IND VS AUS 6th ODI:INDIANS LOST THE PRIDE SERIES TO AUSSIES

Dejection written on his face after losing the ODI series to Australia, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team lost Sunday's do-or-die match in the first 15 minutes itself.


Dhoni's gamble to bat first on a tricky track boomeranged and the match virtually slipped out of their hand by nine overs when the home side was gasping for breath at 27 for five.


"During the toss I said that the first half hour will be crucial for us but the first 15 minutes proved more than enough," Dhoni said after the match."We lost quite a few wickets after that we never really were in the game," he explained.


With the win, Australia took an unassailable 4-2 lead in the series.


For Australia, pace duo of Doug Bollinger (5/35) and Mitchell Johnson 3/39) made merry on a wicket which offered generous movement even though Dhoni defended his decision to bat first and felt a score in the vicinity of 220 could have been enough.



"Of course there was a bit of movement in the wicket but overall I think the Australians bowled really well. We could have batted second looking at the conditions but then also it would have been tough because the spinners were getting great amount of turn. I think we were fortunate enough to score 170 as at one stage, 150 was looking tough. We fell short by 50-55 runs," Dhoni said.


The Indian captain said losing a couple of close games made all the difference in the series.


"The Mohali game followed by the Hyderabad game, we should have won both. In both the matches the Australians took the game away from us. A couple of mistakes we made in the field and we lost the games," he added.


His counterpart Ricky Ponting, meanwhile, lauded his team for their spirited display, especially after losing some of their key players to injuries and said it was a memorable series win for him.


"I couldn't be happier. (This is) probably one of the best series I have been involved with. It was heartening to see the boys gel as a group especially after so many injuries. The performance of the team in the last two games have been satisfying," an ecstatic Ponting said.

PAK VS NZ ODI SERIES : NZ LEVEL THE SERIES

Brendon McCullum hit a return-to-form hundred and Scott Styris took three wickets in two overs as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 64 runs in the second day-night international here on Friday.


McCullum notched 131 to help the Black Caps post a challenging 303-8 on a flat Abu Dhabi Stadium pitch before Styris (3-23) triggered a middle-order collapse which saw Pakistan bowled out for 239, leaving the three-match series level at 1-1.


Pakistan won the first match by 138 runs on Tuesday. The final match will be played here on Monday.Chasing a daunting target, Pakistan got off to a solid start of 77 with Khalid Latif (45) and Salman Butt (59) setting the tempo. Even after Latif fell leg-before to New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori in the 17th over, Pakistan were well on course.


Butt and Younus (19) added another 47 for the second wicket before Styris struck three times in ten balls to turn the match in his team's favour.


Bowling for the first time in 13 months, Styris had Younus smartly caught at short mid-wicket by a diving Ross Taylor and then next ball induced Shahid Afridi (0) to play into the same fielder's hands. In his next over, Styris had Kamran Akmal (four) caught at short cover before Butt was run out after being sent back by Mohammad Yousuf.


Vettori then trapped Yousuf (18) to push Pakistan to the brink of defeat.Although Shoaib Malik (26) and Abdul Razzaq (35) resisted, it was too little too late against a professional New Zealand.


Earlier, New Zealand had McCullum to thank for repairing the innings through a second wicket stand of 126 with Martin Guptill (62).


Stripped of the vice-captaincy to allow him to concentrate on batting last month, McCullum steadied the innings, driving and cutting with authority during his 129-ball knock. He hit 14 boundaries and three sixes.Guptill hit five boundaries and two sixes during his 70-ball knock before holing out to paceman Razzaq.


McCullum also added 44 for the fifth wicket with Vettori (30) before Razzaq returned for his second spell to have the New Zealand captain caught behind off a miscued hit.


McCullum reached the three-figure mark off 108 deliveries. He was finally dismissed in the 47th over, bowled off an inside edge by paceman Umar Gul.


He also added 56 for the seventh wicket with Jacob Oram who made 33 not out.


Pakistan brought back Malik after resting him in the first match, while New Zealand included fit-again Kyle Mills and Neil Broom.

ENGLAND VS SOUTH AFRICA ODI SERIES

Captain Andrew Strauss hit one of three half-centuries as England made a solid start to their tour of South Africa, piling up 294 for seven in their 50-overs match against the Diamond Eagles franchise team in Bloemfontein on Friday.


Strauss hit 72 and shared a second wicket stand of 123 with Jonathan Trott (85) as England took advantage of good batting conditions after being sent in to bat.


Eoin Morgan slammed a quick 67 not out off 52 balls as the innings ended with a flurry of scoring.
Eagles opening bowler CJ de Villiers took an early wicket when he bowled Joe Denly for three but Strauss and Trott put the tourists in command.


Strauss made his runs off 85 balls with seven fours and a six before holing out to square leg against the medium-paced Ryan Bailey.


Trott took 81 balls to reach his fifty but needed only another 23 deliveries to reach 85, with seven fours, before he was bowled by Bailey.

AMITHA BACHAN PRAISES SACHIN

Praises are pouring in from all quarters after Sachin Tendulkar scored 17000 runs in One-day cricket. And, this time it came from none other than Bollywood super star Amitabh Bachchan.

Bachchansaid: "Every time he (Sachin Tendulkar) sets a new example in front of us. I congratulate him and the entire country is proud of him."This came when the world cricket fraternity was competing with each other on congratulating the little master for his rare feat.

POINTING'S CHAT IN THE MIDDLE INSPIRED THE AUSSIES

Skipper Ricky Ponting asked his team to be brave and face the might of Sachin Tendulkar and India in the nail-biting fifth ODI at Hyderabad, which Australia won by three runs.


An emotional pre-match talk from Ponting was the catalyst for a remarkable match as the Australians overcame an extraordinary 175 from Tendulkar to win by three runs.


With his team ripped apart by injuries and in a hostile environment, it was effectively an Australia 'A' attack that somehow managed to hang on as they claimed a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, The Daily Telegraph reports."That's what I'm most proud of. Everything that's happened over the last couple of weeks, for us to keep finding ways to win games says a lot about the team, a lot about the individual players and the way we go about it," Ponting said.


"I actually asked the guys for a little bit extra, asked them to be really brave and to play the best form of cricket they possibly could and back themselves at every opportunity. I thought the first half of the game with our batting we did that to a tee, and I think even in the last half of the game with the bowling we did that really well, so it a great day for us."


Ponting also lauded Tendulkar's effort, as the Indian star became the first batsman to pass 17,000 one-day runs. His 175 came off 141 balls, but his dismissal as India needed 19 runs from 17 balls was decisive.


India must win Sunday's clash in Guwahati and again in Mumbai on Wednesday to clinch the series and top ranking from Australia.

AUSSIE PLAYERS INJURIES -WORRIES RICKY PONTING

World champions Australia said on Thursday they were struggling to focus on the ongoing one-day series in India because the team had been decimated by a string of injuries to key players.


With the seven-match series tied at 1-1, the injury-plagued tourists are down to the bare bones for the third international at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Saturday.


"With a few little niggles around, the focuses do tend to go towards that," said left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, himself battling an ankle injury."But we have got to regroup, sit in our team meetings and talk about what went wrong in Nagpur and what we thought we did right out there."


Australia won the first match, in Vadodara on Sunday, by four runs, before crashing to a heavy defeat in Nagpur on Wednesday after India piled up a mammoth 354-7 and bowled out the tourists for 255.


Ricky Ponting's men came to India depleted by the absence of four one-day regulars, vice-captain Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Nathan Bracken and Callum Ferguson.


