Who is the fastest bowler India has ever produced?

Who is the fastest bowler India has ever produced? You dont beleive. but its True..

It is the one and only Javagal Srinath..

Srinath's success against the Proteas had continued with a successful return tour of South Africa, where he took another 18 wickets in just 3 games - and to the shock of the South African press topped Allan Donald and a young Lance Klusener consistently on the speed guns averaging in the low 150 kmph range. In fact he made headlines at home by having one particular ball clock 156 kmph, i.e. just a notch or so below the magical figure of 100 miles per hour. It wasn't the only time Srinath outdid the bigger names on the speed radars - in 1998, he was clocking 148 kmh in comparison to the Aussie pace spearhead of the time, Glenn McGrath, who didn't top 141 kmh.

7th ODI. Is it Dead Rubber or Fight for honour?

India don't really have a choice, India have to go all out for the win! Australia on the other hand will probably make changes to the side (Again! anyone know that last time Australia played an unchanged 11 in an ODI? lol), Holland, McDonald and Cockley to get games, probably replacing Johnson, Watson and either Hauritz or McKay (depending on if they wanna play 2 spinners or not)

Its a dead rubber because its result wont change the outcome of the series. Australia will probably try a few new players. India should also try a few new players like Tyagi and others.

But when you are playing for your country every match has some meaning. Of course some matches are more important some are less important but there is no such thing as a meaningless game, trying new players itself is very important for any team.

India playing against Week Australians??

Till now 4 Australian players have been sent star player Bret Lee. Johnson not in form, his bowling seems to be cake walk for the Indians.

Now India playing with their full strength. Even then series is at level.

Tomorrow is going to be a game that will a test for the Australians. Ponting needs to ponder. Henriques would be out from 5th ODI.

Will the Australians prove that they are still on top? Or they going to give way for the Indians to be at the TOP.

Will see..

Fresh Controversy for Harbajan

Harbhajan Singh today found himself in a fresh controversy after jabbing at a photographer at the Bangalore International Airport before leaving for the tri-series in Sri Lanka.

The feisty off-spinner, who very often finds himself in the news for all the wrong reasons, jabbed at a cameraman after the camera had hit him on the head while he was taking his luggage out from a car before entering the airport.

Harbhajan gave an angry stare at the cameraman even as a security personnel tried to push back the hordes of lensmen who had virtually mobbed the cricketer.

The 29-year-old Punjab spinner has a rather dubious disciplinary record, having been penalised for various offences during his career.

Harbhajan was accused of racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds in Sydney and the 2007 'monkey-gate' incident snowballed into a major crisis, threatening to tear apart the cricketing world.

In the same year, Harbhajan was banned for the remaining Indian Premier League matches after the infamous 'slap-gate', which saw him slapping his India teammate S Sreesanth in Mohali.

After the 'slap-gate' incident, Harbhajan had promised to mend his way and keep a check on his temper.

'I DON'T WANT TO BE CAPTAIN' - Sehwag

Dashing opener Virender Sehwag said he doesn't want to be the captain of the Indian cricket team and suggested that a new face should be given the responsibility of vice-captaincy so that he can be groomed to take the reins after skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"I don't want to be a captain, I have already told selectors about it. I have said that a new player should be made vice-captain and be groomed to be a captain," Sehwag said.

"I want that I should continue to score runs and keep winning matches for the team," he added.

The Delhi-batsman said he would regain his fitness completely before the Champions League which starts from October 10.

Sehwag, who has played under many skippers in his career, considers former skipper Saurav Ganguly as the best ever captains for Team India.

"Sourav Ganguly has been the best ever captain India ever had," he said.

"Saurav took over as captain of the India cricket team when it was going through a very bad patch. Indian team was struggling to put come out of the match fixing scandal. He had a responsibility to put together a new team and he did a splendid job," Sehwag told News24 channel.

Dhoni world's top earning cricketer: Forbes

New York: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has topped the list of world's 10 top earning cricketers compiled by Forbes, which also features four other players from the sub-continent — Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

Raking in USD 10 million, Dhoni is at the top of the chart followed by Tendulkar at the second spot with earnings worth USD 8 million in the list of 'The World's Top-Earning Cricketers.

While Singh and Dravid are at the third and fourth spot, respectively, Ganguly and Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting share the sixth place.

"Paycheck figures include club and national team salaries and commercial endorsement income over the last 12 months," Forbes said.

According to the magazine, Singh earned USD 5.5 million while Dravid and Ganguly raked in USD 5 million and USD 3.5 million, respectively. Ponting also earned USD 3.5 million.

"With its deep-pocketed owners and global appeal, nine of the 10 highest-paid cricket players call the Indian Premier League (IPL) home, the publication added.

At the fifth spot is England's Andrew Flintoff with earnings of USD 4 million followed by Australia's Brett Lee and English cricketer Kevin Pietersen — both at eighth place — and Australian Michael Clarke is ranked tenth.

