have not played any serious cricket for over a month since that dubious and fart win over Aus in ODI series in Aus.  Yet they are formidable. For a change you have not heard from Sanga in long time. So have I. And thats good.

The rest of cricketing fraternity is busy playing Tests or ODI cricket.

Australia are moaning about Ashes loss and how useless Ponting is now. England have everything revolving around Ashes and they dont seem to think beyond Ashes. Perhaps they should stop playing cricket in between Ashes series.  Yet they want to be # 1. And Collingwood could be on his way out from Tests at least.

Clarke is the captain for the Sydney test and most probably for long term too. He is having a rut in the batting department and that has invited a lot of doubts over his choice of captaincy.

The Australian batting is no more formidable as it used to over  2 years before.

Katich or Hughes do not inspire confidence. Watson makes 50 but does not convert 100s. Ponting stopped making 100s since long time. Hussey is the only batsman, Clarke is metrofexual and Steven Smith as # 6 is fart.

Compare that to the likes of Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Gilchrist as good as 2007.  More than the batters they are missing Shane Warne, Gillespie and of course Glenn McGraw (Bill Lawry style).

Wont be a surprise if they lose the world cup in India next year.

Possible semi finalists:

1. India.

2. England

3. South Africa

4. Australia / Pakistan if neither of this teams implode or explode.

1 more day of 2010 and I would finish off 4th year of cricket blogging starting 2007.  Pretty good journey from a world cup to world cup.

THings around Durban Win

The Durban Test is conquered and the daemons of 14 years have been buried. And this was done on "one of the greenest ever tracks" we played on. This test was won by a team whose bowlers had a ? on "ability to take 20 wickets".  14 years back, the Donald and Pollock company had buried India for 100 and 66 and that was the worst display by the team ever since I started watching cricket.

Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman were part of that team.

But this team is different. This team is the top ranked team of the world and if there were any questions on the rank, they must be buried now. India bounced back in style on a green track on which Smith and co "have grew up on", yet they have lost last 3 tests in 3 years on Kingsmead.

The likes of Robin Jackman, Shaun Pollock and others were shut up hard when they saw how Zaheer and Harbhajan rolled Saffers for 131 in first innings on a "not so 131 looking pitch".

Shameful isnt it.

Losing in one's own backyard in conditions suiting the home team is a shame.

India has downplayed every achievement it has in past few years abroad. They have now won every where. And given the current form and situations, they should easily win in West Indies and Australia. A good contest would be in offing against England who are pipped for # 1.

England have not won a series against India home and away in 14 years. And so has South Africa in 4 years.

Zaheer, Laxman, Harbhajan, Sreesanth, Pujara and of course Ishant Sharma wrote the script for the victory. Presence of Zaheer Khan showed how much he is valuable to the Indian team. The attack looks potent from average and insipid. Only if Ishant Sharma could discover the form and passion of Australia 08 India's new ball attack would be better than it is right now.

Kallis jumping to form a reverse C would be the marquee vintage image of this series and for years to come. How could he not play short ball? He has grew up in such conditions. And so did Graeme Smith. He got out to a miscued pull off a short ball of short tempered Freesanth.  Only after pointing a bat to him after there was a personal thing between him and Freesanth.

I wont complaint. The situations leading to Cape Town test are similar to 2007 when India lost out on the day 3 and day 4 when Lord Harris strangulated Sachin and Dravid and after a Kallisque effort, SA won by 6 wkts. That was a Jaffer test and a Ganguly series. Coud not believe that Sehwag batted at 7 and BossDK batted at 2.

India had won at Joburg, lost at Durban then. This time lost in Centurion, won in Durban.

If Capetown is won, then this would be the best test series win of the decade. In a land which has tormented the cricket for last 17 years and has made mortals of greats. A 2-1 India would be a fitting result.

Durban test at a cliffhanger moment

The Durban test is at a very critical juncture where it could be anybody's Test. Its India who needs 7 wickets and its South Africa who needs 192 runs. 


SA have their 2 best batsmen on the crease in form of Kallis and AB. And India would love to have both of them as soon as possible to enforce a win and level the series. 


The key men for India would be indeed Zaheer and Harbhajan. Of course Ishant and Sreesanth would be there but they wont be as consistent as the former two and they would certainly be looking to shed their waywardness on the most important day of this series. 


A couple of wickets or 3 in the first session with not many runs given away would be a thing India would expect. And 70-90 runs with 1 wicket or 2 would be something South Africa would be looking to. 


