India can win Down Under - Dravid

Dravid's form may serve India's interests as they take on formidable Australia ( Aus is always formidable in Aus ).

As the Kangaroos are under the inexperienced Clarke, Dravid feels that India
can triumph.

"In terms of personal satisfaction in terms of batting, yes I am very happy.
I got more runs in 2002 but that seems so far away, so [I] can't even
remember what it was like," Dravid said.

"I think some of the runs that I got this year classify as what you call 'tough runs'. They were in pretty tough conditions
when the team needed it. So, in that sense, I do feel this was one of my
better years personally as a player. Obviously the tour of England was
disappointment. From that point of view it was disappointing, but from a
personal view this year probably is among the best that I have had."

Rahul scored 1067 runs this calender year, with five tons. He said the the
runs accumulated in 2011 set him up for a rugged tour.

"Runs behind you don't necessarily translate into runs in the future but
what I can definitely say is that I go there in a good space. I feel have
been hitting the ball well," he said. "I feel quit relaxed when around the
group and in the team and am comfortable with the contributions that I am
making. I think it's a good time to be travelling.

Dravid is hailed as Mr Wall and is the main architect of series wins in Pakistan,
the West Indies, England and New Zealand, but a series win in Australia has been elusive.

If India triumphs in Australia, it will be a great benchmark.

"Australia is the benchmark, definitely. They had some absolute
legends and still have some great players, and they have been the kind of
team that you set your mark against. It would definitely be special to go
and do well there."

The new look Australian side will be resurgent.

"I still think they are a good side. I know they don't have the
big names they had in the past, but they have got some emerging players,
some good young players. You can clearly see that they have got a lot of
potential and any Australian team is going to hard to beat on home soil. But
quietly, I think as a team we should be confident in our own abilities and I
really like the look of the way our pace attack is developing. Hopefully we
can stay fit and I believe we give ourselves a good chance."


Dravid said he had not set specific goals for himself for this tough tour !

"I don't have any thing in terms of my own
numbers or statistics that I want to achieve in Australia," he said. "I want
to win a Test series there try and help the team win in Australia. That is
something that we have never done. So every time you go and tour there you
want to get that goal. Its not going to be easy, it's never is, but I think
the team's goal is to try and win a series."

Dravid became the second player, after Sachin, to score more than
13 K runs, an achievement which Dravid himself considered was not
just possible when he started. .

"I wouldn't have minded scoring five hundreds or a thousand runs less if we
could win a series in Australia. I think those of are the kind of memories
that stay with you. I think the greatest memory for me now is not
necessarily statistical. It's not the number of runs, it's those magical
moments. It's winning in Kolkata and Rawalpindi. The series wins in Tests
stay with you. I think that's what you would play for at this stage."


He is hailed as the best batsman India has produced, despite being the oldest, but his penchant for fitness has paid off !

"It tells you that fitness levels have risen, and that's thanks to the
access that we have today - to physiotherapists and trainers. Sports science
has improved tremendously since the time I started and I think it means
players are fitter for longer periods of time. Especially as batsman, if you
are disciplined about things you can prolong your career for periods of
time. It's a question of getting everything right and getting the technical
side of things right. Then you have all this help to tap into in terms of
your physical fitness. If you are doing these things you can ensure that you
play for pretty long periods of time."

The clone overtakes the original

On Feb 24, 2010, history was made as Sachin became the first player to score a double century in ODIs. On Dec 8, 2011, that record was overhauled in a stunning manner by his clone ! It just took 260 ODIs to eclipse that record and the record breaker was his clone !

It is said that Sehwag modelled himself on the lines of Sachin. He was the clone and Sachin the original. And now the clone has surpassed the original.

When he scored 219 yesterday off 149 balls with 25 fours and seven sixes, he had overtaken the world record set by the original, Sachin ! His is the fastest double century in ODI ( off 140 balls ) and the highest score in ODI !

What a way to prove his critics wrong !

"I never expected to score a double hundred. While opening the innings, I told Gautam Gambhir that if we can show some patience on this track, we will be in for a big one as the wicket is a good one. The outfield is fantastic and the distance of the boundary is only 50 yards," said the swashbuckling opener, after his epic hundred.

