Ranji Trophy - Super League 2009-2010 - Discussion thread

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Karnataka, Mumbai retain squads for Ranji final Karnataka and Mumbai have announced their 15-man squads for the Ranji Trophy final to be held in Mysore on January 11; the teams have included their respective 11 players who participated in the semi-finals. More... Karnataka, Mumbai retain squads for Ranji final Cricinfo staff January 7, 2010 Karnataka and Mumbai have announced their 15-man squads for the Ranji Trophy final to be held in Mysore on January 11; the teams have included their respective 11 players who participated in the semi-finals. Rahul Dravid will lead Karnataka but in the event of his unavailability - India take on Bangladesh in a two-Test series on January 17, just two days after the final - Robin Uthappa will take over as captain, and allrounder Balachandra Akhil will step in as replacement. Dravid scored a double-century in the semi-final against Uttar Pradesh, helping his team gain a decisive first-innings lead which ensured their qualification for the final. Mumbai, too, progressed on the same basis after their contest against Delhi, with Abhishek Nayar starring with 156 and Ramesh Powar taking five wickets. It will be the first Ranji final since 1996-97 to be held away from the primary venue of the hosting association - the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore in this case. Karnataka squad: Rahul Dravid (capt), Robin Uthappa, KB Pawan, Ganesh Satish, Manish Pandey, R Vinay Kumar, Amit Verma, Muralidharen Gautam (wk), Sunil Joshi, Abhimanyu Mithun, Sreenath Aravind, Stuart Binny, Udit Patel, KP Appanna, Aditya Sagar. Mumbai squad: Wasim Jaffer (capt), Ajit Agarkar (vice-capt), Ramesh Powar, Praful Waghela, Sahil Kukreja, Ajinkya Rahane, Prashant Naik, Usman Malvi, Vinayak Samant (wk), Dhawal Kulkarni, Sushant Marathe, OJ Khanvilkar, Avishkar Salvi, Iqbal Abdulla, Abhishek Nayar. More... Uthappa to lead State in Ranji Trophy title round Bangalore, Jan 7, DHNS: With the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s best efforts to ensure that Rahul Dravid is available for duty not bearing fruit, Robin Uthappa will lead the State team in the five-day Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai beginning at the Gangotri Glades in Mysore on Monday. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India turning down the KSCA’s request to advance the final by a day, Dravid will now fly out to Mumbai on Tuesday and leave for Bangladesh the following day ahead of the first Test in Chittagong on January 17. All-rounder B Akhil, dropped from the squad midway through the season, makes his way back in to fill the breach caused by Dravid’s non-availability, though it is no guarantee that Akhil will edge out Stuart Binny for the final batting slot in the playing eleven. Under Uthappa, and without Dravid in four games this season, Karnataka have registered three outright wins, though there is no denying that the former Indian skipper’s inspirational presence will be sorely missed by a young side in what is for almost the entire team the most important game of their lives so far. The squad: Robin Uthappa (capt), KB Pawan, Ganesh Satish, Amit Verma, Manish Pandey, Stuart Binny, B Akhil, CM Gautam, Sunil Joshi, R Vinay Kumar, A Mithun, S Arvind, Udit Patel, KP Appanna, Aditya Sagar. Coach: K Sanath Kumar. Assistant coach: Somashekar Shiraguppi. Manager: R Ananth.

[The Dark Horse]

Hope Mithun destroys Mumbai:eyedance:

