It had been 33 years since India won a Test match in New Zealand but the
statistic was rendered obsolete after a six-wicket haul from Harbhajan
Singh inspired a comprehensive 10-wicket victory at Seddon Park. Daniel
Flynn led the defiance with 67 and Brendon McCullum hustled 84 as India
eased off after tea. But though the innings defeat was avoided after a
76-run partnership with Iain O'Brien, India needed just 32 balls to knock
off the 39 runs needed.
India fended off a spirited challenge by Sri Lanka to snatch a
thrilling 15-run victory in the second one-dayer and take a 2-0 lead in
the five-match series. After posting a competitive 256 for 9, the
visitors quelled Sri Lankan late fight back to stop them at 241 with
four balls to spare in a pulsating floodlit encounter.
Visiting
fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who took three wickets in the first match,
returned figures of four for 56 from his nine overs and Zaheer Khan,
Praveen Kumar and Pragyan Ojha chipping in with a wicket apiece.
Thilina Kandamby's brilliant unbeaten 93 went in vain as Indians held
on to their nerves in the tense final moments to romp home at the
day-nighter. With this win, India have notched up their seventh
consecutive ODI victory.
Electing to bat, India scored 256 for
nine with Yuvraj Singh (66) and Virender Sehwag (42) being the main
contributors on a slow track at Premadasa stadium. The two teams will
play their next match, another day-nighter, at the same venue on
February 3. The visitors were on the driver's seat early on reducing
the Lankans to 36 for three within eight overs. But two fighting half
centuries by captain Mahela Jayawardene (52) and rookie Kandamby (93
not out) took Lanka to striking distance of a marvellous victory. (AFP
Photo)
Former India captain Sourav
Ganguly was honored with 'Banga Ratna' by Rotary International
District on Sunday, the last day of their annual conference.
"It's really a
proud moment to be conferred 'Banga Ratna'. My family is closely associated with
Rotary International and getting a recognition from them is memorable," Ganguly
said after receiving the award.
South Africa won a first Test series in Australia with a nine-wicket
triumph at the MCG. South Africa has become the first team in 16 years to beat the
Aussies on home soil.
The Indian - England ODI series had started getting interested with each ODI being played. If you can recollect, the first ODI was very one sided. The second got interested with India struggling at 3/29 and Yuvi managed to rescue India and win. The third, the fourth and the fifth got even more balanced to the extent that England was expected to win at least one or more of the last three ODIs.
And then the hell break apart. With terrorist attacks in Bombay(Mumbai), England decided to cut short the series and call back their players. Which is obvious considering the security aspects of the English players - Security must always come first.
"The Test series will go ahead, and there is no problem with that,"
Modi sais. "We are sure the first Test will go ahead as
scheduled in Ahmedabad (from December 14). But there is a problem over
hosting the second Test in (troubled) Mumbai (from December 19). The ECB wants the
Test to be shifted to southern India, we are exploring all options."
It had been 33 years since India won a Test match in New Zealand but the
statistic was rendered obsolete after a six-wicket haul from Harbhajan
Singh inspired a comprehensive 10-wicket victory at Seddon Park. Daniel
Flynn led the defiance with 67 and Brendon McCullum hustled 84 as India
eased off after tea. But though the innings defeat was avoided after a
76-run partnership with Iain O'Brien, India needed just 32 balls to knock
off the 39 runs needed.
