Sachin Tendulkar can use post-nominal AM: Australian government

By Bipin Dani

MUMBAI, India (TheSportsNEXT) November 7, 2012: Sachin Tendulkar, who was conferred Order of Australia award on Tuesday, however, will not be able to enjoy any particular entitlements or privileges. This was revealed by Tom Battams, the Press Officer at the Office of the Australian Prime Minister.

Speaking exclusively with TheSportsNEXT.com over telephone from his office on Wednesday, Tom Battams said, "Mr. Tendulkar’s honor is in recognition of his service to Australia-India relations by promoting goodwill, friendship and sportsmanship through the sport of cricket".

"While it does not confer any particular entitlements or privileges on him, it recognizes the above contribution in an official way. He is also entitled to use the post-nominal ‘AM’, he further added.

"When in Australia or in any part of the world, he can now sign as Sachin Tendulkar, AM. AM is the abbreviated form of Honoray member of Order Of Australia", he signed off.

According to Kersi Meher Homji, an Indian cricket historian, now settled in Australia, it's a high honor and a rare honor from a foreign country. An award to him is recognition for all Indians, living in or out of India.

Interestingly, the historian has suggested the reciprocal gesture be shown by the Indian government to former Australia captain, Steve Waugh.

"To reciprocate Australia's gesture of bestowing Order of Australia to Sachin Tendulkar, India should award Padma Shree or Padma Bhushan award to Australia's master batsman and former captain Steve Waugh who has been doing a lot of charity work for daughters of leprosy sufferers in Udayan, India since 1998", he signed off.

Read More

Swiss company honors Sunil Gavaskar with special watch

By Bipin Dani

MUMBAI, India (TheSportsNEXT) November 4, 2012: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was presented a wrist watch by Swiss watch company as a tribute to his 34 Test hundreds.

Sunil Gavaskar claims he was never late at toss. "In those days the home captain had to go to the opposition dressing room and invite the captain for the toss. I never made the opposite captain to wait", Gavaskar said.

Yet, the legendary opener was presented a wrist watch costing not less than 1.2 million rupees by the Swiss-made company, Ulysse Nardin told TheSportsNEXT.com exclusively on Saturday.

"We have made 34 pieces of this watch and one of them is presented to Sunil Gavaskar, who scored 34 Test hundreds in his career", Patrik Hoffmann, the company CEO said.

"This reminds me the 34 bottles of Champagne I presented to Sachin Tendulkar", the 64-year-old Gavaskar said. India's master-blaster Tendulkar was given 34 bottles of Champagne when he leveled Sunil Gavaskar's record of 34 hundreds.

Gavaskar scored his last Test hundred in his in-law's city, Kanpur, against Sri Lanka in 1986.

He will be completing his 25-year-of retirement on Monday. His last ODI was against England at Mumbai, on Nov 5, 1987.

Sunil Gavaskar came with a bandage on his injured finger on Saturday. "This also reminded me the finger injury I had on my first overseas with the team to West Indies in 1971. Unlike today, we had no direct flight to Kingston. Having halts at Dubai and night halt in London, my finger was shown to a doctor at New York airport the next day. Had there been no halt at NY, the gangerene would have developed to my finger, I was told by the doctor".

"I woke up today with the swollen finger and I made no mistake to seek doctor's advice and that's why I have bandage here", he showed his finger.

Read More

Shikhar Dhawan misses cricket on his wedding day

By Bipin Dani

Shikhar Dhawan to get married to Eesha Mukherjee on October 29

MUMBAI, India (TheSportsNEXT) October 25, 2012: India's 27-year-old top order batsman Shikhar Dhawan is "sad" on missing the match on his wedding day.

-->

Eesha Mukherjee

The left-hander was originally included in India 'A' squad for the three-day game against England, which is scheduled to be played at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, from 30 October 2012 to 1 November 2012. However, he was later withdrawn and replaced by Ambati Rayudu.

"I know it is the chance I would not have loved to miss. But it is not in my hands. I am helpless", he said over telephone from Delhi on Wednesday evening.

"My marriage was planned a few months ago and the match has recently been organised. It happens sometimes unfortunately", he added.

The opener, who played five ODIs and one Twenty20 for India, will get married to Esha Mukherjee.

Shikhar Dhawan also revealed that it was fellow cricketer Bhajji who turned out to be the inadvertent fixer of this match. "We were introduced on a networking website (Facebook)", he said. "Harbhajan, along with a few other players have been invited in the reception. Those who are not playing in a match are likely to attend the reception", he added.

The function on Oct. 29 will be followed by marriage on Oct. 30.

"Yes, Esha is interested in cricket and comes to watch me play in IPL matches", he added. "She is an amateur boxer and love sports. She used to play karate".

Esha's mother is English and father is Bengali. "I have learnt a bit Bengali", he says.

"No immediate honemoon is planned. Our season starts soon and I am available to play for my team", he signed off.

Read More

India beat BlackCaps by 5wkts to win Test series 2-0

By Abhishek Manroa

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli

BENGALURU (TheSportsNext) September 4, 2012: India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the second Test at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday to clean-sweep the two-match series as Virat Kohli and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined hands for the second time in the match to take the home side to victory.

Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni

Chasing 261 for victory, Indians were reduced to five for 166 by New Zealand off-spinner Jeetan Patel before Virat Kohli (51*) and MS Dhoni (48*) put their heads down and completed the victory with a day to spare.

Virat Kohli, 23, was declared Man of the Match for his valuable contributions with the bat as the right-hand batsman had scored 103 runs in the first innings which had resurrected Indian hopes in the match.

Ravichandran Ashwin was name Man of the Series for his hollistic spin-bowling efforts during the two-match Test series.

India had won the first Test by an innings and 115 runs at Hyderabad last week.

Man of the Match Virat Kohli with Man of the Series Ravichandran Ashwin

Read More