Blame it on Rahul Dravid if you want or the Indian think tank or who ever took that decision of not enforcing the follow-on. When they had England on the run, they allowed them to come back and draw the test match. Had the follow on been enforced and England batted out of their skin, they might still have saved the test match, but the psychological edge would still have been with the Indians. However, forget psychology, Dravid’s men seem to have lost even the remotest of respect they enjoyed amongst their rivals, as they doubted their ability to bat last on a fifth day pitch.

For Michael Vaughan couldn’t have been happier losing 1-0 in the tests rather than 2-0. He now hands over the reins to Paul Collingwood having made sure that the Indian batsmen are circumspect after their second innings at the oval. The fact that England are bolstered by Andrew Flintoff’s return isn’t a small one. He has the capability to change the match in a wink and the last time India visited, it was quite hard for him watching Ganguly twirling his shirt on the Lord’s balcony. So he might be in it just for the redemption part of it. Nevertheless, one can never underestimate his importance even though he hasn’t played international cricket for some time now.

The Indian think tank wouldn’t have taken this threat lightly. Flintoff is a bit circumspect against spin, so one would expect Piyush Chawla bowling to him in the middle overs or whenever he comes out to bat. Or for that matter, Romesh Pawar. But it is the fast bowlers India should be worried about. Zaheer and Agarkar are assured of starting the match even though they were wayward in the build-up matches but the toss-up will be between Munaf & RP Singh. Dravid would like to play Munaf as he controls the ball well, compared to the sprayer that RP is, but the latter’s good performance in the tests should hold him his spot in the final eleven.

But it’s not the Indian bowling that ever is the centre of attraction. It is the batting and here again the same thing is evident. The team has two young openers in Gambhir and Uthappa but they won’t be opening. First of all only one might play and that is likely to be Gambhir, and second he might not open. Because also in the team are two stalwarts of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly and they will be reuniting at the top. One is again tempted to ask, why? Why can’t they lend stability to the middle order, if not both, atleast one? Either of them could easily bat at number 3 and that’s how it should be.

Yuvraj would then come in at number 4 as it is high time we see him play on this tour and of course he has to be the focal point of the rebuilding process, as this is where it really starts. With Dravid and Karthik to follow, the last fireworks can be provided by Dhoni. That settles the side then, but again will the seniors heed to this line-up? England, in turn, will be weakened by the absence of Ryan Sidebotton, who is still struggling with that side strain suffered in the third test and that will be a big blow as the left-arm seamer troubled the Indian batsmen to no end. It will be a relief for the Indian openers as they will for once, look to attack from the onset.

For both teams, it was a disastrous world cup. More so for India. England won against Australia before that and India at home. But both are not countable now as a new process begins. They won after the world cup against Bangladesh and West Indies, but again, they hardly count as proper oppositions but a match practice. So much, therefore, hinges on this series, probably the rest of the season. And we are just at the beginning of it.

Considering the aggression on display in the tests, expect nothing but a cracker of a series.

Via: BBC Sports

Via: BBC Sports

Just the third round of matches have been completed in the English Premier League in the 2007-08 season and already, Manchester United look ready to relinquish their crown. After their derby match against Manchester City at Old Trafford ended in a 1-0 loss, their main rivals Chelsea opened a five point lead over them, the Blues drawing 1-1 with Liverpool. And thus it completed United’s worst start in fifteen Premier League years, with two points from three matches and no wins, relinquishing at 16th in the table.

Not that they didn’t play well, on the contrary, Manchester United dominated the match over most periods, but somehow managed not to find the back of the net. Nani tested the City goal-keeper early on and then more shots followed from Evra and Vidic, with the latter hitting the crossbar in the second half, but the danger man all through the game was Carlos Tevez. Twice he came agonizingly close to scoring but was denied both the times. First, by Micah Richards and then by sheer bad luck, as he miss-hit two passes from Ryan Giggs.

Talking about Micah Richards who was later declared the player-of-the-match, the Manchester City defender was actually playing out of position as a centre back as he is more used to the full back position. But even against a fearsome opposition and their relentless pursuit of a goal, the 19 year old held his own and thus was able to help his side to their third consecutive win this season. Another remarkable contribution to the win was that by the goal scorer, Geovanni. The Italian was fed by an Elano pass, before his 25 meter strike took a deflection off Njama Vidic and found the back of Van der Sar’s net in the 31st minute.