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Preview : Stage set for an engrossing Ranji final CRICKET / The grass-laden pitch should help the pacemen More... Preview : Stage set for an engrossing Ranji final The grass-laden pitch should help the pacemen Mysore: It’s heartening that this season’s title clash of the Ranji Trophy will be played on a grass—laden pitch encouraging pacemen. The surface at the Gangothri Glades ground should give us a good indication of a batsman’s ability. The pitch should also prepare the aspirants better for the international challenges. Tactically, the decision to play the final in this charming town has much to do with Karnataka’ strength this season. Pace has been the side’s sword arm with the experienced Vinay Kumar and the young and exciting Abhimanyu Mithun slicing through line-ups. The duo has been supported admirably by the left-arm pace of S. Aravind. Formidable This said, Mumbai has come up trumps in 38 of its 42 appearances in the Ranji final. It is a formidable adversary, particularly in big games. It’s a mind-boggling statistic, an achievement that puts Mumbai’s fortitude and mental toughness in perspective. There’s something about finals that rouses the Mumbaikars; their indifferent form of this season will mean nothing when Wasim Jaffer walks out for the toss with Uthappa on the morrow.However, Wasim Jaffer and his men will be up against the form side in the competition. Much of Mumbai’s hopes would rely on how its line-up copes with the Karnataka pace trio. Karnataka has been riding a crest this season. The side could miss Rahul Dravid’s inspirational presence in the final but has confidence and momentum going into the five-day match beginning Monday. It has been a contrasting path for the two teams with hosts Karnataka, six times winners, having convincingly made the grade while Mumbai, the 38-times winners, have struggled into the title tilt. Pin five outright victories against one on the map to the finals and Karnataka will have to be handed over the crown for sheer consistency this season. But not for no reason have Mumbai won the Ranji crown on multiple occasions. Known for their fighting abilities and never say die attitude, with players having the experience of played the finals in the earlier years is what puts Mumbai as the team to beat. With the seamers having done extremely well this season, Karnataka, as their prerogative, have left some grass on the strip which promises bounce. A Mithun, who has been a revelation in his debut year will relish the wicket as will his senior partner Vinay Kumar who is capable of swinging the ball both ways and so too should left arm seamer S Arvind, the third prong of Karnataka’s seam attack. Karnataka’s fortunes largely wrest on the trio, having accounted for 103 wickets this season. Having not really come up against any defiant batting this season, the Karnataka attack will be put to the test by Mumbai. A Mithun and Vinay who have given their team the early breakthroughs will have to work harder against Mumbai, known for their doggedness in the middle. Left arm spinner Sunil Joshi, the lone Karnataka player to have the experience of having played in a final, will have to put his best effort and help his team’s cause. Collective Effort While the collective effort of the team has helped Karnataka advance thus far, it is imperative that the batsmen apply themselves to play big knocks as Mumbai’s history shows that they do not give the opposition a second chance. Robin Uthappa, leading in place of Rahul Dravid, doing national duty, will have to lead from the front and relative seniors like K B Pawan and C M Gautam need to show the younger players the way. Despite all the batsmen having been amongst runs this season, it is important that the team does not get overawed by the occasion. The onus will be on Ganesh Sathish and Manish Pandey, two batsmen with loads of talent to shoulder Karnataka’s batting. Having struggled through the season Mumbai will be more than a handful at the finish. Seven of their players carry the experience of having played in the final last year against Uttar Pradesh and the fact that they possess players capable of occupying the crease for long periods of time makes them dangerous opponents. Mumbai’s batting has revolved around, Ajinkya Rahane (791 runs this season), skipper Wasim Jaffer (627) and Sahil Kukreja (588) with Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar and Abhishek Nayyar having three figure scores under their belt. Their bowling attack is likely to comprise of three seamers in Agarkar, Dhawal Kulkarni and Avishkar Salvi with Ramesh Powar and Iqbal Abdulla being the spinners. With Agarkar and Powar being considered as bowling allrounders, Mumbai can afford to go into the match with eight batsmen. Whether Mumbai too succumb to the fiery Mithun and subtle swing of Vinay Kumar or if it will be a lesson for the young Karnataka brigade on how to play in the big league is to be seen. The weather has been finicky with the sun playing hide and seek, it being more than warm when the sun’s out. But overall, a very interesting contest is on cards over the next few days. In form Karnataka There was the usual leg-pulling and banter, plenty of chat and a palpable sense of anticipation, but Karnataka’s young turks looked anything but overawed during their crisp, business-like practice session on Sunday. The odd nervous laugh and the occasional look of tense uneasiness could have been put down to inevitable nerves on the eve of what to a majority of the playing eleven will be the most important match of their careers, but even close scrutiny revealed little out of the ordinary at the Gangotri Glades. Several key members have, in the lead-up to the Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai beginning on Monday, stressed the importance of treating the title clash as ‘just another match’. The temptation to dismiss it as a cliché was quite overwhelming, but Sunday’s training session reiterated the spunk and professionalism of a Karnataka outfit that has taken the country by storm over the last ten weeks. What was most obvious about Karnataka’s preparations for the five-day title clash against the masters of Ranji finals was the air of quiet self-confidence permeating through the ranks. It’s a self-confidence arising from the refreshingly entertaining and aggressive brand of cricket they have played all season long, helped by a clutch of outstanding performances from all-comers in a heartening show of depth and team unity. Needless to say, Rahul Dravid’s unavailability has left a huge lacuna in the middle-order from a purely batting perspective, but while Karnataka know what there are missing – both in terms of batting and in leadership and inspirational skills -- they are determined to not allow their captain’s absence to bog them down. Mithun — 38 wickets in eight matches at 25.39 — has certainly bowled himself into serious contention for an India place. Vinay Kumar lacks Mithun’s pace but bowls in the right areas and moves the ball. His 39 wickets in seven matches this year have come at just 19.66. S. Aravind – 26 wickets at 27.50 from seven games – provides left-arm variety to the attack. And senior left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi has managed to make his presence felt in a largely pace dominated bowling unit. Importantly, the bowlers have been backed by runs. Manish Pandey – 738 runs at 61.50 – has shown there is more to his batsmanship than slamming the ball to all corners of the park. And although skipper Robin Uthappa has not been among major runs, opener K.B. Pawan, G. Satish and Amit Verma have pulled their weight in the line-up. Stuart Binny ought to return to the eleven, but the onus will be on the likes of the form quartet of the season – the irrepressible Manish Pandey, the obdurate KB Pawan, the stylish Ganesh Satish and the left-handed Amit Verma – to step up to the plate one more, decisive, time. This will be as good an occasion as any for Uthappa, the lone top-order bat yet to touch three-figures, to set the record straight. Mumbai don’t have the same potency in the bowling attack as Karnataka, but in Ajit Agarkar, the returning Dhawal Kulkarni and Aavishkar Salvi, they have a more than handy trio that will keep the Karnataka batsmen. Pitch and toss Watching Mumbai wicketkeeper batsman Vinayak Samant perfecting the pull shot during practice for Ranji Trophy final beginning at the Gangotri Glades Stadium on Monday gave a clear impression of the kind of pitch the tourists are expecting. Skipper Wasim Jaffer on Sunday took a close look at the pitch which must have left him both happy and worried. Having Ajit Agarkar, Dhawal Kulkarni and Avishkar Salvi means Mumbai will hold the advantage on a pacer-friendly pitch but Jaffer, as opener, must be worried about his top-order. Karanataka captain Robin Uthappa was also pleased with the wicket as his fast bowlers have been in superb form. Of 136 wickets taken this season by the Karnataka bowlers, the pacers have accounted for 103. It will be an interesting toss. The primary reason for the final moving to Mysore has been the desire to offer Karnataka’s in-form and incisive pace trio with the best possible conditions in which to ply its trade. The 103-wicket club of R Vinay Kumar, the ultra-impressive A Mithun and S Arvind will be licking its lips in anticipation at the prospect of having a go at Mumbai on a greenish, hard surface with a txinge of moisture retained primarily because the sun has spent much of the last two days hidden behind a thick cloud cover. The toss will not necessarily be decisive because this is a five-day contest and there is time to recover from early setbacks, but early momentum and grabbing the initiative from the off will be massive. Especially for a young side, it will be imperative to get on top of the opposition early on, though throughout the season, Karnataka have shown that they are equally adept at bouncing back when pushed to a corner. Vinay Kumar is leading the pack with 39 wickets and Abhimanyu Mithun is just one behind him. “Our fast bowlers have done exceeding well this season and they have been our strength. Mumbai, though have 38 Ranji Trophy titles, it’s just a number, “ said Uthappa, leading the side in Rahul Dravid’s absence. The teams (From): Karnataka: Robin Uthappa (Capt), KB Pawan, Amit Verma, Manish Pandey, CM Gautam (WK), Ganesh Sathish, Sunil Joshi, R Vinay Kumar, A Mithun, S Arvind, Stuart Binny, Udit Patel, KP Appanna, Aditya Sagar, B Akhil. Mumbai: Wasim Jaffer (Capt), Ajit Agarkar , Ramesh Powar, Sahil Kukreja, Ajinkya Rahane, Vinayak Samant (WK), Dhawal Kulkarni, Sushant Marathe, Onkar Khanvilkar, Avishkar Salvi, Iqbal Abdulla and Abhishek Nayar. Both have met twice before in the title round and the head-to-head record stands at 1-1. Karnataka beat Mumbai in 1982-83 while the 38-time champions emerged victorious in 1974-75. Mumbai have lost only four of ttheir 42 finals but Karnataka with four outright wins this season will start as favourites

