"ASHES"--Firing Up!!!!!!!!

Sorry guys!!!!!It's been a long time since I posted.Was a bit busy with the exams.

You may all recall the euphoria and excitement in Britain because of the England Cricket team's victory in the ashes test against Australia at Lord's, the good old home of cricket. Actually England have won at there against their old foes after a gap of 75 years. Thanks to Freddie who really wnat to bow out in style.

Already the English press is carrying frenzied news as if england had retained the ashes they lost woefully last summer. But never write off Australia, the best team in the world for nearly the whole of last decade. They might have lost some quality players but the replacements have done so far. Also their pride has been hurt badly and i say that the last thing you want to do an Australian.

Now the news is out that Pieterson a.k.a "K.P" is going to miss the rest of the Ashes due to achilles heel injury he suffered earlier this year during his IPL stint. This could be blessing in disguise for Australia, as K.P is the sort of batsman who can change the course of the game singlehandedly in a blink of an eye.Also he has a remarkable record against the antipodeans amssing nearly 1500 runs at 60.

Though Flintoff wants to win the ashes for England as he did in 2005, he may not be able to as he is not fully fit. Even though his second innings bowling at Lord's strike fear in the Australian's hearts for it's sheer hostility, the question to be asked his can he sustain that hostility and fitness throughout the series? I'll rather bet against it.

But the Australians shoulod never get complacent over the fitness issues in the england camp. Rather concentrate in their own game and try to beat the team from the Old Blighty.

What is rather clear from the two tests completed is that the Australians still have no answer for England's swing. Also neither team has convinced that they can bowl out the opposition twice. which is the main thing to win a match.

If both teams raise their games a few notches, then we are in for a repeat of 2005, which perhaps is considered by many as the best ever ashes series. So wat are u waiting for. fasten your seat belts, it's goin to be one hell of a summer.

Doom For Hamilton?

Its been a hectic week in the formula one circus.It all started with Trulli(Toyota) being handed a 25 second penalty after finishing third in the Australian grand Prix last weekend. The move pushed him from third place to 12th on the grid.The penalty was imposed for overtaking the mclaren of hamilton during a safety car period.This moved Hamilton into the last podium place. But further investigations by the race stewards has revealed that both Hamilton and Mclaren manipulated information about the move and lied to stewards during the initial investigation. As a result hamilton has been stripped of his third place finish and also totally excluded from the final classification. But this is not where it all ends. FIA, the governing body of F1 has indicated that it may be inclined to take further actions as the incident has violated the FIA regulations and also the International Sports Code. As the FIA has started talking tough, there are only two possibilities,one suspend Hamilton for one or more races,the next one is more likely,which is disqualifying him for the entire season. a decision is expected to be taken after the Malaysian Grand Prix next week. so both Hamilton and Mclaren cannot breathe easy until the FIA lets the cat out of the bag. Will it be gllom and doom for hamilton or will he emerge unscathed? Lets wait till next week.But one thing is sure,Hamilton will not be the great champion he was tipped to become no matter how many championships he wins.........

Formula One- Wil it be the same?

Hi folks,

               The engines have started to rumble for the new Formula One season which has started over this weekend in Australia. But its not the same from last year due to the numerous changes made to the rules by the governing body FIA. The major thing that will have the teams sweating out is the return to the use of slick tyres.It makes all the teams compete on level grounds,. The next big change has been made to the front and rear wing designs ensuring less downforce. This will in turn ensure the speed of the cars a bit reduced than lst year. But the biggest debate is reserved about the use of KERS(Kinetic energy reuse system),which allows cars to store the energy saved during deceleration and use it to get maximum speed in a straight with just a push of a button. There has been a lot of speculation about the use of this system. Also stated is the winner takes all system for deciding the championship. So it promises to be an interesting season with so many changes,but the biggest question is can it sustain the interst levels of last year when the championship was decided in the last corner of the last lap in the last race o0f the season.Lets wait and see.

Is Man Utd Experiencing a Slump?

The recent events unfolding in the premier league have thrown the title race open for liverpool to catch up. But apart from this the most glaring aspect is the raggedness of ManUtd. Their display for months have been of thr mark but they have been able to scrap out results in their favour. But now their ruthlessness has been dismantled by consecutive league defeats. Incidently this is the first time after 150 games they have faced consecutive defeats in the league. Suddenly everyone who wanted to avoid the red devils before,wants a piece of them now.But they have Sir Alex at the helm and he knows how to get the ship out of troubled waters. But this time it may not be easy as it looks,because Liverpool have their captain Steven gerrard in the form of his life and would want title glory after all these years in the wilderness. So Sir Alex Ferguson may even indulge in the tried and tested tactic of indulging Rafael Benitz in a mind game. Remember 1996 when the then Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan succumbed to the mental warfare of ferguson and surrendered the title to the red devils. But i don't think Benitez is a man like Keegan and so we can expect a tough fight till the very end. All that the footballin world and fans worldwide now need is that ManUtd can shrug of its rustiness and play the kind of football that made them the world beaters in the treble year of 1999.

