BRAIN LARA CAREER

Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM (born 2 May 1969, in Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago) is a former West Indian cricketer, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.[1][2] He topped the Test batting rankings on several occasions and holds several cricketing records. He holds the record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket, with 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994, which is the only quintuple hundred in first-class cricket history.[3] He also holds the record for the highest individual score in a test innings after scoring 400 not out against England at Antigua in 2004.[4] Remarkably, he is the only batsman to have ever scored a hundred, a double century, a triple century, a quadruple century and a quintuple century in first class games over the course of a senior career.[5] [6] Lara also holds the test record of scoring most number of runs in a single over in a Test match, when he scored 28 runs off an over by Robin Peterson of South Africa in 2003.[7]

Lara's match-winning performance of 153 not out against Australia in Bridgetown, Barbados in 1999 has been rated by Wisden as the second best batting performance in the history of Test cricket, next only to the 270 runs scored by Sir Donald Bradman in The Ashes test match of 1937.[8] Muttiah Muralitharan, rated as the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack,[9] and the highest wicket-taker in both Test cricket[10] and in One Day Internationals (ODIs),[11] has hailed Lara as his toughest opponent among all batsmen in the world.[12] Lara was awarded the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World awards in 1994 and 1995[13] and is also one of only three cricketers to receive the prestigious BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, the other two being Sir Garfield Sobers and Shane Warne.[14] Brian Lara is popularly nicknamed as The Prince of Trinidad or simply The Prince.[1] On the 27th November 2009 he was appointed an honorary member of the Order of Australia. [15]

RICKY POINTING CAREER

Ricky Ponting:

Ricky Thomas Ponting (born 19 December 1974 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia), nicknamed Punter, is the current captain of the Australian cricket team. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very occasional bowler. He represents the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian domestic cricket and plays in the Indian Premier League with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Ponting made his first-class debut for Tasmania in November 1992, when just 17 years and 337 days old-becoming the youngest Tasmanian to play in a Sheffield Shield match. However he had to wait until 1995 before making his One Day International debut, during a quadrangular tournament in New Zealand in a match against South Africa. His Test debut followed shortly after, when selected for the first Test of the 1995 home series against Sri Lanka in Perth, in which he scored 96. He lost his place in the national team several times in the period before early-1999, due to lack of form and discipline, before becoming One Day International captain in early-2002 and Test captain in early-2004.

After being involved in over 139 Tests and 300 ODIs, Ponting is Australia's leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket, with more than 23,000 international runs as of September 2009. He has scored 38 Test centuries—behind only Indian Sachin Tendulkar (43)—and third for most runs and centuries in ODIs behind Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya.

GAUTHAM GAMBHIR CAREER

International career:

Gambhir made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in the TVS Cup in 2003. In his third match, he scored 71 and was named Man of the Match. His maiden century (103 off 97 balls) came against Sri Lanka in 2005. In 2004, he made his Test debut against Australia in the fourth and last Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy but did himself no favours by getting out for 3 and 1. He made amends in his second Test, however, scoring 96 against the South Africans. His maiden Test century came against Bangladesh in December 2004. Gambhir then made a number of starts in the home series against Pakistan in 2005, but was able to make only one half-century in six innings. He made 97 in Zimbabwe later that year, but failed to reach 30 against Sri Lanka at home, repeatedly struggling against Chaminda Vaas, and was subsequently dropped from the Test team. He was replaced in Tests by Wasim Jaffer, who made a double hundred and a hundred in seven Tests.

While Gambhir was out of the Test team, he played a number of One Day Internationals for India between 2005 and 2007. However, he was not selected for the 2007 Cricket World Cup as the selectors opted for a top-order of Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, and Sachin Tendulkar. After India's first-round exit from the tournament, Gambhir was selected for the One Day International on India's 2007 tour of Bangladesh. Gambhir scored his second century on that tour and was subsequently selected for the One Day International on India's tour to Ireland in 2007. He scored an unbeaten 80 against Ireland in the first game of that tour and was awarded the man of the match award for that effort. In the post-match interview, he indicated that performing more consistently was a top priority for his career as he had done so in the past. [4]

Gambhir was selected in India's squad for the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, which India went on to win in South Africa, beating Pakistan in the final. Gambhir performed well in the shortest form of the game, ending the tournament as India's top run scorer, with 227 at an average of 37.83, including three half-centuries which included a crucial 75 runs off 54 balls against Pakistan in the final.[5]

2008 started well for Gambhir. At home, he scored an unbeaten 130 in the Ranji Trophy final to help Delhi beat Uttar Pradesh by nine wickets just two days before the team for the ODI tournament in Australia was to be announced.