After the batting powerplay, he felt he can cross the 200 mark.

"It was only after the batting powerplay started, I felt that I could reach double hundred. Also when Sammy dropped me (at 170), I knew that God was with me," Sehwag stated.

He thanked his family and those who supported him.

"I want to thank my family and fans. I know people expected me to score a double century. Today when I wanted to hit a six, I just did that."

He was determined to expiate for the low scores in the first three ODIs.

"I have said this earlier also that the top-order needs to contribute. It was a wicket where one could score big runs if he stayed around for 30 overs."

Success has taken a toll of Sehwage "Obviously, I am very tired. I am an old man now and my back gets stiff. So I need to take an ice bath."

Except for a catch which he offered Sammy at 170, his innings was blemishless. Sehwag is the highest scorer for India in Tests and ODIs. He scored 319 against SA in Chennai in 2008, after the 309 against Pak in Multan in 04.

Both double hundreds in ODIs are by Indians, by Sachin and Sehwag. India won the series 3-1 and what a way to win ! Ramadin threw away a possible hundred, as he swept Raina to be caught for 96 , but then none of the other Carribean batsmen put up any resistance. Chasing 419, the WIs were all out for 265.

Rahul Sharma had a brilliant debut, taking three wickets in the last balls of the three overs, all of them bowled.


Cricketers hail Sehwag

"If you are a cricket fan, pls switch your tv's on right now & watch a genius bat.. Sehwag destroying the WI.. World record coming.." - Kevin Pieterse in his Twitter Page.

"The double hundred will be a big morale booster for him with the tough Australian tour lined up. You will find the bowling attack, conditions different Down Under. This double ton will give him a big confidence for sure ahead of the Australia tour. This is a great achievement and I congratulate Sehwag for the amazing feat. He has captained the Indian side on and off for a short while and I believe he could make up as a good captain. He is a gambler, a player who loves to take risks. If he keeps getting opportunity as a captain, he will come up with many such milestones," - Sourav Ganguly.

"I am very happy for Sehwag. He is one of the greatest players I have ever seen. He missed his double century (175) during the World Cup game against Bangladesh at Mirpur. But on Thursday he has achieved the feat which I would like to describe as incredible," - Srikanth, Chairman of Selectors, India.

"I have always remained a great fan of Sachin Tendulkar and when he scored the double hundred against South Africa, one name that crossed my mind was Sehwag. In my view, other player who could have scored double ton was Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya because he also plays an attacking brand of cricket.

"Both Sehwag and Jayasuriya have the talent and ability to score a double hundred and can only touch the mark. I would like to extend my congratulations to all Indians for Sehwag scoring a double hundred"- Abdul Qadir.

"It was long overdue. I always used to tell him whenever he stepped on the field that this time you have to score a double hundred. It was very satisfying finally watching Viru score 200 runs with such strokeful display. He has always played attacking game and that helped him achieve the milestone.

"I hope Viru will be back to his usual self after this inning. My congratulation to him - Coach, A N Sharma.

"Once Sehwag gets going, it's very difficult to stop him. I am delighted and congratulations to him." - Abbas Ali Baig.

"I say it again! I never saw sir Viv (Vivian Richards) bat but I have seen Sehwag bat! What a player... 219 in a one day game is next to impossible!" - Yuvraj Singh on Twitter.

Cheers! congratulations!! way to go buddy!" - Zaheer Khan

Incidentally, 418/5 is India's highest total in ODIs and the two double centuries in ODIs were achieved all in the state of Madhya Pradesh, at venues within 500 kms !

India can beat Australia :Symonds

Symonds says India can beat the Kangaroos Down Under.

"Indians can put pressure on the young Australian players. They have a good opportunity to beat Australia in their home country. I think there are good chances of India beating them," said the swashbuckling batsman.

"However, the young Australian players too have an opportunity to beat the Indians. There are positive chances for both the sides. One needs preparation and also needs to respond properly in big games," he averred.

Sachin may score his 100th century in Australia.

