2008: Watershed Year for Indian Sports

India's performance at the Beijing Olympics should inspire all those connected with Indian sport. Shooter Abhinav Bindra, boxer Vijender Singh and wrester Sushil Kumar exemplified what self-belief can do to sport in India. They all and a few other boxers and shuttler Saina Nehwal, who even if they have not been able to win medals, made the country proud.Bindra's shooting gold and the bronze each that Vijender Singh and Sushil Kumar claimed triggered celebrations across the country. If a poised Bindra became India's new youth icon, then Vijender and Sushil gave hope to millions like them who nurture the dream of making it big.Young Saina reached the quarter-final in her debut Olympics, the first Indian woman to do so. Boxers Akhil Kumar and Jitender might have missed a medal by a whisker but their gutsy performance gave the sport a big boost to bloom in rural India. Most of the Olympic boxers hail from the nondescript Haryana town of Bhiwani.The Beijing Olympics will also be remembered for some of the stars failing to live up to promise. The 2004 Athens Olympic silver medallist, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, could not qualify for the finals of the men's double trap event. For tennis star Sania Mirza, it was a forgettable year. Her debut Olympics ended in heartbreak. Dogged by a chronic wrist injury, she dropped out of top-100 rankings after beginning the year among the top 30 on the WTA Tour. Much was expected of veterans Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi who kept aside their differences to play for the country for one last time. But they could not move beyond quarter-final as a resolute Roger Federer and Stanislas Warwinka stopped them.

The failures apart, Beijing Olympics was a watershed year for the Indian sports as it saw many disciplines coming out of the shadow of cricket and finding a place in the sun. And this despite the fact that the hockey team could not qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 80 years and the lone women weightlifter from India, Monika Devi, failed the dope test.

The national sport hockey touched its nadir this year. When the nation was still reeling from the hockey team's Olympic failure, a sting operation exposed corruption in the selection procedure. As a result, the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) led by K.P.S. Gill was superseded and was replaced by an ad-hoc committee.

And just when things seemed to be looking up, Ric Charlesworth, the technical director appointed by the International Hockey Federation to assist Indian hockey, quit saying he could not function in the bureaucratic jungle where planning as well as execution was tardy.

The Indian colts though gave us reason to cheer, winning the junior Asia Cup hockey and beating Argentina in their backyard in a Test series.

The year turned out to be a landmark year for golf and badminton.

Veteran Jeev Milkha Singh once again showed that he could hold his own in world golf by winning four titles and achieving the career-best ranking of 36.

It all began with Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia creating history by winning the first ever European Tour event in India, the $2.5 million Indian Masters at the Delhi Golf Club in February.

Jeev ended his 18-month drought with the Bank Austria title and then went on to triumph at the Singapore Open. He also won two tournaments on the Japan Tour. He registered his best performance in Majors after he tied ninth at the PGA Championships, the best by an Indian.

His win in Singapore took him to the top of the Asian Order of Merit. Jeev finished top-10 at the PGA Championships and registered three wins on three different Tours this season.

Young badminton star Saina challenged the Chinese and Indonesian domination in badminton. Carrying on her stellar performance in Olympics, Saina won the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix and followed it with top performances in other tournaments, which saw her break into the top-10 this month to become the second Indian woman after Ami M. Ghia to achieve the feat. She went on to make the semi-finals in the season-ending World Super Series Masters final.

Chetan Anand cracked into the top-15 in the men's rankings with four title wins, including Bitburger Open and Czech International Open.

Tennis, too, fared decently. India entered the play-offs of the Davis Cup World Group for the first time in three years and a young talent in Somdev Devvarman came to the fore. Devvarman first created history by winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for the second successive year and then with consistent play took rapid strides in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings to dislodge Prakash Amritraj as the top-ranked Indian.

But tennis had its share of controversies, too, when Davis Cup players led by Mahesh Bhupathi revolted against Leander Paes' captaincy, forcing him to step down ahead of the World Group play-off tie against Romania that India lost 3-1.

Indian football was also on a high as the country qualified for the 2011 Asia Cup for the first time in 24 years after winning the AFC Challenge Cup.

It was a sensational year for cueist Pankaj Advani, who in April became the only person to win the Asian Billiards Championship twice. He then went on to become the first Indian to win the Australian Open Billiards Championship in Melbourne before winning the coveted IBSF World Billiards Championship in Bangalore in September.

Chess, too, prided itself in the eventful calendar year when Viswanathan Anand beat Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn to become the World Champion. The Indian Grandmaster thus became the first player to win the official world title in three different formats - knockout, round-robin and matchplay.

Gagan Narang put behind the Olympic disappointment with a gold medal in the 10m air rifle event at the World Cup in November. Ronjan Sodhi won the gold in the double trap event at the World Cup in Belgrade, equaling two world records.

The petite woman boxer MC Mary Kom won her fourth consecutive World Championship title in November and Akhil, Jitender Dinesh Kumar and Anthresh Lakra continued to make the country proud, with all four bagging a bronze each in World Cup boxing last week.

If the performance this year is anything to go by, then it certainly gives a fillip to India's hopes at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

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Maestro Roars again

PERFECT PARTNER: Sachin Tendulkar (right) guided Yuvraj Singh all along during their match-winning partnership.

Sachin showed why he is God of cricket. Why he is worshipped in India.

It turned out to be one of the best Test matches Chennai has ever seen. The tied Test against Australia might be the most memorable because of the rare result but this encounter will be remembered for the fantastic run chase and brilliant performances by the Indian heroes.
For Sachin Tendulkar, this match was a final answer to his persistent critics who have always insisted that he gets cold feet in the fourth innings. In the Chennai Test, he played not just as an anchor but also as a mentor. Holding the innings together at one end, he was also a calming influence on Yuvraj Singh. The Test also witnessed a powerful statement from Yuvraj whose suitability for the five-day version was doubted by almost everyone. With Tendulkar’s calm and restraining influence, Yuvraj refused to be baited by Andrew Flintoff in the second innings.

By doing this, Yuvraj showed his maturity as a player and his ability to learn from his earlier error. Their partnership made the almost impossible run chase a reality, especially after Virender Sehwag set it up so brilliantly.If the thrilling run chase made the match exciting, the abysmal spin bowling made me cringe. While it augurs well that the Indian pace attack looks in good health, it is alarming to find that the spinners are unable to make the necessary adjustments. Harbhajan Singh looked lost without Anil Kumble to support him at the other end. He needs to realise that it is up to him now as a senior player to guide novices like Amit Mishra. The Indian spinners were unable to even extract as much spin as Greame Swann.
The biggest mistake Harbhajan committed was in trying to bowl quicker through the air. The batsmen were able to take advantage of the pace, and simply guided the ball through the gaps for runs. Harbhajan was not willing to flight the ball much either. Main weapons
When India was bowling in the second innings, the spinners also failed to take advantage of the foot marks. By doing this, they negated the two main weapons a spinner has in his arsenal —deceiving a batsman through flight and bamboozling him with spin. The Indian spinners need to understand that as the wicket slows down, the length needs to be fuller to compensate for the slowness of the wicket. A little retrospection is always good even after such a historic win. What we take away from the field after a game is sometimes more important than what happened on it. Our strengths have to be applauded and weaknesses analysed. Only through this can we build a team that will win consistently

What went wrong for the Englishmen?

