AUSTRALIA VS ENGLAND 3rd TEST :Aussies are still vulnerable says Pietersen

Melbourne: England batsman Kevin Pietersen thinks Australia is still "very vulnerable" despite leveling the Ashes cricket series and claims the home team's new verbal aggression shows it is "under huge amounts of pressure."


In an interview with English media, Pietersen escalated vocal sparring between the teams, describing England's 267-run third Test loss at Perth as a "hiccup" and saying it was still confident of a historic series win.

Australia has credited its third Test win to its return to a more aggressive approach, shelved after its 2008 Sydney Test against India sparked a public and official backlash against "sledging" — the slang for verbal assaults on an opposing team.


In recent days, Paul Marsh, head of the Australian Cricketers' Association, said fear of the consequences of sledging had affected Australia's form and opponents had been quick to exploit its "weakness."


Marsh said Australia's win over England in Perth, which followed its innings and 71-run loss in the second Test at Adelaide, had resulted from a return to its "natural instincts."


Verbal sparring between the teams has noticeably increased. England wicketkeeper Matt Prior criticised Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle for giving him a verbal "send-off" after his dismissal in the third Test.


Siddle responded by saying England only complained because it lost.


"We won the game. That's why they're making such a big deal of it," he said.


Pietersen increased the ante on Thursday.


"When you're under extreme amounts of pressure, you talk a lot more," he said. "And the good thing about our team is, we're on a plateau. We do what we do.


"We made a hiccup last week. Yes, we were constructive in the criticism that we chucked around the team meeting about preparation and whatever. But we haven't come out and made any bold, huge statements about this and about that."


Pietersen said the English squad is keenly aware of Australia's vulnerabilities.


"There are a lot of areas in their team that are very vulnerable and we just need to do what we do and wipe the slate clean and forget Perth," he said. "Think about Adelaide, think about how well we did there and how well we did in Brisbane. We're absolutely fine."


England hasn't won an Ashes series in Australia since 1986-87 but Pietersen said the current team remained confident of revising history.


"I just think we've got a wonderful opportunity to do something that hasn't been done for 25 years," he said. "That's driving us all on to do something amazing."


Australian captain Ricky Ponting looks increasingly likely to play in Melbourne after breaking the little finger on his left hand attempting a slips catch in Perth. Pietersen said he was not surprised.


"I've played in a series with a finger broken," he said. "You just ring-block it. It's not a huge drama. You just numb it so you don't feel the pain.


"Ricky Ponting might bat without gloves; he's so tough!"


Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said Ponting remained a key figure in the Ashes campaign despite his loss of batting form.


"He's our leader and we get a lot of inspiration from him," Haddin told a news conference Thursday. "He's been a great leader for Australia for a long time and especially with this group of players.


"You just have to see the turnaround we had from Adelaide to Perth to see the effect he has on the cricket team. It's very important that he plays."

INDIA VS SOUTH AFRICA 2nd TEST 2010:Optimistic Dhoni confident of bouncing back

Stung by the humiliating defeat against South Africa at Centurion, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday said it is imperative for his team to rectify the growing tendency of losing the first Test match of a home or overseas series.

"That's one quality we have," a sarcastic Dhoni told reporters here, referring to India's innings and 25 runs defeat in the first Test."We don't really do well in the first Test. It's not only in India but even overseas. However, if you look at the previous records, we have come back well in the later stages.

Hopefully, we will be back in the next two Test matches," an optimistic Dhoni said.

The Indian captain conceded that even though they devised a few plans for the South African batsmen, it didn't work out well.

The Indian bowlers were plundered for 620 runs at the Centurion and they managed to dismiss only four South African batsmen.

"It was difficult because there was not much help from the wicket. We don't have bowlers with express pace. They don't bowl in 140s so they have to be even more precise with their line and length," Dhoni tried to defend the pace trio of S Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma and rookie Jaydev Unadkat.

"We tried different fields. We tried to contain them but were unsuccessful for the better part of their innings," the Indian captain said.

When asked whether pace spearhead Zaheer Khan's absence made a big difference in the first Test, he said, "It's not that whenever Zaheer plays, he gets wickets. But with the amount of experience in his repertoire, he always has a back-up plan ready in case the first strategy doesn't work."

