Dravid said, “The key for us is to keep them on the field for a long period of time. If we can keep their bowlers and fielders on the field for more than 100 overs. Then we can put them under pressure and some of their bowlers wilt.”

Australian team even did well on the third day of the match and India scored less. Experience cricketer said, “Sadly in the three innings we have played so far, we haven’t been able to do that. They kept up on the field for a long time today. We need to try and do that.

We have probably been in the field much longer. They put us under the pump. The real key for us is to keep them in the field for that long. They are coming in hard, running in hard.

The last spell they bowled really well. After drinks the last 15 overs they came in really hard. That’s one of the challenges.”

It is expected that Indian team would be able to bat after tea break on Friday, Dravid said, “That’s where the real challenge is. If we can hang in there, play out time, and have them on the field for a long time.”

But Dravid didn’t predict if India would save the Test series, He explained, “I don’t know we can think about saving the game right now. We need to go out there and show some fight. And bat as long as we can. Who knows what can happen? We have got quality batsmen who can bat long periods. I am sure the guys will go out and fight and do the best they can.”

In 2001 Indian cricket team revived home series when Dravid and VVS Laxman batted well and turned the series, Dravid hopes for the same, he said, “I would hope so. We need a lift. We need to perform better than we have. We have not played well in the last three days. We need some inspiration.”

Talking about the challenges Indian batsman are facing, Dravid said, “Part of the challenge is mental. Part of it is physical and technical. Physically you have to bat for long period of times. Technically, they have a good attack that is bowling well. So you have to counter them technically as well. It’s a combination of effort. If we are going to save the game, we need everything to work for us.”

About his own performance, he said, “I feel I have been batting well. Hopefully, in the next couple of Tests, I will be able to convert one of these starts. Sometimes you can’t read too much into things.

To be fair, there have been couple of pretty good balls.

It’s not like I have got out, you know, inner-edging. A couple of good balls, a couple of things, I could have done differently.”

Dravid also said that he is disappointed with his side’s effort, he said, “I’m a little bit disappointed in the sense. Okay in the England, we were not always with our best attack. Due to injuries and various other reasons, our bowling attack in England wasn’t the best possible attack.

“Here we had the best bowling attack we can possibly hope for. So it is obviously disappointing.”

Expressing his view about the Indian bowlers, Dravid “We are obviously disappointed. Once partnership develop, and runs go, we need to pull it back and try to control the runs. Having said that, it’s not easy. It’s something we need to consider. We can’t afford to give a lot of runs. Even if we don’t take wickets, we have to stop the run flow.”

Discussing about the Indian cricketers field placement which was criticised by the experts, he said, “It’s hard when you are under the pump, you have 190 runs to play with, and the game is running away from you. The wicket was pretty flat. You try and bring the field up and they were stepping out and hitting it over the top, or piercing the field. You try to push the field back to control the runs for a bit and may be get a wicket and bring it back in. We didn’t get a wicket all day. Sometimes it happens.

After Ponting got out, we brought the field up, but (Mike) Hussey came out and played a few really good shots.

Again you are forced to push the field back because the game is running away from you very quickly.”

Indian team decided to bat first and Dravid didn’t think it as a wrong decision, he said, “I don’t think it was a wrong decision to bat first. We didn’t bat well, that’s why we find ourselves in this situation. I think we knew it was going to be challenging. The first 35-40 overs on the first morning were always going to be a challenge. We didn’t bat particularly well. 190 are not good enough on that wicket.”

Dravid further said, “The wicket hasn’t changed too much. If anything it is a bit slower. There wasn’t much turn for Ashwin, not for Nathan Lyon in the couple of overs he bowled. Shot-making might be a little bit more difficult because of the slowness.”

Praising Australian bowlers, Dravid said, “Obviously they are pitching it up. The ball started to reverse a little bit. When you are pitching it up, and it is reversing, obviously they are looking to bowl…it’s pretty obvious. The ball is hard and swinging normally, you look to bring the slips into play.

“Once the ball becomes old, obviously they are looking to attack the stumps. I can understand that’s what they are trying to do. They have bowled pretty good balls.”

Dravid also feels happy about Gautam Gambhir who scored 68 (not out). He said, “I’m happy for him. He has worked very hard. Been under a lot of pressure obviously. He wants to score runs, keen to do well. He played positively. Later towards the end of the day, when things were tough, he gritted it out and hung in there.

