It’s merchant magic
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They’ve sung catchy jingle adverts, their song has become the sporting anthem of India, and they’ve collaborated with the likes of Lady Gaga.
Yet despite these achievements, India’s famous sons Sulaiman and Salim Merchant are still surprised by their success.
Now, the brothers are in the country and cannot wait to perform for their South African fans.
Bollywood fans will recognise their versatile talent, as the Merchants are the voices behind some of the hottest tracks in several of Bollywood’s most popular movies, such as Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Kurbaan, Ab Tak Chappan and Pyaar Impossible.
I caught up with them on the phone this week to ask why South Africa held such an appeal for them.
“The fans here are absolutely crazy,” said Sulaiman.
“We performed here once before at the World Cup kick-off concert and the fans were so amazing. We had no idea what to expect but the crowd was shouting and cheering our names, we were over the moon.”
The Merchant brothers will perform tonight in Durban and tomorrow in Joburg for the first time since participating in the Fifa World Cup 2010 Kick Off Concert last year.
The brothers performed a song entitled Africa, you’re the star for which they received a standing ovation from the thousands of music fans at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Steeped in a family tradition of music as the sons of composer and veteran of the film industry Sadruddin Merchant, Salim mastered the piano at the Trinity School of Music in London while Sulaiman took up tabla training with such legends as Taufiq Qureshi and Ustad Zakir Hussain.
Salim and Sulaiman conceded that they were the first to be surprised by their success in Bollywood after their score for the smash hit film Hameshaa 14 years ago, even though they had done some film work before that. The duo have been churning out chart-toppers consistently ever since.
The musical brothers said they would be spending four days in the country.
“Hopefully we have a day off so we can fly out to Cape Town or something. Right now it’s unplanned so we will decide closer to the time,” said Salim.
With a string of awards from leading Bollywood awards events FilmFare, Zee Cine, Screen and IIFA, as well as an Emmy nomination under their belt, the brothers have established a firm international following with their music scores that match the rapidly changing style in Bollywood productions.
“Its such an amazing feeling knowing that our music is loved around the world, there isn’t a better feeling,” said Salim.
Besides collaborating with American hit singer Lady Gaga, the Merchant brothers have also collaborated with local musician Loyiso Bala.
“It was great collaborating with Loyiso. He is such a nice humble man and it was a privilege working with him so we had lots of fun,” said Salim.
“Also working with Lady Gaga was a tough but very rewarding experience. When we had initially offered to collaborate with Gaga for a Bollywood remix of her song, we were not too sure of her song.
“We than researched it and found out it had been a number one track in 14 different countries and we were taken aback, so it was a privilege working with Lady Gaga,” said Salim.
The brothers are also the voices behind Chak de India, the Indian national sporting anthem, sung especially when the Indian national cricket team is playing.
“To hear thousands of fans singing our song is amazing. Not only are we proud of each other but also very proud of representing India,” said Salim.
Salim and Sulaiman Merchant will be in concert with top South African dancers at the ICC in Durban tonight and at Emperors Palace in Gauteng tomorrow night. Tickets are available from R150 at Computicket.
Article source: http://www.iol.co.za/saturday-star/it-s-merchant-magic-1.1168045 All Images and Article Content Copyright own by Same Source Owner.
Reliance Mediaworks offers 3D conversion, `Don 2` first project
New Delhi: Reliance Mediaworks is offering 3D conversion services to Bollywood studios and its first project is Shah Rukh Khan-starrer `Don 2: The Chase Continues`.
Producer Ritesh Sidhwani says the success of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2″ in 3D drove their decision to convert “Don 2″ into the format.
“After seeing the success of `Harry Potter` which was also converted, we were absolutely sure that the experience and thrill of watching a 3D film is not lost if the conversion is done correctly, and seeing the result of the demo done by Reliance we were convinced that we should bring `Don 2` to cinemas in 3D,” said Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment.
