Our focus is to move to second spot in IPL table: Gambhir

MUMBAI: Relieved to secure a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pune Warriors, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir on Thursday said his team would aim to win their next match and finish atleast in the second spot in the IPL points table.

Gambhir admitted he was nervous before their match against Pune and attributed their comfortable victory to the all-round display of his side.

"Very important two points today. It was a very important game and I was nervous, we had everything to lose today. We needed to be professional. We had come so close we couldn't afford to let it slip from here," he said.

"We needed to be up there, up the energy and if I am asking so much from the team I needed to have that first so I wanted to lead from the front and bring that intensity in the field.

"Credit goes to the entire team. We were never too keen on batting in a hurry for the Net run rate. It wasn't that kind of pitch," he added.

Asked about their next match against Mumbai Indians, Gambhir said, "We want to go out there and look to win the next game as they we would have a very bright chance of moving into the second spot in the table, so that's what we will focus on."

"Jacques' been doing a great job, his injury gave me an opportunity to open today. I want to give credit to the entire bunch of bowlers, everyone bowled well," he added.

Man of the Match, Yusuf Pathan, who scored 29 runs and scalped two wickets, said he was relaxed before the match.

"No tension ahead of the game. Gauti (Gautam) utilised me very well with the ball, I could get wickets and keep the runs down," he said.

Pune Warriors skipper Yuvraj said toss played a crucial factor and reckoned 140 would have been a good score in this pitch which turned a lot in the beginning.

"135-140 would have been a good score. Toss would have been vital, it turned a lot earlier in the first innings and not much in the second half. But credit goes to KKR they bowled according to a plan. we lost too many wickets in between," he said.

Yuvraj said he was giving the youngsters chance to bat up the order so that he can handle the pressure down the line.

"I am happy to allow youngsters bat ahead of me up the order. I have batted for India in tough situation and can handle the pressure," he said.

The left-hander said things didn't work out for his team once again and it was disappointing.

"It is difficult when you are out of reckoning and you have to play for your pride. Today again things didn't work for us, shots were going to fielders," he said.

Asked about Callum Ferguson whose two overthrows fetched Kolkata two boundaries, Yuvraj said, "All I could do when Ferguson's throws were going for four was smile, I think this is the best medicine in such situations and so that's what I did."

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Sreesanth's loss is Vinay Kumar's gain

CHENNAI: Sreesanth's ringtone says "I believe I can fly". But his performances of late haven't been upto the scratch and the Kerala paceman is now out of the Indian ODI side. R Vinay Kumar, on the other hand, has nothing of the flash and flair of Sreesanth. The hardworking Karnataka player, now an integral part of the Kochi Tuskers team, goes on performing day-in-day-out and despite bowling at a pace of 130, has worked his way back in the Indian One-Day side.

While Sreesanth has found himself in the middle of controversies even in this IPL, Vinay has just got on with his job. The Kerala player has lost his place in the team, too, once in a while, but the Kochi management has probably understood that it is something they have to live with. "We always wanted him to express himself. He is at his best when he expresses himself in his own way," Kochi's stand-in skipper Parthiv Patel said on Wednesday.

But one thing he didn't say is that Sree hasn't delivered what was expected of him. Vinay on the other hand, has been right on the money. "I do not try to do too many extravagant things... I always look to stick to my basics and I think that is paying the dividends," Vinay Kumar told the TOI on the sidelines of a Kochi practice session.

Vinay Kumar and Sreesanth are different people, both in terms of attitude and bowling styles. While Vinay works on subtle variations, swing and change of pace, Sreesanth is more of an attacking bowler who looks to experiment. That works for him on occasions, but in ODIs it goes against him too.

The World Cup final was a prime example when Dhoni played him ahead of R Ashwin, but the paceman disappointed. But Kochi's stand-in captain indicated that he is determined to get his rhythm back. "He is working hard at the gym. We all believe he can get back into the Indian team," Parthiv said.

Vinay Kumar, on the other hand, is looking to cement his place in the Indian team. "It was disappointing to miss out. But I had given a decent account of myself in the games that I have played. So I felt I can come back," he said.

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Kings XI Punjab crush Royal Challengers Bangalore by 111 runs

DHARAMSALA: It was supposed to be left-handed hatchet man Chris Gayle's party at the HPCA Stadium on Tuesday. But another left-hander, commendably assisted by yet another southpaw, gate-crashed in such stunning, hair-raising fashion that the night became an ode to him, a monument to his legendary powers.


Adam Gilchrist needed one defining knock in IPL 4, one which would make his season and measure up to his stature. It came against table toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore, a blistering 106 off 55 balls which had eight fours and nine sixes, one of which went into the valley past the upper tiers beyond the mid-wicket boundary.

His second IPL ton and his record-shattering second-wicket stand with fellow Aussie Shaun Marsh, worth 206, took Kings XI Punjab to the season's highest 232/2.

And when Gayle was taken out by Ryan Harris for a duck in the second over of the RCB reply as the visitors chased an improbable target, the contest was as good as over. RCB meandered along to 121 all out in 17 overs to lose by a whopping 111 runs. A buoyant Kings XI, who won their fourth game on the trot, stay at fifth in the points table. They are breathing down KKR's neck and you cannot fault them for harbouring high hopes of making the playoffs. They play their last league game against Deccan Chargers on Sunday.

