Story ICC Best Of The Rest Championship

[Brett_Lee]

Nice Story Mate Keep it up

 

[Short Leg]

India's Hope Quickly Dashed​

3rd Pepsi ODI - Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India 6/233
40 overs

Raina 57(47)*
Pathan 2(2)*

McGrath 1/44
Lee 0/29
Bracken 1/45
Hogg 3/51
Symonds 0/39
Clarke 1/22

India require 107 runs to win at 10.70 runs an over

Comparison after 40 overs
Australia 3/271
India 6/233

India rebulit the foundations that had been destroyed by Australia after Tendulkar was out early having been castled by Hogg's quicker ball.

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Dhoni and all round recruit Raina took it slowly trying to give India some chance as the required runrate hovered around 9 an over. The occasional boundary meant that skipper Ricky Ponting kept the feild up giving the Indians the chance to hit through or over the feild for a boundary. As it turened out Dhoni was dismissed in the 38th over that seriously harmed any small chance India might have.

It isnt completly over just yet with the big hitting Pathan at the crease but he would have to do somthing god like here to win this one for India. The never where the best one day team anyway.

 

[Cricket_60]

Aussie Aussie Aussie

 

[Short Leg]

Australia Win Pepsi Cup​

3rd Pepsi 0DI - Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India 9/284
Match Complete

Australia win by 55 runs

You can put it down to luck or good team management but the reality is that Australia simply had to big a total for India to chase at the end of the day. A series win came at the back of a spritited display from the tailender with the Australian pace spearheads not bothering to bowl out the final overs.

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Australia all smiles after winning the series​

DD Sports caught up with Adam Gilchrist that has played one of the innings of his life in this match.

Adam a great innings and even sweeter that it came when the team needed to claim a series win here today.

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Yeah look i was just looking to go into that innings in a positive state of mind and 165 runs later i guess it worked. I'd be lieing if i said i hadn't thought of the 200 while i was out there but im not to dissapointed 340 is a great total to set and in the end it was enough to win the Pepsi cup so all the boys are happy. We will need to stay on a level without getting to caught up going into the testseries as theres still plenty of cricket to be played.

And even some words from the losing captain.

Well Rahul not the result you would have wanted in this match and the series.

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Yes obviously not to happy with the result here today. We really wanted to win for our home crowd but you have to admire the competitiveness of the Australians they were to good today. Team India need's to go into the test series with the intention of winning if we are going to go far in this championship.

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Bring on the real stuff, The test match's will follow but not before a few words are spoken between the teams off the playing feild and maybe even some thoughts from the outsiders.

 

[Short Leg]

When In Rome Do As Steve Waugh​

ICC Best Of The Rest Championship 2006
Austarlia In India
TVS Test Series

Remember the days that Steve Waugh was Australian skipper. You should because they weren?t all that long ago but it hasn?t stopped him from having his say.

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India have always been one of the great sides especially at home and in recent times they have almost proved to be unbeatable at home, until now. Not only do Australia have a better line up that ink on that piece of paper they hand to the umpire a lot of test cricket comes down to hunger. How badly do you want it? I can honestly say Australia is the winner on both points.

When Ricky Pontings men last came to India and walked out victorious they didn?t even have Ricky Ponting for much of the tour but there was an aura about the team that they would brake the hoodoo that had plagued them for years an aura they have brought with them again.

India have 3 tests to prove me wrong 3 test to prove what they are worth in test cricket and whether they are the real deal in this championship because lets face it if they cant beat Australia then there are going to be questions on just who can.

 

[Short Leg]

Patience Is A Virtue ​

ICC Best Of The Rest Championship 2006
Australia In India
TVS Test Series

Sunil Gavaskar has warned the Indian side that they must play the waiting game in the test series if they are to climb their Mount Everest of beating Australia.

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Test cricket is a very different game in some ways to the shorter form. If the Indian team is going to match it with Australia for the whole 5 days and not just 1 or 2 like teams of the past they will need to show patience.

There cannot be any looseness from the top order and they all need to take pride in the wicket unlike we sore on occasions in the one-day series. I believe that India can win the test series but it will be tough. They will need to win the small battles from session to session.

