BlackBerry 10: All set

BlackBerry 10: All set

BlackBerry-maker RIM is promising a speedier device, a superb typing experience and the ability to keep work and personal identities separate on the same phone.

TORONTO: The maker of the BlackBerry smartphone is promising a speedier device, a superb typing experience and the ability to keep work and personal identities separate on the same phone. It's the fruit of a crucial, long-overdue makeover for the Canadian company.

Thorsten Heins, chief executive of Research In Motion Ltd, will show off the first phone with the new BlackBerry 10 system in New York on Wednesday. A marketing campaign that includes a Super Bowl ad will accompany the long-anticipated debut. Repeated delays have left the once-pioneering BlackBerry an afterthought in the shadow of Apple's trend-setting iPhone and Google's Android-driven devices.

Now, there's some optimism. Previews of the software have gotten favorable reviews on blogs. Financial analysts are starting to see some slight room for a comeback. RIM's stock has nearly tripled to $16.18 from a nine-year low in September, though it's still nearly 90 percent below its 2008 peak of $147.

Most analysts consider a BlackBerry 10 success to be crucial for the company's long-term viability.

"The old models are becoming obsolete quickly," BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said. "There is still a big user base but it's going to rotate off. The question is: Where do they rotate to?"

The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, has been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people. Corporate information-technology managers like the phones because they're relatively secure and easy to manage. Many employees loved them because of physical keyboards that were easier to type on than the touch-screen iPhone. President Barack Obama couldn't bear to part with it when he took office. Oprah Winfrey declared it one of her "favorite things." People got so addicted that the device was nicknamed "the CrackBerry."

The BlackBerry began to cross over to consumers. But when the iPhone came out in 2007, it showed that phones can do much more than email and phone calls. They can play games, music and movies. Android came along to offer even more choices. Though IT managers still love BlackBerrys, employees were bringing their own devices to the workplace - a trend Heins acknowledged RIM was slow to adapt to.

Suddenly, the BlackBerry looked ancient.

Even as BlackBerry sales continued to grow in many parts of the world, many BlackBerry users in North America switched to iPhones and Android devices. BlackBerry's worldwide subscriber based peaked at 80 million in the quarter that ended Sept. 1, before dropping to 79 million in the most-recent quarter. In the U.S., according to research firm IDC, shipments of BlackBerry phones plummeted from 46 percent of the market in 2008 to 2 percent in 2012. Most phones in use today are either iPhones or Android devices.

RIM promised a new system to catch up, using technology it got through its 2010 purchase of QNX Software Systems. RIM initially said BlackBerry 10 would come by early 2012, but then the company changed that to late 2012. A few months later, that date was pushed further, to early 2013, missing the lucrative holiday season. The holdup helped wipe out more than $70 billion in shareholder wealth and 5,000 jobs.

Although executives have been providing a glimpse at some of BlackBerry 10's new features for months, Heins will finally showcase a complete system at Wednesday's event. Devices will go on sale soon after that. The exact date and prices are expected Wednesday.

RIM redesigned the system to embrace the multimedia, apps and touch-screen experience prevalent today.

"Historically there have been areas that have not been our strongest points," Rick Costanzo, RIM's executive vice president of global sales, said in an interview. "Not only have we caught up, but we may even be better than some of the competition now."

Costanzo said "no one else can touch" what RIM's new system offers.

The new operating system promises better multitasking than either the iPhone or Android. Simply swipe a finger across the phone's display screen to switch to another program.

All emails and notifications from such applications as Twitter and Facebook go to the BlackBerry Hub, a nerve center accessible with a finger swipe even if you have another application open. One can peek into it and open an email, or return to the previous application without opening the email.

"You are not going in and out of applications; you're flowing through applications with one simple gesture of your finger," Costanzo said. "You can leave applications running. You can effortlessly flow between them. So that's completely unique to us."

That said, multitasking will still be limited. If you're watching a video, it will still run while you check for email. But it will pause if you decide to open an email and resume when you are done.

The BlackBerry's touch-screen keyboard promises to learn a user's writing style and suggest words and phrases to complete, going beyond typo corrections offered by rivals. See the one you want, and flick it up to the message area. Costanzo said that "BlackBerry offers the best keyboard, period."

Gus Papageorgiou, a Scotiabank financial analyst who has tried it out, agreed with that assessment and said the keyboard even learns and adjusts to your thumb placements.

The first BlackBerry 10 phone will have only a touch screen. RIM has said it will release a version with a physical keyboard soon after that. That's an area RIM has excelled at, and it's one reason many BlackBerry users have remained loyal despite temptations to switch.

Another distinguishing feature will be the BlackBerry Balance, which allows two personas on the same device. Businesses can keep their data secure without forcing employees to get a second device for personal use. For instance, IT managers can prevent personal apps from running inside corporate firewalls, but those managers won't have access to personal data on the device.

With Balance, "you can just switch from work to personal mode," Papageorgiou said. "I think that is something that will attract a lot of people."

