Tendulkar in Mumbai team after 23 months

Mumbai: As expected Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan have been named in the 15 member Mumbai team for the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Saurashtra to be played at Chennai from January 4 to 7.

Tendulkar had made his last match for Mumbai memorable by scoring a century in the national championship final against Bengal at the Wankhede Stadium in February 2007.

The match against Saurashtra would be his 36th for Mumbai.

Zaheer Khan’s only match for Mumbai was in the same final and he took nine wickets. Previously he had played 20 Ranji matches for Baroda.

The team: Wasim Jaffer (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Vinayak Samant (wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Amol Muzumdar, Rohit Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Sahil Kukreja, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ramesh Powar, Sairaj Bahutule, Ankit Chavan, Usman Malvi. — Special Correspondent

Maximum security for Dhoni after extortion letter

Jharkhand has provided the highest "Z category" security cover to Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni following the receipt of a letter by his family that threatened that they would be harmed if the skipper fails to pay Rs.5 million to a gangster, police said on Wednesday.

"Dhoni has been provided Z category security," said police spokesperson S.N. Pradhan.

The cricketer, who earlier had "Y category" security cover - the second most stringent category - is now being guarded by 45 security personnel. He arrived here Tuesday.

According to police officials, Dhoni's family received the extortion letter Monday. The letter, allegedly sent by gangster Taslim, who claims to be a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, stated that the Indian skipper's family will face dire consequences if he does not pay Rs.5 million.

The family handed over the letter to police here Tuesday night. Soon after, Dhoni's security was beefed up.

Police have also launched an investigation to trace the person who sent the letter.

When Dhoni was last in Ranchi, he was not happy with his constricting security cover and travelled from his home to the airport without any bodyguards.

However, with renewed concern about his security, Dhoni has applied for a prohibited bore (PB) arms licence. He has a non-PB licence already.

According to sources close to his family, Dhoni plans to buy a 9 mm pistol after obtaining the licence. The PB licence is issued only in special circumstances by the central home ministry.

South African pair top the charts

Year to remember ... Graeme Smith hits out against Australia

South African stars Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn will soon focus on overtaking Australia as the world's No.1 Test cricket side, but they can also reflect on 2008 as a stand-out year individually.

The Proteas can attribute much of their success this year - 11 wins, two draws and two losses from 15 Tests, and series wins in England and Australia - to Smith's magnificent batting and Steyn's brilliant fast bowling.

On top of his improved captaincy, Smith scored 1,656 runs at an average of 72, and his tally was the third-highest in a calendar year in the game's history, only behind the 1,788 runs Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf amassed in 2006 and the 1,710 the West Indies' Viv Richards tallied in 1976.

Smith's year included six centuries and scores of 48, 108, 62 and 75 in the first two Tests against Australia, a country he had previously struggled against, with only one half-century from eight matches before this series.

Steyn was the man of the match in the second Test at the MCG for his bowling and batting heroics, and his 10-wicket haul gave him 74 scalps for the year, at an average of 20.01 runs apiece.

That figure represents almost half of the paceman's career total - he made his Test debut in 2004 - and he took five five-wicket hauls for the year, in just 13 matches.

Steyn's year-best figure was the equal ninth-highest in history.

South Africa's batting strength was underlined by the presence of Hashim Amla (4th, 1,161 runs), Neil McKenzie (7th, 1,071) and AB de Villiers (10th, 1,061) in the top 10 leading run-scorers.

Captain Ricky Ponting was again Australia's highest run-scorer, with the year's third highest tally of 1,182 at 47.28, a figure inflated by his double of 101 and 99 at the MCG.

This year was the fifth time Ponting had scored more than 1,000 runs in a calendar year.

Michael Clarke, with 1,063 runs in equal-eighth spot, was the only other Australian batsman to register in the top 10.

Left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson was Australia's leading wicket-taker, and second overall, with 63 scalps at 29.01.

Leading run-scorers and wicket-takers in Test cricket in 2008.

MOST RUNS

1,656 - Graeme Smith (RSA) 15 matches, average 72.00
1,462 - Virender Sehwag (Ind) 14 matches, average 56.23
1,182 - Ricky Ponting (Aust) 14 matches, average 47.28
1,162 - Hashim Amla (RSA) 15 matches, average 52.77
1,134 - Gautam Gambhir (Ind) 8 matches, average 70.87
1,086 - VVS Laxman (Ind) 15 matches, average 47.21
1,073 - Neil McKenzie (RSA) 14 matches, average 53.65
1,063 - Michael Clarke (Aust) 13 matches, average 50.61
1,063 - Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) 13 matches, average 48.31
1,061 - AB de Villiers (RSA) 15 matches, average 58.94

MOST WICKETS

74 - Dale Steyn (RSA) 13 matches, average 20.01
63 - Mitchell Johnson (Aust) 14 matches, average 29.01
63 - Harbhajan Singh (Ind) 13 matches, average 31.53
57 - Brett Lee (Aust) 14 matches, average 33.05
54 - Daniel Vettori (NZ) 14 matches, average 26.12
54 - Makhaya Ntini (RSA) 15 matches, average 28.46
47 - Ryan Sidebottom (Eng) 8 matches, average 20.25
46 - Jimmy Anderson (Eng) 11 matches, average 29.84
43 - Morne Morkel (RSA) 13 matches, average 32.16
42 - Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) 6* matches, average 23.71
* currently playing a Test against Bangladesh

Miandad to get diplomatic passport for easy travel to China

Karachi: To facilitate his travel to China as a cricket ambassador, Pakistan Interior Ministry has decided to issue a blue diplomatic passport to newly-appointed - Cricket Board Director-General Javed Miandad.

The Chinese authorities are keen that Miandad start working on a program to establish good infrastructure for the sport in China and to start grooming their players," the official said.

"Miandad is a big name and respected figure in Pakistan and his role as cricket ambassador to China will help further cement ties between both the countries," he said.

Meanwhile, Miandad said he was extremely happy to get this honour and sincerely believed China had the potential to become a force in international cricket in the coming years.

"They are a organised and disciplined nation. It will be easier for them to start improving once they are given proper guidelines, training and infrastructure for cricket."

The former Pakistan captain conceded that the issuance of a blue diplomatic passport will also help him in travelling to other countries to convince them that Pakistan is a safe place for international sporting events.

"The Cricket Board will shortly start an aggressive campaign and lobbying to deal with the issue of some teams refusing to tour Pakistan because of security concerns.

"In current situation we also need to start working on inviting alternate teams for series because we need to keep the sport alive in the country," he said.

Miandad says no to night Test

Karachi (PTI): Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad on Sunday scoffed at Cricket Australia's plans to host a day-night Test against Pakistan in Adelaide in November next year.

"No we will not go with this idea as we don't support attempts to spoil the traditional nature of Test matches, which are still the heart and soul of cricket," Miandad told PTI.

According to a report in Sunday Telegraph, CA will soon seek International Cricket Council's approval for holding the match that will have a 1400 hrs (local time) start.

"Test cricket is our premium form of the game so why (not) play it at a time when most people can watch it? There's no doubt it will happen -- people can go after work and it's a cooler time of the day for spectators," CA chief executive James Sutherland was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

"The Olympics, the NRL and the AFL. Much of it is played at night because it's a more convenient time for viewers and fans," Sutherland had said. But Miandad sees problems galore to be faced by teams while playing under artificial and natural light.

"You can't expect teams to keep on adjusting to natural and artificial light over a period of five days. Having night matches for 50 overs and 20 overs is fine but I would advise the Australians not to tinker with the spirit of Test cricket," he said.

"Plans to have Test cricket under lights would not work. Neither will we support any such move," said Miandad, who has played top-level cricket for more than 20 years.

Warning the cricket boards to be careful with their efforts to further commercialise the game, he said, "We should not get too greedy. Having Twenty20 cricket is OK and it is a money spinner but please don't try to spoil the fun and competitive nature of Test cricket," he said.