The Gilchrist-Marsh tango was the biggest in all T20 cricket, comfortably overshadowing the 186 Justin Langer and Cameron White put together for Somerset against Gloucestershire in 2006. Marsh (79 not out, 49b, 7x4, 5x6) was more than a good foil for his captain and played his part in the merciless dismantling of the Royal Challengers Bangalore attack.

It was a wet day in Dharamsala with intermittent drizzle threatening to disrupt the match which, thankfully, did not happen. But when the drizzle stopped, it began raining fours and sixes. Such was the ferocity of Gilchrist and Marsh's onslaught that one thought even the Dhauladhar and Shivalik ranges which encircle the scenic HPCA stadium would be quaking in fear.

It helped that RCB rested Zaheer Khan for the game. Without him, the bowling was easy fodder for Gilchrist and Marsh. New-ball bowlers JJ van der Wath and Charles Langeveldt went for 50 and 48 runs respectively while S Aravind and A Mithun too could not stem the tide.

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Time to trial VJD method instead of D/L?

MUMBAI: Ten years after an engineer from Thrissur in Kerala, V Jayadevan, first introduced his self-invented VJD method for weather-affected cricket matches, the formula may gain some kind of recognition at last.

The technical committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to call Jayadevan later this month to give an official presentation of how his system works and will take a call on it after understanding all its implications.

Senior cricketers have been asked for their views on Duckworth-Lewis and many have come forward giving it a thumbs-down in recent past. That, in turn, has encouraged certain ICC members to give the VJD method a fair hearing.

For Jayadevan, this is a huge and emphatic step forward to help introduce the VJD method to the world, especially because in the last ten years, all his efforts to do so have been in vain.

The Duckworth-Lewis Method, first introduced by two English statisticians Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis in 1996-97, has been used by the ICC in all international matches officially since 2001 and no other system, including the VJD method, has been given a try. In 2005, the Duckworth-Lewis method was revised and updated and once again the VJD method was left in the cold without a hearing.

The D/L method — as Duckworth-Lewis is called — is a mathematical formula designed to calculate the target score for team batting second in shorter formats of the game interrupted by weather. Experts have generally accepted the D/L method to be fair and accurate in setting a target score, but it has not happened without controversies.

Experts say D/L's G50 rule — in which the possible target is calculated based on the whole 50 overs of play in the first innings — is the method's biggest weakness because it does not take into account the possibility of a team scoring less than the set score that is projected by the computer-generated program.

"When the interruption comes in the first innings, you have to find out a projected score through a more validated method. D/L does not provide that," says an expert. VJD's biggest strength, he says is: "It assumes various milestones in a match. The advantage is that the VJD model lies much closer to the actual situation than the D/L model."

The D/L is universally accepted and regardless of how players themselves view it, the model has stood the test of time. However, it is unfair if the concerned authorities have refused to give the other method — equally good and one that claims to be better in certain situations of the shorter format of the game — a fair opportunity to present itself.

"It is primarily the BCCI's responsibility to ask for a VJD presentation and forward it to the technical committee to study it," says the expert.

The technical committee of the BCCI, headed by Sunil Gavaskar, has studied the VJD method in the past and has recommended it to the BCCI, particularly asking that the method be introduced in the Indian Premier League. The Indian Board, however, has steadfastly refused to consider it. It gets worse because neither the BCCI nor ICC has even bothered to inform Jayadevan why the VJD has not been considered.

Asking Jayadevan to give a presentation of his model is the least the board or ICC can do. The first step has been taken in that direction.

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Dravid hopes to better 2006 performance in the West Indies

MUMBAI: Former captain Rahul Dravid is hopeful about the Indian cricket team improving upon its 2006 performance in the upcoming tour of the West Indies.

During the 2006 West Indies tour, the Indian team created history under Dravid's captaincy when they won a Test series in the Caribbean for the first time in 35 years.

"We won the series there last time around but I hope we will do better this time," he said on the sidelines of a promotional event on Tuesday.

"If the West Indies play their full strength side, they will be a tough team to beat. But it will be interesting to see if they have their full side."

Dravid became only the second Indian skipper, after Ajit Wadekar, to have won a Test series in the West Indies when he led India to a 1-0 victory in a four-match rubber in 2006.

Meanwhile, Dravid was confident that the last chapter in the rivalry between spin wizard Shane Warne and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, with the former announcing his retirement from the IPL, would be an engrossing one when Rajasthan Royals take on Mumbai Indians on Friday.

"Both are great players. If we see the history we will agree both are legends. It will be a good show by great cricketers. Every one will like to see such contests. Hopefully, there would be a good contest," he said.

The 38-year-old cricketer, who is part of the Jaipur outfit, said inexperience was the reason behind Rajasthan Royals' failure to make it to the playoffs of IPL 4.

"Look, our side has got a little bit of inexperience if you look at our game. There are 10 teams and at the end of the day other teams had probably more experienced players in this competition."

"We are not in a position to get to the play-offs. We have got some up and down performances. We have some youngsters doing well for us. We can improve next year," Dravid said.

He pinpointed Rajasthan Royals' Ashok Menaria and Ajinkya Rahane as the players to watch out for in the future.

"Happy to see some young players like Ajinkya Rahane and Ashok Menaria come through...they have shown a glimpse of what they can do. Rahane has done well for Mumbai in Ranji and domestic cricket while Menaria has done well for Rajasthan."

Meanwhile, South African Johan Botha, who was also present at the event, said he would be happy to succeed Warne as the Jaipur outfit skipper if he is asked to do so.

