All posts by csb10.top

December 18, 1989
Sachin Tendulkar makes his ODI debut in a 16-over game against Pakistan at Gujranwala. He makes a duck as India fail to chase 88 against Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, and Aaqib Javed.March 6, 1990
Tendulkar scores his first one-day run in his third match, against New Zealand at Wellington. His 36 from No. 6 plays a crucial part in India reaching 221. India eventually beat New Zealand by one run.December 5, 1990
Tendulkar wins his first Man-of-the-Match award. As first-change bowler, he dismisses the Sri Lankan openers and then scores 53 off 41 to take India to the victory target of 228.November 24, 1993
South Africa need six runs to win off the last over in the Hero Cup semi-final against India at the Eden Gardens. Tendulkar bowls a sensational over, conceding just three. March 27, 1994
Tendulkar opens in an ODI for the first time – against New Zealand at Auckland and goes on to make 82 off 49 balls. September 9, 1994
Tendulkar scores his first century in his 79th match, against Australia in Colombo. His 110 off 130 balls sets up a 31-run victory. .October, 1995
He signs a five-year contract worth Rs 31.5 crore with WorldTel, which makes him the richest cricketer in the world.February-March, 1996
With 523 runs at 87.16, Tendulkar is the highest scorer in the World Cup. It is also the first time a batsman has scored more than 500 runs in a World Cup.August 8, 1996
Tendulkar is named captain of the Indian team, at age 23.January 2, 1998
He is sacked from the captaincy after 15-month tenure.

April 1, 1998
After his fine Test series against Australia, Tendulkar continues to dominate them – this time with his leg-breaks. At 203 for 3 in 32nd over, Australia look set to chase 310 in Kochi, when he comes and takes 5 for 32. April 22-24, 1998
Scores two blazing, back-to-back hundreds against Australia at Sharjah. The first one helps India qualify for the final on net run-rate and the second wins India the trophy. September 26, 1998
Tendulkar scores an unbeaten 127 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, surpassing Desmond Haynes’ record of 17 centuries in ODIs. October 28, 1998
The domination of Australia continues. Tendulkar scores 141 and takes 4 for 38 to knock Australia out of the inaugural Champions Trophy in Bangladesh.November 13, 1998
Tendulkar scores 124 not out off 92 balls against Zimbabwe and wins his 32nd Man-of-the-Match award, taking him past the record of 31 held by Viv Richards.May 23, 1999
After having attended his father’s funeral, he comes back and scores an unbeaten, emotional 140 against Kenya at Bristol in the 1999 World Cup. Dedicates the century to his father.July 28, 1999
Is reappointed captain – without his consent – after India, under Mohammad Azharuddin, fail to reach the semifinals of the World Cup in England.November 8, 1999
Scores the highest individual score by an Indian in ODIs – an unbeaten 186 off 150 balls against New Zealand at Hyderabad.March 31, 2001
Becomes the first player to score 10,000 runs in one-day cricket during the course of his 139 against Australia at Indore.

February-March, 2003
Scores 673 runs at 61.18 in the World Cup in South Africa, and steers India into the finals. His 98 against Pakistan in a hugely anticipated match is one of his best knocks ever. Even though Australia are the champions, he is named the Man of the Series.August, 2004
Tennis elbow surfaces, during the Videocon Cup in Holland. Misses the Champions Trophy in England and then the first two home Tests against Australia.May, 2005
Goes for the surgery for the tennis elbow, misses a triangular in Sri Lanka, a tour to Zimbabwe, and the Super Series in Australia.October 25, 2005
Makes a roaring return to international cricket, with a 93 off 96 balls against Sri Lanka, in India’s 350 for 6 at Nagpur.March, 2006
Goes to England for a surgery on his right shoulder. Misses the one-dayers against England and the tour to West Indies.September 14, 2006
Makes a stunning comeback, with 141 off 148 balls against West Indies in the DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur. India lose the match by the D/L method.July 2007
Tendulkar scores two nineties in the three-ODI series against South Africa in Ireland. He passes the 15,000-run mark during the second ODI.October 11, 2007
Tendulkar becomes the second player after Sanath Jayasuriya to play 400 ODIs.

