Delhi boys party at home

Delhi's street-wise batsmen scrapped their way to 191, a total that put pressure on Bangalore's top order and just when they needed to hold their nerve, they faltered, giving Glenn McGrath three wickets in his first spell and leaving the middle-order with too much to do. Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis could not sustain an assault and Bangalore fell short by 10 runs, registering yet another loss. Delhi, however, now go into their big game against the unbeaten Chennai team, with a triumph behind them.

Frenetic farewell
Ross Taylor leaves the IPL shortly and he would have liked to go on a high. He scored quickly, got his team off to a brisk start, and, on the verge of seeing off McGrath, miscued a catch to Shikhar Dhawan at midwicket. McGrath, who had already sent Praveen Kumar packing, then tempted Wasim Jaffer into pulling from outside off, the ball merely ballooning to mid-on. McGrath's first spell read 3-0-23-3 and he had done his bit.
The pigeon returns
On the wrong side of 30 and battling to lift their team to a much-needed win, Dravid and Kallis managed a rousing 87-run partnership with barely a shot played in anger. But it would not be enough.
McGrath returned for a final over and had Dravid (38), becoming the first bowler to pick up four wickets in an IPL match, ending with 4 for 29. Kallis (54) blustered on, meaty shoulders opening up towards the death but when he played around an arm ball from Daniel Vettori with two overs to spare and 30 still needed, the game was up.
Classic Gambhir
If at all there is something that can be termed a classic in this nascent form of the game it is the manner in which Gautam Gambhir bats. With no interest in aesthetics and little regard for accepted batting norms, he carves the ball in the arc spanning third-man to long-off with aggressive regularity.
On the day it was not a sustained assault, and that was understandable with wickets falling more often than the Kotla faithful liked. Rather, Gambhir's 86 lasted only 10 balls less than the course of the entire Delhi innings and 12 of the 54 balls he faced crossed the ropes, one without bouncing first.
Making them count
The innings' fourth over bowled by Zaheer went for 18, with Sehwag launching a six over midwicket, flicking one off the pads for four and brutally hitting the third into the first floor of the stands at long-on.
The other big over was the 14th, when Sunil Joshi's loopy deliveries landed perfectly for Dhawan (50) and Gambhir to clatter 19, via a pull over midwicket, a loft over long-on and a scorching cover-drive. Those two overs made the difference between a merely healthy total and one that would give their bowlers the breathing room they needed in the face of an inevitable counter-attack.

Sledging a waste of time, but also an art: Dhoni

We will be squaring off against a very good Delhi team on Friday. The Daredevils have very good bowlers in the form of Mohammed Asif and Glenn McGrath. It will be important for us to get off to a good start. We have to make sure that this duo does not make any inroads into our batting when we bat. Even when we bowl, it will be crucial to get as many dot balls going as possible. Virender Sehwag is in great form and it will be crucial for us to start off well with the ball as well.
One of the reasons why the Indians run foul with authorities is because there is very little sledging in first-class cricket in India.The Harbhajan-Sreesanth issue has been dealt with, and the former has been banned for 11 games. All players at this level know the limits they have to stay within, and once they go beyond these limits, they will be fined. Harbhajan Singh is a matchwinner and he must know that there is no greater high than playing well for one's team. However, if he gets on the wrong side of the law, he will not be able to do that. One of the reasons why the Indians run foul with authorities is because there is very little sledging in first-class cricket in India. It's when these youngsters get into the international level that they see and hear what the other teams are saying and some of them try it, but without the expertise of their foreign counterparts. I have said this in the past: sledging is an art, and our players must learn it well before practicing it. Otherwise bans and fines will always be handed out to them.
I personally find sledging a waste of time. I would rather preserve energy and try to get the opposition out by concentrating on doing my job well. I focus on the game, getting my plans right and then executing them well, so sledging is not for me at all. However, there are a few guys in the team who are pretty good at the chit-chat and I don't stop them if they don't go beyond the limits.
If somebody is getting under your skin, there is a way to give it back. I am all for aggression and not taking anything lying down from the opposition. It is important to give as good as you get, but it's even more important to know how to do it. Coming back to the Super Kings, I am proud of the way we came back from the edge to pull off a victory against the Royal Challengers. The Bangalore bowlers were able to swing the ball right till the 18th over. However, 180 was a good score, and while we were falling behind in the middle, we finished well to win the game.
Interestingly, we were unable to swing the ball at the start of the Bangalore innings. However, at around the 14th over, we realised that we had not been shining the ball. It was a schoolboy error, but we were lucky to detect it in time! After that, we got Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher in quick succession, and that turned the tide for us.

Shoaib cannot play in IPL: BCCI sources

Though the Pakistan Cricket Board has cleared Shoaib Akhtar to play in the Indian Premier League for Kolkata Knight Riders, the controversial fast bowler still cannot play in the Twenty20 League as per the cricket board's recent decision. "Unless he is cleared to play for Pakistan, he cannot play in the IPL. This was the decision taken by the special general body of the BCCI at Bangalore before the start of the Twenty20 event," informed BCCI sources here on Wednesday. Akhtar's appeal against the five-year ban imposed by the PCB for indiscipline was on Wednesday rejected by a three-member appeal tribunal which, however, said he was free to resume his career overseas. Farrukh Aftab, chairman of the appeal tribunal, has said that the temperamental pacer can play in the IPL promoted by the BCCI but cannot play for Pakistan internationally or nationally. Akhtar was bought for $425,000 (approx Rs 1.7 crore) by the Kolkata franchise team owned by Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment.

No more a youngsters' game

Glenn McGrath shattered the twin myth that Twenty20 is essentially a youngsters' game with an obvious bias towards batsmen as the beanpole Aussie claimed IPL's first four-wicket haul to guide Delhi Daredevils to a 10-run win against Bangalore Royal Challengers on Wednesday.Chasing 192 for victory, the Bangalore outfit came close to the target, thanks to efforts by Jacques Kallis (54 off 44 balls) and Rahul Dravid (38 off 30 balls), but it did not prove enough in the end as they ended up on 181 for five

Ban upheld, but Shoaib can play in IPL

Controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's international career virtually came to an end after an appellate tribunal, on Wednesday, upheld the five-year ban imposed on him.
It, however, said he can play in the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
The appellate tribunal, in its interim ruling, said Akhtar cannot play any match in or for Pakistan, but allowed him the liberty to play anywhere else in the world.
Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, heading the appellate tribunal, said the ban will stay because Shoaib did not try to reform himself.
"Basically he has not tried to reform himself and has continued to violate discipline. That is the view of the tribunal, so the ban stays," he told reporters in Lahore

"This is also the order of the disciplinary committee of the Board that he can't play for or anywhere in Pakistan domestically or internationally. But there is no bar on him playing anywhere else in the world," Farrukh added.
Farrukh said the tribunal had taken the decision in view of the unconditional apology submitted by Shoaib on Monday to the nation, his team and the Board for his actions.
He said the tribunal will resume proceedings against the overall ban in June.
Akhtar had appealed against the five-year ban, imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board for breaching the players' code of conduct after he criticized the Board in media when he was already in the probation period.
The interim order basically appears to be a move to allow him to play in the Indian Premier League.
But the million dollar question is that whether the IPL will allow him to play in their League because earlier also their stance was clear that they wouldn't allow a banned player to play in their league. And the tribunal has not lifted the ban.
Farrukh also criticised Shoaib for the irreparable harm he had done to Pakistan cricket, his teammates and the trust of the nation.