There bowling is a good blend of pace and spin and they have the batsman that can get the runs on the board. The problem will be in consistancy. If they can work together with bat and ball India will walk out victorious.

 

[Short Leg]

Tipped To Turn​

ICC Best Of The Rest Championship 2006
Australia In India
TVS Test Series

With the 1st TVS Test within arms reach attention has been turned to the pitch at Eden Gardens and just what does the curator have instore for Australia. Last time Australia visited India there was a big stir over pitch doctoring in favour of the home team.

Grounds man used steel brushes to take the grass off the pitch in an attempt to make a road to bat on but a crumbler for the Indian spinners to bowl on later. It doesn?t look like being repeated again here but a typically hard tarck is expected to greet the players.

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The curator at the ground said a few words on what to expect but his name is unknown.

There hasn?t been any rain in recent times to grace Kolkata so the pitch will be good to bat first on. It will be very dry and as a result it will probably crumble in days 4 and 5. The toss will be very favorable for the winning captain and I would expect spinners to play a big part in the second half of the match.

It looks interesting going into the game as both teams had a training session on the ground this afternoon. Matty Hayden stayed behind after the session visualizing his innings as always. Could this be the secret behind the mountains of runs he has been scoring?

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Opening batsman Virender Sehwag said had a few words to say on behalf of his team during their run around on the park.

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Australia has to understand that we are the hardest team in the world to beat at home. They have to respect that this is our turf and we will win in front of our crowds. They look very vunarable to our spinners on these turning pitches, which they won?t be used to. They are on the way out and with the inexperienced players that are in the side they will crack under pressure and then we will dominate.

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Another opener Justin Langer said a few words to local media before leaving the ground after his first hit on Indian soil. He was also told of the words Sehwag had used to describe the Australians just moments before.

Really looking forward to the series its always such a great contest between these two teams we both play hard on the field and expect victory. Virender can talk it up as much as he wants the reality is that this is a champion side and we have proved that here before. At the end of the day the talk is all worth nothing it?s the battle of bat and ball that will decide the winner.

Langer has said it all the heated words have been thrown across both camps but in the end the action in the middle is what will decide the winner. The 1st Test isn?t to far away now will this series live up to the hype if it does it will be one of the memorable moments of the ICC Best Of The Rest Championship.

 

[Short Leg]

The Selection Table​

ICC Best Of The Rest Championship 2006
Australia In India
Squads Announced Ahead of TVS Test Series

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Australia and India have announced their squads for the TVS Series that is due to start shortly. A big lead into this series has finally come to an end and after the one dayers and the real cricket is set to begin. The respective cricket boards have announced there 16 man squads to take part in the 3 Test Series.

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Australia fielding a strong looking squad with a few interesting points. Michael Clarke proved he isn?t to far away from playing for Australia again with his selection but also the selection of Simon Katich suggests that the selectors are favoring some experience. Phil Jaques also getting a mention on the squad list.

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We will be going with the usual line up for the first test it would seem but we think we have all bases covered with this squad. It has a good balance of youth and experience we have some top order and middle order batsman if we need them. Also Staurt Macgill will come in if we see fit for a second spinner. We all have high expectations of what this team can achieve in the series.

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India also strong on paper with the selection of some very strong batsman that can win games especially at home if they get on a roll. VVS Laxman will play a part in the series and usually plays well against Australia. Anil Kumble also in the side as India will probably look to play the 2 spinners in an attempt to create havoc when the pitches crumble.

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The Indian side is a very good one and a group of players that we feel can get the job done in front of there own crowd. Anil will most probably play the role as second spinner to add some variation to the attack that will also feature the pace bowlers.

calling the shots from the commentary box and providing there expert opinions we have overseas West Indian Mike Holding and Australian hero Dean Jones. It will be a great test series between the two sides and a 1st Test that the overcrowded Eden Gardens in Kolkata will get there money's worth.

 

[James219]

Brilliant build up presentation mate.

