Colombo, Feb.8, (ANI): Sri Lanka at last tasted success on the last match of the series, saving itself from a complete white-wash, when it beat India by 68 runs in the fifth and final one day international match here on Sunday.

Despite Sunday’s loss by 68 runs, India won the series with 4-1.

With captain Mahela Jayawardene opting to bat first after winning the toss, Tilakaratna Dilshan and Kumara Sangakkara led Sri Lanka to a mammoth total of 320 runs for the loss of eight wickets.

Dilshan played a vital inning of 97 runs but it was Sangakkara’s 84 runs off 70 deliveries, which bagged him the man of the match award. The latter also took two catches in the match.

India, in reply bowled out at 252 runs in 48.5 overs.

Yuvraj Singh played a blistering knock of 73 runs and walk out with the Man of the Series award.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and debutant Ravindra Jadeja scored 53 and 60 runs respectively.

Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara declared the ‘Man of the Match’ for his blistering knock and two catches during Indian inning.

India slipped back to third spot, behind Australia after losing the match. Australia on the other hand with a victory of 32 runs over New Zealand on Sunday, climbed up to second spot. (ANI)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is no god but for his legions of fans, the Team India skipper is no less either and to pay tribute to their hero,
his admirers are planning to build a temple here.

“We the Dhoni Fans’ Club are raising funds among ourselves to build a temple in our idol’s name. There are also many well-wishers supporting us,” club President Jitendra Kumar Singh said.

“We thought if Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan can have their wax statues in London, why not build a temple and install a five-foot statue in the temple of our very own boy?” Singh said

But the moot question remains, will Dhoni agree to inaugurate a temple having his statue on the altar.

“We will try to convince him. Let us see what transpires,” Singh said.

The temple, under construction on the outskirts of Ranchi on a 1650 sqft area, is expected to be completed next year.

The Dhoni fans’ club have also collected two hundred photographs of their idol giving glimpses of his days of childhood, youth, induction into the Indian team, the image of his flowing mane and the latest pictures to be put up in a gallery.

“Dhoni has put Ranchi and Jharkhand in the map of cricket world, and constructing a temple will be a fitting tribute to the boy,” Singh signed off.

After a year when the words “wall”, “falling” and “crumbling” were never far from the headlines, Rahul Dravid could have been forgiven for thinking he had become Humpty Dumpty, instead of the most prolific No.3 batsman the world has ever seen. It really had been a wretched 2008, with 669 runs from 14 Tests before he arrived in Mohali. This, remember, was the man who made more than 600 runs in series in Australia and England when he was in his prime.

There were no clenched fists or frenzied waves of the bat when he reached his century on Saturday, but the man who sat behind the microphones later in the day looked like someone who had finally seen the light after weeks of confinement in an underground cave. “There was no statement,” he said when asked about the muted celebrations for his 26th century. “I was just happy. I’m older and wiser now. I don’t jump around and get excited.

“I’m relieved. It’s nice to be contributing again. It’s been a tough year, and it’s good to make an important contribution, especially with the conditions that we’ve had in this game.”

The partnership with Gautam Gambhir was worth 314 runs in 107.5 overs, its significance evident when the next highest stand was 40 runs. “Hopefully, it will be a match-winning partnership,” Dravid said. “Gautam batted beautifully and took the pressure off me. He rotated the strike and was positive against both the pace bowlers and spinners. He’s having a phenomenal year.”

England fought back spiritedly after breaking that partnership, but they should also be worried at how subsequent batsmen failed to make much headway on a pitch that’s sure to play a few tricks over the next three days. “At 300 for 1, we were looking around, wondering where we were going to get a wicket from,” said Graeme Swann, who along with the indefatigable Andrew Flintoff was the pick of the bowlers. “The way Dravid played, he hardly gave us any chance. He was exceptional.”

Dravid himself couldn’t really pinpoint a reason for the turnaround. “This year, I’ve tried everything,” he said with a laugh, when asked if he’d gone back to videos or books to get out of the slump. “I watched a few old videos of me batting well to recreate some of those emotions and feelings.

“But the last two series, I’ve just enjoyed each net session, trusted my instincts and watched the ball.

“The way I judge if I’m batting well is by how I bat in the nets. Against Australia and even in this series, I felt like I was batting well, but there weren’t the runs to show for it.”

