Zaheer Khan, Isha Sharvani may wed in 2011

Talks about a raging romance between cricketer Zaheer Khan and actress Isha Sharvani have been around for a long time. the handsome couple is forever breaking up and making up.

Well, this time they have made up, and have decided to take their relationship a step further, or so we hear.

Yes, if sources are to be believed, Isha and Zaheer plan to get engaged by the end of this year, and married soon after. "They will get engaged by the end of 2011. At least that's what the plan is," we are told. However, a friend of the actress insists that marriage is going to wait and isn't round the corner for Isha.

The buzz about a shaadi between Zaheer and Isha is pretty strong though, this time round.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Zaheer-Khan-Isha-Sharvani-may-wed-in-2011/articleshow/9037365.cms

Indian pace attack strike back against West Indies

BRIDGETOWN: India's pacemen brought them back into the second Test against West Indies, after they suffered a batting collapse on the first day on Tuesday.

Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, and Test newcomer Abhimanyu Mithun all collected a wicket apiece to leave West Indies in tatters on 30 for three, in reply to India's first innings total of 201 at the close.

Sharma made the breakthrough, when he had Adrian Barath caught at gully for three in the fourth over, and next over, Praveen Kumar had Lendl Simmons caught behind for two, leaving West Indies five for two.

Darren Bravo joined Ramnaresh Sarwan, and stemmed the fall of wickets before the left-hander was caught behind for nine from the penultimate ball of the day from Mithun.

Earlier, India were given further cause to usher in the use of the umpire decision review system.

Left-hander Suresh Raina was dubiously dismissed for 53, triggering a batting collapse that saw the Indians lose their last five wickets for 34 runs in the space of 55 balls.

Raina was caught at forward short leg off West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo for 53, following a 117-run, fifth-wicket stand with VVS Laxman, whose 85 was the top score, and helped to rescue the visitors from a perilous 38 for four before lunch.

The left-hander was clearly upset by the decision from Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf, which television replays suggested was highly dubious, dropping his bat, staring in anger at the official, and swinging his bat in disgust.

Fidel Edwards then ran through the lower half of India's batting, removing their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for two, Harbhajan Singh for five, and Mithun for a duck, finishing with three for 56 from 19 overs.

Ravi Rampaul was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, with three for 38 from 16 overs, and Bishoo snared three for 46 from 14 overs.

Laxman reached his 50 from 75 balls, glancing Edwards to the fine leg boundary for his eight four, and Raina reached the landmark from 90 deliveries, paddling Bishoo to long-leg for a single.

The two batsmen ensured India did not lose a wicket between lunch and tea, after the top order were given a real going over by Rampaul, who exploited helpful conditions in taking three of the wickets to fall.

India suffered an early setback, when left-handed opener Abhinav Mukund was caught at gully for one off Rampaul in the second over of the day.

The Indians ran into further trouble, when Rahul Dravid, a century-maker in the first Test, was caught behind for five, playing defensively forward to a delivery from West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

Murali Vijay was fortunate on four, when he sliced a drive at a delivery from Sammy, and Bishoo failed to hold onto a low, diving chance at backward point.

India reached 13 for two from 14 overs after the first hour, failing to strike a boundary, but Laxman brought India their first four, when he pulled Sammy through wide mid-on.

But the Indians were jolted, when Rampaul had opener Murali Vijay caught behind down the leg side for a painstaking 11, and two deliveries later, Virat Kohli caught at second slip for a duck, fending a sharply rising delivery.

India are looking to wrap up their second straight Test series victory over West Indies in the Caribbean.

They will also be looking to create a piece of history by becoming the first Indian side to win a Test and One-day International series in the Caribbean - but they will also have to overcome their poor history here.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team still have cause for optimism though - following a 10-wicket defeat for Sourav Ganguly's side nine years ago, West Indies have lost six of the next eight Tests they have played at this venue.

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Raina fined 25 per cent of match fee for showing dissent

BRIDGETOWN: Indian batsman Suresh Raina was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for a Level I breach in ICC's Code of Conduct on the first day of the second cricket Test against West Indies on Tuesday.

According to a release issued by the ICC, the batsman was found to have breached Article 2.1.3 of the code which relates to "showing dissent at an umpire's decision by action or verbal abuse".

After first day's play concluded, the left-handed batsman pleaded guilty and accepted the proposed sanction offered to him by match referee Chris Broad. The charge was brought by on-field umpires Asad Rauf and Billy Bowden as well as third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth official Norman Malcolm.

The incident happened in the 56th over when Raina batting on 53 was given caught by forward short-leg fielder Adrian Barath off Devendra Bishoo's bowling. It was a late decision given by umpire Rauf and Raina was visibly unhappy with the decision .

The release states, "The batsman shook his head to indicate that he did not hit the ball which seemed to be an attempt to influence the umpire's decision. On being given out, he looked to the sky in disgust and then after picking his bat up from the ground swung it at the dirt as well as shaking his head again."

According to match referee Broad, it was "a clear breach of code."

"What Suresh did was a clear breach of the code, something the player himself has accepted. There is a fine line between showing disappointment at a dismissal and demonstrating dissent but on this occasion Suresh was well over that line and his behaviour was unacceptable," Broad was quoted as saying by the release.

