India can't be ruled out as potential CT winners: Rameez

KARACHI
KARACHI: Lackluster India may have very little chance of qualifying to the semifinals but former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja feels the team still cannot be ruled out as a potential winner of the Champions Trophy.

"I would not rule out the Indian team at this stage even though they have now let the issue of whether they will qualify for the semi-finals out of their hand. Meaning their qualification now depends on the outcome of the Pakistan and Australia match," Rameez said on a television talk show.

The former captain, who is now a commentator, said India have the ability to come out fighting if they got into the knockout stage.

"So far they have not looked sharp or focussed at all in this tournament. I don't know the reasons but they have looked tired and jaded on the field. Then Mahendra Singh Dhoni is also not exuding the same confidence which has been his hallmark in recent times," he said.

The former opener felt that India were desperately missing the services of middle-order mainstay Yuvraj Singh.

"He has been a key player for them in One-dayers. Without taking away anything from other players the fact is Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj have been their key One-day performers. They have the ability to dictate to the bowler under pressure."

Rameez also felt that Rahul Dravid does not look the part of a One-day player.

"He is a top batsman and he got runs against Pakistan but I still feel he is lacking that ability to score runs quickly and push the rate when it matters the most. He looks a bit out of place in the Indian one-day side right now," Rameez said.

The former captain, however, said the Champions Trophy was still wide open and any team could win the event. "Which is very good for One-day cricket. This is exactly the dose it requires to survive in the long run against the rising popularity of Twenty20 cricket."

Another former captain Aamer Sohail also felt that India could not be ruled out as potential winners of the trophy at this stage.

"Their biggest problem is they don't have a sharp and penetrative bowling line-up. Their bowlers have struggled and conceded too many runs. This is their weakest link and they need to work on it," he said.

Sohail, however, agreed that India could comeback strongly if they make the semi-finals.

"They have the ability to click as a team when it matters the most. So don't rule them out at this stage."

Even if Pakistan beats Australia, India has to score a big margin victory over the West Indies in their last group match to qualify for the semi finals on better net run-rate.

TOI

Vijender becomes world number one

NEW DELHI: Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist Vijender Singh has achieved yet another first for Indian boxing by becoming the

world's top-ranked pugilist in the middle weight (75kg) category.

The 23-year-old Bhiwani boxer, who won India's maiden World Championships medal in Milan earlier this month, has 200 points and is ranked higher than the reigning champion Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan.

Atoev, to whom Vijender lost in the World Championship semifinals, is third in the list with 2100 points and Olympic silver medallist Emilio Correa Bayeux (2500) of Cuba occupies the second spot in the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) list updated after the Milan event.

"I am obviously elated at being ranked the highest in the world. It's a fantastic feeling and would motivate me to do better in future events," Vijender, who broke India's Olympic jinx with his bronze in the Beijing Olympics, said.

Among the other Indians, former world youth champion Thokchom Nanao Singh has slipped three places to eighth with 1400 points in the light fly weight (48kg) category.

Nanao, a silver medallist in this year's Asian Championships in China, lost in the second round of the World Championships.

Olympian Akhil Kumar, whose World Championships campaign was cut short in the first round itself due to a wrist injury, has gone down a rung to 10th in feather weight (57kg) category with 1050 points.

Fellow Olympian Jitender Kumar (54kg) also lost some ground because of his first-round exit in Milan as he dropped a place to 14th with 838 points.

Suranjoy Singh was 17th in the fly weight (51kg) category rankings.

World Championship quarterfinalist Dinesh Kumar held on to his sixth spot with 1550 points in the light weight (81kg) category.

TOI

ICL players to play for KKR in practice matches

Deep Dasgupta, Rohan Gavaskar
In a bid to earn a contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders, former Indian Cricket League players Deep Dasgupta, Rohan Gavaskar and G Vignesh will play for the IPL side in their practice matches against visiting Champions League Twenty20 teams in Gurgaon from October 1-7.

Former Bengal captain Dasgupta said he would turn out for the Kolkata IPL side in the three practice games, provided he gets the Cricket Association of Bengal permission.

"My availability for the matches will depend on CAB. I am in talks with Knight Riders and it's still in early stage. I am yet to sign a contract," Dasgupta told PTI.

The wicketkeeper-batsman said he was looking forward to playing under Ganguly, who is likely to return as KKR captain.

"It will be a good exposure in Knight Riders and I am looking forward to play under 'Dada' (Ganguly) once again. I hope to contribute for the team," Dasgupta said.

KKR, which is expected to announce its coach's name soon after John Buchanan's ouster, will play Sussex, New South Wales and Orange Free States in the practice matches.

Apart from the trio, who are among the ICL players to return to the official fold after BCCI's amnesty offer, it is learnt that the Kolkata franchise is in talks with Bengal pacer Eklakh Ahmed.

Former India captain Ganguly had earlier said the ICL players were on the team's radar.

KKR has already signed up Tamil Nadu pacer Vignesh, who represented Chennai Superstars in the ICL.

© PTI

Younus ready to bear pain to play India

Pakistan skipper Younus Khan
Pakistan skipper Younus Khan is prepared to play with a fractured finger and acute pain in order to inflict a rare defeat on India in an ICC event here tomorrow.

Younus has a fracture in his right little finger which would take at least a month to heal but the right-handed batsman said he doesn't want to let go the opportunity of taking on arch-rivals India.

"May be if it was another game, I would have sat on the bench. But you don't get to play India everyday. Who knows the next time you play against India would be two years from now," said a remarkably composed Younus.

Younus last played against India in July 2008 during the Asia Cup where he had smashed an unbeaten 123 at National Stadium, Karachi and he is looking for an encore tomorrow.

"Sure there are chances that I would feel the pain while batting or if a ball comes my way in the field.

"It is also easy for me to run away from the encounter, after all I have a genuine injury. But I look at the bigger picture. If I score big tomorrow, hit a hundred and am a man of match, then people would remember that knock forever. Much like they do when they talk of Sachin (Tendulkar) at Centurion in 2003 World Cup at this venue," he said.

Younus injured his finger during a warm-up game before the start of the Champions Trophy and missed his team's opener against West Indies on Wednesday.

Asked if Pakistan suffered from a fear psychosis against Tendulkar, whose name was repeatedly cropping up in the press conference, Younus said, "More than us, Sachin would be under enormous pressure since now so much rests on him to deliver the goods."

"He is no ghost or super-natural entity. He is a great player and I feel happy when I play against him. There is so much to learn when you watch him or (Brian) Lara bat.

"I watched his innings against Sri Lanka in the finals recently and it was a great knock. You watch that and learn a lot.

"In that respect, we would also miss Yuvraj and Sehwag's presence. They have been great performers for their nation and you want to play against them," he said.

However, Younus said Yuvraj's absence won't bring any good luck for Pakistan.

"It's not good luck for us. It may be bad luck for India.

"What matters is your performance on the day. May be an Umar Akmal can win a game while somebody like Tendulkar fails."

Younus also lavished praise on his Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"When I first saw him in 2006 he looked a man with tremendous energy and not quite in control of his reactions. But now he has improved a great deal and looks a gentleman. His conduct and captaincy is both good. His performance is also improving every day," he said.

Pakistan is blessed with the arrival of two young players in Mohammad Aamer and Umar Akmal, one a fast bowler and the other a promising young bat. Akmal drew a great deal of praise from his skipper.

"The thing is these youngsters know no pressure. When you are young you don't have any pressure. I didn't have any myself at the start. But now I know I have just 4-5 years left and I want to make them count.

"Akmal is very mature for his age. Against West Indies initially, he made only 2-3 runs from his first 15 deliveries. He then changed gears and won us the match.

"The good things he quickly adapts to any given situation and conditions."

Pakistan skipper wasn't quite sure if he would bat first on winning the toss in Centurion on Sunday.

"When I saw the wicket today, it was very soft. You don't play first on such wickets. But then there is more than a day left and who knows a bit of sunshine would firm up the wicket," said Younus, mentioning that it's the same track on which Sri Lanka took on hosts South Africa in the trophy opener on Tuesday.

© PTI

England elect to field against Sri Lanka

England captain Andrew Strauss
England captain Andrew Strauss elected to field after winning the toss against Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy here on Friday.

Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 55 runs in their opening match of the four-team group, while England are playing their first game. New Zealand are the other side in the group.