Pace spearhead Brett Lee (elbow) and all-rounder James Hopes (hamstring) missed Nagpur, while Johnson only just made it.


In a further blow, wicket-keeper Tim Paine -- a replacement for Haddin -- broke a finger during the demolition in Nagpur and has been asked to return home.


The selectors, who flew in young all-rounder Moises Henriques to reinforce the injury-stricken squad, have now called up Graham Manou to replace Paine.


If Manou arrives in New Delhi by Friday, he is certain to play a day later, but it is unclear if Lee and Hopes will be available for selection on Saturday.


India need to win the series to overtake Ponting's men as the top-ranked one-day team in the world.

IND VS AUS 2nd ODI:DHONI BLASTED THE AUSSIES WITH HIS BLISTERING KNOCK

India’s total of 354-7 is their highest ever total against Australia surpassing the previous best of 315 at Bangalore on March 25, 2001.


India’s 354-7 provides the 54th occasion of India’s 300 plus totals in 723 one day internationals.


India’s 354-7 is the fifth occasion in which India has scored over 300 plus runs against Australia.


India’s 354-7 is the highest total ever recorded against Australia by any team batting first. In fact it is the second highest total recorded by an opponent against Australia next only to South Africa’s 438-9 at Wanderers on March 12, 2006.


India’s 354-7 provides the 12th occasion on which India has scored 350 plus runs; this is the most by any team.


India’s 354-7 is the 40th occasion in which a total of 350 plus runs have been scored in all the one day internationals played till this date. The highest ever recorded in a one day international is 443-9 by Sri Lanka against Netherlands at Amstelveen on 04-07-2006.


MS Dhoni became the first Indian captain to record a century against Australia in a one day international. The previous highest score by an Indian captain against Australia was 93 by Mohammad Azharuddin at Brisbane on 01-03-1992.


124 by Dhoni is his highest individual score recorded against Australia, sidelining his modest 58 at Kochi on October 2, 2007.


Dhoni’s 124 is also the highest score by any captain against Australia – leaving behind Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya’s 122 at Sydney on January 9, 2003.


Dhoni’s hundred provides the 28th three-figure mark by Indian captains against Australia. This is Dhoni’s second century as a captain – the earlier one had come against Hong Kong (109* at Karachi on 25-06-2008)


Dhoni is the fifth Indian captain to score two or more centuries after Sourav Ganguly (11), Sachin Tendulkar (6), Mohammad Azharuddin (4) and Rahul Dravid (2).


Dhoni’s hundred is his fifth hundred in his 147th one day international.


Gautam Gambhir scored his 18th fifty in his 83rd one day international and his second fifty against Australia in his 12th match. His highest score against Australia remains 113 at Sydney on February 24, 2008.Suresh Raina’s 62 is his 11th fifty in his 73rd one day international. This is his first fifty against Australia in six matches – In his previous five matches against Australia he had aggregated only 49 runs with 26 as his highest score at Kuala Lumpur on 22-09-2006 He had scored a duck in his only innings at Nagpur earlier against West Indies on 21-01-2007.


The 119 runs partnership between Dhoni and Gambhir is India’s best partnership for the fourth wicket against Australia in India,eclipsing the 110-run partnership between Mohammad Azharuddin and Rahul Dravid at Mohali on 03-11-1996.


The 136 runs partnership between Dhoni and Suresh Raina for the fifth wicket is also India’s best against Australia in India, bettering the 121-run partnership between Ajay Jadeja and Hrishikesh Kanitkar at Kochi on 01-04-1998.


Ben Hilfenhaus became the sixth Australian bowler after Michael Lewis, Shane Watson, Stuart Clark, Brett Lee (thrice) and Mitchell Johnson (twice), to concede 80 or more runs in an innings. Lewis is on top of the list conceding 113 runs.


By conceding 83 runs in his 10 over spell, Hilfenhaus equalled Brett Lee’s Australian record of conceding most runs against India (at Brisbane on 18-01-2004).


Michael Hussey scored his second successive fifty (53 off 60 balls). This was his 26th fifty in his 122nd one day international.


Ravindra Jadeja, playing in his fifth match, achieved the best bowling performance of his career by taking 3-35. His previous best was 1-39 in his earlier match at Baroda on 25-10-2009.


India achieved their 350th win in 723 one day internationals. Only Pakistan (381) and Australia (445) have registered more victories than India.


The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur became India’s 40th ground (and 174th in the world) to host a ODI.


Nagpur also became seventh Indian city to have used TWO different grounds for ODIs after Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Vadodara and Visakhapatnam.


The match was the 91st day-night match on Indian soil.


The playing record of two teams after the match:

India: Played- 723, Won-350, Lost 337, Tied-3, NR-33.

Australia: 722, Won-445, Lost-246, Tied-8, NR-23

Between India and Australia: Played – 99, India -33, Australia -58, NR-8.

IND VS AUS 1st ODI:BHAJI & PRAVEEN SCARED THE AUSSIES

Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan Singh's batting heroics took India agonisingly close to a sensational win before the hosts slumped to a four-run defeat against Australia in the first match of the seven-ODI series here on Sunday.


At 201 for seven in their pursuit of a 293-run victory target, India seemed heading for a comprehensive defeat before Praveen (40 not out) and Harbhajan (49) came up with a defiant 84-run stand off 57 balls for the eighth wicket that nearly took them home.


Much to the disappointment of the crowd, India eventually managed 288 for eight, put together by cameos from Gautam Gambhir (68), Virat Kohli (30), MS Dhoni (34), Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan.Earlier, Ricky Ponting (74) led from the front and was amply supported by Mike Hussey (73), Tim Paine (50) and Cameron White (51) as the visitors rattled up 292 for eight after opting to bat first on a featherbed track.


Faced with the daunting task of scoring at 5.86 per over, the star-studded Indian line-up came a cropper against some disciplined bowling and tight fielding to be left struggling at 201 for seven with the last 10 overs remaining.


Harbhajan and Praveen brought down the target to 30 from the last 15 balls and then nine from the last six. But once Harbhajan departed off the second ball of the final over from Peter Siddle, India lost the momentum and Australia stopped the hosts four runs short of their total.


Earlier in the innings, Gambhir played the sheet-anchor's role after the cheap dismissal of openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar to top score with 68 off 85 balls with six fours and a six in it.


Dhoni and Kohli, surprisingly promoted to number four in the batting order, made starts before getting out when in their 30s.


After being 167 for three in the 35th over, the Indians lost three quick wickets - Gambhir, Suresh Raina (9) and Dhoni - while adding only 19 runs and it became 201 for seven at the fall of Ravindra Jadeja in the 40th over.


Harbhajan and Praveen kept the hosts in the hunt with some lusty hits to raise visions of a come-from-behind victory, but in the end it proved of no avail.


With this win, Australia surged to their second successive victory at this venue over the home team, having beaten the hosts by nine wickets in 2007 at this ground.


The thrilling victory put the visitors 1-0 up in the series ahead of the second day/night encounter at Nagpur on October 28.


Though India came close, their top-order batting, bowling as well as fielding were thoroughly exposed by the Australian team which is riding on a high after whipping England 6-1 and then retaining the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

POINTING EYES FOR SACHINS RECORD

Only the third batsman to amass 12,000 runs in one-day cricket, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting says he is chasing the benchmarks set by veteran Indian Sachin Tendulkar.


Ponting, after scoring a match-winning unbeaten 111-run knock against England last night to take Australia to their second successive Champions Trophy final, paid tribute to Tendulkar, who is completing 20 years in international cricket this November.


