Laxman, Tendulkar & Ashwin take India to comfortable win

India v West Indies, 1st Test, New Delhi, Feroz Shah Kotla

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India 209 (Sehwag 55, Dravid 54, Sammy 3-35) and 276 for 5 (Tendulkar 76, Laxman 58*, Sehwag 55) beatWest Indies 304 (Chanderpaul 118, Brathwaite 63, Ojha 6-72) and 180 (Chanderpaul 47, Sammy 42, Ashwin 6-47) by five wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	He might not have got the much-talked-of hundred, but Sachin Tendulkar set India on their way © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Analysis : The Kotla encore Players/Officials: VVS Laxman | Sachin Tendulkar Matches: India v West Indies at Delhi Series/Tournaments: West Indies tour of India Teams: India | West Indies

India raced through the longish home stretch of 124 runs to register their first win in seven Tests. Anchoring the innings was Sachin Tendulkar, who overtook Rahul Dravid as the leading run-getter in chases, and rushing through it was VVS Laxman, who calmed any nerves there might have been after Dravid's wicket early in the day. Along the way Laxman passed 1000 runs in chases, including an eighth score of fifty or more. It was also the third time since last summer that Laxman was in the middle at the successful completion of a 200-plus chase.

From the moment Darren Sammy slipped down leg twice in the first over of the day, going for eight runs, West Indies began losing whatever little grip they had on the match. Fidel Edwards rejuvenated them momentarily with a reversing inswinger to send Dravid back, but Laxman announced his arrival with two leg-glanced boundaries. Forewarned of the reverse, Laxman played late, without much back lift, and kept the accurate ones from Edwards out.

Helping India was the fact that Edwards, and West Indies as a bowling unit, didn't have the control to exercise the perfect mix of offence and defence required in defending mid-range totals. Laxman continued to ease India through the chase, and when he punched and flicked Edwards for two boundaries in the 56th over, they reached 200 and the contest was all but over. In the first hour of play India smashed 56 runs, including 11 fours. The possibility of Tendulkar's 100th international hundred - overnight he needed 67 out of the 124 India required - was a little thought in the corner of the mind, and that is where it seemed it would remain.

However, the last three of those 11 boundaries were hit by Tendulkar in successive Ravi Rampaul overs, a flick to square leg, a picture-perfect cover drive and a push - a mere push - through point. Tendulkar now needed 41 out of the remaining 67 runs, and with the game relatively secure Laxman eased up a bit. Tendulkar kept picking the boundaries, and Laxman singles, until the equation came down to 24 out of 43 runs required. Then Tendulkar went to pull a Devendra Bishoo googly, and was deceived by the low bounce. Rod Tucker made another correct lbw call in what has been a good match for him.

Along with Tendulkar went any thoughts of extending the first session to get a result before the lunch break. Laxman and Yuvraj Singh didn't want to do anything stupid.

Sammy removed Yuvraj with a shooter when the scores were level and he nearly got MS Dhoni with another grubber next ball, but that could only delay India's third-highest successful chase. West Indies were left with memories of the Jamaica Test earlier this year, when they had caught India cold but failed to convert it into a Test win.

Ra.One Movie Review : What's Worth It?

RA.One review

By Kunal Guha | Movie Reviews – 6 hours ago

G.One clinging by a Mumbai local

Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Armaan Verma, Shahana Goswami, Tom Wu

Directed by Anubhav Sinha

Rating: Not even One

Science fiction is an oxymoron. And when this genre is sprinkled with moronic humour and logic takes a beating from hell, you know you've punched your tickets for 'RA.One'. With metallic blue and red costumes right out of Falguni Pathak's wardrobe, this out-of-console experience offers laughs, dances and androids touching humans in more ways than considered socially acceptable. Insert coin to read more.

The film sweeps us into a video game fantasy where anything is possible (with a 175-crore-budget, it better be). Game developer, Shekhar Subramanium (Shahrukh Khan) wants to earn his son, Prateek's (Armaan Verma) love and respect. And the only thing that gives Prateek joy is to see his joystick twiddling to spell doom for the most vicious video game super-villain ever. So daddy makes a baddie just like that and calls it RA.One (Arjun Rampal). The game also has a not-so-indestructible superhero called G.One (an emotionally challenged Shahrukh). Please read the box carefully for the 25 permutation-combinations in which RA.One and G.One can kill each other (something to do with the heart being in the body and not in the pocket or anywhere else during combat).

Anyway, it gets nasty as our virtual warriors tear out of the game, 'Terminator 2'-style. Also, thanks to some goofy programming, RA.One is hell-bent on killing Prateek. Naturally, G.One has to do the rescuing and being an android, do it without getting teary-eyed or romantic with Prateek's mum, Sonia (Kareena Kapoor). But who said robots can't ham or chant prophetic life-changing verses coded by its master? No.One!

Humour based on linguistic stereotypes may have worked in 'Zabaan Sambhalke' but now it hardly earns a chuckle. This is assuming the average audience intellect dictates that Tamilians don't always say 'Aiyoo' or pronounce 'keys' as 'kiss'. And even if they do, no amount of laughter track can make this seem funny. No.Fun!

