When Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman refused to take off their shirts

Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman politely refused Sourav Ganguly's request to take off their shirts at Lord's in 2002. 

When skipper Sourav Ganguly took off his shirt and did his famous wave after India's NatWest series triumph over England at Lord's in 2002, he had also requested his colleagues to do the same, but senior members Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman politely refused to do so.

Former IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, who was the manager of the Indian cricket team then and was sitting by Ganguly's side at the Lord's balcony, recollected that evening's incident at a 'Cricket Conclave' organised by a private channel.

"I remember Sourav wanted to give it back to Andrew Flintoff, who had taken off his jersey and waved at the crowd in Mumbai. Actually Sourav wanted the whole team to take off their jerseys and wave it. But, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman all had politely declined Sourav's request of doing the same," Shukla.

His revelation came in the context of whether 'Cricket remains a Gentleman's Game' after all these years. "It's up to the individual to decide what he wants to do and what gentleman's game means to him," Shukla said.

Unfit India bowlers set alarm bells ringing

Ishant, who was included in the game against Australia in the tri-series, didn't get to bowl because the encounter was washed out.

The fitness of four bowlers ahead of the World Cup starting on February 14 is giving the Indian team management headaches. While the pace bowling trio of Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami are not 100 percent fit, allrounder Ravindra Jadeja too looked flat in the game he played in the recently-concluded tri-series.

Team sources informed TOI that all four will be assessed in a fitness test on February 7, but their biggest test will be the practice game against Australia at the Adelaide Oval a day later.

"The players will be seen in a match situation and we will know whether they have completely recovered from their injuries," the source said. India play their first game in the World Cup on February 15 against Pakistan.

The team management is so worried about the availability of their bowlers for the World Cup that they have asked both Dhawal Kulkarni and Mohit Sharma to stay back with the team till the fitness issues of the four are not sorted out. Both Mohit and Dhawal were part of the tri-series squad, with the former playing one game against England in Perth.

Ishant, who was included in the game against Australia in the tri-series, didn't get to bowl because the encounter was washed out. In the next game against England, he was again deemed unfit, which didn't go down too well with the team management.

"Ishant is not being sent back right away. He, along with the other three, will be with the team in Adelaide and we will see how they shape up in match situation before taking a decision on their fitness. That is the purpose of playing the two practice matches (the second being on Feb 10 against Afghanistan)," a BCCI source said.

If Ishant's injury is the biggest worry, Bhuvi's lack of match fitness and Shami's niggle have only added to the crisis. Jadeja's bowling, too, lacked the usual fizz and the team management maintains he is in the process of recuperating from his shoulder injury.

"In the only match that he played in the tri-series, it was evident that he couldn't use his shoulder the way he does. The team management is hoping that he will be 100 perent fit by February 8," the source added.

Meanwhile, the team landed in Adelaide on Monday, but the players have been given off till February 5. While all the others checked in at the team hotel, Shikhar Dhawan and Stuart Binny went to Melbourne and Sydney respectively and will join the team on Thursday.

WC Countdown #10 - Woolmer, Cronje get unplugged

Hansie Cronje, with the ear piece taped in in his right ear. 

In the 1999 World Cup in England, South Africa introduced a tactic that caught viewers, opposition, commentators and officials by complete surprise. In their opening match against India at Brighton, Hansie Cronje, the skipper, and coach Bob Woolmer brought out a novel way of communicating with each other during a game by using a receiver and a transmitter. Cronje, sporting an ear-piece, was listening to the coach's view while leading his men on the field and so did pacer Allan Donald.

Information sharing between coaching staff and the on-field players was nothing new to cricket but the use of technology to do it was. Substitutes carrying gloves or drinks onto the field as an excuse to relay information or tactics have long been used by coaches. Woolmer, Cronje and Donald took it to the next step by doing it on a moment-by-moment basis.

It caught the Indians by surprise. Sourav Ganguly spotted Cronje talking to himself and smelled a rat. He relayed the information to the on-field umpires who immediately brought it to the notice of match refree, Talat Ali. ICC was looped in by Ali and a decision was taken immediately with the players being ordered to remove the ear-pieces. 

