Tuesday, December 13, 2011
'My target is to play good cricket in Australia'
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Bengal wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha is backing his excellent domestic form to make the cut in the upcoming tour of Australia.
Life has not been fair to Wriddhiman Saha. Born in the same era as India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is the automatic first choice wicketkeeper, the 27-year-old from Bengal never got enough opportunities to prove his worth at the international level.
However, Saha has no complaints; he feels getting into the Indian squad is a big achievement in itself.
He is in exceptional form in the Ranji Trophy this year, scoring 234 runs in three games, at an average of 117.
And, not surprisingly, he was named the second choice wicketkeeper for the tough four-Test series in Australia, starting later this month.
Saha's first taste of international cricket was rather unpleasant. Making an unexpected Test debut against South Africa in Nagpur last February, following a freak injury to Rohit Sharma during practice on the morning of the match, he was bowled for a duck by Dale Steyn. A gutsy 36 in the second innings couldn't save the match, but earned him a lot of appreciation.
Opportunities, though, have been limited since then, as he got to play just three One-Day Internationals.
Saha spoke with Sonil Dedhia, before leaving for Australia, on his preparations for the tour and what inspires him to continue to push for the wicketkeeper's slot despite Dhoni's presence.
How does it feel to make it to India's Test squad to Australia?Obviously, it is an honour to make it to the Indian Test squad. I feel elated at being selected.
You had a fantastic run in the domestic season. How are you looking forward to the Australia tour?Yes, I had a good domestic season and I am looking forward to the tour of Australia. My target is to play good cricket. There are a couple of practice matches, and if given a chance I would like to prove myself for my country and the team.
'Aussie cricket crisis' declared after New Zealand defeat
Sydney, December 13, 2011
Australia reacted with a wave of panic on Tuesday after falling to a first home Test defeat to New Zealand in more than a quarter of a century with a series against India just two weeks away. "Aussie cricket crisis", "Black Monday", the "Lowest of the Low", "The Flat Empire" were the headlines adorning the back pages of the country's newspapers above pictures of celebrating New Zealand and forlorn Australian cricketers. "Once the kings of world cricket, Australia are no longer capable of putting away eighth-ranked New Zealand and ... they are in disarray heading into the series against India," read the back page of Sydney's Daily Telegraph.
The thrilling drama of the conclusion to the Hobart Test, which New Zealand won by seven runs, was largely forgotten as critics lined up to take pot shots at the team.
Opener Phil Hughes, who was out in almost identical fashion in all four innings of the series against the Black Caps making just 41 runs, was the most pilloried but experienced batsmen Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey were also lambasted for failures.
"The time has come for change," Richard Hinds wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald. "Most pertinently, the time when a couple of much-loved veterans, Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, could nominate their retirement dates has passed."
Former coach Bob Simpson led calls for the recall of Simon Katich, who controversially lost his central contract with Cricket Australia in June despite being one of his country's best Test performers over the previous three years.
The 36-year-old opener, however, told the Telegraph he thought his Test career was probably over.
"I pretty much know they've made their decision, there is nothing much else that has happened," said Katich, who was reprimanded last week for comments suggesting captain Michael Clarke had been behind the loss of his contract.
As after the Ashes humiliation against England last year, the whole system of Australian cricket came in for considerable scrutiny.
Many commentators, as Clarke did on Monday, pointed to the fact that the struggling batsmen would have only Australia's new Twenty20 competition in which to find their form before the first of four Test against India begins on Dec. 26.
India, who play their first tour match in Canberra on Thursday, have never won a Test series in Australia but arrived ranked second in the world with their hosts still languishing in fourth place.
Patrick Smith suggested the country's cricketers had displayed a "soft centre" in Hobart rather than the grit and determination that marked the wearers of the baggy green caps during the heyday of Australian cricket.
"A side supposedly intoxicated with the grisly Australian culture does not lose to an earnest but ordinary Kiwi side," he wrote in the Australian.
"This Australian side is neither technically sound nor stern of character. It might be enthusiastic but any fourth XI side can boast such a common quality."
