Category Archives: Sports
Federer opens Australian Open 2013 with a customary win
Roger Federer came into the Australian Open 2013 without playing any warm up tournaments. His first round match against Paire though was an easy one. He took the Frenchman down in straight sets and got himself back into rhythm. The bigger test awaits him though.
Indian Cricket – the way forward…
Tweet Test cricket at home has been an emotional thing for all of us. We made it difficult for teams to come here and win. We won many series, we drew the others. But one hardly hears of a home series loss in India. Teams came and Teams went. Very few could break the jinx – and fewer deciphered the codes behind test cricket in the sub continent. All this talk becomes void from tomorrow. England have beaten India convincingly 2-1 at home. India has lost its ‘invincible at home’ tag. India has let down a billion people who watch
Bertrand Grospellier: French Poker Fiend
TweetBertrand Grospellier: French Poker Fiend Croissants and Remembrance of Things Past aren’t only the things the French have given the world. The most popular card game in the world today also has French roots. Modern poker traces its origin in poque, a card game that became popular in France in the 17th century. The game made its way to the United States via the French settlers in New Orleans in the 19th century, where it became a common game among saloon habitués. The love for poker among the French is alive even in the age of the internet. In a
What can the Indians play?
Tweet The best thing about truth is that it rubs into your face when you least expect it. That’s what has happened to the Indian Cricket Team after losing the Mumbai Test against England. Before the series began, there were premature cries of how this series would be a battle to seek revenge. All those voices have been silenced now – silenced by a patch of thoroughly professional cricket from the Pommies. Whether the Indian Team considered this series to be a quest for revenge or not is a matter of least importance. What matters is the fact that the
A Sehwag Comeback!
TweetVirender Sehwag would have spent the last few weeks in eager anticipation of the first Test. The absence of spinners in the warm up games and BCCI troubles with the media had taken the limelight before the start of this test match. But few would believe that the Indian team would have had anything else on their mind apart from the Test series. Sehwag, in particular, would have wanted to get back on the pitch – only to undo the poor form he exhibited in England and Australia last year. With quick bowlers bowling on green tops, Sehwag was never
ANGELO MATHEWS
Tweet PLAYER RATING: 82 THE VALUABLE WEAPON In all probabilities, Angelo Mathews is the most valuable weapon in Sri Lanka’s armoury. Talking about the bowling, Mathews would have a handy role to play in the first few overs. One shouldn’t be surprised even if he comes on to bowl with the new ball. Jayawardene usually saves Malinga’s spell for the death overs. With the pitch in Colombo and Pallekele expected to offer seam and bounce early on, the option of opening with a spinner is not worth considering. It leaves Jayawardene to open the bowling with Kulasekara and another all-rounder
KUMAR SANGAKKARA
Tweet PLAYER RATING: 71 IT’S TIME TO REST After being struck by a bouncer from Ashok Dinda in the third ODI, Kumar Sangakkara had to pull out of the rest of the Indian tour and subsequently the SLPL. The hairline fracture in his hand is one that he will rue as it denied him a chance to experience the first edition of the nation’s domestic tournament. Although Sri Lanka tremendously missed Sangakkara’s exploits with the bat, Mahela Jayawardene said that the positive note from the injury was the fact that it gave Sangakkara time to rest before the World T20.
LASITH MALINGA
TweetPLAYER RATING: 78 Once upon a time, Lasith Malinga was a deadly death bowler. At times, when great batsman slog bowlers all over the ground, Malinga would be treated with respect – just digging his deliveries for singles or twos and leaving the big shots for the other end. But this equation has changed slightly over the past year, atleast with respect to a few teams. THE TOE CRUNCHING YORKER There is a mechanism behind Malinga’s toe crunching Yorker. It isn’t an ordinary Yorker which a Dale Steyn or a Zaheer Khan bowls. Malinga has a low arm action. He
MAHELA JAYAWARDENE
TweetPLAYER RATING: 80 A MAN AT HOME? Mahela Jayawardene hasn’t been amongst the runs in the past few months. One wouldn’t say that he has played badly, but for a man of his calibre you would have to accept that he hasn’t been upto his mark. Jayawardene (and the rest of the Sri Lankan team) is fortunate to have played their last two bilateral series at home. But Mahela hasn’t used that to his advantage. In his last 9 matches (all at home), he has scored just 176 runs with only two innings looking convincing. The SLPL has also been
SRI LANKA
TweetTEAM RATING: 82 STAR PLAYERS Mahela Jayawardene Kumar Sangakkara Lasith Malinga Angelo Mathews (Click on the player’s name to read the player reviews) THE EQUATION Being the home team may not be as easy as it seems when it comes to an international cricket tournament. History tells us that India is the only team to win the World Cup on its home turf. And going by history, the odds may be against Sri Lanka this around. But there comes a new element into the picture – the SLPL. When the Sri Lankan calendar was fixed, there were many questions
