With back-to-back victories, Kolkata must be raring to go against Chennai in their IPL match today.
By Kashinath Bhattacharjee
His decision to promote Virender Sehwag to the opening slot had made history, a benchmark for a captain's thinking ability. Now Sourav Ganguly is at it again. He is trying to do the same with Manoj Tiwary. For Sehwag, it was in the longest version of the game and for Manoj, it is in the shortest version. But the impact is the same! Manoj, too, had never opened in his entire cricketing life except on one or two club matches, before he was instructed to do the same for Kolkata by Sourav.
The most important thing is, the Kolkata captain does not believe in giving only one chance. If the experiment fails, the temptation to discard the option is the order of the day. Probably, Sourav cannot forget those four years from 1992 to 1996 when he was thrown out of the international circuit after only one match at Brisbane in 1992. He faced it. So, he realizes the pain. And, he believes, there should always be a second chance. When life has no problem in providing one second chance, why should not he?
"Believe in yourself, believe in the team" is his motto. So, Manoj Tiwary, the 24-year-old got the opportunity to open the innings at his home ground and made the most of it by claiming the man of the match award through his 29 ball 50 against Bangalore, on Sunday. Now he is raring to go after the Chennai bowlers. The confidence of the captain is really infectious for all his teammates.
Against Chennai, Manoj and Brad Hodge will open the innings again. And for Chennai, there is no Dale Steyn or Jacques Kallis to open the bowling attack. The young Indian talent, Sudeep Tyagi and the South African Albie Morkel will share the new balls. In fact, that is an area of concern for Chennai since none of them impressed in their first match against Hyderabad.
Stephen Fleming, the thinking brain behind the Chennai team, however, declined to agree. "In the sub-continent, even a bowler with 150-160Km does not make a difference. Spinners can cause havoc and in that area, who's better than Muttiah Muralitharan? We have him with us. He is raring to go, too. Then there is Aswin and Raina, too, can bowl some overs. So, we are happy."
With the arrival of Shane Bond, Kolkata versus Chennai seems to be a battle between Kolkata bowlers versus Chennai batsmen. Although he had reached Kolkata on Monday morning, Bond might get a nod from the team management who are keen to make it three out of three. And Bond might be another trump card for Dada and CO.
But, the problem is, who to drop among the foreigners if Bond is to be included in the playing XI? Kolkata is running short on batsmen. So, Brad Hodge and Owais Shah are certainties. Angelo Mathews now is untouchable. Only option is Langeveldt. If that happens, they would again play a bowler short ie back to square one.
Yet, Bond can get the nod keeping in mind his devastating effect on the opposition. Initially, he had joined the Rebel Indian League in 2007. The best fast bowler after Sir Richard Hadlee in the New Zealand will be eager to make a difference in his debut match at the Indian T20 Championship as well as on his first outing at Eden.
Both the Kolkata opening bowlers will have to re-ignite themselves for an old battle against the mighty Matty Hayden. His new bat and determination to prove his worth to the team is making the battle an interesting one. Murali Vijay is labelled as a player ‘from the BCCI president's cabinet' who earns regular calls from national selectors in case of injuries to the first XI players. He has a proven record in the longer versions. However, his credentials in T20 are yet to be proved.
Suresh Raina has been a hit in international circuit while Badrinath has done the same in domestic matches. How these two young Indians batsmen excel against the Kolkata bowlers, Chennai captain MS Dhoni will be concerned.
The most interesting battle will, however, be the ex and present Indian captains. Kolkata still believes, Dhoni did not want Sourav in the one day team. There was a time when Rahul Dravid, the Indian captain, was unceremoniously treated by the Eden crowd over Sourav's removal from the national team. It was such an issue that when the Indian team reached Mumbai from Kolkata, some of the teammates were forced to remark that they had ‘reached home'!
For Dhoni, however, the enmity with Dada's army in Kolkata is not at the same intensity level. But how can one deny the undercurrent?
That sets the perfect tone for the match billed as ‘Captain courageous versus captain cool'.
Showing posts with label kolkatta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kolkatta. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Kolkatt knight riders
Juhi meets Mamata
What was Juhi Chawla doing at Mamata Banerjee's residence?
The co-owner of the Kolkata team had visited the Railway Minister's home in Kalighat on Monday to invite her to see the Kolkata versus Chennai match at Eden on Tuesday.
However, the Railway Minister had to leave for Delhi on Monday and she left just after talking to Chawla. She said that if she goes, she would enjoy the match from the galleries.
Later, Juhi said, "Yes, it would have been great to have her at Eden." But her duties as the Central Railway Minister are much bigger than to be present at a cricket match.