Dejection swept through the English ranks even as Chepauk erupted in joy. Kevin Pietersen’s men had come up short at the crunch. England did not believe it could actually win a Test from a position of dominance. The side lacked the ruthlessness that teams familiar with winning possess. It was an ordinary Test for Pietersen as captain. Tactically, he was found wanting. England neither attacked, nor did it strangulate. After Virender Sehwag’s blitzkrieg on Sunday, England had to bowl India out on the last day to clinch the first Test. Logically, if the Indian innings prolonged, the host was bound to win at some point after tea.
What went wrong with the English strategy?
In fact, little went right for the side after the third day. The team dug a hole for itself.
Winning is often about sending a strong message to the adversary. In the last session on day three, Andrew Strauss collected his runs with typical efficiency and Paul Collingwood was refreshingly positive against the spinners. At that point, India was down for the count on a brown, dusty pitch with dark patches on either side.Too defensive
Ideally, England should have forced the pace when play resumed. Instead, Strauss and Collingwood blocked and blocked. Was this a side striving to go 1-0 up in a two-Test series?
Watching the proceedings, one would have assumed that here was a team seeking to draw the Test. Then, after a lengthy and rather aimless exercise in batting, England lost a cluster of wickets in quick time.England had lost the mental edge. This was the beginning of the turnaround.
What followed was worse. England had got its strategy dead right against Virender Sehwag in the first innings. The pacemen bowled very close to the off-stump and got the ball to move from a straight-line. Cramped for room, Sehwag perished early.In the circumstances, it was incomprehensible why Sehwag was provided so much width by the pacemen — Steve Harmison in particular — in the second innings. The plan to nail Sehwag on his strength was a flawed one since the punishing batsman grows in confidence with every stroke. Then, Pietersen asked his premier spinner Monty Panesar — the spearhead in these conditions — to bowl a negative outside-the-leg-stump line from over-the-wicket. From a psychological perspective, the ploy hurt England. The move suggested the hunter was becoming the hunted.Aiding the spinners
The pitch did not deteriorate into a minefield, but there was definite assistance for the spinners at Chepauk. On a surface of this kind, a left-arm spinner bowling round-the-wicket can be a dangerous proposition. He can spin the ball away or make it come in with the arm at the right-hander. Ironically, Pietersen himself had been consumed by an arm-ball from occasional left-arm spinner Yuvraj in the second innings.

Mentally, Panesar had to switch from an attacking mode to one of containment. He was never the same bowler again. Panesar was told to adopt similar tactics against Sachin Tendulkar on the decisive final day; this diminished the spinner further. Spin bowlers need to settle into a rhythm and they have to be backed by their captain. In the event, Panesar bowled poorly.
Off-spinner Graeme Swann operated with greater purpose at the other end — he got the ball to spin sharply from the rough — but Panesar’s uninspired bowling undermined him as well.
On surfaces of this kind, the spinners work in tandem. In other words, pressure has to be created from either end.

Disappointing
Pietersen’s field placements were disappointing as well. The deep set field meant the singles were being conceded too easily. Had the singles been blocked, the batsmen might have been forced to drive the fuller length balls off the front-foot. On a pitch where the ball was not quite coming on to the bat, there was every chance of a drive being miscued into the inner cordon.
Perhaps, Yuvraj Singh could have been tested by short-pitched deliveries from the pacemen at the beginning of his innings. Yuvraj is not the best players of spin, but then a left-handed batsman generally copes well with a left-arm spinner. Swann from one end and Andrew Flintoff from the other early on against Yuvraj might have worked for England.

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Lord of the board

PETE SAMPRAS has won the most Grand Slam singles titles but does not have his name on the Roll of Honour of the French Open. Bjorn Borg won five Wimbledon and six French Open titles but fell short of claiming the US Open and Australian Open crowns. Ivan Lendl, winner of three straight US Open titles, could never conquer Wimbledon.These extraordinary talents attained greatness in their own way. But given a choice, these champion performers would have certainly traded anything for the titles that always eluded them. Unlike these great sportsmen from the world of tennis, chess maestro Viswanathan Anand has made sure he has no such regrets when he looks back at his achievements in a career spanning well over two decades. Having won every worthy title in the game at least once, he claimed the World crown for the third time in October by overpowering the Russian challenger Vladimir Kramnik. He not only retained the game’s most coveted prize but also made more than just history. And we are not talking about the whopping 7.5 million euros that came along with the title.Anand’s first success in the World Championship came in the tough 128-player knockout format in 2000. He regained the honour in a strong eight-player field in 2007 when the title was decided on the aggregate points scored in 14 rounds, played on a double round-robin basis. His latest triumph came in a best-of-12-game match-play format against Kramnik, who had been unbeaten in three World title clashes since 2000. Three titles in as many formats made Anand the only World Champion to prove himself in every possible way. Against Kramnik, the 38-year-old Indian reached the magic figure of 6.5 points following a tense draw in the 11th game. Kramnik, needing to win with black pieces to keep the contest alive, offered a draw after 24 moves and, with it, accepted Anand as the true, undisputed champion of the chess world.

A section of the chess world, mostly from Europe and certain parts of the erstwhile Soviet Union, wanted Anand to prove himself in the match-play format to earn its acceptance as a true World Champion. For over a decade, its spokespersons pointed to Anand’s not-so-impressive match record to substantiate their argument.

Personally for Anand, it was very important to win this match. Though he has been honoured with the prestigious Chess Oscar five times, the inability to prove himself in the match-play format gave the sceptics a reason to discount his greatness. Anand went down to Anatoly Karpov (1991 and 1998), Gata Kamsky (1994) and Garry Kasparov (1995) in matches. Though he settled the score with Kamsky in the same year, his four defeats in five games against Kasparov in 1995 left him with a baggage that he carried until the other day.

In a way, it was poetic justice that Anand defeated none other than Kramnik, in Bonn, to silence his detractors. Kramnik is the man hailed for dethroning Garry Kasparov, the mighty fellow-Russian regarded as the strongest player in the history of the game. Following that epoch-making triumph in 2000, Kramnik came out undefeated against challengers Peter Leko (2004) and Veselin Topalov (2006) to earn the reputation of being the strongest match player since Kasparov.

