Star Group clinches Indian cricket's broadcast rights

 

Star Group today beat competition from Multi Screen Media (Sony) to bag six-year broadcast and digital rights of India's international cricket matches at home and domestic events like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and the Irani Trophy.

Star, in collaboration with ESPNCricinfo, bagged the broadcast, internet and mobile rights in India for a period of six years starting from July 2012 till March 2018.
The Rupert Murdoch-owned company's six-year contract is valued at Rs 3851 crore and will cover 96 matches in all.

It would be coughing up Rs 40 crore per match on an average much higher than the Rs 32.5 crore per match that Nimbus was paying the BCCI before its contract was terminated last year due to default in payments.

Star and Multi Screen Media (Sony) were the only two companies to make the bids but a total of five had filed the tenders.

"The BCCI is very happy with the deal. Now the media rights have been fully evaluated and fully priced with Star coming out with a such a deal," BCCI President N Srinivasan told reporters while making the announcement.

The second highest bidder was Multi Screen Media (Sony), which bid Rs 3700 crore.
"Following a transparent process of verifying the eligibility of each bidder, the winner was chosen," Srinivasan said.Star Group's India CEO Uday Shankar promised that the company would provide good telecast of the matches.

"I thank the BCCI for giving Star the broadcast rights. In collaboration with our partnbers ESPN, we will do a commendable job," he said.

"We have already got channels. But the option of launching a channel if number of matches demand that is always open," he added.

ESPN-Star already have the rights of all ICC events and also the rights of domestic cricket in England and Australia.

The BCCI's marketing committee had set the price for category A games at Rs 31.25 crore per match (approx USD 6.1 million) plus Rs 1 crore (approx USD 0.2 million), while category B games were set at Rs 34 crore (approx USD 6.67 million) plus Rs 1 crore.
The board failed in its attempt to sell the internet rights separately last year, as the initial base price of Rs 3 crore and the subsequently reduced price of Rs 2 crore found no takers.

The matter has subsequently been referred for arbitration, with the Bombay High Court ruling that Nimbus must deposit Rs 305 crore (approx USD 60 million) with the court as security for the amount the BCCI claims it is owed by the company.

Nimbus has also made a counter-claim of Rs 600 crore (approx USD 118 million) from the board

Memories of WC triumph will last forever: Tendulkar

India might have completed their first anniversary of the World Cup triumph today, but the memories of the historical feat has left an everlasting impression on Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar, who was vital to India's success in the World Cup a year back, said that he will cherish the memories of the triumph throughout his life.

"Time flies but memories last forever. What a day it was!!! 02-04-2011," tweeted Tendulkar as the country celebrates the first anniversary of its second World Cup triumph.

Exactly on the same day a year ago, India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to lift the World Cup after a gap of 28 long years.
Tendulkar's World Cup-winning teammate Virender Sehwag also recollected the memories of the historic feat and thanked the cricket-crazy fans of the nation and the BCCI for their enormous support.

"Can't believe its been a year since we were crowned the World Champs! Everyone contributed to the dream spcly the supporting fans! Thank you," he tweeted.
"A big hug to each and every team member including the support staff.

"A special thanks to the BCCI for being sensitive to our needs and providing us whatever we requested," Sehwag wrote on his twitter page.

‘World Cup win changed our lives’

 

'You will matter when it matters the most’ are the words Sachin Tendulkar told Yuvraj Singh and those words served as an inspiration for the dashing all-rounder during India’s World Cup triumph last year.

On the eve of India’s first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj, who is recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, revealed that Tendulkar had a crucial role to play in his man-of-the-series winning performance during last year’s mega-event.

Yuvraj recalled that he was not in the best of form and fitness coming into the World Cup, but Tendulkar and speedster Zaheer Khan’s pep talks motivated him to do something special in the quadrennial event.

“Couldn’t have asked for anything better. I didn’t expect myself to play as well as I did in the World Cup. I was coming in without form and I wasn’t timing the ball how I wanted to,” he said in a video interview posted on his twitter account about his thoughts on the World Cup anniversary. “In my tough times, I just spoke to Sachin about my issues with batting and form and fitness, and he told me that you will matter when it matters the most. That is a very special thought, it remains with me.

