Everyone knows a lot about Sachin but a very few have a proper knowledge of his better half.

No we are not talking about his wife Anjali but instead his better half on the field i.e. A cricket bat.

Here are some of those interesting facts that you probably didn’t knew about Sachin’s bat and it’s history over the last 2 decades:

1.  Earlier Sachin’s Bat weighed around 3 pounds, one of the heaviest bats used by any cricketer. It was only recently that Sachin started using slightly lighter bats.

2.  There are bats available in Australia, known as the Sachin Tendulkar Master Blaster Elite and they retail around $650.

3.  Sachin uses a bat with a lower sweet spot when the ball gets older and bounces less. (That makes a lot of sense).

4.  Sachin’s bat maker personally used to select a few willows out of the consignment of 1000 from England and monitor the shaping of the willow according to the specifications given by Sachin.

5.  Surprisingly Sachin didn’t have a bat contract until 1996 World Cup. But after the tournament MRF started to sponsor his willow.

6.  An English bowler Alan Mulally had complained that Sachin’s bat was too broad than the normal willow because he was so psyched by his brilliant batting.

7.  Once Sachin’s bat was auctioned at Lord’s and it fetched 3,400 pounds (approx 3 Lakh) which was donated to make a stadium.

8.  It also fetched a staggering price of Rs.42 Lakh at a sports auction where personal items were donated by the top 25 sportsmen from the country and overseas.

9.  Shahid Afridi scored the then fastest century in ODI by hitting 11 sixes and 6 boundaries in 37 balls by using Sachin’s bat.

10.  Many manufacturers have also presented Tendulkar a handmade bat so that they can brag about making a bat for Sachin. Whereas Tendulkar gives away such bats to poor kids.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald & Cricmatez

The post 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Sachin’s Bat appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Cricket world records – Cricket is synonymous to worship in India, perhaps rightfully so, because the National Cricket Team lets their freak flag fly in all the significant matches and glorifies the country manifolds.

Especially, the Indian streets go desolate when there is a match on television of India and Pakistan, it overcomes us with emotions, pumps the adrenaline and as a matter of fact, soaks us up with illogical jingoism. But then Cricket is an indispensable part of our existence and we always enjoy having our stomachs in knots watching the Boys in Blue in action.

Cricketers, so far have set new standards and made higher records, but then they were broken by their predecessors in more than one instance. We will lay down here a few instances, that is to say Cricket world records that could not be so far broken because, impossible.

Cricket world records –

Sachin Tendulkar-34,357 international runs:

Sachin Tendulkar is still the highest run scorer ever for scoring 15,921, 18,426, and 10 runs in all of international cricket which took him 664 matches, spanning over 24 years. It was only possible for a player like his stature to show such consistency.

Sachin Tendulkar- 100 International Centuries:

He broke Don Bradman’s record of 99.94 and scored 100 centuries which still seems a distant dream to any batsman of this era. Breaking the record of Sir Don Bradman was not a cakewalk and Sachin Tendulkar showed who is the boss!

Sir Don Bradman-99.94 Average:

While Sachin Tendulkar, Bradman’s closest rival who has  54.17 in Tests and next stands Cheteshwar Pujara, with an average of 65.50 after 15 Tests, there was no record of anyone having averaged more than 80 ever recorded in World Cricket.

Muttiah Muralitharan- 1347 international wickets:

He has 800 wickets in Tests, 534 in ODIs and 13 in T20Is which is neck-to-neck with Shane Warne’s 1001 International Scalps. They both were storms personified and the records they have set so far, are unbreakable .

Jim Laker- 19 wickets in a match:

While he missed a 10-wicket-haul in the first innings of a test in 1954 by one scalp, he achieved that feat in the next match. In his beastly endeavour, he achieved 19 wickets in a match! Whoa! He ran through the line-up with sheer confidence which made for a visual pleasure to the onlookers.

Jack Hobbs-199 first-class centuries:

Achieving that feat is completely would be a dream come true for any cricketer, Leave alone test cricket, in domestic cricket too achieving such numbers is moving the mountain. Hobbs  scored 199 centuries at an average of 50.70 with 61,760 runs.

Wilfred Rhodes- 4208 First Class Wickets:

He is the achiever of four thousand, yes you can roll your eyes, first class wickets and scored only 31 less than 40,000 runs. What’s more, it took him only 500 matches to leave the fans jaw-dropped with that sky-high record.

