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Match abandoned; Mumbai, Cobras split points

2011-10-01T04:45:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Indians were left to rue their luck as heavy rains forced their Champions League Twenty20 match against Cape Cobras to be abandoned in Bangalore on Friday, hampering the home side's chances of advancing to the semifinals.

Asked to bat first after the coin landed in the Cobras' favour, Kieron Pollard (58 off 37 balls) and debutant Sarul Kanwar (45 off 21) powered Mumbai to a daunting 176 for five before rain intervened at the break.
What seemed like a steady drizzle soon transformed into heavy downpour, making the turf at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium unplayable.

As there was no let-up in rain, the umpires were left with no option but to call off the group A tie at 11.05 pm, 35 minutes before the cut-off time. The first abandoned match in the history of Champions League T20 ensured both teams settle for a point each.

Mumbai still lead the table with five points but their hopes of progressing to last-four stage now rests on their next match, a must-win one for the Harbhajan Singh-led side. Cobras have three points after three games while Chennai Super Kings and New South Wales have two each.

Earlier Kieron Pollard smashed a blistering half-century while debutant Sarul Kanwar played a cameo as Mumbai Indians posted a competitive 176 for five.

Pollard, who smashed 58 off 37 deliveries with the help three sixes and six fours, was well supported by James Fraklin (18) who was involved in a 69-run fourth-wicket partnership with the West Indian.

Put into bat, opener Kanwar (45) lofted Charles Langeveldt over square-leg for a six to kickstart the assault. Kanwar was unstoppable as he hit Dale Steyn for a four and a six in the third over and then plundered 17 runs off JP Duminy courtesy two fours and a six over deep midwicket.

Mumbai reached the 50-run mark in the fifth over as Kanwar continued his onslaught. In the seventh over, Kanwar hit a six off Robin Peterson, but the Cobras spinner got his revenge as an inside-out shot by the right-hander found Owais Shah at the long-off. Kanwar's 21-ball cameo consisted of three fours and five sixes.

Following Kanwar's departure, Mumbai lost two quick wickets in the form of Aiden Blizzard (19) and Ambati Rayudu (6) as they reached 75 for three at the halfway stage. Pollard made his intentions clear from the outset as he hit two sixes off Duminy to score 17 runs off the 12th over.

In the company of Franklin, Pollard took the score past 100-run mark in the 13th over. Pollard was at his destructive best as he first plundered two sixes off Peterson in the 15th over and then smashed Langeveldt for a six and a four in the next.

After bringing up his fifty with a four off Steyn in the 19th over, Pollard departed after being caught by Shah. Andrew Symonds (14 not out) then provided the late flourish.

For Cobras, Peterson was the most successful bowler, picking up two for 29 while Steyn, Duminy and Kemp accounted for one wicket apiece.

ICC in talks with Interpol to fight corruption

2011-10-01T04:41:00.000-07:00

The ICC has been involved in talks with the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to increase co-operation in fighting corruption in sport. "The director general of Interpol made contact with us and what I am going to explore is a memorandum of understanding … so we can mutually cooperate and work together," Ronnie Flanagan, the chairman of the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit, told the Associated Press.

FIFA, the governing body for football, announced earlier in the year it would pledge US$29 million to Interpol each year for the next ten years to tackle corruption in football. Flanagan, however, said the ICC didn't have the money to finance investigations. "We don't have money to spend," Flanagan said. "So we can mutually cooperate and work together, but not to the extent that we have any money to pay them to do investigations for us. Unfortunately, investigations themselves fall back to our unit."

Flanagan admitted there was a fear that domestic matches could be affected by corruption, given the increased scrutiny of international fixtures. "The more we tighten up around international events and fixtures, the greater the potential risk … that these criminal people will focus elsewhere," Flanagan said. "I think we must be guarded against that."

At a World Sports Law Report conference, Flanagan called for greater co-operation between sports associations to combat the problem of corruption. "I'm pretty certain that the bad guys within the sports and the malicious criminals - people outside those sports - don't necessarily confine themselves to one sport," he said. "So as they move across the barriers, across different sports, we must ensure we cooperate even more closely together.

"We must share our intelligence, share our methodology, share our experiences."

Most recently, three Pakistan cricketers - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - were banned between five and ten years after an ICC tribunal found them guilty of spot-fixing during the Lord's Test against England last year.

England eye repeat as India sweat on Zaheer

2011-07-28T02:56:00.000-07:00

England will look for more of the same against India in the second Test at Trent Bridge starting here on Friday. They thrashed the tourists by 196 runs on Monday, with James Anderson taking five for 65 in front of a full house at Lord's in the 2,000th Test of all-time.

England, who will replace India at the top of the ICC's Test table if they win this four-match series 2-0 or better, had things pretty much their own way at Lord's, with Kevin Pietersen making a double century, Matt Prior a reviving second innings hundred and Stuart Broad returning to his best bowling form.

And even when dropped catches or contentious lbw decisions, for which there are no reviews this series because of Indian objections to ball-tracking technology, went against England, it made little difference.
"We know we're playing really, really good cricket at the moment," said Anderson. "Everyone's chipping in -- and if we need someone to step up, generally someone is. We're trying to improve each day, as individuals and as a team. If we can do that, we know we can do great things."

Anderson, often a beneficiary of the swing friendly conditions on offer at Trent Bridge, has dismissed Sachin Tendulkar six times in seven Tests, including lbw for 12 in the second innings at Lord's to leave the India great stranded on 99 international hundreds.

"When you get him out you know it's a key dismissal, so we know we've got to be on top of our game to do that," Anderson said. England had a huge break at Lord's when Zaheer Khan broke down early with a hamstring injury and then didn't bowl at all in the second innings. An India spokesman said Wednesday that Zaheer's fitness was "improving considerably".

But if the left-arm quick, who four years ago at Trent Bridge took nine wickets in what turned out to be a series-clinching win, is ruled out, India will have to decide between erratic fast bowler Shanthakurman Sreesanth and the steadier Munaf Patel.

"Ishant (Sharma) has been doing really well -- he was the man of the series in the West Indies -- and Praveen Kumar has taken five wickets (at Lord's)," said India batsman Abhinav Mukund. "Sreesanth is waiting in the wings as well, so it's not that we have a depleted attack. It's just that when you lose a fast bowler during a game it's a completely different scenario."

England have a doubt over fast bowler Chris Tremlett, unable to train on Wednesday because of a tight hamstring. If Tremlett is sidelined, fellow Ashes-winner Tim Bresnan will be recalled.
Rahul Dravid was the only member of India's celebrated top order to make a century at Lord's but the likes of Tendulkar and Venkatsai Laxman will be keen to post a significant score.