Last year, when Anand pushed Kramnik to the joint second spot on his way to the World title in Mexico, the dethroned Russian came up with some uncharitable comments: “On paper Anand may be the World Champion. But from my point of view, there is a difference in significance between a title won in a match and in a tournament. For me, the forthcoming match [in Bonn] with Anand is more important. If I lose that, I will accept completely the fact that I have lost the title, but right now, I have no such feelings. At present, I take the view that I have just lent Anand the title temporarily.”

The last sentence hurt Anand, but Kramnik went on: “Federer is better than Nadal, but cannot compete with him on clay. Everyone has his or her strong side. Mine is match play, whereas Anand’s is tournaments. He is very even and stable and can draw with the top players and beat those lower down.”

For almost one year, Anand waited patiently to silence Kramnik when the Russian exercised his one-time right to challenge him for the title. “Kramnik’s taunts helped me concentrate better and stay focussed through the match,” declared Anand after finishing the job. Indeed, when the time came, Anand gave a fitting reply – without uttering a word. The chess world heard the message loud and clear.

Anand needed to win in the match-play format against Kramnik to show that he was no less than the illustrious champions in the history of the game. He formed a team (called “seconds” in chess parlance) comprising former World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov, long-time associate Peter Heine Nielsen, surprise packet Radoslav Wojtaszek and fellow-Indian Surya Shekhar Ganguly. This support staff, finalised in April, worked tirelessly during the match and put in up to 16 to 18 hours a day to make sure that Anand realised his most cherished goal.

Kramnik, on the other hand, had Hungary’s Peter Leko, who assisted Anand before his match against Karpov in 1998, Frenchman Laurent Fressinet and fellow-Russian Sergey Rublevsky as his team of “seconds”.

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India move ahead with 5-0 lead

As captain MS Dhoni had promised, there was no dip in the intensity level after the series win and India comfortably won the fifth ODI against England by 6 wickets in Cuttack.After a blistering start from Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, India lost the momentum a bit as they lost three wickets in quick succession, but then Dhoni along with Suresh Raina consolidated India's position. Dhoni (50) added 94 runs for the fourth wicket and also raised his 25th ODI fifty before Graeme Sawnn trapped him in front of the wicket. After the captain's dismissal, Raina and Rohit Sharma saw their side home with 38 balls to spare.England pacer Steve Harmison gave their side the first breakthrough as he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for 50 runs. Sachin tried to play a good length delivery towards the cover but missed it and the ball crashed into the stumps. The master blaster became the first batsman to raise 90th one-day half-century. He added 136 runs for the first wicket with Sehwag for the first wicket. The duo achieved this feat for the tenth time in a row. Yuvraj Singh was the second Indian to depart as he perished to a soft dismissal from Ravi Bopara for 6 runs. Bopara took a simple catch in the follow through to see the Punjab dasher back in the hut. Sehwag missed out on his ton as Stuart Broad caught him plumb in front for 91 runs. In his 73-ball long innings, Sehwag slammed fifteen fours and a six to raise 33rd ODI fifty, his seventh against England. Earlier riding on their captain's knock, England made 270 runs at the loss of four wickets. Electing to bowl first, India started off nicely as pacer Zaheer Khan struck twice to dismiss openers Alistair Cook and Ravi Bopara. Cook was first to depart, as a good length delivery that was going outside the off-stump took an outside edge of his bat and landed in the hands of Tendulkar at the first slip. He could make just 10 runs.

His opening partner Bopara survived a scare but finally perished for 24 runs. He tried to play it up but went straight to Yuvraj Singh standing at the backward point.

Kevin Pietersen (111*), who came after Cook's departure, held the fort for his side. He first had an 89-run partnership with Paul Collingwood for the third wicket. Harbhajan broke their partnership as the latter holed out one in the deep to Zaheer Khan for 40 runs. In the next over of Ishant Sharma, new man Flintoff edged one to Sachin Tendulkar at slips without any addition to the score.

Pietersen was then joined by Owais Shah (66*) and the duo had an unbeaten partnership of 112 runs for the fifth wicket. While Pietersen raised seventh hundred, his second against India, Shah got his ninth ODI fifty. In the process, KP also completed 3000 ODI runs for England when he was on the score of 58.

India: MS Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma.

England: Kevin Pietersen (Captain), Alistair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah, Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior, Samit Patel, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steve Harmison.

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India gets closer to whitewash,4-0 up

Riveting Show: Virender Sehwag was at his breezy best paving the way for India’s series-clinching victory.

The rains threw up an abridged game high on adrenaline and the Indians were equal to the task.After the skies opened up twice and robbed 306 minutes of play, umpires Daryl Harper and Amish Saheba deemed that a 22-overs-a-side game would fit into a damp night and M.S. Dhoni’s men found warmth in a 19-run victory over England in the fourth ODI of the seven-match series at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday night.India won the series with an unassailable 4-0 lead. Virender Sehwag was chosen Man-of-the-Match.
Early stumble
Chasing India’s 166 that was revised to 198 as the target, thanks to the rain-influenced Duckworth Lewis equation, England slumped to 178 for eight in 22 overs.The chase stumbled as Ravi Bopara got out to a tumbling catch by Ishant Sharma and Ian Bell lost his timber to Harbhajan Singh.However Owais Shah had other ideas as his power-packed 72 (48b, 9x4, 3x6) in tandem with Andrew Flintoff’s (41) lusty hits, almost took the game away from the Indians.However, the Indians were always in with a sniff after Pietersen dragged Ishant onto his stumps. At 52 for three in 8.5 overs, the match was at its tipping point and it was India that surged ahead despite Shah and Flintoff’s 82-run fourth-wicket partnership off 48deliveries.

Shah hammered sixes off Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh and Munaf Patel while Flintoff dented the roof over the mid-wicket stand off Harbhajan Singh. The batting power-play taken by England in the 17th and 18th overs proved fatal as two wickets fell while only 14 runs were gained with an incisive Zaheer Khan forcing a steepler from Shah and Ishant scalping Flintoff.The contest was over at that moment.

Audacious display
Earlier Dhoni’s men smiled despite the grim weather as Sehwag’s 69 (57b, 9x4, 3x6) that had audacity and disdain written all over it, helped India finish with 166 for four in 22 overs.Sehwag’s knock also found apt reflections in the stunning shots essayed by Gautam Gambhir (40) and Yuvraj Singh (25 n.o.) as the Indians got into Twenty20 mode when play resumed past nine after 17 overs were bowled in the earlier two rain-affected sessions.

The afternoon began with a rumble as the crowd’s collective cheer reached its highest decibel level as Sachin Tendulkar emerged with Sehwag. Kevin Pietersen had elected to field on winning the toss with an eye on the clouds and the Duckworth/Lewis equation cropping up in the chase.Sehwag slashed James Anderson’s first ball for four and at the other end, Tendulkar worked Stuart Broad off his hips for four. Sehwag then slammed Anderson straight down in a stroke that resembled a tennis forehand.An unexpected seven-minute break due to the soft turf on the bowler’s landing spot from the BEML End helped England recoup and on resumption, Tendulkar failed to cover the gap as Broad darted one into the stumps.Silence reigned before next man Gautam Gambhir flicked his first delivery for four. Sehwag then toyed with Anderson as a pull heralded his 6000th ODI run and then he celebrated with a clout for six.