"The number of innings of his I have been able to sit back and watch, I think he is an amazing player. Look at his stats and records and it's quite incredible for someone to have stayed in the game for 20 years," Ponting said."He has set benchmarks for guys like me to chase him and get as close as we can. If I had to last 20 years, I would probably be batting in a wheelchair," he quipped.


Ponting is the first Australian and the third overall, after Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya, to score 12,000 runs in one-dayers.


Tendulkar and Ponting, in fact, are the two biggest achievers in batting in contemporary cricket.


Tendulkar has played 159 Tests and scored 12773 runs with 42 centuries and 53 half centuries at an average of 54.58 runs. In one-dayers, he has turned out in 430 matches and scored 16903 runs with 44 hundreds and 91 fifties, averaging 44.48.


Ponting, on the other hand has played 136 Tests and scored 11345 runs with 38 centuries and 48 half centuries, averaging 55.88. In one-dayers, he has turned out in 323 matches, scored 12043 runs and hit 28 centuries and 70 fifties, averaging 43.32.


Both Tendulkar and Ponting no longer play Twenty20 internationals for their countries.


"It is a nice achievement but I had no idea before the game how many runs I had scored. I hit runs for my country and when my career is over I can reflect on the successes," Ponting said.


After Friday's win, Ponting lauded the younger members of his team for contributing to side's unbeaten run in the ongoing event.

"We have made it to the finals with relatively young guys. Michael Clarke is missing and so is Nathan Bracken. We are peaking at the right time for the finals," Ponting, shared a 252-run stand with Shane Watson (136) last night, said.


For the last five years, Australia has won everything the ICC has put on stake except for the Twenty20 World Cup. Ponting said he takes pride in the side's performance.


"The key I think is the mix we bring of youth and experience. When senior guys take responsibility, it allows younger guys to learn and find feet at international level," he said.


"We are playing at a level which would win us the big games. We look to play best cricket when it matters," Ponting added.


Ponting's own form has won him all-around admiration and the right-hander credited it to the brief break he took after the Ashes debacle this summer.


"I took 10-12 days break after the England tour and since I have returned, I feel I am batting really well. I am able to achieve a lot of control in the middle."


Ponting rated the wicket used in Friday's game as the best by far in this tournament.


Man of the match Watson, meanwhile, praised his skipper for the role he played in the middle.


"Ricky helped me a lot. In the middle period, when I was finding my feet against slower bowlers, his presence was very useful," he said.


"Previously I used to get overawed in big games. I am happy now that I was able to put together a big effort today, especially with the bat," he added.

SACHIN INJURED ,NOTHING SERIOUS SAID TEAM MANAGER

Sachin Tendulkar cut his cheek and nearly broke his nose after falling on his face in a Johannesburg hotel during the Champions Trophy, Indian team manager Anurag Thakur said here on Friday.


Tendulkar, along with all-rounders Yusuf Pathan and Abhishek Nayar, returned home after India's doomed Champions Trophy campaign in South Africa and his left eye looked swollen as the star player left the the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.


Thakur, who arrived by the same flight, told PTI that Tendulkar had food poisoning on the eve of India's last league match against the West Indies and he collapsed in his hotel room."He had food poisoning and was possibly dehydrated. He was feeling weak and that was the reason why he felt giddy and hurt himself in the hotel room. But the injury to his cheek is not serious. He is perfectly fine now," Thakur said.


Even though Tendulkar did not play against the West Indies, he was present in the ground when India played their last league match on September 30, Thakur pointed out.


"He was present in the ground and he's perfectly fine now. He was not well that day," Thakur said.


Tendulkar reportedly fell on his face and was in fact lucky not to have broken his nose even though the collapse left him with a cut mark and a black spot on his nose.


On their arrival, Tendulkar and Nayar left for their respective homes in Mumbai, while Yusuf took a connecting flight to Baroda.


Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, R P Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Praveen Kumar are expected to land in Mumbai by a later flight, sources said, adding the others would have taken the connecting flights to their respective destinations from Dubai.


India were knocked out of the Champions Trophy before the semifinal stage of the tournament after they finished third in the four-team group, behind Pakistan and Australia and ahead of the West Indies.


Dhoni and his men lost the opening match to Pakistan, shared points with Australia when the match got washed out because of rains and won the tie against the West Indies.


The next assignment for the Indians is the seven-ODI home series against Australia commencing at Baroda on October 25.

AUSSIES ROCK TO THE FINALS

Relishing every single bit of their superb victory over England in the Champions Trophy semifinal, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said the win means a lot to his young teammates.


Defending champions Australia trounced England by nine wickets to cruise to the final of the elite ICC event.


"There is lot of energy in the group and guys are looking forward. They were waiting for this moment for a long time," Ponting, said after the match.Ponting led from front with a magnificent unbeaten 111 and also became the first Australian to get past the 12,000 run-mark in one-day cricket.


Ponting said he was not aware that he was approaching the milestone.


"They are nice achievements. I will look at it when I finish my career. David Hussey came to me and said you are close to 12,000 runs, I said 'I have no idea'."


The Australian skipper lauded his bowlers for providing the side a good start on a batting friendly track though he admitted that they let England loose in the middle-overs.


"The bowing was pretty good. We took wickets when we needed upfront. I thought in the middle we got carried away in that situation of the game. (Tim) Bresnan and (Luke) Wright played well. The wicket was exceptional and ground was fast," he said.


Bresnan hit a career best 80 and along with Wright, who missed his fifty by two runs, had resuscitated the England innings from a dismal 101 for six.


Shane Watson, chosen Man-of-the-Match for his powerful 136 run knock, was happy to get a hundred under his belt after a very poor show so far.


Watson was out for nought in the first two matches and managed 24 against Pakistan in the last groups-stage match.


"It was nice to get that (hundred). To bat with Ricky really helped me. We played well. We took wickets on a beautiful wicket. I have learnt a lot from the greats in the side and now that they have retired, it's our turn to raise our hands (to do job)," he said.

INDIANS HAVE SOMETHING TO CHEER AFTER AN EARLY EXIT FROM CHAMPIONS TROPHY-DHONI GAMBHIR WIN HONOURS

After an early exit from the Champions Trophy in South Africa, there was something to cheer for the Indian fans as skipper MS Dhoni was named captain of both the ICC Test and ODI Team of the Year in a glittering ceremony at the Sandton Convention Centre on Thursday evening.


Gautam Gambhir won the ICC Test Player of the Year award while Dhoni also retained the trophy for the ICC ODI Player of the Year.


Sachin Tendulkar along with Gambhir and Dhoni also made it to the Test team of 2009.The ODI team of the year included Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh (India) along with Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff (England), Martin Guptill (New Zealand), Chris Gayle (West Indies), Umar Gul (Pakistan), Tillekaratne Dilshan, Nuwan Kulasekera and Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka.)


Sri Lankan batsman Dilshan also won the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year award.


The New Zealand team received the ICC spirit of the cricket year.


Australia pacer Peter Siddle won the Emerging Player of the Year award while Ireland's William Porterfield bagged the Associate and Affliate player award.


Aleem Dar of Pakistan won of the Umpire of the year award.


The nominations were made by a five-member selection panel headed by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd. The panel also included former players Anil Kumble (India), Mudassar Nazar (Pakistan), Bob Taylor (England) and Stephen Fleming (New Zealand).

AUS VS PAK:We have an advantage over Pakistan: Ponting

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting reckons that having played a match at the slow Centurion track will give his team a distinct advantage over Pakistan in their must-win Champions Trophy encounter on Wednesday.