Jaffer and Rohit help Mumbai dominate

Wasim Jaffer scored his third century of the tournament to help Mumbai build a sizeable lead against Himachal Pradesh

Wasim Jaffer scored his third century of the competition, and added 113 for the fourth wicket with Rohit Sharma to put Mumbai in a dominant position against Himachal Pradesh on the second day in Ahmedabad. Vishal Bhatia, the left-arm spinner, took three wickets, but was unable to prevent the Mumbai batsmen from scoring over four an over, and building significant partnerships.

The Mumbai openers, Jaffer and Vinayak Samant, put on a half-century stand before Jitender Mehta, the medium-pacer, had Samant caught for 20. Ajinkya Rahane, the tournament's top-scorer, started from where he left off against Punjab, scoring a run-a-ball 35. Rahane and Amol Muzumdar fell within 27 runs of each other, but Jaffer, joined by Rohit, crushed any hopes HP entertained about running through the Mumbai batting line-up. Jaffer's innings was laced with 14 boundaries, and his stand with Rohit, who hit eight fours and three sixes, took Mumbai past HP's total

Jaffer fell for 108, caught by Ashok Thakur off Bhatia, but Rohit continued to build the lead, and was ably supported by Abhishek Nayar, with whom he added 80. Both, however, departed in quick succession, but Ajit Agarkar and Sairaj Bahutule, who have proved capable batsmen, put on an unbeaten 56 for the seventh wicket amid some sloppy bowling by HP, who conceded 37 extras.

Though he got to three figures, Jaffer was slightly disappointed by his dismisssal. "It was a bad shot. I would have scored much more than what I have got today. The wicket has become batsmen friendly," he told DNA.

Mumbai prolong HP agony

AHMEDABAD: Mumbai seamers bowled their hearts out but luck eluded them as Himachal Pradesh made merry on the third day of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal played here at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera.

On Sunday, butterfingered Mumbai fielders dropped as many as four catches. At stumps on the penultimate day, Himachal Pradesh in their second innings had garnered 200 for five, needing 45 more to make Wasim Jaffer and Co. bat again.

Dhaval Kulkarni, Mumbai’s leading wicket-taker this season, induced a nick from Sangram Singh, but Amol Muzumdar dropped a catch in the first slip.

The former Ranji champions got the first break when Vinayak Samant made no mistake and gracefully accepted Bhavin Thakkar’s catch off Ajit Agarkar. Thakkar made 4.

Jaffer tried to cash on the opportunity and deployed an attacking field. But Vinit Indulkar, who joined Sangram in the middle, had different ideas. They began the rescue act without taking any risks.

They were equally supported by the sloppy Mumbaikars.

Indulkar was dropped twice off pacer Abhishek Nayar. Sairaj Bahutule and Samant were the culprits.

The second-wicket partnership that garnered 57 runs was finally broken when offie Ramesh Powar got rid off Indulkar (24). Next man in Mukesh Sharma (8) didn’t last long.

It looked as if Himachal would collapse on the third day. But vice captain Paras Dogra stuck to his task.

Meanwhile, Sangram Singh completed his half century when he hit his seventh boundary of the innings.

Jaffer brought Agarkar in the last hour. Bowling with subtle variations, the lanky seamer trapped Sangram in front halting the 69-run stand between him and Dogra.

Agarkar should have had dismissed Dogra but Samant once again disappointed by putting one down on his leg side. Dogra was on 47.

I am playing in Ranji at team’s request: Dravid

Rahul Dravid said on Thursday that he decided to play for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy’s quarter-final against Saurashtra in Mumbai on the request of the state side and not from a personal point of view.
The batting great has come out of a pronounced run-slump in Tests with a century in the first innings in Mohali before coming Mumbai for the four-day on Friday.

“I was requested by the boys to play in this match. I am not playing from a personal point of view. It’s a important game and it’s good to be back playing for Karnataka,” Dravid said after a practice session at the Brabourne Stadium.

“We have a young side. I don’t know all of them very well, having not played with them for long. But hopefully we can put up a good performance,” said the former India skipper, who had played two matches earlier for Karnataka in the league phase of the tournament.

Dravid said the prolonged break from the international cricket grind for the Indian players would see them taking part in domestic cricket which, he felt, would be a good preparation for the battles lying ahead.

“The break from international cricket after the cancellation of the Pakistan tour (in wake last month’s terror strike in Mumbai) has given us an opportunity to play in domestic cricket though not all of us would be playing.”

“The Duleep Trophy (that follows) would also be a good preparation for the season ahead,” he said.

Dravid hits half century

MUMBAI: The penultimate day of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal between Karnataka and Saurashtra was eventful with Rahul Dravid making a half century, Sandeep Jobanputra taking five wickets and Ravindra Jadeja scalping four and 14 wickets falling in all.

At the Brabourne Stadium, after bowling out Saurashtra for 189, Karnataka were dismissed for 208 in their second innings. This left Saurashtra with a target of 325 with 93 overs in which to get the runs. At stumps they needed another 315 runs. However, they had lost two wickets.

Resuming at 180-8, Saurashtra were bundled out in 12 balls. Thereafter, it was Karnataka’s turn to pile on as many runs as possible and make Saurashtra bat on a Day Four wicket, which is sure to assist the seamers in the first session and spinners later on.

But in the process of setting a difficult target, Karnataka went off the rails. Karnataka had a horrible start losing three of their frontline batsmen - KB Pawan (0), captain Robin Uthappa (5) and CM Gautam (26) - with only 43 runs on the board.

Dravid then put all his powers of concentration to good use to stem the rot with a sedate but fluent 52.

Brief scores: Karnataka 305 & 208 (Dravid 52, Akhil 56; Jobanputra 5-54, Jadeja 4-58) vs Saurashtra 189 & 10-2 (Chauhan 6*; Vinay Kumar 2-1)

Hayden fails, Australia struggles

South Africa celebrates the dismissal of Matthew Hayden.

Scoreboard at tea on the fourth day of the second Test between Australia and South Africa at Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

Australia 1st innings 394
South Africa 1st innings 459

Australia 2nd Innings Mins Balls 4s 6s

M HAYDEN c Duminy b Steyn 23 47 28 3 0

S KATICH c Boucher b Steyn 15 56 40 2 0

R PONTING not out 87 184 138 7 0

M HUSSEY c Amla b Morkel 2 13 8 0 0

M CLARKE c McKenzie b Steyn 29 101 79 4 0

A SYMONDS c Kallis b Steyn 0 2 5 0 0

B HADDIN c Kallis b Ntini 10 31 35 0 1

B LEE b Kallis 8 20
Sundries (3lb 3nb) 6

Seven wickets for 180

Fall: 37 (Hayden), 40 (Katich), 49 (Hussey), 145 (Clarke), 145 (Symonds), 165 (Haddin), 180 (Lee).

Bowling: D Steyn 14-3-46-4 (1nb), M Ntini 12-1-24-1, M Morkel 11-2-35-1 (2nb), P Harris 13-0-30-0, J Kallis 8.3-1-42-1.

Batting time: 234 mins. Overs: 58.3.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Billy Doctrove (WIN).

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).

Third Umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS).

AUSTRALIA's hopes of keeping the series alive and Matthew Hayden's fading career took another hit when South Africa instigated a dramatic top order collapse on the fourth morning of the Boxing Day Test.

But it was the controversial dismissal of Michael Hussey that caused Australia most heartache.

Towering paceman Morne Morkel produced a nasty bouncer that reared up off the pitch and appeared to strike Hussey on the helmet, before ballooning up to Hashim Amla at mid-wicket.

The stony look on the faces of Hussey and his batting partner Ricky Ponting told the story after the West Australian batsman was given out for 2 by umpire Aleem Dar despite the ball missing both his bat and gloves.

The poor decision added to the catalogue of disasters for Australia and Hussey in this Test. Hussey made a duck in the first innings and on Sunday panicked underneath a high catch that was lost in the sun.

After Australia resumed at 0-4, still 61 runs behind South Africa following the day three heroics of JP Duminy and the Proteas tail, Hayden made an encouraging start, playing a nice drive before he popped a simple catch up to short extra cover for 23.

Australia lost three wickets before wiping out the deficit, after Simon Katich was caught behind chasing a wide ball off Dale Steyn, who has seven wickets for the match.