Indian Premier League lives up to the hype

After 15 months away it has been great to get back into international cricket out here in Jaipur. I didn't know what to imagine from the Indian Premier League, but the games have been intense, hard-fought and the sideshows spectacular. If the buzz around the grounds is a guide, then the IPL is even bigger than anyone predicted.
Things were a bit chaotic for the first few days. Players from all over the world were coming and going, the official gear had not turned up and it was hard to know what was happening from one day to the next. I would not say that things were badly organised, but people were getting carried away with the excitement.
Life is always frenetic around cricket in India. The place was made for Twenty20. You expect the dressing-rooms to start shaking in the build-ups, with entertainment booming outside. And the media are lapping it up. I even read that I've learnt Hindi - fortunately, the article was in English.
More than a week in, the dust is settling. Teams have realised that you don't always need to blast 200 to win and we've been getting some close games. Anybody can beat anybody on the day (or night). That is part of the attraction.
I try to have fresh ideas for each game. If you can take your opponent by surprise, even just for a few minutes, it can be a big advantage. So I may put in an extra spin bowler or mix up some of the batsmen to get another big hitter in the middle order.
Unfortunately, most of the spinners are being smashed around. Boundaries are so small that you can deceive a guy in the flight and still see the ball fly for six off the top edge. I suppose Twenty20 is about big hits and supporters go crazy when it clears the ropes, but a 55-metre boundary does not make for much of a balance.
You have to adjust quickly and as best you can. I've been asked whether there is much talking in the middle between the Aussie players, but by the time I have thought about moving a fielder - and then managed to convey the message above the din - there isn't time for a kind word or a sledge.
Playing against my old team-mates is strange. Overall, we are going well - Andrew Symonds, Mike Hussey and Adam Gilchrist have cracked lightning hundreds, Matty Hayden and Simon Katich have also scored runs, Shane Watson has been brilliant for the mighty Rajasthan Royals and Brett Lee has cranked up the pace.
The only guy who is yet to fire is Ricky Ponting, who has had a couple of first-ballers. I am sure he will have a wry smile on his face when he leaves for the West Indies tour shortly. He must be keen to get back to the longer form of the game.
We know each other's games inside out and I was pleased to use a bit of that knowledge to get rid of Gilchrist when we played against Deccan Chargers last Thursday. Sometimes he can be weak against spin early on, so I called up Yusuf Pathan's off spin for the third over and we got him stumped.
The Royals have sneaked under the radar with three wins in a row. On Thursday we play Kolkata Knight Riders, when I go head-to-head as coach with my old pal, John Buchanan. That side of my role has been good fun. Darren Berry and Jeremy Snape do a lot of the back-up work. If I ever become an international coach, I'd be happy with those two as assistants.
I feel like I've been on Jeremy's couch a couple of times and he has done some good stuff with the youngsters. Dimi Mascarenhas should be in contention for Thursday, but it is a shame he is the only English player on view. Well done to Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, for seeing the bigger picture and releasing him.
Nothing to my mind will be able to compete with the IPL. Having said that, I have been reading about Sir Allen Stanford's proposals based around England. If he wants somebody to pick and captain an All Star XI, I'd love to have a go.

Need to look beyond the TV footage

It was a pleasant surprise for me when the Chennai Super Kings bowling line-up, which is not as strong as our batting, scripted an impressive win against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The latter started strongly, but Jacob Oram was able to induce false shots from the in-form Brendon McCullum and then Ricky Ponting. Once you lose wickets upfront, T20 becomes a very different ball game, and a sub-150 total was always going to be hard to defend against our in-form batting attack. I celebrated the win by learning yet another Tamil term, po laama? which means, “Shall we go?”
It’s a lot like what happened between Zinedine Zidane and Marco Materazzi. What Zidane did was wrong, but Materazzi also was not completely in the right.While cricket has been hogging headlines all over the country, it was a little sad to see a controversy in the newspapers once again. The incident involving Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh was unfortunate because I know both of them, and they are not bad guys at all. Everybody is passing judgment based on what is reported in the newspapers, and I am too far from the scene to actually comment on it. However, before issuing any punishment, I hope the authorities check the actual sequence of events rather than just what the footage shows. It’s a lot like what happened between Zinedine Zidane and Marco Materazzi. What Zidane did was wrong, but Materazzi also was not completely in the right.
Harbhajan is a very aggressive cricketer who plays hard and is there for his teammates whenever they need him. Even Sreesanth has seen this supportive side of Harbhajan in the Indian dressing room. Sreesanth is also a very aggressive cricketer who likes to express his highs and lows very passionately on the cricket field. Off the field, you will not meet a more soft-spoken guy than Sree. I am glad to hear that whatever happens in the form of disciplinary action, both these guys have sorted things out between themselves.
As far as this incident having any effect on the Indian dressing room, it seems unlikely. Besides, there is a long time to go before we play international cricket, and I am sure things will get sorted out by then. Coming back to the IPL, we now take on the Bangalore Royal Challengers in their home game, and while they not really got off to a flying start, they are still a very fine side. They have quite a few match-winners in their midst and if any one of them gets going on Monday, it will mean trouble for us. There is no such thing as a favourite in Twenty20 cricket, and whoever will have the better form in those three hours will win. It is important for us to focus on our plans and also play to our strengths. If we do that consistently, we will continue to get the results.
All teams will be heading towards a new phase in May when some of the international players will have to leave for national duty. We will lose Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey and Oram next week, and most sides will lose a couple of key players in the side.
For the momentum to be maintained, we will need our India internationals as well as the new internationals to keep the intensity going. I know that Hayden is a tough player to replace at the top of the order, but we will have to find ways. We will be getting in Stephen Fleming, Makhaya Ntini and Albie Morkel, and a lot depends on how these guys will fare in the coming games.

Bravo stars as Mumbai register first win

A superlative unbeaten 64 by West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo helped Mumbai Indians secure their first win in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.
The Mumbai team, mired with controversy surrounding Harbhajan Singh ,put out Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens to score their first win in five matches.
The Kolkata team suffered its second straight loss, after scoring two successive wins.
Chasing a modest 138 to win, Mumbai were reduced to 25 for three in the fifth over before a 113-run fourth-wicket partnership between Bravo and Robin Uthappa (37 not out) sealed them a win.
Bravo's 53-ball knock contained eight boundaries and a huge six and ensured Mumbai's win with eight balls to spare.
Ajit Agarkar , Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda took a wicket each for the Knight Riders, but the home team's total was too paltry in the final analysis.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians' veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock stole the limelight, wrecking the top and middle order of the Kolkata Knight Riders, to restrict the hosts to a modest 137 for 8.
The crafty Jayasuriya displayed variation in bowling and stuck to a tight line to finish 4-1-14-3, a dream figure in the Twenty20 format of the game, as the Mumbai Indians were set an asking rate of 6.9 by the Knight Riders before a crowd of 80,000 at the Eden Gardens.
Pollock (2 for 27), standing in as captain in place of the injured Sachin Tendulkar , did the early damage removing openers Sourav Ganguly (4) and Brendon McCullum (2) in the first over on a pitch that looked sporting in sharp contrast to the two-paced dry wicket that had been universally condemned nine days back.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla (40 not out; 4x4, 2x6) emerged the top scorer, with a late assault which somewhat retrieved the situation for the Knight Riders, after they elected to bat first.
Skipper Ganguly's run drought continued as he departed in the third ball of the match, edging an away going delivery to Jayasuriya after having tentatively pulled Pollock to the fence in the previous delivery.
The Knight Riders suffered another setback two deliveries later, when McCullum was trapped leg before by the former South African captain, and the city side were reduced to 6 for 2.
Young Debabrata Das, playing his first match of the tournament after being included in place of Wriddhiman Saha, set about to undo the damage in the company of Australia skipper Ricky Ponting as the two put on 34 runs for the third wicket.
The 21-year-old Das switched to a counter-attack mode to ease the early pressure, dispatching Ashish Nehra for back-to-back fours in the second over, before hoisting Pollock over the mid-wicket ropes.
The Bengal batsman seemed on a roll picking up two more boundaries as Dilhara Fernando joined the bowling operation in the fourth over, while the seasoned Ponting rotated strike.
Das' 20-ball cameo came to an end when he played a short offering from West Indies medium pacer Dwayne Bravo straight into the hands of Robin Uthappa at cover. Das (29) hit five fours and a six.
Ponting (19) and David Hussey (17) then came together and took the side to 60 for 3 at the half-way stage on way to stitch together another 34-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
But there followed a mid-order collapse as the Knight Riders lost three wickets in the space of three runs. First, Hussey was devoured by Jayasuriya; then Ponting set off for a non-existent run and began his long walk back to the pavilion to wrap up his participation in this edition of the IPL.
To make matters worse, Mohammed Hafeez (2) edged Jayasuriya behind the wicket, as the Knight Riders were reduced to 77 for 6.
Ajit Agarkar (2) also did not last long, as a stunned silence descended at the large stadium.

Chennai win fourth straight match

Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 13 runs in an Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.
It was the Chennai team's fourth straight win in as many matches and the Bangalore team's third defeat in four matches. Chennai are now the only unbeaten team in the competition and palpably, lead the standings after four round of matches.
Chasing 179 to win, Bangalore made a sedate start before an 89-run second-wicket partnership between Wasim Jaffer (50) and Ross Taylor (53) put them on course. Jaffer and Taylor's half centuries were the first two by the Bangalore team in the competition.
However, once Jaffer departed, Bangalore kept losing wickets at regular intervals and came up short.
Jacques Kallis (14), Mark Boucher (4) and Virat Kohli (12) all fell in a bid to accelerate while captain Rahul Dravid added another duck to his Twenty20 resume as the Royal Challengers collapsed like a pack of cards.
Earlier, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined Michael Hussey to exhibit some lusty hitting as their fourth wicket stand of 95 took the Chennai Super Kings to a competitive score of 178 for five in 20 overs.
Electing to bat first, Dhoni (65) gave ample demonstration of his class superseding his Aussie partner as the two consolidated the position after the Super Kings were 83 for three at one stage.
Dhoni got his eye in before unleashing a fierce assault on the Royal Challengers in the later overs.
He plundered 45 runs off 16 deliveries at one stage disfiguring the bowlers' analysis to a great extent before trying for another big hit only to be caught in the last over.
Dhoni's contribution in the last 45 runs he added with Hussey (47) was an amazing 43 and his 65 came off 30 balls with 9 fours and three sixes. He had reached 50 in 24 balls earlier.
Matthew Hayden , Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina fell after a slow start with only 83 runs coming off 12 overs. But the Royal Challengers lost the ascendancy once Dhoni came to the crease.

