Will history repeat in IPL?

Can Rajasthan Royals do it again in IPL-2013? Photo from Dawn

After a responsible inning by Bradd Hodge, Rajasthan royals were able to cruise in to the Qualifier 2. There they will meet Mumbai Indians who have lost against the most successful team of IPL-Chennai Super Kings.

It was surprising to see Mumbai Indians losing the match against Super Kings since they win against them two times this season very easily. One of my friend tweeted,' All teams work hard to play CSK in to the finals'. So, there position is very much confirmed :P. 

Mumbai Indians still have the chance to qualify for the finals for the first time. For that, they have to win against Rajasthan Royals in tomorrow's Qualifying match no.2.  Rajasthan has made in to final in the very first IPL and won the IPL trophy at the very last ball. It's look like history will repeat in IPL. The captain of Rahul Dravid has clearly said that, ' All pressure on Mumbai Indians not on us'.

MILLION DOLLAR KID:

Mumbai bought the most expensive player in this season Glenn Maxwell. He has not performed the way Mumbai was expecting it from him to do in IPL. Let see if he will be considered in the match or not. Last year Ravinder Jadega was the most expensive player though CSK didn't win that year but he has become one of the influential player in CSK side with the ball. Specially he is use to break partnerships.

Dravid Eyes On IPL Trophy:

Rahul Dravid looked very confident after winning the match against one of the best bowling side of IPL Sun risers Hyderabad. Although Rajasthan Royals don't have players who play for India consistently. But, the foreign players are working very hard; Faulkner, Bradd Hodge and Watson specially giving their best.  His confidence looks very high and it looked as Rajasthan will win the tomorrow's fixture and reach to the final.

Will History Repeat:  

In IPL edition-1 the two final teams were Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings. The way Rajasthan Royals playing and fighting with the pressure of spot fixing and banned on their players, it seems that they have get a chance to prove themselves and they will meet CSK in to the finals. Last time it was under the captaincy of Shane Warne who lead RR and win the IPL trophy for them. This time it is Dravid and the way he is talking in the press and media and his team is performing with such a confidence it seems they gonna win this title once again.

ICC Champions Trophy-2013 Groups and Fixture

ICC Champions trophy is the most awaited event of this year. The exciting thing about it is that it will be the last champions trophy to be played and every one is excited that who will uplift this trophy. The ICC Champions trophy is starting from June-6-2013. Top eight teams of ICC rankings are participating in this mini world cup.

Before the start of this tournament some warm-up matches will be played. Since England and New Zealand are playing against each other in English conditions so they will not play any of them. According to the fixtures Srilanka will play three warm-up matches and South Africa will be playing only one warm-up match. The other teams Pakistan,India, West Indies and Australia will play two warm-up matches. Some of the warm-up matches will be telecast live on Sports channel.

The warmup matches will definitely give some sort of help to sub-continent teams as they struggle playing in English conditions. The exciting fixture will be the match of Pakistan vs South Africa. Because they will be playing against each other in the group matches. And recently they have played against each other so it will create a healthy contest between these two teams. Though South Africa looks more consistent then Pakistan in the past. But in big tournaments Pakistan team looked more confident then South Africans.

Teams are divided in two groups. Both Groups look balance. In Group A England can give tough time in their conditions where as the past record of New Zealand and Australia in Champions trophy is also very good. In Group B South Africa looks the strongest of all whereas India and Pakistan are considered to be one of the best ODI teams in the world. West Indies in the recent past has become one of the toughest competitor. They have got many individuals who have played eminent role in IPL for their team like Gayle, Pollar, Bravo, Rampaul, Sunil Narine and Dwayne Smith and all of them are in the team so they will give a tough competition to others. To me Group-B is the toughest under recent performances of the teams whereas Group-A looks toughest if we consider team performances in past champions trophies.

The first Group match will be played between India and South Africa in Cardiff on June/6/2013 wheras another Group B match will be played on the very next day. There is no gap in the group matches. The top two teams of both the group will reach in to semi finals which will be played in Oval and Sophia Gardens. The final of this last ICC Champions trophy will be played on June/23/2013 in Birmingham.

Tickets of Indian matches in ICC Champions Trophy are sold out completely

I just watch out in the ICC Champions trophy e-ticketing website and came to know that all tickets of India matches are sold out. The one of Pakistan Vs India took less then an hour to get completely sold. Other than that England Vs Australia is also completely booked, that was expected.

The matches whose tickets were completely sold out are:

It is also surprising to see that one of the semi final ticket is not completely sold out. The ticket for the semi final match ranges from 35-55 euros. Even the team hosting the champions trophy has only one match completely sold out and that is against rivalry Australia. It looks like India will finding a good amount of support in England more than England.

