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The World Cup at Eden Gardens has been shifted to Bangalore, as the stadium will not be ready for the India England match. So Calcutta loses a golden opportunity. This match will be fiercely competitive, as England, spurred by the Ashes win, says it will defeat India, who is placed second in ICC ODI Rankings. It ia a No 5 challenging a No 2. Calcutta will host three matches but then they are considered lesser matches. SA vs Ireland, Ireland vs Holland, Kenya vs Zimbabwe. These matches cannot be crowd pullers like the India England match ! Bangaloreans get a great chance to see a glorious match, which will be keenly fought. England, though mauled by the Aussies in ODIs, won the Ashes in Australia and is trying to overcome India, who can be formidable on home pitches. The other matches at Bangalore are England vs Ireland, India vs Ireland, Australia vs Kenya & Australia vs Canada. These matches also cannot be crowd pullers like the Indo England match. Meanwhile, England's ace bat...

Karuturi Global became the official sponsor for the Kenya World Cup team. The Kenya team was looking for a sponsor, when Karuturi Globa l became its sponsor. For 2011, this Indian conglomerate will sponsor Kenya. A one year deal has been signed. Cricket Kenya said that the deal, the single biggest deal to have been taken by the Association, would cater to all financial requirements of the team during the 2011 World Cup. Cricket Kenya Chairman Inamdar said " "We have had disputes on the issues of money in the past. The last thing we should be worried about going into this World Cup is money. Having negotiated our way into a formal aggrement with the players, everybody will now go into the World Cup and claim it". Jimmy Kamande, the captain of the Kenya team, welcomed the move. "Our main concern was that we could go to the World Cup without a team sponsor. But with Karuturi having come on board, all is well." he said. Incorporated in 1994-95, K aruturi Global Li...

India, SA and Aussies are big threats, according to the Pak players. Off spinner Saeed Ajmal and pacer Sohail Tanvir feel that these three teams can be big threats to all including Pak. "I think India, Australia and South Africa can pose a big threat as they have very strong squads for the tournament" Saeed Ajmal told commentator Rameez Raja in a TV show. Pak will have to encounter India, even she manages to go through the knock out stages. "Matches against India are always played with extra hype and spirit and if such a match up takes place in the World Cup at any stage it would be great for the sport" he added."I want to come out of the World Cup with appreciable performances and with people saying Saeed bowled well for the team," Sohail Tanvir, his colleague said " "Both India and Sri Lanka have strong one-day combinations and both can pose a challenge to any team in the tournament and in the knockout stage "I am confident our team can pe...

While cricket pundits give maximum chances to India, SA and England, Sri Lanka may very well be the dark horse. On spin tracks, Sri Lanka can be formidable, with their spin trio of Murali, Herath and Mendis. In Mahela Dilshan and Sangakara, they have three explosive batsmen and a good all rounder in Angelo Mathews. They have some new faces, but then their team is a blend of youth and experience. Malinga Bandara Tillakaratne Dilshan Dilhara Fernando Rangana Herath Chinthaka Jayasinghe Mahela Jayawardene Prasanna Jayawardene Nuwan Kulasekara Jeevantha Kulatunga Suranga Lakmal Angelo Mathews Ajantha Mendis Jehan Mubarak Dilshan Munaweera Tharanga Paranavitana Kushal Janith Perera Thilan Samaraweera Kumar Sangakkara Isuru Udana Sajeewa Weerakoon Meanwhile, the CM of Bengal, is intervening to get the Eden Gardens match on Feb 27. "S A Tour has nothing to do with the World Cup", says Bajji. Forget about the tour, although it gave India some fine moments !. Still there are...