After a frenetic start to the session, Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke restored some calm and guided Australia to 3-86 at lunch.

Foot injury forces Lee to miss action for 6 weeks

Australian pacer Brett Lee
Australian pace spearhead Brett Lee's struggling career received yet another blow after he was ruled out of cricketing action for six weeks due to a foot stress injury. Lee will miss not only this week's Sydney Test against South Africa but also next month's one-day series against the same opponents.

The 32-year-old right-arm pacer, who is struggling to regain his form, may have to wear a custom-made boot to rest the left-foot and he is also in doubt for the away Test series against South Africa starting February. Lee, however, was optimistic that he would be back to the team soon.

"These things happen for a reason. I am going to use this period out of the game constructively and make sure I get my body back to peak fitness," Lee was quoted by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

Australia team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris confirmed last night that Lee would miss the Sydney Test and be out of cricket for nearly four to six weeks.

"It's not far off being a stress fracture. At the moment the crack is not there but it is not far away. We organised a scan which showed he has got a stress reaction in one of the bones of his foot. When we got here today he couldn't run and it was very painful," he said.

Tendulkars enjoy a quiet holiday in Mussoorie

MUSSOORIE: Tourists here for Christmas holidays were in for a surprise when they saw `Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar and his family strolling down the Mall road. The Tendulkars have been at this hill station since Christmas eve to spend a quiet vacation and enjoy "quality time'' with each other.

The family will be here till New Year celebrations with their friend, well-known hotelier Sanjay Narang at the latter's `Brothvel Cottage' in Sisters' Bazaar in Landour.

Walking leisurely around the hill town, playing cricket with his children in the "Char Dukaan'' area of Landour, is what Sachin likes to do. While stressing that he needs his "privacy'', the cricketer was not averse to an informal interaction with the media. He said he had come back to Mussoorie as he loved the place and its weather when he visited it last time.

"It gives me a chance to spend time with my family amid peaceful and picturesque surroundings,'' he said.

"We are in a relaxed frame of mind as the children are on a vacation and the cricket season has wrapped up,'' said Sachin. And no, he had no plans yet to retire from one-day cricket. "I will play till I feel like.''

He said he agreed with and respected the government's decision on cancelling the cricketers' tour to Pakistan. He said he was deeply saddened by the Mumbai terror attacks.

Since their arrival, the Tendulkars have visited Woodstock School. Morning walks in the Landour Cantonment area, strolling through Sisters' Bazaar and Kulri, the Tendulkars and their friends have brightened the New Year season in this hill station, which had been witnessing a dull time over the past few weeks. Tourists, who met the Tendulkar family and took autographs, said it was a wonderful Christmas and New Year's gift for them.

Sri Lanka given go ahead for tour

Mahela Jayawardene and his Sri Lanka team are currently in Bangladesh

Sri Lanka will tour Pakistan next month after being granted permission by the Sri Lankan government.

The Sri Lanka tour replaces a visit by India, who cancelled their series following the Mumbai terror attacks.

The tour will go ahead following discussions between Sri Lanka's foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama and president Mahinda Rajapakse.

The Sri Lanka foreign ministry said sport was "a good way of enhancing friendship and mutual goodwill".

Last week, Sri Lanka Cricket, the sport's governing body which was dissolved on Tuesday by the government, said they had agreed to take India's place.

The tour will run from 20 January to 25 February 2009, with Test matches planned for Karachi, Lahore and Multan, while Karachi is also set to host two one-day internationals.

The remaining ODIs are likely to be played in Lahore.

India pulled out of their tour on advice from their government following November's terror attacks in Mumbai.

Siddle puts Aussies firmly on top

Peter Siddle had a dramatic impact at the top of the South African innings

Australia had a near-perfect second day in the Melbourne Test to gain a clear ascendancy over South Africa.

After losing in Perth, and reaching a precarious 280-6 on day one on a true wicket at the MCG, they ended up with 394 and then had South Africa 198-7.

Local paceman Peter Siddle took 3-24 and only the prolific Graeme Smith (62) resisted for any length of time.

Australia's Michael Clarke had earlier finished with a fine 88 not out, with Dale Steyn picking up 5-87 in 29 overs.

Siddle, a 24-year-old Victorian, bowled 13 high-quality overs in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, and his contribution was as important as the runs of Clarke and Ricky Ponting - who scored a vital 101 on the first day.

Steyn gained three breakthroughs before lunch but by the end of the day the 114 runs Clarke had helped garner from Australia's lower order in that session was the most important early development.

From there they controlled the South Africans in a style reminiscent of the days of Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne.

Smith followed his 108 in Perth with a committed 62 - in a calendar year that has netted him nearly 1,600 runs already - but lost his wicket weakly when driving at a wide half-volley and edging behind.

The dismissal forced South Africa to survival mode and left JP Duminy - who reached a calm 34 at the close - to protect the lower order.

Clarke (36 not out) was batting with Brett Lee when the day began - and Australia were positive from the word go.

Lee carved five boundaries in his 21 before driving at Steyn and nicking to slip before Mitchell Johnson edged onto his stumps.

All the time, Clarke was seeing the ball well, scampering ones and twos and adding in the odd boundary as he added a further 26 for the ninth wicket with Nathan Hauritz and 42 for the 10th with Siddle.

He perhaps deserved a century but was left stranded when Siddle was finally dismissed by Jacques Kallis.

The home side had seized the momentum and were not about to give it back.

Using the lunch break as a vehicle to plot their assault on South Africa's batsmen, they gained the first wicket when out-of-form opener Neil McKenzie was beaten for pace and bowled by Siddle with the 10th delivery of the innings.

Hashim Amla contributed just 19 before spearing Johnson straight to Andrew Symonds at gully and an ominous 63-run stand between Smith and Kallis was ended on the stroke of tea.

This was a particularly weak dismissal for South Africa at a crucial stage, Kallis sweeping at the off-spin of Hauritz and getting the shot all wrong to give a simple catch to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

Four further wickets fell in the final session. First Smith, perhaps affected by his elbow problems, stretched out to play at a wide one and paid the penalty.

He will attempt to battle through this Test and the probable decider in Sydney before assessing the injury, but currently requires regular painkilling injections. One-day specialist Vaughn van Jaarsveld has been added to the Test squad to cover for Smith and Ashwell Prince (broken thumb).

Once Smith had departed, AB de Villiers limped to a nervous seven before Siddle nipped one back to bowl him, and Mark Boucher then presented Hauritz with another soft wicket.

Morne Morkel did well to hit 21 but when Johnson bowled him six overs from the finish South Africa had still not saved the follow-on.

Though Duminy did eventually help them creep past the milestone of 195, Australia are red-hot favourites to level the series now.

Ricky Ponting century covers for Australia's failings

Captain's knock: Ricky Ponting's century held together the Australian innings on day one of the second Test at the MCG

Australia captain Ricky Ponting scored a superb Boxing Day century at the MCG, but South Africa continue to make the running in this riveting series

Pilloried in the Australian media for his captaincy at Perth, Ricky Ponting responded with a feisty, angst-fuelled century. It was a thunderous innings, studded with booming drives, and for most of the afternoon he seemed to have the South Africans at his mercy. But when he fell, his team began to crumble. Australia were a shaky 280 for six by the close.

Increasingly grim-faced and gimlet-eyed, Ponting is starting to resemble another captain who led from the front - that 1980s icon Allan Border. The founder of Australia's recent dynasty, Border began his 10-year reign with a scrappy sort of side: a mixture of naïve newcomers and ageing has-beens, who could not even be relied upon to beat the Poms. Ponting now finds himself in a similar boat, and is even beginning to wear Border's familiar put-upon look, if not the trademark moustache.

Australia do still have plenty of talent in the ranks. Their recent discoveries include Mitchell Johnson, arguably the fastest bowler in the world, as well as the clean-hitting batsman-wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. But there are also some major structural problems to be addressed. As with so many struggling teams, the senior players are not pulling their weight, which makes it so much harder for the juniors to establish themselves.

