By the end of this match South Africa might have got a good feel of indian pitches and got enough match practice. South Africa will be playing three test matches series against India. The first test that concluded today at Chennai almost had the results clear on the first morning itself when Kumble was the only successful bowler. South Africa didn't get a practice game prior to this series but they would now be almost feeling at home. The second test will be played from April 3 to 7 at Ahmedabad, followed by the third test to be played from April 11 to 15 at Kanpur.

After winning Commonwealth Bank series against world champions Australia, in Australia, the Indian cricket fans are now looking up for a home ground success against South Africa, which equally seems to be in the same way for South Africa as they are boosted with their recent win against Bangladesh on their home ground. South Africa will be looking to improve their record against the Indians and topple the ICC test standings. The men in blue are well aware of the high expectations of their fans.

Indian captain Anil Kumble is famous for keeping cool, calm and well composed temper on the cricketing field and is unlike Mahendra Singh Dhoni the captain of One Day International squad, who gives out the reverse message to his young cricket team to maintain appropriate aggression on the cricket field. Under the test captainship of Anil Kumble, India has to preserve the on-field attack and composure to defeat the mighty South African team. In Indian pitches, the hosts certainly have an advantage over South Africa but if the other two matches also offer the same type of pitches then we all know the results.

20-20 cricket or T20 is cricket the modern version of fast cricket. This latest mode of cricket game has taken some of the cricketing universe by storm. It is a complete new ball game, an improvement of the one day game to make the game faster, fuming and immediate. It has the effect of brining lot of new audience to the game. It is full of action and tempting to the younger crowd. The classicist of the game doesn’t like it, but if it brings large crowds to the cricketing field, it has to be fine for the game on the whole.

As the term “T20” suggests, this new format of game is played for a 20 overs by each side, whereas in a One Day International game each side plays for 50 overs. In T20 game each bowler is limited to bowl only 4 overs compared to 10 overs allowed in a One Day International game. If a bowler bowls a no ball in T20 cricket match the next bowl which has to be bowled by bowler is declared as a free hit and also the opposite team is awarded with extra run. A batsment can only get run out or stumped while playing a free hit. The T20 form of cricket is naturally a batsmen’s paradise and a bowler’s hell.

Also the T20 cricket game is very less time consuming as compared to One Day International. A T20 game is completed in about three hours, where as an ODI get completed within 6-7 hours. With high growing popularity of T20 cricket, now questions are rising about popularity of One Day Internationals and Test Cricket. Many cricket classicists are worried about the future of Test Cricket. The debate has taken place in cricketing world about popularity of T20 and ODI’S.

Whats your flavour?

I am a die-hard cricket fan and was still partying India's win over the Aussies in the recently concluded CommonWealth Bank Series 2008. Then, I read this and it made me feel real sad.

"Eight-time Olympic field hockey champion India won't be at the Beijing Games, the first time in 80 years it failed to qualify for the competition."

India's hopes of making the Olympics ended Sunday with a 2-0 loss to Britain in the final of a qualifying event in Chile, prompting criticism from former players at the way the sport is governed in the country.

Olympian Gagan Ajit Singh on Monday blamed the Indian Hockey Federation for the country's failure to qualify for the Olympics.

On India's 2-0 defeat to Great Britain in the final of the Olympic qualifiers, Gagan said, "it is the saddest day for Indian hockey. The IHF top brass, including its president and coach, should step down immediately and pave way for fresh people."

Former Vice President of IHF, M S Malik reacted in anger and demanded resignation of IHF chief KPS Gill and "overhaul" of the Federation's management.

"I strongly criticise the dictatorial attitude of Gill as he never tried to take the help of outstanding players of the country who won eight times Olympic hockey gold. Also, the bad planning of IHF has ruined the hockey at national and international level.


Moreover, 80 per cent of the Federation's budget is spent on its top officials and only a small amount is spent on welfare of the players," Malik said in a statement.

Yes Gagan, it's not just the saddest day for Indian Hockey but for the whole NATION.