While Lee and Pietersen raked in USD 3 million each, Clarke earned USD 2.5 million.

Dravid adds value to the team: Tendulkar

Senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar feels Rahul Dravid's inclusion after close to two years has added "value" to the ODI team and his experience would come in handy during the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the subsequent Champions Trophy in South Africa.



"It should help the team. He brings in a lot of experience on the table and also a lot of skill. I think his will be good value addition to the team," Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar said the team is fitter and hungrier after wrapping up a four-day training camp in Bangalore to prepare for the tri-series in Sri Lanka, where New Zealand is the third team.

"The camp has ended on a positive note and the team looks pretty solid and hungry. Sri Lanka is one place which is not very free scoring," he said.

"It will be a challenge for some of the stroke players in our team. As boundaries can be difficult to come by, there will be a lot of running between the wickets involved," he added.

Tendulkar said all the three participating teams were evenly matched and it is difficult to say which one of them would eventually win the short series.

"We are an extremely good fielding unit and we turned around games with our fielding. It is a misconception to assume that New Zealand and Sri Lanka have an edge over us.

"We run well between the wickets, our run out conversion is good, our catching ability is amongst the best, our bowlers are much more disciplined as they don't bowl wides and no balls. I think we are three evenly matched teams," Tendulkar told espnstar.com.

Asked whether the Indians had decoded mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, who has tormented them in the past, Tendulkar said, "These are the contests created by the media. Ajantha Mendis, Muthiah Muralitharan or Chaminda Vaas are all good bowlers and we as a team respect them. At the same time we have a plan for each one of them."

"On the last trip batsmen like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir handled Mendis and Murali really well. I think we can build on that. These youngsters bring a fresh approach and mindset which then rubs off on others which helps the team produce good results," he added.

India's Emerging Player

India's Emerging Player.... Mr.Cools.. Cool Pics....

No Rest... England to West Indies...

Is really Indian fans worried for T20 WC exit?

I have seen that many fans are blaming Dhoni for his recent form.. and also the rift(may be romour) between Sehwag.

So all are telling that Dhoni deserved this loss.

What is your opinion?

Will India bounce back in West Indies?? (Without Sachin and Sehwag)

Will Dinesh Karthick get a chance to play? (he is in Good nick)

Will Dhoni find his form? (May be his luck)

Will Rohit Sharma Shine as an opener? (Not in Practice match)

Will Gambhir shows his guts? (Not with his regular opener)

Post your comments...

'I consider myself a bowler first'

The Pakistan all rounder answers readers' queries about his preferred batting position, playing against India, his biggest six, and more

1. Who is the most difficult bowler you ever faced?

When it comes to the new ball, it was Glenn McGrath, while with the spinners it is Muttiah Muralitharan. McGrath was obviously due to his accuracy, whereas Murali is a very difficult opponent, especially on subcontinent pitches, where he gets a lot of turn. So you have to keep a close watch on the ball. I've hit him for quite a few sixes, but it is never easy.

2. Usually most Pakistani allrounders start as bowling allrounders and gradually become batting allrounders (e.g. Shoaib Malik). But you started as a rapid-fire batsman and now you've developed into one of the best middle-overs spin bowlers. How did this change come about? Do you rate yourself as a specialist batsman or a specialist bowler

I actually started as a spinner, but when I cracked the world record for the fastest ODI century, in October 1996, people started to expect more from me as a batsman. But my position in the batting order was never consistent and I couldn't cope with the constant shuffling up and down. So three years ago I decided I should focus on my bowling once again, and I have done well now. I rate myself as a bowler first and then a batsman.

3. Which position do you like to bat in the most? Opener, No. 3, or middle and lower-middle order?

In the subcontinent I prefer to open, and outside, be No. 6. That is because it is easy to hit the new ball early on, as it loses its shine just after a few overs in the subcontinent. That is not the case overseas, where it becomes difficult for my style of power hitting.

4. About a couple of years back you were quoted as saying that you were tired of Test cricket and wanted to retire. What are your thoughts now?

At that point I was frustrated. In fact, I was doing better in Tests than in ODIs, and still they did not play me. They said batting in both forms is completely different, so I said, 'What's the point in going on when they are not playing me, not thinking of me as a Test player.' I was fed up. However, some of my well-wishers inside and the outside the team asked me to rethink, so I decided to go back on my decision. Test cricket is always the priority for any cricketer. Also, Test cricket is now fast-paced: there are more results in Tests and games end in four days too. There are some swift run-makers like Virender Sehwag and Sanath Jayasuriya, who bat with their natural style and perform well. I think of myself as the same.

5. How do you feel on the eve of a match against India? And who are your favourite Indian cricketers?

I enjoy the games against India the most because there is a lot of pressure and lots of expectations. And if you perform, you become a hero instantly. My top three innings against India are, my all-round performance in the Bangalore Test of 2005, 109 in Canada in 1998, and the century in Kanpur in the must-win game in the ODI series in 2005.

