Ricky and Australia Take Sweet Revenge in 20-20!

India lost the 20-20 match against Australia by 9 wickets and close to 9 overs spare. After winning the toss, I thought they will choose to bowl, but to my surprise, they batted first. With the inexperienced batting line up in Australian grounds, I would have bowled first. Anyway, they didn't bat well and nothing the bowlers can do.

No one except Irfan Pathan scored double digit figure. He batted sensibly and no one was there to play the full quota of 20 overs. It looked like a practice area for catching. The turning point of the match was the run out of Shewag, which of course was created by the great fielding by MJ Clarke. He should be given full credit for the wonderful fielding and direct hit at non-stricker's end when Shewag took a risk for a single.

I would advise Sreesanth to have his performance talk rather than his mouth and temperament talking. His performance should definitely improve as his experience is very less compared to the great players in the history of cricket. He is not McGrath, Lee, Akram or a Kapil to have his emotions talk rather than his performance.

The score card is given below:

Played at Melbourne Cricket Ground on 1 February 2008 - day/night (20-over match) - Toss: India; Captains: India-MS Dhoni; Australia-Ricky Pointing; Australia won by 9 wickets with 52 balls spare; Man of the Match: MJ Clarke; Umpires: BNJ Oxenford and SJA Taufel

India 73 all out in 17.3 overs (IK Pathan 26; NW Bracken 3 for 11; AC Voges 2 for 5) lost to Australia 75 for 1 in 11.2 overs (AC Gilchrist 25; MJ Clarke 37 NO; BJ Hodge 10 NO)

Hope the young and less experienced Indian team would learn from the mistakes and look for a good start in the Commonwealth Bank Series tournament that starts on February 3, 2008.

What's Happening in West Indies Cricket Team?

It is not a good series for West Indies, which once was the dangerous team to play against. They were the world champions twie in the shorter version of the game, but that glory was not maintained well by the successors!

After the 1983 world cup, I would say, West Indies team's collapse started and there was less occassions where they won comfortably--either it be a match or a series. So many captains after Lloyd lead the team--Richardson, Walsh, Lara, Jimmy Adams, Carl Hooper, Ridley Jacobs, Chandra Paul, Ramesh Sarwan, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, and Dawne Bravo.

It is indeed a bad opening in 2008 for West Indies against the mighty South African. This 5-0 white wash should be removed from the memory and just the learnings should be carried forward. The West Indies Cricekt Board and the cricket supporters in and around the world, should treated it as an investment to the future!

The Short Scores of this Series:

1st ODI:

Played at SuperSport Park, Centurion, on 20 January 2008 (36-over match) - Toss won by South Africa; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 6 wickets with 12 balls to spare; Man of the Match: JP Duminy; Umpires: DJ Harper and RE Koertzen

West Indies 175 all out in 35.5 overs (RS Morton 41; DJG Sammy 51; DW Steyn 2 for 24; A Nel 2 for 36) lost South Africa 176 for 4 in 34 overs (JH Kallis 24; JP Duminy 79 NO; MV Boucher 26 NO)

2nd ODI:

Played at Newlands, Cape Town, on 25 January 2008 - day/night (50-over match) - Toss won by South Africa; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 86 runs; Man of the Match: SMPollock; Umpires: DJ Harper and BG Jerling

South Africa 255 for 9 in 50 overs (GS Smith 86; AB de Villiers 45; JP Duminy 68; JE Jaylor 4 for 34) beat West Indies 169 all out in 48.2 overs (S Chattergoon 34; S Chandrapaul 54; M Morkel 4 for 36; SM Pollock 2 for 13; CK Langeveldt 2 for 28)

3rd ODI:

Played at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, on 27 January 2008 (50-over match) - Toss won by West Indies; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 7 wickets with 8 balls to spare; Man of the Match: JH Kallis; Umpires: DJ Harper and IL Howell

