About spot-fixing

Spot fixing has emerged as the latest threat to the integrity of cricket after the match-fixing scandal which rocked the game 10 years ago.

British police arrested a 35-year-old man on Saturday on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers after a newspaper report that Pakistan pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had bowled three deliberate no-balls in the fourth test against England at Lord's.

WHAT IS SPOT-FIXING?

Spot-fixing involves a player agreeing to perform to order by pre-arrangement. For example, a bowler might deliberately bowl consecutive wides in his second over or a batsman could make sure he does not reach double figures.

Twenty20 cricket is particularly susceptible because so much happens so quickly that individual performances can soon be forgotten or dismissed as inconsequential.

Tim May, the chief executive of the international players' union FICA, is one of several influential figures in the game who believes that the number of Twenty20 matches now being

played could tempt players to take money from bookmakers in return for spot fixing.

WHO BENEFITS?

Betting on cricket matches televised in the Indian sub-continent is a hugely lucrative business. Fortunes can be made if a gambler knows in advance what a particular bowler or

batsman is going to do. Bets can be placed on every delivery.

Only betting on horse racing at trackside is allowed in India but in practice around half of a market worth billions of dollars is estimated to be illegal betting, mostly on cricket.

WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE OF SPOT-FIXING?

Rumours have abounded since the advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL) two years ago although nobody has ever been charged. During last year's Ashes tour of England an Australian player reported that he had been approached by a suspected illegal bookmaker in the team's London hotel.

Former England captain Michael Atherton said in a newspaper column earlier this year that one leading former international had told him "categorically" that spot-fixing was a regular occurrence.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif told Reuters this year that he knew of match-fixing in the now defunct Indian Cricket League.

WHAT WAS THE MATCH-FIXING SCANDAL?

Three international captains Hansie Cronje (South Africa), Salim Malik (Pakistan) and Mohammed Azharuddin (India) were banned for life in 2000 for helping to influence the results of matches.

Match-fixing had become established in one-day cricket in the 1990s and suspicion centred, in particular, on the one-day tournaments staged at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

As a result of the scandal the International Cricket Counci(ICC) founded its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to monitor all international matches. The ACSU monitored the IPL tournament in India this year but not the second edition in South Africa last year because the Indian board thought the fee charged by the ICC was too high.

© Reuters

Dhoni loses top spot, Sehwag rises in ICC ODI rankings Read more: Dhoni loses top spot, Sehwag rises in ICC ODI rankings

DUBAI: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost his number one spot but opening batsman Virender Sehwag gained eight places to return to the top- 10 at eighth in the ICC ODI rankings issued on Sunday.

India held on to the second spot in the team rankings despite losing the tri-series final to Sri Lanka last night.

Sri Lanka, sixth before the series, are just behind India, and in front of South Africa, who drop to fourth, when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

New Zealand drop to sixth from fourth as Australia, at the top, and England, in fifth spot, remain unchanged.

In individual rankings, Tillakaratne Dilshan broke into the top five of the batting chart.

Dilshan's match-winning effort of 110 in the final against India last night was enough to earn him a three-place boost in the rankings and he now sits in fourth position, level with Hashim Amla of South Africa.

Amla's team-mate AB de Villiers has benefited from Dhoni's slip with the 26-year-old from Pretoria taking over at the top of the rankings.

The other main mover upwards in the top 10 is Sehwag, who was declared Man-of-the-Series in Sri Lanka.

The hard-hitting opener was the series' top-scorer with 268 at an average of 67 and that effort has moved him up eight places on the rankings to eighth place.

Sachin Tendulkar, who was rested from the tri-series, lost four places and now sits in 10th position. A player loses half a per cent of his rating for every ODI he misses.

In the list for bowlers, India pacer Praveen Kumar has gained five places to break into the top 10 for the first time in his career.

The 23-year-old took nine wickets in the Sri Lanka tri-series at an average of 23.66 and now sits in 10th position in the ladder, level with Pakistan's Shahid Afridi.
TOI

Saina Nehwal racing towards World No. 1 spot

HYDERABAD: It looks like God is on the side of Saina Nehwal and is clearing the path for the Indian badminton ace's rise to No. 1 in world rankings.

While Saina Nehwal is doing her bit to achieve the distinction by progressing up the bottom half of the singles draw at the World Championships in Paris, her task was made easier on Thursday by the early exit of the current world number one and top seed China's Wang Yihan.

With Yihan becoming a third round victim to Eriko Hirose of Japan, not only the biggest hurdle is out of Saina's path but the equation now got simplified to just two players: Saina and the third ranked Wang Xin.

At the moment Saina is 56183.3531 points behind Yihan and she can wipe out that deficit with a semifinal appearance that would fetch her 6,600 points.

But she would then come face to face with Wang Xin, the only player who appears to have the chance to prove Saina's nemesis, presuming that the Chinese would come through her quarter of the draw unscathed.

Wang is already breathing down Saina's neck, with just about 3,500 points separating the two. And should she manage to beat the Indian in the semifinals, she would also win the race for the No. 1 ranking.

Before that, however, Saina is likely to come up against another Chinese wall, Wang Shixian, in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Ranked sixth at the start of the tournament, the Chinese moved to fourth rank on Thursday and is expected to come through her third round match against Yao Jie of the Netherlands.

Notwithstanding the two Chinese thorns strewn in her path, Saina is expected to sail past them. And given the manner of her victory over Russia's Ella Diehl in the third round on Thursday, the scales look tilted fully in her favour. Saina took just 40 minutes to oust Ella and extend her domination over the Russian to 5-0.

TOI

Buzz Up Kumar, Sehwag help India enter final

Dambulla: Praveen Kumar grabbed three early wickets and Virender Sehwag smashed a superb century as India entered the tri-series final with an emphatic 105-run win over New Zealand on Wednesday.

India, with 10 points from four matches, will clash with Sri Lanka (11 from four) in the final on Saturday. New Zealand finished their league engagements with seven points.

Paceman Kumar finished with 3-34 as New Zealand, chasing a 224-run target, were shot out for 118 in 30.1 overs - their lowest total against India in One-Day Internationals.

India were indebted to Sehwag for posting a competitive total as the hard-hitting opener cracked one six and 16 fours in a 93-ball 110 for his 13th one-day hundred. India virtually wrapped up the match when they sent New Zealand struggling at 22-4 in the ninth over, with Kumar taking three wickets.

Tail-ender Kyle Mills hammered an entertaining 52 for his second half-century in one-dayers, but his knock came too late to stop India from the winning the match. Mills hit three sixes and seven fours in his 35-ball knock.