ICC was of the view that it was a violation of protocol and said, "The World Cup is not the event to experiment with new devices without first seeking permission from the ICC."

While Woolmer and Cronje had not indulged in anything out of the law, the move was still seen as a violation of protocol. Woolmer was apologetic about the incident and opined that he was 'merely being innovative.' However, Cronje remained keen on the idea.

"There is nothing in the rules to stop us from using it and it's very disappointing it's been stopped. The coach sits at a different angle from me and he can give me different options when we're batting or bowling. It's always nice to hear another voice," he said.

"Are we going to stop the gloves going out?" he asked to strengthen his point.

Nevertheless, ICC stuck to their guns and cricket has not witnessed an incident of that nature hence. While it is common practice in American Football to use technology to communicate tactics effectively and quickly, cricket is yet to embrace the tactic. That incident was the first real controversy of the 1999 World Cup and engaged a lot of debate, with arguments from either side being equally compelling to the day.

World Cup Heroes - Gary Gilmour's short but spectacular sojourn in 1975

Like most other sports, Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties for those who dedicate their life to be able to don the national cap. There are several players who remain in the realm of obscurity despite featuring in more than a handful of games and there are the clutch players players who have it in them to deliver when the stakes are highest. There is also a third category players who hit instant stardom. While some come from nowhere and become stars, the others fall into the category of gaining late recognition. In 1975, the cricket world saw the emergence of Gary Gilmour, who would fit into all these categories.

Despite being part of the Australian Test team for a while, when it was time for the World Cup, fierce competition left him on the sidelines. His patience was eventually rewarded when he was picked for Australias semi-final match against hosts England at Headingley, Leeds.

On a green and damp wicket, Australia asked England to bat first, looking to make the most of the helpful conditions. The bowlers didnt need a second invitation and Gilmour, playing in his first World Cup match, turned into an overnight star. He finished with impressive figures of 12-6-14-6 and by the time he had finished with his spell England were down and out. Gilmours victims included 6 out of the top 7 English batsman. Four batsmen Dennis Amiss, Keith Fletcher, Frank Hayes and Alan Knott were trapped in front of the wickets, opener Barry Wood was clean bowled while Tony Greig was caught at the wicket.

Gilmour's figures stood as the best ever figures by a bowler in ODIs until West Indies pacer Winston Davis took 7/51 in the 1983 World Cup match against Australia at the same venue. When asked about his semi-final performance, this is what Gilmour had to say - They kept shouldering arms and the ball swung back in and did the rest. I wanted to bowl and bowl. I didn't want my overs to run out."

England limped to 93 all-out leaving Australia with a seemingly easy chase. But then again, small targets are always tricky and this was anything but simple. Australia were reduced to 39/6 as Chris Old and John Snow led Englands fightback and once again Gilmour took to the field though this time with a bat in the hand. Fighting aggression with aggression, he biffed a run-a-ball 28 to take the Aussies through to the final. It was one of those days that happen once or twice in your lifetime, he was to say later.

If the semi-final was a precursor, Gilmour went on to show it wasnt a one-off performance. Up against mighty West Indies in the final at Lords, Gilmour proceeded to finish with an impressive haul of 5/48 from his 12 overs. There was no perfect ending this time though as West Indies sneaked home by 17 runs in a pulsating final.

Gilmour ended the World Cup with 11 wickets and at an incredible average of 5.64. This should have acted as a springboard for future conquests. Gilmour had more success against the touring West Indies in the 1975-76 season grabbing 20 wickets in 5 Tests. But it was evident that his performance was regressing, and it was later revealed that Gilmour was bowling all Australian summer with a bone that was "the size of a five-cent piece".

Gilmour featured in only one more ODI since the 1975 World Cup. His degenerative leg injury was to cast a shadow over his career. The left-arm pacer was omitted for the 1977 Ashes tour of England and that effectively ended his career. Admittedly, Gilmour's ODI career was short and sweet. He managed to etch his name into the record books and into the hearts of the cricket loving public, all in just a handful of matches. Gilmour played 5 ODIs, bowled 46 overs and took 16 wickets, at a misery average of 10.31 and an enviable strike-rate of 20 per wicket.