Ponting said there was no margin for errors in such crucial games and his tem had prepared well to beat Pakistan for a place in the semi-finals.


"It would be easier (for us) if Pakistan were to do so though we are preparing as if we would face their best team in the park. We can beat them and directly qualify," said Ponting when asked about reports that Pakistan would be fielding their B side in tomorrow's game. If Australia wins tomorrow's first game, the match between India and the West Indies would lose all relevance, and Ponting said he would want his side's semi-final hopes to be decided by their own work."There is no margin or error. If it gets rain affected tomorrow or not, the destiny is in our hands. If we don't make it to the semifinals, we would be disappointed.


"We have prepared very well. We have had very good last few weeks. We want to be the number one side of the world and that's why we prepare the way we do," he said at a press conference here.



"In the run-up to the game, South Africa and India were spoken about highly. Now South Africa are out and India have their work cut out. But we have prepared very well and have been playing good cricket in the last few weeks. We are in good enough position to make the next stage," Ponting said.


Ponting felt his side would have an advantage in Wednesday's game as they have had a first feel of the slow Centurion wicket against India.


"We would be disappointed with yesterday's result (against India). We were in pretty strong position. With 10 overs left, we were looking good for 300. It would have been

very competitive.


"We played their spin bowlers which would be a great help against Pakistan. Sure some positive did came out of yesterday's game."


Ponting had words of sympathy for struggling Indian pacer Ishant Sharma and said his troubles could be due to the workload his young shoulders were carrying for a while.


"People now say that Ishant is a bit off the boil now. It could be the workload, physical and mental drain. I don't really know but confidence is a big thing in international cricket. It happens to fast bowlers as well as to batsmen.


"It's a big job, as a coach, as fitness advisers. Juggling the workload is a big issue. We all the time try to embrace it. I took a break in Dubai and missed the first three games in England."

INDIA DEPRESSED :India to delay naming playing XI against WI

With his side's Champions Trophy semi-final hopes hanging by a slender thread, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday said he would name his squad for Wednesday's match against West Indies depending on how the match between Pakistan and Australia progresses.


If Pakistan beat Australia at Centurion by a big margin, India will need to defeat West Indies by a huge margin to make it to the semi-finals in their last Group A match, which will start five hours later here.


Dhoni said he would keenly follow the Pakistan-Australia game and would decide on his playing eleven only after he has seen how the day's game is heading."We would delay our team selection. It depends on how the match is progressing. If we need to strengthen our batting we would do so. If we need the bowling to get stronger, we would

do that," Dhoni said at a press conference here.


A lot of calculation would be on tomorrow and Dhoni expected not only his support staff, but even seniors and others to chip in with their suggestions.


"Not only the coach and the support staff, even the seniors would be needed to chip in with their advice.


"Unfortunately, not everything is in your hand. Lot of things need to happen: Pakistan to win, we to beat West Indies and net run-rate," he said.


Dhoni is hoping that the Indian fans would be cheering for Pakistan to win against Australia.


"All of India wants its team to do well. Knowing that Pakistan's win (against Australia) earlier in the day is so important, they all would be cheering for Pakistan," he said.


It didn't concern Dhoni that Pakistan, the arch-rivals, could actually be attempting to lose by giving a few of their star players a rest against Australia.


"Now that they have qualified, they could be looking to experiment with their bench strength. It depends on what they want to get out of tomorrow's game."


Looking at how the tournament has gone by for India, Dhoni squarely blamed his bowlers for the side's ills.



"We batted in only one game so you can't say the batting has let us down. But we have bowled twice and we are not bowling that well. Yesterday (against Australia), the bowlers were much better, they were neither too short nor too full. But we have to admit we didn't bowl that well," he said.


Personally though, Dhoni was prepared to look his team's performance in Champions Trophy philosophically.


"Losing and winning is part and parcel of any sport. It's enough for me that I am playing for my country and am leading the side which not everybody gets a chance to do. That's enough for me.


"We have done very well in the last 18-20 months. We have done well all over the world. We have the potential to do well. The boys can bounce back and on their day can give any side tough fight."


On Ishant Sharma's poor show so far, Dhoni had words of encouragement and said the young fast bowler would strike form soon.


"It's not about the drop in pace. It's about the line and length you bowl. I thought Ishant, in his second spell yesterday, was the old Ishant we know. Keeping it on the off-stump and bringing the ball in and not giving too much width to the batsmen.


"It happens all the time in cricket. A few good shots and a batsman is back in form. A few good balls and a bowler regains his confidence."


Dhoni also responded with interest to his Australian counterpart Ricky Ponting's suggestion that the workload of cricketers, particularly fast bowlers, needs to be managed well.


"It's a tough thing to say. You rotate a few players and lose a game and it becomes a big issue in India. One thing which whole of India needs all the time is win. You have to admit with so many games being played, you can't win all the games.


"This is something which everyone has to understand. You need bench strength but you don't want to miss big players in big tournaments. The second line must be readied though. You need to groom them. They ought to have played 20-30 games so when a senior misses out, a young player is ready to step in."

ICC gives nod for Radmond to replace Ryder

ICC event technical committee have allowed New Zealand to replace Jesse Ryder by Aaron Redmond in the ongoing Champions Trophy here.


Ryder was forced out of the squad after suffering an injury to his left groin during his side's 38-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Wanderers on Sunday and the all-rounder will now be replaced by Redmond.


The confirmation of Ryder's replacement was conveyed to New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on behalf of the committee later on Sunday.


The 30-year-old right-hander Redmond has played seven Tests and three T20Is for New Zealand, but has never before represented his country in an ODI.


New Zealand will play its next match against England at the Wanderers tomorrow needing a victory to be sure of progressing to the semi-final.


The event technical committee of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 consists of David Richardson (ICC General Manager – Cricket and event technical committee chairman), Don McIntosh (tournament director), Campbell Jamieson (representative of IDI, the ICC’s commercial arm which runs major ICC events), Mike Gajjar (CSA representative), Sanjay Manjrekar

(independent nomination) and Nick Knight (independent nomination).

Sehwag eyes India return against Australia

Dashing India opener Virender Sehwag on Saturday exuded confidence that he would be fully fit for the seven-match one-day international series at home against Australia, commencing in Baroda on October 25.


"I am not yet fit for international cricket as can't throw (the ball) from the boundary line. But I would be fully fit for the series against Australia," said Sehwag here in presence of the BCCI chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth.


Sehwag also said that he would play in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament for the Delhi Daredevils after leading the Rest of India side against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the five-day Irani Cup tie, beginning on October 1 in Nagpur."I will play in the Champions League and in the Irani Cup match. There I'm captaining the side and would be fielding in the slips or other close-in positions," he said on sideline of a promotional event.


The flamboyant batsman, who would turn 31-years-old on October 20, has not played international cricket since he suffered a shoulder injury during the second edition of Indian Premier League in May.


Sehwag, who has two Test triple centuries, missed India's short visit to the West Indies, the triangular ODI series in Sri Lanka and also the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.


Sehwag reiterated he had never said he was not interested in leading the country, but only indicated that he was not keen to be vice-captain as a younger player should be groomed to take over the reign from Mahendra Singh Dhoni in future.


"I never said I did not want India captaincy. I only said in that interview I did not want to be the vice captain as I want someone younger to be groomed for the job," he said.


On relinquishing the captaincy in IPL, Sehwag said, "For two years we did not qualify for the finals. It seems my luck is not there. I don't know where I would go after this year (as there's going to be a second grand auction for all players after the 2010 edition). That's why I refused captaincy.He praised his Delhi and India team-mate Gautam Gambhir by saying the left handed opener was "a good cricketer with good brain."


