To beat India in India bigger than winning the Ashes

Having won back to back Ashes series, Andrew Strauss , as England captain, should have every right to claim and say that he has reached the peak of international cricket, but no, he wants to beat India in India.

Why? Because he thinks it is bigger than winning the Ashes.

According to the Daily Mail, Strauss regards taking India on in his and their backyard is the next level of development for measuring England's progress as a cricketing nation.

"Although, we will always value the Ashes, it is important to look beyond, at India and South Africa , to look to defeat these guys consistently, too, home and away," says Strauss.

Andrew Strauss"I've never beaten India in a Test series and, if we want to be the best side in the world, we've got to start by doing that. I'd say to win in India would be bigger than winning the Ashes in Australia because the conditions are even more foreign," he adds.

"Winning out there seemed a very difficult thing to do because we had all grown up with England being demolished in Australia, but there are plenty of other challenges. We can't just dwell on that one. It's over," Strauss says.

Strauss was speaking ahead of the release of his book -- Winning The Ashes Down Under: The Captain's Story -- on May 26.

Meet the one-man armies

Cricket is a team sport, they say.

However, there are instances galore when an individual has stood tall with a towering effort -- either with the ball or bat (or both) and taken his team home.

This edition of the Twenty20 extravaganza is no different.

It is fact that the four teams that have progressed to the play-offs have done so because of the collective effort of the 11 players involved.

However, there were a few matches in the competition when an individual effort outshone a team's. The reference here is to significant solo performances by a player that took the team through against all odds.

With the league phase meaning 70 out 74 matches over, we take a look at a few individual efforts that stood out, the one-man shows that handed the opposition a big blow.



Malinga's fiver skittled Delhi out for a paltry 95

Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians)

It is irony that the first significant individual effort in what is largely a batsman-friendly format came from a bowler.

Lasith Malinga was one of the few players to be retained by their franchisees and he expressed his gratitude with a brilliant effort early on in the tournament against Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

Also read: 'I didn't know how to bowl a yorker'

The Sri Lankan quick took five for 13 to rip through the Delhi batting order and help his team dismiss their hosts for a paltry 95 (in 17.4 overs).

Mumbai Indians eased home by eight wickets.

Malinga has since led the bowler's standings and will certainly end the tournament as the highest wicket-taker, with the 'Purple Cap' on his head.

However, if there was one performance from him that stood out, it is the one mentioned above.






Two of Valthaty's efforts stood out

Paul Valthaty (Kings XI Punjab)

Paul Valthaty, playing his first season for Kings XI Punjab, was one of the biggest surprises in the tournament with 463 runs.

And it wasn't one but two of his efforts that stood out.

The first came against defending champions Chennai Super Kings, when he displayed tremendous resolve to score a spectacular 120, his 63-ball innings inclusive of 19 hits to the fence and two over it.

During the course of the innings he put on 61 runs for the opening wicket with his captain Adam Gilchrist (19) and an unbeaten 57 runs for the fifth wicket with Dinesh Karthik (21) as Punjab, chasing an improbable 189, romped home with five balls to spare in Mohali.

Valthaty followed it up with an equally impressive effort against former champions Deccan Chargers in Uppal.

The 27-year-old first took four for 29 to help Punjab restrict Deccan to 165 and then completed an all-round show by scoring a 47-ball 75, a knock that was inclusive of eight boundaries and five maximums.

En route to his match-winning knock, he put on a significant 136 runs (in just 14 overs) for the opening wicket with captain Gilchrist (61) as Punjab won by eight wickets with a whopping 14 balls to spare.



McCullum's knock upstaged Tendulkar's maiden IPL ton


Brendon McCullum (Kochi Tuskers Kerala)

His master class 158 not out for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy stadium in the first ever Indian Premier League match is still afresh in the memory of the quintessential cricket fan.

Having moved to debutants Kochi Tuskers Kerala this season, the New Zealander didn't exactly set the stage on fire. Nonetheless, there were glimpses of his abilities during the tournament.

His most significant effort with the blade, a spectacular 81 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, helped his side score a seemingly improbable away win.

