Tendulkar might play last two ODIs of WI series

Ahmedabad: His 100th international century eagerly awaited across the nation, veteran Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is likely to play the last two one-dayers against the West Indies.

Tendulkar, who failed to reach the milestone despite coming close at least twice during the Test series, might be selected for the last two matches of the ongoing ODI series when national selectors meet on Monday.
 
India leads the five-match rubber 2-0 with the third ODI scheduled on Monday.

Tendulkar had been rested from the squad for the first three matches but sources say the 38-year-old wants to play the remaining two matches of the series scheduled on December 8 and 11 in Indore and Chennai respectively.

The Kris Srikkanth-led selection panel will meet tomorrow to pick the squad for the remainder of the series besides injured pacer Praveen Kumar`s replacement for the upcoming four Tests against Australia.

Tendulkar`s last international century came on March 12 during a World Cup group league match against South Africa at Nagpur.

It has been more than eight months that the entire nation has been waiting with bated breath for the elusive century.

The last missed opportunity came in the third Test against Caribbeans when Tendulkar was dismissed six runs short of the milestone.

Yuvraj dropped for 3rd Test as Rohit makes comeback

Middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh was today dropped with Rohit Sharma replacing him in India's squad for the third and final cricket Test against West Indies beginning in Mumbai from November 22.

Sharma was rewarded for his consistent performance in domestic circuit with the selectors drafting him in place of the Punjab batsman who could manage only 66 runs in the three innings he played against the West Indies.

With spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha doing well, Harbhajan Singh was again overlooked for a place in the squad, which barring Yuvraj's exclusion, remained the same. Yuvraj scored 23 and 18 in the first Test at Feroz Shah Kotla while he could manage only 25 on a batting paradise at the Eden Gardens.

The exclusion could well mean curtains for the soon-to-be 30 southpaw who had won the Player of the Tournament award in the last World Cup. Rohit on the otherhand has been rewarded for his back to back centuries against Railways and Rajasthan. While the elegant batsman scored 175 on a turner at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi, he smashed a quickfire 100 against Rajasthan in the last Ranji Trophy match.

Rohit was unlucky when he missed out on a Test cap after a freak injury while playing football at the VCA ground in Jamtha only an hour before the Test match against South Africa would have begun. With the No 6 slot vacant, it will be a tussle between Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit to grab that spot vacated by Yuvraj.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Sharma, Varun Aaron.

'Pressure getting the better of Sachin'

Kolkata: West Indies coach Ottis Gibson said they were not doing anything special to prevent Sachin Tendulkar from reaching his 100th international century and maybe it was the expectations of the fans that was getting the better of him.

Tendulkar scored 38 on Monday in India's first innings and Gibson hoped that the he will not get to the landmark figure in this series against them.

"We did not have any special plan but just to bowl line and length. Looking at Sachin, it makes me feel that the expectations on the Indian people is creating too much pressure on him," Gibson said after the opening day's play.

"Everytime he walks out people start cheering. For him to cope with the pressure is remarkable. The pressure on him is enormous. We just bowl in the right areas and be patient.

Something always seems to happen," Gibson said.

Tendulkar pulled a short ball from leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo but was called by Marlon Samuels at short midwicket.

Bishoo had dismissed Tendulkar in the second innings of the opening Test in New Delhi as well.

"They were not probably great balls. It was a short ball today. There is a lot of pressure on him. Obviously he is coping with the pressure over the last 20 years. I am sure he will get that hundred. We are just hoping that it's not against us," Gibson said.

"Hope when he goes to Australia there would be many more people in the stands. It would mean a lot more for him."

Rahul Dravid, who slammed a century in India's 346/5 in the first day's play, said Tendulkar will surely achieve the feat.

"He is going to do it one day. It was just a short ball and he was unfortunate to find a fielder. There was one fielder on the leg side and he found him. He was batting beautifully. He was timing it well.

"He was really under great pressure. It's really just a matter of time. Sometimes you get out and he is just getting out. But he is batting really well. Sooner or later he will get that mark. I really don't think he is bothered too much about it," Dravid said.

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Dhoni does not want Tendulkar milestone to be distraction

(Reuters) - The anticipation of Sachin Tendulkar's 100th international century is the expected highlight of the team's three-test series against West Indies but India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not willing to let it become a distraction.

Tendulkar has been stuck on 99 tons (51 in tests and 48 in one dayers) since the 50-over World Cup earlier this year and fans expect him to reach the milestone on home soil against a West Indies attack not without its limitations.

"We will let him get the century and then we will speak about it. Hopefully he gets it in this (the first) game and we will speak about it on the fifth day," Dhoni told reporters after Saturday's practice session at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

"It's a milestone Sachin will achieve, whether in this game, the next game or some other game. It's bound to happen.

"So rather than discussing too much ahead of the milestone coming in, what we are doing is we said 'okay, let him get the ton and then we'll talk about it'. We are thinking about how we need to prepare for the series.

"Of course one he gets his ton, we all will celebrate with him. It will be a big moment for Indian cricket."

Dhoni's seriousness stems from his determination to guide India back to the top of test rankings after England dethroned them with a 4-0 whitewash in August.

"We want to be the best in the world but it's not something that belongs to you. You have to maintain it, you have to keep doing well.

"We did not do too well in England and that's why we are not the number one team right now. Again it becomes a process and to reach to the top of the world, you have to follow the process.

"It's the start of another process for us and hopefully we will be focussed enough to do well, get there again and try to sustain it."

With pace spearhead Zaheer Khan recovering from ankle surgery and senior spinner Harbhajan Singh dropped, India will have to rely on a relatively inexperienced attack to get those 20 wickets in each match.

Dhoni said at least two players, most likely off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and either Umesh Yadav or fellow pace bowler Varun Aaron, will make their test debuts on Sunday.

And the team would make sure they did not get too excited, Dhoni said.

"It is not a difficult thing because if you see the bowlers who have been selected, most of them have played the ODI format which means they have fair amount of exposure when it comes to international cricket.

"So I don't think they will really get excited.

"Of course, if we see something happening there are senior players who will come to their rescue and help them out."

Pakistan spot-fixing scandal: International Cricket Council failed to follow tip-off due to lack of resources

The International Cricket Council were unable to follow up a tip-off from the same whistle-blower who exposed the Pakistan spot-fixing due to a lack of manpower and investigatory powers, Telegraph Sport can reveal. 