Cricket South Africa may discard the final of the SuperSport series because of complaints over the format of the competition. The board will consider a proposal on Wednesday where each team plays five home matches and five away matches and the one with the highest points will win the championship.”Tame draws are not what we’re looking for. We’re looking for a result and it hasn’t happened in the last two finals. Things have now got to the stage where we wonder whether there’s any point in having a final,” Brian Basson, the general manager of cricket affairs, told SuperCricket. “All the sides will play five home matches and five away matches, they each will have played each other home and away. So no particular side has been favoured and the team with the most points at the end of it all should be the champions.”There needs to be some objective for teams to be playing towards even if they are out of contention for the title by the halfway stage,” said Basson. “So we are also proposing that there be financial rewards – the team finishing fifth will earn more than the side finishing sixth, and so on. Rather than questioning their keenness once they have no chance whatsoever of winning, the ranking order in the competition will see teams rewarded according to a sliding scale.”

Nadeem Malik has returned to his former county Nottinghamshire on a one-month loan from Worcestershire to help them out in their injury crisis.Malik, the 24-year-old seamer, will play in Wednesday’s Championship match against Somerset to replace Kyle Hogg – another loan player – who has an ankle problem.Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket Mick Newell said: “With five seamers already out injured, we simply didn’t have any other fast bowling options from within the club to turn to.”As soon as Kyle failed a fitness test this morning we were on the phone to a few contacts and when we knew that Nadeem was available, it was an easy decision to make. He is familiar with the set-up here and should be able to settle in immediately.”Malik signed for Worcestershire in 2004 after coming up through the youth system at Nottinghamshire and playing for England Under-19s. He has played 45 first-class matches, taking 126 wickets at an average of 33.84.Nottinghamshire’s injury list is currently creaking with Mark Ealham, Charlie Shreck, Paul Franks, Mark Footitt and Simon Francis, while Ryan Sidebottom is on England duty.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Any hopes of India turning the corner after the Twenty20 victory was quickly dispelled as South Africa drubbed them by nine wickets to seal a hopelessly one-sided series 4-0. India batted through their 50 overs for the first time in the series, but their total of 200 for 9 was completely inadequate on a belter. However, South Africa showed just good the pitch was for batting as they cruised home in 31.2 overs, with Graeme Smith returning to form with an emphatic 79 and AB de Villiers stroking a delightful unbeaten 92, his highest score in ODIs.In another mismatch, India had very small crumbs for comfort – Sachin Tendulkar overcame an uncertain start and finally found some touch, getting to 55, his 74th ODI half-century but only his second fifty-plus score in 20 matches against South Africa in South Africa. Mahendra Singh Dhoni got among the runs too, but the manner in which Smith and de Villiers smashed the bowlers all around the park highlighted the huge gulf in class between the bowlers from the two sides: led by the magnificent Shaun Pollock, the South Africans were their usual miserly self in the field, allowing the already beleaguered Indians no freebies.The Indian bowlers, on the other hand, were clueless about how to stop the marauding openers. Zaheer Khan has utterly dominated Smith on this tour, but South Africa cleverly decided to have de Villiers face the first ball this time. Smith, meanwhile, helped himself to plenty of boundaries from a radarless Sreesanth – a cover-drive and a flick in Sreesanth’s first over got him going, and there was no looking back. By the time Smith finally faced Zaheer for the first time in the match – in the ninth over – he had already made 21 from 17 balls.De Villiers, meanwhile, creamed the boundaries in an utterly pleasing knock. Quite comfortable against Zaheer, he started off with an exquisite cover-drive off the third ball of the innings, and continued in similar vein, driving crisply off the front foot and timing the ball quite spectacularly. India’s one chance to break through came early, but Mohammad Kaif made a mess of a regulation chance when de Villiers was on 9.South Africa had 88 on the board after the first 15, and with Sehwag deciding to pack the infield almost throughout the innings, the batsmen had it their way all through. Smith strode down the pitch to Irfan Pathan and took some revenge on Zaheer, hoicking them both for straight sixes. When he fell attempting another six, South Africa were so utterly in control that Pollock strode out at No.3 and immediately looked at home.The Indian innings, on the other hand, was a struggle almost throughout. Smith won his fifth toss in a row but this time decided to put India in, and though Sehwag was all smiles and said he would have batted first anyway, it was soon the same story as all the batsmen found Pollock and Ntini too tough to handle.

