India Pakistan Cricket News 2008
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India vs Pakistan 2007 Cricket Series -
Index
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Schedule
- Tuesday, Nov 6, 2007 : 1st ODI at Guwahati
- Thursday, Nov 8, 2007 (D/N) : 2nd ODI at Mohali
- Sunday, Nov 11, 2007 : 3rd ODI at Kanpur
- Thursday, Nov 15, 2007 (D/N) : 4th ODI at Gwalior
- Sunday, Nov 18, 2007 (D/N) : 5th ODI at Jaipur
- Thursday, Nov 22-26, 2007 : 1st Test at Delhi
- Friday, Nov 30 - Dec 4, 2007 : 2nd Test at Kolkata
- Saturday, Dec 8-12, 2007 : 3rd Test at Bangalore
2004-2005 India Pakistan Cricket Series Home 
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2004-2005 India Pakistan Cricket Series Home
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| India vs Pakistan (Tests) |
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Total |
Ind |
Pak |
Draw |
Tie |
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In Pakistan
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23 |
2 |
6 |
15 |
0 |
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In India |
30 |
6 |
5 |
19 |
0 |
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Total |
Ind |
Pak |
Tie |
NR |
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In Pakistan
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21 |
6 |
14 |
0 |
2 |
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In India |
19 |
6 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
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Neutral
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60 |
23 |
35 |
0 |
2 |
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Pakistan complete series in style; IND 2-4 Discuss ODIs April 16 2005 Pakistan rounded off their tour to India in style with a comfortable 159-run victory in Delhi. It gave them a 4-2 win in the one-day series, a magnificent effort after losing the first two matches.
Shoaib Malik (72) Inzamam-ul-Haq (68) and Yousuf Youhana (50) were the main scorers in a total of 303-8.
India's innings was interrupted for 15 minutes when bottles were thrown onto the outfield with the score 94-6 and they were eventually all out for 144. It was their heaviest one-day defeat by their arch-rivals, surpassing a 143-run loss in Jaipur in 1999.
The game began just as Friday's encounter at Kanpur had ended with Shahid Afridi taking the attack to India's bowlers. After failing to score off the first ball he faced, Afridi followed that with 4-4-4-6-4 from the next five as Ashish Nehra's opening over cost India 22.
Pak-India series decider in New Delhi today Discuss ODIs April 16 2005 The final ODI between Pakistan and arch-rivals India under amid security conditions will be played in Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Sunday (Saturday night in US/Canada).
The match will be watched by Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the middle of tight security conditions as the ground will be virtually surrounded by security forces, Indian law enforcement agencies and rangers.
According to the curator of the pitch, the pitch is a batting paradise and will do a bit in the first session.
The last time a match was held in March 2002 on January 31 between India and England. England won the nail-bitter by 2 runs. Pakistan will be playing their first match in this ground. As the record suggests India has 50-50 record winning 5 and loosing 5 in ten completed games.
 Inzamam expresses 'hope' of winning; Dravid 'confident' of winning Discuss ODIs April 16 2005 Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said in Delhi yesterday that his team was keen to maintain the winning run and clinch the series. Having gained the lead, we now believe that we can win the series. We are in a good position and will try to capitalise on it, said Inzamam, whose team had lost the first two matches before staging a remarkable fightback.
Its good to see the way weve fought back. Even in the Test series, we came from behind to draw level. The players are confident after winning three consecutive one-dayers.
Pakistan were trailing 1-0 in the three-Test series before bouncing back to win the third and final match at Bangalore to level the series. When we came here we were written off, but I am happy we have been able to fight back, said Inzamam. Inzamam is confident the spirit shown by his players on the tour would lead to a series victory.
This tour was very important ... The main thing on this tour is the way we have fought back. That is why we are in this position. Inzamam said leg spinner Danish Kaneria, who took 19 scalps in the tests, and paceman Naved Ranas 14 wickets so far in the one-dayers had provided depth to the bowling.
 Stand-in India captain Rahul Dravid says his team need to dismiss hard-hitting Shahid Afridi early today if they want to square the six-match series against Pakistan today. It will help us if we can get Afridi out early, Dravid said ahead of the high-profile sixth and final match, to be watched by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh amid tight security.
We lost the last match because of Afridis remarkable knock. That made all the difference. One cannot do anything if somebody bats like Afridi did yesterday, said Dravid. The India skipper, who top scored for India with 86 in Kanpur, said he did not believe his team was under pressure even after losing three successive matches. Its disappointing to lose three matches in a row, but weve played some good cricket in the series. We now need to have just one good day on the field. We have the potential to level the series, said Dravid.
He said the team was motivated to win the crucial game, which is also John Wrights last as India coach.
There is always motivation to win whether it is somebodys last match or not. John has been with the team for close to five years. It has been an eventful journey, he said.
We have valued his contribution. He will be missed not only as a coach but also as a friend.
 Awesome Afridi pummels India into submission; IND 2-3 April 15 2005 Shahid Afridi tied the second fastest century in one-day internationals to power Pakistan to a five-wicket victory over India on Friday, giving them a 3-2 lead with one game left in the six-match series.
The 25-year-old opening batsman, who also holds the record for the fastest one-day hundred (37 deliveries), equalled West Indian Brian Lara's 45-ball effort against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 1999.
Afridi struck a 46-ball 102, all but eight runs coming in boundaries, as Pakistan made 252 for five in 42.1 overs in reply to India's 249 for six.
It was Pakistan's third successive victory after losing the first two matches.
Earlier Naved-ul-Hasan's accurate opening burst rattled the Indian top order as they limped to 38 for 3 at the ten-over mark. Apart from the relentessly disciplined length that Naved maintained, the batsmen also had to contend with a pitch with variable bounce as the batsmen struggled, edged and finally fell. India made 249-6 and Naved-ul-Hasan ended up taking 3-35. Captain Rahul Dravid hit 86 while Mohammad Kaif gave the innings a boost with 78 off just 88 deliveries.
India made three changes from the team beaten in Ahmedabad. Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble and Dinesh Mongia all came into the side as Sourav Ganguly, Ashish Nehra and Murali Kartik made way. Though Ganguly's six-match ban is suspended following his appeal, the selectors asked him not to fly from Calcutta to Kanpur and the side was instead led by Dravid, who won the toss.
And now BCCI asks Ganguly not to play fifth ODI !! April 14 2005 Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has been asked not to play in Fridays fifth one-dayer against Pakistan by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) despite his availability pending an appeal against a six-match ban.
Since less than 24 hours remain for the start of the Kanpur match, the board felt it is extremely important for the players to concentrate and focus on the match so that they could bring out the best performance, the boards secretary Karunakaran Nair said in a statement. In view of this, the board has decided to continue with the selected team for the Kanpur match, he said. This position was duly explained to Ganguly and he appreciated the boards decision.
 Dravid captain; Kumble, Sriram back in Indian side April 12 2005 The BCCI Joint Secretary Goutam Dasgupta announced a 15-member squad for the remaining two matches of the series against Pakistan, which is tantalisingly poised at 2-2. Rahul Dravid was today made the Indian captain for the last two one-dayers in the series. Veteran leg spinner Anil Kumble who missed the first two one-dayers due to injury and was not considered for selection for the next two matches was brought into the side in place of paceman Irfan Pathan. Pathan, who had a poor Test series and was struggling to find form, had been omitted from the squad. Meanwhile, Sourav Ganguly's place in the side has gone to Tamil Nadu batsman S Sriram.
Sridharan Sriram, who started off as a left-arm spinner, has been knocking on the doors of the national team for a long time. He has represented Tamil Nadu since 1993 and has scored almost 7000 first-class runs at an average of over 58, with three double centuries and 26 centuries. Six random chances in the one-dayers and a pathetic batting average of five from them fail to showcase the talent of the Chennai batsman, who holds the record double of completing 1000 runs in a single Ranji Trophy season with five centuries.
The Chennai southpaw picked 29 wickets on the India under-19 tour of South Africa in 1992-93 before leading the team against Australia in 1994-95. A reliable number three batsman, he has opened for his state and is ready to fit into the Indian side at any position. He was also the first winner of the Gavaskar Border Scholarship in 2000 to the Australian Institute of Sports.
Indian Team for the last two matches: Rahul Dravid (captain), Sachin Tendulkar , Virender Sehwag , M S Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Dinesh Mongia, S Sriram, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Ashish Nehra, L Balaji, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar.