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ICC defers decision on scrapping rotational presidents

HONG KONG: The ICC on Wednesday deferred a decision on the planned scrapping of the rotational system of presidency but asked next-in-line Pakistan and Bangladesh not to nominate a candidate till a review of its governance structure before the next Executive Board meeting in October.

"The ICC Executive Board, following the strategic plan that was adopted in April and a firm recommendation from the Governance Review Committee on Wednesday, unanimously agreed to undertake urgently an independent review of the ICC governance structures and processes.

"The Board therefore decided to defer the proposed constitutional amendment to the nominations process for election of the ICC president and accordingly withdrew its proposal to the Annual Conference in this regard," the governing body said in a statement after the penultimate day of its annual conference.

The ICC Governance Review Committee had recommended that a wide-ranging, independent review should cover all governance-related matters including the possibility of appointing independent directors.

"The review will be required to be completed before the next ICC Executive Board meeting scheduled for October.

"In the meantime, both the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board have given undertakings not to nominate a candidate for ICC vice-president before the external review is completed and the matter is again considered by the ICC Executive Board."

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the review is needed to improve administration in the body.

"I wholeheartedly welcome an independent review of the entire ICC governance and regard this as a major step to meet stakeholder expectations and the high standards of a world-class organisation," he said.

Among other decisions taken on WEdnesday, the Pakistan Task Team presented a report comprising 63 recommendations covering areas of governance, cricket administration, playing structure, financial viability and communications.

The PTT comprises Giles Clarke (chairman), Mike Brearley, Peter Chingoka, Haroon Lorgat (ICC chief executive), Ranjan Madugalle, Ramiz Raja, and David Richardson (ICC general manager- Cricket).

"The report was adopted unanimously by the ICC Board and I am pleased that the PCB will consider this report at its next Board meeting," Lorgat said.

The ICC Executive Board also received a request from the PCB to consider hosting an ICC event in Pakistan in 2018.

But no discussion was held and "no assurances were given as the ICC has no confirmed event currently scheduled for 2018."

"We fully understand the PCB request and we will consider if it is possible to host an event in Pakistan subject to the standard safety and security clearances," said Lorgat.

The Board also discussed at length the World Cup held in the sub-continent. Though it hailed the event as a success, the ICC expressed its unhappiness at the fact that stadiums such as the Eden Gardens in Kolkata struggled to meet completion deadlines.

"Although the event was universally acclaimed as a success and one of the best cricket events in history, the report highlighted certain shortcomings around ticketing and stadia construction.

"Based on a recommendation from the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee, the ICC Executive Board confirmed a revised policy that stadia hosting ICC global events must be match-ready at least six months before the event," it said.

"The directors also noted the appointment of forensic auditors to review ticketing during the ICC Cricket World Cup, including allegations of black marketeering," it added.

The Board noted that the Test match between England and India at Lord's Cricket Ground, London starting on July 21 will be the 2,000th in history.

"We are planning to mark the occasion by celebrating this fantastic milestone. Test cricket is the pinnacle format of our game and I am confident that this series will confirm this enduring format in front of full houses," Lorgat said.

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BCCI accepts diluted umpire review system

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board's long-standing showdown with the International Cricket Council over the Umpire Decision Review System seems to have been resolved, for the time being, with both sides treading a middle path over the contentious use of technological aids in the game. The ICC's chief executives' committee meeting in Hong Kong, which concluded on Monday, also recommended some path-breaking tweaks in the game.

The changes, if approved by the ICC executive board, will be unrolled from October 1. These include significant modifications to make ODIs more engrossing - like the use of a new ball from each end and making it mandatory for teams to take their elective powerplays between the 16th and 40th over.

Runners, long an integral part of cricket, will be outlawed from all forms of the game. An injured batsman can no longer ask a teammate to run for him. Recommendations have also been made for stricter penalties for captains guilty of slow over rates.

But the agreement on DRS hogged all the attention. The ICC has made its use mandatory, but removed the ball-tracking technology - which BCCI opposes - as an essential component of the system.

The compromise on the vexed UDRS issue is clearly a case of give and take between India, cricket's financial muscle, and the game's world body to resolve a damaging row which was threatening to split member nations.

Under the agreement, teams will be allowed to make one incorrect challenge to an on-field umpire's decision instead of the two challenges currently in use.

For the first time since 2008, Indian players will be using the DRS in the series against England in July. The BCCI, which has for long maintained that tracking tools like Hawkeye were unreliable, has accepted the use of infra-red cameras and audio-tracking devices.

"Once ICC understood our concerns, the BCCI had no issues in accepting the use of DRS," board vice-president Rajiv Shukla said. "Board president Shashank Manohar and secretary N Srinivasan made their reservations clear about some of the aspects of the DRS."

These reservations included Hawkeye and similar ball-tracking tools which will now only be used as a "bilateral agreement" between two willing nations.

Amid these attempts to resolve the issue, the modified DRS raises its own questions. While DRS has been made mandatory, the ICC has said that it is to be used subject to availability and cost considerations. Clear decisions on the huge cost-sharing process between host boards and broadcasters too are yet to emerge. The power of referral in leg-before decisions involving the line of the ball too has been taken away from the player and the final decision restored to the on-field umpire. The widespread availability of Hot Spot, a costly infra-red device to determine ball-deflection, too seems to be an issue.