Here at the MCG, the cracks began showing within half-an-hour of the start. Matthew Hayden, Australia's one-time enforcer, scooped the first half-volley he received to backward point. It was a shot of a man who is uncomfortable with his own game. Now, if Hayden does not produce in the second innings, he will leave the selectors facing a difficult decision. Do they stick by him for the Sydney Test, in the knowledge that he is a virtual passenger at present? Or do they bring a distinguished career to a close?

Ponting took over from his old friend and ally, and looked almost as uncomfortable early on. On 24, he could not decide whether or not to play at a widish ball from Dale Steyn, with the end result that he steered it to third slip. The ball seemed to travel in slow motion - too slow, Ponting later suggested, for Neil McKenzie, who made a mess of a simple chance. It was the first catch that has gone down in the series, and it turned out to be an expensive one.

Freed up by his reprieve, Ponting went on the rampage when the teams emerged after lunch. As the adrenaline surged, his personal run-rate immediately ratcheted up from just over 2.5 to a little over six. A glorious punch down the ground from the first ball after the interval was followed by a driving masterclass - three boundaries in three balls from Makhaya Ntini - as the ball was dispatched to all points of the compass. A 60,000-strong crowd rose to salute his second century on Boxing Day, the blue-riband occasion of the Australian sporting calendar. Both have come against South Africa.

Ponting's mastery was in sharp contrast to the struggles of his team-mates. Simon Katich ground his way to 54 before missing a straight one. Mike Hussey, whose statistics are becoming less Bradmanesque by the minute, was caught in an agony of indecision by a ball from Steyn, and flicked a thin edge through to the wicketkeeper. After successive scores of 0, 10 and 0, the man known as Mr Cricket is in danger of becoming Mr Nick-it.

Ponting fought on until just before the tea-break, when he pushed forward to Paul Harris's surprisingly effective left-arm spin and was held at short-leg. The final session was left to Michael Clarke, whose 36 not out occupied the best part of four hours, and a couple of contrastingly breezy cameos from Haddin and Andrew Symonds. South Africa were the happier team by the close.

Cricket-Shakib claims five wickets to dismiss Sri Lanka for 293

DHAKA, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Shakib Al Hasan completed his fourth five-wicket haul in five matches to help Bangladesh dismiss Sri Lanka for 293 runs on the stroke of lunch on the second day of the first test on Saturday.

Resuming on their overnight score of 172-6, Thilan Samaraweera led a lower-order recovery for the visitors with 90 off 141 balls before Bangladesh struck back to restrict Sri Lanka to less than 300 first innings runs.

Samaraweera, who reached his 16th test half-century by pushing a full length Mehrab Hossain delivery to the cover area for a single, shared 99 runs with Chaminda Vaas for the seventh wicket as Sri Lanka grew in confidence.

However, the second new ball helped Bangladesh gain their first success of the morning after the duo had batted brilliantly and the rest of the tail succumbed rather quickly.

Vaas edged Mashrafe Mortaza to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim on 37 before Shakib trapped Dammika Parasad lbw for three to leave the visitors on 285-8.

Rangana Herath was then run out for one before Shakib had Samaraweera caught by Zunaed Siddique in the next over to close out the innings and return figures of 5-70. (Reporting by Azad Majumder; Editing by John O'Brien)

Sri Lanka rip through Bangladesh top order

Sri Lanka bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan took two wickets apiece to leave hosts Bangladesh struggling on 95 for four at tea on the second day of the first test on Saturday.

Live Scoring

Replying to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 293, Bangladesh made a confident start with the opening stand of 44 before Muralitharan made the vital breakthrough with his second delivery of the match.

Tamim Iqbal was caught at forward short-leg by Malinda Warnapura for 17 before Vaas had Imrul Kayes caught behind after the 21-year-old opener had made a test-best 33.

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful became Vaas's 350th test victim when the left-arm paceman had him caught by a diving Tillakaratne Dilshan at cover to make it 90-3.

Six overs later, Muralitharan heaped more misery on the hosts shortly before the interval when he bowled Zunaed Siddique for 29.

Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan completed his fourth five-wicket haul in five matches to help Bangladesh dismiss Sri Lanka for less than 300.

Resuming on their overnight score of 172-6, Thilan Samaraweera led a lower-order recovery for the visitors with 90 off 141 balls before Bangladesh struck back on the stroke of lunch.

Samaraweera, who reached his 16th test half-century by pushing a full length Mehrab Hossain delivery to the cover area for a single, shared 99 runs with Vaas for the seventh wicket as Sri Lanka grew in confidence.

However, the second new ball helped Bangladesh gain their first success of the morning after the duo had batted brilliantly and the rest of the tail succumbed rather quickly.

Vaas edged Mashrafe Mortaza to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim on 37 before Shakib trapped Dammika Parasad lbw for three to leave the visitors on 285-8.

Rangana Herath was then run out for one before Shakib had Samaraweera caught by Siddique in the next over to close out the innings and return figures of 5-70.

- Day 1 report

Teams:

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Rajin Saleh, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Mahbubul Alam

Sri Lanka: BSM Warnapura, MG Vandort, KC Sangakkara (wk), DPMD Jayawardene (capt), HAPW Jayawardene, TM Dilshan, TT Samaraweera, KMDN Kulasekara, WPUJC Vaas, KTGD Prasad, M Muralitharan

Pak to field strong team against Sri Lanka

Karachi: Chief selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Abdul Qadir, has said that Pakistan will be raising a strong team against Sri Lanka for the upcoming series.

"We are aiming to raise a strong team for the series against Sri Lanka," Qadir said.

He said that his prime motive is to improve Pakistan’s Test ranking and use the series as a launchpad for the same.

"Our aim is to help Pakistan gain a place among the top-two ranked (Test) teams in the world and want to start taking steps towards that direction with this series," the News quoted Qadir, as saying.

Pakistan is currently languishing on the sixth spot in the ICC Test rankings.

Qadir offered all help to coach Intikhab Alam inorder to improve harmony in the Pakistan dressing room, which has been in the news recently for all wrong reasons.

"We can sit down with the players and give them pep talks because team spirit is really very important to ensure best possible results," he said.

However, Qadir admitted that the gap created by the absence of some star performers such as Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Asif will be hard to fill.

"Yousuf’s exit has left a big hole in our middle-order and it’s very important that we find a good replacement," he said.

Almost 20 Pakistani cricketers including Yousuf have been banned by PCB to play for the national team after they joined the breakaway Indian Cricket league (ICL).

Despite lacking several star players in the team lineup, Qadir hoped that Pakistan will give a tough time to the Lankans in the series.

"There will be no excuses," he said adding "I mean we have to give our best no matter what the circumstances are," said Qadir.

India Tests platform for IPL: Harmison

London: England may be struggling in India but pacer Steve Harmison admitted the Test series gave them the perfect platform to impress the franchise owners for mega-buck deals to play in the Indian Premier League.

"It's like the X Factor. You come out here and if you do well you have a chance of playing in the IPL and I think everyone would be interested," he said.

"It is an exciting form of the game and the atmosphere for one-day games in India is tremendous so I can imagine it will be the same for Twenty20 and that is the sort of buzz you play the game for," said Harmison who sat out of the on-going second Test giving way for Stuart Broad.

The likes of captain Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff could attract big bucks in the IPL market for the second season in April-May next year though there has been issues regarding their availability for a full tournament.

Their decision to return for the Test series following the Mumbai terror attacks has also won them many admirers in India.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said it has no objection to its cricketers playing in the IPL although the exact dates of their availability is still being thrashed out.

"It is still a way off but every chance you get to impress you want to take," Harmison was quoted as saying by Mirror newspaper.

The IPL franchises are now ready for players' auction on February 6 after the new rules for next year's tournament upped the number of international players allowed per squad from eight to 10.

The franchises will also have a fresh USD two million to bid for new players in the auction.

Smith ton keeps South Africa in the hunt

Perth: Skipper Graeme Smith led South Africa's fightback with a courageous century on Saturday to keep his team in the hunt for a record chase of 414 on the final day of the first Test against Australia here.

