History of Indian Cricket | Online Cricket news

A `Royal` end to IPL 2008; Warne wrecks Chennai

2008-06-05T02:37:00.000-07:00

Mumbai, June 01: Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals outclassed and outplayed MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings to beat them by three wickets in the IPL’s final on Sunday. Yusuf Pathan was awarded the DLF maximum sixes as well as the man of the match for his outstanding performance – three wickets and 56 runs – to carve a fabulous victory for Rajasthan. Chennai Super Kings, however, won the Kingfisher Fair Play award and also a cash prize of 2.4 cr rupees. Rajasthan were given a cheque of 4.8 crores.

Rajasthan Royals proved their worth in the series and held their nerve to win the first edition of the DLF Indian Premier League. The match went down to the wire, to the very last ball, which Tanvir hit to mid on to seal the victory after which the Royal dugout was all out for celebration. Mumbai were on the edge of the seat till the last ball and then on its feet for some exquisite celebration. The Royals were absolutely ecstatic.

Yusuf Pathan seemed to be the only name at the DY Patil Stadium. He struck for the third time for the Rajasthan Royals to send the dangerous looking Albie Morkel on a long walk back to the dugout after the batsman hit the Royal bowlers for a few huge ones to up the tempo for the Chennai Super Kings. The captain of the Super Kings, Mahendra Singh Dhoni came to join Suresh Raina at the crease.

Pathan struck again to dismiss the in-form Parthiv Patel after the left hander played a classy innings of 38. Patel was dismissed at the right time for the Royals as he along with Suresh Raina looked set to build on a huge partnership for the second wicket. Chennai Super Kings lost their second wicket at the score of 64.

Just when Chennai were going steady, Pathan pitched one short and Jadeja took a neat catch at mid wicket to give a chance to the Rajasthan Royals the early breakthrough and a chance to penetrate the Chennai batting line-up so as to restrict them to a low score. Vidyut departed in an attempt to send Pathan out of the park.

Shane Warne won the toss and decided to bowl first and restrict Chennai to a modest total and let his batsmen do the rest. He said that they have been doing well in restricting the opposition bowling first and they would like to do the same in the final for one last time.

Source : www.zeenews.com

THE IPL NEWS

2008-05-09T02:56:00.000-07:00

Charged-up Kolkata win tight battle

Desperately seeking points after a string of losses the Kolkata Knight Riders and Bangalore Royal Challengers, two of the IPL's struggling but high-profile teams, produced a fascinating, if low-scoring, contest that was decided in Kolkata's favour off the penultimate ball. Their second encounter lacked the batting heroics of the first but there was plenty of brilliance in the field and with ball in a rain-shortened match that ended way past midnight.

The day began with Kolkata celebrating the birthday of its greatest son, Rabindranath Tagore, and ended with a crowd of thousands, braving a typical seasonal thundershower, delighting in the exploits of its current favourite as Sourav Ganguly led with the ball to revive his side's hopes in the tournament.

Ganguly had limped to a run-a-ball 20 with the bat, but his miserly spell - 3 for 7 from three overs - choked a stumbling chase of 130 in 16 overs that, despite a flurry towards the end from Mark Boucher, was always behind the eight ball. It was Ganguly's canny bowling, after Brad Hodge produced a superb direct hit from backward point to get rid of J Arunkumar, that perhaps decided the outcome. Bangalore's top order failed to keep pace and Ganguly, clearly charged up by the occasion, struck a huge blow by bowling his opposite number Rahul Dravid. By the time Ganguly was done Bangalore needed 78 off 36 balls, a near-impossible task.

Cameron White and Boucher played good hands, the latter almost pulling off a win, but Bangalore's top order had left them with a bit too much to do. White cut loose to take 15 runs off the 11th over from Laxmi Ratan Shukla, eight came off the next from the next from Ashok Dinda, and another 15 off Umar Gul kept them in line with the asking-rate. Ishant Sharma just gave five off the 14th, and when White was run out backing up too far at the non-striker's end by Murali Kartik, it seemed a done case. Boucher, whose 26 had needed 30 deliveries, then scored 24 off just 10, but Bangalore still fell five runs short.

Bangalore's top-order mess needs to be addressed, but their effort in the field after Kolkata decided to bat was heartening. Aakash Chopra, the former India opener, came in to bolster a struggling top order but didn't make much of an impact, lbw to Dale Steyn, and Hodge fell pulling Zaheer Khan.

If he looked smooth with the ball, Ganguly wasn't as much with the bat. Off the mark with an uppish drive for four and tangled by a short one from Praveen Kumar, he nudged around for 20 and was the first of two run-outs in Kolkata's innings, White pulling off a direct hit.

The going had been slow for Kolkata, and David Hussey tried to step it up, lofting a Praveen slower delivery over long-off, before placing the following delivery through extra-cover. He launched Anil Kumble for two consecutive sixes, but a good throw from Steyn cut him off. Tatenda Taibu got his first game but went early, top-edging Steyn, who then picked up a third when Shulka chopped onto his stumps.

An embarrassing goof-up delayed play ahead of Steyn's final over, the 14th of the innings, with only one bowler allowed to bowl four. The scorers and umpires mixed up the two Kumars, and had R Vinay with four overs bowled and Praveen with one, instead of three and two. Dravid, taking the walkie-talkie from one of the on-field umpires, pleaded his case and Steyn finally got to bowl. Wriddhiman Saha and Murali Kartik added 34 quick runs, the highest partnership of the innings, and Kolkata finished on 129.

That proved just out of reach for Bangalore, who have now lost six of eight matches.

BREAKING NEWS

2008-05-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

Harbhajan and Sreesanth arrive for hearing
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Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth have arrived in Ahmedabad to appear before the BCCI-appointed commissioner Sudhir Nanavati, set to conduct a hearing into the slap row involving the two players. Nanavati expressed shock at viewing footage of the controversial incident, but has since been gagged from going public with his observations during his investigation.

