Fielding laspes cost us the match: Tendulkar

Fielding lapses, including a first-ball dropped catch off Brendon McCullum who smashed his way to 81, cost Mumbai Indians the match against IPL debutants Kochi Tuskers Kerala, said Sachin Tendulkar.

"They fielded better. In bowling and batting we matched each other, but in the fielding department they were better as they held on to whatever catches they got. We missed those opportunities. All we need to do is to make sure we don't repeat those mistakes," Tendulkar said after Kochi chased down Mumbai's imposing 182 for 2 with eight wickets and six balls to spare.

"When we started earlier we thought anywhere between 160-165 was a good total as the ball seamed around a bit initially and later on it was a good track to bat on."

"But I thought if we had hit the right areas in bowling - though at times we did manage it - and those important catches... McCullum was dropped 1st ball (by Rohit Sharma off Lasith Malinga). These things happen and that's why you say catches win matches," added the champion batsman, who hit his maiden IPL century, a 66-ball 100.

Tendulkar said the game was still alive when Malinga got rid off McCullum but a few fielding lapses saw the match slip through in the end.

"The game was very much alive. If Malinga could get McCullum out and put the pressure back on them it would have been wonderful. The first half we managed and was wonderful, but in the second half a few lapses in fielding cost us the match," he said.

"I thought we played competitive cricket in today's match but when it mattered we faltered in fielding. I would blame this only on fielding and nothing else," he added.

He also defended the move to bring on left arm spinner Ali Murtaza for the 19th over when Brad Hodge and Ravindra Jadeja were at the crease and the move proved costly as the bowler was slammed for two sixes and a four by Jadeja to power his side to a sensational maiden win.

"If you had seen the previous over, Brad Hodge had hit the fast bowler (Pollard) for boundaries. The idea was not to give him pace. Ali had really bowled well earlier. If we had more than ten runs to be scored in the last over, Munaf (Patel's) experience would have helped. That was the only reason Ali was brought in," he explained.

© PTI

Delhi fizzle out after Tendulkar, Tiwary onslaught

Tournament heavyweights Delhi Daredevils crashed to a 98-run defeat against an inspired Mumbai Indians outfit that seemed determined to set the lopsided head-to-head record straight and, in the process, went to the top of the points table. Quickfire sixties from Sachin Tendulkar and Saurabh Tiwary took Mumbai to an imposing 218 but a batting line-up capable of overhauling the biggest of targets was bowled out with more than three overs to spare.

Delhi were already handicapped by the loss of Gautam Gambhir to a hamstring pull early in the match so it was up to the middle order to anchor a big chase. But the loss of a steadying hand in Gambhir showed up as the likes of Virender Sehwag and Tillakaratne Dilshan performed well below expectation. The backup for those heavyweights had little time in which to plot and execute a Yusuf Pathan-like counterattack.

Dilshan began the chase on an audacious note by slapping the first ball over mid-off for four. It was an emphatic way to get off the mark after two consecutive ducks, and Delhi motored along at a rate marginally faster than Mumbai after three overs. Mumbai had to dislodge at least one of the opening duo of Dilshan and Virender Sehwag, and the first breakthrough came through Lasith Malinga in the fourth over. After firing it in the blockhole to keep Dilshan under check, he bowled a slower ball and sent the off stump for a spin as the batsman swished at thin air.

The expectations on Sehwag only increased but he was the first victim of double-strike by Dwayne Bravo in the seventh over. Trying to clear long-off, he made contact off the toe-edge of the bat straight down Ambati Rayudu's throat. Four balls later, AB de Villiers dragged one onto his stumps and the momentum had firmly swung in Mumbai's favour. A flurry of boundaries by Dinesh Karthik - three in a row - raised some hope, but he too joined the exodus, courtesy a brilliant stumping down the leg side by Aditya Tare. When Manhas perished in the tenth over, Delhi had lost half their side, and with Gambhir indisposed, the match had ceased to be a contest.

The pitch was nothing like the minefield which forced the abandonment of the one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka a few months ago. Evenly paced, Tendulkar showed just how easy it was to get to the pitch and pick the gaps with deft touches and delicate clips. It was similar to the way he started his innings in Gwalior, where he scored a memorable 200, squirting the ball past the gaps effortlessly.

