Analogy of India vs South Africa only t20 match

(FOR LIVE SCORE)

After the battering it was subjected to during the tour of Australia and the Asia Cup, the Indian cricket team would look to make a fresh start before the IPL razzmatazz when it takes on an in-form South Africa in a one-off T20 international here tomorrow.

The match is being organised to commemorate 150 years of the settlement of the Indians in South Africa but its scheduling did raise a lot of eyebrows.

The match is happening just after the Asia Cup, of which India was a part, and a few days after the Proteas hosted New Zealand for a long tour, involving T20s, ODIs and a Test series.

In a cramped international calendar, the game does seem like an oddity given that the Indians would be travelling all the way for just over four hours slam bang action before getting busy with their respective IPL franchises. Only five days separate the match and the beginning of the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 5).

The long journey means that several players will miss initial practice camps with their respective franchises and that would certainly add to the physical strain.

However, Indian skipper MS Dhoni has ruled out the fatigue factor.

"All happy. I don't think fatigue will be a real factor. We all enjoy playing the IPL that's one format where you are not representing your country, and the span of the tournament is slightly longer so you play quite a few games," Dhoni said after arriving with the team. 

The Indians are not heading into the match in the best of form given the poor form the team has endured in the past few months.

As if the disastrous Australian tour was not enough, India failed to qualify for the recently-concluded Asia Cup final as well, thanks to a shock defeat against hosts Bangladesh.

On the contrary, the Proteas are in good touch as they had an extremely successful tour against New Zealand. They won the T20, ODI and the Test series against the injury-ravaged Kiwis.

The hosts though have retained only eight players from that tour in the T20 squad.

Almost all the seniors have been rested with the exception of all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who will be honoured after the match.

India, though, are almost full strength, opener barring Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan as the duo has been rested.

All the players, who were part of their Asia Cup campaign, are in the squad except for veteran Sachin Tendulkar, who does not play international T20s. He has been replaced by the hard-hitting Robin Uthappa.

Since the highly-popular IPL is beginning exactly five days after the match, the game would help the players get into the slam-bang mode, although the conditions would be different from India.

Squads:

India: MS Dhoni (C), Virat Kohli (vc), Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Rahul Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Manoj Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, Ashok Dinda.

South Africa: Johan Botha (C), Farhaan Behardien, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk, Dane Vilas. 

Match will start march 30,2012 (17:00 india time, 15:30 GMT, 09:30 Bangladesh time)

 

India may slip to 4th rank in ICC Test ranking

Whitewashed in two consecutive Test series, India are all set to lose a spot and slip to number 4th rank in the ICC Test Championship table.

With Australia eyeing a series win against the West Indies during the three Tests, starting in Bridgetown on April 7, India's current position is under threat.

While a series win will put Australia ahead of India in third rank, a 3-0 series win will put Australia on equal points with England on 113 ratings points (if England lose 2-0 to Sri Lanka).

And when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point, then Australia will be placed above England in second position as it will have a rating of 113.10 against England's rating of 113.045.

England, meanwhile, find themselves in a must-win situation in the Colombo Test if they have to retain the number one position.

England's victory will keep them ahead of South Africa by a fraction of a point but their failure to win the Test will make South Africa as the new ranked side.

If England lose the series 2-0, they will drop from 118 ratings points to 113 ratings points -- three points behind South Africa -- while a 1-0 defeat will mean they will slip to 114 ratings points.

Meanwhile, South Africa's AB de Villiers has reached the numero uno batting position for the first time in his career where he has been joined by Australia captain Michael Clarke in the rankings.

In ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, South African Vernon Philander is continuing his climb up the chart. The fast bowler had figures of four for 70 and six for 44 in Hamilton and six for 81 and none for 29 in Wellington. 

Philander has gained 148 ratings points, which has not only given him a career-best rating of 764 but also led to a jump of 11 places that puts him in a career-best fifth position.

In Test all-rounders' list, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is in the No. 1 spot.

PCB agree to host Australia in Sri Lanka

 Pakistan's home limited-overs series against Australia this August is likely to be played in Sri Lanka, with SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga and PCB director Intikhab Alam both saying they had agreed in principle to the arrangement.
Cricket Australia's stand has not been made public but it is understood to be aware of the plan. The Memorandum of Understanding has not yet been signed and Alam will travel to Sri Lanka next week to finalise arrangements.

"Sri Lanka Cricket had expressed the desire to host the series to the PCB a month ago and both boards have no problems with it. I do not know about the stand of the other cricket board [CA] yet," Ranatunga told ESPNcricinfo.

Alam revealed that South Africa and Australia itself were the other two nations being considered as venues for the series, but Sri Lanka was selected for commercial and cricketing reasons.

Pakistan and Australia will play five ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals against each other. The original plan was to play just one Twenty20, but with the World T20 immediately after the series, the countries' boards have agreed to play two extra matches.

Pakistan have had to play their home series in neutral venues since the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009. While the UAE has been their location of choice recently, the scheduling of the Australia series just before the World Twenty20, which will be played in Sri Lanka, may have influenced the decision on where to play the five ODIs and one Twenty20 international.

Pakistan have hosted a Test against Australia in Sri Lanka before, in Colombo in 2002. Their last home series against Australia was played in England, in the summer of 2010, after which they have hosted all their home series, including one against Sri Lanka, in the UAE.

Sari-wrapped cheerleaders this IPL season!

The upcoming session of the Indian Premier League (IPL), India's glamour-packed cricket tournament, will see a sartorial anomaly come to life — cheerleaders wrapped in saris.

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's IPL team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, has decided to cover their cheerleaders in one of the most traditional Indian outfits — a marked departure from their 2008 wardrobe when a lot of skin, from midriff to thighs, was on display.
All these sari-clad cheerleaders would be "local hires" and will dance to classical Bengali music in between boundaries and fall of wickets. The team management is of the opinion this will help connect with Bengali cricket fans and improve ticket sales.
 

This is not the first time an IPL team has shunned short skirts and pompoms for a more conservative costume. Last year, the newest addition to the IPL franchise — Pune Warriors — had classical dancers, called 'cheer queens' in ethnic clothes. The owners had said these 'cheer queens' would showcase India's rich and diverse culture on an international platform.
But could it be that this change in attire has less to do with a new-found respect for Indian culture, and more with economics? Since the 1920s, some analysts have believed that during times of economic hardships, hemlines drop dramatically. The theory, known as the hemline index, has been put to test recently. In recession-hit 2008, full-length dresses had been in vogue. In 2010, as stock prices rose, mini-skirts made a comeback.

When the IPL burst on the scene in 2008, it was all about big salaries and high TV ratings. The heady cocktail of high-profile team owners, swashbuckling players, scantily dressed foreign cheerleaders and after-match parties had the nation hooked. For a while, that is. Over the last four years, the league's image has been tarnished by a series of scandals, TV ratings have dropped and team owners are still figuring out how to make the most of their investments.

So, is this switch to the sari a coincidence or does it reflect troubled times in what was called India's biggest sporting extravaganza? Will shorts and cartwheels make a comeback if the franchise's fortunes improve, or will the nine-yard fabric triumph?

Threefold role in IPL 5 doesn't upset Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist

 At the age of 40, Adam Gilchrist is one of the elderly statesmen in the Indian Premier League this season.

However, instead of slowing down, the gritty Aussie has taken more responsibility upon himself as he prepares to both coach and lead the Kings XI Punjab this year.

The former Australian wicketkeeper-opener sounded really excited about his new role as he began training with his KXIP unit in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

"I am looking forward to a new role this year. I don't think there will be any sort of extra pressure on me because we have a very strong coaching unit to back me up. Vikram (Rathore) and Joe (Dawes) are very experienced and it will be good to have physio Patrick Farhart back with us," Gilchrist told TOI on Tuesday.

Gilly, who gave up all forms of international cricket five years back, still doesn't miss a trick when it comes to preparing for the IPL.