Climate Change, wrought about by Global Warming, has had its impact on Kerala. The Solar transit of Alpha Aquilae is on. From Feb 6th onwards, the Sun will transit Alpha Delphini ( Dhanishta or Avittam ). The longish North East Monsoon, and the retreating coldness which came later, saw the temperature rise in Kerala. Now it is 35 degree Celsius. In Palghat, 38 degrees were recorded. Cold ocean winds reduce the heat. These winds have started operation quite earlier than last year. Hot air rises high in the atmosphere and the cold winds from the ocean fill this void. These winds are there from 1100 AM onwards, coming from the Bay of Bengal. These winds reduce the temperature of the land. Intense heat is beginning to be felt in Trichur and Palghat. Irrigation has been started in agri lands and this time it was started earlier than usual. Normally irrigation start from the sidereal month of Sagittarius or Dhanus ( from 15 Dec onwards ). Even though rains have been above the average last ye...

Climate Change, wrought about by Global Warming, has had its impact on Kerala. The Solar transit of Alpha Aquilae is on. From Feb 6th onwards, the Sun will transit Alpha Delphini ( Dhanishta or Avittam ). The longish North East Monsoon, and the retreating coldness which came later, saw the temperature rise in Kerala. Now it is 35 degree Celsius. In Palghat, 38 degrees were recorded. Cold ocean winds reduce the heat. These winds have started operation quite earlier than last year. Hot air rises high in the atmosphere and the cold winds from the ocean fill this void. These winds are there from 1100 AM onwards, coming from the Bay of Bengal. These winds reduce the temperature of the land. Intense heat is beginning to be felt in Trichur and Palghat. Irrigation has been started in agri lands and this time it was started earlier than usual. Normally irrigation start from the sidereal month of Sagittarius or Dhanus ( from 15 Dec onwards ). Even though rains have been above the average last ye...

Climate Change, wrought about by Global Warming, has had its impact on Kerala. The Solar transit of Alpha Aquilae is on. From Feb 6th onwards, the Sun will transit Alpha Delphini ( Dhanishta or Avittam ). The longish North East Monsoon, and the retreating coldness which came later, saw the temperature rise in Kerala. Now it is 35 degree Celsius. In Palghat, 38 degrees were recorded. Cold ocean winds reduce the heat. These winds have started operation quite earlier than last year. Hot air rises high in the atmosphere and the cold winds from the ocean fill this void. These winds are there from 1100 AM onwards, coming from the Bay of Bengal. These winds reduce the temperature of the land. Intense heat is beginning to be felt in Trichur and Palghat. Irrigation has been started in agri lands and this time it was started earlier than usual. Normally irrigation start from the sidereal month of Sagittarius or Dhanus ( from 15 Dec onwards ). Even though rains have been above the average last ye...

Almost all TV channels are discussing India's chances in the World Cup. Just now I saw a tape of the 1983 Final which India won ! Indians are thinking " Will History repeat itself ? ". Will Sachin, when he quits the World Cup for ever, be able to hold aloft the Golden Cup ? People like Sreekanth thinks it is possible ! With so many spinners in the side - Aswin, Bajji, Chawla, Yuvraj, Sehwag, Pathan, Sachin & Raina - and on the Indian spin tracks, many feel that this is possible ! Anyway, it is Cricket Fiesta in India. There will be 49 matches, 29 in India. Add 74 more IPL matches, it is a great 103 world class matches in India, before one billion TV audience ! Great business for the advertisers, satellite channels, airlines, hotels and players ! Win Win ! One ten second spot TV ad is priced at 5 lakhs and it can be more in the premium matches like semifinals and finals. The brand value of IPL is around 4.2 billion USD and will be more in the years to come. In the 1970...

Stuart Broad thinks England has lost a golden opportunity of playing before the 100,000 crowd at Eden Gardens. The BCCI has asked the ICC to reconsider their decision of shifting venue for the England India match on Feb 27th, as Eden Garden under renovation may not be ready by that time. The ICC is again inspecting on Jan 31. Meanwhile Pathan thinks that pressure may be India's enemy in the coming WC matches. If India handles the pressure of playing before their own people, then India has a good chance ! Greame Smith, the SA captain, thinks that India has the best chance of winning the Cup. The home team will easily adapt to home conditions and are best placed team before the tournament. "I think the home teams will be right up there when it comes to the ICC Cricket World Cup. I think in the sub-continent conditions they'll be very crafty knowing how to read conditions while other teams need to find ways to be successful there" averred he. Even though India is hot fav...