When Mumbai put on 182 batting first, few would have put their money on the Kochi outfit, down in the dumps after successive opening losses and playing away from home, making a match out of it, let alone win.

However, McCullum exploded that day, his 60-ball knock inclusive of 10 boundaries and two maximums. He put on 128 runs, in just 83 balls, with captain Mahela Jayawardene (56) to lay the foundation for the upset win.

McCullum's knock upstaged Sachin Tendulkar's maiden IPL ton (100) earlier in the day. Another rarity this!





Has single-handedly turned Bangalore's fortunes


Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

The West Indies player has single-handedly turned the fortunes of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Left unsold in the auctions in January, Chris Gayle came in as a replacement for Dirk Nannes when RCB was in a precarious state, having lost three of their opening five matches and a fourth being a wash-out.

And when Kolkata Knight Riders scored 171, batting first in Eden Gardens, RCB seemed destined for a fourth defeat.

It was at this stage that a 'Gayle storm' hit Eden. The former Windies captain, playing his first game this season and against his former team, hit a whirlwind 55-ball 102 not out, a knock that was inclusive of 10 hits to the fence and seven over it.

During the course of his innings he also featured in two vital partnerships, of 123 runs (in just 73 balls) with Tillekeratne Dilshan (38) for the first wicket and another 52 runs with Virat Kohli (30 not out) for the second wicket as Bangalore won with 11 balls to spare.

Gayle followed it up with a 49-ball 107 against Kings XI Punjab, a knock that included 10 boundaries and nine maximums and helped RCB notch 205 for six in their stipulated 20 overs.

The 31-year-old completed an all-round effort, with figures of three for 21, that helped restrict Punjab to a paltry 120 for nine, thereby ensuring an 85-run win.

His 44-ball 70 not out against Rajasthan in Jaipur -- that helped RCB chase 147 in 17 overs and his 12-ball 38 vs KKR in a rain-curtailed game in Bangalore were also significant efforts.

So was his unbeaten 75 against Chennai Super Kings that helped Bangalore seal top spot in the league.





Ishant's spell reduced Kochi to 11 for six


Ishant Sharma (Deccan Chargers)

Another bowling effort makes its way into this list; on this occasion, an unusual, albeit significant one.

Ishant Sharma hasn't been exactly impressive in this edition and certainly not among the wickets, save one match.

Deccan Chargers seemed down and out when they were restricted to 129 by Kochi Tuskers Kerala at the Nehru stadium (Kochi).

Also read: Of Ishant Sharma...and his many no-balls

However, Dale Steyn gave them hope by accounting for the dangerous Brendon McCullum (0) in the first over. And then Ishant took over.

In his first over, the second of the innings, the 22-year-old accounted for Parthiv Patel (0) and Raiphi Gomez (0) in successive balls and Brad Hodge (0) two balls later.

Kedar Jadhav (0) was accounted for in the first ball of his second over and the last ball of the same over witnessed the dismissal of Kochi captain Mahela Jayawardene (4).

Kochi had been reduced to 11 for six at the end of the fourth over in their own backyard.

Nobody would have expected them to recover thereafter. And they didn't, getting all out for 74.

As regards Ishant, his figures made for an impressive reading (3-0-12-5). Had it not been for those five wickets, the Delhi player wouldn't have reached double figures in the final tally he finished with 11 wickets in the tournament



Delhi's few wins were courtesy their captain


Virender Sehwag (Delhi Daredevils)

Delhi Daredevils ended up with the wooden spoon in this edition and were the most disappointing outfit, to say the least.

The few games they did manage to win were courtesy their skipper, Virender Sehwag.

Also read: Sehwag dares to drive the Devils

The most significant of Sehwag's innings came in an away match against Deccan Chargers.

When the Chargers put up a formidable score (175) and reduced Delhi to 25 for three in the fourth over, few expected the latter to recover.

Sehwag though had other ideas.

He scored 119 and was involved in two significant partnerships - 61 runs (in only 28 balls) for the fourth wicket with Travis Birt (4) and another 67 runs (in just 36 balls) for the fifth wicket with Irfan Pathan (12).

