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Pakistan win Wills cup.

Indian teamPakistani team

An overview

Pakistan beat India 2-1 in the Wills cup series to maintain their unbeaten record in one day series at home . 

 Match # 1 
    Venue: Hyderabad (Sindh)
    Toss : India elect to bat.

    Ind  : 170  all out (49 overs)
           Dravid 50 , Jadeja 42 
           Aaqib 4 wkts , Saqlain 3 wkts
    
    Pak  : 171 / 5 in 44.3 overs.
           Afridi 45 , Haq 35*
           Kulkarni 3 wkts 

 Result: Pak win by 5 wkts.
    Man of match : Aaqib Javed (Pak)


 Match # 2
    Venue: National Stadium  , Karachi 
    Toss : Pak elect to bat.   

    Pak  : 265/4 in 47.2 overs.
           Afridi 72 Haq 74*
           Chauhan 2 wkts  Kulkarni 2 wkts 

   Ind   : 266 / 6 in 46.3 overs.
           Ganguly 89 Kambli 53 Singh 31*
     
   Result: India win by 4 wkts.
   Man of match : Saurav Ganguly (IND)
         
 
 Match # 3
    Venue: Gaddafi Stadium  , Lahore
    Toss : Pak put India in to bat.   

    Ind  : 216 all out in 49.2 overs.
           Jadeja  76  Chauhan 32
           Azhar 3 wkts
  
    Pak  : 219/1 in 26.2 overs.
           Afridi 47 Ijaz 139* 
           Kulkarni 1 wkts

   Result: Pak win by 9 wkts.
   Man of match : Ijaz Ahmed (Pak)

   Result: Pakistan win 2 - 1 .



Srilanka tours India
  
   

After India's disasterous tour of Srilanka , the World Champs come over to 
India to play a 3 test and 3 one day series. The Indians have just returned from
Pakistan .They have done much better having beaten Pakistan in the Sahara cup
4 - 1. They lost the Wills cup 1 - 2 but atleast did not return empty handed from
Pakistan.



The Lankans arrive on Nov 10 .They play the Board Presidents XI at Cuttack
from Nov 14 -16. They then play 3 tests at Mohali , Nagpur and Bombay .
This is followed by 3 one dayers at Guwahati  , Gwalior /Indore  & Margao.



The itinerary is as follows:

Nov 10	        Srilankans arrive

Nov 11          Anshuman Gaekwad benefit match   Baroda

Nov 14-16	V Board President's XI		Barabati Stadium , Cuttack

Nov 19-23	1st Test  			Mohali ,Chandiharh

Nov 26-30	2nd Test  			Vidarbha Cricket Ass Stadium,Nagpur

Dec 3 - 7       3rd Test   			Wankhede Stadium ,Bombay 	

Dec 8          Team departs to Sri Lanka ,      returns to India Sat 20 Dec

Dec 22		1st one day intnl              	Guwahati

Dec 25		2nd one day intnl              	Indore / Gwalior

Dec 28		3rd one day intnl		Margao




The Team :
     
India has done well in Pakistan . The new medium pace bowlers have made
a good start.Now with Srinath and Prasad fit it will be a problem for the selectors
on whom to drop and whom to retain . This is a problem never faced by the Indian selectors.
Some players who have been knocking at the doors of Indian cricket for long 
have performed well in the just concluded match between Bombay and Rest of India.


We discuss here the prospects of some players who think have a good chance to 
make it big for India . These are views only .You can express yourself too. 
Just mail us at  cricketzone@earthcorp.com 


For TESTS:

OPENERS:

GAGAN KHODA
   He never has got a chance to prove himself. He was a passenger to Srilanka
and also did not play a single match in the Independence cup .Yet to represent
India. This could be the ideal time to try him .Home conditions , flat wickets
and not a too menacing Lankan attack.
   We rate his chances as very high to make the Indian team.

Wasim Jaffer
   This lad from Bombay has been consistently performing since last season.
It was a surprise that he was left out for the Lankan tour.It is the right time
to blood fresh talent specially a talented opener. I hope the Quota rule does
not come in the way of his selection.

Navjot Sidhu 
   India's best opener since the great Sunil Gavaskar..Fitness has been his 
only problem in his long career.He provides us stability at the top.But his
not being selected for the Challenger series does not do his chances any good. 

Ajay Jadeja
   It would be strange if we have a NON - PLAYING VICE CAPTAIN!
Thus Jadeja too looks sure in the TESt team . The only slot i see for him is
opening but maybe he could come in at no 6. HE has never got en entire series.
He proved that he could play  tests in Windies and Lanka with 2 good knocks
in limited oppurtunities.



BOWLERS:
 
  India looks likely to enter each test with 4 bowlers . Thus depending on
the pitch it would be either 2 or 3 seamers.
 At Mohali, it could well be 3 seamers . At Nagpur and Bombay 2 spinners
will be the likely case. 
Anil Kumble
Former vice captain would be hoping to return to the team after being left out
for the matches against Pakistan. Its not gonna be easy with an average performance
in the Irani trophy match.Lets hope that if he returns we see the Kumble of yore!