Pathan said even though Sachin was his hero, it was Sehwag's daredevil attitude which inspired him. He is now the talk of millions of Indians, who were spell bound by his blistering counter offensive against the mighty South Africans, and who had the South Africans on nerves till he got out. All say that India's World Cup chances depends upon this No 7 batsman. Previously it was Yuvraj, now it is Yousuf Pathan ! In Bangalore, speaking to MID DAY, Y Pathan said that " The obvious answer to that is Sachin Tendulkar, but the daredevil approach has come from V Sehwag ". When Pathan made his way to the wicket, India were in big trouble at 60/5. When others fell, India slipped to 119/8. Then Pathan let loose his incredible strokeplay, blasting the S A bowlers to all parts of the field, hitting eight towering sixes and eight fours. When he fell for 105 off 70 balls, it was all over for India. It was said that India lost the game, not Pathan ! In the series Pathan averaged 55...

Hard hitting batsman Y Sharma has been roped in by Kochi. Also B Akhil and Chandan Madan. Keralites are delighted at VVS Laxman being granted the Padma Shri. Kedar Yadav had been roped in earlier. Amongst the 5 Australians, four are all rounders. Klinger is a batman and the rest - OKeefe, Smith, Hodge and Hastings - are all rounders. All rounders rule the roost in ODIs and T20s. Deepak Chougule and wicket keeper Sushant Marathe also have been signed by Kochi. Chougule is a strong middle order batsman from Karnataka while Marathe is the third wicket keeper, after McCullum and P Patel. Tanmay Srivastava is an opening batsman and was UP's leading run getter in the 2008-09 season. For more details about the Kochi team, visit IPL KOCHI.

WORLD CUP CRICKET ITINERY This is the itinery of the 2011 World Cup, being conducted jointly by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India 1 Saturday 19 February 2011 14:00 local, 08:30 GMT Bangladesh vs India Dacca 2 Sunday 20 February 2011 09:30 local, 04:00 GMT New Zealand vs Kenya Chennai 3 Sunday 20 February 2011 14:30 local 09:00 GMT Sri Lanka vs Canada Hambantota 4 Monday 21 February 2011 14:30 local, 09:00 GMT Australia vs Zimbabwe Ahmedabad 5 Tuesday 22 February 2011 14:30 local, 09:00 GMT England vs Netherlands Nagpur 6 Wednesday 23 February 2011 14:30 local, 09:00 GMT Pakistan vs Kenya Hambantota 7 Thursday 24 February 2011 14:30 local, 09:00 GMT South Africa vs West Indies Delhi 8 Friday 25 February 2011 14:30 local, 09:00 GMT Australia vs New Zealand Nagpur 9 Friday 25 February 2011 09:30 local, 03:30 GMT Bangladesh vs Ireland Dhaka 10 Saturday 26 February 2011 2:30 PM (IST) 14:30 local, 09:00 GMT Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Colombo 1...

SA deserved to win, thanks to a superb hundred by Hashim Amla ! There are no laments about the Indian batting performance. Except for a blistering 105 by Pathan, the Indian batsmen were all at sea against the SA bowlers. The outcome was inevitable. An SA win. The Indian top order failed as usual. It seems that the likes of R Sharma, M Vijay or P Patel cannot take India off to a good start, particularly against the SA quickies. The Indian weakness is exposed on the eve of the World Cup. Let the Indians learn their mistakes and correct themselves. Emulating the 1983 is a great aim, no doubt. But then, a lot of weaknesses has propped up in the Indian team. On Indian spin tracks, let us hope that the outcome may be different. India is strong in the spin department, with seven spinners in the side. The return of Sachin, Sehwag and Gambhir will prop up batting. Pathan has established as No 7. Only the No 6 spot is open. It is either Raina or Kohli. Both failed yesterday !