In the end its going to be those crucial moments which would decide  who would win the game. The team which would seize and give nothing away would win this test match. And it would be great for Dhoni if he  tapes Sreesanth so that he does not piss anybody off and none of remaining Saffers plays a match winning innings.

IPL blame game has started

The PCB had been quite since long time. Since long time they had been doing nothing that would evoke laughters. And now they have done it. 

The typical blame game has started with PCB blaming India on lack of Pakistanis in the IPL auction to be followed next January.

Raina under pressure

Suresh Raina has now failed for 4 consecutive games in Tests and he has seemed to given away his advantage of having a cracking start to his Test career in Sangaland. 

He must remember that few more failures and he would be out of the reckoning soon. There are too many contenders for the # 6 spot in the Test side with Yuvraj, Pujara and the awesome Kohli.

Even though he has a big fan in MSD still he would need to deliver in the upcoming Durban Test, else this SA tour would be a replica of 2006 tour when he failed and he was out of the World Cup squad and went to a hibernation of 1 year untill CB Series of 2008.

He better perform!!!

Response to Graeme Smith 's questioning India's # 1 status

Ok this reading compels me to write a post.

India are top team in the Tests in the world for more than a year now. And this has not come down to India just cos of the mathematical formulae that go beyond calculating the ICC rankings and all. The results home and away reflect the consistency India has had over past 3 years starting England 2007 or perhaps before than that.  India reached # 1 ranking last year and has hung to it for 1 year and counting now. Its not like South Africa who reached # 1 in both formats of the game and slipped no later than they reached.  

There have been verbal volleys from the coach and the captain of SA how India have to win to prove their # 1 ranking. What if India wins? What if SA lose yet again to take 20 wickets? They failed to take 20 wickets in consecutive tests against weaker Pakistan which had no Yusuf in their ranks. They have not won a Test series at home beyond last 2 series. They drew against England and lost to Australia just after they won in Australia.

Same Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel failed to shut out the Pakistani batsmen in Sheikhland, who had been bruised and hurt by England in England and in Australia before.

"We've been touching the No. 1 and 2 spot for the past two-and-a-half-years and we've played some good cricket around the world. We pride ourselves on big series like this one". Smith says. But they have not clung on to that spot. They are not even 1, 2 or 3 in ODIs.

Their batters have been getting big runs every where but they have choked when it came to hitting the nail hard to win a series. They won in Nagpur in India but lost in Kolkata. So if they are tough nuts why did they lose out in India 2 times after winning first test every time. Why did they fail to dismiss Pakistan 2 times in 2 tests in last series they played?

Last year they drew against England but 2 times out of 3 in first 3 tests they were in winning positions but failed out to take last English wicket to win 3-1. So who is tough and who deserves a # 1?

India or South Africa?

India have consistently won test matches in absence of first choice bowlers most part of the times. They've found out somebody in the bwoling department who stands out and delivers.

In batting they have made 400 runs in 7 consecutive games and passed 300 in one of every 25 Tests they have played in since 2008. They have not lost a series in last 2 and half years.

South Africa have not won a Test series in their own backyard in 2 years, their own conditions pacy and bouncy aiding their fast bowlers, they still failed to take 20 wickets every Test they played. Their batsmen plundered runs, but their bowlers lacked the firepower to take 20 wickets consistently.

On the other hand India -- having a so called "world class bowling attack" have taken 20 wickets in alien conditions and in supporting conditions. They won in SL, when SA were blanked 0-3. They won in NZ. India saved test matches, won test matches, chased targets in 4th innings, won convincingly, made huge scores in first or second innings of a test giving enough time to their depleted bowlers to take 20 wickets.

If Sehwag does not do it, then Dravid does, if not Dravid then Laxman. Sachin always performs.

And whats this hype about the dislike for short balls? Who fails against them? Sachin? Dravid? Laxman? Sehwag?  If its just 2 batsmen -- Gambhir and Raina who are prone to short balls, then why label the entire team as succeptible to the short stuff. Try short stuff against Sehwag. Once or twice you might succeed, but be ready to face the music then. Remember 319? Remember this year's Kolkata test?

Does South Africa invite that awe which Australia had? They've never won in SL, India. They last won in India 10 years back and since then they have lost 1 and drew 2. They were blanked 0-3 in dead pitches of SL 4 years back.

Australia consistently whitewashed them this decade home and away until 2008 when they won 2-1 but lost the home series 1-2. They won in England but drew in home. They failed to shut out Pakistan who are at their weakest in terms of batting in their history.