So too will 21-year-old left-hander Mukund, opening while Virender Sehwag recovers from a shoulder injury. Sehwag has an unrivalled ability to attack the new ball whereas Mukund, who made 49 and 12 at Lord's, is a far more orthodox opener.

"I don't want to replace Sehwag or play like he does, because it's not possible," Mukund said. "I just want to go out and play how I know. If it comes off it will help the team." And he insisted India were well-capable of demonstrating the resilience that had taken them to the summit of Test cricket during the rest of this series. "Being the world number one, the India team has conquered a lot of challenges on the way here. "We've come here to take up this challenge, and will definitely give it a good fight."

Sustaining pressure on Indian batsmen key to series win: Swann

2011-07-28T02:53:00.000-07:00

England off-spinner Graeme Swann says if the bowlers are able to sustain pressure on the Indian batsmen, like they did the in the Lord's Test, the hosts can eye winning the high-profile series and becoming the World No.1 Test side.

Swann picked two wickets at Lord's, where his team won by 196 runs with the pace trio of James Anderson, Chris Tremlett and Stuart Broad running through the famed Indian batting.
'We maintained pressure at both ends even though the ball wasn't doing much and made sure each new batsman felt uncomfortable when he came in - which was our game plan all winter too,' Swann wrote in his column for The Sun.

'We try to work with the guy at the other end to sustain pressure and it is great when two guys are bowling well together. If we can maintain that same level of performance over the series, we will really fancy our chances of winning - and maybe even reaching No 1 in the world rankings.'

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar had a forgettable outing at the 'Mecca of cricket', scoring 34 in 12 in the two innings. Swann says the team's strategy on getting Tendulkar cheaply worked.
'We stopped the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar, from making a big score at Lord's and our aim is to starve him of runs all series. It can't be easy for Sachin because he carries the expectation of the entire Indian nation on his shoulders every time he goes out to bat.

'And now it is even more intense because he is just one away from a century of centuries.'

Dravid rises in ICC rankings, Tendulkar drops to 4th

2011-07-27T02:59:00.000-07:00

Rahul Dravid, courtesy a brilliant hundred in the first Test between India and England at Lord's, has gained seven places to be 15th while teammate Sachin Tendulkar lost two places to be fourth after an ordinary show in the 2000th Test, in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings.

England batsman Jonathan Trott and fast bowler James Anderson have risen to second place in the rankings following their team's emphatic victory.
Trott has climbed two places, above Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, to the second spot in the batting rankings, after his innings of 70 and 22 in the opening game of the four-match series.

Kevin Pietersen, whose magnificent unbeaten double-century earned him the Man of the Match Award, has returned to the top 20, climbing 14 places to joint 15th in the rankings alongside Dravid.

The other centurion in the match, England wicket-keeper Matt Prior, has also achieved a new career-best rating, rising 10 places to 21st.
Anderson's seven-wicket haul in the match, including his 11th five-wicket Test haul of 5-65 in the second innings, has seen him overtake teammate Graeme Swann in the bowling rankings, with a new career best ranking.

Chris Tremlett's four wickets in the match have helped him to ninth place, also achieving a new career best rating, while Stuart Broad climbs four places to join Harbhajan Singh, who falls four places, in joint 11th place. Board has also moved to fifth on the all-rounders' ranking table.

India still have two bowlers in the top ten with Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma lying in fifth and seventh place respectively.

Test rankings:

Batsmen:

1.Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 883 ranking points
2.Jonathan Trott (England) 840
3.Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) 838
4.Sachin Tendulkar (India) 832
5.Alastair Cook (England) 783
6.Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) 775
7.V.V.S. Laxman (India) 771
8.Thilan Samaraweera (Sri Lanka) 766
9.AB de Villiers (South Africa) 760
10.Virender Sehwag (India) 759

Bowlers:

1.Dale Steyn (South Africa) 899
2.James Anderson (England) 800
3.Graeme Swann (England) 780
4.Morne Morkel (South Africa) 751
5.Zaheer Khan (India) 735
6.Mitchell Johnson (Australia) 727
7.Ishant Sharma (India) 665
8.Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) 648
9.Chris Tremlett (England) 638
10.Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) 623

All-rounders:

1.Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 451
2.Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) 364
3.Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) 338
4.Shane Watson (Australia) 315
5.Stuart Broad (England) 284

Trying my hardest: Zaheer

2011-07-27T02:53:00.001-07:00

"I'm trying to be fit (for the second Test), I'm trying my hardest...That's all that I can say," India's spearhead Zaheer Khan said.

Speaking at the Park Plaza on Tuesday afternoon, soon after arriving from London, Zaheer added: "Not being able to bowl (after just 13.3 overs) at Lord's was so frustrating...It's a freak injury, this right hamstring strain."

Even though Zaheer's in doubt for the Test beginning on Friday, there has been "no discussion at all" between the team management and the Board on, perhaps, a replacement.
"Sreesanth and Munaf Patel are already there, so that need hasn't been felt till now," a source said.

According to Wasim Akram, who knows a thing or two about bowling in England (and elsewhere), the selectors should look at Lakshmipathy Balaji, with whom he worked with in IPL IV.
"I spent six weeks or so with Balaji and, believe me, he would do a great job in England...The guy has some swing," Akram, a former Pakistan captain who is associated with the Kolkata Knight Riders, pointed out.

The ball is known to do quite a bit at Trent Bridge.
Meanwhile, Sachin Tendulkar has completed his course of antibiotics for a viral infection. Speaking exclusively, on reaching Nottingham, he said: "The medication is over... I'm better now."

Sachin and the rest were delayed on the way as an accident on the motorway held up the team's coach.

Zaheer likely to miss second Test: Dhoni

2011-07-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that given the hectic schedule of the England series, he would not risk the fitness of his pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who might miss the second Test at Trent Bridge starting Friday.
'I feel with the kind of cricket we are playing it is important to get people fit and not risk someone for one individual game. We have three days but I am not 100 percent sure he (Zaheer) will play or not,' said Dhoni Monday after India lost the first Test by 196 runs.
'It is a long series and we do not want to risk any further injury. If we feel he is close to 80 or 90 percent fit but playing the game may increase his chances of being injured we will call someone else in,' he added.
Zaheer pulled his hamstring after just three hours of play on the first day of the Test, leaving India a bowler short in the match.
Zaheer's injury was followed by that of Gautam Gambhir, who had a bruised elbow, while Sachin Tendulkar was feeling the effects of a virus.
'Most of the things that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Batsmen were batting in different slots and it became tough for us to manage the bowlers. There was no Yuvraj Singh, who can bowl spin, and Virender Sehwag, who can bowl off spin so we were limited with resources but I felt the fast bowlers did a very good job,' said Dhoni.