Kane Williamson (13), Grant Elliott (11) and Tim Southee (10) were the others to reach double-figures in New Zealand's disappointing batting performance. Fast bowlers Munaf Patel (3-21) and Ashish Nehra (2-10) were India's other main wicket-takers.

New Zealand paceman Southee (4-49) and off-spinner Nathan McCullum (3-35) earlier shared seven wickets to bowl India out for a modest total despite Sehwag's century.

India were tottering at 66-4 in 13 overs after electing to bat when Sehwag propped up the innings with a 107-run stand for the fifth wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (38).

Southee, Mills (2-42) and Andy McKay (1-31) tested the Indian batsmen with pace and bounce in their lively opening spells to help New Zealand seize the early initiative. Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina all failed to reach double-figures.

Southee took two wickets while Mills and McKay grabbed one apiece before Sehwag and Dhoni steadied the innings with their sensible knocks. Although wickets fell at regular intervals from one end, Sehwag kept playing attacking strokes from the other and raced to his half-century off 41 balls when he hit seamer Scott Styris through the covers for his ninth four.

Sehwag then hit McCullum for a straight six and a four through the covers off successive deliveries. He took 46 more balls to complete his century, with a single off spinner Williamson.

The Indian opener fell playing shots, caught at deep mid-wicket by Bradley-John Watling off McCullum in the 33rd over. McCullum struck again when he had Dhoni caught by wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins, who took four catches.

Sehwag remains second in ICC Test rankings

Virender Sehwag is the highest-ranked Indian batsman in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Sunday, occupying the second spot. Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara leads the batting table with Michael Clarke of Australia in the third spot. In the bowling list, Pakistan's fast bowler Mohammad Amir has rocketed to a career-best 17th after playing a leading role in his side's four-wicket victory over England in The Oval Test which concluded on Saturday.

Man of the match Amir took 1-49 and 5-52 in the Test and was awarded with a jump of 14 places in the rankings, which puts him just behind Paul Harris of South Africa and makes him the third Pakistan fast bowler in the top 20.

For England, off-spinner Graeme Swann has moved up one place to regain his second position on the bowling chart.

Swann, who had match figures of 7-118, had first climbed to second position in March this year after the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.

In the Rankings for batsmen, Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf, Umar Akmal and Azhar Ali, and England's Alastair Cook and Matt Prior all rose up the rankings.

Yousuf, who scored 56 and 33, has climbed two places to 14th position with India's Gautam Gambhir firmly within his sights. Umar has jumped six places to share 41st position with Australia's Phillip Hughes and Azhar has vaulted 28 places to 55th spot.

There is no change in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player rankings for Test all-rounders with Jacques Kallis of South Africa leading the field.

Meanwhile, England's four-wicket defeat has ended its chances of moving ahead of fourth-placed Australia in the ICC Test Championship.

© PTI

Perera fires Sri Lanka into final

Thisara Perera bagged a maiden five-wicket haul to help Sri Lanka storm into the triangular one-day series final with a crushing eight-wicket win over India.

The 21-year-old seamer, playing his first match of the tournament, finished with 5-28 off 7.4 tight overs as India were shot out for 103 in 33.4 overs -- their third-lowest total against Sri Lanka in one-day internationals.

The total was not enough to put pressure on Sri Lanka, who completed the win in just 15.1 overs in the day-night match in Dambulla.

The hosts finished their league engagements with 11 points from four matches, while New Zealand have seven points and India five after three games.

The winners of the last league match between India and New Zealand on Wednesday will qualify for the final.

Sri Lanka put in a solid all-round performance in the must-win match as their batsmen backed their fast bowlers, with Tillakaratne Dilshan (35) and Mahela Jayawardene (33) adding 79 for the opening wicket in 9.2 overs.

Skipper Kumar Sangakkara (13 not out) finished the match when he drove paceman Ishant Sharma through the covers for a four. Upul Tharanga remained unbeaten with 12.

Yuvraj Singh earlier top-scored with a fighting 38 in a disappointing Indian batting performance after the tourists elected to bat.

Opener Virender Sehwag (12), Rohit Sharma (11) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (10) were the others to reach double-figures.

Yuvraj was unlucky to be given out leg-before off paceman Lasith Malinga (2-21) as TV replays suggested the ball would have missed the stumps. He was the ninth man out after hitting one six and five fours in his 64-ball knock.

Sri Lanka jolted India when paceman Nuwan Kulasekara (2-31) trapped Sehwag leg-before and had Dinesh Karthik (nine) caught behind in a lively opening spell.

Perera, who played his last one-dayer in Zimbabwe in June, then wrecked the middle order when he claimed four wickets in five overs to dash India's hopes of posting a challenging total.

He was once on a hat-trick when he had Ravindra Jadeja caught by Chamara Silva at gully and Praveen Kumar caught by Tharanga at mid-off with his next delivery. Perera ended the innings in the 34th over when he bowled Ishant Sharma.

The Sri Lankan pacemen were well supported by wicket-keeper Sangakkara, who took four catches.
Cricbuzz

Greg Chappell to be National Talent Manager

Cricket Australia (CA) has appointed Australian cricket legend and current Centre of Excellence (COE) Head Coach Greg Chappell as its first National Talent Manager (NTM), a role which will see him become Australian cricket's first full-time selector.

Chappell, who played 87 Tests and 74 One Day Internationals for Australia, will give up his current role as the Head Coach of COE in Brisbane and move to Melbourne for the new role.

CA General Manager Cricket Michael Brown said he was delighted that a person like Chappel, who has a vast depth of experience and expertise in elite cricket, will be taking on the new role.

"We began a detailed review of our cricket pathway program more than four years ago and this appointment is the final step in that comprehensive process," Mr Brown said.

"Greg will work closely with the State cricket talent development managers and with the national selectors in a system that now gives us a tightly integrated, national talent identification and management system across all Australian cricket.

"A well-defined national pathway which has all of Australian elite cricket pulling in one direction in the interests of our international performance is critically important in what is becoming a steadily more competitive international cricket environment."

Mr Brown also said CA would start recruiting a replacement head coach immediately for the COE.

With Chappell becoming a full-time selector, he will fulfill another important role as being the National Selection Panel communication point for players, coaches and other cricket stakeholders such as the media.

Chappell said: "I am really excited by the challenge of this new role - from a talent management point of view, this will be an exciting period for Australian cricket.