Slap costs Bhajji Rs 2.67 crore

Harbhajan Singh would never even have imagined in his wildest dreams that the angry slap he planted on S Sreesanth's face would make him poorer by more than two and a half crore of rupees!
The temperamental off spinner was fined 100 per cent of his match fees when he was handed out an eleven-match ban for his unprovoked assault on India teammate Sreesanth after the Mohali game between Harbhajan's Mumbai Indians and the latter's King's XI of Punjab on April 25.
The Punjab-born Harbhajan had been purchased by the Mumbai franchise team owned by Reliance Industries for a whopping $ 8,50,000 (approximately Rs 3.4 crore).
"There are no separate match fees for IPL matches and the players are given only allowances. The match fee is calculated on a pro-rata basis of the amount he had been bought for by his franchise owner and the number of matches he's able to play", a top Cricket Board source informed
As per this calculation the player, termed "Turbanator" by the Aussie press, stood to lose Rs 2.671 crore - or close to Rs 25 lakh per match - for the 11 ties he would miss following the verdict by IPL match referee and former Test stumper, Farokh Engineer.
It must rank among the costliest-ever slaps in world history, and certainly a record-setting one in cricket!
The lone consolation, if it can be called so, is that the man who handed out the punishment also hailed him as the best-ever off spinner India has produced.
One wonders what legendary predecessor Erapalli Prasanna, Engineer's one-time teammate and pal, would make of this statment, not to talk of another great who's among Harbhajan's staunchest critics - Bishen Singh Bedi.

Harbhajan banned from IPL

Ace off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was banned from playing in the Indian Premier League after he pleaded guilty to slapping Indian teammate S Sreesanth at the end of the match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians in Mohali last week.
The temperamental bowler was also fined 100 per cent match fees from the third IPL match.
Lalchand Rajput, coach of his team, Mumbai Indians, was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for making no attempt to stop the physical attack on the Kings XI Punjab bowler.
Sreesanth was let-off with a warning that his "aggression on the field will in future be taken seriously".
"After looking into the video footage in the presence of Sreesanth, complainant Neil Maxwell (Kings XI Punjab CEO), Harbhajan and Lalchand Rajput, (Mumbai Indians coach), and managers of both sides, and considering the submissions from both sides and in view of Harbhajan's admission, Match Referee Farokh Engineer found him guilty of level 4.2 offence," IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi told media after Engineer's hearing at the Maurya Sheraton hotel, Delhi, on Monday.
"Accordingly, Harbhajan Singh has been banned for the rest of the IPL matches, besides fined 100 per cent of his match fees," added Modi.
As per the ICC Code of Conduct, physically assaulting a fellow-player, match official or spectator, constitutes a Level 4 offence, which entails maximum punishment of life ban or a minimum of five Tests or 10 ODIs ban.
Modi said the BCCI can conduct its own hearing into the episode and Harbhajan has the liberty to file an appeal in this case.
He said video footage of the incident showed Harbhajan shaking hands with the Kings XI Punjab players, but when he came to Sreesanth he slapped him.
Harbhajan and Sreesanath were later summoned to the room where the media briefing was held. Admitting his fault, Harbhajan said: "I have accepted the punishment which had been handed down by the IPL. I did something wrong, which should not have happened in the first place. To me, Sreesanath is like a younger brother and we will be playing together. When I come back I will bring glory to the country. I ask for forgiveness from the people of India."
Sreesanath did not utter a word. At Engineer's request, both hugged each other.
"We are all human beings and mistakes do happen," said Engineer, adding "a very, very fair hearing was given to all sides. No track record was taken into account, because what actually happened is lot more serious than you guys think."
The former India wicketkeeper said, "Harbhajan stepped out of line and paid the penalty".
Asked what made him slap Sreesanth, Harbhajan did not reply, but was quick to express his gratitude to the Board of Control for Cricket in India for standing firmly behind him in his verbal spat with Andrew Symonds during the Indian team's visit to Australia few months back.

Will Bhajji get away lightly?

It is a crucial day for Harbhajan Singh, as the Match Referee - Farokh Engineer, will take a final call on the Sree-Bhajji controversy. The decision will be on whether to ban him or not for slapping Sreesanth in a match against Kings XI Punjab on Friday. Pacer Sreesanth is also likely to be questioned and reprimanded for provoking Bhajji. The hearing in the case is scheduled on April 28 in New Delhi and the big question is, will Bhajji get off from the scuffles of the match referee lightly? In what has been seen as a trial of a habitual offender, Harbhajan Singh's fate will be decided in a hearing at the nation's capital. Harbhajan Singh is going to be tried under level 4 of the ICC code of conduct. If found guilty Bhajji could be banned for between five Test matches or 10 ODIs or even a life ban. Bhajji will be tried under clause 4.2 for physically assaulting another player. It is the image of the inaugural Indian Premier League that could take a major hit, if Bhajji is not allowed to take part in the rest of the IPL matches. Going by the Match Referee's indications, Bhajji might get away with a five-match ban. BCCI likely to reprimand Sree Pacer Sreesanth is likely to be questioned on his role and to scrutinise his behaviour in the slap gate scandal. Sources said that Sree infact did provoke Bahjji after the match and also throughout the match his behaviour had been under the scanner. He is likely to be reprimanded for provoking Bhajji which led to the entire row. Bhajji's tainted past In 1998, Harbhajan Singh was fined for altercation with Australia's Ricky Ponting. In 2000, Bhajji was sent back from the National Cricket Academy due to misdemeanour. In 2001, 'The Turbanator' was charged of bad behviour in South Africa. In 2002, Harbhajan has an altercation with police outside team hotel in Guwahati. In 2008, the biggest of them all was Bhajji's row on racism brought by Andrew Symonds in Sydney.

Bhajji slap-gate: Oz media reacts

That Harbhajan Singh continues to evoke strong emotion in this part of the globe was evident again as the Australian media reacted with glee after the volatile off-spinner was suspended for slapping S Sreesanth in an Indian Premier League match.
The Courier Mail published a photograph of the temperamental Indian, titled "What a slapper!"
It was a file photograph of Harbhajan in Team India colours -- his arms spread wide and tongue out in a wild celebration.
The daily chose the occasion to remind its readers that the offie was initially banned for three Tests for his alleged racist remarks against Andrew Symonds before he was "let off" with a lesser fine.
Sydney Morning Herald too took note of the event and remarked, "The IPL was supposed to divide the cricketing world. Instead, it's bringing an end to racial hostilities. All they need to do now is get Harbhajan Singh to stop slapping his fellow Indians around."
"Singh slap shocker" screamed a headline in the Herald Sun, which said how the spat "rocked" the Indian Premier League.
The Daily Telegraph also gave its version of how the "Harby turmoil" had rocked cricket world.
The daily did not miss the occasion to point out that "The 27-year-old spinner has had a poor disciplinary record since making his India debut in 1998."

Gilchrist gives Hyderabad their first win

A whirlwind unbeaten 109 from Adam Gilchrist ensured Deccan Chargers a comfortable 10-wicket victory over the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League match at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.
The Australian, who recently retired from international cricket, hit nine boundaries and 10 huge hits over the fence in his 48-ball knock to make the match a virtual no contest. Chasing 155 for a win, the Chargers reached their target with more than seven overs to spare.
Gilchrist was involved in a 155-run first-wicket partnership with captain VVS Laxman, unbeaten 36 (who gladly played a supporting role) and that sealed the Shaun Pollock-led team's fate.
This was the Hyderabad team's first win in four matches and moved them up from the bottom of the table. The Mumbai team, with its fourth straight defeat in as many matches, now occupy the bottom place in the table.
Earlier, it was left to the two seniormost pros, Sanath Jayasuriya (18) and Pollock, who hit three fours and a six, to repair the damage after the Mumbai Indians were reduced to 27 for three.
The duo tried to ensure that the team batted out the full quota of overs and carried the score forward mainly through singles with the occasional boundary hit.
But when it looked as if the fourth-wicket pair was well entrenched, Jayasuriya made an exit by mistiming a flick and skied Afridi to backward of square for Rohit Sharma to take a well-judged catch. In all he faced 21 balls and struck two fours.
Pollock tried to keep his team in the hunt. He paddle swept Kalyankrishna and off drove Bangar for fours. He then swung a full toss from the latter over long-on before being bowled neck and crop attempting a repeat to leave Mumbai tottering at 79 for five in the 14th over.
Pollock's departure brought together Nayar, the hard-hitting local left-hander, with attacking West Indian all-rounder Bravo.
The former struck the ball cleanly and even swung Kalyankrishna and Afridi for sixes over the square leg area as the 100 came in 15.1 overs.
Bravo took over the attacking reins after Nayar was caught top edging a hook and slammed a few fours after putting on 43 runs in only 19 balls with Nayar.
The late assault by the duo helped the home seeking their first victory in the event to finish with a plus-150 score, which looked beyond their scope when half their side was back for 79.
For the visitors, R P Singh, Bangar and Afridi grabbed two scalps apiece to emerge as the main wicket-takers.