 Ganguly slapped six-match ban, Dravid to captain India April 12 2005 As if his woeful form with the bat was not enough, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was today slapped a six-match ban after slow over-rate returned to plague his side once again in the fourth one-dayer against Pakistan.
In Ganguly's absence, Vice Captain Rahul Dravid would now lead the side while swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag has been made Vice Captain, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Joint Secretary Gautam Dasgupta said here today.
India took 236 minutes to bowl 48 overs against Pakistan, exceeding the allocated time limit by 26 minutes. "No excuse was offered by the captain," said Match referee Chris Broad. Ganguly, who has been under fire for poor batting form, was penalised 70% of his match fee for the same offence in last week's third one-day international.
 Pakistan ties series after marvellous run chase; IND 2-2 April 12 2005 Inzamam-ul-Haq hit his 79th one-day half-century to steer Pakistan to a series-tying three-wicket victory over India in Ahmedabad.
Pakistan successfully chased 316, the fourth-highest total ever.
The tourists needed three runs from the final over, but only got there off the final ball, Inzamam making 60 not out.
It was Sachin`s last delivery, full-length and on the off-stump, that Inzamam drove to the fence in the cover region to secure his side a famous win. Unlike Chetan Sharma, whom Miandad hit for that famous last-ball six at Sharjah, Sachin, though, was not scarred by the dramatic final ball. Instead, he sported a smile, appreciating Inzy`s achievement.
Earlier Sachin Tendulkar hit a brilliant century (123) with meaningful partnerships with Virender Sehwag (29) and Mahendra Dhoni (47), to ensure that Pakistan will have to score a record breaking 316 to level the series, which they did!
Pakistan 319-7 (48/48 overs) beat India 315-6 (48/48 overs)
 No change in batting order, says Ganguly; Pitch to favor team batting first! April 12 2005 Sourav Ganguly made his first appearance at a pre-match press conference for three games, and while the usual bluster was missing, the beleaguered captain looked none the worse for his poor form that has thrown a huge question mark over his future as an international batsman.
He has made just 61 runs in eight innings 48 in five in the Test matches, and 13 in the first three one-dayers on Pakistans current tour of India.
When you dont score, there is bound to be criticism, he acknowledged. But I cant deny the fact that I have also got support from the media. As captain, I have a responsibility to score runs. I have been a success before, there is no reason why I cant do it again. The important thing is how quickly I can come out of this slump.
The Sardar Patel Gujarat stadium is as good a place as any for him to shed his lean trot. In late 2000, he had made a sparkling 144 against Zimbabwe, the highest individual score at this ground. Not only that hundred, I have got two Test centuries here too, he said. I have good memories of playing here, I hope it turns out lucky for me again tomorrow. Ruling out a change in the opening combine here, Ganguly added, I wont be opening, not in this game. We will stick with Sachin and Sehwag for here. I dont foresee any changes in the batting order.
With a lush green out-field, the pitch is a batsman's paradise that has witnessed many exciting matches after acquiring the status of an international stadium in 1986. Needless to say then, the pitch is batsmen friendly. An average inning score in 18 innings played here in nine matches, which also includes matches played by other teams, is 224 runs. The average of 1st innings, team batting first, stands at 237 runs. Results of all the One-Day International matches played here indicate the team batting first went on to win the tie. Concentrating on the seven matches India has played at Motera, the host lost two matches as the team succumbed while chasing the target set by the opposition.
SC permits Kotla to host sixth one day April 11 2005 After the Centre and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) gave clean chit to Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium, calling it absolute safe, the Supreme Court today gave a green signal to the sixth and last one day Cricket match scheduled to be played between India and Pakistan on April 17.
Putting aside its earlier contentions with the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) over the safety issue, MCD stressed before the court that the stadium was safe to host the match.
The stadium, which DDCA President Arun Jaitely once said would be having five star facilities, will accommodate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistans President Pervez Musharraf along with 30,000 spectators during the match.
India yet to win a major home series since 2000April 10 2005 The humiliating defeat at Jamshedpur by a rejuvenated Pakistani outfit has exposed the cracks in the Indian one-day outfit. And though India needs just another win to ensure that they wont lose the six-match series, history beckons: This team has yet to win a one-day series at home other than against Zimbabwe since 2000.
Statistics reveal that India have, for the past five years, struggled to do well at home in the shorter version of the game. They lost the Test series to Australia in 2001, West Indies 2002, drew with England 2002 and also lost the TVS Cup final to Australia in 2003. The last time India won a one-day series at home was against South Africa with Hansie Cronje at the helm; the series was as dubious as some of the players who competed.
 Inzamam looks forward to level ODI series; Ganguly fined match fee April 9 2005 Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq has said he hoped his team would perform better after its emphatic win over India in the third one-day international on Saturday. "I believe we need to put in a lot more effort now. The innings are at 2-1 right now we need to better that. One can't say anything about one-day games. The team that puts in its best wins. It's difficult to predict," said Inzamam.
Pakistani swing bowler Rana Naved who grabbed a career-best six wicket haul, said that having in-form opener Virender Sehwag caught for two as the latter cut straight to Afridi at point was a vital blow to India.
A fighting 64 by Irfan Pathan, for his maiden one-day half- century, was India's only consolation, apart from 28 from vice captain Rahul Dravid and 32 from Mohammed Kaif as the Pakistani pace battery scalped wickets one after the other.
Indian wicket keeper Dhoni, who scored a match-winning 148 in the second one-dayer, hit out in front of his home crowd but was caught slogging at Naved. "No it's not about a lot of pressure, because Veeru has been scoring runs regularly. Our middle order had not got much of a chance. This is the first time that they got a chance. Its' not a big deal and we will make a strong comeback in the forthcoming matches," said Dhoni.
Meanwhile Indian captain Sourav Ganguly's woes continued with the ICC fining him his entire match fee for his side's slow over rate in the third one-day international against Pakistan in Jamshedpur.
Ganguly was ordered to appear before an ICC hearing following the match in which his bowlers took almost 30 minutes longer to complete their 50 overs than the allotted three-and-half hours.
"We have learnt he has been fined his full match fee. We have to wait for a formal announcement from the ICC," an Indian cricket official told Reuters.
It is the second time in six months that Ganguly has had to front an ICC hearing over his side's slow over rate.
 Naved-ul-Hasan wrecks India; IND 2-1 April 9 2005 Naved-ul-Hasan claimed 6-27 to bowl Pakistan to a comprehensive 106-run victory over India in Jamshedpur.
Irfan Pathan's spirited 64, his first one-day international fifty, was the only real resistance as the visitors cut their deficit to 2-1 in the series.
Naved removed Virender Sehwag (2), Sourav Ganguly (4), Mahendra Dhoni (28) and Yuvraj Singh (1) to reduce India to 82-6 in reply to 319-9, Salman Butt hitting 101.
Naved returned to claim the final two wickets as India slumped to defeat. He first burst onto international scene with his one-day debut against Sri Lanka at Sharjah immediately after the World Cup when Pakistan dropped eight players after the first round exit.
Pakistan 319 for 9 (Butt 101, Malik 75, Nehra 3/57) beat India 213 all out in 41.4 overs (Pathan 64, Kaif 32, Naved 6/27) by 106 runs.
Pakistan look to keep hopes alive : Third ODI today April 9 2005 Pakistan are set to ring the changes as they bid to keep alive their hopes of winning the one-day series against India in Jamshedpur today. The tourists, who are 2-0 down in the six-game series, will welcome key batsman Younis Khan back after a fever.
Younis is likely to replace Mohammad Hafeez, while paceman Iftikhar Rao and spinner Danish Kaneria could come in for Mohammad Sami and Arshad Khan.
Pakistan unsuccessfully chased big targets in Cochin and Vishakapatnam and batting first could be the key to winning at the Keenan Stadium, with hot weather forecast.
India are without paceman Lakshmipathy Balaji, who has a side strain.
The tourists have a good record in the eastern city, having won the last two one-dayers between the teams.
India (from): Sourav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid , Virender Sehwag , Sachin Tendulkar , Dinesh Mongia, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni (wkt), Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.
Pakistan (from): Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Mohammed Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammed Sami, Iftikhar Rao, Shahid Nazir, Arshad Khan, Danish Kaneria.
 Agarkar added to Indian squad; Balaji rested! April 6, 2005 India today recalled all-rounder Ajit Agarkar for the next two one-dayers of the ongoing six-match cricket series against Pakistan. Agarkar was added to the squad of 14 as cover for paceman Lakshmipathy Balaji, who sprained his rib while bowling during the second match today.
