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Year 2009 : The year as it was for cricket


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Indian cricket - The year that was From the disappointment of the ICC CT to the despair of the ICC World T20 to capturing the peak of the Test rankings, 2009 has been a year of redemption for cricket in India. The team went from a bunch of young guns to a mean outfiet and rounded off the year with a series win against Sri Lanka, the same opponents that they had crushed at the dawn of what became a historic decade ender. MD Dhoni is not a man to sit pretty on past laurels. He wants to deliver and he wants to win. A clinical beginning to the year was just the tonic a young bunch of talented and charismatic cricketers needed. And they delivered. The team travelled to Sri Lanka, days before they were to set sail for New Zealand and exhibited the same ruthlessness that had seen MS Dhoni's devils threaten Australia and South Africa at the top of the pecking list. A 4-1 win in the ODI's was the perfect recipe for India ahead of an anticipated tough tour Down Under. Gautam Gambhir carried on from where he had left in 2008 while Dhoni, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh ensured a fearsome middle-order stayed that way. New Zealand had never been a major power in world cricket but the notoriously cold climate and fast tracks had made it impossible for India to win a Test series for the last four decades. The team had been an embarrassment when it lost 5-2 in a seven match ODI series in 2002 when Shane Bond spat fire with his pace. The humiliation suffered seven years back had been avenged. India won the five match series 3-1, with one of the games in Wellington being washed out. The only loss suffered was in an inconsequential, dead rubber in Auckland, where the visitors succumbed to some listless batting and inept Kiwi bowling on bouncy strip. The Test series heralded the beginning of the real battle at the Seddon Park in Hamilton. Tendulkar's 42nd Test hundred and a six wicket haul by Harbhajan Singh helped India register their first Test win in New Zealand in 33 years. India went on to draw the next two Tests in Napier and Wellington to win a historic Test series. The team came back home heroes after their triumph in New Zealand and set sail for South Africa soon after to play in the second edition of the Indian Premier League, where the likes of Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble showcased their class while Manish Pandey captured the imagination of the nation with his batting prowess. The ICC World Twenty20 in England was a reality check. India, the defending champions, were only a shadow of themselves as their batsmen struggled on bouncy tracks and against quality seamers. The ranks had been exposed. A seemingly resurgent India did redeem some pride with a 2-1 ODI series win in the West Indies but the ICC Champions Trophy had more horrors in store. Placed in a tough group with Australia and Pakistan and a second string West Indies, India were expected to make a tough fight out of it. A loss against Pakistan and a washed out game against the Aussies rang the death bells for Dhoni's boys. Yet again, a unit that had been touted world beaters failed to live up to promises. A 4-2 series loss against Australia at home did not help matters and last year's fireworks were now a shadow of the past. However, India had their moments of glory this year. MS Dhoni was awarded the ICC ODI Player of the Year for the second year in succession while Gautam Gambhir bagged the ICC Cricketer of the Year for his staggering run in Test cricket. The year also belonged to Sachin Tendulkar, who completed his 20th anniversary in the international arena. The Little Master went past 17,000 runs in ODI's besides becoming the first cricketer ever to go past 30,000 international runs. Individual glories and a slack in the ODI form however did not deter India from staking a claim for the spot in the ICC Test rankings. Though the team played only a mere six Tests, they were unstoppable. A year since Dhoni took over as captain, India have won seven out of the 10 matches under him, not losing one. India recorded yet another Test series victory against Sri Lanka to perch on top of the ICC Test rankings for the first time since its inception. Sehwag and Gambhir continued to plunder runs at the top of the order, much like they had done all of last year. The left-handed Gambhir showcased his class and emergence importance with four Test hundreds on the trot while Sehwag's brutality did not make life any easier for bowlers. Sehwag highlighted his domination in the big league with a sensational 293, during the course of which, the Delhi mauler became the third fastest Indian to go past 6,000 Test runs (behind Sunil Gavaskar and Tendulkar), smashed the second fastest double hundred and the fastest 250 and narrowly missed out on becoming the first batsman ever to score three triple hundreds. With the likes of Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra and S Sreesanth stepping into rejuvenate a sagging bowling attack, India's bench strength has started to look better than it ever has. Opener Murali Vijay continued to score heavily in the Ranji matches and played his part in India's win against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. India can usher in the New Year, content that cricket in the country has taken a few leaps ahead for the future. 2009 saw Dhoni's devils peak the scales of history in Test cricket but there is a lot left to be desired in what was becoming the team's pride- the ODI's.