A fitting end to a historically controversial series ! Good thing is amongst all the chaos and childish unprofessional behavior being sold in the name of sledging, both teams played some good cricket and in the end the better, superior unit got better of the scared and frustrated one.Things to cherish for India, we have got a new age captain, its confirmed. The kind for which we have waited for ages, the one who will be clinical in decision making and ruthless at the same time. He batted beautifully complete unlike him in the entire tour. The situation demanded him to stay at the wicket, hold the innings together and chase or set targets. He did it with ease and wonderfully well. His keeping has improved beyond anybodies expectation. He has got a cool and shrewed head on his shoulders. This is, we can hope, a new beginning for Indian Cricket.

Wine!, gets better with age, who else, The maestro Sachin tendulkar, sheer determination coupled with astonishing genius and dedication to the game, once again proved he is out of this world. I wonder sometimes, how others in the team are dealing with this living phenomenon. Its so easy to get inferior in presence of such a living legend. but thats the point, he is a banyan tree, giving tremendous support to these young turks of India. Only way for them is up with his guidance. I dont think any cricketer in the history of the game has served the game better than this man.

The lanky, in the eye paceman from delhi, Ishant sharma what a find he has been ! I tell you its just not the talent that takes you this high but also the attitude. He has got an impeccable attitude towards his bowling. he will keep coming at you relentlessly like a bulrush. Do you remember any Indian bowler in past like this ? He starts with 135 and clocks 145 in 2 overs and believe me he is going to get quicker in years to come. Word of caution though, to maintain line and length you dont need to drop ur pace, we dont want another munaf patel for sure. He is too young yet to be given the spearhead role. Once Zaheer and RP Singh come back that will help Ishant going full throttle. Its like a dream come true for India, look at the reserve we have got of fast bowlers, I doubt 5 years back the actual lineup was this strong. Zaheer, RP, Irfan, Ishant,Shreeshant, Munaf, Praveen Kumar, this is wonderful. I remember sachin took the Indian team to back to back tours of West Indies and SA few years back with Jawagal Shreenath and V. Prasad. Jawagal Shrinath, the lone warrior at the Indian bowling front, it was hard on him although he took it with smile and an ailing shoulder. That is not the case anymore, if these guys keep the promise they have shown, then we have got a good generation of fast bowlers and invariably such generation of bowlers is followed by another. Future looks good for Indian bowling.

The man who personifies his own name, Gautam Gambhir, is gambhir indeed ! He has come of age since the 20-20 WC. He believes in himself more and plays his natural game. The way he played murali I was really happy about the fact that, after the "fabulous four" someone is there to continue dominating the spinners. Rohit sharma looks set for the number four, thats how well he played. He played exceedingly well with sachin in the first final of the CB series. Good technique and temperament and a good point fielder too. We have to agree we missed yuvraj at point but this guy was not bad at all. Yuvraj was a bit below par in this series but from what I saw in the second final he is getting there with his fielding as well as his batting. While fielding he was much more light and quick the other day. He has always been a fantastic batsman who will take the game away from the opposition in no time. Playing at this level needs all your attention and heart at the game only then you can make the most o the talent you have, he knows it now. You can not take it easy and certainly not when youngsters grabbing opportunities with both hands.Sehwag continues to disappoint, he is in the same situation as yuvraj. This new blood is putting so much pressure on these out of form stars of Indian batting. Its a healthy sign indeed. They have to stand up and join the race otherwise they are going to be sidelined soon.

Munaf patel is a mystery for all of us. Out of one billion only 16 make it to the side and only 11 play in the end. He is the one which will be seen in the 11 most of the times. He doesn't realize this, he got it too easily it seems. He has to change his attitude, bring some hunger in his cricket. He looks like the oldest member of the squad. The shoulders tired like after 10 years of bowling career, lifeless eyes and no fighting spirit at all. He just takes what comes his way, thats not the way for sure. The one in a billion chance to play for the country, he has to realize it soon and make it count.