“I remember I have a picture of me and Tendulkar together which I have put in my locker. I used to have a look at that picture and go into bat. He is my inspiration,” Yuvraj said.

“Zaheer Khan also told me in Bangladesh before the World Cup about me doing something special in the World Cup. That time I was going through a bad wrist injury,” he added.

As India complete the first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj described the feat as a “cherished and special moment”.

“All you can remember is flying colours of the flag, Wankhede stadium (the host of the World Cup final) in joy and an Indian dream coming to reality. It was a great moment in history because winning the World Cup was everything to us and especially to do it for Sachin Tendulkar,” he recollects in the video. “It (World Cup triumph) will always be a very special memory for me and all the Indians. It is a cherished memory which we will always keep in our hearts,’’ he added. Post World Cup, Yuvraj went through the toughest phase of his life after he was diagnosed with cancer. But he is now recovering from fatal disease after having discharged from the hospital in Indianapolis in the US on March 18 following the completion of the third and final cycle of chemotherapy. “It (World Cup) did change everybody’s life. I didn’t expect that I would land up here after the World Cup but that’s life,” he said.

“I was at the peak of my career when I was diagnosed with cancer, but now I am treated and absolutely fine. I am thankful to my guruji, my mother. It has been a tough journey but I am lucky that the cancer was detected at an early stage and I got cured. Now I just want to live my life like a normal person, just want to celebrate life,” he said.

Yuvraj also thanked his fans for standing behind him in such a difficult phase of his life and said he is now raring to return to the ground. “I can’t thank everyone enough for all the prayers and wishes. I have been watching everyone praying across the cities back home for me. The support has been amazing, I couldn’t have asked for more. I actually realised how loved I am,” he said.

“I just want to tell all that I am good and will be back to normal health soon. I am looking forward to playing for India again,’’ Yuvraj concluded.

Tendulkar hands over MI captaincy to Harbhajan Singh

 

Sachin Tendulkar today decided to hand over the captaincy of Mumbai Indians in the fifth edition of IPL to Harbhajan Singh following a discussion with the management of Mumbai Indians.

"Sachin Tendulkar in discussion with the management of Mumbai Indians has decided to hand over the responsibilities of captaining Mumbai Indians in Season V of the Indian Premier League to ace off spinner Harbhajan Singh," a press release issued by Mumbai Indians stated.

"The Mumbai Indians is more than a team. It is like a family to me. At this point of time, I feel I need a break from the responsibility of captaincy of the Mumbai Indians. After due consideration, I discussed my intention to hand over the Captainship of the team to Harbhajan Singh, with Mukeshbhai and Nitabhabhi," Tendulkar was quoted in the media release.

Tendulkar further stated, "I was touched by the graciousness and wholehearted support they offered me while emphasising that they would accept any decision which helps me to continue enjoying the game. Harbhajan will have my wholehearted support as the senior most player in the team."


Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani termed it as a "difficult moment when Sachin expressed his desire to relinquish the captaincy."

"But we believe that Sachin is the best judge on such matters and hence, as always, we fully support his decison. I have learnt a lot during the last three seasons working with Sachin closely.

Sachin is the soul of Mumbai Indians, and I am sure he will guide Bhajji as he takes on the responsibility of captaining Mumbai Indians," Nita Ambani said.

Harbhajan termed this as a "huge honour" as he thanked Sachin and Mrs Ambani for entrusting this responsibility.

"Sachin paaji spoke to me about his decision of wanting me to take over the responsibility of the team. It is huge honour and I thank Paaji and Nita Bhabhi for the faith reposed in my abilities", he said.

"Mumbai Indians is a great team with explosive talent and promising youngsters. I am committed to do the very best and look forward to leading the team to play to its full potential during the season," Harbhajan added.

Ankle injury rules Smith out of IPL

South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith will miss the upcoming Indian Premier League to undergo an ankle surgery, CSA said in a statement on Sunday.

Smith, who was due to play for Pune Warriors in the IPL starting on Wednesday, will undergo a surgery on his left ankle, which has been troubling him over the last two months.
Cricket South Africa informed that the decision to operate upon Smith was taken after consultation with the Board’s ankle specialist, who detected an impingement syndrome of the ankle.