India back to being poor starters

2011-07-27T02:49:00.000-07:00

Had the David Cameron government's Happiness Index survey been conducted at Lord's, on Monday, the result probably wouldn't have been encouraging. It was, after all, teeming with India supporters, many of whom had actually queued up from well before dawn.
Despite high expectations, that lot went home empty handed. Physically tired and emotionally bruised. Poorer in the pocket as well.

A survey in the pubs across England, though, would throw up an entirely different result, with toasts surely being raised in honour of Andrew Strauss and Co.

Very well deserved as England thrashed India by 196 runs in the bilateral Centenary Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. India, clearly, are back to being poor starters.
Fortunately, this isn't a three-Test series, but unless Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men raise their game, the No.1 ranking is going to become a thing of the past.

India did have their share of ill luck. Spearhead Zaheer Khan could only bowl 13.3 overs, reducing the attack to three specialists. Then Sachin Tendulkar fell ill and Gautam Gambhir took a blow on his left elbow, forcing changes in the batting order in the second innings.
Having been set a target of 458, winning was straightaway out of the equation. However, India should have saved the Test. Instead, over 68 balls after tea on the final day, five wickets were lost, for the addition of just 36 runs.

When Ishant Sharma got out, bringing the Test to an end, 28.3 overs remained to be bowled.
England are No.3 in the Test rankings, behind South Africa, but their attack is on a par with the Proteas. Some may say even better.

In fact, James Anderson and the rest were brilliant at Lord's. They had the skill, the aggression and the hunger. England wanted to win; India never gave the impression that they were desperate to save the Test.

Often, hunger and desperation carry a team across the line. On Monday, we saw that with England.
[It's no surprise that England have retained the XII for the second Test, in Nottingham, from Friday.

It doesn't help when Sachin Tendulkar goes totally defensive, allowing the bowlers to call the shots. He was lucky to survive an appeal for leg-before, by Stuart Broad, and failed to capitalise on a drop by Strauss off Anderson.

Sachin fell two balls after the let off and, despite scoring 12, was applauded by the nearly 26,000 paying spectators. Eric Clapton was among those who rose and clapped, realising that another Test appearance at Lord's was unlikely.

"Yes, Sachin did go into his shell, which surprised me... Overall, I wouldn't fault the way we approached the final day... We were up against a fantastic attack," former India captain Sourav Ganguly told The Telegraph.

Rahul Dravid, a centurion in the first innings and on whom rested much of India's hopes of killing time, went rather early (not moving his feet to Anderson) and the problems got compounded.

That V.V.S. Laxman, who usually plays a great hand in the second innings, left soon afterwards (out pulling) made it worse.
Much later, Harbhajan Singh played a reckless shot to end whatever chance there was of playing out the overs. Somebody with his experience, and two Test hundreds down the order, ought to have done better.

Suresh Raina, of course, impressed with his 78 (212 minutes, 136 balls, 10x4). His was the second last wicket to fall and while he wasn't given out leg-before, on 63 to Broad, by Billy Bowden, his determination became the talking point.

With Raina coming good, poor Yuvraj Singh could sit in the dressing room right through the series. As things stand, for him to play, somebody will have to get injured.
Dhoni didn't exactly offer an excuse, but did make the point that his team had been struck by injuries/illness. On Zaheer's availability for the second Test, he said: "He's being assessed... We're keeping fingers crossed."

Strauss, who is Dhoni-like in that he doesn't show much emotion, saluted his bowlers. "It was an outstanding bowling performance over five days... Showed the value of persistent lines and lengths over a period of time."

Typically, Strauss had words of caution. "The performances of the guys was tremendous, but we cannot get too satisfied."
Kevin Pietersen's unbeaten 202 in the first innings fetched him the MoM award. Quite a few, though, felt Broad's claims were as strong, wickets both times and a game-changing unbeaten 74 in the second innings.

Broad may be the England player to watch over the next few weeks.
Footnote: Dhoni is in the clear where the over-rate is concerned. "I have been told that I'm fine," he himself confirmed.

Anderson leads England rout of India

2011-07-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

James Anderson took five wickets as England thrashed India by 196 runs to win the first Test at Lord's on Monday. Victory gave England a 1-0 lead in a four-match series which if they win it by two Tests will see them replace India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table.
India, needing what would have been a Test record fourth innings victory total of 458, were bowled out for 261. Anderson took five for 65 in 28 overs during an innings where Suresh Raina top-scored with 78.

Kevin Pietersen was named man-of-the-match for his 202 not out in England's first innings 474 for eight declared.

Before tea India had seen Sachin Tendulkar's latest bid to score his 100th international hundred, and first in a Lord's Test, end in failure when he was lbw to Anderson for 12. They started the final session on 218 for five, with Raina 54 not out and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni 16 not out.

Importantly England had a new ball that was only an over old and fast bowler Chris Tremlett used it well to dismiss Dhoni for his interval score as he edged a rising delivery to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

New batsman Harbhajan Singh went for his shots, taking boundaries off Tremlett and Stuart Broad. Raina, on 63, with India 243 for six, survived a huge lbw appeal from Broad which replays indicated was right in front. It did not prove decisive, however, with left-hander Raina ninth man out when he was caught behind off Anderson to end more than two hours' resistance featuring 10 fours.

Broad finished the match with more than 28 overs to spare when he had last man Ishant Sharma lbw for one. Tendulkar, in front of a capacity crowd in what was the 2,000th Test of all-time and the 100th between the two countries, rarely looked comfortable from then on and he might have been lbw for 11 to Broad.

Tendulkar spent 38 balls on 11 in all but it still seemed as if it might be his day when, on 12, he was dropped by England captain Andrew Strauss at first slip off Anderson.
But two balls later Anderson nipped one back to strike Tendulkar in front of his stumps and this time New Zealand's Bowden raised his finger to end a becalmed 85-minute innings that featured just one boundary.

India were 165 for five with the 38-year-old Tendulkar, who has now made 195 runs in nine Test innings at Lord's at an average of 21.66 with a best of 37 four years ago, contemplating the possibility his glittering career will not include a Test century at the 'home of cricket'.
India had started the day on 80 for one, with Rahul Dravid 34 not out and Venkatsai Laxman 32 not out after Prior's unbeaten 103 on Sunday had rescued England from the depths of 62 for five.
Dravid, who made an unbeaten century in the first innings, was out for 36, caught behind playing away from his body off Anderson. Laxman, in trademark style, flicked Broad of his legs for a boundary to complete a 104-ball fifty featuring eight fours.

