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Thursday 29 September 2011
Salman No.1
Bollywood Action Heroes
BOLLYWOOD'S LAST ACTION HEROES:
We can safely say that Salman Khan is solely responsible for the comeback of the action star in Bollywood now-a-days. With his skull-crushing punches and concrete-powdering kicks, the audiences just can’t have enough of the textbook action hero getting back at the bad guys. Koimoi.com celebrates the dishoom dishoom heroes of Bollywood:
Salman Khan
Salman Khan - Bollywood's Action Heroes
Be it Garv, Wanted, Dabangg or Bodyguard, Salman Khan won’t think twice before ripping off his shirt and showing his toned physique. And not just show off, he’ll beat the villains with a water hose, concrete slab and whatever he can lay his hands on!
He surely has the best body in the industry and can be considered the best for his multi-talent.
Wonder whether we’ll get the dose of his action in Ek Tha Tiger…
Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar - Bollywood's Action Heroes
Bollywood’s favourite stuntman can show the bad guys their place with a few martial arts moves. Akshay Kumar may not have the much-coveted multiple-pack-abs, but he’s always top-of-mind among the knuckle-cracking stars of Bollywood. After all, for years, he played the khiladi over and over again…
Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan- Bollywood's Action Heroes
Picture this: Ajay Devgan (complete with glares) makes his entry on a bike and zooms into the screen. This is the same Ajay whose “Aata majhi satakli” had theatres echo with audiences’ applause. Indeed, the son of stuntmaster Veeru, lives up to his father’s name by slamming his opponents’ face in the mud, whether it be inOnce Upon A Time In Mumbaai, Singham or his earlier action films.
Sunny Deol
Sunny Deol - Bollywood's Action Heroes
The dhai kilo ka haath will always be remembered for uprooting a hand-pump and sending an army whimpering back to its camp. Sunny Deol is still the baap of action as Yamla Pagla Deewana showed us. Hopefully, we will see him step on the gas inGhayal Returns.
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt - Bollywood's Action Heroes
Sanju baba may not rank high when it comes to physique, but he can definitely show the villains their place. And looking at the promos of Agneepath, we’re sure he’s going to give us a pretty good action show with Hrithik Roshan.
Return Of The King
Salman Khan arrives Mumbai after surgery
After undergoing a nerve surgery in United States, actor Salman Khan returned to Mumbai late on Tuesday night.
Last month he had gone to US for the surgery and before leaving he had tweeted to his fans on Aug 30: 'Challo c u guys. On my way to fix the short circuit in my nerve, takec are n hope u like BODYGUARD.' His last released movie BODYGUARD was not only liked by his fans but it also did roaring business at the Box Office. After his US visit, Salman had gone to Ireland for shooting for the film titled EK THA TIGER, media reports said. Salman created record at the box office as his last three released films received good responses from the audience and also made good business at the box office. DABANGG, READY and then BODYGUARD, the style icon of B-town made impressive mark at the box office in recent years. |
Saturday 24 September 2011
Bodyguard Beats Dabangg
BODYGUARD Salman beats DABANGG Salman!
| September 2, 2011 03:07:21 PM IST |  |
A few years back the festivals of Eid and Diwali used to fall very close to each other, but as Eid is back by ten days every year, Diwali drifted apart from Eid. However, the year 2011 sees Eid and Ganesh Chaturthy in close proximity of each other marking the return of the extra bountiful extended weekend.
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| BODYGUARD and DABANGG |
The last two Eids have been superb for Salman Khan through WANTED and DABANGG and this year seems to be even bigger. While the gigantic opening ofBODYGUARD was a foregone conclusion no one had expected it to be so huge.
In fact BODYGUARD has smashed the opening day record of Salman's 14.50 crore DABANGG by about 5-6 crore. It will be interesting to see if BODYGUARD has also demolished the best ever first day record of DABANGG which stands at 18.50 crore.
CHECK OUT: Bodyguard Movie Review
Even in the Gulf state of Dubai, BODYGUARD has blown away DABANGG's 7 lakh dirhams record by collecting 11 lakh dirhams, as per early reports.
With the Ganesh Chaturthy festival adding to the weekend, the film can touch a whopping 85-90 crore in just 5 days which may again be more than DABANGG's first week record of 80.75 crore.
The overall gross of the film stands somewhere around 230 crores worldwide, whereas the film has beaten Dabangg to become the second higest all time grosser ever in India!
Surely, Salman is the real King Khan!
