Revealed! History of the Ashes

A tiny, dark-red, terracotta urn containing ashes of indeterminate origin and deemed too fragile to leave the cloistered hush of the Lord's ground museum is the focus of one of the world's great sporting rivalries.

Australia host England at the start of the latest battle for the urn on Thursday in a sport which baffles most of the world outside the Commonwealth.

Through Britain's colonial heritage, cricket has fired the imagination and inspired great deeds in ancient cultures on the Indian sub-continent, among the descendants of slaves in the West Indies and in Australia's immigrant society.

An Ashes series, hosted alternately once every two years, remains the ultimate cricket conTest, however.

WHERE DID THE ASHES COME FROM?

Britain at the peak of its imperial power believed it ruled by right the games it invented or codified in the second half of the 19th century. Australians thought otherwise and victory over England at the Oval in London by seven runs in 1882 inspired a mock obituary in the Sporting Times.

The Ashes urn"In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29th August, 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances, RIP. NB The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia."

Months later Ivo Bligh, captain of the England team in Australia, announced he intended to recover the Ashes. In response some Melbourne society ladies presented him with an urn on Christmas Eve, generally believed to contain the burnt remains of a bail.

Bligh became Lord Darnley and on his death in 1927 his widow presented the Ashes to the Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodians of Lord's. The Ashes have become the symbol of England-Australian rivalry, gaining an increasing mystique with the years.

WHAT IS THE SPECIAL APPEAL?

For more than a century, England and Australia were routinely the best teams in the world and the Ashes series were followed avidly throughout the Commonwealth via the magic of radio and a stream of evocative commentators whose word pictures turned great players into imperishable giants.

They were also the only teams who played each regularly and other countries measured their progress by their performances against the two accepted world leaders.

The proliferation of international cricket, the emergence of first West Indies and now India as the world number one sides and a series of one-sided contests in Australia's favour during the 1990s has not lessened their attraction.

A tour of England remains the ultimate goal for any overseas cricketer and a Test at Lord's the greatest challenge. It is a measure of the ability of Australia to rise to this challenge that the defeat at Lord's last year was their first since 1934.

Winning a series in Australia remains the defining Test for any cricket side. England have not won there since Mike Gatting's side in 1986-87 and only West Indies and South Africa have subsequently succeeded.

Source: rediff.com

3rd Test: India crush New Zealand by an innings and 198 runs, win series 1-0

Spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha wreaked havoc on a turning track as India recorded one of their most convincing Test wins in recent times by thrashing New Zealand by an innings and 198 runs in third and final Test to clinch the three-match series 1-0 on Tuesday.

Scorecard

The spin duo never looked threatening during the entire series but proved to be an altogether different proposition with turn and bounce that was on offer.

Both Harbhajan (3/56) and Ojha (2/67) got appreciable turn and bounce as the Black Caps batsmen literally struggled to stay put on a track that was suddenly looking difficult to bat on. There was sharp turn on offer and some of the balls were also keeping low.

If Harbhajan and Ojha decimated the top-order, Ishant Sharma (3/15) and Suresh Raina (2/1) blasted out the lower order as New Zealand were all out for 175 in only 51.2 overs.

Needing 349 runs to clear the first innings deficit, the visitors needed to show a lot of application but not having encountered appreciable turn and bounce in the previous matches meant that there wasn't a lot of homework done.

The pressure was immense and Daniel Vettori's men surrendered meekly with the match lasting barely three and half days.

Brendon McCullum (25), the double centurion of the last Test, on whom Vettori must have depended a lot went back in the 14th over as he missed a ball trying to play on the backfoot. It would have hit the leg stump and Simon Taufel made no mistake in ruling the batsman leg before.

Martin Guptill (0) who has had a woeful Test match saw a delivery from Ojha pitched on the leg stump and turn sharply towards the middle stump finding the batsman's pads. Taufel took some time before raising his finger as Ojha was in with a hat-trick chance.

