Indian Domestic cricket 08-09 : Md Nissar Trophy

[Chandan]

The Nissar Trophy is an annual first class cricket competition which takes place in September. It is contested over four days between the most recent winner of the Ranji Trophy from India and Quaid-i-Azam Trophy from Pakistan. The trophy is named after former Indian Test cricketer Mohammad Nissar. Mohammed Nissar was India's first pace bowler, possibly one of the fastest they have ever produced, and one of the best too. A bull of a man, Nissar could swing and cut the ball with verve, but it was his express speed that marked him out from his peers. Of his 25 Test victims, 13 were bowled or leg-before, testimony enough to his sheer pace. Nissar's partnership upfront with Amar Singh was as legendary as it was successful. The first edition of this trophy was played in 2006 between UP and Sialkot at Dharamshala stadium in Indian in which then Ranji champions UP had defeated then Quaid-i-Azam Trophy winner Sialkot by 316 runs. In 2007, the Ranji Champions Mumbai were declared winners on the basis of first innings lead vs their rivals Karachi Urban. In 2008, the match will be played between Delhi, the current Ranji Champions and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, the winners of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy from 15th September, in New Delhi. Many of the Delhi players are looking at this tournament as a launchpad for the coming domestic season. It is going to be interesting to see which players are chosen for Delhi and who are going to be the bowlers here. It'll also be interesting to see whether bowlers like Sangwan and Awana have improved from their maiden Ranji or not. But Delhi's house seems to be in disorder as always because of its unprofessional association DDCA. No selectors to pick Delhi squad Anam Arsalan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, August 27, 2008 First Published: 23:26 IST(27/8/2008) Last Updated: 23:33 IST(27/8/2008) Calling the top brass of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) laidback would probably be an understatement, for their callous attitude towards their Ranji Trophy side is clearly evident in their everyday operations. Ranji champions Delhi take on Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy winners Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited in the Mohammad Nissar Trohpy tie starting at the Kotla on September 15 but the team is yet to be selected. The reason? Absence of a selection panel! Moreover, chances of a panel being formed soon too is doubtful, considering the fact that the DDCA is occupied with matters that can hardly be called as those belonging to the cricketing kind. The appropriate word in this case is legal, with the Tees Hazari Court imposing a stay on sports committee elections and directing the DCCA to conduct them afresh. Incidentally, it's the sports committee which usually proposes the names of selectors, which are then forwarded to the executive committee for approval. Insiders say the court case will not affect selection procedures, as the present committee headed by Sunil Dev will do the job soon. Chetan Chauhan, who headed the selection panel last season, sounded optimistic. “We will constitute one in two-three days and the camp for the same will start off immediately. We will call a meeting for the same shortly,” he said. “What do you mean the camp is not on? It’s already happening,” said Dev. Apparently, he was referring to the bowlers' camp where some 30-odd cricketers have been practising for the last one month in Kotla. But when clarified that the Ranji camp has not yet started, he merely said: “You speak to the (DDCA) president about it. I am currently in Bangalore.” Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya, however, said: "If you talk about the fitness camp, it has already taken place and now you have the bowlers' camp where even the batsmen turn up, so our practice has been going on." This was the news three days back.

[Chandan]