Agarkar, whose last one-day appearance was against Bangladesh at Dhaka in December, has taken 203 wickets in 134 matches.
India leads the series 2-0 with the remaining matches to be played in Jamshedpur (April 9), Ahmedabad (April 12), Kanpur (April 15) and New Delhi (April 17).
 Dhoni shows 'em how to bat; IND 2-0 April 5, 2005 India went 2-0 up in the one-day series against Pakistan as they won in Vishakhapatnam by 58 runs. Pakistan were all out for 298 as they tried in vain to overhaul a mammoth Indian score of 356-9, a record for the hosts in matches against Pakistan.
Left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra took 4-72 but India's hero was Mahendra Doni. He hit 148 off 123 balls - his maiden ton - and his batting along with Virender Sehwag 's brutal 74 took the game out of reach of Pakistan.
In Picture: Mahendra Dhoni batted well for his 148 and then kept wickets through out the Pakistani innings on a tiring day when the temperature hit mid 30s.
Second one-day international, Vishakhapatnam: India 356 for 9 (50 overs) beat Pakistan 298 all out (44.1 overs) by 58 runs.
Pakistanis insured for $445,000 in Gujarat Discuss ODIs April 5, 2005 News Report from a Middle Eastern Country: Organisers of a one-day cricket match in a communally-sensitive western Indian city have insured the touring Pakistan team for $445,000 as security cover, officials said yesterday.
India and Pakistan will play the one-dayer on April 12 in Ahmedabad, the commercial capital of Gujarat state where at least 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, were hacked, burnt or shot to death in 2002 following the death of 59 Hindus in a train carriage fire blamed by state authorities on a Muslim mob.
Gujarat Cricket Association president Narhari Amin said each of the 16 Pakistan cricketers and support staff will be insured for $22,000 for the two-day duration of their stay in Ahmedabad. "This insurance is to safeguard us against any eventuality," said Amin, adding this was the first time cricketers were being insured for security reasons.
Some 15,000 police and security personnel will be on hand to guard the cricketers at the hotel and the 47,000-capacity Gujarat stadium where the match will be played, Amin said.
Footnote: By getting the BCCI to change the Test venue, the Pakistanis not only distorted Gujarat's image worldwide, but managed to obtain a silent apology and confession of sorts from the Indian Government. By insuring the visiting Muslim players, they have played right into the Pakistani hands and have proved to all beyond doubt that the Indians accept the fact that India is not safe for Muslims. Are there no self-respecting Indians alive in India? What is next?!
Cricketers learn to cope with intense heat ahead of 2nd ODI today Discuss ODIs April 5, 2005 Launching the six-match limited-over series with a commanding victory, host India goes into Tuesdays second contest wary of Pakistans counter-punching ability as both teams learn to cope with stamina-sapping heat.
In Cochin, the mercury touched 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit) during the series-opening match and the relative humidity was measured at 65 percent. But the temperature had shot up to 37 degrees Celsius and the relative humidity stood at 70 percent when the teams took to the nets for practice early Monday in Visakhapatnam on Indias eastern coast.
"Playing in these conditions is very tough. April in India is always like this," said vice captain Rahul Dravid , reflecting the views of players on both teams. "Its a matter of how we cope with the conditions. Youve got to manage your time and recover well, on and off the field," said Dravid, who batted for 47 overs to score a composed century in the first one-dayer, but stayed in the dressing room when India came out to field. He did not field at all at Cochin. "One has to leave enough in the tank for the next match, and whoever manages it better will win the series," he said.
Pakistans vice captain, Younis Khan, said his team was also testing ways to avoid heat exhaustion. "During non-match days, were trying to reduce the heat-related problems through shorter training sessions," said Khan, who missed the first one-dayer due to viral influenza.
Dravid added India would stick to the batting order with out-of-form skipper Sourav Ganguly at No.3. "Its a challenge for any team to carry along players who are out of form, and still manage the same result," said Dravid. "Im sure Ganguly will get runs sooner or later."
Visakhapatnam gears up to host 2nd ODI; Teams arrive Discuss ODIs April 4, 2005 The two teams reached Vizag in a special chartered flight and were given a traditional welcome at Taj Residency hotel by the hotel staff, dressed in traditional Andhra Sarees. The city wore a festive look as many buildings were decorated to welcome the players. Corporation staff had kept the highway spotlessly clean right from the airport to the hotel. Some of the roads leading to the airport were also newly asphalted to give the players a neat ride to the hotel.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements as policemen stood throughout the 12-km from the airport to the hotel. Meanwhile, Groundsmen under the supervision of the curator are working overtime to give finishing touches to the pitch and the outfield.
 Kolkata rallies behind Sourav Ganguly Discuss Sourav April 3, 2005 The brickbats may be flying in thick and fast from across the country for his no-show in the India-Pakistan Tests. But in hometown Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly is still Prince, not just because he is son of the soil but also because of the record books.
Kolkata does have a soft spot for the man who Geoffrey Boycott crowned its Prince. But any suggestion of blind faith or plain parochialism is vigorously denied. Held up is Sourav's success rate as captain. Of 47 Tests that each of India's best captains have led, Gavaskar won 9, Azharuddin 14 and Ganguly 19 or a whopping 40 per cent.
No one denies Sourav's batting has hit rock bottom. Again, of the three top captains, Sourav's average is the lowest 37 against Azhar's 43 and Gavaskar's 50. The last Test series, 48 runs in 5 innings, is his worst ever.
But the question on the lips of 'non-calcuttans' is whether the records say the whole truth? Who needs a captain when half of the team play like world beaters? Sehwag and Dravid's batting pulled India thru the three tests and the first one day. The tail enders gave ample support. How much did the capatincy mattered? But in the one test India lost, it was Sourav's defensive approach that made the difference.
Discuss Sourav Ganguly's captaincy
 Inzy applies for Indian Citizenship Discuss Inzy April 2, 2005 "Pakistan cricket captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is all set to shift base to India. Preposterous? Just ask the Indian Embassy in Islamabad where he has applied for an Indian citizenship."
"Inzy's surprise decision comes just days after a West Bengal family claimed that the Sultan of Multan was their descendent and were even prepared to hand over to him his 'rightful share of the ancestral property'." So ran the article in HT (Tabloid), causing a flurry of activity on message boards all over the cricketing world.
"There has been a mixed response to the news in Pakistan - from stunned silence to studied optimism.".
"Inzamam will, in all probability, settle in Kolkata... As part of his Indian inheritance, Inzamam will receive a mansion located on the outskirts of Kolkata and 700 hectares of irrigated land near Someshpur town where Ashadul's family lives." continued the April 1st article, with a warning "All Fool's Day!"
 Sachin bowls 'em over; IND 1-0 April 2, 2005 Sachin Tendulkar claimed 5-50 as India recorded a convincing 87-run victory in the first match of their one-day series against Pakistan at Cochin.
He atoned for his second ball dismissal earlier in the game by removing Abdul Razzaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Hafeez. Pakistan were finally all out for 194 in reply to India's 281-8.
Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid were the batting stars for the home side as they made 108 and 104 respectively.
First one-day international, Cochin: India 281-8 (50 overs) beat Pakistan 194 (45.2 overs) by 87 runs
 Pakistan takes on Ganguly's paper tigers April 2, 2005 Rejuvenated Pakistan under the captaincy of Inzamam-ul-Haq will be looking for an inspiring victory in the opening One-day International of six in Cochin of Kerala today against a desperate India headed by Sourav Ganguly whose leadership is under fire following defeat to Pakistan in Bangalore Test last week.
To strengthen the Pakistan team, the PCB selectors have sent pacer Rao Iftikhar, Shahid Nazir and all rounder Mohammad Hafeez for withdrawn Yaseer Hamid, Toufiq Umar and Mohammad Khalil. Shoaib Malik who was touring with Pakistan second string has also joined the side. However, the doors of return to the team have been closed for fast bowler Shoaib Akhter for discipline reason.
But there is a sad news for the Pakistani supporters that in form batsman Younis Khan who was in great form in the Test series aggregating 508 runs with an average of 101.60 is a doubtful starter as he has been suffering from fever.
A sell-out crowd of 75,000 is expected to watch the match. "We were sold out days ago. It will be a packed house," said Karunakaran Nair, Secretary of the Indian Cricket Board and a key official of local Kerala (Cricket) Association. There will be flat wicket, not ideal for fast bowlers. For this, both the teams may switch over to more spinners.
