India in Battle for survival

Big picture

There are all sorts of scenarios and permutations about which teams could make it through to the semi-finals in Group A but the simplest is this: if Australia beat India, it will be Pakistan and Australia who progress. The group will be done and dusted with two games to go. Things become more complex if India win. They will be in prime position due to their remaining game against a weakened West Indies and Australia's fixture against an unbeaten Pakistan. However, should India and Australia either both win or both lose their last group game, net run-rate will be required to determine the semi-finalists.

It means that there's a lot riding on this day-night encounter and neither team enters the match in peak form. India have the advantage of familiarity with the conditions at Centurion, where they lost to Pakistan on Saturday. Australia are coming off a win but it was a scratchy and in parts unconvincing victory against an under-strength West Indies in the different conditions at the Wanderers. It's hard to predict a winner, though the bookmakers favour Australia.

Australia will be most concerned about breaking India's opening partnership early; Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar have troubled Ricky Ponting's men in the past and Australia's fast bowlers lacked penetration against West Indies. The presence or absence of the stiff and sore Michael Clarke looms as another potential key. Unlike India, Australia aren't automatically out if they lose but it will be a hard road back. The teams meet for seven one-dayers in India in October and November but none will matter as much as this game.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Australia - WLWWW

India - LWLWW

Team news

Clarke's stiff back ruled him out of the game against West Indies and Australia will be hoping he can get up for what should be a much tougher contest with India. Should Clarke prove his fitness, Australia must decide who to leave out and it's not an easy decision. Callum Ferguson, Cameron White and James Hopes are the likely contenders to drop out of the side and despite an excellent start to his international career, Ferguson could be the unlucky one as he does not offer a bowling option.

Australia (possible): 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Callum Ferguson/Michael Clarke, 6 Cameron White, 7 James Hopes, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Nathan Hauritz, 11 Peter Siddle.

MS Dhoni said he felt three bowlers short at times, such was the ease with which runs were scored in the middle of Pakistan's innings, and India are certain to play five specialist bowlers on Monday. Harbhajan Singh did not bowl well against Pakistan but he is a bogey player for Australia and regularly lifts against them. The other bowling options in India's squad are Praveen Kumar and the legspinner Amit Mishra, who is a strong contender. Praveen could edge in ahead of RP Singh, who took 1 for 59 in nine overs against Pakistan.

India (possible): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Yusuf Pathan/Amit Mishra, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 RP Singh/Praveen Kumar, 10, Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Watch out for...

He might have retired from Twenty20 internationals but Ricky Ponting remains Australia's most important player in ODI cricket. He was magnificent in compiling 79 against West Indies in difficult conditions and a big Ponting score can be the difference between mediocrity and dominance from Australia. He has made plenty of runs against India, but Harbhajan and Ishant Sharma have caused him problems. As always with Ponting, the key is piercing his defences within his first couple of overs at the crease.

Ishant Sharma was one of the better bowlers against Pakistan with figures of 2 for 39, but he has struggled for consistency. But he has enjoyed success against Australia in the past and has nine ODI wickets at 19.33 against them. Importantly for India, he has a bit of a hold on Ponting, having dismissed him six times in international cricket. The ball angling in to the top of off stump troubles Ponting early and Ishant will be a key man for India for that reason alone. He has also dismissed Clarke six times, so Ishant may be hoping Australia's vice-captain passes his fitness test.

Pitch and conditions

India have the advantage of having just played in Centurion, where the conditions are different to the Wanderers. The surface is much slower and provides more assistance to the spinners. Runs are available if the bowlers fail to adjust and Australia will need to sharpen their efforts after struggling to run through West Indies on a cracking and helpful Johannesburg pitch. There is also a strong chance of showers in the evening, so the teams should bear that in mind at the toss.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and India seem to play each other so often that it's hard to believe they haven't met in an ODI for 18 months, when India wrapped up the CB Series at the Gabba. It's so long ago that Adam Gilchrist was still playing

• India have won four of eight ODIs they've played in Centurion; Australia have won four of seven. Both teams have lost their past two one-dayers there

• Not since 2003 have India won a one-day international in South Africa; in the meantime they've lost six

• The last time these teams met at Centurion, India were walloped by nine wickets, during the 2003 World Cup

SOURCE:CRICINFO

Happy Dasara! Happy Navarathri!

