After tasting defeat in Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai, the jinx was finally broken for the Mumbai Indians in the City of Joy, as they defeated home team Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets.
The Knight Riders won the toss and chose to bat first but their famed batting line-up failed to show any resistance against some fine bowling by a determined Mumbai team.
Mumbai's veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock stole the limelight, wrecking both the top and the middle order of the Kolkata Knight Riders, and restricting them to a modest 137 for 8. The crafty Jayasuriya displayed variation in his bowling and stuck to a tight line to finish with dream figures of 4-1-14-3.
On a sporting pitch which was a far cry from the two-paced dry wicket that had been universally condemned nine days back, skipper Shaun Pollock struck in the first over itself. Riders lost captain Saurav Ganguly being caught by Jayasuriya off Pollock. Another blow followed within two balls. This time, Mc Cullum was out lbw.
By the 13th over, Riders had already lost six of their batsmen. Jayasuriya was all over the place. First, he ran out Ricky Ponting and then had Mohd. Hafeez caught behind. The Lankan all-rounder all dismissed Ajit Agarkar and Ashish Nehra.
For the Riders, Laxmi Ratan Shukla (40 not out; 4x4, 2x6) emerged as the top scorer, with a late assault. His cameo helped Kolkata reach a score of 138 runs.
The Indians started on a good note but it wasn't to last. A. Rahane was caught by Hussey off Agarkar's bowling and then Ishant sharma clean bowled the flamboyant Jayasuriya. The pacers continued the damage when new bowler Ashok Dinda bowled Manish Pandey for a duck on the first ball of the fifth over, leaving Mumbai Indians tottering at 25 for 3. However, West Indian Dwayne Bravo and Robin Uthappa came together to repair the innings.
The duo steadied the boat for the team, displaying calm and only hitting the bad balls across the rope. Bravo, the more active of the partners, completed his half century in 42 balls and along with Uthappa (37 not out) steered the team to a well-deserved victory.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Mumbai rises in IPL, Win their 1st Match
BCCI should be lenient: Farokh Engineer
Harbhajan Singh has been punished enough by the Indian Premier League for slapping India teammate S Sreesanth and the BCCI should not be very harsh when it hands out a separate penalty to the off-spinner, IPL match referee Farokh Engineer has pleaded.
"I am sure that BCCI will realise that Harbhajan's punishment has been pretty harsh and I hope for Harbhajan that they are lenient on him. But I can't really comment what the BCCI has to do," Engineer told a news channel.
The former wicketkeeper said although Sreesanth, who was let off with a warning, was "no angel", Harbhajan's actions could not be condoned no matter what the provocation.
"I don't think Sreesanth is an angel. He is a lovely guy and he has been warned to take it easy... Not to go beyond the mark. Harbhajan made a big mistake there, a mistake that has never been made before. You just cannot strike another person," he said.
Engineer said the video evidence against Harbhajan was so strong that the IPL board had to take action against the temperamental bowler. "The footage was extremely incriminating. In cricket there is no body contact like football or boxing. It's something that happened in the heat of the moment and he will be regretful about this through the rest of his life," he said.
Younis Khan to Join Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan team franchise CEO Fraser Castellino said the Pakistan batsman Younis Khan will be arriving on May 8. Castellino said that the Pakistani player was allowed to stay back due to some personal reasons.
"We had allowed him to stay in his country for a little longer. Now he will be here on May 8 after the Mumbai match," he said.
The right-hander will be available for the May 9 home match against the Deccan Chargers.
Younis, along with other Pakistan players, were busy in a one-day series against Bangladesh. Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was rushed in through a chartered flight for the second match on April and few days later Sohail Tanveer too joined the team.
Sachin helped me improve my batting: Manoj Tiwari
Delhi Daredevils batsman Manoj Tiwari said "valuable tips" from Sachin Tendulkar helped improve his batting. "Sachin gave me a lot of tips which had a positive effect on my batting," right-handed 22-year-old Tiwari told reporters here.
He said during the recent tri-series in Australia, Tendulkar had told him how to improve his technique. "It has helped me and I am hoping to perform well for the Daredevils," he said.
Tiwari, who has played just one ODI so far, said he wanted to be a permanent member of the Indian squad and strengthen the middle-order, where he faces stiff competition from players like Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Rohit Sharma.