SA deserved to win, thanks to a superb hundred by Hashim Amla ! There are no laments about the Indian batting performance. Except for a blistering 105 by Pathan, the Indian batsmen were all at sea against the SA bowlers. The outcome was inevitable. An SA win. The Indian top order failed as usual. It seems that the likes of R Sharma, M Vijay or P Patel cannot take India off to a good start, particularly against the SA quickies. The Indian weakness is exposed on the eve of the World Cup. Let the Indians learn their mistakes and correct themselves. Emulating the 1983 is a great aim, no doubt. But then, a lot of weaknesses has propped up in the Indian team. On Indian spin tracks, let us hope that the outcome may be different. India is strong in the spin department, with seven spinners in the side. The return of Sachin, Sehwag and Gambhir will prop up batting. Pathan has established as No 7. Only the No 6 spot is open. It is either Raina or Kohli. Both failed yesterday !

The sidereal months of Sagittarius and Capricorn constitute Hemanta Rithu. The coldness has not left Kerala. This Hemanta Rithu will be there till the 12th of February. Sisira Rithu, the sidereal months of Aquarius and Pisces, is very hot indeed. It normally starts from the 13th of February to the 13th April ! During this sixth season of India, hot spells are normal and more than 100 people perished last year due to sunstroke. Now it is still cold in the morning and even during midday. No need for air conditioners during this season. Evening is also characterised by cold winds. The Sun will be transiting Sravana, Alpha Aquilae, initiating Thiruvonam Njattuvela tomorrow. Amongst the six Rithus or seasons, Vasanta ( Medam & Edavam ) is comparitively less hot, Greeshma ( Gemini and Cancer ) and Varsha ( Leo and Virgo ) are rainy seasons, Sarat ( Libra and Scorpio ) is less rainy, Hemanta ( Sagittarius and Capricorn ) is cold and dry and Sisira ( Aquarius & Pisces ) is very hot in...

The sidereal months of Sagittarius and Capricorn constitute Hemanta Rithu. The coldness has not left Kerala. This Hemanta Rithu will be there till the 12th of February. Sisira Rithu, the sidereal months of Aquarius and Pisces, is very hot indeed. It normally starts from the 13th of February to the 13th April ! During this sixth season of India, hot spells are normal and more than 100 people perished last year due to sunstroke. Now it is still cold in the morning and even during midday. No need for air conditioners during this season. Evening is also characterised by cold winds. The Sun will be transiting Sravana, Alpha Aquilae, initiating Thiruvonam Njattuvela tomorrow. Amongst the six Rithus or seasons, Vasanta ( Medam & Edavam ) is comparitively less hot, Greeshma ( Gemini and Cancer ) and Varsha ( Leo and Virgo ) are rainy seasons, Sarat ( Libra and Scorpio ) is less rainy, Hemanta ( Sagittarius and Capricorn ) is cold and dry and Sisira ( Aquarius & Pisces ) is very hot in...

The sidereal months of Sagittarius and Capricorn constitute Hemanta Rithu. The coldness has not left Kerala. This Hemanta Rithu will be there till the 12th of February. Sisira Rithu, the sidereal months of Aquarius and Pisces, is very hot indeed. It normally starts from the 13th of February to the 13th April ! During this sixth season of India, hot spells are normal and more than 100 people perished last year due to sunstroke. Now it is still cold in the morning and even during midday. No need for air conditioners during this season. Evening is also characterised by cold winds. The Sun will be transiting Sravana, Alpha Aquilae, initiating Thiruvonam Njattuvela tomorrow. Amongst the six Rithus or seasons, Vasanta ( Medam & Edavam ) is comparitively less hot, Greeshma ( Gemini and Cancer ) and Varsha ( Leo and Virgo ) are rainy seasons, Sarat ( Libra and Scorpio ) is less rainy, Hemanta ( Sagittarius and Capricorn ) is cold and dry and Sisira ( Aquarius & Pisces ) is very hot in...

