Sachin practises for 90 minutes, raises MI hopes

MUMBAI: Raising hopes about his availability for the rest of IPL season 5 after a lengthy absence from the event due of a finger injury sustained a fortnight ago, Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday practised for about one-and-a-half hours at the nets ahead of Mumbai Indians' next game against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday. 

Tendulkar faced regular bowlers in the MI ranks like Pragyan Ojha in a serious net session and did not appear to be in any difficulty while playing a number of lofted shots at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Bandra Kurla Complex Ground. 

After hurting his index finger in the IPL opener against defending champions Chennai Super Kings on April 4, Tendulkar had missed MI's subsequent four games that had affected the team's balance at the top of the order. 

He missed the games against Pune Warriors, Deccan Chargers, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils and the result was MI could not get off to the start they were looking for and slumped to defeats in two out of the four ties. 

Tendulkar started practising against throw-downs on April 14 prior to the home tie against the Daredevils but did not feel comfortable enough to take the field on April 16 at the Wankhede Stadium. 

The Mumbai Indians were shot out for a paltry 92, their second-lowest ever IPL score and the lowest by any team this season, which the Daredevils easily overhauled. 

"Of course, it will be nice to have Sachin Tendulkar back. I'm sure he will be back by the next game if nothing goes wrong by the net session. If he is batting with any of the foreigners it makes it easier for them to score runs. He can take a lot of pressure from the other partner," team captain Harbhajan Singh had said after the humiliating defeat against the Daredevils. 

While things looked bright for MI as far as Tendulkar's availability is concerned for the next game at home, uncertainty still looms large over another key player - pace spearhead Lasith Malinga's participation. 

The Sri Lankan speedster did not practise on Thursday with his other MI teammates after missing the game against the Daredevils because of a slight pain in his back. 

"He's OK, but his back is not the same as it was in the last game, so we wanted to give him a break for this game as it's a long tournament. We don't want him to get hurt in playing all these games. Hopefully, he will be fine for the next game," said Harbhajan about Malinga's in the game against the Daredevils. 

"He is resting today. Like Harbhajan said the other day he's having slight pain," a team source said on Thursday. 

Though Malinga appeared in doubt for the game against Kings XI, there was some heartening news for MI as left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson would be joining the team in the next couple of days. 

"Johnson is expected to join the team (after flying in from Australia) in one or two days," said the source. 

The 30-year-old Queenslander, who is also a handy lower order batsman capable of big hitting, was bought at his base price of $300,000 by MI at the February auction. 

Johnson, who has grabbed 190 wickets in 47 Tests and 168 wickets in 107 ODIs, is yet to play any game in the cash-rich T20 league which is in its fifth edition.

DLF IPL STANDINGS 2012

• • 
  • DELHI DAREDEVILS
  • 5
  • 4
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 8
  • +1.018
• • 2
  • 
  • RAJASTHAN ROYALS
  • 6
  • 4
  • 2
  • 0
  • 0
  • 8
  • +0.646
• • 3
  • 
  • KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
  • 6
  • 3
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 6
  • +0.438
• • 4
  • 
  • PUNE WARRIORS INDIA
  • 6
  • 3
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 6
  • +0.174
• • 5
  • 
  • CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
  • 6
  • 3
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 6
  • +0.024
• • 6
  • 
  • MUMBAI INDIANS
  • 5
  • 3
  • 2
  • 0
  • 0
  • 6
  • -0.088
• • 7
  • 
  • KINGS XI PUNJAB
  • 5
  • 2
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 4
  • -0.633
• • 8
  • 
  • ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
  • 5
  • 2
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 4
  • -0.800
• • 9
  • 
  • DECCAN CHARGERS
  • 4
  • 0
  • 4
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • -1.178

It was a special innings: Pietersen

NEW DELHI: Kevin Pietersen on Thursday described his swashbuckling unbeaten century as one of his favourite innings, which helped Delhi Daredevils register a five-wicket win over Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League. 

"It is amazing, a special feeling to score a century in T20 cricket. This is my first in this format, so it has to be my favourite," Pietersen told reporters after smashing an unbeaten 64-ball 103, his first in Twenty20 cricket, to help Daredevils register their fourth victory in IPL 5. 

"It is good to get a century in T20 cricket. It was a good wicket to bat on and also good for the pacers who bent their back, not much for the spinners. In Twenty20 you need entertaining wicket," he added. 

The former England skipper, who was adjudged Man-of-the-Match for his whirlwind ton, said he tried to play according to the situation. 

"I played as per the situation. Once you get yourself in there, you can get the boundaries. I was in good form against Sri Lanka and it is all about backing yourself in the field," Pietersen said. 

"When you lose wicket, you slow down and Ross's (Taylor) wicket put pressure on me. They (Deccan) played good cricket," he added. 

The 31-year-old English batsman also heaped praise on young spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, who returned with figures of three for 16 from his four overs. 

"He bowled a good spell in the last match taking three for nine against Mumbai. He was fantastic today as well. He changes his angle and is a clever bowler. There were talks of who could be the spinner of IPL 5 and he is turning out to be a superstar," Pietersen said. 

Asked about Deccan Chargers, Pietersen said, "I feel sorry for Deccan. They played good cricket, they are a good team and could have won in Mumbai but I think it is still a long way to go and nothing is lost for them." 