But he gave his wicket away on 56 when he pulled Anderson to Ian Bell at mid-wicket before Gautam Gambhir was lbw to Swann for 22. The series continues with the second Test at Trent Bridge starting Friday.

India sweat over Zaheer as Trott steadies England

2011-07-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

Test cricket lovers celebrated the arrival of the 2000th match. But even in its 134th year, the sport sadly has no mechanism to deal with its oldest foe: bad weather.
This could have been India's day --- a rarity, considering how they usually struggle at the start of a Test series. England made 127-2 with Jonathan Trott's fifty after being dropped twice. Bad light stopped play just before tea in the 50th over. Steady rain made a restart impossible.

Zaheer Khan took 2-18 in 13.3 overs. In the noon session, he walked off the field clutching the back of his right knee. The word from the dressing room is that he has strained his hamstring and is undergoing a scan. In his absence, India spread the field out, choosing to keep the runs under check rather than attack the struggling Kevin Pietersen and Trott.

MS Dhoni elected to bowl --- a decision that divided at least two former England captains. Andrew Flintoff said it was a 'negative' decision since the wicket was slow. Michael Vaughan reckoned it was a wise choice since persistent rains and made the conditions considerably pace-friendly.

While bowling first in overcast conditions certainly have their benefits, India could have justified this decision better by bowling a fuller length.
Dhoni's bowlers, though accurate for the first couple of hours, played on the England batsmen's patience rather than getting them to drive the swinging, seaming ball. They kept the ball on a good length around off-stump. Hence, not many scoring opportunities were created in the first session of 21 overs, in which England crawled to 43 for the loss of Alastair Cook, who fell LBW to Zaheer's in-swinger.

This is a huge change for India coach Duncan Fletcher. When he was with England, he favoured express pacers such as Steve Harmison and Simon Jones. Nasser Hussain commented that India beginning with two medium-pace swing bowlers is not out of Fletcher's playbook.
Praveen Kumar's inclusion meant that Sreesanth and Munaf Patel were benched. Praveen bowled tidily for a first spell of 9-4-18-0, bowling out-swingers across the two left-handed openers. But most times, Cook and Strauss could leave them alone comfortably.
Wasim Akram said India looked flat at the start and could have been better served running in with full intensity on the first morning on an important series.

England skipper Andrew Strauss rarely looked convincing today and had three lucky breaks. A couple of inside edges whooshed past his off-stump while Harbhajan Singh missed a chance to run him out. His problems outside the off-stump against left-arm pacers are well documented.
Zaheer kept attacking him using the Lord's slope. But what finally did Strauss in was a surprise bouncer. He had already planted his front foot down the pitch. Trying to fetch the short ball from outside off-stump, he could only sky it to Ishant at fine-leg.
It was the sixth time Strauss fell to Zaheer in a Test match, and the 23rd time overall to left-arm pacers.

Rahul Dravid put down Trott first ball of the day from Harbhajan. Later, as both sides laboured along in the dreary noon session, Zaheer conjured up the magical out-swinger. Trott edged it. Dhoni went for it, bailed out, and saw the ball dip on Dravid and speed away for four.
Sunil Gavaskar had suggested India's slip fielders stand a couple of paces closer considering this was a slow wicket.

As things stand, the man closest to Bradman's Test average has been dropped twice. And, weather permitting, he could make India pay.

India cannot ask for a greater occasion to stamp their authority

2011-07-21T00:52:00.000-07:00

India are No.1 Test nation for over a year now. This is undisputed, and so is that India are the World Champions in the limited-overs cricket. Yet, there are murmurs that India will have to win a series in Australia and South Africa to be truly called world champions. Before that India will have to overcome England in the four-Test series, starting at Lord's Thursday.

India cannot ask for a greater occasion to stamp their superior status than winning their 100th Test against England and the 2000th in the game's history. Then Sachin Tendulkar has his milestone to reach, his hundredth international century, failing which either Rahul Dravid or Venkata Sai Laxman can make it a ton of centuries between the three of them by reaching the three-figure mark at the cricket's hoary headquarters.

Seldom has a Test been invested with so much. The English media has a knack of hyping up their sport, cricket is no exception. There is little doubt that the two teams have been playing consistently well in Tests and they have come a long way.
Call it confidence or overconfidence, Englishmen are entitled to believe that by the end of the series their side have a good chance of displacing India from the top.

For India, it is a big opportunity to seal the series and state that they are the No.1, not because of their manipulative skills playing three-Test or two-match series as some believe, but by proving they have it in them to win four-Test series.

The series itself is pregnant with all sorts of possibilities. If England are looking to win it either 3-1 or 2-0, India would first try to win at least one Test and draw another to make sure they remain the top side.

If England can proudly claim that the Andrew Strauss-Andy Flower combination has done enough in the last two years to bring the team to a stage where they are confident they can beat any side in the world, India's new coach Duncan Fletcher would like to make sure he can keep the team where his ward Gary Kirsten left -- best in the world in two of the three formats of international cricket.

What was thought to be a three-way race between India, South Africa and Australia for both the Test and ODI world championships has got expanded with England barging in after their Ashes triumph. If Australia are still in the process of rebuilding their side, South Africa are left fighting their nerves despite raising a crack team. India and England are today considered the best Test teams with a consistent record to back them up.

Nothing can be a better yardstick to settle the issue between the two than a series of more than three Tests. India would like to tell the world they are the nation to watch both on and off the field. Already the mindgames have begun and a lot of issues that spilled over from the field are being used to target India and their captain.

The English players and the media keep harping on India's reluctance to accept the umpire's Decision Review System (DRS), though the reservation is only about the efficacy of the Hawkeye. Off-spinner Graeme Swann has a ready excuse if he can't reverse the decisions going upstairs.
Then just ahead of the series there is a move to put India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoini under pressure for his remarks on umpiring in the West Indies. The Indian skipper could have done without going public on the issue and used the oft-repeated line by a lot of captains, that everyone has seen what had happened and he need not say anything!
Every umpiring decision in the upcoming series will be dissected by both the protagonists and antagonists of the DRS.

It is a series that is going to keep Test cricket alive. You don't need a timeless Test to decide the championship. The four Tests will see the world's best batting line-up taking on what is touted as the best pace attack plus the world's best off-spinner.

India's pace attack, spearheaded by Zaheer Khan, is no less potent even if Harbhajan's strike rate has not matched Swann's in the last couple of years. At the end of it, it is the team that can take 20 wickets more than once that will deserve to be at the top of the heap. Whatever be the outcome, it is a series that can stand out if the captains do not kill it.

