Cabinet portfolios: Sonia, Rahul pick key men

NEW DELHI: It was at 9.30pm on Thursday that news finally came - the portfolios were out. At first look it seemed along expected lines, but then
a few surprises surfaced: there was a new commerce minister in Anand Sharma with the previous one, Kamal Nath, being moved to surface transport. Veerappa Moily as law minister was also a surprise.
The delay in announcing portfolios betrayed that allocation of jobs wasn't easy. As Sonia Gandhi said, it was a balancing act. Political considerations had to be married with merit to create a team that will deliver. And as Manmohan Singh said, people expected efficiency from the government; ``business as usual'' would not do.
Will the team deliver? Well, here are its key players. For a government for which rural upliftment is a stated priority, the man on the spot is newcomer C P Joshi who has been given the rural development ministry. Another priority, infrastructure, has the effective Kamal Nath in charge of surface transport (although there were whispers about him being being removed from ``glamorous'' commerce), and Sushil K Shinde as power minister.
Education is another high focus area for the government and it found Kapil Sibal - an educated and efficient minister - to man the HRD ministry. If infrastructure and the social sector are important for both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, there was obvious thought and care in choosing the men in charge of these areas. To that extent, there appears to be a clear influence of the Gandhis in the ministry making.
The other important choices were Ghulam Nabi Azad as health and family welfare minister, Ambika Soni as I&B mantri, and Jairam Ramesh as the minister for environment and forests. Pradeep Jain, said to be a Rahul aide, will assist C P Joshi as the junior minister in rural development. NCP's Agatha Sangma, at 28 the youngest ever minister, will be the other junior minister to Joshi, who will also hold the additional charge of panchayati raj.
If Anand Sharma looked pleased after his elevation as cabinet minister, being named commerce and industry ministry should make him beam. He is now in the big league. Perhaps a background in international law and diplomacy weighed in his favour for a ministry where global trade talks are among top concerns.
Shashi Tharoor, a first-time MP but a veteran diplomat, finds a place in the external affairs ministry as MoS. Jairam Ramesh, the man behind Congress's poll campaign, is expected to play a crucial role as environment minister as important negotiations on global warming are on the agenda later this year.
Tamil Nadu leader G K Vasan's appointment as shipping minister is a signal to DMK which had wanted the ministry to pursue its Sethu Samudram project. Congress is wary of brinksmanship on the issue and will control its progress. It is also in keeping with the possibility the party sees in reclaiming its lost space in a state where had been the balancing factor.
Ambika Soni's shift from the somewhat peripheral tourism ministry to information and broadcasting brings her back to centrestage as propaganda czar and gives her an important say in shaping media policies. She was tipped for health but should be more than pleased with her high visibility assignment.
Ghulam Nabi Azad as health minister has been tasked with an important piece of the government's social sector agenda and the job of undoing the reign of PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss, who was seen to have engaged in endless confrontations during his term in the previous UPA regime.
Maharashtra leader Mukul Wasnik's appointment to the social justice and empowerment ministry that oversees quotas, is yet another sign of Congress brass using ministry making to supplement its preparation for the polls in Maharashtra due later this year. Congress has to ward off a challenge from both BSP and RPI factions aligned with its rivals. Raising the profile of an articulate Dalit will help.
Both Murli Deora and Sushil Shinde should be happy at having retained their charge of petroluem and power. Both Maharashtra leaders have proved to be doughty survivors not so much due to performance ratings but because the party leadership sees them as "safe" choices.
UP leader Salman Khursheed, disappointed at not breaking into the Cabinet, has been given independent charge of coprorate affairs, besides having the additional responsibility of minority affairs, now seen as a success story.
Prithviraj Chavan lived up to his billing as a trustworthy link between 10, Janpath and PMO. He has been elevated as MOS with independent charge of science and technology but will also continue to be MOS in PMO. He will be MOS, personnel, as well.
Two ex-CMs Virbhadra Singh and Vilasrao Deshmukh have been given charge of steel and heavy industry respectively and the decision seems based on their seniority. Deshmukh serves the purpose of being a political counter-weight to the NCP as well.
Some of the younger ministers have been given a chance to show some sparkle. Jyotiraditya Scindia in commerce, Sachin Pilot in communication and IT, RPN Singh in road transport, Ajay Maken in home and Jitin Prasada in petroleum are cases in point.
The choices of Shashi Tharoor and Preneet Kaur as junior ministers in MEA may come in handy for the 77-year-old S M Krishna.
Meira Kumar's shift from social justice to water resources may spell a novelty but not a leg up certainly for the sole representive from Bihar. Subodh Kant Sahay, who earned an elevation, has failed to move out of his previous food processing ministry.


Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Tamil Nadu tops in punishing smoking ban violators

To strengthen the mechanism for reporting violations of anti-smoking laws, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has made its round-the-clock toll-free helpline accessible from any part of the country.

Violations can be reported on 1800-110-456. There is a provision to make complaints though the helpline. Information is also given about the provisions of the anti-smoking laws such as the definition of public place, open space and prohibited areas and fine that will be collected from violators. Till March this year, more than 1,600 violations have been reported through the helpline, which was launched in 2008 after the Revised Smoke Free Rules under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (The Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution Act, 2003) were notified.

Tamil Nadu has fined the highest number of people (9,648) for breaking the rules, collecting Rs.11,42,950. Delhi comes second with Rs.3,85,964 from 3,671 violators. In Karnataka, Rs.1,15,398 has been collected from 2,465 violators and Gujarat has netted Rs.1,17,680 from 393 people. Chandigarh is the only smoke-free city in the country. Delhi proposes to reach the mark in 2009, while Chennai, Ahmedabad and Mumbai will go smoke-free in 2010. Some other States, including Jharkhand and Sikkim, are also working towards becoming smoke-free.

The Act, aimed at discouraging the consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products, prohibits smoking in public places, bans sale of tobacco products to minors, imposes a ban on direct and indirect advertisements of all tobacco products and seeks to display specified health warnings on tobacco products. The Revised Smoke Free Rules make violation of the Act punishable with fine up to Rs.200. Many States have put in place a mechanism for issuing challans.