Sehwag’s technique outside off was soon exposed by the relentless Pollock, who nailed him for the sixth time in ODIs, while Laxman’s initiation here was even more forgettable, as he hung his bat out limply outside off and edged his first ball to slip. Tendulkar, meanwhile, was in all sorts of discomfort. Struggling to find his footwork, he repeatedly played from the crease and was beaten by the movement. Ntini cut him in half with one that dipped back, while the steep bounce consistently had him jumping up and defending uncomfortably. After 15 overs, India’s score read a miserable 26 for 2.Having spent considerable time at the crease – he scored 4 from his first 39 balls – Tendulkar finally began to find his groove. The first sign of that came in the 18th over, when he struck Kallis for two super fours – a pull to midwicket and a trademark on-drive. The footwork gradually improved, as did the confidence to attempt more aggressive strokes, and the introduction of Peterson only helped matters, as Tendulkar unveiled the inside-out drive over extra-cover and the fine sweep.Andre Nel briefly had him in some bother, hitting his arm with a short one that didn’t bounce as much as Tendulkar expected it to – and forced him to stay off the field in the afternoon – but he soon after he got his half-century, with his last 51 runs taking just 58 balls.Mongia played his part well in an 85-run partnership for the third wicket, while Dhoni lashed some huge blows and finally injected some momentum into a limp innings with a 48-ball 44 during the course of which he drove Nel to distraction. Nel got hit for a few by Dhoni, but he finally came up with an outstanding catch to dismiss Dhoni as India touched 200 for the first time. On a flat batting pitch, though, it seemed well short of par score, and so it proved in the afternoon.It was India’s first defeat against South Africa at Centurion, having beaten them twice before this. With the Test series still 12 days away, India have plenty of soul-searching to do before getting into that contest.

Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar are likely to appeal against the bans handed to them by the Pakistan board-appointed drug tribunal.Asif told Cricinfo he would appeal against the decision to ban him for a year and said that he couldn’t explain the presence of nandrolone in his urine sample. “I will appeal against this. I don’t know how this has happened. I wasn’t even aware of the dope test and I was the one who gave it first.”The tribunal’s verdict revealed that Asif had been using a protein supplement, Promax-50, but stopped using it as soon as he was told to do so by Darren Lifsun, the team physiotherapist. It is thought possible that this was the cause of the positive sample. “Obviously I am very disappointed about what has happened. I had no idea.”The case for Asif’s ignorance may be strengthened in light of the tribunal’s finding that the board has not played a satisfactory role in ensuring that its players are suitably cautioned and advised about such issues.Shoaib, facing a two-year ban, has not made any official statement as of now but sources close to him have confirmed that he will also appeal. One source believes a strong enough case exists to lighten the ban.Tauseef Razzaq, Shoaib’s doctor, also said that Shoaib was devastated by the decision and would definitely appeal against the ban. “There are a number of examples where athletes were given the benefit of the doubt for using substances unknowingly and there are studies by renowned universities of the world on whose basis Akhtar should have been cleared,” Razzaq told AFP, referring to Shoaib’s claim last month that he had not knowingly taken any performance-enhancing drugs.The PCB has stated that a new tribunal will be set up in case the players appeal, as seems likely now.

Marvan Atapattu has expressed his disappointment that Sri Lanka will not be playing the best West Indies side in their two-Test series. “Personally I would like to think when I finished my career that I had played with the best teams. So obviously with Lara, Sarwan and Gayle not being here, I will be thinking that I didn’t play the best side that I’ve heard of.”Lara gave us a bit of a rough time when he was here the last time, scoring over 600 runs in the series. But the game of cricket is such that it doesn’t mean that it happens every time. We were looking forward to the challenge this time but it is a bit disappointing now that he is not here.”Atapattu said his team had a similar experience in Zimbabwe last year when the top white cricketers took a stand against the Zimbabwe Cricket Union on the racial issue concerning selections. “We managed to motivate the guys in different ways according to the form of the game that we played in one-day or a Test match. We’ll have a plan here as well. As we came good out of that tour I am sure we will do the same here.”Atapattu admitted that his team had not played much cricket since the tour of New Zealand, which ended in April. “In the past few weeks, along with Tom Moody who has taken up the job as our new coach, we had a program or two. We have worked hard at match situations and hopefully we will do well when the series actually starts.”He said that the first Test at the SSC ground was important from Sri Lanka’s point of view because it will be their 150th since gaining Test status 24 years ago. “It is always important and always special when you play a Test match for your country. It is even more special when it is the 150th.”We have got a new management now. As far as the players are concerned we are trying to focus as much as we can on the game. We do need the right support from the management staff and I am sure we will get it.”Atapattu welcomed the return of Muttiah Muralitharan to the team. He joined them at practice after representing Lancashire in the County Championship. Muralitharan is returning to Test cricket after a gap of nearly eleven months having undergone an operation in his bowling arm.”It is nice to have Murali back. He is not only the best bowler in my side but the world’s best bowler. He troubles more batsmen than anybody else in the world. It is exciting to have him back after a long lay-off. Everybody in the side is looking forward to having him among us.”With regard to the players’ contracts, which the Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee has yet to finalise, Atapattu said: “Nearing the series I think the contract will be of less priority. We will try and focus more on the cricket that we are going to play. I am sure the authorities are looking at the contracts and the legal side of it and will get it over sooner than later. Our job in the meanwhile is to focus on cricket, at least until this series is over.”