England's ODI skipper Alastair Cook welcomed India's move to embrace the DRS, saying, "I believe DRS helps get more right decisions. I think technology to get those decisions right is the best way forward."

While it is likely to be an uphill task for the ICC to resolve outstanding issues amicably, what is clear is that the DRS is here to stay, and can only grow wing in future. With BCCI muscle in place, the approval of the executive board now seems a formality.

Meanwhile, minnows were given another lifeline after they protested against the ICC's decision to make the World Cup an exclusive, 10-team club, and a qualification process has been recommended for them without elaborating on the number of teams.

Salient features of ICC's cricket 2.0

ICC recommends a slew of changes in cricket. These proposals will be sent to the ICC executive board for ratification...

Yes to UDRS, no to Hawkeye

A restricted version of DRS, minus ball-tracking technologies like Hawkeye which predict the path of a delivery, will now be used in all Tests and ODIs DRS permitted to use infra-red cameras (Hot Spot) and audio-tracking devices. Number of unsuccessful reviews reduced from two to one. New system to be used in India-England series. Hawkeye can be used in bilateral series if both sides agree.

Victory for BCCI?

Indian board's grouse against DRS was Hawkeye, which it said was unreliable. ICC has taken care of this concern. ICC said 'expert' research will be carried out on accuracy of ball-tracking technology.

Will new rules plug controversy?

Unlikely. Questions remain on implementation. ICC has made DRS 'mandatory' subject to 'availability' and 'affordability'. Grey areas abound. LBW decisions will, in practice, go out of DRS ambit. Without technologies like Hawkeye showing where the ball had pitched, the third umpire won't have the tools to adjudicate. Availability of Hot Spot is an issue. Costs vary from $5,000 a day to $60,000 per match. A pact on cost-sharing between board and broadcasters seems unlikely.

Goodbye to runners

No runners to be allowed for injured batsmen in any form of the game.

ODIs tweaked

Elective Powerplays (batting or bowling) can only be used in 16th to 40th over. Two new balls to be used per innings. ICC members encouraged to try innovations in domestic matches like increasing maximum overs for bowler; increasing number of short balls per over and changing number of fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle in different periods of play.

Minnows get lifeline

ICC recommends a qualification process for the 2015 World Cup but is silent on the number of teams in the event

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2nd Test: Munaf may lead three-pacer attack

BRIDGETOWN (Barbados): After a long time - considering fitness, strengths, weaknesses and the overall mindset where Tests are concerned - India will head into a game with a three-pronged pace attack. Munaf Patel, who missed the first Test because of a minor elbow injury, is back to fitness and along with Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, the bowler will lead India's attack.

Munaf's return to the squad will be at the cost of leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who picked three wickets in the first Test but was eventually found to be lacking the aggression and attacking instincts needed on a good spin-assisting wicket at Sabina Park.

In the last three years, India's pace attack has largely revolved around Zaheer Khan, either assisted by Ishant or Sreesanth, but both of them together on rare occasions. It is perhaps for the first time in the last three years that India will head into a Test with three pace bowlers which does not involve Zaheer and with one of the bowlers (Praveen) just one match old. Keeping in mind the busy season ahead and the confidence that Dhoni is ready to show in these pacers has to be a good sign for India's young bowling attack.

Munaf bowled for about an hour in the nets, stretched, engaged himself in a rigorous fielding session and interacted with Simons, Ishant and Praveen for long during a hectic training schedule on Sunday and Monday. As it turns out, the bowler wasn't so injured ahead of the Sabina Park Test so as to miss the game but Dhoni thought better in resting him than to play and risk aggravating his injury.

Now fresh and looking to find his feet back, Munaf says he's "feeling good after the rest". Such is the bowler's history with frequent injuries that despite making his Test debut in 2006, Munaf has played just 12 Tests, the last being 2009 in Wellington, New Zealand. Even if Munaf plays the Barbados Test, it seems unlikely that Dhoni will put the bowler on duty to bowl long spells. The right-arm pacer at the most may bowl six to seven overs at a stretch and then get removed from the attack to refresh himself. The last thing India want is an unfit Munaf heading to England.

"We have a lot of important series coming up this year," says Dhoni, talking of the tours against England and Australia later this year.

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Gavaskar slams ICC ban on runners

NEW DELHI: Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the ICC's decision to abolish runners for injured batsmen in one-day cricket, saying even bowlers should not be allowed to have water as rules should be the same for everyone.

The ICC's Executive Committee has decided to do away with runners for injured batsmen in ODIs and Gavaskar said if that is the case, it should be stringent for the fielding side as well.

"I would also like to suggest that there should be no water for bowlers at the boundary end. They bowl one over and come to the boundary where energy drinks are waiting for them," a miffed Gavaskar said.

Gavaskar said if the ICC feels having runners for injured batsmen is not fair then it should also consider doing away with the drinks breaks and the concept of substitute fielders.