 

Guilty: Mohammad Amir (left), Salman Butt (centre) and Mohammad Asif (right)

 

Full-strength Indian team sweats out at Kotla nets

A full-strength Indian cricket team today underwent a strenuous training session under the watchful eyes of coach Duncan Fletcher ahead of their first cricket Test against the West Indies on Sunday.

All the 15 players, led by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, hit the nets at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium after a light workout at the ground.

The net session, which lasted for two and a half hours, started around 2:30pm with opening batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir being the first to take strike.

The duo first faced the local seamers as well as the pace trio of Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron before taking on the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha and Rahul Kumar.

Aaron, who made his India debut in the one-dayers in the just-concluded home series against England, worked up good pace and beat the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid a few times.

Ishant, who missed the home ODI series against England due to an injury, was also looking good, bowling at rhythm and at good pace. The seniormost trio of Tendulkar, Dravid and VVS Laxman, padded up after the two openers, first facing pacers and then the slow bowlers.

Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were the last to bat at the nets. After a long batting stint at the nets, Tendulkar was seen immersed in an animated discussion with Fletcher which lasted for nearly half an hour.

Bowling coach Eric Simmons also joined Tendulkar and Fletcher after some time. Newly-married Gautam Gambhir came out to bat for a second time after some rest while Kohli, the last batsman to hit the nets, was seen taking batting tips from Fletcher.

Mumbai ODI: Kohli, Raina seal victory at Wankhede

Mumbai: Like a well-oiled machine the young guns of team India took charge and blew away the England challenge to go 4-0 up in the series at the Wankhede in Mumbai against England.

Virat Kohli once again was the chief architect of the victory with an enterprising yet solid unbeaten knock of 86. He along with Suresh Raina (80) sealed the deal in the most professional of all manners. Raina turned into monster soon after he got to his fifty dispatching the England bowlers at will. His 62 ball 80 which included 12 boundaries was very much instrumental in putting India in a winning position.

Steven Finn was the only bowler who looked in good form as he had provided the early breakthroughs, but Raina was particularly severe against the lanky pacer.

Finn finished with a impressive haul of 10-0-45-3 but he failed to get any support from the other bowlers. Debutant Stuart Meaker bowled with pace, but on a slow pitch that was the maximum he could do.

Kohli was the epitome of composure in cricketing terms and Raina on the other hand paced his innings well and took on the bowling to give India a clear advantage in the run chase.

They combined well to build a solid partnership (131) that took India from a precarious situation to a match winning one as England bowlers were not able to maintain the early pressure they had created.

Led by Finn, the England bowlers had kept a check on Indian run flow early on frustrating the batters with top three wickets falling cheaply. Finn was at his best as he removed Parthiv (8) and Gambhir (1) rattling their stumps with uppish deliveries and pace.

But England failed to continue the momentum and once Finn’s fiery spell was replaced by inexperienced Scott Borthwick’s leg spin and Stuart Meaker, India found themselves in familiar territories and were at ease from that point onwards. Out of form Tim Bresnan did well to contain but was not effective.

Earlier in the England innings, an impressive bowling performance lead by Ashwin and Jadeja helped India bundle out England for a score of 220 in the 4th ODI in front of a rather thin crowd at the Wankhede.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja lead the bowling attack but the young debutant Varun Aaron impressed with three wickets all them bowled. Moreover, the rookie pacer regularly clocked above 142 km/h.

For England Tim Bresnan held his ground in the later part of the innings with a brisk run a ball 45. The top order all clicked but failed to get a move on. Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar provided the timely breakthrough which did not allow the England batsmen to build on a good partnership.

Varun Aaron cleaned up the tail as the young debutant finished with a tally of three wickets. Tim Bresnan was the last man out as he waged a lone battle in the fag end of the innings.

In the middle overs Indian spinners took charge as Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin choked the England run flow and put the inexperienced England middle order under pressure. Ravi Bopara was scalped by Jadeja whereas the young Bairstow again failed to click.

England had again lost wickets in quick succession as Kevin Pietersen was holed out in the deep mid-wicket region by Manoj Tiwary off the bowling off Ravichandran Ashwin for 41.

This vital breakthrough peged the England run rate back.

It was the best first 10 overs for England as they got 61 runs in the stipulated powerplay overs despite losing Alastair Cook and Keiswetter quickly.

The main problem with the England innings was that none of the top four could get a move on from the starts they got. Indian bowlers did well to break the partnership at regular intervals.

Dhoni aims 5-0 whitewash after win in Mumbai

Mumbai: The stage is set for a 5-0 whitewash with India`s yet another comprehensive win over England on Sunday and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni says the team will leave no stone unturned in terms of preparations for the fifth and final One-dayer in Kolkata.

India hammered England in the fourth ODI by six wickets with 9.5 overs to spare to go ahead 4-0 in the series.

"We have played good cricket in the last few days. There have been instances when we were under pressure but we came out well. If we have won four games it does not mean we will win fifth also. We have to play well and we will go we prepared for the game," Dhoni said after the match.

The last ODI is scheduled for October 25.

Dhoni said after England`s flourishing start, they thought of chasing close to 270 runs but the spinners turned the tide in his team`s favour.

"They got a good start. After 10 overs we thought they will get 270 plus. But there was a twist in the tale. Spinners got more and more turn as the game progressed and that helped us restrain them," he said.

Dhoni also said pacer Varun Aaron, who made his debut, was a good addition to the team.

"He bowled quick. If you can bowl quick, it`s difficult to rotate the strike. Now we have both Umesh Yadav and Aaron and we can make a good choice according to the conditions," he said.


Dhoni was also happy with team`s fielding. "We have improved a lot. Those 10 runs (saved) matter. Overall it has become a good fielding unit."

A dejected Alastair Cook blamed lack of partnership for his side`s defeat.

"We fell short again. In Indian conditions, you need to score 270, 280. We lost wickets in cluster today. 220 was never going to be enough. We kept losing wickets," the England skipper said.

"We have not performed to our potential. We have not played as well as we would have liked to. The guys would definitely want to win in Kolkata," he added.

Suresh Raina, who scored a quick-fire 80 off just 62 balls, was adjudged Man-of-the-Match.

"The partnership with Virat was crucial. Me and Virat spoke to each other and he said, `we have to be together for about 100 runs`. He said `we`ll rotate strike and wait for the loose deliveries to play our shots`," he said.

Raina was bowled by Steve Finn when the diminutive left-hander went for a big shot to eventually miss put on a century.

"I had decided to play my natural game. But I won`t repeat that mistake again. We will try to win it 5-0," he said.

