MUMBAI: Speaking exclusively to NewsX, the former Chairman of the DDCA Pitches‘ Committee, Chetan Chauhan, defended the pitch at the Kotla ground.

Speaking for the first time since the Ferozeshah Kotla fiasco on Sunday, Chetan Chauhan told NewsX: "The Sri Lankans chickened out, there was nothing wrong with the Kotla track."

Chauhan issued a spirited defence of the Kotla track, where the India-Sri Lanka one-dayer was abandoned after a number of Lankan batsmen were hit by dangerous deliveries.

Chauhan placed the blame squarely on the BCCI‘s shoulders, saying, "We only followed the instructions the BCCI Pitches‘ Committee chief, Daljit Singh, gave us. The Kotla pitch was difficult, but not impossible to play on. I have played international cricket on worse pitches."

However, the NewsX cricket expert Bishan Singh Bedi countered Chauhan‘s stance, saying, "The pitch was terrible, and a Sri Lankan batsman could have been killed. The DDCA and Chetan should thank God that the Indians weren‘t batting and it wasn‘t Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir who were hurt. The pitch was a shame."
 

MUMBAI: As the year draws to a close and the festive fervour is at a high, immerse yourself in the festive spirit and join the celebrations with a range of special programming on CNN-IBN. To welcome the new year, a series of programmes will highlight all the events and news stories that made an impact on our world and left a mark on our lives in the year 2009.

As the countdown to the New Year begins, CNN-IBN will talk about all the highs and the lows of the year gone by from the world of politics, sports, business and entertainment. The exclusive programming on CNN-IBN will include

Whatever it Takes: A show which will feature the top ten news events that made an impact in 2008. The show will go on air 31st December @ 8:00 PM.

Top 10 songs of the year: This show will look at the top ten songs that rocked India in the year 2009. The show will be played on 30th December@ 10:00 PM.

Sports 365: The show will highlight the biggest events in the world of sports, from the 2009 AIBA World Boxing Championships to the Sri Lanka tour of India and the Indian test cricket team?s elevation to the top spot in the year 2009. Catch the best sporting moments of 2009 on 1st January@ 7:30 PM.

CRICKET 365: A wrap-up of all that happened in Cricket from across the world and in India, from IPL Season 2 & India defeating Sri-Lanka to Sachin Tendulkar completing twenty years in cricket and his record breaking score of 30, 000 runs in international cricket. All cricket fans can watch this show on 31st December @7:30 PM.

Devil?s Advocate: the show will feature the very best of the interviews by the fiery and ferocious Karan Thapar. Watch the ?war of words? on 31st December@ 9:30 PM.

The Year that Wasn?t: This special edition of the show will wrap up all the big news of the year, the ?Cyrus Broacha? way. This show will play between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM on 31st December.

Best of Secret Kitchen: The show will feature the very best of secret kitchen shows with original customs and delicacies of various regions and cultures. The show will be aired on 3rd January ? 1:30 PM & 6:30 PM and 4th January ? 2:30 PM.

Image of the Year: These will be special segments capturing key moments of the year gone by. These special segments will be from 22nd December and 1st January.

Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief- IBN18 Network, said ?2009 has been a year full of surprises ranging from the UPA?s unsurpassed victory to the stabilizing of the world economy after the depths of recession. The special Christmas and New Year programming on CNN-IBN will reminiscence about some of these defining moments which have made an impact on the world at large and our lives?.
 

MUMBAI: With the year 2009 coming to an end, NDTV India has lined up a range of exciting shows to welcome the New Year for its viewers. Enjoy the year-end with special shows on your favorite songs, remarkable happenings in the year gone by and the changes that Mumbai city has witnessed.
"Gaana Number 1"

December 29th and 30th, Tuesday & Wednesday at 9:30pm & the Finals on December 31st, Thursday at 11:00 pm

NDTV travels to cities across India and interacts with people to identify the best Bollywood song of the year. The song of the year will be selected from six nominations shortlisted through market research and surveys of top of the chart songs on various radio stations and other chartbuster shows. The final decision will be through peoples? vote. Also find out how these songs were made from the music maestros themselves.

