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India beat  Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in the third and final test played at P.Sara Oval Stadium. With this win they level the series and have retained the number one spot in Test Cricket in the world. India were hungry to beat Sri Lanka on their ground since August 1994.

Resuming the chase from Friday’s 53 for three, India lost Ishant Sharma for 4 runs in the morning.

Requiring 257 runs to win, the final day belonged exclusively to VVS Luxman who posted 103* scintillating runs off 149 deliveries to ensure victory for India about ten minutes before tea.

VVS Luxman

Sachin Tendulkar 54 and Suresh Raina 41*  played a sheet anchor role in ably supporting Luxman, who batted like a cool lion despite his back pain. (more…)

A 15-year title-drought came to an end as India, who displayed a clinical and magnificent performance, won the Asia Cup tournament after crushing defending champions Sri Lanka by 81 runs in the Asia Cup final on Thursday. 

Captain M.S.Dhoni elected to bat first after winning the toss,  India posted a fighting total of 268 for six. They then skittled out the Sri Lankan’s for only 187 in 44.4 overs. India displayed a scintillating performance in all departments of the game and won the Trophy at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Thursday.  (more…)

Harbhajan’s  shot over the midwicket fence helped India over-haul Pakistan’s score of 267 runs  in a thrilling encounter at the Rangiri stadium in Dambulla on Saturday in the 4^th ODI of the Asia Cup.

Harbhajan Singh smashed the penultimate ball from Mohammad Aamer for a six as India knocked Pakistan out of the Asia Cup with a three-wicket win on Saturday. He scored an unbeaten 15 runs off 11 balls and received the prize of the Lord of the Match.

Harbhajan Singh

Both India and  Sri Lanka are into the final which will be played on June 24  and the last two league matches are inconsequential.

Opener Gautam Gambhir hit 83 off 97 balls and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni chipped in with 57 during a third-wicket stand of 97 which lifted India to 180-2 in the 36th over.

But Gambhir’s dismissal at that stage, bowled by Saeed Ajmal, brought a middle-order collapse which saw four wickets fall for the addition of 39 runs only. (more…)

Instances have come to light where serving and retired Indian officials have been denied Canadian visas. In response to a question regarding denial of visa to an Indian by the Canadian High Commission, the Official Spokesperson said that the matter has come to the attention of Ministry of External Affairs and has been taken up appropriately with the Canadian side. 

External Affairs Minister, S.M.Krishna, has said that Canada’s decision to deny visas to Indian security men is “unacceptable” adding that the Canadians have been told of India’s views. 

“We have conveyed to the Canadian government that the letters issued by their High Commission to serving or retired officers who had applied for Canadian visa are entirely unacceptable. We expect the Canadians to address the situation,” he said.   (more…)

Hero Honda World Cup Hockey

Less than a week ago, the spectators in the Capt. Roop Singh Stadium at Gwalior were shouting Sachin, Sachin, at the top of their voices who went on to score the only double ton in an ODI which ia a world record.  At the Major Dhyan Singh stadium, New Delhi on sunday night, the spectators were chanting  Sandeep Singh, Sandeep Singh all the way who scored two goals in the 35th and 57th minute. India hammered Pakistan 4-1 in their first encounter in the Pool B match of Hero Honda  World Cup. The players and the support staff got a purse of Rs. One Lakh for their magnificient effort. (more…)

India set themselves up for a series victory on Wednesday in the most brutal manner possible, with help from Sachin Tendulkar, who brought up one-day cricket’s first ever double-century. Master blaster Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar created history to became the first ever ODI batsman to make 200 runs in an innings. India made 401 for 3 in the allotted 50 overs and have set a 402-run target for South Africa at the Roop Singh Stadium at Gwalior in the 2nd ODI played between India and South Africa.

Sachin Tendulkar made 200* and rewrote history in Gwalior with 25 fours and 3 sixes. MS Dhoni (68*) also fired on all cylinders to propel India to 401/3. Earlier, India won the toss and elected to bat. Nobody has seen God, but the God of cricket was seen by everyone playing at the Capt. Roop Singh stadium at Gwalior, India, going past the 194 made by Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry and Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar, and to say that historians of cricket will remain busy so long as Sachin keeps batting.  (more…)

India got the scare of their life but they survived the onslaught of the South African tail and beat them by 1 run on the last ball of the nail-biting 50 over match.  South Africa won the toss and elected to field at the Savai Man Singh Stadium at Jaipur in the First ODI played between them on Sunday. India’s gave a pathetic display of their batting and their top order collapsed due to a bit of hard-luck and lapse of concentration and they lost wickets at regular intervals. 

Suresh Raina was the only batsman who could post a half century for India. Sachin (4) and Sehwag (46) were very unfortunate to be run out. No batsman was able to post a good score and there were hardly any partnerships worth mentioning. (more…)

Four centuries in the first innings by Sehwag, Sachin, Luxman and Dhoni gave India  a formidable 347  run first innings lead over South Africa at the Eden Gardens, Kolkatta.. In the second innings for S.A., it was only Hashim Amla who played a defiant knock of 123 not out. But apart from his performance, none of the other batsmen were able to withstand the jugglery of the spinning duo Harbhajan(5 for 59) and Mishra(3 for 78).

India’s main strike bowler Zaheer Khan was resting with a knee injury sustained yesterday and India were down to three bowlers. They still managed to pull off a miraculous victory with less than two mandatory overs to spare. Harbhajan Singh,bowled exceptionally well and took five wickets in South Africa’s second innings. (more…)

The 5th ODI between India and Sri Lanka had to be abandoned ater 23.3 overs had been bowled and SriLanka had mustered 83 runs for the loss of 5 wickets at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground at Delhi on Sunday.

The Delhi crowd had come to the Stadium to enjoy a cricket-full Sunday but their enjoyment was short lived. Thet were expecting India to win today and were happy to see Thranga back in the pavillion on the first delivery of the day bowled by Zahir Khan. (more…)

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in the fourth ODI against India played at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Thursday.

A superb catch by Virat Kohli  brought the end of Dilshan as Sri Lanka lost their first wicket for 31 after 8 overs. Jayasuriya also looked in fine nick in his  15 runs before he edged Zaheer in the first slip.

For the Sri Lankan’s, Upul Tharanga hit his seventh ODI century and participated in a 126-run partnership with  Kumar Sangakkara (60) as Sri Lanka posted 315 for six, the highest score at the venue till India overhauled it. (more…)