“Graeme went to see CSA’s ankle specialist in Cape Town this weekend and he confirmed that the best management of the chronic pain in his ankle is surgery,” South African team manager, Mohammed Moosjee said in a statement issued by the Board.

“The recovery period after such a surgery usually takes 8-10 weeks, and he will subsequently not be able to represent Pune Warriors at the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India.”

The surgery will be performed next Tuesday, in order to allow for sufficient recovery and rehabilitation ahead of the South Africa’s tour of England in July.
“I’m very disappointed to be missing out on the IPL this year,” Smith said.

“I was looking forward to my second season with Pune Warriors, especially after my knee set me back last season. I would like to wish them all of the best this year. I’m sure the new management and exciting new signings will be a positive boost for the side,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings opening batsman Abhinav Mukund was also ruled out of action for 10 days after he twisted his left ankle during a fielding practice session.
According to a posting on the team’s website quoting team physio Tommy Simsek and manager Russell Radhakrishnan, Mukund was given medical attention on the field and taken for a precautionary X-ray, which revealed he will be out of action for 10 days.

'Batting with Gayle can be intimidating'

Chris Gayle is considered as one of the hardest hitting openers of the game and India vice-captain Virat Kohli feels it’s difficult to emulate the West Indian because matching his exploits is next to impossible.

“I understand that it’s better to play to your own strengths rather than emulating someone like Chris because matching him is almost impossible. Only he can bat like that,” said Kohli. “Chris Gayle is the hardest hitter of the cricket ball in the world,” he added.

Kohli, who shares the dressing room with Gayle as a part of the IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore, however admitted that batting with the talismanic opener could be extremely intimidating. “The most difficult thing is to keep yourself safe!,” he said jokingly. “On a serious note, batting with someone like Gayle can be very intimidating. When you see him batting like that at the other end, you might get bogged down with the pressure of coping with his strike-rate,’’ Kohli added.

“It also works the other way. You don’t need to worry about the scoring rate because he’s doing all the hitting at the other end. You only have to ensure the wickets are intact,” Kohli told IPL’s official website.

Kohli, who had also led the Royal Challengers in the last edition of the IPL in the absence of injured skipper Daniel Vettori, said leading the team was ‘a fun experience’.

Nervous

“I was a bit nervous in the beginning. But once I took the field and started to think as a captain, I was fine. I was very well-supported by everyone in the team in terms of what I planned and what fields I wanted to set. That made me pretty relaxed. It was a fun experience for me,” he revealed.

The 23-year-old lad from Delhi said he would like to imbibe a few qualities from each of his Royal Challengers’ captains. “From Rahul Dravid, I’d want to imbibe his patience. He is very calm and patient under the most pressure-filled situations. If your side is losing, as a captain it’s not easy to control your emotions. But Rahul bhai does it so wonderfully well,’’ he said. “I want Anil Kumble’s competitiveness and the never-say-die attitude. He not only motivates his team but also sets an example for everyone to follow by putting in his 100 per cent effort in the field,’’ he added.

“Vettori’s composure is tremendous. The way he backs his bowlers in crunch times is especially amazing. I’d like to learn that from him,” explained Kohli. Comparing the past and current RCB teams, Kohli said, “Honestly, I think we had the best squad in 2009.

With the quality of players we had then — the likes of Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Ross Taylor, Jacques Kallis, Kevin Pietersen, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn -- it was a really strong side,’’ Kohli said.

“Having said that, even now we have some big names, like AB de Villiers, Zaheer Khan, Chris Gayle and Daniel Vettori. What makes the current team even stronger is that we gel really well as a team,’’ he added.

Despite a busy cricketing calendar, Kohli said he was looking forward to getting back on the cricket field. “Yes, I’m really looking forward to batting again for RCB. IPL has always been a fun time for the players to enjoy some exciting T20 cricket,” the in-form Delhi lad said.