Navarathri (meaning Nine Nights), invokes the power of 'Shakti' in the form of Goddess, the Universal Mother, creator of all of us children; thus worship for 9 nights bestows upon us & families, the power to maintain physical and mental balance.

Nine nights are divided into 3x3 nights, to adore different aspects of supreme goddess! First 3 nights, Mother is invoked as Durga, to detroy all our defects, vices etc. The next three nights, She is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi. The last 3 nights, we worship Her as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother!

Navratri day by day

Navratri, the festival of nights, lasts for 9 days with three days each devoted to worship of Ma Durga, the Goddess of Valor, Ma Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Ma Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. During the nine days of Navratri, feasting and fasting take precedence over all normal daily activities amongst the Hindus. Evenings give rise to the religious dances in order to worhip Goddess Durga Maa.

one to third day of Navratri On the first day of the Navaratras, a small bed of mud is prepared in the puja room of the house and barley seeds are sown on it. On the tenth day, the shoots are about 3 - 5 inches in length. After the puja, these seedlings are pulled out and given to devotees as a blessing from god. These initial days are dedicated to Durga Maa, the Goddess of power and energy. Her various manifestations, Kumari, Parvati and Kali are all worshipped during these days. They represent the three different classes of womanhood that include the child, the young girl and the mature woman.

four to sixth day of Navratri During these days, Lakshmi Maa, the Goddess of peace and prosperity is worshipped. On the fifth day which is known as Lalita Panchami, it is traditional, to gather and display all literature available in the house, light a lamp or 'diya' to invoke Saraswati Maa, the Goddess of knowledge and art.

seven to eigth day of Navratri These final days belong to Saraswati Maa who is worshipped to acquire the spiritual knowledge. This in turn will free us from all earthly bondage. But on the 8th day of this colourful festival, yagna (holy fire) is performed. Ghee (clarified butter), kheer (rice pudding) and sesame seeds form the holy offering to Goddess Durga Maa.

Mahanavami The festival of Navratri culminates in Mahanavami. On this day Kanya Puja is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then they are offered new clothes as gifts by the worshiper. This ritual is performed in most parts of the country.

I am back after a long halt of blogging...
I am so exitted about my Exams..
And I am waiting for my results..

IPL starts from 18th April

IPL 2009: Schedule

Date Match Venue Time (IST)
April 18 Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Cape Town 4pm
Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings Cape Town 8pm
April 19 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers Cape Town 4pm
Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab Cape Town 8pm
April 20 Royal Challengers V Chennai Super Kings Port Elizabeth 4pm
April 21 Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians Durban 4pm
Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab Durban 8pm
April 22 Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings Durban 4pm
Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers Cape Town 8pm
April 23 Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals Port Elizabeth 4pm
April 24 Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers Johannesburg 4pm
April 25 Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings Cape Town 4pm
Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians Durban 8pm
April 26 Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab Cape Town 4pm
Royal Challengers v Delhi Daredevils Port Elizabeth 8pm
April 27 Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians Cape Town 4pm
Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers Durban 8pm
April 28 Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals Pretoria 4pm
April 29 Mumbai Indians v Kings XI Punjab Durban 4pm
Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Durban 8pm
April 30 Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers Pretoria 4pm
Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings Pretoria 8pm
May 1 Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab East London 4pm
Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders Durban 8pm
May 2 Rajasthan Royals v Deccan Chargers Johannesburg 4pm
Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils Port Elizabeth 8pm
May 3 Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Durban 4pm
Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders East London 8pm
May 4 Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings Port Elizabeth 4pm
May 5 Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders Durban 4pm
Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals Durban 8pm
May 6 Mumbai Indians v Deccan Chargers Pretoria 4pm
May 7 Kings XI Punjab v Chennai Super Kings Pretoria 4pm
Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals Pretoria 8pm
May 8 Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians East London 4pm
May 9 Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab Bloemfontein 4pm
Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals Port Elizabeth 8pm
May 10 Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils East London 4pm
Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians Johannesburg 8pm
May 11 Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals Bloemfontein 4pm
May 12 Royal Challengers v Kolkata Knight Riders Pretoria 4pm
Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians Pretoria 8pm
May 13 Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils Durban 4pm
May 14 Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals Durban 4pm
Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Durban 8pm
May 15 Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils Kimberley 4pm
May 16 Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians Johannesburg 4pm
Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders Port Elizabeth 8pm
May 17 Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils Kimberley 4pm
Kings XI Punjab v Deccan Chargers Johannesburg 8pm
May 18 Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders Pretoria 4pm
May 19 Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Johannesburg 4pm
May 20 Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab Durban 4pm
Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders Durban 8pm
May 21 Deccan Chargers v Royal Challengers Pretoria 4pm
Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils Pretoria 8pm
May 22 Semi Final 1 Pretoria
May 23 Semi Final 2 Johannesburg
May 24 Final Johannesburg
Note: Please note this is a tentative schedule and subject to change