First Published: 10:59 IST(13/12/2011)
Last Updated: 11:01 IST(13/12/2011)
Last Updated: 11:01 IST(13/12/2011)
The thrilling drama of the conclusion to the Hobart Test, which New Zealand won by seven runs, was largely forgotten as critics lined up to take pot shots at the team.
Opener Phil Hughes, who was out in almost identical fashion in all four innings of the series against the Black Caps making just 41 runs, was the most pilloried but experienced batsmen Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey were also lambasted for failures.
"The time has come for change," Richard Hinds wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald. "Most pertinently, the time when a couple of much-loved veterans, Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, could nominate their retirement dates has passed."
Former coach Bob Simpson led calls for the recall of Simon Katich, who controversially lost his central contract with Cricket Australia in June despite being one of his country's best Test performers over the previous three years.
The 36-year-old opener, however, told the Telegraph he thought his Test career was probably over.
"I pretty much know they've made their decision, there is nothing much else that has happened," said Katich, who was reprimanded last week for comments suggesting captain Michael Clarke had been behind the loss of his contract.
As after the Ashes humiliation against England last year, the whole system of Australian cricket came in for considerable scrutiny.
Many commentators, as Clarke did on Monday, pointed to the fact that the struggling batsmen would have only Australia's new Twenty20 competition in which to find their form before the first of four Test against India begins on Dec. 26.
India, who play their first tour match in Canberra on Thursday, have never won a Test series in Australia but arrived ranked second in the world with their hosts still languishing in fourth place.
Patrick Smith suggested the country's cricketers had displayed a "soft centre" in Hobart rather than the grit and determination that marked the wearers of the baggy green caps during the heyday of Australian cricket.
"A side supposedly intoxicated with the grisly Australian culture does not lose to an earnest but ordinary Kiwi side," he wrote in the Australian.
"This Australian side is neither technically sound nor stern of character. It might be enthusiastic but any fourth XI side can boast such a common quality."
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Cricket in India
Cricket in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Locals in Bangalore playing cricket | |
| Governing body | Board of Control for Cricket in India |
|---|---|
| National team | India |
| Nickname(s) | Men in Blue |
| First played | 1721 |
| Competitions | |
| National | |
| Cricket World Cup | |
| ICC World Twenty20 | |
| ICC Champions Trophy | |
| Under 19 Cricket World Cup | |
| Women's Cricket World Cup | |
| Club | |
| Indian Premier League | |
| Ranji Trophy | |
| Challenger series | |
Contents[hide] |
[edit] History
 | This section requires expansion. |
[edit] Before 1918
Main article: History of cricket in India to 1918
The entire history of cricket in India and the sub-continent as a whole is based on the existence and development of the British Raj via the East India Company. In 1721, the first definite reference to cricket being played anywhere in the sub-continent is a report of English sailors of the East India Company playing a game at Cambay, near Baroda.The Calcutta Cricket and Football Club is known to be in existence by 1792, but was possibly founded more than a decade earlier. In 1799, another club was formed at Seringapatam in south India after the successful British siege and the defeat of Tipu Sultan. In 1864, a Madras v. Calcutta match was arguably the start of first-class cricket in India. The most important fixture in the 19th century was the Bombay Presidency Match which evolved, first, into the Bombay Triangular and then into the Bombay Quadrangular. The match was first played in 1877 and then intermittently for several seasons until finally being given first-class status in 1892-93.An English team led by George Vernon in 1889-90 was the first foreign team to tour India but none of the matches that it played are considered first-class.First-class cricket definitely began in the 1892-93 season with two Europeans v Parsees matches at Bombay (match drawn) and Poona (Parsees won by 3 wickets). In the same season, Lord Hawke captained an English team that played four first-class matches including a game against "All India" on 26–28 January 1893.