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Year 2009 : Good Year, Mixed fortunes but happy ending - Anil Kumble After all the fiasco surrounding the pitch at the Kotla and the subsequent abandonment of the final ODI against Sri Lanka, it was heartening to see Mahendra Singh Dhoni accept the Mace from the ICC, symbolising India’s rise to the No. 1 spot in the Test rankings. More... Openers did the trick for India Anil Kumble December 30, 2009 GOOD YEAR Mixed fortunes but happy ending After all the fiasco surrounding the pitch at the Kotla and the subsequent abandonment of the final ODI against Sri Lanka, it was heartening to see Mahendra Singh Dhoni accept the Mace from the ICC, symbolising India’s rise to the No. 1 spot in the Test rankings. It capped off a very good year for Indian cricket, both in Tests and ODIs, the obvious exceptions being the ICC tournaments. As far as the ODIs go, we did lose the home series against the Australians, the only blip, but the series could have gone either way. But the team travelled to Sri Lanka twice as also to the West Indies and New Zealand and emerged on top, which has to make 2009 a special year, with the icing being the Test honours. Most of the good results were set up by the openers — all three. What a year they have had, Sehwag and Gambhir in Tests and Sehwag and Sachin in the ODIs. And with captain Dhoni around to maneuver the middle order with aplomb, it isn’t a wonder really that the year has been such a good one. The advent and increasing acceptance of T20 cricket has quickened up the ODIs, something 50-over cricket did to Tests. Not all of the change has been for the good though, certainly not for the bowlers. With teams slowly taking to the batting powerplay, even if they have not perfected the art, bowling has become more challenging. One of the other things to have changed during the year is the way cricketers look at Pakistan. If 26/11 forced the cancellation of India’s tour to Pakistan and the consequent security issues during the general elections in India forced the move of the second edition of the IPL to South Africa, the incident involving the Sri Lankan team, has meant that no team is willing to visit Pakistan. The IPL has become so popular that it has started to set off a new trend in world cricket. The possibility of more players following the Andrew Flintoff example of becoming a freelancer cannot be ruled out. Already Andrew Symonds seems to have ruled out trying for an Australia place again while Shahid Afridi has made clear his intentions of not playing Test cricket anymore. I am not very comfortable with this but perhaps that is the way of the future. But one thing that must be kept in mind is that a person has to first establish himself in the international circuit before he can contemplate such moves. Flintoff has got that value behind him and so can afford to take his chances but that need not apply to a newcomer. The thing is that the trend itself cannot be arrested. Just 3-4 years of international cricket can take a lot out of your body, the travel, time away from family and various pressures. An early move to the IPL may become the norm, which is a loss to international cricket.