Source: http://www.hindu.com

Labour ministry raises red flag over 'illegal' Chinese workers

The labour and employment ministry has taken strong exception to the growing number of Chinese semi-skilled workers and technicians illegally working in India after having received business visas. It has now taken up the issue with the ministry of home affairs and external affairs.
A top government official, on the condition of anonymity, told The Indian Express that the number of Chinese nationals who are in India on a business visa is currently estimated to be around 8,000 - 10,000. "Many are working in steel plants as semi-skilled workers or technicians in and around Jharkhand. We understand that a large number of such workers have come on business visa. A business visa does not allow them to engage in semi-skilled jobs," the official said. The government has also received reports of illegal workers from east Asian countries like Malaysia.
When contacted, a Chinese embassy spokesperson denied knowledge of the matter. He said every year around 60,000 Chinese nationals visit India, one-third of them on business visa. "The number of Chinese working illegally in India would be very few," the official added.
The business visa, on which it is said these nationals have arrived, is issued for up to five years, with a provision for multiple entries. Such a visa is issued by an Indian Embassy abroad and can be renewed or extended within India.
On the other hand, for foreign nationals to work in India, they must obtain a residential permit from Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) located in all major cities. In the case of smaller cities, permission from the principal police station is required. When contacted, FRRO sources denied having received complaints of such nature.
According to government officials, corrective action will be taken soon. "The labour and employment ministry has also communicated its views to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion," the official said.
When contacted, industry chamber Confederation of Indian Industry said the issue is serious and it has already taken cognisance of it. "We have sought a report from our member-companies in the areas where there are lots of Chinese workers," said a CII executive.
Some of the turnkey projects of major industries require Chinese consultants and supervisors to come to the plant site. "It is one of the mechanisms through which illegal workers enter India," said the official, while pointing out that the Indian embassies in China have been issuing visas without verifying details and running proper checks.
Two weeks ago, there was an outbreak of violence between Chinese workers and locals at a plant near Bokaro in Jharkhand. Electrocasting Steel Ltd, a listed company with a turnover of Rs 1,348 crore in 2007-08, has contracted work to a Chinese firm MS Limited for setting up a 3 million-tonne a year steel plant at Parbatpur near Bokaro and about 600 Chinese nationals are working on it.

Unlawful entry?

and#149; Number of Chinese nationals in India on a business visa is estimated to be around 8,000 - 10,000

and#149; Many Chinese working in steel plants as semi-skilled workers or technicians in and around Jharkhand. A large number of such workers are on business visa, which does not allow them to engage in semi-skilled jobs

and#149; Some turnkey projects of major industries require Chinese consultants and supervisors to come to the plant site. This then becomes one of the mechanisms through which illegal workers enter India


Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Storm Aila kills 32 across Bengal

KOLKATA: As the city prayed for rain, a storm silently brewed 750 km from Kolkata, deep inside the Bay of Bengal. The small patch of white cloud
detected over the sea by weather office radars at 11.30 am on May 23 had looked anything but threatening. A low-pressure area that might not develop into anything more potent, it seemed. Even if it did, it would perhaps veer towards Bangladesh like it so often has.

But this time it did not. The tiny white patch on the radar swelled into a mighty cyclone — the Aila. Unlike Bijli, that gave the city a go-by a month ago, Aila wreaked havoc in the city, its suburbs and across south Bengal, leaving 32 dead.

When Aila hit Kolkata on Monday morning, exactly 48 hours after its formation, it had picked up enough moisture, wind speed and firepower to immobilize a city that had been longing for showers but was not ready for a sudden twister that would plough through it. Seven persons were killed in the city and 500 trees uprooted, halting traffic at almost every major thoroughfare. Lamp-posts were twisted out of shape and electric lines snapped, plunging parts of the city into darkness. Educational institutions and business establishments were forced to shut down.

As the storm raged, the waters of the Ganga swelled and turned choppy. A launch on its way to Howrah was swept away to the Netaji Subhas dock in Kidderpore. Down south, the Sunderbans witnessed even more scary scenes. Almost all the major tributaries of the Ganga flowed above the danger mark with giant waves — some soaring above 20 feet — lashing the shores, destroying more than 100 embankments and inundating villages.
The city administration and police swung into action and a virtual emergency was declared. Kolkata was last hit by a cyclone in 1981.

Thanks to instruments like the Doppler Weather Radar, Aila had been predicted before it was born. Warnings were issued but alarm bells were not rung. It was on Kolkata before the city knew what to expect. Warning signals were clear as it started raining since early morning. Around 12.30 pm, the wind suddenly picked up and the rain got severe. As hoardings collapsed and missiles of all shapes flew about, Kolkata panicked. How long will it last? Will it get worse?
The questions kept doing the rounds as pedestrians rushed for cover. Shops downed shutters, classes in schools and colleges gave over and offices in the 24x7 Salt Lake IT sector declared a shutdown.


Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Deccan Chargers wear the IPL crown

Deccan Chargers completed an extraordinary journey from being at the bottom of the table last year to win the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs in a pulsating final at the New Wanderers here Sunday.

There was no lack of excitement and heartbreak in the title clash as the 37-day, 59 match tournament ended with a fitting finale between last year's bottom two sides.
Royal Challengers captain Anil Kumble used his guile and experience to claim four wickets and restrict the formidable Chargers to 143 after winning the toss. Herschelle Gibbs top-scored for Chargers with an unbeaten 53 while Andrew Symonds contributed 33.

The Challengers, who were coming on the back of five successive wins, were never on the top of the chase and lost wickets at regular intervals. They lost five wickets in the last six overs and finished at 137/9.
Andrew Symonds (3-18), Pragyan Ojha (3-28) and Harmeet Singh (2-23) all chipped in with the ball.
Ross Taylor (27) held the Bangalore innings together at a difficult time, but two successive blows by Symonds tilted the scales in the Chargers favour.

Challengers needed 45 off 36 balls at that stage.
Taylor holed out to Venugopal Rao in the deep and Virat Kohli was out to a brilliant piece of stumping by Gilchrist.
Harmeet Singh Singh, in the next over took out Mark Boucher, who gave a straight catch to Gibbs at point.
Robin Uthappa (17) kept the team in the hunt and Challengers needed 27 off the last two overs.
Uthappa and Vinay Kumar took 12 runs off the first five balls of Ryan Harris, before the latter was out to a brilliant catch by Harmeet Singh at long leg.

R.P. Singh kept his nerve in the last over and Uthappa could hit only one four off the fifth ball, but it was all over for Chargers by then.
Earlier, Challengers in-form opening pair Manish Pandey (4) and Jacques Kallis (16) were out cheaply.
Kallis hit Ryan Harris for two fours befire dragging a R.P. Singh delivery onto the stumps.
Van der Merwe (32) meant business straightway, hitting Harris for two sixes but Ojha, who has been in impressive form through out the tournament, then dismissed Pandey and Merwe.

Taylor and Dravid looked to build a partnership by adding 22 runs, but Dravid went for a paddle shot and was bolwed by Harmeet Singh.
Earlier, Challengers were off to a great start as Kumble, opening the attack, bowled for a duck the dangerous Andrew Gilchrist, who had single-handedly crushed Delhi Daredevils in the semifinals.
Tirumalsetti Suman fell to a good running catch by Pandey off Vinay Kumar in the fourth over.
Symonds was dropped on five by Rahul Dravid in the slips, but could not do much and became Kumble's second victim.

Gibbs smashed three boundaries and two sixes in 48 balls while Symonds faced 21 balls and cracked four boundaries and a six. The pair shared a third wicket stand of 40 runs to bring the Chargers back on track.
Kumble removed Rohit Sharma for 24 and Venugopal Rao for a duck in the 17th over.


Source:http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Gilchrist blasts Chargers into the final

CENTURION: Riding on skipper Adam Gilchrist’s brilliance, Deccan Chargers stunned league topper Delhi Daredevils by six wickets on Friday to enter the final of the IPL.