The way I judge if I’m batting well is by how I bat in the nets. Against Australia and even in this series, I felt like I was batting well, but there weren’t the runs to show for it

He batted beautifully on day two, clipping the ball off the pads with his old fluency and also easing it through the off-side gaps when chances presented themselves. After taking 205 balls for 65 on the opening day, the next 71 runs took just 123 deliveries. “You grow comfortable, the more time you spend in the middle,” he said. “Your feet move better. You pick up the length better. They bowled a good testing spell with the new ball and we were lucky to get through.”

He called it one of his “most significant innings”, and admitted it might not have been possible without the reservoir of goodwill from fans and experts alike. “There’s been lots of scrutiny and speculation because I haven’t played very well,” he said. “I haven’t got enough runs. It’s been tough personally.

“So many people have been wishing me to do well. It’s at times like these that you realise how many want you to do well. They didn’t need to be, but they were so supportive – former players, and even those in the media. That’s all you can ask for.”

What Mahendra Singh Dhoni will ask for from here is a repeat of the bowling excellence that humiliated Australia here two months ago. “They tested us right through,” said Dravid of the English bowling. “But we’ll aim to pitch the ball further up and get more swing, make them drive a bit more.”

If the skies overhead continue to be overcast, that could well do the trick. As for Dravid, the overwhelming sense of grey has given way to a patch of blue sky. For some, like his three-year-old son Samit, though, life’s about far more than centuries and revivals. “He just wants me to come back home.”

A match-winning century to go with so many others wouldn’t be a bad thing to take back

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today described the enthralling six-wicket win over England in the first cricket Test here as the toughest of his four-match old tenure as captain.

“The toughest win. We were not present for the first three days of this Test, did not take wickets and bat the way we should have batted. But we won this match over the last two days,” Dhoni said after the match.

Dhoni was all praise for man of the match Virender Sehwag who gave a rollicking start to the Indian run chase with a 68-ball 83 last evening.Pietersen said his side would take the positives from the match and come back hard in the second Test at Mohali.Meanwhile, the BCCI announced a sum of Rs 3 crore to be given to the servicesmen, who died or got injured in the Mumbai terror attacks.

Rs 2 crore would be distributed to those servicemen who died in the tragedy while Rs 1 crore has been earmarked for the servicemen injured.

Producer Padama Ansari’s music album “Boom Boom” (a remix of singer Nazia Hassan’s album) is ready.

The video of its song “Mile Jab Hum Tum…” was shot in Banglore recently. The song has been sung by Akriti while Guru Sharma has done the remix.

Choreographed by Devange Desai, the video was shot on Aish Ansari, who is a South Indian actress and also the model of Johnson & Johnson fame.

Everybody present on the location had words of praise for Aish’s oomph and gyrations.

Also a guest on the location was Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He was impressed by the music and wished the album success.

Aish Ansari considers herself lucky to have had Dhoni on location. “I want to make it big, just like Dhoni. I am not averse to films but I won’t do it for the sake of just doing it. Role must be good enough to get me in,” she says.

India’s resounding win in the second Test in Mohali may have simplified life for our cricketers, and given the public some Diwali cheer
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni at a felicitation function. (PTI Photo)
but for the selectors, it has only made things a tad more difficult! After One-dayers and Twenty20, should they be replacing yet another experienced leader with the younger mascot, MS Dhoni?

Given the historic shades of this win, and the 320-margin in scores between the victors and the vanquished, this will be one weighty question to address.

Whatever conclusion the selectors arrive at privately, the biggest challenge for them would be to bell the cat. In this case, let Kumble know that his time to lead may have come to an end. But has MSD done enough to get his name pushed as the next big thing in Test cricket? “Dhoni is ready and maturing very well and that is good news for the Indian team, but why should we rush when there is an able captain like Kumble who is still around?” asked former Indian skipper Kapil Dev.

After all, we do need Test icons as much as we need swashbuckling Twenty20 heroes. “It makes sense to appoint Dhoni as the captain of the side, but you have to respect the contributions of the top cricketers as well. One thing is certain, Dhoni is ready for the job, but the current circumstances are such that you can’t really overrule Anil Kumble’s contribution and just tell him to sit out. He has after all been a match-winner for India for years,” Kapil told TOI.

“If Kumble is fit and performing for India, I don’t think anyone will have a problem. Let him decide when he wants to hang his boots. I am sure the selectors respect a senior cricketer like Kumble. As far as Dhoni is concerned, he has got the devil’s luck. If you are a captain, you need to have the sixth sense and Dhoni has that in plenty. It’s not about the toss of coin if you are a captain, you need to be intuitive and understand the intricacies of the game. And in my opinion, Dhoni can do the job,” Kapil explained.