South Australian Redbacks vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - 20-20

Over 20RCB 215/8
Arun Karthik* 6(2), Sreenath Aravind 6(3)

Bangalore needed 14 runs from the final over and not many would have given them a chance. That too, with 6 needed on the last ball, Arun karthik probably played the most important knock of his life to secure the match for Bangalore.

At the half-way mark, everyone felt that it was game over for Bangalore. But Gayle and Dilshan powered them to a tremendous start. Once he fell, Dilshan and Kohli had a wonderful partnership and things seemed to be going away from the Redbacks. But Tait came back to produce an almost match-winning spell with a 5-wicket haul.

At the half-way mark, everyone felt that it was game over for Bangalore. But Gayle and Dilshan powered them to a tremendous start. Once he fell, Dilshan and Kohli had a wonderful partnership and things seemed to be going away from the Redbacks. But Tait came back to produce an almost match-winning spell with a 5-wicket haul.

Castrol Index Update - A thrilling win off the last ball for Royal Challengers Bangalore to seal a spot in the semis. In spite of a victory, they finish three points behind South Australia (67) on the Index. Daniel Harris was the top performer of the match, bagging a value of 89 while Kohli topped the chart for RCB with ratings of 65.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs South Australia Streaming | CLT20 Live Score

Is the South Australian Redbacks’ ploy of playing three specialist spinners in the Champions League backfiring on them? The strategy may have worked well from them in the Big Bash competition where the matches were played on bigger grounds. But here the smaller grounds make it more difficult for the bowlers as even a mishit may go for a six.

On Sunday, against a rampaging Jon-Jon Smuts, the Redbacks were at the receiving end of his willow as the Warriors tore the spin attack to shreds. Skipper Michael Klinger and coach Darren Berry will have to give a rethink on their strategy as they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their Group B match at the RJIC Stadium, on Tuesday night.

The way Yusuf Pathan smashed four consecutive sixes off part-time spinner Arul Suppiah will undoubtedly play on the mind of the Redbacks. The Knight Riders have a strong batting line-up and containing them will not be that easy.

Klinger admitted that his side didn’t bowl well. “We gave loose deliveries too often,” he said. “We normally execute very well with the kind of deliveries we want to bowl, but today they were hitting them,” he said after his side suffered an embarrassing 50-run loss to the Warriors.

He, however, did not lay the entire blame on the bowlers. “They played better than us. There are no excuses. We did not execute our basic skills well and lost wickets regularly. The run rate was high and they did well to contain us,” Klinger said.

Pakistan could tour Bangladesh in December

Pakistan could tour Bangladesh in December this year as the boards of the two countries discuss the possibility of scheduling a full series when both teams are available. "The two boards have worked closely together to schedule a visit by Pakistan in December which is when both teams will be free from other commitments," Rabeed Imam, the Bangladesh Cricket Board media manager, told the Express Tribune.

"Bangladesh is set to host West Indies from October to November this year but have an extensive window to host Pakistan after that until March next year when we are supposed to host the Asia Cup.

"With December being the only month when Pakistan could play us, a series may be finalised for that time but the schedule is yet to be finalised. The tour may comprise two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 but that's all to be confirmed."

Bangladesh last toured Pakistan in 2008 but since then the two sides have played against each other only twice across all three formats, once each in the World Twenty20 2010 and in the Asia Cup 2010.

Pakistan were scheduled to visit Bangladesh last year but the series was postponed amid reports of differences between the two boards. "The proposed tour by Pakistan at the end of the year is part of the Future Tours Programme one originally scheduled for last August and later moved to 2011-12," Imam said.

"The BCB and the PCB have always been in a cordial and healthy relationship. You may recall that Bangladesh toured Pakistan in 2008 when other teams weren't touring and we returned for the Asia Cup later that year as well."

Gulf Oil ropes in Dhoni

India cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be the new face of Gulf Oil, a Hinduja Group Company, which manufactures lube brands.

The company signed Dhoni, who has just won the ‘Spirit of Cricket award' of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as its brand ambassador. MSD is set to represent the Gulf brand in India as well as in some of the global markets, a release from the company said. Already the two are linked with Gulf Oil being an official team partner of the MSD-led Chennai Super Kings. On the association of Gulf with MSD, Ravi Chawla, President – Lubricants, GOCL said, “We are excited to have him as the face of the brand, as he is a youth icon-confident, result oriented and in tune with times”

GOCL produces a wide range of lubricants for the automotive sector and is present in 80 countries.

ICC hail 'consistent' England's rise to No. 1

BIRMINGHAM: International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat praised England's rise to number one in the Test rankings after their latest thrashing of India on Saturday.

England won by an innings and 242 runs, with more than a day to spare, to win the third Test at Edgbaston and so take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in this four-match series.

Victory also meant Andrew Strauss's men had won this series by the two-match margin they needed to replace India at the summit of Test cricket and top the table for the first time since its creation in 2003.

"This achievement is just reward for the hard work from all the players and team management and they no doubt will celebrate being on top of the world," Lorgat said in a statement.

England had started the series in third position behind South Africa and trailing top ranked India by eight ratings points.

But a series of progressively larger wins -- by 196 runs in the first Test at Lord's, 319 runs at Trent Bridge and their innings success in Birmingham -- saw them overhaul India in style.

"On behalf of the ICC, I would like to congratulate Andrew Strauss, (England coach) Andy Flower and the whole team for becoming the number-one ranked Test team in the world," Lorgat said.

"I know they were determined to be number-one and through careful planning and a series of clinical performances, they have deservedly achieved their goal," the South African added.

"They were clearly the most consistent side in the world over the past few years as evidenced by their 19 out of 30 Test wins and only four loses."

Although the ICC table is only eight years old, it also retrospectively ranks Test sides.

On that basis, England were last top of the rankings in February 1979 when the then number-one ranked West Indies lost a six-Test series in India 1-0.

However, the West Indies bounced back 17 months later to beat England by 1-0 in a five-Test series to reclaim the number-one ranking.

Prior to this and since the 1950s, England had twice achieved number-one status.

The first occasion was from 1955 to 1959, when teams captained by Len Hutton and Peter May produced a golden era for English cricket and then from 1970 to 1973, a period where England regained the Ashes in Australia under Ray Illingworth in 1970/71.

India's current period atop the ICC table started when they beat Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-Test series in December 2009.

If England win the fourth and final Test at The Oval next week, they will finish on 125 ratings points while India will drop to third on 117 points.

However, if India wins or draws the Test, it will stay ahead of South Africa in second position. A win will take India to 120 points while a drawn Test will see them finish on 119.