'RA.One' does what no other Sci-Fi movie has done before: it mocks itself. So, the superhero who is manually stopping trains in one scene, is also burning his crotch or sneezing out metallic wires in another. No respect.

Shahrukh's robotic expressions will remind you of his 'My Name is Khan' role, as he confuses machines with differently-abled humans. Kareena's character covers the entire gamut of expressions but isn't memorable or mentionable enough to be regarded. Arjun Rampal has bagged his dream role: an android with mechanical expressions who allows his body to do the talking. Good job, Arjun Rampal's body!

The VFX award would go for most battle arenas, inspired from many popular games. It wouldn't go for the local train swishing out of CST station like a PowerPoint slide.

It's convenient to say that if you have no expectations from 'RA.One', you wouldn't be disappointed. But if you feel so little for the film, why go to watch it at all?

England Paid Back!

India v England, 5th ODI, Kolkata

Spinners condemn England to 5-0 whitewash

The Report by Andrew Miller

October 25, 2011

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India 271 for 8 (Dhoni 75*) beat England 176 (Jadeja 4-33, Kieswetter 63) by 95 runs 
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	MS Dhoni bludgeoned England into submission before his spinners sealed the whitewash © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Matches: India v England at Kolkata Series/Tournaments: England tour of India Teams: England | India

England chose a particularly humiliating route to their second 5-0 whitewash in consecutive ODI tours of India, as they allowed their resolve to collapse twice in one match - first with the ball, as MS Dhoni walloped 75 not out from 69 balls to take his series tally to 212 runs without loss - and then with the bat, as they squandered a 20-over scoreline of 129 for 0 to lose all ten of their wickets for 47 runs in exactly 100 deliveries.

India's stars with the ball, as in the first match of the series in Hyderabad, were once again the spinners, Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed 4 for 33 in eight overs, and R Ashwin, 3 for 28 in nine. They joined forces with the part-timers Manoj Tiwary and Suresh Raina, to choke England's innings in a sea of slogs and dot-balls. Of England's last nine batsmen, only Samit Patel (18) and Graeme Swann (10 not out) reached double figures. The rout was sealed with 13 overs to spare when Steven Finn top-edged an Ashwin carrom ball to the keeper and triumphant captain, Dhoni.

For the first two-fifths of the innings, England's progress could hardly have been more serene. Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter saved their best performances of the series for the very last gasp. Kieswetter brought up his half-century from 49 balls - and England's 100 with it - with a savage carve through the covers off Varun Aaron, and Cook was scarcely any tardier, reaching his own milestone from 51. For the majority of their stand, England were consistently 20 runs ahead of the required rate, without having needed to take any risks whatsoever.

The innings, however, was derailed by the extra pace of Aaron, who came round the wicket to extract Cook's off stump for 60 from 61 balls - the exact same score he had managed in the first match at Hyderabad. Eight balls later, Kieswetter followed suit for a run-a-ball 63, as Jadeja pinned him lbw on the front foot, and suddenly the innings was wide open.

Bell, playing in his first match of the series after Kevin Pietersen had been ruled out with a chipped bone in his thumb, scratched around for 2 from six balls before snicking Ashwin to the keeper, and three balls later, all hope had been truly lost when Jonathan Trott, England's likeliest middle-order ballast, pushed loosely at Jadeja and edged a simple chance to slip for 5.

Smart stats This is only the third time that India have achieved a 5-0 verdict in a bilateral ODI series. The two earlier instances were against England (2008-09) and New Zealand (2010-11). For England, it's their third such drubbing in a bilateral series. England's last nine wickets added only 47 runs, which is their lowest aggregate in ODIs. Only four times have England had a higher first-wicket stand in an ODI that they've lost. They also had a 129-run stand in the 1979 World Cup final, which they lost by 92 runs. MS Dhoni has 50 scores of fifty or more in ODIs. Onlythree other wicketkeeper-batsmen have achieved this feat in ODIs. Dhoni joined a list of two other batsmen who've remained unbeaten throughout a series, after batting four or more innings and scoring 200 or more runs.

In Jadeja's next over, England's innings went even further off-track, as the overawed Jonny Bairstow tried to hit his way out of trouble but instead skidded a thick outside edge to Ajinkya Rahane at backward point. Ravi Bopara squandered the chance to be a hero when he was bowled round his legs for a 16-ball 4 by Raina, and Tim Bresnan - so often England's most combative tailender - confirmed the general air of surrender when he chipped a loose drive off Tiwary for a fourth-ball duck.

Long before the final indignity, England had already blown their best chance to salvage some pride in the series thanks to another scruffy fielding performance which undermined another superb display of fast bowling from England's only shining light of the series, Finn. From a comfortable 71 for 0 after 15 overs, India slumped to 81 for 3 in the subsequent bowling Powerplay, with Finn sparking the loss of three wickets for no runs in ten balls with a brilliant double-wicket maiden.