As mentioned earlier, it was a siege on the City goal in the second half, but somehow ManU just lacked the killer edge. With the likes of Rooney, Saha and Solskajaer sitting out due to injury and Cristiano Ronaldo missing because of that silly red card in the previous match, United just could not break down their opponents’ defense. But again, here one is tempted to question the spending spree of Sir Alex Ferguson. What is Anderson doing in the side, if he is not even on the bench when such important players are missing? Surely he is way better than the substitutes thrown on in the second half. And with the transfer window still open till the end of the month, can’t Ferguson just go out for another striker, low-cost albeit, just in order to have some options in situations like these?

It’s no hidden fact that United need a striker even though they broke the bank to get Carlos Tevez. The Argentine hasn’t been able to find his feet just yet as he is still short on match fitness and his debut match spent getting kicked at Portsmouth didn’t help either. However, it is Wayne Rooney that Sir Alex will miss the most in the next two months as early form suggests that this could be a long hard season for the Red Devils. Even a few first round Champions League matches will be over by the time Rooney is completely fit.

For now, the Premier League champions have been completely caught on the hop and now they are really desperate for a win. Tottenham are up next but even that match is quiet tricky. Manchester City have enjoyed their best start ever and nobody expected Sven Goran Ericsson to take them to the top after three games. Jose Mourinho won’t mind the current situation a wee-bit given that five points or more was the minimum difference between the champions & runners-up in the last two years. As it is, it is very likely that Chelsea will be top of the table in another two weeks with the real competition coming from Liverpool this year, with all the strike force that Benitez has gathered this year in Torres, Babel and Voronin.

For Manchester United though the fight for the EPL title might already be over.

Via: BBC Sports

For one, it would be revealed if the performance pendulum has really swung back in Ferrari’s favor and gotten stuck there or does it still have the momentum to shift again. This season is without doubt the most exciting season in deciding who will be the driver’s and constructor’s champion. Sample this. After nine races, we are halfway through the year. There are two teams leading the field but none of them has a clear advantage. There are four drivers vying for top honours in each race but no one can predict who will come out on pole or rather, who will win the race. And more interestingly, there is no number 1 in either Ferarri or Mclaren, clearly meaning that the four title contenders have to slug it out on the tarmac and not in the team pits.

Compare it with the last two years and we had much better indicators, atleast by this same point in the season. In 2005, Alonso and Renault were more or less champions and it was just a question of how many times would Raikkonen’s car break down rather than if. And in 2006, although Schumacher tried hard, Renault’s consistency saw them through. For crying out loud, no third constructor emerged in the shadows in either of the seasons. Ferrari were driving almost nowhere in 2005 and pretty much the same can be said about mclaren in 2006. But this year you have BMW throwing a spanner in the works of both the title contenders, beginning from the Nurburgring.

If one had to pick one driver among the four as the most likely to win given the last nine races, it would be Lewis Hamilton. Yes the kid is in his first season and a world title this year is too much to expect but it is the ‘Hamilton Mania’ that has virtually assured the fans and the television viewers coming back after Schumacher retired. And he has not done badly. 9 podiums in his first nine races is the stuff dreams of any racer are made of. And he is virtually living a dream. The real test however starts now when the second half of the season begins. For the first time he made a real mistake and that too at his home grand prix, in not identifying the correct set up for Silverstone and then the early release of the clutch in the first pit stop.

The fact that Alonso has been quicker than him in the last two races is further going to compound his problems. The Spaniard is having a horrific season given his standards. Simply because he has always had the better of his team mates in his former teams, be it Renault or even Minardi. And here he is, trailing a rookie by 14 points. His comments are also not doing him any favours within the team. All he needs now is to buckle down and use his experience to great effect rather than make mistakes like he did at Magny Cours where instead of easily getting past the BMW of Heidfeld, he trailed him all race long.

Mclaren have had a wonderful season so far. They have won in Kuala Lumpur, Monte Carlo, Montreal and Indianapolis. Not to mention that even when their rivals were on the top step, they made it a point to have their drivers on the remaining podiums which has enabled them to open up a 25 point gap over Ferrari. Consistency wins you championships and Renault only proved that in the last two seasons. But what could be their undoing is the recent trends which show that after the Silverstone test, where new components were added to the car, Ferrari have come out much stronger. As eventually testified by Kimi Raikkonen in both France and Britain.

However this is the least of the problems the Woking based team should be worried about. The major threat is from the FIA on 26th July when they answer the espionage charges against them. For those who don’t know, Ferrari found a mole in Nigel Stepney, their factory technical director, who allegedly seems to have sabotaged the cars in Monaco with a white powder, and then to complicate matters, a 780 page design dossier of Ferrari F2007 cars spruced up in Mike Coughlan’s home, who happens to be a Mclaren designer. Needless to say both are currently suspended.