"I have enjoyed the COE Head Coach role as I was able to work with a talented group of coaches and support staff to assist and develop the next generation of Australian cricketers. The new role dovetails beautifully for me as they will be the immediate future of Australian cricket."

He expects to take up the new role as soon as the current COE program debriefing of state cricket associations is finished within the next month.

Andrew Hilditch will continue to chair the National Selection Panel (NSP) and Chappell will join as one of its four members.

Among his other cricketing laurels, Greg Chappell was also inducted in to the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2002.

Cricbuzz

New Zealand rule out Pakistan trip

New Zealand cricket chiefs on Monday backed the idea of fundraising matches for flood-ravaged Pakistan but ruled out the prospect of the Black Caps travelling there.

Reports from Pakistan indicated New Zealand had offered to play there to raise funds for flood victims, but New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said his message to the Pakistan Cricket Board had been misconstrued.

"At no point did we offer that the Black Caps would be touring as they certainly won't be playing there this year," Vaughan said.

"But it would be nice to think that in a cricket-loving country such as Pakistan that cricket could play a part in alleviating some of the suffering that is going on there."

International cricket came to an abrupt end in Pakistan in March last year after a terror attack on the touring Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

The near month-long floods in Pakistan have killed 1,500 people and affected up to 20 million nationwide in the country's worst natural disaster.

But with foreign cricket teams not prepared to play in the country because of security concerns, Vaughan said it was up to the Pakistan Cricket Board to organise fundraisers outside the country.

New Zealand Cricket Players' Association manager Heath Mills backed the idea of cricket to raise money, but added: "But at this point in time there is no way anyone can consider putting a cricket team into Pakistan to play."

He added that he did not envisage the Black Caps going to Pakistan "in the short term".

© AFP

Sehwag scores 105, but denied ton against Sri Lanka Read more: Sehwag scores 105, but denied ton against Sri Lanka

DAMBULLA: Virender Sehwag was left stranded on 99 as Sri Lankan spinner Suraj Randiv bowled a no-ball with India and Sehwag both needing a run, the team for victory and the batsman for his century. Sehwag hit the ball for a six but according to cricket rules got no runs.

Before the tri-series started, MS Dhoni had said he didn’t mind playing so many one-dayers against Sri Lanka since the matches were largely controversy-free. On Monday, rookie Lankan off-spinner Suraj Randiv had a brain freeze which could change the dynamics of this rivalry forever.

In the 35th over, India needed one run to win and Virender Sehwag also needed one to complete his century. In what appeared a deliberate and foul contravention of the spirit of the game, Randiv, coming from around the wicket, bowled the biggest no-ball seen in recent times, with even his backfoot close to over-stepping. Sehwag hit a six and raised his arms in celebration before realizing India’s win had come about with the no-ball and he would be left stranded on 99. Coincidentally - or was it? - this came immediately after Randiv had fired four byes.

India won with a bonus point chasing 171 but all hell broke loose immediately after. Both Sehwag and Sri Lankan skipperKumar Sangakkara were courteous at the post-match presentation but presented a different face immediately after. Sangakkara lambasted Randiv in front of the dressing room.

Sehwag said: "I did not know the rule when I was batting. They should have shown sportsman’s spirit. If there is a player on 99, it does not mean you bowl a no-ball, give away four byes. That has no place in cricket. It was done deliberately. He hadn’t bowled a no-ball in Tests and ODIs till now, when I was on 99 why did he bowl a no-ball? I don’t need to see videos, he was a foot outside. I’m not the opposing captain, so I don’t know what happened, but something must have been said (to the bowler) by either the captain or the seniors. This is not the first time Sri Lanka have done this. They might have done it with other teams but with us this is the second time."

Sehwag was referring to an incident in Cuttack last year. With Tendulkar at the non-striker’s end batting on 96, and India needing two runs to win, Malinga had bowled a wide down the leg side.

The indications are there could be repercussions to this episode which might have a lasting impact on the player involved, if not the Lankan captain himself. Will the game’s guardians too have a rethink on the law?

Unlike Sehwag, Sangakkara did not mention that he wasn’t aware of the rule, but said he would address the issue very, very strongly in the dressing room if he found out something had been said to the player and the act was proved deliberate. Sangakkara denied he had any role to play in the incident. "If that was intentional that has got no place on the field of cricket. If it is deliberate I will have to have a chat with him and make sure things like that don’t happen again. I will also have to see if there was any talk about it on the field prior to that delivery. Suraj is a nice guy, I hope it’s not deliberate. Maybe he was trying to bowl the doosra, get some bounce."

The MCC also has serious rethinking to do about the rule which states a match is over with a no-ball. It’s similar to a player hitting a four with one run needed, but if the batsmen cross before the ball reaches the boundary, it is counted as one and the match declared over.

Sangakkara, however, strongly disapproved: "I think if a batsman scores the runs, he should get the runs as his own
whether it is a no-ball or not. Viru deserved to get a hundred."

After venting his ire, Viru played down the issue, saying the important thing was India had won. "They have done it because no team wants to have a hundred scored against them. I don’t think there will be a change in the spirit of the series." That, however, remains to be seen.

TOI

Sehwag guides India to six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka

DAMBULLA: Sri Lanka prevented Virender Sehwag (99 not out) from scoring a century but could not stop him from steering India to a comfortable six-wicket win in the tri-series on Monday.

India needed just five runs to chase down the 171-run target and Sehwag just one run to get his hundred when Lankan spinner Suraj Randiv came in to bowl 35th over of the Indian innings.

The off-spinner gave four byes in the first ball, which kept a little low, bowled two dot balls, and then bowled a big no-ball, which Sehwag smashed out of ground.

Since it was a no-ball, no runs were added to Sehwag's score and he remained not out on 99.

It looked a deliberate no-ball since Randiv's back foot was where bowlers normally have their front foot while bowling.

Sehwag though had no complaints as when match ended he said, "Bowlers try to do that when batsmen are on 99. Fair enough."

The win, which was set up by the bowlers, brought India's tri-series campaign back on track as they had suffered a huge 200-run loss in the opening match against New Zealand.

India's pacers and spinners rose to occasion and exploited the helpful conditions to bundle out Sri Lanka for a paltry 170 after Kumar Sangakkara elected to bat.

Sehwag was the hero of Indian chase as he batted through the innings in his terrific 99-run knock, which was a mix of control and aggression.

Sehwag's knock was a responsible one as it came in a tricky situation and under challenging circumstances.

India's top-order had collapsed at the beginning and Suresh Rania (21) also threw his wicket after getting his eye in but Sehwag held the Indian innings together and in company of M S Dhoni (23) steered his side to win.