"It's always difficult to predict the performance of an individual. Especially, we talk a lot about an individual when he is not present," Dhoni added.

India vs South africa 2nd test Live streaming

India vs South africa 2nd test Live streaming coming soon

Ashes 2010 3rd Test live streaming

 

Australia VS England 3rd test Live streaming 2010 coming soon 

Ashes 2010 3rd Test: Warne asks Australia to play a spinner at MCG

Australia need to play a spinner in this week's fourth Ashes Test and should consider utilising all-rounder Shane Watson's ability with the ball to bolster the pace attack, according to former spin-bowling great Shane Warne.

Australia tormented England with a four-pronged pace attack on a lively wicket in Perth last weekend to win the third Test by 267 runs and level the series at 1-1, prompting calls for the same tactics to be used in Melbourne.

"I am sure the Australian selectors will want to stick with the same winning team. Historically, Melbourne Test match has always needed a spinner, as you don't always pick a team for the first innings," Warne wrote in a blog on the Daily Telegraph website.

"It's hard to change a winning team but I think a spinner will play."

Warne took 708 test wickets before retiring at the end of the 2006-07 Ashes series and Australia have used nine spinners in a vain attempt to replace him since.

On Warne's recommendation, they ditched the ninth, Xavier Doherty, after a crushing second Ashes Test defeat in Adelaide and plucked a 10th, Michael Beer, from obscurity for the squad for the Perth Test.

Left-armer Beer, who had played just five first class matches, ended up carrying the drinks as 12th man at the WACA but was retained in the squad for the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) test, which starts on Sunday.

Warne thinks consideration should be given to a recall for off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, who has taken 63 wickets in 17 tests and responded to being dropped from the Ashes series with a string of strong performances for New South Wales.

"I think Beer was a horses for courses selection," Warne wrote. "What has impressed me about Hauritz, he's gone back and taken wickets and made runs.

"As I said before the Test series, I think Hauritz deserves first chance and if he didn't work out, try the next in line. So I think it still stands that Hauritz deserves a chance for Melbourne and Sydney."

Despite allegations in the British media that Australia had switched the playing strip for the fourth Test to a grassier pitch to suit the seamers, Warne said there was unlikely to be too much life in it.

"It's a drop-in wicket so there's not much you can do to (it)," wrote Warne, who comes from Melbourne and knows the MCG well. "It will be flat and hard work for the bowlers after the new ball has lost it's hardness after that 30-35 over mark.

"It's warm in Melbourne and staying like this for the next week so there might be a bit more grass on it at the start but I don't think it's a conspiracy ..."

Opening batsman Watson had always considered himself to be an all-rounder and should be considered as a bowling option to make way for a spinner, Warne added.

"For everyone that's asking about the four quicks, remember we have Watson to bowl quick as well when conditions suit, so if we play four quicks and Watson we have five seamers."

"Watson didn't bowl a ball in Perth so I think there is still room for a spinner and four quicks, with Watson being one of those four quicks."

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 5th ODI 2010 Live Streaming

Live streaming will start in a few moments

Yousuf blistering performance marks his arrival back to the Indian team

An unbeaten century and three crucial wickets. After being there or thereabouts for quite a while, Yusuf Pathan finally announced his arrival on the big stage with a splendid all-round show which helped India get over the line in the fourth ODI against New Zealand at Bangalore, hence keeping their hopes of a series whitewash alive.

A maiden ton and an innings studded with seven fours and seven sixes augers perfectly for Team India who are still in the process of finalising an ideal squad which will lead them to World Cup glory.

Even though the search for a genuine all-rounder continues for the Indians, Yusuf could probably fit the bill as a stop-gap arrangement at least for sub-continental conditions keeping in mind that India will host the bulk of the 2011 World Cup matches.

Regarded more of a T20 specialist in the early part of his career since making his debut in the finals of the 2007 ICC World T20 tournament, Pathan has since been attempting to cement a permanent place in the playing eleven of the ODI format.

Although a renowned hitter in the shorter version of the game, Pathan's weakness against the short-pitched delivery has been witnessed on numerous occassions. Having said that, he is by no means the only Indian batsman to struggle against the rising ball.