 

[Short Leg]

Test Match Morning​

ICC Best Of The Rest Championship 2006
Australia in India
1st TVS Test - Pre Game

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Hello and welcome to the TVS Series and the 1st of the Test matches to take place on this lovely ground in Kolkata. A massive series in the context of this championship as this one could seperate the contenders from the pretenders.The captains are just about to make there way out onto the ground for the toss but before that lets go down to Dean Jones for the pitch report.

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Dean Jones Pitch Report

Yeah thanks Sanjay it looks like a real belta here in Eden Gardens the groundsman has spent the best half of his day out here yesterday making sure it was all right to go for this match. However the painfully dry conditions and the intense heat will see this pitch crumble in the later stages of the match so India will be in good position batting last. The winning captain will be looking to pile on the runs in the first innings.

The Umpires Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen

The Toss

India have won the toss

Really happy to win the toss as this looks like a great pitch and it will be good to post a competitive total on. The heat is what we have grown to expect in our homeland so it may effect Australia if we keep then in the feild for a long period of time. We are all looking forward to this oppertunity

I would have liked to bat first but it doesnt always go your way unfortunatly. We have a great side in today so we are looking forward to the challenge that a Test series in India brings.

Michael Holding will preview the sides that will take part in the 1st Test.

India Line-Up

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India feilding a strong unit in this one. Anil Kumble is the second spinner after taking no part in the one day series and Gambhir is in to open the innings with Sehwag. The welcomed return of VVS Laxman to the middle order as he normally posts result against Australia. A team that can definatly challenge Australia and maybe even beat them here with the home crowd advantage.

Australia Line-Up

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Australia strong as always they may even be going into this match as favourites although that is up for debate. No real suprises in this team with the powerfull batting order and a bowling attack that features some of the worlds finest.

The players are out on the part and we are set to join them as India take the bat for the first innings in what promises to be a cracking series of test cricket.

 

[Short Leg]

Action Packed First Session​

as the forum was down yeterday i was unable to give wicket by wicket updates so this time it will be a first session update.

1st TVS Test - Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India 3/102 - 28 overs
Lunch Break

Tendulkar 29(32)*
Yuvraj Singh 13(10)*

McGrath 1/24
Lee 0/19
Bracken 1/20
Symonds 1/16
Warne 0/23

It was Australia who gaine the advantage early in the morning having the wicket of Gambhir when he was caught at gully for a low score and reduced India to 1/13. Not a great start but with Sehwag in unpredictable form who knows whether he will start smashing it.

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Dravid came to the crease and seemed to be very cautions in his approach whilest Sehwag took up the attack. Proving that all you have to do on the sub continent is drive Sehwag hit 8 straight boundaries leaveing Ricky Ponting wondering what to do.

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Sehwag pounced on anything off a length making his way to a classy 33 off 40 deliverys before he got a leading edge off a leg glance that spooned up in the air. It looked safe before Symonds took a tough diving catch.

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As the little master entered the playing feild a huge raw went up around the ground as the master blastered had returend home. Looking good right from the first ball as his score soon caught up with Dravid's before the skipper was out after doing the hard work when Symonds found his edge to Ponting who made no mistake.

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Now needing to consolidate towards Lunch Tendulkar and Yuvraj batted well and took India to a strong position when Rudi Koertzen removed the bails. The crowd will be wondering where this outfeild was in the one day series as anything that has gotten through the infeild has raced to the boundary. A big score is the way to go here.

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[Short Leg]

McGrath Sinks The Master​

1st TVS Test - Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India 4/138
2:38pm - Day 1

An unfortunate end for Sachin Tendulkar which came just a few deliveries after he reached 50.

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An icon of the game is modest in reaching 50​

Line and Length was the key for McGrath when that finally paid dividends. A leg cutter that caught Tendulkar in two minds proveing that like the rest of us he is human. A late push forward in an attempt to drive sore the finger raised by Rudi Koertzen and he was on his way. Yuvraj Singh is now the hope for India as he edges towards his 50.