A grand innings of 71 no by the dimunitive Duminy saw SA home, beating the hosts by 48 runs. None of the Indian batsmen, barring Kohli ( who scored 87 no ), could play the SA seamers with ease. SA finished at 265/7 and India were struggling at 142/6 Tsotsobe took 2/25. Maybe Indian batsmen will never learn. P Patel who replaced M Vijay could not seize the chance. R Sharma perished cheaply and Yuvraj, Dhoni, Pathan and Raina fell cheap. Indian top order has failed miserably and it is time something is done about it !

1400 workers are working 24 hours to make the Mecca of Indian Cricket, Eden Gardens, ready. The 80 crore renovation project has started. More comforts to spectators and players ( One commentator remarked that it may reduce revenue generation, as there will be less seats ). The first WC match at Eden Gardens will be on Feb 27. In Kochi, hectic work is in progress for the General Stadium at Kaloor to be ready for the IPL matches. The floodlights contract has been given to Philips. It was Philips who did the floodlights at Bangalore and Chennai. There will be 4 towers of 100 bulbs each. On the pitch the light requirement is 3000 lux and on the boundary 2500 lux. Geoff Lawson, the Kochi coach, spent 1.5 hours at the Kochi stadium yesterday. Meanwhile there are media reports that Kochi may rope in Ganguly. VVS is the only Test batsman in Kochi side. We suggest the following names for the Kochi side Kochi Tigers Kochi Killers Kochi Knights Kochi Knaves Cochin Cobras Kochi Tuskers Kochi Kings...

Gone are the days of great rains ? When will we see rains like this ? Now we have the sidereal month of Capricorn and it is cold at morn and hot at midday. We cannot expect any rains now. There may be summer rains but then these are occasional. Edava Pathi will begin on May 29 and we have to wait till that time for the rain gods to smile. Now we are bracing for a blistering summer. It is to be noted that last year more than 100 people died due to sunstroke. Climate Change, triggered by Global Warming, can be a big threat. We hope that people will take precautions this summer. Now the Sun is transiting Alpha Sagittari and we have to wait for rains till the Sun enters the Pleaides, the Seven Sisters. Summer rains may intrude but then these are only of short duration. Kerala does get summer rains, may be, 200 - 400 mm.

Even though the Indian think tank is worried about top order failure, still hope springs eternal in the human breast. M Vijay may be replaced by Parthiv Patel, who can score runs, even though he is a wicket keeper. Both teams are struggling, India with top order failure and S A with lack of all rounders. The absence of world class all rounder J Kallis has affected the team considerably. SA batting has been good, with Smith, Amla, du Plassis, Bram de Villiers and Duminy doing fairly well with the bat. They are enthused by Duminy's brilliant form. Indian are enthused by Yuvraj's return to form. The lack of form of M Vijay and R Sharma still worries India. India has taken a 2-1 lead, mainly due to their inform pacer, M Patel and all rounders Pathan and Harbhajan. Dhoni said he is not worried by the top order failure He says the absence of big stars is a blessing in disguise for the younger players. "I think both the teams are suffering from it. I am not really worried about ...

As India hosts 2 meg cricket events, Cricket Tourism will be on the rise. Indian cricket officials are working overtime to make the Wankhede Stadium and Calcutta Eden Garden ready for the World Cup matches. There is tremendous pressure on TC Mathew, the KCA President, to make the general Kochi stadium ready for IPL matches. India gets a glorious chance to market herself during these two mega events, which will be viewed by more than one billion worldwide. Meanwhile Sreekant said that Sreeshant is a great Test bowler. He said this when the entire Kerala is a bit chagrined at Sreeshant's omission from the Indian WC squad. He said it was a great repertoire of outswingers which made Sreeshant such a good bowler. Sreekant had asked Sreeshant to put in a match winning performance and he did oblige. Meanwhile, Brett Lee and Tait had been included in the Aussie squad for WC. New entrants are John Hastings and Steve Smith. Geoff Lawson, the coach of Kochi, said he is a bit disappointed at S...