Ton of tons beckons Tendulkar in 2000th Test

2011-07-21T00:47:00.000-07:00

Test cricket will celebrate its 2,000th match with a series opener between England and India at Lord's that promises to delight both statisticians and Sachin Tendulkar should the 'Little Master' mark an already landmark occasion with a 100th international hundred.
The match is also the 100th Test between England, who gave birth to cricket, and India, now top of the ICC's Test rankings, the 50-over world champions and the sport's financial powerhouse.
That means it will feature a clash between the 'old world' and the 'new' - as there was, albeit in a different fashion, when England travelled to Melbourne to play Australia in the very first Test in 1877.

Tendulkar arrives at the 'home of cricket', as Lord's likes to call itself, having had to contend with a level of admiration arguably unequalled in both its frenzy and duration in cricket history.

And having scored a record 99 hundreds - 51 in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals in a career that started when he was a 16-year-old in 1989 - that adulation will only intensify should he reach three figures at Lord's, where his previous Test-best is a modest 37.
The ever-modest Tendulkar, his team-mates and opponents have all said the same thing: there is more to this match than Sachin. "I'm not thinking of records," he insisted. "I'm just thinking of enjoying this tour," added Tendulkar, whose four previous Tests at Lord's have yielded a meagre top score of 37.

And he is far from the only star in a powerful top-order featuring the likes of Rahul Dravid, who made 95 at Lord's on his Test debut in 1996 , and Venkatsai Laxman.
"It would be very, very risky to focus all our energies on one player," said England off-spinner Graeme Swann. "Sure, he's the best player of the modern generation, but if we focus on one guy another will sneak in the back door and take it away from us. In MS Dhoni (India's captain) they have possibly the most charismatic player India has ever had, with the sway he holds in that country now. I think he is the most important player in that team now. He leads from the front, is a very dangerous cricketer and if we can get at anyone then he is probably the key man."
India could rue the shoulder injury that has ruled out Virender Sehwag from at least the first two Tests of this four-match contest - a series that if England win by 2-0, 3-1 or better will see them replace the tourists at the top of the ICC's Test table.
Sehwag's fearless strokeplay has confounded the traditional notion of openers merely 'seeing off' the new ball and, however well Gautam Gambhir and Abhinav Mukund, India's new first wicket pair start, they are unlikely to take the match away from England in quite the same style.
England too boast an in-form top order with Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott both in the runs. And yet it remains as true now as it ever did, that the side that can most easily take their opponents 20 wickets will emerge victorious.
That was the case in 2007 when India whose attack, then as now, was led by left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan won a Test series in England 1-0. "If we can keep our fast bowlers fit, then we'll be very competitive," said Dravid, whose team will have to contend with an England attack featuring giant fast bowler Chris Tremlett, who impressed against India in his debut series four years ago.

They will also have to acclimatise quickly should the swinging conditions associated with Lord's and Trent Bridge, the venues for the first two Tests of this series, emerge again if the skies in London and Nottingham are overcast.
This tour has seen India, who last week drew against a Somerset side where 'guest' Andrew Strauss, the England captain, managed 78 and 109, play just the one warm-up match hot on the heels of their arrival from a series win in the West Indies.
Duncan Fletcher always used to play-down the importance of warm-up fixtures when he was coach of England. Now the Zimbabwean is in charge of India, time will tell if he regrets a schedule inconceivable at the dawn of Test cricket 134 years ago.

England out to challenge India's Test supremacy

2011-07-21T00:44:00.000-07:00

India are the No.1 cricketing nation in every respect and England are out to challenge this on the field in a cracker of a four-Test series that gets underway at Lord's Thursday. It'll be the 100th Test between the two nations and the 2,000th of the cricket world.
Hype or no hype, the series should produce enthralling cricket between world's two best teams. India have been the No.1 team for two years now, and they would like to perform worthy of their status.
India have come here straight from 1-0 series win in the Caribbean and they are bolstered by the return of Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and pace bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan, who all missed the West Indies series.
England have gone through a metamorphosis under captain Andrew Staruss and coach Andy Flower. They are high on form since Ashes triumph last year and firmly believe they have the potential to snatch the No.1 Test ranking.
In the only warm up game against Somerset in which Strauss batted himself into form, India had a difficult time with the bat and ball. They were struggling at 138/8 in the first innings before Suresh Raina's century saved them the blushes.
With that knock, Raina has more or less elbowed out flamboyant Yuvraj Singh for the No.5 spot.
In the absence of Virender Sehwag, who is expected to join the side for the third Test, opener Abhinav Mukund join Gambhir in an all-left-hand opening combination. Despite his impressive knocks in the West Indies, he needs to tighten his game against the rising ball on pitches which can be dicey.
Gambhir, a prolific scorer in the last few season, is coming back after a shoulder injury. A lot will thus depend on the experienced trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who possibly are here one last time as players.
Tendulkar has rediscovered the carefree exuberance of his youth in the last one year in all formats. In 15 Tests, he slammed eight centuries, including two double hundreds.
Tendulkar has the small task of reaching his 100th international century and he is equally aware of his poor record at Lord's, his highest being a mere 37. The air is thick with expectancy that the the maestro will finally make it to the Lord's honours board with a century at the Mecca of cricket.
Dravid, who scored heavily in the 2002 series but was weighed down by captaincy in the 2007 series that India won 1-0, will be looking to make amends for the missed opportunities on the previous tour.
Laxman is still to savour a century in the English weather. The stylish Hyderabadi has played some remarkable match-winning knocks, including three 50s in the West Indies before coming here.
England's strength is their bowling, which offers plenty of variety. James Anderson has rightfully emerged as the leader of the pack and Chris Tremlett is touted as the one who can trouble the Indian batsmen with his steep rising deliveries and probing line. The 6'8'' tall Tremlett was the top wicket taker in the series (15) against Sri Lanka followed by Graeme Swann (12) and Stuart Broad (8).
It will be a treat to watch offie Swann, considered the best spinner in the world, bowl against the best players of spin.
Pacer Tim Bresnan, who sat out of the Sri Lanka series will add teeth to the English attack, but Broad is likely to get the nod for the third seamer's place.
In batting, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell are in excellent touch and slammed two centuries each against Sri Lanka. Jonathan Trott is equally in good shape. The only man out of form is Strauss, whose knocks in the tour game against India, will give him much needed confidence.
Former India captain Dravid doesn't like to call it a match between the best batting and the best bowling sides.
'I don't like to say that we are the best batting side and they are best bowling side in the world. At the end of the day it is contest between India and England. That is the important thing. Who is the best and who is not the best? At the end of the day, we have got a strong batting line up, the series will be decided may be that contest,' Dravid said.
For India, Zaheer, who played an important role in the 2007 series win here, will lead the attack. Lot will depend on Ishant Sharma, who claimed 22 wickets in the series against West Indies.
The third seamer will be a toss up between Munaf Patel and Praveen Kumar, though Shantakumaran Sreesanth on his day can be devastating and can extract a lot out of the English conditions. Prave'n's swing that fetched him 12 wickets in the West Indies can tilt the scales in his favour, unless Dhoni is looking for Patel to keep one end tight with his nagging line and length.