The Stepney-gate saga continues to haunt the sport unlike any other controversy in the past years. If it is proved that Mclaren had knowledge of the dossier held by Coughlan or he even showed them to some designing colleagues, it could mean either a points deduction or even a ban for the rest of the year for the silver arrows team. There is a possibility of the ban because Honda were banned for two races for using an illegal fuel tank on their car in 2005. And that is not the only Honda connection in this saga. Nick fry, their technical director has been in touch with the two men charged in the saga, for a possible move to the Japanese outfit. Not that it would make much of a difference, seeing that they have absolutely a mess of a car to build upon.

Which brings us back to the drivers. Felippe Massa is having a mixed season. Considering his team mate moved into a new team, he must have considered himself a contender for the world title and like his team mate, he may just have deceived us all. He won two races and was quicker than Kimi for a good part of the year. But all that suddenly changed midway through the Indianapolis grand prix when he suddenly started looking slow compared to the Finn. Since then he has made mistakes and nothing else. He attributes his loss in France to slow back-markers, but simply put, even though he was quick all weekend, he wasn’t as quick when it mattered most. In Silverstone, he drove a peach of a race after it was compromised on the starting grid itself, but how much is that the car’s fault is a doubt. He could have easily jammed the car himself. All in all, Massa is a much better driver than last year, but he has to comprehend the highest paid driver in F1 as his team mate.

Kimi Raikkonen, for the better part of the season, made it look like a wrong career choice as he failed to come to grips with his Ferrari. But his quote, ‘we are working on the car’, proved right in the US. It is said that in the Silverstone tests after that race, some of the components fitted onto the car, made it easier to handle for the Finn. He made a fine start to the season with the win down under but it’s his double victory recently that has rekindled that championship aspiration again. No doubt he is the driver to watch out for in the second half, Mclaren’s biggest threat, if they remain on track that is.

The rest of them are still there. But by no means as enthralling as the top two. BMW have the speed but the reliability and top class drivers are missing. However taking nothing away from the current ones, Kubica has become better after that horrific crash in Canada and Heidfeld has pulled off some sweet moves on Alonso’s Mclaren. Next best is Renault, where Kovalainen is more or less making sure that this is Fisichella’s last season in F1. They will have a run in much before the end of the season for third place honours.

Toyota are up next, although their collaboration with Williams is fetching them more results than the parent manufacturer, which given their huge budget is quite disappointing. On the one hand, Trulli seems to be in trouble almost each race (atleast that’s what he shouts on the radio) and Ralf Schumacher has totally lost it, save his qualifying in UK. Meanwhile, both Wurz and Rosberg are gaining themselves good racing points, the latter being a touch unlucky in the races.

Red bull may have the highest paid car designer in their garage, but their seamless gears are laid out on almost all race tracks, it’s that tightly packed inside the car. The fact that they have managed to finish less than half the races so far tells a story. The two Ferrari powered cars, Torro Rosso and Spyker are nothing worth writing about, except that both Liuzzi and Sutil have managed to impress without much ado.

Last but not the least, the mess that is Honda. Consider this. They have one point, that’s like three less than the Super Aguri team for whom they provide the engines. What makes it worse that while Barrichello actually drives the car, its Button who gets the point. Not to mention that they might find themselves embroiled in the spy saga, and one is tempted to leave the team to their problems. Because there is simply no solution in sight, atleast in 2007. Meanwhile Takuma Sato seems to have found his driving ability again, that overtaking move on Alonso at Magny Cours must be the highlight of his career.

All in all a gripping season so far, that too without Michael Schumacher and his antics. But it promises to be even more so as the man who replaced him gets ready to mount his title assault on the two Mclarens. It will be a race to the finish, till the last lap in Brazil. Just can’t wait.

With wife Victoria and his three kids in the stands along with good friends Tom Cruise and his wife Katie, Beckham walked in to a rampant crowd ovation chanting ‘Muchos Gracias David’, which means thank you David in Spanish.

The team could not, however, get off to a good start. Mallorca scored and maintained the lead all through the first half, while Barcelona took a 3-0 lead at Gymnastics. Beckham took two free kicks, one in first half when he hit the cross bar and the other, early in the second half, which flew just above the wood work. Real Madrid had to find a way back and after Nistelrooy had walked off with a 33rd minute hamstring problem, they suffered another blow as Beckham aggravated his ankle injury & thus was replaced by Jose Antonio Reyes at the hour mark. This turned out to be a master stroke as the on-loan Arsenal forward scored two of Real’s goals as they won the match 3-1, Diarra scoring the third.