The top two sides advance to the semi-finals.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Thilina Kandamby

England: Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Graham Onions, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Billy Bowden (NZL)

TV umpire: Tony Hill (NZL)

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)

© AFP

Weary Federer withdraws from Japan, Shanghai events

LONDON: World number one Roger Federer has withdrawn from next month's Japan Open and Shanghai Masters in order to get some rest, the Swiss

confirmed on Friday.

"I am disappointed that I have to withdraw from Tokyo and Shanghai as they are two of my favourite cities in the world and the fans have been great to me over the years," Federer said.

"After consultation with my team and doctors, I decided to take the difficult decision to withdraw from both tournaments so that I can give my body a chance to rest, rehabilitate and fully recover from a physically challenging year."

Federer reclaimed his world number one spot from Rafael Nadal this year, winning the French Open for the first time and Wimbledon, but failed to win a sixth consecutive US Open title when he lost to Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in the final at Flushing Meadows earlier this month.

Nadal is also struggling ahead of the Asian stop on the ATP Tour, pulling out of next week's Thailand Open with an abdominal injury. Both Federer and Nadal have already qualified for the end-of-season Masters Cup in London.

TOI

England face Mendis riddle in opening match

OHANNESBURG: Andrew Strauss's England face a stiff spin test when they take on a confident Sri Lanka in their opening match of the Champions

Trophy on Friday.

Sri Lanka have two excellent spinners in Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, capable of making life difficult for batsmen with their subtle variations.

Unorthodox spinner Mendis played a key role in his team's stunning 55-run victory over South Africa in a rain-hit match at Centurion on Tuesday, grabbing three wickets for 30 runs.

"We have not played Mendis and some of their seam bowlers before," said Strauss, whose team were beaten 6-1 in a recent home One-day series against defending champions Australia.

"Everyone will have his own game-plan against him (Mendis). You can look at a lot of footage of him, but it is only in the middle that you can be really sure of how he bowls and what his variations are.

"It requires us to think pretty quick on our feet. There are some fundamentals you have to keep in mind against someone like him, but it is a new challenge."

Off-spinner Muralitharan, the world's leading wicket-taker in both Tests and One-dayers, and paceman Lasith Malinga, with his slinging action, are the other bowlers who could keep pressure on England.

"They ask different questions of you. It's only by facing them you can be sure of your game-plan. We have played against Murali and Malinga, but Mendis is new.

"The way he (Mendis) bowls makes life difficult for batsmen, but to an extent the pace he bowls at provides opportunities for batsmen as well once you get used to his variations.

"Sri Lanka are a good side with a lot of confidence. It will be quite exciting to play against them."

Strauss conceded that England's One-day form had been a cause of concern for many years.

"The One-dayers have been an ongoing concern for a number of years. The players are really excited about moving forward as a group. It will take a bit of time to happen," said Strauss.

"In the meantime, I maintain we are capable of beating anyone but we haven't had the consistency over the years. A change in environment can make a big difference. We have to start looking forward.

"There is something quite exciting about world events. It's quite exciting to know if you play well in three games you're in the semi-final."

England are without match-winners Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who are recovering from injuries.

"Freddie and KP are two of our best One-day cricketers. But Freddie has been out quite a lot recently and we are used to that and we've got to move on," said Strauss.

"It's also a chance for other guys to step up and make a name for themselves."

South Africa and New Zealand are the other teams in Group B, with the top two sides advancing to the semi-finals.

Squads:

England: Andrew Strauss (captain), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Graham Onions, Matt Prior, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedara, Angelo Mathews, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Lasith Malinga, Thilina Kandamby.

Umpires: Aleem Dar and Billy Bowden
Match Name: ICC Champions Trophy
Teams: England vs Sri Lanka
Venue: New Wanderers, Johannesburg
Time: 1800 IST
Channel: Star Cricket

South Africa back in Champions Trophy contention

Scorecard

CENTURION: South Africa bounced back into contention for 2009 ICC Champions Trophy glory with a five-wicket triumph over New Zealand at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

Upset by Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ODI tournament two days ago, the Proteas had to win and did so with relative ease before a large, holiday crowd.

New Zealand were all out for 214 in 47.5 overs and South Africa cruised to 217/5 in 41.1 overs and another win Sunday over England would virtually assure the hosts of a place in the knockout phase.

The 'Black Caps', who may have erred in excluding Jeetan Patel for a match on a spin-friendly pitch, face Sri Lanka and England at the Wanderers stadium and a couple of victories would bring them back into the frame.

AB de Villiers was a fitting match winner, sealing success with a four having top scored for the Proteas with an unbeaten 70 in 76 balls, including nine boundaries.

"This was a big day for us and we stood up to deliver a much improved performance. Our bowlers set the tone in the first 15 overs with good intensity and they hit the right areas hard," said South Africa skipper Graeme Smith.

"It was a clinical job well started and well finished and the result will improve our run rate. Now we are going to prepare well for our match against England."

Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori said: "Our batsmen got bogged down as we sought a competitive score of about 250 runs. Ross (Taylor) and Grant (Elliott) handled the spinners well but the partnership did not last long enough."

Once again Smith won the toss and once again he opted to field on a dry, slow, uneven early season track that gave the spinners assistance in warm, partly cloudy conditions.

Vettori stressed the need to build partnerships, but his plea fell largely on deaf ears with the 71-run stand between Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott a notable exception.

The stubborn 95-ball stand ended when South Africa-born Elliott chose the wrong line and his middle stump was pushed back by a deceptive delivery from spinner Roelof van der Merwe.

Taylor was the top Kiwi scorer with 72 off 106 balls before missing a low full toss and being trapped leg before by revitalised Wayne Parnell, who was voted man of the match.

Opener Brendon McCullum was the only other New Zealand batsman to make an impact, scoring 44 before trying a sweep off Johan Botha and getting a top edge to JP Duminy at short fine leg.

Parnell, rebounding from a nightmare outing against Sri Lanka, finished with five wickets, impressive Van der Merwe and speedster Dale Steyn claimed two apiece and Botha one.

Set a 4.30-runs-an-over target, Smith managed just seven before departing because he played a Daryl Tuffey too early and Vettori took a simple catch at mid-on.

Jacques Kallis was next to go, adding 52 runs for the second wicket with Hisham Amla before an attempted drive off Shane Bond was snapped up by wicketkeeper McCullum.

Although ahead on run rate, South Africa were also struggling to build big partnerships and much-improved Amla returned to the pavilion having made 38 after being trapped leg before by Vettori.

Duminy did not last long, scoring just 11 off 13 balls before becoming the victim of a spectacular McCullum catch after trying a cut that took a bottom edge.

TOI

Ramesh Kumar creates history, bags bronze in World Wrestling

World Wrestling Championship in Herning,

NEW DELHI: India's Ramesh Kumar created history by winning the bronze medal in the freestyle 74kg category at the World Wrestling Championship in Herning, Denmark.

The Uttar Pradesh wrestler did what Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar failed to achieve, clinching India's first medal in the prestigious event after a gap of 32 years.

Kumar defeated Alexandr Burca of Moldova on technical points after the repechage round ended with both the wrestlers tied at the score of 7-7.

Kumar, however, started the bout on a disappointing note, trailing 0-3 after the first period.

He then came back strongly in the second session to score two points and then finished off the final period picking up five points as against his opponent's four to finally come out victorious on technical points.

Kumar had earlier defeated Dustin Schlatter of the US 3-2 in the opening round. His next casualty was Great Britain's Michael Grundy, whom he beat 4-2 and then prevailed over Kiril Terziev of Bulgaria 7-4 in the quarterfinal.

Kumar, however, lost out on the gold medal opportunity, going down 0-5 to Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev of Azerbaijan in the last-four stage to set up a repechage encounter against Burca.

The gold in this category was won by Denis Tsargush of Russia.

Earlier, Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar failed to replicate boxer Vijender Singh's feat and lost out on a medal opportunity in the elite event after losing the bronze medal play-off match in the 66kg freestyle category on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in the female style, India's Nirmala Devi lost in the opening round of the 48kg category to Great Britain's Yana Stadnik, while Babita Kumari bowed out in the quarterfinal against Natalia Budu of Moldova in 51kg division.

Soruce:TOI

KKR Coach picked, to be announced soon

Indian Premier League

Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders has picked its coach and his identity would be revealed soon by the team management, senior batsman Sourav Ganguly said today.

Tipped to return as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL III, Ganguly said, "The coach has been decided. But I cannot announce it. The team management (owners Shah Rukh Khan and Jay Mehta) will do it shortly."

The ace cricketer, who had a morning practice session in the indoor facility of Eden Gardens, said the Knight Riders will play three practice matches with the visiting Champions League Twenty20 teams in the first week of October.