[Akshat]

Karnataka are firm favourites, according to me.

[Macj]

Any idea how the crowds were for the semi finals?

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Seamers help Karnataka take Day 1 honours in Ranji final A gutsy 67 by Vinayak Sawant helped 38-time champions Mumbai recover and post 233 in their first innings agaisnt Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy final. In reply, Karnataka were 15 for one at stumps on Day 1. More...

[Dinx - the Jinx]

Trophy is heading southwards.. c'mon boys.. lets bury the Mumbaikars in Mysore :cheer:

[coffee_rules]

Soon after lunch, there was a moment of controversy. Ajit Agakar punched a Vinay delivery back towards the bowler, who dived but couldn't pull off a return catch. The ball was deflected towards mid-off where Sunil Joshi fielded and relayed the ball to the keeper. During this time, Agarkar - not interested in a single - had wandered out of the crease, practising his stroke. The keeper threw down the stumps, Karnataka appealed, and the third-umpire ruled the batsman out. Agarkar showed his displeasure to the square-leg umpire, Sanjay Hazare, when the decision was referred to the TV, and he continued to fume as he walked off. His antics only served to earn him a meeting with the match referee at the end of the day's play.

Seems very comical. This happening to Agarkar makes it funnier.

[Guest Hiten.]

HAHHAHAAA, AGYY

[Chandan]