My Busy days

My 2nd revision tests are going on these days are very enjoyable days in my life,no other work except studies.I wake up at 6.00am and I spend more than 2.30 hrs in writing test and rest of my days in reading other subjests. I am very thrilled as I am going to face ny first board exan in my life on March 18. My 1st revision marks too received I am some what satisfied with my marks, this time I have increased my percentage.My Maths marks disappoints me as it is 98% but my aim was centum. Though a good mark as I am one of the three in class toppers. Bedore I receive my 1st revision mark sheet I had to write 2 nd revision....

I think in coming days I wouldn't even have time to post.So don't hesitate to read my Blog.And I think this is my last post till April 8th till then bye from me...

My practicals is about to start in a week or two. My important days in my life is nearing. Meanwhile an idea of changing school for +1 and +2, I have bought applications from the schools I knew and I hope to select a better school, though shifting my housw from A.T.Nagar.

Indian team

A year that began with defeat in one of the most controversial Tests
of the modern age ended with a cathartic run-chase that transcended
cricket. Two thousand eight wasn't without its embarrassments - being bowled out inside 20 overs in a Test match surely wasn't part of the script - but Test victories over Australia and England, and convincing one-day triumphs in Australia and Sri Lanka,
meant that this was a 12-month period to savour. Two legends of the
Indian game, Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly, bid adieu, but newcomers
like Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma established themselves, to ensure
that the future looked as bright as it had ever been.

The early part of the year was dominated by events
at the Sydney Cricket Ground - umpiring controversies, allegations of
conduct that flouted the spirit of cricket, and a dramatic last-gasp
finish - but in the months that followed, Indian cricket seemed to gain
strength from its experience of that adversity. The tri-nation
tournament in Australia was comfortably won after Sachin Tendulkar
scripted two epic innings and Praveen Kumar proved an unexpected joker in the bowling pack.

After Sydney, India ceded no ground to Australia. In six subsequent
Test matches, they won three and drew the rest. Kumble led them to a
famous success in Perth,
but by the time a series was clinched on home soil, the baton had been
passed. Mahendra Singh Dhoni led with verve and his unique brand of
cool to inspire victories at Mohali and Nagpur, and for once, Australia had no answers.

India's big blip of the year came in Dhoni's absence, in Sri Lanka.
Though Virender Sehwag's strokemaking brilliance helped them to victory
in Galle, Sri Lanka were streets ahead in the two Tests played in Colombo, with Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan humiliating the most feted batting line-up in the game.

Dhoni's decision to take a break had been prompted by a nightmarish
schedule that saw two back-to-back one-day tournaments immediately
after the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League. His Chennai
Super Kings had been denied at the death in the IPL, and Dhoni was
helpless to prevent the same fate in the Kitply Cup and the Asia Cup,
with Pakistan and Sri Lanka proving too strong at the final hurdle. The
Asia Cup nemesis would become a familiar foe a month later. Mendis' 6
for 13 was candidate for spell of the year, but with their victory on
Lankan soil two months later, Dhoni's men proved that they could learn
from their mistakes.