Friday 16 September 2011
Salman Is The King Khan
By, Hindustan Times
The massive success of Bodyguard has confirmed Salman Khan as a phenomenal star, surpassing even his record-breaking Dabangg. Academics and journalists have discussed Aamir Khan’s extraordinary talent as a producer and marketer as well as his risk-taking selection of roles as an actor,
and Shah Rukh Khan’s rockstar qualities, which could launch him internationally if he wasn’t busy getting on with being so successful in India.
and Shah Rukh Khan’s rockstar qualities, which could launch him internationally if he wasn’t busy getting on with being so successful in India.
But we seem to have forgotten Salman, the third of the trio of Khans that were part of the shift from ‘Hindi cinema’ to ‘Bollywood’ in the 1990s and its rehabilitation among India’s metropolitan elites.
It’s commonplace to think that Hindi cinema belongs in the metro multiplex, in India or overseas, on the internet and DVD, and is part of a huge and powerful media network, recognised as the vanguard of India’s soft power.
Parallel to this, it sometimes seems as if the old Hindi cinema of the lower classes and the working class male disappeared in the late 90s, as the industry scrambled to follow Yash Raj’s ‘glamorous realism’ — a vision of modernising India — currently celebrating its 40th anniversary though tracing its roots back to a more middle class Hindi cinema of the 1930s.
Salman is here to remind us that another type of cinema hasn’t gone away.
Govinda, whose brilliance as an entertainer, dancer and comedian shines in films that present us with what Ashis Nandy called “the slum’s eye view of India” — depictions of the poor and their fantasies of the rich. Hugely popular, it is significant that his comeback film was the blockbuster, Partner (2007) co-starring Salman.
The movie presents us with the worldview that is less of the slum than of the lower stratum of the new middle classes, which are rising in small towns and metropolises.
Salman, whose stardom was inaugurated more than 20 years ago as Prem of the Barjatyas, has taken a wide range of roles from those in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Khamoshi and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam to the good guy in films such as BR Chopra’s Baghban, took on a more fixed star persona as a comic hero, whereas his latest roles involve far more action — in the style of superstar Rajinikanth.
His more recent characters have memorable names such as Chulbul Pandey and Lovely Singh, perhaps chosen precisely to distinguish them from Salman Khan the star.
In his last few films, a new star persona has evolved, which is closely linked to Salman’s off-screen image. His muscular, shaven physique is now adopted by all the stars, but remains central to the male working class ideal of the body. Salman is willing to parody his famed removal of his shirt to display his torso — an essential part of his screen image.
His roles as a lower class guy pick up his offscreen persona as a man of the people — Sallu and Salmanbhai to his fans — despite his famous family and considerable wealth.
He is not an international figure, the transnational Indian, who wears western designer gear and is as at home in London and NYC as he is in Bombay and Delhi. Salman dresses in an Indian style, with earrings, bracelet, bright clothes and patchwork designs. He lives in the same building as his parents where he grew up, and, though a Muslim, participates in the Ganpati festival.
He is seen as a local boy from Bandra, which itself has shifted its dominant image from a Catholic suburb, via Beverley Hills, to the boho media hub of today.
Salman’s star persona embodies many of the values of the lower middle classes. After girlfriend troubles, the black buck hunting case, and the American Express Bakery incident, many thought that his image was tarnished forever.
However, Salman has virtues that are much admired by his fans, like his devotion to his family and his generosity towards his friends and people who work for him. He is known to pay medical bills, gift expensive watches and make other extravagant gestures.
He is not seen as an intellectual, less rational than emotional, who expresses himself in painting and is a child at heart, protected by his family.
Dabangg, a brilliant and hugely entertaining film set in small town UP, is a romance between a Brahmin policeman and a potter woman. It’s a movie where the hero’s widowed mother has remarried, family members steal each other’s money and the drunken father of the heroine kills himself. It is a curiously unethical film with no admirable figure or sense of morality.
All these strange features are part of the film’s experimenting with Bollywood’s unique form to find a new way of regenerating itself. It’s a film obsessed with textual reference from older Hindi films, not least its stars (Dimple, Vinod Khanna) and the ghostly presence of Shatrughan Sinha — through his daughter who even uses his catchphrase, ‘Khamosh!’ — as well as a host of international films (from Ghost, The Incredible Hulk to The Matrix), as well as to fiction (A Case Of Exploding Mangoes).
A series of set pieces of action and comedy is interspersed with catchy item songs as undeveloped characters wander in and out of the story.