Wilfred Rhodes- 30 year career:

If it had not been interrupted by a world war, the count would increase but still, Wildred Rhodes completed 30 years of his marvelous cricketing career.

These cricket world records are carved in the history of Cricket and waiting to be broken still.

The post These Are The Cricket World Records That Can Never Be Broken appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Sara Tendulkar, the gorgeous daughter of Cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar has become quite a rage in the social media for her illuminating presence in her father’s matches.

She radiates benevolence and her smile makes hearts skip a beat. No wonder, many a men wanted to marry Sara Tendulkar after she made a few vivid public appearances. Sara Tendulkar is known to be a family oriented girl and a true confidante to her brother Arjun Tendulkar.

Of course, all beautiful and nubile girls derive liking and admiration from men by default. But if we think ourselves into Sara’s shoes, being a celebrity kid is a no cakewalk because she is always under the radar and being observed. Media is fighting tooth and nail to scoop out stories from her personal life No wonder, even Saif Ali Khan’s toddler Taimur also was brought under scrutiny so was Dhoni’s daughter Ziva. Celebrity kids are always mounted with expectation and hence they are always under tremendous mental pressure.

Her brother Arjun Tendulkar has hogged the limelight for his back-to-back brilliant performances and seems to have a promising career ahead so Sara is being observed some more being his elder sister.

Like every other celebrity kids, Sara Tendulkar too was bestowed with her share of fame and her tweets were hair-split over too. Last year in October, a fake account in her name pricked the hornet’s nest by releasing a tweet on the Nationalist Congress Party and its supremo Sharad Pawar in Twitter.

Sachin Tendulkar immediately came to the rescue of Sara following the unwanted dissent. He took the matters in his hand and tweeted-“ “I reiterate the fact that my children Arjun & Sara are not on twitter. We request @Twitter to remove all such accounts at the earliest”.

Although she was not directly engaged, ,Sara had to bear the brunt of being a celebrity kid but she took this in her stride nevertheless. This was not all, Sara’s name got mired in another controversy when she started receiving phone calls from an unidentified individual who rather seemed to be obsessed about her.

This one shook the 20 year old and she was at a loss for words. Like any other normal girl, she was infuriated and at a loss for words too. This unknown man seemed to be a over-passionate freak who piqued her parents for stalking their daughter.

He is allegedly a 32 year old man from west Bengal who passed lewd comments and proposed Sara for marriage. She was undaunted even after the man threatened to kidnap her.

Sara, like any other normal responsible girl, brought the matter into the knowledge of her family and decided to teach her stalker a lesson that will stay with him. She went on to lodge a police complaint in Bandra Police Station and the investigations started immediately.

The matter was later handed over to the Cyber Cell of Mumbai Police who tracked the culprit down from East Midnapore in West Bengal.

The police team of officials, in co-ordination with district Police authorities in Midnapore, captured the Man named Debkumar Maity who was brought to Mumbai for further investigation.

Debkumar, an artist by profession in Bengal confessed that he fell in love with Sara as soon as he saw her in the Cricket pavilion.

He claimed that he got her number from one of his relatives.

What’s more, he also had a tattoo in his forearm bearing Sara’s name and claimed that he respects Sachin as his Father-in Law.

Debkumar’s mother however said that he was suffering from mental depression for quite some time and undergoing treatment and he committed this crime due to the loss of mental balance, his brother Rajkumar Maity claimed.

The post Here’s How Sara Tendulkar Takes a Sweet Revenge on Her Passionate Stalker appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Cricket cuts across the barriers of nation, caste and community. It is not only the breeding ground of talents, but also friendships that bloom over cultural and professional differences. No matter their countries have been fiercest foes, cricketers still found like minds and became friends forever. It is really difficult to imagine or even comprehend how such sworn enemies in the field maintained their friendship without being pawns of controversies. But then, such is the magic of human bonds away from the playing pitch. Here are some of such examples of BFFs among various cricket teams.

Sachin Tendulkar-Shane Warne:

India-Australia cricketing rivalry goes eons back. But these two genius cricketers, who are different judging by their personalities too became best of friends even after contesting each other in Test series, World Cups, Tournaments line Sharjah 1997.

Kevin Pietersen- Yuvraj Singh:

They are two similar types of men and inevitably two of the most talented players of the World Cricket. Their friendship started with the famous ‘pie-chucker’ comment.