"There should be no drinks breaks that are usually scheduled after one hour or so. If you are going to make a situation like this then there should not be any substitute fielders either," he said.

"There should not be a substitute fielder when a regular player goes off the field. If a fielder gets injured or has cramps, he should either go off the field or stay there. That ways it balances out everything and the batting side is not the only one affected," he said.

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Indian players happy with modified DRS

BRIDGETOWN: The Indian team has given a thumbs up to the Decision Review System (DRS) in its revised form which makes the ball-tracker technology optional in bilateral series.

"It's so good that the tracker system has been done away with. It was the tracker system which was the bone of contention for us," said a senior member of the side after the team practice on Monday.

In the ICC Executive Committee meeting in Hong Kong, the usage of UDRS was made mandatory for both Tests and one-dayers across all countries.

However, the decision was made with a rider: the ball tracker system -- a technology which measures the progress of a delivery after it leaves the hand of a bowler -- is not mandatory.

It implies that if a country disagrees, the UDRS will be used without the tracker technology in a bilateral series.

Thus the UDRS system without the tracker technology will be used in India-England series beginning next month. The present series between India and the West Indies is being played without the UDRS system.

The cricketer explained why the Indian team and BCCI were resistant to the tracker system of the UDRS.

"The tracker system has an inherent flaw. First, the cameras are not exactly in a straight line behind the umpire. Two, the height of delivery after pitching can never be accurately measured by technology.

"Strong wind, change of pace, the uneven bounce can all cause major difference to the height of a delivery when it reaches stumps.

"And, by the way, what's the guarantee that a producer monitoring the tracking system hasn't fiddled with the system on his own?" questioned the cricketer.

The cricketer cited Sachin Tendulkar's "dismissal" at Mohali in the World Cup semifinals against Pakistan earlier this month as an example of how the system can go wrong.

Tendulkar was first ruled out leg-before-wicket to Saeed Ajmal but when the batsman asked for a review, the UDRS showed the delivery to be missing the leg-stump by the thinnest of margins.

"Many who saw the replays were not convinced that Sachin wasn't out. Even though it benefitted us, it was clear the technology was flawed. Producers who manage the tracker system can make an error judgment.

"The technology might be good but we have to remember that it's a man who operates it. And so it's back to human element. In such a scenario, it was better that on-field umpires made decisions and not a technology which wasn't fool-proof."

The current modification in the rules state that hot-spot and stump microphone will now be used to make clear judgment on nicks. A nick, or the lack of it, can now be ascertained by eye as well as ear.

For example in the first Test in Jamaica, even cricket expert Ian Bishop acknowledged that Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli were wrongly given out and a snickometer or hot-spot could have ruled out the decisions.

The UDRS in its modified form will help eliminate wrong bat-pad decisions. It will not be a help in the lbw decisions because the tracker system has now been done away with.

TOI

Sachin Tendulkar sells his Ferrari to Surat businessman

SURAT/MUMBAI: A Surat builder now owns the Ferrari presented to Sachin Tendulkar by Michael Schumacher on behalf of Fiat in 2002 when he equalled Sir Don Bradman's record of 29 Test centuries.

"It was my dream to own a Ferrari. I approached Sachin through a common friend and asked him if he wanted to sell the car. He agreed," said Jayesh Desai, the builder. According to sources in Surat's high society, Sachin's Ferrari had been up for sale for four months.

"It was the best experience of my life," said the realtor who drove the red two-seater from Sachin's flat in Bandra to his bungalow at Satkeval Society at Athwalines last weekend. Desai, 42, proudly recalled how he was stopped by curious onlookers when he drove the Ferrari to his office at Varacha. He has parked it in a specially built garage in his bungalow.

It is not clear why Sachin, who is passionate about cars, sold the Ferrari which is also a trophy. The news has come as a surprise to many, including his close friends. The cricketing legend, on his part, chose to make no comment on his decision.

"He doesn't wish to say anything on the topic," said a close friend of Tendulkar, who is holidaying in Europe with his family. This friend, though, did recall his own rides in the Ferrari. "I have been driven around in that car on many occasions and, yes, it was a special car," he said.

Last year, when TOI had asked former India captain Ravi Shastri about the Audi 100 he won for being honoured as the Champion of Champions in Australia in 1985, he had replied, "It is a priceless possession, no doubt about it. People ask me whether I have sold that car and I tell them there would be no buyer because it is priceless! I still have the car but I don't drive it."

Desai, the Ferrari's new owner, claims all the paperwork is done and the car is in his name now.

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India beat West Indies by 63 runs to win first Test, lead series 1-0

KINGSTON: The fear of a painful defeat had been looming over Sabina Park right from the time West Indies failed to put enough runs on the board in their first innings.


However, until they lost their last wicket on Thursday afternoon, chasing the target of 326 set by India in the final innings, nobody really wanted to state the obvious. India won their second straight Test at this venue, on both occasions facilitated by the dependable Rahul Dravid.

The handful of spectators at the Sabina Park stood still after their worst fears came true. With 195 runs required, seven wickets in hand and two days remaining, West Indies skipper Darren Sammy had talked about the team's expectations from veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul and young Darren Bravo, who resumed batting on the crucial morning.

