Latest Cricket News and Updates, Live Cricket Score

Irfan Pathan, who missed the Vijay Hazare Trophy due to a back strain, expects to be fit in around 20 days. He will recover in time to play for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, though he may miss a few of the initial matches.

“I should be match-fit in two to two-and-a-half weeks,” Pathan told 22yardscricket. “I have a back strain that first troubled me after the Duleep Trophy final.”

The IPL begins on March 12 and Kings XI Punjab play their first two games on March 13 and 16. Despite being on course to recover full fitness in time for the World Twenty20, Pathan was not included in the 30-member preliminary squad for the tournament that begins in late April. Pathan, who last played for India in the 2009 World Twenty20, was disappointed with his exclusion, but ruled out any miscommunication over his fitness.

The DLF IPL cricket schedule 2010 is as follows :

March 12, 2000 hours: Deccan Chargers (DC) vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Navi Mumbai.

March 13, 1500: Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR), Mumbai.

March 13, 2000: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) vs Delhi Daredevils (DD), Mohali.

March 14, 1600: KKR vs Royal Challengers  Bangalore (RCB), Kolkata.

March 14, 2000: Chennai Super Kings  (CSK) vs Deccan Chargers (DC), Chennai.

March 15, 2000: RR vs DD, Ahmedabad

March 16, 1600: RCB vs KXIP, Bangalore

March 16, 2000: KKR vs CSK, Kolkata

March 17, 2000: DD vs MI, Delhi

March 18, 2000: RCB vs RR, Bangalore

March 19, 1600: DD vs CSK, Delhi

March 19, 2000: DC vs KXIP, Nagpur

March 20, 1600: RR vs KKR, Ahmedabad

March 20, 2000: MI vs RCB, Mumbai

March 21, 1600: DC vs DD, Nagpur

March 21, 2000: CSK vs KXIP, Chennai

March 22, 2000: MI vs KKR, Mumbai

March 23, 2000: RCB vs CSK, Bangalore

March 24, 2000: KXIP vs RR, Mohali

March 25, 2000: MI vs CSK, Mumbai

March 26, 2000: RR vs DC, Ahmedabad

March 27, 1600: KXIP vs KKR, Mohali

March 27, 2000: RCB vs DD, Bangalore

March 28, 1600: RR vs CSK, Ahmedabad

March 28, 2000: DC vs MI, Nagpur

March 29, 2000: DD vs KKR, Delhi

March 30, 2000: MI vs KXIP, Mumbai

March 31, 1600: CSK vs RCB, Chennai

March 31, 2000: DD vs RR, Delhi

April 1, 2000: KKR vs DC, Kolkata

April 2, 2000: KXIP vs RCB, Mohali

April 3, 1600: CSK vs RR, Chennai

April 3, 2000: MI vs DC, Mumbai

April 4, 1600: KKR vs KXIP, Kolkata

April 4, 2000: DD vs RCB, Delhi

April 5, 2000: DC vs RR, Navi Mumbai

April 6, 2000: CSK vs MI, Chennai

April 7, 1600: RR vs KXIP, Jaipur

April 7, 2000: KKR vs DD, Kolkata

April 8, 2000: RCB vs DC, Bangalore

April 9, 2000: KXIP vs MI, Mohali

April 10, 1600: DC vs CSK, Navi Mumbai

April 10, 2000: RCB vs KKR, Bangalore

April 11, 1600: DD vs KXIP, Delhi

April 11, 2000: RR vs MI, Jaipur

April 12, 2000: DC vs RCB, Navi Mumbai

April 13, 1600: MI vs DD, Mumbai

April 13, 2000: CSK vs KKR, Chennai

April 14, 2000: RR vs RCB, Jaipur

April 15, 2000: CSK vs DD, Chennai

April 16, 2000: KXIP vs DC, Dharamsala

April 17, 1600: RCB vs MI, Bangalore

April 17, 2000: KKR vs RR, Kolkata

April 18, 1600: KXIP vs CSK, Dharamsala

April 18, 2000: DD vs DC, Delhi

April 19, 2000: KKR vs MI, Kolkata

April 21, 2000: Semi-final 1, Bangalore

April 22, 2000: Semi-final 2, Bangalore

April 24, 2000: 3rd Place match, Navi Mumbai

April 25, 2000: Final, Navi Mumbai.

