BJP betrayed people; need for change now: Sonia Gandhi......

Chikamagalur/Mangalore: Castigating the BJP government in Karnataka for "betraying" people's mandate, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday made a strong pitch for a "change" and stable government in the state which was suffering due to "bad governance."
"There is a need for a change as never before as the BJP has completely betrayed people's mandate and made them suffer due to bad governance. Immoral behaviour of persons in position of power has crossed all limits. Law and order has collapsed," Gandhi said. 

Addressing public meetings in Chikamagalur and Mangalore for the May five Assembly polls, she said, "I remind the young generation that these are some of the darkest days ...People want change. The need for change is now, and now." 

She charged that under the BJP's rule, mining mafias destroyed the mineral resources and fanatical elements damaged secular values of the state by spreading fear and hatred among people for their narrow political ends. 

BJP's "misgovernance" also saw a lot of investors fleeing the state because of corruption, bad governance and crumbling infrastructure, Gandhi said. "Karnataka used to be held as an example of good governance. But it is the opposite now. This is not the people voted for." 

Striking a personal chord at Chikamagalur, she said "We can never forget and will never forget that Chikmagalur adopted my mother-in-law Indira Gandhi as your own sister. Thirty five years ago, the people of Chikmagalur lent Indiraji a helping hand when she needed it most ..." 

Indira Gandhi had won a by-election from Chikamagalur in 1978 during the erstwhile Janata Party rule that ultimately helped in resurrecting her political stature and domination and stage a comeback as Prime Minister. 

In coastal Mangalore, considered a BJP stronghold, Gandhi tried to connect with the gathering, repeatedly using the Kannada word "badalavane" meaning change. 

"People of Karnataka are looking for badalavane. They are looking for change. And the time for badalavane is now and the chance for that badalavane is 5th May (polling date)," she said. 

In both the rallies, she asked the people to vote for stability for a brighter future of Karnataka. 

"We cannot have government with every one day a chief minister changing. A stable government is the need of the hour. For that to happen, you (voters) need to vote for Congress to give a stable government," she said. 

Gandhi was apparently referring to the change of chief ministers three times during the BJP rule which was also marked by intra-party squabbles creating an atmosphere of political uncertainty frequently. 

The Congress chief also asked the BJP government to provide details of central funds given to the state for implementing various welfare schemes belonging to all sections of the society. "Where that all money gone?" she asked. 

The immediate task lying before Congress is to restore Karnataka's pride and protect secular values of the state. "We reject any communal ideology," she said. 

For those who missed what exactly happened with kohli........

We played a perfect game today: Sharma....

Mumbai skipper, Rohit Sharma was very pleased with his team's all-round performance which helped the hosts to a comprehensive 58 run win over Bangalore. After setting a mammoth 194/7 off their allotted 20 overs, the Mumbai new ball bowlers wreaked havoc on the Bangalore batsmen with some aggressive and thoughtful pace bowling. At the post-match presentation ceremony, Sharma stated, 'We played a perfect game today, got the runs and defended them pretty well. I thought that we executed all our plans perfectly. I am enjoying the captaincy and will look to do well in the next match as well.' 

Virat Kohli, the opposition skipper who was booed by a not so well behaved Mumbai crowd said, 'Let them boo me. It is not the end of the world, they forget that I also play for India. I will back my bowlers. They have bowled very well right through the tournament, this was just one of those days. I know that our batting is not that long, we need to pick up well and do well in the next match.' 

Man of the match, Dwayne Smith said that he was very pleased with his efforts. 'Really feeling good. We had a good start and made sure that we made it count. I have a defined role and it was good to start well. I am enjoying my bowling and hope to do well in future as well,' quoted Smith. 

Harbhajan Singh who got the prized scalp of Chris Gayle stated: 'It was important to get Chris out rather then restricting him. I thought I will toss a few up, very happy that it worked and I got rid of him. It was a good win, my dance ended up in a 'Bhangnam' style.' 

Dhawal Kulkarni who got the initial breakthrough getting rid of Dilshan and then rocked Bangalore with the twin blows of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers said the dew helped the bowling side in the 2nd innings. 'It was a good track to bat on in the first innings, the dew helped us in the 2nd knock as the ball skid through. This is our best win so far, looking forward to the next match,' stated Kulkarni. 
























source:cricbuzz

Being Virat Kohli.......