Adam Gilchrist signed off from IPL in Gangnam Style

You have seen Gayle, Darren Sammy and other players doing various moves or performing Gangnam style. Yesterday, it was a former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist who was playing his last match of  IPL and astonished every one by picking first wicket in his very first ball in IPL.
Mumbai Indians who have won the toss and decided to give KXI Punjab batting. Gilly only scored 5 runs and it was unpleasant to see such a fine player ending his career by scoring only 5 in the last match. It is also notified that he has lead Deccan Charges in second edition of IPL and march them victorious in that edition.
Gilly's stats in IPL are:

The way Mumbai Indians middle order collapse it was pretty distinct that King's XI Punjab has full control on the match. But it was not an ideal end for a batsman like gilchrist. He has scored two hundred's in IPL, caught plenty of catches and scored eleven fifties. Also a trophy of IPL. What he doesn't achieved was a single wicket. Alas! he picked the wicket of Harbajhan Singh and signs off permanently from IPL in Gangnam Style. Gilchrist this year performance was not fill with wonderful knocks but his ability of producing performances from others were astonishing. His act of jubilance will always be remembered in IPL history.

 

Ricky Ponting: Will he be consider for Do or Die Matches?

Ricky Ponting who is not in the team 11 of Mumbai Indians currently but is in the news because of his french beard. His team is performing well in IPL and has qualified for the semi-finals in the IPL.

I am not sure to whom he is inspired off in the team as none of them has beard on their faces. Before his beard arrived he was in the news all around the world for his marvelous catch which he took against Dehli Daredevils. But his batting is not up to the standards of Gayle, Pollard, Warner and many of them.Other than him Mumbai Indians have got Kieren Pollard who is a wonderful fielder and a good late order batsman.

It seems like Mumbai Indians will not play with Ponting in do or die games though I am bit surprised why he was not given a chance in the last match against Kings XI Punjab. But who knows he may be chosen for those critical matches. His captaincy can be the edge factor for which he can be consider for this year IPL semis and if qualified for the finals also

He will not create any sort of disturbance like the way Gayle does but he will surely create some panic and shock the opposition  from his fielding and captaincy.



                                 

Australian Batsman Dancing Down on Chennai Pitch

Cowan tripped by Ashwin

Clarke towards his Century By dancing down the pitch

On a reddish Chennai Pitch at about 30 degree Celsius, Australian batsman were dancing down the pitch. And the best was done by Micheal Clark. He scored a brilliant hundred today against India and scoring more than 7000 runs in his test career. Cowan was the first man to go and then Australia lost quick wickets today. Although Harbhajan Singh was playing his 100th test match but the star of the day from Indian side was Ashwin picking up six wickets and giving India there first break through. Australia Captain in reply played a confident innings of 103 and is still on crease. He was given a strong support by MC Henriques who scored a valuable 68 runs. Great effort by a bowler. Fast bowlers were remain wicket less today and were expensive. Australia in the end make the day for them self by scoring 316/7. The most used technique by batsman from Australia was to play spinners on the front foot. Cowan tries to play Ashwin on front foot but was stumped by MS Dhoni. On the other hand Mikey played some sweet shots and make sure spinners to remain unsettled by coming on front foot. He dances down the wicket to get his century. His foot work was really a lesson for other Australian batsman for the remaining series. The first day belongs to Ashwin for his good spin bowling and Michael Clarke for his wonderful footwork and dancing down the pitch.

Pakistan ICC test ranking is in danger

Pakistan had a wonderful cricket season last year in test cricket. They only lost a single test match out of six. This year Pakistan currently lost 2/2 against a top quality side-SA. Now, if they also lose the last one against SA starting tomorrow then Pakistan ICC test ranking may be in danger. They will jump from fourth position to fifth. However no worries for SA if they lose against Pakistan they will remain number one.

Also the worry part for Pakistan team is there position may be effected if India win against Australia. The series will be also starting from tomorrow, and it will be a four test match series. And if suppose Australia win the test match then England's Position might be in danger. So the rivals are indirectly competing against each other for the position in ICC test ranking.

South Africa will earn the prize money of $450,000 for holding and securing top position in ICC test ranking. While the remaining three position depends upon the result of Australia vs India and also the last test match of  Pak Vs SA. The nation that claims second position in ICC test ranking at the cut-off date(April 1, 2013) will pick up $350,000, while the team finishing third will collect $250,000 and fourth takes home $150,000.