However, for Juhi, the Bollywood heroine, it was indeed great to meet Miss Banerjee at the headquarter of Trinamul Congress and spend 20 minutes with her.
SMG on RG
It was a delightful timing from Sourav Ganguly, once again!
He had asked Rohan Gavaskar to bowl against Bangalore when Rohan's illustrious father Sunil Gavaskar was commentating.
The day after, when Gavaskar was attending a question-answer session with the trainees of the Pailan cricket academy, a boy could not restrain the temptation to query about his son's future with the Kolkata team.
"It's good that he has found a place in Kolkata. Now he has to perform when he gets the opportunity and help the team to do better", said the batting legend.
Rohan, however, did not get the chance to bat for his team in his first match and his only over had costed his team 11 runs. Rohan would definitely try to contribute more to the team's cause when he gets another opportunity.
Incidentally, the junior Gavaskar too, had joined the rebel Indian League when the Indian T20 championship began two years before. Last year, all those cricketers involved in the rebel league were allowed to return to the domestic circuit and the ex-Bengal skipper found a place in Dada's team.
Fake tickets, 3 arrested
With the introduction of Computers, it's now so easy to design fake tickets. A professional group was working on it for Kolkata matches at Eden. Designs were made in computers and the tickets were printed digitally. But, Kolkata Police caught three of them, namely Md Faiyaz, Sarfraj Ahmed and Mirajul Haque. And recovered at least 130 fake tickets.
Faiyaz was caught first outside Eden. 30 fake tickets were found. Later, from him, Police got the name of Sarfaraz and from his house around hundred fake tickets were found. Sarfaraz used to scan the tickets and the fake tickets were printed at Mirajul's press in Keshab Sen street. Police arrested him, too. From Mirajul's press, all the CPUs, mother CDs, paper for printing tickets were ceased.
Police believes, there are more people involved in the crime. The hunt will be on, said the DCDD 1, Dayamanti Sen.
What was Juhi Chawla doing at Mamata Banerjee's residence?
The co-owner of the Kolkata team had visited the Railway Minister's home in Kalighat on Monday to invite her to see the Kolkata versus Chennai match at Eden on Tuesday.
However, the Railway Minister had to leave for Delhi on Monday and she left just after talking to Chawla. She said that if she goes, she would enjoy the match from the galleries.
Later, Juhi said, "Yes, it would have been great to have her at Eden." But her duties as the Central Railway Minister are much bigger than to be present at a cricket match.
However, for Juhi, the Bollywood heroine, it was indeed great to meet Miss Banerjee at the headquarter of Trinamul Congress and spend 20 minutes with her.
SMG on RG
It was a delightful timing from Sourav Ganguly, once again!
He had asked Rohan Gavaskar to bowl against Bangalore when Rohan's illustrious father Sunil Gavaskar was commentating.
The day after, when Gavaskar was attending a question-answer session with the trainees of the Pailan cricket academy, a boy could not restrain the temptation to query about his son's future with the Kolkata team.
"It's good that he has found a place in Kolkata. Now he has to perform when he gets the opportunity and help the team to do better", said the batting legend.
Rohan, however, did not get the chance to bat for his team in his first match and his only over had costed his team 11 runs. Rohan would definitely try to contribute more to the team's cause when he gets another opportunity.
Incidentally, the junior Gavaskar too, had joined the rebel Indian League when the Indian T20 championship began two years before. Last year, all those cricketers involved in the rebel league were allowed to return to the domestic circuit and the ex-Bengal skipper found a place in Dada's team.
Fake tickets, 3 arrested
With the introduction of Computers, it's now so easy to design fake tickets. A professional group was working on it for Kolkata matches at Eden. Designs were made in computers and the tickets were printed digitally. But, Kolkata Police caught three of them, namely Md Faiyaz, Sarfraj Ahmed and Mirajul Haque. And recovered at least 130 fake tickets.
Faiyaz was caught first outside Eden. 30 fake tickets were found. Later, from him, Police got the name of Sarfaraz and from his house around hundred fake tickets were found. Sarfaraz used to scan the tickets and the fake tickets were printed at Mirajul's press in Keshab Sen street. Police arrested him, too. From Mirajul's press, all the CPUs, mother CDs, paper for printing tickets were ceased.
Police believes, there are more people involved in the crime. The hunt will be on, said the DCDD 1, Dayamanti Sen.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Dadagiri Back in Kolkatta
That unmistakable pride in stride firmly in place again, Sorav Ganguly looks in command of his knights from Kolkata.
“It's all about building an atmosphere within the team. The game should be played freely”, Sourav Ganguly declared unhesitatingly in the crowded press conference the two most important things that had transformed his Kolkata team this season.