The four teams at the top of the standings in mid January 2013 will progress to the playoffs with the inaugural World Test Championship final set to be played in England later that year.

BCCI and Indian High Commission at loggerheads of reception

BCCI and Indian High Commission at loggerheads of reception

Lord's all set for milestone Test

The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Lord's all set for milestone Test

Pietersen's century propels England

Pietersen's century propels England

Atherton hails Dhoni's record

Former England skipper Michael Atherton is highly impressed with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and said his record as India captain speaks a lot about his leadership qualities. 

 Atherton hails Dhoni's record

BCCI recommends Zaheer for Arjuna award

“We have recommended only one name, that of Zaheer Khan, for the Arjuna Award," Shetty said. The 32-year-old Shrirampur-born Zaheer, who made his international debut in 2000, would be the 44th cricketer to be bestowed with the award if the government accepts the BCCI's recommendation.

 BCCI recommends Zaheer for Arjuna award

West Indies, India set up tense test finale

India, chasing 180 to win off 47 overs, reached 19-1 at tea on the fifth and final day of the third cricket test against the West Indies Sunday at Windsor Park.West Indies, India set up tense test finale

Hundreds of Ganguly fans wish him on his 39th birthday

 Hundreds of Ganguly fans wish him on his 39th birthday 

He may have quit international cricket for three years now but the love and affection Sourav Ganguly received on his 39th birthday was enviable.

The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Including Sehwag in England squad a smart move: Akram

Virender Sehwag may not be able play in the first two Test matches against England due to an injury but his inclusion in the Indian squad is a smart decision by the selectors, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram said.

The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Including Sehwag in England squad a smart move: Akram

India unable to finish off West Indies as second Test ends in draw

 India could not force victory over West Indies despite an early, attacking declaration on the final day of the second Test in Bridgetown as the weather closed in late on.

The tourists made a surprising decision to come in midway through the morning session, ending their innings on 269 for six – a lead of 280. And it looked like it might pay off as they took two quick wickets to leave West Indies on 48 for two at lunch.

But, after losing Adrian Barath for 27 early in the second session, the home side were able to shore up their innings thanks to Darren Bravo and the watchful Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Rain arrived after tea with West Indies on 181 for five and although a couple of quick wickets gave India hope again after play resumed, bad light ensure a draw would be the result.

India had added 40 at the cost of three wickets before Mahendra Singh Dhoni's declaration. Having begun the day well set on 229 for three, they lost Virat Kohli at the end of only the second over, adding one to his overnight 26 before edging behind. And it was the same combination of Darren Sammy and Fidel Edwards who accounted for VVS Laxman, 13 runs shy of a century, moments later.

India might have sought to consolidate but Dhoni was in attacking mood and it proved costly as he spooned up another Edwards delivery to give Chanderpaul an easy catch, departing for five.

Shortly after reaching the pavilion, Dhoni decided his side had done enough – no doubt aware of possible bad weather later in the day – but a target of 281 left the door open for West Indies to seek a series-levelling victory. "My plan was ruined because of the rain because once we came back the ball got wet and it started coming on nicely to the bat," Dhoni said later. "Still, we got a couple of wickets that were needed, but bad light really spoiled our party."

A West Indies win had looked to be on the mind of Lendl Simmons at the start of their run chase, the opener hitting three quick boundaries before departing for 14 – off only 12 balls – when he edged an Ishant Sharma delivery to Rahul Dravid.

When Ramnaresh Sarwan went for eight, also caught in the slips off Praveen Kumar, to leave his side on 27 for two, Dhoni's move was looking inspired. Barath had been the steady hand before lunch but he did not survive long after it, caught at slip off Sharma.

However, India toiled fruitlessly in search of another breakthrough before tea, with their frustration growing as they sensed their chance of victory disappearing. There was joy after the interval, however, with Chanderpaul trapped leg-before by Harbhajan Singh having made just 12 off 87 balls – though that was exactly the kind of innings his side had needed.

Marlon Samuels followed soon after for nine, looking decidedly unimpressed at being given lbw to a Sharma delivery that hit him high on the pads, though he had been well back in his crease.

India might have had a sixth wicket with the home side on 133 but Dhoni dropped what looked to be a straightforward catch from Carlton Baugh, who had yet to score. Baugh would punish them with an aggressive innings, hitting four fours – three of them in a row – and one six to make 33 off 42 balls before the rain arrived.

Bravo had been the main cause of India's frustration and he eventually fell for 73, caught behind by Dhoni off Abhimanyu Mithun. Moments later, Sammy was trapped lbw for a duck to become Sharma's 10th victim of the match, but it proved to be the penultimate delivery as the umpires called the players off moments later.

India lead the series 1-0 going into the final Test in Roseau, Dominica, next week, the first to be played in the country.

Sammy, the West Indies captain, said his team were satisfied with the draw, even though they had set out to win. "The coach had a chat with the batters and we had a plan. Even down to the last 15 overs we were right on course but we lost too many wickets, hence it pegged us back," he said. "A draw, we would take that. We still have a chance of levelling the series in Dominica. As long as we didn't lose this game today, I'm quite happy."

India were later fined for their slow over-rate. They were three overs short of their target after considering time allowances, the ICC said in a statement. The players were fined 30% of their match fees while Dhoni was docked 60%, as per ICC regulations.

India accepted the penalties without contest, the statement added.

Can football overtake cricket in India?

Is there a chance football could overtake cricket in India? And what will be the reaction of the BCCI and the ICC? asks Nmera Waffa Stranger things, like the Bush family producing two American presidents, have happened, so why not? Logic would dictate that the BCCI would become a more accommodating organisation if football had cricket's present status in India. Much like how the meanest, most popular girl in high school discovers that in college she's a nobody, and then takes the effort to be nice to people, the BCCI would be kinder to its patrons, players and advertisers. 

Can football overtake cricket in India?

Dhoni-Sakshi wedding anniversary today

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi are celebrating their first wedding anniversary on Monday.

India's World Cup winning captain Dhoni had tied the knot with his schoolmate Sakshi at a private ceremony in Dheradun.

The captain is currently leading India in the tour of West Indies where the two teams are playing a three-match Test series.

India already have a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and the third and final test starts on Wednesday at Windsor Park in Roseau, Dominica.

Broad handed big fine for Bowden bust-up

LONDON: England’s Stuart Broad has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for showing “serious dissent” at an umpire’s decision during the second one-day international against Sri Lanka, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Sunday.

Broad handed big fine for Bowden bust-up

Rain leaves West Indies & India second Test in balance

Second Test, Georgetown (day two):

India 201 v West Indies 98-5

India fast bowler Ishant Sharma snared two wickets in four balls to leave the second Test against West Indies finely balanced after day two in Georgetown.