Harbhajan, says Dhoni, is an all rounder . " But we dont pressurise him calling him one" Dhoni was ecstatic the way Bajji guided India home. He has been a revelation with the bat. He scored two successive Test hundreds and in ODIs and T20s is a dangerous lower order bat, from the opposition's perspective. The Indian skipper was all prise for Yousuf. Said he wanted Yousuf to play his natural game, devoid of any pressure. "We just told the youngsters to play their natural game; we want Yusuf to play the sort of game he plays." The captain gave the causative factors for the team's second win. "We have been outstanding so far, ground fielding has also improved a bit. Our catching has been decently good.It was a very good effort from the lower middle order. We also did well in the death bowling and powerplays." Yousuf should come higher up in the order, not at No 7. In the World Cup, in Indian conditions, he can be devastating. If he comes at say No 5 o...

Greame Smith said the difference between the two teams was Pathan's blitzkreig. His 59 off 50 balls proved to be a matchwinning one. It put SA under tremendous pressure. Pathan hammered the SA bowlers to all parts of the field. "Yousuf's knock made the difference " said Smith. The pitch was very two paced and also up and down. It was not the best one day wicket I have ever played, but it made for an exciting game". "It is terrific to see a guy like him come in. He had a good domestic season and just to carry that on here is good. He has prepared well, I have watched him in training. He will bring a lot to the squad, I think." "It was great to see him and play that well. Especially under pressure. We were under pressure when he came in. I think he has something special, which is good," he added. The third powerplay robbed SA of a good score and they fell short by 20 runs, he felt. "I think 220 gave us a chance. The wicket was very difficul...

Greame Smith said the difference between the two teams was Pathan's blitzkreig. His 59 off 50 balls proved to be a matchwinning one. It put SA under tremendous pressure. Pathan hammered the SA bowlers to all parts of the field. "Yousuf's knock made the difference " said Smith. The pitch was very two paced and also up and down. It was not the best one day wicket I have ever played, but it made for an exciting game". "It is terrific to see a guy like him come in. He had a good domestic season and just to carry that on here is good. He has prepared well, I have watched him in training. He will bring a lot to the squad, I think." "It was great to see him and play that well. Especially under pressure. We were under pressure when he came in. I think he has something special, which is good," he added. The third powerplay robbed SA of a good score and they fell short by 20 runs, he felt. "I think 220 gave us a chance. The wicket was very difficul...

Yousuf's glorious innings of 59 and a match winning one at that, saw India home , winning by 2 wickets against mighty SA. India lead 2-1. Bajji scored a useful 23 no. Greame Smith scored 43 and SA were bowled out for a paltry 220. F du Plessis made a good debut by scoring 60 and the diminutive Duminy scored a brilliant 52. RSA were 200/4, when Plessis and Duminy were going strong. Then there was a collapse and SA lost six wickets for 20 !. Zaheer was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking 3/43. Munaf got two wickets and Bajji got 2. Pathan got the wicket of Bram Villiers. Yousuf's innings was characterised by 3 huge sixes and Bajji hit two sixes in his 23 no and India won a thriller. India were 104 runs short of the target when Botha began his over. Yousuf smote him for three mighty sixes, which turned the course of the match. When Yousuf fell, 39 runs short of the target, Bajji hit Parnell and M Morkel for sixes, thus sealing the fate of the match. Brutal blows by India's ...

