Indian grounds not well for diving

Former South Africa star and Mumbai Indians fielding coach, Jonty Rhodes, has said the Indian grounds require to be better to get better fielding standards.

He said: "Some grounds are quite unsafe and the circumstances need to get better. That's almost certainly the reason why young players are uncertain to dive around.

"Obviously, if the basis were in bad shape, then even I wouldn't have dived either. A proper place is necessary to learn all this," Rhodes said throughout the launch of Omtex Jonty's Way at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai on Wednesday.

"Most young people fall on their knee while diving, which is dangerous. You have to be fully dedicated and go flat out while diving because then, the chances of getting upset are less," the 42-year-old said.
Rhodes has dedicated to devote 45-60 days in India with the academy.

Jonty will train the coaches, who will, in turn, pass on skills to the players. A nominal training fee will be charged to hopeful coaches and cricketers. The Mumbai Indians fielding coach aims to make fielding fun.

"It is significant that players learn the right fielding technique at an early age as it is hard to change them later.

"The young people focus a lot on their batting and bowling, but ignore fielding. I have to factually fetch them for fielding drills. My idea is to make fielding fun. I am not expectant them to be like me, but I am hoping they become the best," he said.

He related his own example to explain its significance, saying, "I was a standard batsman, but my selection in the 1992 World Cup team was purely on my fielding exploit. Fielding can help very in your selection. I used all the sports that I played to help my fielding."

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Mumbai Indians Won Champions League T20 triumph

Mumbai Indians 139 (Franklin 41, Bhatkal 3-21, Vettori 2-30) strike Royal Challengers Bangalore 108 (Dilshan 27, Harbhajan 3-20, Chahal 2-9, Malinga 2-23) beat by 31 runs

Mumbai Indians stand-in captain Harbhajan Singh term his team's Champions League T20 triumph as a "great achievement" allowing for the fact they didn't have lot of top players as well as master batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

"Not many people gave us a chance at the start of the tournament. If we can achieve so much without have players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Munaf Patel, just think about what we can do if we have them," a thrilled Harbhajan said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

He supposed that it was a matter of getting the top three - Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli.

"We knew that if we could get Gayle, Virat and Dilshan, we will be right in the game. Shaun Pollock told us during the interval that if we try we could defend any total. We wanted to give our best shot. The body language of the boys was great and by the grace of God we got the desired result."

He was all admiring for man of the tournament Lasith Malinga for his all-round show.
"His record shows what a phenomenal cricketer he has been. It's great pleasure to have a guy who can win matches for you. Another of our bowling hero has been Abu Nechim Ahmed."

Malinga on his part said that it was a great feeling to get a batsman like Tillakaratne Dilshan out.

"He is a good player so it was great that I got him out. When we started the tournament, we were not in a very good circumstances but I am very happy that we have won the tournament in the end."

About his couple of crucial knocks, he said, "I am happy to have contributed with the bat but I would like to concentrate on my bowling."

RCB skipper Daniel Vettori was a dissatisfied as he felt that 140 was a "gettable target."

"We were aware that the wicket will be vastly dissimilar from the one we played on at the Chinnaswamy. It was on the slower side. On two occasion now, we have got stuck on this track."

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Mumbai Indians will have the advantage

Mumbai Indians bowling coach, Shaun Pollock, said his team has the knowledge and will have the plus over Somerset at the slow tracks of M A Chidambaram Stadium.

Mumbai have played two matches in Chennai, while Somerset have not played any game on this path and Pollock feels his team would have the advantage of knowing what to wait for on this pitch.

"It's attractive, to say the least. Our game alongside New South Wales was very difficult. We've played two games and managed to experience what the circumstances are all about. We know what to expect," he said at a press conference.

"I think we've to just adjust on the day. I mean we don't quite know how the pitch is going to play awaiting we reach your destination and see how the first five or six deliveries behave. It's going to be odd, because we've played two games and we'll adapt pretty well, I think," he added.

Pollock ruled out promote struggling all rounder, Andrew Symonds, who has scored just 26 runs in four innings, up the order, saying the Australian's role is that of a finisher.

"I don't think a semifinal is the time to get (a player's) self-assurance going and rhythm (back). You want your best batsmen at the crease. I believe that's the key in T20 cricket," he said.

"You want the guys who are in good nick at the top of the order. Andrew knows what his role is, that of a finisher, that's why he comes down the order."

The South African bowling coach backed Symonds to come good in the last two games for Mumbai.

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Mumbai win a thriller beside T & T

The Mumbai Indians protected a last-ball one-wicket victory over Trinidad and Tobago in their Nokia Champions League Twenty20 clash in Bangalore.

Chasing a meager 99 to win and go to the top of Pool A, Yuzvendra Chahal took two from Sherwin Ganga's last ball of the match to drive his side over the line.

Batting first after winning the toss, T&T started well and were nicely placed on 41 for one when Lendl Simmons was inaccurately run out on 21, signalling the start of a collapse.

Harbhajan Singh (three for 22) was the main attacker, well backed by Lasith Malinga (two for 22) as Jason Mohammed (23) top scored.

The tone for Mumbai's chase was set early, although, as Ravi Rampaul (three for 17) ripped throughout their top order to leave them almost out of the game at 16 for four.