However, the moment Bravo and Chanderpaul were dismissed after adding just 17 more runs, the rest of the batting order fell like a pack of cards. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 262 to lose the first Test by 63 runs.

Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma with three wickets each did most of the damage while spinners Amit Mishra and Harbhajan had their share of fun with the tail which wagged for a while but could only delay the inevitable.

For West Indies, batting remained their biggest disappointment throughout. Adrian Barath's first innings score of 64 was their highest individual score while Bravo and Chanderpaul's 68-run stand for the fourth wicket in the second innings remained their highest partnership in the game.

India's victory was based on three pillars. First was the 146-run partnership between Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh on Day One that helped the team score an eventual 246. Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar's spells on Day Two - with three wickets each - helped restrict West Indies to 173. And Dravid's hundred on Day Three helped the visitors set a formidable target. On the fourth day, West Indies simply crumbled.

The hosts will have a lot of soulsearching to do from here on. While the defeat was unavoidable, Darren Sammy's men have to get their batting in order as soon as possible if West Indies have to correct themselves in the remaining two Tests. The Kensington Oval in Barbados and Windsor Park in Dominica will favour India a lot more than Sabina Park, where they already gained the required advantage.

Sammy's batting lineup needs some kind of motivation too. Despite the skipper's talk of arranging various motivational activities - like attending lectures, staying together, going on adventure camps - the fact remains that the team tends to lose intensity on the field.

The pressure of chasing the target on Sabina's fourth-day wicket was asking for too much even from a batsman of Chanderpaul's calibre, and the batsman managed just 30 before falling to Praveen Kumar. Along with Bravo, who also became Praveen's victim, they both saw off 38.2 overs before the partnership crumbled. West Indies' hopes of survival perished with it too.

Praveen made the first Test his own with an excellent display of swing bowling that earned him a match haul of six wickets. He had his ups and downs in the game, for instance the warnings from Daryl Harper about running on to the danger area while bowling, which he says in hindsight were lessons to learn from. Ishant used his height to good effect and generated valuable bounce from the wicket.

While Ishant remained India's most economical bowler in the first innings, Praveen took over that role in the second and both ensured that India's target of 20 wickets was achievable. Dravid's bat had already done the rest.

In the absence of regular openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, India's opening combination looked unsettled.

Sachin Tendulkar's absence in the middle order made the batting looked further weakened. VVS Laxman failed to get going in both the innings.

Zaheer Khan's absence meant the hosts were less fearful of the kind of opening spell the left-arm seamer is capable of delivering. Dravid was India's only hope in the middle of this all and his contribution was more than enough to serve the team's purpose.

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Dhoni offers West Indies hope after India victory

KINGSTON: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to offer words of comfort to the West Indies after seeing his side record a 63-run victory in the first Test on Thursday.

"I will not make the mistake by saying that this opposition is not good enough," he said.

"Every batsman can score runs. Their first seven batters have the talent that equally matches that of the current Indian team."

Dhoni, the World Cup and Indian Premier League-winning captain, was particularly impressed by the contribution of West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Indian pair Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra proved to be the tourists' match-winners, but Bishoo also shone, picking up seven wickets.

"Bishoo kept bowling in the right areas," said Dhoni. "There was a fair degree of turn in the first innings, but as the game progressed, that turn was not there.

"The Indian spinners found it a bit difficult because of the strong breeze across the field. But as the game went on, they adapted well and began bowling better."

Man of the match Rahul Dravid and Test newcomer Praveen Kumar caught the eye for the visitors, but Dhoni singled out other members of his side for praise.

"Our lower-half batsmen for the past year and a half have been contributing well," he said.

"We were 85 for six in the first innings before Harbhajan, along with Suresh Raina, bailed us out. In the second innings, Mishra made a telling contribution."

Harbhajan and Raina added 146 for the seventh wicket in the first innings to help India reach 246.

Mishra and Dravid then put on 56 for the ninth wicket to take India to 252 in their second innings, leaving West Indies to chase 326 for victory.

"But for that stand (Raina and Harbhajan), we could have been all out for 150," Dhoni said.

"We were able to get more runs and thus gather a handy lead. Then in the second innings, we could stretch the lead to 300-plus.

"Three-hundred was always going to be a difficult score to chase in the fourth innings. They were off to a flyer, but wickets always slow down the momentum, and we were able to apply pressure on their middle order."

Dhoni was also fulsome in his praise of Dravid's batting in the second innings, as well as the bowling of Kumar throughout the match.

"Dravid has been an exceptional batsman for India," he said.

"That he played over 250 deliveries showed he was very patient. He made the bowlers pitch in his areas, and was brilliant.

"Praveen is a very skilful bowler and can swing it either way. He doesn't have the pace, but he can swing the ball, and confuse the batsmen if they needed to play or leave a delivery.

"He showed great character after having been stopped from bowling in the first innings. When you are switching from the 10-over format to 20 to 25 overs in an innings, you have to be careful.

"Importantly, he backed his strength and picked up wickets in the second innings as well."

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Indian cricketers criticise Harper for bad decisions

KINGSTON ( Jamaica): Umpire Daryl Harper came in for some scathing criticism from the Indian cricket team, which blasted the Australian for his poor decisions during the first cricket Test against the West Indies.