India Settle For Draw After Chanderpaul Stands Firm

2011-07-11T03:20:00.000-07:00

India settled for a draw in the third and final Test against the West Indies after rock-solid century-maker Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the home bowlers gave them a fight on Sunday. Chasing 180 for victory, India finished on 94 for three, deciding to bring the match to a close with the statutory final 15 overs remaining on the last day of the inaugural Test at Windsor Park.

The result meant that the visitors won the three-Test series 1-0, following a 63-run victory inside four days in Jamaica and a draw in the second Test at Barbados. The visitors also wrapped up their second straight Test series victory over West Indies in the Caribbean and they also became the first Indian side to win a Test and one-day series here.

"I am not too disappointed about the final result," said India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "Our team did really well throughout the series, particularly in this game. We decided to call it off because the gamble was quite high for us, we were risking a series win. I think we did our best, and had a go, but we then realised it was not worth it, and called it day."

The decision to abort the run chase ended a frustrating day for India which started with the promise of a second victory in the series, but was blighted by Chanderpaul's undefeated 116, his 23rd Test hundred. That earned him the man-of-the-match award after he also stood firm in a valuable ninth-wicket stand of 65 with Fidel Edwards.

India were kept in the field far longer than they expected, with Chanderpaul farming the bowling, and Edwards prepared to mix sound defence with tail-ender's bravado, as West Indies were dismissed for 322 in their second innings about 45 minutes before tea.

"We are very pleased with this result, and the way the crowd responded to us made it feel like a Twenty20 game and that we had won," said West Indies captain Darren Sammy to tumultuous roars from a crowd estimated at close to 9,000.

"It shows that when we, as a team, go out there and fight, the Caribbean people, our fans, still love us, and it was pleasing to see them turn out in their numbers over the last few days and support us."

The visitors suffered an early setback in their hunt for victory, reaching 19 for one at tea, after Abhinav Mukund was lbw for a duck, playing back and across to the first delivery of the innings from Fidel Edwards.

After tea, a stand of 73 between Murali Vijay, whose 45 was his best innings of the series, and Rahul Dravid, not out on 34, put India on track to a stab at the target. But Vijay was caught at mid-on, miscuing a pull at a short delivery from Ravi Rampaul who held a return catch four overs later to dismiss Suresh Raina for eight, effectively ending India's interest.

Earlier, India required Suresh Raina, bowling his part-time off-spin, to claim the last two West Indies wickets. Raina finished with 2-32 from 15.3 overs, but Harbhajan Singh was the most successful bowler for the visitors with 4-75 from 42 overs.

Chanderpaul made the occasion of his record 133rd appearance extra special, becoming the second century-maker in the West Indies second innings, following Kirk Edwards' maiden hundred of 110 on debut the previous day.

The veteran left-hander tucked a short, rising delivery from Ishant Sharma, later named man-of-the-series for his 23 wickets, through backward square leg for two to reach the milestone from 265 balls. He and Edwards, whose 30 was a career-best, frustrated India for over three hours either side of lunch after West Indies slid to 256 for eight.

West Indies drop vice-captain Nash for Kirk Edwards

2011-06-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

Brendan Nash's career for West Indies appears to have reached a crossroads following his axing for the second Test against India, starting on Tuesday at Kensington Oval in Barbados.

The Australia-born left-hander, whose parents are Jamaican, had been pigeon-holed as a Test batsman over the last two years, but has been omitted from the 13-member squad, after a string of modest scores in recent Tests.

Kirk Edwards has taken his place in the squad, but he is unlikely to make his Test debut on home soil.

Instead Marlon Samuels, who was overlooked for the first Test in his backyard, is the front-runner to slot into the middle order, and try to fortify the home team's batting.

The 33-year-old Nash came to the Caribbean three years ago, when his first-class career in Australia seemed to have run its course, successfully bidding for a place in the West Indies team, and making his Test debut in that same year in New Zealand.

He successfully assimilated into the team, and was chosen Test vice captain last November, when Darren Sammy was elevated to the post of captain ahead of Chris Gayle - but fortune has not smiled on Nash in this West Indies home international season.

Unlike other nations, West Indies typically does not stage their first-class competition simultaneously with their international matches, so Nash has been short of match practice, and came into the Tests against India - and Pakistan before them - a little cold.

His scores have been 5, 3, 6, and 30 against the Pakistanis, and he made one and nine in the first Test, which the Indians won by 63 runs at Sabina Park here.

With his non-selection, and no way to prove his form, it appeared Nash will have a lot of questions to ask of himself, and his future.

West Indies have also continued to ignore Gayle, although the West Indies Cricket Board wrote to him in recent days, making overtures once again for another face-to-face meeting.

The rest of the squad remained the same, with the hosts hoping they can find the right balance in Bridgetown, and their batsmen prove to be much more reliable.

Sri Lanka Premier League to go ahead without India

2011-06-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka Cricket will push ahead with its inaugural premier league with Australian and Pakistani players, despite a no-show by Indian stars, the island's sports minister said on Sunday.

"We will lose a bit of money because Indian players are not coming but the tournament will be played as planned," Mahindananda Aluthgamage told AFP after failed talks to bring the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on board.

Fast bowlers Praveen Kumar and Munaf Patel were among 12 Indian players who were blocked by the BCCI from playing in the T20 tournament in Sri Lanka from July 19 to August 4.

The minister said the Indian board's reluctance stemmed from media reports that the event was being organised by a Singapore-based company with alleged links to Lalit Modi, the sacked former boss of the Indian Premier League.

"Mr Modi is not involved in our tournament. But we have to accept India's decision. We remain friends with India," Aluthgamage said.

The London-based Modi faces criminal charges, including false accounting, and accusations by the BCCI that more than $106 million was misappropriated during his three-year tenure as IPL chairman.

The Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment Ventures, who won the marketing rights for five years, has already paid an advance of $300,000 to Sri Lanka Cricket, the local Sunday Times newspaper reported.

It said India's reluctance had led to broadcaster ESPN withdrawing support for the tournament, which will feature seven teams and will include a mix of local and international players.

The newspaper said top Sri Lanka Cricket officials met Somerset chairman Sandeep M. Bhammer and chief executive Kunal Bhargava on Friday for talks, but details of the discussion remained unclear.