Indian cricket star rejoice on twitter over the first anniversary of World Cup-2011

New Delhi, Mon, 02 Apr 2012

Indian cricket stars who had added a moment of pride for Indian Cricket, today are celebrating the first anniversary of winning moment via expressing their feelings on Twitter.
Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina along with other team mates have twitted on microblogging site and thanked to their fans.
Most of the greets are coming for Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sachin Tendulkar for whom winning the World Cup was a childhood dream, can't believe that the 12 months passed away, has twitted, "Time flies but memories last forever. What a day it was!!! 02-04-2011."
Indian opening batsman Virendra Sehwag twitted, "Can't believe its been a year since we were crowned the World Champs! Everyone contributed to the dream spcly the supporting fans! Thank you."
"A big hug to each and every team member including the support staff. A special thanks to the BCCI for being sensitive to our needs and providing us whatever we requested," Sehwag twitted.
Indian Captain who lifted the coveted World Cup 2011 after the gap of 28 years said that lifting the coveted World Cup 2011 was the most amazing moment of his life instead of hitting the winning six.
India's splendid middle - order batsman Suresh Raina twits "Its a year already & the disbelief continues. The most special date of my life. That moment of euphoria Of madness. Of lifelong inspiration."
Last year on April 02, 2011 at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Indian ODI team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni defeated Sri Lanka in the World Cup final. The team dedicated the win to Sachin Tendulkar who could not hold his tears when he lifted the coveted World Cup 2011.

Star Group clinches Indian cricket's broadcast rights

Star Group today beat competition from Multi Screen Media (Sony) to bag six-year broadcast and digital rights of India's international cricket matches at home and domestic events like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and the Irani Trophy.

Star, in collaboration with ESPNCricinfo, bagged the broadcast, internet and mobile rights in India for a period of six years starting from July 2012 till March 2018.
The Rupert Murdoch-owned company's six-year contract is valued at Rs 3851 crore and will cover 96 matches in all.

It would be coughing up Rs 40 crore per match on an average much higher than the Rs 32.5 crore per match that Nimbus was paying the BCCI before its contract was terminated last year due to default in payments.

Star and Multi Screen Media (Sony) were the only two companies to make the bids but a total of five had filed the tenders.

"The BCCI is very happy with the deal. Now the media rights have been fully evaluated and fully priced with Star coming out with a such a deal," BCCI President N Srinivasan told reporters while making the announcement.

The second highest bidder was Multi Screen Media (Sony), which bid Rs 3700 crore.
"Following a transparent process of verifying the eligibility of each bidder, the winner was chosen," Srinivasan said.Star Group's India CEO Uday Shankar promised that the company would provide good telecast of the matches.

"I thank the BCCI for giving Star the broadcast rights. In collaboration with our partnbers ESPN, we will do a commendable job," he said.

"We have already got channels. But the option of launching a channel if number of matches demand that is always open," he added.

ESPN-Star already have the rights of all ICC events and also the rights of domestic cricket in England and Australia.

The BCCI's marketing committee had set the price for category A games at Rs 31.25 crore per match (approx USD 6.1 million) plus Rs 1 crore (approx USD 0.2 million), while category B games were set at Rs 34 crore (approx USD 6.67 million) plus Rs 1 crore.
The board failed in its attempt to sell the internet rights separately last year, as the initial base price of Rs 3 crore and the subsequently reduced price of Rs 2 crore found no takers.

The matter has subsequently been referred for arbitration, with the Bombay High Court ruling that Nimbus must deposit Rs 305 crore (approx USD 60 million) with the court as security for the amount the BCCI claims it is owed by the company.

Nimbus has also made a counter-claim of Rs 600 crore (approx USD 118 million) from the board

de Villiers, Clarke new No.1 Test batsmen

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Dubai: AB de Villiers and Michael Clarke have jointly displaced Kumar Sangakkara – who scored 0 and 14 in the recent Galle Test – at the top of the ICC’s rankings for Test batsmen, following their strong showings in South Africa’s and Australia’s most recent Test series.
Scores of 83 in South Africa’s nine-wicket win in Hamilton and 38 and 68 in the drawn third Test in Wellington gave de Villiers 35 points and a jump of two places to reach No. 1 for the first time in his 74-match career. While Clarke has not played Test cricket since January – when Australia beat India 4-0 – he has gained from Sangakkara’s poor show in Galle, moving up to share the top spot with de Villiers. This is the second time Clarke has reached No. 1 in the ICC’s rankings for Test batsmen, the previous instance being in August 2009.