The list of songs nominated for year 2008-2009:

1. Emotional Atyachar: Dev D

2. Jai Ho: Slumdog Millionaire

3. Dhan Te Nan: Kaminey

4. Masakali: Delhi -6

5. Mann ka Radio: Radio

6. Chor Bazaari: Love Aaj Kal

Which song will win the title of NDTV Gaana No. 1? Catch all the action and excitement this year end only on NDTV India.

?Padmini Bolegi: Mumbai Badal Gayi?

December 31st, Thursday at 9:30pm
 

Our anchor-narrator is not a human. Watch Padmini, Taxi No- MH-01-X-5998, one of the ubiquitous taxis which has seen Mumbai through her thick and thin. She narrates to Mumbaikars and Non-Mumbaikars, a perception on how Mumbai has changed over the years in major attributes like infrastructure, politics and security. While she revisits the angst of the year-long Kasab trial, she also makes a departure to a few heartening developments like the Bandra Worli Sea-link, and the much awaited 15-coach local trains. Padmini pulls a fast one on the recent politics in the city, and also voices her own worries on her ebbing life, awaiting a phase-out. Be a part of Padmini?s journey of Aamchi Mumbai.

?9 Ki Nautankiyaan?

December 31st, Thursday at 10:00 pm

As 2009 counts its last few breaths, NDTV India stages the archives of year gone by highlighting the worldwide ?happenings? of the year. This year, the season was chunavi with smell of votes going high in the air, which amounted to a good number of nautankis. Enjoy the mastiyan of last year on 9 Ki Nautankiyaan.

MUMBAI: Aryan wants to take chandramukhi out for new year party but she informs him that they are planning to hold a party in imaan chauki itself.meanwhile everyone is all geared for party mood in chauki and dancing and practicing for same when an electrician walks in with the last years pending bill for decoration.

Aryan finds a perfect excuse and asks gul to settle the bill first or there will be no party . Chandramukhi and gul finally conspires to make aryan pay for the bill.

She starts talking to gul making sure that aryan can overhear her that how she had wished that there was a party in chauki tonight and how she planned to kiss her man right at 12.0 clock.

But now she is disappointed that party isnt happening. Gul then convinces a very curious aryan that Chandramukhi was talking about him and that he was her man that she had planned to hug and kiss in new year. hearing this aryan is excited to hold a party and settles all the bill but when party happens and the light goes off. Aryan hugs someone and later on when the lights come we realise its Commissioner who had come for the party . Aryan then somehow cooks a story to save himself and finally everyone is happy as the party rocks.

Don?t forget to catch FIR this Tuesday 10:30 pm only on SAB!!

MUMBAI: An endless horizon...miles and miles of ices...huge icebergs?that?s Antarctica for you, a continent of remote natural wonder! Antarctica: The White Desert a film by Damon Foster takes you through a vast white wilderness that stretches across the south of our planet; a giant natural laboratory that has long occupied the human psyche, Antarctica.

The film takes us on a mesmerizing visual adventure into this mysterious continent, introducing us to a team of scientists, researchers and explorers who have braved the inhospitable continent in the quest to learn its secrets.

Follow Damon Foster in his journey to the captivating continent and explore its flora & fauna Antarctica: The White Desert this Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 10:00pm with a repeat telecast on the following Sunday at 5:00pm only on NDTV Profit.

MUMBAI: Investment manager, Ajay Bagga, one of the most influential personalities of the category in India takes viewers through options that will attract the highest returns in 2010 while India‘s most revered Mutual Fund expert Dhirendra Kumar, shares his pick for the year.

Gold - the hedge against economic, political or social crisis is the Investor‘s Guide pick as the investment option for 2010. How much to buy, how long to hold and in which form to invest are some of the aspects, this episode guides on.

The real estate bubble might have burst in other countries. But Ajay Bagga remains bullish on the sector in India. Analyzing the huge investment opportunity in the sector, Ajay recommends buying real estate in India‘s tier-II towns. And Dhirendra extends his commentary, identifying the best infrastructure funds.

There‘s all this and a whole lot more happening on ET Now through the festive season. So stay tuned and get guided towards a wealthy and prosperous new year ahead.

Watch Investors Guide on ET NOW at the following times:
Saturday, 26h December: 04.30 pm & 08.30 pm
Sunday, 27th December: 10.30 am, 07.00 pm & 10.30 pm