It took nearly 40 years of waiting and it was well worth it. Sachin Tendulkar chose one of the better bowling attacks doing the rounds, to eclipse the record for the highest score, before bringing up the first double-hundred in ODI history. The spectators at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium became the envy of cricket fans as they witnessed one of the country’s favourite sporting heroes play a breathtaking innings which not only set up a 153-run annihilation but also the series victory. He may have been run-out cheaply in the previous match, but nothing could deny him today – be it bowlers, fielders, mix-ups or cramps.Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni stood by and admired as the master unfurled all the shots in his repertoire.

At 36, Tendulkar hasn’t shown signs of ageing, and his sparkling touch in both forms of the game has ruled out all possibilities of him checking out anytime soon. Fatigue, cramps and paucity of time have stood in the way of batsmen going that extra mile to get to the 200-mark. Tendulkar did cramp up after crossing 150, but he didn’t opt for a runner. His experience of 20 years at the international level came into play in this historic innings, staying at the crease from the first ball to the last, never once losing focus. There were no chances offered, no dropped catches, making his innings absolutely flawless.

A swirl of emotions must have run through his mind as he approached one record after another but he ensured he was never lost in the moment. His running between the wickets remained just as swift as it had been at the start of the innings. The humidity in Gwalior was bound to test him but he stood above it all and played like he owned the game, toying with the bowling with a mix of nonchalance and brute power.

In the 46th over, with a flick for two past short fine-leg, Tendulkar broke the record for the highest ODI score, going past the 194 made by Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry and Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar, and to say that he acknowledged his feat modestly would be an understatement. His muted celebration on going past 194, true to style, made his innings all the more endearing. He didn’t raise his bat, merely shook hands with Mark Boucher and simply carried on batting amid the din. Coming from a man who is not known to showing too much emotion with the bat in hand, it wasn’t surprising. He reserved his celebrations for the magic figure of 200, which he reached in the final over with a squirt off Charl Langeveldt past backward point. He raised his bat, took off his helmet and looked up at the skies and it was only fitting that one-day cricket’s highest run-getter reached the landmark.

Tendulkar’s innings featured strokes of the highest quality, but his true genius was exemplified by one particular shot which rendered even the best bowler in the world helpless. In the first over of the batting Powerplay – taken in the 35th over – Dale Steyn fired it in the block-hole for three deliveries outside off to keep him quiet. Tendulkar, feeling the need to improvise, walked right across his stumps and nonchalantly flicked him across the line, hopping in his crease on one leg to bisect the gap at midwicket. A helpless Steyn watched the ball speed away and merely shrugged his shoulders. There was no use searching for excuses or venting frustrations at the temerity of that shot. It was just that kind of afternoon for the bowlers.

It wasn’t all just about the cheekiness of his shots. His timing and placement were the hallmarks at the start of his innings. On a road of a pitch which offered no margin of error for the bowlers, he squeezed out full deliveries past the covers and off his pads. With no seam movement on offer, Jacques Kallis took the slips off and placed them in catching positions within the 15-yard circle, hoping to induce a mistake. But Tendulkar outplayed all of them, making room to manoeuver it past a number of green shirts. There were a minimum of two runs on offer each time the ball was placed wide of them and the quick outfield did the rest.

Once he got his eye in, the short boundaries and the flat pitch were too inviting. Virender Sehwag’s dismissal for 11, caught at third man, was just an aberration as Karthik, Pathan and Dhoni traded cricket bats for golf clubs. Driving and lofting through the line had never been this easy. Tendulkar could have driven them inside out in his sleep.

The two century stands, with Karthik and then with Dhoni, may well get lost in the scorecard but they were vital building blocks. Karthik rotated the strike well in their stand of 194, struck three clean sixes and helped himself to his career-best performance. That partnership sent out ominous signs to the South Africans that they were in for something massive. Add Dhoni’s bludgeoning hits and scoops and you had a score in excess of 400.

Tendulkar reached his fifty off 37 balls and his century off 90. Ironically, he struck his first six – over long-on – when on 111. Pathan bashed it around at the other end, clubbing full tosses and short deliveries in his 23-ball 36, as India amassed 63 runs in the batting Powerplay. The South African seamers made the mistake of trying to bowl too fast and as a result, sent down too many full tosses and full deliveries. The unplayable yorkers remained elusive and Tendulkar, who was seeing it like a beach ball, picked the gaps, made room and improvised.