On the Shankhumugham Beach, you can see the Devi Temple. It is well maintained. Just one km away is the Veli Estuary, where the Veli River meets the roaring Arabian Sea ! The Veli Tourist Village is a beautiful picnic spot. The VIllage is open from 0800 - 1800 hrs. This picnic spot offers boating facilities. Paddle boats and pedal boats can be hired to explore the charms of the lagoon. Speedboats are available for a fast ride on the waters. Children relish the sculpture which tenant the landscape. Here are the rentals for boats Speedboat - Rs 150 per head Safari boat - 15 per head 4 seater pedal boat - 100 per hour 2 seater pedal boat - 80 per hour Veli Youth Hostel - Ph 2500785 Trivandrum Airport is just 3 kms away from Veli and Trivandrum Railway Station just 8 kms away.

Sreeshant was the bowler who took five wickets against S A and was the spearhead of the Indian bowling. Dropping him from the World Cup Squad is not fair. Again it is poor selection. India played a Test Match with V Saha as a batsman ! Selection of seven specialist batsmen and seven specialist bowlers plus an allrounder seems to be theoretically all right. What if three batsmen are injured ? We do not criticise the selection of R Ashwin, Chawla or P Kumar, who are not rabbits with the bat. The exclusion of 2 million dollar players R Sharma and Uthappa also raises eyebrows. May be there are no slots for them in the team. On spin tracks, India can be formidable and along with 3 spinners, India has four wicket taking spinnners - Yuvraj, Sachin, Sehwag and Pathan ! Seven spinners on spinning tracks. If the Indian batting clicks, history can repeat ( At least this is the calculation of Sreekanth & Co ) Except for M Patel and Nehra, all can use the long handle !

Surprise omissions ! Sreeshant and R Sharma. May be the selectors went for seven specialist batsmen and seven bowlers plus one wicket keeper. P Chawla and R Ashwin can use the long handle and hence their inclusion as bowlers. So also can Bajji and Zaheer. Only M Patel and Nehra are rabbits with the bat. The lone wicket keeper is Dhoni. Dhoni Sehwag Sachin Gambhir V Kohli Yuvraj S Raina Zaheer P Chawla A Nehra M Patel Harbhajan Y Pathan R Ashwin

Needing 191 to win, SA at one stage were 152/4. Then Munaf produced a beauty of ball which crashed into Greame Smith's ( 77) stumps and the game was over. From 152/4, S A nosedived to 189 all out. A win for the tourists by one run. Parnell and Morkel were removed by Patel and he finished with the match winning spell of 8-0-29-4 ! Indian batsmen again messed it all up. Depsite a 53 by Yuvraj and a sheer anchor role, slow 38 by Dhoni, none of the other Indian batsmen could impress. Despite the batting debacle of both teams, the match was a thriller. SA panicked when they were 152/4 and then lost six wickets for just 37 runs!. Indian bowlers then came back into the game, with Munaf leading with four wickets. Zaheer picked up 2, while Bajji and Nehra got one each.

India lost to S Africa in the first ODI by 135 runs. Inefficient batting by the hosting was responsible for the debacle. S A scored 289/9, thanks to 76 from Bram Villiers and 73 from Duminy. Except for Kohli 54 and Raina 32, none of the Indian batsmen could shine and the result was inevitable ! At one stage, India was 43/4 and then some good batting by Kohli and Raina saw them score a not so bad 154.

Tourism Marketing is defined as the enabler of a country to invite guests from different cultures, customs, traditions, to enjoy their rich culture, heritage, cuisines, art and architecture, entertainment and hospitality. Tourism Industry is the largest employment generator in the world. We find that small countries like Malaysia and Singapore woo millions of foreign tourists and bag billions of foreign exchange. India has been lagging behind so far, due to innumerable reasons. Now India tourism receipts show better stats. India received $15 billion and Kerala received $3 billion. India, who houses rich tourist locations, have so far been at the bottom of the World Tourism Receipt countries and does not figure in the top ten. This is mainly because of the step daughterly treatment Tourism Industry got from the country's planners. It was only last year that the Government allocated 1000 crores in the Indian budget for the Tourism sector. United States lead with receipts of over $ 1...