It is learnt that the announcement will be done before the practice matches.

The Kolakta Knight Riders screened a mix of foreign and India coaches in a series of interviews held at Shah Rukh's residence last month.

The foreigners included Pakistani great Wasim Akram, former India coach John Wright, former England allrounder Dermot Reeve, former Pakistan coach Richard Pybus, former England coach Duncan Fletcher and former Australian batsman Michael Bevan.

The Indians list had former India and Kenya national coach Sandeep Patil, Mumbai Ranji coach Praveen Amre and former Tamil Nadu coach WV Raman among others.

The Kolkata IPL side is also expected to reinstate Ganguly in the capatain's seat, that was taken up by New Zealander Brendon McCullum last season.

The Kiwi wicketkeeper batsman will not be available for most of the IPL III (March 12-April 25) as he will be busy playing for the national side against Australia in the home series scheduled in March.

The high-profile side sacked Australia's World Cup winning coach John Buchanan after they finished sixth in the inaugural IPL and slipped to last place last season.

Buchanan's tenure was marred by controversy after the former Australian coach unveiled his multi-captaincy theory that generated a lot of debate worldwide and then replaced Ganguly, the local star, as captain.

When contacted, Knight Riders CEO Joy Bhattacharya also said the announcement would be made shortly.

"It will be communicated shortly -- ahead of the three practice matches," Bhattacharya said refusing to elaborate further.


© PTI

BCCI-IMG dispute solved

BCCI

The BCCI has resolved the vexing IMG issue and will announce a fresh contract for the sports management firm that will pay them between Rs.25 crore - Rs.27 crore per year, according to a report in Cricinfo.

The Indian board had recently terminated the contract with IMG for the Indian Premier League, citing payments that were not commensurate with services rendered. When this prompted seven of the eight franchisees to shoot off letters to the BCCI and when ex-BCCI chief Sharad Pawar also expressed his concern, the current president Shashank Manohar was appointed to resolve the dispute.

The issue seems to have been resolved amicably, with the new deal being that IMG would be paid a fixed amount, as opposed to a percentage of the IPL earnings. The earlier deal meant that the Board had to fork out Rs.33 crore for IPL-2, which didn't sit well with some Board members.

"There is no issue anymore, tomorrow it will be announced," a top-ranking BCCI official was quoted as saying by the website yesterday.

Another key issue that is likely to be looked at is the reimbursement to the eight franchisees for losses incurred due to the shifting of the IPL to South Africa.

"We have already been told that it would only happen post Champions League but I'm sure if they would discuss the IPL accounts, the compensation to the franchisees would also be discusssed," a top official at one of the franchises was quoted as saying.

The other controversy brewing in the background is the situation in the Rajasthan Cricket Association, where two factions - one led by Sanjay Dixit and the other backed by Lalit Modi - are locked in a bitter struggle. Both factions are expected to send their representatives to the AGM, though which one would be or should be allowed is anybody's guess.


© Cricbuzz

Bracken ruled out of Champions Trophy

Australia's

Australia's preparations for the defence of the Champions Trophy received a major setback as fast bowler Nathan Bracken was ruled out of the tournament with a chronic knee injury.

According to reports in Australian papers, The decision to send Bracken home was made overnight in South Africa. The decision wasn't made because of any specific problem, but because of the long-term nature of the injury which had aggravated.

The seriousness of the injury is not yet known but it is also likely to place him in doubt for next month's Champions League Twenty20 tournament, in which he was due to represent his home state of New South Wales.

Bracken's loss is a serious blow for Australia, since he is currently their highest ranked ODI bowler. He has been an outstanding limited-overs bowler with his nagging accuracy, changes of pace and ability to move the ball.

Cricket Australia has not yet confirmed the decision, or who will replace Bracken in the 15-man squad.


© Cricbuzz

Yuvraj Singh out of Champions Trophy

OHANNESBURG: Injury-hit India's Champions Trophy campaign was on Wednesday dealt a massive blowas middle-order mainstay Yuvraj Singh was ruled

out of
the eight-nation event due to a fractured right-hand finger.

he stylish left-hander, who picked up the injury during a training session, has been advised rest for six weeks and will return home.

Delhi middle order batsman Virat Kohli has been named as Yuvraj's replacement.

"Yuvraj Singh has fractured a finger in his right hand and has been ruled out for six weeks. The selectors have chosen Virat Kohli as replacement for Yuvraj Singh," BCCI said in a statement.

"He will fly out as soon as formalities are completed," it added.

India will open their campaign against arch rivals Pakistan on September 26.

Yuvraj was enthusiastically taking part in the fielding session at the University Ground here. But in the process, he ended up hurting his right finger so badly that he couldn't participate in the batting and bowling sessions which were conducted later in the day.

The left-hander was attended to by physio Nitin Patel before he proceeded for a medical examination which revealed that he had fractured his finger.

India are already an injury-hit side going into the tournament, missing the services of star opener Virender Sehwag, who is nursing a shoulder problem.

Sehwag's fellow opener Gautam Gambhir was also nursing a groin strain ahead of the tournament. Gambhir did not play in the team's only practice match against New Zealand.

Pacer Zaheer Khan is also missing from action due to an injury.

TOI

Pakistan beat West Indies by five wickets

Johannesburg,
Johannesburg, Sep 24 (PTI) Pakistan defeated West Indies by five wickets in the opening Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy here today.

Chasing a paltry 134 for victory, Pakistan romped home in 30.3 overs with five wickets in hand.

Brief Scores: West Indies 133 all out in 34.3 overs (Ni Miller 51, D Sammy 25; Aamer 3/24, Gul 3/28).

Pakistan 134 for five wickets in 30.3 overs (U Akmal 41, S Malik 23, M Yousuf 23; G Tonge 4/25).

Bangladesh appoint new cricket chief

DHAKA (Reuters)

DHAKA (Reuters) - A.H.M. Mostafa Kamal has been appointed president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), replacing Sina Ibn Jamali, a board statement said on Wednesday.

Kamal is a member of parliament and a senior figure in the ruling Awami League of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who won election in December 2008.

Jamali was appointed by an army-backed interim government in August 2007.

Bangladesh's government is largely mandated to appoint the BCB president though the other 24 directors are elected by board members.


© Reuters

West Indies elect to bat against Pakistan

West Indies

West Indies captain Floyd Reifer elected to bat after winning the toss against Pakistan in a Champions Trophy match here on Wednesday.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi led Pakistan in the absence of Younus Khan, who was ruled out of the match due to a finger injury.

West Indies: Floyd Reifer (capt), Darren Sammy, David Bernard, Tino Best, Travis Dowlin, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Dale Richards, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton.

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Rana Naved-ul Hasan, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir, Saeed Ajmal.

Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) and Daryl Harper (AUS)

TV umpire: Simon Taufel (AUS)

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)

© AFPWire

India back at Number 1

rankings for One Day International

The keen tussle at the top of the rankings for One Day International continued with India regaining the No.1 spot after South Africa were beaten by Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy opener on Tuesday.

After the loss in Centurion, South Africa slumped to third position with 123 points while Australia moved up one place to second spot with 125 points. India have 126 points.

India earlier this month had reached the top spot but for barely 24 hours.

With just few points separating the top three teams, more changes are expected as the Champions Trophy progresses.


© Cricbuzz

England backs Test World Championship

The England and Wales Cricket Board has today been in touch with ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat to seek immediate clarification of his comments on the ECB's stance regarding an ICC World Test Championship.

In an interview to the Guardian Lorgat was quoted as saying that, "I would like to create some additional context for Test cricket and there's no doubt a Test championship would be of great benefit. I would like to convince people that the way to ensure Test cricket survives is through a championship model. Those recent series between South Africa and Australia had greater context because they were tussling over the No1 slot.

"And let's say you and your mate are South African and Australian - and India are about to play Sri Lanka. If the result impacts on your team's championship standing you are bound to be more interested. The only two countries who do not see the argument are India and England - but debate is growing all the time. The MCC seem to have come out in favour but when I met the ECB recently it was the wrong time to tackle them in detail. They were too high on the Ashes."

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said today: "England has consistently stated it supports a play-off for a Test Championship.

"Indeed Haroon Lorgat's own staff have approached ECB in the past month to stage the final in England which was warmly received and supported by ECB.

"The original proposal from the ICC for a two-year cycle with two years of an uncertain fixture programme in regard to the Test Championship would have been detrimental to Test cricket and ECB's prime consideration is to ensure that Test cricket is at the pinnacle of the world game.