"We are all professional cricketers playing in this tournament. I don't think getting ourselves prepared for the tournament is an issue for us. I hit the gym a few weeks back to get into shape and have also been batting in the nets for some time now. I have played enough cricket in the sub-continent, so hitting top form in the IPL should not be an issue," he said.

Kings XI missed out on a play-off berth last season but had the chance of making the top 4 till their very last game. A loss to Deccan Chargers had dashed the hopes of Gilly's team then.

"The kind of build-up we had to the last season was not beneficial for anyone. We weren't even sure if we were going to be part of IPL-4. Considering that we still came to within a game of reaching the play-offs, was a brilliant effort by the team. This year we'll look to build on those gains and challenge for the play-off berth again," he said.

The skipper-cum-coach believes the strength of the Kings XI lies in their Indian all-rounders.

"We have a very good bunch of all-rounders with the likes of Abhishek Nayar, Piyush Chawla and Bipul Sharma. If you add Azhar Mahmood and England's Stuart Broad to this list, it shows the great depth we have. The pace attack is also very strong with Australians Ryan Harris and James Faulkner leading the way. Their contributions will be very useful if tracks at Mohali and Dharamshala provide some help to the fast bowlers," Gilchrist said.

The West Australian southpaw, who scored 383 runs with a century and two fifties last season, believes the ace-in-the-pack will once again be Shaun Marsh. The left-handed opener has been struggling with loss of form but the Australian has a special liking for the IPL.

In spite of being rather off colour last year, he still managed to tally 504 runs at an average of 42 and strike-rate of 146.

"There is no doubt that Marsh is an outstanding player. He is a very important cog in our team. Although he has had a tough time with the Australian team, I am sure he will find his rhythm in IPL soon," he said.

Pakistan seeks to host tours again of other countries

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf said he is in talks with a couple of other countries if Bangladesh's national team fails to receive government clearance to tour next month because of security concerns.

"I don't want to disclose the names of the countries, but we are in touch with at least two (cricket) boards," Ashraf said.

"If Bangladesh says no, we have a couple of other options too."

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Bangladesh's cricket board has submitted a security report on Pakistan to its government after president Mustafa Kamal led a nine-member delegation to the country earlier this month.

Kamal had said before leaving Pakistan he was satisfied with the security arrangements, but the board is still waiting for clearance from the government.

"I talked to him (Mustafa Kamal) in Bangladesh during the Asia Cup and he told me he was committed, but I will make a formal announcement after the security report is cleared by his government," Ashraf said.

Foreign teams have not toured Pakistan since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009, killing six police officers and a van driver.

The PCB wants to bring international cricket back to Pakistan by hosting Bangladesh for either three one-day internationals or two ODIs plus a Twenty20 match. The host cities remain negotiable, but it is likely Lahore will be one if Bangladesh agrees to tour.

The International Cricket Council has also said that if it was not satisfied with the security in Pakistan then non-neutral umpires could be used for the series, meaning Pakistani officials on the ICC's panel of umpires might be called upon.

"The ICC has cooperated with us a lot," Ashraf said. "It is willing to consider Pakistan's home umpires ... which is a positive sign."

Ashraf said the PCB is also considering the option of inviting a World XI if the Bangladesh tour falls through.

"Our aim is to revive international cricket in Pakistan and for this we are making all these efforts," he said.

Pakistan's next international away assignment is a Test series against Sri Lanka in July.

The PCB then plans to "host" Australia in Sri Lanka, playing five ODIs and three Twenty20 matches in August.

The United Arab Emirates has been Pakistan's main "host" in the past three years, but Ashraf said Sri Lanka is the likely venue so Pakistan's players can acclimatise in the country before it hosts the Twenty20 World Cup in September and October

"The other reason is Sri Lanka is very much cost-effective for us," Ashraf said.

"We have to spend nearly 50 per cent less if we organise the series in Sri Lanka rather than UAE."

West Indies v Australia, 1st Twenty20 Pollard pushes West Indies to 150

Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard raced to the fastest half-century by a West Indies player in a Twenty20 international as the hosts recovered from a slow start to post 150 for 7 in St Lucia. The small boundaries at the Beausejour Cricket Ground proved unable to contain Pollard, whose 20-ball fifty ensured a competitive total after Darren Sammy chose to bat.

The previous quickest fifty by a West Indian was Chris Gayle's 23-ball effort against Australia at The Oval during the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. Pollard bettered that with five sixes in his first fifty runs and he brought up his half-century - his first in Twenty20 internationals - with a single pushed to the leg side when Shane Watson got his yorker right.

Pollard's highlight was an enormous six straight that landed on the roof of the stand after it flew back over the head of the bowler Xavier Doherty, and that was part of a 22-run over that took West Indies from a middling performance to a stronger one. Daniel Christian was punished for getting his length slightly wrong and went for consecutive sixes over the leg side as Pollard raced towards his milestone.

He had come to the crease at 66 for 3 in the 11th over after the dot balls began to pile up earlier in the innings. Dwayne Smith was the first man out, caught behind for a run-a-ball 10 when Brett Lee found some extra bounce and away movement, and he was soon followed by his opening partner Johnson Charles, who was lbw walking across the crease to Watson for 24.

Nkrumah Bonner, sent in at first drop, struggled to rotate the strike and was bowled for 24 from 33 balls when he advanced to Christian and tried to force the run-rate up. Darren Bravo also found scoring difficult after his disappointing one-day series and pulled a catch to deep midwicket off the bowling of Christian for 12.

Dwayne Bravo was part of a 62-run stand with Pollard but was essentially the silent partner, falling for 14 from 11 balls when he gave Christian his third wicket by lofting a catch to long-off. Darren Sammy was also taken at long-off for 7 before Carlton Baugh sacrificed his wicket to be run out for 1 in the final over in an effort to give the strike to Pollard, who finished unbeaten on 54 from 26 balls.

Bangladesh Inter-dist cricket from today

The 32nd Inter District Cricket Championship will kick off today at different venues across the country.

A total of 64 districts will play the first round matches in sixteen different venues--Sariatpur, Chittagong, Kushtia, Magura, Narail, Jessore, BKSP, Mymensingh, Moulvibazar, Barisal, Bogra, Pabna, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Madaripur, Noakhali -- on a league basis.

A total of eight teams -- two from Dhaka Division, one each from Chittagong Division, Rajshahi Division, Rangpur Division, Khulna Division, Barisal Division and Sylhet Division -- will qualify for the second round and will be divided into two groups. The top two teams from two groups will play in the final.

The champion team will receive Tk 400,000 as prize money while runners-up team will get Tk 200,000. The man of the tournament will receive Tk 30,000 and man of the match in the final will get Tk 10,000.

World record still remains intact for Malinga

Lasith Malinga

It will be the fifth anniversary of Lasith Malinga’s unique feat in international cricket tomorrow (Wednesday). He is the only bowler in cricketing history to take four wickets in four consecutive balls in international cricket (vs. South Africa, on 28 March 2007). Sadly, his efforts could not win his team a match.
“Hat-trick is a very common term used for three wickets in three ball achievement but I would suggest double hat-trick for his 4 / 4 achievement”, his one time coach, Champaka Ramanayake said exclusively over telephone from Colombo.
Malinga (4-54) yorked Pollock (13) and had Hall caught at cover in successive balls at the end of his eighth over, and returned to clean up Kallis for his hat-trick and then Ntini next ball.
Immediately after the match Charl Langeveldt was declared the Man of the Match award for his five wicket haul but later it was apologised to the Sri Lanka management team to say there had been a communication error and Lasith Malinga should have been jointly awarded the accolade.
“Lasith Malinga is not playing Test cricket now, but he is in Sri Lanka and I shall certainly remind him about his unique feat tomorrow”, the fast-bowling coach added.
The 29-year-old fast bowler has only been playing ODIs’ and Twenty20s.
“He is capable of repeating this feat. It is still possible for him and God knows he may do it again”, Champaka Ramanayake added further.
“Lasith Malinga is the highest hat-trick taker in the game but he also captured four wickets in four balls (vs. South Africa in 2007 World Cup) and four years later, he came close to this achievement again in 2011 World Cup (vs. Kenya at Colombo when he took the wickets with 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th ball of his over). This is an unique achievement and I would suggest a special term be named for this achievement”.
“The records are meant to be broken, yes, but I wish his record is intact for many many years”, he signed off.