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McGrath catches out his man​

 

[Short Leg]

Yuvraj The Star​

1st TVS Test - Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India 4/243 - 55 overs
Tea Break

Yuvraj Singh 93(100)*
VVS Laxman 32(46)*

McGrath 2/40
Lee 0/51
Bracken 1/72
Symonds 1/29
Warne 0/49

After the loss of there number one star Sachin Tendulkar the door was open for Yuvraj Singh to lead the team to a big first innings total. And thats just what he did. Cruching balls even fractionally off a length an d making the Australians chase leather for much of the session. He was assisted by a lightning outfeild as he went into the 90's at the break.

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India now have a real oppertunity to score well over 300 runs for the day and build a big lead that Australia will have trouble reeling in. Yuvraj also with the state of the match in his favour can cash in with a hundred plus tax.

 

[Short Leg]

Marathon Partnership Broken​

1st TVS Test - Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India 5/332 - 70 overs
4:59pm - Day 1

Yuvraj Singh 141*
VVS Laxman 70

McGrath 2/71
Lee 0/74
Bracken 1/72
Symonds 1/29
Warne 1/70
Hodge 0/12

It all turned sour for Australia as Yuvraj Singh was unstoppable running at a run a ball and supported by VVS Laxman who was in fine touch himself. It wasnt long before Yuvraj was raising the bat to the capacity crowd as the was rewarded with a standing ovation.

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A fine display of attack gets Yuvraj to a well deserved hundred​

He was closly followed by the Laxman 50 as the partnership reached a few milestones aswell going past the 150 stand between the pair.

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Laxman reaches 50​

Shane Warne was thrown the ball after just 7 overs bowled previuosly. He had been on the recieving end of the Yuvraj attack and was going at an economy rate of 6.50 to 7 an over.

Funnily enough it was the king of spin Warne who broke the partnership dismissing VVS Laxman for a classy 70 when he was caught by Lee on the fence. The Australians suddenly have a spring in there step after breaking the partnership of 194 valuable runs.

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Finally Australia breakthrough​

The keeper Dhoni is the new man in and you would think Australia will need him early if they are a chance of winning first innings points.

 

[Short Leg]

India suffers a minor collapse​

1st TVS Test - Eden Gardnes, Kolkata
India 8/414 - 84 overs
Stumps Day 1

I Pathan 26(22)*
Harbhajan Singh 8(5)*

McGrath 2/71
Lee 2/112
Bracken 1/72
Symonds 1/47
Warne 2/93
Hodge 0/15

It all started when the marathon man Yuvraj Singh attempted to hit a full pitched delivery from a Shane Warne quicker ball over cover but found the safe hands of Ponting.

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Yuvraj finally dismissed after a heroic innings​

Not long after Dhoni followed him back to the for a well made 26. He looked like he was just finding his touch when he edged a Brett Lee thunderbolt to Ponting who took an amazing catch. The ball just seemed to be following him as he claimed his 3rd catch. Here's what Dean Jones said about it in the commentary box

Ah what a catch by the skipper Ricky Ponting! It's come at speed and he has taken an absolute dead set blinder. Fair'd incom thats one of the best catchs we've seen in the championship and Dhoni cant believe he's clung onto it but he's gotta go. What an athlete hats off to the man.

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what a catch Ricky​

Kumble came to the crease and them left the crease after be judged salmon trout (definatly out) by umpire Rudi Koertzen. Funny it didnt look to be hitting timber but a wickets a wicket and Brett Lee will take it having been unlucky all day.

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a dodgy decision goes in favour of Brett Lee​

Pathan got India to stumps alone with Harbhajan on an unusual day of test cricket which sore a massive 414 runs scored. Australia still in the hunt for first innings points because of the fact that they have taken 8 wickets in the first day which gives them to to be patient throughout there innings. They will be looking to take the final two wickets asap tomorrow morning and have a dig.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said some brief words after the first days play in the TVS Series.

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Ricky an eye opener for you in terms of test cricket in India?​

Yeah um there where alot of runs scored but that isn't going to worry us to much having just got a look at the conditions out there. You would of noticed that we had to use more sweepers then we usually would in other countrys and that was a result of the exadurated pace of the outfeild. We will be looking to knock over the tail and start our replie to the Indian total. It looks to be a high scoring wicket so scoring quickly may be important if we are to achieve a good result in this match.