After Gilchrist (85, 35b, 10x4, 5x6) launched a breathtaking onslaught on the Daredevils attack, enterprising innings from Andrew Symonds (24) and T. Suman (24 not out) clinched it for Chargers in the first semifinal at the SuperSport Park. The Hyderabad team was chasing 154.
Blazing away

Man of the Match Gilchrist blazed away at the start. The punishing left-hander’s five successive boundaries off left-arm paceman Dirk Nannes in the opening over saw the Chargers seizing the initiative.

Nannes, a major factor in the Daredevils attack during the competition, was pulled, punched straight, slashed and driven between cover and mid-on by the intrepid Gilchrist.

Aashish Nehra brought the Delhi side some cheer when he castled an advancing Herschelle Gibbs for no score but Gilchrist continued to pound the bowling when the field restrictions were on.

After slamming Pradeep Sangwan, another left-arm paceman, for boundaries on either side of the wicket, he dumped the bowler over the mid-wicket fence. Gilchrist then turned his attention to Nehra. He creamed a no-ball past long-off and dismissed the free-hit over the sight-screen. Gilchrist’s 50, off a mere 17 deliveries, was the fastest in the IPL.

Soon, Virender Sehwag’s off-spin was taken to the cleaners by Gilchrist; he cleared long-on, long-off and the straight field. Daredevils was bleeding.

Then, Azhar Bilakiha (10) was prised out by a googly from impressive leggie Amit Mishra. And Gilchrist miscued an attempted on-side stroke in the 10th over to provide Mishra with another wicket. By this point, the Chargers captain had swung the match, irrevocably, in favour of his side.

Earlier, a fighting innings from Tillakaratne Dilshan took Delhi Daredevils to 153 for eight after Gilchrist had opted to field.

Before he was run-out in the final over, Dilshan had made 65 (51b, 7x4, 1x6) to keep Daredevils in the hunt after the side had been rocked early.
Superb first over

Paceman Ryan Harris was immaculate with his length and direction in the first over of the Daredevils’ innings.

He kept Gautam Gambhir scoreless with his first four deliveries before the left-hander slashed in frustration to be picked up at third man.

Off the last delivery of a dramatic opening over, David Warner, another left-hander, could not keep a cut down and was held by Gibbs at backward point.

Daredevils had lost two wickets without scoring a run.

Virender Sehwag and Dilshan put the innings on the road with some calculated risks; Dilshan hooked left-armer Rudra Pratap Singh over a leaping Harris at the fine-leg fence. He had earlier survived a run-out chance when bowler Harris failed to gather cleanly a widish throw from mid-on with the batsman well short.

Sehwag punched Harris straight and took runs off Pragyan Ojha’s left-arm spin with a stunning inside-out stroke over covers off the back-foot.

He, later, took a similar route against Ojha; this time off the front-foot. Gilchrist’s ploy to take the pace off the ball with a spinner in operation did not quite pay off.
Lucky break

Dilshan was busy at the other end. He created width to cut Andrew Symonds to the fence but was put down — he was on 30 then — off the same bowler by ‘keeper Gilchrist.

With their bat speed and keen eye, Sehwag and Dilshan created scoring opportunities on both sides of the wicket and Chargers had a tough time in pegging back the run-rate.

Daredevils was 83 for two after 10 overs.

Symonds consumed Sehwag (39, 31b, 5x4) soon after the strategic break when the batsman moved across to turn an off-break and missed; a vociferous leg-before shout was upheld by umpire Billy Doctrove.

Daredevils had lost its third wicket at 85 in the 11th over.
Stunning shot

The combative Dilshan reached a well-deserved half-century with a scorching cut off medium-pacer Harmeet Singh, who otherwise sent down a tidy spell.

Dilshan had a slice of luck on 58 when Gibbs grassed a skier at deep mid-wicket off Rohit Sharma, sending down off-spin.

The in-form A.B. de Villiers slog-swept Ojha over the fence and thwacked Rohit beyond the widish long-on ropes.

De Villiers (26, 21b, 2x6), attempting a pull off R.P. Singh, was held by Gilchrist off the top-edge.

SCOREBOARD

 Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir c R.P. Singh b Harris 0 (5b), D. Warner c Gibbs b Harris 0 (1b), V. Sehwag lbw b Symonds 39 (31b, 5x4), T. Dilshan (run out) 65 (51b, 7x4, 1x6), A.B. de Villiers c Gilchrist b R.P. Singh 26 (21b, 2x6), D. Karthik b Harris 9 (8b, 1x6), R. Bhatia c Venugopala Rao b R.P. Singh 4 (2b, 1x4), A. Mishra (run out) 0 (1b), P. Sangwan (not out) 0 (1b); Extras (b-5, w-4, nb-1) 10, Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 153.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-85, 4-133, 5-145, 6-151, 7-153, 8-153.

Deccan Chargers bowling: Harris 4-1-27-3, R.P Singh 4-0-33-2, Ojha 3-0-27-0, Symonds 3-0-20-1, Harmeet 3-0-15-0, Rohit 3-0-26-0.

Deccan Chargers: A. Gilchrist c Nannes b Mishra 85 (35b, 10x4, 5x6), H. Gibbs b Nehra 0 (2b), A. Bilakhia st. Karthik b Mishra 10 (20b), T. Suman (not out) 24 (25b, 3x4), A. Symonds c Warner b Mishra 24 (15b, 2x4, 1x6), Rohit (not out) 5 (11b), Extras (w-4, nb-2): 6; Total (for four wkts. in 17.4 overs): 154.

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-91, 3-102, 4-137.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: Nannes 3-0-38-0, Nehra 4-0-38-1, Sangwan 2.4-0-21-0, Dilshan 3-0-13-0, Sehwag 1-0-25-0, Mishra 4-0-19-3.


Source:http://www.hindu.com

Delhi ready to tackle Hyderabad

he only positive for teams running into Delhi Daredevils in the IPL so far has been the sloppy form Virender Sehwag had been in. On the eve of the semi-finals, the skipper found the middle of the bat. Delhi play Deccan Chargers in the first semi-final in Centurion this evening, while Chennai, who finished second, will take on Bangalore Royal Challengers in the second semi-final on Saturday night.

Sehwag admitted that it was important he found some form going into the business end of the tournament. "Yes it was very important for me to come good and get some runs," he said after his 27-ball 50 decimated Mumbai's hopes of bagging a consolation victory. "As a batsman, I knew I was just one innings away from a good knock. I haven't seen any batsman failing in as many innings as I did, so I always expected to get runs."

In a tournament of many ups and downs, Delhi have looked the safest bet by a long stretch, but there's a thin line between confidence and complacency that they will need to be wary of. Sachin Tendulkar agreed that the Daredevils had looked the most impressive in the tournament, but felt the best team on the day would win. "Delhi has looked the best side, without doubt. But in this format, it's a case of having one bad day and the pressure is on you. Instead of hitting sixes, the ball might be caught at long-off. But the good thing for Delhi is that they have done well, and done well consistently," he said.