South Africa were 227 for three at stumps with Jacques Kallis (33) and AB de Villiers (11) at the crease after Smith knocked off 108 runs. South Africa need 187 runs on the final day for the second-biggest successful chase in history.

Earlier, Australia, resuming at 228 for seven, were all out for 319 with Brad Haddin scoring 94 and shepherding the tail to set a tough chase for the visitors. Jason Krezja (32) and Mitchell Johsnon (21) did the support job.

South Africa started on a shaky note as Niel Mckenzie departed, edging a Johnson delivery behind the stumps, with 19 runs on the board. But Smith and Hashim Amla (53) build on the platform with a partnership of 153 runs.

Smith showed intent as he played with his customary flamboyance to take the attack to the fire-spitting Australian pacers. The left-hander stroked 13 fours in 147-balls.

Amla at the other end played with patience allowing his captain to force the pace. His 112-ball knock had six fours.

Smith scored his 18th hundred, his first against Australia. He reached his hundred with consecutive cuts for four off Johnson.

Australia were rattled by the partnership as both the batsmen complemented each other beautifully to deny them any chance. But Smith and Mckenzie fell within a space of seven runs.

Johnson got the breakthrough as he trapped Smith lbw to complete his 10 for the match following his first innings eight wickets.

Brett Lee removed Amla caught behind before Kallis and de Villiers saw to it there is no more casualty for the day.

Dravid 'relieved' after regaining form

Mohali: Breathing easy after a career reviving ton, Rahul Dravid on Saturday said that the century he scored against England here would rank among the most significant knocks of his career.

"It's a quite significant knock, considering the form I was in coming into the match. It's one of the most significant hundreds I scored and I now just hope we go on to win this match," a visibly relieved Dravid told reporters here.

Dravid snapped a long string of poor shows with a knock of 136 and the right-hander said he felt relieved to get a huge monkey off his back.

"I'm definitely relieved and it's nice to be contributing again. It has been a tough year for me, nothing has been easy. It's nice to make important contributions," said the former captain who ran into a bad patch soon after the home series against South Africa.

True to his nature, Dravid's was a muted celebration as he just raised the bat and shook hands with Gautam Gambhir. He didn't even take off the helmet.

Asked if that was to hide his emotion or to make any statement, Dravid said, "I didn't try to make any statements. I was definitely happy and relieved. I guess I'm a bit old and wise, I don't jump around even when I'm excited. It was a combination of both relief and joy."

Dravid also took the opportunity to thank people who didn't lose trust in his ability. "I was surprised that so many people wanted me to do well. I mean if there was any positive out of the phase, this was it."

"It's during this time that you realise that so many people want you to do well. Some of the people didn't need to do that but still they supported me. I felt as if so many people have gone through the journey with me," he said.

Looking back at his bad patch, Dravid said it was only natural that lack of runs would invite criticism.

"It was only natural that there would be scrutiny and speculation. To be honest, I didn't have a great year and didn't score too many runs. It's only natural that people would speculate and raise questions about me. It was very tough time personally," he said.

Dravid, however, insisted there was no self-doubt at any stage. "In the last few months, including the series against Australia, I felt I was playing well, though I don't have the runs to prove that. There are certain ways I judge that like the way I bat in the nets, my position while batting, direction I play the ball in."

"Team-mates, (coach) Gary (Kirsten) and other people said everything was right about my batting. I too knew that in my gut but only the runs were not coming," he said.

"I knew it was just a matter of going out and spending some time. I knew I will turn around and it has happened," he said, heaving a sigh of relief.

Dravid said he looked at videos of some of his previous knocks and recreated the emotions. "I tried everything. Looked at a video of some of the good knocks and recreated the emotions.

"But in the last two series, I only enjoyed my sessions in the nets and tried to be as uncomplicated as possible. I decided to trust my instinct and just watch the ball," he said.

Talking about this knock, Dravid admitted it was not a flawless innings but crucial nonetheless. "As the innings went on, I grew in confidence and my feet started moving. I also could pick the ball better. It was a good testing spell by the English bowlers and we were lucky to come through that."

"Yesterday, Gautam (Gambhir) played a very good knock. He took the pressure off me by scoring at a quick rate and rotating the strike. I hope our (314-run) stand is potentially match-winning. We have set the platform to push for a win," he said.

India out for 453 despite Dravid, Gambhir tons

Mohali: In sudden turn of events, England managed to put breaks on Indian domination on the second day of the second Test match by taking quick wickets to restrict the hosts to a mere 453 in their first innings here on Saturday.

It was Graeme Swann who brought England right back into the match with three quick wickets, leaving it to India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (6) and Yuvraj Singh (12) to battle it out in the middle at tea break.

But local lad Yuvraj departed soon after the start of the final session of play. He was picked up by Monty Panesar for 27.

In contrast, at lunch, India were sitting comfortably on 302-1 with Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid, both playing steady innings each. But just after the break, Swann struck back to return Gambhir for a well-made 179 to be caught by Alastair Cook, hence bringing an end to a mammoth 314-run partnership between him and Dravid.

He followed it up with wicket of Dravid just four overs later, who departed in a similar fashion, trying to go after the bowler but could not clear Monty Panesar at mid-off.

Swann then made it three in a row by sending back Sachin Tendulkar for 11, while Andrew Flintoff also joined the party by trapping Laxman in front for a duck.

But much to the relief of the home crowd Cook dropped Yuvraj.

Earlier, Gambhir completed 1000 runs in a calendar year, but it was the former India captain who stole the show with his 26th Test hundred.

After resuming at the overnight score of 179-1, the duo adopted a cautious approach in the morning as the ball did seam and swing but they successfully saw off the first session of the day without losing a single wicket.

Gambhir, who cracked his third century in four matches on Friday, began the proceedings straight with a boundary and played a sensible innings. Dravid, meanwhile made a confident start after getting the monkey off his back yesterday with his first half-century in nine innings.

After staying on a bit in the nervous 90's Dravid tucked James Anderson off his pads to bring up his milestone that took him 260 balls to get there. But he finally managed to silence his critics as his last ton came versus South Africa in Chennai in March this year.

But for England bowlers the first session turned out to be a tough one as their hopes of getting early breakthroughs to get back into the match did not work out in a match that started 30 minutes ahead of scheduled time to compensate the time lost on Friday.

The match started late on Friday due fog in the morning and was called off early due to bad light, cutting short 18-overs of the first day.

Sachin Tendulkar (11) had scored his 12,000th Test run at the same ground against Australia in October but he let down his fans on this occasion. Tendulkar attempted a paddle shot but completely missed the line and umpire Daryl Harper had no doubt that the Swann delivery would have hit the stumps.

Bowling without luck so far, Flintoff decided to join the party and the talismanic Englishman trapped VVS Laxman with one that jagged back as India, from the comfort of a commanding 320 for one, suddenly slumped to 339 for five.

Laxman had a 24-ball struggle at the end of which the stylish right-hander departed with a duck against his name.

The Indian crisis would have compounded but butter-finger Cook spilled a pretty regulation catch at gully after Yuvraj Singh (27), then at eight, had played Flintoff away from his body.

Not that Yuvraj could make the most of the opportunity. The left-hander had blasted three fours and a huge six off Swann when he fell to a soft caught-behind dismissal that gave Panesar his first wicket of the match.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (29) hit Anderson for two boundaries before perishing in the same over. At the other end, a nonchalant Harbhajan Singh swung his bat at everything before falling to Panesar after a 21-ball 24.

Flintoff removed Zaheer Khan (7) and Amit Mishra (23) to drop curtains on the Indian innings.

England still in with a chance: Swann

Mohali: Restricting India to 453 is a job well done and Kevin Pietersen and his men are now very much back in the final Test, asserts England off-spinner Graeme Swann.

With centurions Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid, partners in a record 314-run second-wicket stand, cruising merrily after lunch, Swann triggered a top-order collapse with a three-wicket burst, claiming both the overnight batsmen and Sachin Tendulkar.

And with India eventually being bowled out for 453, Swann believes England stood a chance to win the game and level the two-match series which they trail 0-1.