There is only a brief escape from the dystopia of Laalgunj, whose institutions are all corrupt and useless, for a honeymoon to the UAE, where the couple fly falcons, dune bash, take the metro and the great romantic scene in the luxury suite cuts to a fluttering UAE flag.
Perhaps this is a nod to Salman’s huge fanbase in the Gulf.
The success of Ready and Bodyguard shows that Salman’s star persona and cult remain rock solid over the decades, however much the cinema and India have changed. It’s just that the rest of us only noticed it when he came back with Dabangg.
WANTED - 75cr (Blockbuster)
DABANGG - 145cr (All Time Blockbuster)
READY - 125cr (All Time Blockbuster)
BODYGUARD {running} - 150cr - (Blockbuster)
Final Bow - Rahul Dravid
INDIA LOOSE TO ENGLAND 3-0 IN THE ODI SERIES AS WELL!
Many things have happened to Rahul Dravid on this England tour. He made his maiden century at Lord's, fulfilling a desire that was born the day he made 95 on Test debut at the ground 15 years ago. He opened for virtually the entire Test series barring the first innings of the first Test, and ended up with the Player of the Series trophy on the visitors' side. He walked in the second innings of the third Test at Edgbaston believing the umpire's word for a caught-behind when replays conclusively showed the ball had kissed an aglet on his left shoe-lace. He was shocked to hear the news that the he was part of the Indian one-day squad as reinforcement after injuries had ruled many of the frontline players. He played his first and last Twenty20 international where he hit three consecutive sixes, the most by an Indian in the match. Tomorrow Dravid will not only pull curtains on a "bittersweet" tour but also on his one-day career. Luckily Dravid does not mind that one bit.
Today Dravid was expansive, clear and even tinged his answers with a pinch of wit while facing the media on the eve of his final one-day match. Throughout his career Dravid's was an image of a man unsatisfied, of a man who despite all his achievements and humility, was struggling to prove something to himself, more than to the outside world. In some ways his battle with the self always benefited Indian cricket as he grew into the role of crisis manager. He climbed up the batting ladder to occupy a permanent position in the top order primarily at three and four where his best batting was seen.
Being a grafter at the first-class level, Dravid found life difficult in his formative years in the one-day game. But once he returned in 1999 having faced the axe a few times in his first three years, he transformed himself into a batsman who could pace an innings cleverly despite never going for the slog. He even led India, kept wickets, and moved up and down the order in search of pressure situations. He did everything that was asked of him and more. Today he explained how he could pull it off.
"I probably had to work harder in one-day cricket than in Tests. It has given me a lot satisfaction that I have been able to achieve so much," Dravid said. "When I started my career, obviously I wasn't recognised as much of a one-day cricketer, [I was] probably more in the traditional frame of mind. That's how I grew up playing cricket, that's how I played my Ranji Trophy cricket. So there was a lot more learning that I had to do in one-day cricket along the way. I faced some ups and downs, I got dropped in the middle, I had to go back and learn some lessons, I had to improve my game, keep getting better."
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But Dravid acknowledged the advantages of early struggle and the I-am-only-going-to-improve attitude. "It helped free up my Test game and it has given me lot of satisfaction," Dravid said of his one-day resurgence. "I have done a lot of different things for India in one-day cricket. In some ways that versatility, that ability to do different things helped me a lot. You open the batting, it is different; batting at three is different; keeping and then batting, batting and then keeping ... so many different situations that I found myself in. It helped me grow as a person and cricketer."
Currently Dravid is the seventh highest run-maker and eighth in the list of most ODI appearances, something even he didn't envisage when he started playing. "The fact that I played over 300 games, [and made] close to 11,000 runs gives me a lot of satisfaction. Maybe people might have said at some stage that I will have successful Test career, but I guess not many people would have said that I'll play that many one-dayers at the start of my career. I wouldn't have said that about myself."
Though he did not shortlist his best one-day innings, Dravid pointed out reaching the final of the 2003 World Cup as one of the highlights of his career. Equally satisfying, he said, was watching MS Dhoni's side win the World Cup earlier this year even if Dravid was not part of the squad. "As a young kid in 1983, watching Kapil Dev lift the World Cup was a huge inspiration for me as a 10-year-old. Towards the end of my career, watching another Indian team and being part of the journey in some ways, and watching a team led by Dhoni in 2011 has been really satisfying," Dravid said. The biggest disappointment for him would be the failure to make the Super Sixes in the 2007 World Cup where India lost to Bangladesh in the league stage. He was the captain, and has still not come to terms with that disappointment.