Sehwag described the upcoming Champions League as a good opportunity for youngsters to grab the attention of selectors.


"For youngsters it offers good opportunity to play in front of TV audience and big crowds. Performing well in the Champions League or IPL counts. It's a good platform for the youngsters," he said.


Sehwag was confident India, even without him and two other key members - Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh, was capable of doing well in the Champions Trophy.


"I am confident we will play well against Pakistan. We have always done well against them in the World Cup, Champions Trophy and World T20. Just because two-three of us are not there does not mean we will not play well," he said.


Former Test opener and captain Srikkanth felt that the pressure was more on Pakistan than on the Indians.


"The pressure is more on Pakistan. We need to get a good start," he said.


Srikkanth, in his second year as chief selector, said that the Irani tie in Nagpur was the right platform for Sehwag to get back into the groove for the tough season ahead.


"In the Irani Cup he can be relaxed. It gives him a good opportunity for Viru to get back his mental and physical frame of mind (for cricket). By grace of God he would be fit for the series against Australia," the one-time dasher said.


Srikkanth did not feel the rise of the T20 was a concern for the well-being of the 50-over game. "All three formats can exist side by side by spacing them out and tweaking the 50-over game a bit. Already the Power Plays are there," he said.


The former Tamil Nadu player was emphatic that India possessed a terrific bench strength and would continue to be a force to reckon with in world cricket.

Disappointed Smith eyes next ICC tournament

Expressing disappointment after yet another failure at an ICC event by bowing out of the Champions Trophy, South African captain Graeme Smith said his side was trying their best but somehow have not being able to cross the line. "I don't know why. It is not about lack of performance or lack of trying. Everything has been done at the moment. We have the potential. We have to back ourselves and get over the line at some point of time," he said on Sunday night after his side's 22-run loss against England to bow out of Champions Trophy at home."There are lots of opportunities (to win ICC tournaments) and hopefully we do it at some stage may be next year. There is no point in making excuses. It is up to the players who are sitting in the dressing room to perform and make it count," he added. Smith is disappointed that his side were to bow out of the tournament at the group stage in a big tournament as they failed to chase down 324 against England."It is hugely disappointing to go out of the tournament at this stage. It was about giving your all and try as deep as possible and hope somebody would stay with you. Unfortunately that did not happen," said Smith who scored a brilliant 141 but failed to find support from any of his team-mates.

"We were very close and we lost wickets at crucial moments. Had it been something just more than 300 we could have chased down but above 320 was tough," he said. Smith said his side will have to improve in bowling if they want to do well ahead in the season. "In two out of three games we had to chase down above 300 that puts a lot of pressure on the batsmen. We have to improve in that aspect. England are coming here and there is a big season ahead," he said.

He also gave credit to the Englishman for their all-round performance."We have to give credit to them. They batted and bowled well. Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood were outstanding and Eoin Morgan had a fantastic innings. They also bowled really well. They took the battle to us and we could not match them," Smith admitted.

INDIA VS AUSTRALIA ODI :Aussies have edge over India, says Waugh

Both Australia and India have played pretty average cricket in their opening games of the Champions Trophy. The defending champions were tested severely, more by the conditions than the opposition at the Wanderers, while a few kilo metres away, India went down to Pakistan at Centurion.


Australia, to be fair, have not had time to acclimatize, and were put into bat in very difficult conditions. But considering they were pitted against a very inexperienced West Indies team, they should have done better. Finally it was Mitchell Johnson, Australia’s strike bowler, who saved his team and got them to a strong position.


In the India-Pakistan game, it was the absence of some senior pros like Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag that cost M S Dhoni dear. As he mentioned in a surprisingly candid post-match interview, the bowlers also had a poor day.


I know a loss against Pakistan would hurt India, but they must remember that their team has been doing well and sometimes a reversal can happen. The Pakistan team, unpredictable as ever, were exceptional on Saturday.


They seemed a happier unit of players who were playing for each other. Also, the return of Mohammed Yusuf from his ICL stint has added class and solidity to their middle order.


As mentioned, the absence of Sehwag and Yuvraj was crucial, but it was good to see youngsters like Virat Kohli being put into a pressure game like the one on Saturday. The Indians must realize that they cannot depend on the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid always, and that it is necessary to continuously blood new talent for the health and development of the side.


Today’s game is a must-win for India, and they do have the potential to win against Australia. However, the latter would have learnt from the game on Saturday, and would put in a much-improved effort on Monday.


Their bowling looked good on Saturday, and I expect their batsmen will put in an improved performance as well. That is not to say that the team does not have a few problem areas.


Shane Watson and Michael Hussey have both been out of sorts, and this does make the batting a little vulnerable. They did not do well against a young inexperienced West Indian outfit, so it remains to be seen how they fare against India, world-class bowling attack.


However, both teams will be relieved it’s a day-night game, which means early morning moisture and movement will not tilt the game in favour of one team. Conditions at Centurion are more suited to both sides, and will ensure a more fair contest.


There is no arguing that India have done very well against various teams in the last 12 months, especially in one-dayers. They have the potential to do well here as well. It’s just that the non-availability of some of their seniors makes the batting look a little less formidable than it usually does.


Of course, it would be great for India if someone puts up their hand and does the job for India, especially one of the younger players. However, if I had to pick up a favourite for Monday, it would have to be Australia, their insipid outing against West Indies notwithstanding.

INDIA VS ENGLAND T20:Their backs against the wall after a loss to New Zealand, India bounced back brilliantly to stun top teams like Australia, South

Jolted by the defeat against West Indies, India take on an equally desperate England in a do-or-die Super Eights match here on Sunday, fully aware that a slip-up would all but end their hopes of retaining the T20 World Cup trophy.The unexpected seven-wicket defeat at the hands of West Indies has left Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men in a must-win situation in the remaining two matches, the second of which is against title contenders South Africa on June 16.The road to semi-finals seems tough but the Indians can draw inspiration from their campaign in the 2007 edition where they were in a similar situation.The batting might have been a let-down on Friday but the bowlers have done well all through with the pace trio of Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Irfan Pathan making good use of the seaming conditions here.Dhoni's opposite number Paul Collingwood acknowledges the enormity of the task ahead but insists that his team has what it takes to upstage India.

"It is not going to be easy against India. We are in a very tough group but we have the guys to win the next few games and win the tournament," he said.England's over-reliance on Kevin Pietersen has been a concern for a while and Collingwood would be hoping that the likes of Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara also chip in. The bowling is also fragile with pace spearhead Stuart Broad being inconsistent at best.Both the teams are in a desperate situation but Dhoni says being under pressure only motivates his side to do well.

"This brings the best out of us. We'll be under pressure to perform in the next game but that was the story in the last World Cup", he said."After the first (Super Eights) game, every other game was a do-or-die situation for us and we played some of the toughest teams and got through to the finals to win the Cup so it's not like we can't do it again," the Indian skipper said.

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AUSTRALIA VS BANGLADESH T20 WARM UP MATCH: BAN LOSE TO AUSSIES

Bangladesh lost to Australia by 38 runs in the opening warm-up game against Bangladesh in the second edition of the ICC World Twenty20 Championship here on Monday.Chasing a mammoth 220, Bangladesh reached a decent 181-7 in 20 overs with Shakib Al Hasan smashing 54of only 29 balls that included six fours and two sixes.Mitchell Johnson was the pick of the bowlers, picking three wickets and giving away only 21 runs in his four overs.After Australia elected to bat, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin powered Australia to 219-6.Watson top scored with 52 and Haddin chipped in with 47 runs. Other valuable contributions came from Michael Clarke who made 35 and Symonds 27.

