Rahul Dravid had given his Capitancy from TeamIndia

Rahul Sharad Dravid, the current captain of the Indian cricket team, has established himself as an integral part of the team with his technical proficiency, stylish strokes and sheer stability.

Rahul was born on January 11, 1973 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to parents Sharad Dravid and Pushpa. He started to play cricket at the age of 12. Dravid did well in the junior tournaments to merit selection in the State under-15, under-17 and under-19 tournaments. Meanwhile he finished his bachelors from St. Joseph's College of Commerce.

He made his debut in the Ranji Trophy match against Maharashtra at Pune in 1990-91. He was the youngest Karnataka player to score a maiden century in Ranji. In 1995-96 he broke into the international team. He made his debut in One Day Internationals against Sri Lanka at Singapore in 1996. He is one player who has always shown stability and concentration and delivered solid performances in all the games that he played.

Dravid was the highest scorer in the 1999 World Cup, when he along with Sourav Ganguly created a new World record for the highest partnership of 318 runs for any wicket. His abilities are not confined to batting alone. He bowls right-arm off breaks and was a good reserve wicket keeper of Indian team.

Rahul keeps his cool even in a crisis and thus is a reliable anchor for the Indian team. Since he started playing he has maintained a Test career average of over 50. Technically his batting is flawless and he has improved with experience especially in Test Cricket. He is, at present, ranked the 7th best Test batsmen by the ICC in world cricket and has the highest Test batting average of any Indian batsman in history.He was given his captaincy from teamIndia

Dravid has been honoured with the Arjuna Award by the President of India. He was the 12th Indian to be named one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year for the year 2000 after his splendid performance in the 1999 World Cup in England. He became the 6th player in history and the 3rd Indian to score 10,000 runs in the ODI cricket.

Rohan Gavaskar joins rebel Indian Cricket League

Former India player Rohan Gavaskar, son of cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, has joined the Kapil Dev-led rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) for "an opportunity to compete with international players again".

"I signed the papers recently. The prime reason is to get an opportunity to compete with international players again." Rohan told IANS.

Rohan's father Sunil Gavaskar has been asked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to format its own league that will challenge the rebel league.

But before the BCCI plans could take shape, ICL snapped up Rohan, the seventh Bengal cricketer to join the league.

"The selectors are focussed on the younger players and no matter how well you perform in the domestic circuit, your chances are slim. The selectors tend to look at players who are in their early 20s. Money was not the primary reason," he said.

Rohan, who has captained Bengal, said that it was not an easy decision to leave the side with which he had been associated for the last 12 years.

The player averages 18 from 11 ODIs with a highest score of 54. The left-hander has 6,829 runs in 114 first-class matches, with 37 wickets at an average of 50 each.

India has a lot to learn about Twenty20 cricket

Indians are rookies in the Twenty20 form of cricket and it showed Sunday. Otherwise, given the electric start to their run chase, they should have wrapped up the game against New Zealand quite easily in the Twenty20 World Championships here.

Also, most of the wisdom lies in hindsight and this says Indian skipper Mahednra Singh Dhoni should not have thrown the ball to Yuvraj Singh for his third over. That one yielded 25 and probably cost India the match.

The Indian team now travels to Durban to play their last two Group E matches at the Kingsmead and only an extremely brave man will put money on them reaching the last four stage from here on.

Dhoni was quite candid at the post match media conference and accepted his players still had a lot to learn about this new version of cricket.

"We need to learn how to bowl at the death. As the ball is not old it does not reverse swing and that creates a problem. Also we lost wickets at regular intervals otherwise the start provided by (Gautam) Gambhir and (Virender) Sehwag was great and we should have won," the Indian captain conceded.

The Wanderers ground was bathed in sunshine and the aisles were full of Indian supporters as Dhoni opted to bowl first.

He wanted to exploit whatever moisture there was in the surface. But Jacob Oram and Craig Mcmillan targeted Yuvraj and helped New Zealand reach 190 and that was always going to be a competitive total.

In the end, India lost by only 10 runs but that is a big enough margin in this format.

Positives from the game were there. Gambhir was a revelation and Sehwag played a few audacious strokes. Harbhajan Singh bowled well and Indian fielders hit the stumps often enough.

It doesn't help to dwell on the negatives but they cannot be wished away.

India bowled too many boundary and six balls. They squandered a great start given by Sehwag and Gambhir. By Dhoni's own admission, they could not string together partnerships while chasing, etc., etc.