RIM is also claiming that the BlackBerry 10's browser will be speedy, even faster than browsers for laptop and desktop computers. According to Papageorgiou, early, independent tests between the BlackBerry 10 and the iPhone support that claim.

Regardless of BlackBerry 10's advances, though, the new system will face a key shortcoming: It won't have as many apps written by outside companies and individuals as the iPhone and Android. RIM has said it plans to launch BlackBerry 10 with more than 70,000 apps, including those developed for RIM's PlayBook tablet, first released in 2011. Even so, that's just a tenth of what the iPhone and Android offer. Papageorgiou said the initial group will include the most popular ones such as Twitter and Facebook. But RIM will have to persuade others to make a BlackBerry version, when they are already struggling to keep up with both the iPhone and Android.

Like many analysts, Papageorgiou recently upgraded RIM's stock, but cautioned that longtime BlackBerry users will have to get used to a whole new operating system.

He said RIM can be successful if about a third of current subscribers upgrade and if the company can get 4 million new users overseas, especially in countries where the BlackBerry has remained popular. IDC said smartphone shipments grew 44 percent in 2012. If those trends continue, it will be possible for the BlackBerry to grow even if iPhone and Android users don't switch.

"This doesn't have to be the best smartphone on the planet to be a success for RIM," he said. "I think the big question though is, if it fails, is it just too late? Are the other two ecosystems just so advanced that no one can catch up? That's a big risk."

Tata Safari Storme review

With so much action in the sports utility vehicles space, it wasn’t going to be a picnic in the park for Tata Motors to redesign and re-engineer the Safari. Making the market even more difficult for Tata have been the launch of new vehicles in the category – the likes of the Renault Duster and the Mahindra XUV 500.

These are crossovers and SUVs in the same price segment, though in terms of sheer prowess, size and road presence, the Safari could still rule at the top. So, the new Safari Storme has been much awaited both by buyers and I am guessing by Tata’s insiders too. After a production-ready version was showcased more than a year ago at the Auto Expo 2012, the Storme which has seen its share of delays, finally made its way to showrooms last week.

RE-ENGINEERED

Your next question would be…“So what’s new?” Though the new Storme’s overall design is very similar to the previous Safari, this new model is a complete generation change over the predecessor. You can be sure that this is an entirely new vehicle under the relatively familiar looking body panels. Whether the rumour mills about the shorter wheelbase version of the Aria are true or not, it is a fact that Tata engineers picked up this platform for the new Safari Storme.

This relatively fresh, more modern, ‘body on frame’ platform is lighter, yet stiffer and was specially developed for off-roader type vehicles like the Aria and the Safari. The result of the new platform adoption is that the Safari Storme is wider and longer, with wider tracks too. Though it is a tad lower than the predecessor, the new Storme is still the big, burly SUV and needs to be climbed into. The Storme is also still a hulking ‘2-tonner’, though it has shed some flab compared to the previous–gen.

The near vertical tail gate, the glass area and the moulded body side cladding of the new Safari Storme are all elements that remind me of the outgoing model. But look more closely and some of the design changes and quality improvements become more evident. The headlamps and the tail-lamps are of course all-new, with just mild references to the predecessor. The spare wheel mounted on the hatch door is now gone, in keeping with the Storme’s attempt at looking more like a premium crossover. There are sharper edges all around, including for the bonnet, A-pillar and side panels.

The finish and integration quality of the body side mouldings is much better and there has been liberal use of chrome (at least in the top-end trim) to increase the premiumness of the new Storme. Chrome strips boldly announce the new Safari’s moniker at the front and the rear. The 16-inch rims that the Storme sports look puny, but the high-pro 235/70 R16 Bridgestone Dueler tyres just about manage fill out the wheel arches to hide much of the gap. Twin exhaust ends at the rear work to give the Safari Storme a sporty image.

Whether Tata engineers chose to retain the familiar overall design in the new Storme to save on development costs or as a conscious effort to carry forward the popular image of the vehicle, the bottomline is that the successor clearly has a lot of the Safari’s genetic material still in it. My guess is that it would have been a combination of both factors.

INTERIORS

A somewhat similar story is the case with the new Safari Storme’s interior too. There are a few elements that are familiar, though the dashboard is all-new. The quality of the interiors is, however, much improved. With better quality faux leather on the seats and better finished plastic panels adorning the entire cabin, and the beige and light brown colour theme, the interior certainly feels more plush than before. But, small air-con vents, compact knobs and controls and a barren dashboard mean that the interior is quite bereft of the ruggedness that the exterior exudes. The interior is however, quite cheery with a lot of light pouring in thanks to the large glass area. I found the driver’s seat rather too firm and while shifting to find a more comfortable position, I could hear the springs creak and complain. Seats for the rear passengers are comfier and are almost like the captain seats of the front, but better padded. However, since they are set high and since the window glass cuts low, there is very little room for privacy for rear passengers. Two jump seats can form part of the third row of seats, as part of optional fitment. There is enough headroom though, thanks to the two-step roof.

