MI- Vs CSK

With IPL moving into the second phase where there will be lots of surprises with any team featuring from bottom to top or vice versa, the excitement level will be going on to the next level.
The top 5 teams are as follows
1) DD – 14 Points
2) KKR – 11 Points
3) MI – 9 Points
4) CSK – 9 Points
5) RCB – 9 Points

Right from Season 1, we have always supported our favorite teams. While Shams supports CSK, Wags is very loyal with Mumbai Indians.It’s that time of the year when it’s will be Shams Vs Wags when the Mumbai Indians will take on Chennai Super King at the wonderful Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
What happens when the thickest of friends support different team that too sitting together at the venue?
Complete entertainment is all we can promise along with the madness. For the first time in these 5 Years, Shams n Wags will be watching the match together at the Wankhede on 6th May and supporting for their favorites. Let’s wait and watch what’s in store till Sunday.
Until then enjoy the rest of the matches.

Virat Kohli

Sourav Ganguly

Dhoni

So far in his career of over 4 years, he has already hit 11 centuries and 22 half centuries. He has a long long way to go and rightly said by Sunil Gavaskar in the post presentation ceremony, the people around Kohli have to make sure that his roots remains grounded.
Let us all wait and watch the mother of all Match- India Vs Pakistan in finals provided Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh.

Rahul Dravid

From a dream test debut at the Mecca of Cricket,to a premature retirement, he has seen it all. It was way back in 1996 at Lords where two youngsters had made their international debut together. One went on to make a century on debut, while the other was not so fortunate.He got out at 95. Yes we are talking about none other than Rahul Sharad Dravid.
A veteran of 16 years, 164 test matches, The Wall, Mr.Perfect, Mr.Dependable, adjectives you name it, are all short of words for this Indian Stalwart, called it a day on Friday 9th March 2012 at a press conference held in his home ground Chinnaswamy stadium Bangalore.



Dravid’s retirement has been an institutional loss. He was the perfect role model for the youngsters. Patience, grit determination was well imbibed with in him. Spare a thought for the Indian camp when they will just see photo frames in the dressing room, but will not find The Wall.
From opening the innings,to coming one down(many times in the first over itself), playing a sheet anchor role in the middle order, to taking great catches in the slips, rolling arms to break a partnership , to wicket keeping, Rahul Dravid has done it all for whatever is required on a cricket field.
A perfect ambassador for cricket, he has never been part of controversy except for one. In January 2004 Dravid was found guilty of ball tampering during an ODI with Zimbabwe. Actually it was just an innocent mistake that he had been trying to apply saliva to the ball when parts of a lozenge he had been chewing stuck to the ball; Dravid then tried to wipe it off. According to the ICC’s Code of Conduct, players are not allowed to apply substances to the ball other than sweat and saliva. Dravid was fined half of his earnings from the match. Former captain Sourav Ganguly also stated that it was just an accident.
Unbeatable technique, batting through sessions and dropping the anchor for hours together, he has always loved the game and had a great focus on the game. Nothing annoys him more than dropping a catch. His favorite fielding position was Slips where he has shared the slip cordon with Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.
The winning stroke at Adelaide oval in 2003 Vs Australia will always be a part of our memory where Dravid, batting alongside VVS Laxman, batted through the skins of Australia and snatched victory out of the Aussie.
He is the only overseas player to have given speech during Sir Don Bradman’s Oration.

Let’s have a look at the stats of his illustrious career:
164 Test Matches,13288 Runs, 36 Centuries, 63 50s
344 ODIs, 10889 Runs, 83 half centuries, 12 tons.

In one of the off field instance, a prank was played on Rahul Dravid on the show MTV Bakra, wherein a girl proposed him. He became angry and he replied that at this age, she should concentrate on studies.

Although he might feel that he has retired at right time, Shams N Wags still feel that he could have called it quits on a higher note after playing a few more test matches. But as the famous statement of Sunil Gavaskar goes, better retire when people ask you why, rather than why not?
He will always be remembered as thinking and a selfless cricketer.
While announcing retirement, Dravid said he would enjoy buying grocery and picking up kids from school, the responsibilities he had to ignore earlier because of the busy schedule and overseas tour.

Dravid’s exit has created a big void in the Indian Camp and as rightly said by Sachin Tendulkar “there can be no other Dravid”

Shams N Wags on Rahul Dravid’s Final Lines:

You have failed at times, but you have always tried. You have left with sadness, but you are India’s Pride!

In the end we would like to share a very interesting Quote by one of the FB Fan

“1st Person: Sachin is god!

2nd Person: If Sachin is god, then Saurav is god on the off side.

3rd Person: Laxman is the god of 4th Innings.

Then who is Dravid?

4th Person: When the doors of temple are closed, even the gods are behind the Wall!”

Runako Morton

All depends on how controlled an innings can a player play during the match and during the death over’s. Unfortunately for Runako Shakur Morton, he could not play controlled innings with his car, met with an accident and lost his life. He was driving along Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway in Central Trinidad.
He was a very lively and unpredictable character. His career was marred with controversy and he was expelled from the West Indian cricketing academy in July 2001 for bad behavior. He returned to the WI squad as replacement for Marlon Samuels in February 2002.
Morton was known for his hard hitting. Ironically he has a record of slowest ODI duck which lasted 31 balls.
Senior player from West Indies have expressed grief over Morton’s death.
May his soul rest in peace!

