Sourav Ganguly: A hero of New India

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL: Sourav Ganguly, whose career ended on a high after India’s series win against Australia, is carried by teammates after the end of the fourth Test.

The present age cricket lovers may look at him as a legend. Sourav Ganguly, spent a lifetime in achieving that status, transforming the attitude of the Indians towards the game.

He created a bunch of self-believers which set about to tame the cricket world. Befittingly, his journey has ended on a glowing note, with a series win at home against world champion Australia.
Colourful career

Ganguly’s was a most colourful career. When he walked into the Eden Gardens as a teenager, his influential father was credited with the selection, though he had won his place on merit.

When he was picked for India, it was said the ‘quota’ system worked in his favour. The critics did not realise that he had earned his place again on merit.

He shut them up with a century on Test debut at Lord’s in 1996. A fascinating career was launched at the home of cricket and Ganguly’s love with the game blossomed as he took gigantic strides, culminating in 7212 Test runs (16 centuries and an average of 42.17) and 11363 in ODIs (22 centuries, average of 41.02).

He tormented bowlers with his languid style, scaled new peaks and set new benchmarks. He was destiny’s gift to Indian cricket.
Source: http://www.hindu.com/

Cricket Prince of Kolkata bids adieu to Cricket

Zeenews Bureau

Nagpur, Nov 10: A glorious career comes to an end on Monday… Sourav Ganguly, a man with a never-say-die spirit, will be seen on the field wearing the Indian cap for the last time today. Known as the best ever captain to have represented India, the Royal Bengal Tiger will bid his adieu to cricket today and will be remembered as a man who had a career as dramatic as it can be.

The Prince of Kolkata went out for a duck in the last innings of his career’s final Test match at Nagpur against Australia, thanks to Jason Krejza’s spin spell.

Sourav Ganguly has had a career of that of a hero. The day when Dada announced his retirement to the world, it seemed to be the end of an era for many.

He made his debut in the year of 1989, but subsequently dropped from the side because he allegedly refused to carry drinks to the ground. And for most of the people it seemed end of his career.

In 1996, the tour of England marked his comeback to international, the reason being him being in ‘good-terms’ with Jagmohan Dalmiya. Most of the people thought Sourav did not deserve to be in the side. But in his very first match of the tour he proved everyone wrong by scoring a century and Lords witnessed birth of another Indian batting icon…

An excellent player of spin, Sourav tried to play a sweep shot off Brad Hogg, on his Test debut, and was caught at slip. But what followed was a success story for every one to remember.

Ganguly made his mark on both ODIs and Test matches but as his career progressed he became a better player of ODIs than Tests. Along came the Sahara Cup 1997, the second bilateral series between India and Pakistan in Toronto, Canada. Ganguly who was known for his batting only, not only scored runs in that series but also picked up 16 wickets and became Man of the Series taking everyone by surprise.
Source: http://www.zeenews.com/

Khans bump into each other

Aamir Khan | Salman Khan | Shahrukh Khan

Bollywood is witnessing something very peculiar. Khans are everywhere these days. Aamir Khan is trying to woo the audience with his six-pack abs, Shahrukh Khan has stolen the sentiments of the masses with his simple look and Salman Khan's bronzed look has created lots of curiosity.

It's a big coincidence that the three big Khans bump into each other. It was Aamir who first shocked the people with his muscular look in Ghajini. He has exposed his six-pack abs for the first time. Then Shahrukh just did the opposite. He wears a simple look in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. It looks like Salman too doesn't want to be left out of the competition. His bronzed look with unruly long hair in Veer has created enough hype.
Source: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood

Sachin rested, Sehwag makes ODI comeback against England

India's star batsman Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the first three ties of the seven-match One-Day International series against England starting in Rajkot from November 14.

Announcing the 15-member squad for the series, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N. Srinivasan said considering the hectic schedule during the year and also the tours ahead, the national selectors acceded to Tendulkar's request that he be rested for the first three games.

The selectors, who finalised the squad for the first three matches here Wednesday night, also decided to rotate the bowlers so that they get adequate rest.

Tendulkar has not played ODIs since the tri-series in Australia in March. An elbow injury prevented him from playing in the one-day series in Sri Lanka August-September and before that he pulled out of the Bangladesh series and the Asia Cup in Pakistan owing to a groin injury.

All-rounder Irfan Pathan, medium-pacer Praveen Kumar and middle-order batsman Badrinath, who replaced Tendulkar, and wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel have been omitted.

Virender Sehwag, who missed the Sri Lanka tour with an ankle injury, and Irfan's brother Yusuf return to the squad while Tamil Nadu opener Murali Vijay is the only newcomer to the side to be captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

England will arrive in Mumbai on Thursday and will play practice matches against a Mumbai team Nov 9 and 11.