Hopefully, he can convert into a big one. We know he likes batting for long hours.”

Sachin Tendulkar is playing Test series against Australia and millions of people around the world are waiting for him to complete his historic 100th century but he just wants to enjoy the game.

Sachin had an interview in Australia and said, “Well, it is easier said than done. It is just a number.

But yes, I mean, there has been lot of hype around that and I want to enjoy cricket and I think that is important.”

The master blaster said, “In the series, obviously focus would be on enjoying cricket and winning.”

During the World Cup in March 2011, Sachin scored his 99th century in Nagpur against South Africa.

India and Australia would play four Test series and second match have gone in the favour of Australian team because they performed well on the ground.

When Sachin was asked about his preparations before the game, he said, “I just pack my bags on the eve of the match. For me, the preparation starts may be a week before the game, if there is not much time between the matches, then you equally need to switch off and switch on before the game. So it depends on the time I have before a game.”

In his cricket career Sachin has broken all records in international cricket and he says his journey has been fantastic and he still loves to play this game.

The iconic player said, “I don’t remember picking up a cricket bat the first time. I must have been 4 or 5 years old, like just any other child in India.

It is fun to pick up a bat and hit the ball as hard as possible and that passion and love for cricket grew as time went by and it has been a fantastic journey and still madly in love with the sport.”

About his first experience of playing an international cricket, Sachin said: “It was quite an experience to remember. Well, I got out after scoring 15 runs and thought, probably, I was not good enough to play at this level and I was just hoping that I get another opportunity.”

Further Sachin talked about the most defining moment of his life, he said, “I was about 11-years-old. I scored some runs. I scored 24 runs in my first match and then followed that up with a couple of performances, nothing great, but my name came in the newspaper couple of times.”

“When I saw that, it changed everything. The first hundred that I scored changed everything and I would say that phase was the most defining moment of my life.”

Former Australian captain scored 62 in the first innings against India and he said that older players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid inspired him to do so.

Ponting himself is 37 years old said that he too gets inspiration from 38 years old Tendulkar like other cricketers does. Tendulkar scored 73 on Tuesday against Australia in test series.

Ponting said, “I think they (Tendulkar and Dravid) should inspire everyone.”
Though Ponting came into the match on the back of poor form but scored well and proved his critics wrong. He also believes that age doesn’t matter in the game of cricket.

The former Test skipper said, “I have always been a big believer that age in this game doesn’t mean much. I still have the hunger and desire and I am working as hard as I ever have.”

Ponting was also disappointed for not hitting a century. He said, “It was disappointing not to go on yesterday (Monday) to get a big score. That’s three of the last five innings I passed 50 that that is the game: it happens.”

He added, “My balance was a whole lot better yesterday. The roar I received when I went in yesterday was amazing. It is nice to know there is great public support out there.”

Kapil Dev who won world cup in 1983 said, “Ricky Ponting is the most important player. He is an experienced player and if India can control him then we can control Australia. Remember experience always comes in handy in the long run. He has scored enough runs against us and is due for a big score.”

Kapil said that now Australia’s cricket team is not as strong as it used to be because some of the important key players have been retired.

During ICC Cricket World Radio Show, Kapil said, “This time India has a better chance to win the Test series in Australia, there is no doubt about that. Australia were on top of the world cricket for 15 years. But now it is not the same team without (Glenn) McGrath, (Shane) Warne, (Adam) Gilchrist and (Matthew) Hayden.

They are not as strong as they used to be.”

He added, “We still have Sachin, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag. Then there are young talented fast bowlers and spinners. We are getting strong everyday. We, therefore, have a better chance than ever before.

Earlier that was not the case because we were no match for Australia. Australia dominated world cricket and always bounced back. But this time we can go there thinking of not drawing but with a view to win the series.”

About Tendulkar’s most-awaited 100th international century, he said, “Sachin has served Indian cricket so enormously that at this stage this talk of this 100th hundred is not important. If India can win the series, Sachin’s 100th hundred will be taken care of.”

Kim Hughes, Former Australia captain believes that Tendulkar will score his 100th international century in this test series but he suggested to use lighter bats.

