Showing posts with label india pak cricket match. Show all posts
Showing posts with label india pak cricket match. Show all posts
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Who will win the India-Pakistan clash?
India's rivalry with Pakistan goes well beyond sports, and a memorable page will be written in the history books of both nations Wednesday during their Cricket World Cup semifinal in Mohali. Peter Della Penna explains why Pakistan won't back down going into the lion's den, while Amar Shah writes why India will show no mercy against its archnemesis.
Why Pakistan will win
Perhaps the only sports team with a bigger chip on its shoulder in the past month than Virginia Commonwealth University's men's basketball team is the Pakistan cricket squad. Both have managed to silence critics with phenomenal performances to reach the semifinals of their respective tournaments.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi displays the charisma and crazy antics of Dennis Rodman, not to mention the same kind of world-class talent. He's leading the World Cup with 21 wickets, and despite not performing yet with the bat, he has done so in the past when the occasion called for it. In the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, Afridi scored back-to-back half-centuries in the semifinal and final to guide Pakistan to the title.
Even though only one Pakistani batsman has scored more than 200 runs during the tournament, there have been nine 50s scored among seven different players. If one player fails, the next man is capable of picking up the slack, from Mohammad Hafeez to Umar Akmal. While India is a team of batting stars, Pakistan has achieved success through team chemistry. On paper, India has the power to outmuscle Pakistan. On the pitch, it could be a different story.
The biggest mark against Pakistan is its fielding. However, it's been surprisingly solid since a disastrous display against New Zealand. Besides, any fielding unit would look all-world standing next to India's group of Keystone Kops impersonators.
Pakistan is riding high after ending Australia's 34-match World Cup unbeaten streak. It slayed Sri Lanka in Colombo during the group stage, so it should not feel intimidated going up against India in Mohali either.
Until Sunday, no team had ever won five games to get to the Final Four, but VCU managed to do it. Pakistan has never beaten India in a World Cup before now, but this month in the world of sports has shown that history books can be tossed out the window. On Wednesday, legions of faithful supporters will be shouting "Pakistan Zindabad!" from the rooftops, and "Inshallah" they will be victorious over India.
-- Della Penna
Why India will win
"War minus the nuclear weapons."
"Clash of titans."
"Mother of all Matches."
Pick your superlative. Each rings true. On Wednesday, India and Pakistan square off in Mohali in the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal, and the world's most intense sporting rivalry will have one intriguing battle in the tournament's penultimate match. Hundreds of millions across the subcontinent are expected to tune in to what will be the most-watched cricket match in history.
The diplomatic and cultural storylines are obvious. India and Pakistan split during partition in 1947. They're nuclear rivals who have gone to war three times. It will be the first time Pakistan has played on Indian soil since the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November 2008. And this week, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accepted an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to watch the match.
But the real drama will happen in the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, where tickets are selling for over $2,000. Coming off a monumental victory against former champs Australia, the Indians are riding a rush of momentum that should propel them to victory against their archnemesis.
The Pakistanis have performed admirably so far, considering the drama they've been through, with a match-fixing scandals and the banishment of some of their best players. With a dismantling of the West Indies in the quarterfinal, captain Shahid Afridi and his bowling platoon are in top form. Afridi leads the tournament with 21 wickets, and with legendary bowler Shoaib Akhtar, known as the "Rawalpindi Express," rumored to be added to the lineup, Pakistan has a bowler who can give India fits. But the men in green are no match for India's dominant batting squad.
Led by a triptych of legends -- Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh -- India's heavy hitters are capable of demolishing any bowling attack. Singh, the prodigal son who returns to the place of his birth, has been the Kemba Walker of willow, winning man of the match four times, including a century over the West Indies. He's done it as a bowler, too, recording 11 wickets.
India's weakness had been its bowling, but it proved doubters wrong with its performance against the Aussies, led by Zaheer Khan. India will face a Pakistani batting order that doesn't even have a top-25 run-scorer in the tournament. India is 4-0 versus Pakistan in World Cup matches and also has home-field advantage on its side. Come Wednesday, here's the only superlative that matters: India victors. Jai Ho!
Source : http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/cricket/columns/story?columnist=della_penna_peter&id=6269040
World Cup 2011: India-Pak semifinal put out of bounds for news channels
NEW DELHI: Putting a spanner in the coverage of the much-awaited India- Pakistan cricket semifinal, the ICC has unexpectedly cancelled the media accreditation of television channels. The decision has been strongly criticized by TV channels as "infringement of media rights".
An e-mail sent by ICC to TV channels on Sunday said, "Please be advised that your accreditation has been cancelled for Wednesday's ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan in Mohali. You will therefore not be granted a media match-day ticket and will not be allowed to enter the ground. In addition, you will not have access to any event-related activities such as pre and post-match media conferences and team training sessions.''
