“I am bowler and I did not like personally the change of ball in the 34th over as per the existing 50-50 match rule. If they play four innings, they will be changing the ball more times. Also, we have chance for reverse swing only after 15 or 20 overs. But, if they cut down that possibility, all the favour is going to a batsman,” Malinga said.

Tendulkar had written a letter to the ICC to change the format of the ODIs from two innings of 50 overs to four of 25 overs each like a Test match but the world body’s chief executive Haroon Lorgat had rejected the idea.

Malinga, who is in India to represent his IPL team Mumbai Indians in the Champions League Twenty20, said his team is not under any pressure as they take on Chennai Super Kings in their tournament opener on Saturday.

“We always try to perform to our strength during a match and the result come at the end of the day. All the players in the Mumbai Indians team will be performing to their strength and that is it.

“We do not have any pressure. I think we know our abilities and trust our abilities. We have lot of young players but some have not played much of T20 matches. But, we have good senior players in our team. They have always supported young players,” Malinga said.

“Big names does not matter to me as I bowl to my abilities. I have to trust in my ability and I will do that,” the Sri Lankan added.

Malinga also stressed on the importance of taking wickets in a Twenty20 match.

“I think if we are playing three or five bowlers, it is the job of the bowlers to take wickets. Otherwise no point in playing for that side,” he viewed.

“While playing for Mumbai Indians I have always tried to take wickets. It does not matter whether it is in early overs or fag end of the match.

“I get only four overs and I try to take wicket with every delivery. Sometimes, I take wickets early and sometimes in the later part of the match. Most important thing is how you can use your abilities,” Malinga added.

He said he always tries to sharpen his toe crushing yorker during the practice sessions.

“In my practice sessions I try the technique of yorking the batsmen. If you want to do something in a match, it is important to try and master that at the nets,” Malinga said.

Apart from reducing the number of overs per innings, Tendulkar has also proposed several more changes for the ODIs. The Indian batting icon had spoken about this new concept in television interviews in the past but had never written a letter to ICC in this regard. “I have been capturing my thoughts on what I think would be the way forward to ensure that all three formats in the game co-exist and ensure value creation,” he wrote in the letter.

He argued that four alternate innings of 25 overs for each side in an international would be the fairest way of balancing the advantages gained by the team that won the toss when pitch and weather conditions mean that a match can virtually be decided by the spin of a coin. Tendulkar’s letter also proposed changes in voluntary Powerplays. In each 25-over block, Tendulkar wants only two Powerplays at the behest of the batting side but suggested that up to four bowlers should be allowed up to 12 overs each, rather than the present limit of 10.

One of the prominent matches featuring India seemed to have been lost after spin of coin was 1996 Wills World Cup semifinal when Lankans batted first on a square turner. The match was awarded to Sri Lanka by the referee after a crowd riot which stopped proceedings after India lost eight wickets. Again, Sri Lanka were unlucky when they were forced to chase a large Australia total in fading light towards the end of the 2007 World Cup final in Barbados.

Tendulkar also cited two games in the most recent World Cup when evening dew helped England to achieve a tie in their classic qualifying game against India in Bangalore but then counted in favour of Ireland during their famous run chase against England at the same venue. A split into two equal innings a side was often proposed for the final of the domestic county competition in the UK – originally the Gillette Cup – in the days when it was invariably an advantage to field first, the report said.

The hover cover, instant outfield drainage and sophisticated drying equipment have ensured that matches at Lord’s almost always start on a dry pitch these days, but that is not the case everywhere. In Australia last winter, the inter-state one-day tournament, the Ryobi Cup, was played over 45-overs-a-side, split into two alternate innings of 20 overs followed by two of 25. The format was generally rated a success by Cricket Australia (CA). There were more close finishes, more runs, more wickets and larger TV audiences. Significantly, the new regulations appeared to overcome the relatively dull and predictable middle-over phases of 50-over games.