England will also play a two-Test series beginning in Ahmedabad Dec 11.

India squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Rudra Pratap Singh, Virat Kohli, Murali Vijay.

England squad: Kevin Pietersen (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright.

England team's itinerary:

Nov 6: Arrive in Mumbai;

Nov 9: One-day warm-up match, Mumbai;

Nov 11: Second warm-up match, Mumbai;

Nov 14: 1st one-dayer, Rajkot;

Nov 17: 2nd one-dayer, Indore;

Nov 20: 3rd one-dayer, Kanpur;

Nov 23: 4th one-dayer, Jamshedpur;

Nov 26: 5th one-dayer, Cuttack;

Nov 29: 6th one-dayer, Guwahati;

Dec 02: 7th one-dayer, Delhi.

Dec 5-7: 3-day warm-up match, Vadodara;

Dec 11-15: 1st Test, Ahmedabad;

Dec 19-23, 2nd Test, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.

Source: http://cricket.ndtv.com/cricket

Obama triumphs, will be first black US president

Barack Obama was elected the nation's first black president Tuesday night in a historic triumph that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself.

The 47-year-old Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his victory by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states — Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Iowa.

A huge crowd thronged Grant Park in Chicago to cheer Obama's improbable triumph and await his first public speech as president-elect.

Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009.

As the 44th president, Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession, and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.

The popular vote was close, but not the count in the Electoral College, where it counted.

There, Obama's audacious decision to contest McCain in states that hadn't gone Democratic in years paid rich dividends.

Fellow Democrats rode his coattails to gains in both houses of Congress, toppling Republican incumbents and winning open seats alike.
Source: http://ap.google.com/article

Kumble – a cricketer and a gentleman

Like those topspinners and googlies that he bowled for 18 years, Anil Kumble’s decision to quit international cricket was a bolt from the blue. I doubt even those closest to him had an inkling though considering his age and fading prowess, the retirement was not a huge surprise, even if the timing and the suddenness were. In any case, Kumble received the kind of sendoff from his team-mates that at once reflected the high esteem in which he was held.

It is tempting to use clichés like “an end of an era” in offering tributes and salutations to such a worthy man who was a human being first and cricketer next. Perhaps, that was the reason why Kumble did not receive the kind of adulation and recognition that he so richly deserved. As he pointed out during his post-match media conference at the Kotla, throughout his career, detractors hounded him, questioning his ability to spin or turn the ball while conveniently glossing over his special talent to take wickets.

Kumble Special: Saluting a true legend

I always believed (and it would take a lot to convince me otherwise) that India, by and large, does not know how to look after or treat a true champion. It is as if we as a nation cannot come to terms with the fact that we have world-class sportspersons in our midst. It was no different with Kumble who toiled in his inimitable quiet and no-nonsense manner while allowing his bowling to do all the talking.

Jumbo Talk: Kumble on India under Dhoni and life after cricket | Will you miss him?

Also, being a bowler in a batsman-oriented sport, those 35 five-fors and eight 10-fors were not equated to a century or a double hundred nor are those feats celebrated unlike in the case of a batsman.

I would say that Kumble was a Tendulkar in his own rights. As is with Tendulkar whose contributions to Indian cricket are solely (and unfairly) judged on the number of matches he won for the team, so it was with Kumble. Time and again, the affable Bangalorean had to put up with uncharitable questions about his performance, and it grew into a crescendo in the recent months when he struggled to take wickets. Under the circumstances and with the body not obeying the mind, not to mention injuries, Kumble must have realised that his time was up.

Full Coverage: Australia in India 2008

It is a pity that Kumble was denied of a fairytale parting at the Kotla where an Indian victory would have been a fitting parting gift from his mates among whom Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman must be contemplating their future with Ganguly also making way at the end of the current series.

The great man’s retirement signals the start of a transitional period in Indian cricket with the baton being passed to Dhoni and a bunch of young, eager and enthusiastic players. For sure, Kumble has left a legacy for Dhoni to inherit and it is to be hoped that the stumper will prove to be a worthy successor.

Source: http://sify.com/sports

Watch The "Rab Ne Bna Di Jodi" Shahrukh film's promo released on shahrukh's birthday

Anil Kumble retires from Test cricket

India captain Anil Kumble announced his retirement from Test cricket after the third Test against Australia in New Delhi.

Kumble said after the completion of the Kotla Test that he had taken the decision on Saturday.

"It was a tough decision when you have played 18 years of cricket and been so competitive. But my body helped making the decision and also, this (left hand) injury. I had already made the decision yesterday. Especially, as I knew I won't be hundred percent for the next Test. I had already decided to leave the game after this series any way. But it's been a fantastic journey," said Kumble.