Galle test : Mahela Jayawardene resists England propulsion

Two self-inflicted blows from Sri Lankan batsmen helped England tighten their grip on the first day of the first Test in Galle.

If England go on to win this Test, Sri Lanka may well come to rue a couple of moments in the afternoon session. First Thilan Samarawerra and then Dinesh Chandimal played more than a small part in their own downfall with moments of carelessness that could cost their side dearly.

Samarawerra was run out backing up after the bowler, James Anderson, managed to lay a hand on a fierce return drive from Mahela Jayawardene only to see the ball deflect on to the stumps at the bowler's end. It was, some might say, an unfortunate end to a promising innings, though Samarawerra - backing up unnecessarily far and unable to regain his ground - had only himself to blame for finding himself stranded.

Chandimal, meanwhile, presented Samit Patel with a maiden Test wicket as he attempted an ugly slow-sweep to a delivery outside off stump and succeeded only in miscuing the ball to cover.

To deepen Sri Lankan frustration, each wicket came just as it appeared that the hosts were digging themselves out of trouble. Samarawerra had added 52 for the fourth wicket, overcoming a sticky start, taking 31 deliveries to get off the mark, to provide solid resistance, while Chandimal had looked untroubled in adding 61 runs for the fifth wicket.

Only Mahela Jayawardene, with a patient half-century, offered meaningful defiance for Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka captain, anxious to see his side take advantage of winning the toss in conditions where it should have offered a substantial advantage, provided the perfect example with his patience, shot selection, concentration and technique. But he lacked support as the Sri Lanka top-order fell victim to a fine spell of bowling from England's seamers and the middle-order gifted their wickets rather too casually.

It could have been even better for England. Had Jayawardene been caught on 64 - a desperately tough chance offered to Anderson at first slip off Graeme Swann - then Sri Lanka would have been 138 for six.

As it was, the two unrelated Jayawardenes saw Sri Lanka through to tea without further loss. But with a somewhat brittle tail to follow they have a great deal of work ahead of them if they are to rescue their side from a precarious position.

There was, perhaps, some encouragement for Sri Lanka in the pitch. It is already providing a surprising amount of assistance for the spinners and, bearing in mind England's struggles against Pakistan's spinners in the UAE, Sri Lanka may feel that a total of 300 or so might prove highly competitive.

Earlier Sri Lanka slipped to 15 for three inside the first four overs. James Anderson, maintaining a full length outside the off stump and finding just a little swing, accounted for two left-handed batsmen in two deliveries in his second over as first Lahiru Thirimanne and then Kumar Sangakkara edged to the slips and keeper respectively. Thirimanne became Anderson's 250th Test wicket in the bowler's 67th Test - he is just the sixth England bowler to reach the milestone - as he prodded at one angled across him, before Sangakkara suffered the third first-ball dismissal of his Test career after he was drawn into a loose drive.

Stuart Broad then took the edge of Tillakaratne Dilshan's bat with a beauty that bounced and left the batsmen off the seam. While there were no surprises in the Sri Lanka side - Chandimal was named in place of the injured Angelo Mathews - England opted to include a third spin option in the form of Patel. Patel, who is making his Test debut, was preferred to Ravi Bopara, whose side strain would have prohibited him from bowling, and Tim Bresnan, who could have batted at seven and filled the role of a third seamer. While there were concerns that England may miss a third quick, the polished performance of their frontline bowlers - and the fragility of the Sri Lankan batting - suggested the selectors' gamble had been vindicated.

Instead the early signs were that Sri Lanka's hectic schedule - they have barely had time to catch breath after returning from tours of South Africa, Australia and Bangladesh - may have left them a little underprepared for their return to Test duty.

Galle Test : Sri Lanka vs England update

Galle: Dinesh Chandimal (27) became debutant Samit Patel’s first wicket as the righty was caught at cover after attempting a wild slog. He was the fifth Sri Lankan wicket to fall.

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Thilan Samaraweera (20) was unlucky as he was run out after Jayawardene’s straight drive ricocheted off Anderson’s palm to hit the stumps. The partnership (52 runs) was crucial in steadying the Lankan innings after some early fireworks from the English bowlers had them on the backfoot.

England dealt Sri Lankan team early blows as they snatched three quick wickets on the opening day of the first Test at Galle on Monday.

Pacer James Anderson accounted for two Lankan batsmen, Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara, in two deliveries to start the proceddings in only his second over of the day.

Both the left-handers were dismissed after edging behind the wickets-the former to Swann at second slip while the latter to keeper Prior.

Stuart Broad removed Tillakaratne Dilshan in the following overs to rattle the Lankan innings. He too edged a good length delivery that flew to captain Andrew Strauss at first slip.

Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and opted to bat first in the opening Test of the two-match series against England at Galle on Monday.

England, the world`s top ranked Test side, selected three spinners for the match in off-spinner Graeme Swann, and left-armers Monty Panesar and debutant Samit Patel.

Sri Lanka made three changes to the side from their last Test match against South Africa in Durban in January. Prasanna Jayawardene, Suraj Randiv and Suranga Lakmal came into the side, replacing Angelo Mathews, who was ruled out with an injury, Thisara Perera and Dhammika Prasad.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Prasanna Jayawardene, Rangana Herath, Suraj Randiv, Chanaka Welegedara, Suranga Lakmal.

England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Monty Panesar.

Tendulkar hopes that only an Indian breaks his records.

Sachin Tendulkar

 Sachin Tendulkar does not want to predict whether his seemingly unconquerable record of 100 international centuries would ever be broken but the iconic cricketer hopes that as and when it happens, the feat is accomplished by a fellow Indian.

In a wide-ranging interaction with the media, the 38-year-old Tendulkar also said that he does not intend to retire anytime soon no matter what the critics have to say.

"I don`t know. I guess all the records are meant to be broken but I hope it`s an Indian. I don`t think you can predict that (whether it will be surpassed) but I hope it`s an Indian whenever it happens," Tendulkar, who reached the milestone during the recent Asia Cup, told reporters here."I feel that when I retire is something that I would decide because when I started was not decided by someone else. Those who are advising me about retirement did not bring me in the team."I get my strength from my coaches and family. When I feel I don`t have that, on that day, I will think of retirement. I feel those who say you should retire at the top are selfish because when you are at the top, you should serve the country instead of retiring," he said.

India went on to lose the match, that too against Bangladesh, in which Tendulkar got to the feat and he said the disappointment meant that the celebrations were muted."I don`t think that we are celebrating that one match. Where I am right now took 23 years and not one match. I feel the result was very important. It was very disappointing. The day I got the hundred there was no celebration," he recalled.For a player who has virtually every batting record that is there to be taken, Tendulkar said the biggest compliment for him was when the legendary Sir Don Bradman included him in his all-time Test XI.

"I think the best compliment was from Sir Don Bradman when he announced his all-time Test XI and I was part of that squad. That would be the best compliment," he said. Talking about his journey so far, Tendulkar, the highest run-getter in both Tests and one-dayers, said his late father Ramesh Tendulkar was his idol growing up.

"My hero is my father because he is the one with whom everything started in my life. I follow my father. In cricket, even whose who haven`t scored a hundred were advising me but as long as it was in good intention, it was fine," he said.When asked about India`s early exit from the Asia Cup, Tendulkar said credit should also go to the rivals who played better than them."All three teams won two matches, it eventually boiled down to who beat whom. I want to clarify that Bangladesh are a good team and played well in all the four matches. The rival teams also come to win. Sometimes you play well but the other team plays better," he explained.The diminutive right-hander said he does not have to prove anything now and would continue as long as he enjoys the game.