But Ambati Rayudu stood firm for 36 and, in spite of nine wickets falling, there was just sufficient time left for Chahal to win the game.

Teams:

Mumbai Indians: Aiden Blizzard, Sarul Kanwar, Tirumalasetti Suman, Abu Nechim, Dilhara Fernando, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, Yuzvendra Chahal, Andrew Symonds, James Franklin, Kieron Pollard, Rajagopal Sathish, Ambati Rayudu, Davy Jacobs

Trinidad and Tobago: Adrian Barath, Daren Ganga, Darren Bravo, Jason Mohammed, Lendl Simmons, Dave Mohammed, Ravi Rampaul, Samuel Badree, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Kevon Cooper, Rayad Emrit, Sherwin Ganga, Denesh Ramdin, William Perkins

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Harbhajan: We didn't justify to win

Mumbai Indians skipper Harbhajan Singh said they didn't merit winning, claiming Trinidad and Tobago were the better side on show Monday.

"I must pat on the back Darren and his team. They were the better side. We didn't justify winning. We didn't bat sensibly," Harbhajan said after the Indians edge out the West Indian side.

The India off-spinner said Mumbai Indians played too many needless shots and unless they better their batting, they will be knocking out of the tournament soon.

"We needed to tick the ball around, but we looked to play too many shots. We just weren't there with the bat. If we keep batting like this, we won't be here for long," he said.

"We won today, but if we want to be there for the semis, we can't keep playing this kind of cricket."

Trinidad & Tobago skipper Daren Ganga said the beat has crushed his team as they had fought really hard but still ended on the losing side.

"Unacceptable, the result. The guys are devastated.

Imagine the way we fought, but didn't come out winning.

Definitely ordinary batting, we show a lot of heart in the field," he said.

"That was the first thing, to play for the Super Over.

It's unlucky, Denesh couldn't hit the stumps, these things happen in cricket," he added.

Man-of-the-match Ravi Rampaul said his side showed a lot of character to defend a total of 98 and though they finished up on the behind side, they would look to make use of the next three games.

"Get the yorkers in, don't go for many runs. Being bowled out for 98 we needed early wickets, so I went out forceful," said Rampaul, who took three wickets for 17 runs.

"We show character and heart, and we have three games to follow. I found little additional bounce, and the shape, so the pitches help," he added.

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'Mumbai players have be fully fit'

Mumbai Indians players have not played throughout injury in the IPL, Coach Robin Singh said on Thursday.

"As far as I know, in our team, no one has completed that. I can't actually answer that question," Singh said.

Despite moving injury, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gambhir played the eliminator next to Mumbai Indians on Wednesday and the move has now snowball into a major argument, sparking a discuss on whether players are more keen to play in cash-rich events like IPL rather than the country.

Singh said the result of Friday's must-win second qualifier match against Royal Challengers Bangalore will depend on how his boys execute the plans.

"Obviously, we have consideration about how we want to go about things. We have our own plans ready for what we would like to do. The significant thing is to be able to carry out those plans."

"It's clearly a knockout game. We have done attractive well against RCB. The few outings we have had in the past, we have compressed them. This is a fresh game. We have to start from scratch. We have to change and regroup," Singh told reporters on Thursday.

The former India left-hander is also conscious of the threat Chris Gayle poses. "You can't ignore the fact that Gayle is in terrific form, and likewise with most of our bowlers, we have been bowling very well. You have to back yourself to bowl well against anyone."

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Harbhajan: I am existing for WI tour

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Thursday said that he would be accessible for the Indian cricket team's accommodating tour of West Indies but not aware of the plans of other senior players.

"I have no idea from where the news (of senior players opting out of West Indies tour) has poured in. As far as I am concerned I am available for the tour," Harbhajan told journalists ahead of his IPL side Mumbai Indians' match against Rajasthan Royals on Friday.

"As far others are worried neither I have talked to anybody and nor any body has talked to me. We will be playing three tests there and I don't want to miss any of those," he said.

Talking about the winning streak of the Mumbai Indians, Harbhajan said that he was happy the way things were going.

"I am happy with the way belongings have gone till now. We have been throughout uneven patches but one or the other has been clever to pull us through. Like in the last match Rohit Sharma and Andrew Symonds batted well to help us to sensible score which could be protected," he said.

Asked about the good form of Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne, Harbhajan said, "He is great cricketer and best spinner. I myself would be talking to him and get tips so that I can extend my international career." Harbhajan praise his team-mate Ambati Rayudu, saying that the young person is a "special talent".

"It would also be a confront for youngsters like Rayudu to face a great spinner (in Warne). He (Rayudu) is a particular talent and we always knew that. He was unluckily lost in between but lately he has been performing arts well. He is capable of filling in the big shoes of great Indian batsmen like VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid," he added.

Talking about his own role in the side, Harbhajan said that it had not distorted much. "Me and seniors like Sachin try and build the team like an element and inspire confidence in the youngsters by telling them to be part of think tank," said Harbhajan.

Asked about the sharp fielding of Mumbai Indians which has help them win a few matches, Harbhajan said that the players have respond to the drills of field coach Jonty Rhodes.

"We have South African Jonty Rhodes as the fielding coach and boys have respond well. In the preceding match it was the fielding rather my five wickets haul which had won the match for us."

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