The entire unit was at sea during the ICC World T20 Championship in England in 2009 and it was well exploited by the opposition every time the Indians came in to bat.

Yusuf first came into the international limelight when he, along with younger brother Irfan, won a T20 game for the Indians against the Sri Lankans in Colombo early last year when the visitors seemed to be down and out.

Yusuf, who was a then a relatively unknown quantity in the global arena, snapped up two wickets and smashed 22 runs of 10 balls to end up with the man of the match award.

Coming lower down the order in ODIs, Pathan has a reasonable batting average of just under 30 with a stagerring strike rate of 110. He fares even better in the slam bang (T20) form of the game, where his strike rate exceeds 150.

Yusuf has also been a consistent performer for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL extrvaganza with a century to his name and an astounding 61 sixes in three seasons.

One might also add that Pathan is a prolific scorer in domestic cricket which was brought to light during his magnificent double ton which enabled West Zone to lift the Duleep Trophy by chasing down a record 541 in the fourth innings against South Zone.

Pathan can at best be termed as a part-time off-spinner, but his performance against the Kiwis towards the end of the innings in the Bangalore one-dayer indicates that he could possibly be groomed into a useful death bowler which could be priceless to the team's cause.

Ashes 2nd Test Highlights day 5:England win 2nd Ashes Test by an innings

Graeme Swann took three of the last six wickets to tumble on Tuesday as England dismissed Australia for 304 to complete a comprehensive innings and 71-run victory in the second Ashes Test.
England wrapped up the Test and a 1-0 series lead before lunch on the final day, with Swann, Jimmy Anderson and Steven Finn combining to claim the last six wickets for 66 runs after Australia had resumed at 238-4 with high hopes of salvaging a draw or being saved by forecast rain.

"We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but if we keep these standards we have a good chance of winning the series," England captain Andrew Strauss said.The third Test starts Dec. 16 in Perth and England, which holds the Ashes after winning at home last year, could conceivably retain the old urn by taking a 2-0 lead ahead of the fourth and fifth Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

"We've been totally outplayed this game, there's no hiding that," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said. "Now we have to find a way to get better for Perth.

"No doubt it's a bad loss for us, there's no hiding that fact, an innings and 70 runs having won the toss on a good Adelaide wicket, probably just about says it all."

Australia rallied for a stunning comeback win at Adelaide in the previous Ashes series at home, and went on to complete a 5-0 series sweep to avenge losing the previous series in England.

But after a draw to open this series in Brisbane and the loss in Adelaide, Ponting's squad looks vulnerable to slumping to its first Ashes series loss on Australian soil in more than two decades.

After Michael Clarke was out on the last ball on Monday evening to part-time spinner Kevin Pietersen, Australia's hopes rested on Mike Hussey working with the middle order and tailenders.

But Finn made the crucial breakthrough when Hussey mistimed a pull to Anderson at mid-on to depart for 52.

Three wickets in four balls effectively ended Australia's chances of a draw. Anderson had Brad Haddin caught behind for 12 and trapped Ryan Harris lbw with consecutive deliveries.

Harris' exit gave him two first-ball dismissals, known as a "king pair." He is only the second Australian batsman after Adam Gilchrist in 2001 who has had that dubious milestone in Test cricket.

Two balls later, Swann had Marcus North trapped lbw for 22. England's appeal was initially turned down but the video umpire ruled that the ball had struck the Australian batsman in front of the stumps and would have gone on to dislodge the bails.

Swann then bowled Xavier Doherty and Peter Siddle to finish with a five-wicket haul and complete England's 100th Test victory over Australia.

Before the wickets fell, North had a reprieve on 3 when Swann struck his pad but he was adjudged not out by the video umpire.

A chance from Hussey was dropped in the same over. But England took the new ball and three overs later, the breakthroughs followed.

The only setback for England was the abdominal injury for Stuart Broad which will rule the paceman out for the serious.

Australia's woes continued with veteran opener Simon Katich injuring his Achilles and likely to miss the remainder of the series.

Kevin Pietersen was voted player-of-the-match after scoring a career-best 227 in England's 620-5 declared — helping the visitors to a 375-run first-innings lead — and taking the crucial wicket of Clarke to end the fourth day.