Sehwag's 99 came off 100 balls with 11 fours and two sixes and Dhoni also supported him well with his 38-ball knock and had two fours.

India lost Dinesh Karthik (10), Virat Kohli (0) and Rohit Sharma (0) in quick succession early in the innings.

Skipper Kumar Sangakkara's decision to bat backfired as Indian bowlers were all over the hosts right from the first ball when Upul Tharanga was clean bowled by Praveen Kumar.

Had Suraj Randiv (43) and Nuwan Kulasekara (22) not played defiant knocks down the order, the hosts innings would have been wearing a more miserable look.

They put up a 39-run stand, highest of Lankan innings, for the eighth wicket to help Sri Lanka go past the 150-mark.

Tillakaratane Dilshan (45) was the only top-order batsman who showed stomach for fight but fell while going for an extravagant shot when situation demanded patience.

The pace trio of Kumar (2/20), Ishant Sharma (2/32) and Ashish Nehra (1/39) blew away the host top-order to start the devastation of the Lankan innings.

The spinners -- Pragyan Ojha (3/36) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/34) -- joined the party and broke the back of the Lankan innings with lethal blows.

In an ominous start for home side, opener Tharanga and his teammates were shell shocked when a swinging first ball of the match by Praveen Kumar uprooted the stumps.

The heavy conditions were ideal for bowling and Indian pacers rose to the occasion.

Soon skipper Kumar Sangakkara (2) fell to Nehra and Mahela Jayawardene (4) became second victim of Kumar.

Lanky Ishant got his first wicket in Thilan Samaraweera (7) and Lankan innings was in complete disarray.

They never recovered from the early shocks and Ojha and Jadeja kept the pressure by taking wickets.

Dilshan was batting beautifully from the other end but lost patience and top-edged to Rohit Sharma off Ojha.

Jadeja struck twice by removing Chamara Kapugedara and Angelo Mathews to puncture all Lankan hopes.

TOI

India in battle of survival against Sri Lanka

DAMBULLA (Sri Lanka): Mauled by a depleted New Zealand in the opening game, injury-ravaged and battle-weary India will have to raise their game significantly against Sri Lanka in the second match to stay afloat in the one-day cricket tri-series on Monday.

It has been frustrating for India after the drawn Test series against Sri Lanka, which ended just a couple of days before the ODIs.

They lost the opening match to New Zealand due to a stunning batting collapse, have been unhappy with the training facilities at the Ranagiri Stadium and have reportedly even shot off a letter to the BCCI seeking an end to such excruciating scheduling.

Injuries have wrecked the balance of the squad and a bowling reinforcement has already been called in Munaf Patel to cover for the off-colour Ishant Sharma, who is nursing a knee problem.

Bowled out for 88 in the opening match against a rag-tag New Zealand attack, India have a lot of soul-searching to do.

Missing the services of reliable willow-wielders such as Sachin Tendulkar, who has been rested, and the injured Gautam Gambhir, Indian line-up does not look as formidable as it is reputed to be.

Adding to the woes is the continuing poor run of the otherwise explosive Yuvraj Singh.

The swashbuckling left-hander, who can turn the game on its head when in flow, has had a miserable run so far and it would be quite a task for him to regain form.

Younger batsmen such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain unpredictable and are yet to prove themselves consistent enough.

On the bowling front, although Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra have done a decent job in the absence of injured pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, they have not got the requisite support in the middle overs.

Against New Zealand, the Indians let it slip after reducing Ross Taylor's men to 28 for three in the first 10 overs and ended up chasing a formidable 289 due to the mid-innings bowling slump.

In the absence of Harbhajan Singh, the spin department looked ineffective as Pragyan Ojha failed to replicate his fine Test form in the series opener.

The only all-rounder in the side, Ravindra Jadeja, continues to struggle with both the bat and ball, which has made it quite difficult for skipperMahendra Singh Dhoni to find the right balance.

The Lankans, on the other hand, made a winning start to their campaign although the victory was a rather hard-fought one against the gritty Kiwis.

The bowling looked in remarkable form as the likes of Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews ripped through New Zealand's batting line-up but their batting did threaten to let the team down.

The uneven bounce of the track unsettled the hosts and had it not been for the patient knocks by opener Upul Tharanga and skipper Kumar Sangakkara, Taylor and Co. could well have caused another upset.

However, the Lankan batting is not prone to frequent collapses and it would be quite a task for the so far unimpressive Indian bowlers to contain hard-hitters such as Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Sangakkara and Tharanga.

A lot would also depend on the toss as the teams batting second have complained about the floodlights not being effective enough.

The Teams (from):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Saurabh Tiwary, Munaf Patel.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (c), Mahela Jayawardene (vc), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dilhara Fernando, Rangana Herath, Suraj Randiv, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Thisara Perera, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga.

Match starts 2.30 pm (IST).

TOI

Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 3 wicket Read more: Tri-series: Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 3 wickets

DAMBULLA (Sri Lanka): Sri Lanka huffed and puffed to a three-wicket win over New Zealand in the second ODI of the tri-series and helped India reclaim the second spot in the ICC ODI team rankings on Friday.

India had surrendered the second position to Kiwis after the humiliating 200-run loss in the series-opener.

Opener Upul Tharanga (70 off 109) was top scorer in Sri Lanka's haphazard chase as Sri Lanka scored 195 for seven in 40.5 overs in a target of 193.

New Zealand, electing to bat, were all out for 192 in 48.1 overs after Sri Lanka's pace duo of Lasith Malinga (3/35) and Angelo Mathews (3/36) shared six wickets between them.

The Kiwi total was built around some good effort by debutant BJ Watling (55) and Nathan McCullum (36).

The low-scoring match at Rangiri Dambulla stadium was a dull affair as only 32 boundaries, including just two sixes, were scored in the flood-lit encounter.

New Zealand, who had 117 rating points before this match, lost three points to slip to fourth spot behind South Africa (115).

India gained a position to second with 116 points behind leaders Australia (132).

Like the Kiwis, Sri Lankan made a wretched start, losing opener Tilakkaratne Dilshan (5) in the third over.

Tharanga raised a 85-run stand for the second wicket with skipper Kumar Sangakkara (48) to steady the innings and then along with Thilan Samaraweera (36 off 38) steered the hosts close to win.

But once Tharanga departed in the 37th over, wickets started tumbling and the hosts were reduced from a comfortable 162 for four to 180 for seven in a gap of 14 balls.

However, seasoned Samarweera kept his cool and brought his side home with 9.1 overs to spare.