So Real Madrid are champions of Spain again, on the basis of head-to-head record against Barcelona. But now the question is can they cope with Beckham’s exit? For simply reason that the English midfielder has been a sensational after he was called back to first team action in January. So much so that Madrid president Calderon has admitted publicly that the club made a mistake in not offering David an extension but would really like to do that now. A similar confession has also been made by the manager Fabio Cappello who some what rectified his earlier mistake of taking Beckham off the team.

So why is a player who has just been at the club for four years and won just one medal, loved so much by the crowd, when some one like Roberto Carlos has been sidelined? The Brazilian has been the best known left-back in world football and after 11 years at the club, four Spanish titles and two European titles, he wasn’t the eye candy for the humongous crowds that had found their way into the stadium. The reason is simple. Beckham’s gentleman behaviour all throughout his stay, his charm and his fighter like ability, these make him attract such adulation wherever he goes.

He may not be able to still speak Spanish fluently but it is his charm in admitting so sheepishly that makes the crowd love his English ways. He may not be scoring goals by the dozen but it is his fighting ability, to run after the ball again and again, to win tackles or free kicks and then deliver the ball to the strikers with amazing precision that has won him the applause at Bernabeu. Plus the fact that the club hierarchy was so adamant that they could let him go and his performance from then on, proving his utility, is something the crowd endears him for. Ever since he has made his comeback, he has been nothing but spectacular. In short, it can be said, that when Real started their fight back for the title, the moment coincided with Beckham’s return to the team. Sadly he will be deploying his dead ball tricks in LA now.

So will Real suffer financially? Well that is a question which actually cannot be answered. A player like David Beckham is without doubt one of the pre-requisites to bringing in the money, but what is also required is winning. Real have faced a major trophy drought for the last four years but now that they have finally won the title, may actually set the cash registers ringing again despite Beckham leaving. Still this is all just speculation as there are no definitive numbers to prove it.

Becks is off to LA galaxy. He leaves a blazing trail of football mixed with charisma and flamboyance behind in Europe, which will burn bright forever. For none other than David Beckham could have charmed the two greatest clubs in football history for 16 years, Manchester United and Real Madrid. Watch out, United States of America.

BBC :Image Credit: Biografiasyvidas

Via: BBC Sport

The last time Mclaren gave a team order was ten years back in 1998, the first race of the year in Australia. The drivers were Mika Hakkinnen and David Coulthard. It was alleged that their radio was tapped in by some one from the outside as Hakkinnen was asked to pit while the team knew nothing about his arrival. As the Finn drove past the bamboozled Mclaren garage, Ron Dennis asked Coulthard to slow down in order to let Mika claim the deserved victory. It helped him sleep peacefully, his conscience being clear, Dennis claimed. But team orders were subsequently banned after the infamous Austrian GP in 2003 when Ferrari asked Rubens Barrichello to pull over and let Michael Schumacher pass.

So what is the controversy this time round? Well, both the drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were asked to take it easy after their first round of pits stops. Hamilton was brought in three laps early than scheduled for his pit stop, so that he would not be able to make a pass at Alonso after the Spaniard had pitted. It is said that even after his pit stop, the British rookie wanted a shot at P1. But was subsequently, asked by the team to hold his charge. The point to be noted is that the young driver looked unhappy for the first time since he joined Mclaren this season and is reported to have been furious about the decision.

The reason was simple. Hamilton thought he could have overtaken Alonso and won his first ever grand prix. And this is being made an issue by the British press, who want their new kid on the block to win his first race as soon as possible, so that they have more to write about him. But that is where the buck stops. Because in wanting to challenge Alonso, who by the way was in an equally capable car and was himself scorching the circuit, Hamilton displayed his impetuous rookie behaviour. Only a rookie can make the mistake of going over the limit on the streets of Monte Carlo, for all the experienced ones know that Monaco as a grand prix circuit is unforgiving on even the slightest of mistakes, given its narrow roads and twisty streets.

And this is what makes Ron Dennis and Mclaren not guilty at all. On any other circuit on any other day, Hamilton would have been allowed to attack Alonso, as the chances of them taking each other out would have been relatively less. But in a race where Hamilton had already crashed in practice, where the slightest mistake means a crash and where the two drivers were already kissing the barriers umpteen number of times in order to better their lap times, how could have the highly experienced team principal allowed what the rookie wanted and jeopardized the team cause? As the next two races could see Ferrari return to strength at the low downforce circuits of Montreal and Indianapolis, it was only imperative that the Woking based outfit make use of their superiority at this high downforce circuit. With 76 points now, they have a huge advantage of 20 points over Ferrari’s 56. Which means that their rivals would only be catching up in the near future.

