Monday, October 25, 2010

Somdev achieves career high rank of 94

NEW DELHI: Rising singles star Somdev Devvarman on Monday gained two positions to career best 94 in the latest ATP ranking chart.

Somdev, who now has 568 points, failed to make the main draw of the ATP 250 event in Austria after losing the second round of the qualifiers.

In the WTA list, Sania Mirza gained a place to 166 in the singles chart with 356 points while she jumped three positions in the doubles to 64 with 1238 points.

Leander Paes (5), Mahesh Bhupathi (14) and Rohan Bopanna (16) remained static in the doubles chart.

Read more: Somdev achieves career high rank of 94 - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Somdev-achieves-career-high-rank-of-94/articleshow/6809713.cms#ixzz13R6kN6ge

Gambhir, Ishant return for New Zealand series

CHENNAI: When the selectors met here to pick the Indian team for the Tests against New Zealand, the only concern was the fitness of Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma and VVS Laxman.

Once they received news of their availability it took less than an hour to finalise the team at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday.

In the end, the 15-member squad for the three-Test series is the same one which played against Australia. Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma have recovered from knee injuries, while Laxman has also recovered from the back injury which plagued him during the Australia series.

However, despite a blistering double ton in the Irani Trophy early this month, Yuvraj Singh will have to wait a little longer to regain his Test spot. With Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay performing well in the second Test in the absence of the senior players, the selectors obviously chose to overlook Yuvraj.

With Ishant Sharma back in the squad, Sreesanth will be the third seamer. Abhinav Mukund and Jaidev Unadkat, who were included in the squad after the injuries of Gambhir and Ishant, will now be available to play Ranji Trophy for their respective state sides, Tamil Nadu and Saurashtra.

"We have selected the best possible squad for the series. Gambhir and Ishant have been declared fit and Laxman has recovered from the back injury. So, we'll have a full-strength team against New Zealand," selection committee chairman Krishnamchari Srikkanth said after the meeting.

He made it clear that he and his colleagues were satisfied by the performances of the youngsters. "We are proud of the bench strength we have. The young guns played superbly along with the senior pros in the Tests as well as in the only one-dayer. We look to continue this victory march and be in supreme touch before the South Africa series commences. Hence, we have decided to pick a full-strength side," he said.

With Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh leading the pace and the spin departments and Ishant and Pragyan Ojha doing the back-up job, the bowling looks formidable. Amit Mishra will be the reserve spinner.

However, the reserve wicket-keeper still does not seem to be an area of concern for the selectors, though Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been overworked for quite a while.

After the New Zealand series, the long South Africa series and World Cup follow and the selectors must ensure Dhoni is fit and well-rested before these big events. The skipper did not attend the meeting but was consulted over phone by the selection panel.

Test squad: MS Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra.

Read more: Gambhir, Ishant return for New Zealand series - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/top-stories/Gambhir-Ishant-return-for-New-Zealand-series/articleshow/6809191.cms#ixzz13R6PjLjk

Tendulkar in ESPNcricinfo's all-time Test World XI

NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar was the only current cricketer named in ESPNcricinfo's all-time Test World XI which did not include Australian captain Ricky Ponting and the likes of Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath, Sunil Gavaskar.

Tendulkar has been chosen at number four batting position along with legends like Don Bradman, Vivian Richards, Garry Sobers and Shane Warne.

Others in the World XI, dominated by Australians and West Indians, were Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Adam Gilchrist, Malcolm Marshall, Wasim Akram and Dennis Lillee.

Gavaskar and Lara found themselves in the second World XI along with Barry Richards, George Headley, Wally Hammond, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Bill O'Reilly, Fred Trueman, Muttiah Muralitharan and SF Barnes.

Ponting was not in any of the two teams, the same as McGrath and India's world Cup winning captain Kapil Dev.

The jury comprised one former captain from each of the top Test-playing teams -- Ian Chappell, Clive Lloyd, Tony Greig, Duleep Mendis, Ali Bacher, Intikhab Alam, John Wright, Ajit Wadekar -- and four cricket historians and writers.

Warne, Gilchrist and Akram were the other players from the last two decades to make it to the XI, which featured seven players who made their debuts after 1970.

Four Australians, three West Indians, two Englishmen, an Indian and a Pakistani make up the XI.

Three players were unanimous choices, figuring in the first XIs of each of the 12 members of the jury (each juror was asked to pick a first XI and a second) -- Don Bradman, Garry Sobers and Shane Warne, each of whom got the maximum points possible in the exercise, 60. Tendulkar followed with 51 points.

The biggest surprise the XI threw up was the gap between Warne and Muralitharan, the two leading wicket-takers in cricket history. Muralitharan made it to the World Second XI, tallying 34 points fewer than Warne.

The closest battles were for one of the opening spots and for number five. Gavaskar lost out to Hobbs by one point and Headley by two to Richards.

Hutton (47 points) partners Hobbs at the top. They are followed by Bradman, Tendulkar, Richards and Sobers. While there was no competition to Sobers for the all-rounder's spot, Imran (19) narrowly edged out Keith Miller to make it to the Second XI.

Gilchrist beat Alan Knott to the wicketkeeper's spot by eight points. The next closest contender was Kumar Sangakkara, who got nine points.

The bowling positions were all decided by handsome margins. Three of cricket's most highly rated fast bowlers - Dennis Lillee, leading with 48 points, Wasim Akram and Malcolm Marshall (in addition to Sobers, who could bowl left-arm fast, spin and chinamen) -- accompany Warne.

Tendulkar, Bradman, Sobers, Gilchrist, Warne and Akram were voted by the ESPNcricinfo readers in their XI which also have Virender Sehwag, McGrath and Gavasakar.

Sehwag and Gavaskar were the overwhelming favourites for the opening slots, while Lara edged out Richards for a place in the middle order.

The readers went with a two-spin, two-quicks bowling combination. Their XI has Warne and Murali bowling in tandem. McGrath and Akram comfortably beat competition from all the West Indian bowlers in the shortlist.

The World XI:

Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards, Garry Sobers, Adam Gilchrist, Malcolm Marshall, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Dennis Lillee.

The Second XI:

Sunil Gavaskar, Barry Richards, George Headley, Brian Lara, Wally Hammond, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Bill O'Reilly, Fred Trueman, Muttiah Muralitharan, SF Barnes

Readers' XI:

Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Garry Sobers, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath.

Read more: Tendulkar in ESPNcricinfo's all-time Test World XI - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Tendulkar-in-ESPNcricinfos-all-time-Test-World-XI/articleshow/6807939.cms#ixzz13R6A2sua