The intensity in their training, the discipline, the hardwork have been the pillars on which Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Dravid built their success. These were also the characteristics that aided in the trio's longevity. "If you want to play international cricket and international sport for a long period of time, there are certain sacrifices that you need to make and discipline that you need to follow," Dravid said. "To be honest I have never seen them as sacrifices. I love the lifestyle of a cricketer, I love being a cricketer, l liked playing for my country. In some ways I feel lucky that I enjoy hitting the balls in the nets, I enjoy working hard and I enjoy practising. Sometimes when people ask me 'what will you do after cricket', I feel I will miss just that intensity of preparation, the practice."
In the last two months Dravid has always been the first player to come out an hour or two before the rest of the Indian squad assembled for training. Today was no different. He was at SWALEC stadium, facing throw-downs from Trevor Penney, the Indian fielding coach. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the trees surrounding the small ground dazzled in the vintage autumn colours of red, gold and orange. Comfortable in his own space, Dravid set about working on minor adjustments to his batting technique. It does not matter to him that he won't have to play another ODI after tomorrow.
"I am not dreading quitting. You just recognise that the time has got to come at some stage when you have got to move on. I am happy and I am comfortable in the space that I am in. I am happy with the way my career has progressed, how it has progressed in both forms of the game."
Thursday 15 September 2011
Would this be a happy ending for 'The Wall?'
Rahul Dravid is the seventh-highest scorer in the all-time ODI list. (AFP Photo)
CARDIFF: All eyes will be on India's Rahul Dravid when he takes the field for the last time in coloured clothing at the Sophia Gardens stadium on Friday.
The fifth ODI will bring an end to Dravid's one-day adventures and given his mammoth exploits in Test matches, it is easy to forget that he is also the seventh-highest scorer in the all-time ODI list.
It's bound to be an emotional moment for India's Mr Dependable, since he hasn't been a regular in the one-day scheme of things since 2007. Having led India to a disastrous World Cup campaign that year, he was dumped unceremoniously, and Dravid turned his attentions to Test cricket.
Sometimes, though, his services in the shorter format have been required, mostly when India's young guns have been found wanting on lively pitches away from home, like in this series and during the 2009 Champions Trophy.
Earlier, too, he made several comebacks in the 50-over game, and for a while even unwillingly agreed to keep wickets under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy so India could play seven batsmen.
Under MS Dhoni, India sought fresh legs and a younger bunch of batsmen held centrestage, pushing Dravid out of the scheme of things when India played at home. A brilliant display of batsmanship in the Test series this summer in England, though, made it hard for selectors to leave him out, and it's ironic that he made his T20 International debut and retirement in the same game!
The lead-up to his last game has been distinctly low-key. In fact, England spinner Graeme Swann, a keen Dravid fan, didn't even know Dravid would be playing his last ODI.
When TOI asked Swann for his reactions, he said: "He is going to play his last ODI? That is very good news for us. We don't have to bowl to him when we tour India. He has played exceptionally well this summer. Right from the first ball he faced at Lord's, he looked like the in-form player. He is a lovely timer of the ball and a joy to watch. It will be a big loss for India when he stops playing but bowlers around the world will be happy that he won't be playing ODIs any more."
There's a perception that Dravid got a raw deal in the 50-over format throughout his career, and Swann said: "India's batting talent, especially in sub-continental conditions, is astonishing and you can't complain about the team because they won the World Cup. I can't say why he wasn't picked for the World Cup team but I'm sure any other team would have. But anyway, everyone knows Dravid is a truly world-class player."
Naturally, Dravid's teammates are planning a grand farewell for him. He has indeed been the one who taught me Cricket. I thoroughly enjoyed his batting. Hope he continues to be The Best In Test!
The fifth ODI will bring an end to Dravid's one-day adventures and given his mammoth exploits in Test matches, it is easy to forget that he is also the seventh-highest scorer in the all-time ODI list.
It's bound to be an emotional moment for India's Mr Dependable, since he hasn't been a regular in the one-day scheme of things since 2007. Having led India to a disastrous World Cup campaign that year, he was dumped unceremoniously, and Dravid turned his attentions to Test cricket.
Sometimes, though, his services in the shorter format have been required, mostly when India's young guns have been found wanting on lively pitches away from home, like in this series and during the 2009 Champions Trophy.
Earlier, too, he made several comebacks in the 50-over game, and for a while even unwillingly agreed to keep wickets under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy so India could play seven batsmen.