"(Restricting them to) 450, we did very well to keep ourselves in the game. A score around 500-550 and we were out of it. There are three days of cricket to go and if we can get a very big total over the next two days and get any sort of lead, anything's possible on the last day," Swann asserted.

"Especially after what we saw in Chennai," said the Englishman, still nursing the defeat.

"At lunch time, they were 302 for one and we didn't no where the next wicket will come from. Luckily we have a light-hearted dressing room and we were laughing at the face of adversity. The two wickets after lunch got us back in the match. We were very happy with the hour and got us into a position where it can affect the result of the game," he said.

The onus, he said, was now on the batsmen to negate the threat of India's two-pronged spin attack comprising Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra.

"The wicket was very flat there today. (Andrew) Flintoff was phenomenal with the pace he got out of the wicket, frightening the way he was getting it through," said Swann.

"It would be good for batting the next two days. How we negate their spinners will be important for us," Swann said.

On his scalps, Swann said though he cherished all three wickets, Tendulkar's was definitely the special one.

"Still early in Test career and so many good Indian players. No doubt who the number one player in the team was. It was nice to get him out today," the Nottinghamshire spinner said.

Like in Chennai, Swann completely outshone England's frontline spinner Monty Panesar here but still seemed to have enough respect for his spin colleague.

"I don't know about closing the gap. I have only played two games. Each series I go into all I can think of is if I can get a game and then if I can play the next series. There is a Caribbean tour coming along and I'll be delighted if I play in it.

"Monty is a class bowler, if I can have anything like the success he has had I will be very lucky," he added.

Swann admitted failure to stop India chasing down 387 in the Chennai Test still rankled him.

"Me and Monty were expected to win the game in Chennai. In the end, we were outplayed by a genius on the day... Monty's is a class act and we have talked about how we are going to take wickets in this game and bowling today he has showed he is still bowling well," he said.

On this match, Swann said Gambhir and Dravid, especially the latter, did a great job for India.

"It's a very good pitch. Once you get a partnership, it's is important to get going and get a very big one. Gambhir and Dravid did so well. Dravid was exceptional, he was under so much pressure from the whole of India, but didn't offer us any chance and played really well," Swann said.

After India were bowled out, England openers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss came out to bat but retreated back into the pavilion once the umpires offered them the light.

Incidentally, the sun soon came out and there was confusion whether play would resume. Swann said he understood the crowd's confusion but ICC rules leave no such provision.

"One of the rules of the game is that if you come off in extra time you cannot go back. It's disappointing for the crowd but you need to have rules and draw the line somewhere," he added.

One of the most significant tons I have scored: Dravid

Mohali (PTI): Breathing easy after a career reviving ton, Rahul Dravid on Saturday said that the century he scored against England here would rank among the most significant knocks of his career.

"Its a quite significant knock, considering the form I was in coming into the match. Its one of the most significant hundreds I scored and I now just hope we go on to win this match," a visibly relieved Dravid told reporters here.

Dravid snapped the long string of poor shows with a knock of 136 and the right-hander said he felt relieved to get a huge monkey off his back.

"Im definitely relieved and its nice to be contributing again. It has been a tough year for me, nothing has been easy. Its nice to make important contributions," said the former captain who ran into a bad patch soon after the home series against South Africa.

True to his nature, Dravids was a muted celebration as he just raised the bat and shook hands with Gautam Gambhir. He didnt even take off the helmet.

Asked if that was to hide his emotion or to make any statement, Dravid said, "I didnt try to make any statement. I was definitely happy and relieved. I guess Im bit old and wise, I dont jump around even when Im excited. It was a combination of both relief and joy."

No need to change our approach: Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen does not believe his batting colleagues were negative in their approach in the epic Chennai Test and insists the visitors need not change their game in the final Test against India either.

"In Chennai, we got into a good position to win the match and India eventually chased down a score which created a great history. I don't think we need to change much," Pietersen told reporters ahead of the second Test starting on Friday.

"In Chennai, we played fantastic cricket for three and half days. The fourth and fifth days were not our days and unfortunately we lost. But we played fantastic cricket there and I don't think there is any reason to change our approach," he explained.

Incidentally, England batting coach and former Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower was among those who believed England lost the momentum in Chennai because of their slow batting there. Pietersen, meanwhile, kept the cards close to his chest and decided not to announce the playing XI for the final match of the series.

"We have not decided the side, sorry. There are a few things we are looking into and a final decision would be taken only tomorrow," he said.

The England management is mulling replacing out-of-form Ian Bell with Owais Shah while seamer Stuart Broad is fit to play, at the cost of either Steve Harmison or James Anderson both of whom had an average outing in Chennai.

Pietersen said more than replacing off-colour players, he was looking into the whole picture. "It's pretty much full work and we are looking at the whole thing. There are guys who have come on this trip who are raring to go and wanting to play and it's just about making a decision on who the best team is to try and win a Test match and try and play positive cricket," he said.

Pietersen admitted Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma troubled them in Chennai with their grasp of reverse swing and felt England too needed to get it going if they are to win the Test here and level the series.

"I definitely think it's going to be crucial and so we would try to get some reverse swing here. Unfortunately, we didn't get much of it in Chennai, which nullified a few things in bits and pieces. The surface is brazen here and we are looking to get some reverse swing going," he said.

According to him, the defeat in Chennai has left England with the lone option of winning the match here and level the series, which they are quite capable of.

"It's simple now. We have to get hard here. In Chennai, we won 70 per cent of the Test. Though we lost the match, the boys can be proud of how they performed. After losing Stanford Super Series and then the 5-0 defeat in the ODI series (against India), to come so close before losing the match in Chennai was a brilliant show," he said.

Against a star-studded Indian batting order, job, however, would not be easy, admitted Pietersen.

"It's a pretty good batting lineup. If we get rid of Gautam (Gambhir), and then (Virender) Sehwag, you have Rahul Dravid and then freak of a bloke at number four (Sachin Tendulkar). It gets to number 5,6,7...

"I don't think the Sehwag-Gambhir pair as the biggest hurdle for us, there are quite a few. But of course Sehwag's wicket is crucial. He plays a different expansive game and it would be a tough task for our bowlers," he said.

Pietersen said he has sought tips from a few former captains and would like to put them to use whenever required. "It's going to be tough but I have got some advice from some of the former captains and you take them with you when going gets tough," he said.

Among others, Pietersen had a lengthy discussion with Mike Brearley in the flight from Chennai to Chandigarh.

Statistical highlights: 2nd Test, Day 1

Statistical highlights on the opening day of the second Test between India and England on Friday.

Rahul Dravid's ninth Test fifty against England is his 54th overall. Friday's innings is his first half-century after eight innings.

Dravid's tally of 54 half-centuries is exceeded only by Australia's Allan Border (63).

Gautam Gambhir's outstanding knock of 106 not out off 229 balls is his first hundred against England -- his fourth in Test Cricket. He has posted three hundreds in India and the remaining one on foreign soil.

Gambhir has taken his run-aggregate this year to 964 in eight Tests at an average of 68.85, including three hundreds and five fifties.

Gambhir has registered two successive centuries at Mohali. In his previous innings against Australia at this venue, he had made 104 in 2008-09.

When his score reached 20 during his innings of 65 not out, Dravid became the first batsman to make 8,000 runs at No.3 position -- 8045 in 167 innings at an average of 53.99.

Gambhir and Dravid were associated in a stand of 173 runs (unfinished) for the second wicket -- India's highest for the said wicket at Mohali, eclipsing the 105 (undefeated) between Virender Sehwag and Dravid against England in 2005-06. The aforesaid stand is India's highest for any wicket against England at Mohali, surpassing the 136 between Deep Dasgupta and Rahul Dravid for the third wicket in 2001-02.

The previous best stand for the second wicket at Mohali was 151 between Mark Richardson and Scott Styris for New Zealand in 2003-04.

Experimentation key to regain form: Anand to Dravid

World chess champion Viswanathan Anand on Friday felt out-of-form Rahul Dravid ought to experiment with his technique to regain lost touch.