"I think when Warnie stops, a few guys could take over. If I get the opportunity, I will take it. But there are a lot of guys to take over like (Shane) Watson and Ross Taylor."

Asked about Gary Kirsten's chances of succeeding the outgoing South African coach, Corrie Van Zyl, Botha said, "I think honestly Gary has had a good time with the Indian team. If he takes over everone will be happy."

New Zealanders Jacob Oram, Ross Taylor and Rahane were also present on the occasion.

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Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils by 29 runs

DHARAMSHALA: It was a must-win game for Kings XI Punjab and they did not disappoint fans at the picturesque HPCA stadium. Gilchrist's men rose to the occasion to beat Delhi Daredevils by 29 runs to keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.


Their opponents, on the other hand, are languishing at the bottom with nothing but pride at stake. Such teams tend to spoil other teams' party, but without their skipper and batting mainstay Virender Sehwag, they were always going to find the hosts too determined to be outwitted.

DD chose to chase a target on a bouncy pitch where the ball comes onto the bat and the outfield is fast. But such a plan can boomerang if you fail to keep the rival total in check. And that's what happened to them as KXIP, banking on a fluent century partnership between Paul Valthaty and Shaun Marsh, posted a healthy total of 170. DD did make an honest effort but the KXIP bowlers, led by UP trio of Piyush Chawla (3-16), Praveen Kumar and Shalabh Srivastava, proved handful for them.

KXIP with 12 points and two games in hand need to win their remaining matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore (May 17) and Deccan Chargers (May 21) to have a chance of sneaking into the last-four. It's an uphill task, especially against the rampaging RCB.

Not for the first time, it was the inform pair of Valthaty and Marsh who set up the strong KXIP total with some scintillating strokeplay. The two took the Delhi Daredevils bowling by the scruff of the neck, on a pitch with greenish tinge and good bounce. They were not overawed by the steep bounce Morne Morkle generated and hit out boldly to collect runs at a fast clip. Their 102-run second-wicket partnership came in only 11 overs and they were ready to cause more havoc but Irfan Pathan, producing his best spell in this IPL, removed them off successive deliveries.

The two had come together when Adam Gilchrist, not for the first time in this IPL, failed to get going. That was the crucial phase as had either of them had departed early, the rest of the batting would have come under tremendous pressure. Valthaty was in a belligerent mood reaching his third IPL half-century in only 38 balls when he clobbered James Hopes for a six and a four, with a total of 18 runs coming from the over.

Shaun Marsh took the cue and hammered left-arm spinner Sridharan Sriram for 25 runs in an over.

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Kochi Tuskers Kerala thump Rajasthan Royals by 8 wickets

INDORE: Scores are settled now. Rajasthan Royals had beaten Kochi Tuskers Kerala in Jaipur in the first leg, and the Tuskers avenged the defeat in style by mauling the Shane Warne side at 'home' on Sunday.


The huge eight-wicket victory by Tuskers in their penultimate match at the Holkar Stadium meant Royals have now lost all hopes of reaching the playoff stage. They have now joined the 'losers' list of Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors, Deccan Chargers and the Tuskers.

Tuskers produced a clinical performance but their outstanding show was too late to save them from staying in the hunt for playoffs. Brad Hodge, known more for his batting prowess, produced one of the most impressive bowling performances of this edition to bag four wickets as Rajasthan Royals were bundled out for mere 97.

Thanks to Hodge's remarkable spell of 4-13, Kochi looked a completely different side compared to Friday when they lost a high-scoring encounter against Kings XI Punjab by a margin of six wickets at the same venue.

A couple of days back the same bowling attack, barring the exception of RP Singh, was thrashed mercilessly by the Dinesh Karthik and Company. But on Sunday, they were spot on from the word go.

Hodge made the day memorable for himself when he excelled with the willow too as Tuskers romped home in just 7.2 overs. He hammered an unbeaten 33 off just 17 balls and in the company of Parthiv Patel (21 not out) and knocked out the required runs with utmost ease.

Earlier, taking a cue from Adam Gilchrist, who had put the Tuskers in after winning the toss on Friday, Mahela Jayawardene decided to bowl first.

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Deccan Chargers wary of Munaf and Malinga

MUMBAI: Not without reason Mumbai Indians (game in hand) are perched atop the points' table along with the Chennai Super Kings. Two of their frontline bowling options - Lasith Malinga and Munaf Patel - have been in excellent form. Cricketing gurus and purists know what Malinga can do with his slinging action, but what has come as a refreshing change is the emergence of a fit Munaf Patel. The 6.3" towering speedster from a motley village in Bharuch had gained a notorious reputation of picking up injuries... almost at will. But since the start of the South Africa tour, prior to the World Cup, Patel has been injury free. Subsequently, he has been performing consistently, first for India and now for Mumbai Indians. Malinga (26) and Patel (17 wickets) occupy the top two slots in the highest wicket takers category in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"Any fast bowler who bowls around the 135-140 mark is injury prone," Mumbai Indians' Director of Coaching Operations, TA Sekar told TOI.

"But there were some bowlers like Kapil Dev, Manoj Prabhakar etc who mixed deliveries extremely well. They could bowl fast but at the same time, they had tremendous control over swing. This quality shaped their successful careers. Munaf has been injury free for a while because he is mixing things up. He is using variations to good effect," Sekar said, explaining the reason behind Patel not breaking down with an injury for such a long while.