Indian cricket team player Yuvraj Singh (R) smiles as he is greeted by England’s player Kevin Pietersen 19 September 2007 at the end their ICC World Twenty20 match at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban. India defeated England by 18 runs to stay in contention for the semi-finals in the Twenty20 world championships. AFP PHOTO / SAEED KHAN

Ian Botham-Viv Rochards:

Viv Richard’s 60^th birthday being graced by the presence of Ian Botham proves the depth of their friendship. Their friendship passed the test of time and they became brother-like. The main thread among Botham and Richards is that both of them have flamboyant personalities.

Shane Warne-Kevin Pietersen:

Theirs is another most talked about friendship off the cricket field. Similarly, the two nations they belong from are always talked about for their rivalry with each other. Warne gushed over Pietersen while the former thinks Warne is the greatest bowler of all time.

Brett Lee-Andrew Flintoff:

Both are resilient but with varied interests outside the cricket field. While Flintoff loves boxing, Bret Lee loves music and acting. The two became dear friends in the year 2005 during the legendary ashes in the same year where Australia lost to England in a narrow margin, pictures of Flintoff consoling Lee made headlines.

Brian Lara-Shane Warne-Sachin Tendulkar:

This trio shares a warm relationship with each other outside the batting field who praise each other pretty excitedly in media too.

Adam Gilchrist-Anil Kumble:

They both are held in high regard for their reserved personalities and being great family men. Their similar personality traits brought them close to each other and they became friends for a lifetime. Gilchrist called and congratulated Kumble when he crossed 500 test wickets, Kumble told media.

Steve Waugh-Rahul Dravid:

Both of them have focussed minds and unflinching devotion to the sport. Their grit, mental strength and dedication are beyond question which made their each other’s comfort zones in friendship.

Brett Lee- VVS Lakshman:

They have been at loggerheads in the field many a times but they have known each other from their under-19 days when Lee had visited India for the first time. The clicked and remained friends ever since.

Virat Kohli-Dale Steyn:

It bloomed when Virat Kohli led Indian under-19 team in World Cup, Malyasia where they played the South African team and matured when both of them started playing for RCB.

BANGALORE, INDIA – OCTOBER 17: Dale Steyn of RC Bangalore celebrates with team mate Virat Kohli after taking the wicket of Gautam Gambhir during the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 League Match between the Delhi Daredevils and RC Bangalore at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on October 17, 2009 in Bangalore, India. (Photo by Cameron Spencer – GCV/GCV via Getty Images)

These are the most talked about friendships of the World Cricket so far.

The post 10 BFFs of World’s Cricketing History appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Arjun Tendulkar is the offspring of Cricketing Genius Sachin Tendulkar who hails from Mumbai. Following the footprints of his father, Arjun Tendulkar too is passionately attached to the game of cricket and nurture dreams to represent his nation one day. He is a left-handed batsman and a medium pace bowler who seems to have a lot of promise. His movements are smooth and a feast for the eyes and he has all the below mentioned potentials that prove he will be successfully able to represent our nation internationally one day:

Son of Sachin Tendulkar:

Arjun runs cricket in his veins. He is born to Sachin Tendulkar who is known as the God of Cricket. That makes him the own child of the God.

He is opposite to Sachin:

Whereas Sachin Tendulkar was a right handed batsman, Arjun Tendulkar plays with his left hand. It seems Arjun will make a deeper impression with his bowling than batting unlike his father.

Under the pressure to perform:

Arjun’s is constantly compared with his father like all the star-kids and the nation really looks up to him as the perfect successor of Sachin. So, obviously Arjun always has huge performance pressure.

Harris Shield Debut:

Sachin Tendulkar was involved with Vinod Kambli is Harris Shield Tournament in a 664 run partnership where Arjun made his debut in 2011 but could not show us some serious batting chops. But his extravagant bowling completely left us in splits. His 8 scalps in the match lead Dhirubhai Ambani School to victory against the Jamnabai Narsee School.

He learned from Karnala sports academy:

He visits and practices in Karnala Sports Academy which is located in New Panvel, Navi Mumbai for sharpening his skills during the weekends.

He is not new in the game of cricket:

He started playing Cricket when he was as young as 8. He played his first under 13 tournament in Pune that was held 5 years back. He then was selected for the Mumbai Under-14 West Zone League Matches.

His benchmark performance:

His aggressive batting abilities was witnessed by us when he knocked 188 runs in 42 balls for Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Under-16 Cricket in the year 2014.