Was Gilmour as good as his performances in the two matches suggested? Or was it a case of being at the right place at the right time? One thing is for sure, Gilmours story of courage and conviction has a glorious place in Australia's rich World Cup legacy.

Australia can't win World Cup without Clarke: Shane Warne

We all admire Clarke's imagination and flair as a captain, so I would get him in for that first game if he proves his fitness: Shane Warne 

Shane Warne, Australia's spin legend, has fired a warning shot to ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 co-hosts, Australia saying the side needs regular captain Michael Clarke back in the playing eleven if they are to claim their fifth World Cup crown. 

Clarke has been fighting time and fitness issues to find his way back into the side before Australia take on England on February 14. Clarke was named in Australia's 15-man squad for the quadrennial event, but National Selector Rod Marsh had added that he would be given until Australia's second match (February 21 against Bangladesh) to prove his fitness. Warne told Sky Sports that without Clarke's imagination and flair as a captain, Australia would not succeed in going all the way. He also added that George Bailey could be a liability against stronger teams, and with Clarke's inclusion, and subsequently Bailey's exclusion, the side would bear a more solid batting outlook.

"I don't think Australia can win the World Cup without Clarke. Australia were in disarray just over 12 months ago but under his captaincy, they won the Ashes 5-0 and then beat South Africa in South Africa," Warne said.

"We all admire Clarke's imagination and flair as a captain, so I would get him in for that first game if he proves his fitness and say: 'This is our side, let's get out and play'. Good bowlers can bowl at [stand-in skipper] George Bailey and make him unable to hurt you, so I would say if Clarke is fit, Bailey drops out, and the rest of the top five David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson and Steve Smith picks itself," he added.

Speaking on Australia's bowling attack, Warne said Mitchell Starc, who won the Man of the Series in the recently-concluded tri-series also involving India and England, will be the trump card. However, with Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner also taking important slots in the side, he added that Australia will face problems over playing three left-armers in the same game. 

"Starc will be key. He has really played well in the one-dayers, making the white ball talk, and his death bowling is pretty good. I don't think Australia would like to play three left-armers in (James) Faulkner, Starc and (Mitchell) Johnson, but with the form at the moment, they may have to."

Dhoni: Need to introspect and switch off from cricket

MS Dhoni has said the Indian team is looking forward to the break before the start of the World Cup warm-ups.

Despite being winless on the tour and not making it to the final of the tir-series, skipper MS Dhoni feels the team can lift itself by taking a break before the World Cup and introspecting rather than coming back every day to the ground and doing the same thing over and over. "We have been here for more than two months. So we know the conditions pretty well. What is important right now is a break. Completely switch off from cricket. Just do a bit of introspection on what needs to be done," Dhoni told the media after India's defeat on Friday .

"It's not only me. Everybody is looking forward to a break. Lock the kitbag. Keep it somewhere, you don't even want to see it. Completely switch off from cricket," Dhoni said about the team's plan over the next week before they assemble in Adelaide on December 6 and prepare to defend the World Cup with warm-up games against Australia on February 8 and Afghanistan on February 10.

He said being winless on the tour did not matter much. "We were in a process of executing a plan and to large extent we have done so. The warm-up matches will give us the opportunity to try out the players and we will know what who stands where and what exactly to expect in the World Cup."

This is what the skipper had to say on other issues:

Winless on the tour

More than the wins what is more important is the process. To win and carry the momentum is crucial but before what's more important is that all the 15 guys are fit. In this tournament, not all 15 were fit. Getting into a tournament like the World Cup, it is important that all of them have some kind of games behind them. In the upcoming warm-up games, we will try to give players as many chances as possible. There were still a lot of positives - the way a few of the bowlers bowled and the way a few batsmen batted. But collectively we haven't done well.

Confidence in the dressing room

I think from the confidence point of view we are quite good. We try to give more emphasis on what needs to be done to executing the plan. We have been in this situation before and we know exactly how it feels and how to overcome that feeling.