Ranji Final, Day One 11th January, 2010 Karnataka seamers call the shots Vinay, Mithun revel as Mumbai is dismissed for 233 on a lively wicket A near-perfect day was soured by the late dismissal of Robin Uthappa, but Karnataka had every reason to look back on a fantastic day at office with justifiable pride. Mysore: The serene Gangothri Glades ground, circled by a hill, a lake and trees that swing in the breeze, contrasted with the heat generated by the Karnataka pacemen in the middle. A young side unaccustomed to a stage as intimidating as the final of the Ranji Trophy against a team that has won the title 38 times acquitted itself with great credit at the Gangotri Glades on Monday. To bowl out defending champions Mumbai for 233 on the first day of the title clash was an outstanding achievement, though the hosts would have been happier had they not retired to stumps at 15 for the loss of their captain’s wicket. Karnataka’s pacers exploited conditions that suited them to the hilt admirably, the indefatigable R Vinay Kumar (4/61) again in the forefront and the impressive A Mithun (3/56) playing excellent second fiddle to lop off the Mumbai top. Not for the first time, the domestic powerhouses were bailed out by their lower-order with the phlegmatic Vinayak Samant leading the way as the last four wickets added 127 runs. Everything about the Glades surface demanded that it was a bowl-first track — the liberal covering of grass promised seam, a fresh pitch offered good pace and bounce. Mumbai, however, have always backed themselves to deliver the goods with the bat, so it came as no surprise when Wasim Jaffer chose to bat first. That was precisely what Karnataka wanted. Exploiting the conditions As if in thanksgiving, Vinay rocked the holders with a brilliant spell of 7-2-17-3 that accounted for Mumbai’s top three run-scorers this season. Vinay Kumar made optimum use of the new ball and the moisture on the wicket. He got the ball to seam away or jag back from a good length around the off-stump. Sahil Kukreja was caught behind off the game’s third delivery, Jaffer was sensationally held at short-leg by Ganesh Satish off a perfectly timed flick and Ajinkya Rahane was good enough to nick the ball of the day, a late awayswinger from a perfect length gleefully pouched by CM Gautam. Satish’s brilliant effort was one of four outstanding catches. For a team that has struggled with its catching all season long, it was redemption time, the fruits of hard yards at practice all too sweet. KB Pawan went full tilt to his right at gully to send Ramesh Powar on his way, Amit Verma levitated at first slip to snaffle a slash from the feisty Iqbal Abdulla at the stroke of tea and Manish Pandey pulled off a screamer at point to account for Samant and signal the end of the Mumbai resistance as Karnataka’s catching touched unprecedented heights. Amidst this heartening exhibition, the let-off Uthappa provided to the left-handed Omkar Khanvilkar inside the first hour stuck out like a sore thumb. The luckless S Arvind elicited an inside-edge that ballooned off the pads towards short cover, where Uthappa’s late dive wasn’t sufficient for Karnataka’s fourth success of the morning. That would have made the score 30 for four; instead, Khanvilkar associated himself in rescue act one, alongside Abhishek Nayar, as Mumbai wended their way back. Khanvilkar, watchfully, and Nayar with customary freedom realised 64 (98m, 125b) when Mithun dramatically sprang to life. At less than his best in his first two spells, the 20-year-old produced two screamers shortly before lunch to twice rattle timber, beating both well-set batsmen for pace, never mind what the moody speed gun reflected. Fighting knock Ajit Agarkar’s bizarre run out in the first over on resumption left the visitors gasping at 106 for six, but Mumbai have never believed in going down without a fight. With Samant the common factor, they eked out successive stands of 37, 41 and 45 as some of the juice went out of the surface and the bowlers began to tire a little. Samant fought hard with the tail after Mumbai was 143 for seven. There was useful support for him from a free-stroking Iqbal Abdulla (30) and a determined Dhawal Kulkarni (20). Abdulla was snared by a lifting delivery outside off-stump by Vinay Kumar — Amit Verma nailed a high catch at first slip. Kulkarni, deceived in flight, spooned one back to Joshi. And Samant was brilliantly pouched by Manish Pandey at deep point off left-arm seamer S. Aravind. Mumbai's turn now Karnataka’s cause wasn’t helped by Mithun spending 45 minutes off the park with cramps immediately after tea. His additional pace with a reversing ball could have terminated the Mumbai innings earlier, but that was not to be, even if shooting the opposition out for 233 was no trifling effort. With Uthappa well caught by Jaffer low at second slip, it will be up to the in-form young batsmen to rise to the challenge on day two against a well-equipped attack in conditions not unlike what they were on Monday. Pitch has a lot of life, we have a chance: Samant From Mumbai’s perspective, they have to be thankful to Vinayak Samant who was responsible for getting his team out of the rut. Samant said, “I have become such that I become more determined when the team is in trouble. The ball was swinging but I tried to play straight and hit the balls on their merit. I got good support from the lower-order. Almost all of them have been scoring 30-40 runs. 233 is a good score on this pitch, especially as they will also be under a lot of pressure. The first two hours will be very important. We have a good chance because the pitch still has a lot of life.” Asked to comment on Agarkar’s dismissal, he said, “He made a mistake because the ball was still in play. Hopefully he will learn from this mistake and not repeat the mistake.” Slow Agarkar in a spot of bother Depending on which side of the fence you are on, it might be construed as sharp practice or sharp thinking, but there was very little that was sharp about Ajit Agarkar’s reaction upon being adjudged run out on day one of the Ranji Trophy final on Monday. The former Indian all-rounder faced match referee S Ramesh’s censure after being reported by on-field umpires Amiesh Saheba and Sanjay Hazare after being dismissed in the first over after lunch. R Vinay Kumar went for a sharp return catch on his follow-through but merely succeeded in the parrying the ball to mid-off, from where Sunil Joshi relayed the ball to the wicket-keeper. Noticing that Agarkar, who had returned to his crease but had strayed out while ‘shadowing’ the stroke, was out of his ground, CM Gautam under-armed the ball at the stumps and scored a direct hit. Prompt appeal Gautam and Stuart Binny at point were the only Karnataka fielders aware that Agarkar had left the safety of his crease, and promptly appealed to square-leg umpire Hazare, who in turn referred the appeal to third umpire S Ravi. Television replays conclusively proved that Agarkar was out, but that was not the bone of contention. Immediately after the appeal was made and Hazare drew the rectangle to bring Ravi into play, Agarkar threw his arms wide, wondering what the fuss was all about. His prolonged protest after the third umpire had delivered his verdict, however, was not in the fitness of things and that is what attracted the match referee’s attention. Agarkar’s argument was that the ball was dead since it had nestled in the ‘keeper’s gloves and he was not attempting a run. While he is entitled to his opinion, the law clearly states that it is what the umpire thinks that is decisive. What the law says Law 23, dealing with ‘Dead ball’ states that the ball comes into play when the bowler starts his run-up or his bowling action, and becomes dead when, among other things, ‘it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or the bowler’. It adds, “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the umpire at the bowler's end that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.” The clincher, however, is the clause that reads, “Whether the ball is finally settled or not is a matter for the umpire alone to decide.” That leaves no scope for ambiguity, because it was for Hazare alone to decide if the ball was in play or not. Agarkar’s behaviour did a player of his stature no credit whatsoever and if, as is learnt, he has got away with only a warning, he can consider himself extremely lucky. Especially considering the whole episode was aired live, on national television. Patience will be the key on second day, says Vinay Kumar R Vinay Kumar played his part as the leader of the bowling pack in shooting Mumbai out for 233 on the first day of the Ranji Trophy final on Monday. As night watchman, he has some work to do on Tuesday morning, and he provided a fascinating insight into what approach he, and Karnataka, are looking to adopt on the morrow. “We will take it run by run, take each ball as it comes,” the 25-year-old, who picked up four for 61, said. “We will not set ourselves any target as such. We would like to approach our batting tomorrow like we would on day one of the game, if we were batting in the first innings of the match. “Tomorrow too, the pitch will play more or less like it did today. Maybe towards the end of the day, it will start to get a little slow, but otherwise, there will be pace and bounce and seam. As such, the first two hours will be very crucial. Patience will be the key and we have to choose the right shots to play.” His returns were his best figures against Mumbai thus far. “It feels great to get them in the final,” said Vinay, then offered his take on why Mumbai opted to bat first. “They have a strong batting line-up, so they did the right thing from their perspective. But we did well by bowling in the right areas. There was spongy bounce because of the grass cover, and there was movement as well. We exploited it very well. Mithun and Arvind also bowled very well, Arvind was quite unlucky.” Mumbai’s final tally owed itself to a battling 67 by wicketkeeper-batsman Vinayak Samant. “Somehow, I seem to become more determined when the team is in trouble,” Samant laughed. “The ball was swinging and bouncing, but I tried to play straight. I also batted inside my crease so that I could play the ball late. I got good support from the lower-order. Almost all of them have been scoring 30-40 runs, and they have made runs under pressure. “I feel 233 is a good score on this pitch, especially as Karnataka will also be under a lot of pressure against our bowling attack. The first two hours will be very important. We have a good chance because the pitch still has a lot of life. We need to be disciplined with our bowling.”