Indian captain Sourav Ganguly said, "Pakistan may have drawn the Test series with exceptional cricket, but the one-dayers are a different ball game and we are confident of doing well. We have happy memories of this ground after beating Australia and South Africa here in the past." On his captaincy, Sourav said, "That (captaincy) is for the selectors to decide. I have been around (as captain) for quite a long time. I have nothing to prove to anybody."
The Pakistan captain Inzamam Ul-Haq said his team was high on morale after the brilliant Test victory in Bangalore, but warned them against complacency. "We cannot carry our win in Bangalore to Cochin. It is a new game and we (have to) start from the beginning,' said he.
The Indian selectors have slashed spinner Anil Kumble, middle order batsman V.Laxman, opener Gambhir and wicket keeper Dinesh Karthic from the team for Yuvaraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Ashish Nehra and Mahender Dhoni. The batting strength of India is supposed to be the best in the world after Australia. They have qualities to face any kind of bowler for runs. The bowling power is also praiseworthy, consisting of Irfan Pathan, L.Balaji, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Murali Kartik. To the contrary, Pakistan are comparatively a weak side in all the three faculties of the game. The Pakistani batsmen often lose concentration on the pitch; the bowlers fail to keep the line and length of the ball and the fielders miss the easy catches even. The most trusted batsman is Izamam-ul-Haq. Others may or may not make runs. None of the bowlers is fearsome as were Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
 Stage set for first one-dayer in Kochi  March 31, 2005 The 80,000 capacity Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Kochi is bustling with action, all set to raise the curtain on the first of the six- match One Day International Series for the Pepsi Cup between a subdued India and a confident Pakistan on April 2.
''The wicket will be a purely batting track as is the practice in any one day match around the world," observed the curator of the pitch, veteran G. Kasturi Rangan.
Meanwhile, the government has announced a holiday for Kochi on the game day. The port city is brimming with activity and law and order machinery is working overtime. Five Team India players Rahul Dravid , Irfan Pathan, Mohammed Kaif, Harbhajan Singh and Lakshmipathy Balaji arrived in the city on Wednesday.
 Sourav, India will hit back: DravidMarch 30, 2005 Team India vice-captain Rahul Dravid said India will come back strongly in the ensuing ODI series and also backed skipper Sourav Ganguly as a man who will be back in form quickly. It is a little disappointing to lose the last Test, but that is over. One-day (game) is totally different. We have to look ahead and be positive. We can put up a good performance in the one-day series, he told reporters on the sidelines of a painting exhibition by his mother Pushpa Dravid in Kochi.
Pushpa, a professor by vocation, tackles mostly themes that blend man and nature. In a career spanning 40 years, Pushpa Dravid has held over 40 exhibitions in India and abroad, besides winning 14 prestigious awards, including the Karnataka Lalit Kala Akademi award.
On his skippers form, Dravid said: Sourav has been around for ten years playing lot of cricket. He knows exactly what he needs to do and he is working at it, he said.
The first ODI is scheduled to be held in Kochi on Saturday.
 Pakistan warms up with an 8 wicket victory; Malik finally meets his in-laws!March 30, 2005 Pakistan, playing without their five senior players, restricted India 'A' to 189 for 7 in their stipulated 45 overs in the one-day warm up match before racing to a comprehensive 8 wicket victory with 4 overs to spare.
In Picture: Man of the Match & Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik gets into a car with his father-in-law Hamid Siddiqui on the way to his wife Ayeshas residence on Tuesday evening. This is the first time he is meeting his in-laws. The two are yet to be formally wedded as they had performed their nikah (marriage) nearly two years ago over the phone. The nikah was performed when she was in Hyderabad and he was in his hometown Sialkot. Now both the families are getting ready for a formal wedding in August after Ayesha is settled down in Pakistan.
Brief Scores: India A 189/7 wkts in 45 overs (S Raina 55, S Sriram 38) lost to Pakistan 190/2 wkts in 41 overs (Salman Butt 70, Shoaib Malik 81) by 8 wickets.
 Ganguly's captaincy under fire; blames teamMarch 29, 2005 Saurav Ganguly blamed his team's defensive batting approach for their 168-run loss in the final test against Pakistan on Monday and said he was confident he would recover from his slump in form.
"We lost too many wickets quickly because we got too defensive," Ganguly said. "It was not a conscious effort to get in a negative mode, but it cost us." The hosts, 25 without loss overnight, were 102 for one at lunch but were bowled out for 214 in the last two sessions.
Ganguly has suffered a wretched time with the bat scoring 21, 12, 12, one and two in the series and he was booed to and from the crease by the crowd during his short innings on Monday. He said the question of retaining him as captain was for the selectors to answer.
Meanwhile, people have started talking about axing Ganguly, the most successful captain in Indian history. "On his batting form, Ganguly doesn't deserve a place in the team," former Indian captain Bishan Bedi said on Tuesday. "He should not be blocking the way of competent young players sitting among the reserves." "Ganguly's failure as a batsman was evident right through the series, but the last two days showed he didn't even have a game plan," Bedi said.
"As Ganguly shrinks from the unexpected defeat... the calls for his crown and his place in the team have become shriller," The Times of India said in a front-page report on Tuesday.
Ganguly is India's most successful Test captain, with a 19-13 win loss record in 47 Tests. Ganguly will be 33 by the time the next Test series comes round in October against Zimbabwe.
 Inzamam gets one-match ban for dissent; Pak media hails skipperMarch 28, 2005 Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has been banned for one test for showing dissent during the third and final test against India on Monday.
"We had a hearing with the match referee Chris Broad for two counts of excessive appealing and dissent," said Saleem Altaf, manager of the Pakistan cricket team. "On the first count, he has been fined 30 percent of his match fees and on the second, a level two offence, he has been given a one-test match ban." Altaf said both instances were during the first half hour of play on Monday.
Pakistan are scheduled to play their next test in West Indies in May.
Meanwhile, back in Pakistan, the knives which were out baying for his blood have suddenly vanished and Inzy finds himself at the centre of adulation as the local media heaped praise on him after yesterday's series-levelling win at Bangalore.
'The Nation' said, ''Pakistan's beleaguered captain, Inzamam-ul Haq gave the expression 'leading from the front' new interpretation with aggressive batting and smart placing of field and bowling changes.
Praising Inzamam for his astute captaincy, Dawn wrote, ''For Inzamam, it was a wish fulfilled, a dream come true. A victory that he had so desperately wanted in his 100th Test, came about through a remarkable team-effort and his intelligent captaincy.'' Former Pakistan captain and coach Javed Miandad also singled out the burly Multa player for the brilliant win at Bangalore.
 Anil Kumble omitted from Indian team for one-dayersMarch 28, 2005 Leg-spinner Anil Kumble has been omitted from the 14-player squad named by India on Tuesday for the first two games of their one-day international series against Pakistan starting on Sunday.
The 34-year-old Kumble claimed 17 wickets in the three-test series including a face saving 37* in the last innings when the frontline batsmen fell like nine-pins. The series ended in a 1-1 draw on Monday following Pakistan's 168-run victory in the final test in Bangalore.
Batsman Vangipurappu Laxman, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik and opening batsman Gautam Gambhir were the other test squad members to be left out.
India: Saurav Ganguly (capt), Virender Sehwag , Sachin Tendulkar , Rahul Dravid , Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Murali Kartik, Dinesh Mongia, Mahendra Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Zaheer Khan.
 March 28, 2005 Indian and Pakistan skipers with the TVS cup (In Picture). Pakistan won the final test at Bangalore, Inzamam's 100th, by 168 runs to level the series 1-1. The first test in Mohali was Drawn and India won the second test in Calcutta by 195 runs.
Pakistan make three changes for India one-dayersMarch 25, 2005 Pakistani selectors left out Shoaib Akhtar and made three changes to the squad currently in India.
Pakistan: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan (vice-captain), Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Nazir, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Sami, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Danish Kaneria, Arshad Khan and Shoaib Malik.
Bangalore Test Match Report
 Third Test
Bangalore
March 24-28, 2005
Match News
Score Board
Players
Photos
Daily Report
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Day one: Inzamam-ul-Haq made a century in his 100th Test match as Pakistan ended the first day of the final Test against India in a strong position on 323-2. Lakshmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan dismissed both openers to leave the tourists reeling on 7-2 in Bangalore.