Gambhir was forced to miss the Test series in Australia due to a shoulder injury. In the 2007-08 CB Series, he scored an unbeaten 102 at The Gabba against Sri Lanka in a match washed out due to rain. Three weeks later at Sydney, he scored a career-best 113 off 119 balls against Australia, in a high scoring match which India lost by 18 runs. He finished the CB series as the leading run-scorer with 440 runs.

In 2008 Gambhir finally solidified his place in the Indian Test team with a string of high scores. Opening the batting with Delhi teammate Virender Sehwag, he scored 858 runs at over 61 in seven matches as of December including a double century against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However in the same match he was involved in controversy when he was found to have thrown an elbow at Australia all-rounder Shane Watson while taking a run. Gambhir denied the charges in a media conference on the day of the incident, claiming the elbowing was unintentional, but pleaded guilty in the disciplinary hearing and served a one-Test ban for the incident. Despite missing the last match, Gambhir still topped the run-scorers list for both teams.

He was the leading run-scorer in the Test series against England in December 2008 and against New Zealand in early-2009, meaning that he had achieved this feat in three consecutive series.

Gambhir played his first major Test series outside the sub-continent, having toured New Zealand in 2009. In the second Test match he scored a match saving 137 in the second innings. He stood more than five sessions in the middle and faced over 430 balls. This innings led Virender Sehwag, Gambhir's opening partner, close friend and captain for the match, to call him 'The Second Wall' in reference to Rahul Dravid. He then scored 167 in the second innings of the Third Test to give India an unassailable lead, but rain helped the New Zealand batsmen to hang on for a draw. Gambhir, with 445 runs in six innings at an average of 89, helped India win 1-0 to script a series win in that country after 41 years.

He was named as the ICC Test Player of the Year for 2009, and was briefly ranked the No. 1 batsman in the ICC rankings in July.

He continued his run in the late-2009 Test series against Sri Lanka at home. He scored a century in the second innings of the First Test in Ahmedabad to force a draw after the visitors had taken a first innings lead of more than 300, and then combined in a double century opening partnership with Sehwag on the first day of the Second Test in Kanpur, scoring 167 himself and helping India to score more than 400 runs on the opening day. This set up their score of 642 and an innings victory. Following the match, Gambhir returned to the top of the ICC rankings.

Gambhir withdrew from the Third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in order to attend his sister's wedding.

ISHANT SHARMA PROFILE

Ishant Sharma (Hindi: ईशांत शर्मा, Punjabi: ਇਸ਼ਾੰਤ ਸ਼ਰਮਾ) (born 2 September 1988, in Delhi, India), is an Indian cricketer. He is a right arm fast bowler at pace around 145 km/h - (90 mph).

He delivered the second fastest ball ever bowled by an Indian bowler when he clocked 152.6 km/h (94.8mph) at Adelaide against Australia on 17 February 2008. The fastest one still belongs to Javagal Srinath who clocked 154.5 at the 1999 World Cup. [1]

He has a high arm delivery action and is able to move the ball in both directions.

At the age of 18, Sharma was called to join the Indian squad for the tour of South Africa in 2006-07. However, after receiving the call and organizing travel arrangements, it was decided not to send him on the tour.[2] He has then grabbed all the opportunities that came to his hand and succeeded in both forms of the game. He has earned the nickname Lambu (meaning Tall Guy), which refers to his lean and tall build, measuring 193cm. [3]

[edit] Domestic & First-Class Career
Ishant plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and has taken 19 wickets in four first class games, including a five wicket haul against Baroda on the opening day of a match Delhi drew after failing to bowl Baroda out on the fourth day.[4]

Ishant toured England with the India Under-19s in 2006 and Pakistan in 2006–07.

He has played three youth tests and six youth one day internationals for India, and is yet to lose a match for them.

[edit] Rise In International Cricket
In May 2007, he was selected in the test team for the Bangladesh tour and played as a replacement for the fast bowler Munaf Patel. Over there he played for his national side in the second test where he bowled 3 overs including one maiden and conceded only five runs without taking a wicket.[5] Later on, he was called for the tour of England in July-August 2007.