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Mahela Jayawardene and Jonathan Trott, who scored centuries in the Galle Test, were the biggest movers in the last few days. Jayawardene, who made 180 in the first innings, gained seven places to move to 19th, while Trott, who scored a fourth-innings century in a losing cause, has moved up six places to No. 9. New Zealand’s captain Ross Taylor gained three places to move to No. 10.
Jacques Kallis has lost his second position and is now down to third following an average in New Zealand. The other batsmen to slip are South Africa captain Graeme Smith (12th), England’s Alastair Cook (14th), Kevin Pietersen (22nd) and Matt Prior (24th) and New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum (25th).
In the rankings for bowlers, South Africa’s Vernon Philander has been the biggest beneficiary with a jump of 11 places to fifth, a career-best position for him. He is the third South Africa bowler in the top 10, with Dale Steyn firmly holding the No. 1 position and Morne Morkel at 10th after slipping one place. Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, Man of the Match in Galle for his 12 wickets, also rose six places to seventh, a career-best ranking for him.
England retained their No. 1 status in the teams’ rankings despite a poor show in the first Test. They will have to win the second Test in Colombo to retain their position. If England lose the series 2-0, they will drop from 118 ratings points to 113– three points behind South Africa – while a 1-0 defeat will see them slip to 114 ratings points.
Australia, who begin their three-Test series against hosts West Indies next month, will replace India at third in case of a series win. However, if they win 3-0 and England lose 2-0 against Sri Lanka, both teams will be equal on 113 ratings points. In that case, the Aussies will take the second place on the basis of calculation beyond the decimal point.

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road out of SL tour, doubtful for IPL

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Galle: England seamer Stuart Broad is all set to fly home after being ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a calf strain. Broad played in England's defeat in Galle despite struggling with a sprain to his left ankle before the first Test and injured his calf during the 75-run defeat, in which he managed just two wickets.
The sprain could affect Broad's participation in the IPL which starts April 4, for the second year in a row. He had signed a three-year deal with King's XI Punjab but missed the 2011 edition because of a stomach injury sustained during the World Cup.

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement read: "England pace bowler Stuart Broad has been ruled of the final Test against Sri Lanka after a scan on Friday that confirmed a right calf strain. Broad will be back in London, immediately for further assessment before beginning a rehabilitation programme which will determine his availability including the IPL."
With just Tuesday's second Test left on their tour of Sri Lanka, England have not sent anyone for his replacement, leaving Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn to battle for a place in the side for the final Test. Punjab open their IPL campaign on April 6 against Rajasthan Royals.

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Ryan ten Doeschate questions MS Dhoni's Eden remarks

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Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders' Dutch allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate on Friday took a dig at India's skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for criticising the Eden Gardens' track last year.
"How can [MS] Dhoni criticise the wicket at Eden? The wicket at Chennai is one of the slowest in the country." Doeschate said on Dhoni's criticism in which he had said that Eden's wicket was slow and not fit for Twenty20 tournaments. "It suits us and we will have home advantage," the Netherlands' international said after a practice session at the ground.

AFP

Dhoni had described the Eden strip as "ugly-looking" when it hosted an ODI and a Twenty20 international against England late last year. A few days later, when Eden hosted India and West Indies in a Test, Dhoni criticised it for being too flat and without any turn and bounce.
Doeschate, who scored two tons for the Netherlands in the last World Cup including the one against England at Nagpur, said he was confident that KKR would reach the IPL's playoffs this time around. "We came quite close last year. This time there are some new players and I am confident that we would be able to go further in this IPL," he said. "My role is to be a good support player. In the present squad we have players like Gautam Gambhir and Jacques Kallis. Besides, new recruits like Sunil Narine is also likely to come in handy this time. So we can push for place in the final."

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I didn't compromise fitness for IPL' - Clarke

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Melbourne: Australian captain Michael Clarke has made it clear that he did not compromise his fitness by opting to sign a lucrative contract with the Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Clarke was reported to have agreed to the deal after being offered a staggering $1 million for six games. The Aussie captain is scheduled to have a three-week break before Australia embark on a tour of England in June and July.

He will have a further eight-week break before Australia play Pakistan in four ODIs and two Twenty20 matches in August, tentatively scheduled to be held in the neutral venue of Sri Lanka.
"Representing Australia always comes first for me. I wouldn't do anything that would physically jeopardise that and I've made that very clear," Clarke said.
"I'll be having a good break this winter. If there was ever a time for me to have a go at playing in the IPL, it's now." Clarke was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.
Previously, Clarke had resisted the riches of the the IPL to focus on national duty. Clarke will replace Yuvraj Singh, who was this month discharged from a US hospital after a third round of chemotherapy for a rare germ cell cancer. He will join fellow Australians Steve Smith and James Hopes at the Pune franchise.