Farveez Maharoof's one-dimensional bowling - overusing the legcutter - made it easier for Tendulkar to plan his shots. After slicing Maharoof past backward point, he made Delhi pay for not placing a slip as he guided the next ball to third man. He then chipped down the track, got inside the line and played a glorious on drive past midwicket to give Delhi some anxious moments.

He brought up his fifty, off just 23 balls, with a paddle to fine leg. Mishra had Tendulkar caught at long-off by the substitute Yogesh Nagar, who was earlier in the news for pulling off a one-handed blinder at mid-off to get rid of Sanath Jayasuriya. Filling in for Gambhir, Nagar had to propel himself backwards a long way but managed to time his leap to perfection.

Significantly, Tiwary and Rayudu didn't allow things to drift after Tendulkar departed. The over after his dismissal went for just three but the pair ensured they picked at least one boundary in every over during their 71-run stand, in just short of seven overs. If Tendulkar was all nonchalance, Tiwary and Rayudu were all about brute power. Tiwary employed the slog sweep against the spinners, staying in the crease and muscling three sixes. Rayudu used his feet a lot more, regularly chipping down the track to clear the rope. Mishra tried firing it flatter and shorter with the hope of getting the ball to shoot through but the batsmen were alert enough to slap them away.

By the time Delhi dislodged the pair, Mumbai were already on 193 with a little more than two overs left. Promoting Tiwary and Rayudu over the two West Indians - Bravo and Pollard - had proved to be a productive move. The Caribbean duo combined to push the score to 218 - the highest in this tournament so far - which was more than enough to stamp their dominance.

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a sub-editor at Cricinfo

Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran

Sun, Aug 30 08:09 PM

Dumped Australia opener Phillip Hughes has set up a date with Sachin Tendulkar where he hopes to learn from the Indian stalwart's experiences following his own Ashes meltdown.

The 20-year-old left-hander lost his spot to all-rounder Shane Watson after the second test at Lord's. Australia lost the series 2-1.

"I'll chew his ear off. I've got questions about a lot of things that I want to ask him," Hughes told the Times of India newspaper on Sunday.

"I like getting around and talking to the guys who have been around for a long time."

Hughes, who scored a century in each innings in his second test after scoring a duck on debut, is in the western Indian city of Nagpur with his coach Neil D'Costa, who is head coach of a regional cricket academy in the city.

The paper said Tendulkar, who holds several international batting records, will meet Hughes in Mumbai on Monday.

Reuters

We are getting better by every game: Tendulkar

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We are getting better by every game: Tendulkar

We are getting better by every game: Tendulkar Port Elizabeth, Apr 27 (PTI) Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar was happy the script went according to plan and felt they were improving in each match as they hammered the Kolkata Knight Riders by 92 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match here Monday.

The batting maestro and his opening partner Sanath Jayasuriya set the St George's Park on fire with some blazing shots. Both raced to half centuries and Tendulkar credited the Sri Lankan for his innings.

"It was a good partnership. Sanath picked up the pace nicely," said Tendulkar, who was adjudged man of the match for his 45-ball 68.

However, the manner in which they batted, a 200 plus score looked well on course and Tendulkar admitted as much.

"Everything went according to plan but maybe 200 plus would have been a better total. We are getting better by every game," said the record runscorer in both Tests and one-dayers.

A dejected Knight Riders captain Brendon McCullum said they would have now to go back to the drawing board.

"We will have to pick ourselves and get back on track," said the New Zealander.

Mumbai Indians pacer Zaheer Khan said the opening partnership between Tendulkar and Jayasuriya set the tone.

"Sachin and Sanath, playing the way they did was amazing," said the India pacer. PTI RSM RAI