Munaf has complimented Malinga very well. Together they have stifled the rival batting order by picking up crucial wickets on a regular basis.

"The most important thing about Munaf," observed Sekar, "is that he is bowling around the 130-135 mark.

"He used to be tear-away fast bowler. Now, though, he has cut down on his pace and is more of a line and length bowler. He has added a few variations to his bowling and that's helping him a great deal. Also, he has played three seasons for the Rajasthan Royals and has been in close contact with Shane Warne. I am certain he has picked up a few tricks from Warnie as well. For other technical support or guidance he keeps calling me regularly," Sekar said while bringing to the fore a technical aspect about Patel's bowling. "Munaf has a very simple bowling action. And because of his action, he manages to extract a little more bounce off the wicket than the others."

Mumbai Indians will face the lowly-placed Deccan Chargers at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. And skipper Tendulkar will hope that Munaf and his band of bowlers continue in the same vein.

Deccan Chargers' coach, Darren Lehmann, meanwhile admitted that his team has had some positives, but has failed to win a few important moments.

"It is difficult to explain why we are where we are. We have had some very good moments. But we have failed to win the moments that matter. We haven't lost a match very badly. The margin has been just about 10-odd runs. So yeah, it's difficult to explain."

Speaking about Patel, Lehmann said: "Munaf has been doing brilliantly of late. He has had a good World Cup for India and has continued in the same vein in this IPL for Mumbai Indians. He is a line and length bowler and has found consistency. Bowling isn't rocket science. It's just about executing plans and he is doing it admirably. He has a bright future ahead."

KEY CLASHES

Sangakkara vs Malinga & Munaf

Together, they have shared 43 scalps in 11 outings for Mumbai Indians. Lasith Malinga and Munaf Patel have been one critical factor why Mumbai have been so successful. Kumar Sangakkara knows if Deccan Chargers have to play spoilsport, he will have to bear the burden of batting.

Sachin vs Steyn

Two of the best exponents of their trades will make up for a mouthwatering contest when their teams lock horns at the Wankhede today. When it comes to batting, Tendulkar is on a different tangent. There's no one who has adapted to situations like the master-blaster in recent times. Steyn not only bowls his heart out, but gets reasonable bargain from even a dead surface. It will be interesting to see how the master tacticians will work out a game-plan to outsmart the other.

MI fielding vs Chargers fielding

On Friday, Deccan Chargers coach Darren Lehmann admitted that his players have dropped a few crucial catches. That, perhaps, sums why Hyderabad is languishing at the bottom of the points' table. Mumbai have been exceptional in the field apart from boasting of an envious batting line-up and a fairly successful bowling unit. Rohit Sharma, Pollard and Symonds have held on to some breathtaking catches and have saved plenty of runs. Today's game could well be decided on who fields better on the day.

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Tendulkar to get Polly Umrigar Trophy in BCCI awards

MUMBAI: Iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is all set to add another trophy to his already crowded cupboard with the BCCI deciding to bestow the 'Polly Umrigar Award for India's best cricketer of 2009-10' on the veteran player.

Tendulkar would be presented the award during the fourth annual BCCI awards ceremony in Mumbai on May 31.

The other highlight of the ceremony will be the felicitation of the Indian team that won the coveted cricket World Cup after 28 years last month.

"Another highlight will be the presentation of the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. The recipient of the same will be announced on 27 May 2011. The winner will receive a trophy and cheque for Rs. 15 lakhs," BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.

"The top performers in international, domestic and age-group cricket tournaments, in the 2009-10 (1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010) season, will also be honoured at the function," he said.

The 38-year-old Tendulkar, who has completed more than two decades in international cricket, scored 1064 runs from 10 Tests at an average of 82 during 2009-10 season. The fine performance included a double hundred and five centuries.

He also scored 695 runs from 12 ODIs at 69.5, inclusive of the first double hundred in ODIs by a male cricketer.

"Tendulkar will receive a trophy and cheque for Rs 5 lakhs," the BCCI said.

The other awardees:

Madhavrao Scindia Award (Highest Scorer in Ranji Trophy): Manish Pandey
Madhavrao Scindia Award (Highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy): Abhimanyu Mithun
MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best Under-16 cricketer): B Aparajith
MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best Under-19 cricketer): Bhargav Merai
MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best Under-22 cricketer): Nataraj Behera
MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best woman cricketer): MD Thirushkamini
MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best woman cricketer junior): Reva Arora

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Kings XI Punjab defeat Kochi Tuskers Kerala by six wickets

NDORE: Before the match the equation was simple – winner stays, loser exits. In this knockout situation it as important for the respective captains to raise the bar and lead from the front to inspire their team members. Mahela Jayawardene may have won the battle between the two captains in terms of run-scoring but his 76-run effort failed to inspire his teammates. Eventually, the chapter closed on Kochi Tuskers Kerala's IPL-4 campaign as the team went down by six wickets to Kings XI Punjab. Punjab were propelled by a dynamic knock from Dinesh Karthick which made the difference between the sides.


Kings skipper Adam Gilchrist made just 9 off 15 balls but his side overcame the initial hiccups to keep themselves in the hunt at the packed Holkar Stadium here on Friday. The fifth victory in their 11th match helped Kings XI Punjab stay afloat in the competition as they took their points tally to 10. It is still a long way to go for them but back-to-back wins must have raised their hopes of reaching the play-offs.