Punjab beat Delhi to win second straight match

A superlative 52-ball 75 by Australian Simon Katich and aggressive 40 not out by captain Yuvraj Singh helped Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils by four wickets in the Indian Premier League match in Mohali on Sunday.
It was the Mohali team's second win in the competition in four matches and the Delhi team's first defeat in three matches.
Katich's aggressive knock included 11 boundaries and a six while Yuvraj's innings contained three fours and two huge sixes.
The Australian, in the team in place of West Indian Ramnaresh Sarwan , was also involved in two crucial partnerships. His 58-run stand for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene (15) helped Kings XI recover from a shabby start which saw them lose two wickets with just 11 runs on board.
And his 50-run partnership with Yuvraj set his team en route to their second staright win. Glenn McGrath, Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik took a wicket each but Delhi never had enough runs on the board.
Earlier, a brilliant effort by their paceman helped Kings XI Punjab restrict Delhi Daredevils to a modest 158 for eight.
Having electing to bat, the Delhi team had a poor start as skipper Virender Sehwag was sent back by Irfan Pathan in the second over of the innings.
The top-order collapsed soon as four more batsmen were cooling their heels in the pavilion with the scorecard reading just 54, courtesy the pace trio of VRV Singh (3/29), Brett Lee (1/33) and Pathan (2/26).
The Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary (39) and Dinesh Karthik (24) then played useful knocks to repair the innings.
Delhi middle order's lack of exposure in the tournament was evident as their openers had dominated in their earlier wins in the tournament.
On the other hand, the Yuvraj Singh-led team looked unfazed by the row between their pacer S Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh which resulted in the latter's suspension from the IPL, on Saturday.
They looked determined on the field and have earned themselves a chance to register their second successive win.

Camera did catch Bhajji slapping Sree: Modi

Video footage in Monday's crucial disciplinary hearing is certain to go against Harbhajan Singh, who allegedly punched S Sreesanth, with IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi on Sunday disclosing that the camera did "pick up something".
"Yes, cameras were rolling. We have this thing of camera rolling out for 10 minutes even after the match. Yes, it did pick up something," Modi told NDTV.
Harbhajan continues to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and last time he featured in the Sydney racism row that involved Andrew Symonds, the BCCI had to employ all its energy to save him.
Modi, however, did not find the slapping row involving the volatile spinner an embarrassment for the Board. Not ready to equate both incidents, Modi said, "I think you can't muddle both things. There it was one player against another. Here Harbhajan is not saying he has not done anything. He's saying he has been provoked.
"See, even (Manchester duo Wayne) Rooney and (Cristian) Ronaldo had difference when they played for their respective countries," he argued. Modi even went on to derive something positive out of the slapping row.
"It's important to understand that here (at IPL), players play for the team not just for the sake of it. It just goes to show that they take it to heart and want to win.
"However, they have pledged the MCC Spirit of Cricket and you can't assault another player. You just can't cross the line," he added.

Camera did catch Bhajji slapping Sree: Modi

Video footage in Monday's crucial disciplinary hearing is certain to go against Harbhajan Singh, who allegedly punched S Sreesanth, with IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi on Sunday disclosing that the camera did "pick up something".
"Yes, cameras were rolling. We have this thing of camera rolling out for 10 minutes even after the match. Yes, it did pick up something," Modi told NDTV.
Harbhajan continues to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and last time he featured in the Sydney racism row that involved Andrew Symonds, the BCCI had to employ all its energy to save him.
Modi, however, did not find the slapping row involving the volatile spinner an embarrassment for the Board. Not ready to equate both incidents, Modi said, "I think you can't muddle both things. There it was one player against another. Here Harbhajan is not saying he has not done anything. He's saying he has been provoked.
"See, even (Manchester duo Wayne) Rooney and (Cristian) Ronaldo had difference when they played for their respective countries," he argued. Modi even went on to derive something positive out of the slapping row.
"It's important to understand that here (at IPL), players play for the team not just for the sake of it. It just goes to show that they take it to heart and want to win.
"However, they have pledged the MCC Spirit of Cricket and you can't assault another player. You just can't cross the line," he added.

Jaipur cruise past Bangalore, win by 7wkts

Giant killers Rajasthan Royals mauled Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets to maintain their dominance in the Indian Premier League. Earlier, a fine bowling display by Rajasthan Royals wrecked Bangalore Royal Challengers' top order and restricted them to a modest 135 for eight in an Indian Premier League match on Saturday. Put in to bat by Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne, the home team top order, except Ross Taylor, failed to click with Shane Watson and Munaf Patel doing the main damage returning identical figures of 2 for 20. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (2), Rahul Dravid (0), Jacques Kallis (11) and Mark Boucher (4) fell cheaply and that piled pressure on the lower order. Taylor's 20-ball 44 which he made with the help of six fours and three sixes provided some respectability to Bangalore Royal Challengers total. Towards the end, young Praveen Kumar made a breezy 34 from 30 runs with two fours and three sixes before getting run out. He was particularly harsh on Warne. In fact nothing went right from the outset for the Royal Challengers who were invited to bat first on a wicket which appeared to be assisting the bowlers. Rajasthan Royals got immediate success when home team captain Rahul Dravid scored a first ball duck holing out to Ravindra Jadeja at deep fine-leg. A perfect trap was laid for Dravid, who perhaps failed to read the fielder on the boundary line giving Shane Watson a prize wicket. Two overs later his opening partner Shivnarine Chanderpaul also fell to a similar trap to the same combo as Bangalore Challengers were reduced to 16 for 2. Ross Taylor then consolidated the innings with some lusty hitting before seeing the back of his partner Jacques Kallis (11).