"Sachin is an enormous person. There is lot of pressure on him for the 100th ton. I hope he gets the century at the earliest so that the burden that he faces is reduced and he can carry on with the game. He has the ability to do it soon. There are chances that he might score the century during the India-Australia series.It would be a great thing for him to score it in Australia,"

Talks about Ponting's retirement were unnecessary, he felt.

"It is disappointing that reports of that sort are coming out. They are unnecessary. He is a good batsman. It is up to him to decide whether to be in the game. He should be left alone," he said.

Meanwhile, Saha, the Indian reserve wicket keeper is confident about his future Down Under.

"I will not be curious of the conditions there. I have played there and have some good memory (of winning the title under Virat Kohli). So I will wait for an opportunity" Saha said.

"As a batsman you need to give a little extra there. But for a wicketkeeper, the conditions are ideal as the ball comes along nicely."

"He (Sourav) has told me to stay focused and concentrate on my style of play. Besides, he has given me few cricketing tips and I'm confident of a good show if given an opportunity.

"It's a big opportunity for me. But I'm not extra cautious. I am taking it as any other tour. I don't have any specific target other than improving my performance day by day," said the whirlwind wicketkeeper.

Rohit sparkles, but India lose !

The Indian top order failed again. Patel & Co were 85/5 against WI, which cost them the match.

Rampaul wrecked India with the devastating figures of 4/57 to give the WI a 16 run victory.

Earlier, a half century by Samuels ( 58 off 93 ) and cameos by Sammy ( 41 off 17 ) and Russell ( 40 off 18 ) helped WI to put up a challenging 260/5, after India asked them to bat.

The two allrounders plundered 43 runs in the last two overs. WI blasted 52 in the last three overs, 73 in the last fie and 93 in the last seven. 79 runs came in just 34 balls for the sixth wicket.

The WI innings started off shakily with Simmons ( 1 off 8 ) deaprted early. But then it was Mithun who struck for India, as he removed Hyatt ( 20 off 39 ), caught behind by Parthiv.

Bravo had to grapple with a hamstring injury and he had to retire hurt for 26 off 41.

Samuels reached his 22nd ODI fifty off just 78 deliveries. Ramadin looked good for his 38 off 52, till he was unsettled by a Yadav delivery.

When India batted, she lost two wickets, that of Sehwag and Gambhir in quick succession to Ravi Rampaul. Then Samuels removed Parthiv. Then Rampaul scalped Raina and India were 85/5 ! Then Jadeja was run out and India were in the doldrums.

Lusty hitting by Rohit, supported ably by Ashwin did revive India but all was in vain as Rohit was dramatically run out for 95. Narine trapped Ashwin and that was the end of the road for India !

Kohli and Rohit maul Windies !

The issue was never in doubt. A glorious 163 run partnership between Rohit and Kohli sealed the fate of the second ODI, as Kohli brought up his 8th ODI hundred, enhancing his reputation as an expert in successful chases.

Rohit again proved to be dependable, as he guided India to a five wicket victory, with 90 not out.

Umesh Yadav struck early in the Windies innings, taking two wickets. Darren Bravo threatened to take the game away, but perished to Vinay Kumar. V Kumar also accounted for Hyatt for a duck and Windies were tottering.

At 170/9, they looked like the lamb to the slaughter. Then Rampaul played an innings of rare aggression, as he smashed 86, thus spoiling the figures of the Indian bowlers.

The asking rate was always under control, as Rohit and Kohli hit the WI bowlers to all parts of the field. India rolled over to an easy victory, after being 86/3, after the loss of lacklustre Sehwag !

A big blow was dealt to India as Sehwag tried to loft Samuels, but only holed out to long off. But Kohli's classic fifty confirmed India's recovery. Boundaries came with regularity along with the ones and twos to keep the scoreboard moving, much to the discomfiture of the Carribeans.

Rohit also made his half century. He completed it with a four off the last ball of the 35th over to take India to 172/3, needing just 98 off 90 deliveries with seven wickets intact. It was Advantage India, as the powerplay came in the next over from No 36 to 40.

India win by one wicket !

Sehwag won the toss and fielded, as he thought there will be dew after 0500 PM. Patel will open the innings with Sehwag and the spin dept will be handled by Jadeja and Ashwin and pace by Aaron, Yadav and V Kumar. WI brought back all rounders Pollard and Andre Russel and rested Rampaul.