Hughes said, “Tendulkar always looks in good form. Using heavy bats on flatter wickets are fine but when the wickets have got a bit of a pace and bounce, then I don’t think heavier bats are a wise thing. I think lighter bats in Australia where you play more horizontal shots are a better option.

You would think in four Tests, Tendulkar will get an opportunity (to score a century). We produce good wickets in Australia for the batsmen and I would have thought Tendulkar will certainly get one hundred in one of those four Test matches.”

Hughes also feels that the Sehwag is another threat for Australia’s team.

He said, “I think Sehwag is biggest danger for Australia because he gets India off to such a good positive start and he likes playing well on our true wickets. Sehwag have always done well in Australia. India’s batting is far superior to Australia’s.

(Sachin) Tendulkar is still playing marvelously well, (Rahul) Dravid is in fantastic form, and (VVS) Laxman and (Virender).”

Hughes has played 70 Tests and 97 ODIs during his cricket career in Australia. He said, “India’s record away from home has not been very good. They got slaughtered by England (earlier this summer) and England are a far better side than Australia. But I would have thought that given Aussies injury worries and that we are an average side now, yes, this would be India’s best chance.”

He feels that Indian bowlers need to take the responsibility, Hughes said “Australia has got a young spinner in (Nathan) Lyon and it will be younger bowlers (James) Pattinson, (Mitchell) Starc and (Peter) Siddle who will have to carry the bulk of the bowling.

Our batting has been very, very brittle as evident in South Africa and against New Zealand albeit I think the wickets will be more conducive to batting in Mellbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.”

When Sourav Ganguly was captain of Indian Cricket team and Greg Chappel was coach of the Indian cricket team then they shared a tumultuous relationship. Now Sourav Ganguly’s latest talk about the coach will soar their relationship more.

Recently a report was published in the Daily Telegraph and it was stated that current Australian coach Mickey Arthur has invited former India coach Chappel to address Australian cricket team on how to tackle champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

“Chappell will address the Australian squad for the first Test next week and he is the one man with the knowledge to demystify the champion (Tendulkar) Australia never feel they have got to the bottom of,” the report said.

“To Australian bowlers, Tendulkar has been the master they have never mastered. His record against Australia in Tests – he averages 60.6 with 11 centuries in 31 Tests – makes him the greatest Aussie basher of his generation,” it further stated.

Sourav Ganguly reacted to these reports and said Chappel would not be of much helpful to Australian team and he went a step further by saying ‘this was good news’ for Indian team.

“He has been a selector and also the head of their academy (Australian Centre of Excellence in Brisbane) and he has been thrown out from there as well. When he came to India, it was said that his Australian mindset won’t work here but he couldn’t work in the Australian set up as well,” Ganguly said.

“The people should realise that the problem lies with him, he is the one making mistakes. A person can be wrong once but if he commits the same mistake again and loses his job for that, then that man to me is mad,” Ganguly said.

“So, I am glad that he is getting attached to the Australian team, it is good news for the Indian team. I am not surprised,” he added.

Ganguly also criticised Rahul Dravid for not opposing Chappel during his captaincy. He said, “Rahul Dravid is the sort of person who wanted everything to be good. He knew that what was happening was wrong but he did not have the guts to revolt and say that it was wrong because after what happened to me during the Zimbabwe tour, any captain would have wanted to maintain peace in the dressing room which is quite right.”

Chappel has also harshly criticised Ganguly in his autobiography.

About Chappel’s stint as India’s coach, Ganguly said, “You can say that Greg Chappell’s foresight and thinking was not cricket-oriented. He came here with a personal vendetta and it didn’t work with Indian cricket. His mind used to work in a different way. His rule in life was my way or the highway.”

Former Indian Player Vinod Kambli claims that India’s 1996 World Cup semi-final match against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens could have been fixed. Mohammed Azharuddin who was Indian captain in that period rubbished Kambli’s claims.
Though Kambli was criticised for raising the issue after 15 years but he said that he would not be discouraged by it.

Azhar was harsh about Kambli and he told reporters, “Absolutely rubbish, whatever he (Kambli) is talking. He doesn’t know what he is talking, when you have people who have no character and no background come on TV and talk absolute rubbish in front of the nation and demeaning all the players who played in the team, it is totally disrespectful and its very sad.”

Azhar informed that decision to field first was taken collectively by the team during the match.