The IPL saw its share of thrills and dramatic
falls from grace, starting with Brendon McCullum's 13-six assault in
the tournament opener in Bangalore. The three most expensive franchises
- Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad - all failed to make the last four,
and the Cinderella story was written by Shane Warne and his Rajasthan
Royals, by some distance the least expensive team. Warne played a huge
role in the success, and the mammoth crowds and record TV ratings
suggested that Lalit Modi's experiment with the club system is
certainly here to stay.

High point
No one-day or Twenty20 game could come close to
matching a Test for pure excitement. England outplayed India for most
of the game in Chennai,
and most teams wouldn't even think of chasing 387 to win a Test, but
then most teams don't have Sehwag opening the innings. The 50 came up
in the sixth over, and though he was dismissed for 83, before stumps on
the fourth evening, it left India needing to score just 256 on the
final day. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman couldn't stick around, but
Tendulkar ensured that there would be no repeat of the 1999 heartbreak
against Pakistan. This time he stayed right till the end, with Yuvraj's
dashing 85 providing sterling support, clinching victory as only a
champion could - with a deft stroke that also raised his 41st century.
Three weeks on from the terror attacks in Mumbai, a nation smiled and
saluted its favourite son.

Start as you mean to go on: Dhoni has won four of his first five Tests as captain © AFP

Low point
The two defeats in Sri Lanka were hopelessly
one-sided. Tendulkar finished the series with 95 runs, Ganguly with 96.
Even more painful, though, was the drubbing in Ahmedabad at South
African hands. On a green-tinged pitch, India lasted the length of a
Twenty20 innings against the pace and accuracy of Dale Steyn, Makhaya
Ntini and Morne Morkel.

New kid on the block
Ishant Sharma's spells to Ricky Ponting
in Perth and Mohali were little vignettes of Test cricket at its finest
- a top-class batsman being given the runaround by a young tyro with
something to prove. With his height, Ishant gets steepling bounce and
he's as adept with the old ball as he is with the new one. The hair may
have gone for a snip, but unlike Samson, he certainly hasn't lost his
strength.

What 2009 holds
In 2008, India made a concerted push towards
the top of the table in both forms of the game. Dhoni, the new leader,
doesn't believe in rankings. "As long as we keep performing in the
middle, they will take care of themselves," he says. That's an
admirable attitude to have.

A real test of progress will come in New Zealand,
where India haven't won for four decades. There's also the small matter
of defending the World Twenty20 crown in England in the summer. With
its blend of experience and mature youth, nothing is beyond this team,
though.

Happy newyear 2009

Happy New Year 2009

2008 is a very exciting year for most of us and for me as well.

2009 will be very challenging.We are used to bad news from the media since August. But that makes our daily life more exciting, isn’t it ? That’s how we can measure our limit. Then once the troubles are over, we look back and we can proudly tell “WE MADE IT”.

With this, I wish you a very Happy New Year with Joy bringing from the family and be proud of what we have done this year.

Time table 2009

10TH STANDARD MATRICULATION EXAM TIME TABL


18/03/09-LANGUAGE FIRST PAPER

20/03/09-LANGUAGE SECOND PAPER

24/03/09-ENGLISH FIRST PAPER

25/03/09-ENGLISH SECOND PAPER

30/03/09-MATHS-1

31/03/09-MATHS-2

02/04/09-SCIENCE-1

03/04/09-SCIENCE-2

06/04/09-HISTORY AND CIVICS

08/04/09-GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS

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Halfyearly

My half yearly Exams are nearing so I don't have much time to post.
I am very busy in Reading.It starts on next week. My half yearly portions are full text book. Totally 11 Exams in 16 days. Writing for 1100 marks,my aim is to get more than 800 marks now.My perfect target is to get 100% in maths 1 and maths 2 papers, as I did in my Quarterly.
Followed my half yearly exams comes my revision tests, even no holidays for Christmas.Revision tests have three cycle of my all 10 subjects.It starts in 26th DEC and ends in 12th of March. Then comes my Board exam.
Though I can't post till march just hang up with my blog and drop your worthy comments.