Delhi's opener Chopra has been extremely disappointed after being overlooked for the India A squad vs Australia A which will beging its tournament from 3rd September. Even after Shikhar Dhwan, the original opener chosen, got injured, Chopra was overlooked for Kohli. Disappointed Chopra looks ahead Saikat Sarkar Posted online: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 12:34:07 Print Email To Editor Post CommentsRelated Articles Not given an India A call-up despite last season’s exploits, opener hopes to do well in domestic meets Synonyms for the word ‘disappointment’ were all Aakash Chopra was left to ponder over while describing his exclusion from the India ‘A’ side, who are to play Australia ‘A’ and New Zealand ‘A’ from September 3. After being overlooked for the Indian team despite scoring 1339 runs in fifteen matches at an average of 60.86 in the last first-class season, a place in India ‘A’ was something the Delhi player had almost taken for granted. More so after attending the Bangalore camp for the Sri Lanka tour. While a repeat of three double tons and nearly 1700 runs, including his Ranji ODI exploits last season, is unlikely, the former India opener has his eyes set on the next couple of games — the Mohammad Nissar Trophy and the Irani Trophy for Delhi against Rest of India. “These are the two matches I can’t be deprived of now. I know making so many runs isn’t going to be that easy this season. But there’s no point in sulking. I’m not expecting anything,†Chopra said, taking a break from practice at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Tuesday. “In those 40-odds against Australia in 2003-04, I did enough for the team, but maybe not for myself. This is something I regret till today. In India, you get the spotlight only at the highest level. The subsequent categories don’t matter much,†he added. Impromptu conclusions drawn from that solitary tour don’t fit modern cricket’s requirements. But the latest move seems to have violated the basis of being picked for the national squad — the first class season, including Ranji Trophy, where he ended as the second-highest scorer after Cheteshwar Pujara, aggregating 783 runs at 52.20 per match. “I knew that a good Ranji Trophy outing is what you need for a national call-up. But this time around, it’s only disappointment. I don’t want to offend anybody, but at the end of the day, I am a human beingâ€. Chopra refused to vent his ‘disappointment’. “I have my own way of expressing it. Now it’s only the feeling of deprivation that a sportsman feels more than anything elseâ€. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And finally it seems that Delhi camp is on and DDCA is bringing Terry Jenner for the spin clinic and Wasim Akram for the pace bowling clinic. A legend comes calling Arjun Sen 30 Aug, New Delhi FIRST, THE DDCA brought a man who unearthed a legend, and on Friday they went one better, getting a legend himself. If it was Shane Warne’s mentor Terry Jenner, who came here to teach young leggies, the pacers were in for a treat as former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram started his five-day clinic at the ongoing pre-season camp at the Ferozeshah Kotla here. And if that was reason enough for the 30-odd pacers to brave an extremely hot and humid afternoon, former India pacer Manoj Prabhakar’s presence surely must have. While Prabhakar, who was the Delhi Ranji team’s bowling coach last season, has been overseeing the pacers at the camp for almost a fortnight, Akram’s involvement will, hopefully, help them ‘learn the finer nuances of fast bowling’. On the first day, however, the left-armer spent time with his charges telling them ‘strengthen your basics before anything else’ “He told me that before thinking of going flat-out, I needed to work on my fitness and take it one step at a time,†one of the bowlers said. Akram, despite being the big name that he is in the game, hit it off with his students in an instant. “I did not believe it.†exclaimed Parwinder Awana, who played a big role in Delhi’s run to the Ranji title last season. “He actually recognised me from the Speedster contest I participated in three years ago. I was a little circumspect on whether I should go and speak to him initially, but he made sure there was no formality .†A bowler who is really hoping to take back a lot from this camp is Delhi and India u-19 left-armer Pradeep Sangwan. A lot in the mould of Akram, in that he can get the ball to move back in very sharply, Sangwan said he learnt a lot in the little time Akram spent with him. “He stressed on the importance of bowling at the nets, rather than hitting the gym,†Sangwan said. “He said he will help me learn reverse swing before he leaves.†Now, that would be really a handy thing to learn.

[Kohum]

Thanks Chandan

And if that was reason enough for the 30-odd pacers to brave an extremely hot and humid afternoon, former India pacer Manoj Prabhakar’s presence surely must have.

This is hillarious however. I don't know why Akash Chopra doesn't get considered for team ODI or Test.