Sehwag's 56-ball knock, that was inclusive of 13 hits to the fence and six over it, ensured his team a comfortable four-wicket win with an over to spare.

The 32-year-old's 47-ball 80, with eight boundaries and five maximums, was another impressive effort, helping Delhi score a 38-run win over Kochi in an away tie.


The Gilly juggernaut rolled on



Adam Gilchrist (Kings XI Punjab)

Adam Gilchrist was consistent in the tournament, without being spectacular.

However, his new team, Kings XI Punjab, grossly underperformed. So much so that after nine matches, they were in a must-win situation needing to win all their five games to stand a chance of qualifying for the play-offs.

It was time for Gilchrist to step up. The 40-year-old's astute captaincy ensured his team wins in their next three matches.

However, in their penultimate game, they faced Royal Challengers Bangalore, a team that had not lost in its last seven games.

A Gilchrist master class was long overdue and it happened that day in Dharamsala, the Australian scoring a magnificent 55-ball 106 inclusive of eight boundaries and nine maximums to help Punjab to 232 for two, the highest total in this edition thus far.

En route was a record 206-run second wicket stand with Shaun Marsh (79 not out). In the process, he became only the second player (after Chris Gayle) to have scored two IPL hundreds. The Gilly juggernaut didn't stop there.

A spectacular catch off the ninth ball off Ryan Harris helped dismiss the in-form Chris Gayle (0) and derail the Bangalore chase right at the start. The visitors were 121 all out in 17 overs and Punjab won by a huge margin (111 runs).

The team from Mohali may have failed to cross the final hurdle losing their final game against Deccan Chargers but Gilchrist (383 runs in 14 matches) did enough to ensure his team owners want him back for another season.


Watson ensured Warne a memorable farewell

Shane Watson (Rajasthan Royals)

He came into the tournament with increased expectations, having scored a mammoth 185 not out in an ODI against Bangladesh.

Shane Watson though flattered to deceive, scoring just 241 runs in his first 10 innings for Rajasthan Royals.

Also read: Am surprised at how well I bowled

However, the 29-year-old reserved his best for last.

The occasion was momentous it was captain Shane Warne's last IPL match and Watson ensured his compatriot's farewell was a memorable one.

The Australian first took three for 19 in his four overs to help restrict Mumbai Indians to a modest 133 for five.

Watson then shone with the bat with a spectacular 47-ball 89 not out, a knock that was inclusive of nine hits to the fence and six over it. And his unbeaten opening stand of 134 (in just 79 balls) with Rahul Dravid (43 not out) ensured Rajasthan a comprehensive 10-wicket win at the Wankhede.

Warne later admitted that Watson had apologized to him three or four times for not being able to do the same earlier.

Source: Rediff.com

Don't put the blame entirely on Akmal

The coach denied the possibility of another stumper taking charge from Kamran.

"We can think of making any changes only after the World Cup," reasoned Waqar.

"Right now we are in the middle of the tournament and I don't think it is possible to make any changes at this stage," he added.

However, the coach offered a solution as well.

"We have five days before our next game, so efforts will be made to iron out at least some of his flaws, for it is impossible to correct everything that is wrong with his wicket-keeping in such span. But we will make sure he won't the same mistakes again," Waqar said.

The Pakistan coach also admitted his team had failed as a unit.

"Giving a chance to a player like Ross Taylor was obviously the turning point," said Waqar.

"He is one of their best batsmen and we gave him two chances in three balls.

"That definitely cost us the game," he added.

However, Waqar didn't buy the argument that Kamran was to be solely blamed for the blunder.

"We bowled poorly in the end also. Shoaib (Akhtar) and (Abdul) Razzaq gave away 50-60 runs in two overs," explained Waqar.

"So don't put the blame only on Akmal," he stated.

The Pakistan coach also admitted his team had failed as a unit.

"Giving a chance to a player like Ross Taylor was obviously the turning point," said Waqar.

"He is one of their best batsmen and we gave him two chances in three balls.