Article 151c of the International Sporting Code by the FIA states that ‘by way of any fraudulent conduct, or any act prejudicial to the interests of the interests of motorsport generally, no team orders should get in the way of the drivers ability to win a race or affect the outcome of a race in an unsporting manner’. They intend to listen in on the radio tapes of Mclaren for the Monaco race. But given the reasons implied by Ron Dennis and the unique restrictions imposed on overtaking by this unusual circuit, it is easy to understand that they were not actually team orders but a safety guide as to how to bring in the two cars home safely and earn maximum points available. If only, Hamilton had the maturity to understand this too.

Via: Planet-F1

Via: Planet-F1

Beckham had signed for the Major League Soccer club from Real Madrid on a five year deal worth $250 million. And although it maybe one of the best moves business wise for the club and of course for Beckham as a brand, but considering his ambitions of international appearances for his country, he might have just suffered a blow. The reason is that the MLS is played from April to January, a run of 30 games, and then they have four months off. During that period, the teams get along on fitness regimes and training sessions for their players, in short, everything the European clubs do in their pre-season build up. There was talk of Beckham moving to either one of Newcastle, Everton or Tottenham during this period on a 3 month loan deal, but it has been shot down.

While England will be busy in their run in for the Euro 2008, the MLS season would be in full swing. And that is what concerns the people in charge at LA. Their general manager Alexei Lalas has gone so far as to claim that this ‘business deal’ needs to be honoured for the betterment of the club as well as the sport in America. And saying so, he has added that it would be better if Beckham were to be chosen for only ‘meaningful games’. This hasn’t gone down well with either FIFA or the FA, not to mention the English boss, Steve Mclaren. They seem to be asking the LA manager, what are meaningful games, when it comes to playing for one’s country.

The reason is simple. England play a majority of their qualifiers in the autumn. That’s against Russia twice, Israel and Estonia. Throw in some friendly matches too and all the tickets that have been sold because of the superstar’s arrival at Los Angeles would go waste. Again the other important point is that it would also be the time that LA Galaxy might be in the title hunt and not to have one of their most experienced players in the thick of things would only hurt the club’s football aspirations.

What does this mean for David Beckham then? Is his move a bad one then? Will he have to give up his pursuit of 100 caps and maybe later on, hang his international jersey forever? Well one can’t say if he will be in the radar of Steve Mclaren after these two matches, the friendly against Brazil at the new Wembley and the Euro ‘08 qualifier against Estonia. It all depends on his performances, which will be with Real Madrid for two more weeks and later with LA Galaxy. And that is where he will tend to lose out. Quite a few players are knocking on the doors for Mclaren to fill up the right flank position, where Beckham usually plays. The front runner is Tottenham’s Arron Lennon who is currently out with injury and then there is Shawn Wright Phillips, who has given some stellar performances for Chelsea this season. Not to forget, Liverpool’s Jermaine Pennant who only just missed out on this recent selection. All these players will be playing throughout England’s run to the European championships.

One can clearly see that age is not on his side. He needs to play constantly till the run up to the Euro 2008 championships was over, so as to stay in the public eye and more importantly the manager’s, for team selection. Thus the loan deal being rejected will be his biggest blow. The only card he has in hand is via his performances. If he can constantly catch the headlines with his performances for LA Galaxy, rather than his image, it would hold him in good stead. No other way out for the first ever superstar to play in MLS, David Beckham.

Via: BBC Sports

Via: BBC Sports

It was clear from the Thursday practice itself that the Silver Arrows team was the one to beat this weekend. The only challenge would have come from either Ferrari or BMW. But since third placed Felippe Massa took almost a minute to reach the finish line after the Mclaren cars had taken the chequered flag, it was clear that they were a class apart from the rest of the field. Another fact is that only the third placed Ferrari escaped being relegated a lap down displayed the sheer tenacity and ruthlessness of the two Mclaren drivers.

Inspite of the predictions of a wet race, the sun shone brightly over the street circuit and when the lights went off, Alonso was followed in the first corner by Hamilton who closed off the possibility of any start-of-the-race challenge from Massa. The other Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonnen, whose race had already been compromised in qualifying due to his incident, jumped four places in the first lap, from 16th to 12th. But then that was about all the headway he could make. He started on the harder compounds with a heavy load and was clearly on a one stop strategy.