Wasim Akram was gushing over Arjun Tendulkar:

Not too long ago, Pakistani legend cricketer Wasim Akram was all praise for Arjun who said Arjun;s enthusiasm will take him to the peak of his career. He further said that he is amazed to see such unflinching dedication from just a 15 year old.

A known face:

Arjun is a known face in the cricket circle so in the media because he was always seen accompanying his father to his matches. He is also spotted with Sachin Tendulkar in many cricket functions and award ceremonies.

Family boy:

Arjun shares a strong bond with his family and not to mention draws a lot of inspiration from his father. He shares a special camaraderie with his sister Sara.

These special traits about Arjun Tendulkar truly makes him an youth inspiration.

The post 10 Things That Prove Arjun Tenduklar too Has as Much Promise like Sachin appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Virat Kohli is the man of the day!

He is making his debut as a test-captain on the Indian soil and it is not going to be an easy beginning. He doesn’t need to prove his credential to anyone what with coming from behind and snatching victory in Sri Lanka and showcasing his master skills.

However, in India it is going to be different and that too against South Africa, a team that is in its full elements!

There was a time when India was really strong in its own backyard at least, with players like Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Lakshman, Anil Kumble and Virender Sehwag ruling the roost and ensuring that no one was able to defeat us in India.

Things have changed now. The senior most player of the current lot, M.S.Dhoni, like others, has also retired from the longer format of the game and there is no one experienced enough in the time to guide the younger lot. Virat knows it very well that he will have to lead from the front and that’s where his challenge lies. Openers like Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Cheteshwar Pujara are still not settled and despite being powerhouse of talent, each one of them is still miles away from being consistent in their performances.

On their good day, they can beat the best teams of the world single-handedly, but that one “good day” comes rarely!

On top of it, our bowling unit is still not fully functional. Either our pacers are going after pace or trying to maintain right line and length. Either they try to stop runs or they try to take wickets. There is no perfect balance and no leading senior bowler, who can really come forward, take the onus of producing results and inspire juniors in the team!

In this backdrop, the test series with South Africa looks really difficult and very challenging as the visitors are very well settled and having enormous talent amidst their ranks to create chaos for us. While Indian team is still looking to find the right combination of batsmen as well as bowlers, the visitors are looking sure of their strategy on how to contain India and give us a knocking punch!

Virat knows it all, but the question is whether he is ready to take the bull by its horns or are we going to just see a lot of experimentation without productive results?

Let’s hope our youngsters come out all guns blazing and prove their mettle! When fighting against the best, one’s best comes out!

Here’s hoping that Virat is able to bring out not only his, but his teammates’ best as well and come out victorious!

Good luck boys!

The post Virat Kohli Knew It Coming, But Is He Ready? appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Indian cricket once boasted of star players like Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Javagal Srinath.

These were players who were regularly seen in every match and kept on performing for the team whether it was one-days or the test matches. However, with time they have all retired except for Bhajji who has been dropped and selected as part of the team quite frequently.

Now if you talk of today’s team, except for M.S.Dhoni or Virat Kohli, no player is a regular feature in any of the matches. New players or even a bit experienced ones keep walking in and out of the team as if they are visiting a railway station waiting room without any purpose! Whether it is Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane or even Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma!

All of them are not new to the Indian cricket team, but none of them have given such stupendous performances on a regular basis that they can be considered permanent position holders in the team. Each one of them performs in few matches and then loses their form faster than we can change our clothes! Or worst, they get injured and are forced out of the team!

What is the reason for this?

Does it have to do anything with talent?

Or is it excessive playing that is taking its toll on them?

As far as talent I concerned, all these players are world class and have proven their mettle from time to time in the international arena. Some of them have shown what kind of potential they have to be world class players who can keep on playing for years to come. However, the pressure of playing in three different formats, which is the one-day cricket, test matches and T20, is proving to be too huge for them. May be the youngsters are not getting the right coaching and right direction about how to manage their body, mind and attitude to adjust to frequently changing conditions of world sports.

It is important for players to understand that it is not going to be easy to perform consistently if they don’t give rest to their body. Most of the players, if not playing for the country, are busy playing in the IPL or busy with their endorsements or partying and enjoying their life. If one can maintain the balance between all three, the way a Sachin Tendulkar did or Virat Kohli and Dhoni does, then go ahead and make the most of your life.