At 38 for three, New Zealand were looking down the barrel. Ross Taylor (29) tried to hit the spinners more out of desperation as the noose got tighter. Wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins - certainly not the best among the wicketkeeper batsman who are playing international cricket was the next man out.

Scratching around for 35 balls having scored only eight, Hopkins tried to drive Harbhajan but the ball turned to find his bat and pad. Gautam Gambhir standing at forward short-leg took a brilliant one-handed reflex catch diving to his right.

While Jesse Ryder (22) did show some stomach for a fight at one end, the other batsmen didn't have good enough technique to play on a turning track. Harbhajan, in fact made good use of the rough patch that was created on side as some of the ball really turned and jumped.

The feisty spinner from Jalandhar got his third victim when Ross Taylor offered a simple bat-pad catch to substitute Cheteshwar Pujara. The television replays however couldn't confirm whether the ball hit the bat or not.

With half the team back in the pavilion for less than 100, the match as a contest was as good as over in the first hour itself.

Kane Williamson (8) was castled by an Ishant Sharma delivery that kept low and moved in after pitching.

Ryder's 53-ball vigil ended when he got out trying to hoick Suresh Raina only to be holed out by Ishant at mid-off. Raina, who is being groomed as a specialist part-timer as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag don't bowl often these days bowled a straighter one to trap Vettori (13) plumb in front to reduce New Zealand to 124 for eight.

Ishant got his second wicket when Tim Southee (31, 3x6) was bowled through the gate and wrapped it up with another incoming delivery that breached through Chris Martin's defence.

Read more: 3rd Test: India crush New Zealand by an innings and 198 runs, win series 1-0 - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/new-zealand-in-india/top-stories/3rd-Test-India-crush-New-Zealand-by-an-innings-and-198-runs-win-series-1-0/articleshow/6974922.cms#ixzz165zEmd8K

India beat New Zealand comprehensively, win series 1-0

India beat New Zealand comprehensively, win series 1-0After two drawn Tests, the Indian team won the third Test by an innings and 198 runs in Nagpur

Preeja, Kavita win gold and silver in 10, 000 m

Top Indian long-distance runner Preeja Sreedharan clocked a personal best of 31:50:47 in the women's 10,000m final to clinch the country's fourth gold medal at the Asian Games here today.

Kavita Raut, who won the bronze in the women's 10000m at the Commonwealth Games last month, walked away with the silver with a personal best timing of 31:51.44.

Sreedharan, who had finished fifth in both the 5000m and the 10,000m in the last edition of the Games in 2006, raised her performance to give India a flying start in track and field competition.

The 28-year-old's previous personal best for the 10,000m was 32:04:41 recorded at Watford in June, 2008.

The 25-year-old Kavita's previous personal best was 32:41.31 in May this year.

Bahrain's Shitaya Eshete Habtegebrel won the bronze with a personal best timing of 31:53:27 at the Aoti Main Stadium.


Read more at: NDTV

New Zealand look to find form against India

fter their disastrous outing in the ODI series against Bangladesh, the tour of India provides New Zealandcricket team with an opportunity to start afresh, according to skipper Daniel Vettori.

"This is an important tour for us. India is playing incredible cricket with such an experienced side," Vettori told media persons here.

"We have quiet a few young players with 2-3 years of experience in first class cricket. We are looking for a good performance by the young players, and looking forward to this tour as an opportunity to comeback," Vettori said.

Daniel VettoriExpressing disappointment over the Bangladesh series, which New Zealand lost 0-4, coach Mark Greatbatch said the team did not play the way it should have.

The coach, however, said that his team was excited to be in India and he was looking forward to young players to hit form and find their rhythm.

Greatbatch said that since the wickets here are quiet different from that in New Zealand, they have been planning a balanced bowling attack including some spinners.