The film and media services firm of the Reliance Group is offering expertise and proprietary technology developed for Hollywood to Indian film studios from its Navi Mumbai facility.
It will also provide creative expertise as well as powerful tools for 3D project requirements and other services through its team of more than 600 trained artists, a press statement said.
“Hollywood has shown how the 3D format can enhance the immersive audience experience and for Bollywood. 3D will prove to be the next technological phase in entertainment,” said Reliance MediaWorks CEO Anil Arjun.
“Within the next two years, the 3D cinema screen count is expected to cross 1,500 screens in India and the penetration of 3D television will also be significant, establishing exceptional opportunity which Indian film studios can leverage to garner higher returns,” he added.
Reliance MediaWorks` bouquet of 3D services includes stereoscopic 2D to 3D conversion, services for 3D alignment issues, image and detail enhancements, grain and noise management and on-set consulting, DI grading for 3D, creation and handling of 3D DCPs and 3D camera services.
“Don 2: The Chase Continues” will release in cinemas Dec 23. It will be released in both 2D and 3D formats.
Director Farhan Akhtar is content with the 3D coversion.
“The 3D conversion of `Don 2` has been done exceedingly well by the Reliance MediaWorks team and we are very happy with outcome. We explored the option of releasing the film in 3D by doing a test demo and the results came out looking fabulous,” said Akhtar.
“Since it was translating well and technology has come to a point where we don`t need to shy away from it, we decided to go ahead and give the audiences a 3D experience of `Don 2`,” he added.
IANS
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Amitabh Bachchan is the last ‘Shahenshah’ of Bollywood: Bal Thackeray
Amitabh Bachchan is the last ‘Shahenshah’ of Bollywood: Bal Thackeray
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray Saturday demanded that the country’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, be conferred on Amitabh Bachchan. “Amitabh Bachchan is the last ‘Shahenshah’ (emperor) of Bollywood. In many countries of the world, the people don’t know who is the president or prime minister of the country, but they know Bachchan,” Thackeray said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamna. “He is a real jewel of India who has brought laurels to the country…Bachchan truly deserves the Bharat Ratna,” Thackeray said. Praising various qualities of the megastar, he pointed out that some time ago, another Bharat Ratna, singer Lata Mangeshkar, had also suggested Bachchan’s name for the honour. Bachchan is “as deserving as Sachin Tendulkar for the Bharat Ratna,” but the central government and the Congress has ignored it in view of strained relations between the Bachchan and the Gandhi family, Thackeray said. Thackeray referred to the smear campaigns against Bachchan as recently someone used a fake Twitter account in the actor’s name, tweeting malicious statements against the Shahrukh Khan starrer RA.One. Actor Sayali Bhagat hurled allegations of misbehaviour at Bachchan, but she now denied it, the Shiv Sena chief said. “Who is this ‘Ravana’ behind these slander campaigns against a respected person like Bachchan? This should be probed,” Thackeray demanded, without naming anybody. Thackeray’s comments assume significance in view of the ongoing Maharashtrians versus north-Indians debate here that has been kicked off by city Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam. “We are not a burden on Mumbai,” the MP said October 24 adding, “If north Indians take a single day off, Mumbai will be practically paralysed.”
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Bollywood makes its presence felt at F1 after-party
View Comment
Dadster
Posted at 11:07 PM onOctober 31, 2011
Amita bacchan had duped the customs by not declaring lakhs of rupees of stuff he bought from London’s Harrods. When he was confronted later with receipts of having claimed refund of lakhs of rupees of VAT at heathrow airport over the stuff he had bought and brought to India,he paid it and the fine for false declaration . ( wonder weather a lesser celebrity would have got away so lightly ) . But the fact that he tried to dupe is a blemish on his character and a moral turpitude . But Indians would forgive him and Indian rulers will forget it as they are all equally corrupt and moral pygmies . Amita Bacchan tried to stash away money he collected as his fee for acting paid out from the theatre tickets purchased by the men on
the street , in Swiss Banks and even tried to get Swiss citizenship to escape . It is such people who are HEROES in India now, like our political netas. People get what they deserve. Perhaps this is what India deserves ! Gods Save India !. We are too many of us and we need too many Gods too. India is too much for just one God to manage it. We need all the available Gods Viz , Gods of Truth and Honesty and Gods of Corruption
and Dishonesty too ! We will worship all of them.