PERFORMANCE

To power the Safari Storme Tata engineers have decided to stick to the tried and tested 2.2-litre Dicor engine that the predecessor came with. Only, now it sports the new tag – VariCOR, one which Tata has been using recently for its vehicles that feature a variable geometry turbocharger. So, the 2,179cc, 16-valve engine features what’s called variable turbine technology. The DOHC engine already featured common rail direct injection and so, with a variable geometry turbocharger, the promise of better performance immediately gets a boost.

What haven’t changed, however, is the engine’s absolute performance parameters. It still produces about 140 PS of peak power and about 320 Nm of maximum torque. But, the VariCOR engine has clearly managed to flatten the torque curve and enables the engine to deliver much of its pulling power starting from a low 1,500 rpm all the way to about 2,800 rpm.

Tata engineers also talk about the addition of a high inertia flywheel to iron out a lot of the vibrations from the engine. Together with the better NVH packaging that the Storme has been given, this makes the cabin much quieter during the idling and initial acceleration cycles, but as the torque tapers off, the engine noise starts to climb. Overall, the new Safari Storme is an improvement over the predecessor in terms of engine refinement. The new model’s VariCOR engine is also paired with the G-76 (Mark II) 5-speed manual gearbox, which features cleaner and slicker shifts. The short throw gear stick lever also manages to relatively ease the overall shift effort, though there is still room for improvement.

RIDE AND HANDLING

On the highway, the new Safari Storme’s acceleration is linear and quick, quite surprising considering the size and weight of the vehicle. The powertrain is a big help here. But, at slower speeds and in tighter, curvier roads, the Storme seems to sulk and handling it can get a bit labourious. The big drag here being the slow, relatively loose steering. One other aspect of the handling that Tata engineers haven’t really been able to eliminate, despite the stiffer chassis, is body roll. There is still a considerable amount of roll, though at city driving speeds, the dampening effect of body roll on the handling won’t be felt.

The previous Safari was known for its suspension and rear seat ride quality. The new model will continue to be known for it too. The suspension setting is independent double wishbone type with coil springs at the front and 5-link type with coil springs at the rear. The ride is meant to be soft, bordering on wallowy and so will be perfect for broken city roads and uneven tarmac. But, it isn’t too helpful during more dynamic manoeuvres at higher speeds.

I test drove the top-end trim VX 4x4 variant and one feature that I could not test to its limits, but it seems very sorted is the four wheel drive system. The new Storme features an electronic shift-on-the-fly four wheel drive mechanism and a limited slip differential. There is a low ratio and a regular high ratio, which you can choose simply by twisting the knob next to the gear shift stick.

During my test drive, I got a fuel efficiency of about 11 kmpl with a mix of city and highway driving and a bit of offroading thrown in.

BOTTOMLINE

As was evident in the approving eyes of an existing Safari owner who waved me down during my test drive, the new Storme is clearly a worthy upgrade and now an even more worthy competitor in the SUV space. The design may not exude too much newness, but under those familiar panels is a brand new vehicle.

The Safari Storme is being offered in three trim levels – Lx, Ex and Vx, with the Vx also on offer with a four-wheel drive option. Prices range from about Rs 10 lakh to Rs 13.7 lakh. The Safari DICOR continues to be available.

A perfect game takes India back to No.1 spot in the ODI rankings

India cruised to an easy seven-wicket win against England at Ranchi on Saturday.

Virat Kohli showed signs of getting back to his best form with a match-winning innings.

Ranchi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni wanted the “people of Jharkhand” to make Saturday’s ODI “very special.” They played their part admirably, but his teammates scripted the perfect game.

The seven-wicket win gave India a 2-1 lead in the five-match series and the selectors, rightly, chose to retain the XV for the last two ODIs as well.

Additionally, and this is great news, India are now back as No.1 in the 50-over format. England are a point behind, on 118, in the ICC rankings.

That the winning runs (a boundary) came off Dhoni’s blade made it an even more memorable beginning as an international venue for this fanatical city.

England’s captain Alastair Cook, though, wasn’t impressed. “I’m sure Dhoni is very happy with things, but at this moment, I have no interest in the fairytale.”

A bit sour, but two big defeats in succession have forced a strong reality check on Cook. Last month, he’d led England to a memorable win in the Test series.

The day, in fact, had many winners: India, Dhoni, Virat Kohli, the superb JSCA International Stadium and the JSCA president, Amitabh Choudhary.

Most relieved was Choudhary, a senior IPS officer and the state’s special secretary, home.

“It’s a massive relief that our first attempt at a new stadium was clean... That India made it so handsomely proved to be the proverbial icing on the cake. The record at the Keenan isn’t good, but it’s a terrific start in Ranchi,” Choudhary told The Telegraph.

Dhoni won the toss and decided to field, a move which clicked, for England never quite had the momentum and their last nine wickets fell for as few as 87 runs.

“Bowlers did the job for us,” was the first comment from Dhoni at the presentation. Not that he didn’t, for example, highlight MoM Virat’s effort (an unbeaten 77).

In keeping with his character, Dhoni made no mention of his own ’keeping, which was outstanding.