"It's pretty incredible, (England) having been so bad four years ago to be 1-0 up in the Ashes," Pietersen said. "If we keep doing the right things, we'll win the Ashes."

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 4th ODI highlights

Bangalore: Having already clinched the series with an unassailable 3-0 lead, stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir is eyeing a clean sweep as India take on New Zealand in the fourth ODI in Bangalore on Tuesday.

"Our target is to win all five games. The team that plays better cricket in the 100 overs will win. We are looking forward towards performing well and hopefully we will keep the momentum going. We need to maintain the same intensity with which we played the earlier three matches," Gambhir told the media persons on Monday on the eve of the penultimate one-dayer.

Gambhir, however, refused to divulge about the playing XI and said that he would take a call after consultation with the coach.

The Delhi lad praised his teammates and said that at this point of time there aren't any such area where improvement is needed.

"We are always tested in international cricket. It is not that we have not got runs at the top of the order. But I must say that the bowlers have done well in all the matches where conditions were different. Be it the flat tracks in Jaipur or the seaming wicket in Vadodara, they have done well for us. Bowlers deserve the maximum credit for us winning the series ," the skipper said.

"In the next two outings, all we need to do is to play to our potential. We should stick to our strengths and hopefully we will win," he said.

Gambhir also ruled out any chance of complacency and stressed on the fact they needed to field their best side in order to win.

"It is a young side and we have some experienced players in the squad too. It is an international game and we need to field a best team. It is not like that we have won the series and we will be taking things lightly," he sounded cautious.

"The good thing is that we don't take any game lightly.

"In the due course, if youngsters get an opportunity, I think they need to grab it. Right now, we would like to field the best amongst the available lot for the match."

When asked whether team's bowling in the slog over is a concern, the southpaw said, "It is difficult for bowlers to contain with the old ball and it applies more so in third powerplay as well. It is always difficult for bowlers in such situations in one-day games."

Although it is a known fact that some of the juniors will have to again warm the benches when the seniors like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina come back, Gambhir feels that everyone should get enough opportunities to prove their worth at the international level.

"They have done it in the past and I think they should get enough opportunity to express themselves in international cricket. For example, if you see, Ravindra Jadeja or Yusuf Pathan have not got enough opportunities with the bat."

"Pathan had batted in the last 10 overs only. He has not got enough chance to take on the bowlers. We can still think of giving them the opportunity by putting them in early so that they can use those chances to their advantage."

"If you have watched the first game, you will find that Yusuf batted with tail-enders. He was in a situation that he had to go after each and every delivery."

He said, "I may just ensure that Yusuf gets to bat with the top-order so that he can play enough deliveries and use his destructive batsmanship to good effect."

The skipper termed the Baroda batsman as a match-winner.

"He is a match-winner. I would personally see what's the situation in our tie tomorrow. The top four have really done well and I do not think Pathan could be brought up in that order. If the situation arises, we might promote him at number five."

When the skipper was asked about his splendid return to form with back-to-back centuries, he replied, "I think I had always been saying that the captain is as good as the team."

"I have got such quality in the side that I do not need to do much. Bowlers like Zaheer, Ashish and Munaf have played enough international matches and Yuvraj has been of great help to me in the middle. If I need to take any suggestions, I know that there is someone to whom I can walk up to."

"I have enough players in the side to deliver for me and I must say that I am lucky as to having such a great bunch of guys and I always believed that the captain is as good as his team. It's not the captain only who wins you a game but the team effort is the main reason.

"I have enjoyed captaincy. It is a responsibility and to live to the best of my ability and hopefully I can continue in the next two games."

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 4th ODI Live Streaming

Bangalore: With an unassailable lead in hand, the rampaging Indian cricket team will now push for a series whitewash when it takes on a grossly mismatched New Zealand in the inconsequential fourth cricket one-dayer of the five-match rubber here on Tuesday.

Stand-in skipper Gautam Gambhir has led from the front with back-to-back centuries to inflict one of the worst series defeats on the visitors in the two countries' bilateral history which dates back to 1975-76.

The second string team's exemplary performance in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh has also given a boost to the side's World Cup aspirations.