Such was the exasperation that a senior member of the side said that whole team wishes that Harper does not officiate in the third Test.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni did little to hide his disgust at the standard of umpiring in the Test, which they won by 63 runs to take a 1-0 lead.

"If correct decisions were made, the game would have ended much earlier and we would have been in the hotel by now," Dhoni said at the post match press conference.

The Australian would stand for one last time when India take on West Indies in the third Test at Dominica from July 6.

"We don't want him -- you can quote it as the reaction of the entire Indian team," said a very senior member of the side.

Though Dhoni did not name anyone of the two umpires officiating in the match --- Ian Gould (England) and Harper -- several Indian players openly termed the latter as the centre of their ire.

"It's Daryl Harper six not out," said another senior cricketer as soon as he saw a bunch of Indian pressmen approaching him.

Indians were upset that Harper made at least three critical errors against India and three in favour of West Indies during the match.

"Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and Dhoni himself for done in; (Darren) Bravo twice and once (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul benefitted," chimed in another Indian cricketer, bristling with aggression.

Raina was given out caught in the leg-trap off Devendra Bishoo and television replays suggested no edge from either bat or gloves of the batsman.

Harbhajan Singh was ruled out leg before wicket when the ball clearly was seen going way above the height of the stumps.

Dhoni was cleanly caught at point region off Bishoo but the bowler had cut the return crease in his bowling run-up and the delivery should have been called a no-ball.

All three decisions in question were given by Harper in India's second innings.

Then, when West Indies batted for the last time, there were confident appeals against Bravo and Chanderpaul which were not upheld.

The controversial Australian umpire is regarded worldwide as the worst umpire in the ICC list of elite umpires.

After being on the panel for nine years, between 2002 and 2011, the ICC too has come round to the general perception and declared that Harper will stand down after the termination of his contract in July 2011.

Harper also needled the Indians by banning Praveen Kumar from bowling for treading on to the 'danger area' of the pitch in his follow-through in the first innings.

Indians are not contesting the decision in private but feel Harper could have cautioned the debutant in a friendly way before taking the strong step.

Indian cricketers have little doubt umpire Harper has been clearly biased against them over the years.

"Remember, it was Harper who gave Sachin Tendulkar out lbw in a Test when the batsmen had ducked and was hit on his shoulder," remarked a cricketer.

During a Test of the 1999-2000 tour to Australia, a short delivery from Glenn McGrath had Tendulkar looking to duck under it but it hit him on the shoulders.

Umpire Harper promptly gave Tendulkar out though he was to say later 'the one (decision) that I would like the world to forget is the Sachin one.'

The shocking decision was the reason the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced neutral umpires for both ends in Test matches.

Justified as the Indians are, it only underlines the reason why they should give their sanction to Umpires Decision Review System (UDRS).

The Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) has been steadfastly refusing the usage of UDRS technology even though worldwide it's acceptance is a norm.

The UDRS technology, because of BCCI's insistence, is not being used either in the present series or the one in England which follows next month.

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15 years later, Dada still Lord of Lord's

KOLKATA: Fifteen years is a long time in the life of a sportsperson, but for Sourav Ganguly, memories of Lord's are still fresh in his mind. It was on June 22, 1996, that Sourav became the first Indian cricketer to hit a century on Test debut at the 'Mecca' of cricket. He remains the only one to do so.

"It's been a long time, but those are very happy memories," says Sourav, reminicising about the English summer that heralded the dawn of a new era in Indian cricket.

Chasing England's first-innings tally of 344, Sourav, who came in to bat at 25 for one, stood firm at one end even as India lost the wickets of Nayan Mongia (24), Sachin Tendulkar (31), Mohammad Azharuddin (16) and Ajay Jadeja (10) before he found an able ally in another debutant, Rahul Dravid.

The duo shared a 94-run partnership for the sixth wicket to help India gain a first innings lead of 85. Sourav, who was unbeaten on 26 on Day 2 (June 21), went on to make a flawless 131, but Dravid was unlucky to miss his century by just five runs.

"It was easily the best moment of my career. A century on debut at Lord's ... it doesn't get bigger than this," Sourav told TOI. "Looking back, I feel it was destiny at work," he adds.

To say that he was under pressure would be an understatement. Included as the fifth pacer, who could also bat, Sourav was under no illusion that it was going to be a make-or-break series for him. Not picked for the first two ODIs, Sourav made a splendid 46 on a seaming Old Trafford wicket in the final match. Yet, he was ignored for the first Test at Edgbaston that India went on to lose by eight wickets.

A twist of fate paved the way for Sourav's Test debut. His room partner on the tour, Navjot Singh Sidhu, had staged a walk-out from the team after a row with skipper Azharuddin. "I knew after the Derbyshire game that I would get my chance and was determined to grab it," says Sourav. Sourav admits to being a tad nervous when handed over the India cap on June 20, but with Azhar choosing to field first after winning the toss, there was time for the two Indian debutants to settle down.

"Look, it was a dream come true for me to pull on the India cap. My first day in Test cricket was a fruitful one as I picked up two wickets ( Nasser Hussain and Graeme Hick). It gave me added confidence," says Sourav, who later batted as if he was born to play Test cricket.