India have the edge in T20 WC, says Vettori

 With more Twenty20 games under their belt, India have a slight edge over the other teams in the ICC World T20 Championship starting here on June 5, feels New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori."You have to look at India. First and foremost they have probably played the most Twenty20 cricket in terms of individuals and the guys have gone ahead playing in the IPL," Vettori said at the official press conference here on Sunday.However, the Kiwi captain is also not ready to undermine the other teams."Sri Lanka will be dangerous with their bowling as (Muttiah) Muralitharan, (Lasith) Malinga and (Ajantha) Mendis will be tough to score off."Then there is Australia and South Africa, they also have a very formidable line up," Vettori added.His Pakistani counterpart Younis Khan said he was confident of winning the trophy this time but even a final four finish would give a boost to cricket in his country.

"My confidence is that I'll take this trophy to Pakistan. Even if we don't win it will be an achievement for us to finish in the top four," he said."Winning the tournament will be great impetus for our cricket. If we play good cricket it will be good for our nation. These days our country is depressed. Only cricket will start cheering the people there," he added.Younis felt it was not necessary for top order batsmen to go for big shots right from the start off. "Twenty20 looks short, but it's not -- 120 balls is enough If you bat normally but with energy, especially in the middle order and with good runners between the wickets, 180-90 is very easy."In English conditions the new ball does seam, so you need someone like Salman Butt who can play for 20 overs. But in the middle order, we have big hitters like Shahid Afridi and Misbah-Ul-Haq."On the defeat to India in the 2007 final, Younis said, "We could not finish off the match when we needed only five runs. But it was fantastic to be a part of that team. Some guys were crying at the end, but hopefully we'll have the finishing touches this time," Younis said.Khan said opener Salman Butt and middle order Misbah-ul-Haq have niggling injuries but should recover in time for the first game at The Oval against England on June 7.West Indies captain Chris Gayle said his side has the wherewithal to emerge winners despite going into the tournament on the back of defeats to England in the recent Test and ODI series.

"Any team can win. We are confident we can win. It won't be easy but we are looking forward to it," he said.His first priority though is to get into the second stage by qualifying from the tough group which also has Australia and Sri Lanka."It would be nice to be up in there in the top four but the first priority is to try and get to the second stage and then we can take it from there," he said."It is a big disadvantage (to have been drawn with Australia and Sri Lanka) but at the same time it is good to get them early and once we can get past these two tough teams it will be easy in the next round. We will see what they have to offer."Gayle was also happy that his side had recorded victories over Scotland and Ireland in the preparation for the tournament."It's good to get a couple of wins under our belt. It's been good for the guys to get that feel (of winning) again."

Nannes wants a shot at Ponting's men

Japanese-speaking fast bowler Dirk Nannes is desperate for the Netherlands to reach the World Twenty Super Eights so that he can take on the mighty Australians.The 33-year-old left-armer had harboured outside hopes of making the Australian team, but once that door was closed, he was more than happy to join the Dutch squad.Nannes has played for Middlesex in English county cricket as well as Victoria in Australia and qualifies for the Netherlands courtesy of his Dutch-born parents who settled down under.His first priority is to try and help his team negotiate a way out of Group B which features hosts England and 2007 runners-up Pakistan.That would likely set-up a chance against Ricky Ponting's Australians in the Super Eights."I'm not really that fussed that (Australia) are not picking me," Nannes told a cricket website."Of course I would like to play for them, but I've been given a really good opportunity by the Dutch team."If I play for Holland, I will probably make the starting XI. If I was picked in the 30-man squad for Australia, the chances are I wouldn't play and they'll play other people."Obviously I would like to play and I do think I would be one of the better players in their team, but they chose not to pick me. I'm still going to go to the World Cup and I'm still going to play."Nannes enjoys the big stage. At the IPL in South Africa, he nudged aside Glenn McGrath in the Delhi Dardevils line-up and claimed six wickets early on at a cost of just 6.48 runs an over.In Australian Twenty20, he helped the Bushrangers win the 2008 title with figures of 4-23 to help beat Western Australia in the final.A colourful cricketer off the field, Nannes plays the saxophone and even speaks Japanese.

Nazir faces penalty, ban for abusing umpire

Opener Imran Nazir, who has terminated his contract with the rebel Indian Cricket League, could face a three-game domestic ban and a fine of Rs 10,000 for his unsporting conduct during Pakistan's national T20 championship in Lahore on Friday night.Match referee Mohammad Sami confirmed he had recommended a fine of Rs 10,000 and a three-match ban on Nazir after he was seen abusing umpire Nadeem Ghouri for giving him out leg before in the final."The umpires also reported against him but I have sent my recommendations to the board and it is now up to them to enforce the penalties," he said."You don't expect players to react in this manner to a umpire's decision. It is not acceptable," Sami said.Nazir, who played a crucial role in Pakistan's runners-up finish in the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, is one of the ICL players who is likely to make a return to the national team.However, the Pakistan Cricket Board has still not confirmed whether Nazir had cut off all ties with the ICL and had got clearance from the league to play for the country again.

NEWZELANDS BACKBONE MCCULLUM

The weight of New Zealand's Twenty20 World Cup expectations rests heavily on the shoulders of Brendon McCullum and his burning desire to be recognised as the world's best wicketkeeper-batsman.The diminutive gloveman is the key element in New Zealand's game plan with his audacious batting at the top of the order and his lightning-fast reactions behind the woodwork.That the 27-year-old's name is often mentioned as a contender to inherit the mantle of Australian great Adam Gilchrist speaks volumes for his ability.In the Indian Premier League, the Kolkata Knight Riders valued McCullum at 700,000 US dollars, the biggest offer for a New Zealand player, when they snapped him up last year.They were immediately rewarded when he launched the inaugural IPL series by smashing a record 158 off 73 balls and he ended the season with an average 62.66 with the bat at a strike rate of 204.35.New Zealand's 2008 Player of the Year has also won high praise from Australia where a cameo McCullum performance helped New South Wales qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in October.

Smith eyes T20 trophy after ODI glory

After their numero uno status in one-dayers, South Africa are now keen to lay their hands on the Twenty20 World Cup as well, according to captain Graeme Smith.Smith pointed to South Africa's away Test series win in Australia and England, apart from the ODI glory, and said he would love to cap it by winning the ICC World Twenty20 title on June 21.

"We have had a wonderful past 12 months which has included winning away Test series in both England and Australia and winning home and away ODI series against Australia to gain top spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC world rankings," he said."One of the boxes we still want to tick is to win a major ICC championship and we have two chances to do that in the ICC World T20 next month and again in the ICC Champions Trophy which will be held in South Africa at the end of September," Smith was quoted as saying by Press Association (PA)."I have been very happy with the form our players have shown in the Indian Premier League in the run-up to the ICC World T20 and this augurs well for a good performance," Smith said.South Africa coach Mickey Arthur too was optimistic of his team's chances in the tournament and said, "We should be able to put a team in the field that has 10 batsmen and seven bowlers at any time."

DHONI CONFIDENT OF RETAINING THE T20 CUP

With the cream of IPL in his side, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Sunday his men are more equipped than their counterparts to handle pressure situations associated with the shortest format of the game when they defend their ICC World Twenty20 title.