There were a few incidents on the first lap as Coulthard clipped Vittantonio Liuzzi’s car, Anthony Davidson clashed with Scott Speed and Takuma Sato drove his car into the Renault of Heiki Kovalainnen. Then came the consecutive run of fast laps from Fernando Alonso as the Spaniard reduced his lap times on a per lap basis. Hamilton too responded to Alonso’s speed and by the time the tenth lap was over, the Mclarens were way beyond the reach of any body else.

Monaco is a track where the qualifying matters a lot as the cars tend to stay in the position in which they qualify, due to lack of overtaking opportunities. Even if one doesn’t have a good car, in Monaco, he can still fend off any challenges from the better cars trying to get in front, probably for the whole of the race. That is what makes this grand prix the lottery it is. And Nick Heidfeld in his BMW & Barrichello in his Honda realized this to their immense pleasure. Heidfeld had made a good start, leapfrogging Nico Rosberg’s Williams and Barrichello too had managed to break in to the points places in the initial parts of the race. But as the race went on, the two began to struggle as well as hold faster cars behind them. Wurz, Button, Rosberg all were suffering behind the two with faster cars, but the biggest loss was that of Raikkonen. The Finn just could not get his Ferrari past any of the slower cars, so narrow are the roads of Monte Carlo.

By the time the pit stops came, the Mclarens were well ahead and were never going to be challenged even once. Even though the battle from outsiders was non existent, the battle from within was very much on. Even though Alonso came out in front after the first round of stops, Hamilton never relaxed for a minute. Actually not even for a second. On lap 20 to 22, when faced with back markers, Alonso had lost 3 seconds to Hamilton in one lap only. The world champion replied with his personal best, scorching the streets with 1.15.721. Such was the dominance of their cars that Hamilton replied with his best, 1.16.085.

One can go on and on as to how the two cars in the front just continued with their domination over the rest, but again, this was again not one of those classic races you get to see in Monaco. It was pretty much the same as in Spain two weeks ago, a sleepy race. But unlike Spain, Alonso took the Chequered Flag with Hamilton making a fifth consecutive podium appearance. The only other point worth mentioning here is that the rookie driver, in the post race conference, admitted he had been asked by the team not to push Alonso further. Team orders, weren’t they banned by the FIA?

Ron Dennis has laid down the gauntlet to Ferrari by claiming that Mclaren have found more speed and it seems so too. More so when, Felippe Massa finished a distant third, a full 1 minute 9 seconds behind. The point is that Mclaren have historically done well at Monaco as this is a high down force circuit. Plus the Ferrari’s design having a longer wheel base seemed to have caught up with them. If Ferrari had hoped to challenge Mclaren here, it was all on Kimi who has an impressive record at Monaco. But that was with the team that ultimately won. With Ferrari his record reads a fouled qualifying and a wasted weekend with just one point. Add Massa’s six, and that’s 7 for Ferrari this Sunday. Not good as their rivals collected 18 opening a 20 point gap in the constructor’s championship.

Alonso set the fastest lap with 1.15.284 and Hamilton was a close behind, 1.15.372. But this was where their cars were indeed very quick. If their claim of having gotten more speed is true, then they will repeat it at the next two races in Indianapolis and Montreal, two low down force circuits. Then we will know for sure. Until then expect Ferrari to bounce back, hard.

Via: Planet-F1

But Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar decided to learn it the hard way. He invited India to bat on a pitch where even a half decent batsman just needs to stay at the wicket and the runs will come. And the result is there for all to see. India declared at 610/3 on the second day of the test, making sure that Dav Whatmore would like to forget his last test in charge quickly.

However, on any pitch it takes a lot of application and mental strength to score runs. Especially, if one has been out for a king pair of ducks in the previous test. And that is what Wasim Jaffer set about rectifying. In the company of Dinesh Karthik, the Mumbai opener scored his fourth test ton. What is it with Jaffer and good batting tracks? He seems to have found a penchant for scoring tons whenever such an opportunity presents itself. The last one was on a similar track in the West Indies, when he scored a double hundred. Talk about opportunities and we know who the current ‘perfect opportunist’ is in the current Indian team. Dinesh Karthik’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable, especially after he lost his place in the playing eleven to Dhoni. He got his chance in South Africa when the team was struggling and got to play the third test because of Sehwag’s poor form. He made an impression there and again his selection for this tour has also been Sehwag’s (un)doing.

That this tour has been ill planned is no more a doubt. In searing heat, the players have been made to toil and without any rhyme or reason, especially when already we have a heavily loaded calendar this fall. Kudos to the players, who are just getting on with their job. But it is beginning to take its toll on the players’ fitness. After batting through the day, the two opening batsmen had to retire ill, under the effects of the burning sun. Karthik went first when in his 80s but Jaffer persevered at bit more to complete his century. Though before the day was over he too, had retired to the coolness of the dressing room. India ended day 1 at 326 for no loss with Dravid on 88 and Tendulkar just beginning to settle down.

