India vs Sri Lanka: What the stats say..

Mumbai, April 2: Before you settle back to watch the hotly-anticipated final of the World Cup 2011 between India and Sri Lanka, here's a gander at the statistics between these two sides:
Head-to-head record: India lead 67-50 (NR: 11)

In the World Cups: Sri Lanka lead 4-2

In the sub-continent: India lead 59-46 (NR: 9)

Results in the last 5 ODIs between India and Sri Lanka

22 Jun 2010 (Dambulla): Sri Lanka won by seven wickets

24 Jun 2010 (Dambulla): India won by 81 runs

16 Aug 2010 (Dambulla): India won by six wickets

22 Aug 2010 (Dambulla): Sri Lanka won by eight wickets

28 Aug 2010 (Dambulla): Sri Lanka won by 74 runs *

At the Wankhede, they are tied at 1-1. India won the first encounter by 10 runs in 1987. In 1997 Sri Lanka beat India by five wickets

- The top order of both the teams dominate the run scoring charts. Sri Lanka have their top three batsmen in the Top 5 run scorers of this World Cup, with Tillakaratne Dilshan (467 runs) leading the tally. Kumar Sangakkara (417 runs) and Upul Tharanga (393 runs) at numbers four and five respectively.

- For India, Sachin Tendulkar is once close to being the leading run scorer as he is three runs behind Dilshan (464 runs). India have two more batsmen in the Top 10, with Virender Sehwag (380 runs) and Yuvraj Singh (341 runs) at numbers six and eight respectively.

- India have two more batsmen, Gautam Gambhir (296 runs) and Virat Kohli (247 runs) at numbers 15 and 20 respectively, they have no other batsmen in the Top 30.

- India will need to take wickets as the Sri Lankan top order have stunning averages — Sangakkara topping the league with 104.25, and Dilshan (66.71) and Tharanga (65.50) not doing badly either.

- Sri Lanka will have to curb the run flow at the top of the batting order with Sehwag scoring at a strike rate of 123.37.

- On the bowling front, Zaheer Khan (19 wickets) and Yuvraj Singh (13 wickets) have led the way for India. Muttiah Muralitharan (15 wickets) and Lasith Malinga (11 wickets) have provided Sri Lanka the breakthroughs when they needed it. Dilshan (seven wickets at an average of 14.14) has bowled very well in the last few matches.

- Where Sri Lanka seem to have a distinctive edge is in thge economy of their bowling figures. Ajantha Mendis at 3.14 RPO, Dilshan at 3.80, Muralitharan at 4.00, Rangana Herath at 4.27. Harbhajan Singh with an economy of 4.41, heads the list for India but is at a lowly 36th ranked place.

- More teams batting first (11-6) have emerged victorious at the Wankhede.

Oneindia Cricket

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India face wily Sri Lanka in World Cup title clash

Saturday, April 2, 2011, 11:39 [IST]Mumbai, April 2: There's a feeling at the back of every Indian fan's mind that it's now or never: India is on the threshold of world domination with just one formidable opponent standing in its way. When
India take on Sri Lankan in the final of the World Cup 2011 at Wankehde Stadium, Mumbai on April 2, the summit clash will mark the culmination of a glowing tournament replete with twists and upsets and dramatic wins and even a tie!
And there would be no perceptably better way for India to wrap up this World Cup than grabbing the coveted trophy with both hands. India's chances are good. They are riding the crest of a wonderful peak in form and they are playing in their backyard with their premeir batsmen in devastating knick. India have shown exceptional verve at overcoming Australia and Pakistan in its road to the final and now have the impteus to pull off one final win.

But one has to recognise that Sri Lanka are far from push-overs and with the inordinate strength of their top-order batting, may just pull off a sensational victory. They have shown that their permier batsmen present a tough obstacle for even the most favoured teams to surmount, a fact driven home in the 10-wicket thrashing they consigned to England in the quarterfinal of the tournament.