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Live Score: India 71/0 as rain stops play

Cricketnext.com

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India innings:
If the match gets going then it will help India in the chase with D/L coming into play. The match not happening will be a disappointment for both the teams, specially India to fly down for a one-off Twenty20.

8th over: Rain stops play at the Wanderers. India are 71 for no loss. But, India are currently behind on D/L by 11 runs. Hopefully the clouds will be blown away and the match will get underway soon.
7th over: No stopping Gambhir tonight. He is playing shots round the clock and boundaries are coming thick and fast for India. Lets see when is Uthappa going to shift gears.
6th over: Wayne Parnell bowls an economical over by giving away just four runs. This Parnell over might induce a wicket in the next over. India 51 for no loss.
4th over: 40 for 0. This is the kind of start India was looking for and the openers are doing their job well. Gambhir looks to be in fine touch and Uthappa just playing second fiddle to him.
2nd over: Gambhir takes the attack to Albie Morkel and plunders 16 runs from the over. In the second innings also the track is absolutely fine for batting.
1st over: Lonwabo Tsotsobe bowled a tight line and length, but the Indian openers Uthappa and Gambhir looked in no hurry. India are seven for no loss.
South Africa innings:
20th over: South Africa end up with a massive total of 219 for 4. 26 runs came from the last over of their innings. Three huge sixes, two boundaries and a wicket came off Raina's over. Justin Ontong was the man to depart in the last over after scoring 22. Meanwhile Albie Morkel hit two sixes and a boundary from his three balls.
Justin Ontong b Raina 22 (7)
18th over: Finally Ingram departs! Raina picked up the big wicket but is too little too late? Ingram walks back after a well-made 78 from just 50 balls. He slogged him and Rohit does really well to time his dive at deep midwicket and pluck it from the thin air. South Africa 179 for 3
C Ingram c Sharma b Raina 78 (50)
17th over: Big big over for South Africa. Twenty runs were scored with Ingram going berserk hitting two crisp boundaries and a big six over deep backward point. South Africa 168 for 2.
15th over: Finally a wicket for India! Kallis departs after a blinder. Kallis got on his knee and tried to slog it over deep midwicket, but failed to clear the boundary, Rohit took a smart catch. South Africa 141 for 2
J Kallis c Sharma b Ashwin 61(42)
14th over: Another expensive over, this time by part-time bowler Virat Kohli. Fifteen runs were scored and in the process Jacques Kallis and Colin Ingram brought up their respective fifties and a hundred-run stand.
12th over: No hiding for Indian bowlers at all. Rohit Sharma was brought into the attack but Kallis and Ingram smacked him all over the park. One huge six and a boundary came off the over. South Africa 108 for 1. Productive overs for South Africa with boundary or a six being scored every over.
11th over: This time it's Ingram who hits it for maximum. South Africans punishing Indian bowlers for loose and wayward stuff. It's an excellent batting surface. Eleven runs came off the over. South Africa 94 for 1.
8th over: Kallis not holding back as he gave a Full Monty to offspinner Yusuf Pathan. Yusuf tossed it up and Kallis took few paces forward and lofted the ball over long-on.
7th over: Ingram and Kallis look solid in the middle with the duo picking at least a boundary every over. Ten runs were scored from the over. Indian bowlers feeling the pressure in the middle. South Africa 65 for 1
6th over: Ashwin was brought in by MS Dhoni to put the break into the scoring rate. Eight runs came off the over with Ingram hitting one solid sweep shot for four at square leg area.
5th over: Runs coming at a brisk pace for South Africa. Kallis took charge to the Indian bowlers. Ten runs came from the over that included two classy boundaries off Vinay Kumar. South Africa progress to 47 for 1 after five overs.
4th over: Another good over for the home team as Ingram took charge of the proceedings this time around. Eight runs came form the over that included one crisp boundary off Pathan. South Africa reach 37 for 1
3rd over: Vinay Kumar was brought into the attack by MS Dhoni and he troubled the left-hander Colin Ingram with his gentle away wingers. Just two runs came from the over.
2nd over: Another expensive over by Team India but they picked up a crucial wicket of dangerous Levi who smacked back-to-back boundaries off Irfan Pathan before edging it straight to Rohit Sharma at first slip. South Africa 27 for 1 after 2.
Richard Levi c Sharma b Pathan 19 (7)
1st over: Richard Levi gave South Africa a flying start as he notched up two boundaries off Indian pacer Praveen Kumar, who was a bit wayward with his line and length. South Africa are 13 for 0.
South African opening pair of Jacques Kallis and Richard Levi start the proceedings for the hosts.
20:55: Farhaan Behardian and Dane Vilas will be making their debuts for South Africa, while for India Robin Uthappa makes a return to the team.
20:40: India's skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl against South Africa in the one-off Twenty20.
This match is being hosted to mark the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Indian settlement in South Africa.
Welcome to the one-off Twenty match between South Africa and India in Johannesburg.
Teams:
South Africa: Richard Levi, Jacques Kallis, Colin Ingram, Farhaan Behardien, Justin Ontong, Albie Morkel, Dane Vilas(w), Johan Botha(c), Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Juan Theron
India: Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar

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#Johan Botha, #MS Dhoni #India, #South Africa

Indian team did not plan well for England, Australia: Raina

A permanent member of the one-day team, Suresh Raina said he is eager to seal his spot in the Test side as well. (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: India batsman Suresh Raina on Thursday admitted that poor planning resulted in his team's recent Test series whitewash against England and Australia.


"No excuse when you play at the international level, you have to perform really well against the good opposition. I think we did not plan really well against the Aussies and England. We learnt from those mistake and moved to good cricket," said Raina.


"We have done really well in one-day cricket. Hopefully, we'll improve our cricket in Test matches also. As a team, we have always done well but we have to do well in Test matches especially in abroad.


"We lost eight Test matches in a row. Hopefully, we do well in the abroad series and work really hard in the Test series," Raina told Times Now.


India were whitewashed 0-4 by England in the four-match Test series last year and they finished the entire tour without a single win.


In December, India went to Australia as the second-ranked Test nation and reigning World Cup champions but returned home after a 0-4 drubbing in the Test series and also failed to make it to the finals of the tri-nation ODI series involving Sri Lanka.


A permanent member of the one-day team, Raina said he is eager to seal his spot in the Test side as well.


"I led the team and we won the one-day series in West Indies. I did well there in the Test matches. I am looking forward to play in Test matches as well," he said.


Asked about India's most promising batting talent Virat Kohli, Raina said, "He is a good player. As a finisher, I think he has always showed great character and responsibility.


"Whenever he got the chance he has always delivered. He has been nominated as the vice captain and I think he will do well when he gets the chance to become a captain of the side," he said.


With the fifth IPL starting on April 4, Raina said he is confident of doing well for his side -- defending champions Chennai Super Kings.


"We would be playing in the IPL after one-off T20 game in South Africa. I am looking forward to it and will do well this season."

India-Sri Lanka World Cup final was not sold out

According to a report, 405 tickets remained unsold and these include 96 tickets in the Sunil Gavaskar stand (lower) at a cost of Rs 1,500 each. (AFP Photo)

MUMBAI: The cricket World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka last April was not a sold out match as at least 405 tickets remained unsold, it has been reported.

According to a report, accessed by a cricket website, 405 tickets remained unsold and these include 96 tickets in the Sunil Gavaskar stand (lower) at a cost of Rs 1,500 each.

The total value of the unsold tickets was Rs 73.4 lakhs, though it was claimed that it was a sold out match.

When contacted, an MCA official said, "May be because of security reasons, some tickets were kept, but I don't know."

Ratnakar Shetty, the tournament director for the World Cup and MCA vice-president, also refused to anything on the matter.

"This is not something we need to discuss with the media and that the issue would be dealt with by the association's managing committee, which is scheduled to meet on March 31," he said.

India had won the World Cup with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni finishing off the match with a six off paceman Nuwan Kulasekara.

The MCA's report shows that a total of 31,118 tickets were up for sale, though only about 4000 of those were available to the general public because the association was contractually obligated to offer tickets to the ICC and its member clubs.

