Cricket: India are ranked world No1 for first time after crushing Sri Lanka

Blackleaf

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,400
1,667
113
Considering that cricket is very much India's national sport - no, make that a religion - then it seems hard to believe that this nation of 1 billion people and the world's most powerful cricketing country has never been ranked Number One in the world.

But that injustice has today been put right. Cricket may be a high-scoring game, but never on this scale for India, with their first innings total of 726-9 declared being their highest ever score in a Test match. That 726 runs included an incredible 293 from Sehwag.

In reply, India's opponents Sri Lanka posted a first innings total of 393. That left Sri Lanka 333 behind their opponents, meaning India had the option of putting the Sri Lankans in to bat first in the second innings, which they did. Sri Lanka then posted a total of 309, leaving them 24 runs behind India. India were victorious without having to bat again - an innings victory.

The result left India overtaking South Africa to become the number one ranked team on the planet for the first time.

India beat Sri Lanka by an innings to top Test rankings

BBC Sport
Sunday 6th December 2009

Day Five of the Third Test, Mumbai

1st Innings
India 726-9 dec
Sri Lanka: 393

2nd Innings
Sri Lanka 309

India win by an innings and 24 runs.
India win the Series 2-0.
***************************

India: Sehwag, Vijay, Dravid, Tendulkar, Yuvraj, Laxman, Dhoni (C/W), Harbhajan, Ojha, Zaheer, Sreesanth

Sri Lanka: Dilshan, Paranavitana, Sangakkara (C), M Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Mathews, P Jayawardene (W), Kulasekara, Herath, Muralitharan, Welegedara


India fought back to clinch the series after drawing the first Test

India have become the world's top-ranked Test team for the first time after beating Sri Lanka in the third Test by an innings and 24 runs.

Sri Lanka, resuming on 274-6, were bowled out for 309 as Zaheer Khan took three of the final four wickets.


India's Virender Sehwag scored an incredible 293 as India made 726-9 declared, their highest ever Test score

The 2-0 series win moves India above South Africa in the International Cricket Council's Test rankings.

"I would not hesitate to say this is the best team I have ever played with," said India star Sachin Tendulkar.

"If you look at the batting line-up, right from the number one batsman to the number seven batsman which is Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it's a solid line-up."

Needing 60 runs to make India bat again, Sri Lanka lost Kumar Sangakkara caught behind off Zaheer in the fifth day's opening over.

Virender Sehwag, named man of the match and man of the series having set up victory with a blistering innings of 293, added: "I'm very lucky to be a part of this team and I hope we stay at the number one spot for a long time to come."

Zaheer then dismissed Rangana Herath (three) and overnight batsman Nuwan Kulasekara (19) to finish with figures of 5-72.


An exquisite 109 from Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan was not enough to give his team victory

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had Muttiah Muralitharan caught behind for 14 as India wrapped up the tail in fewer than eight overs.

Victory in the third Test came after an India fightback secured a draw following a first-innings collapse in the first Test in Ahmedabad.

ICC WORLD TEST RANKINGS
As at 6 December 2009
1. India (rating: 124)
2. South Africa (122)
3. Australia (116)
4. Sri Lanka (115)
5. England (105)
6. Pakistan (84)
7. New Zealand (80)
8. West Indies (76)
9. Bangladesh (13)

They then beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 144 runs in the second Test in Kanpur - India's highest ever margin of victory over their opponents.

"It is a tough ask to get to be the number one team in the world especially in Test cricket and we have got there through an all-round team effort," said captain Dhoni.

"But the real task starts now because we have maintain the level of performance and the team spirit."

Tendulkar, who brushed aside questions about his retirement, added: "It's been a long wait and I'm extremely delighted.

"I think the process of getting to the number one spot really started when (coach) Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton took over, along with Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh.

"The aim of the whole team then was to get to be the top in the world. All credit to Kirsten, he handled the team brilliantly and credit also to the other players who have been a part of this team over the last 18-20 months."

Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara said he had known his side faced a "tough series", but admitted India had outplayed them.


"The Indian team outperformed us in every aspect of the game, especially in the last two matches," said Sangakkara.

"They continued to pile the pressure on us, but we couldn't do the same to them. "We won the toss, we put almost 400 runs on the board, but then Sehwag took the game away from us.

"The advantage was wholly with them once they got 700 plus on the board. The guys have fought hard throughout the series and we did all that we could but it wasn't enough."

news.bbc.co.uk/sport
 
Kreskin

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
21,155
149
63
I meant, We could KICK their ass. Just tell us what the rules are and we'll bash the crap out of that silly wicket league.
 
L Gilbert

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
23,738
107
63
70
50 acres in Kootenays BC
the-brights.net
SirJosephPorter

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
When we lived in Britain, I used to follow cricket, I haven’t done so since we returned to Canada.

At that time, India used to be pretty low on the totem poll, England, Australia and West Indies being the top three. However, I was surprised to see how far low West Indies has sunk. They have produced many of the all time great cricketers in the past.

Anyway, India (and China) are advancing not only in terms of economics, technology, not only they are becoming more prosperous, they are also getting better at sports and other areas. I am a great chess enthusiast. The current world chess champion is from India (Vishwanath Anand).

He was responsible for ending the USSR (and later Russian) hegemony in the Chess world, he is a kind of Bobby Fisher.
 
SirJosephPorter

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
Kreskin said:
I meant, We could KICK their ass. Just tell us what the rules are and we'll bash the crap out of that silly wicket league.
Click to expand...

