Sports Centre..Pranita Sytle......

My favorite sportspersons.........

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Roger Federer..Australian Open Champ..

Hez done it...Yet Again..,Yo baby..This Swiss sweetheart has won yet another grand slam...THe first of this season...The Australian Open...,This is his 3rd Title at Melborne....And mind u ..,he was the defending champian too..:)..Dont i luv him loads......Well...,he won against the tenth seeded Fernando Gonzalez..,in straight sets..(7-5..,6-4..,6-4)..This is his tenth outright win in the final...Roger ur the best...(now for onr French..plzz)

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Vishy Anand...The pride Of India...


Viswanathan Anand - a profile

Viswanathan Anand who turned 35 in December 2004, has throughout his career, for almost 20 years now, been way ahead of his times and peers. One of the best known non-Russian and Asian chess players, Anand has often been given sobriquets like “Lightning Kid” and "Vishy, the Tiger from Madras". Born on December 11, 1969, he picked his early lessons in chess, at the age of six from his mother, Susila Viswanathan.

By 14 he was the “Boy Wonder” in Indian chess and his assets, lightning speed, ability to see and read the game far ahead besides on-board intuition saw him emerge as the Youngest Indian National Champion at age of 16.

In 1987 he became the First Asian to win the World Junior Championship at Baguio City in the Philippines. The same year he became the first Indian to earn the coveted Grandmaster title.

As he grew in strength and reputation, in 1991, he won the strongest tournament at that time, The “Reggio Emilia” in Italy in 1991 ahead of Kasparov & Karpov.

The pinnacle of his career was achieved on December 24, 2000 when Anand became the 15th World Chess Champion in Teheran. Anand won the championship by remaining unbeaten. By winning the title, Anand becomes the First Asian to win the title ending many years of Soviet Domination of the Ancient Indian game.

2004 has been a year of superlatives for Anand. If 2003 made him the “Speed king”. 2004 saw him become the absolute king of Chess. Anand won both rapid and classical chess events. He started his winning spree at the Corus event in Wijk Aan Zee. Anand won the historic Corus Chess Tournament for the fourth time. Anand now joins an exclusive club of players that includes former World Chess Champion Max Euwe, Lajos Portisch, Viktor Kortchnoi. He also won the Dortmund Schachtage by defeating Vladmir Kramnik in the finals. The year also saw Anand make a comeback to the Chess Olympiad after a gap of 12 years. Anand for the first time in Indian chess history captained an all Grandmaster team. Although the team finished sixth, Anand emerged as one of the top scorers on the Olympiad

The year 2003 has again been one where Anand has achieved tremendous success. With six wins in nine starts tournaments, it has been stupendous, for the other three events have also seen him figure in top three. The star performance of the year came from the World Rapid Championships in Capd’Agde where Anand beat Vladimir Kramnik in the finals to clinch the title. That kind of performance won him the exalted chess Oscars for the third time. In a poll conducted over 65 countries, Anand was placed first in 232 lists while Peter Svidler who was placed first got a first place in 35 lists. With this Oscar, Anand joins the chess legend Bobby Fischer in being the only two non-Russians to have won the Oscars after the tradition was reinitiated.

If 2002 was a year of hat-trick, in 2003, Anand went one better. He won the Corsica Masters and the Chess Classic of Mainz for the fourth straight time. In addition, he also won the Melody Amber title for the third time. To these he also added successes in official World Rapid Chess Championships, and SIS-SMH Masters in Denmark with an amazing score of 5.5 out of a maximum six.

Listing all of Anand’s wins is indeed an arduous task, but some of the biggest successes include, the Corus Super GM tournament at Wijk Aan Zee (1988, 1998, 2003 and 2004), Dortmund (1996, 2000 and 2004), Melody Amber tournament (1994 & 1997 and 2003), Reggio Emilia (1991), Groningen (1997), Linares (1998), the Credit Suisse Masters (1997), Dos Hermanas (1997), Torneo de Madrid (1998), Tilburg (1998), Merida (2001), Corsica Masters (2000, 2001, 2002 ,2003 and 2004) and Chess Classic of Mainz (2000, 2001, 2002 , 2003 and 2004), World Cup (2002 and 2000) and Eurotel Trophy (2002),

Anand enjoys playing different varieties of chess. He especially enjoys the advanced chess, wherein computers are at hand for calculations and database searches. Anand has won three editions of the Leon Advanced Chess tournament in Spain (1999,2000 and 2001).

In 2004 Anand took his performance in rapid chess to a new height by winning two of the most prestigious rapid. The Indian Speed Chess king won the Mainz Chess Classic for the fourth consecutive time and the Corsica masters for the fifth time running. He also won the Rapids of the Amber Blind and Rapid Chess event in Monaco. Anand continued his rapid chess exploits by winning the Desafio de Xadrez in Sao Paolo by defeating all his opponents at least once in the event. The Rapid Chess King also created a record of sorts by winning the Paul Keres memorial in Tallinn, Estonia with a perfect 5/5 score. A very tough record to beat. Anand is the winner of the First and Second FIDE World Cup held in Shenyang (2000) and Hyderabad (2002). The World Cups are a series of prestigious knock out tournaments.

Anand has been awarded many prestigious titles in India like the Arjuna Award, the prestigious Padma Shri (the youngest recipient of the title), the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the Soviet Land Nehru award, the BPL Achievers of the World, Sportstar, Sportsworld “Sportsman of the year 1995” Award, One of the highest awards, the Padma Bhushan, the Sportstar, “Sportsman of the Millennium” award and the Birla “Living Legends Award”.

Anand received the "Jameo de Oro", One of Spain's highest civilian award given to a foreigner.

Anand, known as the “One man Indian Chess revolution”, keenly promotes the game, through innovative methods in the country, where the game first originated. It is his ambition to be able to take chess to the grass roots level. In conjunction with NIIT, his global sponsor a virtual academy to make chess available to every nook and corner of the country is on the anvil. Anand regularly collaborates with young Indian chess players to help make existing talent reach higher.

His first book “My best games of Chess” has been released in English and German. Anand shares his time between India and Spain. Being Fluent in Spanish, the little town of Collado Mediano near Madrid has adopted him as their “Hijo Predelicto” or famous son.

A keen follower of all events around the world, he is also keen on maintaining fitness with biking, long walks and yoga. He has an interest in a wide variety of topics like astronomy, economics and current affairs. His other hobbies include listening to music and learning languages and he knows more than few European languages Spanish, French and German. A well traveled person , Anand has traveled close to 43 counties adding three new countries , Bulgaria, Brazil and Estnia in 2004

Truly, the NIIT-Brand Ambassador, Anand holds a Bacherlor’s degree in Commerce but a ‘Doctorate’ in Chess!


Career

Leading finishes and other significant achievements of Viswanathan Anand since 1991

2005

Anand second at Corus Super Grandmasters in Holland
Attempting an unprecedented hat-trick of titles at Corus GM tournament in Wijk Aan Zee, Anand finished second in the 13-round tournament.

Anand third at Linares
Anand returning to Linares after a gap finished third in this strong tournament, which was also the last for Garry Kasparov, who after the event announced his retirement, making Anand the highest ranked active player in the world.

Anand awarded 2004 Chess Oscar for second year running and fourth time overall
Anand has become the first non-Russian to win the coveted Chess Oscar for the fourth time. The Indian ace was voted as the winner by a huge margin by the Chess community in the poll conducted by the Russian chess magazine ‘64’. This is the second straight year Anand has been elected winner of the Award and is the fourth time overall after previous wins in 1997, 1998 and 2003.

As many as 445 chess specialists people from 75 countries voted for the winner. Anand figured on each and every list, and in 279 of them he was voted first. The year before Anand had received 232 firsts. His points for 2004 were a whopping 5205, and he towered over the second placed Garry Kasparov, who aggregated 3664 points, which included 60 first places. For the 2003 award, Anand had finished ahead by 1575 points, and for the 2004 award he broke 1541 points clear of Kasparov. Peter Leko (Hungary) was third with 3485 points including 43 first places.