Exploiting all the pace and bounce on offer at a damp Kensington Oval, Sharma removed nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo and Ramnaresh Sarwan in the sixth over.

The hosts then rallied with an unbroken 41-run fifth-wicket stand to close on 98-5, 103 runs adrift of India's first innings total.

Foul weather then brought an early end.

The start of play was delayed by 45 minutes after early morning showers soaked the outfield, and was then suspended after less than 13 overs when rain returned just after lunch, with bad light later ensuring there was to be no resumption even after the rain had stopped.

Already 1-0 down in the three-match Test series, West Indies sought to improve on their precarious overnight score of 30-3.

But after reaching 13, Bishoo departed, fending a short-pitched ball from Sharma to Virat Kohli at gully.

A more cautious Sarwan had made 18 when he was deceived by a Sharma inswinger which trapped him lbw in the same over - the 15th wicket to fall in the first four sessions.

But Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels - who replaced sacked vice-captain Brendan Nash - shared an unbroken stand of 41 for the sixth wicket when their progress was halted by another downpour.

On day one, India's bowlers hit back well late on after their batsmen suffered two heavy collapses in their first innings.

Meanwhile, Australian umpire Daryl Harper withdrew from next week's final Test after complaints from India captain Mahendra Dhoni about his decision-making in the previous encounter which India won by 63 runs.

Harper, a 59-year-old with almost two decades of experience as an international umpire, was recently dropped from the ICC's elite panel.

"In the wake of some unfair criticism, Daryl informed us that he does not wish to stand in what would have been his final Test," said ICC general manager David Richardson. Englishman Richard Kettleborough will take Harper's place in Roseau.

The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Want to be back before England series: Sehwag

Star opener Virender Sehwag is working very hard to attain full fitness so that he can be a part of the Indian squad for the tour of England which starts next month.

The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Want to be back before England series: Sehwag

Cricket | Is Delhi stealing Mumbai’s thunder?

Cricket | Is Delhi stealing Mumbai’s thunder? | ESPNSTAR.com

 With more and more players from Delhi being included in Team India, is there a paradigm shift in the power-base of Indian cricket from Mumbai to the national capital?

PCB won’t stop players from playing in SLPL: Board official

The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : PCB won’t stop players from playing in SLPL: Board official

Sri Lanka beats England in T20

Sri Lanka thrashed England by nine wickets in a one-off Twenty20 on Saturday in Bristol, showing the tourists remain a force in limited over games.

The 2011 World Cup finalists chose to bat second and finished on 137-1, comfortably reaching England's 136-9 with almost three overs to spare at the County Ground.

 Sri Lanka beats England in T20 test

Dhoni and Raina to join Akshay, John, Riteish in Housefull 2?

Dhoni and Raina to join Akshay, John, Riteish in Housefull 2?

Pakistan miss out on CL participation again

 LAHORE: Pakistan cricket was handed a blow after it was once again denied representation in the latest edition of the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) tournament to be held in India from September 23.

Pakistan have not had their team participating in the tournament ever since it started in 2008, making it the only Test-playing nation, other than Bangladesh to not have a representative in the league. Sialkot Stallions were invited to take part in the inaugural event, but the Mumbai attacks scuppered any chances of their inclusion.

Pakistan’s representation in Board of Control for Cricket in India-organised events has always remained uncertain, with the country’s players being ignored for the Indian Premier League auction in 2010, despite the team enjoying the status of world champions at the time. Discarded wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal expressed his disappointment at the latest development.

“As a player, I find it very unfortunate that out country will be missing from action in the Champions League,” said Akmal. “I’ve no idea why Pakistani teams aren’t included but it’s up to the board to deal with this issue and ensure that our top Twenty20 team takes part in the event.”

Pakistan Cricket Board officials remained reluctant to comment on the latest development.

Meanwhile, the CLT20 will be featuring 10 teams and will follow the same format as last year’s event. Before the tournament kicks off, however, a six-team qualifying tournament will be played to decide the final three teams that qualify for the main event. With six sides in the qualifying tournament and another seven already confirmed as participants in the league, a record 13 teams will have a chance to claim the most prestigious prize in domestic Twenty20 cricket.

Tendulkar all for DRS but with Hot Spot and Snickometer

Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar is not against the controversial Decision Review System but wants it to be combined with technologies such as Snickometer and Hot Spot for consistency.

“I am not against DRS, but I feel it will be more effective with the support of the Snickometer and Hot Spot technology. This will give more consistent results,” Tendulkar told ESPN Cricinfo website.

However, neither Hot Spot nor the Snickometer, is part of the ICC’s list of minimum technology requirements for the DRS.

Ever since its inception, major cricket-playing nations have taken to the technology but the BCCI has always opposed it.

BCCI has irked many a counterparts by refusing to use the technology during bilateral series.

Recently, England players questioned BCCI’s wisdom in ignoring the technology for their upcoming series against India.

Even Gary Kirsten, who led India to the World Cup triumph, said yesterday that the technology was potent enough to minimise umpiring errors.

Indian players have been divided on DRS’ use with some in favour of it and seniors such as Tendulkar and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni expressing apprehensions.

During the World Cup, Dhoni had called the DRS, the “adulteration” of technology and human decision-making.

COCCI president Shashank Manohar also reacted and said, “I have even told the ICC that we have no problem with Hot Spot.

Our objection is to ball tracking. It becomes just a case of someone else’s imagination versus the umpire’s imagination.”

West Indies win final ODI as India take series 3-2

Fifth one-day international, Kingston:West Indies 255-3 (48.4 overs) beat India 251 (47.3 overs) by seven wickets

Scorecard
Darren Bravo Bravo's spectacular innings inspired West Indies

Darren Bravo hit a swashbuckling 86 to help West Indies to a seven-wicket win over India in the final match of the one-day international series.

Virat Kohli struck 10 fours in his 94 as India were bowled out for 251 after being asked to bat in Kingston.

The Windies needed 98 from the final 12 overs before left-hander Bravo hit six sixes and though he fell with 39 needed they got home with eight balls left.

It was a second successive win for West Indies but India took the series 3-2.

Ramnaresh Sarwan also played an important role in the home team's triumph, compiling an assured 75, his 38th one-day half century, before he was forced to retire hurt.

Sarwan, thought to be suffering from severe cramps, received treatment from the physio and had Lendl Simmons as a runner, but could not continue and headed back to the pavilion at the end of the 38th over.