Sri Lanka has played four one-dayers at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium, including a league match in this tournament against New Zealand. Out of  those four, they have won two and lost two. So there chances of overpowering India here are 50-50.

But Sri Lanka hold a slight edge over India insofar as their batting is concerned. The Lankans' top four batsmen in their line up are collectively averaging around 233 (Tharanga's avg: 65.50 + Dilshan's
avg: 66.42 + Sangakkara's avg: 76.50 + Jayawardene's avg: 25.00), while for India the top quartet jointly notches up an approximate 156 (Tendulkar's avg: 47.12 + Sehwag's avg: 41.42 + Gambhir's avg: 37.00 + Kohli's 30.85).

But then the real juice for India comes in the middle order with Yuvraj averaging a phenomenal 85.25, while Sri Lanka's corresponding section  has to still prove their mettle, especially now with Angelo Mathews out of the equation with a muscle strain.

However, India have the upperhand where the bowling figures. Indian spearhead Zaheer Khan is in the form of his life, having taken 19 wickets at a miserly average of 17.57, while Yuvraj has clocked second
with 13 scalps at 25.23 and Munaf comes in a close third with 11 wickets at 26.72.

Muralitharan is the corresponding ace in the Sri Lanka pack with 15 wickets in the tournament so far at an average which trumps Zaheer's at 16..89. But he hasn't received much support from rest of the Lankan attack with just a couple of indfivisual performances from Malinga and Dilshan standing out.

So the die is cast for what promises to be a fantastic game of cricket and one that is closely contested. The World Cup hangs in the balance as each of the finalists strive to realise their dream of capturing the
accompanying glory.

Oneindia Cricket

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Team India in for some big gifts

Sunday, April 3, 2011, 12:30 [IST]Mumbai, April 3: India have scaled the pinnacle of one-day cricket, reaching an acme emblazoned in platinum and gold with "World Cup Champions 2011". And as a result they have secured not only the prestige, honour and respect befitting that title, but have also hit upon a treasure trove of gifts and accolades.
Indeed, various quarters have decided to lavish Team India with sufficient "puraskar". To begin with comes the World Cup prize money dished out by the ICC, which is a sum to the tune of USD 4 million. That works out to $266,666 (INR 1.33 crore approximately) for each of the 15 players in the Indian side. Not to be outdone (at least not by much), the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI),. the world's richest cricket board, has decided to add a cool Rs 1 crore to the pay packets of the players.

Then, the Karnataka state government has offered free Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) 50-by-80-foot plots to all of the team including coach Gary Kirsten and the support staff.

The Karnataka government is contemplating re-naming one of the arterial roads in Bangalore after M S Dhoni. Dhoni and Tendulkar have also been awarded luxury flats in Masoori in UP while the Uttarakhand government has confirmed that they will be awarding the Indian skipper the Uttarakhand Ratna, while Yusuf Pathan is being sent up for the Ekhlavya award. Howzatt for hero worship!

Oneindia Cricket

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India cruising at half-way stage vs Windies

Sunday, March 20, 2011, 16:13 [IST]Chennai, March 20: After a couple of early blows in the Indian innings, Virat Kohli (unbeaten on 46 off 62 balls) and Yuvraj Singh (43 not out off 58 balls) made sure that they put the house in order and consolidate as India were going along smoothly at 123/2 in 25 overs. Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo as bowling fairly effectively in tandem with Kieron Pollard as the Windies were working hard to peg things back.
There was disappointment for India straight away in the first over when Sachin Tendulkar was caught behind off Ravi Rampaul for 2. Gautam Gambhir tried to settle the nerves by picking up off-break Sulieman Benn for a four in the second over and followed that shot with another boundary off the same bowler in the 4th, before edging Rampaul for an unconvincing shot to the sweeper boundary. Then Virat Kohli got into the act, smacking two fours off Benn in the 6th over as India climbed to 38/1. Andre Russell bowled four byes to allow India to 50 at the end of the 8th over. Then Rampual got his second wicket when he had Gambhir caught at the third man boundary for 22 off 26 balls and India wer 51/2 in 8.3 overs.