My first fading memory of Virat Kohli is of a young boy who batted with authority against boys from the Caribbean at Malaysia. Scoring tons at that level could be common, but not after just facing 74 balls in the innings. He wasn't just authoritative with the bat. He was extremely domineering on the field like an angry school pupil leader. But what struck me more than his hundred against West Indies, was the way he led his side in the final against South Africa. While he would celebrate a dismissal at one moment, he would immediately put his fingers on the lips the next moment. He would want his team to stay calm especially when they started smelling a great victory. And when his team crossed the line, he would let himself loose. By doing that, he would also go very close to the South Africans with a couple of stumps in hand and abuse them scornfully! 

It was indeed the greatest second they've ever lived in their lives till then. Being crowned world champions is not a daily chore. But people who could do the lip-reading, started to criticize the way Indians and Kohli celebrated. For a long time, Kohli had to fight hard to get rid of the bad boy image. In fact, this season's T20-League has once again given us glimpses of that Virat Kohli, Indian cricket honestly doesn't want to have. 

It is a great quality to possess a lot of fire in the belly. Most of Kohli's success at international arena is also because of this characteristic he possesses naturally. But Kohli's on-field behavior is the only thing that stands between him and the legend history books are waiting to talk about. 

India's new generation has a totally different attitude towards their on-field conduct. They want to play hard cricket and involve themselves in a lot of sledging throughout the game. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, one person stood out with his celebrations every time an Aussie wicket fell right from day one at Chepauk. And when he was dismissed cheaply at Delhi, he was surrounded by a bunch of Aussies who returned the favor in his own backyard. That dismissal is indeed a reflection of what could happen with Indian fans when he goes through the troughs in his career. Would people who rejoiced in his success, be there when he would fail? Would they sympathize and would the most important decision makers give him another chance? 

The one who lives by the sword, dies by it and no one better than Kohli puts those words in action. More often than not, Virat Kohli has had to deal most of the pleasantries all by his own. But the real issue begins when many have labeled him as Dhoni's successor. He has been clumsy under pressure situations. For Kohli to shout at Vinay Kumar at Chepauk, a fortnight ago gave me a glimpse of what might happen in the future. It is precarious to yell at your lead bowler for not bowling to the field. Of course, the decision in itself needs to be questioned with the mid-off up in the death overs. But in front of a huge crowd supporting the opponents, the last thing a bowler needs is to earn the wrath of his captain. Earlier in the same game, RP Singh dropped Badrinath at third man only to be abused by Kohli. At Hyderabad, when Mayank Agarwal fumbled in the final over, Kohli lost his cool once again. 

Though the motive could be right, the way Kohli has handled crunch situations, especially outside Bangalore has left a lot of us desired. Now that a lot of away games are queued up RCB, Kohli's leadership skills could be tested more. Kohli so far has done the right thing at the wrong time. What we saw of him at Hyderabad and at Chennai was the man who became hot when the situation wasn't cool at all. 

It is not the best thing for your captain to hurl an abuse when you're bowling. Your focus moves out of the immediate responsibility. Kohli did it before and today it was the turn of Gambhir to do it at Balaji. Hurling abuses and screaming at players, have hardly been successful tactics on the field. There could be different styles of leadership but that doesn't mean captains should use the stick in crunch situations. There could be an uneasy anarchy within the team also. No wonder, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli thought they were in a boxing ring at Chinnaswamy stadium. 

For a long time now, our generation of Indian cricket followers has been led by many fantastic leaders ever since Ganguly took the mantle. Each long serving Indian captain in the past 15 years or so has been an example of a leader who has handled tricky scenarios with a lot of balance and composure. The likes of Kohli and Gambhir, one of whom could take up the responsibility from Dhoni one day, have to work really hard to develop those qualities. 

It is impossible to not compare, especially in India where a lot of media feeds on Indian cricket day in and day out. That is something Dhoni's successor should be prepared to take up his sleeves, especially when he is going to be a character like Virat Kohli. The hallmark of great players and captains has been their ability to remain calm under pressure. 