He reached his 150 by making room to Parnell and chipping him over midwicket with a simple bat twirl at the point of contact. The heartbreak of Hyderabad, when his scintillating 175 all but won India the match against Australia last year, must have lingered in his mind as he approached that score again. A towering six over long-on later, he not only eclipsed Kapil Dev’s 175 but also looked set to wipe out his own record. He started clutching his thighs, indicating that cramps had set in, but even that could not stop him today.

He equalled his highest score of 186 by pulling a lollipop of a full toss off Kallis and broke his own and India’s record with a single to square leg. Fortunately, he didn’t have to do much running and played the spectator’s role for a change as Dhoni bulldozed his way to a 35-ball 68, muscling four sixes. The Dhoni bottom-hand is the strongest in the business these days and the exhausted spectators had enough energy left in their vocal chords to cheer him on as well.

The record of 200, however, was yet to be attained and the crowd were desperate for Tendulkar to get the strike. Dhoni tore into Steyn for 17 off the 49th over and retained the strike for the 50th. After hammering the first ball of the 50th for six, he shoveled a full toss to deep midwicket where Hashim Amla made a brilliant save. Tendulkar settled for a single and the crowd were on their feet as they watched him make history. It was all the more fitting for another reason because it was on this very day, back in 1988, that he and Vinod Kambli added a mammoth 664 – then a world record – in a school match.

There was to be no repeat of the 434-chase at the Wanderers, when South Africa took guard, perhaps mentally and physically shaken after the assault, and with a partisan crowd to contend with. AB de Villiers‘ attacking ton got completely lost in the chase as South Africa merely went through the motions. It was all a question of how quickly India could wrap it up.

Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Roelof van der Merwe and Jacques Kallis all got out cheaply within the first 15 overs. de Villiers motored along at more than a run-a-ball, and collected 13 fours and two sixes. South Africa had to rely on the services of nine men to muster 200 – for India one man sufficed.

Tendulkar’s knock drew parallels with Brendon McCullum’s frenetic 158 in the IPL opener in Bangalore two years ago. The match was all about individual brilliance but not a contest. While such games are good in small doses, for one-day cricket to survive on the whole, it needs more contests between bat and ball.

Yubraj singh

One of the major concerns for Kings XI Punjab ahead of the third season of the IPL is a long injury list, but they will be relieved that Yuvraj Singh, one of their most important players, is likely to be fit in time for the first game against Delhi Daredevils.

Yuvraj tore a ligament in his left wrist in late January and missed the second Test against Bangladesh and the entire series against South Africa that ended two days ago. He had been to Australia last week for treatment and is now looking forward to resuming batting. “I will start batting in three days,” he told 22yardscricket. “It’s been five weeks (since the injury), so yes, I should be good for the first game.”

Punjab were one of the best teams in the inaugural IPL, cruising into the semi-finals, but had a tough time in the second season, affected by the injuries to fast bowlers Sreesanth and Jerome Taylor, and the unavailability of Australian players for much of the competition.

Yuvraj has targeted at least a semi-final spot this year, and believes one of the keys to a strong performance will be having the entire squad fit and available for the tournament. “We had a good first year, made the semi-finals easily when we had our full bench of players,” he said. “So if we have our full bench of players not injured, we have a good chance of going through to the semi-finals.”

They have several important players struggling for fitness, though. Australian batsman Shaun Marsh, their standout performer in the first IPL season, became the latest worry after he was ruled out of the upcoming one-day internationals against New Zealand due to a back problem.

Their most expensive overseas player, fast bowler Brett Lee, is also beset with fitness problems. (However, IPL chairman Lalit Modi said in his Twitter page that Lee is arriving in India tomorrow). Lee is recovering from a painful elbow surgery that ruled him out of the entire Australian home summer campaign, and said a couple of weeks ago that he might never bowl again. He has only played two matches since spearheading New South Wales’ march to the Champions League title last October.

“We have a few injuries but we still have a bit of time to get fit for the first game,” Yuvraj said. Besides fitness issues, the lack of quality Indian batting back-up for Yuvraj is another of Punjab’s drawbacks, which makes it vital that allrounder Irfan Pathan recovers from the back injury that has kept him out of the preliminary squad of the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

Australia will be without fast bowler Brett Lee and allrounder James Hopes for the third ODI against India in Delhi on Saturday. Lee had not recovered from his elbow problem while Hopes still had a hamstring injury.