Cricket Wallpaper

2008-05-08T23:52:00.001-07:00

2000 till date

2008-05-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

History of Indian cricket - 2000 till date

The start to the new millennium was not very auspicious for the Indian cricket team. They were engulfed in a series of match fixing scandals. However, as the years wore on, Indian cricket witnessed many enthralling victories and left the world bewildered.

Match fixing scandal

The period from April 2000 to January 2001 was one of the lowest points of Indian cricket. The game was engulfed in match fixing scandals with big names like Kapil Dev, Ajay Jadeja, Ajay Sharma and Mohammad Azharuddin in the line of fire.

It came to a point where India’s finest all-rounder and the man who was voted by Wisden as India’s cricketer of the century was seen shedding tears on a television channel and making statements like he regretted and was ashamed to have ever played the game of cricket.

After the Delhi Police found substantial proof against Hansie Cronje, the Pandora’s Box was opened. A few names have now been cleared, but many still await their clearance from the morbid affair.

India vs. Australia - 2001

This was a home series where the undulated fortunes of the Indian Team caused a flutter in more than a few hearts. After being blown away by the Aussies in the first Test in Mumbai, the Indians were with their backs against the wall in the second Test at Kolkatta.

A pathetic score line of 128 for 8 at the stumps on the second day, the officials as well as the fans were justifiably disgruntled. They could be forgiven for this terrible gaffe for they were mere mortals who could not foresee the miracle which gradually unfolded over the next three days.

Being made to follow on, the disgrace did not bow India down. V.V.S. Laxman rose to the occasion and made Eden Gardens his own. Along with Rahul Dravid he decimated the Aussie attack with his stylish drives. His knock of 281 was the highest score made by an Indian in Test cricket after which he was fondly nicknamed ‘Very Very Special Laxman.’ Another highlight of this match was Harbhajan Singh’s hat-trick which got him 13 wickets in the match and the title of ‘Turbanator’ by the Australians.

The Indians went on to win this match as well as the next one to clinch the series 2-1. The Kolkatta Test was only the third Test in history where a team being made to follow on, went on to win the match. This feat was earlier achieved in1894 by Andrew Stoddart’s England team and in 1981 by Mike Brearley’s England team against the Aussies in both the cases.

The Natwest Series – 2002

Little was it known that the summer of 2002 would change the entire outlook of the Indian team. Young blood injected an imperious zeal into the team. The two names that stole the show were Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif who chased down a record total of 326 in the Natwest final against the English.

Such was the fervor that the captain, Sourav Ganguly, took off his shirt in a much talked about incident which was termed as an immature act in a moment of joyful insanity

World Cup – 2003

India had a poor run to World Cup in 2003 losing the series to New Zealand. In their opening match against Holland they did not do much to win any applauds. Though they went on to win the match, it was not without a few hiccups.

This was followed up by a horrific defeat against the Australians where the Indian team was blown away for a mere 125 runs on the board. The Aussies chased down the target without many hitches in a mere 22.2 overs. This led to a lot of hue and cry back in India where effigies of players were burnt out in the streets.

After this dismal performance, the Indians came up with good performances against Zimbabwe, England and Pakistan. Sachis Tendulkar’s 98 against the Pakistanis’ at more than a run a ball is considered one of the greatest innings ever played. The Indians played some good cricket and beat Kenya in the semi-finals to again face the Australians in the finals.

However, the Indians could not manage to come good in the finals and faltered from the very beginning. The Aussies were successful in putting up a record score of 359 with Ponting and Martyn both scoring centuries. India began the chase at the worst note possible with Sachin Tendulkar falling to Glenn McGrath in the very first over.

Even though Dravid and Sehwag tried to give some respectability to the Indian chase, they could not do much to bring India even close to the Aussie target.

India had a lot to take heart from the 2003 World Cup. Sachin Tendulkar was the Man of the tournament and the leading run scorer. Sourav Ganguly came second on the list next only to Tendulkar. The Indian pace trio of Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Javagal Srinath showed impressive performances throughout the tournament. The Indians won against all the teams they played against barring Australia who were the eventual winners of the Cup.

The series Down Under – 2003

In the Test series against Australia the Indian team was not given much of a chance to draw and virtually no chance to win. Even though the majority of first match at Brisbane was rained away, the Indian boys began on a strong note with an emphatic 144 by Ganguly.

The second Test was claimed by the mighty Australians. The third Test at Adelaide began with the Aussies posting a total well beyond 500 thereby logically shutting all doors to an unlikely loss.

The Indians reaffirmed the Aussie belief by losing the top order for less than a 100 on the board. With Dravid and Laxman beginning their stints at the crease not many gave India much of a chance to even draw the match.

But Laxman and Dravid had altogether other plans in mind. They toiled the whole day against the famous Aussie pace attack and at the end of the day left the Aussies sapped off all their energy.

It was a moment in history for all to savour when Rahul Dravid, who scored a double ton in the first innings, hit the winning runs and for the very few times ever, gave in to his emotions. The Indians were at the brink of victory in the final Test at Sydney and just needed to get rid of the Aussie tail to stake claim to the trophy. But their dreams were left unfulfilled, many say due to some controversial lbw decisions by Steve Buckner that did not go in India’s favour.

India was successful in squaring the series which held its own importance because it was a series that marked the end of an era for Australian cricket with Steve Waugh taking retirement from international cricket.

India’s tour of Pakistan – 2003-04

India’s tour of Pakistan in 2004 was a result of diplomatic ties that were ensuing between the two countries. With the elections coming up, many thought it was a move by the NDA government to substantiate its ‘Feel Good’ mantra.

And feel good it was, with India going on to win both the Test and the One Day series in a highly electrifying match-up between the two giants of the subcontinent. Sehwag’s 309 in the first Test match at Multan set the tone for the series. The Indians went on to win that match even though the stand-in captain Rahul Dravid was severely criticized for declaring the first innings at a juncture which left Sachin Tendulkar stranded on 194 not out.

The second Test at Lahore saw the Pakistani’s level the series thanks to centuries by Imran Farhat and Inzamam-ul-Haq in the first innings. The Indians set the Pakistani’s a small target of 40 runs in the second innings which the Pakistani’s achieved in just 7 overs.