Jaipur cruise past Bangalore, win by 7wkts

Shane Watson, finished the game with another boundary of the first ball of the next over. Jaipur won by 7 wickets.
The new man in was Mohd.Kaif, who took strike as the batsmen crossed. Zaheer Khan was then brought back into the attack. He bowled two dot balls. Kaif then got of the mark, with a boundary, as Jaipur were 134/3 after 17 overs.
Sunil Joshi continued the attack as Watson took a single of the second ball after playing the first ball. Smith then hit two consecutive boundaries taking Jaipur to within striking distance of the Bangalore target. Smith then tried to chip Joshi over the boundary, but was hold out in the dee, to end his brilliant innings. Jaipur were 130/3 after 16 overs.
Kumble then came back and Smith took a single of the first ball as Watson gave the strike back to Smith. He again flicked a ball down the leg side for a single. Watson then ended the over with another single. Jaipur were 121/2 after 14 overs.
Praveen Kumar was then brought back into the attack. Watson welcomed him back with a boundary and then smashed him for a huge six. Watson then hit Kumar for four consecuitve boundaries, to get the Jaipur team very close to the Bangalore target. Jaipur were 117/2 after 14 overs.
Joshi continued his spell as Smith swept him for a single. Watson then played out another dot ball and then hitting him for a huge six over mid-wicket. Watson then checked his shot, for another dot ball. He then took a single of the next ball. Smith finished the over with another dot ball. Jaipur were 91/2 after 13 overs.
Kumble continued his spell, as Watson easily tucked him away for a single. Smith then also took another single. Watson then played out two dot balls and then he pushed anohter ball for a single. Smith finished the over with another single. Jaipur were 83/2 after 12 overs.
Sunil Joshi was the new bowler in the attack as he was right on line. Watson played out two dot balls and then flicking a ball for a single. Joshi then bowled another dot ball, as Smith finished the over with another boundary. Jaipur were 79/2 after 11 overs.
Kumble continued his spell, as Watson takes a single of the first ball. Smith then plays a dot ball and then takes another single. Kumble then bowls a wide down the leg side. Watson then takes two runs of the next ball. He ends the over with a dot ball. Jaipur were 73/2 after 10 overs.
Kallis was the new bowler in the attack as Watson took a single of the first ball and Smith also took another single of the next ball. Watson again took another of the next ball. Smith then hit Kallis for a boundary. Smith then finished the over with a dot ball. Jaipur were 68/2 after 9 overs.
Anil Kumble, then came into the attack, as he was greeted by two consecutive delieveries by Watson. He then bowled two dot balls, to square things up. Watson then took another single of the next ball. Smith then completely misjudged the googly from Kumble. Jaipur were 61/2 after 8 overs.
Vinay Kumar continued the spell as Watsom took a single of the first ball. Smith then played a dot ball and then took another single. Watson then took another single. Smith then smashed a boundary of the next ball and then played out a dot ball. Jaipur were 52/2 after 7 overs.
Zaheer continued his spell as he almost got his man, with a lethal lbw shout, that wasnt given by the umpire. Smith then played another dot ball, before taking a single. Watson then took a nasty bouncer and then played out a single of the next ball. Smith then finished the over with another boundary. Jaipur were 45/2 after 6 overs.
The new man in the attack was Vinay Kumar. Smith payed out the first two balls, before pulling him for a boundary in the mid-wicket region. He then took a single of the next ball. Watson then played out the over. Jaipur were 39/2 after 5 overs.
Zaheer continued the attack as Smith took a single of the first ball. Zaheer then removed Pathan, as he skied a ball, which was well taken by Bouncher. The new man in was Shane Watson, who didnt face the ball, as the batsmen crossed. Smith then struck another boundary and then took another single of the next ball. Watson then played out the over. Jaipur were 31/2 after 4 overs.
Kumar continued the attack as Smith took a single of the first ball. Pathan then took a cheeky single, that almost got him run-out. Smith again took a quick single as Pathan finished the over with another boundary.
Zaheer Khan, shared the attack with Kumar, as Smith took a single of the first ball and Pathan smashed a ball for another boundary and then playing out a dot ball. Zaheer Khan then bowled a well directed bouncer, which was well played by Pathan and then pulled another ball over the mid-wicket boundary. He then played out another dot ball. Jaipur were 18/1 after 2 overs.
Praveen Kumar, opened the bowling for the Bangalore team, as Graeme Smith took a single of the second ball as the Jaipur team were under way. Manoj Rawat came into bat with Smith, tried to charge down the track, but got an edge and was removed by Kumar. The new batsman in was Yusuf Pathan, who smashed two consecutive boundaries. Jaipur were 9/1 after the first over.
Zaheer Khan then took a single of the first ball of Shane Warne and Praveen Kumar hit him for a boundary after a dot ball. He then took two runs of the next ball. Kumar again went for a big one, but completely misread the line, but got a single via leg bye. Zaheer Khan then finished the over with another single. Bangalore were 121/7 after 18 overs.
Tanvir continued his spell as a single was taken on the first ball by Kumar. Zaheer Khan then played out two dot balls, and then took a double of the next ball. He then played out two dot balls and then finished the over with a single. Bangalore were 112/7 after 17 overs.
Shane Warne continued the attack, Kumar then played out a dot ball before hitting two consecuitve sixes to him. He then took another single of the mext ball, Zaheer Khan then played out the last ball. Bangalore were 108/7 after 16 overs.
Trivedi then continued the attack. Praveen kumar glanced the ball down the leg side for a boundary. He then played out two dot balls and then took a single of the final ball. Bangalore were 97/7 after 15 overs.
Shane Warne continued his spell and was causing a lot of problems for the batsmen. He bowled two dot balls, as Kumar then took a single of the next ball to give the strike to Joshi, who also took another single. A tight single between the two players resulted in a run-out as Banagalore lost another wicket.
The new bowler in the attack was Yusuf Pathan, as Praveen Kumar took a single of the second ball. Sunil Joshi took a single of the next ball. Kumar then smashed Pathan, for a huge six and then took another single of the final ball. Bangalore were 89/6 after 13 overs.
Shane Warne then came into the attack and looked very dangerous, as Bouncher was not able to read the leg spinner. Boucher played out three dot balls and then got caught from an inside edge as Warne got his man. The new man in was Sunil Joshi, who also played out two dota balls as Warne finished with a wicket maiden. Bangalore were 78/5 after 12 overs.
Tanvir, was brought back into the attack as he beat Boucher all ends up on his first ball, and then he flicked one ball to the fine leg. Praveen Kumar tried to charge down the track, but missed the ball completely. He again went for a big one but missed it again. Tanvir ended the over with another dot ball. Bangalore were 78/5 after 11 overs.
Munaf Patel continued his spell, as Boucher took a single of the first ball. Kohli then played out two dot balls and then edged onw to the keeper, as Banagalore lose another wicket. The new man in was Praveen Kumar, who played out two dot balls. Bangalore were 77/5 after 10 overs.
Trivedi then continued his spell, and after playing out one dot ball, Kohli took another single. Boucher then took a single of the next ball. Kohli then skied another ball, that was taken in the deep, but the fielder, unfortnately touched the ropes, as it was given as a six. Kohli then played out the last ball. Bangalore were 76/4 after nine over.
Munaf Patel continued the attack as Virat Kohli took a single of the first ball. Taylor then went for another big hit, as he was held out in the deep of Patel. The new man in was Mark Bouncher, who was off the mark on the first ball. Kolhli then took another single. Boucher then played out a dot ball. Bangalore were 68/4 after 8 overs.
Siddharta Trivedi was the new bowler into the attack, as Kallis took a single of the first ball and Taylor then also took another single. Kallis then went for a big one, as he charged down the track only to hold out at deep mid wicket. The new man in was Virat Kohli. He was immediately of the mark as he took two runs of his first ball. Trivedi then bowled a bouncer that was too high, and was called a wide. Trivedi then bowled another wide down the leg side. Virat then took another single of the final ball. Bangalore were 64/3 after 7 overs.
Munaf Patel was the new bowler in the attack as Kallis played out the first two balls and then taking a single to give the strike to Taylor, who then smashed a four and six of the next two balls. He then finished the over with another slice to the third man region for another boundary. Bangalore were 57/2 after 6 overs.
Kallis then joined the action as he hit two consecutive boundaries of Watson and then raced to another single. Watson then bowled a good length delievery, that was well played by Taylor, but for no run. Taylor then shuffled across his stumps for another boundary. Taylor then went for another shot, but found the fielder for no run. Bangalore were 42/2 after 5 overs.
Tanvir then continued the spell, and was then greeted by a boundary by Taylor. He then played out a dot ball and then hit another boundary, this time on the leg side. Taylor then finished the over with another boundary. Bangalore were 29/2 after 4 overs.
Watson then continued the spell, and Chandarpaul was having a lot of problems with his immaculate line and length. Watson then bowled another bonncer, which was lofted on the off-side by Chandarpaul, to hold out at third man. The new man in was Kallis, who was the non-striker as the batsman crossed, Taylor then scored another single of the next ball, as he got of the mark, courtsey a misfield. Kallis then played out the over with another dot balls. Bangalore were 17/2 after 3 overs.
The new bowler was Sohail Tanvir, as the lefd hander was right on target. Taylor did manage to get of the strike via leg bye. Chandarpaul then took a single of the next ball. Tanvir then faltered in his line as he bowled a wide. Taylor then smashed two consecutive sixes of the final balls. Bangalore were 16/1 after 2 overs.
Chandrapaul got of the mark with a lot of risk as he stole a single of the first ball. Shane Watson then removed Rahul Dravid on the first ball as he went for an ambitious pull and was held out at deep mid wicket. Watson was right on the money as he was bowling great line and length. Chandarpaul was again beaten as Watson agsin. Watson then bowled a well directed bouncerm, that was well dealt by Chandarpaul. Bangalore were 1-1 after the first over.
Toss: Jaipur skipper Shane Warne won the toss and continued his love affair with chasing as he opted to field on this decent wicket. Anil Kumble gets his first crack at Twenty20 cricket as Jaipur include Sohail Tanvir ahead of compatriot Kamran Akmal. Akmal's absence from the line-up means Mahesh Rawat will be keeping wickets for the visitors.
After Hayden's heroics at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, a while back - the action now moves to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore (or as some say, Bengalooru). Bangalore opened their account against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium, but Jaipur has been the big surprise package of the tournament so far. With two wins under their belt, the Jaipur boys will be bouyant and will be eager to continue their momentum in the tournament.
The pitch looks a decent cricket wicket - with the bowlers getting something out of the pitch if they put the required effort. The batsmen will still have an edge in this, but disciplined bowling could make the difference.

