• Harbhajan Does The Star Turn For The Indians
• Pathan Pulls Off a Rare Hat - Trick
• Best fo The Best

• Advantage Sania For WTA Debutant Award
• Aus Open. 1st Round: Sania Beats Azarenka

It was a significant moment that almost went unnoticed. Harbhajan Singh halted in his tracks as Rahul Dravid tossed the ball to part-time slow bowler Yuvraj Singh. It appeared to be a desperate move rather than a well-thought one. The seamers, apart from Irfan Pathan, had been clobbered and Harbhajan too had been treated with disdain. It was indeed a difficult phase for Dravid. England was well on course while India was in a daze - clueless and helpless. The Englishmen then lost their way, and eventually the match. The 39-run victory on an eventful afternoon that saw India grab the opportunities created by some unbelievable complacency in the English ranks set the tempo for the seven-match TVS Cup series, with the emphasis clearly on the ability to exploit the conditions as Harbhajan did so wonderfully on Tuesday.

Courtesy: The Hindu, March 29, 2006

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Sania Mirza's meteoric rise in her breakthrough season made her one of the top tennis stories last year. On Wednesday morning, that may become official: Sania is one of four nominees for the WTA's Newcomer of the Year Award. The award will be presented, along with the tennis world's other top honours, at the Stars for Stars party in Miami's Four Seasons Hotel, around 7-30 a.m. IST. Should Sania win, she'd be the first Asian to do so, and will join the likes of Maria Sharapova (2003), Kim Clijsters ('99), Serena Williams ('98), Venus Williams ('97) and the inaugural winner, Tracy Austin ('77). The other nominees are Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic), Shahar Peer (Israel) and Michaella Krajicek (Holland). Apart from the many firsts she achieved as an Indian, Sania had leapt 138 places - No. 169 to 31 - on the WTA rankings, won a WTA event, toppled several big names and cracked the Top 40. As far as India at the awards is concerned, Sania would become the second player after Vijay Amritraj was named Most Improved Player in 1973. Nominees in other categories at the high-profile event include Kim Clijsters, Rafael Nadal, Marcos Baghdatis, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Andy Murray, Maria Kirilenko and the Bryan Brothers.

Courtesy: The Indian Express, March 22, 2006

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Left-arm medium pacer Irfan Pathan became the first man in the history of Test cricket to claim a hat-trick in the first over of an innings, at the National Stadium in Karachi on Sunday. The 21-year-old dismissed opener Salman Butt, stand-in captain Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf on the first day of the third Test to reduce Pakistan to 0 for three, after Indian skipper Rahul Dravid elected to bowl. Pathan is the second Indian after off-spinner Harbhajan Singh - who performed the feat against Australia at Kolkata in 2001- to take a Test hat-trick. He finished with 5 for 61 as India failed to capitalise on its start and allowed Pakistan, which was struggling at 39 for 6 at one stage, to make 245.

Courtesy: The Hindu, January 30, 2006

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Tennis sensation Sania Mirza beat junior world champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-6, 6-2 in the first round match of the Australian Open on Tuesday. Sania, seeded 32nd, could run into French third seed Amelie Mauresmo in the third round.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 17, 2006

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India will go to Pakistan on high for sure because they are at present the best Test team in the world on current form. They started the year as the fourth best Test in the world and ended as No.2 but statistically their success rate in 2005 is better than any other team in world cricket making them the best in the world. Significantly, not a single Indian batsman or bowler figures in the top-10 which just goes to prove cricket is a team game in which individual performance count for nothing. India played eight Tests last year winning eight,losing five, drawing two and losing just one which means a success rate of 75 percent. On the other hand world champions Australia have played 16 Tests, won nine, lost two and drawn four resulting in a 73 percent success rate, two points less than India. South Africa is No.3 in the list with a success rate of 63 percent, followed by New Zealand with 57 and Sri Lanka with a 55 percent rate of success. India's next rival Pakistan is sixth on the list having played nine Tests, won four, lost three and drawn three resulting in a 55 percent success rate. They are followed by Vaughan's England who will come to India in March for a Test series. The English have a 53 percent success rate. Bangladesh, West Indies and Zimbabwe fill up the bottom half of the list.

Courtesy: The Times of India, January 3, 2006

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