But not everyone is gifted or possesses such fine-balancing qualities.

For such players, it is important to keep country’s interests first so that they can have a long innings as a player in the Indian cricket team. Or else, there are enough players to replace them!

It is high time we see some regular players playing for the country as it gives confidence to the team itself while bringing stability in the dressing team. A strongly knit consistent team has more chances of winning matches instead of different men joining hands in different matches without having a strong bond!

The post Why Is Indian Cricket Team Looking Like A Railway Station Waiting Room? appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Sachin Tendulkar needs no introduction!

Virat Kohli, who has just taken up the full-fledged full-time responsibility as captain of the Indian test cricket team also, needs no introduction. After all, rarely has someone caught the attention of an entire nation with his performances as well as leadership skills to be elevated to captaincy so soon.

Last it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who came out of nowhere to lead India and did a splendid job!

Now everyone knows the way Virat is going about his batting, he is currently the only eligible batsman in queue to break all possible records of Sachin Tendulkar! His swagger, his demeanour may all be very different than the maestro, but his run-making ability and ability to perform in almost any condition on any pitch is what makes him stand out of the crowd.

However, what is of concern is that Sachin’s captaincy is the only blot on his otherwise sparkling career! Sachin’s records as a captain are really poor and the fear is would Virat follow his footsteps? Being only a batsman is a different kind of responsibility where he focuses only on his batting. But being a captain means he would need to focus on him apart from 10 other players in equal measure and ensure India wins every possible match! Now that’s what is tricky. Not everyone is able to handle the pressure in a cool and calm manner the way Dhoni does. Even Saurav Ganguly’s batting skills took a back step when he became captain as he wasn’t able to give his best to batting.

Therefore, it is important to see that a player of Virat’s calibre is not allowed to go down the drain just because of his captaincy! As such, the only flaw in his otherwise aggressive body language is that the same kind of aggression also results in the downfall of mightiest! To be a good leader, one needs to have a calm head over his shoulders while Virat’s phenomenal performances are the result of his aggressive, non-fearing courageous batting style. That may work as a captain or might backfire as well! As of now, it has worked smoothly and everyone has been mighty impressed by his on-field performances. That is one reason he is one of the most feared players in the world today and opposition is already factoring in his presence to plan strategies against team India!

It is imperative for selectors to keep an eye on Virat the batsman more than Virat the captain! We need his batting skills more if we want India to rule the cricketing world for years to come. Let not the burden of captaincy affect this potentially huge batsman out to re-write the record books of cricket!

The post Is Virat Kohli Capable Of Breaking Sachin’s Records Or Is Captaincy A Doom For Him? appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

1.  We all love his cricket and have also seen him in number of TV commercials but it would be a sheer delight to watch him act in a movie.

2.  We thought he would do so in the movie which was partly based on his own car ‘Ferrari’ but no he didn’t. Even after Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s frequent requests, Sachin turned down the offer.

3.  A lot of movies have been made in the past and some real life cricketers have also been a part of those movies like Sunil Gavaskar appeared as himself in the movie “Malamaal” and Kapil Dev in the movie ‘Iqbal’. Even Anil Kumble too made a brief appearance in the movie “Mirabai – Not Out”.

4.  In the movie ‘Muhjse Shaadi Karogi’ half of the Indian cricket team appeared in the climax. Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Mohammed Kaif, Ashish Nehra, Parthiv Patel and Javagal Srinath they all were seen cheering Salman Khan along with the cricketer and maverick commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu.

5.  Sachin Tendulkar himself also appeared along with Rahul Dravid, Zaheer Khan, Ravi Shastri and Yuvraj Singh in Raveena Tandon’s film ‘Stumped’. They collectively sent a message across in the film that they are not heroes but the soldiers fighting the war are the real heroes

So what do you think about Sachin acting in a movie? Will he be as successful as a cricketer?

Source: Bollywood.com & Idlebrain.com

Disclaimer: This article is solely based for entertainment purpose and is written in a context of a parallel universe. It is not meant to hurt or damage the sentiments of any individual or group and is not meant to mislead people.

The post Sachin Tendulkar To Make A Guest Appearance In Dhoni Biopic appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

There is a famous saying these days which says that if you sincerely wish for something, the whole Universe conspires to give it to you. It seems the collective wishes and prayers of a host of sportspersons across all kinds of sports except cricket are being answered right now!

The writing is on the wall!