The third Test at Rawalpindi saw the Indians create history by winning against the Pakistani’s by an innings and 131 runs. Sound bowling from Balaji where he claimed 4 wickets and a score of 270 by Dravid in the first innings saw the Indians reach a score of 600 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings total of 224. This huge score by the Indians proved to be enough as the Pakistani’s were walloped away for 245 in the second innings.

Thus, the Indians won the 3-match series in Pakistan by a margin of 2 – 1.

The Ganguly saga – 2005 -06

Indian cricket had come to a point where one can break down the spat between the ‘God of the off-side’, Sourav Ganguly and the Indian coach, Greg Chappell as being not the core issue but merely a symptom. It is one of the great tragedies that Ganguly was a victim of the most-dreaded woe in Indian cricket: self-preservation.

Ultimately the coach had his way and Ganguly was well on his way out after a mediocre performance against the Pakistani’s when they came to India in 2006. His cause was further worsened by a minor injury that gave a chance to the selectors to ignore him for almost the entire year.

Ganguly did not give up and was recalled into the Test team for the tour of South Africa in the end of 2006.

The Sourav that returned to the squad appeared different to what he was when he left. There was determination and grit behind every shot that he played. He came back with a bang and was the top scorer for the Indian side in the Test series against South Africa which the Indians lost 1-2 in 2006-07.

Raw potential – Irfan Pathan

After Javagal Srinath retired from international cricket and Zaheer’s performance dwindling by the day, the Indian team was in dire need for a fast bowler who would spearhead the bowling attack. In came Irfan Pathan, all of 19 years of age and riding high on a glorious performance in the Under-19 match-up.

His swing had most of the top order batsmen in trouble. He was no novice with the bat either and has gracefully evolved into a much needed all-rounder in recent times. Pathan entered the record books with a hat-trick against Pakistan at Karachi in 2006.

However, all was not hunky dory for this lad from Baroda. The year 2006 saw his form drastically decline. At one point of time, he was in the team mainly for his batting and not for his bowling. Being the opening bowler and the spearhead of the team for a long time, this role didn’t suit him much.

After being given repeated chances to improve, Pathan failed to come up with the goods. The team management lost their patience and eventually dropped him from the squad. Pathan was disgracefully sent back home in the middle of the South African series in 2006-07 and was made to play in the domestic matches in the hope of regaining his form.

Wicket-keeper woes end – M.S Dhoni arrives on the scene

Hailing from a small town Ranchi in the state of Jharkhand, Mahendra Singh Dhoni exploded into the international domain through some hard-hitting which established him as a player who could effortlessly make the ball cross the boundary at regular intervals. His knock of 183 not out in 145 balls against Sri Lanka in Jaipur in 2005 tore the opposition into shreds and sent the onlookers into a state of shock.

With the arrival of Dhoni India could bid adieu to the tag of not being able to find a handy keeper in a country of a billion. Rahul Dravid, who had been keeping for the team for was instantly relieved of this added responsibility.

Dhoni lived up to the expectations of all and proved to be safe with the gloves and devastating with the bat.

Dravid – Chappell hold the reigns

With the sun setting on Sourav Ganguly’s and John Wrights’s tenure as captain and coach respectively, an era in Indian cricket came to an end. It was accompanied by the onset of a refreshing partnership between the master technician Rahul Dravid as the captain, and the Australian great, Greg Chappell as the coach.

This duo for starts gave due importance to the upcoming fast bowlers. Bowlers like R.P. Singh, V.R.V. Singh, Sreesanth and Munaf Patel were conditioned and then inducted into the team. However, with all the efforts going into building a young side, the experience bit was ignored.

This caused the Indian team to suffer greatly until the selectors put their foot down and recalled the likes of Zaheer Khan and Sourav Ganguly back into the team. The Indian team under Dravid and Chappell has seen the two extremes of fortunes. They have achieved great heights but also crashed to despicable lows.

While Dravid has tried to marshal the available resources, Chappell has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. Despite this, the management has prolonged with this duo long enough, and it is now left to them to prove if they are good enough for the job.

A record of 17 successful run chases – 2006

The early part of the year 2006 saw the ODI team of India in spectacular form when they registered a streak of 17 successful run chases. This record ended rather abruptly in an anti-climax in May 2006 when the Indians went over to the West Indies and lost the ODI series 1-4.

End of a draught – Win in West Indies – 2006

The Indians went into the Caribbean wanting to achieve what they hadn’t been able to do so for the past 35 years- to win a Test series on Caribbean soil. The start to the tour was less than auspicious with the Indians going down 1- 4 in the ODI series.

Even though the matches were closely contested, the Indians did not go into the Tests with any morale backing. The first Test that took place in Antigua and Barbuda ended in a draw. The Indians piled up a score of 241 in the first innings which the West Indies replied by scoring 371 in their first innings.

The Indians, who were defamed for their batting in the second innings were yet again on flimsy grounds. However a gritty 212 from Wasim Jaffar saw that India did not succumb to the West Indians. They amassed a score of 521 runs setting a target of 392 for the West Indians to chase.

Despite a good opening partnership in the West Indies fourth innings, they could not make a bid for the target. The Indians almost sneaked through with a victory but the last stand for West Indies- F. Edwards and C. Collymore came good and steered the West Indian ship to safety.

The second Test at St. Lucia also ended with the Indians again running away with the moral victory. A swift 180 in 190 balls by Virender Sehwag along with centuries by Dravid and Kaif in the first innings saw the Indians amass a score of 588 runs. The West Indians were bundled away for 215 in the first innings and were made to follow on. However, the Indians failed to bowl them out in the second innings and the match ended in a draw.

The third match at St. Kitts saw the West Indies playing with more grit. Centuries from Ganga and Sarwan in the first innings took West Indies to a score of 581. A century in reply from VVS Laxman and good scores by Kumble and Harbhajan down the order made India avoid the follow on. The West Indies set a target of 392 for the Indians to chase. Although, the Indians could not chase the target, they also did not buckle under pressure and the match ended in a draw.