Chasing a challenging target of 179, Kings XI were in a spot of bother as they lost their star opening pair – Gilchrist and Paul Valthaty – with just 31 on the board. However, Karthick turned the match on its head with a swashbuckling 69 off just 33 balls. Overlooked for the West Indies tour, he took the Kochi attack to the cleaners to score a point or two. Karthick's 111-run stand for the third wicket with Shaun Marsh (42; 30b) at a breathtaking speed shattered Kochi's hopes. The fall of Karthick and Marsh in succession raised hopes for Kochi but by then the damage was already done.

David Hussey (21; 15b) and Mandeep (15; 10b) completed the formalities with seven balls to spare. RP Singh's efforts went in vain. The left-arm paceman captured all the four wickets to fall but lacked support from his fellow bowlers. S Sreesanth was the major culprit as he not only bowled badly but was also pathetic in the field and dropped a crucial catch on the boundary.

Earlier, put in to bat, Kochi wasted a flying start to post 178-7 despite a 52-ball 76 by Jayawardene. At one stage, they were heading for a 200-plus total.

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Coach Fletcher isn't Duncan the dictator

CHENNAI: Duncan Fletcher has done his homework well.

He knows there's no point in trying to be the all-powerful boss when he is dealing with the rock stars of Indian cricket. Rather, it's better to be a backroom boy and play the role of facilitator.

During his first interaction with the Indian media on Friday morning, Fletcher said he had been in constant touch with Gary Kirsten in trying to know more about the Indian players and how to go about his job. He wanted to make it clear he didn't want to be the dictator of the team. "This is a big challenge of my coaching career. But my job is not that of a dictator. I am a great believer that as a coach you offer advice and it works with some players and sometimes it doesn't. But I have had relatively good success and hopefully I will be able to help," Fletcher said.

The Zimbabwean's biggest success story was England. He took up the assignment when they were in the doldrums and under his stewardship, they went on to win the Ashes in 2005. Fletcher struck an excellent rapport with skipper Nasser Hussain and he is hoping to do the same with MS Dhoni.

"I always had a high regard for Dhoni. While he is very skillfull as a player, his handling of the players on the field has also been excellent. Having worked with other good captains, I am really looking forward to do the same with Dhoni."

It was Dhoni's chemistry with Kirsten that worked wonders for India over the last three years. Fletcher made it clear that he was going to follow the Kirsten model. "Gary's philosophy is pretty similar to mine. When he took over as India coach, he took advice from me. Now I have done the same, talking to him as well Eric Simons (the bowling coach). I am looking to take forward the good work that has already been done," Fletcher said.

BCCI secretary N Srinivasan confirmed that it was on the recommendations of Kirsten that Fletcher had been brought on board. "He came highly recommended by many people, particularly Kirsten. He comes in with a big reputation and I do not think it was a difficult decision for BCCI to make," the secretary said.

Asked about his problems with Kevin Pietersen, the 68-year-old said he had "handled enough big players". "It's all about man management. The first thing is that you have to gain their respect and once that is done, half the battle is won. Having travelled around with the South African side when they toured India and when India was there in South Africa, I observed the players. I have taken my notes and I hope to put that into good use," the new coach added.

Fletcher also made it clear that he won't push seniors into retirement. His philosophy is that a player should play as long as he is good enough and that "India are very fortunate to have so many quality senior players". "But the bench strength is also exciting and I am looking forward to working with them," Fletcher said.

He was originally scheduled to take over from the England series, but Fletcher informed that he will do it from the tour of the Caribbean itself. There are quite a few important tours coming up and he wants to spend as much time with his new wards as possible. And he is looking forward to build a pace attack (much like England) that will serve India for a while.

"It is important to have a strong bowling attack but it does not come overnight. It took me about three or four years to develop that with the England team. Developing pace bowlers is probably one of the hardest things to do in cricket," Fletcher said.

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Kohli lauds Gambhir's leadership skills

BANGALORE: Virat Kohli is a young man with a wise head on his shoulders. Of late he has taken to responsibility in the most heartening way. So it was wasn't a surprise when he spoke about how it would be take the field in the ODI series against the West Indies next month as defending World champions.

"Reputation is at stake," he agreed. "But we just want to concentrate on doing the things right on the field and am sure the results will follow. We have a good enough side, we have really talented players in the team and if everyone shares equal amount of responsibility and pressure, I think we are going to come out with good performances," said Kohli.

"Obviously, with the senior players not being there, it is an added responsibility," he said of his own role in the side in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. "You need to be more wary of how you go."

That said Kohli was certain that in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has at last been given a most deserved break from cricket, Gautam Gambhir would do a great job.

"I have played under him before and he is a very good captain. He motivates the players to give their 100 percent in the field and I think that's his best quality that I observed in the New Zealand series we played in India," said Kohli of Gambhir's captaincy.

"Plus his leadership skills are good because he takes his plans into the field and he knows what plan to go with and obviously he has a Plan B as well. He has a great temperament and in pressure situations, he always backs his bowlers and always keeps asking all the team members to give a 100 percent in the field which he does as well."

Kohli was finished as yet. "The kind of attitude, the kind of aggression he has in himself, he channels it to all the players as well," said Gambhir's fellow Delhiite who's no slouch himself when it comes to aggression.