"I don`t think I need to prove anything right now. I started playing this game because I loved it, I enjoy it. The passion for cricket was there. The dream was to play for India and win the World Cup, I don`t think anything can be bigger than that," he said. "I can`t think of milestones. I have been able to play for India and win the World Cup. I don`t know what is in store for me but my focus would be to just enjoy the game. I don`t want to focus on what I have to achieve because I have already achieved what I wanted," he added.Tendulkar also detailed the one year barren spell during which he got into 70s and 80s but somehow missed out on hundreds.

"At the time of the World Cup when I got to 99 hundreds, no one was discussing about my 100th hundred because the focus was on the World Cup. But after the World Cup, the media built on it and started asking. I was only focused on playing cricket like always. I just wanted to score runs," he recalled."But as time went by, people who were listening to the media, those people, excluding my friends and family, would wish me about the 100th hundred. But I felt cricket should be the focus and that is what I kept telling myself," Tendulkar said."I can say that from a cricketing point of view, it was a tough phase because the good wishes were not stopping. Now, at least they won`t pray for my 100th ton and my ears will get some rest," he joked.

"I can`t complain about all these good wishes."

Talking about his own form in this one year, Tendulkar said, "I can say that there were patches when I didn`t bat well, there were patches when I felt that I batted my best. I felt that sometimes you need luck to be on your side.""Sometimes that luck factor was missing because as far as preparations were concerned, my commitment and passion was in place. I scored 100 out of 100 on that. But you don`t always achieve the results that you dream of," he said."Something that is more important is not to lose hope. I did not lose hope, I continued trying my best. Here I only waited for a year but for the World Cup I waited for 22 years and it happened."

Tendulkar said being a celebrity, his struggles hogged the limelight even though every individual goes through tough times."There are going to be rough phases in life. I don`t think there is anyone who hasn`t experienced rough phases but they are personal. But because we are public figures, our rough phases are on camera. But I didn`t lose faith in my ability and that is what has allowed me to be where I am."Asked to assess himself, Tendulkar said he would leave that job to his fans and critics."I can`t judge myself but definitely there was a dream to be regarded as one of the top players to have played the game. To be in that league that was my dream. I wanted to be right at the top or to be there in that group and I feel I am there but if you ask me to judge myself, I can`t do that. That`s for others to say," he said.Asked to compare the pressure he felt at the time of his debut hundred and the 100th hundred, Tendulkar said it is incomparable."I think in 94` when I did a press conference, even half of the journalists present right now were not there. There were few expectations. Today the expectations are a lot more. Even if I score 70-80, it is a disappointment like in Delhi last year against the West Indies. "It`s about how you look at things. My first century and this one can`t be compared because expectations are different," he said.Like him, the Indian team has also gone through a tough phase since winning the World Cup in April last year. Tendulkar said the key to recovery lies in not losing hope.

"Wherever we go, we want to win. When you lose the number one ranking, it means someone is playing better cricket than you, you need to perform better and win. That is what we go out for. At no stage should we lose hope. It is a rough patch but we can overcome that obstacle, we require hard work and we will do that," he said."I think our team has had a few injuries. During the England tour, we suffered because of injuries. I don`t want to give excuses because whoever plays, he is expected to do well. I can`t pinpoint reasons but we can get better.

"I don`t know how to put it across. I don`t think you can find solutions in 3-4 sentences. It is a process. When we became number one, it was a process and we will have to repeat that," he added.Talking about the state of the game in general, Tendulkar said Test cricket should remain the pinnacle."There has to be more importance to Test cricket. This format is very challenging for which you need planning. You need to play at a different pace at different times. If you ask any player, most would tell you that Tests have to be number one and I have no different opinion," he said.

Asia Cup final: Statistical Highlights

 Statistical highlights of the Asia Cup-2012 closing between Pakistan and Bangladesh here.

Shakib Al Hasan`s 25th half-century in ODIs is his ordinal against Pakistan. Shakib has certified 25 decade and 30 innings of fifty-plus (5 hundreds + 25 fifties) - both records for Bangladesh in ODIs.Shakib`s 68 off 72 balls was his highest at the Continent Cup - his third banknote in the Accumulation Cup competition. The hit is the maximal by a Asiatic batsman in a tournament examination, corrective the 60 by Tamim Iqbal in the synoptic couple.

Shakib and Tamim are the only batsmen to achievement decennium for Bangladesh in a tourney final. Shakib received the Contestant of the playoff award for the ordinal dimension in ODIs for managing 237 at an compute of 59.25 and attractive six wickets at 33.16 runs apiece.

Tamim Iqbal (60 off 68 balls) is the prototypic batsman to position quadruplet succeeding decade at the Aggregation Cup - his early ternary decade were 64 against Pakistan, 70 against Bharat and 59 against Sri Lanka.
Tamim is the best Bangladeshi contestant to registry figure decennium in a row in ODIs. His fourth half-century against Pakistan is his 23rd in ODIs. Tamim realised 500 runs at the Continent Cup - 517 at an number of 43.08 in 12 matches. His tally includes six decennium. Tamim is the exclusive Bangladeshi participant to control 500 runs at the Collection Cup. Tamim has managed 253 runs at an moderate of 63.25 in cardinal matches - the most by a Asian batsman in the Asia Cup 2012.Tamim has embellish the low Bangladeshi batsman to tidy 250 runs or writer in an Assemblage Cup contention.
 

Aizaz Cheema (3/46) produced his superfine performance against Bangladesh in ODIs. Cheema is averaging 17.50 in a success crusade, claiming 20 wickets in figure games, including two four-wicket hauls -one each against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.Cheema`s performance is the incomparable by a Asiatic derby in the Asia Cup Net, behind the 3 for 32 by Abdul Qadir against Sri Lanka at Colombo, SSC on Apr 6, 1986.
Younis Khan became the position Asian fielder to postulate trinity catches in an ODI at the Collection Cup. Imran Khan and Umar Akmal were the eldest two Asian fielders to do so. Pakistan`s exhilarating two-run bluster over Bangladesh is the smallest victory-margin at the Accumulation Cup, outstripping Bharat`s four-run win over Sri Lanka at Colombo (RPS) on July 27, 2004. Pakistan`s finish is their 11th against Bangladesh in as some matches at the Asia Cup. Gross, they score won 21 and unregenerated 13 out of 35 contested at the Aggregation Cup. Pakistan, for the secondment instant, fuck won the Collection Cup rivalry. They had oldest won the said tournamet, pulsating Sri Lanka by 39 runs at Dacca in 2000.

Bangladesh somebody doomed both the ODI finals - by 2 wickets to Sri Lanka in the Tri-Nation Contest at Mirpur on Jan 16, 2009 and by 2 runs to Pakistan at the Aggregation Cup on Dissent 22, 2012. Bangladesh (234/8) eff prerecorded their highest totality in a contest net, superior the 152 against Sri lanka at Dhaka on January 16, 2009. Younis Khan has emulated Mahela Jayawardene`s effort of 14 catches, distribution a author achievement for most catches in the Aggregation Cup. Shahid Afridi has received his 29th Man of the Fit symbol for his all-round execution, background a Pakistan book, remedial Saeed Anwar`s score of 28 awards. Mohammad Hafeez is Pakistan`s top run-scorer in the Collection Cup 2011-12, managing 245 at an calculate of 61.25 - the highest for Pakistan. Sarfraz Ahmed (46 not out off 52 balls) canned his career-best innings in ODIs.
arfraz`s innings is the maximal by a separate octonary batsman for Pakistan at the Collection Cup. It is the secondment maximal, behindhand the 55 by Mohammad Tauqir (UAE) against India at Dambulla on July 16, 2004.