On Kohli's batting position

Today, Virat was supposed to bat at 3, irrespective of when the wicket fell because with this batting line-up, we had a bit of batting down the order. With Binny and Jadeja in the team, the lower order looked strong. You have to ultimately see the whole strength of the squad. I know individuals love to bat at a certain slot. If you don't have people who can float around in the batting order, it becomes very difficult. I know a lot of teams are not very flexible. They want their respective players to bat at a certain slot but cricket I feel has evolved.

Ishant's fitness issues

According to the physio, he may be fit in the next four days. Apart from that, I don't know. I just ask him who all are available and he tells me who are the guys who are available. I am alright with that.

Dhawan back in the runs

It's good that he has got runs. If he had not scored in this game, certainly he would have gone into the break putting a bit more pressure on himself. There was a bit of assistance for the fast bowlers, it was not an easy wicket to bat on initially. I felt he did good.

MS Dhoni, the cool finisher

MS Dhoni's composure has helped him orchestrate big chases 

As the ball soared into the starlit sky, an eerie silence descended over the ecstatic Wankhede Stadium; Mahendra Singh Dhoni simply followed its rising trajectory, almost bereft of emotion, until the entire country erupted in joy.

Only when Yuvraj Singh came dashing into his arms, the India captain broke into a sheepish grin; as stoically, he turned towards the stumps and picked up one before being whisked away on shoulders by his delirious teammates once he lofted a Nuwan Kulasekara delivery over long-on and won back India the World Cup after 28 years.

For a long time, the same sang froid was the hallmark of his game and his personality: he was hailed as ice cold during high-pressure moments; no nerves, some proclaimed, as he orchestrated big chases. Captain cool, others said, as he led the side in his own unpredictable manner. In many ways, Dhoni has surpassed the skill at his command as a batsman. In many ways, he has also scripted victories that look impossible in hindsight: the World T20 title on his debut as captain, the No 1 Test ranking for 18 months, the Champions Trophy and of course, the World Cup.

He couldn't have asked for more. Especially as, at one point, it looked like he was destined to live as a railway ticket collector; or maybe, even go back to the backwoods of Jharkhand and lead an obscure, anonymous life. But then, everything was poised to change as he began hitting those big sixes, playing in the industrial town of Kharagpur in Bengal.

Born in Ranchi, in July 1981, little Dhoni began to idolise the three legends of that time: Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan and Lata Mangeshkar; he was good at badminton and football but his coach, impressed by his goalkeeping skills, sent him to play cricket.

He worked his way up, playing all age-group tournaments as a wicketkeeper who could bat a bit. As an 18-year-old, he made his debut for Bihar in the Ranji Trophy. Folklore has it that in his off time, Dhoni would whizz around on a second-hand bike, worth all of Rs 4500, while he played tennis-ball cricket.

Yet, Dhoni remained under the radar till he was picked for the India A side in 2004 as selectors looked beyond the traditional cricket pockets for talent; he promptly slammed two centuries in the one-day triangular series in Nairobi to showcase himself. With flowing hair, a fearless attitude and a wider smile, he compelled attention.

Two spectacular knocks for Team India - 148 vs Pakistan in Vizag and 183 vs Sri Lanka in Jaipur ensured that he emerged as the rock star of the game. His technique was flawed, both, in front and behind the wickets, but he turned it into his strength.

As he became larger than life, the pressure however slowly got to him; he turned aloof and reclusive as a person, cautious and careful as a captain and a lot more circumspect as a batsman. His reputation as the ultimate finisher, however, remained undiminished.

He became an unstoppable force after joining Chennai Super Kings, rising to become the most powerful cricketer in the country. The first chinks, however, began to surface in Test cricket, as India failed to cope with their demands and rigours. As the team underwent a generational change, he became fallible.

In a surprising move, he even gave up Test captaincy. Like everything he does, there was a plan behind it: the World Cup. Dhoni knows he will become a hero forever if he guides India to another triumph. However, it may not be a fairy-tale ending.

India have been struggling in Australia, failing to even make the finals of the tri-series. The batting doesn't look solid and the bowling doesn't is far from instilling confidence. He will have to do something really special to lift the side from here. It is possible only if he leads from the front, batting like only he can. One good knock, up the order, can infuse life into this side and make it look totally different. If anybody can do it, it's Dhoni.