In 21.2 overs, WI are 88/3. The Indian pace attack struck, with V Kumar, Aaron and U Yadav taking one wicket each. Yadav bowled exceptionally well, bowling consistently around 147 kph.

Hyatt had lofted Jadeja for a six and WI are 96/3.

Pollard is gone, lofting one Ashwin delivery into the hands of Kohli. Ashwin strikes !

Darren Bravo played magnificently for his 60, till he was clean bowled by Raina !

In the 5th over, an outswinger from V Kumar accounted for Barath (17). In the 6th over, Samuels hit Yadav for two fours.In the 7th over, Simmons hit V Kumar for a six and a four, plundering 13 runs in that over.

In the 9th over, Aaron clean bowled Samuels (10). In the 10th over, Yadav clean bowled Simmons.

In the 27th over, Hyatt is unfortunately run out. WI 127/4. In the 33rd over, six runs were amassed and WI reach 150.

Now the score is 173/7. Jadeja clean bowls Sammy for a duck and all Indian bowlers become successful.

Wi are all out for 211. Indian bowling has been very impressive, says Gavaskar.

The Cuttack stadium was full. Shastri opined that there were thousands of motorbikes that it will be difficult for the owners to identify their bikes ! Jampacked stadium to watch No 2 team in action !

In reply, India are 41/2, losing both left handers, Patel and Gambhir to one Kemar Roach over.

India now are 201/9, with only Aaron and Yadav left. 11 more runs are needed with only these two inexperienced players left. Seems to be a cliff hanger.

Aaron hits a four and Yadav hits a four and India has won by one wicket ! Normally India do not win close games, but this was a fantastic game !

There is no excuse for not scoring: Sehwag

Sehwag was equivocal about the the efforts of the lower-order batsmen for pulling off a thrilling win over the West Indies in the first one-dayer here on Cuttack, but averred that there was no excuse for the top order's lack of application, including himself !

India's complacency was evident as she stumbled to 59/5. But Rohit Sharma's 72 and resolute showings by Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav gave India the much needed victory.

"In India you hardly see the team tottering at 59/5. Our batsmen made mistakes. Hope we will come up with strong batting performance in next games," Sehwag said. "We have to learn from our mistakes. There were two good balls. The ball came in and we (myself and Virat Kohli) played early and made mistakes"

The way Raina, Gambhir and Patel got out confounded many an analyst.

"There were three soft dismissals of Parthiv Patel, Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina. We have to bat really well in coming games. There is no excuse for anybody to not scoring runs."

Sehwag said India will put up a better show in the remaining ODIs.

"We have to back our batting. We have some exciting youngsters playing for last three four years. But I am happy with bowling and fielding."

He praised Rohit for his heroic, character innings.

"Rohit is one of the talented batsmen. He is improving match by match. He is proving himself. He is one of the best. A win is a win. It does not matter by one wicket or 10, it was important that we started well. We are 1-0 up. Full credit to Rohit Sharma, Jadeja and Vinay Kumar. They built on partnerships. One by one they did it for us."

About his decision to field first, he said "My decision was absolutely right. You were chasing 212 after all. When you lose five quick wickets, it's difficult to come back. I praise Rohit Sharma and Jadeja as their partnership took us there.

After that Vinay and Rohit had a good partnerships. It's not easy when you lose five six wickets. The way Rohit, Jadeja and Vinay batted it was great to see that."

He praised the team's resilience.

"We just stay cool and calm. That's the quality of Indian dressing room. We believe that we can win from any situation."

About the massive crowd turnout, he said "It feels great when people come to watch a game. People come and support us. It was a good game at the end of the day. Nobody expected Windies would make only 211 and then we will be five down so early and win the game in this exciting way.

"We hope people will come and support us in the next matches. It was much important to start off on a winning note.

"We want to become No. 1 and for that we have to win the series. Our process is going on we have to concentrate on it."

Talking about the pitch, he said, "It was a good track. We were expecting them to score 270-280 but our bowlers did well."