West Indies 252 for 7 in 50 overs (S Chattergoon 52; PA Browne 35; MN Samuels 98; J Botha 2 for 29) lost South Africa 256 for 3 in 48.4 overs (GC Smith 56; JH Kallis 121 NO; JP Duminy 36 NO)

4th ODI:

Played at Kingsmead, Durban, on 1 February 2008 - day/night (50-over match) - Toss won by West Indies; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 5 wickets with 13 balls to spare; Man of the Match: AB de Villiers; Umpires: DJ Harper and IL Howell

West Indies 263 for 9 in 50 overs (BA Parchment 48; S Chattergoon 48; S Chandrapaul 28; PA Browne 34; JE Taylor 43 NO; A Nel 2 for 44; M Morkel 2 for 60) lost South Africa 266 for 5 in 47.5 overs (GC Smith 50; HH Gibbs 39; AB de Villiers 77; JP Duminy 44; DJ Bravo 2 for 31)

5th ODI:

Played at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on 3 February 2008 (50-over match) - Toss won by South Africa; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 8 wickets with 13 balls spare by D/L method; Man of the Match: HH Gibbs; Umpires: DJ Harper and BG Jerling

West Indies 295 for 7 in 50 overs (DS Smith 91; S Chandrapaul 51, PA Browne 49 NO; DJ Bravo 40; RN Lewis 28 NO; CK Langeveldt 3 for 61) lost to South Africa 211 for 2 in 28.5 overs (HH Gibbs 102; JH Kallis 74 NO; DBL Powell 2 for 39)

South Africa Won the Series - 5-0
Man of the Series: JP Duminy (South Africa) and SM Pollock (South Africa)

Health Watch

Use the following links to find your Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a measure if body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/av.htm

Please use these sites and ensure that you manage your health in terms of your weight! All the best!

Would Ricky Succeed in Revenge?

Indians hold 100% record against the Aussies in 20-20 games. Would Ricky succeed in taking the revenge this time at least? He was not successful in the accusation against Harbhajan, so he has another chance for showing it in the field. Would he succeed?

Inspirational Quotes

"A ship is always safe at the shore, but it was not built for that." - Albert Einstein

"If you cannot forgive, you cannot ask for it." - Balaji Meenakshisundaram

"There is only one thing between LIFE and DEATH, that is LIFE, so LIVE it to its full." - Balaji Meenakshisundaram

"You can never postpone a problem. You are only postponing the timing of it. So, face it and it will vanish." - Balaji Meenakshisundaram

"Eat breakfast like a prince, lunch like a king, and dinner like a beggar--to lead a healthy life." - Anonymous

"Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam all conveyes the same message--believe in yourself, faith in god, and beware of your consciousness." - Balaji Meenakshisundaram

"Assume you are taking turns to help your close relation in the hospital for few days, what happens? Your daily routine goes for a toss and after few days, you feel uncomfortable and get used to hospital environment and adjust to so many things that happens, most of it, you don't like. Please YOU do not give this feeling to others, where they feel irritated, bored, feeling tired, to be in the hospital!--STOP SMOKING! Give others peaceful life!! - Balaji Meenakshisundaram

After the game,the king and the pawn go into the same box. - Italian Proverb

Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. - Albert Einstein

AUS Players Will Be Fined or Banned!

Though I am an Indian, I respect good cricket and cricketers. The comments about “India loosing respect” in Australia are not a good for both Australia and India. I see it as an immature comment. The entire cricket world knows "Who is the master in Sledging?" The only solace to Australia is that they were never caught--either due to no official complaint or biased decisions by referee. Few questions to ask:

1. How did you believe Ricky's word when he lied on the cricket field, just for winning?
2. How did you believe Clark's word for the same reason--till date, he didn't accept his mistake?
3. How do you rate Ricky's behavior during press conference?
4. Did scrapping the agreement between captains a good sign for Australia? Didn't it show that nobody in the world can trust and believe Australian Cricketers, though we have people like Gilly;
5. Do Australians teach good things to their kids and next generation? If yes, how come they teach bad words and sledging when they play cricket?
6. What about Ricky and his team's behavior in India, pushing the sports minister?
7. Mr. Waugh and Mr. Chappell mentioned that, "that's how they play cricket" But do you curse and sledge your guests?What about Hayden's four letter S word?
8. Why did Symonds interfere without knowing what Harbhajan was talking to Brett Lee?