The fourth and the final Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica saw the fortunes swing from one side to the other. Till the final day nobody could predict who would run away with the accolades. The Indians started off in a modest fashion by scoring only 200 in their first innings. In reply, the West Indies were blown away for a mere 103 on the board. The Indians could only manage 171 runs in their second innings thanks to a determined 68 by Rahul Dravid. This left the match evenly poised with the West Indies being set a target of 269 runs in the final inningsThe spin king Anil Kumble made Jamaica his own by casting a spell on the pitch and spinning some magic on it. He claimed 6 of the West Indian wickets with Sreesanth chipping in with 3 of the top order. The West Indies were all out with 219 on the board and the Indians registered their first ever win in Jamaica by a margin of 49 runs.

Dalmiya’s morbid affair

Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was once voted by BBC as the world’s top six sports executives, was at the receiving end in 2006 when he was accused of ‘misappropriation of funds’ in the 1996 World Cup. He was ousted from the BCCI by a whopping margin of 29-2 votes. He is also known to be a staunch supporter of Sourav Ganguly. Together they have controlled Indian cricket for more than half a decade.

India’s first Test win in South Africa – 2006

After a severe drubbing by the by the South Africans in the ODI series towards the end of 2006 where the Indians lost 0-4 the Indians came back strongly in the Test series by winning the first Test in Johannesburg. The Indians scored a mediocre 249 in the first innings with only Sourav Ganguly scoring a half century. The South Africans were blown away in their first innings for 84 runs with Sreesanth doing bulk of the damage claiming 5 wickets for 40 runs.

The Indians made 236 in the second innings thanks to 73 runs by VVS Laxman setting up a target of 402 for the home team. It was Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth and Kumble’s day to party when each came up with 3 wickets to their name and the South Africans were all out for 278 runs.

This saw the Indians register their first Test victory on South African soil. Even though the Indian team lost the series 1-2, the sole Test victory was for all to savour. One of the shining stars of the Indian team who was largely responsible for the victory was Sreesanth. A wily fast bowler, with the style and humour, he conquered several wickets and even more hearts with his spectacular performances.

Source : www.zeenews.com

1990s

2008-05-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

History of Indian cricket - 1990s

The 1990’s was an era in Indian cricket where the growth of the game in terms of commerce increased manifolds. With the advent of satellite television, the impetus given to cricket in the country was tremendous. The competition amongst the broadcasters for telecast rights ranged from being tough to nasty. Those who benefited the most were the viewers who got the best of both worlds in terms of choice of matches and quality of pictures.

South Africa’s re-entry – 1991

India’s representative in the ICC, Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, moved the proposition for South Africa’s re-entry into international cricket. In November 1991, the historic tour between India and South Africa took place that market South Africa’s readmission.

Though India won the three match series 2-1, South Africa showed adequate signs of shaping up into one of the greatest sides in world cricket.

World Cup – 1992

The World Cup in 1992 was jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. It was the first World Cup where coloured clothing was permitted. India’s performance in this Cup was by far very mediocre.

Despite having big names like veteran Kapil Dev, blistering Azharuddin and young Tendulkar in the squad, the Indians failed to leave a mark. After losing to England and Australia, they registered their first win against the eventual winner Pakistan. However losses against West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa did not help its cause by much.

The Indians had noteworthy individual performances with Azharuddin top scoring with 332 runs in his kitty. Kapil Dev had the highest strike rate of 124.81 in the tournament. Despite this, India failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

Hero Cup – 1993

A well-deserved mention is of the semi-final of the Hero Cup held at Eden Gardens on 24th November 1993. The match between India and South Africa turned out to be a nail-biter with Sachin Tendulkar snatching the ball from Azharuddin and taking the daunting task in his own hands. With just six runs to get and two wickets in hand, it could have been anyone’s game.

The world watched in fear, then in anticipation and ultimately in delight as Tendulkar gave a reason for Indian’s world over to celebrate yet another Diwali!

This first day-nighter at the Eden Gardens was a huge success. The final against the West Indies on the same ground saw the Indians win the series with Kumble displaying a stroke of genius.

Kapil’s World record – 1994

The year 1994 saw Kapil Dev break the world record for taking the maximum wickets breaking Richard Hadlee’s record of 431. The victim was Hashan Tillakaratne caught by Sanjay Manjrekar at Ahemdabad. In addition to this, Kapil also achieved the feat of playing more Tests than any other Indian.

Ganguly and Dravid make their debut – 1996

One of the defining moments in the Indian cricket history was the entralling debut’s of Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid against England in 1996. Ganguly left the spectators stunned by scoring back-to-back centuries on his debut. David was not far behind with scores of 95 and 84.

While Dravid would be voted as the ICC player of the year in 2004 and stake claim as the best Test batsman in the world, Ganguly would go on to become the most successful Test and ODI captain that India has ever produced.

World Cup – 1996

India were the hosts to the World Cup in 1996 along with the other sub-continent countries of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They were grouped with Kenya, Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

India began their campaign with wins against minnows Kenya and the West Indies. However, they could not come up with the goods against the Australians. After a defeat in the hands of the Aussies, they facede the Sri Lankans who were in terrific form. The Sri Lankans went on to win the match hands down.

After defeating the Zimbabweans, the Indians entered the quaterfinals with a match-up against the Pakistani’s. In a match that had much hype about it went India’s way. It led to a celebrations in the Indian camp where people came out to celebrate on the streets. However, reverse reactions were seen in Pakistan where the crowd demonstated outside homes of the players and even the suicide of one disraught fan.

India’s exit from the World Cup in the semi-finals bore the brunt of being classified as one of the most shameful matches in the history of Indian cricket. Due to the Indian batting collapse sections of the crowd set fire to the stands.

A sort of a mini-riot broke out and play was subsequently stopped. Seeing the dangers involved and threat to the players, the umpires decided to award the match to the Sri Lankans.

One of the positives to come out of the tournament was that Sachin Tendulkar was the leading run scorer with 523 runs to his name. Also, Anil Kumble with 15 wickets to his name was the leading wicket-taker.