India may slip to fourth position in ICC Test rankings

With Australia eyeing a series win against the West Indies during the three Tests, starting in Bridgetown on April 7, India's current position is under threat. (TOI Photo)

DUBAI: Whitewashed in two consecutive Test series, India are all set to lose a spot and slip to number fourth position in the ICC Test Championship table.

With Australia eyeing a series win against the West Indies during the three Tests, starting in Bridgetown on April 7, India's current position is under threat.

While a series win will put Australia ahead of India in third position, a 3-0 series win will put Australia on equal points with England on 113 ratings points (if England lose 2-0 to Sri Lanka).

And when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point, then Australia will be placed above England in second position as it will have a rating of 113.10 against England's rating of 113.045.

England, meanwhile, find themselves in a must-win situation in the Colombo Test if they have to retain the number one position.

England's victory will keep them ahead of South Africa by a fraction of a point but their failure to win the Test will make South Africa as the new ranked side.

If England lose the series 2-0, they will drop from 118 ratings points to 113 ratings points - three points behind South Africa - while a 1-0 defeat will mean they will slip to 114 ratings points.

Meanwhile, South Africa's AB de Villiers has reached the numero uno batting position for the first time in his career where he has been joined by Australia captain Michael Clarke in the rankings.

In ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, South African Vernon Philander is continuing his climb up the chart. The fast bowler had figures of four for 70 and six for 44 in Hamilton and six for 81 and none for 29 in Wellington.

Philander has gained 148 ratings points, which has not only given him a career-best rating of 764 but also led to a jump of 11 places that puts him in a career-best fifth position.

In Test all-rounders' list, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is in the No. 1 spot.

South Africa's Jacques Kallis, right, reacts after reaching his half-century as teammate Colin Ingram looks on during the Twenty20 International match against India. (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Chasing a massive 220-run target, openers Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa gave India a solid start against South Africa in the one-off Twenty20 game in Johannesburg on Friday.


Scorecard


India raced to fifty in 5.5 overs.


Sent in to bat, Colin Ingram (78) and Jacques Kallis (61) helped South Africa set 220-run target for India.


The duo added magnificent 119-run partnership for the second wicket to set up a strong platform for a big total as the hosts compiled 219/4 in their 20 overs. It was South Africa's highest score in Twenty20 Internationals.


Surprisingly, part-timer Suresh Raina was asked to bowl the final over and he conceded massive 21 runs in the end.


Ingram smashed three huge sixes and eight boundaries in his quick-fire 50 balls innings whereas, Kallis hit two sixes and five fours in his impressive 42-ball 61 knock.


Raina scalped the important wicket of in-form Ingram to reduce South Africa to 168/3 in 17.1 overs after R Ashwin gave India a crucial breakthrough when he dismissed Kallis in the 15th over.


Kallis raced to his fifty off 36 balls soon after Ingram scored his maiden T20 fifty off 38 balls in the previous delivery. Ingram slammed a six and six boundaries for his fifty.


Pacer Irfan Pathan struck in his first over to give India an early breakthrough. Irfan dismissed opener Richard Levi (19) to put a break on the South Africa's blistering start.


Levi hit four boundaries in his seven-ball short stay before Irfan reduced Proteas to 22/1 in 1.4 overs.


Earlier, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the toss and decided to field against the hosts on Friday.


Robin Uthappa returned for India after a while for the match whereas, Farhaan Behardian and Dane Vilas are making their debuts for South Africa.


The match is being organised to commemorate 150 years of the settlement of the Indians in South Africa but its scheduling did raise a lot of eyebrows.


Teams


India: RV Uthappa, G Gambhir, V Kohli, RG Sharma, SK Raina, MS Dhoni (capt/wk), YK Pathan, IK Pathan, R Ashwin, P Kumar, R Vinay Kumar


South Africa: RE Levi, JH Kallis, CA Ingram, J Botha (capt), JA Morkel, F Behardien, JL Ontong, DJ Vilas (wk), WD Parnell, J Theron, F du Plessis


Umpires: JD Cloete and S George
TV umpire: AT Holdstock
Match referee: BC Broad
Reserve umpire: KH Hurter

Ind vs SA: India off to a brisk start against 

South Africa