"We are pleased that David Richardson has a full understanding of the benefits of the Test Championship play-off system and that this is being actively pursued.

"The ECB has been reassured by correspondence from the ICC chief executive in which he tells us that he is unhappy at the slant put on his comments.

"He also confirmed that he had been at pains to communicate to journalists why there were justifiable concerns about the original proposal for a Test Championship which had been found to be unworkable and therefore this is the reason the play-off concept proposed by the ECB is now being pursued by the ICC."

© ECB

Opening changed my life: Dilshan

Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored a brisk 106 against South Africa, said opening the innings for his team has proved to be a big turning point in his career.

"I am in good form for last six month or one years and I want to deliver in this tournament also," Dilshan said.

"I have changed my batting order. I think this is the turning point for me. I open the innings which gives me opportunity to play my stoke and take my chances during the powerplays so that is the turning point I feel," he added.

Dilshan was dropped from the ODI side in September last year after his average slipped to 25.87 in 21 matches. When he returned early this year, he was promoted to open in ODIs and he produced sparkling form in all forms of the game.

Dilshan got the Player-of-the-Series award after amassing 317 runs at an average of 52.83 in the Twenty20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara has asked his team to capitalise on the victory and get better as the tournament progresses.

"This game is gone. Whatever have happened its gone. So we have to go back to square one, back to the drawing book and see how we can improve and get better as the tournament goes on. We have got a good start but if we don't capitalise on it, this match will be worthless," Sangakkara said.

Sri Lanka registered a 55-run victory over South Africa via the Duckworth Lewis method in the rain-interrupted first one-day international of the Champions Trophy here last night.

Ajantha Mendis claimed three crucial wickets to help his team and Sangakkara said the right-arm spinner was one of the few bowlers which batsmen can never get enough of.

"One good thing about Ajantha is that even if you see him on and off in a couple of games but still it is a big challenge playing him," Sangakkara said.

The Lankan skipper believes his side has match-winners in Ajantha, Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga, whom he considers not a mystery but a little unorthodox.

"Especially with him (Ajantha) and with Murali and Lasith in our side, there are a lot of unorthodox, mystery not as much, but unorthodox match-winners. So we have our bowling attack in place as long as we can back that up with good fielding and minimise extras," he said.

Sangakkara said it was a big challenge to build up a defendable score against the South Africans.

"It was going to be a challenge trying to build a defendable total. History says that batting first or second does not make much of a difference here, so it was a case of doing our basics right and getting the partnership going.

South African skipper Graeme Smith said they didn't get their basics right and failed to implement their game-plan but hoped to come back strongly against New Zealand on Thursday.

"We can't make a excuse. We didn't get our basics right tonight," Smith said.

"We got to improve very quickly and we have one day in between before we meet New Zealand on Thursday and we have some planning to do for that game and hopefully we will get the performance which we know we are capable of," he added.

© PTI

ODI cricket's survival at stake as CT gets underway

Ashish Shukla

Johannesburg, Sep 22 (PTI) The next couple of weeks could well be the beginning of end of one-day cricket if India are knocked out early in the Champions Trophy, an event that has been called irrelevant by many current and former cricketers.

If Champions Trophy isn't going to be in its final edition, a few things would certainly be of help.

For one, India winning the trophy and finishing on top of one-day cricket rankings would be a boost even if it means the barren run of South Africa without an ICC trophy is stretched to another year.

Too much rides on India's good show for advertisers and television companies to stay interested and it isn't funny.

If India were to depart early, it would hurt Champions Trophy, and one-day cricket, very badly. As it is, there are no takers for this format of the game now. The advertisers haven't shown up.

South Africa win toss, elect to field

STAFF WRITER 17:43 HRS IST

Centurion, Sep 22 (PTI) South Africa captain Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to field against the West Indies in the opening match of the Champions Trophy here today.

Teams:

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Albie Morkel, Roelof van der Merwe, Johan Botha, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilina Kandamby, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis.

Sushil fails to do a Vijender in Wrestling WC

STAFF WRITER 17:48 HRS IST

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar failed to replicate boxer Vijender Singh's feat and lost out on a medal opportunity in the World Wrestling Championship after losing the bronze medal play-off in the 66kg freestyle category in Herning, Denmark.

Sushil was no match for his Japanese opponent Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu, losing 0-5 in the repechage.

Earlier, Sushil, who got a opening round bye, beat Pietro Piscitelli of Italy 7-0 in the second round and then went on to stun top-ranked Stefan Daniliuc of Romania 5-2 in the pre-quarterfinals.

The diminutive Delhi wrestler's next casualty was Jabrayil Hasanov of Azerbaijan, whom he defeated on the basis of technical points to reach the semifinals, according to the information received here. .

Somdev climbs up to 131 in ATP singles ranking

STAFF WRITER 18:31 HRS IST

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) India's new tennis hero Somdev Devvarman rose two rungs to 131 in the latest ATP rankings while Sania Mirza dropped two spots to 65 in the WTA list.

The teen sensation Yuki Bhambri, who won his Davis Cup debut match on Sunday, also climbed up in the rankings bu seven places to 415.

Another Indian Davis Cupper Rohan Bopanna also moved up by 36 places to 415th position in the singles chart.

Meanwhile, there was no change in the doubles ranking of veterans Leander Paes (8) and Mahesh Bhupathi (6).

Pressure on SA as Champions Trophy begins

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 20: The pressure will be on South Africa and off Sri Lanka when they clash at Centurion Park on Tuesday in the opening 2009 ICC Champions Trophy fixture.
South Africa need the cup to confirm what the world rankings have been saying for some time - that they are a class act when it comes to One-Day International cricket.

But playing hosts in a sporting event is a double-edged sword with victories galvanising a nation and defeats having the opposite effect, especially in a country like South Africa where expectations are invariably sky high. The least expected of the Graeme Smith-led Proteas is that they qualify for the October 5 final and many South Africans would dream that bitter rivals Australia provide the opposition and are conquered. While Sri Lanka are good enough to win the 14-day mini-World Cup, it is defending champions Australia, South Africa and India who are most commonly mentioned as potential winners of the two-million-dollar top prize.

Somdev helps India qualify for Davis Cup World Group

NEW DELHI, Sept 20: India’s Somdev Devvarman defeated Rik De Voest 4-6, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in a near five-hour slugfest in the first reverse singles on Sunday to seal India’s place in the elite Davis Cup World Group for the first time since 1998.

India have taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the tie. Junior Australian Open champion Yuki Bhambri will make his Davis Cup debut in the dead singles rubber next.

Somdev lost first two sets 3-6, 6-7 (3) in an almost two hours long battle, but he resurrected himself in the third set which he won 7-6 (5) in a tie-breaker.

Somdev, Bopanna win day one for India

Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna

JOHANNESBURG: Twin victories by Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna put India in a commanding position in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against South Africa on Friday.

Somdev put India ahead by overwhelming Izak Van der Merwe 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4 in the first singles and then Bopanna staged a stunning comeback to upset Rik De Voest 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in the second rubber at Ellis park indoor arena.

A win in Saturday's doubles rubber will clear India's entry into the World Group after 11 years.

Bopanna refused to throw in towel even after receiving a ruthless drubbing in the first set and turned the tables on his higher ranked opponent, who is placed 99 rungs above him at 189 in the ATP chart.

Bopanna was struggling to get on the board initially but raised his game by several notches as the match progressed.

Like Somdev, Bopanna too took a while to get into rhythm. He never looked back after breaking Rik, South Africa's number one player in the tie, in the fifth game of the second set.

After making it one set all, Bopanna played an amazing game as he served extremely well and his booming single handed backhands and forehands were too hot to handle.

Earlier, coming into the tie after his breakthrough performance at the US Open, the 133rd ranked Somdev played with maturity and took two hours and 10 minutes to dispatch his opponent.

Somdev faced just one breakpoint and mostly played from the baseline. Merwe displayed an excellent serve and volley game but unforced errors dented his chances.

Somdev took little time to settle as he struggled with his first serve and sprayed a lot of forehands long.

Merwe, ranked 289 in the ATP chart, on the other hand was confident in the start, played some big strokes and won brilliant points at net.

No player got the break opportunity until eighth game of the opening set. Merwe set up the breakpoint with an overhead volley but Somdev came back well with strong serve to save.

India got a break point in the next game but Somdev was unlucky as he fired a backhand, eyeing a cross court winner, but the ball landed on the net and jumped out of the court.

Without seeing a break, the first set stretched to the tie- breaker, which the Indian won to go 1-0 up.