Anand said he had first hand experience of losing form and overcoming it in his initial days and could empathise with the former India captain.

The chess ace said he was shocked to discover that he just could not strike form in the 2000 Dortmund tournament after a successful run that year.

"Once I started doing badly I thought of drawing my remaining games," Anand said, hinting that the defensive strategy did not work.

"What I did after Dortmund was that I kept on experimenting for 7-8 months. In that period also I could not really recover as I was experimenting only randomly. It was just very difficult. (But) perhaps that will help him recover faster," he said in reply to a query.

Anand, who recently defeated Russia's Vladimir Kramnik to retain his World Championship title in Bonn, Germany, was visiting the capital for the first time after his extraordinary feat of winning the honour in all three formats of game -- knock-out, round-robin and matchplay.

Anand, requested to say a few words about former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, playing the last first-class game, said, "It must be funny to know this is your last match. (Garry) Kasparov had said the same thing. The rest of the world would be looking back but you have to sit and play or stand and play in his (Ganguly's) case," he said.

"It's an end to a wonderful career, which he could justifiably be proud of," Anand added.

On his interaction with current India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Chennai during the felicitation ceremony organised by the All India Chess Federation, Anand said he perceived the cricketer as very "warm" and "playful".

Anand was presented a diamond ring by Dhoni on behalf of the AICF.

"It was a brief meeting. But I think he was very playful. Before he presented the ring to me he said 'I hope Bhabhi (Aruna) will allow me to present you this ring'.

"He came across as a very warm person," he added.

Asked what he told Dhoni, the World Champion in Twenty20 cricket, Anand said, "just two words -- 'Good Luck'. Because it was a very brief interaction".

This ton better than the one against Oz: Gambhir

Last time he scored a century here, India beat world champions Australia but considering the circumstances, Gautam Gambhir ranks todays century against England higher than the one he scored against Ricky Pontings men in October.

"This is a special century because the ball was doing quite a bit in the morning and we were six for one at that stage," said the Delhi batsman, who remained unbeaten on 106 after the opening day's play in the second Test against England.

A gifted strokeplayer, Gambhir proved he has a mature head over his shoulders as the 27-year-old batsman curbed his natural game and joined hands with Rahul Dravid to steady the ship after Sehwag's early exit.

"It was special because England came hard on us. Trailing the series 1-0, they had nothing to lose here. Against Australia, I did get a century in the second innings and we won but the century today is crucial because of the conditions," said Gambhir who slammed 104 against Australia in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy here in October.

"After we won the Chennai Test, their morale was really low, especially coming after their 5-0 defeat in the ODI series. We knew they would come hard against us here because its there last chance to level the series. But I think we have done a good job and need to capitalise on it tomorrow," he said.

On the ongoing Test, Gambhir said the team would stay focus and positive to ensure their second win in the series.

"We should have a positive mindset. We are 1-0 up in the series but that should not lead to a defensive mindset. The next four days, we need to think how we can win the match and nothing else. We need to win and become the number two ranked team in the world," he said.

During his innings, Gambhir was particularly harsh on England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar but the batsman said the England player didn't bowl too badly. Rather, he said, the Indian batsmen had devised the way to counter the spinner.

"I think he bowled pretty well but our batsmen handled him well too. Its never easy for a spinner to succeed against India. In Chennai, we negotiated him well and that gave us the confidence here," he said.

Asked if replacing Steve Harmison with Stuart Broad took some sting out of the English attack, Gambhir felt otherwise.

"I think Broad bowled really well and hit the good areas. Remember, he is the lone wicket taker of the day. He had done well in the ODI series also and we knew once he is fit (from a hamstring injury), he would be back in the side," Gambhir said.

Tendulkar is egoless, gracious god : British media

Sachin Tendulkar is god to billion Indians but he is a "gracious god" who lifts his people out of the pit of despair in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, a leading British newspaper said, paying tribute to the champion batsman who has "not a scrap of ego".

Tendulkar offered balm to a country which was devastated by terror attacks in its finacial capital yet he remained a modest god, according to a write-up in 'Daily Telegraph'

"He (Tendulkar) is an unlikely-looking god. He stands there in the middle dwarfed by the gigantic Andrew Flintoff and the strapping Yuvraj Singh, a boy-like figure with a cherubic face whose Michelin man-style pads come half way up his thigh," Simon Hughes wrote.

"The poor Indian lifts his hands to Sachin Tendulkar in supplication; Give us respite, a sense of liberation; lift us up from the dark pit of our lives to well-lit places of the imagination with your skill-wrought perfection. He has not a scrap of ego. He is a gracious god. We will never see his like again".

The writer said that Tendulkar never shirked his enormous responsibility and spent considerable time preparing for a game.

"Tendulkar never shirks this enormous responsibility. He spends almost every waking hour seeking that perfection, practising, planning, preparing. He rings his brother, the man who knows his game best, every day, talking bowlers and bat angles and shot selection. He looks at the pitch and contemplates how he will make runs on it. He is thankful of his talent and dutifully delivers it to his public, the majority of whom have nothing," Hughes wrote.

A self-effacing man who keeps his emotions private, Tendulkar's inner urge to express the hurt caused to him by the audacious terror attack at the city he was born and brought up led him to dedicate his century in Chennai to the people of Mumbai and India, but he admits it was not his nature to play the role of a statesman too often.

"Sometimes I do it, but it is not my way," Tendulkar was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

"Tendulkar lives in Bandra, in the north of Mumbai, Bollywoodville. But he often goes south to Colaba with family and friends, to eat in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel or the Oberoi.

"The Mumbai attacks were close to home and affected him deeply. The England players remarked on his extra patience and intensity at the crease. This time he was doubly determined to lift his people out of their pit," the article said.

Tendulkar wields a heavy bat unusual for his small frame, but he says he would not be the same batsman without his willow.

"I like a bow in it. I can't bat with anything else. I would not feel right at the crease," the master batsman said.

Gambhir, Dravid grind England on Day 1

Under the poor light conditions in Mohali, India batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid combined for the second wicket and had an unbeaten 173-run stand to take India's score to 179/1 at the close of first day's play at the PCA Stadium. A delayed start and early close saw the loss of 18 overs as 72 overs were bowled out of the required 90 overs.

Electing to bat first, India got early blow in the form of opener Virender Sehwag's wicket. The Indian opener, who was the architect of India's epic win in Chennai, failed to give India a good start and departed for a naught.

England pacer Stuart Broad, who came in place of Steve Harmison, pitched one outside the off-stump. Sehwag played it on the drive but an outside edge saw keeper Matt Prior take a comfortable catch behind the wicket.

Sehwag's dismissal saw an out-of-form Rahul Dravid in action in the third over. India's no. 3 batsman, who's had a dismal run this year, looked a bit shaky in the beginning. But he slowly gained ground and took a sigh of relief with a composed half-century that was his first in the last nine innings.

Dravid, who averages 28 this year in comparison to his career average of 52, gave a much needed boost to his average and most importantly his confidence when he struck 54th Test fifty, his ninth against England.

In-form Indian opener Gambhir, however, continued with his purple catch and slammed the fourth Test hundred, his first against England. This was also his second consecutive century at the PCA Stadium. He had made 104 runs against Australia in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India: MS Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.

England: Kevin Pietersen (Captain), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann.

Australia v South Africa, 1st Test, Perth, 2nd day

There were a few nerves from South African fans at the WACA when Graeme Smith's
elbow required treatment from the physio Shane Jabaar

Trusting one umpire …
Jason Krejza must have wished the referral system was being used in this series when he struck Graeme Smith on the pad in his first over. Krejza was coming around the wicket to the left-hander and Smith missed a ball that went straight on with the arm. Despite a loud shout from the Australians, Aleem Dar turned the decision down and it was a fair call as there was enough doubt, even though replays suggested it may have hit the top of the stumps. But it had a distinctly familiar look to the first decision that was overturned in the current New Zealand-West Indies series, when Chris Gayle rapped Daniel Flynn on the pads and referred the not-out call to the third umpire, who advised the standing official that it was out.