Asia Cup-2012 It was pain full night for Banglades

Shakib & Musfiq are crying

Pakistan ended brave Bangladesh’s dream run to clinch the Asia Cup title for the second time as they held their nerve in nail-biting moment to edge past the hosts by just two runs in a dramatic final at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Like the league match, they gave a mighty scare to Pakistan but it was again so near, yet so far case that left the adoring full house crowd and the players tearing. It came as a huge blow for the nation which was preparing to celebrate the biggest moment of cricket history as Bangladesh had every chance to win the match till the final ball.
Pakistan also won their maiden Asia Cup in Dhaka in 2000, while India became champions for five times and Sri Lanka for four times.
As the bowlers laid a solid platform with holding back Pakistan to 236 for nine, Bangladesh sniffed to create an epic history. Once again Tamim Iqbal was solid in upfront while Shakib’s controlled aggression kept the match in Bangladesh’s grip but the dismissal of the Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim’s in a quick succession came as huge blow. Pakistani spinners did a splendid job in the middle while pacer won the battle of nerves in the last moment to restrict Bangladesh to 234 for eight.
Bangladesh needed nine runs to win in the last over, but Aizaz Cheema, who was erratic bloomed with full glory in the crucial last over giving away just six runs to leave the whole stadium in grave silence. Tears were rolling down the cheeks of the fans and so as the players but yet it was a huge achievement for the country’s cricket which has been struggling to have an identity in world cricket. The 11th edition of Asia Cup earned world respect and evolved the Bangladesh to a formidable side.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia and former president H M Ershad were present to watch the summit clash as the history beckoned Bangladesh.
Shakib Al Hasan was adjudged man of the tournament for his influential role to take Bangladesh in final and superb all-round performance. He scored 237 runs and hauled six wickets. Shahid Afridi, who blasted 22 ball-32 and also took one wicket with a measly bowling effort, was adjudged man of the match.
Tamim Iqbal, who was the highest scorer for Bangladesh with accumulating 253 runs, again put up top class batting braving his viral fever. His 60-run knock kept Bangladesh in hunt while Shakib blasted 68 to take Bangladesh close. However the lower order failed to give the finishing touch.
Earlier, with the opportunity alluring them to create another history, the rejuvenated bowlers refused to knuckle down, bowled with heart to restrict Pakistan to a manageable total. Sarfraz Ahmed’s unbeaten 46 runs proved crucial at the end so as the Shahadat Hossain last over which leaked 19 runs including two no balls and a wide.
Immediately after the prize giving ceremony a ten-minute colourful fireworks enthralled the crowd.
 

SCORECARD
 

Pakistan: 236 for 9 in 50 overs
Bangladesh innings:
Tamim c Younus b Gul 60
M Nazimuddin c Younus b Afridi 16
Jahurul c Younus b Ajmal 0
Nasir c Misbah b Gul 28
Shakib b Cheema 68
Mushfiqur c Jamshed b Cheema 10
M Mahmudullah not out 17
M Mortaza c Jamshed b Ajmal 18
A Razzak b Cheema 6
Shahadat not out 0
Extras (lb5, nb2, w4) 11
Total (for eight; 50 overs) 234
Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-68, 3-81, 4-170, 5-179, 6-190, 7-218, 8-233.
 

BOWLING    O    M    R    W
M Hafeez        10    0    30    0
U Gul                10    2    65    2
S Ajmal             10    2    40    2
S Afridi             10    1    28    1
A Cheema           7    0    46    3
H Azam              3    0    20    0
 

Result: Pakistan win by two runs
Man of the match: Shahid Afridi (PAK)
Man of the tournament: Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)

musfiq is crying

Asia cup-2012 Sri Lanka gather almost 232

An inspired performance in the field put Bangladesh in a good position to extend Sri Lanka's miserable win in the tournament and halt India's chances of making the final. Shafiul Islam's injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Bangladesh as his replacement, Nazmul Hossain, rattled Sri Lanka's top order with three wickets and gave them the early caffeine boost, before the spinners thwarted any significant resistance from Sri Lanka's middle order to keep them to a middling 231. However, the threat facing Bangladesh would be the dark clouds, which looked ominous as it rained wickets towards the end.

Chamara Kapugedera and Lahiru Thirimanne added 88 for the third wicket, but one of them needed to bat through the innings to set a competitive target. Upul Tharanga made a breezy fifty, but not for the first time since his demotion has he had to repair the damage done to the top order, again raising questions about the structure of the batting line-up.

Bangladesh came out with a sense of purpose, fielding with intent after winning the toss. They were aided by a surface which, though not the same used for the India-Pakistan game, appeared slower and suited their crop of bowlers. The seamers bowled several slower deliveries to tighten the noose on the run-rate, which

Nazmul's start was inauspicious - he was thrashed past backward point by Tillakaratne Dilshan off the his first ball, but he struck back quickly by removing his partner. Mahela Jayawardene missed a straight one and had his off stump knocked back.

Sri Lanka persisted with Kumar Sangakkara, who has been inconsistent of late, at No.3. He wasn't allowed to dominate at the start, as the alert infield did its best to limit the quick singles. He survived two close run-out chances, and in an attempt to break free drove Nazmul on the up to Nazimuddin at extra cover. Dilshan was found out by the slowness of the pitch when he tried to cut Nazmul and ended up dragging it to the base of the middle stump.

The loss of wickets dented the run-rate, as Sri Lanka could only manage 32 off the first ten overs. After a brief dry spell, Thirimanne eased a boundary down the ground off Shahadat Hossain, before sweeping and cutting the left-arm spinners behind the wicket. Kapugedera, under pressure to keep his place, made good use of his promotion, using his feet to the spinners. A stroke of luck, though, gave Bangladesh the breakthrough when Thirimanne nudged Abdur Razzak off his pads and was stumped after the ball deflected off Mushfiqur Rahim's pads.

Tharanga's arrival perked up the scoring, as he punished a wayward Shahadat for three quick boundaries. The batting Powerplay yielded 28 runs with two boundaries. Kapugedera, under pressure to keep his place, managed a face-saving half-century, but his innings was cut short by some sharp reflexes by Shakib Al Hasan at extra cover. Shakib struck with the ball soon after, getting Farveez Maharoof to edge to the keeper and trapping Nuwan Kulasekara lbw.

Tharanga stepped down the track to Shakib to launch the only six of the innings, in the 45th over. Sachitra Senanayake gave Sri Lanka a late surge to lift them to a target which could still test the hosts, despite their renewed confidence after chasing 290 against India. The drizzle picked up and the covers came on during the innings break. If play resumes, Sri Lanka would hope the rain spices up the pitch. There is, however, the provision of a reserve day if rain has its say this evening.

এশিয়া কাপ ক্রিকেটে জাল টিকিট

এশিয়া কাপ ক্রিকেটে জাল টিকিট ধরা পড়েছে। জাল হয়েছে দুশ' টাকা মূল্যের টিকিট। ৫ নম্বর গেটে দায়িত্ব পালনকারীদের হাতে ধরা পড়ে জাল টিকিট। এসব টিকিট কেনা হয়েছিল মিরপুর সিটি ব্যাংকের শাখা থেকে। ক্রিকেট কিনে প্রতারিত হয়েছেন ঢাকা মহানগরী ক্লাবের কর্মকর্তারা। বিসিবি থেকে তাদের জন্য বরাদ্দকৃত টিকিট মূল্য পরিশোধ সাপেক্ষে সিটি ব্যাংকের মিরপুর শাখা থেকেই তা কেনা হয়েছিল। এসব টিকিট দিয়ে ক্লাব কর্মকর্তা এবং ক্রিকেটাররা খেলা দেখে থাকেন। টিকিট জাল শুনে পরে অন্যরা মাঠেই প্রবেশ করেননি। এ নিয়ে কয়েকটি ক্লাবের কর্মকর্তারা সাংবাদিকদের কাছে অভিযোগ করতে ছুটে আসেন। তাদেরই একজন নবীন সংঘের সাধারণ সম্পাদক তাবারাকুল ইসলাম আরিফ। তিনি বলেন, 'এসব টিকিট দিয়ে আমাদের ক্লাবের কর্মকর্তা এবং খেলোয়াড়রা খেলা দেখে থাকেন। কারা টিকিট জাল করেছে আমরা জানি না। বিষয়টি আমি টিকিট কমিটির চেয়ারম্যান জিএস হাসান তামিমকে জানিয়েছি।'
এ ব্যাপারে টিকিট কমিটির চেয়ারম্যান জিএস হাসান তামিম দায়িত্বহীন মন্তব্য করেন, 'বিষয়টি আমি জেনেছি। এ রকম হতেই পারে। পাঁচশ' ও এক হাজার টাকার নোট যেখানে জাল হচ্ছে, সেখানে এটি তো খেলার টিকিট। কিন্তু কে বা কারা করেছে তা আমি জানি না।'