May the best team win

Things are getting heated up in the Barclays Premier League as manutd have been trashed by Liverpool which has reduced their points advantage to 4 points. Although ManUtd have a game in hand , the result has made Liverpool and Chelsea excited at the prospect of toppling the reigning Champions . And make sure both teams will be going at full throttle to ensure that ManUtd does not make it a hatrick of titles. It's a matter of pride for Liverpool as they don't want ManUtd to equal their recrd of 18 domestic league titles.Also Chelsea want to prove that they retain the same hunger and grit after the Scolari saga.But knowing ManUtd, they will want to avenge for that trashing and expect them to be more show more resolve and grit in the upcoming matches. So lets hope that the remaining matches live upto the expectation and show to the world taht English football league is the best league in the world at the moment.

Champions league Draw

I am very excited at the prospect of seeing the UEFA Champions league draw for the quarter finals. It's because my team ManUtd are one among them. Also in the fray are some of europe's elite teams such as Liverpool,Arsenal,Bayern Munich, Barca, Porto,Villareal,Chelsea. This is the first time that four English teams are in the mix for a quarter finals spot.The draw takes place today (Mar 20) at switzerland around 6.30 IST. To know the full details keep visiting this site. Ill keep you posted with all the details and also the reactions of the players.....

(Please pray that Liverpool are pitted against Barca)

Change in Formula One

FIA has just released a new ruling that will reward the driver with the most race wins in a season with the world title.

In a dramatic move less than three weeks before the start of the new season, the International Automobile Association (FIA) has opted to change the format, which, if used in 2008, would have seen Felipe Massa crowned champion.

The governing body's World Motor Sport Council has agreed to the proposal put forward by Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management.

The allocation of points will remain the same as last year's 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 sequence.

The rest of the standings, from second to last place, will also be decided by the current points system with the constructors' championship unaffected.

"If two or more drivers finish the season with the same number of wins, the title will be awarded to the driver with the most points," the FIA said in a statement.

Last Match Loss Syndrome

It's happened twice now within a 60 day window. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's unstoppable Indians have faltered at the last hurdle and missed brownwash opportunities against the Sri Lankans and now the Kiwis. Against England in November 2008, they had managed a clean slate partly by default-the last two games were cancelled following the Mumbai carnage giving India a 5-0 series win.

Most commentators have lamented this inability without making much of the losses in the end. Reason- every Indian fan is overwhelmed at the quality of cricket played by the Indians in recent months. For some like Sanjay Manjrekar a 4-0 win looks really good on paper, which, it indeed does and helps remember the performance better some years hence. For Ravi Shastri the performance like the one in Auckland simply defies logic.

Just as with most things, there's a flip side to this argument. Rather, one can surely see positives in the last game loss syndrome. In Sri Lanka, the Indians quickly recovered from the shock defeat and won a hard fought T-20 fixture that went right down to the wire. In New Zealand, if they come back once again to win the Test series starting three days from now, none will complain about the inconsequential loss in Auckland. May be such losses are a timely reminder that the Indians, playing the best cricket they have ever played, should not turn complacent.

On the other hand, India, in their own interests, may well want to do their best to shed off this last match gift syndrome. Inconsequential matches have every bit the potential to give a vanquished side the necessary oxygen it needs to stage a comeback. Australia versus South Africa in Australia in January is a classic example. Down and almost out, that one Mitchell Johnson delivery in Sydney with 4.3 overs of the match remaining, which nailed an injured Graeme Smith, was enough to give the Australians the lifeline they so badly needed. The belief was back. And Johnson, post that delivery, is a transformed bowler, one who can aspire to the mantle of the best in the world on current form. His first spell against South Africa at Durban was simply unplayable and if an inconsequential victory can do this to a team, it is time Dhoni's India learns its lesson as soon as possible.

Not without reason is it suggested that winning is a habit and once you have your opponent on the mat, you should strive to keep him there.

In view of this rather tantalising scenario, the forthcoming Test series will be one of immense interest. Having beaten the Australians and the English, the Indians will be that bit desperate to win another Test series in New Zealand after forty two years. If they accomplish the mission they have set out to achieve, they will surely be in the reckoning to be labelled the number one international cricket side on form in all formats of the game.

Finally, an Indian victory in the Test series will also put to rest all my theories over a last game loss.

Can't wait for the action to begin.

The Day of the Underdogs

1996
Nobody gave Sri Lanka a chance before the World Cup - they were 100-1 outsiders - but their fairytale victory was completed with a comprehensive defeat of Australia in the final in Lahore today. No true sporting underdog has ever won a major tournament with such relentless conviction. After demolishing England and India in the quarter- and semi-finals, Sri Lanka brushed Australia aside with ease. Aravinda de Silva made a wonderfully pure 107 not out, to add to three wickets, two catches, and one of the more inevitable Man-of-the-Match awards, and Arjuna Ranatunga glided the winning runs with 22 balls and seven wickets to spare.