Kohli and Yuvraj Singh steadied the innings and were going along quite briskly till leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo pegged back the run-rate a tad. But not to be suppressed, Yuvraj hammered captain Darren Sammy for a six to bring up India's 100 in the 21st over. The batting duo pressed on without any problems reaching 125/2 in 25 overs.

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100 cc Bikes From Honda In India

Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 13:00[IST] The formal split between Honda and Hero Group from the Hero Honda Motors has envisaged the Japanese company to go ahead with its own strategies. Now the time has come for it to launch its 100 cc bikes to be made in India. With huge investment slated for this the bikes may be rolled down some time next year.

The outgoing President and CEO of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India said the constraints regarding mass market had been due to the JV and now the decks have been cleared for that. With such an expansion spree, he added, the company aims to secure the top spot in the motorcycles sector in India in another ten years. Honda is getting its own flag flying after the split of the JV with Hero Group which lasted for more than 26 years. The country’s two wheeler market has the top most number from Hero Honda in 100 cc segment.

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How will India handle Brett Lee?

Monday, March 21, 2011, 12:10 [IST]Ahmedabad, Marc 21: The man who took the second-most number of wickets in the 2003 World Cup is back to his menacing best and India would do well to watch out for him. Indeed, Aussie pace spearhead Brett Lee has regained his touch as a very effective bowler and after a period of hiatus last year, is back with a bang. Judging by the six games he has played in this tournament so far, Lee could prove quite a handful to India when the two sides meet in the quarterfinal on Thursday, March 24.
After all, in the ongoing global event, Lee has packed quite a punch, taking a dozen wickets at a mind-boggling average of 16.66. He started off the event rather slowly, taking just one scalp in each of his first four games, but even in those he has gone for only a few runs, being difficult to get away outside the ring or through the gaps. Such has been this player's accuracy - fast, straight and more often than not, short of a length. He hits the deck often and bowls in the zone which makes life very uncomfortable for the batsmen facing him. In his last two matches, the bowler has been in devastating form. Uncharacteriscally, he came in for some stick at the hands of Canadian opening batsman Hiral Patel who blasted 54 off 45 balls. But then Lee came into his own, finishing with figures of 4/46 in that match as he helped his side restrict the stuttering Mapleleafs to 211.

But in the match against Pakistan, he almost single-handedly deprived the opponents of a win with his relentless pace and precision. He removed opener Mohammad Hafeez in his first spell, came back in his second to effect a double strike in one over and finished with ominously impressive figures of 4/28. Indeed, he gave the Pakistanis quite a run for their money in the latter's bid to top Group A. In the end, thanks to a fine hand from the young Umar Akmal, Pakistan overcame the scourge of Lee and reached home with four wickets and 54 balls to spare.

India's woes at facing unadulterated pace have been well documented over the years. While the Indian top order initially tore through the South African new ball in their World Cup 2011 encounter on March 12, the Proteas pace battery was able to demolish the middle and latter order.

Now a similar possibility looms, especially as India faces the likes of Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson. After all, even in the World Cup warm-up match at Bengaluru last month, India struggled against this pace battery. Now with three days to go for D-day, the Indian camp will have to do their home-work and figure out how to handle Brett Lee and Co...

Oneindia Cricket

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Is India ready for West Indies' challenge?