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It's the Dileeps 2009! Asian cricket awards of the year | Dileep Premachandran 51284?ns=guardian&pageName=It%27s+the+Dileeps+2009%21+Asian+cricket+awards+of+the+year+%7C+Dileep+Premach%3AArticle%3A1324194&ch=Sport&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Cricket%2CIndia+cricket+team%2CPakistan+cricket+team%2CSri+Lanka+cricket+team%2CBangladesh+cricket+team%2CSport&c6=Dileep+Premachandran&c7=09-Dec-31&c8=1324194&c9=Article&c10=&c11=Sport&c13=2009+in+review+%28series%29&c25=Sport+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FSport%2FCricket From Virender Sehwag's pyrotechnics to Tillakaratne Dilshan's all-round mastery, it's time to hand out the gongs It was quite a year for Asian cricket, with Pakistan winning the World Twenty20 and India going top of the Test rankings. Sri Lanka were dominant in home Tests and reached the T20 final, while Bangladesh recorded a series victory against an understrength West Indies side. Here, we look back at the highlights and hand out our awards for 2009. More... It's the Dileeps 2009! Asian cricket awards of the year From Virender Sehwag's pyrotechnics to Tillakaratne Dilshan's all-round mastery, it's time to hand out the gongs Dileep Premachandran guardian.co.uk, Thursday 31 December 2009 11.29 GMT It was quite a year for Asian cricket, with Pakistan winning the World Twenty20 and India going top of the Test rankings. Sri Lanka were dominant in home Tests and reached the T20 final, while Bangladesh recorded a series victory against an understrength West Indies side. Here, we look back at the highlights and hand out our awards for 2009. Test batting performance of the year Conventional wisdom would dictate a degree of caution when replying to a first-innings total of 393. Virender Sehwag doesn't do conventional though. By close of play on the second day at the Brabourne Stadium, India had careered to 443 for one from only 79 overs. Sehwag's contribution was an unbeaten 284, during the course of which he took apart every hapless bowler that Kumar Sangakkara threw the ball to. With history in sight – not even Sir Donald Bradman had made three triple-centuries – he fell for 293. Two days later, India completed the innings victory that took them to the top of the rankings for the first time. ODI batting performance of the year When Sachin Tendulkar fell cheaply in pursuit of 360 in the 2003 World Cup final, it was assumed he had blown his chance. But like Imran Khan, who was four months past his 38th birthday before his World Cup obsession was consummated, he refuses to give up on the dream. In a year where he scored 972 runs at 54, the best was saved for Australia, and another improbable run chase. With Suresh Raina for company, Tendulkar unveiled his full repertoire as India threatened to overhaul a score of 350 . But when he fell after 175 from 141 balls, those who followed did the lemming routine. Australia won by three runs. T20 batting performance of the year Tillakaratne Dilshan's 96 in the semi-final of the World Twenty20 is the obvious frontrunner, but I'll go with an innings that was even more eye-catching. Maturity isn't a word that too many people associate with Shahid Afridi, but with his team in some strife at Trent Bridge, he worked the ball around cleverly before exploding into life. His 51 from 34 balls took Pakistan to 149, and a miserly spell did the rest. An encore in the final confirmed his status as a genuine T20 treasure. Test bowling of the year Given what's happened to Ishant Sharma in 2009, you don't wish to tempt fate by hyping another fast bowler from the subcontinent. But there's something about Mohammad Aamer that suggests he'll be around for the long haul. At the MCG, one of the most intimidating venues on Earth, he had Ricky Ponting caught pulling and Michael Hussey beaten for pace before returning the next day to scalp Michael Clarke, Marcus North and Brad Haddin. Bowling with genuine pace and swinging the ball, he should also have had Shane Watson for 99 – and the freedom of Jamaica as a result? – but sadly several of his team-mates appear to have a deep-rooted aversion to catching the ball. ODI bowling of the year Angelo Mathews had the year's best figures, but his six for 20 against India came in a match with nothing at stake. , Afridi had illustrated why he's now an automatic pick for his bowling alone, sending Australia's batsmen into a spin from which they never recovered. Haddin was deceived by the flight, and Andrew Symonds done in by what was effectively an off-cutter, but it was the doosra that sent back Watson that really broke the back of the innings. His mastery of the other one was too much for the tail as Australia were dismissed for only 168. T20 bowling of the year When Simon Jones and friends reverse-swung it, there were oohs and aahs. When Umar Gul and his