আত্মবিশ্বাসী হলেও চাপ নিতে চায় না বাংলাদেশ

শ্রীলঙ্কার বিপক্ষে এশিয়া কাপের গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ম্যাচে জয়ের ব্যাপারে আত্মবিশ্বাসী হলেও জিততেই হবে এমন চাপ নিয়ে বাংলাদেশ মাঠে নামতে চায় না বলে জানিয়েছেন জহুরুল ইসলাম। মঙ্গলবারের ঐ ম্যাচের ওপর বাংলাদেশের ফাইনাল খেলা অনেকাংশে নির্ভর করছে।

মিরপুর শের-ই-বাংলা জাতীয় ক্রিকেট স্টেডিয়ামে রোববার অনুশীলন শেষে সংবাদ সম্মেলনে জহুরুল বলেন, “পাকিস্তানের বিপক্ষে ভালো খেলে আর ভারতকে হারিয়ে বড় দলের বিপক্ষে জেতার আত্মবিশ্বাস জন্মেছে সবার মনে। শ্রীলঙ্কা শক্তিশালী দল হলেও প্রত্যেকে নিজের দায়িত্ব ঠিকভাবে পালন করলে তাদের বিপক্ষেও ভালো করা সম্ভব।”

“আমরা কেউ ভাবছি না যে জিততেই হবে, এভাবে ভাবলে বাড়তি চাপ চলে আসে। আমরা নিজেদের খেলা নিয়েই ভাবছি। উপরের সারির ব্যাটসম্যানদের কাছ থেকে একটা ভালো শুরু, মাঝসারির ব্যাটসম্যানদের দায়িত্বশীল ব্যাটিং আর বোলাররা সঠিক লাইন-লেন্থে বল করতে পারলে ইতিবাচক ফলাফল সম্ভব,” যোগ করেন তিনি।

ভালো খেলার ধারাবাহিকতা ধরে রাখার ব্যাপারে আত্মবিশ্বাসী জহুরুল। তিনি বলেন, “অনেক সময় আমরা ধারাবাহিকতা ধরে রাখতে পারিনি। তবে, এবার সেই পরিস্থিতি থেকে উত্তরণের ব্যাপারে আমরা আত্মবিশ্বাসী।”

“নিজেদের সামর্থ্য সম্পর্কে আমাদের স্পষ্ট ধারণা রয়েছে। তাদের বোলারদের বিপক্ষে আমাদের সুনির্দিষ্ট পরিকল্পনাও রয়েছে। তারপরও কোনো লক্ষ্য নিয়ে আমরা ব্যাট করতে চাই না। সেক্ষেত্রে আগে-ভাগেই উইকেট হারিয়ে বিপদে পড়ে যেতে পারি। উইকেট দেখে এগুনোর চেষ্টা করবো। হাতে উইকেট থাকলে শেষ দিকে দ্রুত রান করে বড় স্কোর দাঁড় করানোই লক্ষ্য থাকবে,” যোগ করেন তিনি।

ভারতের বিপক্ষে নিজের প্রথম ওয়ানডেতে অর্ধশতক আদায়ের পরও নিজের ব্যাটিং নিয়ে খুব একটা সন্তুষ্ট নন জহুরুল। তিনি বলেন, “ভালোভাবে শুরু করলেও দুই ইনিংসের কোনোটিকেই বড় করতে পারিনি।”

“প্রতিদিন ৫/৬ জন ব্যাটসম্যান ভাল করবে না। তাই উইকেটে থিতু হতে পারলে শেষ করে আসা উচিৎ। আমাদের কেউ ৫০ রান করলে তার উচিৎ হবে সেটাকে ১০০ রানে টেনে নিয়ে যাওয়ার চেষ্টা করা। সেক্ষেত্রে বাকিদের জন্য কাজ অনেক সহজ হয়ে যাবে,” যোগ করেন জহুরুল।

ডান কাঁধের চোটের কারণে পেসার শফিউল ইসলামের অনুপস্থিতির পরেও শ্রীলঙ্কার বিপক্ষে ২৫০ রান নিয়ে লড়াই করা সম্ভব বলে মনে করেন জহুরুল।

তিনি বলেন, “এটা আমাদের নিজেদের মাঠ। তাই আমাদের চেয়ে ভালো করে এই উইকেট কেউ চেনে না। আমাদের বোলিং আক্রমণও বেশ শক্তিশালী। আড়াইশ রান করতে পারলে শ্রীলঙ্কাকে হারানো সম্ভব।”

এশিয়া কাপের এবারের আসরে এখন পর্যন্ত জয়ের দেখা পায়নি চারবারের চ্যাম্পিয়ন শ্রীলঙ্কার। এবার তাদের খালি হাতেই দেশে ফেরাতে চান জহুরুল। তিনি বলেন, “অস্ট্রেলিয়ায় ভিন্ন পরিবেশে খেলে এসেছে এখানে মানিয়ে নিতে পারেনি শ্রীলঙ্কা। তাছাড়া চোটের কারণে অ্যাঞ্জেলো ম্যাথুস ও থিসারা পেরেরাকে হারানোয় তারা বেশ ক্ষতিগ্রস্থ হয়েছে।”

“উপরের সারির ব্যাটসম্যানদের ওপর শ্রীলঙ্কা বেশ নির্ভরশীল। শুরুতে ভালো বোলিং করে দ্রুত কয়েকটি উইকেট তুলে নিতে পারলে তাদের কম রানেই বেঁধে ফেলা সম্ভব,” যোগ করেন তিনি।

ফাইনালের স্বপ্ন বাঁচিয়ে রাখলো ভারত

 বিরাট কোহলির বীরোচিত ব্যাটিংয়ে এশিয়া কাপের পঞ্চম ম্যাচে পাকিস্তানকে ৬ উইকেটে হারিয়ে ফাইনালে খেলার স্বপ্ন জিইয়ে রেখেছে ভারত। এখন ফাইনালে উঠতে হলে মঙ্গলবার শ্রীলঙ্কার বিপক্ষে বাংলাদেশের সামনে জয়ের কোনো বিকল্প নেই। এদিকে হেরেও প্রথম দল হিসেবে ফাইনালে পৌঁছে গেছে পাকিস্তান।

শ্রীলঙ্কার বিপক্ষে বাংলাদেশ যদি জিততে পারে তবে ভারত ও বাংলাদেশ দুই দলের পয়েন্টই সমান হবে। কিন্তু লিগ পর্বে ভারতকে হারানোয় ফাইনালে খেলার সুযোগ পাবে বাংলাদেশ। আর স্বাগতিকরা যদি বোনাস পয়েন্টসহ জেতে তবে সরাসরি চলে যাবে ফাইনালে।

৩ ম্যাচে দুই জয়ে ভারতের সংগ্রহ ৮ পয়েন্ট। সমান খেলায় বোনাস পয়েন্টসহ পাকিস্তানের সংগ্রহ ৯ পয়েন্ট। দুই খেলায় বাংলাদেশের পয়েন্ট ৪। প্রথম দুই ম্যাচে হেরে শ্রীলঙ্কা এখনো পয়েন্ট শূন্য।