ajit
Posted at 2:11 PM onOctober 31, 2011
thackeray, editor of a newspaper is a chief of a political party. in his editorials is writing about failure of a film and controversies caused due to fake twitter accounts???????
due to old age he does not have anything else to do. so may be he keeps on watching zoom tv all day and writes his editorials…
monu
Posted at 7:27 PM onOctober 31, 2011
very foolish thoughts expressed by mr whosoever u are.
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Bollywood legend heads to the UAE
Article source: http://www.7days.ae/article/news/national/bollywood-legend-heads-uae-30554 All Images and Article Content Copyright own by Same Source Owner.
Pics – Bollywood celebs party with Lady Gaga
Shahrukh Khan and Arjun Rampal enjoyed the company of the American singer, performer Lady GaGa at the after-party of the India’s first F1 Grand Prix in Greater Noida on Sunday.
A host of Bollywood celebrities turned up for the after-party hosted at the Lap Buddh Circuit. As per reports, Lady Gaga who is in town especially for this gig gave a scintillating performance to a packed house, even though the ticket prices were exorbitant.
Lady Gaga performed a song with a Sitar accompaniment as she herself played the piano.
Apart from Shahrukh and Arjun, the celebs who attended the gig included Deepika Padukone, Bipasha Basu, Sonam Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Preity Zinta, Imran Khan, Fardeen Khan and Vijay Mallya.
After the party, Lady Gaga herself posted this image of her with Shahrukh and Arjun on Twitter and wrote: “Screw Hollywood. It’s all about Bollywood.”
Check out more images from the F1 after-party at Lap Buddh Circuit ahead.
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B-Town goes gaga over Lady Gaga
They entertain people, but this time around it was the turn of celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Bipasha Basu and Deepika Padukone to let their hair down at pop icon Lady Gaga’s maiden performance in India and party hard.
The singer, who has chart-toppers like Poker face,
Judas and Born This Way to her credit, performed at the F1 after-party at the Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort in Greater Noida Sunday night. The party was attended by the Who’s Who of India’s film, fashion, F1 and business worlds.
Actress Bipasha Basu, who flaunted a short orange and black dress, said: “I am very excited about Lady Gaga…everyone wants to see Lady Gaga. My favourite track of hers is Bad romance.”
Celebrities stopped over at the red carpet to share their excitement with the media about watching Gaga live.
“I am looking forward to watching Gaga. In fact I was travelling to London for shooting sometime back and all we heard on the radio was Lady Gaga. My favourite track is Judas,” said Deepika Padukone, who looked chic in a sparkling white, shimmery dress.
She tip-toed into the party with rumoured beau Siddharth Mallya, who was equally excited for the ‘mother monster’s’ show.
“Lady Gaga is just superb. I love Lady Gaga…I love the way she dresses, her music is superb. I have never met her, and I’ve never seen her live either. I love all her songs, but I like one of the latest ones..I guess it’s Edge of glory,” said Mallya, whose team, Sahara Force India participated in the inaugural Formula One Indian Grand Prix.
For filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, Gaga’s music is special. “I have to confess that I am an old rocker, and I thought my life ended with Madonna. But I have seen and heard some of Lady Gaga’s songs, and I feel her show will be quite a spectacle,” he said.
Singer-anchor Anusha Dandekar, said: “Lady Gaga is a fantastic entertainer. Everyone is excited to watch her. I haven’t watched her show before…I guess she will be great!”
Actor Imran Khan, who came in hand in hand with his wife, Avantika, confessed: “I am not really a Gaga fan. I am just here for my friends.”