Deccan coach Darren Lehmann blamed his butterfingered fielders for the loss and said the three dropped catches of Pietersen proved costly for his team. 

"Our fielding is not good enough. You can't drop Kevin. It was one of the best innings that we have seen and when you drop someone like him, it costs you the game," he said. 

"We bowled well early on but Kevin took the game away from us. In the 12th-13th over we lost our way because of some poor decisions," he added. 

The Australian said his team was 20 runs short in the end. 

"We were probably 20 runs short with the bat. We are playing 90 per cent but we need to put another 10 per cent. But I am not disheartened yet. We are playing good cricket. It is a young side but we are not finishing well," he said.

I just stick to basics: Christian

Daniel Christian’s livewire fielding, ability to wield the willow and bowl a few useful overs make him a valuable member of any team, especially in limited overs cricket. On the back of his performances for his state team the South Australia Redbacks, he earned himself a place in the Deccan Chargers squad in the IPL. 

The all-rounder is pegged as a Twenty20 specialist based on his ability to hit the ball hard and chip in with a few overs besides saving a few runs in the field. These qualities of this middle-order bat were on full display against the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur yesterday. When asked about it, Christian says, “Probably I have been pegged little bit as a Twenty20 player; something I don’t mind I suppose [but] I do like five-day cricket and one-day cricket as well. [...] If I had the opportunity I would much rather play Test cricket. But we will have to wait and see if I get the opportunity.”

Speaking about the key to success in the shortest format of the game, the 28-year-old explains, “Just try and keep things as basic as possible. At the end of the day, you still have to bowl the ball and hit the ball. If I ever complicate things, it generally gets me into trouble, so I focus and try to keep things simple. I just think about bowling the ball where I want to bowl that ball or think about watching the ball and hitting it. The same philosophy applies to a team’s success in Twenty20. The teams that do the basics right over a long period of time generally win the game. And I suppose that’s true for any format of the game and cricket in general.” 

Speaking about DC’s loss against RR, he said, “In the match last night [against RR] we batted brilliantly but our bowling and fielding wasn’t up to the mark, and that’s why we lost the game. Rajasthan [Royals] obviously did it better than us. They just did their basics better, they fielded better and they batted well till the end; so it’s about the basics.”

Speaking about the IPL experience, the Australian struggles to find the words to describe the overwhelming nature of it. “It is brilliant! Playing with the best players in the world and in front of huge crowds is a wonderful experience and I am enjoying it. It is just full-on I think; the music is so loud and the crowd so loud. The matches are all so competitive and fast. It is just a great experience.”

It’s not just the IPL that he enjoys but also being in India, “I love the culture and hospitality” he adds.

Growing up Christian admired the Waugh brothers – Steve and Mark – and Glenn McGrath, and now he looks up to Jacques Kallis. “He [Kallis] is going to go down in history as one of the best, if not the best ever. The amount of runs he has scored and wickets he has taken [is amazing],” he remarked. 

Only the second indigenous man to play Test cricket for Australia after Jason Gillespie, Christian, the son of a rugby player played that sport before choosing cricket. What made him opt for cricket? The man who likes to keep it simple answers, “I was better at cricket, simple as that. I was okay in rugby and I really enjoyed it, but it was always going to be cricket for me. I was probably better at cricket and probably enjoyed it as well.” However, he doesn’t indulge in it anymore because, “there are too many chances of getting injured,” he explains. 

An Aboriginal from the Wiradjuri tribe in New South Wales, Christian is also looked upon as a role model. He says, “There are a lot of sportsmen that are coming out of Aboriginal communities around Australia [...] there is not much that we can do other than lead a good life and be role models for young kids growing up.” 

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When Gayle felt sorry for hitting a six!

The adulation that comes with playing sport at the highest level also brings the responsibility of reaching out to people - fans or friends cultivated in the game. And Chris Gayle and Albie Morkel have shown how to reach out.

On Tuesday, the way Gayle bludgeoned the ball, it was

understandable if the bowlers and fielders had to scramble for their helmets! But now that the Jamaican blaster has struck form, the fans may also have to carry protective head gear to the grounds when he goes on the rampage.

But Gayle is not just the brute force on view when he carted Pune Warriors' spinner Rahul Sharma for five sixes in one over while hammering a 48-ball 81. One of them sailed deep into the stands and struck an 11-year-old girl, who was left with a broken nose.

Warm personality
However, once he discards his bat, Gayle is warmth personified. After visiting his young fan to check the damage he had caused, he was all praise for the brave girl.

"Thanks! Really amazing game-that's IPL. Visit Tia who got hit by 1 of my 6s, broken nose :( her first word to me is to Chill, She's fine!" he tweeted.

Former Test batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, however, issued a health warning. "Have decided, my kids will not go to the ground where chris gayle is playing… it's just too dangerous…," he tweeted.

Chennai Super Kings' South Africa pacer, Morkel, also decided there is more to life than a game of cricket.

He rushed home on Wednesday morning on hearing that his close friend, Louis Vorster (45), a South African and Namibian domestic cricketer and coach, had been shot dead by armed robbers on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

It is not clear when Morkel will return.