Merwe, who looked better player initially because of his exploits at the net, backed by a solid serve, succumbed to unforced errors in the tie-breaker.

The South Afircan hit a forehand to net to give Somdev a 3-1 lead, which he later reduced to 4-6 and saved a set point too but his double fault at 5-6 sealed the set for India.

Getting back his rhythm, Somdev curbed his unforced errors in the second set and broke Merwe in the sixth game to be in advantageous position.

A furious backhand, after four deuce points, earned Somdev his second breakpoint and with equally forceful double handed backhand he got that break for a 4-2 lead.

Merwe started to wilt under pressure and handed two set points in the eighth game, thanks to some unforced errors. He saved both but could not stop Somdev from serving out the set.

Already shaken in confidence, Merwe was facing two breakpoints in the very first game of the third set but managed to save both.

However, pressure got the better of Merwe and he was broken at love in the fifth game at love when he double faulted. From there it was just a cakewalk for Somdev.

Bopanna and Bhupathi will take on Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie in the doubles rubber on Saturday.

TOI

Jaffer to lead Mumbai in Irani clash

Wasim Jaffer

Mumbai, Sep 19 (PTI) Opener Wasim Jaffer has been appointed as captain of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team for the 2009-2010 season and would lead the 38-time national champions in their season-opening Irani Cup clash against Rest of India at Nagpur from October 1-5.

Wiry pacer Ajit Agarkar would be Jaffer's deputy in the match, a media release from the Mumbai Cricket Association's joint secretary and senior selection committee convenor Hemant Waingankar said today.

The team includes uncapped 17-year-old left arm medium pacer Saurabh Netravalkar.

The team: Wasim Jaffer (c), Ajit Agarkar (vc), Sahil Kukreja, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Prashant Naik, Vinayak Samant (wk), Ramesh Powar, Iqbal Abdulla, Dhawal Kulkarni, Rahil Shaikh, Murtuza Hussain, Sushant Marathe, Saurabh Netravalkar and Onkar Khanvilkar. Coach: Pravin Amre

PTI

Absence of ‘quota places’ prompts NRAI not to host World Cup

New Delhi, Sept 18: The National Rifle Association Of India (NRAI) on Friday clarified that its decision to pull out as host of the rifle and pistol World Cup in March was solely due to the absence of qualification spots in the event for the 2012 London Olympics.

NRAI secretary-general Baljeet Sethi said that a new International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ruling has made it mandatory that all quota places would be available in events only 24 months before the opening ceremony of the London Games. “Earlier quota places were available in specific tournaments including World Cups, two years before the Olympics. But since the new IOC rule has been implemented now, the World Cup in March that we were to host becomes inconsequential,” Sethi said.

Flintoff to coach cricket team

ondon, Sep 18: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will be coaching the United Arab Emirates national team during the period that he recovers from knee surgery. “A partnership has been agreed with Dubai Sports City to use their gym and facilities as a base for his rehabilitation. In return he will be carrying out some coaching for the UAE national team over the next six months,” Andrew Chandler, Flintoff’s one agent said.

India continue their slide at 13th at Nomura Cup

India continue their slide at 13th at Nomura Cup


New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Indian boys continued their slide down the leaderboard as they were placed 13th after the third round of the Nomura Cup at the par 72 NamSeoul Country Club in South Korea today.

The Indian team totalled 18-over in the third round with Rashid Khan (76), Abhishek Jha (78) and Pawan Kumar's (80) scores being considered for the team total.

The fourth member of the team, Karan Vasudeva, carded 81 today.

South Korea, with a total of nine-under, inched towards winning the championship, holding a commanding 13-shot lead over the team from Chinese Taipei, who are at four-over for the tournament.

The Japanese team, with another good showing in the third round, continued at third place

Somdev holds key against South Africa in Davis Cup

Somdev holds key against South Africa in Davis Cup

Johannesburg, Sep 17 (PTI) Somdev Devvarman yet again holds the key as the Indian Davis Cup team, sans Leander Paes, take on hosts South Africa from tomorrow to stake claim of a berth in the World Group after 11 years.

The duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have always given India an edge in the doubles rubber but the last minute pullout of Paes has made things slightly tricky for India.

Now Rohan Bopanna is likely to do double duty. He has to pair with Bhupathi against Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie, a pair capable of giving India a run for their money.

Then Bopanna, who is coming back from a knee injury, will have to play two singles as well which means he will be in action on all three days of the tie

Sachin's bat to sport Adidas logo, MRF bows out

STAFF WRITER 16:8 HRS IST
New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) MRF will make way for the Adidas logo on Sachin Tendulkar's bat, with the batting great ending over a decade-long association with the tyre maker to endorse the global sportswear company.

"Sachin almost had a 10-year-long relationship with MRF and now he is associated with Adidas," an official of the World Sports Group (WSG), which manages Tendulkar's endorsements, told PTI.

The move follows the recent entry of Adidas into cricket equipment segment. The company had utilised the services of the 'Master Blaster' in design and development of products.

Tendulkar has also been associated with Adidas for over a decade now, as brand ambassador in apparels and sports gear.

In the recently concluded tri series in Sri Lanka, Tendulkar started using Adidas cricket equipment and the most conspicuous was the bat, which had the Adidas logo instead of the familiar 'MRF - Genius'.

Indians eyeing honours in Asian GP

Kolkata

Kolkata, Sep 16 (PTI) A 12-member Indian contingent, comprising of Olympians Jayanta Talukdar and Dola Banerjee, would be eyeing some prominent performances when fourth Asian Grand Prix tournament gets underway at the SAI Eastern Centre here tomorrow.

Having bagged three golds, one silver and two bronze medals from World Cup stages, Indians are high on confidence as they appear overwhelming favourites against the archers from Bangladesh, Iran, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bhutan and Nepal.

As the Asian GP field not so strong, it will also give the hosts a chance to erase their bitter memories of World Championship held in Ulsan from September 1-9.

Indians had returned empty-handed from the South Korea meet.

"Our boys, especially the trio of (Jayanta) Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Mangal Singh Champia had some good chances.

But the going was tough there and we failed.

PTI

After T20 cricket, it's PowerPlay golf in India

Mumbai,

Mumbai, Sep 16 (PTI) After Twenty20 cricket, it's time for PowerPlay golf, a shortened version of the game played over nine holes, with two flags on the green and a duration of two hours, to attract the attention of sports fans.

The eighth edition of the Signature Club Golf Championship, which involves 43 clubs spread over 30 cities in the country from September 26 to December 14, is to be played under the two-year-old PowerPlay format.

The founder of PowerPlay Golf, Peter McEvoy, told reporters today that the format has been introduced following a 5 per cent drop in audience for the traditional four-day golf.

"It's a shorter form, like T20 cricket, five-a-side football and seven-a-side rugby. I think Indian fans would like its faster pace. While normal golf is a reward for patience, in this format you have to make things happen," he said.

Pti

Malik ready to open the innings but wants long run

Karachi

Karachi, Sep 16 (PTI) Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik is ready to take on the role of an opener in the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy but wants an extended run from the team management.

"I have no problems opening the innings. I have done it before. But I don't want to be tried in this position for just two or three matches. I want to be given a proper chance for 10 to 12 matches," Malik told the media last night.

The Pakistani selectors have picked just one specialist opener, Imran Nazir, in their 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy and are preparing to try out wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and Malik in the makeshift role.

Malik insisted that opening the innings was a specialist's job and anyone doing it should have a peace of mind that he would be given a proper run to prove himself.

PTI

Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag lead race for Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year 2008

Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year Award

Mumbai, September 16th 2009: Injuries may have forced them to take a temporary break from playing, but Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir continue to stand at the forefront of Indian cricket. The two lead the points tally for the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year 2008, followed by their Captain - Mahendra Singh Dhoni and bowlers Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma.

Player Test Pts ODI Pts Total
Virender Sehwag 36 23 59
Gautam Gambhir 26 26 52
MS Dhoni 19 29 48
Harbhajan Singh 26 15 41
Ishant Sharma 17 20 37

The Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year Award is decided on a two stage system. In the first stage, the points scored determines the top five contender’s shortlist. In the second stage, all Indian cricketers who have played at least one test match or five ODIs, are invited to vote for their choice of player for the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year. This enables a qualitative element as well.

With votes still coming in from Indian cricketers across the country, the race is too close to call and the ultimate winner will only be known at the Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence ceremony to be held in Mumbai on 17th September ‘09.

The Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence have honored the present, past and future of Indian cricket since their inception in 1997-98. Previous years' winners of the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year have been Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.