But captain Inzamam took advantage of a good pitch to stroke a chanceless 184, while Younis Khan made a patient 127. Their partnership is a record for any wicket by a touring team in India and has set up what should be a big total.
Brief scores: Pakistan 323-2 v India
Day two: Pakistan made a mammoth 570 all out in 167.5 overs in the first innings against India in Bangalore. Younis Khan topscored with 267. Inzamam couldn't add anything to his overnight score of 184 as he was dismissed off the very first Balaji delivery in the morning. Harbhajan Singh took 6 wickets for 152 runs.
In reply, India were 55 for no loss, still trailing Pakistan by 515 runs. Sehwag was not out on 39 of 33 balls.
Brief scores: Pakistan 570 all out (Younis Khan 267, Inzamam-ul-Haq 184, Harbhajan Singh 6 for 152) India 55/0.
Day three: At stumps, India were 379/6 (100 ov) with Laxman batting at 51 (108) and Pathan at 0 (12). Sehwag scored 201 (262) on a day when most of the other batsmen dissapointed the Indian fans. Sachin scored 41, Dravid 22, Ganguly 1 and Gambhir 24. India trail by 191 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings.
Day four: India were 25/0 at stumps, chasing a target of 383 set by Pakistan to win the 3rd and final test. Pakistan had declared their second innings at 261/2 after Shahid Afridi made a quick fire start, hitting 58 off 34 balls. Some gritty batting by Younis Khan 84* and Yasir Hameed 76 was instrumental in Pakistan's run rate of 5.22, that allowed them to declare within 50 overs.
Scores: Pakistan 570 and 261/2 decl vs India 449 and * 25/0.
 Day five: India "managed" to lose the final test and draw the series against Pakistan by getting all out for 214 in 90 overs. Kumble 37 (52) was the only batsman who played with any sense on a day when the famed Indian batting side crumbled. The much-vaunted quartet of Rahul Dravid , Sachin Tendulkar , Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman could muster only 39 runs between them. Shahid Afridi took 3 crucial wickets for 13 runs in 17 overs. For India, Gambhir top scored with 52 (124).
Final Scores: Pakistan 570 (Younis Khan 267, Inzamam-ul-Haq 184, Harbhajan Singh 6 for 152) & 261/2 declared (Shahid Afridi 58, Younis Khan 84*, Yasir Hameed 76) BEAT India 446/9 (Sehwag 201, Sachin 41, Laxman 79*) & 214 (Gambhir 52, Kumble 37*) by 168 runs.
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 March 28, 2005 Pakistan bowled out India for 214 on the final day of the third Test in Bangalore to tie the series 1-1. Danish Kaneria dismissed Harbhajan Singh and Lakshmipathy Balaji late in the afternoon to clinch a 168-run win.
Earlier Shahid Afridi took three wickets, including the key one for 16 of Sachin Tendulkar , who had become the third highest run-scorer in Tests.
No team had ever scored more than 276 (West Indies in 1987) in the second innings to win a Test in India.
India 449 & 214 lost to Pakistan 570 & 261-2d by 168 runs.
 March 26, 2005 Virender Sehwag hit a brilliant double hundred in a dominant batting display as Pakistan's bowlers were run ragged on day three of the Bangalore Test.
Sehwag finally fell for 201 as India reached 379-6 after the third day in reply to Pakistan's first innings 570.
Sehwag had put on 98 for the first wicket with Gautam Gambhir, 74 for the second with Rahul Dravid and 85 for the third with Sachin Tendulkar .
Third Test, Bangalore, day three (stumps)
India 379-6 v Pakistan 570.
March 25, 2005 Younis Khan was the only one who thought his 504-ball innings of 267 runs on the second day of the third Test against India was "just normal".
In fact, it was the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in India. It was also Younis' first double century. "This wasn't a great innings. I drew inspiration from Inzamam's knock yesterday, but, of course, I couldn't play like him," he said.
He believes that Pakistan can win this Test, as the pitch has started cracking and the spinners will play a big role. But, at the same time, he is sad that they cannot win the series despite the effort.
 Inzamam fifth player to slam hundred in 100th test Discuss Bangalore Test March 24, 2005 Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq cracked a flawless unbeaten 184 in his 100th test and Younis Khan added 127 not out as Pakistan took control on the first day of the third and final match on Thursday. The pair shared in a 316-run partnership for the third wicket, the highest by Pakistan in India, to frustrate the Indian bowlers after they had reduced the visitors to seven for two.
Inzamam became only the fifth player in history to score a century in his 100th test, joining an elite club containing England's Colin Cowdrey, Gordon Greenidge of West Indies, Pakistani Javed Miandad and England's Alec Stewart.
His magnificent 263-ball knock, with 25 fours, was the highest score by a batsman in his centennial test, surpassing Greenidge's 149.
 March 23, 2005 Pakistan cricket captain Inzamam-ul Haq today resolved to adopt an aggressive approach in his 100th Test, beginning in Bangalore tomorrow, as his team seeks to level the three-Test series against India.
Pointing out that the toss would play an important role in the match, Inzamam also hinted that he would make atleast two changes to the side which lost at Kolkata.
"I don't need to stress how important this match is for us. We have to take a simple approach of winning at all costs. We have to be aggressive and positive," Inzamam told reporters. On the other hand, Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly hoped that the ICC would soon sort out the controversy over Harbhajan's "doosra" bowling action.
Though Inzamam admitted that the controversy surrounding off spinner Harbhajan Singh's 'doosra' delivery, he was not considering it as a great advantage. Asked whether he feared that his captaincy would be at stake if the side lost the series against India, Inzamam said such things (talks) happen from time-to-time. "It's important to focus on the task at hand; to win the match.
Inzamam ruled out any "tension" in the team and said his "arguments" with Shahid Afridi could not be described as "tension".
To a question, he said his most unforgettable moment was when he was part of the Pakistan team that won the World Cup in 1992. And the most regrettable one was that he scored a mere 19 runs from six matches in the 2003 edition.
 India retains the same team for the Bangalore Cricket Test against Pakistan Discuss Bangalore Test March 21, 2005 India yesterday retained their 14-member squad which scored a comfortable 195-run win in the second Test to go 1-0 up in the series for the third and final Test against Pakistan to be held in Bangalore from Thursday.
Indian Cricket Team: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid , Virender Sehwag , Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar , Venkatsai Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra, Laxmipathy Balaji, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh.
 Harbhajan Singh will not be allowed to bowl his Doosra Discuss Doosra March 21, 2005 Harbhajan Singh will not be allowed to bowl his controversial doosra during India's third Test against Pakistan this week after being reported by match referee Chris Broad for a suspect action.
Broad targeted Harbhajan after India's win in the second Test at Calcutta when he bowled out two batsmen with the delivery during Pakistan's second innings.It is the second time Harbhajan has been reported by Broad in four months. He had to remedy his bowling action after a query by Broad in a Test in Bangladesh last December.
Harbhajan can play for India when the third Test against Pakistan starts on Thursday in Bangalore but cannot bowl the doosra until he completes remedial work with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
In Picture: One of the computer images of Muttiah Muralitharan's doosra action that was supplied to the ICC in a biomechanist's report. ICC effectively banned Muralitharan from bowling his doosra - a delivery deemed illegal.
Teams in Bangalore, rest after five-day battle March 21, 2005 Players of both the visiting Pakistan and Indian cricket teams today opted for a day's rest after the second Test at Kolkata. The Pakistan team and some members of the Indian team arrived in Bangalore late last night from Kolkata. While most members of both the teams went to Chennai to attend the marriage of Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralidharan, those who stayed back took some rest.
Indian Coach John Wright visited the M Chinnaswamy stadium and inspected the pitch, prepared for the crucial third and final test beginning from March 24. Chief Curator Narayana Rao told UNI that good cricket was in store as the pitch was expected to be a batting pitch for the first three days.
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Kolkata Test Match Report
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 Second Test
Kolkata
March 16-20, 2005
Match News
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Players
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Daily Report
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Day one: Indian openers had yet another great start on a pitch that was shorn of most of the grass cover after Ganguly won the toss and opted to bat.
At lunch India were 126/1 (30 ov) with Dravid on 22 (48) and Sehwag on 64 (92). Soon after lunch, Sachin Tendulkar 52 (102), who repalced Sehwag 81 (114) reached 10,000 Test runs and Rahul Dravid reached his century.
Abdul Razzaq removed Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman off successive deliveries before Dravid 110 (222) put on 46 with Dinesh Karthik 28* (47) to end the first day on 344-6. Dravid was out in the last over.