The young players such as Virat Kohli, Murali Vijay and Saurabh Tiwary have made an impact and would have impressed regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni just a couple of months ahead of the World Cup being hosted in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Chairman of the national selection panel, Krish Srikkanth, said the youngsters have done well for themselves and their performance has shown that team's World Cup preparations are going according to plan.

"Youngsters in the team have proved that the bench strength is good. It is important that we keep winning all our matches up to the end of the World Cup," Srikkanth said ahead of the match.

"Overall, I am confident that the players will perform to their potential and keep the momentum. I am glad that the preparation for the World Cup is on the right track," he said.

As for Tuesday's match, the Indian players are an upbeat lot and would be looking to keep the momentum going for a whitewash.

Despite being a second-string side, the Indians have proved themselves better on all counts against a short-of-confidence New Zealand, which came here after being hammered 0-4 by minnows Bangladesh.

The Indian line-up has not exactly missed the dashing Virender Sehwag or the reliable Sachin Tendulkar as the likes of Virat Kohli have stepped in effortlessely against a rather ineffective Kiwi attack.

Kohli, who has been in good nick in the domestic circuit, has been solid so far along with Murali Vijay.

The Indian bowling has been spearheaded well by senior pacer Zaheer Khan along with the spinners. Young off-spinner R Ashwin has, in fact, managed to make quite an impact but he has to be more economical in the middle overs.

The Kiwis, on the other hand, have been struggling and skipper Daniel vettori has to do a lot of head-scratching to find a way out of the slump that has gripped the team after a fighting performance in the Test series.

Vettori and his men would be desperate to regain confidence which has been dented severely by three defeats on the trot.

The key to it is a solid batting performance and the visitors will look towards Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum to give them the rare cracking start. Ross Taylor and Scott Styris can consolidate from there on.

Kiwi new ball bowlers Kyle Mills and Andy McKay and one-change pacer James Franklin have the ability to disturb any combination along with Vettori but the quartet has so far struggled on pitches which have always been a batsman's delight.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 5 Live streaming

Adelaide: Kevin Pietersen struck vital blows with bat and ball against Australia on Monday as England moved into a winning position in the second Ashes Test.

After scoring a career-high 227 in England's first innings of 620 for five declared, Pietersen dismissed Michael Clarke for 80 in the last over to seriously dent Australia's resistance and leave the hosts hoping that forecast rain on Tuesday will wash out the fifth and final day.

Australia was 238-4 at stumps on day four, still 137 adrift with three sessions remaining.

Clarke and Mike Hussey (44 not out) put on 104 for the fourth wicket before the Australian vice-captain pushed a ball from part-time spinner Pietersen to Alastair Cook at short leg. The umpire initially rejected England's appeals but the decision was successfully challenged in a fitting finish to a brilliant day for Pietersen.

His double century helped England to a 375-run first innings lead and exposed even more concerns for Australia's misfiring bowling attack — which has taken only six wickets at a cost of more than 1,100 in England's last two innings.

Before Pietersen's breakthrough, despite pressure from Graeme Swann — who bowled 34 straight overs from the Cathedral End — and Steven Finn, England had rarely troubled the Australian fourth-wicket pair before or after the 57-minute postponement for bad light and heavy rain in the third session.

Earlier, Simon Katich (43), Ricky Ponting (9) and Shane Watson (57) fell during the middle session to leave Australia three-down at tea.

The Australia openers had survived unscathed until lunch before Swann struck twice shortly after the resumption.

He had Katich caught behind to a ball moving away from the left-hander. Ponting played positively hitting Swann for two boundaries before he was deceived by a top-spinning delivery and edged to Paul Collingwood at slip.

Stuart Broad dropped a tough caught-and-bowled chance from Watson after the ball was driven back at him. Shortly afterwards the fast bowler left the field with a strained stomach muscle and did not bowl for the rest of day four.

Watson didn't last much longer before he nicked Finn to Andrew Strauss at slip. Finn was England's most dangerous paceman, and particularly troubled Hussey with reverse swinging deliveries.

Earlier in the day, England added 69 runs in 41 minutes to its overnight score of 551-4 but elected not to push to surpass its highest ever total batting in Australia: 636 all out scored in Sydney in 1928.

Ian Bell ended the innings on 68 not out, Prior scored 27 off just 21 deliveries.