Dalmiya as ICC Chairman

After the success of the World Cup – 1996 in the subcontinent, BCCI along with whooping support of its neighbours decided to put forward Jagmohan Dalmiya’s name for the chairman of the ICC. The others in the running were Krish Mackerdhuj of South Africa and Malcolm Gray of Australia.

Even after Dalmiya had won the elections hands-down, he wasn’t allowed to assume office till over a year. The flimsy reasons given by the ICC were indicative enough for the racism running high on the minds of the Council.

Tendulkar at Sharjah – 1998

Sharjah, a venue which was later shunned due to the match-fixing scandals, went on to witness one of the most explosive innings by Sachin Tendulkar at the Coca Cola Cup in April 1998.

Tendulkar’s spectacular 143 against the Aussies, amidst a bedlam due to a sandstorm, which was followed up with an equally impressive 134 in the finals is till date etched in the memory of fans as one of the greatest knocks he’s ever played.

It was not the century that he made, but the harsh weather conditions against a formidable opponent that made the knock so special.

Kumble’s Perfect 10 - 1999

It was 7th of February 1999, a foggy winter day that Indian spin-king Anil Kumble obliterated the Pakistani batting line-up claiming all the 10 scalps. His 10 for 74 followed the script of Jim Laker’s 10 for 53 in 1956.

It is not only difficult but impossible to sum up Kumble’s importance in the Indian squad. It is safe to say that he is indispensable as the Test scheme of things is concerned. Kumble is a ‘constantly thinking’ cricketer whose next delivery is as unpredictable as our country’s General Elections.

As it is wisely said that only a true genius can truly appreciate another one, so in the words of the great Sachin Tendulkar: Kumble is `”Extremely, extremely, extremely tough.”

World Cup – 1999

The World cup in 1999 was hosted by England. The Indians were having a poor run to the World Cup and not expected to do too well.

As per the predictions the Indians lost to the South Africans. This was followed by a shocking defeat against the Zimbabweans where the Indians fell short by a mere 3 runs losing the last three wickets for just three runs.

A victory against the Kenyans and then the Sri Lankans where Ganguly and Dravid had scores of 183 and 145 respectively against their names did a lot to uplift the spirits of the side. The Indians then went on to secure a place in the Super Sixes by beating England in a convincing manner.

However, things did not go according to plan in the Super Six stage. Despite winning against the Pakistani’s, the Indians lost to Australia and New Zealand and failed to qualify to the next stage of the tournament.

Source : www.zeenews.com

1980s

2008-05-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

History of Indian cricket - 1980s

The 1980s proved to be a decade where Indian cricket managed to make its presence felt. The incredible win in the World Cup of 1983 where India beat the mighty West Indies, India’s victory in the Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket in Australia and the World Cup being hosted on subcontinent soil were high points that left its mark on Indian cricket.

India triumph against Australia – 1981

Attributed to the efforts of Viswanath and an injured Kapil Dev, the Indians were able to garrote a full strength Australian side. The Indians were bowled out for a mere 237 runs in the first innings of the third Test at Melbourne despite 114 from Viswanath. Dennis Lillie was the main destroyer with four Indian scalps to his name.

The Aussies amassed 419 runs in the first innings with a well-crafted century by Border. In reply, the Indians managed to score 324 in their second innings with Chauhan making 85 and Gavaskar 70.

The Aussies were bowled out for a mere 83, which was by far their lowest score. Kapil, who had to take painkiller injections before the start of the match, bowled for 16 overs on the trot and returned with match winning figures of 5 for 28.

This win against the Aussies saw the Indians register their first Test win in Australia. The series was drawn with a score of 1-1.

Indians topple West Indies at Berbice – 1983

India’s first ever victory against the West Indies in ODIs came on 30th March 1983. The signs of India being capable of overpowering the very best in the business were evident with this win. Kapil’s knock of 72 off 38 balls and Gavaskar’s splendid 90 were largely responsible for this win.

World Cup Win – 1983

After being branded as a team, which could not perform in the World Cups, the Indians had no end to their woes after they were grouped with the reigning champions West Indies, Australia and Zimbabwe.

India’s opening match against the Windies left all stunned where the Indian’s sprung up a surprise 34 run win. The credit of this victory went to Yashpal Sharma who scored a marvelous 89 under testing circumstances.

One of the main highlights of India’s run to victory in the 1983 World Cup was the win against Zimbabwe. After starting off in a miserable fashion with a score line that spelt 17 for 5, Kapil Dev came to the rescue of the team by slamming 175 runs which involved a partnership of 126 runs for the 9th wicket with Syed Kirmani. India eventually won the game by 31 runs.

The finals of the World Cup turned out to be quite contradictory to what had been predicted. It seemed that God himself wrote a script of an Indian victory, which defied reason. After bowling India out for a dismal 183, the West Indians were cruising to victory, when the dreaded collapse happened.

The Windies were blown away by the Indian bowlers for a mere 140, falling short of the target by 43 runs. The day belonged to the two Indians namely Mohinder Amarnath who scored a vital 26 along with claiming 3 wickets, and Kris Srikkanth who top scored with 38, which basically outlined the win for India

Benson and Hedges Cup – 1985

The team under Sunil Gavaskar was much under scrutiny after a dismal performance againt the West Indies and England. However, what unfolded in Australia in the year 1985 was nothing short of a miracle.

The Indians had an unbeaten run in the Benson and Hedges Cup and beat Pakistan by 8 wickets in the finals. The Indians were successful in bowling out every other opposition in the tournament except the Pakistanis in the finals who were down to 176 for 9 in the finals. In the words of Sunil Gavaskar he could not have asked for a better gift in his last year as captain.

This incredible victory was intrumental in the continuation of the live telecast of all cricket matches in which the Indians participated. This was a major decision taken by the Information and Broadcast Ministry that virtually transformed India’s media industry.

Win against Pakistan – 1985

In one of the best one day internationals that was ever played, India beat Pakistan on 22nd March 1985 at Sharjah- the first neutral venue in world cricket.There was a large Indian as well as a Pakistani contingent as the two cricketing giants of the subcontinent were at loggerheads. India was bowled out for a meagre 125. This proved to be enough as the Pakistani line-up was rounded up for just 87.