 Day two: India's Dinesh Karthik runs himself out (In Picture) as Pakistan make the perfect start to day two. The last wicket partnership of 44 between Kumble 21* (36) and Harbhajan Singh 27 (39) took India to 407. In reply, Pakistan ended the day with 273/2 on board. Younis Khan 108 (167) and Yousuf Youhana 101 (172) were at the crease. They trail by 134 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings.
 Day three: India were 133/3 with Dravid 54 (92) and
Ganguly 4 (9) at the crease when bad light stopped play. A well settled Sachin Tendulkar , who was complaining of bad light, was on 52 (91), when he was given out by Bucknor in one of the worst umpiring decisions. He was given out caught behind, although Pakistan barely appealed and replays showed the ball missed the bat by an inch.
Earlier Pakistan innings folded at 393, giving India a lead of 14, after they started the morning at a healthy 273/2. Azim Kamal (In Picture), was the last wicket to fall before lunch, run out by Tendulkar.
Day four: India set Pakistan a target of 422 after declaring their second innings at 407 for nine a little over an hour after tea on the penultimate day of the second cricket Test. Dravid scored 135 for his 20th test century and shared in a 165-run fifth wicket partnership with teenaged wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who missed out on his maiden hundred, dismissed for 93.
In reply, Pak raced to 95/1, losing the wicket of Shahid Afridi, who scored 59 (59) and shared a 93 run 1st wicket partnership with Taufeeq Umar, who remained not out on 29 (61).
Brief Scores: India: 407 (Dravid 110, Sehwag 81, Tendulkar 52) and 407/9 decl. (Dravid 135, Karthik 93, Tendulkar 52)
Pakistan: 393 (Younis 147, Youhana 104) and 95/1 (Afridi 59)
Pakistan require another 327 runs with 9 wickets in hand on the last day to win the match.
Day five: Anil Kumble took 7-63 as India wrapped up victory in the second Test against Pakistan by 195 runs in Calcutta. The leg-spinner finished with match figures of 10-161 in Pakistan's first ever defeat at Eden Gardens.
Kumble removed Younis Khan with the first ball of the final day and bowled skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq before Taufeeq Umar edged Laxmipathy Balaji to slip. Kumble and Harbhajan Singh (2-51) then ran through the middle and lower order to put India 1-0 up with one Test left.
Brief Scores: India 407 & 407-9 dec bt Pakistan 393 & 226 by 195 runs.
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 March 20, 2005 Anil Kumble won India another Test with some exceptional bowling, taking his 29th five-wicket haul in a Test innings. He got a wicket off the first ball and went on to take Inzamam's wicket for the 7th time in as many tests. He proved irresistible on the fifth day, as he has so often in the past, and sent Pakistan skidding to 226 all out, taking 7 for 63 and giving India victory by 195 runs and a 1-0 lead in this series.
India started the day as favourites, as neither of the two options before Pakistan - scoring 327 for a victory, or surviving 90 overs for a draw - were easy to achieve.
Scores: India 407 (Dravid 110, Sehwag 81) and 407 for 9 dec (Dravid 135, Karthik 93) beat Pakistan 393 (Younis 147, Youhana 104) and 226 (Afridi 59, Kamal 50, Kumble 7-63) by 195 runs.
 Dravid, Second best only to the Don Jammie's Records March 19, 2005 Having read about Steve Waughs twin tons in 1997 that won a Headingley Test against England to help Australia level that Ashes series, Dravid had always wanted to follow suit. He did that once at Hamilton against New Zealand in 1998-99 but the unbeaten 103 in the second inningsafter a 190 in the firstturned out to be his least favourite. The match was a draw, the series a defeat.
At the Eden, the ground where he rediscovered himself with Laxman in that historic stand, after taking flak for his slow-scoring rate, in 2001 against Australia, Dravid stands on the verge of something special.
Both his centuries110 and 135 in this Test have come in the face of severe pressure, and both times he has walked back smiling.
With a Test average of 58.45, second only to Sir Don Bradman, Dravid today stands as the worlds best batsman.
 Bucknored: Sachin walks into dressing room crying! Worst Umpire? March 18, 2005 Steve Bucknor, the umpire who has a history of confrontations with the Indian team, ensured that his 100th Test would not be forgotten easily for the wrong reasons. On the third day of the Kolkata test, Sachin Tendulkar walked back to the dressing room with tears in his eyes as Bucknor declared him out at 52 after his bat clearly missed the ball sent down by Abdul Razzaq.
"Sachin had tears in his eyes as he returned to the dressing room,'' a member of the Indian team said. "He just couldn't express his shock at the decision. He was furious,'' he added. In Pakistan last year, he turned down several genuine appeals and gestured at wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel to keep quiet in a manner which was humiliating.
Bucknor has umpired in 17 Tests involving India and they have won just four.
 Tendulkar the fastest man to 10,000 test runs; India off to a good start Sachin March 16, 2005 Sachin Tendulkar reached 10,000 Test runs and Rahul Dravid hit 110 as India ended an eventful first day of the second Test against Pakistan on 344-6 at Eden Gardens.
India were 126-1 at lunch and added another 30 in eight overs following the restart before Sehwag paid the price for over-confidence. Sehwag's (81) departure brought in Tendulkar, but it was Dravid who assumed the senior partner's role. After a prolonged start, Tendulkar looked set for his 35th Test hundred, but that was put on hold again as his attempted cut off a wide Afridi delivery was pouched by Akmal.
Sachin Tendulkar became only the fifth batsman to complete 10,000 test runs. Former captain Sunil Gavaskar, the first player to accumulate 10,000 runs, is the only other Indian to reach the milestone. The 31-year-old Tendulkar, playing his 122nd test, already holds the records for runs and centuries in one-day cricket and shares the record for most test hundreds (34) with Gavaskar.
 Kolkata's Eden Gardens gears up for second Indo-Pak Test March 13, 2005 Kolkata's famous Eden Gardens is gearing up to host the second Test match between arch cricket rivals India and Pakistan. Considered one of the best cricket grounds in the world, Eden is being spruced up to host next week's match.
A large contingent of groundsmen are working overtime to create a carpet like field, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Pitches and Grounds Committee, which supervises cricket pitch preparations across the country, says that it is taking all measures to provide a balanced playing surface favouring both bowlers and batsmen.
Preparations are also in full swing for making and allocating a separate stand for visiting Pakistan and Indian cricket fans in the sprawling stadium that can accommodate over 100,000 people.
 Balaji fined 30 percent of match feeMarch 13, 2005 Pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji (In Picture) has been fined 30 percent of his match fee for "excessive appealing" and "not looking back to the umpire" after dismissing Pakistan's centurion Kamran Akmal in the drawn first Test here, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Sunday. "Balaji was found guilty of excessive appealing and not looking back to the umpire when appealing by ICC match referee Chris Broad in a hearing at the conclusion of the match," said an ICC statement released by the Indian cricket board at Mohali.
The charge was brought by umpires Darrell Hair and Rudi Koertzen and television umpire K. Hari Haran. Broad reached his conclusion after a hearing attended by Balaji, India coach John Wright and the three umpires.
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Mohali Test Match Report
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 First Test
Mohali
March 8-12, 2005
Match News
Score Board
Players
Photos
Daily Report
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Day one: Pakistan were dismissed for 312 shortly before the close of play on the opening day of the first test against India on Tuesday.
Brief scores: Pakistan 312 all out (I.Haq 57, A.Kamal 91, L.Balaji 5-76) v India.
Day two: Virender Sehwag made up for lost time on a rain-hit day two in Mohali, leading India to 184-1 in reply to Pakistan's 312 in the 40 overs available. He survived drops on 15 and 82 to reach 95 not out, while Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 39. Gautam Gambhir was the only wicket to fall, caught off spinner Danish Kaneria for 41 after an opening stand of 113.
Brief scores: Pakistan 312 all out India 184-1 v India 181 for 1 (V Sehwag 95*, G Gambhir 41)
Day three: Virender Sehwag reaches 100 runs in 129 balls, his 9th in 32 matches. Rahul Dravid 's was the only wicket to fall in the morning session for a well made 50 (117).
At lunch, Sehwag was batting on 166 (209) and Sachin was on 47 (64). India were 318/2, with a lead of 6 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings.