Tharanga's patient knock had nine boundaries and Samarweera helped himself with four boundaries with last one coming for winning runs off Kyle Mills.

Mills was the highest wicket taker for the Kiwis with outstanding figures of 4 for 41.

Earlier, after a high in the opening match, in which they beat India by a massive 200 runs, the Kiwis hit a low with half of their side returning back to the pavilion inside 23.1 overs.

The Black Caps were off to a bad start, losing opener Martin Guptill in the second ball of the first over.

Trying to cut an away going delivery of Malinga, Guptill's leading edge landed in Chamara Kapugedera's safe hands at backward point.

Mathews then struck twice in the 11th over, trapping skipper Ross Taylor (16) in front of wicket off the first ball and then removed Kane Williamson (0) in the third ball, caught at first slip by Thilan Samaraweera.

Rangana Herath then dismissed removed Scott Styris (24) caught at first slip by Mahela Jayawardene, while in the next over Watling was also sent packing by Mathews as New Zealand slipped to 101 for five in 23.1 over.

Malinga then dealt two more blows, getting rid of Gareth Hopkins (11) and Daryl Tuffey (0) in consecutive deliveries.

Mills (11) was the next to go when Herath's flighted delivery got the leading edge of his blade and long-off fielder Mathews took a running catch as the visitors plummeted to 143 for eight in 37 overs.

Second highest scorer, Nathan McCullum (36) gave some respectability to the New Zealand innings before perishing in the 45th over.

Tim Southee (13) and AJ McKay (4) tried to push the score close to the 200-mark but the effort went in vain.

TOI

Tendulkar welcomes Oz split formula trial

MUMBAI: Sachin Tendulkar has welcomed Cricket Australia's move to split a one-day innings into two halves. He feels once the method is put into practice, the players will be able to figure out how good the new system is.


Speaking to TOI on Friday, the master batsman said, "I am glad it's being tried out in Australia. I feel once the players have tried out this format, they will be in a better position to judge if the format works or not."

Tendulkar was one of the first cricketers to suggest that one-dayers should be split into two innings in September 2009.

The 37-year-old had said that the idea first struck him in 2002 when the final of the Champions Trophy between India and Sri Lanka could not be completed despite 110 overs of cricket being played over two days.

"First, they played 50 overs and we played two overs before the rain interruption. The next day, Sri Lanka again played 50 overs and we played eight. In the end we were declared joint winners. 110 overs and still no result! That is when I thought we should have 25 overs first for one side and then the other. And then once again 25 overs for one side and then the other," he had explained.

Tendulkar feels that the new formula would add to the excitement of the game in the age of Twenty20. It would also negate the luck factor of the toss and provide a level-playing field.

"Today, we can tell the result of close to 75% of matches after the toss. We know how conditions will affect the two teams. But it (splitting the game into two innings) is not too dependent on the toss because, (if) it's a day-night match, then both the teams will have to bat under lights. And if it rains, you can plan for that too," Tendulkar had opined.

The administrators Down Under seem to have taken note of Sachin's observation.

TOI

1st ODI: New Zealand crush India by 200 runs Read more: 1st ODI: New Zealand crush India by 200 runs

DAMBULLA: India crashed to a humiliating 200-run defeat in the first match of the triangular ODI series against New Zealand with a pathetic bowling and batting display on Tuesday.

After the Kiwis put up a competitive 288 on the board, riding on skipper Ross Taylor (95) and Scott Styris (89), India suffered an inexplicable batting collapse to bundle out for a paltry 88 in just 29.3 overs.

In what turned out to be a totally lop-sided contest, only three Indian batsmen could score double figures as the Kiwis ripped through the young batting lineup to launch their campaign on a high.

It was a commanding show by the New Zealanders who relied on a 190-run stand for the fourth wicket between Taylor and Styris before Daryl Tuffey (3/34) and Kyle Mills (2/26) and Jacob Oram (2/15) shot out India to complete a convincing win.

Chasing 289 to win, openers Dinesh Karthik (14) and Virender Sehwag (19) made a watchful start but New Zealand struck twice in as many deliveries to get rid of the openers and reduce India to 39 for two in 7.1 overs.

Sehwag was the first to go when he failed to negotiate a short ball aimed at his body by Mills as the ball kissed his glove and landed safely at wicketkeeper Gerath Hopkins' hands.

Karthik then followed suit when he played Tuffey's delivery down the wrong line and missed the ball, which struck on his pads in front of the wicket.

Rohit Sharma (4) then joined Yuvraj Singh (5) but the former was sent packing in the 10th over by Tuffey and two overs later New Zealand dealt India another blow, removing Suresh Raina to leave India tottering at 50/4 in 11.2 overs.

Sharma, brought in to bolster the middle order, ended up giving catching practice to first slip of Tuffey's outside off stump delivery.

Raina also followed his partner and edged one straight to second slip to award Tuffey his third wicket of the day.

The 32-year-old seamer came to haunt India again in the 14th over when his direct throw found skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni short of wicket as India looked down the barrel at 53/5.

Yuvraj and Ravindra Jadeja tried to stem the rot but Andy Mckay removed the former in the 17th over and eight balls later Praveen Kumar was also sent packing by Jacob Oram as India stared at an impending defeat.

Earlier, New Zealand had a disastrous start, collapsing to 28 for three in 6.5 overs but Taylor (95) and Styris (89) rescued the innings and helped New Zealand to reach 288.

Newball bowlers Praveen Kumar (3/43) and Ashish Nehra (4/47) shared seven wickets between them to strangle the New Zealand top and lower order and helped India bowl out their rivals inside 300.

New Zealand had a tottering start, losing three wickets inside seven overs with the scoreboard reading just 28 but Taylor and Styris stemmed the rot and anchored the innings to safety after electing to bat first.

Openers Peter Ingram (12) and MJ Guptill (11) started off well, clubbing a couple of fours but new ball bowler Praveen Kumar removed the latter in the third over to draw first blood for India.

Kumar's late away going delivery got the edge of Guptill's blade as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni completed a simple catch to leave New Zealand at 15 for one at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.

Ashish Nehra then got into the act and removed Ingram in the sixth over. Nehra's seaming away ball kissed Ingram's bat and Dhoni made no mistake as India reduced their rivals to 27 for two.

Kumar struck again in the seventh over when his incoming delivery pitched on the middle stump and before Kane Williamson (0) could play it, the ball moved away at the last instant and cleaned his off stump.