Kinght Riders Knocked Over In Chennai

Matthew Hayden led the way with a superb unbeaten 70 as the Chennai Super Kings posted a convincing nine-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday.
Set 148 for victory, Chennai's openers made short work of closing in on the required tally, Hayden combining for 66 runs in a first-wicket partnership with Parthiv Patel before the Australia stalwart teamed with Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a match-winning stand of 86.
The win is Chennai's third in as many games and propels the Super Kings to the top of the IPL standings.
The Super Kings were brim-full of confidence prior to the match and the self-assurance in their ranks was typified by openers Hayden and Patel, who hit a quickfire 66 inside nine overs before Patel fell for 21.
Having been dropped on 20 by David Hussey, Patel added just one more run before he was caught at deep fine leg by Ishant Sharma off the bowling of Ajit Agarkar.
The loss of the wicket did not affect the focus of Hayden, who claimed his second IPL fifty on his way to posting 70 in just 49 balls. The veteran opener hit three sixes and six fours in a masterly display at the crease.
The manner in which Hayden was bossing the Kolkata attack meant that victory was almost a formality for the hosts, and so it proved as Dhoni joined Hayden in the middle and added 43 runs from just 27 deliveries as Chennai cruised home.
Earlier, the Knight Riders' innings got off to a miserable start with the loss of Brendon McCullum and Ricky Ponting inside three overs.
New Zealander Jacob Oram did the damage for the hosts, first taking the scalp of compatriot McCullum (24) when Suresh Raina took the catch in the covers, while the same duo combined again just a ball later as Ponting was dismissed for a golden duck.
Hussey (nought) and Prasanta Saha (24) fell a short time later, and the writing was on the wall by the time captain Sourav Ganguly was dismissed for a paltry 12 from 19 balls in the ninth over to leave the visitors rocking on 70 for five.
Laxmi Shukla steadied Kolkata with a workmanlike 42 from 33 balls before he was run out in the final over.
Oram finished as the pick of the Chennai attack with three for 32, while there were two-wicket hauls for Manpreet Gony and Palani Amarnath.

Harbhajan can play on Sunday: Shah

Harbhajan Singh, issued a show cause notice by the Cricket Board for allegedly slapping rival paceman S Sreesanth of King's XI Punjab last night at Mohali, is free to play in Sunday's IPL tie for Mumbai Indians against Deccan Chargers. "We have issued a show cause notice to Harbhajan for which he has been given time till Monday evening to reply. He can play in the match," BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said. The match between Mumbai Indians, which has been captained by Harbhajan due to the groin injury to Sachin Tendulkar, and Hyderabad's Deccan Chargers is to be held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. "The reply from Harbhajan will hopefully make things clearer," he pointed out. The shocking incident took place following a verbal altercation between the two players after the Punjab team, for which Harbhajan plays in the national championship for the Ranji Trophy, defeated the Mumbai franchise outfit owned by Reliance Industries. Sreesanth, also a temperamental player like Harbhajan who represents Kerala in Ranji Trophy, was seen shedding tears at the ground after the alleged slapping incident. Harbhajan was recently embroiled in a controversy Down Under after he was found guilty of racially abusing Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds, who represents the Hyderabad team in the IPL, in the Sydney Test and was banned for two Tests match referee Mike Procter. The punishment was toned down and he was found guilty only of general abuse following an appeal to the International Cricket Council which appointed a retired New Zealand judge to hear the player's appeal. Harbhajan got away with a monetary penalty after the racist slur against his name was removed and the judge later said the ICC did not make him aware of the player's previous brushes with the cricket authorities for breaching its code of conduct on quite a few occasions in the past.

Bhajji 'slaps' Sreesanth, makes him cry

Harbhajan Singh found himself embroiled in yet another controversy after allegedly slapping Kings XI paceman S Sreesanth during their Indian Premier League encounter on Friday. The Kings XI team, led by Yuvraj Singh, is reportedly planning to lodge a complaint against the off-spinner, who later apologised to the paceman in the dressing room of the Punjab team. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said the board would wait for the report from the team management before deciding on the future course of action. Harbhajan, leading Mumbai Indians side, allegedly slapped Sreesanth when latter said something to him which the off-spinner found offensive. The paceman was seen crying bitterly on the ground at the end of the IPL match, which his team won by 66 runs. While Harbhajan kept mum on the issue during the post-match conference, Sreesanth tried to play down the incident. "It is normal. Nothing serious happened. It is all in the game. I am fine. We will still be part of the national team," Sreesanth said before leaving from the stadium. As Sreesanth came to board the bus to return to the team hotel, waiting media mobbed him to listen to his version. Harbhajan though did not speak on the issue. "Can we have questions on just cricket," Harbhajan said when asked about what happened between him and Sreesanth. Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput also requested media to restrict their questions to just cricket. The winning captain Yuvraj Singh though was upset by the unsavoury incident and termed it "ugly". "This is really an ugly incident. You do not want to see such things off the field specially after such a win. I am pretty upset at what has happened. This is totally unacceptable," he said apparently criticising Harbhajan Singh. Yuvraj though said he did not know what actually transpired between the two. "I do not know what exactly happened but one does not want to see such things happening." Kings XI coach Tom Moody was also visibly upset by the incident and termed as "unacceptable" Harbhajan's behaviour. "At the end of the day, players shake hands. But today saw more that from Harbhajan and Sreesanth. It is unacceptable behaviour and I am sure officials will take of note. "The positive thing is that Harbhajan had a long chat with Sreesanth. But I am not sure what ramifications this incident will have," Moody said. Upset after his team's third successive defeat, the turbanator also looked unhappy with his teammates. "When you lose nothing seems to be okay. I won't bowl and bat for other people. They have to be captain of their own bowling. I can not do other's job," he said angrily when asked if captaincy was tough. "I don't like losing. When you lose, you don't feel happy."

Kings taste first success; demolish Mumbai by 66 runs

Yuvraj Singh, the captain of Priety Zinta owned Kings XI Punjab would be a relieved man as his team secured first win of the tournament, defeating another struggling team Mumbai Indians by a long chalk. Chasing a challenging total of 183, Mumbai could muster just 116 of their stipulated 20 overs as they failed to handle the excellent spells of Brett Lee in the beginning and rookie Chawla in the middle overs of the innings. Yuvraj, whose talent as a captain has been put to test in this tournament, finally came out with flying colours as he handled his famed bowling line-up with clinical precision. Though he could not display his batting prowess in the match, his one-handed catch to get rid of Shaun Pollock would remain in the memory of the audience who got their money’s worth throughout the match. Apart from the partnership of Bravo and Uthappa, Mumbai were never in the hunt during their run chase. Brett Lee gave Punjab team a perfect start as he took a fine return catch of Jayasuriya and then ran Luke Ronchi out on his follow-through.
Uthappa and Bravo tried to regroup their fragile batting line-up with a 40-odd run partnership, but once they got out the Mumbai team lost wickets in a heave, and ultimately managing just 116/9. Leggie Piyush Chawla, who had an insipid tournament so far, came up with a magnificent spell of 2/16 to help his team register their first win in the tournament. In fact, all the bowlers, be it Pathan (2/19), Lee (1/9) or Sreesanth (2/31) did their job with precision. Earlier, put into bat Sri Lankan stumper Kumar Sangakkara set the tempo for the Kings XI with a blistering 94 off just 56 balls to post a reasonably good total of 182. But he got little support from the other end as the next best score being 18 by Karan Goel and Yuvraj Singh.

Bhajji 'slaps' Sreesanth, makes him cry

Harbhajan Singh found himself embroiled in yet another controversy after allegedly slapping Kings XI paceman S Sreesanth during their Indian Premier League encounter on Friday. The Kings XI team, led by Yuvraj Singh, is reportedly planning to lodge a complaint against the off-spinner, who later apologised to the paceman in the dressing room of the Punjab team. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said the board would wait for the report from the team management before deciding on the future course of action. Harbhajan, leading Mumbai Indians side, allegedly slapped Sreesanth when latter said something to him which the off-spinner found offensive. The paceman was seen crying bitterly on the ground at the end of the IPL match, which his team won by 66 runs. While Harbhajan kept mum on the issue during the post-match conference, Sreesanth tried to play down the incident. "It is normal. Nothing serious happened. It is all in the game. I am fine. We will still be part of the national team," Sreesanth said before leaving from the stadium. As Sreesanth came to board the bus to return to the team hotel, waiting media mobbed him to listen to his version. Harbhajan though did not speak on the issue. "Can we have questions on just cricket," Harbhajan said when asked about what happened between him and Sreesanth. Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput also requested media to restrict their questions to just cricket. The winning captain Yuvraj Singh though was upset by the unsavoury incident and termed it "ugly". "This is really an ugly incident. You do not want to see such things off the field specially after such a win. I am pretty upset at what has happened. This is totally unacceptable," he said apparently criticising Harbhajan Singh. Yuvraj though said he did not know what actually transpired between the two. "I do not know what exactly happened but one does not want to see such things happening." Kings XI coach Tom Moody was also visibly upset by the incident and termed as "unacceptable" Harbhajan's behaviour. "At the end of the day, players shake hands. But today saw more that from Harbhajan and Sreesanth. It is unacceptable behaviour and I am sure officials will take of note. "The positive thing is that Harbhajan had a long chat with Sreesanth. But I am not sure what ramifications this incident will have," Moody said. Upset after his team's third successive defeat, the turbanator also looked unhappy with his teammates. "When you lose nothing seems to be okay. I won't bowl and bat for other people. They have to be captain of their own bowling and own bowling. I can not do other's job," he said angrily when asked if captaincy was tough. "I don't like losing. When you lose, you don't feel happy."