Under MS Dhoni, India sought fresh legs and a younger bunch of batsmen held centrestage, pushing Dravid out of the scheme of things when India played at home. A brilliant display of batsmanship in the Test series this summer in England, though, made it hard for selectors to leave him out, and it's ironic that he made his T20 International debut and retirement in the same game!
The lead-up to his last game has been distinctly low-key. In fact, England spinner Graeme Swann, a keen Dravid fan, didn't even know Dravid would be playing his last ODI.
When TOI asked Swann for his reactions, he said: "He is going to play his last ODI? That is very good news for us. We don't have to bowl to him when we tour India. He has played exceptionally well this summer. Right from the first ball he faced at Lord's, he looked like the in-form player. He is a lovely timer of the ball and a joy to watch. It will be a big loss for India when he stops playing but bowlers around the world will be happy that he won't be playing ODIs any more."
There's a perception that Dravid got a raw deal in the 50-over format throughout his career, and Swann said: "India's batting talent, especially in sub-continental conditions, is astonishing and you can't complain about the team because they won the World Cup. I can't say why he wasn't picked for the World Cup team but I'm sure any other team would have. But anyway, everyone knows Dravid is a truly world-class player."
Naturally, Dravid's teammates are planning a grand farewell for him. He has indeed been the one who taught me Cricket. I thoroughly enjoyed his batting. Hope he continues to be The Best In Test!
Test Cricket at night?
There seems to be a determined push from some quarters to impose night Tests on the cricket fraternity with the hope that average daily attendances will improve.
To determine whether night cricket will achieve that objective we need to ascertain what factors caused the decline in average crowds in Test cricket and whether anything can be done to address those issues. Second, we have to assess whether there are any impediments to playing Test matches at night.
There are many factors which have affected interest in Test cricket and average daily attendances. First, there are more countries playing Test cricket since 1970 (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and to a lesser extent New Zealand and South Africa). Consequently, the new Test playing countries’ nationals aren’t steeped in cricket history and don’t have the same affection for Test cricket as those from say England and Australia who were born into it. Furthermore, those countries don’t attract the same interest when they are playing in England and Australia. Second, the Indian board has put Test cricket on the backburner and allowed ODI and Twenty/20 to cannibalise it. Third, these days, societies throughout the world demand instant gratification and Test cricket therefore has taken a backseat to Twenty/20 for the younger generation. Fourth, the traditional supporters of Test cricket have been men and in this new world of equality men do not get the same time away from their families as they used to. Fifth, television now supplies the majority of income and every session is televised live which affects attendances. Sixth, holding world championships for ODIs and Twenty/20 have further undermined the status of Test cricket.
Unfortunately, I can’t see how night cricket would have a great effect on the above six issues which led to a declining interest on Test cricket. To compound the issue no one has been able to solve the ball issue. Lights are hardly ever used when bad light stops play in Tests now and that would suggest that we are not ready. We also don’t know if the pink ball is good enough. I have heard players involved in experimental matches say that we are still a long way from making a ball that will be acceptable to batsmen under lights. We have been playing ODI night matches for some thirty four years now and manufacturers are still incapable of making a white ball that lasts the distance. The current playing condition requires a ball change at 34 overs.
ODIs and T/20 matches are played as night matches in the main and at least for the time being we should leave it at that.
Wednesday 14 September 2011
Annoying Indians, agree?
Yes, yes, we’re like that only. Sab chalta hai in our great country including peeing in public and spitting paan. It may be a long time before some of us ditch our more disgusting habits, but here are five others that are far easier to kick.
We heart plastic: Dirt, it’s everywhere. Just waiting to ruin your beloved drawing room furniture and the plush car seats on your new car. But it’s difficult indeed to admire the many charms of that gigantic red leather sofa when it’s all trussed up in plastic. And afternoon chai is just a bit less appetising when accompanied by the plastic-induced farting sounds that ensue each time you shift your bum. So ditch the damn covers and embrace those cleaning bills as the price of keeping up with the Sharmas.
It may be a long time before some of us ditch our more disgusting habits. Getty Images
And while we’re on the subject of the least eco-friendly substance on the planet, let’s get rid the 100-odd yellowing plastic forks and spoons stuffed in the kitchen drawers. Cheap plastic flatware leaches chemicals and never can be fully cleaned. And the next time the delivery guy tries to give you a handful, just say no!
Extra tip: We don’t have to take something just because it’s free. That includes the gazillion little plastic bags of seasoning, ketchup and soy sauce in the fridge.