Other actors and celebrities spotted at the red carpet included Preity Zinta, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Riya Sen, Raima Sen, Rahul Bose, Sanjay Kapoor, Gauhar Khan, Nigaar Z.Khan, Susanne Roshan, Gauri Khan, Mehr Jessia Rampal, Jackky Bhagnani, Jas Arora and Rannvijay Singh.
F1 racers Felipe Massa, Kamui Kobayashi, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Daniel Ricciardo attended the party as well, apart from a few designers like Manoviraj Khosla, Manish Arora, Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna, Kavita Bhartiya, and cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra.
Article source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/B-Town-goes-gaga-over-Lady-Gaga/H1-Article1-763136.aspx All Images and Article Content Copyright own by Same Source Owner.
Bollywood cheers Formula One
Director Madhur Bhandarkar clarified that he isn’t making a remake of Aashiqui but is planning a sequel to Fashion.
‘Let me clarify i am not making AASHIQUI remake. FASHION 2 is under consideration for 2012 end but nothing as been finalised yet !’ he updated.
The shooting for his troubled project Heroine will start from the end of November. ‘HEROINE principal photography to commence from End Nov, #kareenakapoor @rampalarjun !’ he added.
Shirish Kunder clarified that his film Joker will not clash with Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger. ‘Joker release date confirmed, to arrive on 30th August, 2012. JOKER is releasing 2 weeks after EK THA TIGER. Don’t worry, not clashing, would never do that,’ he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Kunal Kohli will be shooting again with Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor for his untitled film. ‘Starting shooting again this month for my film with @priyankachopra @shahidkapoor. Looking forward to it,’ he wrote.
Image: Madhur Bhandarkar
Photographs: Pradeep Bandekar
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Bollywood actor becomes Indian ‘prince’
MUMBAI — Top Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was made the new Nawab (Muslim prince) of Pataudi on Monday in a private ceremony at his ancestral home in northern India.
Khan became the 10th nawab of the former princely state after the death in September of his 70-year-old father, Mansur Ali Khan, from a rare form of lung disease.
The elder Khan, nicknamed “Tiger Pataudi” for his brilliant fielding, captained India at cricket while his father, Ifthikar Ali Khan, played for both India and England.
Saif Ali Khan, who was educated at the private Winchester school in England, is one of Hindi-language cinema’s biggest stars and was recently seen in the thriller “Aarakshan” (Reservation).
Monday’s ceremony was held at the family seat of Pataudi Palace in Haryana state and attended by relatives and local villagers, said Rohini Iyer, Khan’s spokeswoman in Mumbai.
Village chiefs tied a turban around his head at a ceremony watched by his mother, the former actress Sharmila Tagore, and his two sisters.
The 41-year-old actor, who is dating Bollywood pin-up Kareena Kapoor, told the NDTV news channel after the ceremony that “even if it’s symbolic, it’s very humbling… I’m also conscious of some kind of responsibility.”
Pataudi was a princely state in pre-independence India while the nawabs, who can trace their lineage back centuries, were its aristocratic rulers.
Like the heads of other erstwhile Indian princely states that were taken over after the British left in 1947, the title is now ceremonial with no formal powers.
Part of Pataudi Palace is now a heritage hotel.
Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.
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Bollywood’s Khan Flops as Superhero in India’s Costliest Movie
Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) — Shah Rukh Khan climbed to the summit of Bollywood on a path trodden in the U.S. by stars like Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant: playing mostly the same character in film after film.
Khan at his box-office best portrays a fast-talking, modern young man with raffish good looks who enchants the heroine and then reveals a respect for Indian tradition that charms her mother. When mum asks the couple to elope, our hero refuses and vows to win over the grumpy patriarchal father, thus capturing the hearts and rupees of every movie-going daughter and mother.