Gambhir’s role
Gambhir, meanwhile effectively countered the England seamers’ ploy of operating around the wicket as they tried to cramp the southpaw. Gambhir and Sehwag shared a 79-run second-wicket partnership marred by two rain breaks of 120 and 186 minutes each.
In the Indian innings’ final session, Sehwag struck left-arm spinner Samit Patel high but later perished in the deep. Gambhir too fell in a similar manner before Yuvraj carted Pietersen and slog-swept off-spinner Graeme Swann.

As the overs ran out, Dhoni got yorked but Yusuf Pathan struck a last ball six as India posted a challengingtotal.

SCOREBOARD
India: V. Sehwag c Anderson b Swann 69, S. Tendulkar b Broad 11, G. Gambhir c Anderson b Swann 40, Yuvraj Singh (not out) 25, M.S. Dhoni b Samit 9, Yusuf Pathan (not out) 6. Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-4): 6. Total (for four wkts. in 22 overs): 166.


Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-117, 3-142, 4-160.


England bowling: Anderson 5-0- 33-0, Broad 6-1-49-1, Flintoff 5-0- 20-0, Samit 3-0-24-1, Swann 2-0- 21-2, Pietersen 1-0-17-0.


England: R. Bopara c Ishant b Munaf 1, I. Bell b Harbhajan 12, O. Shah c Tendulkar b Zaheer 72, K. Pietersen b Ishant 5, A. Flintoff c Zaheer b Ishant 41, P. Collingwood c Tendulkar b Patel 22, S. Patel c Gambhir b Zaheer 11, G. Swann (run out) 6, M. Prior (not out) 0, Broad (not out) 0; Extras (b-3, lb-2, w-3, nb-1): 9. Total (for eight wkts. in 22overs): 178.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-44, 3-52, 4-134, 5-141, 6-161, 7-178, 8-178.
India bowling: Zaheer 5-0-20-2,Munaf 4-1-21-2, Ishant 5-0-41-2, Yusuf 1-0-17-0, Harbhajan 4-0-42-1, Yuvraj 3-0-31-0.

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Yuvraj beat England

Yuvraj celebrates after second century at Indore as India beat England by 54 runs to go 2-0 in ongoing Hero Honda 7 match series.

India 292-9 (50 overs) bt England 238 (47 overs) by 54 runs

Another magnificent display from Yuvraj Singh saw India beat England in Indore to claim a 2-0 lead in the seven-match one-day international series. Stuart Broad (4-55) reduced India to 29-3 but Yuvraj (118), Gautam Gambhir (70) and later Yusuf Pathan (50 not out off 29 balls) helped them post 292-9.
Kevin Pietersen (33) and Andrew Flintoff (43) gave England hope of an unlikely win but both fell to Yuvraj.
The 26-year-old took 4-28 as England were 238 all out, a defeat by 54 runs. The tourists must take heart from an improved performance following their 158-run loss in Rajkot but they will find it difficult to work their way back into the series against a side far superior to them with bat, ball and in the field. While India could hardly have hit a richer vain of form, England's 4-0 win against South Africa is now a distant memory. England lost the toss and were handed the ball on a cracked pitch that was expected to favour the team batting first. But India should have lost Gambhir with the very first delivery when Samit Patel collected at short mid-wicket only to send his throw wide of the stumps from close range. Gambhir and Virender Sehwag were struggling to cope with the movement James Anderson was generating off the seam and, still in the first over, the paceman beat Gambhir's outside edge and almost bowled Sehwag via an inside edge. Sehwag would not be so fortunate in Broad's first over and when his inside edge was clipped for a second time in as many overs there would be no let off. Broad, who returned demoralising figures of 0-74 from his 10 overs in Rajkot, was steaming in with new-found confidence and aggression, his varying pace and length denying Suresh Raina the opportunity to settle. The 22-year-old Nottinghamshire seamer pitched the fourth ball of his second over on a good length and Raina succeeded only in chipping to Patel and short square leg.

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India draw first blood

Yuvraj Singh celebrates after scoring century, his 138 not out to help India crush England by 158 runs. Yuvraj Smashed 15 fours and six sixes in his innings

Yuvraj Singh blasted 138 not out to help India crush England by 158 runs in the opening match of the one-day series in Rajkot.The left-hander hammered 15 fours and six sixes in his whirlwind 78-ball innings as the hosts reached a massive 387-5 after being put into bat.Virender Sehwag contributed a rapid 85 at the top of the order as all of England's bowlers suffered at the hands of the Indian batsmen on a postage stamp-sized ground.Only Kevin Pietersen (63) and Ravi Bopara (54 not out) offered any sort of resistance in reply, as the tourists were bowled out for just 229.The margin of defeat only just avoided England's heaviest ever - that being 165 runs against West Indies in St Vincent 14 years ago and then against Pakistan at Karachi in 2005.
Having been embarrassed in their final warm-up fixture against a Mumbai select side they were overwhelmed by India and an in-form Yuvraj in particular.His ninth limited overs century, made despite a back injury, was the fastest ever against England, who conceded their biggest ever one-day totalThe foundations had been built up front by an opening stand of 127 between Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag which made a mockery of captain Pietersen's decision to bowl first after winning the toss.In the end Samit Patel got rid of both openers, firstly Gambhir when the left-hander drove straight down the throat of Owais Shah at long-off having made 51 off 62 balls.The spinner also saw off Sehwag, who having hit a six and two fours in the over perished to a fine, one-handed diving catch by Ian Bell at mid-wicket when trying to find the boundary again.Despite the duo departing within the space of 26, the damage had been done. Suresh Raina continued where they left off with 43 from 44 deliveries before Yuvraj took over.Not even the previously economical Flintoff, whose first five overs had conceded just 17, was spared in the closing stages, the all-rounder's final over going for 18, as India amassed an amazing 124 in the last 10.Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni contributed 39 in a fifth-wicket partnership of 105 off 58 balls before being bowled by Steve Harmison.Having seen their bowlers suffer in the sunshine, England's batsmen failed to learn the lessons from their opponents, starting with getting off to a good start.By the end of the 11th over they had subsided to 38-4, Munaf Patel starting the top-order collapse when he had Matt Prior caught at first slip in the fourth over.
BRIEF SCORES
First One Day International Rajkot
India 387-5 (Yuvraj Singh 138 no, V Sehwag 85, G Gambhir 51) vs
England 229 (K P Pietersen 63, R S Bopara 54 no)