Sachin Tendulkar has always been a favourite and I have enjoyed his batting.

I'm not sure about the best compliment I've received from an Indian cricketer but there was this instance when a frustrated Anil Kumble, after I had hit him for a few fours, said: 'You are not bothered about your respect or mine'"

6. Which was your biggest six ever? And who was the bowler?

Against Brett Lee, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Without moving my feet, I hit him over mid-off. This was immediately after he had taken two quick wickets, so he was in good rhythm.

7. I remember you bouncing Brian Lara in a one-day international once. Who bowled you the quickest bouncer of your career?

one across my head in the 1999-00 ODI series. I did see it, but it flew above my head without giving me any chance.

8. Initially when you started, your technique was simple and successful - to hit as straight as possible. Now you like to hit straight balls over long-on, which tends to cost you your wicket. Also, your grip on the bat handle seems to be very loose. Any reason for these changes?

I have never changed my grip. I actually don't think about all such things.

9. Who are the top five most destructive batsmen in cricket history, according to you?

As opening batsmen, it would be Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Chris Gayle (in no particular order).

10. You have played under so many Pakistani captains. Whose leadership qualities have inspired you and the rest of the team the most?

Wasim bhai [Akram] and Inzi [Inzamam-ul-Haq] - both were captains, who were caring and understood how to motivate his players. A good captain is someone who will continue backing his player, especially when the player is going through a lean patch.

11. Which is the best century you have scored - in ODIs and Tests combined?

In Tests, 141 against India in a tough situation in the 1998-99 Chennai Test. In ODIs, against New Zealand in Sharjah in 2002, where Pakistan were once again in a spot and it was a good challenge to take them home.

Lord's welcomes new world order

Twenty20, once the cheeky, brash upstart of world cricket, firmly joins the establishment from Friday when Lord's stages the opening match of the 2009 World Championship.

The shortest form of the game has endured a brief, dramatic and sometimes controversial life ever since it was launched as a radical plan to resuscitate English county cricket in 2003.

"The game in England had been associated with the middle-class and the middle-aged. White males," said Stuart Robertson, who was the England and Wales Cricket Board's marketing manager at the time and credited with being the brains behind the new format.

"But we discovered that there was a vast potential audience of women and children. And younger men too, aged between 16-34."

Twenty20 has been accused of ignoring tradition and destroying technique, but unlike many aspects of the modern game, it plays to full houses with the kind of dizzying razzmatazz and lucrative TV deals which would have seemed impossible when the first international was staged in February 2005.

That was in Auckland where Australia and New Zealand opted to dress in 1980s gear and sported fake moustaches and beards.

Australia won the game, but few took it seriously.

Two years later, people stopped laughing as South Africa hosted the first World Twenty20 which India, the financial powerhouse of the sport, clinched after beating bitter rivals Pakistan in the final.

The format has made millionaires of some players, mostly through the Indian Premier League (IPL) which only two weeks ago completed its second tournament.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has dismissed talk that the growth of such tournaments was leading to an overkill of Twenty20 cricket.

"We've just finished a study in South Africa that showed 70 percent of the people who watched the IPL this year had never watched any form of cricket before," said Modi.

Despite the giant shadow cast by the IPL, the event does have its detractors.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who sat out the 2009 IPL but will lead his team at the World Twenty20, expressed his concerns over the money on offer in the IPL as well as the rebel Indian Cricket League.

"Unless a balance is achieved, I could see some countries' teams declining in the way Zimbabwe's sides have struggled over the past few years," said Ponting recently.

The World Twenty20 is being played at three of England's most famous grounds - Lord's, The Oval and Trent Bridge with the final to be staged at Lord's on June 21.

India, whose administrators were originally hostile to Twenty20 because they feared its commercial impact upon the 50-over game, welcome back nine members of their 2007 title-winning squad.

Left-armer Rudra Pratap Singh, who took 12 wickets in South Africa, will be supported this time around by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.

Pakistan, starved of international cricket at home after a terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March made the country a 'no-go zone', will fancy their chances of going one better this time around.

However, their confidence took a battering on Wednesday when they slumped to a demoralising nine-wicket defeat to India in a warm-up game at The Oval.

Australia have dominated all forms of cricket during the last decade except Twenty20 and Ponting is determined to improve both his and the team's record.

"The past couple of games I've played have been very poor," he said. "In the two games in South Africa I made one in each. It's not great form going into a World Cup."

Sri Lanka and New Zealand have repeatedly punched above their weight in international tournaments and could do so again. In fact, Sri Lanka boast the world record score in the format, 260-6 against Kenya in 2007.

South Africa, who won both of their two previous Twenty20s against Australia, are desperate to add a one-day title to set alongside their achievements in winning Test series in both England and Australia during the past 12 months.

Bangladesh and Ireland, who have both enjoyed shock wins on the global stage in the past, will dream of further upsets.