“May be when he was sitting in the meeting, he must have been sleeping,” he added.

Former Indian cricketer Kambli, who has always been surrounded with controversies in his life said, “I will never forget the 1996 match because my career ended after this and I was dropped from the team. I was stunned by India’s decision to field.”

Azhar, refused Kambli’s allegations and said, “It was a team decision which was taken by all the team members that when we win the toss we will field. Whatever he is talking is absolutely rubbish and nonsense”.

The BCCI and other former Indian players such as Arun Lal, Sourav Ganguly, Atul Wassan and Saba Karim are trashing Kambli’s allegations.

A BCCI official said, “If Kambli had problems, he should have spoken at that time. Not after 15 years. We dont give much importance to such allegations.”

Azhar also said that Kambli got enough chances to prove him in the world of cricket but failed to do so.

Azhar said, “He is not made a scapegoat. First of all the way he played his cricket, everybody knows how he played his cricket and what he used to do. So he cannot say he has been made a scapegoat, because he got selected again in 1998 but got injured in one of the matches where he was substituting for some player, I don’t know when…in Cuttack or some other place.”

He added, “I think if he had taken his cricket seriously he wouldn’t be in this position now.”
Azhar said that team did not perform well and that is the only reason behind India’s defeat against Sri Lanka in the contentious semi-final match.

Azhar said, “We played badly, we lost the match. There is nothing to do with toss or batting first or fielding first. If you don’t play well you lose the match, as simple as that.”

Azhar also not agreed that a probe should be done about the match played 15 years ago because he says will we order a probe about the each match India lost.

Former Indian captain Azhar said, “Why should there be a probe after so many years. What is the probe you are talking about, I don’t know why people talk about this probe, then for every match there is probe.”

Ajit Wadekar who was then manager of the Indian team and is a former captain said, “My question is, if he knew everything, why did he wait for 15 years.”

Kambli had said that Wadekar knew everything about the incident. He said, “Our team manager at that time Ajit Wadekar was aware of everything. He had even written an article afterwards that Vinod Kambli had been made a scapegoat.”

Responding to Kambli’s claim, Wadekar said, “In the team meeting before the match it was decided that India would field in the event of winning the toss. The decision was taken after consultation with the entire team.”

Former cricketers Arun Lal and Atul Wassan also criticised Kambli. Atul Wassan said, “Kambli’s credibility is a problem, I don’t know why he is talking about it after so many years.”

Lal said, “Kambli should behave more responsibly. He just cannot sully the image of the game and make such statements. Why did he not speak earlier. What took him 15 years?”

Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev believes that Mahendra Singh Dhoni has the best Indian cricket team.
Kapil Dev is in Durban to take part in the second edition of the World Cricket Legends – 15-a-side cricket tournament in the wild between former India and South African players, organised by Beyond Boundaries. Kapil said, “Without any doubt, I would say that this is the best Indian team ever.”

“When you have so many records, so much experience and have done so well, you can’t complain about anything at all,” he added.

Kapil believes that two generation should never be compared because next generation is better than the previous one. He said, “You can never compare a son with his father. The fathers never had the modern day gadgets that their sons are used to nowadays. Yet they worked tirelessly to get everything for their kids. That’s why it is unfair to compare two generations. But you always want your son to be better than you.

The next generation has always been and will be better than the previous one. If it is not then we aren’t moving forward as a society. If you at all have to compare, I would say this team is far better.”

Kapil also says he doesn’t feel that any extra pressure has been put on Sachin Tendulkar to score his hundredth international ton.

“When was Tendulkar not under pressure? Since age of 16, we have been putting pressure on him like comparing him with Sir Don Bradman and all that. He is always under pressure. I wonder if he would be able to perform if you don’t write about him, talk to him and there is no crowd.

“I think he can only play under pressure. And the good part is, he is 99 not out. He likes to take pressure,” he said.

Kapil talked about Irfan Pathan. He said, “I think there is too much pressure. Look at (Irfan) Pathan. I thought he was coming up too well but suddenly he went off the boil. I thought he was moving in the right direction, perhaps, in today’s world there is too much pressure and too much hard work. I don’t think the players can handle themselves. It is tough life.”

Further talking about BCCI reaching to him, Kapil said, “The only thing is that the young players and the BCCI have to come back to me. They have to come back if they think they can learn something. It is up to the BCCI to sort these things out.”