IND VS NZ 3rd ODI : Gautham Gambhir's blistering knock pose a easy win over kiwis

Vadodara: Skipper Gautam Gambhir cracked an unbeaten 126, his second century on the trot, to power India to a series-clinching nine-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third ODI here on Saturday.


The Delhi left-hander played a captain's knock that followed his match-winning unbeaten 138 in the second ODI in Jaipur on December 1 as India easily chased down the target of 225 in 39.3 overs to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.


Gambhir, who smashed 16 boundaries with his flicks and drives in the 117 balls he faced, put on 115 runs for the opening wicket with Murali Vijay who made a slow 30 in 50 balls before being run out.


The solid foundation laid by Gambhir, who notched up his ninth ODI hundred in 103 matches, with Vijay was carried forward by number three Virat Kohli, who continued his form from where he left in the previous two matches.

Kohli, who had scored a match-winning ton at Guwahati and a half century in Jaipur, remained unbeaten on 63 in 70 balls with six fours and two sixes. He also hit the winning runs, a six over long on.

The second wicket duo of Gambhir and Kohli put on 114 runs in 125 balls without being separated to help the home team score a comprehensive victory in front of a weekend, capacity crowd.

Today's win, India's ninth successive ODI victory over New Zealand, left the remaining two matches in the five-match series in Bangalore (December 7) and Chennai (December 10) just mere contests of academic interest.

The hosts won the opening match at Guwahati by 40 runs and then took a 2-0 lead with a thumping eight-wicket victory in the second ODI in Jaipur.

Chasing New Zealand's modest score, built around James Franklin's unbeaten 72, India were on the offensive from the first ball thanks to Gambhir who raced to his 50 in only 30 balls with nine fours and then got his next 50 in 58 balls with the help of four fours.

He struck left arm Andy McKay for three successive fours after having dispatched the other new ball bowler Kyle Mills for two in as many balls previously.

The manner in which the 29-year-old Delhi player batted blew away any hopes New Zealand might have nurtured to come back into the match after posting a modest score when conditions were slightly in favour of the bowlers.

Earlier in the morning, another left-hander, James Franklin, led New Zealand's revival with an unbeaten half century and helped the visitors recover from a poor start to post a fighting score.

The visitors made a disastrous start by losing their openers within the first five overs and were struggling at 106 for seven before Franklin (72 not out) and Nathan McCullum staged the recovery act with a stand of 94.


Left-handed Franklin batted sensibly after coming in at 49 for 4 in the 16th over even as continued to tumble from the the other end.


He top-scored for the Black Caps with the help of five fours and one six in 108 balls while McCullum made 43 in 53 balls with four fours.


Their eighth-wicket stand off 107 balls took the score to 200 after the Kiwis had lost half their side for 77.


Apart from the eighth wicket pair, only opener Martin Guptill (12) and Scott Styris (22) reached the double figures in a largely uninspiring display put up by the Kiwis after they were asked to bat first by the hosts.


For India, Zaheer Khan (2/31), Yusuf Pathan (2/37 and R Ashwin (2/49) shared six wickets among them while Munaf Patel chipped in with one scalp.


The pitch for the match was a major surprise at a venue that normally provides flat tracks. There was a lot of bounce for the pace bowlers and bounce and turn for the spinners.


New Zealand batsmen, having played on low bouncing tracks after coming to India in early November, were undone by the extra bounce.


Zaheer Khan utilized the bounce to the fullest extent in his splendid first spell of seven overs as he made early inroads into the Kiwi top order.


Coming off after a three-week lay-off, the left-arm paceman struck in the second legal ball of his first over when he prised out danger man Brendon McCullum, who also came into the series after missing the opening two ties because of a back problem.


McCullum was caught in second slip by Murali Vijay off a rising ball that moved away a shade.


Munaf bowled tightly to return with one for 28 while spinners Yusuf Pathan and Ashwin did their but in the middle overs to claim 2 for 27 and 2 for 49 respectively.


When India batted, Gambhir straightaway got into his groove by singling out Mills for special treatment.


Though Vijay crawled at the other end, the aggressive approach by his captain ensured that the hosts were never put under any pressure.