West Indies Vs India
Starting time: 2:30 pm IST
Venue: Chennai

Chennai, March 20: The loss to a resurgent England in their World Cup fixture at Chennai on Thursday, would only spur the West Indies into coming hammer and tongs at India when the two sides meet at the same venue on Sunday afternoon. India might still be a little shaken from the manner in which it lost to South Africa last Sunday and will be hoping that it's middle-order comes good against the pace and spin of the Windies attack.
India however, should derive inspiration from the fact that since the last World Cup, it has beaten the Windies three times and has only lost to these opponents once. India's last win against the team from Caribbean, which occurred during the Champions Trophy of Sept 2009, was the most convincing, being by 7 wickets with 107 balls to spare.

In the series in the West Indies earlier that year, it was M S Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh who topped the run-getters charts with aggregates of 182 and 168 respectively and with ultra-impressive averages of 91.00 and 56.00. Meanwhile, for the Windies, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle were only able to notch up averages of 44.50 and 32.00 in a modest response.

Ashishs Nehra should be forgiven his faux pas of conceding 13 runs in the last over against the Proteas on March 12 and be given a bowl against the Windies as he is the mostly successful Indian bowler against this opposition. He has taken a total of 9 wickets from 5 matches at an average just under 20. Meanwhile Zaheer Khan, who is averaging a robust 16.41 in the Cup with 12 wickets from 5 matches, should keep up the good form.

While there is not much doubt about the ability of Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar at launching an all-out assault against the Windies, they have to be wary of the guile of young Devendra Bishoo. The leg-break proved to possess potent prowess at his trade when he took 3/34 against England the other night. Moreover, Sachin and Viru have shown that they are quite vulnerable to spinners in the tournament so far.

Yuvraj Singh,with a World Cup 2011 average of 85.50, means that he will burdened with the onus of holding the middle order together with M S Dhoni who bears a tournament average of 48.00, while Yusuf Pathan who has managed to garner just 15.75 runs per match should probably be asked to sit out in favour of Suresh Raina as the young southpaw has eagerly been waiting in the wings to make his World Cup debut.

Another Indian player that should be given a shot at World Cup glory is off-break Ravichandran Ashwin. So much has been made of his subtle and potent variations in pace and his carrom ball, it is shame that he hasn't been presented the opportunity to showcase his impressive armoury.

The Windies batting is looking pretty strong with openers Chris Gayle and Devon Smith averaging a sizable 54.00 and 42.40 respectively in the WC 2011, while the middle order with Darren Bravo (avg 29.25) and Kieron Pollard (avg 44.50) are also in decent touch.

But India will truly have to watch out for the opposition's bowlers who have been quite effective in the tournament thus far. Paceman Kemar Roach has a wicket tally of 13 at an average of 12.00, while off-break Sulieman Benn has 12 scalps at 17.16 runs conceded per.

India began it's league stage campaign with an emphatic win over Bangladesh. Now let's see if it can kiss goodbye to this phase of the Cup with victory again. The Windies will certainly not make it easy.

Oneindia Cricket

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Relax At The Best Retirement Destinations in India!

There will come a time of age when you just want to sit and relax, but, most importantly you would want to escape to somewhere quiet so that you can spend your aging days in peace and harmony. India, is a beautiful place to live in but there are some Indian cities which really make you feel heavenly. For those of you retiring, here are a few destinations you can head to in India.

These places in India are stated below, which is a must visit once you retire.

1.Goa – The best Retirement destination in India. The beautiful beaches and the location is jaw dropping and once you get a piece of Goa , you would never want to leave. Goa is famous for its hotel and resorts where you can just sit and relax every moment of your life. Don't think twice , for Goa is the best Retirement destination for old people.

2.Coimbatore – The best Retirement destination in India. It is well known for the Nilgiri hills where you would find a lot of old couples enjoying the beautiful nature and quietness. Coimbatore is also well known for the popular hill station close by called Ooty, a romantic getaway for couples.There is also plenty of good hospitals to cater to the old people in case of an emergency.

3.Chandigarh – The proud capital of the Northern states, Haryana and Punjab. Chandigarh, is regarded as the best retirement destination in India because it has a high capita income which in turn will provide essential luxuries for the old people. It is also said that Chandigarh is booming in industries and plazas which will be of best service to the older generation in terms of medicals.