[coffee_rules]

Ajit Agarkar’s bizarre run out i Depending on which side of the fence you are on, it might be construed as sharp practice or sharp thinking, but there was very little that was sharp about Ajit Agarkar’s reaction upon being adjudged run out on day one of the Ranji Trophy final on Monday. The former Indian all-rounder faced match referee S Ramesh’s censure after being reported by on-field umpires Amiesh Saheba and Sanjay Hazare after being dismissed in the first over after lunch. R Vinay Kumar went for a sharp return catch on his follow-through but merely succeeded in the parrying the ball to mid-off, from where Sunil Joshi relayed the ball to the wicket-keeper. Noticing that Agarkar, who had returned to his crease but had strayed out while ‘shadowing’ the stroke, was out of his ground, CM Gautam under-armed the ball at the stumps and scored a direct hit. Gautam and Stuart Binny at point were the only Karnataka fielders aware that Agarkar had left the safety of his crease, and promptly appealed to square-leg umpire Hazare, who in turn referred the appeal to third umpire S Ravi. Television replays conclusively proved that Agarkar was out, but that was not the bone of contention. Immediately after the appeal was made and Hazare drew the rectangle to bring Ravi into play, Agarkar threw his arms wide, wondering what the fuss was all about. His prolonged protest after the third umpire had delivered his verdict, however, was not in the fitness of things and that is what attracted the match referee’s attention. Agarkar’s argument was that the ball was dead since it had nestled in the ‘keeper’s gloves and he was not attempting a run. While he is entitled to his opinion, the law clearly states that it is what the umpire thinks that is decisive. Law 23, dealing with ‘Dead ball’ states that the ball comes into play when the bowler starts his run-up or his bowling action, and becomes dead when, among other things, ‘it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or the bowler’. It adds, “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the umpire at the bowler's end that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.†The clincher, however, is the clause that reads, “Whether the ball is finally settled or not is a matter for the umpire alone to decide.†That leaves no scope for ambiguity, because it was for Hazare alone to decide if the ball was in play or not. Agarkar’s behaviour did a player of his stature no credit whatsoever and if, as is learnt, he has got away with only a warning, he can consider himself extremely lucky. Especially considering the whole episode was aired live, on national television.