Virat and Yuvraj Singh had a commanding partnership, 66 for the third wicket, and while there were cheers in plenty, the odd prayer was also mumbled.

A little unusually, for one of them to get out, in the hope that Dhoni would promote himself!

Yuvraj fell for a racy 30. The deafening roar which followed left no one in doubt as to who was replacing him.

Dhoni.

The captain didn’t have much to do, but it was “paisa vasool” for the nearly 40,000-odd who became part of history.

It’s interesting that Dhoni had been resisting calls to promote himself, to No.5, and only moved up to satisfy the crazy fans.

But there’s a story behind the promotion. So, over to Dhoni himself...

“I understood that people would love to see me bat up front, with the match being held here, but the priority was to win... I’m not just for the people of Ranchi..."

“So, we had to use the best option at that point... I was sitting next to (Suresh) Raina, who was up next, and he said ‘why don’t you go out there’..."

“It did not look like a wicket would fall but, fortunately or unfortunately, Yuvraj got out...”

This tale, too, wouldn’t please Cook.

India and England head to Chandigarh on Sunday afternoon.

The stadium’s next big moment, meanwhile, would be during the IPL, when champions Kolkata Knight Riders play two matches here.

To get a first-hand feel of the action at a new venue, an IPL team was present right through the ODI.

As Dhoni told this Reporter the other day, even the best can be made better. That’s a refreshing attitude to have.

India decimate England to grab 2-1 lead

Clinical bowling sets up seven-wicket win on Ranchi's international debut.

Scores

The bowlers, led by Jadeja, put in another match-winning effort.

It was Ranchi’s ODI debut and India gave the locals a day to remember. After bowling England out for 155, India chased down the runs with ease to take a 2-1 lead in the series. But one of the things that India can draw strength from, especially in this testing phase they’re going through, is the fine performance of their rookie seamers, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed. 

The new-ball duo took just two wickets between them. But often such figures belie their true impact on the game. They bowled at a decent pace, swung the ball and maintained a tough line and length through their spells – just as they have through their short international careers. 

In no mood to let England dictate terms, they set the stage up for their more experienced colleagues – Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – and they engineered a fine demolition job of the English line-up. 

England were 68-1 in the 15th when umpire S. Ravi erroneously upheld a caught-behind appeal against Kevin Pietersen. He had hit his pad while the ball itself may have deflected off his trouser. To Pietersen’s shock, the umpire ruled in favour of India’s spontaneous appeal. Jadeja and Ashwin found their sweet spot on the pitch and the English middle-order once again showed their susceptibility against spin. 

Eoin Morgan did what Mike Gatting had infamously tried against Allan Border for the same result. Jadeja then worked out Craig Kieswetter and Samit Patel with straight balls – one bowled, the other LBW. But the ball of the day was perhaps by Ashwin – a flighted ball just around the driving length spun back sharply into Tim Bresnan, entering the large gap between bat and pad and into the top of the stumps. 

GREAT LINE AND LENGTH

Shami and Bhuvaneshwar were top-class with the new ball.It’s hard to remember the last occasion when two Indian seamers troubled the opposition for the extent of their quota of overs — particularly in batting-friendly Indian conditions such as this. Bhuvaneshwar, with that in-swinger from hell, kept bending the ball into the right-hander and away from the left-hander. 

With an economical action and a beautiful, upright seam, he has caused much trouble to Pakistani and English batsmen this winter. But international cricket is a tough arena and a player’s weaknesses tend to be identified quickly. So it’d be interesting to see how the young seamer from Uttar Pradesh retains the gift for in-swing while developing more skills — such as bowling the closing overs — to prolong his career.

His new-ball partner, Shami Ahmed, has shown uncommon maturity for someone playing just his third international game. He has a gift for line and length and he stuck to what he was good at. The wicket offered extra bounce and Shami and with Bhuvaneshwar kept hammering away at a spot short of good length. 

It was also great to see Ashwin get his bearings right today. In the previous games, he had bowled a scattershot line and tried too many variations. Today, he bowled a tight line just outside off – what many would consider ideal for off-spinners. The results: 10 overs, 37 runs and two wickets. In between, Ishant chipped in with the wickets of Pietersen and Joe Root at key moments of the game. 

EASY CHASE

While India’s bowling has been top-notch, some of the batting problems remain. Steven Finn found his way through Ajinkya Rahane’s defence for the second time this series. Rahane has come in for Sehwag and has yet to make a healthy contribution up the order. 

His opening partner, Gautam Gambhir worked hard for 33 but threw it away trying to hit James Tredwell across the line over mid-on. Yuvraj Singh then raced to 30 with some big hits but missed a straight ball from Tredwell. 

Virat Kohli overcame a trying spell from Finn in which he top-edged a couple of bouncers over the wicketkeeper. But once set, he let loose the pulls, flicks and cover-drives that powered him to a match-winning half-century. The innings was long due, and runs for him would mean one worry less for the team management. 