Last but not the least The Center of the storm, of the tour, the Unshakable Harbhajan Singh. What a character he has been! What courage, what composure he showed, excellent! He topped it with some fantastic performances. Really it takes a lot out of you just to perform against Australia in austrailia and in such hostile conditions for him. It was so ridiculous to read some of the Australian media on the internet. But again hats off for this level of performance and determination by Bhajji! Only a champion player with a lions heart can do this.

All in all this was the best tour at home or abroad I have seen since I started watching cricket. The quality of cricket was the highest and players were tested in and out of the field. Most of them coming through very well. Ind and Aus on the way of becoming the biggest rivals

I remember the days of my childhood when I used to play different sports with my friends. Although I still play some of them but what makes me remember those sports and cherish those moments, is the way we used to play them. It brings me a smile of victory on my face when I remember those days. It was a victory in something which was not any sport at all though.

Most spicy moments were made of cricket. We used to play a cricket where team size used to be at most 5 or 6. (Anyways our play ground would have never been able to accommodate 11 + 2 players, forget umpires.) Team size used to be even different on the 2 sides sometimes. Three non-linear sticks, heterogeneous in every way, used to be stumps. Bails (we used to call them ‘gulliyan’) were always considered useless and so never used. Stumps were placed only on the batsman’s side. A stick, brick or sometimes our own chappals/sleepers played the role of the stumps at the bowler’s side. The strongest and/or the most influential boy used to be the umpire by default. The single purpose of both sides used to be winning the game. Anyhow! At any rate!

After all that too, there was a lot more left which was unlike any sport. Even if somebody ignores these differences of resources there were too many others in playing the actual game. Whenever a batsman was caught, stumped, run out or anything else, there was not only a festival like celebration but also a teasing like monkeys and chimpanzees. The fielding team used to make sounds, make faces and give gestures to the batsman who was declared out. Sometimes even some players of batsman’s own team used to join the opponent team in teasing him. However the batsman was also a boy and no boy is always patient and calm. And also when there were so many people to provoke him! Many times the batsman used to abuse the bowler and fielders in reply and that, in turn, many times used to make the situation worse and worse and sometimes used to increase the ecstasy and bring smiles of victory on our faces. It was a victory in something which was not any sport at all. When it used to make the situation worse and worse, cricket field used to become a battle field. Game finished, all went home with minor injuries, rejected and dejected, satisfied and satiated.

But it did not actually cost anybody anything. We were ready to forget or not to forget things, however, to come again on the playground and play again. No body was ever banned, fined or even warned.

When I watch the ODIs now days, sometimes I feel as if umpires demand servile obedience from the players. Recently Ishant Sharma and Symonds became embroiled in a set-to when Symonds took offence to the Indian's celebration after Ishant had clean-bowled him, and this led Ishant to point Symonds towards the pavilion. Very natural! However this gesture rewarded the 19-year-old bowler (fresher) to be fined 15 per cent of his match fee by match referee Jeff Crowe. Poor fellow, Jeff Crowe! He never happened to watch the cricket I used to play in my childhood. He must have committed suicide then.

To add something honestly, I feel that Symonds had instigated the incident. Ishant only reacted to what Symonds must have said/gestured to him. Actually it’s an art and I know it as I have been an artist on the playground in my childhood. If you're getting provoked then there are many ways in which you can reply so you have to be careful about it. On the other hand when you are provoking somebody, then also you have to be careful and give gestures such that only the target person reads and understands it and no body else does. Ishant and many others are youngsters in Indian Team who will learn all these arts too, I am sure.

Another simmering tension between the sides stretches back to the contentious second Test in Sydney, when Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was suspended for three matches for allegedly racially abusing Symonds. The decision was later overturned at an appeal hearing. Oh my God! How these things even come into picture and why they are given so much importance!
Thank God! I was lucky enough, in my childhood, not to have a referee like Jeff Crowe or a committee like the one who suspended Harbhajan Singh for three matches.