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West Indies 131/3 at stumps on Day 3, need 195 more runs to win

KINGSTON: West Indies reached 131 for three against India at stumps on third day of the first Test chasing a stiff victory target of 326 set by the visitors courtesy Rahul Dravid's memorable 32nd Test century.


An intriguing battle is on cards as the match is expected to be decided on fourth day itself with West Indies requiring 195 runs and visitors needing another seven wickets.

Darren Bravo (30 batting) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (24 batting) added 51 runs for the undefeated fourth wicket stand after the Caribbeans were reduced to 80 for three.

The West Indian openers Adrian Barath (38, 36 balls, 4x4, 2x6) and Lendl Simmons (27, 41 balls, 3x4, 1x6) started in a whirlwind fashion adding 62 runs in 10.5 overs.

Barath in particular was in T20 mode as he hit Ishant for couple of sixes and four in over before Praveen Kumar made him flash at an away going delivery to be caught by Suresh Raina at slips.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (0) was snapped up brilliantly by Virat Kohli off Ishant Sharma. Simmons was beaten by an Ishant delivery that held its line to hit the off-stump.

The day however belonged to Dravid. His effort of 112 (274 balls, 10x4, 1x6) had its worth weight in gold as the battle-hardened veteran brought up one of his most satisfying three-figure mark on track where batting was difficult.

He was the last man to be dismissed after nearly six and half hour vigil as he tried hit Devendra Bishoo (4/65) out of the park. The wicket was a two-paced one where the other top-order batsmen struggled for survival. The 38-year-old former India captain was a picture of confidence as he brought up his hundred in 252 balls when he jabbed a Fidel Edwards delivery to scamper home for a single.

Amit Mishra (28, 60 balls, 4x4) whose sensible batting at the other end helped Dravid reach his individual milestone also deserves credit. The duo added 56 runs for the ninth wicket after Harbhajan Singh (5) and Praveen Kumar (0) departed early after lunch with India reeling at 183 for eight.

When Mishra departed at 239, India have stretched their lead past 300 which looked to be a formidable one considering the nature of the track.

The day however belonged to Dravid who showed that when the circumstances are adverse, there is no substitute to watertight technique and enormous powers of concentration. The effort was even more laudable as he showed lot of gumption while batting with the tail.

This is Dravid's fourth century against the West Indies, and he has now surpassed 1500 runs against the Caribbeans.

If the first session belonged to West Indies who pegged India back with triple strikes of Virat Kohli (15), Suresh Raina (27) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (16), the post lunch session till tea was all about Dravid's patience and Mishra trying to counter attack.

Starting the day at 91 for three, India reached 166 for six at lunch with Dhoni being dismissed at stroke of lunch. The Indian captain should consider himself unlucky as Bishoo had overstepped during the delivery.

During the post-lunch session, Harbhajan Singh (5) curbed his natural instincts to play shots and dropped anchor at one end. However a debatable decision from umpire Daryl Harper saw him back in the hut. The delivery from Sammy hit him on the left thigh and was clearly heading over the stumps.

Sammy then picked up Praveen Kumar (0) as he played a nothing sort of short going for an ugly hoick when the situation demanded some discretion.

But then Mishra joined Dravid which could well prove to be the decisive partnership of the match.

A cautious Dravid tried to shield him initially by refusing singles early in overs but it didn't take him long to develop trust on Mishra who even looked good against the second new-ball.

Dravid was on 80 when Mishra joined him but the pair frustrated the hosts immensely and stretched the lead beyond 300 runs.

Once Dravid reached his hundred, Mishra hit a spanking cover drive as if to celebrate the feat of his senior. It also followed with a solid square cut as the West Indians got increasingly frustrated.

Dravid first played a risky shot after completing his ton. It was a straight six off Bishoo. However Mishra who had gained in a lot of confidence as he tried to slash Sammy only to be holed out in the third man region.

Ishant Sharma started off with a cover driven boundary. He could have been Sammy's fifth victim but a stiff return catch was just out of reach for the West Indian captain.

It was Bishoo who finally got his seventh victim of the match when Dravid tried an uncharacteristic ugly hoick that was easily caught by Ramnaresh Sarwan. It was an effort that saw him get standing ovation from his teammates.

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'Natural game' was key to crucial Bhajji knock

KINGSTON ( Jamaica): Two weeks ahead of his 31st birthday, 13 years after he first made his Test debut, Harbhajan Singh looks like he's finally discovered the art of batting he may have never thought he was blessed with.

While two Test successive centuries in a series is already a feat enough for a bowler-turning-into-a-batsman to make himself count, the 74-ball 70 that came off Harbhajan's bat at the Sabina Park in Kingston on Monday afternoon should rank as far more superior to what he accomplished in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad last year, as it came in tougher conditions.

India were tottering at 85/6 when he walked out to replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The skipper and two of the team's most experienced batsmen, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, had all been dismissed cheaply and in a manner almost similar.

The conditions weren't as threatening as the pressure that engulfed the middle-order. To walk into a situation like that and score a run-a-ball half century spoke volumes of the way Bhajji batted.