That consistency has come courtesy an intimidating top order. In Sehwag's words, "anyone in the top six can smash the ball, and when the top six in the line-up are all international players, they know how to handle the pressures of T20


Source: http://cricket.yahoo.com

Holders Rajasthan out of IPL contention after defeat

Rajasthan Royals were knocked out of the Indian Premier League following a four-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at Kingsmead on Wednesday.
In the second match of the Durban double-header, Chennai Super Kings beat the Kings XI Punjab by 24 runs to secure their place in the competition's semi-finals.
Rajasthan, after completing their 14 round-robin matches, are in sixth place with 13 points, while Chennai moved up to second on 17, one point behind leaders Delhi Daredevils.
Punjab's defeat left them in fifth with only a slim mathematical chance of making the semi-finals.
After restricting Rajasthan to 101 for nine, Kolkata made heavy weather of their run chase as they slipped to 45 for six.
Fast bowler Munaf Patel did the early damage, capturing two for 14 off four overs before South Africa off spinner Johan Botha snared two for 19.
But right-handed Indian batsman Laxmi Shukla kept his head and compiled a match-winning innings of 48 not out off 46 balls to give Kolkata their third victory with three balls of the innings remaining.
Rajasthan's innings had begun as poorly as Kolkata's and they tottered to 62 for seven in 11 overs as South African swing bowler Charl Langeveldt ran through the top order, picking up three wickets in his first three overs.
Opening batsman Naman Ojha top-scored for Rajasthan with an aggressive knock of 22 runs off 12 balls.
Chennai posted 116 for nine before restricting Punjab to 92 for eight.
Opening batsman Parthiv Patel carved his way to 32 runs off 23 balls as Chennai made a good start and reached 54 for one.
However, they proceeded to lose eight wickets for 62 runs in the face of some disciplined Punjab bowling.
Fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was Punjab's top performer with the ball, capturing two for 23.
In reply, Punjab failed to cope with Chennai's off spinners as Ravi Ashwin (2-13), Muttiah Muralitharan (2-8) and Suresh Raina (2-17) maintained such a stranglehold over Punjab's batsmen that only Australian Luke Pomersbach (26) and Irfan Pathan (14) reached double figures


Source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Sensex gives Manmohan A 21-ton salute

MUMBAI: Those who seek to make money on the markets should know that a narrow understanding of economics is just not enough; they need to
appreciate the role of politics in the making and unmaking of financial fortunes.

If ever proof was needed, it came on Monday with a force never before witnessed in the history of markets anywhere in the world, as stocks, bonds and the rupee went nuclear on the back of a dramatic mandate for Manmohan Singh and the Congress.

For the first time ever, the Bombay Stock Exchange, which was founded in 1875, had to halt trading for the day when the 30-scrip sensex skyrocketed by 2,111 points, or 17.3%, in the space of a minute, give or take a few seconds — making investors Rs 3.6 lakh crore richer. In both absolute and percentage terms, it was a record-smashing performance — shading by almost 1,000 points the previous biggest single-day rise of 1,140 points on January 25, 2008. It was the same story on the NSE, except that the rise there was even sharper at 17.7%. It was almost as if the stock market was trying to reach the moon in the time sprinters take to cover a hundred metres.

The sensex, which after a precipitous fall from over 21,000 points in January 2008 to below 8000 in October 2008, had recouped 26% from the beginning of this year till election-eve, has overnight extended its gains to 48%, taking it from last to first among the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries, and poll-vaulting it into the best performing index in the world (barring Peru).

This paper, on the front page of its election special on Sunday, had anticipated markets would soar because, ‘‘with the Left decimated and the Congress no longer dependent on coercive allies, a stable government would be able to push reforms’’. Such reforms, we reported, would come in the form of PSU disinvestment, further liberalization in FDI policies, private entry in pension funds, and possibly labour reforms. Also, we’d said, there would likely be a renewed push for infrastructure. On Monday, this paper foresaw a ‘‘massive gap-up opening’’ and said ‘‘bulls are raring to take the sensex up by a circuit-hitting 10% within minutes of opening on Monday’’.

We also wrote, ‘‘In case of a 15% rise (over the last trading session of the previous quarter) there will be a two-hour market halt if that takes place before 1 pm. In case of a 20% rise, trading will be halted for the day.’’

That’s precisely what happened a little later in the day — except that the upper circuit filter was hit in seconds and not minutes as we’d predicted! In the space of a few eye-blinks, the market, which opened at 9.55am, climbed vertically by 1790 points from Friday’s closing of 12,173 pts. Trading was halted within seconds — holding the sensex down at 13,963 points between 9.56am and 11.55am. The moment trading resumed, the index, far from cooling off, jumped instantaneously by another 652 pts. It was almost unreal.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India-Business/

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Super Kings by 7 wickets

McCullum's boys made a fabulous chase of a huge 189-run target to notch up their second win of the tournament.
The last over blues almost haunted them yet again, as they needed six off the last six balls. But Wriddhiman Saha and Brad Hodge held their nerves and did it on the last ball in spite of a brave effort with the ball by Suresh Raina.
The skipper led from the front and had some of the shots he played came off earlier in the tournament, Knight Riders may not have been languishing where they are at the moment.
The Kiwi just put his front foot forward and hit through the line as the Chennai bowlers struggled to keep him in check. Whenever anything was pitched short, he promptly went on to the back foot and pulled with ease.

It seemed that McCullum (81 off 48 balls) will run away with the game, but Shadab Jakati removed him to get Dhoni's boys back in control.
But Brad Hodge was there to take charge. He launched a vicious attack on the Chennai bowling line-up which didn't look at their best on the day.

Chennai were in the mood to experiment just a bit in the game with a semis berth already booked. Hayden took a break, but with MS Dhoni and Raina around in the middle-order, it was difficult for the likes of Albie Morkel and Jacob Oram to get some batting practice. The duo carried on with their supreme form as Team Chennai looked set to close in on Delhi at the top.
Though the game was of academic interest, Raina was not in the mood to let the opportunity go. From the time he came to the crease, Raina looked to take on Ajantha Mendis and he did that with consummate ease.
A couple of his huge hits off Mendis disappeared into the stands and Chennai were on a roll. Even after Raina got out, Dhoni carried on with his breathtaking strokeplay. But all that fell flat following the Hodge-McCullum heroics.


Source:http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Delhi Daredevils defeats Rajasthan Royals, stays on top

Bloemfontein: Delhi Daredevils comfortably defeated Rajasthan Royals by 14 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match at the OUTsurance Oval on Sunday.

A.B. de Villiers’s 55-ball unbeaten 79 steered Delhi to a score of 150 for three before Rajasthan made 136 for nine after its 20 overs. Rajasthan is now in the fifth place after 13 matches.

De Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan staged a recovery for Delhi after Rajasthan’s opening bowler Munaf Patel prolonged Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir’s troubled run.

Munaf’s brilliant catch off his own bowling sent Gambhir back with the score at 12 for one. Sehwag fell leg-before to one that was short and stayed low.

Thereafter, Delhi focussed on keeping wickets intact even if runs didn’t come along as expected. But that was until Munaf ruined his earlier efforts with a disastrous 19th over, conceding 25 runs.