Anand overtook the record of non-Russian Bobby Fischer who won the Oscar three times (1970, 71 and 72). In the Oscar’s modern history the award has changed hands between Kasparov and Anand with Kramnik winning only once in 2000. Between Anand and Kaparov they have won it nine times in 10 years.

Anand makes a clean sweep of three titles at Melody Amber
Playing in Monaco at the famous Melody Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess tournament, started with a string of 2-0 victories, which helped him build a huge lead. He won the Rapid, Blindfold and Overall sections, marking only the second time any player has performed a clean sweep. And the first to do so, was none other than Anand himself!

Anand second at M-Tel Masters in Sofia, Bulgaria
Anand after a modest start with a string of draws in the strongest Grandmasters tournament ever held in Bulgaria came into contention and ended second behind home star, Veselin Topalov in the inagural event, which was also the first GM tournament to be played under the rule of “No agreed draws”. Players were not allowed to agree to draws among themselves, and only the arbiter could decide if the game was a dead draw.

Anand win the Leon Rapid Chess Challenge
Anand playing in Leon after a gap of two years, emerged winner for the fifth time in six years. Anand won the title beating Rustam Kasimdzhanov in the final. Anand’s earlier victories in Leon have included a match against Miguel Illescas in 1997; match against Anatoly Karpov in 1998, Advanced Chess title in 1999, 2000 and 2001. He was second in 2002.

Main events Coming Up in 2005

  • Chess Classic of Mainz – Anand is the defending champion for the past five years
  • World Championships in San Luis, Argentina, where world’s top 8 players will play a double round robin event to decide world’s top player
  • Corsica Masters – Anand is the winner of the title for five years now.

2004

Anand retains Corus Super Grandmasters title in Holland
Retained the 2004 Corus Grandmasters Chess tournament title in Wijk Aan Zee, Holland. Anand retained the Corus Grandmasters chess title in Wijk Aan Zee with 8.5 points from 13 rounds with five wins, seven draws and one loss.

Anand wins Blitz Match against Vesselin Topalov in Sofia, Bulgaria
Anand won the Blitz Match for Bulgarian TV beating Veselin Topalov 1.5-0.5 in his first appearance in Bulagria.

Anand wins Rapid Title in Melody Amber at Monaco
In Monaco, where he has been a champion many times in the past at the Melody Amber tournament, Anand won the rapid title, once again re-iterating that he was the best player in the world in rapid. He also finished third overall. The joint winners were Vladimir Kramnik and Alexander Morozevich.

Anand officially takes over No. 2 spot again
In April officially became the World No. 2 once again. Anand returned to the No. 2 spot in world chess according to the latest ratings list in April. He became second to Garry Kasparov, and is now ahead of Vladimir Kramnik.

Anand leads World Squad to Win over All-Star Armenian Team (Team Petrosyan) in Russia
In a unique match in Russia captained a Rest of the World team, which beat an all-star Armenian team that also had Garry Kasparov in it. This was the second time he has led a world team to such a win. In the past, he led a Rest of the World team to a win over a Russian team.

Anand awarded 2003 Chess Oscar
In May 2003, Anand, the World No. in 2002, won the 2003 Chess Oscar, the game's most prestigious annual award for the third time in his career. In a worldwide poll, involving the leading chess writers, critics and journalists from over 50 countries, Anand totaled 4150 points and won by one of the biggest margins in recent times as he finished 1575 points ahead of his nearest rival, Peter Svidler (2575). Anand, who has twice earlier won the Chess Oscar in 1997 and 1998, is only the second non-Russian after Bobby Fischer (1970, 71, and 72) to win the award and both now share the record of three Oscars each.

Anand wins the Dortmund Super Grandmasters Chess Title
In a masterly display at Dortmund Super GM tournament, Anand won the title in a convincing manner making it two out of two in Super GM classical events for 2004. Winning two major classical events like Corus and Dortmund is indeed a matter of great prestige.

Anand Wins the Chess Classic of Mainz for Fourth Time in a Row
Anand outplayed Alexey Shirov in his favourite international venue, Mainz, as he won the Chess Classic of Mainz, an annual event, where he has been winning for last four years. In he past he has beaten Vladimir Kramnik, Ruslan Ponomariov and Judit Polgar in the one-on-one battles on the banks of River Rhine.

Anand leads Indian team to best finish in Chess Olympiad at Calvia, Spain
Anand returning to the Indian team after 12 years took them to their best-ever sixth place finish in Calvia, Spain. Anand scored eight points from 11 games.

Anand wins Corsica title for record fifth time
Anand, steamrollered over Russian Sergei Rublevsky for his fifth successive Corsica Masters Chess title in Bastia, France. The Indian ace won 2-0, the third time in this tournament he had achieved this wipeout result.

Anand won the Sao Paolo Rapid Chess Challenge
Anand won the Sao Paolo Rapid Chess Challenge with a three-point margin over the runner-up. He beat each of his other rivals at least once in the round robin event. His victims included Anatoly Karpov.

Anand wins the Paul Keres Challenge in Tallinn, Estonia
Anand demolished the field in a tournament held to mark the memory of Paul Keres in Estonia. Anand outplayed each of his five rivals to win the title by an unprecedented margin.

2003

Anand won six of the nine events he played and is a very strong contender for the Chess Oscar, the biggest chess award for the year. Anand has won the Oscar in the past.

  • Wins Corsica Open Rapid Chess for the 4 th year in running
  • Wins official World Rapid Chess Championships in Cape d'Agde re-affirming his position as the world's best rapid chess player winning the official World Rapid chess title
  • Chess Classic Winner at Mainz, Germany, fourth success in as many years
  • Dortmund Super GM Chess finished second
  • Highest scorer in the German league
  • SIS-MH Masters, Denmark winner with an incredible score of 5.5/6
  • Melody Amber Blind and Rapid Chess champion for the third time
  • Tied for third place in Linares
  • Winner at the 65 th Corus Super GM Chess 2003

2002

  • Winner of the The Corsica Masters three times in a row
  • Winner of World Cup Chess Championship in Hyderabad.
  • Successfully led the ‘Rest of the World' team against Russia in ‘The New Match of the Century' at Moscow.
  • Won the Chess Classic Championship at Mainz, Germany

2001

  • Wins the Corsica Masters title in Bastia, in November
  • Won the Rapidplay event in Villarrobledo in Spain
  • Drew the WDR TV Match with Peter Leko in Cologne in August. But as per rules, having played black and drawn, Anand will qualify to play the match next year.
  • Won the Duel of World Champions in a 10-game rapid clash with Vladimir Kramnik in Mainz, Germany in June
  • Won the Merida International tournament in Mexico
  • Won "Torneo Magistral” an Advanced Chess Tournament, where players can use Computers in Leon
  • Second in Corus International in Wijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands

2000

  • Won FIDE World Championships final in Teheran beating Shirov 3.5-0.5
  • Won FIDE World Qualifier in New Delhi, won five rounds without losing a game
  • Won the FIDE World Cup in Shenyang, China beating Bareev 1.5 - 0.5 in final
  • Joint first with Kramnik in Sparkassen Chess Meeting in Dortmund
  • Won the Fujitsu Siemens Giants Rapid in Frankfurt
  • Won "Torneo Magistral" an Advanced Chess Tournament, where players can use Computers in Leon beat Shirov in final
  • Won the Wydra Int'l Rapid in Haifa
  • Runner-up in Corus Chess Tournament in Wijk Aan Zee to Kasparov
  • Won the Plus GSM World Blitz Cup in Warsaw

1999

  • Won the Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez in Leon by defeating Anatoly Karpov 5-1
  • Won the Chess Oscar for the second straight year!
  • Runner-up in Toreno Int'l De Ajedrez Ciudad in Linares
  • Runner Up in the Hoogoven's Schaak Tornoi in Wijk Aan Zee with a record plus 6 score
  • Won the 1999 Wydra Memorial Rapid Chess in Haifa