It'd be better if Smith has a look at the side he's got and then do a pot shot to India. India has experienced customers who are too good to fall in this verbal childish trap of so called mind games. Focus on the play in the middle dude and not on the verbal volleys.

India vs SA preview

The battle of champion Test sides begin on thursday and there are clear favorites for this battle. Being an Indian fan, I would always gun for India. The reason being this is the best chance for India to win a series in SA for first time ever in the cricketing history. Last time India came close to do so, but Lord Harris strangled India and later Kallis bhia took the initiative and won the Captown test by 6 wkts for his side to win the series 2-1.

This time around there are lot of changed personnel in Indian side.

• First ever tour to SA with no Kumble. He was part of tours in 1992, 1996 and 2006. He was injured in 2001.
• India for first time has a settled and the best opening pair in the current scnearion in the Test cricket.
• Sehwag is in imperious form in Tests and he seems to be all set to erase the painful memories of 2007 tour when he was dropped following a horrible Test tour. He had made 48 in the middle order and had seen BossaDK promoted to the top along side Wasim Jaffer.
• Sachin Tendulkar would be keen to make his 50th 100 in Tests and move further close to the magical 100 100s mark.
• VVS Laxman would look forward to conquer SA too, something which he has not done in previous 3  tours.
• Zaheer Khan would be the trump to win a test in SA. If he is not around, as cricinfo suggests he is having injury concerns, then India would have hard task to take 20 wickets to win the tests.
• There would be no Ganguly at 5 or 6 to conquer the demons and it would be either Raina or Pujara who would take the guard at 6.
• Most probably the start up attack would be Zaheer, Sreesanth, Ishant and Harbhajan.
• Sreesanth is back to the land where he had got himself reckoned into the mainstream Indian bowling after stellar performance in Jo'burg which India won.

On the other hand SA is also a very high quality side in their own home turf.

They have deep batting line up till 8 and the presence of Kallis allows them to play 5 bowlers. The form of Amla would be tested against the Indians, whom he has developed a special liking.

Dale Steyn, as usual would be the most dangerous threat and if Sehwag is able to contain the man, the remaining bowlers would not be so tough to handle given the fact that the 3rd seamer would be inexperienced in Tsotobe.

The start of the Test would be a good attention seeker from the Ashes hype which has just maddened the old cricket world as if the rest of the cricketing countries do not exist.

Possible teams:

India : 1. Sehwag 2. Gambhir 3. Dravid 4. Tendulkar 5. Laxman 6. Raina 7. Dhoni 8. Harbhajan 9. Zaheer 10. Sreesanth 11. Ishant

South Africa : 1. A Pieterson 2. Smith 3. Amla 4. Kallis 5. AB 6. Prince 7. Boucher 8. Morkel 9. Steyn 10. Harris 11. Tsotobe

India 2 SA 1.

World Cup 2011 contenders

South Africa and India are to play 5 ODIs each before the World Cup.

Australia and England 7 each, Pakistan and NZ -- 5 each. West Indies depend on the mercy of the SL board if they are to play any more games before he world cup.

BD and Zim would play their last game before the world cup. And who cares about the other teams. 

What about SL ? Well they would play mind games and their fat arse ex captain Arjun Ranatunga would go all over the talk shows saying that his country is favorites for the world cup cos they have Sanga, Mahila and Malinga.

Bhaat the Fuck!!!!

Before the world cup begins, the focus would be on 3 key Test series:

1. India vs South Africa.

2. Ashes

3. Pakistan vs New Zealand.

England wont win the world cup cos for them Ashes is the world, if they would win the Ashes they would be content. Australia is in the disarray. If they lose the Ashes, they are going to blank England 7-0 in the ODIs. India is on the winning streak of 6 ODIs in row in completed games. But they are back in the country where they last won an ODI good 7 years back -- the semifinal win against Kenya.  They last played a series in 2006 when they lost 0-4.

Sorry, they last won a ODI in 2009 beating the West Indies in ill fated CT. Saffers have played few ODIs this year and they won against Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe and lost to India 1-2. They hold the record now for conceeding max runs in ODIs in an individual innings. 

IMO there would be tough competition between 5 teams for the 4 semi final slots. 

1. Australia

2. South Africa

3. India

4. England / Pakistan

Pakistan cos they are unpredictable lads and its ages we last heard of joker called Ijaz Butt speak or do anything lampoonic...So if they play well and steer clear of any unwanted controversy, they can reach semis and they would then have to give a walkover to the other semifinalist as they wont like to play in India in the finals. They wont be allowed to play due to the ongoing freeze in the bilateral relations.