[Dravid]

This is hillarious however.

seriously..:haha: dont know y he hasnt been banned from cricket like azher? it is cus he snitched? hmmm

[MundaPakistani]

Misbah ul Haq and M Hafeez play for sui gas unfortunately i don't know much about the other players simply because there are 23 teams who participate in the level 1 competition and its impossible to keep track. I personally don't even care about the Quaid-e-Azam trophy.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

whichever team pakistan sends, they are going t be beaten up by the Ranji champs out here... so who cares :)

[Feed]

SNGPL squad announced for Md Nissar Trophy Mohammad Hafeez will lead a 14-member Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) squad in their quest to be the first Pakistan side to win the Mohammad Nissar Trophy since it was first introduced. More... Mohammad Nissar Trophy 2008-09 Three internationals in SNGPL squad September 6, 2008 SNGPL squad Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Adil Raza, Adnan Akmal (wk), Asad Ali, Azhar Shafiq, Imran Ali, Imran Khalid, Khurram Shehzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saleem Mughal, Samiullah Khan, Tauqeer Hussain, Umar Akmal and Yasir Arafat. Mohammad Hafeez will lead a 14-member Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) squad in their quest to be the first Pakistan side to win the Mohammad Nissar Trophy since it was first introduced in 2006 as an annual fixture between the first-class champions of Pakistan and India. Apart from Hafeez, the squad includes two other players with international experience - Misbah-ul-Haq and Samiullah Khan. In contrast Delhi has picked seven players with exposure to international cricket. Misbah, who has appeared in 10 Tests and 40 one-dayers for Pakistan, joined the SNGPL team late after fulfilling his national obligations. In the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, he scored 64 and 161. Hafeez averaged nearly 60 from 10 matches while Samiullah, a left-arm fast bowler who has played two ODIs, was the side's highest wicket-taker and right-arm medium-pacers Imran Ali and Asad Ali took more than 30 wickets each. The SNGPL squad also has Adil Raza and Umar Akmal, who were part of the Pakistan side for the Under-19 World Cup. Raza picked up 12 wickets at 12.16 from five matches in the tournament. Akmal was SNGPL's highest scorer in the last season, aggregating 855 runs from nine games. Yasir Arafat, who has also played U-19 for Pakistan, averaged 40.50 in the season. The four-day match is scheduled to be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi between September 15 and 18.

[ludhianvi]

If memory serves me right, Indian domestic champs had won the previous two encounters. Delhi is one of the most exciting Indian teams to watch out, as their youngsters have got some exposure either in the u19, or at the Int'l level. As for the Pakistani team, kind of surprised that Misbah isnt leading the side. I seem to recall a couple of the guys who played in the u19 tourney.

[Feed]

Sehwag to lead Delhi in Nissar Trophy Virender Sehwag will lead a strong Delhi squad for their clash against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the third edition of the Mohammad Nissar Trophy, starting September 15 at the Feroz Shah Kotla. More... Indian domestic cricket Sehwag to lead Delhi in Nissar Trophy Cricinfo staff September 4, 2008 Virender Sehwag will lead a strong Delhi squad for their clash against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the third edition of the Mohammad Nissar Trophy, starting September 15 at the Feroz Shah Kotla. The match is an annual fixture between the first-class champions of Pakistan and India, with Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai being previous winners. Delhi's 15-member squad has seven players with international experience, including opener Gautam Gambhir and fast bowler Ishant Sharma. However, in-form batsman Shikhar Dhawan failed to make the cut due to a hairline fracture on his right thumb. Aditya Jain and allrounder Sumit Narwal were omitted from the squad that took part in last year's Ranji final. Ashish Nehra, the left-arm seamer who did not get a game in the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy season, makes a comeback after recovering from an ankle injury. He was picked up by the Mumbai Indians IPL franchise and performed reasonably in the Twenty20 tournament, taking 12 wickets in 14 appearances at an average of 29. Nehra, though, was cautious about his prospects for the match. "I am not expecting to return to the scene with a five-for in my comeback match," he told the Indian Express. "My aim is to bowl 15 overs and get a couple of wickets and see how to gather my rhythm at the crease. "The good thing is, I am feeling great with all the technical aspects of my bowling - my swing, pace, line and length are coming along okay," he said. "So it's just about my body feeling okay after having bowled over long spells." Even though he had played the last of his 17 Tests in 2004, Nehra had still given not up hopes of playing for India again. "I still have a good four to five years of cricket left in me. It's up to the selectors to take a call on me," he said. "There's so much cricket happening all through the year and it gives everyone a chance. My job is to bowl well and line up there in the queue." Squad: Virender Sehwag (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Aakash Chopra, Mayank Tehlan, Mithun Manhas, Virat Kohli, Rajat Bhatia, Puneet Bisht (wk), Ishant Sharma, Pradeep Sangwan, Ashish Nehra, Chetanya Nanda, Amit Bhandari, Narender Singh, Gaurav Chhabra