With their innings lying in shambles, Taylor and Styris started the rebuilding process and picked up ones and twos and slammed occasional boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Mithun was on their firing line in the 16th over, when the youngster was hit for consecutive boundaries by Taylor and Styris at cover and point respectively.

Taylor then repeated the same treatment to Ravindra Jadeja in the 18th over when he hit him for a couple of fours both at backward point.

In the 21st over, Taylor picked Pragyan Ojha for a boundary when he cut him to clear the ropes at the backward boundary.

Styris, meanwhile, slammed consecutive boundaries of Ojha and smashed Jadeja over midwicket, before reaching his fifty in the 30th over.

With both of them going great guns, New Zealand took batting Powerplay and Styris slammed Jadeja for successive boundaries in the 32nd over.

The 35-year-old all-rounder then picked up Nehra for a special treatment, sending him across the ropes.

The partnership was finally broken in the 39th over, when Ojha cleaned up Styris. New man Jacob Oram also didn't last long and was sent packing by Nehra who trapped him in front of wicket in the next over.

Just five runs short of a century, Taylor also departed when Nehra's full-length delivery straightened on to the middle-stump and found his legs.

Yuvraj then had Grant Elliott stumped, while Kumar had wicket keeper Hopkins caught behind.

Nehra came back to haunt the Kiwis in the next over when he had Daryl Tuffey hole out at long on to Ojha and Suresh Raina then removed last man Kyle Mills by a direct hit to wrap up the New Zealand innings.

TOI

India take on depleted New Zealand in tri-series opener

India take on depleted New Zealand in tri-series opener

DAMBULLA, Aug 9: Missing key players and just done with an exhausting drawn Test series, India swiftly shift to the one-day mode as they take on an equally-depleted New Zealand in the opening match of the tri-series starting on Tuesday.

Also featuring Sri Lanka, the series starts just two days after India drew 1-1 with the hosts in an engrossing Test series.

India will be without in-form batting veteran Sachin Tendulkar and spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh, both of whom have been rested, and injured opener Gautam Gambhir in the series.

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, which might give a woefully out-of-form Ishant Sharma his first one-day international of the year.

Ashish Nehra will take over the responsibility of leading the attack and on current form, the lanky pacer would be expected to add some zing to the not-so-impressive pace department, which struggled in the Test series.

On the batting front, the series is a chance for off-colour Yuvraj Singh to get over the disappointment of the Test series, in which he flopped in the opening match, missed the second due to flu, and was dropped for the third after his replacement Suresh Raina scored a century on debut.

Virender Sehwag will once again shoulder the responsibility of providing the sort of cracking starts that India have come to expect of him and Gambhir’s absence, Dinesh Karthik will give him company in the opening slot.

A rather volatile mix of batsmen occupy the middle-order in Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma, who can be destructive while they are on song but their unpredictability can also cost the team dearly.

Young and eager to make a mark, the new-look Indian middle-order has often let the team down with extravagant shots in crunch situations.

The New Zealanders, on the other hand, are in their familiar dark-horses role, more so in the absence of inspirational skipper Daniel Vettori, who has skipped the series to be with his wife for the birth of his second child.

Also missing from the Kiwi line-up is the explosive duo of Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum.

While McCullum has been granted some time off with family by New Zealand Cricket, the temperamental Ryder is nursing an elbow injury.

Sans the three proven match-winners, the Kiwis will have to come up with a superlative effort to make an impact in the series against the sub-continental giants.

Destructive batsman Ross Taylor has been handed the leadership role for the series and it would take a lot for him to inspire an inexperienced squad.

He has started well with morale-boosting wins in the couple of practice matches the team played after landing in the island nation.

But against the Indians, the Kiwis would be looking forward to experienced all-rounder Jacob Oram, vice-captain Kyle Mills and Scott Styris for inspiration.

Teams (From): India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Saurabh Tiwary.

New Zealand: Ross Taylor (capt), Kyle Mills (vice-capt), Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins (wk), Nathan McCullum, Andy McKay, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Peter Ingram, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson. (PTI)

Gritty Sri Lanka leave India a mountain to climb Read more: Gritty Sri Lanka leave India a mountain to climb - Top stories - India tour of Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: India's renowned batsmen were handed a stern challenge to secure a series-levelling win in the final Test after Sri Lanka fought hard with both bat and ball on Friday.

India, set a victory target of 257, ended the rousing fourth day's play on 53/3 in their second innings, following a triple strike by lanky off-spinner Suraj Randiv.

Randiv, sharing the new ball with Lasith Malinga, had in-form Virender Sehwag caught in the slips in his first over and later bowled Rahul Dravid off the inside edge for seven.

He then dismissed opener Murali Vijay for 27 to a disputed catch at short-leg by Mahela Jayawardene, which was referred to the television umpire before the batsman was ruled out.

Sachin Tendulkar, the world's leading run-getter playing a record 169th Test match, kept India's hopes alive with a watchful unbeaten 11.

Nightwatchman Ishant Sharma was on two, with India needing 204 more runs on the final day with seven wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka made 267 in their second innings after a spectacular century partnership for the ninth wicket between Thilan Samaraweera and Ajantha Mendis.

India's spinners had sparked a dramatic collapse in the morning session as five wickets fell for 24 runs to reduce the hosts to 87/7 in an hour's play.

But the last three wickets added 180 runs to frustrate the Indians as Samaraweera followed his century in the first innings with a fighting 83 in the company of tailenders.

Samaraweera added 38 runs for the eighth wicket with Lasith Malinga (15) and Sri Lanka's record ninth-wicket stand of 118 with Mendis (78).

The duo flayed the Indian attack for two hours and 32 minutes before India broke the partnership in the first over with the second new ball.

Samaraweera attempted to pull a short ball from Abhimanyu Mithun and gloved a catch to Indian captain Mahendra Dhoni behind the stumps.

Mendis, who hit 10 boundaries and a six in his maiden half-century, scored 20 runs in the company of last man Chanaka Welegedara before being held in the covers off Amit Mishra.

India's three spinners, Pragyan Ojha, Mishra and Sehwag, claimed three wickets each on a pitch that support turn and bounce to the bowlers.

Sri Lanka added 18 runs to their overnight score of 45/2 when Ojha trapped nightwatchman Randiv leg-before for six, one ball after Dhoni dropped a simple catch behind the stumps.

Ojha then dealt two deadly blows in successive overs, getting rid of Sri Lanka's batting mainstays, Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

Jayawardene edged a sharp turning ball to Rahul Dravid in the slips after making five, while Sangakkara (28) pulled a short delivery to Suresh Raina at square-leg.