1998

  • Won the Fontys-Tilburg International in Tilburg
  • Won the Siemens Nixdorf Duell which had Computers in the field in Frankfurt
  • Won the Siemens Nixdorf Duell Rapid event in Frankfurt
  • Won the strong "Torneo Magistral Communidad de Madrid
  • Won the Category 21 Linares Super torneo
  • Tied for first place at the Hoogoven's Schaak Tornoi in Wijk Aan Zee
  • Won the Chess Oscar for the first time

1997

  • Won the Knock-Out Championships in Groningen which was the qualifier for the world championship finals. He beat 3 out of the top 10 in the world, Shirov, Gelfand & Adams in the final tiebreak.
  • Won the Invesbanka Chess tournament", Belgrade
  • Won the Credit Suisse Classic Tournament in Biel (also won prize for most beautiful game)
  • Runner-up in Dortmunder Schachtage, Dortmund
  • Won the Chess Classic Rapid Tournament, Frankfurt beating Karpov in the Final.
  • Won 4-2 in an Exhibition against 6 computers at the Aegon Man Vs Computers chess event. One of the few players to play 6 computers simultaneously and win.
  • Won the 6th Melody Amber Tournament, Monaco. Finished overall first and individually first in blindfold and rapid to become the first player in the history of the tournament to do so.
  • Won the Torneo de Ajedrez, Dos Hermanes. This was a Category 19 Tournament.

1996

  • Second in Las Palmas"Super Torneo De Ajedrez". The six-player event was the strongest tournament of all time till then.
  • Won the Credit Swiss Rapid Chess Grand Prix, Geneva beating Kasparov in the final.
  • Joint winner at Dortmunder Schachtage, Dortmund with Kramnik.

1995

  • Lost the final of the PCA World Championship, New York to Kasparov
  • Attained the World No. 2 position in the PCA Ranking list
  • Beat Gata Kamsky in PCA World Candidates Final in Las Palmas and qualified for final against Kasparov

1994

  • Qualified for PCA World Championship Candidates Final, after beating Michael Adams
  • 1994 World Championship Candidates Cycle, New York Champion Beat Romanishin
  • 1994 PCA Grand Prix, Moscow Champion Won ahead of Kasparov
  • 1994 Melody Amber Tournament, Monaco Champion Won ahead of stalwarts like Karpov, Kramnik, Ivanchuk

1993

  • Won the PCA Interzonal, Groningen Champion. The strongest Swiss tournament ever
  • Qualified for the FIDE Candidates Cycle Interzonal, Biel
  • 1992
  • Won the Alekhine Memorial (Category 18) in Moscow. Won the tournament ahead of Karpov. Attained a 2700 rating, only the 8th person ever to do so in the World
  • Second in Immopar Trophy, Paris -- Lost final to Kasparov
  • Beat Vassily Ivanchuk (then World No. 3) 5-2 in a match in Linares
  • Captained the Indian team in Olympiad in Manila, remained unbeaten
  • Joint champion in Goodricke Open International Tournament

1991-1992

  • Reggio Emilia Chess Tournament (Category 18) Champion ahead of Kasparov and Karpov in the strongest tournament ever held until this time.

1991

  • World Championship, Brussels Quarter Finalist Lost to Anatoly Karpov
  • First World Candidates Cycle Match, beat Alexey Dreev in Madras


The Wall Of Indian Cricket....


Rahul Dravid

India

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2000
ICC Test Player of the Year 2004
ICC Player of the Year 2004


Full name Rahul Sharad Dravid
Born January 11, 1973, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Current age 33 years 266 days
Major teams

India, Scotland, ACC Asian XI, ICC World XI, Karnataka, Kent
Nickname The Wall
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Fielding position Occasional wicketkeeper
Education St. Josephs High School



Profile

Rahul Dravid, a cricketer who seamlessly blends an old-world classicism with a new-age professionalism, is the best No. 3 batsman to play for India - and might even be considered one of the best ever by the time his career is done. He already averages around 60 at that position, more than any regular No. 3 batsman in the game's history, barring Don Bradman. Unusually for an Indian batsman, he also averages more overseas - around 60, again - than at home. But impressive as his statistics are, they cannot represent the extent of his importance to India, or the beauty of his batsmanship.

When Dravid began playing Test cricket, he was quickly stereotyped as a technically correct player capable of stonewalling against the best attacks - his early nickname was 'The Wall' - but of little else. As the years went by, though, Dravid, a sincere batsman who brought humility and a deep intelligence to his study of the game, grew in stature, finally reaching full blossom under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. As a New India emerged, so did a new Dravid: first, he put on the wicketkeeping gloves in one-dayers, and transformed himself into an astute finisher in the middle-order; then, he strung together a series of awe-inspiring performances in Test matches, as India crept closer and closer to their quest of an overseas series win.

Dravid's golden phase began, arguably, in Kolkata 2001, with a supporting act, when he made 180 to supplement VVS Laxman's classic effort of 281 against Australia. But from then on, Dravid became India's most valuable player, saving them Tests at Port Elizabeth, Georgetown and Trent Bridge, winning them Tests at Headlingley, Adelaide, Kandy and Rawalpindi. At one point during this run, he carved up four centuries in successive innings, and hit four double-centuries in the space of 15 Tests, including in historic away-wins at Adelaide, Rawalpindi and Jamaica. As India finished off the 2004 Pakistan tour on a winning note, on the back of Dravid's epic 270, his average crept past Sachin Tendulkar's - and it seemed no aberration.

Dravid's amazing run was no triumph of substance over style, though, for he has plenty of both. A classical strokeplayer who plays every shot in the book, he often outscores team-mates like Tendulkar and Laxman in the course of partnerships with them, and while his pulling and cover-driving is especially breathtaking, he has every other shot in the book as well. He is both an artist and a craftsman, repeatedly constructing innings that stand out not merely for the beauty of their execution, but for the context in which they come. By the time he entered his 30s, Dravid was already in the pantheon of great Indian batsmen, alongside Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar. In October 2005, he was appointed captain the one-day side, began with a thumping 6-1 hammering of Sri Lanka in a home series, and was soon given responsibility of the Test side as well, taking over from the controversy-shrouded Sourav Ganguly. After two disappointing defeats to Pakistan and England, Dravid masterminded a historic series win in the West Indies, the first since 1970-71. What else could he achieve? Anything.

Batting and fielding averages

class mat inns no runs hs ave bf sr 100 50 4s 6s ct st
Tests 104 176 22 9049 270 58.75 21422 42.24 23 46 1120 13 146 0
ODIs 297 276 35 9576 153 39.73 13598 70.42 12 71 835 29 177 14
First-class 217 354 50 17572 270 57.80 48 90 261 1
List A 397 369 50 13619 153 42.69 20 98 211 17



Bowling averages
class mat balls runs wkts bbi bbm ave econ sr 4 5 10
Tests 104 120 39 1 1/18 1/18 39.00 1.95 120.00 0 0 0
ODIs 297 186 170 4 2/43 2/43 42.50 5.48 46.50 0 0 0
First-class 217 617 273 5 2/16 54.60 2.65 123.40 0 0
List A 397 477 421 4 2/43 2/43 105.25 5.29 119.25 0 0 0




Career statistics
Statsguru Tests filter | Statsguru One-Day Internationals filter
Test debut England v India at Lord's - Jun 20-24, 1996
Last Test West Indies v India at Kingston - Jun 30-Jul 2, 2006
ODI debut India v Sri Lanka at Singapore - Apr 3, 1996
Last ODI Australia v India at Kuala Lumpur - Sep 22, 2006
First-class span 1990/91 - 2006









Jonty....