Man of the Match: Yuvraj Singh, India
India beat England by 158 runs

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Faith on field

Palestine’s players pray before the match with Jordan at the new stadium in the West Bank

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Knock out

Two men fight in an amateur wrestling match on a Kolkata road as part of the Diwali celebrations in India

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Cricket-a unifying force

India, a kaleidoscope of multiple contrasts, has various unifying factors to its credit. Cricket, no doubt, finds a prominent place in the list. The game is worshipped by Indians and is almost like a religion. Instead of whining that cricket finds precedence over other sports in India, it is time to appreciate its amazing power in acting as a unifying force, bringing people from differnet parts of the country together.India, no doubt, is going through difficult times. During this period of sectarian violence, terrorism, caste-based politics, cricket comes as a manna from heaven for us. Cricket makes us forget everything that divides us while reinforcing Indianness to the core.It is India that matters and nothing else when Sachin’s willow speaks or Irfan comes out with a brilliant spell. The aura of cricket is spread across different countries, continents and cultures that binds them together. India comes to a stop when a cricket match is being played. Cricket takes over almost everything.Three cheers to this great gentlemen’s game!

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Jumbo The Icon

The sudden decision by Anil Kumble to retire from Test cricket brings an end to the era of wonderful cricket. It is sad that Anil Kumble will not bowl for India again.Kumble has been the most successful skipper, greatest match-winner at home and overseas and also the only second bowler to take all ten wickets in an innings in Test cricket. The extraordinary game of Kumble claiming 10 wickets in an inning confirmed his placed in the pantheon of world cricket.A fantastic achievement made during the career-span of 18 years, Kumble's 131 Tests brought him 619 wickets and 271 ODIs yielded 337 victims, but statistics seldom enthralled him.A jumbo-gentleman cricketer with a champion heart, Anil Kumble played his game in true spirit on which every captain leant. This leg-spinner icon will be a role model for upcoming bowlers, who leaves behind a legacy which calls for putting the team before self.Indian cricket will certainly become poorer for his absence. Anil Kumble's excellent sporting skills and passion for cricket hailed him as the best admired sporting icon in India.

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India beat Aussies, clinch series

After settting the visitors a daunting target of 382 for victory, the Indians exploited a turning fifth day track to skittle out the Aussies for 209 just before the tea break to wrap up the four-match series with a 2-0 margin. It turned out to be a perfect farewell gift for Sourav Ganguly from his teammates...

Indians have Kangaros for lunch as India beat Australia by 172 runs (Australia : 209 all out in 2nd innings) in fourth & final test at Nagpur to clinch the series 2-0 and retain Border-Gavaskar series after five years. Chasing 382 to win in 92 overs aussies were 13 for bo loss at stumps on day four. Hayden was off to a big bang on day 5 as he kept hitting boundaries and kept Indians waiting but was out after lunch break of LBW to Harbhajan Singh Bhajji took 4 wickets while Amit Mishra took 3 .India won the second test at mohali by 320 runs.

Scores of 4th test India Vs Australia , Border-Gavaskar series

India 441 & 295

Australia 355 & 209

Man of the Match: Jason Krejza of Australia

Man of the Series : Ishant Sharma of India Ishant Sharma claimed two wickets but Australia's batsmen maintained a positive approach in pursuit of a series-levelling victory on the fifth day of the fourth and final Test in Nagpur on Monday.Australia, chasing a record 382 for victory, scored 111 for 3 in 23 overs at lunch on the final day. They need another 271 runs off a maximum of 69 overs more to win the match and level the series 1-1.Matthew Hayden , who was unbeaten on 46 from 67 balls, inclusive of four boundaries, looked to get going from the start, but India's defensive tactics meant he struggled to find boundaries regularly. Michael Hussey also tried to put on a fight and was unbeaten on 14 from 20 deliveries, inclusive of two boundaries, at the break.

Defending a target of 382, India's plan was clear: set a defensive field and bowl wide outside the off-stump. With a 1-0 lead one would not blame them for doing so. It forced the Australian batsmen to come up with something out of the ordinary, something they have not been accustomed to over the years.Simon Katich came out firing and swung at a delivery outside the off-stump to the leg side boundary in the fourth over of the innings. However, that was followed by a few moments of sheer madness as the two Aussie openers fished at everything wide and were lucky not to edge a few of those.Katich's agony ended on 16 when he tried another wild swipe across the line off Ishant but holed it on the off-side and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni neatly pouched it.Ricky Ponting survived a close chance when his edge off Zaheer fell short of Rahul Dravid at first slip. But five balls later the Aussie captain was run out for 8 at the non-striker's end by a direct hit from Amit Mishra at mid-off.Michael Clarke survived a confident leg before wicket appeal off the third ball he faced, from Ishant.

Closer looks at replays indicated that he was trapped in front and lucky to be given not out.Clarke, who came in with a runner, then survived two more chances when his edges flew just wide off slips in the boundary in the 11th over of the innings, bowled by Zaheer.Only 10.3 overs were bowled in the first hour of play, with Australia scoring 52 runs and losing two wickets. It was clear India were in no rush to bowl their overs just like Australia did the day before.Harbhajan Singh came into the attack in the 13th over and was smashed for a boundary by Hayden. The very next ball Hayden, on 30, tried another cut short but the straight forward edge was dropped by Dhoni. Australia were surely having a dash at the target with Hayden even attempting a reverse sweep off Harbhajan that fetched him a boundary. But their hopes suffered a setback when Ishant claimed the big wicket of Clarke for 22, caught behind by Dhoni, as Australia were reduced to 82 for three.Hayden, on 35, attempted another reverse sweep off Harbhajan but this time hit it straight to Dravid, at first slip, who failed to hold on to a sharp chance. At lunch on the final day, Australia were 111 for 3 in 23 overs. Hayden (46 not out) and Hussey (14 not out) are looking to attack at every opportunity, but the target seems a huge mountain to climb.India's over-rate, as expected, was pathetic at around 10 overs per hour, but, as Dhoni said on Sunday, their first aim is winning the series, and for that even a draw would do.