Cricket is dying, day by day, week after week, year after year and the slide is quite phenomenal!

However, the silver lining is it is dying at the cost of other sports which are taking the space which was single-handedly grabbed by an entertainment giant called Cricket.

But first, let’s share with you some figures about cricket’s slow and steady decline.

Hard Facts!!

Firstly, cricket’s reach in India has declined from 77% in 2010 to 70% in 2014.

If one compares the income distributed by BCCI to players, it has declined from Rs. 49crores in 2012-13 to just Rs. 11 crores in 2013-14! Now that is a huge drop!

So what is happening?

Nothing much, except the fact that fatigue is setting in. In this age of really fast life, people are not finding enough time to sit through an 8-9 hour long One-day match without the crowd-pulling power of some outstanding players. It is a fact that the era which took cricket to its stupendous heights was due to some heavyweights of Indian cricket comprising of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. One by one everyone retired, but the final blow was Sachin’s retirement. A whole generation who got stuck to their TV sets due to maestro’s batting suddenly felt a void and couldn’t relate to his absence. No player has been able to fill the big shoes even though Virat Kohli does look promising. In short, the attraction isn’t that huge now that one gets the tendency to leave everything to just watch a match! Moreover, there are other means of entertainment for quick gratification instead of spending five days or even 8hours on a cricket match when it is not inspiring enough!

Who is winning?

The obvious winners are other sports leagues launched in recent years, including comprising of sports like football, hockey, kabaddi, badminton and tennis. These sports take almost as much time as a T-20 takes so it easily squeezes in the busy schedules. The working population is going for variety and the youth isn’t connecting to cricket the way their elders did almost 20years ago. In a way it is good because the money available to promote sports gets distributed for the development of other neglected sports and sportspersons. Instead of only one sports body getting richer and richer, everyone gets a pie of the action and benefits from it.

The Way Forward..

The only question to be answered is whether BCCI and ICC are in tune with changing realities or living in their cocoon? Globally, only 14 countries play cricket and the sports bodies have plans to cut short the number of teams playing in the next World Cup to only 10. In a scenario when cricket is losing its sheen in the biggest market, India, and no major development is happening to promote the sport in other countries, what is the future of cricket not only in India, but world over?

Till they ponder over it, let’s enjoy our IPL games!

At least they are not going anywhere, anytime soon!

The post Cricket Is Dying In India And So Are The Generated Revenues! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

The recent times have seen Indian players ‘giving it back’ to the Australians during cricket matches. Virat Kohli made a similar claim not too long ago suggesting that India’s high spirited attitude was instantly disliked by their Oceanic opponents.

Competition in ODIs between the two teams dates back to the 80s when India and Australia faced one another at MCG, a match that was won by India.

Years into it, the matches have only grown intense with no team (or player) willing to back down, in the process taking the match down to the wire.

Here we look at five intense India vs. Australia ODI battles that kept us on the edge of our seat at all times –

Reliance World Cup – October 9, 1987 (Australia won by 1 run)

Geoff Marsh scored 110 against India in the 1987 World Cup

This was the fourth edition of the cricket World Cup with India and Pakistan being the host nations. India faced Australia in the third match of the tournament. Winning the toss, the hosts decided to field first, with Australia scoring 270 runs from 50 overs. Though India’s first three batsmen played their part, the rest of the middle order struggled to cope up with the target of 271 runs eventually scoring 269 all out.

Benson and Hedges World Cup – March 1, 1992 (Australia won by 1 run)

Dean Jones scored a handy 90 runs in India’s 1 run defeat

India, again, lost by one run against Australia in a World Cup match. This time around, however, it was the 1992 edition of the tournament. India winning the toss and deciding to field first was similar to that of their earlier 1-run defeat in the 1987 World Cup. For Australia, it was Dean Jones who fired scoring 90 runs, in Australia’s total of 237 runs. The match was interrupted in the 17^th over when India batted leading to the chasing total being revised. India were all-out for 234 runs.

Commonwealth Bank Series – March 4, 2008 (India won by 9 runs)

SAchin Tendulkar’s 91 helped India beat Australia in the CB Series final 2-0

India performed well in the Commonwealth Bank Series eventually making its way into the best of three finals against Australia. India had already won the first match and was inching towards being the first team to beat Australia 2-0 in the CB Series. Batting first, India scored 258 runs with Sachin Tendulkar top scoring the innings with 91 runs. Australia’s middle-order batting stepped up to the occasion after its opening stand failed. James Hopes was the last batsman to get out when he skied one to mid-on off Piyush Chawla’s delivery presenting India the victory by 9 runs.