World Cup in India

1987 India along with Pakistan played host to the World Cup in 1987. It was the first World Cup to be hosted outside England. India was grouped with New Zealand, Australia and Zimbabwe. It was the first time that a 50 over pattern was followed in a World Cup.

India started off in admirable fashion registering five victories and only one loss. The one run-one ball defeat against the Australians was the only loss that came India’s way. Navjot Singh Sidhu played a vital role with the bat by big scores to his name and rescuing his team in crunch situations.

India’s grand run to the semi-finals ended abruptly when the Indians fell short of chasing a 254 run target set by the English. The Indians lost by a margin of 35 runs with 5 overs still left in the game.

Hirwani’s spectacular record - 1987

Narendra Hirwani`s career started off with a bang but ended with a mere whimper. On his debut match in the final Test of the series against West Indies at Chepauk in 1987, the Indians ammased a big first innings total. Hirwani claimed 8 for 61 in the first innings.

He came up with figures of 8 for 75 in the second taking his total tally in the match to 16 for 136. This equalled the record set by Bob Massie who had claimed 16 for 137 on his debut in 1972.

Gavaskar retires – 1987

Gavaskar was said to have played in an era where Test cricket was at its peak. It was famously spoken of Gavaskar that he played the game of cricket as if he were an Englishman, born and brought up in the home of cricket. His disposition as a batsman along with technical excellence turned him from the legend that he was to the God that he became

Sachin’s debut – 1989

With Gavaskar gone, India was in desperate search for another master batsman who could hold the fort when the chips were down. In walked Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar to battle it out against the much feared Pakistani pace attack. All of 16 years, he became the youngest player to don the Test Cap for India.

Though he was able to score only 15 runs in his first innings at Karachi, he followed it up with a masterful 59 runs in the first innings of the second Test at Faisalabad. What caught the attention of those who watched him play then was the resolve with which this young man faced a tough opposition.

He went about his task unfazed, without batting an eyelid, facing a flurry of bouncers and abuses – not necessarily in the same order. This marked the entry of a batsman who would go to rewrite the record books time and again, who would stay untouched by the innumerable controversies surrounding Indian cricket and who would earn the distinction of portraying similarities to the great Sir Donald Bradman himself.

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1970s

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History of Indian cricket-1970s

Indian cricket in the 1970’s had much to brag about. Winning against West Indies and England was one of the greatest landmarks achieved by the Indian team till then.

India’s tour of West Indies – 1970-71

The 1970-71 tour of West Indies was important for three primary reasons. The first one being that it was India’s first victory in the Caribbean; the second one was the spirit and the grit of the team throughout the series and the third one, being the most important, the emergence of Sunil Gavaskar who would go on to secure his place in cricket’s Hall of Fame.

The Indians sniffed their first taste to glory in the second match at Post of Spain where they defeated the West Indies by 7 wickets. The West Indies were bowled out for a mere 214 on the board in the first innings. The Indians replied with a masterful 112 by Dilip Sardesai and 65 to the name of Sunil Gavaskar playing in his maiden Test.

After a first innings lead of 138, the Indians managed to bowl out the West Indies in the second innings and were set a target of 124 runs. It was again a half-century by Gavaskar that helped India achieve the target.

The remaining Tests did not threaten to overturn the lead that the Indians had managed to gain. They won the series against the West Indians 1-0.

Arrival of Gavaskar - 1971

Gavaskar’s neoteric style of batting was a benchmark for all to see. Not even the greatest practitioners of clairvoyance could have predicted the onset of a career that would leave indelible prints on the annals of Indian cricket history. He gave flesh and blood to the dwindling spirit of the team. With 774 runs in his debut series at an average of 154.80, Gavaskar soon became a force to reckon with.

India topple England – 1971

Fresh after their victory against the West Indies, a rejuvenated Indian side went to England to do what had been never done before. They defeated the English in their own backyard.

After the first two Tests ended in a draw, the Indians went on to clinch the Third Test at Kennington Oval, London by 4 wickets. The English went on to score 355 in the first innings. The Indians were bowled out for a mere 284. The second innings saw the Englishmen being bowled out for 101 thanks to some fine bowling by Bhagwat Chandrasekhar.

The Indians had no difficulty in chasing the target of 173 runs due to vital contributions by Ajit Wadekar and Dilip Sardesai. This way the Indians made history by winning the series 1- 0.

The 1975 Cricket World Cup

The year 1975 saw the first World Cup being organized in England. Each side played a total of 60 overs. India were grouped with England, New Zealand and East Africa.

India began their World Cup journey under dubious circumstances. With the English putting up a mighty score of 334, Gavaskar did not do much good for the team by scoring 36 off 174 balls.

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1960s

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History of Indian cricket - 1960s

The 1960’s was not a period that Indian cricket can be completely proud of. Despite their home series victory against England in 1961-62 and their overseas series win against New Zealand in 1968 and coming together of the famous spin quartet, there were dark clouds that surrounded Indian cricket, more off the field than on it. There were riots that broke out during the matches held at Eden Gardens and there were innumerable cases of policemen beating up the spectators.

Indians triumph against England – 1961-62

England’s tour of India in 1961-62 turned out to be sweet revenge for the home team. After the first three matches ended in a draw, the Indians won the fourth Test comprehensively by an innings and 187 runs at Kolkata. Borde had scores of 66 and 61 to his name while Durrani took 8 wickets for 113 runs. A special mention for Vijay Mehra who was the wicket-keeper then, scored a gritty 62 runs with a broken finger and helped his team to register a win.

This was followed by another Test win at the Chepauk in Madras where the Indians beat the English by 128 runs. Durrani took 10 wickets in the match for his side while Pataudi had the crowd on their feet with his magnificent 103 in the first innings which included 16 fours and 2 sixes. This way, the touring side lost the series 0-2 and India registered their first series victory against England.

Caribbean disaster

After performing well against England in the home series of 1961-62, the tour of West Indies turned out to be a complete disaster. It was the West Indian bowling duo of Hall and Griffith, who completely terrified the Indians.