First to go was Gautam Gambhir for 38, in near-identical fashion to his dismissal by Finn at Mumbai, as a lifting delivery outside off nipped off the inside edge and into the stumps. Then, after welcoming Virat Kohli with a series of excellent deliveries in the channel outside off, he bowled him with a final-ball beauty that zipped off the seam and crashed into off stump as the batsman offered no stroke.

Four balls and no runs later, and Tim Bresnan was into the act as well, as Kieswetter atoned for an earlier drop with a soaring leap to his right to cling on to a flying edge. A second consecutive maiden for Finn was then followed by an equally frugal first over from Bopara, and India's collapse should have been four wickets for one run in 25 balls when Swann at second slip dropped an absolute dolly off Suresh Raina.

India needed no further invitation to make England pay. Raina was eventually run out for 38 from 46 balls when his bat bounced in the crease as a direct hit came in from square leg, but it was the crunching hitting of the irrepressible Dhoni that left England's prospects in the dust. He saved his most savage assault for the new boy, Meaker, whom he battered for a massive six over wide long-on in a penultimate over that went for 21. Patel fared scarcely any better in the 50th of the innings, in which a further 18 runs were scalped.

By the end of it all, Dhoni had added 330 ODI runs since England last dismissed him at The Oval in September, and his personal dominance was a perfect reflection of a series in which the tables of the summer had been emphatically turned.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP1 PP2 PP3 Last 10 overs NB/Wides India 165 25 5 41 for 0 10 for 3 28 for 1 91 for 3 0/8 England 137 20 2 62 for 0 10 for 4 9 for 3 DNP 0/5

It's payback time

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India v England, second ODI, Delhi

Just the pick-me-up an India fan needs

October 18, 2011

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	Virat Kohli: The Spartan centurion © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Report : Bowlers, Kohli secure emphatic India victory Players/Officials: Virat Kohli | Vinay Kumar Matches: India v England at Delhi Series/Tournaments: England tour of India Teams: England | India

Choice of game
This series has been billed as "payback" for the miseries India suffered in England. Being one of the many Indian fans who went through a phase of severe depression during the England tour, I decided watching the team win from the stands would serve as an antidote. Considering the performance in the first one-dayer in Hyderabad, I thought an easy victory was on the cards for India.

I also desperately wanted to witness the debut of Varun Aaron, who is from my city Jamshedpur, but I guess that will have to wait now.

Key performer
For most of the game it seemed Vinay Kumar would get the title, for his spirited bowling performance. Then Virat Kohli walked in at a slightly tricky situation, and played an innings full of confidence and swagger. He turned the victory into a cakewalk and, for me, played the most influential role in the game.

One thing I'd have changed
The last time I had watched India play at Kotla, the match was abandoned due to poor condition of the pitch following a Sudeep Tyagi bouncer. The only thing I hoped was to get a full game, and I was relieved to witness that. I would have loved to see a close contest, something like the encounter in the World Cup, but will take the easy victory as the next best alternative.

Face-off I relished
Given that both teams are devoid of regular star players, there were hardly any match- ups worth discussing, unless you are really excited about Kieswetter v Vinay Kumar. Kohli against Graeme Swann was a face-off I thought would be interesting, but the moment Kohli stepped out and hit that exquisite drive through the covers, there was only going to be one winner.

Wow moment
In a relatively low-key and mostly uneventful match, there were few moments that really provided that "wow" factor. One that might qualify is the ball off which Vinay Kumar dismissed Craig Kieswetter, and the England scorecard read 0 for 2, leading to delirious celebrations in the crowd.

Shot of the day
I enjoyed watching Kevin Pietersen hit a straight six off Ravindra Jadeja and Kohli drive Swann. But one shot that stood out was a cracking pull by Kohli off Jade Dernbach. It was like a statement to the English bowlers to leave the short-pitched stuff back in England. You could almost sense a Gerard Butler-like reaction from Kohli, with his bat pointing menacingly: "THIS IS INDIA!"

Crowd meter
Many people, me included, only realised a week ago that Delhi was hosting a match. The stands started to fill towards evening once people got off work, and India started their innings. Still, I do not think it was more than 70% full.

There were the odd attempts to start a Mexican Wave, and some feeble "India, India" chants. The fans around me were either busy on their phones, telling their acquaintances how to spot them on TV, even describing in detail the colour of their clothes, or taking photographs to display on Facebook.

Fancy-dress index
One fan did a Ganguly, waving his shirt madly, hoping to feature on TV. I am not sure if his stunt worked.

Banner of the day
The only ones I saw were pre-printed by sponsors. One of them read, "A few losses do not bother champions" while another read, "Men in Blue will stick England in glue". Kindergarten stuff. Ironically, the second banner was torn in the middle and needed some glue itself

Overall
The comprehensive Indian victory served my purpose. I would have loved it if the stands had been packed, and there was a bit more excitement in the game.

Marks out of 10
7 for an easy Indian win and an exquisite Kohli century.