Matches in smaller towns is a good idea. "I love to play in smaller towns. People give so much respect and love. They bring all kinds of food and stuff to you to make sure you are happy."

A remarkable last ball tie !

West Indies were happy to draw with India. India needed two off the last ball. Ashwin was slow in running and was run out with India needing one more to win !

This is an incredible tie. Ojha and Ashwin brought India back into the game with some superb spin bowling, skittling out the Carribeans for a paltry 134.

India lost wickets at regular intervals and the maestro Sachin was out for 3. Bishoo and Samuels bowled superbly to restrict India to 242/9.

"Defeat would have broken our hearts" said Sammy. "I had all sorts of feelings coming into my mind. At one time, the feeling of a tied Test too came to my mind. I was speaking to Kirk (Edwards) at covers and he said 'we can draw, we won't lose.' To lose the game after scoring 590 would have been heart-breaking for us," a visibly-relieved Sammy said . India just needed 3 runs to win off the last over with 2 wickets in hand and only managed to get only two when Ashwin, the Man of the Match and the Series, was run out, when he attempted a non-existent double.

Sammy was hopeful of victory when this dramatic finale happened.

"Obviously, happy with the result, but a win would have been the icing on the cake. We would have loved to win against a higher-rung team. It would have given us some points. Our goal is to make it to the top five in Test cricket," Sammy said. "To win a match like this, we need to bat well in both innings. But (in the end) it was a good game of cricket."

India's haste gave WI chance of victory,averred the WI skipper.

"When (Virat) Kohli and (MS) Dhoni were batting, there were about 15 overs left and about 50-55 runs to win. Ravi (Rampaul) was bowling well, along with (Devendra) Bishoo. They (Indians) decided to go for the runs but in the process lost Kohli and Ishant. They were going for the runs, but we also had an opportunity to win the game."

WI lost 8 wickets for 53 runs and India were on course for victory.

"We were hoping to get about 300-plus when we came to the ground this morning. But after we lost seven or eight wickets, we had to go back to the dressing room and plan out the game. We didn't bat well but we kept believing that we could get a draw or a win," Sammy said. He was shocked to see 17 wickets fall on the last day.

"I didn't foresee that. But it was a disappointing performance with the bat. Some of the shots we played were uncalled for. You have to be prepared to bat for a long time," Sammy said.

"But the way we fought back with me not bowling, Bishoo bowling on one leg, (Marlon) Samuels bowling 20 consecutive overs and Ravi and Fidel (Edwards) doing well, it's heartening. The bowlers showed fight and that's the positive we can take from here."

He praised the duo of Ashwin and Ojha, who took 22 and 20 wickets each. "They (Ojha and Ashwin) did well for India. Ashwin not only bowled well but did well with the bat too. Both have an extremely bright future for India."

He was also happy about the progress of the WI team. "We have progressed well. We dominated the two Tests against Sri Lanka, did well against Pakistan and competed well against India. The players now have the belief that they can do well."

" We lost wickets at the wrong time" said Dhoni.

"It was a superb final day and again it was proven that the match is not yours until it's in your kitty. We lost wickets at the wrong time and they also played good cricket," Dhoni averred.

"Last time when we played at the CCI (Brabourne Stadium), the ball turned less as the match progressed. This time we wanted to start safely and didn't want to concede too many runs. Luckily we got wickets and didn't concede runs. So we could put some fielders in catching positions. Having said that, I would expect tracks here to start offering turn from the first day evening rather waiting till the fifth day."

Dhoni said he needed a break. "It is a much-needed break. I have been playing continuous cricket for quite sometime now. More than the physical break, I am looking forward to the mental break before the Australia tour," he said.

The Man of the Series and Match Man, Ashwin, said he was disappointed that he could not socre one more run to win for India."I wanted to squeeze a few boundaries when the field came up but unfortunately couldn't get them. Off the last two deliveries, the plan was to defend the first one and go after the last ball. The plan didn't work."

"As the ball got old, it bounced and stopped. Ojha really bowled well and built the pressure. I chipped in at the back end as well."

Ashwin's start in Tests is a dream come true. "I will be taking confidence from this series but will have to really work hard on different facets of my game."