Dhoni said although other teams have players who featured in the IPL, his side has an upper hand in the biennial event starting here on June 5 as all the 15 members of the Indian squad have featured in the just-concluded IPL in South Africa."The best thing is that we will know more how to handle pressure, when in the last over you need 10 or 15 runs, everyone in our side has faced that situation. There are quite a few players from other countries but most of our players were in the Indian Premier League," Dhoni told reporters at the official press conference here."In IPL you have limited talent in your side, but here we have plenty of options. We have the cream of the IPL so there is less pressure on each and every individual," he added.Dhoni, however, warned his team-mates against complacency and said the defending champions cannot afford to take any side lightly.

"In Twenty20, there is no such thing as a weak side, any individual can take the game away from you. We also can't live on or relish the memories, we have to turn up and do everything from scratch again, it's not about the past," Dhoni said pointing to their triumph in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years back."Cricket is a very cruel game, the moment you relax, your mind find yourself in trouble," added Dhoni.The India captain felt that having the same bunch of players in the team for the last few years has also helped his side."I've got quite a few grey hairs. That's one change," Dhoni joked when asked how the team had developed under him."In the last three years there have been few changes in the side. We have played 80 to 90 ODIs together, that's the plus point, it also helps me personally. I can pick ideas according to situation. Also fielding has improved, we have raised the bar."Asked about Sachin Tendulkar who had voluntarily ruled himself out of India's Twenty20 scheme of things, Dhoni said, "It's tough, you always want a player like Sachin in your side. He has a big impact in the dressing room, has lots of ideas. But he wasn't at the last Twenty20 (World Championships in South Africa), the guys are getting used to it."India begin their Group A campaign against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

delhi dare devils vs royal challengers bangalore:nehra strikes early for DD

Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag elected to bat against the Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Wanderers here on Tuesday.


Delhi rested Dirk Nannes, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Amit Mishra. Andrew McDonald, Yogesh Nagar and Daniel Vettori came into the playing eleven.


The Bangalore outfit has to beat Delhi to stay in contention for the semi-finals. Anil Kumble's team has 12 points and hence, needs to prevail both against Delhi and the Deccan Chargers on Thursday.Delhi, on the other hand, are secure and are sitting on the top of the league table with 18 points and have already qualified for the semi-finals.The resurgent Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their disciplined show with the ball as they restricted table-toppers Delhi Daredevils to 134-7 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday. After electing to bat first, Delhi were jolted in the first over as Praveen Kumar removed two wickets. Bangalore, who have to win this game to stay in contention for a semi-final berth, never allowed the Daredevils to recover with Dinesh Karthik's 31 being the top score. Praveen Kumar took three while skipper Anil Kumble took two wickets in the innings.

Chennai can still qualify for semis: Fleming

The stunning loss to Kolkata Knight Riders will not hurt Chennai Super Kings' semifinal chances, insists coach Stephen Fleming, who says the defeat has actually helped as the players are now out their comfort zones.


"We are still in a good position. Looking at the table, there has got to be a lot of things work against us for us not to go through, that's without winning the match," Fleming said.


"We have personal pride in terms of that performance, we want to finish well with a win to get up the table. But as far as the competition goes we are still in a healthy position," he added.Fleming said Chennai are obviously disappointed at going down to a team that had lost eight consecutive matches before last night.


"We didn't take it that lightly. We knew they were going to be dangerous because they have nothing to lose. I think the biggest feeling we have is disappointment. That weren't able to execute any plans or any accuracy with the ball to be able to shut the game down.


"The disappointment is there. And that could be a good thing going into the semifinal, if we play well in the last game, then the players certainly won't be comfortable about their performances. Being in an uncomfortable state is a good thing," he said. 



Fleming, however, lay the blame of last night's defeat on bowlers, who failed to defend a fairly competitive 189. "It is the best we have got and we weren't at our best. I had hoped for better. The dangerous thing with Kolkata Knight Riders was that they had nothing to lose. And the way the likes of Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge play.


"When you get a big score on the board, it almost forces a team to throw caution to the wind. And that I think was the danger. We weren't accurate as we could be with the cricket ball. We were disappointed that we couldn't defend that score certainly," he said.


Asked about tournament top-scorer Matthew Hayden's injury, Fleming said aggressive treatment was on.


"Matt's got a slight strain in his quad which he picked up in the last game. And the scan revealed that today. We were hoping that it was more bruising but there is a slight tear there. We are hoping with a bit of rest that he would be ripe whether it's for the next game or the semifinals," he said.


"We will be very cautious with our approach for him and we will be aggressive in our treatment. Cautious with our approach because he is certainly vital to our chances of winning this competition," he added.


The tournament has been witness to some poor fielding by all participating teams and Fleming said it was nothing but pressure that was getting the better of fielders. 


"I think it's a bit of pressure. There is a lot of pressure on the guys when they are playing. The conditions, the dark night means that it is very hard to get a focus on the pace of the ball. And that's caused little bit of concern. But basically it's just the pressure."

chennai superkings vs kolkata knight riders:muccullum,hodge guided KKR to a victory

chennai superkings batting

kolkata knight riders batting

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to bat against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Super Sport Park here on Monday.Mathew Hayden, who has a niggle, was ruled out. George Bailey came into the Chennai side in place of the Orange Cap holder.The Kolkata team made four changes. Ashok Dinda, Ajantha Mendis, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Anureet Singh returned to the eleven while Ishant Sharma, Shoaib Shaikh, Yashpal Singh and Mashrafe Mortaza were axed.This is the first time the Super Kings and the Knight Riders meet in IPL II as the their game in the first-leg was abandoned due to rain in Cape Town.

A win against the Knight Riders here will guarantee Chennai Super Kings a place in the final four. The Delhi Daredevils have already qualified after their victory in Bloemfontein against the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.The Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, have only pride to salvage with only one win from 12 games so far. The Knight Riders suffered heartbreaking losses in their previous two games.Suresh Raina plundered a 37-ball 52 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 40 from 28 balls to lift the Chennai Super Kings to 188-3 after electing to bat against the beleaguered Kolkata Knight Riders at the Super Sport Park on Monday. Local boy Albie Morkel played a cameo in the death overs, hitting a nine-ball 20. A victory will guarantee the Chennai outfit a berth in the semi-finals.

West Indies vs England 2nd Test Day 4 :England wins series 2-0 against West Indies

England swing bowler James Anderson took 4-38 to help dismiss West Indies for 176 in the second innings and finish with match figures of 9-125 at the Riverside Ground.

Anderson won the man-of-the-match award, while Ravi Bopara was player of the series after scoring 108 in England's first innings of 569-6 declared and hitting another hundred in the first test at Lord's.

West Indies resumed the day on 115-3 and Anderson made the breakthrough 26 runs later after play had resumed following two rain interruptions, drawing Lendl Simmons on 10 into a poor shot that flew straight to substitute fielder Scott Borthwick at point.

Borthwick, fielding because wicketkeeper Matt Prior injured a finger on Sunday, then caught Nash at square leg for 1 to give Bresnan his first test wicket and leave West Indies on 142-5.

Bresnan took his second wicket two balls later when Denesh Ramdin edged an outswinger to Anderson at slip for a duck.

Anderson then ripped Jerome Taylor's off stump out of the ground to make it 163-7, and the final ball of the session he bowled Sulieman Benn for a duck.

West Indies lost Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 47 in the second over after lunch when he edged a delivery to stand-in wicketkeeper Paul Collingwood.

Seven balls later, Tim Bresnan completed the rout when Fidel Edwards top-edged a ball and was caught by Anderson at fine leg.