Kumble, who injured his left hand on Friday and had eleven stitches in the little finger, said he would be present in Nagpur.

"I would be there in Nagpur, be part of the dressing room to see Sourav's last Test, Laxman's 100th Test and hope to see the team win. Though, I would have liked to win the series here (New Delhi)," he added.

Asked about the response of his teammates when he informed them of his retirement decision, Jumbo said, "the response I got I was proud of it. I have played with lots of players -- Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, the younger lot and of course with captains like Mohd. Azharuddin. I am proud to have played along with some of the great players."

Known for his fighting abilities, no cricket fan can ever forget the sight of a jaw strapped Kumble in West Indies when he took the field despite being advised to take rest. In his last Test as well he kept fighting, though he could pick only three wickets.

His teammate VVS Laxman, who was adjudged as the 'man of the match' for his unbeaten knocks of 200 and 59 runs, called his innings special for they came in Kumble's last match.

"He has been a great role model. All of us are really proud to play with him. Even his last wicket, if you see, we were dropping sitters and he took that difficult catch," said Laxman.

Kumble's Australian counterpart Ricky Ponting too lavished praises and wished him success off cricket.
Source: http://cricket.ndtv.com/cricket

Nokia N79 launched in India, an ultimate phone for entertainment

Nokia unveiled N79 a new sleek phone that adds to the NSeries range of multimedia phone that combines bright and customizable design with a complete package of multimedia computer. Besides the smart and cool look the Nokia N79 is inherited with the latest and advanced technologies. It will surely show its true multimedia magic that includes integrated navigation, FM transmitter, high speed of connectivity and enhanced web browsing facility.

N79 phone is a phone that will entertain you thoroughly when required. The phone comes with a 4GB microSD card so you can store in more that 300 songs for your time pass. FM is very common in all devices but N79 includes FM transmitter that will provide you with more entertainment than ever before and easily play through your car audio system. The phone has dual speakers so you can rock on wherever you are with its fine sound. Another useful addition is a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting headphone. The owner of N79 can now enjoy 19 classic club remix songs and preloaded Anthems 1998-2008 which is a compilation of around 17 latest music videos sponsored by Ministry of Sound.

This new N79 phone adds colors to your life to make it more attractive, that incorporates two additional interchangeable Xpress-On smart covers in various colors. The phone packs in a built-in microchip that changes the phone’s theme color automatically when the back cover of phone is changed to match the two colors and make it appear cool. The phone is available in 5 classy and trendy colors like Light Sea Blue, Espresso Brown, Olive Green, White and Coral Red.

The phones offers a 5 mega pixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual LED Flash that provides you with high range of quality picture and a best camera phone to capture your memorable moments and videos and the best part is that you can edit it without using the computer. The phone’s lens is protected with a sliding lens cover.

Nokia N79, certainly a choice of many music lovers will be available at a price of Rs. 22939/-.

Source: http://www.mobiletor.com/

Team Golmaal plans on returning third time

Golmaal Returns hits theatres on Wednesday, and after the first part being quite a success at the box office, all eyes are now on the sequel. CNN-IBN's Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand caught up with the four main stars of the film.

Rajeev Masand: After Golmaal in 2006, there was scope for a sequel, but my question is, after the first film it is easy to make the second one bigger but it's also important to make it better. Isn't it?

Ajay Devgan: It's most important to make it better and that is the reason we took so long to make the sequel as we needed the right kind of script and the right angle.

Arshad Warsi: And honestly speaking the storyline of the sequel is funnier than the first film.

Rajeev Masand: But are the characters still the same? Tusshar, do you still play the mute funny guy?

Tusshar Kapoor: Yes, my character is the same along with everyone's name which is also the same.

Ajay Devgan: The characters are the same.

Arshad Warsi: We're still paying idiots like in the first one.

Tusshar Kapoor: Also the film doesn't start from where it left off, as it's a whole new episode.

Rajeev Masand: But give us some idea about the film?

Ajay Devgan Well, in the first film, we all play friends. But in this one, Kareena plays my wife and Tusshar plays Kareena's brother. Arshad plays a cop and we don't like eachother and it's tussle between the both of us.

Arshad Warsi: What I'm doing is trying to find out what Ajay is upto in the film.

Rajeev Masand: In Golmaal, all four characters were after one girl, but in the sequel the bar has been raised has there are also four girls in the film?

Ajay Devgan: Yes, we insisted we all want a heroine each.

Arshad Warsi: And there was more money, so we could afford it.

Rajeev Masand: Assuming all goes well with Golmaal Returns, is there going to be a part three?

Ajay Devgan: There is no assuming, it will go well and there going to be a part three as we're working on it.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/