Buy two get one free at Mohali

All student tickets on sale for King’s XI Punjab’s next home game at Mohali have been sold out. In addition to this, the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium which is the home turf of the Kings XI Punjab will offer one free ticket upon the purchase of two tickets, said Chief Executive Officer, Neil Maxwell. This is done with a view to giving incentives to cricket fans.The attendance for the first home game of the King’s XI against the Chennai All student tickets for the next two DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) matches at Mohali have Super Kings, played on April 19 was 60%. He added that the sale of tickets for the second and third matches have increased and are already 50% and 40% sold-out. However this initiative is restricted to the purchase of tickets priced Rs. 750 and Rs. 3000 only and is presently valid only for the next two matches that are played in Mohali. The Yuvraj Singh-led side face the Mumbai Indians on April 25 and the Delhi Daredevils on April 27.Punjab Cricket Association president, Inderjit Singh Bindra was quoted as saying, ''we were the first one to have a day match but a night match makes a lot of difference. We had told the organisers beforehand that the first match should not be a day match but somehow they could not reschedule it.''Bindra, former president of the Board Of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) added, ''We had written three weeks ago that it's unfair to get a day match but now once you lose the tempo you have to work twice as hard to rebuild it.” When asked what the ideal time to start a Twenty20 match was, Bindra said ''eight o'clock is much better timing for cricket and entertainment.''With a view of finding a viable media, Bindra said ''IPL does not want to cannibalise international cricket. International tours would be given priority and moreover we want to co-exist with international cricket.'' He clarified that the IPL “is a domestic tournament. The ICC will be happy to create a window for IPL and we will make a formal request only after this tournament,” he said.

Warne now does with bat; gives Royals 2nd straight win

Shane Warne made a phoenix like comeback from the near obscurity to give his team Rajasthan Royals a thrilling win by hitting two consecutive sixes in the last over off his former team-mate Andrew Symonds. The Royals needed 17 runs in the last over, which they achieved one ball to spare. Just when everything was looking in favour of Royals, first it was Kaif (34), and then Graeme Smith (70), lost their cool and both were holed out at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Afridi leaving the Royals in lurch. Playing his first match of the tournament Graeme Smith hit an important first half-century off 34 deliveries to keep the hope alive for Rajasthan Royals. Royals have made 139/3 after 14 overs. Mohammad Kaif has joined Smith after the departure of Shane Watson (4). After having played a blazing knock of 61 off 28 balls with six sixes and four fours, Yusuf Pathan gave a simple catch to Andrew Symonds at long-off off the bowling of Kalyankrishna in trying to hit another ball out of the park. His departure has brought Shane Watson, match winner of the last match, onto the crease to join Smith (38 n.o).
Big-hitting Yusuf Pathan scored his first half-century of the tournament off just 21 balls as Rajasthan Royal were cruising along smoothly. Pathan has so far tonked six huge sixes and three fours in his blistering counter-attacking knock. After 8 overs they were 98/1 with Smith (24 n.o) giving Pathan a good company. Chasing a huge target of 215 Rajasthan Royals have started well as Yusuf Pathan (29 n.o) and Graeme Smith (13 n.o) have given them a kind of start they badly needed. After five overs, Royals were 57/1 after losing Kamran Akmal (12) early. Andrew Symonds, who is the second most expensive player of the tournament after MS Dhoni, finally proved his worth by hitting an explosive innings of unbeaten 117 off just 53 balls to guide Deccan Chargers to a mammoth 214/5. His powerful shots (eleven fours and seven sixes) landed every part of the ground as bowlers of the Rajasthan Royals were looking like mere spectators and had no clue whatsoever to check the burly batsman from hitting boundaries. He got an able support from Rookie Indian Rohit Sharma, who made a quick-fire 36, which consisted of three fours and one hit over the fence. After Brandon McCullum and his Aussie team mate Mike Hussey, it was the turn of Andrew Symonds who ultimately bettered their record by hitting the fastest hundred of the tournament with a typical belligerent innings. He has taken only 47 balls to reach the three figure mark. Rohit Sharma (35 n.o), who was initially giving strikes to his senior fellow finally broke free by hitting some magnificent shots. Symonds (87 n.o) is all set to score his first hundred in the T20 format as he was going hammer and tongs and sending the Royals bowlers for a leather hunt all over the park. After 15 overs Deccan scored 148/3 with Rohit Sharma (19 n.o) providing him good support from the other end.
Andrew Symonds has made half-century as his Deccan Chargers also crossed 100-run mark with the loss of three wickets after 11 overs. Symonds (52 n.o) scored these runs in only 28 balls with the help of six fours and two towering sixes. Despite losing two quick wickets in the initial overs, Deccan Chargers have kept their steady run flow with Australian Symonds (34 n.o off 22 balls) was looking in ominous mood. Captain VVS Laxman was giving him good company. After 8 overs Deccan were 73/2. Yousuf Pathan claimed two wickets in his very first overs to deny Deccan Chargers early impetus. After six overs Chargers were 58/2 with dangerous Andrew Symonds was playing on 21. Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne have won the toss and decided to bowl first on a placid track against Deccan Chargers in the IPL T20 Championship here on Thursday. Both teams have made one change. Smith comes in for Lehmann while Deccan Chargers have opted to go for the extra seamer, replacing Venugopal Rao with Kalyan Krishna.

Yuvi, Bhajji would be eager to open account in IPL

With no certain word still on Sachin Tendulkar's Indian Premier League debut on Friday, Punjab will be eager to take the opportunity to clinch an elusive win at home turf against Mumbai in Mohali.
The Yuvraj Singh-led Punjab team, having lost both its matches -- against Chennai here and Rajasthan at Jaipur, is bound to be under pressure to record a victory as it will be again playing before their home crowd.
Though Yuvraj is one of the dangerous batsman in this format of the game, he is yet to unleash his real firepower for which he is known. He scored 23 and 57 in his previous two matches.
Other top batsman Mahela Jayawardene is also yet to prove himself while his compatriot Kumar Sangakkara would wish to play a big knock tomorrow.
Punjab's other problem are its strike bowlers, who are yet to live up to their reputation. Right-arm fast bowler Brett Lee finished with similar figures of 4-0-35-1 in his two matches while left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan had figures of 4-0-47-2 in his first match.
S Sreesanth is yet to come good for the Punjab team as he has proved expensive in the six overs he has bowled in two matches without much success.
The spin department, with Piyush Chawla in the forefront, has also failed to click so far. Another keen thing to watch out will be how Yuvraj tackles his state-mate Harbhajan Singh.
Mumbai, who are also yet to score a win, will be hoping that Sri Lankan veteran Sanath Jayasuriya plays a big knock as he has so far scored just 49 runs in his two outings.
Besides, if Tendulkar, Mumbai regular captain currently recuperating from his groin injury, is fit to play tomorrow, it will definitely add to the firepower of the team, also including Robin Uthappa and West Indian Dwayne Bravo.
"I hope Sachin plays in Chandigarh (Mohali)... I can also concentrate on my bowling," said Mumbai stand-in captain Harbhajan Singh after his team lost by narrow six-run margin against Chennai in Chennai on Wednesday night.
Harbhajan along with talented youngster Abhishek Nayar showed grit at the Chepauk. Harbhajan was quite economical but he under-bowled himself with just two overs.
Uthappa has shown that he can be dangerous in this format, but he will need to ensure that he stays at the crease for longer duration to play big innings.
South African Shaun Pollock is another big asset to the team with his wicket taking ability and also chipping in with useful knocks.
As the match will be played under floodlights, Mohali track should suit Pollock and left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra and even right-arm medium pacer Dhaval Kulkarni should be able to move the ball here.
Unlike Chennai, where there was heavy dew on the field on Wednesday night, Mohali ground should be okay. "We don't foresee this problem here. However, still we are prepared to tackle dew in case there is any," PCA curator Daljit Singh said.

IPL encounters: Rival revival

Indian Premier League among other things has been billed as the battle of cities, war of business entities and for the BCCI the biggest money-spinning venture in its history. Of course the amalgamation of the cream of cricketing talent from all around the world in the eight franchisee teams of IPL means some of the most enthralling cricket action has already dished out in the tournament in the first week itself.Apart from this, some old rivalries have been renewed, new challenges and battlelines have been drawn as buddies and teammates became rivals in IPL. Mumbai Mirror analyses some of these mini-battles that have emerged in the first seven matches of the IPL.