[Chandan]

Fit-again Nehra gears up for a long haul G S Vivek Posted online: Thursday , September 04, 2008 at 11:32:24 New Delhi, September 3 A quick change of clothes, a slight adjustment the special padding inside his high-ankle spikes, and Ashish Nehra is ready bowl left-arm over with the new red ball. He’s jetted in from London, and dashed off from the airport to the Ferozeshah Kotla nets where good friend Wasim Akram was waiting to catch up with him and help with his return to first class cricket. “I was itching to get back to my bowling mark. I was in London all this time training hard but hadn’t got an opportunity to play matches or get into the nets. So when I heard that Wasim bhai was here to help fast bowlers, I thought of making the most of this opportunity. We had a good time chatting, he saw me bowl and we discussed a few things about bowling,†says Nehra. Named in the Delhi team for the Mohammad Nissar Trophy, Nehra is bracing up for the longer format after an 18-month break. “To play one-dayers and IPL matches is different from playing a four-day match. I am not expecting myself to return to the scene with a fiver in my comeback match. My aim is to bowl 15 overs and get a couple of wickets and see how to gather my rhythm at the crease. The good thing is, I am feeling great with all the technical aspect of my bowling -- my swing, pace, line and length are coming along okay -- so it’s just about my body feeling okay after having bowled over long stretches. I have two matches lined up, and the Irani Cup match is very crucial for me. So I am taking it one match at a time with a very practical approach,†he says. Nehra tried to make a comeback to the longer version a season before but was laid low with another set of injuries before he returned impressively during the IPL where he played 14 matches on the trot. The paceman says he’s been unlucky with injuries. “I keep sustaining new injuries and it’s really frustrating. My back and ankle have troubled me the most, but I am happy that those times are behind me now.†Nehra was part of the Delhi squad that won the Ranji Trophy last season, but he was never able to take the field. “Trust me, it was most frustrating. I enjoyed the feeling of being part of the winning team, but you feel sad about not being out there and winning it for them. To get dropped because of poor form is still okay but to sit out with injuries is most depressing,†he says. At a time when the Indian team is getting younger by the day, Nehra hasn’t lost motivation to stage a comeback. “I never lack in motivation. I am 29 and I have put in all the hard work and lot of my own money for treatments and rehabilitation. I just want to bowl fast and pick wickets. “I still have good 4-5 years of cricket left in me. It’s up to the selectors to take a call on me. There’s so much cricket happening all through the year and it gives everyone a chance. My job is to bowl well and line up there in the queue,†he says candidly. Nehra is part of a formidable Delhi pace attack that also consists of Ishant Sharma, Amit Bhandari and Pradeep Sangwan. Delhi Squad The Senior selection committee attended by chairman Chetan Chouhan, Nikhli Chopra, Vinay Lamba, Manu Nayar along with skipper Virender Sehwag and coach Vijay Dahiya picked a 15-member squad for the Mohd. Nissar Trophy starting September 15. Virender Sehwag (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Aakash Chopra, Mayank Tehlan, Mithum Manhas, Virat Kohli, Rajat Bhatia, Punit Bisht, Ishant Sharma, Pradeep Sangwan, Ashish Nehra, Chetnya Nanda, Amit Bhandari, Narender Singh, Gaurav Chhabra. ------------------------------------------------ Delhi's attack most probably will be: Ishant, Sangwan Nehra/Bhandari Bhatia Nanda But this'd make