It was the Sri Lankan captain's first failure in the series after making 103 in the first Test, 219 and 42 not out in the second and 75 in the first innings of this match.

Mishra, who was hammered for 1-140 in the first innings, then claimed two wickets with consecutive deliveries to reduce the hosts to 87/7.

Angelo Mathews hit a full-toss to Tendulkar at mid-wicket, while Prasanna Jayawardene was out leg-before off the next ball.

Malinga denied Mishra a hat-trick and partnered Samaraweera in the rescue act, before he was leg-before to Sehwag before lunch.
TOI

IHF regains government recognition

BANGALORE: In another swift move that consigned Hockey India to history, the Union sports ministry said on Friday that the Indian Olympic Association or Sports Authority of India would select and field the Indian hockey teams in international competitions from now on.

The ministry informed the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that this would be necessary in the interest of the game in the country as the HI is no longer the recognised national sports federation. The Sports Authority of India will be virtually in charge of the national teams, coordinating on the camps and tours till such time the IHF, which is now teh recognised body, takes over.

The ministry also told FIH not to assign any international tournament or have any commercial dealings with HI as it has assumed the character of a private body and no longer enjoys government recognition.

The IHF will be given adequate time to set in motion the unification process with the Indian Women's Hockey Federation but the sports ministry is categorical in its view that the KPS-Gill led body will have to kickstart the process in double quick time as well as keep its word on adhering to the government guidelines as it knuckles down to its work of governing the game again.

In its letter to FIH president Leandro Negre, the ministry said: "The president, IHF, has confirmed that the process of unification of the men and women hockey bodies at the national level is under way. It is expected to be completed soon. Once this process is completed, they will approach the FIH for recognition. Meanwhile, it is requested that the IOA or SAI may be permitted to field the Indian team for participating in various FIH recognised competitions."

The first of the tasks for IOA or SAI may be selecting the women's team for the World Cup in Rosario, Argentina later this month. The Commonwealth and Asian Games squads too may have to be chosen by either of these bodies in the coming weeks.

What can come as an irritant is the IHF's relationship with the FIH. With the FIH still backing Hockey India, the ministry feels the onus is on the IHF to effectively stake its claim. The fresh mandate to run the game - with the unification in place and government recognition - should convince the FIH adequately enough to change its stance, the ministry feels. In any case, how long can an international federation continue to back a ‘private body' which has lost the power to select a team that can legitimately represent India?

TOI

Sehwag, Sachin lead India resistance

COLOMBO: Virender Sehwag (97*) and Sachin Tendulkar (40*) took India to 180/2 at stumps on the second day of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday.


Sehwag batted with his customary flourish and was just three runs short of what could be his 21st century as the visitors reached a comfortable 180/2 in their first innings at close on the second day.

Sehwag ran away with honours on Day Two, which also saw Sri Lankan Thilan Samaraweera (137) hitting a century, with a scintillating show of strokeplay on a sporting pitch at P Sara Oval.

The dashing Indian opener, who sent the home team bowlers for a leather hunt in the final session, consumed just 87 balls for his 97, hitting 17 fours. He also became the sixth Indian to score 7000 Test runs when he reached 70.

Giving company to Sehwag at stumps was milestone man Sachin Tendulkar (40) who has become the most-capped Test player, surpassing former Australian captain Steve Waugh's 168 appearances.

Murali Vijay (14) and Rahul Dravid (23) were the two batsmen dismissed. India now trail Sri Lanka by 245 runs with eight first innings wickets intact.

Coming together at 92/2, Sehwag and Tendulkar have shared 88 runs for the unfinished third wicket stand.

It turned out to be a productive day for the Indians, who were trailing 0-1 in the series, as their bowlers came up with a decent performance by taking the last six wickets in less than two sessions to bowl out the home side for 425.

Sehwag then led a strong Indian reply with a typical aggressive innings. The opener, who was dropped on 52 by Angelo Mathews, gave Chanaka Welegedara with special treatment hitting boundaries off the Sri Lankan bowler almost at will.

Welegedara bled 59 runs from his first spell of eight overs before he was taken off. Out of the 11 fours he conceded in his first spell of nine overs came from Sehwag's blade.

The strong start by the visitors was though a one-man show for most part as other opener Murali Vijay could contribute just 14 from 35 balls.

Vijay was looking like giving long company with his senior partner with some fine delectable boundaries off Welegedara before he was out to a tame dismissal after raising 49 runs with Sehwag for the opening wicket.

Vijay tried to check himself from playing a drive off a full length Lasith Malinga delivery which went straight to Ajantha Mendis at extra cover.

Dravid looked like a man in hurry scoring an uncharacteristically breezy 26-ball 23 which was laced with five fours but failed for the fifth time in the series to make an impact.

Earlier, pacer Ishant Sharma and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha shared the spoils with two wickets apiece as Indian bowlers got their mojo back to bowl out Sri Lanka for 425 half an hour before the tea break.

Besides Ishant (3/72) and Ojha (4/115), leggie Amit Mishra and part-timer Virender Sehwag also claimed one wicket apiece as India removed the last six Sri Lankan wickets for 132 runs and in 51 overs.

The post-lunch session was the most productive session for India as they took four wickets at the expense of 56 runs.

For Sri Lanka, Thilan Samaraweera remained unbeaten on 137 which he made from 288 balls and with the help of 12 boundaries and a six.

Angelo Mathews (45) was the other main contributor for Sri Lanka while the five lower order batsmen could not reach double digit figures as the home side were all out after facing 138 overs around half an hour before the tea break.

Resuming the post-lunch session at 396/6, Suraj Randiv was the first to go when he scooped a simple skier of the bowling of Sehwag to Rahul Dravid at first slip in his individual score of eight.

Malinga (4) was the next to go as he popped up a simple return catch to Amit Mishra giving the bowler his first wicket.

The remaining batsmen, however, continued to hang on for a while along with Samaraweera who gave some special treatment to Ojha.

It was left to Ishant to get Ajantha Mendis when the batsman stabbed it to gully where Suresh Raina made no mistake.

Ishant then got his third wicket when Chanaka Welegedera failed to gauge a short pitch bouncer that took the edge of his gloves and went to the wicket keeper for a fairly straightforward catch.

In the morning session, Ojha scalped two quick wickets but Samaraweera's patient hundred carried the Sri Lankans forward.

Samaraweera's century came off 229 balls and comprised 10 boundaries.

Ishant Sharma and Abhimanyu Mithun extracted a bit of bounce from the pitch early on, but they could not provide any breakthrough.