Looks like he has been fined. S Ramesh is a MR now. Agarkar fined for showing dissent January 12, 2010 15:57 IST Ajit AgarkarMumbai [ Images ] pacer Ajit Agarkar [ Images ] has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for showing dissent after being given out during his side's ongoing Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka [ Images ] at the Gangotri Glades in Mysore. Match referee Ramesh Subramonium reprimanded Agarkar after he had contested his run out decision on Monday, which had been referred to third umpire S Ravi. The Indian pacer had remonstrated at the square, arguing with on-field umpires Amiesh Saheba and Sanjay Hazare after his dismissal. "Agarkar has been charged under BCCI Code of Conduct Level One offence. When given run out, there was an obvious delay in leaving the wicket and he also entered into a prolonged discussion with the umpires. "This is an offence showing dissent at an umpire's decision. As per BCCI guidelines, the penalty imposed for the offence is an official reprimand and a fine of 50 per cent of the match fee," match referee Subramonium said in a statement.

[Chandan]

Ranji Final. Day two 12th Jan, 2010 Karnataka batsmen come a cropper as Mumbai shows it is ahead in pace duel Salvi shines with a fiver; Mumbai in control despite Mithun’s spell Two fast-medium bowlers who rely on entirely different tricks made for compelling viewing at the Gangotri Glades, but the most telling impact on an action-packed Tuesday came from a third medium-pacer, even if it was with the bat. Mysore: As the ball zipped off the grassy surface at the Gangothri Glades ground, survival demanded footwork, judgment and decisive strokeplay. These attributes were largely missing in the batting of both the sides against a probing bunch of pacemen and on a wicket with seam movement and bounce. The batsmen displayed limited feet movement, were unsure of their off-stump and as a result played away from the body. There was no one batsman, let alone a pair, that showed the gumption and tenacity required for Karnataka to bat themselves into a position of strength. Throughout this season, Karnataka have found at least one man for every crisis; when it came to the crunch, no one put his hand up. Well as Agarkar, Kulkarni and Salvi exploited the conditions, Karnataka’s anaemic total was largely of their own making. There was considerable seam and bounce for the second straight day – 14 wickets fell for 223 runs – and Mumbai’s bowlers had the expertise to consistently put the ball in the right areas, but with more commitment and application, Karnataka could so easily have avoided the surrender. Conceding the lead Karnataka, shot out for 130, conceded a 103-run first innings lead to a resurgent Mumbai on the second day of the Ranji Trophy final here on Tuesday. The visitor was propelled by a five-wicket haul by paceman Avishkar Salvi. The rout began in the day’s fourth over when Agarkar had night watchman Vinay fending to short-leg. For nearly an hour, the impressive KB Pawan -- the best of the home batsmen until driving distantly from his body and seeing Ramesh Powar take a sharp low catch to his left at mid-off. Opener K.B. Pawan (33, 85b, 6x4), who alone batted with a measure of solidity, eventually succumbed to Salvi. The teasing length and away movement resulted in the opener miscuing a drive for a diving Ramesh Powar to hold a sharp catch at mid-off. Then Ganesh Satish kept Mumbai at bay, but the first loose stroke of the day from the latter triggered a procession from where there was no way back for Robin Uthappa’s lads. Until then a picture of great correctness and soft hands, Satish went hard at Salvi and put third slip in business. The biggest blow came off the next delivery when Salvi rapped in form Manish Pandey on the pad, caught in the crease, with a jag-backer. The ball struck the batsman marginally outside off but Amiesh Saheba upheld the loud shout, and Karnataka’s highest scorer of the season was sent packing. Salvi didn’t concede a run for his first 32 deliveries, and reaped the rewards for consistency and persistence as Karnataka kept plumbing the depths, best illustrated by Stuart Binny’s run-out after a horrible mix-up with CM Gautam at the stroke of lunch. There was hardly any resistance from the rest of the line-up with Dhawal Kulkarni supporting Salvi admirably. Compelling day’s play It was a compelling day’s cricket. Surfaces such as the one here reveal the true worth of a batsman and a full house watched some engrossing action. On a pitch of this nature, the batsmen need to play close to their body, score with firm pushes between mid-off and mid-on when the ball is pitched up and unleash the horizontal bat shots if the delivery is lacking in length. A sound back-foot game and the ability to ‘play’ and ‘leave’ are critical. Salvi exploited the chinks. His incisive spell of 7-5-4-3 was influential. He moved the ball away from a fuller length or brought it back with precision. Aavishkar Salvi’s first five-wicket haul of the season had comprehensively scuttled the hosts’ designs of replying strongly to Mumbai’s 233. Karnataka’s young batsmen were completely unprepared for the myriad challenges posed by a three-pronged Mumbai pace attack and keeled over for 130, their lowest total of the season coming at the most inopportune time. It was a field day for the medium pacers of both the teams though who claimed 13 of the 14 wickets to fall. Early strikes Then, Mithun, running in with rhythm, blitzed through the Mumbai top-order. Compensating for the batsmen’s inefficacy, Abhimanyu Mithun gave Mumbai a serious working over, combining pace and accuracy to a nicety to reduce Wasim Jaffer’s team to 51 for five. In two bursts either side of tea, he cut a swathe through the top-order, eliciting loose strokes from Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane, trapping Omkar Khanvilkar in front with a screamer and having Vinayak Samant fending to short-leg. In the interim, Vinay accounted for the fortuitous Sahil Kukreja, dropped on two and six, but Karnataka’s hopes of hastening the end were comprehensively thwarted by Nayar and Kulkarni. Just as everyone expected Ajit Agarkar to join Abhishek Nayar in the middle, Mumbai sprang a surprise by promoting Kulkarni. Last season’s joint highest wicket-taker kept Nayar company till stumps in an unseparated sixth-wicket stand of 57 to rally Mumbai to 108 for five, an overall lead of 211 that isn’t decisive yet, but rapidly getting there. Kulkarni’s highest first-class score before Tuesday was 28. Batting with an assurance and composure way above his numbers, he unleashed some sparkling back foot strokes off R Vinay Kumar towards the end of a long day to finish unbeaten on 35, a handy contribution in a match where runs have been as hard to come by as hen’s teeth. Nayar’s adaptability and Kulkarni’s adventurism helped Mumbai make light of the top-order collapse triggered by Mithun’s hostility. Agarkar fined Meanwhile, Mumbai’s Ajit Agarkar has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee apart from being reprimanded officially by Match Referee Subramanium Ramesh. Agarkar has been held guilty of a Level I offence, which pertains to showing dissent at an umpiring decision. The Mumbai cricketer was adjudged run-out after the decision was referred to third umpire S. Ravi on the first day. Agarkar played paceman Vinay Kumar to mid-off but Sunil Joshi fired in a throw to ’keeper C. Gautam, who threw down the stumps with the batsman out of the crease. Agarkar contended that the ball was ‘dead’ but the umpire ruled it was still in ‘play.’ Fighting spirit Defending champions Mumbai underlined why they should be considered the ultimate opponents in the Ranji Trophy on the second day of the five-day final against Karnataka here at the Gangothri Glades on Tuesday. The reason for them having won the Ranji crown for a record 38 times was on display for the seven thousand odd spectators who thronged the ground. The never-say-die attitude of the Mumbaikars was to the fore and the young Karnataka team was given a lesson on how to approach the task in big match situations. Mumbai are past masters whilst donning the front-running role; is there fight in the young Karnataka outfit yet as they face the biggest test of their character? 'Salvi was impressive' A career blighted by injuries is finally on the upswing. Avishkar Salvi's five-wicket haul in the Karnataka first innings has put the focus back on his journey. He modelled his action on the legendary Glenn McGrath but was struck down by a series of fitness concerns. Salvi is back in the swing of things. "It was really memorable, achieving a five-wicket haul in the Ranji final when the team needed it. We bowled to a plan. We bowled in the right areas," Salvi said here on Tuesday. Mumbai coach Pravin Amre said the ploy was to build pressure on Karnataka with accurate seam bowling. "We knew 233 was not a good first innings score but we bowled as a group. The pacemen were on target and there was assistance from the pitch for them. Salvi was impressive," he said. Match still open, assert Mithun and Salvi Karnataka paceman A. Mithun, who rocked Mumbai with four early wickets in the second innings, said, "The pitch was a bit spongy on the first day but seemed hard on day two and there was nice bounce and carry for the pacemen. The wicket should ease out on day three. If we restrict the target to below 300, we have a definite chance." “When we conceded the first-innings lead, we wanted to come all out at them as we were aware this is the last chance in the season. Vinay was of great help, as usual. Whenever I did something wrong, he used to tell me to keep my composure and bowl in the right areas.” Karnataka coach Sanath Kumar was disappointed with his side's batting. "We did not apply ourselves and build partnerships. We are in some difficulty now. But we are still in with a chance." Aavishkar Salvi had been the day’s first bowling hero, picking up five for 31 in Karnataka’s sub-par first-innings score of 130. It was the 28-year-old’s first significant contribution with the ball this year, his four previous outings having yielded just seven sticks. “The feeling is great. It’s a dream come true to get a five-for in the finals of the Ranji Trophy,” Salvi said. “We knew 233 was a fighting total and with the pitch conducive for bowling, we knew we had a chance if we bowled in the right areas. I will rate this as my best performance. The pitch is a fast bowler’s paradise. It’s good to have such a wicket after playing the entire season on placid tracks that don’t yield any results.” Salvi missed four games this season, and a large part of his career has been spent tending to various unrelated injuries. “The most important thing is that I am still playing cricket. Given the injuries I have had, it was really tough and that fact that I am still playing after all this gives me immense satisfaction.” As for the game situation, he remaked, “The match is still open, it will be difficult to predict the outcome. The pitch still has something for the bowlers, so the first target will be to get as many runs on board as possible.” Karnataka cricket team wants a sun day on Friday Mysore: In case the Ranji Trophy final between Karnataka and Mumbai turns out to be a hard fought contest that drags into the fifth day, it could well be the first time in the history of Indian cricket that a solar eclipse has helped a team win. This, because the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) failed to take into account that January 15, the fifth and the last day of the Ranji Trophy final, would be the day when a rare solar eclipse would occur between 11am and 3pm – a good part of the scheduled play time. The 85% solar eclipse viewed from Mysore is set to induce a fair degree of darkness, even worse, if it is cloudy on that day. If the play has to be called off due to bad light on January 15, and the match is forced to remain unfinished, Mumbai wins on the basis of a first innings lead of 103 runs. If anything, this only throws light on the poor planning on the part of BCCI. Ranji Trophy schedules are put in place a year in advance, but despite news of the solar eclipse doing the rounds for a while, BCCI did not change the schedule anticipating that the rare cosmic phenomenon could mar the game on the last day. Mumbai, at the end of day two, and in its second innings already (108 for 5), has a lead of 211 runs with five wickets intact. It scored 233 in the first innings before scuttling Karnataka for 130. With the green top wicket easing out as the days proceed, there is every chance that Karnataka attempts a win, taking the match into the fifth day—the day of the eclipse. Religious sentiments of some players apart (some communities believe in not venturing out during the period of solar eclipse), Gangothri Glades, the scenic ground where the match is being played, does not even have floodlights. Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer, BCCI, was not available for comments, but BCCI panel umpire, Suresh Shastri, said “In that case (solar eclipse affecting the visibility conditions), we will offer light to the players, and bad light would come into effect. There are no special rules pertaining to solar eclipse.”