The Award ceremony will also include The Castrol Indian Junior Cricketer of the Year Award (Ravindra Jadeja) and The Castrol Lifetime Achievement Award (G R Vishwanath). Four new awards, instituted from 2008, will also be given away and these include The Castrol Indian Test Cricketer of the Year, The Castrol Indian ODI Cricketer of the Year, The Castrol Indian Bowler of the Year and The Castrol Indian Batsman of the Year. The Awards are for the calendar year 2008.

Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag lead race for Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year 2008

Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year Award

Mumbai, September 16th 2009: Injuries may have forced them to take a temporary break from playing, but Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir continue to stand at the forefront of Indian cricket. The two lead the points tally for the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year 2008, followed by their Captain - Mahendra Singh Dhoni and bowlers Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma.

Player Test Pts ODI Pts Total
Virender Sehwag 36 23 59
Gautam Gambhir 26 26 52
MS Dhoni 19 29 48
Harbhajan Singh 26 15 41
Ishant Sharma 17 20 37

The Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year Award is decided on a two stage system. In the first stage, the points scored determines the top five contender’s shortlist. In the second stage, all Indian cricketers who have played at least one test match or five ODIs, are invited to vote for their choice of player for the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year. This enables a qualitative element as well.

With votes still coming in from Indian cricketers across the country, the race is too close to call and the ultimate winner will only be known at the Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence ceremony to be held in Mumbai on 17th September ‘09.

The Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence have honored the present, past and future of Indian cricket since their inception in 1997-98. Previous years' winners of the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year have been Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.

The Award ceremony will also include The Castrol Indian Junior Cricketer of the Year Award (Ravindra Jadeja) and The Castrol Lifetime Achievement Award (G R Vishwanath). Four new awards, instituted from 2008, will also be given away and these include The Castrol Indian Test Cricketer of the Year, The Castrol Indian ODI Cricketer of the Year, The Castrol Indian Bowler of the Year and The Castrol Indian Batsman of the Year. The Awards are for the calendar year 2008.

Del Potro stuns Federer to win US Open

Juan Martin del Potro

NEW YORK: Argentine sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro upset five-time defending champion Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to win the US Open men's final on Monday.

The shocker made Del Potro the first South American to win the US Open men's crown since countryman Guillermo Vilas in 1977, winning in his first Grand Slam final appearance to deny Swiss world number one Federer a 16th career Slam crown.

Del Potro dethroned five-time defending champion Federer ending an era to win in his first Grand Slam final.

"I don't have words to explain how I feel," a tearful Del Potro said, noting that a day after the day he called the greatest of his life for making the final, he felt "Much better".

Del Potro, who turns 21 next week, snapped Federer's 41-match unbeaten streak on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts to win 1.85 million dollars and destroyed the Swiss superstar's aura of US Open invincibility.

"I would like to congratulate Juan Martin on an unbelievable tournament. I had a great one but he was the best," Federer said.

"I would have never believed I could win five in a row here. It has been an amazing run for me."

Firing consistent winners, the 1.98m Argentine giant kept the pressure upon the player many hail as the greatest in tennis history, one he had never beaten in six prior attempts, and won after four hours and six minutes.

Del Potro led Federer by two sets in the French Open semi-finals before the Swiss rallied for a dramatic five-set victory.

But there was no such escape this time.

Federer was pushed into a fifth set for only the third time since the start of his championship run, the other times being against Andre Agassi in the 2004 quarter-finals and in last year's round of 16 against Igor Andreev.

Del Potro zipped a forehand crosscourt winner past Federer for a break and a 2-0 lead in the final set and denied the top seed on a break-point chance in the third game on his way to a 5-2 lead.

Federer served to stay in the match but found himself down two match points, both squandered by Del Potro with a wide forehand and a netted backhand.

But Federer's 11th double fault gave Del Potro another chance and he made the most of it, winning when Federer sent a forehand over the baseline.

Del Potro realized he had won, fell to the ground on his back and began to cry.

TOI

India tame the Lankan Lions

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar hit his 44th one-day century to lead India to a 46-run win over Sri Lanka in the final of the limited-overs tri-series here on Monday.

Tendulkar, the world's leading Test and one-day scorer, made 138 off 133 balls as India piled up 319-5 after batting first in the day-night match at the Premadasa stadium.

Click here for the Match in Pics

Sri Lanka made a gallant chase after the stiff target, buoyed by a blistering opening stand of 64 in 7.5 overs by Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya, before they were all out for 273.

Dilshan hit 42 off 29 balls when his dismissal in the eighth over, bowled by Harbhajan Singh, triggered a dramatic collapse in which five wickets fell for the addition of 67 runs.

Off-spinner Harbhajan finished with 5-56 to signal India's morale-boosting win ahead of the eight-nation Champions Trophy which opens in South Africa on September 22.

Skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Thilina Kandamby revived Sri Lanka with a 51-run stand for the sixth wicket, when India earned a lucky break to make it 182-6.

Sangakkara, who made 33, saw his bat fly out of his hands and break the stumps as he attempted to pull a full toss from Rudra Pratap Singh.

Kandamby and Chamara Kapugedara scared the Indians by adding 70 for the seventh wicket, but both batsmen fell in the space of 12 runs, derailing the Sri Lankans.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who did his team a favour by winning the toss on a wicket that slowed down, made 56 from 62 balls during a second-wicket stand of 110 with Tendulkar.

Yuvraj Singh remained unbeaten on a quickfire 56 off 41 balls as India plundered 85 runs in the last 10 overs.

The 36-year-old Tendulkar battled oppressive heat and humidity to bat for 46 overs despite developing leg cramps in the later part of his innings, necessitating the help of a runner.

He hit 10 boundaries and a six before being leg-before to Ajantha Mendis after smashing a six and two boundaries earlier in the over.

It was Tendulkar's 86th international century -- 42 in Tests and 44 in one-dayers -- to complement his world record 12,773 Test and 16,895 one-day runs in a brilliant 20-year career.

Tendulkar put on 95 for the first wicket with fellow veteran Rahul Dravid, who contributed 39 after being asked to open the batting in place of the axed Dinesh Karthik.

circbuzz.com

Paes-Dlouhy topple Bhupathi-Knowles

New York, Sep 14: India’s Leander Paes claimed his 10th Grand Slam title when he and Czech Republic’s Lukas Dlouhy made a remarkable comeback to beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles of Bahamas at the US Open men]s doubles final here.

Paes and Dlouhy won the thrilling final 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a match that stretched to two hours. The 36-year-old Paes, who lost in the finals of the mixed doubles while pertnering Zimbabwean Cara Black, overcame a sore shoulder to ensure that he goes home with at lease one title. “I’m a little numb at the moment because it’s just been a mammoth effort over the past two weeks,” Paes said. Paes and Dlouhy were beaten by Bryan twins Bob and Mike in the title clash here in 2008, but they avenged their defeat in the semi-finals this year. This was Paes’ sixth men’s doubles title and 10th overall in 19 final appearances. Paes also got the upper hand on Bhupathi, his longtime former partner. Facing off for a 19th time since splitting up in 2000, Paes edged ahead 10-9. The two were meting each other in a Grand Slam final for the first time.

India clinch Compaq Cup

COLOMBO, Sep 14: A majestic century from Sachin Tendulkar helped India to lift tri-series title defeating Sri Lanka by 46 runs in Colombo, on Monday. Chasing 320 run to win Sri Lanka, who made a flying start, finally bowled out for 273 in 46.4 over.

After Saturday’s debacle against the hosts, India needed a strong showing with the bat, and Tendulkar led the way with a masterly innings of 138 that saw India post a mammoth 319 for five in their 50 overs after electing to bat.

The veteran batsman, who stroked 10 boundaries and a six in his 133-ball knock, gave India a solid start in a 95-run opening stand with Rahul Dravid (39). He made sure India consolidated on the good start with a 110-run partnership off 115 deliveries for the second wicket with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit 56 from 62 deliveries. Yuvraj Singh provided the finishing touches to the innings with a blazing 56 from 41 deliveries, leaving Sri Lanka to chase a record total to win the tournament. Interestingly, India sent in their two most experienced batsmen to open the innings, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar with the obvious intent of giving them more overs to settle and play big knocks.

Strauss wants England to win without KP, Fred

Embattled England captain Andrew Strauss

Embattled England captain Andrew Strauss has challenged his players to prove that they are match-winners in the absence of their two main players - Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen.