Virat Kohli

What a comeback it has been by the Indian’s? Virat Kohli provided India with a ray of hope to be in the Commonwealth Bank Tri Series. With an unbeaten 133 in 86 balls, Kohli has time and again proved that he is a class apart player. With 321 runs on board and get them in 40 overs was an uphill task, the Indian’s backed their batting line up. Sachin and Sehwag gave them a good start but could not capitalize. Gautam Gambhir steadied the innings along with Kohli with good aggression on both the ends. It was almost like a T 20 Match where throughout the innings, India had to score bang bang.
Virat Kohli didn’t play any of the pinch hitting shots. All of his shots were clean classical shots. He is a good contestant for captaincy and no one can hold him back from being captain.
In the end, Raina made it sure that he gave a good support to Kohli. This has been Kohli’s career best innings and now his tally moves to 9 centuries. This was the first century by an Indian batsman in this series.
Now all depends on the Australia Vs Sri Lanka where Australia has to win so that India qualifies for the finals.
Virat Kohli is the future captain says Shams n Wags. What’s your take on that?

India Vs Australia

VVS Laxman, who has been perceived as a thorn in the arm has turned out as a mere pedestrian.
Gambhir and Sehwag are playing as if they are playing for Delhi and not for India. The Master Blaster has tried playing good innings, he has been in form, but somehow there’s a mental block in his mind about the hype being created about the 100th century.

Dhoni has not impressed any one with his captaincy and has not valued his wicket. Towards the third test match Virat Kohli showed some character, but did not last long as required.

Bowlers have done well in bits and pieces but have not been like a threat. Debutant Yadav has done extremely well. It’s time for Ishant Sharma to know in which areas to bowl.

The team has always complained about hectic schedule. They make themselves unavailable for some of the series. Why doesn’t the board look into the matter and put enforcement on resting the players from IPL matches as well.
The Indian team should put aside all the baggage’s and lead towards the fourth and final test match.

Whether or not Indians will come out with flying colors or get laid at Adelaide is just the matter of time.

All the best team India!

Hope you’ll like it.

Boxing Day Test 2011

Even before the batsman went hammers and tongs, there was a different type of attack in Melbourne. A day before the start of the Boxing Day test match, the hail storm hit parts of Melbourne. Reports say the hailstones were of the size that of the cricket balls.
Despite bad weather condition, the test match between Australia and India went underway and Aussies scored 277/6 at stumps.
Debutant Ed Cowan looked like he belonged to the test team for a long time. He showed good amount of patience on the crease negotiating the Indian seamers.
David Warner was playing and missing some deliveries and was attacking the balls that were meant to be hit. There was a little lapse of concentration that resulted into his dismissal. He was trying to over attack. He was Umesh Yadav’s first Scalp in Australia.
Shaun Marsh, yet another hyped Australian batsman was too friendly for the scorers as he didn’t trouble the scorers at all. In came the Punter of Australian camp Ricky Ponting. While Ishant Sharma was bowling all cylinders, his dismissals in India’s Last tour down under would have been going at the back of his mind.
Ponting showed his class and silenced his critics by playing a wonder full innings of 62 runs. He was in good nick and scored runs at a good rate. No matter how much ever the Australia Media writes him off, he is the man to be watched. He would have been very pleased to get back to his form and he would have already constructed a thought of century in his mind just before he was caught in the slip by Laxman off Yadav’s delivery.
Aussies were 159 for 3- Yadav’ed.
‘Pup’ Michael Clark tried to show some resilience before he was Zaked. To follow him was Mr. Cricket (Mike Hussey) again not troubling the scorers, got Zaked.
Haddin and Peter Siddle showed some character down the order and towards the end of the day, made sure that Aussies reached a respectable total of 277/6.
Let us see what’s in store for Day 2 and subsequent days to come.

Boxing Day Test 2011

It was a custom that on 26th Day of December, the tradesmen collected their Christmas boxes or gifts in return for good and service throughout the year. Boxing Day is also St. Stephen’s Day. St Stephen was a little known saint who achieved eternal fame by being the first Christian to be martyred for his faith by being stoned to death shortly after Christ’s crucifixion.
It’s a holiday celebrated in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries. Boxing Day originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It is time to celebrate and spend time with family and friends with lots of food, fun, friendship and love.

Even cricket follows the significance of Boxing Day. Year 1950 saw the first ever Boxing Day Test played between Australia and England where in Australia emerged as winners by a nail biting 28 runs.
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team which is touring Australia that summer.
It’s time for India to participate in this big occasion and stand tall. Many players in the Indian side are going to play for the last time in Australia. The players will miss playing in Australia. Even the Australian crowd is going to miss the Indian Biggies. Winning and coming back to India is going to be a greatest Christmas gift for the Indians.
Whether Indian’s will spoil the Christmas celebrations of Australia by winning at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or will it be the host following the old tradition of ending the year on a high note is just a matter of time.