With Sourav Ganguly calling it a day at the end of this series, even players like S Badrinath, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will benefit from this vacuum, and get a chance to prove their mettle. Undoubtedly, these cricketers have made themselves indispensable in the shorter version of the game but Test cricket is quite something else.

“Some of the cricketers like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Ganguly have been in the international arena for more than a decade and there are players like Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar who are with the team close to two decades. So, when these players retire, it will be tough to find immediate replacements, but the board is confident that the selectors will do a good job in blooding the right talent at the right time,” a top BCCI official said.

That is probably why, after all the flop shows in Sri Lanka in the previous Test series, the new selection panel – headed by former Indian captain Krish Srikkanth — had to bank on the seniors. The five wise men preferred Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman and Kumble over efficient youngsters when they picked the team for the four-match Test series against world champions Aussies. The Tests truly test the temperament of a player and in this the seniors score due to their wealth of experience.

“Even Laxman, Dravid and Ganguly gained their Test spots after much struggle, and had to compete with greats like Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohd Azharuddin, Sanjay Manjerakar and Navjot Singh Sidhu. To us, such is the Test cycle and you have to earn your place all the time. Finally if, Dhoni is made the captain, he should be made during the home series, which will do a world of good to his confidence,” the official noted.

Such questions are pertinent at a time India are slated to play a two-match Test series against England, which comes right after the Australian series. In all likelihood it would be S Badrinath who gets a headstart over Yuvraj, since the former is approaching his 30th year. Yuvraj may stand a chance of filling Dada’s shoes, provided his bat does the talking at the domestic level first.

“Yes, instant cricket has had far-reaching effects on Test cricket too, in that that the spirit to perform or perish has pervaded the longer form of the game, as well. Therefore, a senior like Kumble will have to keep his position intact by being more consistent. And the juniors will have to work their way into the side,” a former selector pointed out.

Team India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the second Indian cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to bag the prestigious Khel Ratna award. The Khel Ratna award is India’s highest sporting honor.

Dhoni though could not attend the ceremony since he was trying to save a losing match against Sri Lanka in the fifth and final ODI of the series. India has already won the series and Dhoni has contributed a lot to the win.

Dhoni’s dad Paan Singh received the award on his behalf. It was a glittering award function and the hall reverberated cheerfully with applause as the President of India, Pratibha Patil presented a scroll of honour, a medal and Rupees 5 lakh for Dhoni’s outstanding performance in sports.

Dhoni has moved mountains during his short stint in international cricket. He exploded onto the scene three years ago when he hit a blitzkrieg 180 against Sri Lanka. The very next match he displayed awesome patience and maturity when he hit a fifty and guided a tottering India to another win.

Those two innings helped him climb to the top of the ICC cricket rankings. And he hasn’t budged from that spot.

Dhoni’s popularity continues to rise everyday. From a truckload of endorsements to a country full to bursting with fans, Dhoni is the Big Mac of India.

Source: India.com

Adelaide, Jan 23 Mahendra Singh Dhoni refused to take questions on the exclusion of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly from India’s One-Day cricket side for next month’s triangular series, but defended the timing of the team announcement Tuesday.

India’s one-day captain is at the centre of a storm over claims he asked for the two former captains to be replaced with younger blood.

There are concerns the announcement, on the eve of the Adelaide Test, has upset the harmony of the team.

Ganguly apparently asked to be allowed one more one-day series before retiring.

‘I think it has affected the (Indian) journalists more than us,’ Dhoni said. ‘We are back in the practice session, we train in the morning, so it has not affected us in any way.

‘We have one more Test to go. Let’s wait six more days and as soon as we land in Melbourne we will answer questions about the one-day squad and the series.’

Dhoni defended the timing of the announcement, saying it was a logistical matter for the players still in India.

‘If you delay the announcement of the team till the 29th, you would have got the visa on the 30th and by the time you would have got the visa the first one-dayer would have already been gone,’ he said.

‘Sometimes you have to respect time and with the amount of cricket we play sometimes it’s a tough decision.’

It was put to Dhoni that it might be a ‘moral victory’ for India if it squared the Test series in Adelaide.

‘We have played well and it will be a moral victory coming to Australia and not letting the Australian side beat us and giving them a tough fight,’ he said. ‘We have played tough cricket for the month that we have been here. It’s good for the team’s morale and it’s good for each and every player who is a part of the side.’