(PTI)

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Australia: RT Ponting*, MJ Clarke, CJ Ferguson, BJ Haddin†, JW Hastings, DJ Hussey, MEK Hussey, MG Johnson, JJ Krejza, B Lee, TD Paine†, SPD Smith, SW Tait, SR Watson, CL White.

India: MS Dhoni*†, V Sehwag, R Ashwin, PP Chawla, G Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, V Kohli, A Nehra, MM Patel, YK Pathan, SK Raina, S Sreesanth, SR Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh.

ODI History:
Matches: 104
Australia wins: 61
India wins: 35
No result: 8
Advantage: Australia.

Oz will have a slight psychological edge against India as they have traditionally dominated India. India have been resurgent in the last 15 years but Australia have maintained the dominance in the big matches. Many Indians fan would like to forget the India vs Australia World Cup final where Ricky Ponting & co. had taken away the match from India. But in recent form, India is a force to reckon with and has performed exceedingly well in all formats of the game. Australia are ranked number one on the ICC ODI ranking with 130 points while India is ranked second with 119 points as of March 19th.

Captains:
Australia: Ricky Ponting
India: MS Dhoni
Advantage: India

Ricky Ponting has been under immense pressure to perform on the field. His age seems to be catching up and he doesnt want to leave the crease until the umpire holds a mike and screams him OUT! Nothing is going right for the Oz captain now and he’s known to get VERY ANGRY (and make faces popularly known as the Ponting face) during a crunch situation.

On the other side, India’s captain cool is in a spot of bother too. Many cricket fans are questioning his strategy and cricket acumen. But Dhoni does not have to deal with criticism on his batting nor does he carry any bad luggage. This is his first world cup and he’ll be positive, fresh & naturally motivated.

Batting:
Australia: Ponting, Clarke, Haddin, Hussey & Watson
India: Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Gambir & Kohli.
Advantage: India

India have Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag & Yuvraj Singh who have dominated Australia in the past and continue to do so. These batsman are in great form, especially Sachin who’s already scored two hundreds in this world cup. However the worry for India is the fitness of Virender Sehwag and the batting collapse which mysteriously triggers after the end of a good partnership. It’s also time for Kohli, Yusuf Pathan,& Dhoni to come to the party. Especially Yusuf Pathan who’s been very hospitable to the bowlers to say the least.

Australia will rely on Ponting, Haddin, Mike Hussey, Watson & Clarke to delivery the goods today. Ponting has no other option but to perform so he may chose this occasion to perform. Having tasted success on the Indian pitches during the IPL, Watson will be a prize catch. Hussey can frustrated the Indian bowlers with his singles, twos & occasional boundaries. All looks good for Australia except the fact that they dont have a Sachin, Sehwag or a Yuvraj who can blast their way through the opposition. To be honest, they will upstage the Indian batting only if the Indian bowling performs badly. So, its hypothetical unlike the Indian batsman who can steamroll any bowling attack on their day even if the Australian bowlers have a decent outing.

Bowling:
Australia: Johnson, Krejza, Lee, Tait & Watson.
India: Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan & Patel.
Advantage: India

The Motera pitch is reported to be flatter than a formula one circuit so any hope of getting bounce or spin is like a mirage. The flat batting track will leave the bowlers frustrated & angry so patience is the key. Between Lee & Zaheer, Zaheer has an edge as he has a rich experience of batting onslaughts on Indian pitches and will not panic! Lee does not have the venom and his pace is ideal for the likes of Sachin & Sehwag to whack the ball. And between Krejza & Harbhajan, the turbanator has an obvious edge. Now the bowlers to secretly track – Ashwin & Watson. Ashwin’s underexposure during this Cup will benefit him as he will be fresh while Watson is gritty & understands the conditions.

Verdict: India
Myverdict is India. India has the X factor going for it with huge stakes, playing at home & Sachin’s last world cup. Australia on the other side will relax as its one of the rarest games where they will NOT be considered as favourites(which is not bad). At the end of the day, I believe its going to go India’s way.

Finally, would like to wish Sachin Tendulkar all the very best for today’s match.

What do you think? Let us know.