The remainder of the group league matches are against South Africa and England and India have to win both.

Some changes need to be made to the playing eleven. Not just for the sake of making changes but to induce some freshness in the thinking. There is no point in bringing players like Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan and Piyush Chawla to the tournament and then leaving them out to warm the bench.

Dhoni has a different explanation though. After the match he said that the World Championships is not the place to be grooming players. Now that is a disappointing statement coming from an otherwise aggressive captain.

From what we have seen of Dhoni, he seems like a positive captain. But to be a successful captain he also needs to have that gambler's instinct. Playing people like Chawla, Sharma and Pathan might seem like a gamble. But sometimes these gambles have to be made.

That's how great battles are won. Or lost.

Sania doubtful for Sunfeast Open

Sania Mirza returned home after a successful seven-week sojourn on the American hardcourts, but had some disappointing news for the Kolkatans: she may not feature in the Sunfeast Open, which begins in Kolkata on September 17. The wrist injury continues to nag her and is unlikely to heal in the next week. Addressing the media on Sunday, Sania admitted as much and also hinted that she might skip doubles in future. On Sunfeast Open I don't think I can make it this time.

The wrist injury that has been troubling me all these years got aggravated in the last two weeks. Whenever, I play on hardcourts, this injury becomes a bit serious. I hope it heals before the Sunfeast Open. On her coach I am doing well with the help of Gabriel Urpi. I want to continue with him and whenever he is not available, my dad is always there. Urpi is a great coach who understood my game well. He helped reduce my mistakes. Any plans of hiring a psychologist I never heard of players hiring a psychologist.

And I think it's a myth that players hire psychologists. I don't need one. I have good knowledge about my game and know how to tackle tough situations.

Federer wins 12th Slam title with fourth US Open victory

Prabhjot Singh and Rajpal Singh led from the front as India inflicted a humiliating defeat on Korea to defend their Asia Cup hockey crown with an authority rarely seen in recent times. The two forwards had a busy day, striking twice apiece in the 7-2 victory and essaying big roles in the other goals that came India's way. It was a torrent that the Koreans could not escape from, not even during those moments when India were reduced to 10 men. If at all there were blotches on India's victory celebrations, it was the two yellow cards that were flashed at Sardar Singh for dangerous play and Prabhjot Singh for violent tendencies. The situation tended to go out of control when Prabhjot swung his stick with little thought at the stroke of half-time, apparently striking Kim Chul down. The situation was tense but eventually wiser counsel prevailed, leading to a contest that the huge crowd at the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium will remember for a long time to come. One other occasion which turned out to be a poor advertisement for the game was when the Koreans walked out in protest against a decision by umpire Richmond Attipoe of Ghana, who disallowed a goal. The Koreans were convinced that Hong Sung Kweon's shot was taken from inside the circle when apparently it was not. What must have pricked their ego was the way India launched a breezy counter in the 42nd minute before Rajpal Singh launched a thunderous drive off Sardar for the team's fourth goal. On either side of this poor conduct, Korea were left either finding their feet or their rhythm. The speed, rapid switch of flank attacks and swift passing bouts to the circle were all there but they couldn't crack the Indian maze yet again. India defended in numbers and at times when they were beaten, the lion-hearted goalkeeper Baljit Singh rose to the occasion. The three penalty corners that he saved off Kim Byung Hoon in the second half and two others off the field deservedly fetched him the Player of the final award. Shivendra Singh's early goal again came as a buffer that India were happy to ride on. Jang Jong Hyun's equaliser off a penalty stroke, awarded after Baljit Singh obstructed Yoon Sung Hoon's progress came as a momentary dampener but once S V Sunil angled a corner hit by Dilip Tirkey, India regained their flow in no time. The penalty corners were a worry as Raghunath was again conspicuous by his absence. Dilip worked no wonders, neither did the variations. But they weren't unduly harried by this drawback as they had a frontline capable of delivering the goods. The third goal in the 31st minute projected exactly the Indian's mindset. Prabhjot started the move in his own half before allowing Sardar and Tushar the luxury of a one-two. He joined them late, drew goalkeeper Ko Dong Sik out in a flash before belting home. Rajpal's goal came next and by then, the Koreans were at the end of their tether. Ignace Tirkey's ludicrously simple goal in the 53rd minute reiterated the turmoil in Korea's minds.