Australia in India ODI Series – October 30, 2013 (India won by 6 wickets)

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma’s opening stand helped India chase Australia’s colossal target

The 7-match ODI series initially appeared long, but as the tournament proceeded, it only brought more joy and thrill to the audience. India was trailing 2-1 from five matches, with the fourth and fifth match being washed out. In the sixth ODI, Australia batted first and scored 350 off 50 overs after India won the toss and elected to field. The target, without a doubt, was colossal. The top three batsmen – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli – played handy knocks scoring 79, 100 and 115, respectively. India chased the target of 351 with three balls to spare.

Australia in India ODI Series – November 2, 2013 (India won by 57 runs)

Rohit Sharma’s 209 runs set the tone for India as they amassed 383 runs in 50 overs

India chasing 351 meant that it was on level (2-2) with Australia. The final, too, was nothing less than a thriller. This time Australia won the toss and put India to bat. Rohit Sharma scored 209 runs, in the process becoming the third cricketer to cross the 200-run barrier in an ODI innings. The hosts put up a massive total of 383 runs in 50 overs. Though Australia lost half their side while on 132 runs, it was James Faulkner, who scored a quick fire century nearly taking the game off India’s grasp. Australia was all out for 326 runs.

The post 5 India vs Australia Matches That Kept Us Glued To Our TV Screens Till The End appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Cricket legend and former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has called ICC’s decision to make the 2019 Cricket World Cup a 10-team affair as “a backward step”.

Tendulkar called ICC’s decision of 10-man World Cup as a backward step

It was only earlier this week, during a dinner event in Sydney, when Tendulkar spoke about increasing the participants up to 25. In addition, he also requested the ICC to let the ‘A’ side teams to regularly play Associates in order to provide a fair platform for the “minnows”.

It was in December last year when the International Cricket Council declared that only 10 teams would participate in the 2019 mega event instead of 14 teams like in 2011 and 2015 tournaments.

16 teams are participating in the 2015 ICC World Cup

Expressing his disappointment at ICC’s decision to reduce the number of participating teams, the iconic batsman said, “I found out the next World Cup would only be ten teams, which is slightly disappointing because as a cricketer I want the game to be globalised as much as possible and, according to me, this is a backwards step. We’ve got to find ways of encouraging the lesser teams.”

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson, on the other hand, defended the international governing body’s decision.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson

The ICC defended its action saying that the game will become more competitive with top 8 teams competing and two teams qualifying for the event.

However, the Associates have proven their worth time and again. Ireland, one of the Associate teams, has managed to beat at least one Test playing nation in World Cups since 2007. In 2007, they beat Pakistan, where as in the 2011 ICC World Cup, the minnows convincingly chased a total of over 300 against England. Last month, in Nelson, they again chased a 300+ total against West Indies.

Ireland has defeated Test playing nations on different occasions

Even Kenya, a non-participating team in this edition of cricket’s most coveted tournament, has defeated Sri Lanka (2003 World Cup) and West Indies (1996 World Cup).

While speaking to the media, Tendulkar was also quoted as saying, “Right now, they (the Associates) get up after four years on the cricket world’s biggest platform and they’re expected to play and compete with the likes of Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka, so many top sides. It’s unfair to them”.

Statistically, matches played by minnows have managed to bring in audience from different countries to support them. Unfortunately, ICC is hell-bent on making the event “more competitive”, which as per them cannot be possible with lowly ranked teams.

Sachin Tendulkar hopes ICC will reverse its 10-team World Cup decision

Sachin has requested the ICC to look into facts before arriving at this conclusion, as it could adversely affect the game.

The post Would You Tell Sachin He Is Wrong for Standing Against ICC’s Decision to Play 10 Teams in the 2019 WC? appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Cricket, in India, is religion and Sachin Tendulkar is God.

Hockey, unfortunately, took a backseat long time ago and cricket entered into the life of the youth and nothing has changed much.

Even to this day, parents prefer handing their children a plastic bat and plastic ball as toys than small cutlery items.

As you age, cricket grips your soul like no other sport. Here are signs that your love for cricket can never experience demise –

Obviously, as a child and in the teenage, you played a lot of cricket within your residential compound, where you broke many windows and got yelled at.