He also praised Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag, saying he was leading the side well. "He is a great leader and we all enjoy playing under him," he said.
Union Minister Ramadoss criticises Indian Premier League
Castigating the Indian Premier League (IPL) for promoting surrogate advertising of alcohol products, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today said he would take up the matter with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Asked what he thought about the IPL promoting surrogate advertising, he told reporters on the sidelines of a report release function here that the Supreme Court has already made some observations on the issue.
The minister added that he would take up the matter with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. "I will definitely request them," he said.
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya got a relief from the Supreme Court yesterday which rejected the petition seeking to restrain the cricket team owned by him for the Indian Premier League (IPL) from playing the tournament under the banner of 'The Royal Challengers'.
The petition filed by a Faridabad-based resident, Kishan Kumar Aggarwal, had alleged that under the garb of 'The Royal Challengers Bangalore Team', the United Breweries Group was seeking to promote its brands of liquor.
The Health Ministry had earlier written to the I&B Minister seeking a ban on surrogate advertisements of tobacco and alcohol products following which an ordinance had been brought by the government banning such commercials.
Free tutions in the Delhi Daredevils' camp in IPL
Indian Premier League may not have pleased the purists but has clearly blurred borders and thrown up scenarios where Glenn McGrath is teaching Pradeep Sangwan tricks to tame Aussie batsmen while A B de Villiers shares first-hand knowledge on how to blunt Dale Steyn.
A peep into the Delhi Daredevils' practice reveals a new world altogether, where nationalities take a backseat and the motley crew of players go into a huddle and sweat under the harsh sun as they prepare to take on Bangalore Royal Challenge in their next IPL encounter tomorrow.
Former pacer and a key cog in Daredevils think-tank T A Sekar could not praise McGrath enough when he talked about his influence in the side.
"He is always there to help the youngsters. He is talking to (V) Yomahesh, Sangwan and even (Sri Lankan pacer) Ferveez Maharoof. If you saw the last match, you would remember how McGrath was trying to cool Maharoof who was getting some stick.
"All in all, it has been a learning experience for the youngsters in the side and it's up to the lads to make the most of the opportunity," Sekar, who has shaped many a bowling career during his stint at the MRF Pace Foundation, said here today.
Rajat Bhatia came forward to vouch for McGrath's assistance and said, "It has been a great experience. He is such a great guy. There are plenty of things you can learn from him and it's not just about bowling but also your attitude and temperament."
IPL Umpire Saheba suspended for 2 matches
IPL Governing Council member I S Bindra today slammed umpire Amish Saheba for commenting on S Sreesanth's on-field behaviour in the media and said he should have mentioned it in his report on the match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians here last week.
"The umpires are not supposed to give their reports to the media, but there is a set procedure through which they can report to the match referee or IPL," Bindra said.
Bindra said Saheba, who was suspended for two IPL matches for his remarks reported in a Mumbai newspaper, had not submitted any report to match referee Farokh Engineer or the IPL on Sreesanth's conduct.
"There is a prescribed proforma which umpires are supposed to fill and report in case they want to report on any incident. To my knowledge, the umpire in question has not submitted any report to the match referee or IPL co-ordinator," Bindra said at a press conference here.
Saheba had reportedly told a Mumbai newspaper that Sreesanth abused the Mumbai Indians (led by Harbhajan Singh) relentlessly throughout the game and was warned twice" by him and the other umpire, Pakistan's Aleem Dar". On the slapping incident, Bindra, who is also the ICC's Principal Advisor, said, "It's a bad episode. There are no two opinions about that, but we should move forward.”
Bindra further added, "this kind of behaviour is not acceptable. We have maintained that spirit of the game is equally important, if not more than the letter of the law".
Dhoni will also be dancing in Chennai super kings' Music Album
A bilingual musical support to Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings is to be provided by BIG Music, following a tie-up between the franchise and the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group company.
A music album in Tamil and Hindi, the highlight of which is a special song performed by Dhoni, will comprise the official theme song as well as victory anthem of the team, said a media release.
The songs in Tamil are penned by well-known Tamil film lyricist Vairamuthu and Dhoni will perform for the Hindi version of the Tamil-cum-English theme song, the release added.
No more cheerleaders for Delhi matches
Delhi IPL matches will be devoid of any cheerleaders charging up the tempo as GMR, owners of the Delhi franchise did away with their duties keeping in mind the protests raging across the country against the 'provocative' dances.
Vijay Vancheswar, vice-president of GMR group told reporters that their main impetus was on the game of cricket and not on entertainment thus leading to the decision. He made clear that Delhi Daredevils were keenly focussing on winning the forthcoming games and were primarily concentrating on the game rather than the entertainment provided by the cheerleaders.
He also said that the cheerleaders' presence might be a distraction and this prompted the owners to send the group back and he also expected that they would be back in the next edition of the league next year.
poor batting was the reason for our loss : Saurav Ganguly
A disappointed Kolkata Knight Riders captain Sourav Ganguly attributed his side's seven-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians here today to "bad batting". "We didn't bat well. We didn't have enough runs on the board. It was difficult to defend a small total of 137," Ganguly said after his team's second consecutive defeat in the IPL.
He said even after the modest innings, his side was still in the fight after the Mumbai Indians lost three early wickets. "Our bowlers were bang on target in their (Mumbai) innings. They were 25 for 3 and I thought we were in for a game as they had not batted well in the tournament. We dropped a catch and then (Dwayne) Bravo and Robin (Uthappa) took the game away from us," the Prince of Kolkata said, referring to Debabrata Das failing to hold on to an offering from Uthappa.
Ganguly, however, was confident his team would bounce back in the tournament. "We have a long way to go in the tournament. We have to improve upon our batting in the remaining ten matches. I hope we will do well," he said.
Mumbai Indians skipper Shaun Pollock said his team's first victory in the league would boost their confidence. "This will be a confidence builder. Bravo batted really well and Robin played a matured innings," he said, adding that man-of-the-match Sanath Jayasuriya bowled fantastic. PTI
Ban Harbhajan Singh for life : former Aussie umpire
Former Australian Test umpire Lou Rowan today labelled Harbhajan Singh a menace on the field and called for a life ban on the temperamental off-spinner for slapping India teammate S Sreesanth. "This fellow (Harbhajan) doesn't belong to the game of cricket. He has shown he is no good. They should just get rid of him from the sport," Rowan told 'The Courier Mail'. "I don't know what other sport would want him, though," he added sarcastically.
Rowan, who stood in 25 Tests between 1963 and 1971, said Harbhajan comes across as a rogue player in whatever he has seen of the Indian tweaker's on-field behaviour. The Australian felt the 11-match ban imposed on him by the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a light punishment and his actions deserved a stricter sentence.
"I certainly don't think he would have been allowed to get away with what he has been allowed to get away within any other sport. They should just get rid of him and move on," he said.
After being banned from the IPL, Harbhajan is now awaiting the verdict from a separate disciplinary inquiry to be conducted by the BCCI. The temperamental bowler has already given his reply to the Board's show cause notice and has apologised for his conduct.
However, his penchant for landing in disciplinary trouble with alarming frequency has not gone down too well with the Board, which backed him to the hilt during the racism row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds a couple of months ago. PTI
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Issue over Shoaib's IPL play Continues
If Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI's chief administrative officer, has the last word, Shoaib Akhtar may not be able to take part in the ongoing IPL despite being allowed to play by the PCB. The BCCI has disallowed Shoaib from playing in the IPL tournament in view of Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to ban him for five years.
The PCB’s disciplinary committee had earlier allowed pacer Shoaib Akhtar to play in the IPL as well as in the county cricket. Climbing down from his confrontational stand against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Monday agreed to accept any disciplinary action taken by the board.
Akhtar left everyone surprised at the first regular hearing of the appellate tribunal which is hearing his appeal against the five-year ban imposed on him by PCB by agreeing to its disciplinary action.
A statement read by Akthar's lawyer said: "I (Akhtar) would like to apologise from the bottom of my heart for any grief or embarrassment that may have been caused to the nation, particularly to the PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf. I have resolved to alter my habits to refrain from such incidents in future and I will obey the PCB rules and regulations," the statement said.
The 32-year-old paceman was banned earlier this month for breaching the players' code of conduct by publicly criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after he was not offered a central contract in January. Shoaib can still not play for Pakistan as he is serving a five-year ban.