But what the two young batsmen couldn’t do, the stalwarts of Indian cricket did. Dravid batted out the first day while Tendulkar was on the field the whole of the second day, giving ample justification that both of them were not only in the best of forms but also were physically fit for the coming season, which could only be good news for Indian cricket. The Indian captain looked in great hurry as he scored his runs at a strike rate of over 70 while the other centurions just about touched 60. it was beyond doubt that he wanted to make amends for the false shot he played in the first test. He finally departed for 129. Tendulkar however went on to complete his 37th test century and putting some considerable distance between himself and Ponting. Side by side silencing his critics, atleast till the England tour, where he will still have a lot to play for, surprisingly after all these years.

Dinesh Karthik came out to bat again on the second day after Dravid’s dismissal and alongwith Tendulkar, took India to a position of strength. The just-married young lad also took hold of this wonderful opportunity to score his maiden test century, being cheered on by his wife. Its almost certain that he will be partnering Jaffer in the first test against England. After he departed playing the same shot that got him out in the previous match, a hook shot, Ganguly walked in and simply put walked out. When the rest of the batsmen were making merry, Ganguly failed. But Dhoni didn’t as he provided the last finish to the batsmen s efforts with a valiant 50 off just 51 balls.

Indian batsmen made history on the second day, the top four making centuries in the same innings, a feat never achieved before in test cricket. And all four complemented each other perfectly to set up the match for India. While Jaffer was fluent, Karthik was working hard for his runs. On the other hand, Dravid was aggressive while Sachin was just content in grinding out the Bangladeshi bowling. Together they took India to a mammoth 600 plus total. But a final touch was required. And Zaheer didn’t disappoint.

In the last session of the day, the Indian spearhead reduced the opposition batsmen to pulp with his new ball. At one stage Bangladesh were 7/4, Bashar and Ashraful being the biggest culprits of not using their experience on a placid track. Before the day ended, Anil Kumble showed that he had recovered just fine, without losing his appetite for wickets as he broke Rajin Saleh’s defiance. From 58/5, this match can only go one place. Any other would be nothing but disaster for India.

Via: Cricinfo

Whenever a driver changes his team, it is only natural that he takes time to adapt to the new car and the team’s working. Given the fact that Kimi didn’t get to drive a Ferrari till late January, it was always going to be tough for him to adjust. Add to that the family-like working culture in Ferrari, to which concept the Finn is alien to, and it was widely accepted that he won’t be able to cope with the pressure. Plus team mate Fellippe Massa continued to outpace him in all the testing sessions. Kimi had his hands full.

But then Melbourne happened. Pole, win, all in the first race. But after that it was all downhill, culminating in the early exit in Spain. And now this confession has all but put question marks on his challenge to the world title this season. A race ago, he was the joint leader, after Barcelona, he is 4th and lagging again in the WDC. And this time not only the Mclaren drivers but also, Massa has stolen a march on him. When the time comes to decide the no.1 driver sooner or later, it won’t be a surprise if Jean Todt selects the Brazilian if the situation stays the same.

The reasons for this aren’t too oblivious. Massa has been driving a Ferrari since ages, ever since he was a test driver in his Sauber days. Then came the opportunity to drive for the Italian team last year and the fact that he idolizes Michael Schumacher & rarely is out of touch with him, it shows in the way he is performing at the Scuderia. Also a widely known fact that cometh the hour, Ferrari always differentiate between its drivers, some sort of a tradition there one might be forced to think. The point is Kimi is losing out and losing out big time, because for most of his time as an F1 driver, he has driven only on the Michelin tyres.

What is also beyond doubt that Fernando Alonso is also losing out. But is he struggling for the same reason or is it the ‘Hamilton hype’ which is getting to him? Because it is too a reality that the double world champion has driven only on Michelins so far and might be finding it hard to handle the tyre changes, but then it is also a fact that he has always overshadowed his lesser talented team mates, something which is not happening here and is without doubt, troubling his mind. Mclaren aren’t like Ferrari. They allow their drivers to race each other on track and fight it out among themselves. So if it goes to the wire, many think it already is, Alonso won’t be given any special status and Hamilton will be party to all the race winning strategies.