Gully cricket is a trend among the youth

Whenever you did not play cricket, you watched cricket on TV with your family or with your close friends. When with family, you had the Indian flag; with friends, beer and something to complement it.

Watching cricket match with friends and family members is fun

If you work on the day India played a cricket match, you have one tab on the computer showing the live match score. In case you had a cooler office, you watched the live telecast of the match with other employees.

Watching cricket with office colleagues is thrilling

The doors or walls in your house have posters of Indian or international cricketing legends. Obviously, you had an argument with your parents about it, but they eventually gave in.

Your doors and walls have posters of cricketers

Other than posters, you have Indian team jerseys, probably ranging by different eras.

Indian team jerseys of different era

You also collect cricket stubs of the matches that you have attended personally. Carrying them in wallet could be risky which is why you have a secret stash at your home.

Collecting cricket match tickets pave way for good/bad memories

Location does not stand as a barrier when it comes to your love for cricket. You make it a point to travel to different Indian states or even overseas to watch your favourite players in action.

You travel long distances to watch a cricket match

During a high profile cricket match, your social media profile contains a series of updates. This tends to annoy people in your friends list, who are as enthused but do not promote their excitement online.

You upload social media updates during high profile cricket matches

Whether you own a smartphone or an iPad, cricket is one of the first games that you download. The game becomes your travel companion if you have to commute long distance for work.

Your smartphone and iPad devices carry cricket games

You make it a point to never miss a cricket event. You even watch the pre-match and post-match sessions, for you consider them informative. The statistics that the panel provides get registered in your brain forever.

pre-match and post-match sessions are informative

The post 10 Signs That Your Love For Cricket Will Never Die appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Imagine this!

Dubai without Burj Khalifa.

New York, without the Statue of Liberty.

Paris without its Eiffel Tower.

London without its Underground Metro.

China without its iconic Great Wall.

Agra without the Taj Mahal.

Now, imagine ICC World Cup 2015 Without Sachin Tendulkar.

World Cup without Sachin Tendulkar

Was tough, wasn’t it?

Kind of unimaginable and difficult to digest? Well, ever since Sachin’s retirement from the 50-overs game, Indians will have no other choice but to imagine this World Cup without him! Spectatorship will hit an impasse when the echoing chants of ‘Sachin… Sachin…, Sachin… Sachin…’ will no more do the rounds of India’s matches, especially the nail-biting opening match against Pakistan – an opponent we have always managed to beat in every World Cup. Sachin’s contributions to India’s wins over the two decades need not be enumerated here… his name speaks for itself!

Team India will find it very tough to surpass their golden cricketing history this year in the absence of Sachin, if they wish to retain their cup as current World Champions. Sachin, who retired from the game after an illustrious 24-year career, was like a guiding beacon of light in the Indian side, his words were like advice from God; he is after all the God of cricket! His constant presence and contributions during all of the five contests between India and Pakistan in a World Cup were astounding! Every time Shoaib Akhtar came to bowl to Sachin, the crowd stood silent, lips sealed! A huge uproar within a matter of seconds confirmed what Sachin did; a sixer over Shoaib’s head – a befitting answer to the always angry pacer looking for ways to strike Sachin’s head off achievements and laurels in the World Cup don’t come easy; he laid his life on the line even after battling constant tennis elbow injuries due to usage of a heavier bat.

ICC World Cup 2015

But Sachin is Sachin, he neither squirmed nor complained, he bounced back using the same heavy bat and continued to awe audiences with his master-strokes!

This World Cup will be a dismal one for sure, India’s team is pretty weak compared to tall orders of other cricketing nations competing in the tournament. Sachin will be missed; missed like a person misses oxygen when asphyxiated! Last time India was lucky, playing on home soil, winning with the home crowd’s unflinching support. This time we play down-under; tensions will be high!

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin sir, if you are reading this… please note that we miss you! If you would have been in this current team, we could have easily replicated the success of the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Please guide our team to victory this year too. Your invaluable presence in the cricketing paddock will be of immense importance to our team helping them bring back the World Cup home, again. Make them win!For you, as a humbling tribute to the ‘Little Master’ of cricket. A cricketing superhero who will remain unparalleled; for years to come.

ICC world cup starts at Melbourne Cricket Ground

The post ICC World Cup 2015 Without Sachin Tendulkar Is Like Breathing In The Absence Of Oxygen! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.