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From New Delhi to an all ‘new’ Delhi

Commonwealth Games are all fine but is the city ready to host an expected 1.8 million foreign visitors ? SEB member Mayumi Mohan of Ryan International takes a closer look
Beijing did it and did it well. Now it is Delhi’s turn to host one of the biggest games tournament in the world. But will the city be ready for the big event with broken roads, unsafe environment and crumbling infrastructure. The need of the hour is to find out what are the core issues and their solutions before the world gets to know them.
Pollution peeves PROBLEM: Step into the open and take a deep breath. By the time you release your breath you may have been infected with a pulmonary ailment. The exhaust from automobiles, industries, etc., noise pollution caused mainly by blaring horns of vehicles, soil pollution caused by dumping of rubbish, make pieces of the pollution cake.
SOLUTION: Delhiites! Only you can solve this problem. CNG is a partial answer for air pollution, honk only when required, proper disposal of wastes should be a way of life.
Traffic troubles PROBLEM: Congested crossings, dilapidated roads and improper planning of road repairs and constructions have cooked a curry of vehicles where-like the curry- you cannot distinguish one ingredient from the other.
SOLUTION: PWD! Your turn to pick up a paper and pencil and draw some well planned roads for our city.
Raging roads PROBLEM: Anger at the tip of the nostril applies to most of the denizens of Delhi. An accidental bump into another car causes a battle of not only words but fists and weapons as well. Sometimes at the cost of lives.
SOLUTION: Does this happen when you walk on the road and bump into a person? Similar situation and apply the same solution - " I am sorry". Effort from each citizen to keep their anger in check and a little sweat from the police to help the citizens in their effort can put a stop to road rage.
Safe streets PROBLEM: Murders, bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, kidnaps, drug peddling, rapes and the list goes on and on. Does Delhi have to be the ’capital’ of these acts just because it is the capital of the country? A woman cannot move around without fear. A person cannot go to a crowded market wondering if he’d return home alive.
SOLUTION: Well trained police force, strict laws, quick trials and harsh punishments for the guilty and of course, implementation of these.
Corruption disruption PROBLEM: India, the largest democracy in the world is perhaps the greatest hypocrisy. Corruption is like a sumptuous meal to a person and seems to be mandatory, unofficially of course.
SOLUTION: Greater punishment for those who give the bribe and not less for those accepting it. The big question is who will guard the guards?
Housing hassles PROBLEM: Not enough homes for Delhites so what about our guests for the Commonwealth Games?
SOLUTION: Better planning, Hotels to come up at plots allocated for them, housing complexes, etc. supported with required amenities.
Grim greenery PROBLEM: Urban jungles replacing greenery.
SOLUTION: Open spaces, parks, encouraged by design of building to consume lower energy, use of solar power, afforestation, etc.
Beggars banquet PROBLEM: Is begging a licensed profession?
SOLUTION: Need for the Government to act on this inaction and pave way for a new beginning for them.
Cleanliness concerns PROBLEM: Stench from drains and dumpsters invade your nostrils. Garbage piled up on roadsides adds to the problems.
SOLUTION: Waste disposal methods should be paid immediate attention to as hygiene thus brought about will also keep diseases away and ensure a better environ for Delhiites and even for those who come to visit it.

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Top 10 reasons India sucks at the Olympics

Here are my 10 guesses as to why India, the mighty superpower-to-be of this century, is more like a teeny-weeny micro-power, when it comes to Olympic sports.
1. History -For the entire first half of the modern Olympic history that started in 1896, India was a British colony where life as an athlete was the last thing on most people’s minds. Even today, that British influence refuses to wear off, leaving its mark in the form of the British game of Cricket, a sport that has virtually destroyed any hope of any other sport gaining any traction in India.
2. Cricket -In India, Cricket hogs more coverage, more money, more political influence, and more time of people’s lives than all other sports combined. Generations of talented athletes have been ignored, left in poverty, forgotten by the state, and just left to rot, thanks to the Cricket brats who enjoy millions and give back zilch to the sporting world in return. Even this year, India’s highest honor in sports went to a Cricketer, extinguishing any hopes and aspirations of future track and field stars who might have been dreaming to be future Olympians.
3. Politics -Just as it corrupts everything else in this country, politics and the masters who practise it, have held most Indian sports hostage, by stifling funding, meddling with selection processes, and influencing sports awards. The head of India’s Olympic contingent is a career politician, and so is the head of India’s Cricket board. Personally and financially, it is a great achievement for them both. For the athletes who represent those sports, it is nothing less than a nightmare and a shame.
4. Bollywood -Bollywood is one of the strongest influencers of India’s public life. More than 99% of the movie scripts that come out of Bollywood deal with girl meets boy stories that are decorated with stupid dances and silly romantic songs which make for a great 3-hour escape, but also help people look the other way where people need to face reality. Over a 100 years, Bollywood has made probably less than 5 notable movies about sports.
5. Education system -India’s education system discourages sports and athleticism. Most youngsters interested in sports activities tend to quit early and join either medicine or engineering fields to be viable in the competitive job markets. The school-level sports seldom produce record-breaking performances, and there aren’t any proper scouting programs that can hunt good athletes out and groom them.
6. Generalized neglect and apathy and idiocy-Most Indians did not and probably still do not know the Indian who, for decades, was the only Indian to have won an individual medal at the Olympics. As against that, most Indians know, by heart, every name on India’s cricketing roaster for last 50 years. Khashaba Jadhav won India’s first wrestling honor at the 1952 games, but was forgotten for years, just like that. Just like that. And that year and the next and the next and for many thereafter, India’s cricketers had their asses kicked by every other Cricketing team on the planet, and they were our national heroes.
7. Generalized lack of national pride -Olympics is a time of pride for nations that excel at the games and a time of shame for those who suck at it. Indians have taken themselves out of contention even before participating. Even this year, as he left for Beijing, the president of India’s Olympic contingent told the press not to expect much from the Indian contingent.
8. All action, no talk -That’s what the Olympics are all about. But that’s completely contrary to our philosophy of life which is all talk and little action. If there ever were an Olympics for oratory, demagoguery, and eloquence, Indians would bring home all the medals. But sports is action and that’s a problem (even our action heroes talk more and act less).
9. Scriptures -We are into metaphysical Olympics, not physical Olympics. Our scriptures tell us that our bodies are just temporary mediums for our souls. So why exercise something that is not going to be around in a few years? Why not, instead, exercise the soul, and the mind? Oh, you want to run faster than me? By all means, my child. But what are you running from?
10. Actually, most Indians really do not give a rat’s ass as to which country won how many medals at the games. Most of us will enjoy the Chinese firecrackers, ogle at the female gymnasts, cheer for the dwindling number of Indians still in contention, and in a few weeks, will get back to the more philosophical and more metaphysical aspects of living

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Half marathon, full throttle

Ethiopia's Deriba Merga won the men's race with a new course record of 59.14 minutes, while his compatriot Aselefech Mergia became the women's champion of the fourth Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday.
Deriba clocked 59:14 minutes, his fastest effort this season, to eclipse last year's champion Rwanda's Dieudonne Disi's timing of 60.43 minutes, while Aselefech timed 68:16 minutes to pocket a prize money of USD 25,000 each. Among the Indians, Sandeep Kumar emerged as the winner in the men's category, clocking 64:48 minutes, while defending champion Kavitha Raut retained her title clocking 77:12 minutes. They will be richer by USD 4,000. Kenyans also had a good day with Wilson Kipsang and Wilson Chebet finishing second and third respectively in the men's category to bag USD 15,000 and USD 10,000 respectively

In the women's section, Ethiopian Genet Getenet finished second, while Kenyan Peninah Arusei came third. Kashinath and Deep Chand clocked 64:52 and 64:56 to finish second and third in the men's section of Indian runners, while Preethi L Rao and Sudha Singh finished second and third, clocking 77: 20 and 77:39 minutes in the women's section to bag USD 3,000 and USD 2,000 respectively.