Bravo made excellent use of the batting powerplays, but was deceived by a sharply turning delivery from Amit Mishra and stumped.

But Marlon Samuels and Keiron Pollard smashed Vinay Kumar for 20 runs in the 48th over to secure the victory.

Sri Lanka captain Dilshan ruled out of third test

LONDON (Reuters) - Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan has been ruled out of this week's third test against England with a thumb injury.

Dilshan was struck by a ball from England fast bowler Chris Tremlett during his innings of 193 in the second test at Lord's.

"He definitely won't be playing," Sri Lanka manager Anura Tennekoon told Sky Sports News. "As a precautionary measure we have kept him out."

Kumar Sangakkara will captain Sri Lanka in the third test at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire which starts on Thursday.

England lead the three-match series 1-0.

Live: India vs West Indies, 4th ODI

Amit Mishra is amongst the wickets again as the Windies are four down in Antigua...........

India vs West Indies: Mishra destroys WI in 3rd ODI cricket match

India vs West Indies 3rd ODI cricket match seems to be poised for happy ending for India. Amit Mishra has destroyed WI batting in 3rd ODI cricket match

Port of Spain: Amit Mishra seems to have become a monster for West Indies cricket team. In the last match he scalped four wickets. The match is still not midway, but he has already scalped two wickets by breaking very important partnerships.

At one time the West Indies cricket team looked set for a big total as they were playing at 64 for the loss of just one wicket. Many had forgot as to when they had lost the first wicket. Munaf Patel had taken the first wicket of Edwards in his very first over. But then he gave away too many runs. He has bowled just six overs but has given away 39 runs.

But then Harbhajan got a breakthrough when one of his ball prompted a run out of Sarwan who was looking well set and playing at 28 runs.

After the breaking of the partnership Amit Mishra managed two quick wickets of Samuels and Hyatt.

Earlier Indian stand in captain Suresh Raina won the toss- second in a row- and invited West Indies cricket team to bat. The host have already lost two matches this way and Raina cannot want to experiment by batting first.

Meanwhile Simmons too has gone after scoring 45 runs. A report said, “The sad story gets sadder. Simmons pushed forward at a loopy legbreak, dipping on the batsman and pitching around middle and off. Simmons couldn't cover for the turn and the ball spun away, taking the edge towards Kohli at first slip”.

Mishra who has bowled seven overs has so far taken 3 wickets and given away just 18 runs. West Indies are struggling at 78 for 5 after 22.3 overs.

Kohli, Patel guide India to victory in rain-marred second ODI

Kohli, Patel guide India to victory in rain-marred second ODI

BCCI Awards

BCCI Awards - Yahoo! Cricket Photos: "

Cricket Photos of the Week - 29.5.2011

Cricket Photos of the Week - 29.5.2011 - Yahoo! Cricket Photos:

England on course to reclaim second spot in ICC Test rating

Dubai, May 31 (PTI): England's stunning victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Cardiff has kept it on course to reclaim second position on the ICC Test Championship table for the first time in more than three years.

Although the Test Championship table will be updated only at the end of the series, a 3-0 series win will put England one ratings point ahead of South Africa. England last occupied the second position in November 2007.

England players Chris Tremlett, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell, who engineered the stunning an innings and 14 runs victory over Sri Lanka, also achieved their career-best rankings in the list released today.

Swann, who bagged 4-16 in the second innings to finish with figures of 7-94, has strengthened his second position on the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, which is still headed by Dale Steyn of South Africa.

Tremlett, who claimed 4-40 in the second innings to earn match figures of 5-121, has gained seven places and is now on a career-best ranking of 27th.

Among the Test batsmen, man of the match Jonathan Trott, who scored 203, has moved up one place to join former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara in third position.

Ian Bell was also rewarded for his innings of 103 not out with a jump of three places to the 18th position for the first time in his career.

Skipper Alastair Cook also earned 15 ratings points for his innings of 133 which has put him on 818 ratings points and just 38 points behind the pair of Trott and Sangakkara.

Sri Lanka opener Tharanga Paranavithana and wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardena moved up one place to 44th spot and six places to 51st position respectively.

Chennai paint the town yellow

 Dhoni becomes first captain to win the IPL twice, Bangalore fall 58 runs short in the final.

Chennai: A clinical Chennai Super Kings clinched their second Indian Premier League title in a row with a 58-run thrashing of Royal Challengers Bangalore in a lop-sided final on Saturday.

IPL-4: Set Max rakes in the moolah, but advertisers not happy with eyeballs

Mumbai, May 27:

As IPL- 4 wraps up, the official broadcaster Set Max is expected to rake in revenues in excess of Rs 1,000 crore.

But not all advertisers and their media buying agencies are sure about getting adequate eyeballs this season. The country's largest media agency Group M with the some of the biggest clients like Vodafone and L'Oreal is going to get cautious next season.

“The IPL ratings have been below expectations. The average ratings have fallen 15-20 per cent and the CPRP (cost per rating point) was higher than last year. We have to be slightly cautious now and will have to evaluate 2012 IPL keeping in mind the lack of eyeballs this season,” says Mr R. Gowthaman, Managing Director, Mindshare (belonging to Group M).

However, Set Max managed to rake in revenues on the back of factors like inflation and more number of teams and matches this season.

As Mr Sidharth Parashar, National Trading Head, Maxus Global, says: “Inflation ensured that ad rates were higher this season and more number of matches led to greater revenues.''

Ad rates hovered around Rs 4-5 lakh and almost doubled for the knock-out matches. There were almost 70 advertisers this season. While big spenders like HUL and Videocon stayed away, new advertisers like Lenovo and Reliance Digital TV started advertising during the play-off stages.

SET Max too is willing to admit the drop in viewership this season and would look at ways to rectify it going forward.

Mr Rohit Gupta, President, Multi Screen Media (the owners of SET Max channel), says, “It has been mixed bag in terms of ratings this season. While there was reach, the total time spent on the matches was less and we are looking at ways to correct it. But IPL is still holding on to its position of being the No. 1 property. “The last four games have already been sold at Rs 15 lakh per 10 second and there have been new advertisers like L'Oreal, Cadbury, Tata Motor's Nano and Asian Paints. People are still coming in to watch the games and we have crossed last season's viewership of 143 million and reached 155 million till last week''.

Presenting sponsor Vodafone was the biggest advertiser this season bagging 210 seconds for every game of the IPL.