TOI

Veeru, Sachin take Day 2 honours

Veeru, Sachin take Day 2 honours

3rd Test against Sri Lanka: India 180/2, trail by 245 runs; Sehwag becomes sixth Indian to score 7,000 runs

COLOMBO, Aug 4: Virender Sehwag (97*) and Sachin Tendulkar (40*) took India to 180/2 at stumps on the second day of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday.

Sehwag batted with his customary flourish and was just three runs short of what could be his 21st century as the visitors reached a comfortable 180/2 in their first innings at close on the second day.

Sehwag ran away with honours on Day Two, which also saw Sri Lankan Thilan Samaraweera (137) hitting a century, with a scintillating show of strokeplay on a sporting pitch at P Sara Oval.

India hit by injuries as they seek to level series against Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: India grapple with injury worries and selection dilemmas as they go into the third and final Test against Sri Lanka on Tuesday with opener Gautam Gambhir ruled out and ace spinner Harbhajan Singh being a doubtful starter.

Trailing 0-1, India cannot settle for anything but an outright victory to square the series but the spate of injuries will make their task a trifle difficult at the P Sara Oval stadium.

Gambhir, who missed out of the second Test because of a knee injury, has not recovered completely while Harbhajan is still uncertain because of a niggle.

"Gautam (Gambhir) is injured. He won’t be playing tomorrow. Right now Harbhajan is also doubtful for the match," Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said,

"There is bit of niggle in his (Harbhajan's) calf. Not sure how serious it is, so we will take a call on him before the game," he said.

Gambhir's absence means that Tamil Nadu opener Murali Vijay, who scored a half-century in the first innings of the second Test, will yet again open the batting with Virender Sehwag as Dhoni has rejected the possibility of fielding a makeshift opener in the crucial match.

He also made it clear that either Suresh Raina, who scored a century in his debut in the second Test, or Yuvraj Singh will have to sit out of the final Test.

"You know the choice between Suresh Raina and Yuvraj is a difficult one. I will just protect the decision till tomorrow morning. Whatever the team decides, we will go by it," Dhoni said.

Although they don't have to worry about their top position in the ICC rankings, the Indians do have a few selection dilemmas to deal with on the eve of the match at the P Sara Oval.

The focus will be on veteran Sachin Tendulkar, who is set to surpass Steve Waugh's record of being the most capped player in Test cricket when he takes the field on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old iconic right-hander, who scored a fifth career double hundred in the second Test, also practised in the nets yesterday, an indication that he would be padding in his record 169th Test having recovered from the groin injury.

Apart from these injury concerns, batting form is hardly an issue for the Indians, who piled up a whopping 707 runs in the first innings of the second Test in reply to Sri Lanka's 642.

Virender Sehwag was his usual explosive self, providing the start for others to build on in the intimidating line-up that also has the stylish VVS Laxman.

Bowling, however, is a headache for the Indians with the pace department desperately missing the services of Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth, who were ruled out due to injury.

Ishant Sharma impressed briefly in the second Test but has been off-colour for most of the series and though the young Abhimanyu Mithun has given it his all, the placid pitch here didn't help his confidence much in the second Test.

Like India, the Lankans don't have batting issues to worry about as top willow-wielders like Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, the upcoming Tharanga Parnavitana and the destructive Tillakaratne Dilshan are in fine form.

But unlike India, the hosts have a decent bowling attack despite missing the spin wizardry of the now-retired Muttiah Muralitharan.

They were without the lethal Lasith Malinga in the second Test due to injury and there is still a question mark on whether the in-form pacer will play on Tuesday.

Teams (from)

India: MS Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Murali Vijay, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha and Abhimanyu Mithun.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (C), Muttiah Muralitharan, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Dilhara Fernando, Dammika Prasad, Suraj Randiv, Thilina Kandamby, Chanaka Welegedara, Lahiru Thirimanne.

Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS) and Simon Taufel (AUS)
TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

Match starts at 10 am (IST).

Gambhir ruled out of third Test against Sri Lanka

NEW DELHI: India's bid to level the three-match series dealt a big blow as opener Gautam Gambhir was ruled out of the third Test against Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval Stadium in Colombo.

Spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh also doubtful for the third Test starting from Tuesday.

Gambhir had missed the SSC Test with a right knee injury, but he took part in the by now customary game of football before practice and spent a long session at the nets on Sunday.

Barring Harbhajan Singh, all members of the squad were present at the nets at the P Sara Oval.

There was good news from elsewhere. Sachin Tendulkar, who could not take the field on the Day Five of the second Test due to a stiff groin after scoring his fifth career double hundred, looked fit.

Sri Lanka lead India 1-0 in the three-match Test series. Team India has a difficult task on Tuesday to level the series.

TOI

Govt assures action in CWG ‘corruption’

Govt assures action in CWG ‘corruption’

NEW DELHI, Aug 1: Hit by allegations of corruption in the Commonwealth Games, the government today promised to take action against those found guilty even as another venue was inaugurated with a leaking roof. Union urban development minister S Jaipal Reddy was in damage-control mode over the Central Vigilance Commission's report on widescale corruption in Games' construction projects. “CVC has come out with preliminary remarks on the alleged irregularities in the construction of Commonwealth venues. I assure you that all concerned would be punished. Nothing would be spared. We will seriously look into it,” Reddy said during the inauguration of the Weightlifting auditorium inside the Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium complex here today. The Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, who was forced to address an hour-long press conference to rebutt charges of financial bunglings yesterday, was issuing clarifications yet again. The Indian Olympic Association chief insisted that the UK-based firm at the center of a corruption row that has hit OC was recommended by the Indian High Commission despite an embarrassing denial issued by it earlier.The Indian High Commission had denied recommending A M Films, the little-known UK-based firm which allegedly received lakhs of pounds for providing its ‘services’ during the Queen's Baton Relay in London. (PTI)

England win first Test by 354 runs

England win first Test by 354 runs

NOTTINGHAM, Aug 1: James Anderson’s match haul of 11-71 helped to wrap up a comfortable 354-run victory over Pakistan, who slumped to their lowest total against England, in the first Test at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Pakistan, set a world-record 435 to win, were bowled out for 80 in 29 overs after resuming on 15 for three on the fourth day. England required just under two hours to take Pakistan’s last seven wickets.

Number ten Danish Kaneria top-scored with 16 not out and was one of only two batsmen to reach double figures as the Pakistanis struggled to play the moving ball throughout. The total fell short of Pakistan’s previous low against England, which was 87 at Lord’s in 1954.