IND VS NZ :Indian squad for remaining ODI's

Zaheer Khan made a comeback to the Indian ODI squad while Suresh Raina and S Sreesanth were rested ahead of the important South African series on Thursday when the BCCI Selection Committee announced the teams for the last three ODIs against the visiting New Zealand team.


The selectors, however, chose to announce two teams - one for the third ODI and another one for the last two matches of the series.

Apart from Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar and R Vinay Kumar are the other two who returned to the team.


Team for the third ODI: Gautam Gambhir (c), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R. Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Vinay Kumar


For the last two ODIs of the series, the selectors decided to have a look at Parthiv Patel and Rohit Sharma. While Parthiv replaces Wridhiman Saha for the fourth and fifth ODIs, Sharma comes in place of R. Vinay Kumar


Team for the fourth and fifth ODI: Gautam Gambhir (c), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel (wk), R. Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 2nd ODI: Gambhirs blistering performance leads to a easy win over the kiwis

S Sreesanth's inspired spell at the death helped India restrict NZ to 258/8 after Scott Styris and Martin Guptill notched up contrasting half centuries in the second ODI here on Wednesday.

Opting to field after the coin landed in his favour, the Gautam Gambhir-led India rode on S Sreesanth's four wickets to restrict the Kiwis to a manageable target after Styris and Daniel Vettori threatened to take the match away from India with a swashbuckling half-century stand at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here.

Sreesanth's wickets included opener Jamie How, Styris, Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills. Munaf Patel, Yusuf Pathan and Ravichandran Ashwin took a wicket each even as opener Martin Guptill played the sheet-anchor's role to perfection.

The Kiwi was given out in controversial circumstances when he fell caught behind to Ashwin after making a painstaking fifty. His innings was laced with three boundaries and a lofted six off Pathan over midwicket.

Styris and Vettori took over after Guptill's dismissal.

Styris powered his way to a breezy 59 off 56 balls with the help of five fours and a huge six, while Vettori contributed 31 off 32, an innings that included four hits to the fence.

Sreesanth, however, had other ideas and struck when India needed him the most, removing dangerman Styris and Kiwi skipper Vettori off successive balls. Nathan McCullum survived the hat-trick ball.

Often perceived to be profligate with the new as well as the old ball in the shorter format of the game, thanks to his high economy rate, Sreesanth on Wednesday bowled much better, hardly straying in line and length.

It was no surprise to see the Kerala bowler give India the first breakthrough, in the form of Jamie How's wicket. It was a fullish delivery just outside off that moved away late on landing. How went for a drive but only managed to get an edge and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha did the rest.

The temperamental pacer not only used his stock ball - the out-swinger that moves away late from a good length - to good effect but also brought the batsmen forward without bowling half volleys and the occasional incoming deliveries kept the Kiwis on their toes.

First-change Munaf, coming in for the mediocre Ashish Nehra, impressed immediately, posing some serious questions to Guptill and Williamson. Maintaining a good line and length instead of bowling flat out, Munaf was rewarded for his discretion when he went through the gate of Williamson in his fourth over.

The young Kiwi was just shaping up to play a good innings when Munaf got one to swing in slightly from a good length that clipped the bail on the off-stump.

Munaf could have had another in his bag, when Ross Taylor attempted an extravagant shot off the bowler, but Ravichandran Ashwin, positioned in the region between deep square-leg and deep mid-wicket, dropped a sitter to deny the bowler what should have been a well-deserved wicket.

That miss, however, didn't turn out to be a costly one as Yusuf Pathan flummoxed Taylor with the first ball of his spell.

Taylor, who top-scored for the visitors in their 40-run defeat in the first match in Guwahati, went for a slog-sweep to a delivery that pitched over midwicket, but could not clear the waiting hands of Virat Kohli.

Ashish Nehra, on the other hand, was nowhere close to his best in his first spell, though he managed to hit the pads a few times. When he pitched the ball short, Kane Williamson was equal to the task pulling him over square for a boundary, his first scoring shot during his brief but impressive innings.

The over-pitched ones were either driven through the cover or straight down the ground while the length balls were punched through the cover-point region by the Guptill and Williamson.

Nehra was brought back in the 38th over of the Kiwi innings, immediately after Guptill's dismissal, but he hardly looked threatening.