Ishant Sharma got a call back in the team in the 3rd Test Match during Pakistan's tour of India in December 2007 due to injury of India's frontline pacers Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, and Sreesanth.[6] On the batting paradise pitch, Sharma toiled hard for cementing and securing his place permanently in the Indian team while picking 5 wickets during the third test in Bangalore.[7] This performance earned him a place in India's squad for the tour of Australia.


Sharma at fielding practice.Sharma was left out in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as India retained their main fast bowlers, Zaheer Khan and RP Singh. However, in January 2008 Sharma was called to represent India once again to replace the injured Zaheer Khan in the second test at the SCG. Sharma started the first day of the match strongly and was involved in a controversial decision from Steve Bucknor when Andrew Symonds nicked the ball to keeper MS Dhoni off his bowling but was given not out. He bowled reasonably in the match, however without much luck.

Although he had little success, the management retained him for the third test match at Perth. On the fourth day of the match he bowled an exceptional spell to Australian captain Ricky Ponting that resulted in his wicket and helped India claim victory.[8] He used the pace and bounce of the WACA wicket to trouble the batsmen. In the following test played in Adelaide he picked up two wickets and impressed everyone with his bowling. He didn't bowl above 140-145 km/h mark in the test matches so that he could bowl longer spells as needed in this version of the game. He clocked a highest of 147.7 km/h(91.1 mph) at the Adelaide test his highest till then.

On February 10, 2008, Sharma bagged four important wickets in the 4th ODI of CB Series against Australia. He ended up with the figures of 4/38 and claimed the man of the match award.[9] He scalped two important wickets on February 18, 2008 versus Australia

HERO OF RAJASTHAN ROYALS

CAPE TOWN: Rajasthan Royals needed a Super Over to beat Kolkata Knight Riders at Cape Town here on Thursday after both teams played out a tie.

Taking strike first, Kolkata’s Chris Gayle smacked 15 runs (three fours) off Kamran Khan’s Super Over. In reply, Royals’ Yusuf Pathan greeted Ajantha Mendis with a six, and followed it up with another couple of hits to the fence. Royals’ needed four balls to get the 16 runs required to win.

Earlier, eighteen-year-old Kamran bowled a sensational last over to prevent Kolkata from getting seven runs of the last over to overhaul the target of 151.

Knight Riders was left in the lurch by the last-ball run out of Ishant Sharma after Kamran had got rid of Sourav Ganguly (46 runs, 30 balls) with his fifth ball.

Knight Riders made a sluggish start chasing 151; openers Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum played out three overs for ten runs before Gayle launched into Mascarenhas’ second over with two huge straight hits for maximum. Mascarenhas got his own back three balls later when McCullum’s ambitiously lofted shot was caught by Kamran Khan who held on to the ball through an energetic tumble.

Meanwhile, Gayle continued to hound Mascarenhas, striking two savage blows for four and six over mid-off in the sixth over and compelling Royals’ skipper Shane Warne to bring himself on in the seventh.

Warne strikes


With Knight Riders coasting at 60 for one in the ninth over, Warne struck a telling blow by tempting Gayle in the air and deceiving him into a mishit that swirled into the hands of Ravindra Jadeja at long on. Gayle’s 40 contained four sixes.

Warne rang in the bowling changes as Laxmi Ratan Shukla departed seven runs later.

Pathan sizzles


Earlier, Yusuf Pathan hit 42 runs to revive a Rajasthan Royals innings which ended on 150 for six.

Pathan faced 21 balls, stroking six boundaries and two sixes. Ishant Sharma, Anureet Singh and Ajantha Mendis took two wickets apiece.

Rajasthan had collapsed to 14 for two inside the first three overs.Jadeja (22) and Mascarenhas (27) tried to repair the damage in the middle order.

But when Sharma accounted for Jadeja, caught by Yashpal in the covers and Anureet bowled Mascarenhas, Rajasthan was left in need of a lower order partnership to get a defendable total.

Abhishek Raut (21 not out) hit briskly at No. 7 to push the total to 150. Shane Warne was unbeaten on two.


scoreboard

Rajasthan Royals: G. Smith c Gayle b Mendis 15, P. Valthaty c Sharma b Anureet 5, R. Quiney c Gayle b Ishant 6, Y. Pathan c Yashpal b Mendis 42, R. Jadeja c Yashpal b Ishant 22, D. Mascarenhas b Anureet 27, A. Raut (not out) 21, S. Warne (not out) 2, Extras (lb-3, w-7) 10, Total (for six wkts.in 20 overs) 150.