“Both the guys [Lee and Hopes] are not playing tomorrow. Lee had a light training today and he looks 85% fine but there is still some pain in his elbow,” Ponting said. “Hopes got through his bowling today but we have our fingers crossed. We hope he will be okay for Mohali after sitting out tomorrow.”

There was some good news for the visitors, though, as wicketkeeper Graham Manou was expected to reach Delhi in time for the game as a replacement for Tim Paine, who broke his finger during the second ODI in Nagpur. “Graham [Manou] will arrive this afternoon. He has some international experience having played a few Test matches and also in Ashes,” Ponting said.

The spate of low scores at the Feroz Shah Kotla continued on Monday with the Cape Cobras collapsing in their chase of 115 to lose by 30 runs, in the bargain posting the tournament’s lowest total. The good news for them, though, was that they finished second in League B and will play their semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago in Hyderabad, avoiding the dodgy Kotla pitch. There was good news for Delhi Daredevils, too – they were already out of the tournament but ended on a high and gave their fans something to cheer.

With the pitch behaving as expected – the ball coming on slowly and the bounce uneven – bowlers from both teams stuck to a plan similar to that adopted by other teams here. While pace helped Cobras restrict Delhi’s batsmen, the home team relied on their spinners to turn the tide and pick up the big wickets – Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy and Justin Ontong. Gautam Gambhir, aware of the tricky pitch, opted to open the bowling with Tillakaratne Dilshan and the turn was evident in his second delivery as he trapped Gibbs in front to one that shot in from outside off. Duminy, charged with the responsibility of guiding the innings after Henry Davids’ departure, was castled by Amit Mishra to one that kept extremely low, and Ontong was bowled through the gate, deceived by Dilshan’s flight.

Strangely enough, though, the flow of each innings was altered by run-outs that prevented a par score on this track. Dinesh Karthik’s attacking 23 was ended by an all-too-familiar blunder by his partner Owais Shah, while Henry Davids’ dismissal off a direct hit from Pradeep Sangwan at short third man – after putting on an aggressive 27 with Duminy – proved decisive in getting Delhi back in the game.

Meanwhile, Dirk Nannes went about his job with typical efficiency; having uprooted Andrew Puttick’s off stump in his second over, he delivered immediately on return for his second spell. Ryan Canning was bowled while attempting a pull and Claude Henderson failed to dig one out of the blockhole. At 78 for 8, there was only one result possible and Yogesh Nagar made swift work of the tail.

Delhi’s score was boosted by Shah, who made amends for Karthik’s dismissal with some aggression at the death. He broke a 10-over boundary drought with a six over long-on off Ontong, and helped snatch 35 off the last four overs to give his bowlers something of a target.

Karthik had launched a counter-attack after the Cobras seamers – who kept a tight line and offered little width – had reined in Delhi by dismissing the openers. After seeing off three overs amid the pressure of a declining run-rate, he stepped up to dispatch Kleinveldt for three consecutive fours. Each delivery varied in length but Karthik adapted brilliantly; a short one was pulled over midwicket, a good-length delivery was driven on the up and a slower ball bowled full was clattered over extra cover. His dismissal pegged back Delhi further, but Shah’s surge towards the end of the innings took them to what turned out to be a match-winning total.

While the Hyderabad semi-final between T&T and Cobras promises to be a high-scoring one, the two Australian teams, Victoria and New South Wales, will be wary of what is likely to be on offer in Delhi, with the pitch spoiling a game designed for big hits.

An unpredictable pitch and disciplined Australian bowling limited Pakistan to 91 for 3 at the halfway mark of their innings in the penultimate Group A match at Centurion. Kamran Akmal led Pakistan’s charge with a patient innings of 44 but his dismissal off Shane Watson in the 19th over prompted a slowing of the run-rate as Pakistan struggled to contend with Australia’s medium-pacers.

Akmal and Shahid Afridi, promoted in place of Imran Nazir, began the innings on a positive footing, pouncing on the short-pitched offerings of Peter Siddle and weathering the early storm of Brett Lee. Lee exploited the variable bounce to good effect but much of the pressure generated at his end was undone by Siddle, who conceded 22 runs from three loose overs.

