Lankan official reviews security arrangements ahead of cricket tour

Kanpur, Nov 5: After the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan earlier this year, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board is leaving no stones unturned to ensure their team’s safety during the island nation’s Test and ODI tour in India starting this month. A special Security Consultant, Lorence Fernando, has flown to India and is visiting various States to review the security arrangements in the stadiums where the Sri Lankan team is scheduled to play. He visited Kanpur on Thursday and expressed satisfaction at the security arrangements that he has been promised. “I’m visiting all the district associations, our team is visiting ten states. So, I’m happy with the arrangements made by the district associations and also by the senior police officers, in charge. We have discussed the matter at length and I’m sure they will have very good security here,” Fernando said. Earlier in March, six Sri Lankan cricketers and their British assistant coach were wounded when militants attacked their bus in Lahore. The Sri Lanka team will arrive in India on November 8 and play tests in Ahmedabad, Kanpur and Mumbai. Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Cuttack, Kolkata and Delhi will each host a one-day international, while the Twenty20s will be played in Nagpur and Mohali. (Agencies)

Oz clinch thriller

Hyderabad, Nov 5: Australia beat India by 3 runs despite a heroic innings played by Sachin Tendulkar (175) in the 5th ODI in Hyderabad on Thursday. Australian bowlers hold their nerves in the dying overs to finish Indian tail in the 50th over.

Earlier, A belligerent century stand between openers Shaun Marsh (112) and Shane Watson (93) powered an injury-hit Australia to an imposing 350 for four in the fifth cricket ODI against India here today.

Strapping Queensland all-rounder Watson smashed 93 off 89 balls with three sixes and eight fours, while left-handed Western Australian Marsh initially played the second fiddle before stepping up his run-rate to make his first ODI century in his 19th appearance.The 26-year-old son of former Australian opener Geoff made a run-a-ball 112 with the help of two sixes and eight fours, putting on 145 runs for the first wicket with Watson.Marsh was out in the slog phase, caught just inside the boundary line off Ashish Nehra.