Sachin Tendulkar turns 35

The difference between Sachin Tendulkar's 34th birthday and his 35th, which he celebrates on Thursday, could not be starker. One year ago the master batsman, considered to be among the all-time greats of the game and perhaps next only to Don Bradman in stature as a pure batsman, was distraught following India's early and shameful exit from the World Cup and celebrated his birthday quietly at his home with his family. It was a dismal time for Indian cricket as a whole in the aftermath of the disastrous World Cup where the much-hype team led by Rahul Dravid was eliminated in the first round. Tendulkar, true to his fashion, lifted himself as well as the country's cricket from that low by making his bat talk loud in England and Australia to play a leading role in the campaigns in both countries, the oldest rivals in international cricket. The stalwart contributed mightily to the team's Test and ODI victory in Old Blighty as well as a first-ever triumph in the tri-series Down Under after helping India match the world champions step for step in the acrimonous Test series that they lost narrowly to the hosts after a rip-roaring battle. The ace batsman, who in the process also increased his century count to 39 in Tests and 42 in ODIs, besides overtaking Sri Lankan ace Sanath Jayasuriya as the leading run-getter in the 50-over game, has truly bounced back in style after some critics wrote his epitaph in the aftermath of India's dismal display in the World Cup in the Caribbean. The only dark spot surrounding Tendulkar's 35th birthday is that he is continuing to be troubled by his injury woes. He has missed the first two matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League and has been unable to lead the Mumbai Indians team at two of his most favoured venues - Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium and Chennai's Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk. A groin strain that he picked up when guiding India to a fantastic 2-0 triumph over Australia that got aggravated when he chose to play against South Africa at Chennai's Chapauk ground in the first Test last month, left him frustrated. He could take no further part in the series, which the home team squared in the third and final Test at Kanpur. But otherwise, things are looking bright for the ace batsman and his happy frame of mind was visible when he chose to crack jokes with the media at the pre-match conference on the eve of Mumbai Indians' opening encounter against Bangalore Royal Challengers at his home turf here. Tendulkar has also stated clearly that retirement from either Tests or ODIs is the furthest thought occupying his mind currently. Unlike last year, this time he is celebrating his birthday on the cricketing road with his Mumbai Indians teammates who would be wishing fervently he gets back into action at the soonest and turns around the team's plunging fortunes after two straight defeats in the first two ties. With the hectic schedule in store for the team post-IPL, he as well as millions of cricket fans must be praying on his birthday that he recovers fast from his groin injury and remains fit for the remainder of India's long and tough campaigns ahead.

Hayden Leads Super Kings To Victory

Australia opener Matthew Hayden was the lynchpin as the Chennai Super Kings saw off the Mumbai Indians by six runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Hayden struck 81 from 46 balls as the hosts hit 208 for five after being inserted by Mumbai stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh.
The Indians lost wickets regularly in reply and, despite contributions of 43 and 45 from Robin Uthappa and Abhishek Nayar respectively, they fell just short, reaching 202 for seven.
Hayden came to life in the third over, with a cheeky flick for four and a colossal straight six off the bowling of Shaun Pollock.
But Ashish Nehra put the brakes on with an over which went for just one, including the wicket of Parthiv Patel and Mike Hussey played on to Dhawal Kulkarni, leaving Chennai on 39 for two.
That brought Hayden and Suresh Raina together but, with Hayden struggling to get on strike, it was the 21-year-old who dominated.
He scored 53 off 37 balls in a century stand before holing out to Dwayne Bravo to give Musavir Khote his first of two wickets.
Hayden struck a succession of boundaries - 12 in total, to go with two maximums - before being run out by Harbhajan.
And captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (30 from 15) ensured the Super Kings' total went above 200.
Mumbai's response began poorly as openers Luke Ronchi and Sanath Jayasuriya fell early.
Robin Uthappa (43 from 36) steadied the ship before being bowled by Joginder Sharma and Palani Amarnath disturbed the stumps of Pollock.
Then debutant Bravo struck 24 off 16 before falling to an excellent catch from Jacob Oram diving forward to give Sharma his second.
A late burst from Abhishek Nayar (45 not out from 20) took the Indians close, but he had been left with too much to do.

Tendulkar set to sit out against Chennai as well

Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar, recovering from a groin injury, will not be seen in action in the Indian Premier League match against Chennai Super Kings to be played at the MA Chidambaram stadium here."I am not too sure whether Tendulkar will play in our match tomorrow," South African all rounder Shaun Pollock said here. Tendulkar did not play the first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday. His team suffered a five wicket loss in a low scoring match. Talking to the media soon after the team`s practice session here, Pollock said, "the physio of the team will have a look at Tendulkar`s injury." Explaining the importance of the ace batsman`s availability in the later part of the tournament he said, "we are not pushing him since it is a long tournament. He is a key player in our team`s scheme of things and we do not want to rush him." Asked whether Tendulkar`s absence would mean added pressure on Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya he said, "He is in a good touch and he will continue with his form. If he gets going in the initial seven overs, there will be good score on board. He knows how to handle Muthiah (Muralitharan)."
"It will be a case of marginal errors when we play Chennai team. They have very good top half. It is going to be a high scoring game`, Pollock said, stressing that his side is a balanced side with lot of all-rounders and good depth in bowling."We have a balanced side and we will be catching on the slog overs," he said."If the top order gets going, we will put up a huge total on board. Our strength lies there," he said.On his bowling. He said "it is very important to have variations to suit the 20-20 format. In this kind of pitches, variations will yield better results than pace

Sehwag blasts to a fifty, as Delhi cruise

Virender Sehwag seemed to have a train to catch, as he rocketed Delhi Daredevils to a sensational nine-wicket win over Hyderabad Deccan Chargers.
Sehwag scored 94 not out off just 41 deliveries as his partnership with Shikhar Dhawan (25 not out) took his side to a facile win. Delhi now have two wins from two matches while Hyderabad have yet to score a win in the IPL.
Chasing Hyderabad's modest 142, Delhi never gave the hosts any chance to fight back as first Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, then the captain and Dhawan, decimated the attack.
The 13th over of the match, bowled by Andrew Symonds, went for 30 runs as Sehwag hit three sixes and three boundaries. In total, Sehwag hit ten boundaries and six sixes.
Young Rohit Sharma carried the Hyderabad Deccan Chargers on his shoulders as bigger names like Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Shahid Afridi failed, to take his side to a fighting 142-8 against Delhi Daredevils.
Sharma scored a sensational 66 runs off just 36 deliveries, hitting six fours and four sixes.
Sharma scored 26 runs off one over by Faraveez Maharoof. He carried Hyderabad from a precarious 70-5 after 15 overs to a total that can at least be called challenging for the Delhi batsmen.

T20 gives me freedom to play my shots: Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir was a sensation in the Twenty20 World Cup last year. He was among runs and played his shots all over the park. The southpaw, who scored a half-century in the first game played by the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, is hopeful that he can play a crucial role for team in this tournament.

Have you set any personal targets for the IPL?

My target is to make sure that I win the match for my team. It was a tremendous feeling when I scored some runs in the T20 World Cup last year. But now, that is in the past. As an opener, my job is to give some good starts to my team. For me, it's important that my runs come handy for the team and that I stand up and be counted when it matters the most. Individual records really do not make much impact if your team does not win.

Batsmen get less time to settle down in the T20 format. Is this a problem?

If you are playing a Twenty20 match, it gives you that extra liberty to play your shots. But when you are an opener, the perfect way to bat is to get used to the pace and bounce of the wicket and then shift gears according to the situation. For me, this format works because it gives me freedom to play my shots. At the same time, you can get enough time to settle down.

After six matches, which team looks the best?

It's too early to comment. This is an unpredictable format and that is why you cannot single out any one team and say that they will win the IPL championship. If you have five bad overs in a game, you can end up on the losing side. From the last couple of matches, one thing is quite clear: any team is capable of winning and so you cannot really take it easy. It's exciting and I am sure that the spectators are going to love every moment of it.

What is your impression of the foreign recruits?

It's a completely different experience. This is the perfect platform to know each other. During international matches, we don't have this kind of interaction. A tournament like IPL will help us make friends with all cricketers from South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, West Indies or Pakistan.

How effective is Virender Sehwag as a captain?

Viru is a thinking captain and can rotate his bowlers very intelligently. Even when I am batting with him, I have a great understanding. As a cricketer, he is top class, and even as a teammate off the field, he is very helpful. Under his leadership, Delhi Daredevils are looking good.

Is money a distraction?

Not at all. We are professional cricketers and we know one thing: as long as we are playing well for our city, state or country, money is something which will take care of itself. If tomorrow, we stop performing, money will stop flowing. So, money is not an issue with a cricketer. It's only the outside world which talks about it.

Is it quality cricket or the Bollywood stars which is attracting fans to the stadium?

If you ask this question to a cricketer, he will obviously say it is the cricket. But the presence of Bollywood stars is certainly adding to the excitement. With time, I am sure more and more cricket fans will get involved.

Is it exciting for cricketers to have Bollywood stars around?

Once you are on the field, nothing really matters. It's only how we can win the match that counts