"That definitely cost us the game," he added.

However, Waqar didn't buy the argument that Kamran was to be solely blamed for the blunder.

"We bowled poorly in the end also. Shoaib (Akhtar) and (Abdul) Razzaq gave away 50-60 runs in two overs," explained Waqar.

"So don't put the blame only on Akmal," he stated.

Pak media puts Akmal in the firing line

There's something that is common between the Indian and the Pakistan media as regards their coverage.

The fourth estate in both the countries goes overboard praising a player after his success and over-critical of a player after his blemishes.

On Tuesday, Kamran Akmal was in the firing line yet again.

Having come under the net over the spot-fixing controversy in recent times, the Pakistani stumper was again ripped apart by his country's media for putting down two straightforward chances.

And the beneficiary of the benevolence, Ross Taylor, went on to make a spectacular hundred to help New Zealand thrash Pakistan by 110 runs.

Akmal first failed to hold to an edge (induced off Shoaib Akhtar's bowling) -- when Taylor was yet to open his account. And two balls later, he went to drop a regulation chance when Taylor had made four.

Taylor, who turned 27 on Tuesday, used his fortune to good effect scoring a massive 131 not out.

No wonder Kamran was vilified by the media. His blemishes in the controversial Sydney Test are still afresh in the mind.

"You can put the blame on anyone now that we have lost the match," admitted Waqar Younis. "But I don't think it is right to blame anyone," he added in defence of Akmal.

The Pakistan coach further went on to defend his player.

"Agreed our wicket-keeper left a lot to be desired and the chances that were dropped were sitters -- he dropped a few catches that really cost us the game -- fair enough, it was a bad day for him. But in cricket that happens," explained Waqar.

Fans seeking tickets lathicharged in Nagpur

Fans clamouring to buy tickets for the India-South Africa match on Saturday, March 12, were lathicharged outside the Vidarbha Cricket Association in Nagpur on Tuesday morning. (Watch)

There had been a huge crowd outside the stadium since the ticket counters opened at 9am. Many people had even been waiting in line since last night.

Reports said the police had to resort to a mild lathicharge several times since morning to control crowds at the ticket sale counter which has been closed for now.

The Nagpur stadium’s capacity is 45,000, of which 26,000 seats are open for the general public and the tickets are being sold for Rs. 300, 600 and 1000.

There is heavy police deployment at the site.

Late last month, police had lathicharged thousands of fans at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore as they waited to buy tickets for the India-England match.

All-round Yuvraj demolishes Irish confidence

Yuvraj Singh saved the blushes for India, allowing them to hide the ordinary effort from other spinners, by picking his maiden five-for to restrict Ireland to 207 before he hit an unbeaten fifty to settle India's nerves in a hard-fought win in Bangalore. Ireland enhanced their reputation by defending the target with disciplined bowling and excellent fielding and made India huff and puff to the victory line.

On a dry pitch, where the ball came on slowly, the Indian batsmen preferred to play within themselves and tried to play risk-free cricket but kept losing wickets at regular intervals to keep Ireland interested in the chase. India were 24 for 2 in the sixth over, reached 100 for four at the fall of Virat Kohli in the 24th over, and recovered to 167 for 5 when MS Dhoni exited in the 41st over before Yusuf Pathan flexed his muscles to hasten the end.



Scorecard | Ireland batsman given out despite 2.5m rule



Ireland could have done far better had they not stumbled against Yuvraj's bowling. They were eyeing a 250-plus target after a 113-run third-wicket stand between William Porterfield and Niall O'Brien but a run out opened a window for Yuvraj to trigger a collapse. The most significant moment of the innings came in the 27th over, with Ireland sitting pretty on 122 for 2, when a set Niall O'Brien couldn't make it in time to beat the throw from Virat Kohli in the covers. Dhoni did well to collect the slightly wayward throw and flick it onto the stumps. It was the beginning of the end.