It may surprise you Kreskin, but they do play cricket in Canada. It is mostly Indian and Pakistani expatriates, Canadians are mostly not interested.
 
SirJosephPorter

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
Do you know how old is Tendulkar, Blackleaf? It seems he has been playing cricket forever. I am surprised he is still good enough to play test cricket.
 
gopher

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
21,513
65
48
Minnesota: Gopher State
I watched cricket on justin.tv the other day and there were quite a few Yanks watching as well. The rules are very easy to learn and the 20/20 format makes for much fun. Amateurs can modify the rules even more and use a 10/10 format (say, 10 overs comprised of 9 or 10 deliveries each) which would be even more popular in the States.

Let's remember that cric was the USA's # 1 sport prior to the Civil War. I am very confident that those glory days can make a big comeback.

As for India, it can reach # 1 in international cric with all the spinners they have. This and good defense can help them beat just about any other team.
 
SirJosephPorter

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
gopher said:
I watched cricket on justin.tv the other day and there were quite a few Yanks watching as well. The rules are very easy to learn and the 20/20 format makes for much fun. Amateurs can modify the rules even more and use a 10/10 format (say, 10 overs comprised of 9 or 10 deliveries each) which would be even more popular in the States.

Let's remember that cric was the USA's # 1 sport prior to the Civil War. I am very confident that those glory days can make a big comeback.

As for India, it can reach # 1 in international cric with all the spinners they have. This and good defense can help them beat just about any other team.
Click to expand...

Gopher you seem very knowledgeable about cricket, for a Yank.

The problem with cricket is that it is a very slow game, much slower than any of the American favorites. A football or basketball game is usually over in three hours. A test match of cricket can go on for six days (five days of cricket, one day rest in between) and still end up a draw many times, without either side winning.

One day cricket makes it more interesting and more fast paced. Still it goes on for a whole day, and that is still too long by US standards. So I don’t see cricket catching on in USA.

But you are right, of course. It probably is not widely known in USA, but USA used to play cricket and used to be very good at it too. But that was in the days gone by.

I also remember reading somewhere that the fellow who thought of baseball got the idea for the game from cricket.

India has always had plenty of spinners. When I used to live in Britain and follow cricket closely, India’s problem was not spinner or batting, they were good at it. Their problem was fast bowlers. They just could not come up with a good fast bowler (in spite of 1 billion population). As a result their batsmen used to have difficulty facing the fast bowlers, though they used to do pretty well against spinners.
 
L Gilbert

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
23,738
107
63
70
50 acres in Kootenays BC
the-brights.net
Cricket's a great game. I don't think it's any slower moving than baseball. It's just that the team's are larger and as there are only two "bases" so, as long as one can keep making runs and/or just hitting the ball, one can stay at bat for a very long time. I've played every position from wicketkeeper to silly-mid-off and I liked them all. As an older dood now, though, I wouldn't be playing SMO as it requires lightning fast reflexes.
It is a slower game than b-ball, or soccer, for sure. American football kind of puts me to sleep, as does golf. Rugby is my game.
 
gopher

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
21,513
65
48
Minnesota: Gopher State
''Gopher you seem very knowledgeable about cricket, for a Yank.''


SJP,

Thanx.

In the past 4 years I have watched far more cric than baseball. The neighborhood where I grew up in Brooklyn was a largely West Indian area. I have been a fan of the Windies all my life. Brooklyn, NY was at one time the cric capitol of the USA.

In my youth we were too poor to play real cric. But we used old broom sticks, recycled tennis balls or spaldeens, and pasteboard as wickets. A friend who I lost touch with years ago said I would have been a really good cric player. He should know as he was captain of his own club.

Well, in my next lifetime I will definitely play the game as I am especially fond of the 20/20 format and sincerely believe it can be a great success in the States.
 
gopher

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
21,513
65
48
Minnesota: Gopher State
''Rugby is my game.''


LG,

Have you been watching Heineken Cup?

Today I watched Leinster over Llanelli 32-7. The Scarlets were lucky in scoring that one try. In fact, I thought the ref went real easy on them. Cup matches should be real good tomorrow.
 
SirJosephPorter

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
gopher said:
''Gopher you seem very knowledgeable about cricket, for a Yank.''


SJP,

Thanx.

In the past 4 years I have watched far more cric than baseball. The neighborhood where I grew up in Brooklyn was a largely West Indian area. I have been a fan of the Windies all my life. Brooklyn, NY was at one time the cric capitol of the USA.

In my youth we were too poor to play real cric. But we used old broom sticks, recycled tennis balls or spaldeens, and pasteboard as wickets. A friend who I lost touch with years ago said I would have been a really good cric player. He should know as he was captain of his own club.

Well, in my next lifetime I will definitely play the game as I am especially fond of the 20/20 format and sincerely believe it can be a great success in the States.
Click to expand...

I was told that cricket in India is very popular, but many kids are too poor to play cricket. That doesn’t stop them. If they cannot afford a tennis ball, they take a rubber ball. If they cannot afford a bat, they would take a wooden plank. If they cannot afford stumps, they would draw stumps on a wall with a chalk. And then they would play cricket.

Where there is a will, there is a way.
 
gopher

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
21,513
65
48
Minnesota: Gopher State
There's a great irony to the game of cric that you don't see in other sports: years ago it was for wealthy snobby types. Today in India, Pakistan, Windies, or wherever, it is now the poor man's sport. And that's great to see.

Hopefully, some day polo will be viewed that way!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom