After being suffering with 4-0 test loss and T20 loss Wednesday, the men in Blue have made a tremendous display in the second T20 match to clinch victory against Australia and level 1-1.

Indian bowlers were ably supported by the young fielders like Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma. Indian fielders were got four Australian batsmen run out to hamper them with 131, as Praveen Kumar took 2-21 in four overs.

India in replay to 131 was given a solid start by the openers for the first time in the Australia. Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir provided good start for the first time in this tour. Duo added 43 runs for the opening wicket.

Sehwag was dismissed by Hogg for 23 runs. After Sehwag, Kohli played sensible cricket with Gambhir and added 54 runs for the third wicket. Kohli scored 31 runs.

Despite of two wickets down, Gambhir looked calm and composed and took India home comprehensively along with skipper MS Dhoni. Gambhir made unbeaten 56 runs to level the T20 series with 1-1.

Left handed batsmen said that the batting great Sachin Tendulkar 100^th ton will surley come on winning cause of India. Gambhir said that they let entire nation down with their disastrous performances and even expressed anger at criticism of veteran batsman V.V.S Laxman.

The 30-year-old said that Sachin Tendulkar’s hundredth hundred will come on Indians winning cause, He explained saying that the objective was to win the series, even thought Sachin scored his 100th 100 and they lost the match either Sachin or the team or nation will be happy. He insisted that they should not be hesitant to give credit to the opposition as they always kept un on the hook.

Gambhir defended VVS Laxman, who has been struggling with his form coming from England tour as well and it was rumored that the retirement of VVS is on the edge. Laxman has made a mere 102 runs from 6 innings at an average of 17. Why criticize one person? Why look at only VVS? He has been a legend. Nobody should decide on his retirement. Only he should, said Gambhir.

The Indian team confirmed opener Virender Sehwag would take over the captaincy from suspended M.S. Dhoni, who suffered a match ban due to slow over rate. Shewag will lead the Indian side in the last of four Tests in Adelaide. According to Gambhir, Wriddhiman Saha, who would be keeping wickets in the absence of MS Dhoni. Gambhir stated that captains don’t make a difference, but it is the 11 players on the field that make the difference.

Calling the series was a disappointing one for India, the left-hander said: He also said that the team would want to win the Adelaide Test as they want to take a win going into the ODI series.

India for the first time in the ongoing ODI series against West Indies has won the toss and elected to bat first. In the previous three ODIs, India batted second chasing the totals. But, in the fourth ODI at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore, Indian openers gave a flying start scoring rapid fifties. Sehwag and Gambhir have so far added 143 runs in 19 overs, with Sehwag batting on 77 off 56 balls with seven boundaries and four sixes.

On the other hand, Gambhir started his innings on a bit slow note than Sehwag, but he picked up his pace and followed his partner scoring 58 runs off 59 balls with 10 boundaries. Sehwag and Gambhir reached 50-run partnership in 9^th over, after Sehwag sent the ball of Andre Russell for a boundary on the second ball of the 9^th over and reached 100-run partnership, this time Gambhir sending the ball for four off Narine.

It seems that, both the openers are on roar and in a punishing mood, after they suffered loss in the third ODI with 16 runs short. In the on going fourth ODI, India has scored at the rate of 7.76 with 163 runs on board at the end of 21 overs. They have so far added 163 runs off 126 balls, both playing with aggression and gets a feeling that, India would score more than 350 runs with the present run rate.

After fall of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid took India over 100 in reply of West Indies’ first innings total of 590 runs.

Everyone at the Wankhede is keenly waiting for the Master to deliver his elusive 100, when India takes on the West Indies in the third and final Test. Indian batting maestro walked down in the middle to bat.

Earlier, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir scored half-century (55 runs in 99 balls) to rescue India after Virender Sehwag’s early departure. Pacer-blower Ravi Rampaul sent out Gautam Gambhir, who once again unsuccessful to unite on good start.

India received first shock as West Indies captain Darren Sammy dismissed Virender Sehwag for 37 runs in 50 balls. Sehwag failed to consolidate on good start and returned to pavilion, after giving flying start to India.

On the other hand, Rahul Dravid missed another Test hundred, as he was dismissed by Samuels for 82 runs in 149 balls. Rahul Dravid completed his 13, 000 Test successful runs, when he scored 21 runs in the match.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told about the plans for the celebration of Tendulkar’s 100th century will firm up only, after Tendulkar reaches the landmark. Dhoni said at the beginning of the series against West Indies stating, let him get to the century and then we will decide how to celebrate it.

Sachin Tendulkar has only one Test hundred at the Wankhede stadium. Way back in December 1997 year, over Sri Lankan team, he scored 148 runs. After that, the venue bizarrely has not been a very happy playing ground for him. A century in this Mumbai Test can be a good way to make amends.