Kirsten sees Twenty20 as a domestic product

2011-06-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

Twenty20 cricket should be played less at international level to stop it diluting Test and one-day matches and more in domestic leagues to increase attendances, World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten has told Reuters.

Kirsten, who stepped down as India coach to take charge of his native South Africa after leading the south Asians to 50-over World Cup success in April, was full of praise for the shortest form of the game but questioned it's use.

"I have always had a view that it is a great domestic product," Kirsten told Reuters in Singapore on Wednesday.

"Maybe you can look at the platform soccer works off, where they play mainly domestic soccer through the year and then they have a major tournament at a country level, maybe that's what Twenty20 can do.

"I think international cricket does really well with Test cricket and the 50-over format of the game and I feel Twenty20 cricket will dilute those products a little bit.

"I think it (Twenty20) is a great product, there are going to be teething problems as we go along as it's a new product to world viewership and world sporting entertainment, but it's done remarkably well over a short period of time."

Twenty20 cricket has been a big hit since its conception in 2003 in England but attempting to find space for it in an already crowded international calendar has proved difficult and extended tours to fit in matches have proved unpopular.

Barath back for 5th ODI but Gayle ignored again

2011-06-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

Fit-again opener Adrian Barath made his way in but the explosive Chris Gayle was once again left out of the 13-member West Indies squad for the fifth and final one-dayer against India, here tomorrow.

Barath replaced Kirk Edwards in the squad which beat India by 103 runs in the fourth one-dayer. The Indians have already sealed the series after winning the first three matches. Besides Barath, Ravi Rampaul also returned to the squad after a brief rest to replace Danza Hyatt.

The 21-year-old Barath was undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a hamstring injury which forced him out of the 2011 World Cup.

"Danza Hyatt and Kirk Edwards have been replaced in the squad by Ravi Rampaul and Adrian Barath," the WICB said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the WICB offered no word on Gayle's fate but the meeting with WICB officials, West Indies team management and the coaching staff could pave way for his selection in the Test series against India starting at Sabina Park here on June 20.

The 31-year-old left-hander was left out of the ODI squad after he raised quite a few issues during the interview, including WICB's callous attitude towards his recovery from injury, the coaching style of Ottis Gibson and appointment of Darren Sammy as captain.

The WICB subsequently released a number of documents on their website which contradicted Gayle's claims, following it up with a decision to bar the batsman from representing the regional team until he cleared up the issue with the Board.

Australia cricketers irked by new one-day format

2010-08-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

Australia’s cricketers association(ACA) has slammed a trial shake-up of the domestic one-day game, saying there had been no consultation and that the new format based on split innings was difficult to comprehend.

In a radical departure from the conventional 50-over cricket, Australia will trial a 45-over game for its 31 domestic matches this season, with teams playing two innings of 20 and 25 overs, in a bid to stem flagging interest in the shorter format.

Governing body Cricket Australia (CA) put the new format down to a response to the demands of fans, but the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) said it had disappointed players.

“The decision by CA to trial the split innings format in this year’s domestic one-day event was made before collective player input was even sought,” ACA chief executive Paul Marsh told local media Saturday.

“For the people that play and know the game better than anyone, this process has been difficult to comprehend and players are very disappointed.

“They acknowledge that the one-day format has had its recent challenges and as a collective they want to help those running the game find the best solution.

“However, the players don’t believe the split innings format is the best solution.”

The new format, which allows bowlers 12 overs rather than the conventional 10 and awards points for first-innings leads, has been welcomed in other circles, however, with India’s Sachin Tendulkar voicing his support.

“I am glad it’s being tried out in Australia. I feel once the players have tried out this format, they will be in a better position to judge if (it) works or not,” he told Indian media.

“Today, we can tell the result of close to 75 percent of matches after the toss. ... But (splitting the game into two innings) is not too dependent on the toss because, (if) it’s a day-night match, then both the teams will have to bat under lights.”

Time for part-timers to get going as India search for the elusive No. 7

2010-08-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

It's six months to go for the World Cup; a long time if you are preparing for the conduct of the Commonwealth Games, not quite so if you are looking at the best possible combination to put together for the biggest cricket event in the world.

Coaches and selectors would be hoping to have at least ten or eleven names finalised and, really, should have a fair idea of who the other four or five would be. A wish list would be in every coach's back pocket.

India's wish list is pretty obvious, and a first reading will expose the biggest problem with it. Ideally, this is what I suspect Kirsten and Dhoni and Srikkanth would be looking at the evening before the first game: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh,Praveen Kumar or Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Pragyan Ojha. Eleven of those twelve names look settled but for India to be strong at the World Cup, number seven needs to be identified and at the moment, Irfan Pathan has gone underground!

So if Pathan (jr) is not on the radar, who bats after the batsmen and above the bowlers and gives you a few, if not ten, overs? India have tried Pathan (sr) and I suspect he is still an option and currently are investing heavily in Ravindra Jadeja who has, so far, given little indication of becoming the rock star Shane Warne thought he could be. "Could be" is the operative phrase here � early in his career, Jadeja seems to have stagnated and I suspect people will start looking for returns on investment very shortly.

I also suspect India's think-tank will have started thinking seriously about a plan B. They will need one because there is no number seven who answers to the right job description anywhere in sight in India. You would have thought that the IPL would have thrown up a couple of names but really, apart from Ashwin who seems better with the new ball than with the old at the moment, the canvas is blank.

And so I suspect India might have to go the way they did during that very successful run from 2002-04, when the selfless Rahul Dravid took the gloves and allowed India to play a seventh batsman. Straightaway you can see Rohit Sharma playing the role that Mohammad Kaif did then, with the license to bat freely in case the team is in a good situation and douse the fires if there is a batting collapse.

But what looks good in the mind and on paper need not necessarily appear the same way on the field. So who bowls the other ten overs? Or more if one of the bowlers has had a bad day? It's time then to ask the batsmen to start rolling their arm over and in home conditions, it isn't such a daunting task.

Sehwag is a very competent off-spinner (remember Aravinda da Silva bowling ten overs quite often in 1996) and Yuvraj Singh is much underrated. But I think it is time to look even further and start throwing the ball to Suresh Raina, who seems to possess a pretty cool head when bowling in the twenty overs' game. Or, for that matter, to Rohit Sharma who can be good for a few overs.

A bits-and-pieces-player policy tends to be fraught with danger because you can run the risk of getting neither a bowler nor a batsman and so India need to play to their strength; which is batting on Indian pitches. Four players to generate ten overs between them shouldn't be a huge issue.