Hair unnatural: Unless you’re going punk or pretending to be Irish, orange is an unacceptable colour for human hair. There are plenty of decent hair dyes waiting at the closest Health & Glow for you to enter the 21st century. Henna has its virtues but not as a cheap alternative to hiding your gray. And as for you fashionistas, those blonde tresses look every bit as tacky on an Indian face, and that’s what you are, how much ever you wish otherwise. Besides, better to be dark and proud than prematurely bald from all that bleaching. And ditch those ridiculous coloured contact lenses as well.
Extra tip: If you really want to channel your inner dumb blonde, try this: open mouth, speak.
Mobile retards: We all know this kind. The type that can’t hold a single conversation without their phone clutched firmly in hand — to send messages, take calls, read their FB updates while they reward us with their sorely divided attention. Ok, we get it. You’re very busy, i.e. so very important, and, sadly, a big fat bore. Also: a public menace. Your dinner companions may indeed be mildly interested in your high-volume conversation with your old chaddi yaar, aka kamine, bastard, gandu et al. But the rest of the folks in the restaurant are most certainly not.
So why don’t you just take it outside? And by that we mean, outside. Not just to the tables outdoors so you can loom over some hapless couple, ruining their Friday night.
Fashion offensive: Auntieji, who can argue with the comforts of the beloved maxi? If Americans can spend all day in their drab old sweats, no reason why our ladies can’t just chill in their multi-coloured nighties. So roomy, easy to just throw on (or off), and perfect when you’re just hanging out at home. Read that? At home. Places not to wear a maxi include: the milk booth, local market, or anywhere outside your front door. And that includes your evening/morning stroll. The vision of you breezing by in that canary yellow kaftan ought to be reserved for family, household help, and unsuspecting couriers. Don’t be sharing that privilege with us undeserving ingrates.
Other kinds of things belong on the inside, as well. For example, young lady, underwear. Those clear bra straps are not meant to be seen, neither is that lacy thong — be it in New Delhi or LA. So, umm, sweet cheeks? Do the rest of us a favour, and keep ‘em covered.
Just can’t wait: All those firangs who claim Indians are cursed with fatalism and apathy have clearly never, ever been to our great country. We’re a people in a permanent hurry. It’s why we suddenly materialise in the middle of any line, pretending to be invisible to the human eye, ready to cut in with ninja-like precision at exactly the right time. And why we incessantly honk our horns in a traffic jam — usually created by everyone trying to cut lanes, jump lights, and squeeze ahead, all at the same time. Why we shove, push, and brain unsuspecting passengers with our overhead bag in our eagerness to be the very first to get off the plane.
Well, here’s a news flash: there’s no point scrambling to get off that plane when your baggage won’t arrive for another half hour. And then you’ll spend another 20 minutes waiting to be picked up on the curb. You may be in a hurry, but the rest of the country is still on the late-as-usual Indian Standard Time. Might as well slow down and smell the BO.
“Small habits well pursued betimes/ May reach the dignity of crimes,” wrote poet Hannah More. Ok, so petty crimes these may be, but crimes they remain, and against humanity at large. Ladies and gentlemen, repent and reform. The future of our civilization relies upon it.
Monday 12 September 2011
Tough Luck India!
Scorecard | Action in Images | Match Report
Match Tied according to the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Fortune favours the brave they say. England clinched the One-day series with a little help from rain and Ravi Bopara, who contributed with 96 runs. You can say they got lucky with the weather at Chester-le-Street, won all-important tosses in favourable conditions at Southampton and Kennington Oval but today they fought hard.
After blanking India in the Test series, winning the one-off T20, England have now overwhelmed World Champions India in the 50-over format too. They deserved it. For India, well they did not deserve it.
Raina and Dhoni did put up a fight to take India to 280 but with the kind of bowling resources we have even 350 was not enough. Why do you have a kid who can bowl at 145 kmph warming the benches?
10:49 - It will be a TIE if play doesn't resume here.
10:46 pm - And they are off the field again. It's raining again for your information and England are on par with the D/L score - 270.
10:42 pm - Ravi Bopara, who's previous best score in 62 ODIs was 60, departs for 96 runs. Good catch by Jadeja in the deep off Munaf. The pacer accidentally ran Graeme Swann out the previous ball to bring India back in the scheme of things.
10:18 pm - And we are back again. England need 39 runs in 30 balls with 4 wickets in hand. Can India produce something here?
10:11 pm - Good news, the covers are coming off. Play should resume in 10 minutes. This is hilarity of rarest kind!