The numerous diversions set up for these big events only added to the chaos. Several main roads were closed which led to heavy traffic volumes on one route around India Gate. It took nearly two hours to commute from Chittaranjan Park to India Gate while other places in south Delhi too reported traffic snarls. Officials said at least 112 calls were received by the Delhi traffic police helpline through the day. Traffic was particularly slow in Mehrauli area and Nizamuddin. The south Delhi stretch of the Ring Road remained clogged since afternoon. "It took me nearly two-and-a-half hours from Saket to reach India Gate. The traffic was particularly bad from Sunder Nagar to India Gate. Traffic remained virtually standstill on this stretch for nearly half an hour," said Amit Bharti, a resident of Noida. In the evening, weddings took over. Sunday was considered very auspicious for marriage since Lord Vishnu is said to have woken up on this day after four months and married Tulsi. An estimated 18,000 weddings were solemnized on Sunday. "It took nearly an hour to travel from Janakpuri to Vikaspuri, a distance of just a few kilometres," said a resident of Vikaspuri. Amit Sharma, a resident of Panchsheel in south Delhi, said, "I have to attend a wedding at a farmhouse in Narela. Looking at the traffic reports, I left my house a good two hours in advance to reach on time."

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Sachin gets 40th ton

Sachin after scoring 40test century at Nagpur against Austalia in the last test match of Border-Gavaskar series, India lead series 1-0

Sachin scored 4oth test century and was dismissed at 109 LBW to Mithchel Johnson. Tendulkar who also has highest no of test & ODI runs has got highest ODI & Test century as well. Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is 2nd in terms of test centuries with 36 tons.

At stumps on day one India-311/5, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni were at crease at 27 & 4 respectively. The first two hours of belligerence and callousness made way for application from Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, whose 86-run fourth wicket stand took India to 202-3 at tea on the opening day of the fourth and final Test against Australia here on Thursday. A freak two-wicket burst from debutant Jason Krejza before lunch after being hammered around the newly build VCA Jamtha stadium was not enough to slow down Tendulkar (62 not out), who reached his 52nd half-century with his typically classy strokeplay. India were hell-bent on going after Krejza, and after Sehwag departed despite a typically aggressive 66, Tendulkar took over the mantle of taking the spinner apart in damaging fashion. Mahendra Singh Dhoni got India the desirable beginning by winning the toss and electing to bat with Sehwag and debutant M Vijay capitalising on a batting paradise. Sehwag tore into Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, who went for five runs an over in their respective opening spells, before Ricky Ponting's decision to bring in Krejza began to backfire. Sehwag launched into the debutant's first over, dispatching the ball over the bowler for a boundary gaining from Vijay's solidity at the other end. Vijay made a composed 33 and added 98 runs for the first wicket with Sehwag, who sped to a half-century in 45 balls, before a sharply rising delivery from Shane Watson forced Vijay to fend it off to the wicketkeeper.

Rahul Dravid's increasing hesitance at the beginning of his innings is a worrying sign for the Indians. His dip in form has been significant over the last two years, and his uncomfortable lunge to drop the ball down off Krejza only managed to creep up to his glove, and an easy catch to Simon Katich gave the off-spinner his maiden wicket in Test cricket. Sehwag, however, had no intention of slowing down despite the fall of two quick wickets. He continued to treat the spinner as a practice bowler, but the easy runs made him complacent as he went for a cut too close to his body to drag the ball back onto his stumps. India wore a changed look for the game with Gautam Gambhir missing out due to his ban to make way for Murali Vijay who made his debut, while Amit Mishra replaced Anil Kumble, who announced his retirement after the third Test in Delhi. There will be more changes in the times to come, as Sourav Ganguly prepared for his final Test. VVS Laxman was playing in his 100th Test match. Australia, trailing 0-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, made one change to their side from the one that played in the drawn third Test, with off-spinner Jason Krejza making his debut in place of paceman Stuart Clark.

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Will Bindra's Blunt Truths Wake Up Indian Sports?

India's latest sports icon Abhinav Bindra told the country quite bluntly that it had no sporting ethos worth the name and that politicians, ministers, bureaucrats and others of the ilk should not be controlling sports bodies.These words, coming from a champion sound punchy. But such sound bites have sparked animated debates every time our athletes have failed in international arenas like the Olympic or Asian Games. The usual refrain is: What do they know about sport? Throw them out.The hockey administration faced severe criticism when India failed to win a medal in the 2006 Doha Asian Games and again after the failure in the Santiago qualifier. There was even a protest march on the streets of the capital by former greats of the game after the Doha disaster.But since the criticism is now coming from India's one and only individual athlete to win an Olympic gold medal so far, people are taking note. He has admonished the system, or lack of it, after the country's best ever Olympic venture -- two boxing bronze medals besides Bindra's gold.Three medals should hardly be satisfying for a nation with over a billion people to choose its athletes from. Bindra thinks India has the talent to raise itself to a more respectable position in the Olympic medal standings. It could win 30-40 medals in times to come if sports administration goes professional, or well paid CEOs, as they are called these days, are involved with our sports bodies, for these men will be more accountable, he argues with conviction. He may well be right. At Beijing, we had a handful of quarter-finalists who did credit to themselves and their country even if they did not exactly come back with medals dangling on their chests.You can't help but agree with the champion air rifle shooter in scholarly looking glasses when he reminds his fellow countrymen that Olympic sports come low down in the country's list of priorities. The young man from Chandigarh has a mind of his own. For the number of medals to get into double digits there has to be a consistent and widespread commitment to Olympic disciplines.Olympic medals don't come cheap. The raising of a single Olympic gold medalist would work out into tens of millions of rupees a year by conservative estimates, not forgetting decades of sweat and toil. Ask the Chinese. Ask Bindra himself. He cries for infrastructure and massive investments, for coaches with the right kind of knowledge. His own sport of shooting lacks modern ranges, the one at Tughlaqabad in New Delhi being in a poor state of repair. Where, also, are the facilities like proper boxing rings and wrestling mats, all weather swimming pools and gymnasiums, athletic tracks and cycling velodromes, for youths to train and compete in their thousands, or even a sufficient number of playing grounds? Those who have the talent find affording the equipment beyond their slender means.However, you can't paint everyone with the same brush when Bindra questions the role of some people who muscle their way into positions of authority in sports federations. Politicians and other influential persons capture power in sports federations to increase their sphere of influence. It was a shooter who won for India its first ever individual gold medal, but the shooting federation is headed by one who has no achievements in the sport to his credit. Ditto for the boxing and the wrestling federations. Whosoever may head the sports bodies, in the end it is left to the sportsmen to perform, after all.Not every champion performer is qualified to lead a sports body, though Abhinav Bindra himself may be a suitable candidate to be the helm of the shooting body many years from now when he retires from competitive shooting. He may even deserve some higher, international, role in the future, just as you have Seb Coe, the distinguished former British 800 metres world record holder, heading the 2012 London Olympic Games organising committee. You may have a Platini forging his way up in the French soccer administration or a Beckenbauer organizing the World Cup for Germany..But imagine Diego Maradona, the world's best footballer of the 20th century, taking over control of the international football federation (FIFA).But if, after the gold medal euphoria wears off, Bindra's bluntly stated truths can help shake up our slow-moving sports bureaucracy and get it to kick its red tape approach, inject more dynamism into the working of the sports ministry, bring more professionalism into the management of sports and involve corporate houses in a bigger way in encouraging Olympic sports disciplines, they would have done a world of good to Indian sport.