Rajasthan royals vs delhi dare devils:DD defeated RR

delhi dare devils batting

rajathan royals batting

AB de Villiers' unbeaten 79 and useful partnerships with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik gave Delhi the impetus to reach 150-3 after electing to bat against Rajasthan Royals in Bloemfontein on Sunday.For Delhi, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir flopped again. Rajasthan bowled well but gave it away in the final few overs as the Daredevils cashed in.Paceman Dirk Nannes, who was rested for Delhi's previous game against Kings XI Punjab which they lost, replaced New Zealander Daniel Vettori, while medium pacer Aavhishkar Salvi came in for Rajat Bhatia, and Amit Mishra replaced Pradeep Sangwan.

kingsXIpunjab vs deccan chargers: Kings XI Punjab beat Deccan Chargers

 kingsXIpunjab batting

Deccan chargers batting 

Yuvraj Singh grabbed a hat-trick to bowl Kings XI Punjab to a vital one-run victory over Deccan Chargers in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.The left-arm spinner finished with 3-13 off four overs as Punjab restricted Deccan to 133-8 in a thrilling last-over finish after posting 134-7 to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.Deccan needed 11 to win off the last over, but left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan conceded only nine to build on man-of-the-match Yuvraj's effort.Pathan also claimed two wickets, including that of Rohit Sharma. Sharma sustained Deccan's hopes with a quickfire 42 before being bowled. He smashed three sixes and as many fours in his 26-ball knock.There was no hint of collapse after Deccan reached 73-2 chasing a modest target, but Yuvraj dismissed Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds and Venugopal Rao off successive balls.Yuvraj removed South African Gibbs (26) with the last ball of his second over, with Piyush Chawla taking a superb diving catch at point.He had Australian Symonds (25) stumped with the first ball of his next over and then bowled Indian Venugopal Rao to complete his second hat-trick of the tournament, having earlier achieved the feat against Bangalore.Delhi currently lead the eight-team competition with 16 points from 11 matches, followed by Chennai (15/12)), Deccan (14/13), Punjab (14/13), Rajasthan (13/12), Bangalore (12/12), Mumbai (11/13) and Kolkata (3/12).The top four sides advance to the semi-finals.India paceman Rudra Pratap Singh earlier played a key role in restricting Punjab, finishing with 3-26 off four overs to become the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 19 in 13 matches.Singh also got the prize wicket of Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara (56) just when the batsman looked like boosting the innings in the closing overs.

West Indies vs England 2nd Test Day 3 :Anderson puts England on top

James Anderson took three wickets after Alastair Cook had made a Test-best 160 as England closed in on a series win over the West Indies at the Riverside here on Saturday.


The West Indies, at stumps on the third day of the second and final Test, were 94 for three in reply to England's first innings 569 for six declared.


That left them 475 runs behind and still needing a further 276 to avoid the follow-on.Anderson, aged 26 but now the senior bowler in England's attack, ended the day with figures of three wickets for 36 runs in 11 overs, his wickets coming in a burst of three for 21 in 36 balls.


Either side of an initial bad light break the Lancashire paceman, appearing in his 37th Test, bowled Devon Smith and then removed another left-handed opener in Chris Gayle for 19 as West Indies slumped to 38 for two.


West Indies captain Gayle appeared unfortunate to be given out two balls after the resumption by Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva with replays suggesting the ball would have gone high and wide of the stumps. But he did help make the umpire's mind up by not playing a shot.


Anderson then had Lendl Simmons caught in the slips by England captain Andrew Strauss.


Ramnaresh Sarwan, hit on the side of his helmet by a Graham Onions bouncer, was 41 not out and Shivnarine Chanderpaul three not out at stumps.


Anderson's haul capped a fine day after he'd started Saturday by gamely defying everything fast bowler Fidel Edwards sent at him, including a few verbal volleys, for nearly an hour in a gutsy display as night-watchman.


After Friday's total washout, England resumed on 302 for two, with Cook 126 not out and Anderson unbeaten on four.



They continued to pile on the runs thanks to fifties from Matt Prior (63) and Paul Collingwood, 60 not out on his Durham home ground when Strauss declared at tea.


Kevin Pietersen had earlier made a brisk 49 before giving his wicket away in front of a much-improved crowd after the first day had been poorly attended and the second washed out.


England at stumps were all but assured of at least a draw.


That was the minimum they needed to regain the Wisden Trophy they'd lost in the Caribbean earlier this year following a 10-wicket win inside three days at Lord's last week.


Cook and fellow Essex 24-year-old Ravi Bopara (108), whose century was his third in as many Test innings, put on 213 for the second wicket to give England a solid base after Strauss had won a good toss on Thursday.


This was Cook's ninth century in his 43rd Test but significantly it was the first time he'd gone past 150 as he followed up Essex mentor Graham Gooch's advice to make a "big" hundred, the left-handed opener overcoming a shaky start to bat for more than eight hours.


Tall left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn was the pick of the West Indies' attack on a day when their fast bowlers struggled to maintain accuracy.


He took two wickets, dismissing Cook and Pietersen, on his way to figures of two for 146 in 43 overs. Benn ended Cook's innings when the batsman got a leading edge that saw the ball lob Gayle at extra-cover.


Pietersen, bowled for nought by Edwards at Lord's, was in superb touch before lunch.


But he'd added just three runs to his interval 46 when, having been tied down by Benn, he tried to slog against the spin and edged a simple catch to Simmons at backward point.

kolkata knight riders vs deccan chargers:Rohit stuns Kolkata in last-ball thriller

kolkata knight riders batting

deccan chargers batting

Slamming an unbeaten 32 off 13 balls, Rohit Sharma pulled back Deccan Chargers from the brink of defeat to post a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in a cliffhanger at the Wanderers here on Saturday.The win has consolidated Chargers' position for a place in the semi-final as they now have 14 points 12 matches have tipped Rajasthan Royals for the third position.

Chargers were staring at defeat with 21 needed from the last over while chasing 161, but Rohit, with two sixes and as many fours off IPL debutant Mashrafe Mortaza, tilted the fortunes in their favour.The Knight Riders, with just one win in the tournament, suddenly found themselves eyeing a victory when a superb throw from Mortaza found the dangerous Andrew Symonds (18) short of crease and reduced Chargers to 128 for four in the 18th over.


It looked like Chargers had lost their way after being given a solid start by skipper Adam Gilchrist (43) and Herschelle Gibbs (28) as Murali Kartik (1-12) and Brad Hodge bowled effectively to slow the scoring rate.


Rohit with Venugopal Rao scored an unbeaten 48 runs with the latter contributing 7 to clinch what at one point looked like an improbable win.


Earlier, Knight Riders propelled by David Hussey (43) and Hodge (48) ensured the team set a challenging target.


Brendon McCullum (20) and Sourav Ganguly (33), promoted up the order, got off to a sound start. But after McCullum's departure, Ganguly and Hodge struggled to score. The boundaries dried up, with both the batsman scoring a mere 25 runs in six overs before the strategic timeout.


Ganguly found himself in yet another controversy when he handled a throw while completing a single. The Chargers appealed for obstruction of the field it but were turned down. Ganguly finally departed in the 15th over when he was caught by Harris off Rohit Sharma.


Hussey blazed away from the very first ball, with Hodge also cutting loose. Runs came in fast and furious with Hussey stroking four sixes and two fours in his 17-ball knock.


The Knight Riders got a windfall when RP Singh twice no-balled in the 19th over to be replaced by Harmeet Singh, who was hammered by Hussey for 28 runs in the most expensive over so far of the tournament.