The side Strauss is leading now has sunk to ignominious depths, having already lost the series in the shortest time possible and being down 4-0, with three matches to play.

Both Flintoff and Pietersen are on rehabilitation courses from surgery, and while Pietersen's earliest estimated comeback is for the tour of South Africa in November, Flintoff, who will mull over whether to sign a modest incremental contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board or effectively go freelance over the coming days, would be back only by the time the Bangladesh series rolls around in February next year.

"It is always hard to be without your two best players but that's the reality we are in, it is not going to be changing for a while so other people have to stand up," said Strauss. "Hopefully when they do return we have got more potential match-winners.

"In a good, functioning one-day team you have got match-winners everywhere.

"The top six have all got to be capable of getting one-day international hundreds. And hundreds generally win you games.

"We are all capable of doing that but we haven't done it. Until someone does do it we are always going to find things a little bit difficult."

Strauss is adamant Australia are beatable but they have extended their dominance to 11 wins out of 14 meetings with their Ashes rivals during this limited-overs campaign.

© PTI

India bat against Sri Lanka in tri-series final

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the tri-series final at the Premadasa stadium here on Monday.

India brought in batsman Virat Kohli in place of opener Dinesh Karthik, while Sri Lanka retained the same team that beat the Indians by 139 runs in a league match on Saturday.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Rudra Pratap Singh.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedara, Thilina Kandamby, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara.

Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WIS) and Asoka de Silva (SRI)

TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

cricbuzz.com

Vijender settles for bronze

NEW DELHI, Sep 12: Vijender Singh’s quest for a gold medal ended in heartbreak as he went down to Uzbekistan’s Abbos Atoev in the semi-finals, bringing down the curtains on India’s campaign by settling for a bronze at the World Boxing Championships in Milan, Italy.

The bronze with which he had to be content with after the 3-7 loss to Atoev late last night was Vijender’s third successive this year. But even in defeat, the Olympic bronze medallist scripted history by ending India’s medal drought in the elite event. “Obviously I am a bit disappointed but I am glad that I ended India’s medal jinx at this prestigious event,” the world number two, who was given the top seeding in Milan, said after the bout. The 23-year-old went into the bout as favourite, considering that he had beaten Atoev, a former light heavy weight champion, just a couple of months ago at the Asian Championships in China.

Shorten ODIs to 40 overs: Kumble

NEW DELHI, Sep 12: Former India captain Anil Kumble is the latest to join the debate on the future of One-dayers and has suggested that the 50-over version be shortened to 40 overs a side to save it from extinction.

With the advent of Twenty20 cricket, the future of ODIs is in jeopardy. The England and Wales Cricket Board recently scrapped a 50-over competition from its domestic calendar in 2010. “I don’t think ODIs are going to get extinct, but there is a little bit of threat on the development of the format. You need such innovations as Sachin (Tendulkar) suggested but my thought is to shorten ODIs from 50 to 40 overs,” Kumble said last night on the sidelines of Van Huesen India Men’s Fashion Week.

Ex-BCCI chief Dungarpur passes away

Former BCCI President Raj Singh Dungarpur died here on Saturday following protracted illness.

Affectionately called as 'Rajbhai' in the cricket fraternity, the 73-year-old Dungarpur, who was president of the Cricket Board for three years in the late 1990s, was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

A bachelor from the Dungarpur royal family of Rajasthan, he was also a former first class cricketer, a former India team manager and ex-chairman of the senior selection panel.

A former President of the Cricket Club of India for 13 years before he took ill last year, Dungarpur died at his residence this morning.

© PTI

Vijender loses in World Boxing semis, settles for bronze

Vijender Singh's

NEW DELHI: Vijender Singh's quest for a gold medal ended in heartbreak as he went down to Uzbekistan's Abbos Atoev in the middle weight semi-finals, bringing down the curtains on India's campaign by settling for a bronze at the World Boxing Championships in Milan, Italy.

The bronze with which he had to be content with after the 3-7 loss to Atoev late last night was Vijender's third successive this year.

But even in defeat, the Olympic bronze medallist scripted history by ending India's medal drought in the elite event.

"Obviously I am a bit disappointed but I am glad that I ended India's medal jinx at this prestigious event," the world number two, who was given the top seeding in Milan, said after the bout.

The 23-year-old went into the bout as favourite, considering that he had beaten Atoev, a former light heavy weight champion, just a couple of months ago at the Asian Championships in China.

Like his previous bouts, Vijender started off cautiously to take a slender 1-0 lead after the first three minutes but things went haywire from there on as Atoev staged an aggressive comeback.

The Uzbek, who fought without a guard, pushed Vijender to the backfoot with some hard-hitting straight jabs. The Indian couldn't land a single scoring punch and was trailing 1-5 at the end of the second round.

"It was not his day. He tried his level best but Atoev was very aggressive but Vijender also gave a good account of himself," national coach Gurbax Singh Sanshu said.

Vijender tried to claw back in the final round and reduced the points gap to 3-5 but an unrelenting Atoev ensured that the Indian could not beyond that.

The last time the Haryana boxer won more than a bronze medal was the Asian Championships in 2007, when he returned with a silver.

He has been settling for bronze medals ever since, starting with the Olympics in Beijing last year.

This year he managed bronze medals at the European Grand Prix in Czech Republic in May and the Asian Championships the next month.

"I have ended two of the biggest jinx in Indian boxing but I have been settling for bronze medals for a long time. Hopefully, I would end this jinx the next time I compete," he said.

TOI

Now, India's real test against Sri Lanka

Breaking News:



COLOMBO: The third match of the tri-series, between India and Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium on Saturday, is important for MS Dhoni and his boys
for more than one reason.

A win will not only earn them a spot in the final but the match will also give them vital practice before the Champions Trophy starts in South Africa on September 22 but the real test will come against Sri Lanka.

Dhoni said during a media briefing on Thursday that the team wanted to continue the winning run in Sri Lanka, having won both the bilateral series in 2008 and 2008-09.

"We know the conditions here and have won back-to-back series here during our previous two visits so we would like that continue," the skipper said.

But the Lankans too want to break that jinx. They have won the ODI series here against Pakistan recently and also triumphed in the Tests series against Pakistan and New Zealand. They would surely want to put the record straight against India.

"India are a good side, but we have been playing good cricket of late and everybody is in form so it should be a good contest," Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara said.

Squad:

Sri Lanka: KC Sangakkara (captain), M Muralitharan, CM Bandara, TM Dilshan, ST Jayasuriya, DPMD Jayawardene, SHT Kandamby, CK Kapugedera, KMDN Kulasekara, SL Malinga, AD Mathews, BAW Mendis, KTGD Prasad, TT Samaraweera, WU Tharanga, T Thushara

India: MS Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh, R Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, KD Karthik, V Kohli, P Kumar, A Mishra, AM Nayar, A Nehra, YK Pathan, SK Raina, I Sharma, RP Singh, SR Tendulkar.

TOI

Kumble's formula for revival of ODI cricket

Former India captain Anil Kumble

Former India captain Anil Kumble is the latest to join the debate on the future of one-dayers and has suggested that the 50-over version be shortened to 40 overs a side to save it from extinction.

With the advent of Twenty20 cricket, the future of ODIs is in jeopardy. The England and Wales Cricket Board recently scrapped a 50-over competition from its domestic calendar in 2010.

"I don't think ODIs are going to get extinct, but there is a little bit of threat on the development of the format," Kumble said.

"You need such innovations as Sachin suggested, but my thought is is to shorten ODIs from 50 to 40 overs," Kumble said last night on the sidelines of Van Huesen India Men's Fashion Week.

Tendulkar recently suggested that to infuse new life into ODIs, the format should be split into four innings of 25 overs a side.

Kumble is part of an ICC panel formed to resolve the ongoing deadlock between the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and Indian cricketers over the whereabouts clause.

In the ICC's International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) working group, Kumble is working alongside BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, ICC principal advisor I S Bindra, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat and Tim Kerr, the chairman of the ICC's Anti-Doping Panel.

Kumble, however, refused to comment on the players' concern on WADA's contentious 'whereabouts clause'.

"I am representing ICC in WADA so I can't really say anything," he said.

Incidentally, Kumble is also the cricketers' representative on WADA's Athlete Committee.

The talismanic former national captain , who guided Bangalore Royal Challengers to the final of the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa, feels Rahul Dravid's inclusion in the Indian ODI team will add balance to the already strong batting order.

"It's good to see Rahul's comeback in the ODI team. I am sure he will do well and his experience will be of great help for the team," Kumble said.