Sir Viv has already decreed that he sees himself when he watches Kohli play on the field. If he can be unruffled, I am sure he is going to serve the country for a long time not just as a premier batsman but also as a terrific leader. We haven't seen the tactical nous of Kohli yet. But even if he is a tactical genius and makes every Indian proud on the world stage in the future - he might still not earn the common man's respect if he continues to throw tantrums on the field. It is a very delicate state of affair and it totally depends on how he handles them - whether to be the Virat Kohli he actually is or whether to be the Virat Kohli the team and the country needs. 


























source:cricbuzz

Our death bowling needs to improve: Dravid...........

Rajasthan had a couple of Australian players to thank for their 8 wicket win against Hyderabad that enabled the Rahul Dravid led side to move up to the third spot on the points table. 

James Faulkner came up with a splendid show with the ball picking up 5/20 from his four overs and became the first player to claim a five wicket haul in this edition of the Indian T20 League. Chasing 145, Shane Watson smashed an unbeaten 98 off 53 balls to help Rajasthan win by 8 wickets with 2.1 overs to spare. 

Skipper Dravid was delighted with the efforts of Faulkner and Watson but expressed his disappointment at letting Hyderabad post a total of 144 after having them tottering at 29/6 at one stage. 

Speaking after the match, Dravid said: "In the end, we got the job done. It was disappointing to allow Hyderabad reach 144. Shane Watson's batting makes any target look easily. He and Faulkner were excellent. We need to work on our death bowling." 

Hyderabad captain Kumar Sangakkara said Watson's innings made the difference while the Sri Lankan praised Darren Sammy for his knock of 60 that enabled his side post a competitive total. 

"We did not have a great start. Sammy, Mishra and Steyn batted well. 144 was a sporting total but Shane Watson's knock was the difference. Every game is important and we have to defeat some good sides to go ahead. The leg-spinners were the best bowlers right throughout the tournament but Watson's batting foiled our plans," Sangakkara said after the game. 

Faulkner was named the Man of the Match for his fine show with the ball and the Australian said the wicket was assisting the quick bowlers during the initial period. 

"I have had a good run so far and I am glad I contributed to the team's win. I had reasonable control tonight but I am lucky I got the second wicket off a loose ball. The wicket had a bit earlier on but Watson batted like a dream. The top order is batting well so I am glad I am not needed with the bat." 













source:cricbuzz

Playoffs moved to Delhi.......

The T20 Cricket League Governing Council has shifted the first two playoff matches out of Chennai in order to allow respective teams with Sri Lankan players, freedom to choose their best playing eleven. The Qualifier and Eliminator matches will now take place at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. "The play-offs have been shifted to Delhi from Chennai," a top T20-League official told PTI. 

The first Qualifier was originally scheduled at the Chepauk on May 21 and the Eliminator on the following day. The matches will now be held on the same dates at Kotla. According to T20-League sources, Bangalore and Pune were also in the reckoning but the Governing Council opted for Delhi as the venue for the two matches. 

The decision comes in the wake of mounting pressure from various franchises, who were adamant that not having the option to pick their Sri Lankan players reduces their strength considerably at MA Chidambaram, Chepauk. The Tamil Nadu government had barred Sri Lankan players or match officials to play or officiate in Chennai in the wake of the anti-Sinhalese sentiments prevailing in the state. The Governing Council had then decided to go ahead with the matches in Chepauk but without Sri Lankan players. 















source:cricbuzz

CAPTAIN INCREDIBLE.......

'If Michael Jordan was sportsman of the 20th century then MS Dhoni is an early candidate for 21st. The fact is that Dhoni keeps doing this (finish games) – in one-day internationals, in IPL matches, even in world cup finals, and the stage doesn’t get any bigger than that. You watch him and marvel at his skill and bravado and unrelenting consistency. There is this total certaintyin his body language, intensely reassuring to his team-mates and utterly demoralising to his opponents.
Like Jordan, there is an inevitability in what he is going to do. All who oppose him know exactly what his intentions are. And yet they seem inert, and he is unstoppable, almost invincible, fuelled as he is by the power of positive thought. And remember he keeps wicket and captains too, in all formats of the game.
If you were looking for an early candidate as sportsman of the 21st century, look no further' - Simon Hughes (former Australian cricketer)

very funny must watch....... :D :D

M S Dhoni is an early candidate for sportsman of 21st century !!!!!

M S Dhoni is an early candidate for sportsman of
21st century !!