In fact, to be honest, a person believing in God and acting according to his consciousness, would do the following:

1. Ban Ricky for at least 5 Test Matches for lying and not controlling his team;
2. Ban Clark for at least 3 Test Matches for lying on the field;
3. Ban Hayden for at least 1 Test Match and 25% match fee for giving false complaint and for using four letter S word and also for unnecessarily interfering in the argument;
4. Ban Symonds for at least 1 Test Match and 25% match fee for giving false complaint and for unnecessarily interfering, provoking the whole incident.

I do not think that ICC is bending to BCCI fearing financial loss! Any true human being will not punish anybody without proper and satisfying evidence. Can Dravid and Ganguly speak near the microphone as if Pointing and Clark called them Kangaroos? Going by this, calling Dravid, "The Wall" and Ganguly, "The Bengal Tiger" or "Dada" are also racist remark, which every commentator does.

With no evidence against Harbhajan, it is right to let him go, regardless of money playing its part.

IF THIS CONTINUES, BEWARE AUSSIES, ALL THE TEAMS ARE READY TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOU, IN CASE IF YOU USE BAD WORD OR SLEDGE ANYBODY!

If other team starts complaining about Aus Players, I am sure in the near future, you would see ALL OF THE AUS PLAYERS ARE EITHER FINED OR BANNED!

Sydney's Sadistic Story

WORLD CHAMPIONS, BUT NOT HONEST AND OPEN

What happened in the first test match of 2008 (the 2nd test) between Australia and India is a history that explained to the entire cricketing and other sports related world that EVEN WORLD CHAMPIONS WOULD DO ANYTHING TO WIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY WANTED TO CREATE A RECORD!

Few questions and points in my mind:

1. Why are the branded as sledging, because they are masters in it. Why are they focusing on sledging when they are supposed to play the sport?

2. Ricky claiming that he caught the ball (when Dhoni was batting) though TV replay showed that he grounded the ball? He questioned the reporter's presence and became emotional about his integrity! You are not an honest man, Ricky! If you are, at least after seeing TV replays, you should have come out openly and accepted the mistake! The courage is not in making mistakes, but in accepting it. You are not going to teach good things to your kids and grand kids! You forgot that you are a leader and looked up as an example by so many people in the world, including India.

3. Clarke, provided that he is the deputy of Ricky! He is the next captain of Australia and already learnt how to lie! He also didn't accept grounding the ball and not a good example to anyone in the world!

4. Steve Waugh claimed that it is not a sledging and it is a cultural difference. The way Cricket is played in Australia is by sledging and hurting others by words! Why is there a ball and bat in Cricket, Mr. Waugh? Why do you want to use your tongue to hurt others? Haven't your teachers' never taught you about speaking right things, having a clear and good mind! Please come to India to learn the basic values of human beings!

5. Greg Chappell: You are not fit to be a coach in any part of the world and in any game! The coach is in "Guru's" position--a teacher, who should teach to the disciples about being truth to self and others, honesty, open, learning from mistakes, accepting the mistakes with courage, etc. But, you started supporting the Aus team without looking into the facts! You are not a good example to any team and should resign from coaching! What would you tell your son / daughter / grand kids / neighbors, if they ask you, being a coach, why are you supporting sledging and talking bad words in the field? I am sure you would laugh, lie again, tell them, that's the world! Lessons of good things are only for others and who believe in inner soul and god. You were already a cheat and what to expect out of you! You bowled an underarm (calling it a tactic and presence of mind) I am sure you have never understood the terms "SPORTSMANSHIP" and "HONESTY"