Indian hockey's night out

Prabhjot Singh and Rajpal Singh led from the front as India inflicted a humiliating defeat on Korea to defend their Asia Cup hockey crown with an authority rarely seen in recent times. The two forwards had a busy day, striking twice apiece in the 7-2 victory and essaying big roles in the other goals that came India's way. It was a torrent that the Koreans could not escape from, not even during those moments when India were reduced to 10 men. If at all there were blotches on India's victory celebrations, it was the two yellow cards that were flashed at Sardar Singh for dangerous play and Prabhjot Singh for violent tendencies. The situation tended to go out of control when Prabhjot swung his stick with little thought at the stroke of half-time, apparently striking Kim Chul down. The situation was tense but eventually wiser counsel prevailed, leading to a contest that the huge crowd at the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium will remember for a long time to come. One other occasion which turned out to be a poor advertisement for the game was when the Koreans walked out in protest against a decision by umpire Richmond Attipoe of Ghana, who disallowed a goal. The Koreans were convinced that Hong Sung Kweon's shot was taken from inside the circle when apparently it was not. What must have pricked their ego was the way India launched a breezy counter in the 42nd minute before Rajpal Singh launched a thunderous drive off Sardar for the team's fourth goal. On either side of this poor conduct, Korea were left either finding their feet or their rhythm. The speed, rapid switch of flank attacks and swift passing bouts to the circle were all there but they couldn't crack the Indian maze yet again. India defended in numbers and at times when they were beaten, the lion-hearted goalkeeper Baljit Singh rose to the occasion. The three penalty corners that he saved off Kim Byung Hoon in the second half and two others off the field deservedly fetched him the Player of the final award. Shivendra Singh's early goal again came as a buffer that India were happy to ride on. Jang Jong Hyun's equaliser off a penalty stroke, awarded after Baljit Singh obstructed Yoon Sung Hoon's progress came as a momentary dampener but once S V Sunil angled a corner hit by Dilip Tirkey, India regained their flow in no time. The penalty corners were a worry as Raghunath was again conspicuous by his absence. Dilip worked no wonders, neither did the variations. But they weren't unduly harried by this drawback as they had a frontline capable of delivering the goods. The third goal in the 31st minute projected exactly the Indian's mindset. Prabhjot started the move in his own half before allowing Sardar and Tushar the luxury of a one-two. He joined them late, drew goalkeeper Ko Dong Sik out in a flash before belting home. Rajpal's goal came next and by then, the Koreans were at the end of their tether. Ignace Tirkey's ludicrously simple goal in the 53rd minute reiterated the turmoil in Korea's minds.

Indian boxers may miss Olympic qualifiers due to govt apathy

New Delhi, Sept. 10 (PTI): Their stupendous international success notwithstanding, Indian pugilists may have to skip the first Olympic qualifiers next month as the boxing federation is yet to receive its long-standing financial dues from the government.
"Even the thought of it is heartbreaking, but the fact is that right now we do not have the money to send the team to Olympic qualifiers next month," Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) General Secretary Col P K Muralidharan Raja said today.
Olympic qualifiers start with the World Championship in Chicago, from October 23 to November 3. IABF has announced a nine-member team, comprising newly-crowned national champions, for the event.
But the federation is unsure about the boxers actually making the trip.
"Until something happens at the very last minute, we are in no position to send the team. The boarding and lodging alone comes to USD 50 everyday there. We don't have that kind of money. The Sports Ministry keeps delaying the matter, it is very frustrating," Col Raja said

Santhi Soundarajan: Sport, Gender and Suicide in India

Just a few months ago, Santhi Soundarajan was the butt of late night jokes on American television and the subject of outraged editorials in Indian newspapers as the Indian woman athlete who failed a gender test.
While news reports have it that shortly after Soundarajan won the silver in the women’s 800 metre event for India at the Asian Games in Doha last year, she failed a routine (but not compulsory) test carried out by a team of doctors (including a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist and internal medicine specialist). Their consensus? Soundarajan “does not possess the sexual characteristics” necessary to qualify as a female of the species.
Perhaps it was the outcome of Games officials seeing an Indian win a medal in a sporting event and thinking, Now what’s wrong with this picture?