As ever, Yuvraj ambled in like a Sunday-park bowler and as always proved to be street-smart. His art is very simple: he turns the ball slightly but his USP is the variation in pace, using a scrambled seam. He is usually slow and slower but surprises the batsmen with a quicker one. Today, too, he struck to his regular staple diet of slower ones; some were delivered with a round arm, some from higher straighter arm, and some with a crouched bent-knee release to get the ball to skid on.

If you just catch the highlights of his wickets, most would seem like soft dismissals. To an extent they were, but that's the illusion of nothingness he provides the batsmen, who then make seemingly silly mistakes. Andrew White was sucked into edging a flighted delivery to slip, Kevin O'Brien tapped one softly back, Porterfield swatted a short ball straight to cover and John Mooney and Alex Cusack were trapped by skidders that came in with the arm. When White fell in the 30th over, Ireland were 129 for 4 and by the time Yuvraj got Cusack, Ireland had slid to 184 in the 44th over.

Until then, India were looking really ragged in the field. Only Zaheer Khan bowled well to take two early wickets and William Porterfield and Niall O'Brien played risk-free cricket to lay a good platform. Their case was helped by some ordinary bowling from the spinners. Harbhajan Singh looked off-key, straying on to the pads once too often, Yusuf Pathan erred on length, often dragging them short, and Piyush Chawla hit the wrong lines.

None of that profligacy was seen in Ireland's bowling effort. Trent Johnston, who is the top wicket taker for Ireland, hit two vital blows early, that included the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, to ensure India's wouldn't waltz to an easy win. Almost immediately, Porterfield brought in the teenaged left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who turned in a pleasing opening spell that read 4-0-14-0. He rarely gave anything to cut, always bowled slow through the air and was never afraid to flight. He had Kohli mistiming a few shots and made Tendulkar bat cautiously. Success came in his second spell, when he struck in his first delivery of the 21st over, trapping Tendulkar with a delivery that went past the attempted sweep. He could have got the wicket of Kohli, too, in his next over but Niall O'Brien, the keeper, couldn't hold on to an edge. Later, he trapped MS Dhoni lbw with a delivery that straightened on the middle and leg to give a window of hope for Ireland but Yusuf Pathan shut it very quickly with two monstrous sixes in the same over.

England's bowlers hit form to beat South Africa

What a World Cup England are producing. From a thrilling tie against India to the shock of losing to Ireland they produced a stunning fightback to beat South Africa by six runs in a gripping contest on tough pitch in Chennai. Scorecard

They took all ten wickets for 102 through a combination of spin, reverse swing, perseverance and the never-say-die attitude which is such a trait of this team, with Stuart Broad sealing the victory with two wickets in four balls after Dale Steyn's 31-ball 20 had taken his team close to the winning line.

It showed you don't need 600 runs to produce an epic one-day international and the celebrations when Morne Morkel was caught behind showed how important it was for England spirits. Without it they would have faced the real possibility of heading home early, but can now approach the clashes against Bangladesh and West Indies with much greater heart.

What will please Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower was that it was the much-maligned attack that won the match - after the batting struggled to post 171 - as Broad took 4 for 15, Anderson produced a devastating burst of reverse swing shortly before the 34-over ball change and Swann bowled with guile and craft to set up the prospect of victory.

Despite the tricky pitch, South Africa had broken the back of the run-chase after an opening stand of 63 between Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla.

However, they suffered two slumps; the first as three wickets fell for 19 - with Broad claiming the vital scalps of Amla and Jacques Kallis - then the more significant slide from 124 for 3 to 165 all out as Anderson produced some wonderful reverse swing, Ian Bell pulled off a fine piece of fielding at short leg to run out Faf du Plessis, and Broad cleaned up the tail.

Swann could have dismissed Smith almost half a dozen times with spiting, turning deliveries until one finally bounced and brushed the thumb although it needed the DRS to overturn Asoke de Silva's on-field not out decision.

Amla had moved along serenely despite the testing surface until he became a little lazy against Broad and chopped into his stumps. Kallis then edged a drive and, in a rare sight, accepted Prior's word on whether it had carried without asking for the umpires to check.