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-14, 3-70, 4-73, 5-112, 6-125.

Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Ishant 4-0-36-2, Anureet 4-0-35-2, Agarkar 1-0-14-0, Mendis 4-0-19-2, Ganguly 3-0-23-0, Gayle 4-0-20-0. Kolkata Knight Riders: C. Gayle c Jadeja b Warne 41, B. McCullum c Kamran b Mascarenhas 3, L. Shukla c Rawat b Kamran 13, B. Hodge c Rawat b Munaf 5, S. Ganguly c Rawat b Kamran 46, S. Bangar c Smith b Kamran 2, Yashpal Singh c Raut b Warne 20, Agarkar (not out) 1, Ishant (run out) 1, Extras (lb-8, w-9, nb-1) 18, Total (for eight wkts in 20 overs) 150.

Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-60, 3-67, 4-71, 5-94, 6-143, 7-149, 8-150.

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Pathan 4-0-27-0, Mascarenhas 4-1-29-1, Warne 4-0-25-2, Kamran 4-0-18-3, Munaf 3-0-36-1, Jadeja 1-0-7-0.

YOUSAF PATHAN DEBUT

Yusuf Khan Pathan (born 17 November 1982 in Baroda) is an Indian cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He is a hard hitting right-handed batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler. His half-brother Irfan Pathan is also an Indian cricketer. Though younger to Yusuf, it was Irfan who entered the Indian team first.

Following his impressive performances in the 2007 Deodhar Trophy and the Inter-state domestic Twenty20 competition held in April 2007, Pathan was made a part of the Indian squad for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship, held in South Africa in September 2007. He made his Twenty20 international debut in the final against Pakistan. He opened the batting for India in the match, and scored 15 runs in the process.[1]

After a good domestic season in 2007/08, he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League for USD 475,000 (INR 1.9 crore). In the 2008 IPL season, he scored 435 runs and took 8 wickets. He recorded the season's fastest half century (from 21 balls) against the Deccan Chargers, and was also the Man of the Match in the final against the Chennai Super Kings.

Following his good showing in the IPL, he was selected for the Indian one-day team. After the IPL though he played all the games in the Kitply Cup and Asia Cup he got to bat only four times.He couldn't perform very well with the bat and the ball in the Asia Cup and in the Kitply Cup and so he wasn't selected for the Series.against Sri Lanka. He performed well in domestic circuit and impressed the selectors and was selected for the England ODI series in November. He scored a fifty off just 29 balls in the second ODI against England in Indore, on his 26th birthday. [2].

Yusuf had made his One-Day International debut for India against Pakistan at Dhaka on 10 June 2008. He has become a permanent feature of the national One-Day International team, but has yet to make his test debut [3].

Even though Pathan could not repeat his first IPL performance in the second season, he was selected in the Indian team to play the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 championships in England. In the second of the Super 8 matches of India, he made an unbeaten 33 from 17 balls against England, despite his team losing the game and crashing out of the tournament before the semi-finals.

IRFAN DROPPED

Off-colour pacer Irfan Pathan on Monday conceded he hasn't performed well enough to merit selection in the Indian one-day team but vowed to make a comeback, saying he has age on his side. Talking to reporters with elder brother Yusuf by his side at a promotional event here this afternoon, the 24-year-old junior Pathan said, "I have been ignored purely on the basis of my drop in performance and I am working hard towards it." Irfan, however, said it was disappointing to be ignored for next month's Tri-series in Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.



"For the last six years, if I have done slightly bad, I'm getting dropped. But I don't have any excuse. I'm not a person who runs for an excuse. "It's very simple, if I am dropped then something is wrong somewhere. Reason is always performance... Obviously the selectors felt, I'm not up to the mark so I've to work hard and go to that level," Irfan said.



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However, the pacer, who made it to the top earlier than his elder brother Yusuf, said he has age by his side. "Not many people have achieved what I've at at the age of 23-24 and I am very happy for that."



However, the ace bowler from Baroda believed that he did not do that badly recently. "If you look at my performance, I finished among the top six bowlers in the Indian Premier League II with 17 wickets and 196 runs (with the bat). In the West Indies series, I just got to play one match and was dropped."



... contd.