The nice touch in the end was of Mahendra Singh Dhoni coming out to bat to a loud cheer from his home crowd. When Dhoni had started playing for India, Ranchi was a cricketing outpost. It didn’t have a proper stadium. Yesterday, Dhoni was hit on the left thumb by a bouncer in practice. There were concerns over his fitness. But the Indian captain didn't let the knock spoil the occasion. He took part in the inauguration function in the evening and even got on stage to beat a drum. And it was fitting that one the day the HEC International Cricket Complex made its international debut, it was Ranchi’s favourite son who finished off the match with a pull for four.

We must get runs on the board: Tredwell

Mohali, (IANS): England off-spinner James Tredwell on Tuesday said it is important for the visitors to put runs on the board to carry out their plans with the ball in the fourth One-Day International against India at the PCA Stadium.

“We have bowled quite nicely actually over the last few games. We know how dangerous the Indian batting line-up can be and I think we have actually shaped up quite nicely with the ball. Obviously, a few more runs on the board would have been nice. Hopefully, we can go out and get runs on the board and then carry out our plans with the ball,” said Tredwell, who was Man of the Match in the first One-Day International (ODI) at Rajkot.

With the visitors trailing 1-2, this is a must-win match for them to keep the five-match series alive.

“We go in to every game trying to win it, regardless of how the series is standing. And certainly it is at the back of your mind, but you have to focus on the next ball and then hopefully things take care of themselves, in terms of results,” Tredwell said.

“It can’t be quite easy in this part of the world if you get on a bad trot; you can let your heads drop and we can’t allow that feeling to creep in. We played well in the first game and we will try to draw on that performance and try and reach those heights as opposed to dwelling on the poor performances of the last two games,” added the off-spinner, who has picked up seven wickets in the three games so far.

Tredwell, who has played 12 ODIs so far in his career, also commented on his own performance saying: “Thankfully, it has gone okay so far, but if you rest on that, then you are not looking forward to better things ahead. Having played a fair amount of games domestically at home sort of helps you come across different conditions, different players and different plans.”

Lean run was inevitable, says Virat Kohli

Kohli crossed the 50-run mark for the first time in more than six months during the third ODI against England.

Mohali, (IANS): Virat Kohli, back amongst the runs with a fine 50 in Ranchi, feels the No.3 position in the batting order is best suited to him and he would like to carry on playing in the top-order.

"No.3 has been working fine for me. I wouldn't know too much about the lower order because I haven't batted too much there. I sort of like the pressure situation going in at three. And I like to finish off games as well. So, it gives me the right platform to do the job for the team, which I like to do," Kohli said on the eve of the fourth One-Day International against England.

Kohli crossed the 50-run mark for the first time in more than six months during the third ODI against England.

It is important for the Delhi batsman to score as he is one of the main candidates to lead the side in the future.

Looking back at his lean run, Kohli said: "There is always a balance in international cricket where you will get a phase where you won't score in four-five games and you've just got to keep yourself calm at that point of time because you know it is going to happen at some point or the other."

"You can't keep scoring in every game for a period of over 16 months to 18 months; so I was pretty calm at that point of time. For me, it is all about working hard in the nets regularly and just staying calm and staying patient. If you get frustrated, you sort of tend to increase that kind of lean phase that you are going through. You got to be positive, which I was and I am glad I was able to come out with that knock in the last game."

India are leading 2-1 in the series and given the extreme cold conditions expected in Dharamsala for the fifth and final ODI, Kohli said they would want to wrap up the series on Wednesday.

"The next game is really very important. We have to step up and put up a consistent show tomorrow. It's not certain that we can have a game in Dharamsala, so this becomes all the more important tomorrow. So, we have to gear up and stay relaxed and prepare well and hopefully have a nice match."

Raina breaks into top 10 for first time

Dubai, Jan 28 (IANS) India batsman Suresh Raina has broken into the top-10 of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player Rankings for ODI batsmen for the first time in his career.

Raina has jumped 15 places to 10th in the latest rankings released Monday. Raina was named player of the series against England after he scored 277 runs in the five-match series at an average of 92.33. Raina's efforts also helped him achieve a career-best 669 ratings points.

Another batsman inside the top 10 to improve his ranking is England captain Alastair Cook, who has moved up one place to seventh.

Outside the top 10, the batsmen heading in the right direction are Graeme Smith in 15th (up by six), Ian Bell in 23rd (up by six), Kevin Pietersen in 29th (up by one), David Warner in 35th (up by two), Kane Williamson in 36th (up by 18), George Bailey in 48th (up by three), Rohit Sharma in 54th (up by two), Lahiru Thirimanne (up by 12) and Faf du Plessis in joint 64th (up by three), Colin Ingram in 83rd (up by 14), Samit Patel in 86th (up by 10) and James Franklin in 90th (up by 13).

Australia's debutant batsman Philip Hughes, who was the highest run-getter in the series against Sri Lanka with 257 runs, has entered the rankings in 73rd position.

The batting table continues to be headed by South Africa's Hashim Amla, followed by teammate A.B. de Villiers in second and India's Virat Kohli in third place.