AB de Villiers, who began the tournament with back-to-back hundreds, and Francois du Plessis are normally free-flowing batsman decided to consolidate rather than attack during their 42-run stand.

It wasn't a major problem for South Africa at the time with the asking rate remaining comfortable, but it conceded the momentum and when the breakthroughs came there were a few runs to play with.

Anderson produced his finest spell of reverse swing since the Ashes as he trimmed de Villiers' bails and then clattered JP Duminy's stumps two balls after he'd been reprieved by the DRS having been given caught down the leg side. It was a controversial moment because there didn't seem enough evidence to overrule but Anderson soon made it irrelevant.

In between those two wickets, Bell showed brilliant alertness at short leg as he stopped du Plessis's shot and flicked it to Prior in time to complete the run out.

England were buzzing having taken 3 for 0 and the scoring remained at a standstill for the next three overs as Morne van Wyk and Robin Peterson struggled against spin. Michael Yardy, the weak link in the attack, then had Peterson caught behind trying to cut but the ball change at 34 overs meant the threat of reverse swing was momentarily removed.

Andrew Strauss opted to keep Swann back for one over and used Yardy and Kevin Pietersen in tandem. Both were given one over too many as Steyn took advantage, driving Yardy through the covers and lofting Pietersen straight down the ground. Slowly but surely he and van Wyk chipped out 33 tension-filled runs.

However, because of the extensive use of the spinners Strauss was able to return to his quicks and with 12 needed Tim Bresnan found van Wyk's inside edge which crashed into the stumps. Then it was over to Broad who trapped Steyn lbw with his first ball and Morkel had clearly decided to try and finish the game quickly when he got the final edge.

The match could not have been a greater contrast to the two thrilling run-fests England were involved in Bangalore. It became abundantly clear this wouldn't be a 300 match when Peterson stunned everyone by removing both openers in his first over. The value of South Africa's rounded attack was again on show as the frontline spinners took seven wickets and were backed up by Morkel and Steyn with England losing their top three for 15 and last six for 37, but their failure to cross the line will raise old concerns.

Smith isn't known for out-of-the-box captaincy but it was clever to hand Peterson the new ball. Strauss tried to take an attacking approach by using his feet, but could only pick out de Villiers, who took a fine running catch at deep midwicket. If that was a bonus for South Africa they could barely believe what happened three balls later when Pietersen pushed forward and got a regulation edge low to first slip. Bell soon became Peterson's third as he pushed a return catch back to the bowler after being beaten in the flight.

Ravi Bopara, back in the side at the expense of Paul Collingwood, set about the recovery with Jonathan Trott who was saved by the DRS after being given lbw against Imran Tahir on 20. Bopara nearly ran himself out on 26 - it wouldn't have been the first time - but a dive just saved him then he broke a run of singles with a handsome straight drive for six before Trott reached fifty from 87 balls.

Having used up considerable time he needed to up the tempo but Tahir pulled off a fine return catch after deceiving his former Warwickshire team-mate in the flight. Prior had the chance to build an innings after previously needing to hit-out from the start but was undone by Morkel.

Bopara's 60, his first ODI fifty since November 2008, remained the top score and will have given him huge confidence for the rest of the tournament as he showed he could adapt to conditions. The lower order couldn't build momentum against Tahir and failing to use up 26 deliveries looked like being costly. However, once again England dug deep when all seemed lost and gave the World Cup another memorable finish.

One step at a time, says buoyant Sammy

The West Indies are one step closer to the World Cup quarter-finals after their awesome demolition of Bangladesh, but captain Darren Sammy is not getting carried away.

"We are taking it step by step," Sammy said after his team bowled out Bangladesh for their lowest one-day total of 58 to win the crunch group B match by nine wickets in Dhaka on Friday.

With only their second win in their past 11 one-day internationals, the West Indies have four points from three matches, the same as group leaders South Africa, who have played one match fewer.

One more win in their remaining group matches against Ireland, India or England will almost certainly ensure Sammy's men a place in the knockout rounds.

But the captain stressed it was important for the West Indies to focus on their next match against Ireland in Mohali on March 11 rather than dream of the quarter-finals or the remaining group matches.