Australia Anxious About Ashes

Australia loses the services of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey from International cricket freshly, pulling Australia to back once again. The most important task for Australia is not to face a white wash in Ashes this year in England. Australia have never being anxious about T-20 world cup as if they did they might be the world champions at least once in the format but they never did it. Neither they worry about the ranking in ICC. Also it looks like they lost the focus in ODI's too. They have got an inexperienced team against a well known team of Asia who has been showing a promising performance in the last three years in all the major tournaments of ICC. Also, Micheal Clarke injury can be resulted as a lost of the series against Srilanka in ODI's. David Hussey is regarding to be the successor of Mike Hussey in the Australian team has lot to do in the absence of Micheal Clarke in the start of the series and need to prove a-lot this year.

South Africa and England are looking promising to be the giants of Test cricket for the long term and are fighting hard to maintain it. Aussie is on the third at the present. They will be playing four test matches against India in India before they go for the Ashes. This time they will be playing in Asian conditions and the only well known player is Micheal Clarke who can play well against Indian spinners on Asian track.

Mike Hussey- A shot played by few Non Asians in Asian Pitches

 If let us suppose Pakistan prove to show a better performance against South Africa and India may won the series against Australia so it may causes Australia to move to fourth or fifth in ICC test ranking which they definitely concern before going for Ashes. More over it may causes England to move top at the table. In 2011 world cup these two teams had pulled Australia out of the tournament, first Pakistan and then India in the group and quarter finals of the tournament respectively. But that is not as easy as it looks like, South Africa looking invincible against New Zealand and on the other hand Indian cricket team has lost a Test Match series and One day series against England and Pakistan respectively in the period of two months. Also Srilanka being white washed by Australia which gives them a good momentum to do better against an Asian team in the end of the next month.
It will be a serious contest among the top five teams later on this year in the test format. And the result of matches will concern each other a-lot. Australia although may not be looking greatly to go on the top of the chart but still they will be trying to show some good performance in the Ashes which is there serious concern.

What Australian Opting in T20 WorldCup 2012

The recent performance of Australian cricket team has established anxiety and pressure in the Australian cricket and has made them first time after so many years to go for a defensive approach. 1999-2007 time-period has been dominated by Ricky Ponting 11. They at that time had every ingredient to win a test match or an ODI in a toughest condition, no one has given them hard time in crucial matches. They march out with flying colors every time when they played final of ODI world cup whether against Pakistan, India and Srilanka. Despite of being non Asian they rule in the Asia in that period. And it was hard to think that they will come down. But the time come when they started getting feeling tough times even from Zimbawe in T20 matches. Many big players like Mc Grath, Hayden, Warne, Langer and Gilchrist take retirement simultaneously and put Australia in a serious pressure. As they lost control, despite of some serious bowlers like Lee, Tait and Bracken and batsman like Hussey, Clarke and Ponting; Australians were unable to win the 2011 WorldCup held in India only reaching out in the quarter-finals. The reason may be somewhat not having a established spinner like Shane Warne who can resist Indian batting line up or some one like Gilli and Hayden who may gave a thrashing start and put a mountainous total in front of giant Indian team who may also find difficult to chase it.

Presently Australians have set them back in ancient times where they are in search of Gilli, McGrath, Warne, Hayden, Ponting, Waugh and dozens of players like this. Despite of having a strong domestic cricket club in the world they are unable to build a team in half a decade is pretty surprising. But let us not forget that many good players are in the team such as Hussy Brothers, Clarke, Watson and  David Warner who can get the glory back. But beside of these 5 players they need another 6 players who have same potential as they have. As Ponting 11 has every one match winner.

Australians in this year T20 World Cup has not yet created  'Victoria Bitter' as they did. Some new blood is inducted in to the team and Mr. Clarke is dropout from the team.

Australia Squad for T20 World Cup 2012 (Preliminary)

George Bailey, Travis Birt, Dan Christian, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Laughlin, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes, Stephen O’Keefe, Tim Paine, Rob Quiney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

George Bailey is the team captain. This team although has great potential as individuals but it will be a test for them in the Srilankan conditions both as a individual and as a team. Adam Voges, Finch, Birt, Wade and Mc Donald are great domestic players and Australian cricket is hoping to produce the same result from them in this upcoming World Cup.

As Australian domestic team-NSW had won the Champions league which was held in India in the past having few superstars in the team and played out superbly against strong teams of all parts of the world except of Pakistan whose Sialkot Stallions were unable to be the part of it due to some issues. So the confidence creates an idea in the mind of Australian team Selectors of using maximum fresh players in the team and also pick the peak performers of T20 such as Hussey brothers, Watson and David Warner. As next one day World Cup will be held in Australia and New zealand  so they are looking for promising players for the One Day World Cup 2015, for which in the history they are well known rather than of T20 World Cup.