New Zealand players, who arrived on Saturday, for the first Test starting Friday, had an exhaustive morning practice session at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera.

Source: rediff.com

'Sport in India has increased beyond cricket'

India fast bowler S Sreesanth along with badminton duo Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa performed on some foot tapping Bollywood numbers and enthralled the audiences.

"In recent times, the participation in sport in India has increased beyond cricket. This is quite evident from the success we have achieved recently at various international events and not to forget the just concluded Commonwealth Games," Subrata Roy, chairman of the Sahara India Group said.

"Sports in India, in the past has always taken back seat and never got the deserved recognition, applause and encouragement. Sahara India Sports Awards should be seen as a celebration of this welcoming transformation and a sincere effort to provide a common platform to all sports, irrespective of their popularity, encouraging the sportspersons and giving an impetus to their talent by appreciating and felicitating them.

"As a part of our commitment towards promotion and development of sports in India, the Sahara Indian Sports Awards is a step to honour the spirit of sportsmanship," he added.

Source: rediff.com

Tendulkar named Cricketer of the Year

After a splendid season, where he scored first-ever double century in One-day and climbing the 14000-runs peak, Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday night was named the Indian cricketer of the Year. Our Correspondent Harish Kotian reveals the other winners at the Sahara India Sports Awards.

India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, boxing ace MC Mary Kom and wrestling superstar Sushil Kumar took the top honours at the Sahara India Sports Awards in Mumbai, on Saturday.

Veteran Tendulkar was named the Cricket of the Year, while World and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Sushil Kumar was honoured with the prestigious Sportsman of the Year.

The Sportswoman of the Year went deservedly to world champion MC Mary Kom, while the Indian Davis Cup beat the Indian cricket team to take home the Team of the Year Award.

Source: rediff.com

Sachin has signed a deal with Adidas

For the record, Tendulkar signed a deal with Adidas last year.

The SG factory in India makes his bats.

The bats are available in Australia, known as the Sachin Tendulkar Master Blaster Elite and retail for about 650 dollars.

'Getting facts about Sachin's bats is not easy'

It's not easy getting the facts about Tendulkar's bats because just about everyone claims they are the great man's official supplier.

'A lot of manufacturers give him handmade bats because it looks good for them to say they made a bat for Tendulkar,' Solomons said.

'He gets inundated - and then gives them away to poor kids.'

'Sachin's bat is much heavier than Ponting's

They are also heavy, a result of having to share a full-sized bat with his brother when he was a kid.

To put that in context, the bat used by 193cm West Indies great Clive Lloyd - who was renowned for using a gigantic heavy bat - weighed 3 pounds, 4 ounces. Tendulkar is 165cm.

'Now he's gone a little bit lighter. But he still likes a big, thick, heavy bat, much heavier than, say, Ponting's bat.

'The bat Tendulkar uses now is 2lb 12oz.'

'Sachin's bats are English willow, with a thick profile'

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Solomon as saying: 'I was having lunch two days ago with the guy who makes his bat.

"His bats are English willow, with a thick profile, massive edges which he likes, and he also likes his bats to be heavily bowed.'

This refers to the curvature of the face of the bat.

'When he was with [previous bat sponsor] MRF his bats were close to three pounds,' Solomons said

The secret behind Sachin's magical bat

Does Sachin Tendulkar's bat fit Marylebone Cricket Club regulations?

According to cricket-supply guru, Harry Solomons, who owns Kingsgrove Sports Centre, which once employed the Waugh brothers, 'Sachin's bats look wide, but they are regulation width. It's the thick edges that make it look bigger.

The MCC's Laws of Cricket state:

(a) The overall length of the bat, when the lower portion of the handle is inserted, shall not be more than 38in/96.5cm;

(b) The width of the bat shall not exceed 4.25in/10.8cm at its widest part and

(c) Permitted coverings, repair material and toe guards, not exceeding their specified thicknesses, may be additional to the dimensions above.