10:03 pm - Even the rain gods are not with India. It's raining heavily now. An over ago when the play was stopped England were two runs behind and then it stopped raining, players returned for an over and Munaf conceded 9 runs in that all-important over. England now are two runs ahead on the D/L. What can you say...
9:56 pm- It has stopped raining and players are back on the field. Drama!
9:55 pm - Allright then, rain stops play at Lord's. England are two behind on the D/L.
9:42 pm - Maybe I just jinxed him. Bresnan bowled RP Singh. Off stump went for a toss.
9:41 pm - If you have somebody like Tim Bresnan come at No.7 for you are just blessed. England now need 61 runs from 48 balls.
9:23 pm - Few dark clouds around. At this point, England are behind on the D/L.
9:19 pm - Ashwin gets his first wicket in the 9th over. After smashing a boundary the previous ball, Ben Stokes came down to the track but a change in length by the off-spinner took a leading edge straight back in his hands.
9:10 pm - Finally a wicket. It's that Jadeja guy - he tossed one up Bell came down the track and lofted it towards wide long off. Substitute fieldsman Manoj Tiwary covered some ground there to complete an amazing catch diving forward.
9:00 pm - Bell (19th) and Bopara (6th) have completed their half-centuries as well. England now needs 126 runs from 114 balls.
8:37 pm - Bell and Bopara have just added 50 runs for the fourth wicket. It's looking all too comfortable for them out there. There are gaps everywhere. After making early inroads, Indians are letting the pressure off...
8:24 pm - India pacers have stuck to their plans very well today. Now spinners have to do something extra here to get rid of Ian Bell, who puts a high price on his wicket.
8:07 pm - Bowling powerplay is over and Ashwin is on. He is one bowler who can determine how this match ends.
7:59 pm - India gets another breakthrough here, this time it's Jonathan Trott. Praveen bangs in short and Trott, trying to pick the length, manages an inside edge and eventually the stumps. England have lost their third wicket.
7:27 pm - RP Singh is on viagra here, gets rid of Alastair Cook too. After two handsome strokes over extra cover, the England captain hit one straight to Kohli in the same region. Ian Bell joins Jonathan Trott in the middle.
7:21 pm - And just as the doctor ordered, India has struck early here. Kieswetter dances down the wicket trying to slap it over the cover region but the extra bounce from RP Singh, I repeat RP Singh did him in. Jadeja takes a simple catch running back from extra cover.
7:07 pm - Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter to open for England. Ashwin and Jadeja will be the key for India here.
6:35 pm - Suresh Raina (84) and unbeaten MS Dhoni (78) helped India set 281-run target for England at Lord's. The pair added 169 runs for the fifth wicket, highest against England, to ensure India reached a competitive total. Excellent work by India in the end but is it enough?
@LalitKModi: Finally a respectable score by india. We could finally see a win today. Fingers crossed. Bowlers need to do there job now.
@VaughanCricket: Great Batting from Dhoni and Raina.. India 280... sixes flying everywhere.. First win over England this tour on the cards????
@cricketwallah: Splendid partnership btwn Raina & Dhoni highlights India's penchant for ltd overs cricket.Bowlers must now take make batting recovery count
6:18 pm - Skipper MS Dhoni also brings up his half-century, 24th in ODIs. The batting powerplay has produced 58 runs for India.
6:03 pm - Suresh Raina brings up his 17th half-century with a massive hit over the mid-wicket. 18 runs from that Anderson's over which included two fours and a six.
5:54 pm - Finally they have taken the batting powerplay. This pair should ensure India over 235 considering the fact that the average first innings score in One-dayers at Lord's is 235.
5:41 pm - Its high time India take the batting powerplay.
Some comments coming in from Yahoo! readers -
Venu V: Watching the one-day match now...which seems to be boring than a test. Do we expect a team with one or two play good occasionally? Stop watching this... and the propaganda of making them the mega stars on the earth. So, we Indians should remember the fate of hockey struggling to get the world leaders after they won Olympics.
Harm-N: I guess Virat should b shown the door out of the Indian team! He's now much popular doin ad Films... so it's better for him to leave the team and do what he loves to do...
Riyaz Rider: If we improve our bowling and fielding .then no one able 2 restrict our victory. We have classy nd dangerous world class batsmen in ODI. Even old ruler Australian doesn't have batting line up like we have. Give more importance 2 fielding as well as bowling.
5:21 pm - Swann has put brakes on the scoring here. Raina and Dhoni are treading with utmost caution against consistent English attack here.