"We have got to focus on each game," said Sammy. "We are focusing only on Ireland, not the quarter-finals, not India, not England. We will gradually move forward after each performance."

Sammy, 27, who replaced Chris Gayle as captain in October last year, led from the front with three wickets as lanky spinner Sulieman Benn grabbed 4-18 and fast bowler Kemar Roach took three.

Bangladesh were dismissed in 18.5 overs and the West Indies surpassed the low target in their 13th over even before the lights could be switched on for the day-night game at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

"We did not expect it to be so easy," said Sammy. "We expected Bangladesh to come out and play hard. That's how they play. But it shows that if all the guys execute their plans properly, anything is possible."

Sammy paid tribute to his predecessor Gayle, who hit an unbeaten 37 off 36 balls to end the match in quick time despite being ill for two days.

"It shows how committed he is to the World Cup cause and to West Indies cricket, the captain said."He wasn't feeling too well over the past few days but he opted to play.

"Before he went out, he gave us a pep talk, telling us not to underestimate Bangladesh. He is the kind of player the guys respond to. It was very good of him to step up and let the guys know that we have a job to do out there.

"Chris has been an inspiration for us, and we went out there confidently and got the job done."

Sammy said the West Indies, who won the first two editions of the World Cup in 1975 and 1979 and also ruled Test cricket for two decades, were on the right track to regain old glories.

"We are aware of the history and legacy the West Indies have," the captain said. "We have taken innovative steps to move forward. As a leader I want my team to improve. It is a process.

"People back in the Caribbean needed this performance. We look to move forward from here as a team and be as consistent as we can."

The West Indies were drubbed by seven wickets by South Africa in their opening game, before bouncing back to trounce the Netherlands by 215 runs a few days later.

Roach, who grabbed a hat-trick in his 6-27 against the Dutch, already has 10 wickets in this tournament, second behind Shahid Afridi's haul of 14.

Afridi speaks up for UDRS

The use of technology to enable teams to challenge decisions by umpires at the World Cup is proving controversial, but Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi wants reviews to be doubled. The Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) is being used for the first time at a World Cup, with some backing its use and others raising serious doubts.But one player who does not need to be convinced is Afridi.

"I think UDRS is good," said Afridi after Pakistan's win over Canada on Thursday, when Pakistan picked up three dismissals with the use of the system after umpires Daryl Harper and Nigel Llong gave batsmen not out. "I think one decision can change the whole match, so I think UDRS should be there. It should be raised to four from two, because two are proving less for us and in bigger matches this would be beneficial," said Afridi.

Two unsuccessful appeals mean you lose the right to any further challenges during an innings.

Gears of Dhoni, Gambhir auctioned to raise fund for disabled

Ahead of their group B match against giant-killers Ireland on Sunday, the Indian cricket team did their bit of charity when the gears of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir were auctioned here on Friday to raise funds for the disabled.

The auction was organised by a charitable institution Mathru Foundation and was attended by Dhoni and Gambhir, along with Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla and pacer Praveen Kumar, who was ruled out of the World Cup squad in the last minute due to an injury.

Former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad and Ashwini Nachappa were also involved with the foundation.

England's hopes now hanging by a thread

The result more than matched another famous cricketing World Cup victory for the Irish in the last edition in 2007 in the Caribbean when they ousted the 1992 winners Pakistan in a huge shock in Jamaica.

Within hours of that result, the Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room and pronounced dead later in a Kingston hospital, an event that cast a pall over the entire competition.

On Wednesday, Strauss, meanwhile, looked stunned with his team's World Cup hopes now hanging by a thread after a tied result against India and a close win over Netherlands.

They had made a more than respectable 327-8 with Jonathan Trott top-scoring with 92 off as many balls but that innings was long forgotten as O'Brien set to work.

'It was a great performance from Ireland'

Kevin O'Brien came in and chanced his arm and he played very, very well and hit some great shots," said Strauss.

"It was a great performance from Ireland. I'm not going to take anything away from them. They thoroughly deserved their victory. We've got to go away, lick our wounds and make sure we come back and play better."

