Usha Uthup sings in the honour of visiting Pakistani team:

30-nov-2007-Kolkata-Usha Uthup was singing in honour of the visiting Pakistani team and journalists, Uthup, best known for her 'Ramba ho, ho, ho...' song of the 1980s film 'Armaan', said: 'I strongly believe that music and cricket can bridge the gap between our two nations. But music wins in the end because in cricket you still fight on the field.'The interesting moment of Thursday's function came when Uthup invited Pakistani journalist Shahid Hashmi to the stage and sang a popular duet - 'Pyaar karna bhi zaroori hai' from the film 'Vaardat' - with him.'This is a great combination. You have seen many partnerships but this is perhaps the best one - an Indian singer and a Pakistani journalist in a dosti duet,' said Usha.
'It was a great honour for me to share the microphone with one of the best singers of India. It was a nice experience,' Hashmi said.And before singing 'Yeh dosti hum nahi torenge' from 'Sholay', Usha said: 'This song is especially for our Pakistani guests. I believe the people of the two countries are still the same.'

Shoaib Akhter`s bowling action-Indians not easy !

Indian batesman complain against Pakistan’s express fast bowler Shoaib Akhter`s bowling action.This has increased the problem of Pakistani cricket team,already facing severe fitness problems.Indian batesman criticised the akhters bowling action at new Dehli test.indian batesman said that shoaib akhter has performed,some time, illegal bowling action.Specifically the ball whic hresulted the Rahul dravid out was illegal.The Indian camp is quite convinced that the ball that clocked 150kmph and cut back sharply could not have been legal.The secretary indian cricket board (BCCI),Mr.Naranjan shah has reacted carefully.He said international cricket board should consider the actions of the controvercial players.

Wasim Jaffer's bat sparkled brightest-1st day 2nd test: (+photos)

November 30, 2007-Kolkata:Wasim Jaffer hit a sparkling unbeaten century to take India to a healthy position on the 1st day of the 2nd Test at the Eden Gardens -Kolkata.
Jaffer scored up his fifth Test century and had faced 163 balls during the first two sessions of play. He got 23 boundaries adding 136 for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid (50).Dravid struck seven fours during his half-century before he was scalped by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.Initially, India lost opener Dinesh Karthik early on after electing to bat. Sohail Tanveer inflicted the early jolt in the second over as Karthik failed for the third consecutive time in the series. But Jaffer and Dravid denied Pakistan any further success as the duo held the fort for the home side.At tea, India`s score was 206-2 with Jaffer unbeaten on 124 and Sachin Tendulkar giving him company on 26.
Tanvir, his initial success notwithstanding, was made to look more like a rookie by Jaffer than he has looked at any stage of his international initiation. And as Sachin Tendulkar helped up the pace nearer tea, with a swift fifty partnership, Kaneria's raggedness encapsulated that of his side's. Pakistan had their share of problems: Shoaib looked pretty unfit and struggled to complete his overs, Sami started off promisingly but drifted away and Tanvir, for some reason, kept feeding Jaffer on that middle and leg line. Younis Khan, the captain - Malik is injured and is not in the team - even turned to Yasir Hameed's leg spin and made Tanvir bowl left-arm spin but were thwarted by some fine batting from Jaffer and Tendulkar. Finally, Kaneria broke through with a googly to dismiss Tendulkar but Pakistan lacked intensity and had run of ideas as the day wore on. Finally,India decide to call it off for the day due to bad light.They werw at 352-3 (Jaffer 192*, Tendulkar 82, Ganguly 17*)
Indian team: Anil Kumble (captain), Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Mahendra Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel.
Pakistan team: Younis Khan (captain), Yasir Hameed, Salman Butt, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Sami and Danish Kaneria.
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen, South Africa, and Billy Doctrove, West Indies.
Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.
TV Umpire: Amish Saheba, India.