4.Kerala- God's own country, Kerala is the best retirement destination in India. The peaceful and humble hospitality in Kerala will make you feel like home in your last years. The beaches and the lifestyle in Kerala is heavenly., The Tropical forests and the coastal plains is a hot tourist destination too.

5.Pondicherry – Known as the French tourist destination in India. Pondicherry is also known as a spiritual destination, for the people here are quite laid back and simply God fearing. Old people will enjoy Pondicherry as lifestyle is not that modern and its the best retirement destination in India.

These are five really good retirement destinations in India for old people to live a life of simplicity and free from all modern lifestyle rules and regulations.

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Don't preach to India in Human Rights violation: Modi to US

Gandhinagar, Mar 22: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today (Tuesday, Mar 22) said that the US should not preach to India about human rights violations.

He was reacting to a WikiLeaks cable that has been released which refers extensively to him. Mr Modi stressed that the cable acknowledges him as "incorruptible" and refers to Gujarat as "a progressive state."

Dated November 2, 2006, the cable sent by Michael S Owen, the Consul General in Mumbai, refers to Mr Modi's growing potential as a national leader for his party. Mr Owen writes about the need to engage with the Chief Minister to serve America's concerns and messages about human rights.

Mr Modi says he told Mr Owen that "I am a son of India and I know what human rights violations you have done."

In his cable, the then Consul General wrote, "We believe that Modi's rise in the BJP seems likely. In coordination with Embassy New Delhi, we intend to continue our policy of interaction with the Chief Minister, whose B1/B2 visa we revoked in 2005.. Such interaction allows us to deliver a clear message on human rights and religious freedom directly to the source. It will also shield us from accusations of opportunism from the BJP that would invariably arise if we ignored Modi now but sought a dialogue with him in the likely event that he makes it to the national stage.

Mr Owen praises the Chief Minister, stating, "Modi has successfully branded himself as a non-corrupt, effective administrator, as a facilitator of business in a state with a deep commercial culture, and as a no-nonsense, law-and-order politician who looks after the interests of the Hindu majority."

That assessment appeals to Mr Modi who said today, "America has shown me incorruptible. There are many non- corrupt people, but they have termed me incorruptible, which is good for the people of Gujarat. Wikileaks shows two faces - that of the Government of India and another of progressive Gujarat."

PTI

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India regrets air strikes over Libya

New Delhi, Mar 21: Regretting air strikes over Libya, India today called upon all parties to abjure use of violence saying the need of the hour was "cessation of armed conflict" in the North African country.

"We view with grave concern the ongoing violence, strikes and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Libya. We regret the air strikes that are taking place," External Affairs Minister SM Krishna told reporters here.

"India calls upon all parties to abjure violence and the use of threat and force to resolve the differences. I think the need of the hour is cessation of armed conflict," he added.

The Minister said India believes that all parties and stakeholders should engage themselves in a peaceful dialogue through United Nations and other regional organisations and come to a settlement.

Krishna said the "air strikes will lead to harm to innocent civilians, foreign nationals and diplomatic missions and their personnel, who are still in Libya."

On whether India was talking to the countries involved in attacking Libyan military targets, the Minister said, "At various levels, India, where its voice counts, we have taken it up and continue to exert whatever influence we have on the international fora to prevent further escalation of violence and conflict in Libya." "But at the same time, respecting the aspirations of the people of Libya," he added.

Forces of countries including France, the US and Britain yesterday started aerial operations against Libyan defence targets with cruise missiles and launched air attacks as Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi vowed to open his arms depots to the people to retaliate against the Western "aggression".

On whether the Government was taking any steps to protect Indians in countries such as Bahrain and Yemen, Krishna said, "The welfare and well being of Indians in these countries (Bahrain, Yemen) is uppermost in our agenda. We are closely monitoring developments in these countries."