By Arjun

“Dear Sachin,

I feel sad. Even after 22 years of playing for the country, you are still expected to win matches on your own. We forget that apart from you there are 10 more players in the team. You have been the run machine in World Cups with an average …of 60. Even today while you yet again proved your class with a 111 the others around took it easy. You chased the ball in the outfield and ensured that your throws landed on top of the bails. Others preferred to drop catches or go back to the dressing room for a ‘rest’ while a substitute fielder came in. Sachin, the current Indian cricket team doesn’t deserve you. They don’t know what it is like to give one’s blood and sweat for this nation of a billion people. For them fame and money has come to easy and undeserving – not commensurate to the ’supposed talent’ that they posses. Do you remember what you had said to Tom Alter in that interview in 1989? “I just want to play cricket”. Sachin, let me also not hide the truth – you are not my favorite cricketer – but one plays favorites only with humans – not with Gods for they are revered, emulated and looked at in awe… [We expect Sachin to win this cup for us. But what about the other players? Are they supposed to be playing ludo in the dressing room? I hope that the rest of the team wake up and realize that they are not there to 'play' in the tournament, they are supposed to 'win' it - not for themselves, not for India but for the greatest Indian to have lived - Sachin Tendulkar. P.S: In the 1992, Hero Cup semi-final in Eden Gardens Kolkata (India Vs. SA), SA needed 6 runs to win off the last over. Tendulkar snatched the ball from Azhar and bowled a magnificent over to win that match for us. (He gave away only 3 runs). Maybe our team needs to watch that over to know what guts and glory are all about.] Sachin, I hope we win the final in Wankhede. If we don’t a billion people can only hang their heads in shame and ask for your forgiveness.

Regards,

One of your undying fans who:
1. Still goes crazy when you hit that straight drive and show us the manufacturer’s name on the bat.
2. Stayed awake late into the night before my end terms to watch that 100 in Sharjah in the midst of that sandstorm.
3. Relished every shot that you played to decimate Warne in 1998 and then Shoaib Akhtar in that 2003 World Cup against Pakistan.
4. Will stop watching cricket after you retire.”

The latest rankings were worked out after 11 matches of the WC where four players achieved career-best rankings.

The latest rankings after the stunning tied Group B match between India and England in Bengaluru, Australia’s Shane Watson, JP Duminy of South Africa, Netherlands’ Ryan Ten Doeschate and South Africa’s Dale Steyn have all achieved personal landmarks.

Watson, who scored 79 against Zimbabwe and 62 against New Zealand, has climbed four places to break into the top 10 for the first time in his career. Duminy’s contribution of 42 not out against the West Indies has lifted him two places to share 15th spot with captain Graeme Smith and West Indies’ Chris Gayle while Ten Doeschate’s 110-ball 119 against England has helped him vault 12 places to 20th position as Steyn has jumped four places to fourth position after his figures of 3-24 against the West Indies.

India’s Virender Sehwag in fifth (up by six places), Sachin Tendulkar in 10th (up by five places), England skipper Andrew Strauss in 13th (up by eight places), Tamim Iqbal in 23rd (up by three places), Misbah-ul-Haq in 32nd (up by 12 places), Younus Khan in 44th (up by four places) and Kevin O’Brien in 52nd (up by four places).

Batsmen losing ground are Virat Kohli in third (down by one place), Kumar Sangakkara in eighth (down by one place), Gautam Gambhir in 10th (down by one place), Jacques Kallis in 14th (down by six places), Gayle in 15th (down by five places), Ricky Ponting in 19th (down by six places), Jonathan Trott in 23rd (down by three places), Paul Collingwood in 25th (down by three places), Ramnaresh Sarwan in 34th (down by four places) and Shahid Afridi in 35th (down by five places).

South Africa’s duo of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers maintain the top two positions in batting chart.

Indian pacer Zaheer Khan in 14th (up by nine places), Harbhajan Singh in 16th (up by four places), and Munaf Patel in 22nd (up by 11 places), ahead of Tim Bresnan in 30th (up by 11 places) and Shoaib Akhtar in 37th (up by seven places).