the tail really long since their keeper is not an accomplished batsman either. Then in batting, Dhawan's absence will really hurt Delhi's chances and I do not know who was called for his replacement. From Pakistan's perspective: Will SNGPL turn the tables on Sehwag's Delhi side? Saturday, September 06, 2008 By Gul Hameed Bhatti KARACHI: Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) certainly deserved the accolade of being called "Pakistan's domestic cricket team of the season", as they not only clinched the national first-class cricket title of 2007-08 by winning the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Championship, but also claimed the ABN AMRO Cup, thats associated with the ultimate limited overs honour on the Pakistan home circuit. Now, in their capacity as the national cricket champions of Pakistan, SNGPL lock horns with the Delhi side, who won India's Ranji Trophy Championship in the 2007-08 season. The occasion is the third edition of the Mohammad Nissar Trophy, a competition instituted by the respective cricket boards of the two neighbouring nations to honour the memory of one of undivided India?s greatest fast bowlers. Pakistan teams have been at the receiving end in the last two encounters though, Sialkot being defeated by the massive margin of 316 runs in the inaugural match in September 2006 by the then Indian champions Uttar Pradesh. Mumbai came over to Pakistan in September 2007 to play the Nissar Trophy match here at the National Stadium against Karachi Urban. In spite of an exact 200 by opener Khurram Manzoor Mumbai, who had totalled a huge 623 for six declared after being put in first, had the Karachi team forced to follow on. Mumbai took the trophy by virtue of the first innings lead in the end. In the 2008 match, adjudged first-class as the last two, and which starts from September 15 at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, the hosts have the services of seven players with international experience. SNGPL include skipper Mohammad Hafeez, the prolific national team vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq and left-arm medium-pacer Samiullah Khan Niazi as their appropriate counterparts. SNGPL won their first national cricket title last season, in fact they picked up two major trophies, and should be riding on the crest of a wave. In both the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Championship and ABN AMRO Cup finals, they encountered the highly experienced Habib Bank Limited (HBL) side and had the better of them on either occasion. Delhi have not been as successful as the Mumbai (or Bombay) teams in winning the Ranji Trophy title in the competitions now 74-year long history. While Mumbai have taken the national honours a record 36 times, Delhi are second only to them with seven titles to their name. In fact, when Delhi won the Ranji Trophy in 2007-08, they had regained the championship after having last claimed it in 1991-92. Their first was even way back in 1978-79. SNGPL PICK 14-MEMBER SQUAD FOR DELHI The SNGPL selectors have chosen a 14-member squad that would be proceeding to India to meet Delhi, being captained by national star Virender Sehwag. When Delhi beat Uttar Pradesh in this Januray?s final of the Ranji Trophy Championship at Mumbai?s Wankhede Stadium by nine wickets, however, Sehwag was not playing. The Delhi team was captained by fellow opening batsman Gautam Gambhir. Apart from Hafeez, Misbah and Samiullah, the SNGPL team includes two sensational youngsters in pace bowler Adil Raza and batsman Umar Akmal, who not only excelled for SNGPL last season but also made their mark at the Under-19 World Cup played in Malaysia later on. Umar, a younger brother of Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal whose other brother Adnan Akmal is in fact the wicket-keeper of the touring SNGPL outfit, hammered 855 runs for his team at an average of 77.72 in his debut first-class season. Adil Raza from Sialkot, still only 16 years old, captured 18 wickets at 24.50 runs apiece for SNGPL while also taking part in his maiden season at the first-class level. In 16 Youth One-day Internationals, he has already bagged 31 wickets at just 16.67 each. SNGPL's two young pacemen Imran Ali and Asad Ali gave a splendid account of themselves in their team's wins in 2007-08. Imran took 36 first-class wickets (ave 18.19) and Asad 35 (19.77). Samiullah was among the top three bowlers of the season, shrugging off an injury from the previous year to finish with as many as 59 first-class wickets at 21.30 runs apiece. Misbah, who has appeared in 10 Tests and 40 One-day Internationals for Pakistan, joined the SNGPL team late after fulfilling his national obligations. In the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, he contributed scores of 64 and 161 as SNGPL took the crucial first innings lead. Hafeez has not been exactly in favour with the national selectors on a regular basis. He used this opportunity to serve SNGPL to his best abilities. Last season, he totalled 873 runs at an average of 39.68 with three hundreds in first-class matches and captured 23 wickets at under 28 each with his very useful off-spin. Another SNGPL hero in 2007-08 was middle-order batsman Khurram Shahzad. The 26-year-old from Faisalabad scored 768 runs at an average of 51.20 with two centuries in 14 matches, that included a highest knock of 166. Multan's left-handed opener Yasir Arafat, 23, made runs with consistency. The SNGPL squad: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Adil Raza, Adnan Akmal (wk), Asad Ali, Azhar Shafiq, Imran Ali, Imran Khalid, Khurram Shahzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saleem Mughal, Samiullah Niazi, Tauqeer Hussain, Umar Akmal and Yasir Arafat. The two reserves named are off-spinner Adnan Rasool and left-handed opener Ali Waqas. Saadat Ali Khan (not to be confused with the former Pakistan ODI player) is the team manager while Iqbal Zahoor, a left-arm spinner who has represented Lahore City, Railways and Gujranwala, will serve as the coach. UTTAR PRADESH BEAT SIALKOT BY 316 RUNS From a Pakistan perspective, both previous Nissar Trophy matches have been big disasters. At the Himachal Pradesh CA Stadium in picturesque Dharmasala, Uttar Pradesh beat Sialkot by 316 runs in September two years ago. Sialkot skipper Imran Nazir scored a fine 123 in his team's first innings, but he alongwith wicket-keeper Haafiz Khalid and Pakistan paceman Mohammad Asif were unable to bat in the second due to injuries. Sialkot were bowled out for a pathetic 112. Rizwan Shamshad of the winning team was declared Man of the Match with scores of 84 and 88. At the National Stadium in Karachi a year later, Mumbai piled up a total of 623 for six declared that included four individual hundreds. The youthful Pakistan opener Khurram Manzoor made 200 out of Karachi Urban?s first innings 389 all out, but his efforts proved futile. The Delhi team for the forthcoming match includes international players Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Aakash Chopra, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra and Amit Bhandari. The rest of the squad is: Mayank Tehlan, Mithun Manhas, Rajat Bhatia, Puneet Bisht (wk), Pradeep Sangwan, Chetanya Nanda, Narender Singh and Gaurav Chhabra. ------------------------------------------ Wonder why articles in Pakistan need to repeat themselves so often! However, this should be a good contest with a number of internationals present even in Pak's domestic champion!