It was only Polly Umrigar, with a brilliant 172 at Port of Spain, who managed to show some character. However, the Indians succumbed to a humiliating 0-5 defeat and lost their captain, Contractor, in the process.

Contractor was hit straight on the head by Charlie Griffith, the West Indian fast bowler who was famous for more than often chucking the ball. This led to Tiger Pataudi taking charge of the Indian team at a very young age of 21. In due time, he went on to become one of the finest captain that India had ever produced.

Riots in Calcutta - 1967

1st January, 1967 is considered as one of the black days in Indian cricket. Rowdy crowds at the Eden Gardens became violent and the touring West Indian team almost abandoned the Test match. There was more trouble over acquiring tickets to watch India play the Aussies at the Eden Gardens again on 16th December 1969 which left six dead and twenty two injured. These were few incidents that forever marred the glorious run of the Indian cricket team.

Victory overseas -1968

In the year 1968 India finally ended the 35-year slump of being unable to register a Test victory abroad. This feat was achieved when the Indian team, being led by Tiger Pataudi, beat New Zealand 3-1. It was again the spin-web cast by E.A.S. Prasanna, B.S. Bedi and R.G. Nadkarni

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1950s

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History of Indian cricket - 1950s

The 1950’s saw India’s first Test win and then their first Test rubber. Achieving the former feat against England and the latter against Pakistan, it was a decade, which saw individual players making entries into the record books. Mankad’s magic against the Englishmen in 1952, a record breaking opening partnership of 413 between Pankaj Roy and Vinod Mankad and Jasu Patel’s standout performance against the Aussies displayed the class of Indian cricket.

India’s first Test win – 1951-52

It was on 10th of February 1952, the Indians playing more for pride after being down 0-1 in the series against the English. History was made in the final Test at Madras where India registered their first ever Test victory, 20 years after they had made their Test debut.

Vijay Hazare led the Indian team. The English, who were led by Donald Carr won the toss and chose to bat. Due to an impressive bowling performance by Vinoo Mankad where he claimed 8 wickets, the English were bowled out for 266 runs. The Indians amassed a massive 457 with Pankaj Roy and Polly Umrigar coming up with centuries to their name.

The English were bowled out for a meager 183 in the second innings with Mnakad and Ghulam Ahmed each taking 4 wickets. This led India to an impressive Test victory by an innings and 8 runs.

The five men who won the accolades for this remarkable victory were Vinoo Mankad, Ghulam Ahmed, Pankaj Roy, Polly Umrigar and Probir Sen. Pankaj Roy had gone on to say: “A victory against those who had been our master till 5 years ago had special significance”.

The First Rubber – 1952-53

In the words of Wally Hammond of ‘Cricket My World’ – “If ever cricket matches between India and Pakistan can be played without a ring of machine guns and troops to keep the onlookers from rioting, then I feel that the prestige attached to the game is great”.

A fierce ‘rivalry’ had developed between the two neighbouring countries and the Test series of 1952-53 redefined the term and gave it a new meaning. India won the first Test match at Delhi by an innings and 70 runs. Mankad picked up 8 for 52 in the first innings and 5 for 79 in the second taking his tally to 13 wickets in just the first match of the series.

However, Pakistan came back strongly in Lucknow just five days later where Fazal Mahmood and Nazar Mohammed annihilated the Indian Team.

Fazal Mahmood with 5 for 52 and 7 for 42 was the main person responsible for Pakistan’s victory. Nazar Mohammed also played his part by becoming the first Pakistani to score a Test hundred and carrying his bat through with 124 not out to his name.

The Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai saw the Indians getting back to their winning ways in the third Test of the series. The Pakistanis were bowled out for a meager 186 in the first innings.

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1940s

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History of Indian cricket - 1940s

Due to the Second World War in early 1940’s, India could not play any Test matches. A lot of domestic matches were played during this period. The two Vijays: Merchant and Hazare hogged much of the limelight in the domestic arena.In 1943, Hazare scored 248 against the Muslims in a Pentagular tournament. Merchant then went on to score an unbeaten 250 against the Rest. Hazare then went on to topple this record and scored an outstanding 309 in a space of a week.

India first tours Australia – 1947-48

The Australian tour in 1947-48 turned out to be disastrous for the Indian Cricket team. India, under skipper Lala Amarnath, lost the series 0-4 to Bradman’s “Invincibles”. The loss looked quite surprising considering India’s recent run of form in the domestic circuit.

Bradman made 185 in the first innings of the first Test at Brisbane, which took Australia to a huge score of 382. This proved to be enough for both the Indian innings as they could only manage a score of 58 and 98 in the first and the second innings respectively.

The second Test at Sydney was more closely fought though the match ended in a draw with only 3 days of play possible. The third Test at Melbourne saw Sir Don Bradman at his very best with scores of 132 in the first and 127 not out in the second innings to his name. A century by MH Mankad in the first innings could not save India and they lost by 233 runs.

At Adelaide, in the fourth Test, the Australians made a mighty 674 in the first innings due to a double century by Bradman. The Indians replied with a total of 381 in their first innings with centuries from Hazare and Phadkar. Even though they were made to follow on, Hazare saved face for the team again by scoring a brilliant 145. The Indians were bundled away again for 277 on the board, but this match led to the start of close kinship between Hazare and Bradman.

The fifth Test at Melbourne saw the Australians win by an innings and 177 runs and with it they won the 5-match series 4-0. A major reason for the failure of the Indians was the absence of Fazal Mahmood and Mushtaq Ali in the Indian team due to partition. All the responsibility lay on the shoulders of the ace batsmen and bowler Vijay Samuel Hazare. But he could not single handedly take the battle up to the mighty Australians.

For India the stars century makers were Vinoo Mankad (two), Vijay Hazare (two) and Dattu Phadkar. India was dismissed for less than 100 three times in the innings, though. Bradman finished the series with an average of 143.