5-0

India has blanked NZ 5-0 and there were some good performances in this 5 ODIs from fringe players. This not only poses some good and happy selectorial choices for the world cup, also augurs well since the world cup is going to be on the home pitches.  It would be selectorial decision who those 15 men would be to represent India. Most of those slots are fixed and frankly enough there are just few spots which need some mind crunching.

This are interesting contenders:

Yusuf Pathan

Parthiv Patel

R Ashvin

Sreesanth

Parthiv Patel's success in 2 ODIs is a slap to Srijkkanth and company who consistently ignored this lad from Gujarat and kept going for losers like BossDK.  PP has always been a better batsman than Bossedeshwar and he has had a strong desire for success built up in the years he was out of the team. He might not be the first choice keeper again, but he can certainly be the backup keeper on the tours abroad.

He is a better batsman and keeper than even Wriddhiman Saha who is going to SA as backup keeper.

Sreesanth's wickets in first 2 games have brought him in contention and if he repeats his success in ODIs in SA, then he would be a seriou contender for 3rd seamer spot.

Zaheer, Praveen and Nehra are certainities. The fourth seamer could be a choice between Ishant, Sreesanth and to an extent Munaf.

R Ashvin would pose a threat to IPL Ojha for the  2nd spinner in the team and if he takes wickets instead of containing or holding the batsmen it would be a huge bonus for India. Its been ages we've had a wicket taking spinner in ODIs since decline of Anil Kumble in ODIs.

Ashes update

Run fest continues on Adelaide Oval in the Ashes and Australia continue to plunder low depths in the batting and bowling departments. 

Kevin Pietersen ended his 19 month wait for a Test century and what a way to bring it with a double 100. He is playing on 213 on day 3 end of the play and if England continue to bat on day 4 for say session and half, he would be good for a triple 100, first one after Gooch's 333 for England.

The pitch is spectacularly flat and if it does not crack up or deteriorate on day 4, Australia would feel good to bat out and earn a safe draw. They have men except North to do it and English attack would be fatal only if the ball would swing. Ball swung on day 1 and Jimmy Anderson reduced Australia to 3/2.  Once Aussies were bowled out, the pitch went from Australian to Sri Lankan second test in a row.

Australia have to sort out the batting woes of Clarke, Ponting and Katich to pose some formidable score and sort out their bowling combination -- especially spin department to stand a chance to win at least one test.

Its sad to see Australia in such a situation but then this is cricket and the Aussies are now on the receiving end of what they did to the other teams in their era of domination.

Bolte raho

Sri Lanka have dropped to 5th in the test rankings and their captain is calling it the worst series if his life. His speaking continues and so does the distaste for him on this blog.

SriLankan war crime

The truth behind the so called demolition of LTTE from Sri Lanka land in 2009 is well evident in the video below. 

Cold blooded killings of minority community augurs international investigation and if confirmed widespread sanctions against the  country as a whole including their cricket. 

The killings are brutal and totally Talibanesque. 

When this killings were carried out, the international media was barred from covering the conflict in Sri Lanka and later on their prez has been taking on the credit for wiping out LTTE . He has constantly denied allegations of the war crimes, but this video footage nail his lie in open.

England not faves for Adelaide

Everybody is talking about how England have the advantage over Aussies going to the 2nd test on back of the Sri Lankan scoreline of 1/517 in 2nd innings of Gaba Test, but why do they forget that same English team were bowled out for 260 in the first innings. 

If a clear and fair picture has to be drawn, then the first innings has to be taken into consideration.

English bowling is not much better than Australia's. If Australia conceeded 517 runs in 2nd innings, English leaked 484 in their first innings. So that gives a very hazy picture on who is leading and who is traling.

The scoreline is 0-0 and the 2nd Test would be played on yet another flat surface which would be just like Kandy or Premdasa or SSC.....Hudddddddddddddd

India's world cup chances brighten up

India are on a roll and having an unbeaten home season first time in memory of all the years I have watched Indian cricket. 2-0 win over Aussies, 1-0 over Kiwis and today's 2-0 lead over Kiwis in ODIs. And this is without the first choice players -- Sehwag, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Dhoni, Ishant, Tendulkar are all rested or missing.

India have been playing some positive brand of cricket after a dismal show in Sri Lanka on dicey useless pitches in august.

And that augurs well for the team ahead given the World Cup is in India itself.

Sreesanth's form in bowling and Gambhir, Kohli's form in batting is a huge bonus.

India's world cup chances look good again!!!