In “Ra.One,” India’s most expensive film which premiered in Dubai last week, he strays from the formula and pays the price. This time, Khan plays the roles of bumbling computer nerd Shekhar and the computer-game hero he invents. The movie, which Khan said cost the co-producers more than 850 million rupees ($17.4 million), is a dated video game dressed in the garb of an unoriginal film without a shred of the mystery, mythology, conflict or depth that characterize a good superhero movie.
While no one was expecting “The Dark Knight” from this film’s makers, they could potentially have matched the entertaining and goofy “Hellboy.” Sadly, Khan and director Anubhav Sinha fail to understand the idiom of superhero cinema.
Khan plays a Southern Indian stereotypically as a bumbling, nerdy simpleton with an ugly mop of curly hair and weak social skills. He is a video game designer, living in London with his gorgeous wife and young son, who cringes at his dad’s inability even to correctly pronounce the word “dude.”
Villain Worship
Eager to impress his lad, who believes heroes are boring and villains are “kick-ass,” Shekhar develops a game where the evil Ra.One is more powerful than the noble G.One.
Ra.One, a play on Raavan, the villain in the Hindu epic Ramayana, inevitably escapes the video game and enters the real world, intent on wreaking havoc. It is now up to G.One, also played by Khan, to fight the villain and save the day.
You know how all this is going to end. The story, for which Sinha takes credit, consists of plot points and ideas from Hollywood movies such as “Tron”, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “Virtuosity,” to name just a few.
Sinha’s direction is haphazard. The much talked-about special effects whiz past your eyes accompanied by such a noisy score that it makes Michael Bay’s Transformer movies seem serene. Characters are forced to mouth reams of expository dialog so banal that one couldn’t care less.
Channeling Casper
Khan, co-producer of the film, is gratingly unappealing as the father and seemed ill-at-ease as G.One, as if he were trying to channel Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator and Casper the Friendly Ghost at the same time. Kareena Kapoor, as his wife Sonia, has little to do other than look ravishingly clueless and display some dance moves.
The character of Ra.One gives Arjun Rampal as much scope as a wooden puppet. He growls a lot. The son, played by Armaan Verma, is a welcome break from the annoying, bratty kids that populate Bollywood movies.
Khan said he wants to make the first Hindi film that the whole world watches. Ra.One isn’t it. India has had much better contenders in movies, such as Anurag Kashyap’s “Dev D” and “Gulaal,” or Dibakar Banerjee’s “Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!”
And if you crave a good old-fashioned dose of Bollywood, rent “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” or “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,” both of which star Khan in roles that helped cement his status as the “king” of the Hindi film industry.
Rating: *.
Information:
www.raonemovie.com/
*T What the Stars Mean: **** Excellent *** Good ** Average * Poor (No stars) Worthless *T
(Pratish Narayanan writes about Indian cinema for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)
–Editors: Adam Majendie, Mark Beech.
To contact the reporter on this story: Pratish Narayanan in Mumbai at pnarayanan9@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
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Injury-hit teams face off in Bulawayo
Match facts
Zimbabwe v New Zealand, November 1, Bulawayo
Start time 1000 (0800 GMT)
Big Picture
New Zealand have not played a Test since the home series against Pakistan ended in January 2011. They haven’t won a Test since beating Bangladesh at Seddon Park in February 2010. They haven’t beaten a top-flight side since the victory against Pakistan in Dunedin in November 2009. Tests series and successes have been few and far between for them in recent times and the one-off match against Zimbabwe is their only game ahead of the tour of Australia in December.
New Zealand are presently No. 8 on the ICC’s Test rankings and need every victory they can get to try and bridge the gap between them and West Indies.
Zimbabwe’s re-entry to the Test fold is only two matches old. They won the first against Bangladesh, and enjoyed the limelight of that comeback win, but lost the second to Pakistan, after which a succession of limited-overs defeats has highlighted the shortcomings of their cricket. Zimbabwe, however, had a strong first-innings performance against Pakistan in Bulawayo. A second-innings collapse caused a sudden defeat. Zimbabwe have had several impressive individual performances since them – most of them from their captain Brendan Taylor – and the challenge is to produce a compelling collective effort.