I am not sure that is the way the think-tank is thinking at the moment but if number seven remains elusive even after the Sri Lanka tri-series, it might be the right time to start asking the batsmen if they fancy six-over spells in limited overs cricket. My gut feel is that they will jump at the opportunity.

India have eight one-day games in home conditions before the World Cup. They must know what they want at the World Cup before those games begin.

Unhappy with pitch, Dhoni walks out of practice session

2010-08-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

Miffed with the practice pitch at the Rangini Dambulla Stadium here, a furious Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today walked out of a practice session after Dinesh Karthik injured his hand due to the uneven bounce of the track. The three-hour training session ahead of India''s second tri-series clash against Sri Lanka on August 16 witnessed some drama after Karthik was rendered a doubtful starter for the match due to the hand injury he picked up while practicing.

Indian manager Ranjib Biswal said players did have some problem while facing good-length bouncing deliveries. But denied that Karthik or any other player got injured.

"Facilities for practice at the stadium are good but the pitch is not ideal for practicing. We had some problem with the pitch," Biswal said.

Biswal said barring pacer Ashish Nehra, everyone attended the practice session. However, he did not reveal the reason behind Nehra''s absence.

"We will again have a practice session tomorrow at the same time. There will be no briefing today," he said before leaving for the hotel.

India lost the lung-opener by a massive 200 runs against a depleted New Zealand team.

Australia cruise to easy win over England

2010-07-01T02:54:00.000-07:00

Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting and Ryan Harris led Australia to a comfortable 78-run victory over England in the fourth One-Day International at the Oval on Wednesday.

Clarke made an unbeaten 99 and Ponting 92 to lift the touring side to a commanding total of 290 for five and England, who clinched the series on Sunday, never looked like reaching their target.

Eoin Morgan made a typically fluent 47, including successive sixes off James Hopes, but he fell to Harris who completed figures of five for 32 to win the man-of-the-match award in an impressive bowling display from the world champions.

England chose to field after winning the toss and they dismissed Tim Paine early but Shane Watson continued his consistent form in a second-wicket partnership of 40 with Ponting.

Watson was out for 41 but Clarke joined his captain and the pair shared an untroubled stand of 155 in good batting conditions.

Ponting fell eight short of his century and Clarke was left stranded on 99 after hitting seven fours from 106 balls.

England lost Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen cheaply and captain Andrew Strauss was caught by wicketkeeper Paine off Shaun Tait for 37 to leave the hosts in trouble on 61 for three.

The in-form Morgan threatened a revival but he also edged a catch to Paine and although Michael Yardy made 57 from 63 balls, wickets fell regularly and Harris had Stuart Broad caught in the covers to end England's innings on 212 in the 43rd over. The final match of the series is at Lord's on Saturday.

Gilchrist banking on bowlers to win against Kings XI

2010-03-19T01:19:00.000-07:00

With most of the frontline batsmen in not-so-impressive form, Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist is banking on his bowlers to win Friday's Indian Premier League match against Kings XI Punjab.

"Since our bowling strength is good, we have every possibility to win the match at our home venue," Gilchrist told reporters after the net session here.

Admitting that both V V S Laxman and Rohit Sharma were not in good form, Gilchrist said, "I hope both Laxman and Sharma will get back to their form soon."

Gilchrist projected a 200-plus target for his team for the next two matches.

Smarting from two consecutive defeats, Gilchrist's counterpart Kumar Sangakkara was optimistic about breaking the duck and said, "We will try to win the match by exploiting the weakness of the opposition."

Sangakkara also admitted that the team's bowling had not been satisfactory so far. "We are working on it," he said.

Sangakkara a great leader, but Preity real captain: Yuvraj

2010-03-19T01:18:00.000-07:00

Yuvraj Singh heaped praises on his successor Kumar Sangakkara, saying that the Sri Lankan is the best person to lead Kings XI Punjab.

'Oh he (Sangakkara) is great - he's a great person. He understands all the local players, he takes feedback from everyone, especially Mahela (Jayawardene) and myself, and when Brett Lee was there as well. Kumar has been captaining the Sri Lankan team for a while now, so he's done a great job for Sri Lanka and I hope he does a great job for Kings XI as well,' said Yuvraj.

Sangakkara took over the reins after Yuvraj was removed as the Kings XI Punjab captain.

Asked how he felt playing under Sangakkara, Yuvraj said: 'I remember my younger days, going to Sri Lanka and playing in Sri Lanka - me and Sangakara used to fight a lot. He used to give me a lot of crap from behind the stumps and I used to give it back to him...so...but since the IPL has come, we've become good friends and we share a good rapport...you understand their culture. It's great playing with people like Brett Lee and Shawn Marsh, and Myhla, Sangakara so it's good fun to interact with cricketers from all around the world.'

On a lighter note, Yuvraj said it was co-owner Priety Zinta, who was the main leader.

'She's actually the main captain. I think Priety is great. I think, in the last series she learnt a lot about cricket and cricketers and she's very generous and she makes sure the boys are like a family and she makes sure everyone is getting good food, that they're staying in a good hotel, and everybody's got security. So she's like a very sisterly, very motherly idol...not for me but...' said Yuvraj.

Yuvraj also said his diving technique has gone wrong.

'I think my technique of diving has gone a bit haywire or something. Well, it's just been happening in the last year only,' Yuvraj told in an interview to NDTV.

He also said that the last four months have been frustrating for him.

'Last 4 months have been frustrating and I had a bit of finger injuries and a thumb injury and now a wrist injury. So, it's been pretty bad with injuries but done my best to get back into shape and it's feeling good now. So just need to get into the match scenario,' Yuvraj said.

Flintoff planning to visit India to watch IPL

2010-03-19T01:14:00.000-07:00

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League due to a knee surgery, could not resist himself from seeing his Chennai Super Kings teammates in action and planning to visit India to watch the Twenty20 event soon.

"Last time when I played for Chennai, the IPL was held in South Africa. I thought this year I would get the opportunity to play for Chennai but it has not turned out the way I would have liked to (due to surgery).

"I wanted to play for Chennai in Chennai. I am planning to go to Chennai in the next few weeks and watch a couple of games," Flintoff told "Gulf News".

Flintoff said he was missing the euphoric Indian spectators. "One of the big things behind the success of IPL is the Indian public. The passion for cricket in India is splendid.

In England we have football but in India, cricket is ten times bigger. IPL is a success in India because of the passion for the game," said Flintoff.

"The involvement of cities in the contest is a great thing and other countries can learn from it. I would like to go to England and play for Manchester against London or Leeds against Newcastle. I think it could be a success in England too," he added.

The Lancashire all-rounder, who has been out of action since undergoing a micro-fracture operation on his right knee last year, was ruled out of the tournament after he had to be operated upon in January again.