Levity aside, this past week, Soundarajan, now stripped of her medal (featured above, first from left), made the news again when she was admitted to a hospital in her native Tamil Nadu for Well attempted suicide., there’s a shock for Chief Minister Karunanidhi - apparently a shiny new plasma TV and a check for a few lakh rupees isn’t a magical cure-all for having your life turned upside down.
Leading the life of a recluse and unemployed, this was the first anybody had heard of her since the results of the gender test were revealed. Although she has denied all allegations even in her weakened state, her doctors insist that she swallowed “veterinary medicines” in a bid to end her life. A few thoughts:
When somebody tries to commit suicide and you’re called to attend to them, kindly keep the details of your patient to yourself. The place for a doctor attending a high risk patient is by that patient’s bedside, not confirming the particulars of the case to whichever reporter that’s on the phone. She’s already been through a lot if she’s tried to kill herself, she doesn’t need your tuppence to help her that last remaining inch over the edge, alright?
Secondly, why is it that we’re only hearing about her now and in these circumstances? Immediately after the scandal broke there was a lot of stuff written up in the papers about the smelly state of affairs in Indian sport, especially women’s sport. Months and one successful sports movie later, everything is very Chak De and all the righteous indignation is about media coverage.
This is what really bothers me about the Chak De phenomenon. I loved the movie unreservedly and I agree with the point that so many have raised i.e. that our famous obsession with cricket has slowly strangled all other sport in India. I even agree with the argument that publicity has a lot to do with the popularity of a sport. Look at spelling bees, for example - I mean, spelling bees for crying out loud, people! All it took was one bizarre documentary full of kids going crazy under parental pressure and hey, presto! Memorizing the dictionary is now a sport and you can catch it on ESPN (funny post).
But coming back to Chak De, very little of the focus seems to have shifted to underlying point driven home relentlessly with everything but a sledgehammer throughout the movie: the apathy and downright criminal negligence on the part of the government authorities and officials who run Indian sport and the deep rot that has set into the “system”.

Weaknesses catch up with India

It was a struggle to get out of St. Johns Wood station this morning, with a frenetic scramble for tickets clogging Wellington Road. Spectators were willing to pay ten times the actual amount and Lord's was the place to be in London.

All the excitement culminated in the most anti-climactic end to a competitive series. The one-sided contest seemed even more flat after the humdinger at The Oval. The freedom and expression that the teams displayed on Wednesday was rarely seen; instead there was attrition, a feature typical of when too much is at stake. Suddenly the teams appeared to have woken up to how big the prize was.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this forgettable decider, let's get the big picture out of the way. England were the better side through the series and deserved winners. They were more consistent with the bat, aggressive with the ball, and far more athletic on the field. India played an important part in converting a long series into a cracking one but their weaknesses - especially in the field - were bound to be exploited over seven matches.

Now to two issues that were the talking points of the match. Today's was the sort of toss that's supposed to be a "good one to lose". Rahul Dravid won it and batted but soon found out that bowling might have been a better option. In similar conditions at Southampton and Edgbaston he'd chosen to bowl but realised that batting might have been better. The problem may lie with his tendency to win tosses but with seven batsmen you'd expect to counter conditions and put up a decent score.

India's problem might have arisen from a need to change their mindset - and the eventual failure to do so. They needed to switch from the throw-the-kitchen-sink-at-everything approach that was on display at The Oval to a knuckle-down-and-get-a-competitive-score here. Instead Sourav Ganguly, in the most torturous innings all summer, flayed as if in blindfolds and the rest attempted too much too early. A more grafted approach could have got them to 240, a total which could have proved tricky later in the day.

The second point of contention needs to be taken more seriously. Sachin Tendulkar, for the third time on this tour, was at the receiving end of a contentious decision. Actually it was quite a howler. It happened at Bristol, when he was sawn off on 99, and it happened here, at a critical juncture of a vital match. He'd just backed away and walloped Andrew Flintoff over cover, not once but twice, and promised more. He'd got his eye in and gauged the pitch. And then Aleem Dar, probably going on sound rather than sight, gave him caught behind when the bat had merely clipped the pad. Of course Dar is human, like the rest of us, but was this the time to reiterate that truism?

It was a point from which India never recovered. England gathered momentum and didn't look back. Chasing 187 was going to be tricky at the most and when Kevin Pietersen, for the first time all series, started reading Piyush Chawla's legbreaks it was time to draw the curtains. India's fielding inadequacies came to the fore and their part-timers weren't effective. If this was the one match you watched in the series, you'd have wondered how India had managed to win three games before today. Credit to India for overcoming their weaknesses to setup a classic finish but the weaknesses were so evident that they ultimately caught up.