মিরপুর শের-ই-বাংলা জাতীয় ক্রিকেট স্টেডিয়ামে রোববার টস জিতে ব্যাট করতে নেমে মোহাম্মদ হাফিজ ও নাসির জামশেদের শতকের সুবাদে ৬ উইকেটে ৩২৯ রান করে পাকিস্তান। জবাবে ৪৭ ওভার ৫ বলে ৪ উইকেটে লক্ষ্যে পৌঁছে যায় ভারত। এশিয়া কাপে এটিই সবচেয়ে বড় রান তাড়া করে জয়। এর আগে ২০০৮ সালে নিজেদের মাটিতে ভারতের বিপক্ষে ৩০৯ রান তাড়া করে জিতেছিলো পাকিস্তান।

লক্ষ্য তাড়া করতে নেমে ভারতের শুরুটা মোটেও ভালো হয়নি। রানের খাতা খোলার আগেই সাজঘরে ফিরে যান গৌতম গম্ভীর। দ্বিতীয় উইকেটে শচীন টেন্ডুলকারের সঙ্গে কোহলির ১৩৩ রানের জুটি প্রাথমিক ধাক্কা সামলে ভালো অবস্থানে নিয়ে আসে ভারতকে।

অর্ধশতকে পৌঁছানোর পর সাঈদ আজমলের বলে ইউনুস খানের হাতে ধরা পড়েন টেন্ডুলকার (৫২)। তার ৪৮ বলের ইনিংসে ৫টি চার ও একটি ছক্কা।

সুরেশ রায়নার বদলে চার নম্বরে ব্যাট করতে নামেন রোহিত শর্মা। কোহলির সঙ্গে তার ১৭২ রানের জুটি ভারতকে নিয়ে আসে চালকের আসনে। জয়ের ২৫ রান দূরে থেকে রোহিত বিদায় নিলেও অবিচল ছিলেন কোহলি। রোহিতের ৮৩ বলের ইনিংসে ৫টি চার ও একটি ছক্কা।

দলীয় ৩১৮ রানে বিদায় নেয়ার আগে কোহলির ব্যাট থেকে আসে ক্যারিয়ার সেরা ১৮৩ রান। শেষ চার ম্যাচে তিন শতক পেলেন কোহলি। এটি তার একাদশ ওয়ানডে শতক। চলতি আসরে দ্বিতীয়। তার ১৪৮ বলের ইনিংসটি ২২টি চার ও ১টি ছক্কায় সাজানো।

বাকি কাজটুকু সুরেশ রায়নাকে নিয়ে সহজেই সারেন অধিনায়ক মহেন্দ্র সিং ধোনি।

৬৫ রানে ২ উইকেট নিয়ে উমর গুল পাকিস্তানের সেরা বোলার।

এর আগে হাফিজ ও জামশেদের ২২৪ রানের উদ্বোধনী জুটি পাকিস্তানকে বড় সংগ্রহের ভিত গড়ে দেয়। এশিয়া কাপে এটি উদ্বোধনী জুটি তো বটেই যে কোনো উইকেটে সর্বোচ্চ রান।

তৃতীয় উইকেটে ২০০৪ সালে কলম্বোয় হংকংয়ের বিপক্ষে পাকিস্তানেরই শোয়েব মালিক ও ইউনুস খানের ২২৩ রান এতোদিন ছিল যে কোনো জুটিতে সর্বোচ্চ। আর ২০০৮ সালে করাচিতে বাংলাদেশের বিপক্ষে শ্রীলঙ্কার সনাৎ জয়াসুরিয়া ও কুমার সাঙ্গাকারার ২০১ রান ছিল উদ্বোধনী জুটির সর্বোচ্চ।

হাফিজ ও জামশেদকে থামাতে ২৪ ওভারের মধ্যে ৮ বোলার ব্যবহার করেন ভারতের অধিনায়ক মহেন্দ্র সিং ধোনি। অষ্টম বোলার হিসেবে বল করতে আসা শচীন টেন্ডুলকার নিজের দ্বিতীয় ওভারে (২৬ তম ওভার) প্রথম সুযোগ তৈরি করেন। সে সময় ৬৯ রানে ব্যাট করা জামশেদ তাকে ফিরতি ক্যাচ দেন। ঐ সুযোগ কাজে লাগাতে পারেননি টেন্ডুলকার, উল্টো আঙ্গুলে চোট পেয়ে মাঠ ছাড়েন।

প্রথম ওয়ানডে শতকে পৌঁছার পর সাজঘরের পথ ধরেন জামশেদ (১১২)। রবীচন্দ্রন অশ্বিনের বলে ইরফান পাঠানের দারুণ ক্যাচে পরিণত হন তিনি। জামশেদের ১০৪ বলের ইনিংসে ১০টি চার ও একটি ছক্কা।

নিজের চতুর্থ ওয়ানডে শতক পাওয়া হাফিজ (১০৫) এক রান পরেই জামশেদকে অনুসরণ করেন। হাফিজের ১১৩ বলের ইনিংসটি ৯টি চার ও একটি ছক্কায় সাজানো।

তৃতীয় উইকেটে ৪৮ রানের ছোট কিন্তু কার্যকর জুটি গড়ে ধাক্কা সামাল দেন উমর আকমল ও ইউনুস খান। প্রাভিন কুমারের বলে শর্টফাইন লেগে গৌতম গম্ভীরের হাতে ক্যাচ দিয়ে সাজঘরে ফেরার আগে আকমল করেন ২৮ রান।

এক সময়ে পাকিস্তানের স্কোর দাঁড়ায় ২৭৩/৩। সেখান থেকে সাড়ে তিনশ রানের স্বপ্ন দেখছিল দলটি। তবে ইউনুস (৫২) ছাড়া আর কেউ দুই অঙ্কের কোঠায় পৌঁছাতে না পারায় ততদূর যেতে পারেনি পাকিস্তান। ইউনুসের ৩৪ বলের ইনিংসে ৬টি চার।

ভারতের পক্ষে অশোক দিন্দা ও প্রাভিন কুমার দুটি করে উইকেট নেন।

সংক্ষিপ্ত স্কোর:

পাকিস্তান: ৫০ ওভারে ৩২৯/৬ (হাফিজ ১০৫, জামশেদ ১১২, আকমল ২৮, ইউনুস ৫২, আফ্রিদি ৯, আজম ৪, মিসবাহ ৪*, গুল ০*; দিন্দা ২/৪৭, প্রাভিন ২/৭৭, অশ্বিন ১/৫৬, ইরফান ১/৬৯)

ভারত: ৪৭ ওভার ৫ বলে ৩৩০/৪ (গম্ভীর ০, টেন্ডুলকার ৫২, কোহলি ১৮৩, রোহিত ৬৮, রায়না ১২*, ধোনি ৪*; গুল ২/৬৫, হাফিজ ১/৪২, আজমল ১/৪৯)

ওয়ানডে র‌্যাংকিংয়ে ভারতের অবনমন

 এশিয়া কাপে বাংলাদেশের কাছে হেরে যাওয়ায় আইসিসি ওয়ানডে র‌্যাংকিংয়ে এক ধাপ নেমে গেছে ভারত।

শুক্রবার বাংলাদেশের বিপক্ষে মাঠে নামার আগে ১১৮ রেটিং পয়েন্ট নিয়ে র‌্যাংকিংয়ে দুই নম্বরে ছিলো বিশ্ব চ্যাম্পিয়নরা। কিন্তু হেরে যাওয়ায় তাদের রেটিং পয়েন্ট কমে দাঁড়ায় ১১৬। এক ধাপ নেমে তাদের অবস্থান এখন তৃতীয়।

ভারতের অবনমনে দুই নম্বরে উঠে গেছে দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকা। তাদের রেটিং পয়েন্ট ১১৮।