Tendulkar, Bhajji spend a day with NSG commandos

Tendulkar, Bhajji spend a day with NSG commandos

New Delhi, Jan 24: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh spent a day at the National Security Guard (NSG) head Quarters in Manesar.The two cricketers witnessed a life time of grit, determination and endurance of the commandos. They had a chance to witness and try their hands at the very tough 26 obstacle course that commandos train on, which includes jumping through heights, climbing heights of, running through large distances.They also witnessed the Anti Terrorist Conditioning Course, which has commandoes going through artificially stimulated, but almost real life terror situations, complete with fire, smoke and live bullets.The day had its emotional moments as well in plenty. Sachin and Harbhajan had a chance to interact with the commandoes who participated in the 26/11 Mumbai operation.Sachin in response to a question on who the real heroes were?, said, “Without a doubt its you guys, we just play cricket, you play with your life so that we are secure, I salute you and your families because they have an important role in your sacrifice.” Sachin and Harbhajan also had a chance to spend some moments with the wife and children of Late Havaldar Gajendra Singh and the parents of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the two NSG commandoes who lost their lives in the Mumbai siege.The two cricketers made their way through the crowd to meet Sandeep’s parents who were also present there at the same time.Sachin paid his condolences to Sandeep’s father and said, “You are a brave man, and your sacrifice is supreme.” Sachin and Harbhajan had donned the NSG uniform for the day, complete shoes, nametags and beret.The commandoes had a field day with questions ranging from when Bhajji would get married, to what Sachin would want his son to become? In response to the latter, Sachin said, “He had left it to his son to do whatever he wanted, whether it was to become a cricketer or a commando.” The commandoes were keen to know what Sachin thought of the Mumbai operation and their conduct.One of the commandoes, who stood up to speak, V Sathish was full of emotion, as he had seen his colleague and buddy Gajendra fall to the terrorist’s bullets at the Nariman operation.The commandoes, who had been eagerly waiting this interactive session, managed to get the cricketers to break into a dance.The day as expected, ended with a friendly four-over match between Sachin XI and Bhajji XI. The teammates were on opposing sides. But in the end Sachin XI won.CNN IBN and IBN7 took the initiative to bring the two heroes of the cricketing world to talk face-to-face with the heroes of the nation. (Agencies)

Injury puts Tendulkar out of Bangladesh series

Sachin Tendulkar is ruled out of the upcoming cricket tri-series in Bangladesh, and subsequent Asia Cup, because of a niggling groin injury.

Tendulkar, who missed the first seven matches of the Indian Premier because of the injury, was declared unfit by Mumbai Indians' physiotherapist, Nitin Patel, for the June 8 to 14 tri-series, also involving Pakistan.

"Tendulkar is not available for the tri-series as well as the Asia Cup on the advice of Mumbai Indians physiotherapist Nitin Patel. He has not recovered sufficiently from his groin injury," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah informed in Mumbai on Thursday.

Tendulkar will also skip the Asia Cup, to be held in Pakistan from June 24 to July 6, he added.