"As and when the developments take place and as and when we feel it is no longer safe for Indians to continue there, then we will take the necessary followup action," he added.

PTI

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After Air India, Indigo, now 2 SpiceJet 'fake' pilots held

Jaipur, Mar 22: Indian aviation industry has encountered with a serious problem when one after another pilots from well-known airline services came under investigation scanner. Pilots of Air India, Indigo were arrested earlier. Now, two more pilots have been arrested over their forged documents but this time they were the pilots of SpiceJet.

Anuj Chaudhary and Amit Mundra - the two detained Spice Jet pilots worked in New Delhi. Today (Tuesday, Mar 22) both of them were produced in a session court in Jaipur and were sent to judicial custody.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had recently suspended the licenses of seven such 'fake pilots' and two flying school instructors.

The fake documents provided by the pilots came in the limelight when Indigo Airlines pilot Parminder Kaur Gulati was accused of violating landing norms. She was suspended and on Mar 8, she was arrested.

Her arrest soon was followed by the arrest of an Air India's Captain J K Verma over his sham papers of marks cards which were submitted to get pilot licenses.

OneIndia News

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Windies launch strong reply against India

Sunday, March 20, 2011, 20:16 [IST]Chennai, March 20: The Windies were in the middle of a robust riposte chasing India's 268 all out as they had reached 132/2 in 25 overs. The side from the Caribbean was on course for victory thanks to an admirable stand of 57 between Darren Bravo (22) and an unbeaten Devon Smith (70*) who was motoring along with Ramnaresh Sarwan at 25 overs. R Ashwin and Suresh Raina were the only two bowlers to get a wicket.
Off-break Ashwin opened the bowling for India, but was unable to make any immediate impact as the West Indies openers began their side's innings effectively. Devon Smith took two fours off Zaheer Khan, one in the 2nd and one in the 4th over, while Kirk Edwards knocked a boundary off Ashwin in the 3rd. In between, Edwards was actually run-out by Virat Kohli, but the umpire didn't refer it upstairs and the batsman survived. Harbhajan Singh was greeted into the attack by a huge six over long off from Edwards. But in the very next over, Ashwin had the same batsman trapped in front from a decision that was referred for review. Edwards was on his way for 17 and the Windies were 33/1 in 6.2 overs.

Darren Bravo and Smith took their side to past 50 in the 12th over. In the following over, Bhajji bowled four byes after which Smith smacked him for a four. The momentum kept swinging the Windies' way as Bravo lofetd Aswin for a six and then swatted him for a four as his the visitors climbed to 73/1 in 13 overs.

But Suresh Raina then got the breakthrough in his first over when he had Bravo caught by Bhajji at long on for 22 off 29 balls. The Windies were 91/2 in 17 overs. In the 19th over, Smith smacked Rain for a four and then ran a single off him to notch up a half century off 64 balls. In the same over, the batting duo had brought up the Windies' 100.

Yuvraj Singh was brought on to bowl in the 21st over and was straight away cut for four by Smith who carted the same bowler for a six in his next over. The Windies had reached 132/2 in 25 overs.

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How will India handle Brett Lee?

Monday, March 21, 2011, 12:10 [IST]Ahmedabad, Marc 21: The man who took the second-most number of wickets in the 2003 World Cup is back to his menacing best and India would do well to watch out for him. Indeed, Aussie pace spearhead Brett Lee has regained his touch as a very effective bowler and after a period of hiatus last year, is back with a bang. Judging by the six games he has played in this tournament so far, Lee could prove quite a handful to India when the two sides meet in the quarterfinal on Thursday, March 24.
After all, in the ongoing global event, Lee has packed quite a punch, taking a dozen wickets at a mind-boggling average of 16.66. He started off the event rather slowly, taking just one scalp in each of his first four games, but even in those he has gone for only a few runs, being difficult to get away outside the ring or through the gaps. Such has been this player's accuracy - fast, straight and more often than not, short of a length. He hits the deck often and bowls in the zone which makes life very uncomfortable for the batsmen facing him. In his last two matches, the bowler has been in devastating form. Uncharacteriscally, he came in for some stick at the hands of Canadian opening batsman Hiral Patel who blasted 54 off 45 balls. But then Lee came into his own, finishing with figures of 4/46 in that match as he helped his side restrict the stuttering Mapleleafs to 211.