–IBNS

India won the Group B match against the associate nation by five wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

But they were made to work hard for their success by an Ireland side that had already produced the performance of this World Cup to beat England by three wickets, and who ought to have defeated Bangladesh in their tournament opener.

Left-arm spinner Dockrell had batting great Tendulkar lbw for 38 and later dismissed India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also leg before, on his way to fine figures of two for 49 in 10 overs — not bad for an 18-year-old.

“I am a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar,” Dockrell told Tuesday’s Deccan Herald. “I tried to catch a glimpse of him at training sessions here in Bangalore. I admire his style of batting.

“And getting him out was a dream come true.”

Ireland could only manage 207 all out against India but bowled and fielded tigerishly to have their opponents in trouble at 100 for four.

A packed crowd made almost as much an impression upon Dockrell as the India batsmen, with the youngster relishing the experience.

“We were looking forward to playing in front of a full house and so much cheering, noise, hooting and energy from 45,000 people was amazing. It added that much needed excitement to the game.”

But Dockrell added: “It pays to be calm yet persistent. There’s no point getting worked-up. You can’t prevent what’s to come but you can give every moment your best shot.”

An unbeaten 50 from Yuvraj Singh, who’d earlier taken five wickets, saw India home and emphasised the depth of their batting line-up.

“They’re iconic and their commitment to the sport is unmatched,” Dockrell said of India’s star-studded top order. “There’s so much power in them.”

Ireland, who’ve still to play the West Indies, South Africa and the Netherlands, are fifth in Group B and in the hunt for a quarter-final spot, with the top four sides in both pools going through to the last eight.

Following the opening game against Bangladesh on Saturday, Tendulkar hadn’t picked his bat and after four days, the champion showed that he had recovered enough to have a long hit in the nets and what’s more, he even batted left-handed just for good measure! Switch hit? Move over Kevin Pietersen. Alarm bells started ringing when Tendulkar skipped the practice session the previous day and restricted himself to the gym after complaining of uneasiness on his left knee.

But on Wednesday he batted with ease during his close to one-hour stint at the nets, showing little discomfort, against both the pacers and spinners. He was at his best while facing the mandatory short throws from coach Gary Kirsten and was quick to pull anything short of length.

Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag was the only player to miss the optional practice session, which may raise a few concerns about his fitness ahead of Sunday’s clash against England.

Sehwag, who had employed a runner towards the latter part of his epic 175 against Bangladesh, had skipped the practice session on Tuesday too.

Along with Sehwag, the other injury concern for India, Ashish Nehra, also stayed away from bowling during practice, but did undergo weight training.

Apart from the duo, the rest of the players had a rigorous practice session. After fine-tuning their skills at the National Cricket Academy nets, the players moved to the adjoining Chinnaswamy Stadium to test their big shots against the spinners.

Tendulkar, following a brief catching practice, keenly watched his team-mates go for lusty hits and surprised everyone by taking a left-handed stance.

The net bowlers could rarely trouble the left-handed master, as he sent a couple of balls soaring over the boundary even as the rest of the team watched in admiration.

“I have never sledged per se merely for the sake of sledging. I did that only once as a part of team strategy. This was at the Kenya Champions Trophy. We were playing Australia.” Tendulkar recollects in a book ‘SACH’ penned by Gautam Bhattacharya.

Tendulkar describes how he irked McGrath with a cheeky line.

“The match was played under overcast conditions. The wicket was also very damp. I had told Sourav before that I would do something to upset McGrath’s rhythm. So, in the very first over, I stepped out to him. The first thing I said to him was: ‘Today I will hit you out of the ground.’ He got really angry and started spraying the ball around. This was exactly what we wanted. As on that surface, he may have been very dangerous.

“We did win that match ultimately and I felt very happy. My sledging did work for the team. My own experience of sledging came very early on my first tour to Australia. I remember having blocked a delivery and the ball landed near my foot. I tried picking it up when Allan Border shouted from gully. ‘Don’t touch the ball.’ So I stopped immediately.”