১২৭ রেটিং পয়েন্ট নিয়ে সবার ওপরে আছে অস্ট্রেলিয়া। নবম স্থানে থাকা বাংলাদেশের রেটিং পয়েন্ট ৬৫।

আজমল ফেরালেন টেন্ডুলকারকে

ঢাকা, মার্চ ১৮ (বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর ডটকম) - এশিয়া কাপের পঞ্চম ম্যাচে পাকিস্তানের বিপক্ষে জয়ের জন্য ৩৩০ রানের লক্ষ্য তাড়া করতে নেমে ২০ ওভারে ২ উইকেটে ১৩৩ রান করেছে ভারত।

এক প্রান্তে বিরট কোহলি ৭৩ রানে ব্যাট করছেন। অন্য প্রান্তে রোহিত শর্মা এখনো রানের খাতা খুলেন নি।

সাজঘরে ফিরে গেছেন গৌতম গম্ভীর (০) ও শচীন টেন্ডুলকার (৫২)।

মিরপুর শের-ই-বাংলা জাতীয় ক্রিকেট স্টেডিয়ামে টস জিতে ব্যাট করতে নেমে মোহাম্মদ হাফিজ ও নাসির জামশেদের শতকের সুবাদে ৬ উইকেটে ৩২৯ রান করে পাকিস্তান।

হাফিজ ও জামশেদের ২২৪ রানের উদ্বোধনী জুটি পাকিস্তানকে বড় সংগ্রহের ভিত গড়ে দেয়। এশিয়া কাপে এটি উদ্বোধনী জুটি তো বটেই যে কোনো উইকেটে সর্বোচ্চ রান।

ভারতের সামনে আজ অগ্নি পরিক্ষা চলছে.........।।

এশিয়া কাপের পঞ্চম ম্যাচে পাকিস্তানের বিপক্ষে জয়ের জন্য ৩৩০ রানের লক্ষ্য তাড়া করতে নেমে ১৫ ওভারে ১ উইকেটে ৯৮ রান করেছে ভারত।

এক প্রান্তে শচীন টেন্ডুলকার ৪৭ ও বিরাট কোহলি ৪৫ রানে ব্যাট করছেন।

সাজঘরে ফিরে গেছেন গৌতম গম্ভীর (০)।

মিরপুর শের-ই-বাংলা জাতীয় ক্রিকেট স্টেডিয়ামে টস জিতে ব্যাট করতে নেমে মোহাম্মদ হাফিজ ও নাসির জামশেদের শতকের সুবাদে ৬ উইকেটে ৩২৯ রান করে পাকিস্তান।

হাফিজ ও জামশেদের ২২৪ রানের উদ্বোধনী জুটি পাকিস্তানকে বড় সংগ্রহের ভিত গড়ে দেয়। এশিয়া কাপে এটি উদ্বোধনী জুটি তো বটেই যে কোনো উইকেটে সর্বোচ্চ রান।

তৃতীয় উইকেটে ২০০৪ সালে কলম্বোয় হংকংয়ের বিপক্ষে স্বদেশী শোয়েব মালিক ও ইউনুস খানের ২২৩ রান এতোদিন ছিল যে কোনো জুটিতে সর্বোচ্চ। আর ২০০৮ সালে করাচিতে বাংলাদেশের বিপক্ষে শ্রীলঙ্কার সনাৎ জয়াসুরিয়া ও কুমার সাঙ্গাকারার ২০১ রান ছিল উদ্বোধনী জুটির সর্বোচ্চ।

হাফিজ ও জামশেদকে থামাতে ২৪ ওভারের মধ্যে ৮ বোলার ব্যবহার করেন ভারতের অধিনায়ক মহেন্দ্র সিং ধোনি। অষ্টম বোলার হিসেবে বল করতে আসা শচীন টেন্ডুলকার নিজের দ্বিতীয় ওভারে (২৬ তম ওভার) প্রথম সুযোগ তৈরি করেন। সে সময় ৬৯ রানে ব্যাট করা জামশেদ তাকে ফিরতি ক্যাচ দেন। ঐ সুযোগ কাজে লাগাতে পারেন নি টেন্ডুলকার, উল্টো আঙ্গুলে চোট পেয়ে মাঠ ছাড়েন।

প্রথম ওয়ানডে শতকে পৌঁছার পর সাজঘরের পথ ধরেন জামশেদ (১১২)। রবীচন্দ্রন অশ্বিনের বলে ইরফান পাঠানের দারুণ ক্যাচে পরিণত হন তিনি। জামশেদের ১০৪ বলের ইনিংসে ১০টি চার ও একটি ছক্কা।

নিজের চতুর্থ ওয়ানডে শতক পাওয়া হাফিজ (১০৫) এক রান পরেই জামশেদকে অনুসরণ করেন। হাফিজের ১১৩ বলের ইনিংসটি ৯টি চার ও একটি ছক্কায় সাজানো।

তৃতীয় উইকেটে ৪৮ রানের ছোট কিন্তু কার্যকর জুটি গড়ে ধাক্কা সামাল দেন উমর আকমল ও ইউনুস খান। প্রাভিন কুমারের বলে শর্টফাইন লেগে গৌতম গম্ভীরের হাতে ক্যাচ দিয়ে সাজঘরে ফেরার আগে আকমল করেন ২৮ রান।

এক সময়ে পাকিস্তানের স্কোর দাঁড়ায় ২৭৩/৩। সেখান থেকে সাড়ে তিনশ রানের স্বপ্ন দেখছিল দলটি। তবে ইউনুস (৫২) ছাড়া আর কেউ দুই অঙ্কের কোঠায় পৌঁছাতে না পারায় ততদূর যেতে পারেনি পাকিস্তান। ইউনুসের ৩৪ বলের ইনিংসে ৬টি চার।

ভারতের পক্ষে অশোক দিন্দা ও প্রাভিন কুমার দুটি করে উইকেট নেন।

সংক্ষিপ্ত স্কোর:

পাকিস্তান: ৫০ ওভারে ৩২৯/৬ (হাফিজ ১০৫, জামশেদ ১১২, আকমল ২৮, ইউনুস ৫২, আফ্রিদি ৯, আজম ৪, মিসবাহ ৪*, গুল ০*; দিন্দা ২/৪৭, প্রাভিন ২/৭৭, অশ্বিন ১/৫৬, ইরফান ১/৬৯)


ফাইনালের সমীকরণ :

এখন পর্যন্ত টুর্নামেন্টের চার দল দুটি করে ম্যাচ খেলেছে। এর মধ্যে দুটোতেই জিতেছে পাকিস্তান। বোনাস পয়েন্টসহ তাদের সংগ্রহ ৯ পয়েন্ট। একটি করে জয় পাওয়া বাংলাদেশ ও ভারতের পয়েন্ট ৪ পয়েন্ট। আর দুই ম্যাচেই হেরে যাওয়া শ্রীলঙ্কার পয়েন্ট শূন্য।

শুক্রবার ভারতকে হারিয়ে এশিয়া কাপ জমিয়ে দিয়েছে বাংলাদেশ। চার দলের প্রত্যেকের সামনেই এখন পর্যন্ত ফাইনালে খেলার সুযোগ রয়েছে। বোনাস পয়েন্ট নিয়ে শ্রীলঙ্কাকে হারিয়ে একধাপ এগিয়ে রয়েছে পাকিস্তান। তবে বাংলাদেশ ও ভারত নিজের ম্যাচে বোনাস পয়েন্ট নিয়ে জিতলে এমনকি পাকিস্তানও বাদ পড়ে যেতে পারে।

রোববার ভারত জিতলে ফাইনালের আশা শেষ হয়ে যাবে শ্রীলঙ্কার। তখন মঙ্গলবার লিগ পর্বের শেষ ম্যাচে শ্রীলঙ্কাকে হারাতেই হবে বাংলাদেশকে।