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Gambhir to lead India in West Indies ODI series

CHENNAI: After days of speculation, it finally emerged on Friday that MS Dhoni will opt out of the ODI tour to the Caribbean. The World Cup-winning skipper, who will get a much-need break, informed the selectors of his decision during the selection meeting here on Friday. Gautam Gambhir will lead a depleted squad in his absence.

Even before the IPL got underway, Dhoni had said that he would like to rest "at some point of time". With the hectic IPL format leaving no time for a breather, Dhoni has given the ODI series against the West Indies a miss in order to be fresh for the Test matches and a long England tour that follows. "He said he needs a break and we want to get him for the Tests with his batteries recharged," a selection committee source said.

In Dhoni's absence, Gautam Gambhir will get his second opportunity to lead the side. The BCCI is planning to make him the long-term vice-captain and feel this series will be a good stage-rehearsal. With Virender Sehwag out with injury and Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan also being rested, the pressure will be on the Delhi left-hander to lead from the front in the five-match ODI series and a lone T20 international.

There weren't too many surprises in the actual squad, with the selectors deciding to give more weightage to domestic performances than the IPL. That helped leg-spinner Amit Mishra clinch the third spinner's berth in the squad ahead of Rahul Sharma. "Mishra is a proven customer. Let these guys play for a while longer, their chance will definitely come," the source added.

The spin attack will be led by two offies, Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin. In the absence of Zaheer and Ashish Nehra, the pace attack comprises of Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar and Praveen Kumar.

The big gainer has been Subramanium Badrinath, who walks into the squad on the basis of a fantastic domestic season and a fine run in the IPL. In a rich vein of form, there was no way he could have been overlooked. "It's a great opportunity for me to come back into the ODI squad after three years. I'm basically a top-order batsman and I love playing at No. 3 or No. 4. But I'm ready to play in any slot that my captain wants me to," a happy Badrinath told TOI.

In Dhoni's absence, Parthiv Patel walks in as the No. 1 wicketkeeper but the selectors threw in a surprise by selecting Bengal's Wriddhiman Saha as the second man ahead of Ambati Rayudu, who has done a great job for Mumbai Indians and even earned Sachin Tendulkar's praise. "Wicketkeeping is a specialist's job. It's a long tour and we wanted to have a specialist for back-up," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth said.

Squad: Gautam Gambhir (C), Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, S Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Vinay Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Amit Mishra, Wriddhiman Saha.

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Watson shows interest in Rajasthan captaincy

JAIPUR: With Shane Warne all set to retire after the fourth season of the IPL, his compatriot and all rounder Shane Watson on Wednesday expressed desire to take over the reins of the Rajasthan Royals team from the next edition.

Watson said there is competition for the role of captain though he did not take names, who other than him are in the race to replace Warne.

"Yes I would love to lead the side in Shane Warne's absence but there are few others in contention," Watson said after his side was outclassed by nine wickets in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Rajasthan have very little hopes of making the play-offs and Watson said the team would do everything to win the remaining two matches to make it memorable ending for Warne.

"We are out. We will play the remaining matches for pride and will try to give good performance to give a perfect send off to Warne," he said.

Watson had done extremely well in the inaugural edition of the league and was adjudged man-of-the-tournament in 2008 but has failed to repeat his performance in the following editions.

In the ongoing tournament also he has scored just 221 runs in nine innings without a half-century. In the bowling also he has also been unimpressive as he has taken three wickets.

Asked abut his form, he said,"I can't say. Twenty20 can be a fickle game. I had prepared in same manner and was excited for IPL but things did not come off."

Watson also ruled out major overhauling in the side in wake of another dismal show, saying the team was playing as a unit.

Young Bangalore paceman Sreenath Aravind, who helped his side restrict Rajasthan to a modest total by scalping three key wickets, credited his performance to the guidance of India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan.

"He is a World Cup winner and helped me a lot. He taught me not to bowl to batsman's strength and how to bowl in death overs by reading the mind set of batsmen. He and Venktesh Prasad have both been great help for youngsters," Aravind said.

Aravind feared that skipper Daniel Vettori, who missed today's match, may miss the next match as well.

"Yes he was carrying a niggle in his knee which was aggravated a little and that is why he did not take field today. He is not sure to play even in the next match," he added.

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MI: Kings XI Punjab thump Mumbai Indians by 76 runs

MOHALI: Number 10 team beating Number one. It was an upset of that sort in the IPL 4 at PCA stadium Mohali on Tuesday night.


It was a freak top-order failure from the formidable Mumbai Indians as they were washed out for 87 - a mere 87 - and lost in just 12.5 overs to a team that had been tagged as no hopers of the league. Baroda spinner Bhargav Bhatt hurried up things down the order with his spell of 22/4, but Mumbai Indians will need to look at themselves for the defeat and the manner in which they crumbled.

Before going into the match, Kings XI Punjab might have fancied their chances only if someone came up with something extra-ordinary, but to see a champion side put up such an ordinary show, was surely a bit too much. But Mumbai Indians do have a history of crashing here. In 2008, MI lost both their matches to Kings XI Punjab. And in the first leg they registered their lowest score of 84. On Tuesday, MI put up their second sub-100 score eclipsing the 94 they registered against Rajasthan Royals.

Mumbai’s downfall began in the third over as Tendulkar was dismissed by Praveen Kumar. By the fifth over, they were 27 for 3 and before the end of the 10th over, they were reeling at 55 for 6. Bhargav Bhatt's 13th over polished off the tail and that was the end of the story.