London: Marvelled by his amazing ability to win
matches from nowhere, a British newspaper has
likened Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the great Michael
Jordan and said there was no better candidate
than the Indian cricket captain for the sportsman of
the 21st century award.

Mathematics wizard Shakuntala Devi dead.........

BANGALORE: Shakuntala Devi, known for her mathematical prowess and the ability to compute complex equations mentally, died at Bangalore Hospital at 8:15am on Sunday, age 73. She was admitted to the hospital with respiratory difficulty, following which she acquired heart problems and endured a heart attack on Saturday evening. She was then on ventilator support but suffered another cardiac arrest early on Sunday, which proved fatal.

Credited with solving some frightfully complicated arithmetic problems with apparent ease and astonishing speed, Devi's calculating skills stunned the world throughout the 1970s and 80s. Her sharpness often made sophisticated digital devices seem inadequate.

The computing prodigy was born on November 4, 1939, in Bangalore, to an orthodox priestly Brahmin family. She may have had rebellious genes, for, her father, refusing to conform and become a priest, chose to play a circus performer, excellent in trapeze, tightrope and cannonball shows. When she was only three, Devi began showing great affinity with numbers. By the time she was five, she became an expert in solving complex mental arithmetic.

Fame became hers when she beat one of the world's fastest computers by 10 seconds in a complicated mathematics calculation. Multiplying two 13-digit numbers in 28 seconds earned her a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Devi had no access to proper schooling and food in her early years. In an interview with TOI, Bangalore, some years ago, she said, "I have not gone to a school. At 10, I was admitted to Class 1 of St Theresa's Convent in Chamarajpet. But my parents could not afford the monthly fee of Rs 2, so in three months, I was thrown out. I grew up in a semi-slum area in Gavipuram, Guttahalli.

"It's my dream to open a mathematics university and R&D centre, which will educate a cross-section of people, using modern techniques, short-cuts and smart methods. I cannot transfer my abilities to anyone, but I can think of quicker ways with which to help people develop numerical aptitude. There are a large number of people whose logic is unexplored."

It 2010, she had filed a police complaint accusing her domestic help of cheating. She was threatened by a gang for lodging the complaint and had confessed to being scared of stepping out of her house.

"She was a vibrant lady who was sharp-minded and energetic. A witty person, she was fiercely independent as well," said DC Shivdev Deshmudre, trustee, Shakuntala Devi Educational Foundation Public Trust.

"Devi used very distinctive but offbeat techniques, which were not always based on theorem, but her methods were correct and gave results. Her capability to perform sophisticated computation, which could beat computers, gave her a stature of a computational wizard. Her death is a great loss to us all," said Professor Y Narahari, chairman, computer science, Indian Institute of Science

"Shakuntala Devi used a high degree of mnemonic devices in their brain and had tremendous retention power, unlike most normal human beings. She was able to hold on to large number of digits (both input and output) in her memory. She, however, can't be termed as a mathematical genius but a computational genius," said Prof CE Veni Madhavan, computer science and automation department, IISc.

Beautiful Cute Dogs........

WORLD'S BIGGEST DOG...................

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate in their object-relations.

Dogs are generous creatures. They shower their affection without expecting anything in return.

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent.

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent.


Do you get this kind of look frequently?

Best sleep anyone can have.

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.

I always take care of my bats: Chris Gayle......

I'm happy to be back at the Wankhede and let me assure you, that has nothing to do with the stadium's short boundaries. Long or short boundaries, it makes no difference to my approach. Ultimately, it comes down to selecting the right ball to go for a big hit. I know the expectations will be huge, Tuesday's knock, but this is a new challenge and we start from scratch.

Of course, we would love to get the same start we had to the Pune game but it's a totally different scenario and I'm making no predictions.

Momentum, as you know, is so important in a T20 match, and while there's no doubt that a flurry of sixes can go a long way towards helping you gain some, the bowlers are just as determined to make things hard for you.

However, I relish the challenge of finding different ways to get the job done. Having a good bat certainly helps. There's been a lot of attention on mine in recent days with people speculating on how heavy it is.

I can tell you that yes, my bat does have some weight on it but it suits me in the same way that others would go for whatever bat suits them.

My kit usually comprises of five bats and I pay enough attention to each of them to make sure they are up to my expectations.

Master's territory

I need no reminding that playing the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede means we are on Sachin Tendulkar's territory.

We hope he hasn't reserved his birthday treat to the fans for today.

As much as we'd like to get him out early, when you look at the other great batters in the Mumbai roster like Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard, you know you have your task cut out.

I'll be coming up against my West Indian teammates in Smithy and Pollard but there'll be no room for sentiment during the game.

No verbal banter

I don't particularly indulge in verbal banter on the eve of a game where I'll be competing against my national team colleagues.

We're all competitive cricketers with nothing to prove to each other and with a common aim - to win the game and try and entertain the crowd along the way.

It is great to see so many West Indian players excelling in the league, which is good news for West Indian cricket.

I believe this can be attributed to winning the T20 World Cup as that victory gave most of the guys you are seeing, the opportunity to play in the T20 league.

PMG

The writer is RCB opener

source:cricket.yahoo

'Abhi-Ash are cold but vulnerable' say astrologers.......

Abhishek Bachchan – Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

This Aquarius-Scorpio pair is set to rule each other's heart and mind...

Abhishek Bachchan, an actor and the son of legendary actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan; and Aishwarya Rai, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women in India, first met each other in 1997 in Switzerland where Abhishek was on a recce for his father's film and Aishwarya was shooting for her first film, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya.

According to both of them, they felt an instant connection, yet little did they know then that they were made for each other! Once they announced to the world about their couple status, there was a lot of hoopla, what with Aishwarya being a Manglik and all. Silencing the sceptics for once and all, the celebrity pair finally tied the nuptial knot in the year 2007. Recently, the couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl, whom they have named Aaradhya.

Let's find out what the stars have in store for this million-dollar couple:

Sun Sign Compatibility

Abhishek is an Aquarius by Sun Sign, while Aishwarya is a Scorpio born. On the face of it, natives of both these zodiac signs may appear to be calm, and somewhat cold. But beneath their ice-cold appearances and measured demeanour, lies a typical characteristic: both of them tend to be vulnerable.

In a typical Scorpio-Aquarius sun sign combination there is a great possibility of comfort, emotional  security and personal space.
When two people ruled by Air and Water come together, neither has to worry about being drowned or  swept away. That is because the Air element is not a threat to the Water element and vice versa. In fact, their combined force can bring together happiness, pleasure and a great level of harmony. 

Both Aishwarya and Abhishek are ambitious and competitive, and can learn important lessons of life from each other, provided they be flexible, and treat the other with respect and care. Predictions for the coming times, as per the Vedic Astrology

For Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the time till the first week of August 2012 looks set to be tough. She may have to put a brave face to manage well between her personal and professional domains, yet it will be an uphill task.

While this tough transit of Saturn operates through Aishwarya's Ascendant (as per her natal chart), Abhishek will be very cooperative, and shall manage to display great understanding as a spouse. Their married life looks set to remain cordial, as each one of them shall be willing to make all the necessary adjustments to maintain total balance.

The couple's overall earnings shall not be affected much, but it would be a good idea for them to begin saving and investing in a smart manner. The spotlight may finally find them and remain fixed on them, as a couple, during the second half of the year 2013. However, this shall be more to do with Aishwarya, feels Ganesha.

Pagination

amazing 3d art!!

Sunrise at the North Pole With the Moon at its Closest Point amazing pic..........

Its not an ordinary airplane….

Its not an ordinary airplane….rather its an
attempt to fly night and day without fuel,
powered by solar energy, and to demonstrate
that progress is possible using clean energy.
Seven years of studies, simulation,
construction and tests to achieve the first
solar day-and-night flight in history…

Of deeps scars, brilliant chases and back to back hundreds......

Looking back at the 3rd full week of the Indian T20 League, it can be said that the batsmen really came to the party. At the end of the first fortnight, experts talked at length about how think-tanks had curtailed the big scores and that the shortest format was being dominated by the bowlers. Indeed, no hundreds had been scored and the purple cap moved from one head to another in the space of hours. But stellar performances with the bat by Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, David Miller and MS Dhoni reaffirmed that the batsmen were the biggest crowd-pullers as far as this format is concerned. 

Note: The games played from 20th April to 26th April have been reviewed in this piece. 

As far as intensity and thrills are concerned the start was mixed. Chennai took on Kolkata in the latter's intimidating backyard, Eden Gardens, and exacted revenge for the loss in last year's final. In what turned out to be typical low scoring nail-biter, Kolkata put in a brave effort defending 119 until they ran into 'Sir' Ravindra Jadeja. The Saurashtra lad had earlier chipped in with 3 important wickets and managed to score a breezy 36 off 14 balls on a pitch where Michael Hussey and MS Dhoni had struggled to play the big shots. The knock included 30 runs from fours and sixes (3 each); one of the sixes hit off Sunil Narine over the Trinidadian's head and into the sightscreen. It was to be the first of a 3 loss streak at home for the defending champions. 

On the same day, emotions took the better of more than just one Bangalorean as its favorite son turned out in blue colors leading Rajasthan against the city's franchise in the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The crowd gave Rahul Dravid a much bigger reception than the current favorite Chris Gayle. The game of cricket however, failed to live up to its billing and turned out to be an easy win for the home side, with Gayle batting out 17.5 overs to just score 49. But who knew that this was just a warm-up jog for the marathon to come later in the week! 

Before Gayle's savage assault on Pune, there were a few other incidents of note. The one which would have pleased most Indian fans was the Virender Sehwag's return to blistering touch. Mumbai's strong bowling line-up was reduced to smithereens as Sehwag made small weather of 161, smashing 95 of them in a superb 9 wicket win in Delhi. It was to end Delhi's 7 match losing streak and gave much joy to a loyal crowd which continued to throng the Kotla despite a pathetic display by the home team. 

While Indian fans were left overjoyed, the Australian fan might have felt a mix of surprise and happiness. Shane Watson, who quit the national team's vice-captaincy, had begun to bowl for Rajasthan and even notched up his first Indian T20 League hundred, albeit in a losing cause. Against Chennai at the MA Chidambaram stadium, Watson produced a sublime batting display which was a proper mix of aggression and class to bring up the edition's first ton. But at the end of the match, the century was negated by Michael Hussey's 88 as Chennai romped home in another tight finish. 

As mentioned before, all this was just the trailer. The main film unfolded on April 23rd. Bangalore were being visited by Pune, an encounter which promised a lot because of its past. Last year, when the two teams clashed at the same venue, one of the weapons of Chris Gayle's savage assault had landed in the stands and hurt a little girl. The signs were not looking great though. Rain threatened to wash away the game as Bangalore batted first. There was a stoppage, but after that, it was Gayle who was unstoppable. What happened on that day is well chronicled through records, but what needs to be told is that Pune's bowlers were left with deep wounds. Coach Allan Donald went on record to say that his bowlers might have been left with scars which might not heal. To add insult to injury, Gayle was given the last over to bowl and picked up 2 wickets. It was just a small cherry on the top of a big birthday cake. A total of 17 sixes came off the Jamaican's bat and after carrying his mace through, he went off the field hugging his opponents and sharing a laugh. 

The other major highlight, ostensibly drowned out by the couple of hundreds, was David Miller's cool-as-an-iceberg innings for Punjab in a big chase against Pune. This was before the Pune team went over to Bangalore and they did unearth a potential match-winner in the form of Luke Wright. The England all-rounder came in at the death and made every ball count in his innings of 34(10), leaving the home side with 185 to chase. In the company of the promising Mandeep Singh, Miller shepherded the chase brilliantly, smashing 5 fours and an equal number of sixes on the way to a 41 ball 80. Mandeep and Miller finished off the chase themselves which meant that the win was achieved without champion finisher David Hussey having to bat a single ball. Later in the week, Punjab brought Delhi back to their losing ways in a low scoring game, but were at the receiving end of Eoin Morgan in a 6 wicket loss at Kolkata. 

The much anticipated Chennai vs Hyderabad game at Chepauk turned out to be a nail-biter (MS Dhoni's side have made close games a habit) with the home side triumphing thanks to Captain Cool. Hyderabad, the newest franchise, have shown the tendency to punch above their weight and did the same, putting on their highest team total of 159. A strong bowling attack featuring Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra and Ishant Sharma was expected to deliver, as it has been in this edition, but were let down by poor catching. Mishra himself dropped a sitter of Dhoni on 0 and the latter made them pay with a 37 ball 67. Steyn was carted around the park by the Indian skipper; in the 11 balls that he faced, Dhoni hit him for 3 huge sixes and a four. The match eventually went to the last over and rookie Ashish Reddy was given the ball. It turned out to be too easy for Dhoni as he lazily took a six and 2 fours to finish off the match in style. 