But in the match against Pakistan, he almost single-handedly deprived the opponents of a win with his relentless pace and precision. He removed opener Mohammad Hafeez in his first spell, came back in his second to effect a double strike in one over and finished with ominously impressive figures of 4/28. Indeed, he gave the Pakistanis quite a run for their money in the latter's bid to top Group A. In the end, thanks to a fine hand from the young Umar Akmal, Pakistan overcame the scourge of Lee and reached home with four wickets and 54 balls to spare.

India's woes at facing unadulterated pace have been well documented over the years. While the Indian top order initially tore through the South African new ball in their World Cup 2011 encounter on March 12, the Proteas pace battery was able to demolish the middle and latter order.

Now a similar possibility looms, especially as India faces the likes of Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson. After all, even in the World Cup warm-up match at Bengaluru last month, India struggled against this pace battery. Now with three days to go for D-day, the Indian camp will have to do their home-work and figure out how to handle Brett Lee and Co...

Oneindia Cricket

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Yuvi, Zaheer sizzle as India rout Windies

Chennai, March 20: India upped their game to induce a middle-order collapse from the West Indies as the visitors slumped from 154/3 to 165/7 in the space of 5.3 overs. After Zaheer Khan returned in his second spell to clean up a cruising Devon Smith for 81, the Windies had no answers to the prodigious turn and crafty flight of slow-left-armer Yuvraj Singh as he picked up two crucial wickets. Finally, Zaheer helped wrap up the match with a match haul of 3/26.
After the Windies put 132/2 on the board in 25 overs, the batsmen at the crease - Devon Smith and Ramnaresh Sarwan - kept pummeling away for runs. In the 26th over, Sarwan got Pathan away for a boundary, while Smith smacked Munaf for another four in the following over. Then Bhajji bowled a rare maiden. But a couple of overs later, the Windies had brought up their 150. However, Zaheer rejoined the attack soon after and was successful straight away. He cleaned up Devon Smith for 81 off 97 balls and the Windies were 154/3 in 30.3 overs. Then Bhajji struck when he had Kieron Pollard caught by Yusuf Pathan at long on. The power-hitter was on his way for 1 and the Windies had slipped to 157/4 in 31.5 overs.

Then Yuvraj came to the party, getting Devon Thomas stumped for 2 as the Windies slumped to 160/5 in 34.2 overs. West Indies captain Darren Sammy was the new man at the crease with a well-set Sarwan at the other end. But then the skipper was run out for 2 as the Windies were in the midst of their own collapse at 162/6 ion 35.3 overs. The visitors still needed 107 runs off 87 balls.

Yuvraj then got a flighted ball to bounce and turn as Andre Russell hit it straight to point. the batsman was on his way for a duck and the Windies were now 165/7 in 37 overs. 5 wickets had fallen for 11 runs. But the slide only continued as Sulieman Benn was caught at mid off for 3 off Zaheer and teh Windies' tail was exposed at 178/8 in 40 overs.

Zaheer then returned to remove Sarwan for 39 off 68 balls as the Windies had reached the hopeless position of 182/9. Then after Devendra Bishoo struck a four and he and Ravi Rampaul ran a couple of singles, Ashwin bowled the latter to hand India victory by 80 runs.

Off-break R Ashwin opened the bowling for India, but was unable to make any immediate impact as the West Indies openers began their side's innings effectively.