His opposite number, meanwhile, Williams Porterfield, planned to celebrate with a "few quiet beers" a victory he described as the greatest in Irish cricket.

Most bars in Bangalore close around 2300 IST so they would not have much time to slake their thirst.

But Porterfield was probably correctly assuming that his countrymen in Dublin -- especially in the vicinity of the Railway Club in Sandymount -- would be celebrating long into a memorable sporting night for Ireland.


Source: rediff.com

Start slogging

As he explained later, at 111-5 and still a distant 217 runs from their target with almost half their 50 overs used up, there was only one thing for it for this brawny mid-order batsman and that was to start slogging.

So he did, to all parts of the ground with none of the English bowlers, who had so recently frightened the daylights out of Australia in Ashes, spared from the onslaught.

He brought up his century with no less than six sixes including one 102-metre smite over long on and 13 fours.

He needed 16 fewer balls than the previous swiftest, Australian Matthew Hayden, to complete his century and left a string of other cricketing master blasters from the past in his wake in the record books too including Indian Kapil Dev (72) and Adam Gilchrist (72).

Afterwards, O'Brien was still trying to make sense of it after John Mooney's winning blow for four in the final over off Jimmy Anderson.

"When you are 111-5 I just said to myself, we could just potter around and get 220 off 50 overs for eight or nine and the game would have been pretty boring to watch and it wouldn't have been anything to watch on TV," a grinning O'Brien said clutching his man-of-the-match trophy.

"I just chanced my arm and said I'm going to be as positive as I can and I got a few away and didn't look back really," he added.


Source: rediff.com

Finest One-day innings

It will be long savoured by the scattering of Irish -- and even English -- fans privileged to witness it as one of the finest one-day innings of all time, never mind the 36-year-old World Cup.

It was a rare spot of bright news for the Irish, who last week kicked out their government over its role in the country's economic decline. Many Irish have never seen a cricket match, but that did not stop them celebrating.

O'Brien, who played a year's cricket with Nottinghamshire before returning to play full-time for the Railway Union Cricket Club in Dublin, had reached the crease when his team were all but finished as a threat to an England team chasing their second win of this year's tournament.

Source: rediff.com

O'Brien demolished England's bowling attack

Ireland's Kevin O'Brien, who plays his cricket for the Railway Union Club, on Wednesday, stood head and shoulders above some of the sport's greatest names after guiding his country to one of the biggest World Cup shocks with victory over the old enemy England.


The 26-year-old Dubliner almost single-handedly demolished Andrew Strauss's Ashes winners with comfortably the quickest ever century in the tournament, racing to three figures in 50 balls of pure smash and plunder.

Although he was out for 113 shortly before Ireland's moment of glory, their first win over England, by then the damage had been done and his team mates passed the massive 328 target with three wickets and five balls to spare.

No team has ever scored more to win a World Cup match batting second.

Source: rediff.com

Malinga bags second World Cup hat-trick

Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga became the first man to bag two hat-tricks in World Cups when he skittled out three Kenyan tail-enders in their Group A match on Tuesday.

Malinga, who missed his side's opening two matches with a sore back, fired back with 6-38, including the wickets of Tanmay Mishra (0), Peter Ongondo (0) and Shem Ngoche (0) with successive, full deliveries, the latter two clean bowled.

The Africans were dismissed for 142.

n 2007, Malinga grabbed four in a row against South Africa .

It is the second hat-trick of the 2011 World Cup after Kemar Roach took the last three Canadian wickets in West Indies' victory in Group B on Monday.

Hat-tricks in the World Cup

Chetan Sharma (India v New Zealand ), Nagpur, 1987

Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan v Zimbabwe), The Oval, 1999

Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka v Bangladesh), Pietermaritzburg, 2003

Brett Lee (Australia v Kenya), Durban, 2003

Lasith Malinga** (Sri Lanka v South Africa), Providence, 2007

Kemar Roach (West Indies v Netherlands), Delhi , 2011

Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka vs Kenya), Colombo 2011