Michael Brown, Cricket Australia’s acting chief executive, has described Ricky Ponting’s latest breach of the ICC code of conduct during his side’s DLF cup win against the West Indies as “unacceptable”. Brown did concede, however, that he was heartened by Ponting’s apology to Asad Rauf, the umpire, his team and the public.Ponting appraoched Rauf after the umpire called a wide in the innings’ 33rd over and questioned his decision. The incident led to Ponting being fined his entire match fee. “Let’s be clear, Cricket Australia doesn’t condone any actions that go outside the Spirit of Cricket. We’ve worked very hard with Ricky and our players to ensure it is observed at all times,” Brown told the Melbourne-based .”It’s a concern for Ricky and it’s a concern for us,” he added. “But the fact he’s taken the initiative to publicly and privately address these issues will ensure he and his team go forward from here. We’ve got to be positive in that regard.”Ponting spoke to Brown after his side’s remarkable and ultimately comfortable win over West Indies in the tri-series opener on Tuesday. “As the game finished late last night I was very keen to understand what had happened and obviously very keen to reaffirm our position, and to make clear to him that it was unacceptable,” Brown said.”I’m very heartened to see that Ricky has taken it upon himself to acknowledge his actions and publicly apologise. In the end what matters is that the Australian cricket team will continue to play this series hard and fair … We look forward to him learning from the experience.”He might have to do that quickly for there are fears now that any further outbursts now or in the Ashes later this year could lead to a possible suspension for a Test. This was Ponting’s second such offence in the past year – the other took place during the second Test in Bangladesh in April – and it is why the charge was upgraded to a level-two offence. Ponting was also fined during the fourth Ashes Test in 2005 for an outburst directed at the England dressing room after he was run out by the substitute fielder Gary Pratt.The level-two offence – serious dissent – can carry a suspension of two ODIs or one Test, and the match referee is entitled to consider the player’s previous history. The newspaper said than an ICC source had indicated Ponting had been warned after his latest breach that he was on dangerous ground and could face a ban were he to slip up again in similar fashion.

Terry Alderman, the former Australia fast bowler, has questioned the ability of South Africa’s cricketers after they succumbed to an innings defeat against Western Australia on Wednesday.Alderman, who has also played for Eastern Province in South Africa, was scathing in his comments. “The technique of most of the batsmen was shocking. They played far too many hook and pull shots and those that had to be played with a straight [bat] went down the wrong line,” Alderman, now a radio commentator, told News24. “This is not the South African cricket I knew when I played there. The coach’s excuses are that the Proteas flew over many time zones and that the players were advised to take things slow for medical reasons.”Questioning the mental toughness of the South Africans after their shocking loss to WA, Alderman was forthright. “Your guys looked totally lost against the spinner Beau Casson. He is just a baby learning the art of spin bowling. The Aussies can use three spinners here against you.” Casson, a slow left-arm chinaman bowler, picked up eight wickets in the match. Alderman stated that the only batsman who has the fighting spirit to stand up to Australia was Jacques Kallis, adding: “Graeme Smith is shaky and he talks too much. I think the Aussies will unnerve him”.Alderman did, however, make favourable mention of South Africa’s bowling attack. “The bowling attack does not look too bad. Andre Nel has a Colin Croft action, while Charl Langeveldt can fulfil the role of a Matthew Hoggard. He’s also the workhorse of the team,” he said. “Makhaya Ntini has become a world class bowler after we initially laughed at him when he appeared in the international arena for the first time.”Just when it seemed like Alderman was willing to see the silver lining in the gloom he threw another jibe. “”The weakest link in the bowling attack is Shaun Pollock. He bowls without any speed and I don’t believe he will worry the Aussies too much.”The first Test between Australia and South Africa begins at Perth on December 16.