Devon Smith took two fours off Zaheer Khan, one in the 2nd and one in the 4th over, while Kirk Edwards knocked a boundary off Ashwin in the 3rd. In between, Edwards was actually run-out by Virat Kohli, but the umpire didn't refer it upstairs and the batsman survived.

Harbhajan Singh was greeted into the attack by a huge six over long off from Edwards. But in the very next over, Ashwin had the same batsman trapped in front from a decision that was referred for review. Edwards was on his way for 17 and the Windies were 33/1 in 6.2 overs.

Darren Bravo and Smith took their side to past 50 in the 12th over. In the following over, Bhajji bowled four byes after which Smith smacked him for a four. The momentum kept swinging the Windies' way as Bravo lofetd Aswin for a six and then swatted him for a four as his the visitors climbed to 73/1 in 13 overs.

But Suresh Raina then got the breakthrough in his first over when he had Bravo caught by Bhajji at long on for 22 off 29 balls. The Windies were 91/2 in 17 overs. In the 19th over, Smith smacked Rain for a four and then ran a single off him to notch up a half century off 64 balls. In the same over, the batting duo had brought up the Windies' 100.

Yuvraj Singh was brought on to bowl in the 21st over and was straight away cut for four by Smith who carted the same bowler for a six in his next over. In 25 overs, the Windies has climbed to 132/2.

Oneindia Cricket

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Air India clears IATA safety audits for ground operations

New Delhi, Mar 15: Air India, which also does ground handling for other international airlines, has received the safety audit certification for ground operations by IATA.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has developed the commercial standards for the airline industry, and conducts safety audits of the airlines that the laid down procedures are followed or not and certifies them.

Erstwhile Air India, had in 2003, was the first airline in India to clear the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

"Air India achieved another milestone when it became the first airline, providing ground services in India, to earn the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) recognition," an airline spokesperson said.

The ISAGO audits were conducted jointly by an auditor from IATA and auditors from the airline.

During the audit, airline's headquarters' organisation and management systems as well as the management system at various stations (airports), were assessed on the parameters like passenger and baggage handling, load control, aircraft handling and loading, aircraft ground movement, cargo and mail handling.

"After this, we are now officially recognised as the safest airline. This would give Air India an edge over others in providing ground handling services to international carrier if they come to India," said a senior Air India official.

The airline's Quality Management System (QMS) unit had ensured timely and successful registration of IOSA as well as ISAGO for Air India, he added.

The ISAGO registration reiterates Air India's commitment to achieve excellence in safety and quality standards in all spheres of aviation.

ISAGO Compliance will reduce costs, enhance safety standards and ensure greater safety and quality standards.

IATA has 230 airlines as its members, some of the world's leading passenger and cargo airlines, and represents 93 per cent of scheduled international air traffic.

PTI

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Gaddafi exhorts India to invest in Libya oil

Monday, March 14, 2011, 12:16 [IST]Tripoli, Mar 14: With leaders of the world gunning after him and still a massive unrest at home to subside, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has urged India, China and Russia to invest in the country's oil sector, reported the state television.

Reports in the Libyan state television said, "In the discussions with the ambassadors ... a call was made for the companies of those countries to invest in the Libyan oil industry."

The oil exports of Libya have taken a heavy beating due to the prevalent political unrest, staff-shortage, international sanctions and the denial by international banks to fund deals. Analysts predict that it may take nearly a year's time for the oil-exports of Libya to return to to the normal.

The appeal assumes significance in the context that apart from the three countries' being the fastest growing economies, China and Russia are both veto-wielding members of the United Nations Security Council and until now are opposed to the idea of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.

Gaddafi whose 41 year old regime was threatened by a massive unrest inspired from the Egypt protests that toppled the Mubarak government, has been successful to a large extent in crushing the revolt. His indiscriminate use of military warfare against his own country-men has led to anger among western-countries who are mulling a proposal to impose a UN-backed no-fly zone.

OneIndia News

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