The Player Rankings for ODI bowlers is still topped by Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal, followed by teammate Mohammad Hafeez in second place. But there has been a lot of movement inside the top 10 of the bowlers' list.

South Africa's Lonawabo Tsotsobe has moved up a place to third, Sri Lanka's Nuwan Kulasekara, who was the number-one ranked ODI bowler in March 2009, has jumped up 16 places to sixth spot following his 11 wickets in the series against Australia, Steven Finn has gained one spot and is now in fifth position, and Lasith Malinga has returned after jumping 10 places to 10th.

Tata Motors to launch 5 new cars this year

Tata Motors to launch 5 new cars this year
Homegrown auto major Tata Motors is planning to launch at least 4-5 new cars this year as it looks to script a revival of its fortunes in the domestic market. 
The company has come under intense pressure from utility vehicle specialist Mahindra and Mahindra for the No. 3 position in the domestic market and has suffered due to dated products and reliability issues. It is now looking at a turnaround and aiming for the second position in the market in the near future.

“Our stated position has been to become the No. 2 in the market in the foreseeable future,” said Ranjit Yadav, president, passenger car business unit, Tata Motors. “We will launch many products on new platforms to achieve that goal.”

In the nine months of the current fiscal year so far, Tata Motors registered near stagnant sales at 248,068 units while M&M grew by almost 30% to 227,104 units. Hyundai remains the second largest player with sales of 281,449 units, up 1% over last year.

Tata Motors on Monday launched a peppier version of the Indica priced at Rs. 5.99 lakh.

Happy Republic Day

Happy Republic Day

INDIA

India retain squad for remaining ODIs against England

The games will be played in Mohali and Dharamsala.

Will Pujara continue warming the bench?India have made no changes to their squad of 15 for the remaining two ODIs against England to be hold in the cold climes of Mohali and Dharamsala. 

After a poor start to the five-game series in Rajkot, India have crushed England in the next two games in Kochi and Ranchi. While the bowling unit has got its act together, India’s batting remains a concern. 

Ajinkya Rahane, who had come in for the out-of-favour Virender Sehwag, has put in some underwhelming performances in the blue jersey.

His much-demanded return to the Indian squad has seen a string of small scores: 19, 3, 42 and 28 in the four T20s against Pakistan and England, and 4, 47, 4 and 0 in the following ODIs. 

Also on display is a visible technical deficiency – his tendency to play away from the body – that England’s Steven Finn in particular has exploited in the last two games.

The rope that his opening partner Gautam Gambhir has got continues to get longer. Since England’s arrival in India in November, Gambhir’s scores in Tests, ODIs and T20s have been 45, 4, 65, 60, 40, 37, 16, 17, 43, 21, 8, 11, 15, 52, 8 and 33. They’re indicative of numerous good starts thrown away, questioning Gambhir’s waning skills and mental toughness that had once set him apart. 

It also begs the question why the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara hasn’t been given a game after being plucked out of the Saurashtra squad. 

As Pujara warms the Indian bench, Saurashtra are on the verge of entering the Ranji Trophy semifinal. It must be tearing the young batsman apart for being out of action when he could have been helping his side make a serious dash for the title. 

With both openers struggling for runs, India need solidity at the start of the innings. In the absence of other options, it could be worthwhile asking Pujara to open. Surely, he would do no worse than Rahane or Gambhir. 

Squad: MS Dhoni (C/WK), Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Shami Ahmed.

With series locked 1-1, MS Dhoni needs to seize the moment on his home turf against England

With series locked 1-1, MS Dhoni needs to seize the moment on his home turf against England
This city could not have asked for a more ideal scenario as it makes its international debut on Saturday. The One-Day International series against England is locked 1-1, the Indian team registered its most convincing victory of the season in the previous game in Kochi, and hometown hero Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in the midst of yet another purple patch in his favourite format - which is why the inaugural match at the brand new Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Dhurwa was expected to be a high-octane entertainer.

MS Dhoni beats a dhol during inaugural ceremony of JSCA stadium in Ranchi.

It still could be. But on Friday, the entire city's thoughts and prayers will be focused on Dhoni, who got struck on the thumb in the nets and had to go for a scan, with results still awaited.

The stadium, built over the last three years, was inaugurated on Friday by state governor Syed Ahmed in the presence of political bigwigs.

While the India captain will be desperate to lead his team out to the middle on his home turf, he will also hope that the wellrolled centre wicket will finally provide his batsmen a platform to fire collectively.

Even in the last game, which India won by a whopping 127 runs, the top order had to be rescued by Dhoni and his two trusted lieutenants, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, who posted half-centuries to fire the team to 285.

Ajinkya Rahane has had three innings as opener without really making a big mark, while Gautam Gambhir's quick half-century in Rajkot proved another false dawn as he was out cheaply in Kochi.

Virat Kohli showed some semblance of returning to form after a poor run in the last couple of months, while Yuvraj Singh has looked patchy. The Indian bowling seems to be putting up its own production of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

England, on the other hand, have punched above their weight on both legs of the tour, and barring the collapse in Kochi, have been impressive with the bat.

Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen provide contrasting styles at the top three positions, but are all capable of scoring big hundreds, while lower down, the innovation and unorthodoxy of Eoin Morgan and Samit Patel is a great fit.

It is their bowling that needs to pull up its socks after bleeding 108 runs in the last 10 overs in Kochi, and Steven Finn, who has been impressive with the new ball, has to lead the way.

Jade Dernbach, while continuing to pick wickets, has been all over the place and could come under pressure, especially with the steady Tim Bresnan having recovered from an injury.

It would be foolhardy to predict how the pitch will behave with regards to turn and bounce, but the quick outfield and the set formula for ODI pitches do make a run feast more likely than not.

There is a small concern about the dew factor, since there has been quite a bit of it over the last couple of days. With the sun setting earlier here than a large part of the country, the dew could make it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball in the second innings. Winning the toss and fielding, thus, seems to be the way to go.

Jadeja feels fielding first will suit India

Ravindra Jadeja found himself thrust into the press conference room when Mahendra Singh Dhoni got injured, and was a bit more forthcoming than the skipper usually is.

The Saurashtra all-rounder finally showcased his batting and bowling prowess in the same match in the second ODI in Kochi, and feels India will benefit if they bowl first at the JSCA International Stadium here on Saturday.

"It is the first game, so we don't know about the wicket's behaviour - how it will spin or bounce. If we field first, it will be nice because by seeing the other team's batting, we will get an idea of what is happening and what to expect," Jadeja said.

The Kochi win not only levelled the series for India but also gave a much needed boost to their confidence, according to Jadeja.

"We played well in the last game, our energy level was high right from the first ball. We will try to carry the momentum from the last game forward," he said.

Virat Kohli is under pressure after a prolonged form slump, but Jadeja backed the batsman. "Virat has done very well for the country in the last one year. Ups and downs are a part of any cricketer's life and now is the time for Virat to come out of the low," he said.

Eoin Morgan said England bowlers need to improve upon the performance in Kochi. "It was just a matter of not executing the plans. Our plans were good, and we just have to concentrate on executing them better."

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-vs-england-odi-ranchi-dhurwa-stadium-mahendra-singh-dhoni/1/242893.html

India vs England 3rd ODI: Dhoni and Raina are crucial to India’s chances in the match

India vs England 3rd ODI: Dhoni and Raina are crucial to India’s chances in the match

Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round performance and hard hitting of Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought back India in the series as they beat England by 127 runs in the second ODI in Kochi. Another positive in the game was the Indian bowlers who rose to the occasion and delivered when it mattered the most.

Let’s take a look at the players who will play a crucial role in the third ODI in Ranchi.

INDIA

MS Dhoni: The midas touch of our Indian captain is back and there can’t be a better place than Ranchi for Dhoni to display it. Captain Cool is going through a purple patch and playing at home will make him much more comfortable and help Team India take the English side down.

Yuvraj Singh: This south-paw is taking a nice start in every match but is unable to take it to the next level. But still Yuvi has got all the talent to be one of the best No. 5 batsmen in the world. Saturday can be his day to take a charge on English bowlers.

Suresh Raina: Five fifties in the past 10 matches is absolutely a brilliant display of batting by Raina, but he needs to convert those scores into a three-digit figure. His explosive batting has been very helpful till now and his brilliant fielding efforts can bring a  difference to final score-card .

Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The young lad from UP had an awesome start to his career. His bowling spell of 10 overs at trot in two matches is a very rare site in modern-day cricket. His consistency of picking wickets makes him much more lethal. Though he has lost his pace but his swing will worry the English-batsman.
 

ENGLAND

Alastair Cook: He has been the cause of worry for Indian spin attack and his captaincy is going to get tested in upcoming ODIs .His team has the ability to respond to tough situation very well and that makes him much more confident in taking critical decisions. He can play any shot mentioned in a cricket book. He is the trump card for England team.

Ian Bell: He is one of the players who have performed well in recent matches and his attacking batting can simply change the course of the game. If he has his day, Indian bowlers will have to pay a heavy price for his wicket.

Eoin Morgan: “Mr. Cricket of England", he has not lived upto his reputation in this series. But good players like Morgan need just one match to change the scenario and he has all the fire power to do that.

Steven Finn: Being a leading bowler of England bowling attack, he is the player who can keep England's hope to win the series in India. His awesome bowling spell in his last one day was brilliant and if Hoakes starts bowling in tandem with him, then he can be a bowler to watch out for.

'Drummer' Dhoni hogs limelight during stadium inauguration

First he became a drummer, then did an impromptu jig as Mahendra Singh Dhoni enthralled one and all in a different avatar during the inauguration of the newly constructed JSCA Stadium here today.

"Personally, it's a special moment for me. The journey begins tomorrow. It's the beginning of a new innings," Dhoni said in his speech.

Offered the drum by troupe leader Nandlal Nayak, Dhoni, normally a reserved person, readily put the sling around him as the Indian captain joined other 179 drummers who were dressed in warrior style that marked the one-hour inauguration ceremony.