Zimbabwe managed one such collective effort in the ODI series, after it had been lost. They pulled off a record chase by gunning down a target of 329 in Bulawayo with one wicket in hand and a ball to spare. While their batsmen will take confidence from that effort into the Test, Zimbabwe’s bowlers won’t. They’ve struggled to strike and contain New Zealand’s batsmen all tour, and unless they produce an extraordinary turnaround in form, the best Zimbabwe can hope for is a draw.
Form guide
Zimbabwe: LW (most recent first)
New Zealand: DLLDD
In the spotlight
New Zealand’s squad has been strengthened by the addition of Daniel Vettori, who doesn’t play limited-overs cricket anymore. He eased into the tour by taking 3 for 35 and scoring 19 and 32 not out in the warm-up game against Zimbabwe A. Vettori’s ability to out-think his opponents and to bowl long spells of accurate left-arm spin will test the skill and patience of Zimbabwe batsmen. His plucky lower-order batting will also add depth to a line-up that Zimbabwe have struggled to get through.
Can Brendan Taylor continue his outstanding limited-overs form in the one-off Test? He scored back-to-back centuries in the first two ODIs and 75 in the third. All of those innings lifted Zimbabwe out of adverse situations and were superbly paced. The rest of the batsmen play around Taylor and Zimbabwe’s fortune in the Test will be closely tied with that of their captain’s.
Team news
Zimbabwe have two players injured ahead of the Test. Tatenda Taibu, one of their best batsmen, sustained a finger injury, while Brian Vitori, the fast bowler who has 12 wickets from five ODIs and five wickets in two Tests, did not recover from a shin problem that sidelined him from the limited-overs games against New Zealand. Allrounder Elton Chigumbura also had a knee problem, though, he hasn’t been ruled out. Malcolm Waller, who scored a match-winning 99 in the third ODI, could make a debut, along with either Njabulo Ncube or Keegan Meth.
Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Tino Mawoyo, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt), 5 Forster Mutizwa (wk), 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 Njabulo Ncube/Keegan Meth, 9 Ray Price, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Chris Mpofu.
Injuries to Kyle Mills and Jesse Ryder reduced New Zealand’s squad from 15 to 13 but no replacements were called up on such short notice. Mills tore an abductor muscle and Ryder strained his right calf. There was more bad news for the visitors on the eve of the Test, with fast bowler Andy McKay down with a stomach bug, which means they may have only 12 fit players to choose from. Unless New Zealand decide to play two spinners, Jeetan Patel will be the one to miss out.
New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 BJ Watling, 6 , 7 Reece Young, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Andy McKay/Graeme Aldridge/Doug Bracewell, 10 Andy McKay/Graeme Aldridge/Doug Bracewell , 11 Chris Martin.
Pitch and conditions
The pitch in Bulawayo is expected to be batting friendly. The forecast is clear for the first day, but some rain is predicted on the second and third, after which it is fair once again.
Stats and trivia
- Brendan Taylor scored 310 runs in three ODIs against New Zealand at a strike-rate of 107 and was dismissed only once.
- Zimbabwe have played 13 Tests against New Zealand, of which they’ve lost seven and drawn six.
- Zimbabwe have won only one Test out of 18 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. They have lost 10 and drawn seven matches. The solitary victory came against Bangladesh in 2001.
Quotes
“Daniel Vettori’s arrival is a big boost for them [New Zealand], but we’ll look to bat long and if we can take the game deep into day five then anything can happen.”
The Zimbabwe captain, Brendan Taylor
“That one-day game was 42 degrees and our bowlers struggled to bowl longer than three- or four-over spells, so we’re going to have to try and get a little bit more out of our bowlers in terms of spells.”
Ross Taylor on the challenge of playing in Bulawayo.
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