He bowled a no-ball to de Villiers, who despatched the half-volley straight for six. Munaf experimented with a slower delivery for the free-hit. De Villiers pulled him for a boundary. Two boundaries later, Dinesh Karthik pulled him for a six over mid-wicket.
Combining well

Before that match-defining over, de Villiers and Dilshan had combined well for a responsible 87-run partnership for the third-wicket. Rajasthan had a forgettable day in the field, dropping two catches and failing to effect a run-out towards the end.

Rajasthan skipper Shane Warne and Johan Botha utilised the conditions effectively, but de Villiers and Dilshan were prepared to counter them with singles and twos, an approach that ensured runs came at the end.
Bad start

In reply, Rajasthan had a bad start when Graeme Smith upper cut to Aavishkar Salvi off Dirk Nannes in the second over. In the next over, Rob Quiney pulled Ashish Nehra to Nannes at deep fine-leg.

The defending champion was in further trouble when Naman Ojha found Virender Sehwag at extra cover. Ravindra Jadeja’s promising 24 came to an end after Salvi extracted bounce to force the batsman into an outside edge to wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik was in the scheme of things again when Yusuf Pathan sent the ball to short third man.

Munaf managed three boundaries in the final over, but the task was beyond his reach.

SCOREBOARD

 Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir c & b Munaf 8 (8b 1x4), V. Sehwag lbw b Munaf 2 (8b), A.B. de Villiers (not out) 79 (55b, 8x4, 1x6), T. Dilshan b Botha 33 (41b, 1x4), D. Karthik (not out) 23 (11b, 1x4, 1x6), Extras (lb-1, w-1, nb-3): 5; Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 150.

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-15, 3-102.

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Munaf 4-0-39-2, Amit Singh 3-0-23-0, Trivedi 1-0-9-0, Botha 4-0-23-1, Warne 4-0-28-0, Jadeja 2-0-13-0, Raut 1-0-10-0, Y. Pathan 1-0-4-0.

Rajasthan Royals: R. Quiney c Nannes b Nehra 6 (10b, 1x4), G. Smith c Salvi b Nannes 0 (4b), N. Ojha c Sehwag b Salvi 9 (17b, 1x4), J. Botha c Sehwag b Maharoof 37 (37b, 3x4), R. Jadeja c Karthik b Salvi 24 (18b 3x4), Y. Pathan c Karthik b Maharoof 1 (5b), A. Raut b Mishra 11 (13b), S. Warne st. Karthik b Mishra 6 (3b, 1x6), Amit Singh st. Karthik b Mishra 0 (1b), S. Trivedi (not out) 6 (10b), Munaf (not out) 23 (10b 5 x 4), Extras (lb-6, w-5, nb-2): 13; Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 136.

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-8, 3-24, 4-79, 5-82, 6-98, 7-99, 8-99, 9-107.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: Nehra 3-0-8-1, Nannes 4-0-33-1, Salvi 4-0-19-2, Maharoof 4-0-27-2, Mishra 4-0-33-3, Dilshan 1-0-10-0.

Source:http://www.hindu.com/

Verdict 2009: Congress set to return to power

NEW DELHI: Ruling Congress-led alliance UPA was set to return to power after taking a commanding lead on Saturday in vote counting from the PollsThe Election Commission website showed the Congress UPA alliance with a lead of around 80 seats over the main opposition bloc NDA headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

With counting under way in 502 of the parliament's 543 directly elected seats, the UPA was leading in 229, while the BJP alliance had the edge in just 155.The other seats looked set to go India's myriad regional parties.

While projections showed the Congress grouping still falling short of the 272 seats required for an absolute majority, the margin of its lead gave it an insurmountable claim to form the next government."It is a decisive vote for the Congress," said party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi, as wild celebrations broke out at the Congress Party headquarters in New Delhi.

Party supporters banged drums and danced in the street, holding portraits of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."Manmohan Singh will be prime minister once more," announced delighted cabinet minister Oscar Fernandes.

The mood at the BJP headquarters was, by contrast, subdued as the counting results rolled in."It has to be analysed, but it is disappointing I agree," said senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu.The apparent margin of victory was much higher than that predicted by exit polls, which had suggested only a handful of seats would separate the two main political groups.

Congress was also clearly emerging as the single largest party in parliament, leading in 180 seats, against 90 for the BJP."The trends are very positive," said Congress leader Ambika Soni. "We want to thank the people of India who have shown faith in the Congress party."

This election has come at a pivotal time for India and its 714-million strong electorate.After five successive years of near-double digit growth that lent the country the international clout it has long sought, the economy has been badly hit by the global downturn.

And there are major security concerns over growing instability in South Asia, particularly in arch-rival Pakistan, with whom relations plunged to a new low following last year's bloody militant attack on Mumbai.The unexpectedly strong vote for the ruling alliance will go some way to allaying the concerns off those who expected a tighter race that would have thrown up a shaky patchwork coalition.

The Congress will still need more allies to command a parliamentary majority, but a strong lead over the BJP alliance will make its task far easier.Congress has spent much off the past week making overtures to the party's former communist allies, who quit the coalition last year in protest at a nuclear deal with the United States.

Ambika Soni said Congress leaders and their allies would meet later in the day to discuss how they would go about building the support they need to govern India's 1.1 billion people.According to the constitution, a new government must be formed by June 2.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Taylor fashions Bangalore victory in IPL cricket

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) — Ross Taylor hit a crucial 46 to steer Bangalore Royal Challengers to an exciting two-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.

The New Zealander added 56 for the fourth wicket with Virat Kohli (38) as Bangalore achieved a 130-run target with two balls to spare to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.

Man-of-the-match Taylor fell in the final over after hitting one six in his sensible 50-ball knock, but his team needed just five to win at that stage. Vinay Kumar completed the victory when he smashed Jacob Oram for a four.

Kohli cracked two sixes in his 35-ball knock.

Delhi lead the eight-team competition with 16 points from 10 matches, followed by Chennai (13/11), Deccan (12/11), Bangalore (12/12), Mumbai (11/11), Rajasthan (11/11), Punjab (10/11) and Kolkata (3/11).

The top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals.

Veteran Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble earlier led Bangalore's fightback with two wickets for just 12 runs off four overs.

Chennai were strongly placed at 101-3 following Australian opener Matthew Hayden's brisk half-century, but lost the last seven wickets for 28 in a sensational collapse.

Kumble started the slide when he had in-form Hayden caught by Kumar at deep mid-wicket. Hayden smashed three sixes and five fours in his 38-ball 60 -- his fourth half-century of the tournament.

Hayden propped up the innings after South African seamer Jacques Kallis had bagged two early wickets, but received no support from the other end. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the second-highest scorer with 18.

Source:http://www.google.com/

Sony introduces new series of Bravia LCD range

NEW DELHI: Seeking to widen the gap with its competitors in the LCD market, Sony India has drawn up plans to become the number one seller during 2009-10 with an innovative line-up and continued focus on brand enhancement earmarking nearly Rs. 60 crore for promotional activities. The company has also decided to phase out the cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions.