Nilesh Kulkarni 
  HE has come on well . He can be handful in restricting the marauding Lankans.
He has a heart for punishment and this only augurs well for him.
His chances are preety high . If only he could do something about his batting.

Rajesh Chauhan 
 I think he is the biggest turner in India . His batting only improves his
chances for the series against the Lankans .He could trouble the left handers.

Sairaj Bahutule 
   This leggie cum batsman has been consistent from a lot of time. His 8 wkt
haul in the 2nd inngs in the Irani cup must have done his confidence a world
of good.He could prove to be the allrounder India is looking for desperately.
(Ganguly fans no hard feelings please!!)



All rounders :

Rohan Gavaskar 
   WE need all ronders in the one dayers .  I think that Rohan could do well
in this positon . He has come on well for Bengal and is a good striker of the 
ball. He is a good fielder who can bowl when reqd.

 
OUR team for the tests :
1.Ajay Jadeja.
2.Wasim Jaffer / Gagan Khoda / Navjot Sidhu 
3.Saurav Ganguly
4.Sachin Tendulkar
5.Rahul Dravid  
6.Mohd. Azharuddin
7.Nayan Mongia/ Saba Karim
8.Rajesh Chauhan / Nilesh Kulkarni
9.Abey Kuruvilla
10.Anil Kumble / Sairaj Bahatule
11.Srinath(if fit)/Venkatesh Prasad(if fit)/Debashish Mohanty
 
OUR team for the one dayers :
1.Saurav Ganguly
2.Rahul Dravid
3.Sachin Tendulkar
4.Mohd. Azharuddin
5.Ajay Jadeja.
6.Robin Singh
7.Nayan Mongia/ Saba Karim
8.Javagal Srinath
9.Abey Kuruvilla/Prasad
10.Sairaj Bahatule / Anil Kumble  
11.Rajesh Chauhan / Nilesh Kulkarni


 ROTATION RULE : it must go!   

  BACKGROUND:For the coming Lankan Tour, Calcutta has not been alloted a single
match . In the Pakistan v/s S.Africa  Karachi and Lahore have no test match.


For years now , India has been following the rotation rule .Let us see what
exactly it is , what purpose it serves and what damage it could cause in the long
run.



Rotation means 'Rotation of grounds as venues'. I mean that when a country
tours India , irrespective of facilities and prestige , grounds all over the country
are alloted matches. Thus all centres get a chance to hold a match . Thus centres 
which are the pride of India and also have good facilities for crowd , media
are not given prefernce .They are at the same level.



Click here for Indian grounds



In the world cup 96 in India no centre got 2 matches. India has so many centres around 20
or more.India had been alloted 17 matches and there were 17 venues !!!!
One would expect that centres like EDEN GARDENS , MOHALI , BANGALORE , MADRAS
and BOMBAY would get matches on every tour .These are grounds with excellent
facilities. One agrees that citizens in other cities have a right to see their
stars in action but if the venues are not upto intenational standards then it
is not right to allot matches to such centres.



Every match conducted is big money.One dayers are boom time .Thus just as
there is 'Quota rule' in selection ,there is the rotation rule. India would be 
wise to follow Australia and England's example . There are many grounds out there.
But only few centres are regarded as Match centres. Thus every nation visiting
Australia gets a match at Melbourne and in England its Lords. The Board should allot
a match to Mohali and Eden Gardens whenever there is a tour.



This would go a long way in improving the facilities in other grounds vying for
a match. Just as a player has to play well to make it to the national side ,
a centre has to have good facilities to be regarded as a test centre.
When this happens grounds all over India will be good for cricket for the entire year ,
not just for the period of the tour!!

  

NewZealand v/s Zimbabwe
  

2nd test


Venue : Bulawayo



Scores: Zimb 461 and 227/8
 
           NZ 403 and 275/8


Result: match drawn



One day series : (1-1)


1st match : tied


2nd match : Zimbabwe


3rd match : Newzealand



Coming international tours
  

West Indies in Pakistan, Nov-Dec 1997

West Indies 'A' in South Africa, Nov 1997-Jan 1998

New Zealand in Australia, Oct 1997-Jan 1998

South Africa in Australia, Nov 1997-Feb 1998

Sri Lanka in India, Nov-Dec 1997

England in West Indies, Jan-Apr 1998

Pakistan in South Africa, Jan-Apr 1998

England 'A' in Kenya, Jan-Feb 1998

Zimbabwe in Sri Lanka, Jan 1998

Australia in New Zealand, Feb 1998

Zimbabwe in New Zealand, Feb-Mar 1998

Sri Lanka in South Africa, Mar-Apr 1998

South Africa in England, May-Aug 1998

Sri Lanka in England, Aug 1998

England in Sri Lanka, 2000 - Announcement


List of Forthcoming ODI Tournaments


Jinnah Cup in Pakistan, Nov 1997 (Pak, RSA, SL, WI)

Sharjah Cup, Dec 1997 (Eng, Ind, Pak, WI)

C&UB One-Day Series in Australia, Dec 1997-Jan 1998 (Aus, NZ, RSA)

Triangular International Series in SA (Pak, SA, SL), Apr 1998

Triangular International Series in England (Eng, RSA, SL), Aug

Commonwealth Games, Kuala Lumpur, September 1998

World Cup 1999 in England




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