Jonty Rhodes

South Africa


Full name Jonathan Neil Rhodes
Born July 27, 1969, Pietermaritzberg, Natal
Current age 37 years 69 days
Major teams

Ireland, South Africa, Gloucestershire, KwaZulu-Natal, Natal
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium



Batting and fielding averages

class mat inns no runs hs ave bf sr 100 50 4s 6s ct st
Tests 52 80 9 2532 117 35.66 5536 45.73 3 17 256 22 34 0
ODIs 245 220 51 5935 121 35.11 7335 80.91 2 33 392 47 105 0
First-class 164 263 31 9546 172 41.14 22 52 127 0
List A 371 339 68 8907 121 32.86 2 51 158 0
Twenty20 6 5 0 49 42 9.80 52 94.23 0 0 1 0




Bowling averages
class mat balls runs wkts bbi bbm ave econ sr 4 5 10
Tests 52 12 5 0 - - - 2.50 - 0 0 0
ODIs 245 14 4 0 - - - 1.71 - 0 0 0
First-class 164 162 83 1 1/13 83.00 3.07 162.00 0 0
List A 371 80 45 2 1/2 1/2 22.50 3.37 40.00 0 0 0
Twenty20 6 0 0 0 - - - - - 0 0 0




Career statistics
Statsguru Tests filter | Statsguru One-Day Internationals filter
Test debut South Africa v India at Durban - Nov 13-17, 1992 scorecard
Last Test Sri Lanka v South Africa at Colombo (SSC) - Aug 6-10, 2000 scorecard
ODI debut Australia v South Africa at Sydney - Feb 26, 1992 scorecard
Last ODI South Africa v Kenya at Potchefstroom - Feb 12, 2003 scorecard
First-class span 1988/89 - 2003
List A span 1988/89 - 2004/05
Twenty20 span 2003



Profile

The Jonty Rhodes legend may have begun with the diving run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq during the 1992 World Cup but it would never have grown as it did without genuine substance. Rhodes worked harder than anyone else in a team of hard workers, frequently delaying the team bus at the end of practice for one more round of reflex catches hit from ten metres or less. Nobody has ever fielded better in the key one-day position of backward point, where he leapt like a salmon, threw off balance, and stopped singles by reputation alone. He laboured just as hard over his batting which needed, and underwent, a complete technical overhaul in 1997 - whereupon he averaged 50 for the rest of his Test career, until he gave it up to concentrate on one-day cricket in 2000. The problem was a tendency to bring the bat down from gully and through to midwicket, a legacy of the extraordinary hockey skills that brought him selection for the Olympic Games in 1996 - an offer he had to refuse. Few batsmen have turned the quick single into a finer art form, and his willingness to experiment and adapt enabled him to lead the way with the reverse-sweep under Bob Woolmer's tutelage. But Rhodes was just as likely to delay the bus by relentlessly signing autographs for gaggles of persistent children; the arrival of his own, a daughter, was instrumental in his semi-retirement. Indeed, Rhodes may have become the first cricketer to claim paternity leave. Rightly, there is give and take in Rhodes's life. He has more endorsements than any team-sport player in South Africa's history, is at the forefront of the sporting dotcom revolution, and is constantly exploring the boundaries and horizons of commerce. His final retirement was hastened by an inopportune finger-fracture early in the 2003 World Cup, although there was still time for a successful farewell season in county cricket for Gloucestershire.

Bret...The Hitman Hart...


Bret “Hitman” Hart hails from the first family of pro wrestling and was trained in Calgary’s infamous Hart family dungeon by his promoter father, Stu Hart, who was awarded the Order of Canada for a lifetime of contributions to charity and community. It was in this humanitarian spirit that Bret traveled the globe for two decades as World Champion of both major wrestling organizations brightening the lives of sick and dying children, who he met one on one while taking seriously his position to live up to being a role model to millions more watching on TV.
Bret earned numerous amateur wrestling awards before turning to olympic style wrestling’s more theatrical counterpart and he is widely considered by his peers to be the most technically proficient pro wrestler of this generation. But when Bret confidently asserts his slogan proclaiming that he’s the best there is, was or ever will be it’s not because he’s the toughest or the strongest ... but because in all those thousands of hard hitting action packed bouts - what Bret is really so prideful about is that he never actually hurt even one opponent! It’s the ultimate irony then that Bret Hart’s wrestling career was abruptly ended by an errant kick to the head during a pay per view match that caused a severe concussion - followed by a major stroke! The Hitman battled back from this one-two punch and is looking forward to writing the story of his life - so far, and to exploring new adventures - like Aladdin The Magical Family Musical , his first foray into live theater, outside the squared circle that is! Bret’s prior acting experience includes a recurring role on Lonesome Dove The Outlaw Years for which he received a Gemini nomination, as well as numerous sitcoms and adventure series.
In the fall of 2004 Bret was voted one of the top 50 Canadians of all time on CBC’s Greatest Canadian. Bret says he doesn’t yet know how he’s going to live up to such an honor, but that it’ll be great fun to try!

His Id: bret@brethart.com
Contact No:
(403) 969-HART - (4278)

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar...

Sachin Tendulkar...The God of Cricket.....

Name : Sachin Tendulkar
Full name : Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Nick name :The Master Blaster, The Little Champion, The Bombay Bomber
Height : 5′4′’
Born : 24-04-1974
Birth place: Bombay, India
Test Debut: Pakistan at Karachi, 1st Test, 1989/90
ODI Debut: Pakistan at Gujranwala, 2nd ODI, 1989/90
1st Class Debut: 1988
Major Teams: Mumbai, Yorkshire, India
Known As: Sachin Tendulkar
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Off Break, Leg Break, Right Arm Medium, Leg Break Googly
Marital Status: Married
Wife�s Name: Anjali Tendulkar
Children: Two (One Boy and One Girl)
Girl�s Name: Sarah Tendulkar
Boy�s Name: Arjun Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born 24 April 1973) is an Indian cricketer. He holds several batting records, including the most Test centuries and the most one-day international centuries, and was rated in 2002 by Wisden as the second greatest Test batsman ever, after Sir Don Bradman[1]. He received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, for 1997-1998, and the civilian award Padma Shri in 1999. Tendulkar was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997.

Early days

Born in Mumbai (then Bombay) into a middle-class family, Sachin Tendulkar was named after his family’s favourite music director Sachin Dev Burman. He went to Sharadashram Vidyamandir School where he started his cricketing career under coach Ramakant Achrekar. While at school, he was involved in a mammoth 664 run partnership in a Harris Shield game with friend and team mate Vinod Kambli. In 1988/1989, he scored 100 not-out in his first first-class match, for Bombay against Gujarat. At 15 years and 232 days he was the youngest to score a century on debut.

International career

Sachin played his first international match against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989, facing the likes of Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Abdul Qadir, and Waqar Younis. He made just 15 runs, being bowled by Waqar Younis, who also made his debut in that match. It was an inauspicious start, but Tendulkar followed it up with his maiden Test fifty a few days later at Faisalabad. His One-day International (ODI) debut on December 18 was equally disappointing, where he was dismissed without scoring a run, again by Waqar Younis. The series was followed by a non-descript tour of New Zealand in which he fell for 88 in a Test match, John Wright, who would later coach India, pouching the catch that prevented Tendulkar from becoming the youngest centurion in Test cricket. The long anticipated maiden Test century came in England’s tour in 1990 but the other scores were not remarkable. Tendulkar truly came into his own in the 1991-1992 tour of Australia that included a brilliant century on the fast and bouncy track at Perth. He has been Man of the Match 11 times in Test matches and Man of the Series twice, both times in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

His first ODI century came on September 9, 1994 against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo. It had taken Tendulkar 79 ODIs to score a century.

Sachin Tendulkar is the only player to score a century while making his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debut.

Wisden named Tendulkar one of the Cricketers of the Year in 1997, the first calendar year in which he scored 1,000 Test runs. He repeated the feat in 1999, 2001, and 2002.

Tendulkar also holds the record for scoring 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. He has done it six times - 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2003. In 1998 he made 1,894 ODI runs, still the record for ODI runs by any batsman in any given calendar year.