West Indies first tour of India 1948-49

The tour was supposed to commence in 1946, but due to lack of funds the BCCI delayed it and the mighty West Indies finally made it on the Indian soil in 1948.The first Test at Delhi ended in a draw. The West Indians amassed 631 runs in their first innings. However they failed to bowl the Indians out in the final innings and the Indians were successful in drawing the game with 4 wickets in hand.

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1930s

2008-05-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

History of Indian cricket - 1930s

“There has never been such a team of contrast meeting on the common footing of cricket. The 18 players speak 8 to 10 languages among them; they belong to 4 or 5 different castes; some may not eat this and some may not eat that; a few are denied smoking by their religious laws…. But these things are all forgotten for the present in the quest for cricketing success”. This was one of the famous quotes said for the Indian team at Victoria in 1932.

India’s Debut Test - 1932

India played their first Test match against England in1932 and astounded the Englishmen beyond imagination. In the fabulous debut at Lord’s, the English were reduced to 19 for 3 in the first half hour. England, batting first, scored 259. Mohammad Nissar took 5-93 in the first innings.

The Indian team were unsuccessful in sustaining the pressure and were all out for 189 with CK Nayudu top scoring with 40 runs in the first innings. The Englishmen set the Indians a target of 346 in the second innings, which the Indians failed to chase. They lost by a heavy margin of 158 runs. Ladhabhai Nakum Amar Singh took four wickets and hit an attacking 51, coming in at No 9 in the match. His half-century came in the second innings. The match was classified as a Test match though it was only three days long.

The first Test saw great drama just before the event commenced. Indian team members, in the middle of the night, announced their refusal to paly under a commener- C K Nayudu. It was only after intervention from the Maharaja of Pataila that the team decided to accept him.

MCC’s tour of India- 1933-34

Good performances by the Indians in the 1932 tour of England prompted the MCC to send a team to India in 1933.

The first official match in India was at Bombay. The English won the first match by 9 wickets. The Indians scored 219 in the first innings to which the English replied with a massive score of 438 runs. Indians came up with a respectable 258 in their second innings thanks to 118 by Lala Amarnath.

Amarnath convincingly stole the show with 21 boundaries to his name. He cut, pulled and drove with sublime precision. However, with only 40 to get in the fourth innings, the English won the first Test without much ado.

The second match at Calcutta ended in a draw, however the much-anticipated third match at Madras turned out to be pure humiliation for the Indians as they lost to England by a whopping margin of 202 runs. Being set a target of 452 runs in the final innings, the Indians were bowled out with only 249 on the board. The Indians lost the three match series 0-2.

India in England -1936

In 1936, India toured England again. In the first match that was held at Lord’s, the Indians scored 147 in the first innings and in reply, the English were bowled out for 134 in their first innings. The match was even-stevens but the Indians were bowled out for 93 in their second innings. With a target of only 107 runs, the English marched to victory with 9 wickets in hand.

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Before 1930s

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History of Indian cricket - Before 1930s

The game of cricket was introduced in India in the middle of the 18th century. On 3rd March 1845 the ‘Sporting Intelligence’ magazine carried a reasonably lengthy match report between ‘Sepoy’ cricketers and the European ones. The article clearly proved that Indian cricket was underway in a city called Sylhet, in modern day Bangladesh.

An impressed reporter proudly stated “the most enthusiastic European Cricketers could not have played with more energy and cheerfulness than the Sepoys did”. However, chroniclers of cricket unanimously suggest that the formation of ‘Parsi Oriental Cricket Club’ in Bombay in the year 1848 led to the start of organized cricket by the Indians.

Parsi cricket

The first Indians to take to the game were the Parsis of Bombay, an educated, well-to-do and progressive community. In 1848, the Parsi boys established the ‘Oriental Cricket Club’.

The emerging Parsi middle class supported cricket as a means of strengthening ties with the overlords, while intellectuals welcomed it as a renewal of physical energy for the race. Around thirty Parsi clubs were formed in the within two decades of the formation of the first club. They were named for British viceroys and statesmen and for Roman gods.

Hindu cricket

The Hindu’s took up the game of cricket with the primary reason that they did not want to fall behind the Parsis in any manner. The first Hindu club ‘Bombay Union’ was formed in 1866. Hindus started playing cricket due to social and business rivalry with the Parsis. Hindu cricketers sorted themselves on the lines of caste and region of origin. One of the primary Hindu cricketer was Ramchandra Vishnu Navlekar. Some of the main clubs were Gowd Saraswat Cricket Club, Kshatriya Cricket Club, Gujrati Union Cricket Club, Maratha Cricket Club, Teluu Youn Cricketrs etc. “There is no more agreeable sight to me,” remarked the Mayor of Bombay in 1886, “than of the whole Maidan overspread by a lot of enthusiastic Parsi and Hindu cricketers, keenly and eagerly engaged in this manly game.”

Gymkhanas

The all-white Bombay Gymkhana, which even refused admission to Ranji, was established in 1875. The Europeans invited the Parsis to paly with them for the first time in 1877. This more or less became a regular feature though it was a decade before the Parsis’ eventually managed to win. Beginning from1886, the Hindus also began playing an annual match with the Europeans.

With the efforts of Luxmani and Tyebjee families, also famous for their social work such as establishing schools and good work at the law courts, the Muslims had also set up their own cricket club in 1883. This was known as the Muslim Cricket Club.Cricket in India got a huge impetus by the formation of Parsi, Hindu and Muslim Gymkhanas in the 1890s. The British alloted one plot each to the three major religious communities in the city, for their exclusive use ending their conflict with the colonizers.

Ranjit Singhji

A notable mention in this era is the vital contribution of the Black Prince, Prince Ranjit Singhji who had moved to England to study at Cambridge University and was given a cricket “blue” in his final year by the college. He then went on to play county cricket for Sussex. He made his Test debut for England in 1896. This made him the first Indian to play Test cricket.

Ranjit Singhji was Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1897. He scored a century in the second innings on his Test debut, making his only the second batsman for England to achieve this feat. Duing the year 1899 he amassed 2,780 runs during a season which was the highest aggregate ever made! India’s most prestigious first-class cricket tournament – Ranji Trophy was named after him in order to honour this great cricketer.

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