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HC: build on Yamuna bed at own risk

Massive construction work for 2010 Commonwealth Games on the Yamuna banks will continue at the peril of the builders. These words form the thrust of a Delhi High Court judgment on the legality of the ongoing construction activity on the riverbed. Monday’s order also said the court has set up a five-member expert panel led by Nobel laureate and environmentalist R K Pachauri to monitor construction work on the riverbed. The judgment is addressed to the Centre, Delhi government, Delhi Metro, DDA, and any private party with stakes in the project. “We were told that construction at a massive scale was being carried out. We have made it amply clear that those raising constructions and creating third party interests despite the pendency of the writ petitions (in High Court), were doing so at their own peril,” a Division Bench of Justices A K Sikri and Rekha Sharma said.

“In her separate judgment, Justice Sharma did not mince words in criticising the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the DDA and NEERI for hastily supporting construction activity with little attention to ecological balance of the river. “Their hands appeared to be tainted,” she observed. Both judges found suspicious the contradictory role played by NEERI, which, in its 2005 report, spoke against “heavy capital investment” and advocated “horticultural operations” in the Yamuna bank, only to change its tone this year. An affidavit by NEERI recommended release of “vast chunk of land for urban activities”. The court said the government should provide the expert committee all information within three weeks to start functioning; the committee is to submit a report in court within four months. The court subsequently would pass “appropriate directions” on the findings. The decision comes on petitions filed by environmentalists who pleaded in court that the construction was on the riverbed and would, in time, “destroy the river and pose severe threat to the city as well”. The government, DDA and DMRC contended in court that the construction had started after “extensive deliberations” to develop the river, after getting the required environmental clearances from concerned authorities. The construction in question includes the Delhi Metro depot (called Yamuna Depot), the Metro Mall and the Games Village. The builders claimed any prohibition of construction for the Games would affect “national pride”, as also India’s reputation — a contention that environment activists placed secondary to saving the Yamuna.

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Jumbo is a giant in every sense of the term

Anil Kumble will not play for India any more. His indomitable spirit, though, will continue to inspire the side. He drifts into golden sunset a champion and a hero.The leg-spinner’s retirement provides us an opportunity to reflect upon his feats, celebrate his achievements. He has the numbers — his 619 Test wickets is the third highest tally in Test cricket after Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne — but then his career stretched beyond numerical figures. Whether his broken jaw was wired up or his non-bowling arm sported almost a dozen stitches, he still bowled with the same commitment and passion. Kumble’s international journey lasted 18 years and his body bore the scars. Now 38, India’s spin spearhead for long heads for family and home, peace and quiet.

All-consuming intensity On the arena, his intensity was all consuming. His simmering aggression suggested he was a fast bowler in a spinner’s guise. He would bound in relentlessly, hustling and nailing his adversaries with bounce and just the right amount of spin. Yet, Kumble was a gentle, soft spoken man, a cricketer with enormous dignity, compassion, and courage. He was a shining star and a role model.
To the youngsters, ‘Jumbo’ was larger than life. Kumble bucked the odds and returned from a career-threatening shoulder injury. And he was, arguably, India’s biggest match-winner. It was, perhaps, fitting that Kumble ended his international career at Ferozeshah Kotla. It was the ground of his destiny.
It was here that he orchestrated a famous comeback in the 1991-92 season with a destructive spell in the Irani Trophy. Several summers later, he scored a perfect ‘Ten’ against Pakistan. Here, he consistently turned a Test on its head. For long, he defied critics and pre-conceived notions about spin bowling. Kumble was not a big spinner, but consistently got his deliveries — his high-arm action and wrist position were major factors here — to jump off a length. On surfaces with inconsistent bounce he was dangerous. On good wickets, his accuracy and the ability to send down long spells of unflagging concentration made him a combative bowler.

Terrific control Like most great bowlers, he strangulated batsmen with his control before prising them out. Along the way, he evolved. In the second half of his career, he developed a potent googly. He could strike with his top-spinner, get his flippers to skid off the surface. Kumble’s variations were subtle. He could read the batsmen, explore the angles and bring about changes in trajectory and length. The use of the crease — from over or around the wicket — was another key aspect of his bowling. These deliveries were more top-spun than side-spun. There were occasions when he bowled slower through the air. Kumble prised out batsman with clever field placements. During the tour of Australia in 2003-04, he lured batsmen to doom, having his mid-off and mid-on straighter and longer.

Outstanding success He was an outstanding success on that campaign, relishing the bounce off the pitches down under. Kumble had his moments away from the sub-continent too; in Australia, England, South Africa and the West Indies. Kumble and Harbhajan Singh formed a formidable leg-spin-off-spin pairing. They bowled in partnership, created the pressure. The outstanding leg-spinner’s brief tenure as captain was eventful. He handled the difficult on and off-field situations during the last season’s Australian tour with poise and tact.
This Jumbo is a giant in every sense of the term.

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Four titles for India

India improved on its lone title of 2007 by bagging four titles or gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals in the World Youth Chess Championship that concluded at Vung Tau in Vietnam on October 30. IM Baskar Adhiban of Velammal School, Chennai won the World Under-16 championship in style as India made a podium sweep in this section. Chennai's National Sub-Junior champion S.P. Sethuraman finished second to take home the silver. Debashis Das won the bronze medal."We are proud that our son won the World Under-16 championship," said Baskar, a Chennai based businessman who runs a printing press. Most such parents were on the Internet or already at Vietnam.At Batumi in 2006 India took five titles but this time it was more significant since Russia did not play in 2006 at Georgia and this time the best players took from all the nations. The significance is that the Indian wave is getting wider and higher in chess. A record 110 Indians took part. So much so that next time there might be an Air India jet flying our players to the Youth Chess Championship at Turkey. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi is on a roll. The boy from Nasik is developing into a mega star. He had a strong showing in the Commonwealth Championship at Nagpur. He won the Under-14 title by a clear margin of 9.5/11.

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