While not a regular bowler, Tendulkar has 37 wickets in 132 tests.

Highlights of Tendulkar’s Test career include:

* Rated as the second best batsman of all time (next to Don Bradman) by Wisden [1][3]
* Highest number of Test centuries (35), overtaking Sunil Gavaskar’s record (34) on 10 December 2005 vs Sri Lanka in Delhi.
* Played in the highest number of Cricket Grounds - he has played Test Cricket on 52 different grounds, ahead of Azharuddin (48), Kapil Dev (47), Inzamam-ul-Haq (46) and Wasim Akram (45).
* He is the fastest to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket history. He holds this record along with Brian Lara. Both of them achieved this feat in 195 innings.
* 4th highest tally of runs in Test cricket (10,323)
* Career Average 55.79 - Has the highest average among those who have scored over 10,000 Test runs
* Second Indian to make over 10,000 runs in Test matches.
* Has 37 Test wickets (14 Dec 2005)
* Second fastest player to reach 9000 runs (Brian Lara made 9000 in 177 innings, Sachin in 179.)

Highlights of Tendulkar’s ODI career include:

* Played more matches than any other cricketer
* Most Man of the Match (50) awards
* Appeared on the most grounds (89 different grounds)
* Most runs (14,146 as of 15th February, 2006)
* Most centuries (39)
* Most centuries vs. Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
* First cricketer to cross 10,000-run mark in ODIs
* Only cricketer to cross 14,000-run mark in ODIs
* Only player to have over 100 innings of 50+ runs as of February, 2006
* Over 100 wickets (141 as of 15th February, 2006)
* Highest batting average among batsmen with over 10,000 ODI runs (as of March 17, 2006)
* Highest individual score among Indian batsmen (186* against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999)
* Holds the record for scoring 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. He has done it six times - 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2003.
* In 1998 he made 1,894 ODI runs, still the record for ODI runs by any batsman in any given calendar year.
* In 1998 he hit 9 ODI centuries, the highest by any player in an year.

World Cup

* Most runs (1732 at an average of 59.72) in World Cup Cricket History
* Player Of The Tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
* 673 runs in 2003 World Cup, highest by any one in a single Cricket World Cup

Miscellaneous

* Sachin Tendulkar is the first batsman to have been declared run out by a third umpire in 1992 against South Africa in South Africa.
* He was the first overseas cricketer to play for Yorkshire CCC in 1992.
* Oddly, Wisden does not include any innings by Tendulkar among its list of 100 greatest Test batting performances.

Criticism and recent performance

The case against Sachin Tendulkar’s recent performances was summed up by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack in its 2005 edition: “Apart from a glorious, nothing-to-lose 55 against Australia on a Mumbai terrortrack, watching Tendulkar became a colder experience: after his humbling 2003, he seemed to reject his bewitching fusion of majesty and human frailty in favour of a mechanical, robotic accumulation.”

The criticism must be seen against the backdrop of Tendulkar’s performance through the years 1994-1999, coinciding with his physical peak, at age 20 through 25. Tendulkar was told to open the batting at Auckland against New Zealand in 1994 [4]. He went on to make 82 runs off 49 balls. This was the beginning of a glorious period, culminating in the Australian tour of 1998-1999, following which Australian spinner Shane Warne ruefully joked that he was having nightmares about his Indian nemesis.

A chronic back problem flared up when Pakistan toured India in 1999, with India losing the historic Test at Chepauk despite a gritty century from Tendulkar himself. Worse was to come as Professor Ramesh Tendulkar, Sachin’s father, died in the middle of the 1999 cricket World Cup. Tendulkar, succeeding Mohammad Azharuddin as captain, then led India on a tour of Australia, where the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3-0 [6] by the newly-crowned world champions. Tendulkar resigned, and Sourav Ganguly took over as captain in 2000.

Tendulkar made 673 runs in 11 matches in the 2003 World Cup, helping India reach the finals. While Australia retained the trophy that it had won in 1999, Tendulkar was given the Man of the Series award.

The drawn series as India toured Australia in 2003-2004 saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, with a double century in Sydney. The series was tied 1-1, with Rahul Dravid taking the Man of the Series award.

Tennis elbow then took its toll on Tendulkar, leaving him out of the side for the first two Tests when Australia toured India in 2005. He played a part in the facesaving Indian victory in Mumbai, though Australia had already taken the series 2-1, with the Chennai Test drawn.

Of late, as Wisden noted, Tendulkar has not been his old aggressive self. Expert opinion is divided on whether this is due to his increasing years or the lingering after-effects of injuries over 17 years at the highest level. On 10 December, 2005, at Feroz Shah Kotla, he delighted fans with a record-breaking 35th Test century, against the Sri Lankans. But doubts were raised once again when he averaged a mere 21 over three Test innings when India toured Pakistan in 2006.

On 6 February 2006, Tendulkar scored his 39th ODI hundred, in a match against Pakistan. Tendulkar now has 16 more ODI tons than the man who is second on the list of ODI century-makers, Sourav Ganguly. He followed with a run-a-ball 42 in the second ODI against Pakistan on February 11, 2006, and then a truly masterly 95 in hostile conditions on 13 February, 2006 in Lahore.

On 19 March 2006, after scoring an unconvincing 1 off 21 balls against England in the first innings of the third Test in his home ground, Wankhede, Tendulkar was booed off the ground by a section of the crowd[7], the first time that he has ever faced such flak. While cheered on when he came for his second innings, Tendulkar was to end the three-Test series without a single half-century to his credit, and news of a shoulder operation raised more questions about his longevity. Geoffrey Boycott was brutal in his assessment: “Sachin Tendulkar is in the worst form of his career…Now that he’s going to sit out for a further two months, I don’t think he can ever come back to regain what he once had.”

Personal life

Sachin Tendulkar married Anjali Mehta, the paediatrician daughter of Gujarati industrialist Anand Mehta, in 1995, some years after they were introduced by mutual friends. They have two children, Sara (born October 1997) and Arjun (born 23 September, 2000). Tendulkar sponsors 200 under-privileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annabel Mehta. He is reluctant to speak about this, or other charitable activities, choosing to preserve the sanctity of his personal life despite the overwhelming media interest in him. Tendulkar has been seen taking his Ferrari 360 Modena for late-night drives in Mumbai. (Gifted by Fiat through Michael Schumacher, the car became notorious when Tendulkar was given customs exemption; Fiat paid the dues to end the controversy.)


Sachin has enthralled his legions of fans with many a great innings in the ten years that he has played cricket. We take a look back of some of these superlative innings that have earned him the fan following of millions.
Memorable Moments in ONE DAY INNINGS

1] 27th March 1994, India vs New Zealand, Eden Park Auckland: It was the first time Sachin opened the innings in ODI’s. Opener Navjot Singh Sidhu got injured and although India were chasing a small victory target of 146 no batsman was willing to open on a seaming Eden Park wicket. But Sachin took the responsibility of opening the innings. And what a happy accident it turned out to be as he smashed 82 off 43 balls. Describing this knock Sachin said “Such innings’s are possible only once in a life time. It was like a dream.”

2] 15th April, 1996: India vs Pakistan, Sharjah Pakistan have always had an edge over their arch rivals at the desert venue and 1996 was no different. India had lost both their games one to Pakistan and the other to South Africa. In a must win game Sachin Tendulkar displayed guts and determination in plenty and smashed a brilliant hundred. He shared a wonderful second wicket partnership of 232 runs along with Navjot Sidhu and helped India to a total of 305. Incidentally, it was the first time that India scored in excess of 300 runs in a one day match.

3] 22nd April 1998: India vs Australia (”Sandstorm innings”), Sharjah “The best innings he has ever played” is how commentator Ravi Shastri described Sachin’s performance on that eventful, emotionally draining and nerve jangling day at Sharjah. India were playing Australia who after batting first put up a massive 283 runs putting the Indians under pressure. India needed to win the match to qualify for the finals of the Coca Cola Cup or end up 30 runs short of the Australian score in order to get a back door entry into the finals and pip the Kiwis. After losing four quick wickets a struggling VVS Laxman came in to join Sachin and the Indians seemed to be staring defeat in the face, needing more than a run a ball in the remaining 20 odd overs. As if things were not bad enough then a massive sandstorm came in from no where and interrupted the game for about half an hour. The target was readjusted and India needed to get 237 in 46 overs and the asking rate became more steep - India were asked to get 94 runs in 87 balls. But before he resumed his innings Sachin assured Indian team coach Anshuman Gaekwad by saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there till the end.” Such was his confidence and determination. He smashed the first ball off Michael Kasprowicz for a six and then almost like a man posessed made 143, taking India into the finals of the Coca-Cola Cup. India lost the match by 20 odd runs but that superb knock helped India have one more crack at the Aussies in the finals on Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday.

4] 24th April 1998 India vs Australia (”Happy Birthday Sachin”) Finals of the Coca Cola Trophy, Sharjah: The crowds at the Sharjah, had come with banners wishing Sachin a happy 25th birthday along with their intense desire to see him play another one of those blinders and take India to victory. Sachin didn’t disappoint them. Australia had put up a huge target of 273 and that meant India had quite a chase on their hands. Before the Indian innings began noted Australian commentator Greg Chappell made a telling comment. He said, “Sachin will be feeling just a little bit drained from his previous effort and the weight of the entire Indian population will be on his young shoulders.” He was right but Sachin went about his task with clinical precision and made 134. He unleashed some of his breathtaking strokes and power only after he had ensured that India were well on the road to victory. After depositing Aussie paceman Michael Kasprowicz on to the roof of the Sharjah stadium, noted TV commentator Tony Greig said, “This little man is the nearest thing to Bradman there’s ever been.” Sachin ended up sweeping almost all the awards after India emerged victorious. He also won an Opel Astra for his efforts at Sharjah an award which he dedicated to his wife, on his 25th birthday.

5] 29th May, 1999 India vs Kenya (”This one’s for you dad”), India vs Kenya, Bristol: Sachin Tendulkar’s 140 not out in the match against Kenya said a lot about the temperament that the litle champion possesses. India were under pressure to win the match to stay in contention as they had lost their previous two games to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Sachin had not taken part in the match against Zimbabwe as he had to return to India because of the rather unfortunate death of his father. However he made it a point to return to England for the World Cup. His hundred against Kenya is still talked about as one of the great knocks of all time simply because of all the pressures (most of them non-cricketing) he was under.

6] 31st March, 2000 India vs Australia, Indore: (Sachin’s creates history by becoming the first batsman in the history of limited overs cricket to score 10,000 runs.) Sachin came into the third one day international at Indore after he had slammed a rapid fire 35 and 32 in his previous two knocks at Bangalore and Pune respectively. He was rather unfairly criticised by some sections of the media who thought he batted irresponsibly. However the moment he walked in to bat at Indore one could see the determination on his face and one could almost anticipate a hundred from the Bombay Bomber. Sachin did not disappoint and he pulverised the Aussie bowlers and hammered his 28th one day hundred. Sachin’s inns of 139 off just 125 deliveries can easily be rated as one of his best one day inns as he was at his innovative best and he often played strokes that were cheeky to say the least. During his inns he also achieved the distinction of becoming the first player to reach the landmark of 10,000 runs in one day internationals. It was indeed a fine treble for Sachin as he reached 10,000 runs, slammed his 28th ton and he also helped India post a comprehensive win to take a 2-1 lead in the 5 match series. He rightly won the man of the match award for his stunning exploits.

Memorable Moments in TEST MATCHES :-

Test Matches:
1] 10-14th August 1990: 2nd test India vs England, Old Trafford Manchester: Sachin Tendulkar got to his first test hundred when he drove Angus Fraser past mid off for 3 runs and aged 17, became the second youngest player in test history to score a hundred after Mushtaq Mohammaed of Pakistan. However that knock had much more significance than just being his first test hundred. It helped India save a match that looked all but lost as they were tottering at 183/6 before tea chasing a victory target of 408 runs. Sachin who scored an unbeaten 119 to win the man of the match award. Manoj Prabhakar too played an important hand in helping India salvage a draw.

2] 2-6th January 1992, 3rd test India vs Australia, Sydney: Sachin holds the record for being the youngest batsman to score a hundred on Australian soil when he scored a superb 148 not out against Australia at the picturesque Sydney Cricket Ground. “Each and every stroke deserved to be stood up and applauded,” commented Aussie commentator Bill Lawry describing Sachin’s knock.

3] 1-5th February 1992 5th test India vs Australia, Perth: “It still remains my best test match innings,” said the man himself in a recent TV interview about his hundred on a fast and bouncy wicket at the WACA ground in Perth. On a pitch where batsmen of more experience and higher pedigree struggled against the pace of McDermott, Hughes, Whitney and Reiffel, Sachin who was still only 18 but fresh from his Sydney hundred played a gem. He coped with the pace and bounce quite easily and stroked his way to a beautiful hundred. Although his knock could not help India avoid another humiliating defeat it still remains one of the best knocks ever played at the WACA. After he got to his hundred, celebrated Aussie commentator Richie Benaud said, “It’s a great pity that an innings which deserved a crowd of over a 100,000 is being watched by a such a small crowd.”

4] 6-10th March 1998, 1st Test India vs Australia, Chennai. The Gavaskar-Border trophy between India and Australia was billed as the Warne vs Tendulkar series by fans and media alike, not surprising considering the reputation of the two great stars and their attacking instincts. But after being stripped of the Captaincy, Sachin batted like a man posessed almost out to prove a point. He was dismissed by the champion leg spinner for 4 in the first innings playing an ambitious stroke but in the second innings he decided to make amends and launched into Warne from the first delivery he bowled. India were trailing by 70 runs when they began their second innings and they needed a quick fire innings from some one if they had to make a match of it. His 155 not out in the second inns on a track that afforded sharp turn and bounce helped India win the test match. Says Ian Chappell about that inns, ” I will always remember that Chennai test match for a lot of good things but I will never forget for as long as I live the moment when Shane Warne came around the wicket for the first time and Tendulkar deposited him over the mid wicket boundary.”

5] 28 Jan to 1st Feb 1999, 1st test India vs Pakistan, Chennai: It was the first time that India and Pakistan were playing a test match on Indian soil for 12 years and the first ever test series between the two countries since 1989. Sachin was dismissed for a duck in the first inns by off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. But Sachin more than made up for it by scoring 136 in the second inns and almost took India to an unlikely win. India were 82/5 in their second essay chasing 271 to win. Sachin battled back spasms and a pumped up Pakistani team with a superb blend of defence and attack. He carried on and when India were just 17 runs away from their target he fell victim to Saqlain again. His wicket gave the Pakistanis a new lease of life and they polished off the lower order to complete a thrilling 12 run win. That was the first time fans saw Sachin wince in pain on a cricket field and although he won the man of the match award it was little consolation for Sachin who broke down in the dressing room after he saw India being beaten from a seemingly winning position.

It’s not just his willow that speaks:

It’s not just Sachin’s willow that has enthralled Cricket fans the world over, he has also made telling contributions with the ball. Who can forget the dramatic last over that he bowled in the semi finals of the Hero Cup against the South Africans at Calcutta on that dramatic evening on November 24th 1993 in front of a packed Eden Gardens at Calcutta? The Springboks needed just 6 runs to win off the last over and Skipper Azharuddin was in a dilemma as to who should bowl the last over. Kapil Dev with over 400 test wickets and 200 ODI wickets would have been the obvious choice but the legendary all rounder was for once not game to take up the challenge. Sachin who was only 20 then literally snatched the ball from his skipper’s hands and with clever variations in pace and movement denied the Springboks a win.

He also picked up 5 wickets in the first match of the Pepsi Cup at Kochi against Australia on April 1 1998 to win the man of the match award.