The beaches of the Western world are no doubt great, but the traveller and tourist can have different experiences with the beaches of the East. The beach resorts of Asia are a good competition to the best beach destinations of the world. The great mystic civilization of the East, its emphasis on Mysticism and inner control, exotic natural landscapes, the mentality of the locals totally different from their Western counterparts, are great attractions to the global tourists. The USPs of Asian vacation are its great backwaters, its unique beaches with clear waters, coral reefs and mammoth waves for surfing. The global traveller who chooses to go East will have to choose from the countries of a massive continent with a wide choice of tropical places with unique sandy beaches. From Israel to Sri Lanka, from Egypt to Indonesia, Thailand, India and the Philippines, a great variety of beaches awaits the traveller ! Kerala, green and cool, and breathtaking in its natural beauty, is one of th...

The beaches of the Western world are no doubt great, but the traveller and tourist can have different experiences with the beaches of the East. The beach resorts of Asia are a good competition to the best beach destinations of the world. The great mystic civilization of the East, its emphasis on Mysticism and inner control, exotic natural landscapes, the mentality of the locals totally different from their Western counterparts, are great attractions to the global tourists. The USPs of Asian vacation are its great backwaters, its unique beaches with clear waters, coral reefs and mammoth waves for surfing. The global traveller who chooses to go East will have to choose from the countries of a massive continent with a wide choice of tropical places with unique sandy beaches. From Israel to Sri Lanka, from Egypt to Indonesia, Thailand, India and the Philippines, a great variety of beaches awaits the traveller ! Kerala, green and cool, and breathtaking in its natural beauty, is one of th...

The Canoly Canal is Kerla's vital inland waterway. The Canoly Canal starts from Ponnani and flows thru Trichur, meets Periyar and meets the Vembanad Lake. So this inland waterway can stretch from Malappuram to Alleppey. Goods can be transported via the canal which will ease road and rail traffic. General boating and tourists can travel, if this canal built by a Westerner can be revived ! IT is said that the Government has already initiated a project to revive the canal. It was the visit of a team led by B R Menon, Chairman, KSINC, which triggered the significance of the Canal. The Canoly Canal was built by the earstwhile Governor of Malabar. Till the late 1950s, the Canal was used as a major waterway for the transportation of goods and ferrying passengers. Today the Canal represents a pathetic picture. BR Menon said that the Government is actively trying to develop the canal. This major inland waterway can connect many districts and goods and passenger traffic can be would be i...

Both teams will vie for supremcay, the No 2 ODI team in the world, India ( 121 points ) vs the No 4 team , South Africa( 114 points ). This is a great opportunity for the selectors to select their 16 for the World Cup. Players who signed for fabulous sums in IPL IV will try to maintain their reputation. That World Cup precedes IPL IV has raised many eyebrows and the doubts are in the minds of cricket lovers whether their heroes will deliver the goods for their nation in the WC 2011 ! Skills will be tested in this great ODI series. India are in prime form as they drew the Test series and won the lone T20 against mighty South Africa ! Players to watch Faf du Plessis He was recently signed up for $120,00 by the IPL and now he has to rise to the occasion. Virat Kohli Virat Kohli has already risen to the occasion before. Now he has to, on the pacy pitches of South Africa.

Here are the players swallowed up by the ten teams Bangalore Name Price USD Virat Kohli Retained Tillakaratne Dilshan $ 650, 000 AB de Villiers $ 1.1 mn Zaheer Khan $ 900,000 Daniel Vettori $ 550,000 Saurabh Tiwary $ 1.6 mn Dirk Nannes $ 650,000 Cheteshwar Pujara $ 700,000 Charl Langeveldt $ 140,000 Luke Pomersbach $ 50,000 Abhimanyu Mithun $ 260,000 Johan van der Wath $ 50,000 Rilee Rossouw $ 20,000 Nuwan Pradeep $ 20,000 Jonathan Vandiar $ 20,000 Mohammad Kaif $ 130,000 Chennai Name Price USD MS Dhoni Retain...