Kapil also expressed his thought about the proposed Sports Development Bill. He said, “The Sports Bill is speaking about the betterment of sports in the country. Forget about whether I have an advantage or a disadvantage. If it is good for sports but not personally for me then my personal liking should not come before the country. That’s what I believe.”

He shared his view about BCCI to be counted as a National Sports Federation (NSF).

“If it is for the betterment of sports we should all support it. Are we asking for anything unreasonable or unethical? No, we are not. If I am not ready to be accountable then it is sad,” said Kapil.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram believes that Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir who generally comes in the ground as an opening batsman also has good leadership and man-management quality as current Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni possess with him.
Akram was impressed with Gautam Gambhir because of the way he led Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Akram has played under the legendry player Imran Khan.

Praising Gambhir for his quality, Akram said, “Look, I have worked with Gautam Gambhir as the bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders and I have no qualms in saying that Gambhir is a world class cricketer, a fighter and very committed individual. I think he is at par with Mahendra Singh Dhoni when it comes to leadership and man-management.”

For the first time KKR qualified for the Champions League Twenty20 main tournament even they lost their qualifying round match for Somerset. Akram who has led Pakistan in 25 Tests and 109 ODIs feels that now Gambhir has almost recovered from his injuries sustained in head during India’s tour of England and he would be able to play the matches.

“Gambhir is a strong boy but concussion after the head injury took a toll on him. I have learnt that his condition was very bad when he returned home midway from the England tour. Apparently, he threw up around 3-4 times even while on flight from London to Delhi,” Akram told ESPN Star.com.

During the Oval Test in London, Gambhir suffered an injury in his head while trying to catch a ball hit by Kevin Pietersen. After being injured Gautam could be not able to play Twenty20 International and the ODI series against England. He also missed playing the two qualifying matches for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Champions League Twenty20.

ICC is very upset with the Indian Cricket team. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat is not only questioning the team’s motive behind skipping the prestigious ICC Awards, but he also informed that ICC top boss Sharad Pawar too is pissed off by the act of Indian cricket team.

Though Indian team was in London but they missed the Awards ceremony on Monday and said they received the invitation late but ICC is upset and slammed the team for their absence and rubbishes their claims.

Recently the relations between the BCCI and the ICC have soured.

BCCI’s Rajiv Shukla who was present in Awards Ceremony was surprised to see the absence of whole team.

Team manager Shivlal Yadav claimed that they could not attend the ceremony because of late invitation.

“We have decided to skip the event as the invitation reached quite late this afternoon. We had no time for it. Most of the players had gone out and there was no time to call them and regroup for the event. And then you are not mentally prepared if you are called just 4-5 hours before the event,” Yadav said.

But ICC communication manager Colin Gibson said that Indian team were given invitation in the last week of August.

It is also confirmed from the sources that invitations for Award ceremony were sent in advance to the Indian team, it shows their absence was deliberate.

Indian skipper Dhoni has got the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award due to his decision to recall Ian Bell even he was declared out in the second Test match against England this summer.

Talking about Dhoni, Lorgat said, “While the initial appeal and umpire decision were correct to the letter of the law, the decision by Mahendra and his team to withdraw the appeal shows great maturity. To see players and officials uphold the Great Spirit of cricket, which has underpinned the game for more than a century, is very special.”

Seeing the current health condition of India’s opener Gautam Gambhir, it seems he is likely to miss ODI series. He is not perfectly fit and going through extreme pain so we may also see him coming back home with his packed bag.

Few of the Indian players like Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag who joined the Indian cricket team in earlier matches but left without contributing much and now Gautam Gambhi will also be included in the list of these players.

India has lost test series from England and also lost their Number one Test rankings and now it seems Indian Cricket team is in danger position for the one-day series which is going to start on September 3 in Chester-le-Street.

During the second day of the final Test at the Oval on August 19 when Gautam Gambhir was trying to catch a pull by Kevin Pietersen then he fell on his head and also suffered from a blurred vision.

After that he did not open both innings of the Oval Test and was placed late in order and contributed by few runs only.

Though Gambhir has seen doctors and MRI scans has been done which shows clean results but he is in painful condition. So it may take 3-4 weeks for him to recover from his injuries then how can he be seen playing in such agonising condition.