The 38-year-old former spinner, who has 619 Test and 337 ODI wickets in his 18-year career with the Indian team, also said that the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will face a transition problem once the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman bids adieu to the game.

"They (Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman) are still young and keen to play, so I think it's to early to predict anything, but any team will find it difficult to replace them. It is never easy to replace a Sachin Tendulkar," Kumble stated.

© PTI

Rain forces Monday men's final at US Open

NEW YORK

NEW YORK: A complete rain-out Friday at the US Open forced tournament officials to postpone the men's championship match to Monday for the second year in a row.

Six-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and Chilean 11th seed Fernando Gonzalez waited hours through a steady downpour before the completion of their suspended quarter-final from Thursday night was pushed to Saturday afternoon.

That postponed the semi-finals to Sunday and the final to Monday.

World number one Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray for his fifth US Open title in a row last year in the first Monday men's final since 1987, when Ivan Lendl defeated Mats Wilander for the crown.

Third-seeded Spaniard Nadal was aided by the delays, having aggravated an abdominal muscle strain Thursday night while seizing a 7-6 (7/4), 6-6 (3/2) advantage before play was halted.

Federer, the Swiss 15-time Slam champion, and Serbian fourth seed Novak Djokovic are set for one men's semi-final while Argentine sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro awaits the Nadal-Gonzalez winner in the other.

Nadal, who hopes to complete a career Grand Slam with a US Open title, was also hit by rain last year when his US Open semi-final against Britain's Murray was halted in the third set and finished on Sunday.

News was nearly as bleak on the women's side, with defending champion Serena Williams to meet Belgium's Kim Clijsters and Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki to face Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer on Saturday after their semi-finals were postponed.

The men's doubles final and a women's doubles semi-final were also moved to Saturday. While breaks in the drizzle Friday allowed for some attempts to dry the courts, conditions were never near being playable.

"It's such a light mist the radar can't even pick it up, but it's still unplayable," US Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said.

A US flag flew at half-staff over Arthur Ashe Stadium in memory of those who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Federer could match Bill Tilden's 83-year-old record of six consecutive US Open titles with another crown, continuing a tradition of historic US Open Monday finals.

Don Budge completed the first calendar-year Grand Slam in 1938 after a hurricane halted play for a record six days. Rod Laver finished off the second men's Slam with a Monday win in 1962 and his second Slam in 1969 on a Monday.

TOI

ICC to trial Tendulkar's ODI-splitting idea

One-day matches into two innings of 25 overs each,

LONDON: International Cricket Council is now planning to split One-day matches into two innings of 25 overs each, an idea mooted by the Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar earlier this month.

In order to spice up the One-day format, Tendulkar had proposed that every team should play two innings of 25 overs each and ICC cricket manager Dave Richardson said the governing body might soon conduct a trial.

"I quite like that idea, I believe South Africa may trial something along those lines," Richardson said.

"This might work in day/night cricket where one team has to bat in day and the other at night. It provides something different and reduces the effects on the team who loses the toss and has to bat first on a damp wicket, for example," he said.

Even though Tendulkar aired his view earlier this month, Richardson said the idea had popped up in the past as well and came up for discussion at annual meeting of the ICC cricket committee in May.

One-day cricket is already facing tough challenge from Twenty20 and the England and Wales Cricket Board scrapped Friends Provident trophy, the only 50-over domestic tournament, in favour of a Twenty20 event.

Richardson, however, is concerned that splitting it into two innings would mean less centuries as batsmen would have less overs to bat.

"I don't necessarily like the idea of playing two matches of 25 overs each with the openers batting again. The charm of One-day cricket is seeing someone batting at four and scoring a good hundred," Richardson said.

"If you bat in the middle order of a Twenty20 or a new 25-over innings, you're not to get much of an opportunity to hit three figures, one downside of the Twenty20 game," he said.

He, however, made it clear that such an experiment should be conducted at the domestic level before pushing it into international cricket.

"If it has been trialled successfully at domestic level, it may give the trial to give it the go-ahead at international level," he said.

"The ICC has been proactive with ideas and innovations, like the powerplays. The idea of the 'super-sub' wasn't as successful and got rid of quite quickly. One of the criticisms was that we trialled things at international as opposed to domestic level.

"Our tactics going forward are member countries trial changes first domestically and if they are successful, then we can take them on board at the international level," Richardson said.

The ICC cricket committee will discuss the result of the experiment when it meets next year.

Source:TOI

Michelle Obama to pitch for Chicago Olympics

Washington,

Washington, Sep 12 (PTI) US First Lady Michelle Obama would travel to Denmark's capital Copenhagen next month in support of Chicago's historic bid for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

On October 2, Michelle Obama will attend the 121st International Olympic Committee Session at the Bella Centre ? Copenhagen Congress Centre, where the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics will be selected from the remaining four candidate cities: Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

"President Obama informed IOC President Count Jacques Rogge today that the fight to pass health insurance reform keeps him from committing at this time to travel to Copenhagen on October 2, but he will continue to work to support Chicago's bid along with the First Lady and Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to the President, who will accompany the First Lady to Copenhagen," the White House said today.

India beat New Zealand to reach tri-series final

Brief score:

Colombo, Sep 11 (PTI) India beat New Zealand by six wickets to reach the final of the Compaq Cup tri-series here tonight.

Brief score:

New Zealand: 155 all out in 46.3 overs.

India : 156 for 4 in 40.3 overs (Sachin Tendulkar 46, Suresh Raina 45 not, MS Dhoni 35; Daniel Vettori 2/33).

Collingwood and Anderson rested

Paul Collingwood

England stars Paul Collingwood and James Anderson will be rested for the next three and two matches respectively in the current one-day international series against Australia.

Durham batsman Collingwood and Lancashire pace bowler Anderson have not missed an England fixture since early February and will finally get a chance to rest their weary limbs after being told they can leave the squad preparing for Saturday's match at Lord's.

Although England are 3-0 down in the seven-match series and need a victory on Saturday to have any chance of winning the series, it was decided that the strain of such a heavy schedule in the aftermath of the Ashes triumph has taken its toll on the duo.

Former England one-day captain Collingwood will return for the final match of the campaign at Chester-le-Street next weekend.

Anderson, meanwhile, will join up with the squad again for the second of back-to-back day-nighters at Trent Bridge.

England jet out to South Africa for the Champions Trophy on September 21, which means the only chance to combat player fatigue is to rest them against world champions Australia despite the threat of a series thrashing.

Despite this short break, Collingwood, 33, faces the prospect of virtually 12 months without a decent break.

He has been engaged in international action since January 20 and is contractually obliged to make himself available for Delhi Daredevils in next month's Champions League.

That club tournament takes place during a three-and-a-half-week lull for England's players, who leave for the tour of South Africa on November 1.

That tour comprises four Tests and five one-day internationals and finishes on January 18.

Nehra, Ishant should be the strike bowlers

pace spearhead Javagal Srinath

Former pace spearhead Javagal Srinath today said young pacer Ishant Sharma should be the strike bowler for India with Ashish Nehra in the absence of injured frontline speedster Zaheer Khan.

Brushing aside concerns that the gangling Delhi pacer was not in his elements, Srinath said, "Ishant is still a strike bowler. Ashish (Nehra) and Ishant should lead as strike bowlers in the absence of Zaheer. Ishant has good attitude and fitness."

Sharma, who has taken 52 wickets in 18 Tests and 42 wickets in 30 ODIs, has grabbed only five wickts while conceding 210 runs in the last five ODIs that he played in New Zealand and West Indies.

In three Tests this year in New Zealand the 21-year-old bowler claimed eight wickets while giving away 334 runs.

Srinath, who was here to conduct a two-day seminar for domestic match referees ahead of the season, also said the other Delhi pacer, 30-year-old Nehra, was a good substitute for Zaheer who is unavailable till the end of the year.

"Nehra is a good replacement for Zaheer," said the Bangalore stalwart who is on the seven-man ICC match referees panel.

Srinath said the absence of regular openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir would lead to changes in the top order.

"Gautam and Viru are pivotal. Their absence will bring in lot of changes at the top and somebody should step and face the challenge," he said.

Sehwag is out of action since May following a shoulder injury that needed surgery and is set to make his comeback in the Champions T20 League next month for Delhi Daredevils.

In-form Gambhir, set to partner Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the order in Sri Lanka, had to return yesterday from the island nation after he was found to be unfit because of a groin injury. He has been advised rest for ten days.

Another Delhi player, flamboyant rookie Virat Kohli, has been sent as Gambhir's replacement.

© PTI