Earlier, Mumbai Indians' Munaf Patel picked up a five-for, but despite that effort, Kings still put up a creditable 163/8.

Kings XI Punjab had no answer to Munaf's teasing line and a measured length as the middle-order crumbled yet again in search of quick runs. With 120 runs on board and still five overs to go, 180 looked possible. But Keiron Pollard's breath-taking catch of Shaun Marsh (43; 34b, 5x4) at mid-wicket changed the scenario completely as Kings' brittle middleorder made a familiar slide. Dinesh Karthik (31; 23b, 4x4,1x6) however enhanced his reputation playing brilliantly in the middle-order.

A reprieve from Symonds to Gilchrist at extra cover and Aiden Blizzard's missed sitter off Karthik were the sign of things to come. If the fielding was bad, the batting that followed was worse.

TOI

Probably the toughest day of my career: Ganguly

HYDERABAD: After remaining unbeaten and carrying the Pune Warriors past the target in his first IPL game, a candid Sourav Ganguly, who was given a rapturous reception by spectators here, called it "probably the toughest day of my career". He said he had not touched a bat for five months, but that didn't deter the 38-year-old from putting in an impressive performance.

Ganguly used all his experience to shepherd the chase after Jessie Ryder played a blazing knock, and kept talking to Manish Pandey as they stitched together a 33-run stand for the second wicket.

The Bengal southpaw took charge of the proceedings thereafter as Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh fell cheaply. Ganguly and Callum Ferguson, who struck three crucial blows in Daniel Christian's over, then ensured a comprehensive win for their team against Deccan Chargers.

"It's probably the toughest day of my career. I haven't picked a cricket bat for five months. I came here with zero confidence," Ganguly said, admitting that he had a lot of work to do to meet expectations. "Fielding will also get better, it's about anticipating what I haven't done for a while," he said.

Warriors coach Geoff Marsh was all praise, saying, "It is great to see Sourav get runs here. He was very nervous going into the match but did well to show that he has the ability to win matches. His love and passion for the game is still very much alive."

On not playing Ganguly in the previous game, Marsh said: "He said he was not ready and hence we had to bench him. He wanted to be mentally and physically ready before taking the field. It was an all-round performance from us. We did well in all departments of the game." Maybe, there's more to come from Ganguly this season.

TOI

I just could not control myself: Sachin

Not many may have seen this side of him, but Sachin Tendulkar broke down as he paid his last respects to Sathya Sai Baba in Puttaparthy recently.

And even if Sai Baba might not be present physically, Sachin says he still connects with him in his dreams. "That's where I draw my strength from. He will always be with me," says an emotional Sachin.

Everyone saw you getting emotional.

In fact you broke down post World Cup triumph too...

It's just that I could not control myself. Baba has always been my mentor and it was a great loss when he left us. But I remember his lessons and will continue to adhere to them. I felt very low on the day that I sat near his body.

You've always set examples. We saw you playing your best despite the fact that you were disturbed. You did the same many years ago when you lost your father.

I try my best to involve myself in the game as much as possible. Such losses are irreparable and I'll miss their presence.

What about Jaipur?

You went there and sat under the tree where Baba had delivered a discourse over four decades ago.

I will be visiting Jaipur often now. It was a very different feeling when I got near the tree. The world looked very different and appealing. Yes I got quiet for a while and kept thinking. Whenever I get time, I'll go spend some time under that peepal tree.

What about the 'Guru dakshina'? We heard about your plan to get a marble statue of Baba's installed. Is this true?

I can't say anything. It's personal.

What's happening otherwise? Any movies that you plan to do in the future?

Nothing much. Everything's going good and I am enjoying cricket. There's no movie happening at all, my main focus is very much on the game.

Your son Arjun has started playing. What you have to say?

He's positive in his approach. He keeps playing and doesn't leave a chance to travel.

Would you like to say something to all budding cricketers around?

Be focused and play with commitment. Don't ever be hasty in your decisions and most importantly respect your elders.

TOI

Chennai Super Kings thrash Rajasthan Royals by 63 runs

JAIPUR: An inspired bowling effort by Johan Botha and a late surge by Ajinkya Rahane (52 off 36) was all Rajasthan Royals had to offer on Monday night.


The home team's plan to give an ideal send-off to captain Shane Warne was spoiled by MS Dhoni and his Men in Yellow.

Eventually, a rather daunting target of 197 put up by Chennai Super Kings proved too much for the Royals as they crumbled to a 63-run defeat at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Monday.

Doug Bollinger grabbed three wickets and R Ashwin two as Royals were bowled out for 133.

A new pitch, which had a lot more bounce than the one used for earlier matches, and Dhoni's blitz towards the end of the Chennai innings, meant that the Royals had an extremely difficult task when openers Rahul Dravid and Shane Watson walked out to bat.

They had to score at close to 10 runs per over. Pressure was on the home team, which enjoy chasing.

Royals skipper Shane Warne had opted to chase on winning the toss. As wickets kept tumbling, the contest was over long before the end.

For Dhoni, setting the stage on fire isn't an unfamiliar act. On Monday, he did an encore. His knock of 41 off just 19 balls, punctuated by three fours and three sixes, took CSK to 196 for three and perfectly complemented Murali Vijay's 53.

On a new pitch - used for the first time in four years - Warne wouldn't have expected this.

What looked quite significant at the toss was the two captains pinpointing the impact that the shorter boundaries at one end of the ground could create.