Sony India on Wednesday launched its new range of 14 new Bravia LCDs with the world’s two firsts (world’s slimmest and world’s only motion flow 200HZ) to its credit. Sony has introduced new models in S, V, W and Z series with beautiful lines outside and powerful technologies inside.

“We are not only focussing at enhanced display performance but even attaining the ultimate feel experience for our consumers. What you see and hear is what you experience via Bravia,” Masaru Tamagawa, Managing Director, Sony India, said at the launch of the new series at a function here. “Innovation, creativity and technology come into play in the creation of these LCD TVs, bringing unprecedented level of realism and stunning clarity to the movies, both visually and aurally,” he added. The company had already stopped production of CRT TVs and is in the process of exhausting the stock with dealers.

“Last Diwali, we took the decision to stop production of CRT TVs and now, as Sony is focussing more on LCD screens, it will soon completely exit the CRT segment,” Mr. Tamagawa told reporters.

The company is targeting a sales volume of 4.5 lakh units in the current fiscal, an increase of more than 60 per cent as compared to 2.80 lakh units in the last fiscal.

“LCDs accounted for 21 per cent of our television sales in 2008-09, and it is expected that in the current fiscal it would account for 57 per cent of our total sales in India,” he said.

PTI reports:

The new range of LCDs in India is priced in the range of Rs. 16,000-2.99 lakh.


Sourse:http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/14

Deccan Chargers beat Rajasthan Royals by 53 runs

KIMBERLEY: Shane Warne is under serious pressure in IPL 2. Last season, there were exceptional performances, luck, team effort and a lot more

things that had kept Team Jaipur in the hunt and made them eventual champions. Unfortunately, this time around it's not quite the same.

On Monday, Team Hyderabad drubbed Jaipur by a massive 53 runs as Warne's team put in a lacklustre performance. Despite clinching four Hyderabad wickets for 83 runs with less than nine overs to go, they ended up conceding 164 runs in 20 overs.


Siddarth Trivedi and Abhishek Raut were hammered towards the end. Even Warne failed to find his rhythm in the pressure game, giving away nine runs per over.

Dwayne Smith led the way for Hyderabad, scoring 47 off 32 balls, as Chaminda Vaas (in place of Herschelle Gibbs) and Venugopal Rao held the other end. Jaipur simply lost the plot.

When the chase began, 164 under lights always appeared a formidable target in Kimberley's cold and windy conditions.

Before Jaipur could even get a feel of things, Vaas playing his first game, got the all-important wicket of Graeme Smith.

Smith's early dismissal meant Jaipur did not get a grip of the situation at any point of time. Swapnil Asnodkar, Smith's opening partner and a diminutive hitter, played his part well with a 39-ball 44 but had no support at the other end.

Hyderabad made two changes to their side, bringing back Dwayne Smith in the eleven and including Vaas for the first time in the tournament and both worked exceptionally for the side.

Vaas, in fact, bowled one of the tidiest spells so far. Warne's team is under pressure now with three more matches to go and Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab also in the fray for that all-important fourth spot in the semifinals.

With Monday's win, Hyderabad have improved their chances and along with Chennai and Delhi, they appear to be heading ahead smoothly.

source: http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Bowlers set up the game for us: Gambhir

JOHANNESBURG: Happy to be at the top of the points table, Delhi Daredevils captain Gautam Gambhir lavished praise on his bowlers for setting up
their seven-wicket win against the Kolkata Knight Riderson Sunday.

"The bowlers set up the game with those early wickets," Gambhir said after the match.

"Once they reduced the Knight Riders to nine for three, it was easy for us," said the left-hander.

The Knight Riders could not recover from those early blows and it was fighting knocks from Sourav Ganguly (44) and Ajit Agarkar (39) which enabled them to post 123 for eight, a score that was just not enough.

The Daredevils got off to a strong start with David Warner (36) and Gambhir (18) adding 53 runs, thus setting the tone for the chase.

Gambhir said the idea was not to lose too many early wickets.

"We've not been chasing big totals so the important thing for us was to hang in there and bat till the end," he said.

Looking ahead, Gambhir said the team could not afford to lower its guard despite its place at the top of the points table.

"Still five more games to go, so we need to hold the momentum," he said.

His opposite number Brendon McCullum admitted 123 was a below-par course for the match.

"Not enough runs on the board. We fought well to get 120, but those three wickets at the top hurt us," McCullum rued.

"Around 20-30 runs more and it could have been a close game," he added.

Asked about the Knight Riders' prolonged misery in the tournament, McCullum said the team was not clicking in all three departments together.

"We are not consistent across the board, we need to get all three facets of the game firing at the same time. At times our bowlers are doing well but fielding is letting us down. Sometimes we are not batting good enough," he lamented.

Amit Mishra was adjudged Man of the Match for his three-wicket haul and the leggie said his variation paid off today.

"I'm bowling well. I'm just bowling my normal leg-spin and adding some variation to put pressure on the batsmen," he said.

Source:http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

A stroll in the park for Super Kings

KIMBERLEY: Matthew Hayden (48, 44b, 4x4, 1x6) and S. Badrinath (59 n.o., 41b, 9x4, 1x6) guided Chennai Super Kings to a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in an IPL match at the De Beers Diamond Oval on Saturday.

After Chennai had restricted Rajasthan to 140 for seven, Hayden and Badrinath added 89 in 10.5 overs for the third wicket, the former setting the chase up and the latter exploding in the 16th over, to take Super Kings to the top of the table. Badrinath was named the Man-of- the-Match for his innings.

Chennai lost opener M. Vijay in the third over, and it wasn’t until Suresh Raina struck Amit Singh for six and four off consecutive deliveries in the sixth over that the side got a move on. But Amit had his revenge in the same over when Raina top-edged a pull to be caught at point.

Unplayable

Yusuf Pathan had managed sharp turn with the new ball, and when Warne brought himself on in the seventh over to Badrinath, he looked very nearly unplayable.

Badrinath survived the period to support Hayden. The big left-hander played Pathan with care, but he reverse-swept Warne before jumping down the track to hit the leg-spinner for a six. Chennai scored 67 for two in 10 overs before the strategic time-out. Warne bowled a splendid 11th over, conceding just three, as Rajasthan began to tighten the screws.

Hayden eased the pressure against Ravindra Jadeja, hitting him for a four and milking two twos.

Badrinath then took 20 off the 16th over, bowled by Shane Harwood, including a magnificently improvised six and three fours to swing the momentum. Although Warne had Hayden stumped down the leg-side off a wide, it came too late, for Badrinath’s shrewdly timed burst had settled the contest.

Earlier, Graeme Smith (30) and Swapnil Asnodkar (26) added 53 for Rajasthan’s second wicket after Albie Morkel struck in the first over. Rajasthan appeared to be recovering nicely, but Muttiah Muralitharan struck twice. The off-spinner had Asnodkar leg-before with a doosra from around the stumps. He then had Smith overbalancing in an attempt to heave across the line for Dhoni to remove the bails.