The hard truth is that Formula 1 is witnessing a battle of, presumably, the number twos of the two frontline teams. Both Massa and Hamilton some how negate the disadvantages of their team mates in their style of driving. Massa as explained earlier practically drives even his dirty-linen cart on Bridgestones and Hamilton s just in his first year in f1. What does he know about the difference between a Michelin or a Bridgestone on an F1 car? Point is that other drivers in other teams are feeling the same pinch. BMW’s Robert Kubica, Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen and Spyker’s Christijan Albers have also struggled to adapt to the tyres, having driven Michelins for the better part of their careers.

However all said and done, the next race is in Monte Carlo, a lottery of a race by all means in the F1 circus. The twisty tracks of Monaco offer a chance to both Kimi and Alonso to re-exert themselves on the WDC. Like it was meant to be. Otherwise it could be a long hard season for the both of them. Especially for Kimi.

Via: Planet-F1

Liverpool would fancy their chances. There is so much tension in the air that the English side would feel that Milan would wilt under it. The shadow of Istanbul still looms large on AC Milan, one feels. However it might just lead to the opposite effect. Liverpool might just get over confident, maybe like two years back when Milan were leading at half time 3-0 and lost. Such is the nature of football, none can predict. Add to it this rivalry, this opportunity to get even or the opportunity to go two up and one can’t actually wait for the game to begin.

AC Milan played the perfect match in recent football memory when they beat Manchester United 3-0 at the San Siro in the second leg of their semi-final. They wove a wonderful web of tricks around United, scored three good goals and then defended well. And a repeat performance would certainly see them winning the cup. For few teams can match them when they are on song. By breaking the speed of play of the Red Devils, Milan got the better of them. But Liverpool is not Manchester United. They can play both ways, rough football and fast paced games. So what trick is Ancellotti teaching his players?

Liverpool have had quite a ride under Rafael Benitez. They haven’t done that well in the domestic league but in Europe, they have been impeccable. As Jose Mourinho pointed out they play only one tournament in the season and that’s the Champions league. Well, their fans aren’t complaining as the march towards a sixth European title brings them to Athens. But this time they must be careful. Especially in their team selection. In 2005, Rafa shocked everybody by putting Harry Kewell in the starting line up after he had been out for most of the season. The story is the same this year too but only this time it would not be a surprise. Nor would it serve any purpose. The Liverpool manager however is known to play tricks with his team selection and will obviously play with the wingers in the squad. Because it won’t be easy to break the Italians down in central defense, the only opportunity might come from the flanks. The reasons are obvious.

AC Milan are only too aware this season. Their year was ruined at the start by the match fixing penalties pushing them out of contention for the Italian title. Their season could only be salvaged by winning in Europe and look where their resolve brought them. Milan have a very strong team line up with the weakest point being the goal keeper Dida. He has become too error prone in recent times but if for one moment the opponents think they can exploit this weakness, consider their defense. Maldini, Nesta, Gankilovski, Kaladze and the new signing, Oddo. Plus they have the ‘Rhino’ Gattuso guarding them. Not easy to break down.

Liverpool would do well to start Gerrard in a more central midfield position. Mascherano and Alonso will have their hands full trying to win or keep possession of the ball against the likes of Kaka, Pirlo and Seedorf. The defense is settled in the guardship of Carragher and Riise but it is the hands of Reina which will determine the fate of their club. If the man in the goal is too mercurial tonight, like his traits are, then Liverpool will remain five time champions.

AC Milan have only one major worry. Which striker to play, Inzaghi or Gillardino? It would be better to start with Inzaghi as he is always moving around the penalty box, ready to pounce even on half a chance. However Gillardino is more liable to score as he bonds well with the midfield and it is not going to be as open as it was in 2005. So he can come on in the second half when the opposition legs are jaded and may create a flutter. But the man they will be looking forward to shine again would be Kaka. The Brazilian has taken a more attacking role ever since Shevchenko left. And he has been successful. 10 goals in Europe this season, only a winner’s medal can cap it off.

Both the clubs know that the match will hinge on many individual battles. Kaka against Mascherano, Seedorf with Xabi Alonso, the Liverpool wingers against the Italian full backs, Gerrard against Gattuso. And of course the goal keepers, Dida v/s Reina, who will foul up first? Some surprises might be thrown in. Crouch or Bellamy, both could be useful in the second half. For Milan, Gillardino might start ahead of Inzaghi.

However, the talking stops here. No one expected what happened in 2005. None can be foolhardy enough to expect anything in 2007. Except one thing. Either Liverpool will rub salt in Milan’s wounds or AC Milan will finally get the redemption they have been seeking since 2005, more so against Liverpool.

The world will be watching.

Via: ESPNsoccernet