Sachin also made telling breakthroughs in the second inns of the Kolkata test against Australia in the recently concluded series and picked up 3 wickets to give Harbhajan Singh the much needed support from the other end. Of course he also picked up his 100th one day victim when he dismissed Steve Waugh in the last one dayer at Goa. So he is the only member of the joint 100 wkt and 10,000 run club. And that is an awesome record which will take some beating.



Greatest Hits..

Ton-by-ton guide to Sachin Tendulkar’s feat in surpassing Sir Don Bradman’s 29 Test centuries.
1990 At the age of 17, Tendulkar reaches three figures for the first time in a Test as he makes 119 not out against England at Old Trafford. The innings includes 17 fours but the match is drawn.
1992

Tendulkar shows the Australian fans what he is capable of by batting almost five hours for an unbeaten 148 in the third Test at Sydney, but once again the game is drawn.

The following match in Perth sees him make 114 off 161 balls, with 16 fours, but India are beaten by 300 runs.

Tendulkar is a class apart as he makes 111 out of an Indian first innings total of 227 against South Africa in Johannesburg and at 19 years and 217 days becomes the youngest player to reach 1,000 Test runs.

1993
England are on the receiving end as Tendulkar scores his first century on home soil, hitting a six and 24 fours in his 165 as India win by an innings and 22 runs in Madras.

Next up are Sri Lanka and Tendulkar’s second innings 104 not out helps India to a 235-run victory in Colombo.

1994

Tendulkar returns home to face Sri Lanka again and it is a similar story as he collects 22 boundaries in a first innings score of 142 at Lucknow as India triumph by an innings and 119 runs.

The year comes to an end with a home series against West Indies and Tendulkar defies Courtney Walsh and co for almost seven hours to make 179 in Nagpur. The game ends in a draw.

1996

Tendulkar is in brilliant form on his second tour to England, marking the start of a three-match series with 122 at Edgbaston, but he is unable to prevent the home side from winning by eight wickets.

The third match at Nottingham sees Tendulkar score 177, including 26 fours, and he shares a stand of 255 with Sourav Ganguly. The match, however, ends in a draw.

1997

India are beaten 2-0 in South Africa at the start of the year, but Tendulkar marks the second Test in Cape Town with a score of 169, which features 26 boundaries.

Tendulkar makes Sri Lanka suffer again by making 143 in an Indian total of 537 for eight declared in Colombo, but the game is drawn.

The second Test follows a similar pattern with Tendulkar this time batting for six and a half hours to reach 139.

There is no let-up for the Sri Lankans as they travel to India only to suffer another Tendulkar onslaught - 148 including three sixes and 20 fours in Bombay, but they escape with a draw.

1998
Australia visit India in early 1998 and Tendulkar greets Mark Taylor’s men by hitting fours sixes and 14 fours in his 155 not out at Madras as India win by 179 runs.

He does even better in the third Test at Bangalore with an innings of 177, but Australia prevent a clean sweep with an eight wicket win.

Tendulkar makes his first Test hundred against New Zealand, but his 113 cannot save India from a four-wicket defeat.

Arch-rivals Pakistan visit India and Tendulkar helps himself to 136 in Madras, only for India to lose an exciting match by 12 runs.

1999

Once again Tendulkar feasts on Sri Lanka’s bowling, making 124 not out in the drawn Test in Colombo.

India return home to play New Zealand and Tendulkar scores 126 not out in the drawn Test at Chandigarh.

A landmark innings in the third Test sees Tendulkar make 217, his first Test double century, in a 344-ball innings which includes 29 boundaries.

India are outplayed in Australia at the end of the year, but Tendulkar shows his class by scoring 116 in the second Test at Melbourne. The home side win the game, however, by 180 runs.

2000

Tendulkar plays the supporting role to Rahul Dravid with 122 as India beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in Delhi. Dravid scores 200 not out.

It is Tendulkar’s turn to double up in Nagpur as his 201 not out off 281 balls leads India to 609 for six declared, but the match is drawn.

2001
India complete a magnificent 2-1 triumph over Australia by winning the final Test by two wickets in Madras, with Tendulkar contributing 126 in India’s first innings.

Partnered by protege Virender Sehwag, Tendulkar hammers 155 off 184 balls against South Africa in Bloemfontein, but the home side win by nine wickets.

England try to keep Tendulkar in check, but it does not work at Ahmedabad, where he scores 103 in a drawn Test.

2002

Zimbabwe suffer in Nagpur as Tendulkar hits 23 fours in his 176 and India go on to win by an innings and 101 runs.

Tendulkar hits his 29th century to equal Bradman, with West Indies the team to suffer. He reaches 113 not out at the end of the first day in the second Test.

He then surpasses The Don’s record with a sublime 193 in the third Test against England at Headingley.

Tendulkar is now only four centuries short of Sunil Gavaskar’s record.


Sachin Tendulkar’s Trivia

Sachin Tendulkar was the first batsman to have been declared run out by a third umpire1992 against South Africa in South Africa.

He was the first overseas cricketer to play for Yorkshire CCC in 1993.

Shane Warne famously remarked after the Australian tour of India, and then Sharjah in 1998, that his nightmares are full of “Sachin coming, dancing down the track and lofting me over for yet another six !”

He once asked his care taker Laxmi bai to prepare a dish of frogs considered to be an yuck dish in India as a child.

Tendulkar has been seen taking his Ferrari 360 Modena for late-night drives in Mumbai. (Gifted by Fiat through Michael Schumacher, the car became notorious when Tendulkar was given customs exemption; Fiat paid the dues to end the controversy.)

During India’s tour to Australia, he was declared out when he ducked to coin the term “shoulder before wicket”







Bend it like...Beckham.....


David BECKHAM

7 | Real Madrid Midfielder
Height: 1.82m.
Weight: 75.00kg.
Nationality: England
Born: 02/05/1975 in Leytonstone



David BECKHAM Career History



Club Championship European Competitions Caps
93-94 Manchester United
(-)
94-95(mar) Manchester United 4 Games 1 Goals, 1 Games (Champions League)
94-95 Preston NE 2 Goals, 5 Games (-)
95-96 Manchester United 7 Goals, 33 Games 2 Games (UEFA Cup)
96-97 Manchester United 7 Goals, 36 Games 2 Goals, 10 Games (Champions League) 9 Games
97-98 Manchester United 9 Goals, 37 Games 8 Games (Champions League) 1 Goals, 9 Games
98-99 Manchester United 6 Goals, 34 Games 2 Goals, 12 Games (Champions League) 5 Games
99-00 Manchester United 6 Goals, 31 Games 2 Goals, 12 Games (Champions League) 11 Games
00-01 Manchester United 9 Goals, 31 Games 12 Games (Champions League) 2 Goals, 5 Games
01-02 Manchester United 11 Goals, 28 Games 5 Goals, 13 Games (Champions League) 2 Goals, 9 Games
02-03 Manchester United 6 Goals, 31 Games 3 Goals, 13 Games (Champions League)
03-04 Real Madrid 3 Goals, 32 Games 1 Goals, 7 Games (Champions League)
04-05 Real Madrid 4 Goals, 30 Games 8 Games (Champions League)
05-06 Real Madrid 3 Goals, 31 Games 1 Goals, 7 Games (Champions League)
06-07 Real Madrid 1 Goals, 3 Games 1 Games (Champions League)



David BECKHAM Honours


1999 Intercontinental Cup winner (Manchester United)
1999 Champions League winner (Manchester United)
1996 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
1997 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
1999 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
2000 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
2001 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
2003 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
1996 FA Cup winner (Manchester United)
1999 FA Cup winner (Manchester United)
2004 League Cup Finals (Real Madrid)
2003 League Cup Finals (Manchester United)



