Beat Delhi!

Will they do it?
Delhi has a job on its hands
Kukreja falls one short of 200
Kukreja and Nayar set up exciting final day
Day 3: Mumbai 166 and 471/9 decl Delhi 251 and 59/0
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Mumbai fightback
Back on the feet
Remarkable rally by Mumbai
Kukreja hits 89 vs Delhi
Sahil Kukreja leads Mumbai's fightback
Day 2: Mumbai 166 and 154/2 Delhi 251
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Delhi teens leave Mumbai in tatters7
Pace Sting
Delhi takes charge
Delhi in driver’s seat
Day 1: Mumbai 166 Delhi 159/4
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Star-studded fare on offer in Delhi-Mumbai tie
Delhi bolstered by Ishant pace, Mumbai miss Jaffer
Batting gives Delhi the edge
Mumbai wary of Delhi
Reinforced Delhi take on favourites Mumbai

Ranji Trophy Finals

	Played	Won	Head to Head
Mumbai	41	37	4
Delhi	12	4	1

Mumbai's Captain speaks

"Bombay cricket ... isey ek baar chakh liya toh chakh liya (If you have tasted it once, you are addicted for life)"

Now for the real thing

India goes into the first test with injuries to Sreesanth and RP Singh. And so Munaf finds a place in the XIV. Thing is, Munaf does not inspire confidence in either his bowling coach or the audience, given his propensity to break down mid match.

Given that we cannot go into a game with just 3 bowlers ( what with the workload involved in Test cricket), why not go into the game with just the single pacer and three spinners?

If required, Sachin and Saurav can be called upon to take the shine off the new ball before the spinners come in. Heck, even Anil Kumble can open with the new ball if he so wishes.

And the spinners pick themselves. The Kotla is Kumble's happy hunting ground. And given Pakistan's troubles with Paul Harris' left arm spin in the recently concluded series, Murali Karthik picks himself. And given Harbhajan Singh's propensity to bowl containing lines in both the Twenty20 and fifty over games, he can be called on to be the stock bowler.

And we will also be playing our best XI. Think about it - a batting lineup that bats all the way to number XI and one in which every batsman puts a premium on his wicket. And a bowling lineup that , on current form, is the best we can field for this game.
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I take umbrage to this statement by Anil Kumble - "Moving forward, he'll have to probably wait a little bit more to become a regular member in the Test squad. It's unfortunate with the circumstances that we have for this game. That's the way it is."

Well, its not.

VVS Laxman has scores of 0,38, 18 and 26 in 4 completed innings in the Ranji Trophy for Hyderabad. Throw in a stiff back into the mix and that begs the question - how is VVS an automatic selection over Yuvraj, who is in the form of his life?

And the "class is permanent" argument does not wash, unless there is a suggestion that VVS has more class than Yuvraj and that, somehow, this translates into better Test performance, form be damned.

And I have not yet mentioned their fielding :)
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And finally,this gem from Shoaib Malik

"I think India would be at a disadvantage, having a new captain who has to start afresh while I have been leading the side for quite a while. Though he [Kumble] is a great bowler I think we would start with an advantage."

If ever proof was required that Mr Malik's IQ is no greater than 2, there it is.

Second "slip"

99.4 Clark to Sangakkara, OUT, OMG! he is gone and he looks unhappy with the decision. It was banged in short, on the off stump line, Sangakkara misses to connect with his pull, the ball hit his left shoulder, then on to the helmet and it popped up for Ponting to 'catch' it at second slip. Rudi Koertzen has terminated a fabulous knock. Pity.

Now you know why batsmen dont take the fielder's word when a catch is taken Mr"Murali's just admitted he nicked that one but it would've been nice if he'd walked".

Go Figure!

After 75 years, the Indian cricket board has finally decided to dump the system of having national selectors working on an “honorary” basis - starting this year-end. From October 1, the present team of five selectors, led by former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, will get Rs 50,000 per Test and Rs 25,000 per one-day international they attend. However, this is a temporary arrangement, till Vengsarkar’s team completes its tenure by September 2008 - one of the five selectors, Sanjay Jagdale, finishes his term this year. After that the BCCI hopes to have in place an annual retainership package for selectors who would no longer be elected, but appointed by an experts’ panel. Currently, the selectors get a blanket “fee” of Rs 5,000 per day - for every match, if it’s a one-day game - and an overall compensation of Rs 7,000 towards “incidental expenses” for every assignment, Test or one-day. For domestic matches, the “TA/DA” system will continue, for now.

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The BCCI and the media need better interaction

The BCCI's decision not to allow the Chairman of Selectors to interact with the media after a Selection Committee meeting was inevitable after what happened recently. When the Chairman is asked whether it was personal enmity that led to a certain omission, then the BCCI would naturally say "Enough is enough," and see that the Chairman or, for that matter, any selector, is not subjected to such an ordeal.

BCCI’s guidelines to the selectors

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked the five national selectors to strictly adhere to a seven-point guideline

Indian board seeks to squeeze the selectors

The shadow-boxing between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the national selectors has escalated with the Indian board issuing a seven-point diktat that seeks to curtail the jurisdiction of the selectors. While the move is widely seen to be aimed at reining in Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of the selectors, there are provisions, particularly the one banning selectors from accompanying the team on foreign tours, that have caused dismay among his colleagues.

BCCI, selectors on collision course

The Indian cricket board's attempt to gag the national selectors has reached a flashpoint. An immediate solution may not emerge soon enough, but the board and the five wise men are clearly on collision course.

Gag Sunny, Ravi too: selectors

The war of words over the BCCI gag order on selectors continues. Within days of the Indian Board putting a full stop to chairman Dilip Vengsarkar’s newspaper columns, comes a counter. It is learnt that the selectors have contended that the gag should be applied to all the former cricketers who are in the BCCI fold.

Mutiny?

In an unprecedented revolt against the cricket board’s policy to ban national selectors from writing columns, three selectors yesterday threatened to quit their posts if the BCCI persisted with the gag order

Gaekwad, More flay BCCI

Former BCCI selection committee chairman Kiran More and Aunshuman Gaekwad have come down heavily on the BCCI for issuing guidelines for selectors.

Selectors upset, but not quitting

The national selectors are upset with some of the decisions recently taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but none has threatened to resign as was the talk late on Monday.

Rajput ruled out for Australia tour

Even as the BCCI debates over who the next full-time head coach would be, atleast one candidate could soon be out of the reckoning. Interim cricket manager Lalchand Rajput has been handed a letter 're-appointing' him as the coach of the Indian U-19 team by the BCCI. Rajput's term will be effective from December 20 till the end of the U-19 World Cup in March, 2008.

Selectors fume at BCCI gag order

Confirming the guidelines, board secretary Niranjan Shah told HT: “It is only to have a system... And make sure they follow domestic cricket also properly.” He said if the selectors did not heed the advice, it would be reported to the board president. He did not specify what action would be taken.

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Two pieces of prose

Take a bow, Sfx and Osman!