There was no mention of John Buchanan. Nobody dared to utter his name. Surely, Dada would never. The ‘revolutionary’ Multiple-captains theory has found its place in the waste paper basket. Kolkata has begun winning, convincingly.
“Everyone is doing his best. The players, the support staff. The format does not allow us to relax. You don’t have time. Just got to keep playing shots. And we are doing just that”, said the rejuvenated captain Ganguly.
His team has won back to back matches now against the last year’s champions and runners. A turn around, possibly unbelievable, even a few days earlier. They had won only three matches out of 14 in the last edition of the Indian T20 championship in South Africa. Now their record stands at two out of two. It must be satisfying for the man, back at the hot seat.
And his decisions have already started paying back. To involve Wasim Akram as the bowling consultant was his brainchild. See the impact. Bangalore was 4/35 within 7.2 overs and could never come back from there. Angelo Mathews, critics’ man of the match with 4/19 and the catch of Manish Pandey, was unplayable while Ishant and Langevelt, the two opening bowlers just refused to allow the batsmen go after them. The only Pakistani involved with the Indian competition is having an influence hard to go unnoticed.
“He (Wasim) is working with the bowlers. He speaks to them regularly and that’s a great lesson for all of them - Ishant, Langevelt, the rookie Varun Arun or the experienced Shane Bond (when he comes). The itinerary does not give us much time to practice but it is helpful for the bowlers to have someone like him with them. I hope he stays with the team for many years”, said Ganguly.
He would be in an enviable position when four foreigners – Chris Gayle, David Hussey, Brendn McCulum and Shane Bond – arrive. But will not it be difficult for him o chose, especially since the foreigners are firing on all cylinders for him?
“All of them are top class international stars. And we are winning our matches. I’ll pick the team according to the form, the conditions. We will see it when they arrive.”
His another recruit, Manoj Tiwary, was adjudged the man of the match with his 29-ball 50. Manoj had represented Delhi in the first two editions. This season, Sourav was instrumental in bringing him from there. And Tiwary earned him another victory.
“Manoj has talent. Cheteswar (Pujara) and Wriddhiman (Saha) too, are talented youngsters. What they need is opportunities to show their talent. In this tournament, they are getting the chance. Today, Manoj played really well. He set the game for us. I just hope that he continues to play like this which will be good for him and for our team as well.”
“It's all about building an atmosphere within the team. The game should be played freely”, Sourav Ganguly declared unhesitatingly in the crowded press conference the two most important things that had transformed his Kolkata team this season.
There was no mention of John Buchanan. Nobody dared to utter his name. Surely, Dada would never. The ‘revolutionary’ Multiple-captains theory has found its place in the waste paper basket. Kolkata has begun winning, convincingly.
“Everyone is doing his best. The players, the support staff. The format does not allow us to relax. You don’t have time. Just got to keep playing shots. And we are doing just that”, said the rejuvenated captain Ganguly.
His team has won back to back matches now against the last year’s champions and runners. A turn around, possibly unbelievable, even a few days earlier. They had won only three matches out of 14 in the last edition of the Indian T20 championship in South Africa. Now their record stands at two out of two. It must be satisfying for the man, back at the hot seat.
And his decisions have already started paying back. To involve Wasim Akram as the bowling consultant was his brainchild. See the impact. Bangalore was 4/35 within 7.2 overs and could never come back from there. Angelo Mathews, critics’ man of the match with 4/19 and the catch of Manish Pandey, was unplayable while Ishant and Langevelt, the two opening bowlers just refused to allow the batsmen go after them. The only Pakistani involved with the Indian competition is having an influence hard to go unnoticed.
“He (Wasim) is working with the bowlers. He speaks to them regularly and that’s a great lesson for all of them - Ishant, Langevelt, the rookie Varun Arun or the experienced Shane Bond (when he comes). The itinerary does not give us much time to practice but it is helpful for the bowlers to have someone like him with them. I hope he stays with the team for many years”, said Ganguly.
He would be in an enviable position when four foreigners – Chris Gayle, David Hussey, Brendn McCulum and Shane Bond – arrive. But will not it be difficult for him o chose, especially since the foreigners are firing on all cylinders for him?
“All of them are top class international stars. And we are winning our matches. I’ll pick the team according to the form, the conditions. We will see it when they arrive.”
His another recruit, Manoj Tiwary, was adjudged the man of the match with his 29-ball 50. Manoj had represented Delhi in the first two editions. This season, Sourav was instrumental in bringing him from there. And Tiwary earned him another victory.
“Manoj has talent. Cheteswar (Pujara) and Wriddhiman (Saha) too, are talented youngsters. What they need is opportunities to show their talent. In this tournament, they are getting the chance. Today, Manoj played really well. He set the game for us. I just hope that he continues to play like this which will be good for him and for our team as well.”
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