… and correcting another
Critics of the referral system have argued that it leaves the on-field umpires with little to do but count the balls and if that is the case, Dar and Asoka De Silva might want to brush up on their maths. On the first day Dar called a five-ball over from Dale Steyn before correcting his error and making Steyn bowl the last delivery. Today it was De Silva's turn. Peter Siddle had sent down five balls when De Silva called over and immediately the phone in the scorers' box rang. It was the TV official Paul Reiffel confirming the count. He relayed the information to De Silva, by then at square leg for the next over, who asked Siddle to send down a sixth ball. It was an exhausting delivery - most of the players were in position for the next over when the decision was rectified.

Pen mightier than the needle
Graeme Smith has had problems with his right elbow since August, when he cut short his tour of England to rest the troublesome joint. There were therefore a few nerves from South African fans at the WACA when the same elbow required treatment from the physio Shane Jabaar during Smith's innings of 48. Jabaar appeared to be pumping some sort of device into Smith's elbow and there was confusion as to whether it was a pain-killing injection. But the apparatus is known as the pain-gone pen and sends an electronic impulse into the bloodstream that wakes up the body's own pain-relieving properties. A South African team spokesman said Smith felt a jarring in the joint after a Peter Siddle delivery hit the splice of the bat. No further treatment was required and Smith went on to add 28 to his score after the incident.

Clarke gets the thumbs up
A cracked thumb forced Ashwell Prince out of the Test and Australia had a similar concern over one of their key batsmen when Michael Clarke headed off to hospital at lunch to have an x-ray on his right thumb. Clarke had suffered the problem when he was fielding in the cordon and dived to stop a low edge from Neil McKenzie. The 12th man Shane Watson occupied Clarke's spot at third slip for much of the second session but the news was good for Australia - Clarke's x-rays revealed no fracture and he was back in a catching position before tea.

VVS flashbacks
Australia have been tormented by VVS Laxman over the years and they were given a vision of a similar batsman who could well trouble them in the future. Hashim Amla is arguably the most improved Test batsman over the past year and he looked set for a big score with his wristy work at the WACA. One flick over midwicket for four off Peter Siddle was particularly impressive and the Australians were slightly concerned when he raced to an attractive 47 from 67 balls. Fortunately for Ricky Ponting's men, Krejza made the breakthrough when he drifted a superb offspinner through the gate. Still, it was a promising start in Amla's first international of any sort against Australia.

AB online
Iain O'Brien raised his profile during the Australia-New Zealand series by writing a daily blog and now it's AB de Villiers' turn, whose own website abdevilliers.com features a tour diary that is updated every day. He's even so intent on drawing in readers that he has the address printed on his bat. The early entries don't quite go into as much detail as O'Brien's musings but it's an interesting continuation in the trend of Test players recording their thoughts for all to see.

Fastest of the fast
The match was hyped for its quick bowling potential and the South African attack was the centre of much attention in the lead-up, with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel identified as two super-fast men who could thrive on the WACA pitch. But in the end, neither breached the 150kph mark on the opening day and it was Mitchell Johnson who won the initial battle for the quickest delivery. In Johnson's second over he became the first man for the match to nudge past 150kph although he did have the advantage of bowling on the second day - the WACA pitch generally quickens up as the match wears on.

Bengal plays Goa in Ganguly’s swansong

NEW DELHI: Sourav Ganguly’s final appearance in first-class cricket would be the highlight of the Bengal-Goa Ranji Trophy plate league match at the Karnail Singh Stadium here.

A huge media turn out at the venue on the eve of the semifinal fixture indicated the significance of Ganguly’s presence in a match that would decide which of the two teams qualifies for the Elite grade next season.

Goa has never travelled thus far and a victory would mean making history for the underdog. But Bengal has much at stake.

“I had agreed to play this match to help Bengal qualify for the elite group. I vividly remember my debut season (1989-90) and have some fond memories of domestic cricket. It has been a long journey,” said Ganguly.

The teams (from): Bengal: Laxmi Ratan Shukla (captain), Sourav Ganguly, Rohan Banerjee, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Avik Chowdhury, Ashok Dinda, Ritam Kundu, Sourav Sarkar, Dibyendu Chakraborty, Ranadeb Bose, Anustup Majumdar, Iresh Saxena, Avik Mullick and Soham Ghosh.

Goa: Swapnil Asnodkar (captain), Aditya Angle, J. Arunkumar, Saurabh Bandekar, Robin D’Souza, Shadab Jakati, Sagun Kamat, Advait Katkar, Ryan Ninan, Ajay Ratra, Santosh Shinde, Rohit Asnodkar, Harshad Gadekar, Ambey Parvatkar, Ankit Desai and Ryan D’Souza. — Special Correspondent

Sourav presence bolsters Bengal

In-form Ashok Dinda will lead Bengal attack

New Delhi: The Karnail Singh Stadium, nestling near the busy New Delhi railway station in the heart of the nation’s capital, is not the kind of sports venue that is likely to figure among the local fans’ favourites but that can change over the next four days with a lot of cricket lovers making a beeline for this quaint ground.

And one man can take the blame for that: the charismatic former India skipper Sourav Ganguly. He will be playing his farewell first class game, the Ranji Trophy Plate Division semi-final for Bengal against Goa. His 42nd Ranji Trophy appearance will signal the end of a great first-class career that began in March 1990.

A couple of pounds heavier than when he left the international stage at the end of India’s 2-0 victory over Australia in Nagpur last month, Sourav showed enthusiasm and commitment to be at the nets within minutes of checking in to the team hotel on Wednesday morning. The focus will be on how he motivates himself to deliver another memorable performance.

The left-handed batsman showed no signs of nerves or emotions that you would associate with farewell games. On the contrary, he was relaxed and waved off any suggestions of any pressure, making it clear that his hunger to remain competitive and perform well was not dimmed.

Interestingly, Bengal coach Utpal Chatterjee believes Sourav’s presence alone can make a difference. “The youngsters in our team are all enthused by his presence and I am sure the opposition with feel daunted by Sourav’s presence. And, if he fails, Goa is likely to be lulled into complacency,” he said.

Bengal sure have a bunch that look good to make it past Goa. Wriddhiman Saha and Manoj Tiwary have been among the runs while Ranadeb Bose and Ashok Dinda have been the key wicket-takers for Bengal and are expected to lead the attack again. With advisor Mohinder Amarnath joining the squad, the team know that they will have to work hard to gain a place in the Elite Division quarter finals.

Bengal and Goa have never played each other, not only in the Ranji Trophy, but also in any form of senior cricket.

The Karnail Singh Stadium track is the kind that can throw up a result for the team who are ready to work hard and make fewer mistakes than their opposition. On their home ground, Railways played out a draw against Baroda, beat Andhra but just about held off Uttar Pradesh’s charge for a win.

Sourav squatted with the rest of his mates along with the coaching staff for a team meeting under what can be described as more harsh than the winter sun expected in Delhi in the third week of December. For someone who had always used the Ranji Trophy as a platform for larger feats, he will be quite unfamiliar to the task of playing a first class game with no pressure at all.

Having been docked a point for fielding four professionals (instead of the permitted three) in a game against Kerala, Goa just about made it to the semi-finals, thanks to Jammu and Kashmir’s upset win against fancied Haryana last week. But that does not mean that Bengal will view Goa lightly.

Teams

Bengal (likely): Avik Chowdhury, Wriddhiman Saha, Sourav Ganguly, Manoj Tiwary, Laxmi Ratan Shukla (captain), Ritam Kundu/Iresh Saxena, Dibyendu Chakraborty, Ashok Dinda, Sourav Sarkar, Ranadeb Bose, Anustup Majumder.

Goa (from): Swapnil Asnodkar (captain), Sagun Kamat, Aditya Angle, Rohit Asnodkar, Ajay Ratra (wicket-keeper), Advait Katkar, Shadab Jakati, Saurabh Bandekar, Arney Parvelkar, Robin D’Souza, Harshad Gadekar, Aniket Desai, Ryan D’Souza, Ryan Ninan, Santosh Shinde and Sherbahadur Yadav.