Pakistani mates do it, there are snide comments about ball tampering. At The Oval, in a match that Pakistan simply had to win, Gul was introduced only in the 13th over. A wondrous catch from Afridi sent back Scott Styris and then Gul's ability to fire in swinging yorkers at will came to the fore. By the time he was done sending stumps cartwheeling, he had five for six and New Zealand were skittled for 99. Test match of the year India's great escape at Napier and Pakistan's narrow defeat in Dunedin are contenders, but for sheer drama it was hard to match the game in Galle. Pakistan led by 50 on first innings, and needed only 168 to win the game. They finished the third day requiring 97, with eight wickets in hand. But when Sangakkara called on Rangana Herath to bowl the second over the next morning, the game changed. Mohammad Yousuf went first ball, and in just over an hour Pakistan were bowled out for 117. Those on the ramparts of the famous old fort went berserk. ODI of the year The run-fest at Rajkot nearly matched it for nail-biting intensity, but Hyderabad gets the nod for the most topsy-turvy of games. Watson's blistering 93 and Shaun Marsh's 112 took Australia to 350, but with Raina and Tendulkar, batting with unbridled freedom, adding 137 for the fifth wicket, India needed only 52 from the last 46 balls. When Tendulkar top-edged a paddle-sweep off Clint McKay, the debutant who finished with three for 59, the equation was 19 from 17 balls. Praveen Kumar then slugged Doug Bollinger for six to get India back within range, but a lovely throw from Nathan Hauritz caught him fractionally short as Australia sneaked home by three runs. T20 of the year Halfway through their innings, Pakistan had made 68 for two, with Afridi on 30 from 25 balls. After walloping Jacques Kallis for two fours over midwicket and then bowling him a kiss, he had gone into consolidation mode. But when Johan Botha came on, something snapped. Three hefty inside-out heaves over cover were followed by the deftest of late cuts as Pakistan stormed to 149 for four. With ball in hand, he castled both Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers during a magnificent spell of two for 16. Neither Kallis nor JP Duminy was able to accelerate and Pakistan sneaked home by seven runs. The party outside Trent Bridge, blaring car horns and all, went on long past midnight. Newcomer of the year The 17-year-old Aamer is a strong contender, but one of his teammates just pips him to it. Umar Akmal will turn 20 next May, but there are already signs that he'll carry Pakistan's fragile batting for the next decade. Having made a dazzling hundred on debut in Dunedin, he has since added four half-centuries to his tally, while also averaging more than 44 in the one-day arena. Compact, possessed of a cool head and capable of playing most strokes, he's one to watch as cricket embraces a new decade. Comeback kid Herath returned from league-cricket obscurity to take 34 wickets and there were 22 for Mohammad Asif on his recall from drug-related stupidity, but this particular gong goes to a man who turns 37 in January. His career was on skid row last December, but with 747 runs at 83 from six Tests in 2009, Rahul Dravid has reclaimed his place in the sun. Without his defiant 177 on the opening day of the series against Sri Lanka, the series result could have been so very different. Cricketer of the year Normally, this category would fuel the greatest debate. Given the year that Dilshan has had though, any discussion is redundant. Who can quibble with 1,071 Test runs at 64.52, an even 1,000 in one-dayers at 55.55 and 471 in T20s at 42.81? And all of this at a frenetic pace matched only by Sehwag. Two years ago he was on the periphery of things, but since being asked to open, he's proved to be the perfect right-handed replacement for the waning Sanath Jayasuriya. Team of the year Bounced out of the World Twenty20 in the Super Eights, and eliminated after a loss to Pakistan at the Champions Trophy, India were also beaten 4-2 by an injury-ravaged Australian side in a home one-day series. But either side of such disappointments, they finished the year with three Test wins [and three draws], and a 17-10 ODI record. With Pakistan hopeless in the Test arena and Sri Lanka regressing in ODIs, India were the pick of a poor bunch. But with some leading lights in the twilight of their careers, it remains to be seen if they can cling to the top of the tree.

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Year 2009 : The year as it was for cricket I thought Asif's spell in NZ and SS's spell on a pancake flat deck to bowl out a formidable Lankan attack were far superior to Aamer's bowling spell. And Umar has only played in 3 test matches. What's the deal with Dileep? Is he making sure that the nation based quotas are filled?

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