The move comes on the back of allegations by the ICC that TV channels were using more TV footage than was agreed upon. An ICC spokesman said, "There have been serious violations of news access guidelines, as well as media terms and conditions, which the non-rights holders had signed on and agreed to abide by while applying for media accreditation for the ICC Cricket World Cup."
The News Broadcasters Association has reacted strongly to this "restrictive" step. "The last two-three days, news broadcasters were getting threatening letters from the ICC asking them to sign an undertaking which was restrictive and unacceptable at this crucial juncture of the World Cup. The issue was discussed in the board meeting and all broadcasters have decided to voluntarily desist from accessing the match venue or availing any other accreditation benefits. We are all united in this," Annie Joseph, secretary general, NBA said.
Reacting to the media ban Shazi Zaman, Broadcast Editor's Association president said," ICC is withdrawing accreditation of the entire electronic media. This means that we are deprived of covering not just the match but also the Indo-Pak political event. This is an infringement of media rights".
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/world-cup-2011-india-pak-semifinal-put-out-of-bounds-for-news-channels/articleshow/7813301.cms
Monday, 28 March 2011
Who Says When SACHIN scores a hundred India loses............Pls get ur facts right.....
Some people say that if SACHIN scores a hundred India will lose,,,,,
51 TEST INTERNATIONAL HUNDREDS
LOST: 9
(WON: 22)
DRAW: 20
48 ONE DAY HUNDREDS
LOST: 13
(WON: 33)
TIED: 1
NO RESULT: 1
51 TEST INTERNATIONAL HUNDREDS
LOST: 9
(WON: 22)
DRAW: 20
48 ONE DAY HUNDREDS
LOST: 13
(WON: 33)
TIED: 1
NO RESULT: 1
,,If you are a real SACHIN fan... Forward it 2 every True Indian...
India, Pakistan get ready for showdown
Alfred Hitchcock would have been fascinated by the thrilling build-up to this game. As he once said, there is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it. In fierce testimony to the compelling power of sport to excite and evoke, the Punjab Cricket Association stadium has been the epicentre of national anxiety for days now. With just a day left for this World Cup semifinal to get underway, the cultural twists, political turns, local unrest and logistical nightmares are all reaching a crescendo. It has been an exercise in anger management for security personnel too.
As hope gave way to despair and serpentine queues in front of ticket booths dissolved into a stone-pelting mob with a fury and agenda of its own, it seemed the lead actors were calmly cohabiting a pocket universe of their own. Cushioned from the shrill overtones of cross-border congeniality this match-up has acquired, the cricketers themselves got down to the serious business of scripting a new chapter in their rivalry.
For starters, both teams chose to have animated conversations with the curator. Pakistan's manager Intikhab Alam, coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi confabulated with those in the know, and sources indicated India's think-tank had had separate discussions. Reading the conditions, and how the end-of-season Mohali pitch will behave - whether it will facilitate strokeplay throughout or slow down towards the end of the game - will have a huge bearing on their strategies.
Pakistan even made plans for a fielding practice in the evening, and it'll help them gauge the dew factor too. Infamous for their butter-fingered inclinations, the team's training sessions have seemed more intense and thorough than India's. Seeing Pakistan sweat it out has been indication enough of the magnitude of the encounter.
Munaf or Nehra?
For the hosts, though, it's all about maintaining the tempo and revising last-minute plans. The two-seamers/two-spinners combo seems to have worked well against Australia, and MS Dhoni has, in the past, appeared reluctant to change winning lineups. But does he go with Munaf Patel, whose impact seems to have diluted into the tournament, or chose to field the now-on-now-off Ashish Nehra? Although Sreesanth was his usual ebullient self in the nets, it appears unlikely he will have any role to play. Nehra had a diligent nets session, bowling his heart out and even indulging in some batting practice.
The Munaf conundrum, and whether it will be wise to continue opening with Ravichandran Ashwin's spin, are the twin quandaries the team management must decide fast. Harbhajan Singh, though restrictive, hasn't been the wicket-taking option the team would like him to be and the coaches took time out for a special session, getting India's main off-spinner to bowl at a stump and reminding him whenever the delivery landed short.
Sachin takes leaf out of Pakistan's book
The batting heavyweights, on whose shoulders rest India's World Cup hopes, seemed more intent on finetuning their art and getting a feel of bat on ball in this first nets session since their arrival. As the chorus grows for Tendulkar to deliver on his 100th ton, the batsman himself chose to take a leaf out of Pakistan's training handbook and play deliveries directed at a granite slate, to cope with faster deliveries and unpredictable seam movement.
The usual throwdowns from coach Gary Kirsten were there too, but the attention was hogged by a left-handed nets bowler who hurled the ball into the slate as Sachin used an older bat to knock the bouncing deliveries away. The other opener, Sehwag, too followed suit.
There's a reason why the routines for both teams have veered slightly away from the norm. In spite of the clamour and conflicting motivations, the cricketers will eventually have to hold centrestage, and preparations must be precise.