Ravindra Jadeja batted impressively during his 19-ball stay for 27. L. Balaji dismissed the left-handed Jadeja with the first delivery of the 15th over. Raina took a fine catch just behind point. Rajasthan lost wickets in a heap, and appeared in danger of being bowled out. Rajasthan needed inspiration and quick runs. Warne provided both, racing to 21 in 11 balls, as the 20th over went for 14.

Source:http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/10

Fatigue India's biggest challenge at World Twenty20 - Kirsten

Mahendra Singh Dhoni discusses a point with Gary Kirsten, Rajkot, November 13, 2008
'This team has played in many pressure situations since the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and has shown what they are capable of' © AFP

Gary Kirsten, the India coach, says mental fatigue will be his team's biggest challenge during the World Twenty20 in England next month. The event starts on June 5 but India play their first warm-up game on June 1, just seven days after the IPL ends in South Africa. Kirsten also believes India, the defending champions, will be under added pressure during the ICC tournament but says the team has shown it is capable of handling such situations.

"The Indian players have been on the road for a long time and the biggest challenge will be mental fatigue," Kirsten told Cricinfo. "But they have enormous pride when representing India and have become a tight unit over the past few months. I'm sure they will look forward to reuniting and playing for their country."

The Indian players have been almost living out of their suitcases since they left Mumbai for the New Zealand tour on February 20. They got a few days off after the series ended on April 7 before leaving for the IPL, which began on April 18. They return home for a few days again when the IPL ends on May 24 - the entire 15-member World Twenty20 squad is playing in the league - before leaving for England to play their first day/night warm-up game against New Zealand at Lord's. India take on Bangladesh in their first game of the tournament on June 6 in Trent Bridge.

But Kirsten, who took over as India coach in 2008, said he was confident the team would be able to handle the pressure when defending the title they won in 2007. "When you are defending champions there will always be added pressure," Kirsten said. "That goes with the territory of high-performing teams. This team has played in many pressure situations since the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and has shown what they are capable of."

How different would the conditions be in England for the World Twenty20? It's something all international teams, he said, have to come to terms with. "Every country has its own unique conditions which each team and individual needs to comes to terms with," he said. "The players are aware of those conditions and what is required to give themselves the best chance of performing. Most of the Indian players have played in England and know what to expect."

India have sported a stable look over the five Twenty20 internationals they have played since the 2007 world title victory - winning two and losing three. In fact, there have been only two changes in the team from the 16-member squad for the last two games they played in New Zealand, and the 15-member World Twenty20 squad that was announced on Monday.

There is an argument that such stability could also lead to complacency among players in the team but Kirsten was quick to dismiss such suggestions. "Experienced players understand the demands and pressures of World Cup tournaments," he said. "Throw in a few talented and fearless young players and you have a great mix in the team. There is certainly no danger of complacency within the Indian team. We pride ourselves in taking each game as it comes and giving 100% on a daily basis while representing Team India."

Giving a hint of the team's gameplan for the world event, Kirsten said he believes spin will play a major role in Twenty20 cricket. India have only two fulltime spinners - Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha - in their World Twenty20 squad but have a rich variety of part-time options to choose from: Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Virender Sehwag, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma.

Moving on to the ongoing IPL, Kirsten, who is based in Cape Town, said the tournament has benefited young Indian cricketers immensely. He put forward the growth of Yusuf Pathan's game at the last IPL, as an example. "The IPL provides a great opportunity for young Indian cricketers to show what they are capable of in a high-profile environment," he said. "They also get to mix with, and learn from, successful international cricketers. This can only be of benefit to Indian cricket. Performances during the IPL can definitely be a stepping stone to achieving higher honours. Yusuf Pathan was one example of that last year."

What is evident from the league, he said, was that the best team on paper is not necessarily the most successful one. "There will always be new ideas and new thinking in every IPL," he said. "What is of interest to me are those teams that are able to win consistently and why they are able to do it. It isn't always the best team on paper."

Asked about Buchanan's captaincy theory for the Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL team that he coaches, Kirsten said: "In the dynamic world we live in, innovative thinking is important to try and stay ahead and push the boundaries of performance. I think it is important to balance out what is already working and what can improve performance. MS Dhoni has proved a highly effective and capable leader for India and I'm sure that will not change for some time to come."

Source:http://content.cricinfo.com

Super Kings wins a thriller

Centurion: Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab by 12 runs in Duckworth-Lewis method in the IPL match here on Thursday.

Earlier, a brutal 100-run partnership in 7.5 overs between Matthew Hayden and skipper M.S. Dhoni took Chennai Super Kings to 185 for three in the rain-hit encounter. Rain reduced the match to 18 overs-a-side, before the target was adjusted to 187. Punjab finished at 174 for for three in 18 overs. Yuvraj Singh (58) and M. Jayawardene (44) were the unbeaten batsmen. Simon Katich made a 25-ball 50.

Belligerent knock

Hayden hammered 89 runs in 58 balls with eight fours and six sixes. The left-hander’s belligerence hit a high in the 17th over, when he plundered three sixes — a swivel effort for maximum, a ferocious swing over fine-leg and a full-toss clobbered over mid-wicket — off S. Sreesanth. Hayden’s explosive batting left Punjab bereft of ideas. Earlier, Chennai’s start was troubled after Dhoni won the toss. S. Badrinath joined a curiously high number of first-ball victims this season.

Irfan Pathan pitched it wide and the opener cut it to V.R.V. Singh at third man. Despite that, Hayden and Suresh Raina batted undeterred. Raina lofted Pathan for a six and struck two more boundaries in the over.

V.R.V. Singh’s poor length was punished by Hayden with a six over long-off. Off-spinner Karan Goel very nearly dismissed the left-hander when he was on 32, after the batsman charged down and was beaten. But wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara spilled an easy chance.

Very quickly, Hayden brushed it off with a brutal cut through point for a boundary. Chennai seemed to have its momentum robbed when rain came down hard in the eighth over. After play resumed, Raina perished to a short ball from leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, with Goel taking the catch at mid-wicket. The wicket gave way for the lethal partnership between Hayden and Dhoni.

With an eye on the weather, Dhoni began scoring instantly with a powerful boundary through covers and a sweep shot that fetched him as many, both off Goel.

Chawla efforts were wasted on a rampant Hayden. The left-hander cleared mid-wicket for maximum, following it up with a tremendous hit over the square-leg boundary.

Source:http://www.hindu.com/2009

Stats: Royals set batting benchmark in IPL

Durban: Rajasthan Royals, who posted 211 against Kings XI Punjab on Tuesday, became the first team to notch up a total of 200 or more in IPL 2009.

The previous highest was 189-5 by Delhi Daredevils against Chennai Super Kings at the same ground on April 23.

Following are the other statistical highlights from the game:

— Opening the bowling for Kings XI Punjab, Ramesh Powar conceded 16 runs in his first over – the most expensive opening over in IPL 2009. Praveen Kumar had gone for 12 runs in the match against Deccan Chargers at Cape Town on April 22, which was previously the most expensive opening over in IPL 2009.