4:57 - What is really baffling here is that Indians saw off the initial seam overs with great patience and lost their two valuable batsmen against spin attack - in one over. Last 10 overs have produced 25 runs at the cost of Dravid and Kohli. Somebody needs to hang around here...
4:48 - Oh dear! Dravid gone too. Swann has just removed two set batsman in four deliveries to put India in all sorts of trouble. Swann tosses up; Rahul checks his shot and plays it straight back to the off-spinner. Big job ahead for Dhoni and Raina.
4:42 - Graeme Swann into the attack and strikes straightaway. Virat Kohli tried to help the second ball from Swann to third man, but got a faint edge to Kieswetter. He just likes bowling at Lord's.
4:27 - 100 up for India in 22 overs. Now that the openers have seen out the probing overs, Dravid and Kohli should stay there for a while.
4:15 - 20 overs gone, India 86/2.
4:01 - Broad strikes again. Parthiv Patel, who lived dangerously for his 27 runs, went for that pull shot once again only managing a top edge for an easy catch to Ravi Bopara. Both openers are back to the pavilion. Virat Kohli in the next batsman in.
3:50 - Breakthrough for England here. Stuart Broad striking once again in his first over. A low full toss and Rahane misses the flick completely which struck him just over the boot. However he has not left the field, he will be running for Patel. India have lost their first wicket after a solid start. Rahul Dravid is the next batsman in; he got a hundred here in the Test match. Can he do it again?
3:39 - Good over (12) for India this one. Rahane smashed a six followed by two fours. Steven Finn was frustrated and they did exchange some words after the over. Obviously he wasn't congratulating him.
In other news, Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin's son, Ayazuddin, has been hospitalized after suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident in Hyderabad today.
Aakash Chopra is his column for Yahoo! Cricket defends IPL saying not everything about anything can be absolutely and completely bad.
3:08 - Lord's is bathed in sunshine and Indian openers have got off to a watchful start here. Runs are not easy, five overs gone and still no boundary.
Some reactions from twitter.
@cricketaakash: A lot of juice in the surface at Lord's and hence the sideways movement. Will get better as d game progresses...hang in there, guys!
@cricketwallah: India make no changes reckon because there is still chance to draw series.Growing clamour for Aaron,but is this all knee-jerk?
@VaughanCricket: The mighty Finn plays for Dernbach... Eng win Toss and not surprisingly Bowl first...
Toss: Alastair Cook won the toss again and invited India to bat first in the third One-dayer at Lord's. Steven Finn replaces Jade Dernbach in England's line-up on a green pitch. India are unchanged.
A battered and bruised India were defeated 0-4 in the Test series, lost the one-off Twenty20 and have been beaten in two of three 50-over matches, with the other rained off. Can they stop England from another humiliation or atleast win one match?
Teams:
India: Parthiv Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, RP Singh and Munaf Patel.
England: Alastair Cook, Ben Stokes, Craig Kieswetter, Graeme Swann, Ian Bell, Steven Finn, James Anderson, Jonathan Trott, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan.
Ravi Bopara prepares to sweep as MS Dhoni looks on.
Ian Bell hits a ball from Praveen Kumar.
RP Singh celebrates with Suresh Raina after claiming the wicket of Alastair Cook.
6:35 pm - Suresh Raina (84) and unbeaten MS Dhoni (78) helped India set 281-run target for England at Lord's. The pair added 169 runs for the fifth wicket, highest against England, to ensure India reached a competitive total. Excellent work by India in the end but is it enough?
Graeme Swann celebrates after taking the wicket of Virat Kohli.
They have won the Test series and are on a high right now. It means they are playing with much more energy, which is helping them. We are playing some good cricket as well and we should do well soon. It is just a matter of time, Ravichandran Ashwin said earlier.That soon better be sooner rather than later...
Parthiv Patel pulls one to the boundary at Lord's.
Rahane, Rohit are fine examples of embedding boundary fetching strokes in their repertoire without going too far away from the fundamentals.3:25 - Patel pulls one firmly behind square and followed it up with a cheeky boundary over Kieswetter off Anderson. Rahane too gets couple of boundaries against Finn in the next over. They are slowly feeling at home here...
Still looking for that win...
It's not like we didn't try. We have been out-played and haven't had the luck at times but the morale is quite good. It is important not to get depressed - MS Dhoni. I agree, they did put up some fight during the third ODI.But they will have to do some more, especially in the bowling department, if they wish to register 'a' win at the Mecca of Cricket.
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