[coffee_rules]

Chandan, if you are copying these from someplace, it's best to copy the link and highlight the good points. You might be violating copyright by copying the whole thing without any attribution to the original. If it's original, then I apologize and :adore:

[Chandan]

Chandan' date=' if you are copying these from someplace, it's best to copy the link and highlight the good points. You might be violating copyright by copying the whole thing without any attribution to the original. If it's original, then I apologize and :adore:[/quote'] It is not even 20% original because you must have noticed that there are many quotes from various players and coaches, which I take out from various articles and paste here. The report however is semioriginal I write few of my observation too in some of the the dismissals. I just put together the report from various articles that I surf. I've done it only from semis and final this year, for ICF. And I don't think any of copyrights are violated because no one can sue you for borrowing few lines from an article.

[Temujin Khaghan]

Cheap behaviour by the Mumbai team Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer has never lost a Ranji game. But he and his side lost more than a match on Wednesday when they stooped so low to abuse the departing Karnataka captain Robin Uthappa. Yes, Mumbai still has the edge in this game as Karnataka is involved in the biggest ever chase to win the Ranji Trophy final. Chasing 338 for a win, Karnataka still needs 203 with seven wickets in hand. Ajit Agarkar, the aggrieved all rounder, had reasons to celebrate when he tempted Uthappa to edge the ball to the hands of wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant during the nail-biting chase. Uthappa did not hesitate to leave the crease but, then, the entire Mumbai squad got into a huddle and yelled “F*** off.†The expletive was so loud that it was heard even in the press box at the opposite end of the pitch. The umpires were shocked by the shout and were seen talking to Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer immediately after the incident. Domestic cricket is often perceived to be a dreary affair but the last three days in Mysore have showed how fierce rivalry can become. To start with there was the freak dismissal of Agarkar in the first innings. It’s a moot point whether Karnataka players were justified in throwing away the legacy of GR Vishwanath by appealing for Agarkar’s dismissal. The incident, however, revealed that every run and every wicket has become priceless for contemporary cricketers. Ranjitsinhji, in whose name the biggest prize in Indian cricket goes, never played for India but has left a high ideal for his countrymen to follow. It’s a pity that the players involved in the Ranji Trophy final have forgotten such ideals. Even before the caustic send-off to Uthappa happened Agarkar was involved in another incident. When he came in to bat in the second innings, he lasted just four balls as Uthappa took a low catch at covers to dismiss him and threw the ball on the ground as he celebrated with his team mates. While walking back, Agarkar pointed his fingers at umpire Hazare, and was seen telling him something again and again. It was expected that Agarkar would come out firing when he was bowling after all that had happened, but what really was uncalled for was the entire team getting their hands dirty. On the other hand, it was surprising that the match referee continued to act soft on the players. All spectators witnessed the incident but the match referee didn’t take any action. ################################## http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_not-fair-mumbai-team-tells-karnataka-to-foff_1334573

[Desi Cartman]

what happened with Sir Aggy in the first innings

[Mr. Wicket]

Good on them. Anyone who curses out Youtappa gets a thumbs up from me.

[Ram]

Hmm, the Karnataka team didnt exactly distinguish themselves by the way they 'dismissed' Agarkar in the first innings. From then on, there has been a lot of needle between the two teams. Then, in the second innings, when Agarkar was dismissed (caught by Uthappa at short extra cover), he was given a very rousing send-off by Uthappa. I think the Mumbai guys are just returning the favor. That said, I wouldnt necessarily condone such verbal send-offs.

[sangrock]

^^agree :) i luv counter punches :P

[Cricketics]

The guy who wrote the article looks a complete Dramaqueen. this is what he wrote "Ranjitsinhji, in whose name the biggest prize in Indian cricket goes, never played for India but has left a high ideal for his countrymen to follow. It’s a pity that the players involved in the Ranji Trophy final have forgotten such ideals." Lol, people who write all this stuff pretend to be Gandhi or Satyawaadi Harishchand. How can one give a damn about such article.