After lunch, Sehwag fell for 173 (244) caught by Yousuf Youhana bowled Abdul Razzaq, with India at 334/3. Ganguly joined Sachin who was batting at 55 (86), but he didn't last long, getting out at 21 (74) with India at 381 (for 4 in 103.4 ov)
Before stumps, the Little Master got out, 6 short of his century, for 94 (201). India were 447 for 6 wickets in 130.1 overs with a R.R of 3.43 when bad light stopped play. Laxman was not out on 33 (86).
Mohali Test Day four: India were all out for 516 (147.3 ov) in the morning session, with a first innings lead of 204. Laxman made 58 in 125 balls supported by Balaji with a quickfire 31 of 36 balls. Kanaria ended the Indian innings with 6 for 150. At stumps, Pakistan were 257-6, a lead of 53 runs with only 4 wickets remaining.
Mohali Test Day five: Kamran Akmal 109 (154) and Abdul Razzaq 71 (260) put on a 184-run seventh wicket partnership to lead Pakistan's fightback on the final day of the first test in Mohali. After tea, Pakistan declared the innings at 496/9, their highest total in India. In reply, India made 85-1, losing Sehwag for 36 (56). Match was drawn. Details |
 Brilliant Pakistan earns Draw in MohaliMarch 12, 2005 Heroic batting from Kamran Akmal (In Picture) and Abdul Razzaq gave Pakistan a draw in the first Test against India in Mohali.
Man of the Match Akmal, who suffered cramps during his innings, struck a fluent 109 and dominated in a record 184-run seventh wicket stand with all rounder Abdul Razzaq (71) after the visitors had faced defeat overnight.
Pakistan finally declared on 496-9 setting India an improbable target of 293 from 25 overs. They reached 85 for one losing Sehwag for 36, when the match was called off with eight overs remaining. It was a remarkable result after Pakistan had been 10-3 at one stage on Friday.
In the Pakistani innings, Kumble took his 450th wicket when he caught Mohammad Sami quite brilliantly off his own bowling. He finished with 4-160, while Balaji had 4-95 and nine wickets in the match.
The second match of the series will begin in Kolkata from March 16.
India retain same squad for second Test March 11, 2005 India's cricket selectors Friday retained the 14-member squad for the second Test at Kolkata beginning Wednesday, cricket board secretary S K Nair announced in Mohali.
Indian Squad :Sourav Ganguly (captain) Virender Sehwag , Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid , Sachin Tendulkar , V.V.S. Laxman, Dinesh Kaarthick (wicketkeeper), Yuvraj Singh, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Lakshmipathy Balaji.
Coach : John Wright
Physiotherapist : John Gloster
Trainer : Gregory Allen King
The five selectors are More (West Zone), Yashpal Sharma (North), Pranab Roy (East), Gopal Sharma (Central) and V.B. Chandrasekhar (South).
India seek rapid finish in Mohali March 11, 2005 India start the final day of the first Test against Pakistan in a powerful position, knowing four quick wickets should ensure a comfortable victory. Pakistan's not-out batsmen are Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal, who will have other ideas as they resume on 257-6, leading by a slim margin of 53 runs.
India's Lakshmipathy Balaji will hope to add to his eight wickets in the match with his fast swing bowling.
First Test, Mohali, day five: India 516 v Pakistan 312 & 257-6.
 Balaji dazzles with bat and ball March 11, 2005 Pakistan reached 257-6 at stumps on day four of the first Test against India to lead by just 53.
Lakshmipathy Balaji contributed three wickets to take his haul to eight in the match. The tourists had been in big trouble at 10-3 before Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana added 139 for Pakistan's fourth wicket. Anil Kumble turned the game back India's way as he dismissed Inzamam (86) and Youhana (68) either side of tea.
In the morning session, India finished on 516 after starting the day on 447-6. Danish Kaneria captured the four remaining wickets to finish with 6-150, the best figures ever for a leg-spinner in a Test against India. But Balaji entertained the crowd with three fours in a Kanaria over, one of them an immaculate cover drive that would have made a specialist batsman proud. He added 42 runs in quick time for the eighth wicket with Laxman (58 of 125 balls), who brought up his 21st Test half-century. Balaji made 31 in 36 balls.
Sehwag hits a dazzling 173, Sachin misses a World Record! March 10, 2005 Virender Sehwag continued to torment Pakistan with a blistering 173 as India took command of the first cricket Test by piling a healthy first innings lead in Mohali. He cracked his ninth Test century to power the hosts to an imposing 447 for six at close on the third day which saw Sachin Tendulkar (94) come agonisingly close to dethroning Sunil Gavaskar from the top position in the list of leading Test century-makers.
Tendulkar, in search of his 35th hundred and the looming 10,000 runs, was largely the reason India couldn't make more than what they ended up with at close. Ironically, Tendulkar was in peach form in his first 50 which came off 78 balls and included seven fours. His next 44 was worth a labour of 122 balls and nearly four hours.
Sehwag shared three successive century stands for the first three wickets, putting on 113, 103 and 118 with Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar.
 Sehwag looking to bat all day tomorrow March 9, 2005 Virender Sehwag 's batting has been criticized, torn apart by the so-called experts and loved by the masses. But nothing anyone says can make him change the way he bats. As he hammered 95 runs against Pakistan in a session-and-a-half on day 2 of the first Test at Mohali on Wednesday, one could not help but wonder where this Indian team would be without the dashing Delhi batsman.
At the press conference answers come hard and fast, "I am not looking to get just five runs more. I am looking to bat all day tomorrow. And if that happens I know I will score runs at a quick rate. In the Melbourne Test against Australia, I got out for 195 late in the day and after that India struggled. I'll look to ensure that it doesn't happen again."
The first-wicket partnership between Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir was worth 113 and it was the second time in recent matches that the duo put on a hundred-run stand.
Musharraf may visit India to watch cricket March 9, 2005 Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is expected to visit India in the next few days to watch a cricket match between the Indian and Pakistani teams. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said he would welcome a visit by Musharraf to watch the sporting event.
Musharraf had said last week he would love to see the two teams on field - but only if invited. "I love watching any sport.I would love to watch cricket," Musharraf had told Pakistani media, adding: "I don't believe in going anywhere without an invitation.If there is an invitation, one would like to consider."
That set the ball rolling in New Delhi, and cricket may provide a platform to the two sides to continue warming up the otherwise frigid relations.
Pakistani Bookies give India the edge March 9, 2005 The odds in the 35,000 odd gambling books existing in Lahore were clearly in favour of India after the opening day, local newspaper 'Daily Times' reportered in Islamabad.
"The books opened at 1:10 in favour of a draw, 1:5 in favour of Pakistan and 1:0.75 (75 paisas for Rs 1) in favour of India. When the match closed, the odds in favour of a draw and in favour of Pakistan remained unchanged while odds in favour of India varied from 1:0.75 to 1:0.80 (80 paisas for Rs 1 )," it said.
"A majority of Lahore fans are betting on an Indian win because India has the home ground and crowd advantage," the paper quoted a local bookmaker.
Dravid eyes top batsman's spot March 9, 2005 Indian vice-captain Rahul Dravid could reclaim the top Test batsman's mantle in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings if he remains the run machine during the ongoing India-Pakistan series. Currently ranked second, Dravid will have to average over 50 to push past South African Jacques Kallis who tops the standings.
Teammate Anil Kumble is currently ranked fifth amongst Test bowlers while his spin-twin Harbhajan Singh is 12th. A good performance from the off-spinner, who sat out the first Test at Mohali, could see him break into the top 10 again.
 First test of the India Pakistan series begins today March 8, 2005 Arch rivals India and Pakistan resume their much-awaited cricketing rivalry here today (Tuesday) with the hosts going into the first of the three-Test series as favourites, having a full strength squad at their disposal after a long time.
The tour may not have generated the same hype which was associated with India's historic trip to Pakistan last year, but the passion and excitement were expected to grow as the series unfolded over the next few days. The home team, who had won their first ever Test series in Pakistan last year, not only have the home advantage but also have been bolstered by the return from injury of some of their top performers.
Indian captain Sourav Ganguly will have a problem of plenty, particulary in the bowling department with Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra and Lakshmipathy Balaji all having recovered from injuries. The batting also looks formidable with Sachin Tendulkar , who had missed a number of domestic matches to rest an injured elbow, joining the team again.
The absence of pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar, who pulled out with a hamstring injury, which has considerably weakened the bowling department of Pakistan but Pakistani skipper Inzimam ul Haq has made it clear that India must not count down other bowlers in the Pakistani side.