[guju24]

thx for the info guys...i m sure shewag will smack this Pakistani team into peaces....lolz

[f.b.m]

IIRC, Sehwag is a middle order batsman right? If it is true, then as long as the other guys see the shine off the ball, we should be seeing some royal spanking of the 'SNGPL' bowlers. But then again he's never been that great against Bangladesh or slow, unthreatening bowlers like Samiullah.

[ludhianvi]

IIRC' date=' Sehwag is a middle order batsman right? If it is true, then as long as the other guys see the shine off the ball, we should be seeing some royal spanking of the 'SNGPL' bowlers. But then again he's never been that great against Bangladesh or slow, unthreatening bowlers like Samiullah.[/quote'] Dilli is loaded with openers so Sehwag will probably play in the middle order I think

[Dravid]

sehwag will proably come as low as #3... not lower then that.. who knows maybe chopra or gambo might come @ 3

[Feed]

Md Nissar Trophy preparation : Fit-again Nehra set to boost Delhi Pacer Ashish Nehra seems to have regained his fitness and his experience will be a valuable addition to a fast bowling line-up of Delhi team in the Ranji Trophy, reports Arjun Sen. More... Fit-again Nehra set to boost Delhi Arjun Sen, Hindustan Times New Delhi, September 10, 2008 First Published: 22:59 IST(10/9/2008) Last Updated: 23:08 IST(10/9/2008) The Ranji Trophy is around the proverbial corner and the defending champions have started working towards retaining their title. The players have been working hard at their maintaining fitness levels through the off-season, with a few playing club cricket in England, and most looked in good shape ahead of what should be a testing winter. Delhi's first test of this season will be the Mohammad Nissar Trophy, in which they take on Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd, the winners of Pakistan's Qaid-E-Azam Trophy, at the Ferozeshah Kotla starting on September 15. And while the players have been practising since a week now, on Wednesday they played their first, and only, practice match ahead of the tie. Played among themselves, the 40-over game, quite understandably, lacked any real intensity and was effectively a chance for the players to get a feel of the wicket at the Kotla. Most of the players were unanimous in their judgement of the track, which, in all probability, will be used in the game on the 15th. While one batsman thought it was "a typical Kotla patta wicket," although the fast bowlers might differ as the bounce was varied, with a few keeping dangerously low, while the carry to the 'keeper also wasn't too encouraging. "It was slow and had no pace," said a fast bowler. "It was hard to get anything out of it." The one fast bowler who got something out of the game was Ashish Nehra. In what will be a great boost to the Delhi team for next season, Nehra looked in good shape and fitness, bowling nine overs in three spells. Nehra, who made a comeback to competitive cricket with the IPL, did not turn out even once for Delhi last season. However, the left-armer seems to have regained his fitness and his experience will be a valuable addition to a fast bowling line-up which boasts the precocious Ishant Sharma and the diligent Pradeep Sangwan. With both Ishant and Sangwan missing out on Wednesday's practice match — Ishant was in Dubai for the ICC Awards, while Sangwan was down with the flu - it was an opportunity for Parwinder Awana and Sumit Narwal, to show coach Vijay Dahiya he could always fall back on them. Asked about his first impressions after the match, Dahiya said: "All the players looked in prime fitness. Everyone was looking good." Dahiya was happy to see Nehra in action too. "He is back to full fitness and looks fantastic." All in all, a good outing ahead of the serious tests ahead.

[Desi Cartman]

Delhi v Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at Delhi, Sep 15-18, 2008 India won the toss and elected to bat first .. V Sehwag out 0

[Chandan]

India won the toss and elected to bat first .. V Sehwag out 0

Very very disappointing start for Delhi. For some reason, Gambhir is not playing andDelhi's batting is already up in tatters. Squads: Delhi: A Chopra, V Sehwag, V Kohli, M Manhas, M Tehlan, R Bhatia, P Bisht, I Sharma, P Sangwan, A Nehra, C Nanda Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited team: Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Ali, Imran Ali, Adil Raza, Adnan Akmal, Umar Akmal, Yasir Arafat (2), Azhar Shafiq, Khurram Shehzad, Imran Khalid Bowler Imran Ali clean bowled Sehwag for a duck. PS: Merging this thread with the main thread later!

[Desi Cartman]

why is I Sharma not playing ?

[Cricketics]

Sharma is playing, Gambhir isn't.. Chopra is the real deal. he needs to stick around

[Chandan]

why is I Sharma not playing ?

He is playing. These are the 4 bowlers for Delhi : I Sharma, P Sangwan, A Nehra, C Nanda, along with Rajat Bhatia. I always forget what Nanda done and what has he done till now.

Chopra is the real deal. he needs to stick around

Sorry tics, but Chopra is gone and the Pak domestic champs have a real chance to win this trophy for the first time!