“Yes, expectations from IPL-4 were higher and there was a bit of fatigue but towards the end viewership did pick up. Vodafone had a single sustained message right through the World Cup and the IPL and it was about announcing its 3G services and new data services through the super zoos for the past four months,'' said Mr Kapil Arora, Senior Vice-President, Brand and Country Head for Team Vodafone at O&M.

Big spender LG Electronics simply used IPL-4 to advertise its latest 3D televisions, a category where sales had st

Gambhir, Yuvraj, Tendulkar out of West Indies tour

Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh were on Friday left out of India’s entire tour of the West Indies as the national selectors announced the 16-member squad for the Test series next month.

Tamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund was the lone new face in the squad announced by the BCCI Secretary N. Srinivasan after a marathon meeting of the selection committee here.

The young Suresh Raina was named captain of the ODI series after original choice Gambhir was ruled out for the entire tour because of a shoulder injury. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh would be Raina’s deputy.

Yuvraj was also unavailable for the entire trip as he is suffering from an upper respiratory infection with a small patch of pneumonitis in the left lung.

“Gautam Gambhir will be unavailable for the full tour of the West Indies, on account of his shoulder injury. Yuvraj Singh will also be unavailable for the full tour. He is suffering from an upper respiratory infection, with a small patch of pneumonitis in the left lung,” the BCCI said in a statement.

Tendulkar, who was not part of the ODI team, requested that he be allowed to spend time with his family.

“He will therefore not play the Test series. However, he will be available for the full tour of England, that follows,” the BCCI said.

Shikhar Dhawan and Manoj Tiwary have been named as the replacements for Gambhir and Yuvraj, for the Twenty20 and ODI series starting June 4.

The squad (Test series): M S Dhoni (Captain), V V S Laxman (Vice Captain), M Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel.

Live: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers

Gayle falls for 89 as Bangalore set sights on a massive total in a must-win match.

Super Kings hit by whirlwind Gayle

Sun, 22 May 2011 - IP Bangalore vs IP Chennai, IPL 2011, 69th Match - Bulletin

Bangalore, May 22, 2011 (AFP) Chris Gayle smashed an unbeaten 75 as Royal Challengers Bangalore topped the points table with an eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

The West Indies opener hit six sixes in his 50-ball knock as Bangalore surpassed Chennai's total of 128-8 with two overs to spare in their last league match of the Twenty20 tournament.

Gayle, who added 80 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli (31), finished the match when he hit spinner Suresh Raina for 11 runs off the last three balls of the 18th over.

Bangalore (19 points), Chennai (18), Kolkata (16) and Mumbai (16) have already qualified for the play-offs. They are followed by Punjab (14), Rajasthan (13), Deccan (12), Kochi (12), Pune (nine) and Delhi (nine).

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit six sixes in his explosive 40-ball 70 not out but received little support from the other end, the highest stand of the innings being 42 for the fifth wicket.

Chennai made a poor start after being put in to bat as they lost four wickets for 22 runs in the opening six overs, with left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan dismissing Australian Michael Hussey and Raina in successive overs.

Hussey could make just four runs before inside-edging a Zaheer devliery on to the stumps while Raina was caught by Kohli at point.

New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori put more pressure on Chennai when he removed Subramaniam Badrinath and West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo to eventually finish with 2-15 off four overs.

Brief scores:

Chennai Super Kings 128-8 in 20 overs (MS Dhoni 70 not out, W. Saha 22; D. Vettori 2-15, Zaheer Khan 2-19, S. Aravind 2-20) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 129-2 in 18 overs (C. Gayle 75 not out, V. Kohli 31) by eight wickets.

Teams look for a turnaround in fortunes

The Hindu Deccan Chargers' skipper Kumar Sangadkara, who is playing a game of football with teammates during training, will be keen to bounce back in the match against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Photo: H. Vibhu

The race so far has been far more exciting than initially predicted. And technically, there is still a chance for each of the teams in the fray to get to the play-offs of this year's IPL. Only that they should stay focused on the task at hand in the remaining matches and play to their full potential.

Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Deccan Chargers come face to face at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Wednesday. Needless to say, the tie — the seventh for both — is crucial for both the teams as this provides them an opportunity to pitchfork back into contention.
 

Far from impressive

Both the teams had a far from impressive outing in the sixth round, with KTK allowing itself to be overhauled by Rajasthan Royals and DC having been overhauled by Sachin Tendulakr's Mumbai Indians.

The home team fans will definitely be hoping for a good all-round display by their team which, until its defeat a couple of days, had been placed as high as the third spot in the overall rankings, as a result of its stunning three-in-a-row wins over Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. The team under the seasoned Mahela Jayawardene was virtually on a rampage at that stage, backed by solid individual performances by Brendon McCullum, Brad Hodge, Ravindra Jadeja, Parthiv Patel, R.P. Singh besides the skipper himself. However, with McCullum out due to an unfortunate shoulder injury, the team just came a cropper against the spin wizardry of the ageless Shane Warne, away from home.

The priority for KTK would be nothing less than an outright win. However, this again would depend upon the availability of McCullum, who is now likely to undergo a fitness test on Wednesday morning, should he recover from his injury and report fit.
 

Key player

His absence would mean a certain void at the top, key as he is in providing a blazing start, whether KTK opts to bat first or chase.

On the other hand, DC finds itself at the bottom of the table with just two wins from six matches. The team having hit a rough patch due to the inability of its players to contribute to their side's cause as one unified outfit. Obviously the chips are down for the 2009 champion side and the match should be a real test for the team and its hopes of keeping its chances alive.

And crucial would be the display of its skipper Kumar Sangakkara and the rest of its batsmen, who oddly enough, are yet to find their touch. The lone exception to this is Shikhar Dhawan who has been in good form, attempting to keep the DC innings together on more occasions than one from his position at the top.

However, things could turn better if the skipper, Sunny Sohal and Bharat Chipli fire together with the bat and utility players like Daniel Christian chip in.

On the bowling front, the team looks to Dale Steyn, Manpreet Gony and Amit Mishra to deliver. Crucial too will be the form of Ishant Sharma, who is struggling at present.

With the sides all set to play out an exciting encounter, the only threat is the summer rain which has been lashing the city for the last few days. It had rained when KTK played against Chennai Super Kings last week, forcing the match to be reduced to 17 overs-a-side. One hopes the rain stays away.

PWI vs CSK live score: Chennai wins by eight wickets

Chennai Super Kings moved up to the 2nd spot in the point table after beating Pune Warriors India by eight wickets.


Subramaniam Badrinath slammed his second unbeaten half century of the tournament to power defending champions Chennai Super Kings to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Pune Warriors in an Indian Premier League match at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday.