Dressed in a white jacket and a pair of blue denims, Dhoni looked relaxed as he was accompanied to the venue, adjacent to the cricket stadium, by his wife Sakshi.

Addressing the gathering, Dhoni thanked the efforts of the people involved in constructing the stadium which began on June 19, 2009.

Dhoni said the cricket venue would put Ranchi in world map and the Jharkhand capital would need no introduction from now onwards.

"When I first joined the team, people were asking me the place I belonged to. I used to say I am from India and the next thing I would say I am from a place called Ranchi in Jharkhand. I used to explain Ranchi giving various routes like it is a place closer to Kolkata, near Jamshedpur. We are the richest state in natural resources."

"But, after the stadium was built it has now become an international venue. At least, we need not have to explain further about Ranchi in the cricket playing nations," he said proudly.

"It is a proud beginning; proud moment for people of Jharkhand. Now we are looking forward to a lot of support from the people tomorrow. I would like to thank each and everyone who have contributed in the making of the stadium. Now its up to the people of Jharkhand to make tomorrow's game very special," Dhoni concluded.

Describing it as a remarkable piece of work, BCCI supremo N Srinivasan said,"It will now become the pride of this region. I'm very happy for Dhoni who captains the team in all the three formats and also is the skipper of my favourite IPL team (Chennai Super Kings)."

ECB chairman Giles Clarke was also present along with his wife as he termed this an outstanding venue.

"We are really thankful for getting the opportunity to play the first match here," Clarke said.

Earlier state governor Syed Ahmed jointly inaugurated the venue along with BCCI supremo Srinivasan.

The stadium complex houses two tennis courts, an indoor cricket academy, an under construction swimming pool besides the main cricket ground with 39,000 seating capacity.

3rd ODI: India play England, will look to gain lead in series

3rd ODI: India play England, will look to gain lead in series

Captain MS Dhoni during practice at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi

After huge 127-run win in the second ODI in Kochi, the Indian cricket team under MS Dhoni will look to take lead when they take on England in the third ODI in Ranchi, Jharkhand on Saturday.
After defeat in first ODI in Rajkot, a huge win in the second ODI will give Indian team a lot of confidence.This is also skipper MS Dhoni's home ground, where this is the first international match being played, so there will be lot of expectations of the fans from him.

However, the first day of Dhoni practice in the nets was not a very pleasant experience.

Having enjoyed two days of constant adulation since arriving with the India team to play in the first-ever international match at the new Jharkhand State Cricket Association stadium, the skipper got into serious business at the batting nets adjacent to the main pitch on Friday.

However, currently the best batsman in the squad was soon left wincing in pain after a delivery from bowling coach Joe Dawes thudded into his gloved right thumb. Dhoni left the practice holding the thumb as concern spread among his teammates that the injury could be serious enough to spoil the party for Ranchi's favourite son.

An India team official, however, allayed fears and said it was not serious enough to warrant even a precautionary X-ray and the only 'keeper in the squad would lead the side on Saturday. The India captain to would not want to miss out what will be a proud moment when he goes out to toss before his home fans.

Pitch Concerns
Although that was good news, the India batsmen may not be entirely happy with the way the practice pitch, two strips away from the one on which the match will be played, behaved. Dawes, a well-built man but bowling slow medium-pace from a short run up, extracted appreciable bounce from just short of good length. If the match wicket turns out to be as lively, it can pose a challenge to the top order batsmen who are yet to find their best form.

Ravindra Jadeja also batted on the same strip for quite some time and was repeatedly beaten by Shami Ahmed, who bowled from a shorter run-up but the ball swung and seamed a fair bit.

Jadeja, who will be anxious to build on his all-round performance in Kochi and wipe out the feeling that the south paw is over-rated, betrayed a touch of concern in the home team's ranks as a pitch with some life can play into the hands of England.

Cautious
"It was good that there was bounce and seam movement in the practice wicket because it gives us good practice for the next game, which we will be playing in Mohali," he told a press conference.

"The practice wicket was little uneven but I don't think that will be the case with the match wicket. It has been rolled well, so the wicket will bind well and there will be good bounce. A bouncy wicket will be good for our game in Mohali."

But, repeatedly asked about the wicket, Jadeja confessed the hosts could well bat second if Dhoni won the toss, to get an idea how the wicket behaved. The other factor, which he did not mention, was dew that settled on the ground on Thursday evening. Although the match starts at noon and is scheduled to finish at 7.40pm, the team fielding second could face some problem with gripping the ball and footing on the outfield.

Jadeja is confident he can be more consistent with the bat and ball. "Earlier, I used to play wrong shots and throw away my wicket. Now when I get a chance, I make sure I bat till the end. And I stick to bowling stump to stump without experimenting much. I always think while bowling and have not changed that."

For England, every bit of discomfort to Dhoni will be good news as only he has been able to bind the second half of the innings. For India, extra life in the pitch could be a good opportunity to blood Cheteshwar Pujara, the batsman with the best technique and form combined in the squad.