— Rajasthan Royals scored 57 runs in first six overs, which is their best performance in the Powerplay in IPL 2009.

— The opening partnership of 135 runs between Naman Ojha and Graeme Smith was the highest for any wicket in the IPL 2009, surpassing the 127-run partnership - also for the first wicket - between Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar against Kolkata Knight Riders at Port Elizabth on April 27.

— The second six hit by Naman Ojha off Ramesh Powar was the 250th six in IPL 2009.

— The margin of defeat (78 runs) was the heaviest for Kings XI Punjab in all IPL games.

Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news

Sensex crosses 12,000-mark

Indian markets were witnessing a sharp rally Monday mirroring gains in the Asian markets. Traders were catching up with global markets after a long weekend back home. Metals, realty and bankex led the gains while pharmaceuticals space was modestly higher.

"US Treasury's stress test results will be out later this week, which will reveal the health of the large American banks. Monthly labour report is also due on Friday in the US."

"On the whole, key global data points show continued signs of improvement, though the recovery is still fragile. There may be a few more hiccups going ahead but not as bad as the ones suffered in October-November and in early March. The upside will hinge on persistent improvement in economic conditions, pick-up in earnings and foreign capital inflows," said India Infoline note.

Bombay Stock Exchange’s benchmark Sensex finally managed to breach 12,000 mark but failed to maintain the psychological level. At 12:35 pm, Sensex was at 11993.79, up 590.54 points or 5.18%. The index touched a high of 12003.44 and low of 11635.24.

National Stock Exchange’s Nifty was near its day’s high at 3628.30, up 154.35 points or 4.44%. The broader index touched a high of 3629.45 and low of 3478.70

BSE Midcap Index was up 3.43% and BSE Smallcap Index moved 3.08% higher.

Amongst the sectoral indices, BSE Metal Index was up 7.14%, BSE IT Index gained 5.78% and BSE Bankex moved 5.52% higher. BSE Healthcare Index was up 1.42%.

On weekly charts, Nifty continues to close above its 50 week exponential moving average (currently placed at 3471.40 levels) however seems to consolidate around 3500 levels before witnessing any further directional action. Even on monthly charts levels of 3520-3530 is seen as strong hurdle. Also during the week, we observed FII remaining net buyer while sectoral indices failed to witness any particular directional action. Volumes in cash segment witnessed mild improvement on weekly basis. Net net, Nifty still needs to clear the levels of 3520 with strong volumes for further up move. FII inflow likely to hold key for further direction. For weekly trade, Nifty faces strong hurdle in the range 3520-3530 on higher side with next hurdle in the range 3690-3700. Any move below 3295-3300 range will see Nifty slipping towards 3150 levels on lower side,” said Reliance Money report.

Biggest Sensex gainers were Sterlite Industries (11.72%), Mahindra & Mahindra (9.63%), HDFC (9.58%), Hindalco Industries (9.1%) and Tata Steel (8.84%).

There were no losers in the 30-share index.

Market breadth on BSE showed 1623 advances outnumbering 687 declines.

Shares across the Asia-Pacific region were also on the rise following China’s encouraging manufacturing data which expanded for the first time in nine months. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng advanced 4.68%, Singapore’s Straits Times rose 4.59% and China’s Shanghai Composite surged 3.28%. Japan’s stock market is closed for a three-day holiday.

Meanwhile, European market opened firm. DAx was up 1.08% and CAC gained 0.48%.

Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Kallis sparkles for RCB

Johannesburg: After young paceman Dillon du Preez made the early inroads to peg Mumbai Indians back, the second-wicket pair of Jacques Kallis and Robin Uthappa powered Royal Challengers Bangalore, chasing 150, to a nine-wicket victory in the IPL match at the Wanderers on Sunday.

Man-of-the-Match Kallis followed his tidy display with the ball with an unbeaten 69 (59b, 5x4, 2x6). Uthappa was 66 not out (42b, 8x4, 2x6) when Royal Challengers secured its third successive win.

Kallis was all balance and timing. The pick of his strokes was a flick off Lasith Malinga that soared over the square-leg fence.

Uthappa blazing away

Uthappa blazed away square-cutting Harbhajan Singh to the fence, striking Sachin Tendulkar for three boundaries in an over and hitting Dwayne Bravo and Sanath Jayasuriya for sixes over mid-wicket.

Earlier, du Preez, a 27-year-old all-rounder from South Africa, rocked Mumbai Indians with a three-wicket burst. The right-arm paceman made an eventful start to his IPL career when he drew Sachin Tendulkar (11) into a drive and found the outside edge. Rahul Dravid moved swiftly to his right at slip to pouch the edge.

The young Ajinkya Rahana, nicking a delivery in the corridor, perished off du Preez’s next delivery. The in-form Jean-Paul Duminy (1) prevented a hat-trick but did not last long. He miscued a pull off du Preez and was soon walking back.

A fighting Sanath Jayasuriya (52, 43b, 6x4, 1x6) revived the innings. Bravo (50 not out, 40b, 1x4, 2x6), working the ball around, supported Jayasuriya well.

Source:http://www.hindu.com

Delhi Daredevils halt Deccan chargers

CENTURION: Have the bowlers finally learnt the trick of bowling well in Twenty20? That’s the question doing the rounds here and one that popped up yet again after another low-scoring encounter between Team Delhi and Team Hyderabad at Centurion on Thursday.
Delhi defeated Hyderabad by chasing down a target of 148 in 18.4 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan 52 (46 balls, 4x4, 3x6) once again doing the rescue act and coming up with an unbeaten half-century. However, it was still a game dominated by the bowlers if not for a couple of performances with the bat that mattered.
The last few matches of the tournament have essentially been low-scoring ones. In fact, except for Hyderabad beating Chennai earlier this week and Mumbai Indians thrashing Knight Riders, the previous six matches haven’t seen a total of more than 150 being scored in the first innings.
Even then, teams batting second have more often than not struggled even with these targets. On Thursday, when Delhi restricted Hyderabad to a mere 148 and then managed to reach the target with just eight balls to spare, it was another reminder of how batsmen haven’t been finding it easy here despite the wickets on offer being flat belters.
Both teams used a minimum of six bowlers and except for a weak-link or two from either side, the economy rate hardly crossed seven per over.
When Team Delhi won the toss and elected to field, it was an apt reminder of how confident they could be with their attack given the kind of form Hyderabad have been enjoying.
They proved their decision to be a correct one when Dirk Nannes plotted the dismissal of Herschelle Gibbs by tying him down until frustration got the better of the opener. That was soon after Adam Gilchrist had lost his wicket while trying to get his team off to another quick start.
Other than Dwayne Smith, the rest of the top-order fell to a superbly mixed and matched effort by Delhi. Nannes bowled his first two overs and was rested for a spell later and while he remained the bowler of the day, Ashish Nehra and Pradeep Sangwan also did well to keep up the good work. With Daniel Vettori adding his left-arm flavour as icing on the cake, there wasn’t much that Hyderabad could do.


Source:http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com