[edit] 1918 to 1945
Main article: History of cricket in India from 1918–19 to 1945
The Ranji Trophy was launched as India's national championship following a meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in July 1934 and the competition began in the 1934-35 season. The trophy was donated by the Maharajah of Patiala but named after KS Ranjitsinhji ("Ranji"), even though he barely played any of his cricket in the country. Ranji had died on 2 April 1933. The first winner was Bombay.[edit] 1945–46 to 1960
Main article: History of cricket in India from 1945–46 to 1960
The major and defining event in the history of Indian cricket during this period was the Partition of India following full independence from the British Raj in 1947.An early casualty of change was the Bombay Quadrangular tournament which had been a focal point of Indian cricket for over 50 years. The new India had no place for teams based on ethnic origin. As a result, the Ranji Trophy came into its own as the national championship.The last-ever Bombay Pentangular, as it had become, was won by the Hindus in 1945-46.
[edit] 1960–61 to 1970
Main article: History of cricket in India from 1960–61 to 1970
One team totally dominated Indian cricket in the 1960s. As part of 15 consecutive victories in the Ranji Trophy from 1958-59 to 1972-73, Bombay won the title in all ten seasons of the period under review. Among its players were Farokh Engineer, Dilip Sardesai, Bapu Nadkarni, Ramakant Desai, Baloo Gupte, Ashok Mankad and Ajit Wadekar.In the 1961-62 season, the Duleep Trophy was inaugurated as a zonal competition. It was named after Ranji's nephew, Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji (1905–59). With Bombay in its catchment, it is not surprising that the West Zone won six of the first nine titles
[edit] 1970–71 to 1985
Main article: History of cricket in India from 1970–71 to 1985
Bombay continued its dominance of Indian domestic cricket with only Karnataka and Delhi and some other teame which were able to mount any kind of challenge during this period.India enjoyed two international highlights. In 1971, they won a Test series in England for the first time ever, surprisingly defeating Ray Illingworth's Ashes winners. In 1983, again in England, India were surprise winners of the 1983 Cricket World Cup.
[edit] 1985–86 to 2000
Main article: History of cricket in India from 1985–86 to 2000
[edit] 21st century
Main article: History of cricket in India from 2000–01
Mumbai (formerly Bombay) has continued its dominance of the domestic scene into the 21st century by winning the Ranji Trophy five times in the first decade.
India won the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007.India was the first Sub-continental team to win a Test match at the WACA in January 2008 against Australia.
India won the Cricket World Cup in 2011, the first time since 1983 - they beat Sri Lanka in the final held in Mumbai.
[edit] Organization of Cricket in Modern India
[edit] International Cricket
Main article: India national cricket team
Main article: India national women's cricket team
International cricket in India generally does not follow a fixed pattern. For example, the English schedule under which the nation tours other countries during winter and plays at home during the summer. Generally, there has recently been a tendency to play more one-day matches than Test matches. Cricket in India is managed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the richest cricket board in the cricket world. Indian International Cricketing Squad has also provided some of the greatest players to the world. Indian cricket has a rich history. The Indian national team is currently ranked the no. 1 team in test cricket as well as the no.1 team in one day international cricket.[edit] Domestic Competitions
- BCCI Corporate Trophy - BCCI have set up a 12 team inter-corporate tournament which will involve all the top Indian cricketers. The tournament will involve 50-over-a-side matches with the winner picking up Rs 1 crore and the runner up getting Rs 50 lakh.
- Irani Trophy - The Trophy tournament was conceived during the 1959-60 season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophy championship and was named after the late Z.R. Irani, who was associated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from its inception in 1928, till his death in 1970 and a keen patron of the game. The first match, played between the Ranji Trophy champions and the Rest of India was played in 1959-60. For the first few years, it was played at the fag end of the season. Realising the importance of the fixture, the BCCI moved it to the beginning of the season. Since 1965-66, it has traditionally heralded the start of the new domestic season. The Irani Trophy game ranks very high in popularity and importance. It is one of the few domestic matches that is followed with keen interest by cricket lovers in the country. Leading players take part in the game which has often been a sort of selection trial to pick the Indian team for foreign tours.