Badrinath, who scored a classy 71 not out for a losing cause against hosts Mumbai Indians on April 22, stroked his way to a fine 63 not out in 44 balls as CSK overhauled the Pune's modest score of 141 for six with three balls to spare.

The victory was the fourth for the holders in seven ties, and their first away from home. The win took CSK's tally to eight points and put them on the third spot on the table while the Warriors slid to their fourth straight defeat in six matches.


Pune vs Chennai: Live score & commentary

Pune skipper Yuvraj Singh played captaincy knock of unbeaten 62 runs to guide his side towards fighting total of 141/6 against Chennai.

Electing to bat first, Pune top batting order failed to perform before fiery spell of Doug Bollinger Nuwan Kulasekara and Tim Southee.

Pune lost four wickets for just 41 runs. However, skipper Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa consolidated the innings but Uthappa was dismissed by R Ashwin for 31 runs.

Uthappa was looking in hurry when he went for another biggie after hitting a six off Ashwin. Yuvraj Singh scored 62 runs off 43. his innings was studded with three fours and four sixes.

For Chennai, Doug Bollinger scalped three wickets while Tim Southee, Kulasekara and Ashwin took one wicket each.

Pune Warriors India skipper Yuvraj Singh won the toss and decided to bat against Chennai Super Kings here at DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Pune has made one change in the playing XI, Nathan McCullum is out and Mitchell Marsh has been making his IPL debut.

Yuvraj Singh, “160-170 runs target would be defendable at this track.”

On the other hand, Chennai has also made couple of chanmges. Albie Morkel is injured and Suraj Randiv has been left out. Tim Southee and Nuwan Kulasekera are in.

Teams:

PWI: Jesse Ryder, Manish Pandey, Mithun Manhas, Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, Mohnish Mishra, Murli Kartik, Rahul Sharma, Jerome Taylor, A Thomas, Mitchell Marsh

CSK: Murli Vijay, Mike Hussey, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, MS Dhoni, S Anirudha, R Ashwin, Nuwan Kulasekara, Doug Bollinger, Shadab Jakati, Tim Southee.

Ahmed Shehzad stars in Pakistan’s win

Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad hit a confident 102 to lead Pakistan to a seven-wicket victory over West Indies on Monday for a 2-0 lead in the five-match, one-day international series.

The 19-year-old Shehzad struck seven fours and a six in 148 balls at Beausejour Stadium as Pakistan reached 223-3 to eclipse the hosts’ total of 220 with two overs remaining.

He shared half-century stands with Mohammad Hafeez, A sad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq. Hafeez scored 32 off 51 balls, Shafiq contributed 23 off 37 while Misbah struck a run-a-ball 43.

“He’s a very, very talented guy,” Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said of Shehzad. “In the World Cup, he didn’t perform well. But we gave him confidence from my side and the team management side and he showed himself that he is capable of performing. He took some time but it was OK since it was only a total of 220 (we were chasing).”

Earlier, Pakistan’s three spinners did the damage to the West Indies’ batting line-up. Saaed Ajmal claimed 2-23, Mohammad Hafeez claimed 2-38 and Afridi picked up 2-41, while left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz chipped in with 2-39.

Opener Lendl Simmons top-scored with 51 off 48 balls but the West Indies lost their way after a brisk start.

The hosts lost wickets at regular intervals throughout the innings with the highest partnership being 36 between Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo for the fifth wicket.

Hafeez struck the first blow for Pakistan when he removed Devon Smith leg before wicket for the second time in the series at 24-1.

Simmons and Darren Bravo added 34 in quick time before Ajmal struck with his first delivery to remove Bravo, who edged low to slip.

Simmons continued to flourish before Afridi struck the killer blow, the Trinidadian opener slapping a drive straight to extra cover to make it 90-3.

Samuels, who scored only three runs in his first 36 balls, eventually contributed 29 but no other batsman could pass 25.

Fast bowler Kemar Roach beefed up the total with 24 off 40 balls in adding 27 for the last wicket with Anthony Martin to push the total past 200.

Shehzad and Hafeez started the Pakistani chase soundly, adding 66 off 110 balls for the first wicket. Devendra Bishoo broke the stand when Hafeez sliced a cut to backward point.

But Shehzad found another solid ally in Shafiq and they put on a further 66 for the second wicket. Shafiq fell to a run out at 133-2, but the West Indies never looked like causing an upset.

Shehzad had two half-chances during his innings. Captain Darren Sammy missed a run out opportunity when the teenager was 30, while Bishoo unable to haul in a difficult catch at deep midwicket off Roach when Shehzad was 76.

Shehzad finally departed with 28 still need, stumped by yards off Bishoo as he tried to finish off in style. But Misbah and Umar Akmal made sure with a flurry of boundaries towards the end.

Pakistan won by eight wickets on Saturday at the same venue. The next match is on Thursday at Bridgetown.

Hussey, Morkel star in Chennai win

http://livecricketsctore.blogspot.com/2011/04/hussey-morkel-star-in-chennai-win.html

Michael Hussey hit a half-century and Albie Morkel bagged three wickets to help Chennai Super Kings post a 25-run win over Pune Warriors in an Indian Premier League match yesterday.

Hussey made a 48-ball 61 and South African paceman Morkel took 3-29 as Chennai bowled and fielded impressively to restrict Pune to 9-117 after scoring 6-142 for their third win in six matches of the Twenty20 tournament.

Pune could never recover after being reduced to 4-40 in the opening six overs, with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Morkel taking two wickets apiece. Australian paceman Doug Bollinger finished with 2-20.
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Skipper Yuvraj Singh top-scored with 34 for Pune, who suffered their third defeat in five matches. His 43-ball knock ended when Shadab Jakati held a superb diving catch in the covers off Morkel in the penultimate over.

Hussey earlier hit one six and six fours in his half-century to help Chennai reach a competitive total despite impressive bowling efforts from Pune pacemen Jerome Taylor (3-30) and Alfonso Thomas (2-29).

Losing the toss, Chennai made a solid start when Murali Vijay (31) and Hussey put on 64 for the opening wicket before Pune struck back with two quick wickets.

South African Thomas had Vijay caught by New Zealander Nathan McCullum at mid-wicket and then bowled Suresh Raina for two runs in the same over.

Hussey steadied the innings with a 52-run stand for the third wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) before West Indies paceman Taylor, playing his first IPL match, took three of the last four wickets.

Taylor struck in his third over when he removed Hussey, who fell to a well-judged catch at long-on boundary by Manish Pandey, before dismissing Morkel in the same over.