The Pitch: Meanwhile Mohali's curator Daljit Singh, who has produced pitches for all five Tests played at the venue till date, said that the wicket for the Indo-Pak Test beginning March 8 will likely be seam-friendly on the first three days, before beginning to turn. Also the canopy covers in use in Mohali permits the wicket to breathe, thus keeping it spiced up for the morning sessions.
Inzy said, If Pakistan wins the toss, he will not hesitate for a second before opting to bowl first in the seamer friendly Mohali pitch.
In Picture: India captain Sourav Ganguly and his Pakistani counterpart Inzamam-ul Haq with the TVS Trophy on the eve of the first Test at Mohali, on Monday.
 Nehra, Yuvraj out of first Test March 7, 2005 India today left out middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh and left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra from the team for the first cricket Test against Pakistan starting here tomorrow. Indian captain Sourav Ganguly made the announcement here today which meant that either off-spinner Harbhajan Singh or seamer Laxmipathy Balaji would be picked in the final XI.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq, on the otherhand, kept the cards close to his chest as he refused to name the 12 for the game. He wanted to have one final look at the pitch on the morning of the match before deciding on his eleven.
Passion and politics mix as India faces Pakistan March 7, 2005 India faces a two-fold challenge as it hosts Pakistan in a series of three five-day test matches starting in Mohali on Tuesday. If the more obvious of the two is that of beating its opponent, the really important one is ensuring that it is as successful, gracious and magnanimous a host as Pakistan was when this most charged of test cricket rivalries was resumed after five years last year.
This is more than a meeting of two large nations for whom cricket is as fundamental to national pride and identity as soccer is to any European or Latin American state Read more at Herald Tribune
 India is lovely, people are so nice March 7, 2005 Pakistan cricket fans who are for the first time on the "wrong side" of the border are finding the welcome and acceptance quite surprising. The Indian government has issued 10,000 visas for Pakistani fans and the hosts are eager to match the hospitality given to them during last year's series in Pakistan. Huge banners welcoming Pakistani fans lined the highway from the border city of Amritsar, with hundreds of locals greeting them at bus stops along the route.
In Chandigarh, leading cinema halls have offered free movie tickets to all Pakistanis. Others are specially screening films promoting love across the border. Pakistani fans said the warm reception in India had dispelled all fears they had about coming to Mohali. Some of them joined welcoming Indians in the "Bhangra", a traditional dance popular on both sides of the border.
 Sachin needs 121 runs for twin milestone March 6, 2005 Sachin Tendulkar , whose illustrious career began way back in 1989 in Pakistan when he was just 16, needs a 100-plus innings to reach a twin milestone. A century will smash compatriot Sunil Gavaskars world record of 34 Test hundreds. And by scoring 121 he will become only the fifth batsman in Test history to complete 10,000 runs. Former Australian captains Allan Border and Steve Waugh, Gavaskar and West Indies skipper Brian Lara comprise the elite 10,000-club so far.
Tendulkar has already compiled 9,879 runs in 120 Tests with 34 centuries and 13,497 runs in 342 one-dayers with a world record 37 hundreds.
Shiv Sena Threat to Delhi ODIMarch 6, 2005 The Delhi unit of Shiv Sena threatened on Sunday not to allow the sixth Indo-Pak ODI slated to be held in the capital next month. The Indo-Pak match in Delhi will not be allowed to take place at any cost, Delhi unit chief Jai Bhagwan Goel was quoted as saying, according to a Shiv Sena release.
Meanwhile, 750 Pakistan fans crossed over to India through the Wagah border Sunday to witness the first Test beginning in Mohali on Tuesday. This was after Pakistan cancelled the Samjhauta Express due to tecnical reasons
First batch of 1,000 Pak cricket fans arrives in India to a warm welcome March 6, 2005 The first batch of Pakistani cricket fans crossed into India on Sunday amidst beating of drums and dancing by their Indian hosts. Pakistan takes on India next week in Mohali in the first of the three-test series being held after a span of six years.
About 1,000 fans crossed over to India through Wagah check post, the only land route between the two countries. Around 4,000 Pakistani cricket fans are expected to follow their national team for the first match in the much-anticipated test series.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence in 1947, two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir.
 India may invite Musharraf to watch cricket March 6, 2005 Government sources on Friday said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's offer to travel to India to watch an Indo-Pak cricket match will be responded to positively. Ministry of External Affairs sources said this is not the first time Pakistan has sought to use cricket diplomacy to improve ties between the two countries.
Former Pakistan president General Zia ul Haq had visited India in the late eighties to watch an Indo-Pak cricket match.
In Picture: Musharraf with spinner Saqlain Mushtaq in Rawalpindi.
India's top six secure - Ganguly March 5, 2005 Captain Sourav Ganguly has revealed India will not be tempted into tinkering with their batting order for the first Test against Pakistan. "Our batting order for the Tests is fixed. There are no changes from number three to six," Ganguly told BBC Sport.
Rahul Dravid will remain at number three and VVS Laxman at six, despite the latter averaging 53.5 at first drop in Test cricket. Ganguly gave his backing to Gautam Gambhir, banishing speculation Yuvraj Singh could be asked to open the batting again after a failed experiment against Australia last year.
Sachin Tendulkar will bat at number four with Ganguly at five.
With wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik to come in at number seven, India are left with just four spots for bowlers - suggesting Yuvraj could miss out.
Sony wins overseas TV rights for series March 5, 2005 With the first Test only three days away, the BCCI has finally concluded its immediate television rights deals by awarding the overseas rights for the India-Pakistan series to Sony Entertainment Television (SET). The company put up a winning bid of US$11.5million for the three Tests and six one-dayers.
The BCCI had Tuesday awarded the production rights to TransWorld International for $1.5 million.
Indian team arrives in Chandigarh March 5, 2005 The Indian cricket team arrived in Chandigarh today to play the first Test against Pakistan at Mohali from March 8. The team led by Captain Saurav Ganguly arrived at 3 p.m. amidst tight security. Among the other players who arrived were Sachin Tendulkar , L. Balaji, Anil Kumble, Virender Sehwag , V.V.S. Laxman, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Murali Karthik.
Although,Chandigarh was gearing up for the oath taking ceremony of the new Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the city diverted its attention towards the cricketers for quite a while.
Warm-up tie between Pakistan and Board XI in Dharamshala ends in tame Draw March 3-5, 2005 Day two: Chasing Pakistan's first innings total of 273, the Indian Board President's XI were 91 for 1 wicket when the match was stopped due to bad light on the second day of the three-day match here Friday. Mohammad Kaif was batting on 42 and D.S. Jadhav was batting on 30 at close of play.
Earlier, Abdul Razzaq scored a fine 63 off 82 balls, including 10 boundaries and two sixes, to help Pakistan to a decent total.
At Stumps: Pakistanis 273 Indian Board President's XI 91/1 (22.2 ov)
Indian Board President's XI trail by 182 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings.
Match Details
Day one: Pakistan were restricted to 165 for five at stumps on the day one of their three-day match against Board President's XI on Thursday. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. The match began late because of an overcast sky then rain. Salman Butt was the first man to go after he was run out by Gagandeep Singh for 21 runs.
Younis Khan followed suit in the next over for nought. Yousuf Yuhana was the third man to go after contributing 18 runs. Pakistan lost their fourth wicket as Taufeeq Umar was dismissed reducing the visitors to 83/4. Umar made 34 before he was caught by Md Kaif at short leg off R P Singh.
At Stumps: Pakistan struggle at 165 for five.
Match Details
If invited, Prez Musharraf willing to watch cricket in India March 4, 2005 Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has evinced interest in visiting India to watch one of the matches of the Indo-Pak cricket series beginning next week, saying he would certainly consider such a proposal if invited by New Delhi.
Asked whether he would follow the footsteps of his predecessor and military ruler late General Zia ul Haq in pursuing cricket diplomacy with New Delhi by visiting India to watch the cricket series, he said he could consider it, provided he received an invitation.
Shoaib likely to play third Test, ODIs March 4, 2005 Pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar, recuperating from a hamstring injury, is likely to turn up for Pakistan in the third cricket Test against India later next month as well as the following one-day international series.
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan said the panel of doctors working on the bowler would submit its report tomorrow when a clearer picture is expected to emerge.
TWI gets TV production rights for India-Pakistan series March 1, 2005 TransWorld International (TWI) has been given the telecast production rights for the upcoming home series against Pakistan for $1.5 million, the Indian cricket board announced in New Delhi o | | |
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