The players’ statement in fullZimbabwe’s professional cricketers have issued a statement which slams the conduct of the board, accusing it of being “at best incompetent, and at worst, a bully”. Coming on the eve of Zimbabwe Cricket’s AGM in Bulawayo tomorrow and the first Test against India on Tuesday, it represents a embarrassing slap in the face for Zimbabwe Cricket. It also rubbishes the official line that there is no disharmony between players and board.While the players made it clear that they were not prepared to go on strike, explaining that doing so would not be in the interests of the game inside Zimbabwe, the tone and length of the statement left no doubt that they have no faith in the senior administrators.At the heart of their anger are the unilaterally-imposed performance-related contracts announced by the board last week and a resulting newspaper article purporting to reveal the seemingly high remuneration packages on offer. The players clearly feel that the article was planted by the board and that the figures were deliberately misleading. Clive Field, the players’ representative said: “ZC appear content to use the media to sensationalize the sensitive issue of remuneration.”They are also livid that despite having several months to negotiate and come up with a mutually-agreed deal, the board has implemented something which was not discussed at very short notice.Only three players – Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu and Andy Blignaut – were offered long-term deals, while the others were put on performance-related short-term contracts which made no allowance for seniority. The 12-month packages on offer made no allowance for the hyperinflation prevalent inside Zimbabwe, and ZC refused to link the payments to the reserve bank rate.Already upset at the way this was handled, ZC then announced on the eve of an ODI against India that the offer to three players – Stuart Carlisle, Barney Rogers and Neil Ferreira – had been withdrawn and no reasons were given. The players continued with the match but a request for more information remains unanswered.”Our position is that this directly and adversely impacts player confidence,” Field said.”It reveals an administration which is at best incompetent, and at worst, a bully. In the continued absence of sound reasons from ZC, such action amounts to intimidation of the player body.”As things stand, the contracts remain unaccepted by the players, who said they are “playing on trust”. ZC has said that new contracts will be supplied by September 14, but the impression is that the players have little faith that this promise will be answered.The sums on offer also differ wildly from those claimed by ZC – according to Field, match fees are now 25% of what was on offer six months ago in South Africa. Furthermore, Zimbabwe’s draconian tax rates seriously erode the sums, and the lack of international cricket played by Zimbabwe means that the potential amounts quoted are almost certainly not likely to be achieved. ZC, they claimed, had also removed perks such as vehicles, DSTV and BUPA, all of which were in place on the 2004-05 contracts.Damningly, the players concluded by asking whether the administration of ZC had also been cut. “If we as players are being told to tighten our belts, what is ZC itself as an administration doing in the same vein?” Field asked.”What salaries are being paid by ZC to themselves? If it is deemed by ZC to be in the public interest to splash players salaries around the press, then presumably they have no objection announcing their own? We look forward to receiving details.”We are concerned that ZC should be held accountable for a set of performance criteria which measure its revenues and management of its finances in a transparent and responsible manner for the betterment of the game.”

Both Durham and Hampshire made inroads into the interrupted Championship match at Riverside on Friday. By lunch the home side had scored 141 runs, with Hampshire taking three wickets.With the crowd anticipating the approaching seasons 1,000 from Australian Simon Katich, he cut at a ball from Dimitri Mascarenhas as was caught high up at first-slip by Shane Warne, just four runs short of the magical target.Katich had batted for nearly three hours, sharing a 125 run partnership with makeshift captain Jon Lewis.Paul Collingwood was well held low down at second slip to give Hampshire their first bonus point of the match.Lewis who had batted patiently for four hours, finally fell when he played on to Shane Warne, but by the lunch interval on the second day Daley and Speight had added a further 74 in 15 overs.Rain and thunderstorms predictably arrived during the lunch break. By three pm, the deluge of hailstones, very heavy rain and thunder and lightniing gave umpires Benson and Steele little option but to abandon play for the day.