- NKP Salve Challenger Trophy - Started as the Challenger series by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 1994-95 and later named as NKP Salve Challenger Trophy in 1998-99, the tournament features 3 teams: India senior, India A and India B playing each other. They were later renamed India Blue, India Red and India Green respectively. This competition also marked as the platform of return for some big names like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly in 2005-06 season after they battled injury and form respectively. The tournament features the top 36 players from across India and is also the most popular domestic structure after IPL.
- Ranji Trophy - Founded as 'The Cricket Championship of India' at a meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in July 1934. The first Ranji Trophy fixtures took place in the 1934-35 season. Syed Mohammed Hadi of Hyderabad was the first batsman to score a century in the tournament. The Trophy was donated by H.H. Sir Bhupendra Singh Mahinder Baha-dur, Maharajah of Patiala in memory of His late Highness Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji of Nawanagar. In the main, the Ranji Trophy is composed of teams representing the states that make up India. As the political states have multiplied, so have cricket teams, but not every state has a team. Some states have more than one cricket team, e.g. Maharashtra and Gujarat. There are also 'odd' teams like Railways, and Services representing the armed forces. The various teams used to be grouped into zones - North, West, East, Central and South - and the initial matches were played on a league basis within the zones. The top two (until 1991-92) and then top three teams (subsequent years) from each zone then played in a national knock-out competition. Starting with the 2002-03 season, the zonal system has been abandoned and a two-division structure has been adopted with two teams being promoted from the plate league and two relegated from the elite league. If the knockout matches are not finished they are decided on the first-innings lead.
- Duleep Trophy - The Duleep Trophy competition, a first-class competition, was started by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 1961-62 with the aim of providing a greater competitive edge in domestic cricket - because, apart from the knock-out stages of the Ranji Trophy, that competition proved predictable, with Bombay winning for fifteen consecutive years. The Duleep was also meant to help the selectors in assessing form. The original format was that five teams, drawn from the five zones, play each other on a knock-out basis. From the 1993-94 season, the competition has been converted to a league format.
- Vijay Hazare Trophy- named after the prolific Indian batsman, the Vijay Hazare Trophy was started in 2002-03 as an attempt to bring the limited-overs game among a greater audience. The competition involves state teams from the Ranji trophy plates battling out in a 50-over competition, much on the lines of Ford Ranger Cup of Australia and Friends Provident Trophy of England. Since its conception, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai have won the trophy twice each. It is also dubbed as the Premier Cup by BCCI. It now joins Deodhar Trophy as the second one-day competition of Indian domestic circuit.
- Deodhar Trophy - Started in 1973-74 by Board of Control for Cricket in India, it is the current one-day cricket competition in Indian domestic cricket. 5 zonal teams - North zone, South zone, East zone, West zone and Central zone feature in the competition. North zone have won this competition 11th time. It is also called All-Star Series due to some big names representing their Zonal sides in the one-day fixtures.
- Inter-State T20 Championship - After India became another member of the ICC Twenty20 and played its first international T20 against South Africa, BCCI launched its own state structure in 2006-07 season, with 27 Ranji teams divided in 5 Zones. The final was played between Punjab and Tamil Nadu, which the latter won by 2 wickets and 2 balls remaining, thereby becoming the only ever winner of this series. In this series, Rohit Sharma also became the only ever Indian to register a T20 century for Mumbai against Gujarat. The competition was later replaced by a franchise-based IPL.
- Indian Premier League - In response to the rival ICL, the BCCI started the Twenty20 Indian Premier League (known as the IPL). This League has been launched by BCCI have received support from all the other Cricket Boards, and International Players could be drafted into City-based Franchises. The game has been likened to Baseball with crowd participation encouraged more strongly than in other forms of the game. It has been greatly acknowledged by people and has made huge profits.
- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy - To be played for the first time in the 2008-09 season, this will be the first of its kind zonal T20 championship and the third overall in the Indian cricket season, which would see Ranji teams divided along zonal lines into two groups with the tournament culminating in the All India T20 final between the winners of the two groups for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Launched after the success of the IPL and the need of the BCCI to search for more talent in the growing regions of cricket.
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