The CSK openers, Michael Hussey and Vijay, made sense of this statement, smashing the ball around.

A lacklustre bowling effort from the Royals, backed up by some sloppy fielding, aided them.

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Yuvraj, Harbhajan ready to tour West Indies

CHANDIGARH: Amidst speculations that most of the senior members of team are likely to skip the upcoming West Indies tour, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh confirmed that they will play if selected.

"The board has not discussed anything with us in this regard. But if selected I would definitely play in West Indies," said Yuvraj Singh on Monday.

Bhajji also reiterated Yuvraj's commitment.

After losing seven matches on the trot and then finally winning a game at his hometown Pune Warriors skipper said, "Sourav will definitely play the next match. He was supposed to play against Kings XI Punjab but wanted two more days to get fit."

The southpaw said he is not sure of his team getting a berth in playoff games but "we would take one game at a time and see later on."

Regarding recent media reports of unsavoury elements surrounding senior Indian players in South Africa during IPL 2, Harbhajan Singh said, "I do not want to comment on it. And do not ask this question ever to me. Mind you."

Fletcher to be part of selection meeting for WI tour

Team India coach Duncan Fletcher will get his first opportunity to acquaint himself with captain MS Dhoni, selectors and senior BCCI officials when he arrives in the country later this week to help select the one-day squad for the West Indies tour.

The national selection committee, along with Dhoni, are scheduled to meet in Chennai on May 13 to pick a 15-member squad for the five-match One-day series in West Indies.

Fletcher will join them and it will be his first interaction with the men responsible for all cricketing decisions in BCCI.

However, Fletcher is unlikely to travel with the team to West Indies. Instead, the BCCI will appoint bowling consultant Eric Simmons as the interim coach during the tour while Fletcher will officially take charge when India depart for England for a Test and One-day series. BCCI officials said Fletcher was keen to attend the May 13 selection committee meeting.

After coaching England's national team for eight years and spending time as batting consultant with the South African national team, Fletcher replaced former South African coach Gary Kirsten for the India job.

His success with England in particular, where he helped the team regain the Ashes after 18 years, brought him into limelight as one of the top coaches in the world.

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Don't copy Malinga, but learn from him

NEW DELHI: There's only one thing on the minds of IPL teams not titled Mumbai Indians: How and why is Lasith Malinga so dangerous? And how can his success be emulated?

The MI seamer has bagged 24 wickets in 10 games in IPL 4 so far, and his strike rate has sent shockwaves down opposition spines. While his slinging action cannot be emulated, maybe there are lessons to learn from Malinga's success for every Indian seamer.

For one, Malinga is adept at not pitching the ball in a good length area, which is between four to six metres from the stumps. His preferred length is between six to eight metres, and by mixing his deliveries, he ensures that none of the batsmen are able to read him easily.

By the time you have read Malinga, an over is already up. Then there are the variations. If a batsman is expecting Malinga to bowl one of the deadly yorkers, there could be a bouncer - either fastish or a markedly slower one - in store.

As Virender Sehwag has pointed out, Malinga doesn't depend on the pitch to be effective. An economy rate of below seven in the T20 format also marks him out as extraordinary.

In his team, Munaf Patel and Harbhajan Singh are the other two bowlers who have that kind of an economy rate, and the only other IPL bowlers in this club are Pune Warriors' Rahul Sharma and Kolkata's Iqbal Abdulla.

"Malinga is very quick through the air and that is probably why he doesn't bother how the pitch is playing. Irrespective of the nature of the track, he will give you wickets. If he is bowling on a pitch that will assist pacers, he will be simply unplayable," former Indian pacer Manoj Prabhakar said, adding: "In this format, every batsman is trying to hit out. The bowlers who have not done something innovative to survive have struggled. Malinga is a thinking and innovative bowler."

India's bowling coach Eric Simons agreed that Malinga's success is a pointer for every IPL seamer. "He is a unique bowler. But everything that works with him can't work for someone else. The focus should be on concentrating on your strengths to develop yourself as a mature bowler," Simons said, pointing out that Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel have been bowling exceptionally well this season because they know their limits.

Reverse swing is another important element in Malinga's repertoire. "He reverses the ball late. Even Zaheer can do it well, but in T20 it's not effective because he doesn't have Malinga's pace. Munaf gets close to the stumps and is showing improvement in every series. It will do a world of good to the other Indian seamers if they follow Zaheer and Munaf's footsteps," Prabhakar said, adding that Sreesanth has the talent but not the temperament to try things differently.

While Zaheer and Munaf have been India's best bowlers, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Vinay Kumar are the other top contenders for the West Indies tour.

Praveen depends heavily on swing, and is not as effective with the older ball. Ishant depends too much on his rhythm to get going, while Vinay utilises the short ball well and also varies his pace.

Against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Vinay uprooted Chris Gayle's off-stump using a Malinga-style 'slinging' action.

Early wickets are a must in T20 if a team's score is to be limited to the 150-run range, and this is where Malinga has been so effective for MI.

He has targeted the top order with success in every match. How many Indian bowlers can meet such a requirement?

DEADLY MALINGA

Matches: 10

Wickets: 24

Economy Rate: 5.79

Strike Rate: 9.7

How Slinga foxes batsmen: Bowls short of a good length, between six to eight metres from the stumps Lethally accurate yorker Mixes up deliveries well Also uses fast and slow bouncers Reverse swings at speed.

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