2007
A St Patrick's Day miracle in Kingston. Ireland arrived in Jamaica for their first World Cup as makeweights, but they departed as heroes after ousting the former champions, Pakistan, at the first hurdle in a nerve-shredding contest at Sabina Park. Inspired by their 6'7" seamer Boyd Rankin, Ireland dismissed Pakistan for 132, but the drama had only just started. Rain breaks, umpiring howlers and an inspired Mohammad Sami threatened to ruin an increasingly raucous party, but Niall O'Brien anchored the chase with a nerveless 72. In another game, Bangladesh humbled neighbours India in Port of Spain, making it a glorious day for the underdogs.

How the Red Devils respond to Defeat

In matches following United's last six domestic defeats, Sir Alex's men have...

Played: 6
Won: 5
Drawn: 1
Lost: 0

Goals For: 10
Goals Against: 0

Verdict: United typically bounce back well from defeat. Indeed, the Reds haven't lost consecutive domestic matches since the end of the 2006/07 season (West Ham, Chelsea).

Who will ManUtd face in champions league Quarters

On Friday the fate of Europe’s finest will be determined by the draw for the next two stages of the Champions League.

With the continent's best whittled down to just eight teams, the dominance of the English sides has become apparent, just as it did last season. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all join ManUtd in the hat for the next round and with the draw completely open, we could face any of them.

Bayern Munich would represent another fascinating tie in light of their comprehensive beating of Sporting Lisbon (12-1 on aggregate) in the previous round. The four-time winners progressed through the group stages without too much fanfare, but their demolition of Lisbon has made everyone rethink their initial assessment. Probably worth dodging the Germans at this stage... let's save them for the final and a reunion ten years on from the Nou Camp.

Although Porto eliminated United from the competition five years ago, the current side are a pale imitation of Jose Mourinho’s 2004 champions. The Portuguese outfit only crept past Atletico Madrid on the away goals rule and are rightly regarded as outsiders for the trophy.

The two remaining Spanish representatives, Barcelona and Villarreal, would pose contrasting challenges for Sir Alex Ferguson's team.
As United know only too well after four goalless draws, Villarreal are a defensively stubborn side but they’ve consistently overachieved on the European stage.

In contrast, Barca play an attractive brand of football and despite defensive frailties they’ve also soared to the top of their domestic championship. The Catalans must be considered the team to avoid when destiny decides our next opponents on Friday.

Stadium suspended for 1 year

The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua won't host international cricket for at least 12 months following the abandoned second Test against England in February. The match lasted just 10 balls because of an unfit outfield and the ICC has told the West Indies board that extensive work is required to bring the ground up to standard. It will then have to pass an ICC inspection.

The WICB has also been given an official warning by the ICC for the standard of the ground after the outfield was so sandy that the bowlers couldn't gain any traction. Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards managed 10 deliveries between them before the captains and umpires came together and decided to end the match.

The problem stemmed from the outfield being relayed last year to incorporate a new drainage system and it was clear from before the match that the surface would be a major issue. The inspection will take place no sooner than 12 months from March 16.

Following the abandonment the Test was subsequently moved in 36 hours' notice to the Antigua Recreation Ground, which hosted its first Test for three years. The match ended in a nail-biting draw as West Indies hung on in fading light with their final pair at the crease.

India Vs new

Galle, Perth, Trent Bridge, Johannesburg, Kingston, Rawalpindi, Multan, Adelaide, Headingley, Port-of-Spain, and Kandy. The venues of India's memorable overseas victories in the 21st century include all but one of the major Test nations. New Zealand remains the only country in which India have not won a Test since they became competitive away from the subcontinent. India's solitary Test-series success in New Zealand was four decades ago, their last Test triumph here was in 1976, and their last tour in 2002-03 ended in a disastrous 2-0 rout. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men created history over the last two weeks by winning their first ever one-day series in New Zealand, and another such opportunity lies ahead of them.

The five one-dayers were largely about batsmen trying to hit the ball over the tiny boundaries at New Zealand's small grounds for 50 overs, while the bowlers strove to limit the damage. The Tests, however, require a more durable approach and India's batting has been bolstered by the inclusion of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Both of them have had match practice by playing State Championship matches - Dravid even scored a century for Canterbury - and will temper a batting line-up whose biggest pitfall could be a hangover from the six-a-minute one-day internationals.

The longer format will be a relief for the New Zealand bowlers who failed to quell India's ultra-aggressive batsmen in the ODIs. It is also an opportunity for the hosts to score a rare series victory over a high-profile team. New Zealand's last victory against opposition other than Zimbabwe, Bangladesh or a struggling West Indies was the 1-0 win at home against Sri Lanka in 2004-05.

The hosts have also added new personnel to their Test squad in James Franklin, Chris Martin, Brent Arnel, Tim McIntosh, and Daniel Flynn. Martin Guptill, their ODI and Twenty20 batsman, is preparing to make the transition to the five-day format. Their squad is filled with novices compared to India's wealth of experience. For instance, Sachin Tendulkar has 4458 Test runs more than the entire New Zealand squad put together. A victory against India will be nothing less than a major coup for the hosts.