Source: http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/may/29ten.htm

Mumbai Indians inch closer to semis

S JanakiramMay 19, 2008 00:14 IST

Mumbai Indians notched up their sixth win on the trot to continue to be in hunt for a semi-final place after pipping Deccan Chargers by 25 runs in their Indian Premier League encounter in Hyderabad on Sunday night.The Mumbai team first scored a competitive 178 for seven, thanks to some sensible batting by Abishek Nayar and Dwayne and then restricted hosts to 153 for seven in 20 overs.The win was a sweet revenge for the visitors as they had lost by comprehensive 10-wickets margin against Chargers at the home-tie.Bravo, who was playing his last match in the tournament, ended the tournament on a high note as he first collected 30 crucial runs and then took three wickets, playing a vital role in his team's victory.Y Venugopal Rao top scored for the Hyderabad team with a sparkling 57-run knock before walking back to the hut.It was the third half-century for Rao in the tournament and it came off just 38 balls with the help of four boundaries and three sixes.Rao also shared an 86-run stand with D Ravi Teja (37), castled by Bravo (3/24), for the fifth wicket.Mumbai Indians pacers -- Ashish Nehra and Bravo -- gave their team a good start by bowling a tight spell and also creating opportunities for their fielders.However, Rohan Raje dropped Adam Gilchrist (13) when he failed to hold on to a catch which the rival skipper had chipped high in the air. He was on four at that time.Shahid Afridi (0) tried to extract maximum runs from the very first ball he faced and swung his arms to slice an off-stump ball bowled by Barvo, resulting in going miles in the sky and eventually landing in safe hands of Dominic Thronely.Nehra and Bravo gave away just 20 runs in the first four overs, putting the rival batsmen under pressure.Sri Lankan paceman Dilhara Fernando then dealt a severe double blow to the hosts by dismissing Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma (6) on consecutive deliveries in his very first over, and fifth of the innings.This left the hosts stuttering 20 for three and leaving a big task for Y Venugopal Rao and Chamara Silva.The duo put on 36 runs, doing the repair work, but could not stretch their effort as Silva (17) was undone by a misjudgment by umpire Billy Doctrove when he raised his finger on a Nayar caught behind appeal.Earlier, Nayar-Bravo combination put up an important 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket when their team was struggling at 97 for 4 at one stage, after being sent in to bat.RP Singh (3/35), who was the most successful bowler for the hosts, dismissed both of them in the 18th over, dashing the visitors hope of setting a big target.However, the duo ensured the Mumbai team gets enough runs on the board to make a fight out of it.Nayar, the top-scorer for the Mumbai team, hit three fours and two sixes in his knock while Bravo hit two boundaries and as many sixes in his innings.Jayasuriya (36) looked unstoppable from the word go as he began the proceedings with a fine-leg boundary off P Vijaykumar and then hit him for a six on the fifth ball.The Sri Lankan then hit compatriot Nuwan Zoysa for three boundaries and one six in his first over to give a rollicking start to the visitors.This forced Adam Gilchrist to introduce Rao, who did not disappoint his skipper and sent Jayasuriya packing, bringing relief for the hosts.After hitting Rao (2/25) for a couple of boundaries, the Sri Lankan swept the spinner for a big shot but could only manage to find RP Singh in the deep.The left-handed opener took just 15 balls to score 39 and hit six fours and two sixes in his cameo.Dominic Thronely then joined his captain Sachin Tendulkar and the duo put together 33 runs for the second wicket. However the run-rate suffered as the hosts bowlers bowled well.Then Afridi (2/23) dealt a double blow to the Mumbai team dismissing Tendulkar and Thornely in his second over to put his team in the driver's seat.Tendulkar lofted an Afridi delivery, trying to accelerate the run-rate but could not execute the shot to perfection and gave away a simple catch to Chamara Silva, who ran from covers to mid-off.This brought huge relief for Gilchrist as he had missed a stumping chance off Pragyan Ojha when Tendulkar came out of the crease attempting an inside out shot by making room for him.Afridi then trapped Thornely two balls later sending shock waves in the opponent's dressing room.The Mumbai team never recovered from these shocks and struggled to maintain a high run-rate after that.

Tendulkar to make IPL debut against Chennai

Mumbai Indians’ hopes got a big shot in the arm when their icon player and captain Sachin Tendulkar on Monday declared himself fully fit to play his first Indian Premier League match against Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede stadium on May 14.

“Yes I will be playing the match on May 14. I feel very comfortable. It has been tough and disappointing to have missed the two Tests against South Africa and the first seven IPL ties,” Tendulkar, who has not played a competitive match since March-end due to a groin injury, said.
Tendulkar said though ace South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock had done a commendable job as captain, resurrecting the team’s fortunes after a string of defeats in the first four matches, he would take over the reins now that he is fit.

“Shaun Pollock was the makeshift captain and has done a terrific job but I will be captaining the side,” Tendulkar said.

He will open the innings with Sri Lankan ace Sanath Jayasuriya for the Mumbai Indians against Chennai, Tendulkar said.

The batsman however refused to be drawn into comments over off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who has been banned from the IPL for slapping S Sreesanth after the Mumbai Indians match against Punjab Kings XI at Mohali.

“It is a past chapter. Let’s put it behind and look ahead,” Tendulkar said.

Talking in detail about his rehabilitation process, the ace batsman explained that the first half was spent in taking complete rest.

“The first half of my rehabilitation was done by taking rest and I was not allowed to play. I spent time on strengthening my muscles,” he said.

When asked about the team’s performance so far, especially the defeats, Tendulkar said the first two matches were very close and in the crunch moments went in the opposition’s favour.
The third and fourth matches the team could not compete as expected, he said, adding the key for the turn around in the team’s fortunes leading to its three match winning streak was the ability to take early wickets.

“We could get early wickets and that was the key,” Tendulkar said.

The master batsman was also very confident that the crowd would support the home team as has always been the case at the Wankhede stadium.

When asked if he would be looking to strike good form after an injury lay-off like in the past, he said, “I always try hard.” About the rivals from Chennai, Tendulkar said, “They are a tough side. There will be plenty of talking done in the team before the match, it will be a question of implementing them.”

Source: http://premierleaguecricket.in/news/tendulkar-to-make-ipl-debut-against-chennai/