The India batsman suffered a concussion, while trying to seize a catch by Kevin Pietersen at mid-on the second day of the fourth and final Test at the Oval cricket ground in London last week. He had seemingly recovered sufficiently to take part in practice on Sunday but afterward complained of impaired vision.Gautam Gambhir did not open in both innings of the Oval Test series and came down late in the array, contributing little by way of runs. Since then, he has visited health center and got MRI scans done which have shown clean results, yet Gambhir’s form has not improved.

The team manager Shivlal Yadav admits that, He could not see the ball at times, when it came at complete speed. He will be taken to an eye consultant in Manchester on Tuesday (Aug. 30). Based on what the expert says, we will have to wait for the next step.India has been beaten with 4-0 points in the Test series, and lost their number one Test rankings position and is in danger of suffering a similar unbearable fate in the one-day series too, starting with the first match in Chester-le-Street on September 3, 2011.

So why has he quit ODIs, something which can easily lead to a higher price in the Indian Premier League (IPL)? He was bought for $500,000 in the IPL auction by Rajasthan Royals. If he was a regular member of the ODI team, his price would have been double, if not four times more.
Dravid’s target has been to prolong his international career rather than increase his IPL value. On Saturday, he declared he was retiring from Twenty20 Internationals as well. At 38, he is not getting any younger and his ageing body may not withstand the rigours of the international cricket if he were to play ODIs as well.

There is little rest for players like MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, who play all formats of the game. Unless they are injured, they would have to play non-stop for the next 10 months, one series followed by another, immediately followed by yet another. Sachin Tendulkar, who plays ODIs too, picks and chooses series.

So is it a right decision for the Indian Wall to take a Retirement form ODI?

The second test between India vs England has started without any whether problems at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. As the ICC-world No.1 team, India has won the toss and elected to ball in the first Innings,

The second test squad for the Indian team has been changed with Indian Opening bowler and Opening batsmen have been dropped from the second test against England. Zaheer Khan was out of the first innings in Lord’s; due to the hamstring strain has been replaced by the pace bowler, S Sreesanth. While, the Indian opener Gotham Gambhir has been ruled out of the test due to an elbow injury has been replaced by an all rounder, Yuvraj Singh.

In the England Squad, the only replacement was the pace bowler, Chris Tremlett.

The match has been started with the Indian bowlers having a done a great job by with Ishant Sharma taking the first wicket of Alastair Cook in the fifth over of day and later in the 10th over, Sreesanth has picked up the wicket of the dangerous men, Jonathan Trott.

Teams:

India (From): MS Dhoni(w/c), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Abhinav Mukund, Wriddhiman Saha, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, S Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar

England (From): Andrew Strauss(c), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior(w), Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett

Regarding the same he stated that Test cricket is one area where he wants to do well and improve with time. He also said that I want to be a permanent member of the test side and I know it won’t be an easy task.

Yuvraj Singh has played 274 one day internationals but only 34 tests.

The India-England test series will start on 21st of July and will be highly competitive as England test team has set high standard for themselves. England has recently won the Ashes series and has also beaten Sri Lanka in the test series comprehensively.

It would be quite difficult for India to beat England on their home turf but with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh back in the team nothing seems to be impossible.

Yuvraj also said that, The World Cup was a huge motivational goal and whole of India wanted the Cup and all the good wishes worked and it was a very emotional thing. As a team it can’t get bigger than that.

All the injured players Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth are return back to the Indian squad for the upcoming series against England. Indian aggressive opener Virender Sehwag is still doubtful, as his fitness remains uncertain after he underwent surgery on… See All
Gambhir, Sehwag, Zaheer and Sreesanth have all spent their time rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Indian star batsmen Sachin Tendulkar had asked for bit of time to rest and spend time with his family and will be ready for the England Tour next month. If Sehwag will not fit in time for England Tour, Murali Vijay is likely to replace as the opener.

The Indian Squad included two fast bowlers, one extra spinner, one extra… See All
Indian Team:

MS Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh/Virat Kohli Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, M Vijay, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel/Abhimanyu Mithun

Gambhir has pulled out of the ongoing tour of West Indies, due to shoulder injury. He has been getting ready for his batting strategy to counter the seaming conditions in England. Gambhir said that, feeling fresh both mentally and physically, practicing in the nets in Bangalore against like S Sreesanth.

The 29-year-old Gambhir had made 3234 runs in 38 Tests at an average of 51.33. He is going to play for test matches for the first time IN England, if he selected for the tour, it will start from 21st July. In One Day Internationals Indian opener had scored 4073 runs in 114 ODIs at an average of 40.73.

Gambhir said that, it’s very tough to drive first few balls in England and have to adjust the conditions. He added defeating England in their soil, which means India, will endorse No. 1 in the test rankings. India has been playing well in test cricket from past two years and they will play one practice match against Somerset, before the first match, which it would be a tough to get adopt the conditions says Gambhir. Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan might return back into the team for the England tour to lead pace attack.