PERSONAL PROFILE

Name: David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE
Date of Birth: 02 May 1975
Birthplace: Leytonstone, London
Nationality: English
Height: 180 cm (5ft 11in)
Weight: 67 kg (10st 8lb)
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown
Residence:Hertfordshire and Madrid (Spain)
Martial status: Married to Victoria
Current club: Real Madrid (Spain)
Position: Midfield
Squad number: 23


CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Previous Clubs:

Preston North End (England), Manchester United (England), Real Madrid (Spain)

1991 - Signs as trainee for Manchester United
1992 - Wins FA Youth Cup
1992 - Makes senior team debut with Manchester Utd in Coca Cola Cup
1993 - Signs as professional for Manchester United
1995 - Plays five games on loan to Preston North End
1995 - Makes league debut for Manchester Utd against Leeds
1996 - Manchester Utd win FA Premiership
1996 - Manchester Utd win FA Cup
1996 - Makes International debut for England against Moldova

  • Player of the Month - August 1996
  • Sky Sports/Panasonic Young Player award
  • Sky Sports/Panasonic Fans' Footballer award
  • 1997 - Manchester Utd win FA Charity Shield
    1997 - Manchester Utd win FA Premiership

  • PFA Young Player of the Year
  • Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year
  • 1999 - Manchester Utd win FA Premiership
    1999 - Manchester Utd win FA Cup
    1999 - Manchester Utd win UEFA Champions League

  • UEFA Most Valuable Player
  • UEFA Best Midfielder
  • 2000 - Manchester United win FA Premiership
    2000 - Appointed England national team captain

  • Voted second in World and European Player of the Year awards
  • 2001 - Manchester United win FA Premiership

  • Voted Sportsman of the Year by Sports Writers Association
  • Voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year
  • Voted second in FIFA World Player of the Year
  • 2003 - Manchester United win FA Premiership
    2003 - Beckham awarded OBE
    2003 - Signs for Real Madrid for £25m
    2003 - Makes his debut for Real Madrid against Dragon Team IX (China)
    2003 - Scores his first goal for Real Madrid against FC Tokyo
    2003 - Makes his Spanish debut in friendly against Valencia.
    2003 - Real Madrid win Spanish Super Cup
    2003 - Makes La Liga debut against Real Betis
    2006 - Resigns as England captain




    CAREER HISTORY
    Love him or loathe him there is only one David Beckham. His footballing skill is without doubt a shining example for all other footballers to follow. And with every game he plays, be it domestic or international, his reputation, for producing only the best football and the scoring of some spectacular goals, gathers greater foundation.

    David Beckham was born in Leytonstone on 02 May 1975. David and Manchester United first met when he became the TSB Bobby Charlton Soccer skills champion for his age group in December 1986 aged 11. The prize included a presentation at Old Trafford and a two-week trip to train with Terry Venables' Barcelona side at the Nou Camp. Attending every United game played in London he was made team mascot the following year for the game against West Ham.

    After having trials with Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur's school of excellence he joined Manchester United as a trainee on 8 July 1991. Thus fulfilling his dream of playing for the team he had supported and following in the footsteps of the players he had admired from afar. His success started almost immediately along with team mates, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes. They won the FA Youth Cup 1992.

    This led to him making his first senior team debut on 23 September 1992, the following season, for a Rumbelows league cup match against Brighton and Hove Albion coming on late in the game for Andrei Kanchelskis.

    Beckham became a professional player four months later but didn't get to play another senior team game for over another season. On 21 September 1994 he made his first full appearance against Port Vale in the League Cup. This was followed two months later with his first goal for United against Galatasaray in the Champions League. Despite winning the match 4-0, United were knocked out of the competition.

    The 1994-1995 season saw Beckham play for two teams in two different divisions. To give him more experience Alex Ferguson loaned him to Preston North End in league Division 3. He played only five matches but scored two goals, the first in his first game for Preston against Doncaster Rovers having come on in the second half. His stay at Preston though was short lived and he was recalled to United to play in his Premiership debut against Leeds United on 2 April 1995.

    His first Premiership goal came against Aston Villa in the first game of the 1995/1996 season. United were beaten that day and were chastised by Alan Hansen who stated "You can't win anything with kids". Beckham and the United team were to prove him very wrong. Scoring eight goals himself that season, United went on to win the Premiership and then the FA Cup, completing the double. The season saw David firmly established himself in the first team taking on the right midfield position with the departure of Andrei Kanchelskis.

    The 1996/1997 season is where Beckham made his name and the start of his celebrity. Scoring in the Charity Shield match and defeat of Newcastle and then on to score the goal of the season against Wimbledon, in the first match, with a spectacular goal from the half-way line. These goals made him an instant household name. His form in this and previous seasons hadn't gone unrecognised and resulted in his call up for England.

    Although he had represented England at under-21 level in the previous two seasons he made his first full international appearance against Moldova, a World Cup 98 qualification match. He was the only player to have started every qualifying game for France 98 and ended the season winning the Premiership with United and being voted by his peers as the PFA Young Player of the Year and second in the Player of the Year voting.

    The following season was controversial and not one Beckham would want to remember.

    The season was hard - United were knocked out of the Champions League by Monaco and they lost the Premiership title to Arsenal by one point. World Cup 98 in France was to prove more demanding. He was left out of the starting line up in the first two games but scored a beautiful free kick against Colombia. However, four days later he made himself a national pariah through being sent off for aiming a kick at Argentina's Diego Simone. It was the first sending-off of his professional career.

    Undeterred Beckham knuckled down and proved all the critics wrong. In his first match of the 1998/1999 season he scored one of his trademark free kicks against Leicester. It would be the start of his best season yet. United got into temendous form and went on to win the Premiership title and the FA Cup. The seasons' successes were not over. In perhaps one of the best Champions League finals of recent years two goals from Sheringham and Solskjaer in the final minutes of the game, against Bayern Munich, won United the European Cup and an amazing treble.

    That same year David had become a father to Brooklyn in March 1999 and then in July married Victoria Adams of the Spice Girls. His rehabilitation was complete.

    The following season was mixed. United went on to win the 1999/2000 season Premiership title but lost out to Real Madrid for the European Cup. England's Euro 2000 campaign did not live up to expectations but United's dominance of domestic football was unquestioned. Beckham was rapidly becoming a number one celebrity in the press and went on to come second to Rivaldo in the voting for World and European Player of the Year as well as runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

    The following seasons saw Beckham rise to new heights. The arrival of Sven Goran Eriksson as the new England manager saw Beckham take up the role of England Captain with both bringing a new fresh vigour to the national team. Beckham single-handedly scoring a crucial goal against Greece to send England to the World Cup Finals in Korea/Japan. But not everything went all smoothly as Beckham was to break a toe bone in a Champions League match and the nation held it's breath to see if it would heal in time for the finals. Needless to say it did just that and 'Captain Fantastic' led England to the Quarter finals only to be defeated by the eventual champions - Brazil.

    Beckham was now at a sporting and celebrity high and this was reflected in his growing following on the pitch but more intensely off it. It was this "celebrity factor" which began to put Beckham out of favour in the eyes of Alex Ferguson. Beckham continued to give his all on the pitch but was increasingly seen by the United manager as giving England and his celebrity lifestyle more of a priority than United. This of course wasn't the case but resulted in Beckham being left on the sidelines against Real Madrid in the Champions League and a reported rift between tha player and manager developed after a dressing room "incident" where Beckham was hit in the face by a boot kicked by Ferguson.

    United and Beckham went on to win the 2003 Premiership title but press reports on the rift and speculation on a possible transfer grew and grew. It all came toa head in June whilst David was on a promotional tour in the USA. Barcelona's presidential candidate Joan Laporta announced he would sign Beckham if elected and to everyone's suprise Manchester United agreed to sell Beckham in such an event. In a counter move Beckham announced that he would sign a four year contract with Real Madrid for a fee of £25m.

    The Beckham and United love affair was at an end.

    Beckham now starts a new chapter in his career. Despite his new haircuts and his star status, he will not detract from his football for which he continues to tune and perfect.