The introduction of Mitchell Johnson into the attack prompted a reversal of Australia’s fortunes. Johnson’s first delivery surprised Afridi for pace and bounce, resulting in a top-edge and a diving catch for James Hopes at backward-square. The Australians might have capitalised soon after but for Nathan Hauritz’s fumble of an Akmal mis-hit at deep cover, leaving Akmal and Younis Khan to reel off a methodical second-wicket partnership of 45.

With a half-century in sight, Akmal chopped a shorter delivery from Watson onto his stumps to signal the start of Australia’s counter-attack. Younis, in particular, struggled to adapt to the pace of the Centurion wicket and Australia’s slower seamers, and it came as little surprise when he fell attempting to push the pace off Hopes for 18 (from 49 deliveries).

Shoaib Malik appeared more assured than his captain at the crease and signalled his intent early with a sublime six over long-on off the bowling of Hopes. Yousuf, meanwhile, began his innings cautiously, requiring eight deliveries before contributing his first run to the Pakistani total.

Pakistan’s middle-over struggles appeared to justify Ricky Ponting’s decision to send the Group A front-runners in to bat on Wednesday. Australia generally fancy themselves as total defenders rather than pursuers but recent heavy rain convinced Ponting to allow his seamers first use of the pitch.

The two teams that ended up last in the second season of the Indian Premier League earlier this year Mumbai Indians and Knight Riders have been the first to take initiatives for Season 3 of the event.
While the Knight Riders are all set to bring in 45-year-old Englishman Richard Pybus as coach, the Mumbai Indians have settled in on former Indian allrounder Robin Singh.
The Knight Riders , who had shortlisted a host of coaches during a fortnight-long screening process last month to replace John Buchanan, will be making the announcement on Friday.
Pybus impressive CV includes coaching the Pakistan team (1999 World Cup) and South Africas domestic team Titans. The Cricket South Africas coach of 2009, had guided the Titans to their domestic Twenty20 title last year before quitting the post three months ago.
Another Englishman , Dermott Reeve, too had been shortlisted but Pybus T20 successes tilted the scales, according to a team source.
While Knight Riders have rung in critical changes, the Mumbai Indians have added new personnel while retaining the old order.
According to team sources, Robin Singh, the former Deccan Chargers coach, won the confidence of Mumbai Indians owners after a positive input from Sachin Tendulkar. Former Mumbai allrounder Meanwhile, Paras Mhambrey has been drafted in as his deputy.
With Shaun Pollock too agreeing to continue with the mentors role, the Mumbai outfits coaching staff is almost finalised. Jonty Rhodes continues as the fielding coach.

Another Champions Trophy campaign, another string of dope-related developments for Pakistan. While the returning Mohammad Asifs dope test here on Thursday wasnt surprising given the pacers dalliance with stimulants in the past, there was some good news too as Imran Nazir was cleared of using performance-enhancing substances just in time for the opening game.
Nazir was given emergency medical treatment earlier this week, reportedly for a congenital breathing problem , using proscribed drugs which were on the ICCs list of banned substances. Reportedly , the ICC agreed to let Nazir play against West Indies on Wednesday only
after a lot of convincing.
Asifs dope test at the Witwatersrand University grounds here, though, was a no-brainer . During the 2006 Champions Trophy, Asif had tested positive for nandrolone. He again tested positive during the inaugural IPL in June 2008 and on his way home was caught with a small quantity of opium at the Dubai airport. Asif had been serving a back-dated , one-year ban for the IPL offence. The PCB mandarins must be keeping fingers crossed and hoping there are no problems this time around.

South Africa bounced back into contention for 2009 ICC Champions Trophy glory with a five-wicket triumph over New Zealand at SuperSport Park on Thursday.
Upset by Sri Lanka in the tournament opener two days ago, the Proteas had to win and did so with relative ease before a large, holiday crowd.
New Zealand were all out for 214 in 47.5 overs and South Africa cruised to 217-5 in 41.1 overs and another win Sunday over England would virtually assure the hosts of a place in the knockout phase.
AB de Villiers was a fitting matchwinner, sealing success with a four having top scored for the Proteas with an unbeaten 70 in 76 balls, including nine boundaries.
Ross Taylor was the top Kiwi scorer with 72 off 106 balls before missing a low full toss and being trapped leg before by revitalised Wayne Parnell , who was voted man of the match. Parnell finished with five wickets.