Milestones and other points to note: 

1) Rohit Sharma completed his 17th T20-League fifty against Delhi. 2nd on the list of most fifties. 

2) Pune fielded their 3rd captain of the season. Australian Aaron Finch took over from Angelo Mathews 

3) Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad strengthened their holds for a place in the knock-outs. They are at the top of the points table. 

4) Rohit Sharma led Mumbai for the first time against Kolkata. And led them to a win as well. 

5) Amit Mishra equalled Lasith Malinga's record of most wickets in the T20-League. Currently both are tied on 88 wickets apiece. 

Gilchrist rues dropped chances.....

After his team ended up on the losing side, Punjab skipper Adam Gilchrist said Eoin Morgan's blazing 42 made the difference. Chasing 150 for victory, Kolkata were 76/3 in the 11th over before Morgan came up with his match-winning knock and was involved in a crucial partnership worth 76 runs with Manvinder Bisla. 

Gilchrist, speaking at the post-match conference, said 150 was a decent target but proved to be insufficient in the end due to good performances from Bisla (51 not-out) Kallis (37) and Morgan. 

"We were on even terms for the longest time but Morgan came in and changed everything. He is a wonderful player and had a great day, 150 was a good target to set. But Bisla batted beautifully, as did Jacques. It was still game on till Morgan came in and took it away from us. Our bowlers have done a good job till tonight and the young guys are developing well." 

Punjab had themselves to blame as they gave Bisla and Morgan early reprieves which proved to be costly in the end. Bisla was put down by Mandeep Singh in the second over when he had scored just 1 while Bhargav Bhatt dropped a sitter when Morgan was on 29. 

"We didn't help ourselves with those dropped catches. Both Bisla and Morgan made us pay. I am happy with our overall performance, but the misses did prove costly. We have to take those chances if we want to perform consistently," Gilchrst said. 

Gilchrist has been in woeful form this year and he did not do anything substantial in this game as well, getting out for a run-a-ball 27. The keeper batsman, while mentioning that his place still remains under scrutiny, said he had been practicing hard for the tournament. 

"We look at every player and the package they bring to the field - allrounders, players who bat and bowl or bat and keep wickets, and I am no different. I haven't been in wonderful form up to this point, but as I have been saying, I have practiced more leading up to this tournament than I have in any other one. So maybe I should stop practicing," said Gilchrist. 

Gilchrist said he was happy to get some runs in this game although he expressed his disappointment at not being able to convert the start into a bigger score. 

"It was nice to get some in the middle of the bat. But yes, you get 20-30 and you're happy but then you get out, so you're never really happy as a batsman. I'll have to keep trying to lift my game and contribute." 

Gilchrist admitted that he is not at his height of powers being the oldest player in the tournament. The former Australian stumper though felt that he was batting well until the shot he played to deep mid-wicket that resulted in his dismissal. 

"I am the oldest player in the tournament and I'm not at the height of my powers and I understand that. Everything felt really good today up until that shot. I'm obviously not hitting the ball like I used to in the prime of my career," said Gilchrist. 

Gilchrist mentioned that his failures are not "life-shattering", adding that there are far more important things in life other than cricket - referring to the Men Against Rape and Discrimination initiative launched by Bollywood actor and director Farhan Akhtar, which Gilchrist said was a wonderful initiative. 

"I'm not shattered by anything. It's not life and death," he said. 

"It's a wonderful initiative that we are all supporting and should be taken very seriously because what we have seen and read about it is disturbingly gruesome and horrible," Gilchrist said about the MARD initiative. 

Speaking about the innovations in the game of cricket, Gilchrist said it was nothing new but the variety has been on the up of late. 

"I was flabbergasted when I saw Jonty Rhodes hit the reverse sweep, not the dab but the hard smack for six, in 1997. So innovation isn't new but the variety is increasing. I never chose to go that way, you know, like the old dog and new tricks. I was more of a hitter. But it's amazing where they can hit the ball these days - no ball's safe," Gilchrist quipped. 











source:cricbuzz