Source : http://www.timesnow.tv/India-Pakistan-get-ready-for-showdown/articleshow/4368990.cms
As hope gave way to despair and serpentine queues in front of ticket booths dissolved into a stone-pelting mob with a fury and agenda of its own, it seemed the lead actors were calmly cohabiting a pocket universe of their own. Cushioned from the shrill overtones of cross-border congeniality this match-up has acquired, the cricketers themselves got down to the serious business of scripting a new chapter in their rivalry.
For starters, both teams chose to have animated conversations with the curator. Pakistan's manager Intikhab Alam, coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi confabulated with those in the know, and sources indicated India's think-tank had had separate discussions. Reading the conditions, and how the end-of-season Mohali pitch will behave - whether it will facilitate strokeplay throughout or slow down towards the end of the game - will have a huge bearing on their strategies.
Pakistan even made plans for a fielding practice in the evening, and it'll help them gauge the dew factor too. Infamous for their butter-fingered inclinations, the team's training sessions have seemed more intense and thorough than India's. Seeing Pakistan sweat it out has been indication enough of the magnitude of the encounter.
Munaf or Nehra?
For the hosts, though, it's all about maintaining the tempo and revising last-minute plans. The two-seamers/two-spinners combo seems to have worked well against Australia, and MS Dhoni has, in the past, appeared reluctant to change winning lineups. But does he go with Munaf Patel, whose impact seems to have diluted into the tournament, or chose to field the now-on-now-off Ashish Nehra? Although Sreesanth was his usual ebullient self in the nets, it appears unlikely he will have any role to play. Nehra had a diligent nets session, bowling his heart out and even indulging in some batting practice.
The Munaf conundrum, and whether it will be wise to continue opening with Ravichandran Ashwin's spin, are the twin quandaries the team management must decide fast. Harbhajan Singh, though restrictive, hasn't been the wicket-taking option the team would like him to be and the coaches took time out for a special session, getting India's main off-spinner to bowl at a stump and reminding him whenever the delivery landed short.
Sachin takes leaf out of Pakistan's book
The batting heavyweights, on whose shoulders rest India's World Cup hopes, seemed more intent on finetuning their art and getting a feel of bat on ball in this first nets session since their arrival. As the chorus grows for Tendulkar to deliver on his 100th ton, the batsman himself chose to take a leaf out of Pakistan's training handbook and play deliveries directed at a granite slate, to cope with faster deliveries and unpredictable seam movement.
The usual throwdowns from coach Gary Kirsten were there too, but the attention was hogged by a left-handed nets bowler who hurled the ball into the slate as Sachin used an older bat to knock the bouncing deliveries away. The other opener, Sehwag, too followed suit.
There's a reason why the routines for both teams have veered slightly away from the norm. In spite of the clamour and conflicting motivations, the cricketers will eventually have to hold centrestage, and preparations must be precise.
Source : http://www.timesnow.tv/India-Pakistan-get-ready-for-showdown/articleshow/4368990.cms
Afridid targets Sachin again before big match
Just a little over 24 hours left for the big World Cup semifinal clash between India and Pakistan at Mohali and the excitement has reached fever pitch. Ahead of the mouth-watering clash on Wednesday (March 30) Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi yet again took a dig at Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, saying that even his century have sometimes failed to save India.
First Afridi said Pakistan will not let Sachin score his hundredth ton in international cricket and three days after that he takes it a step further.
He said, "No one doubts the greatness of Tendulkar. But if someone asks me about him and the semifinal clash against India, obviously I will not say we will allow him to make runs. There are instances where Sachin has scored a century and India has lost the match."
However, the inclusion of Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akthar in the playing eleven still stays murky.
Afridi said, "We have not taken a final decision on Shoaib Akhtar. We will take decision by tomorrow after considering his fitness level and bowling. We feel that Shoaib should play the match but all these things have to be taken into consideration. We don't want Shoaib Akhtar to play only for 5-6 overs. We want Shoaib to play for 10 overs."
Source : http://www.timesnow.tv/Afridid-targets-Sachin-again-before-big-match/articleshow/4368989.cms
First Afridi said Pakistan will not let Sachin score his hundredth ton in international cricket and three days after that he takes it a step further.
He said, "No one doubts the greatness of Tendulkar. But if someone asks me about him and the semifinal clash against India, obviously I will not say we will allow him to make runs. There are instances where Sachin has scored a century and India has lost the match."
However, the inclusion of Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akthar in the playing eleven still stays murky.
Afridi said, "We have not taken a final decision on Shoaib Akhtar. We will take decision by tomorrow after considering his fitness level and bowling. We feel that Shoaib should play the match but all these things have to be taken into consideration. We don't want Shoaib Akhtar to play only for 5-6 overs. We want Shoaib to play for 10 overs."
Source : http://www.timesnow.tv/Afridid-targets-Sachin-again-before-big-match/articleshow/4368989.cms
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