Indian batsmen insisted that they had not misread the pitch when they won the toss and elected to bat first. They were simply going by the logic that when in doubt, bat first.

However, the hosts kept claiming at the end of the day that had the coin favoured them, they'd still have liked to bowl on the Sabina track on Day 1.

There was bounce in the track, which was expected, but there was very sharp turn too, which caught India on the wrong foot. No batsman would've called it a pleasant situation to take guard in the middle. Perhaps, that was the reason Harbhajan succeeded.

He wasn't a batsman walking out there to save his team the blushes or to enhance his own reputation. He was a bowler, a tailender walking out to try and see in what way he could contribute with Suresh Raina - the last recognisable face in the middle-order - at the other end. The pressure should've been psychologically lesser than what he is used to while bowling. Harbhajan tried to stick to his 'natural game'.

Harbhajan has been fortunate enough to be around Sachin Tendulkar for a decade, watching him from close quarters. He has often been told by Tendulkar that he has the ability to bat. "Just play your natural game", Tendulkar has told Harbhajan many times.

And that's what he did to stem the rot and keep India alive.

Raina, at the other end, kept himself busy driving away a few of his own demons. The talk of him not being able to handle the short stuff well, that he has been trying too hard to push the ball away, not being able to create a balance between when to resist and when to attack - all these factors had been troubling him coming into the Test, as he admitted later.

His 82 was the backbone of India's first innings score of 246 and he should've earned his century if not for that sudden lapse in concentration as batsmen perished at the other end. However, had Harbhajan not taken the pressure off him, as he took the shine off the leather, it wouldn't have been very easy for Raina to accomplish what he did.

To the off-spinner's credit, he banished every bad ball with such disdain that it only increased the West Indies quota of wayward bowling spells. It was important to disturb Devendra Bishoo's line early on because the thin-framed leg-spinner was looking so dangerous - with wickets of Dravid, Laxman and Dhoni to count for. "You didn't know what to expect. The wicket was turning and there was bounce. It was important to watch the bowler's arm and look for the shine of the ball before attempting to play," Raina explained later.

As for Harbhajan, he kept his cool. You only had to watch the way he drove anything loose outside the off stump and pulled away anything short that came his way. When there was a mix-up in running between the wickets, he walked up to Raina and comforted him.

He retained his arrogance when Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul attempted some mild sledging and kept taking off his helmet time and again to dry off the sweat around his turban.

Harbhajan the-batsman scored his first big knock in a Test match which wasn't a hundred but probably far more crucial. Tendulkar should be proud.

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Ind vs WI: India 91/3 at stumps on Day 2, lead by 164 runs

KINGSTON: India moved into the ascendancy after the second day of the opening Test against West Indies on Tuesday, routing the hosts for 173 and then reaching 91/3 for an overall lead of 164 runs.

Led by Rahul Dravid's resolute 45 not out in 2 hours, 40 minutes at Sabina Park that contained five boundaries, India are well placed to strike the first blow in the three-Test series.

Earlier, new ball partners Ishant Sharma (3-29) and Praveen Kumar (3-38) ripped through the hosts after they resumed on 34-1.

Spinners Amit Mishra and Harbhajan Singh had identical figures of 2-51 to run through the lower order.

West Indies opener Adrian Barath hit a sparkling 64 but no other batsman passed 30 as the hosts wasted a good opportunity in replying to India's modest 246.

The 6-foot-7 Sharma, who had claimed Lendl Simmons late on the first day, added a second wicket with his first ball of the day, trapping Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw for 3 after playing no stroke to an inswinger.

Barath and fellow Trinidadian Darren Bravo fought back gamely in a third-wicket stand of 56 before the 24-year-old Kumar, on debut, shifted the momentum.

Barath reached his 50 off 116 balls with his eighth four, a lofted on-drive off the leg-spin of Mishra. The pint-sized opener lashed the next ball into the stands in the same area.

But Kumar soon ended the blossoming partnership.

Running in with the George Headley Stand at his back, Kumar claimed Barath when he nibbled at an outswinger and was nicely caught by a diving Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps. Barath hit eight fours and a six off 122 balls in 169 minutes.

In his next over, Kumar removed the left-handed Bravo in similar fashion, Dhoni again claiming a nick to a tentative defensive stroke. Bravo struck two fours in 18 off 56 balls.

Kumar further reduced the West Indies to 102/5 when Brendan Nash (1) tried to whip through the leg side but sliced an edge to Suresh Raina at third slip.

The experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh revived the hosts after the lunch break, as Kumar suffered the ignominy of being removed from the attack for running on the pitch in his follow-through for the third time.

The pair carried their sixth-wicket stand to 45 before Harbhajan made the crucial breakthrough when Baugh was caught off pad and bat by silly point. The right-hander hit two fours and a six in 27 off 35 balls.

Captain Darren Sammy fell one run later when he tried to whip Sharma through the leg side and was bowled off his pads.

Harbhajan also claimed Chanderpaul, who spent 105 minutes compiling 23 off 75 balls. The left-hander was caught off a deflection to short leg from bat and pad to make it 152/8.

Ravi Rampaul (14 not out) tried to rally the tail but Mishra wrapped up the innings on the stroke of tea with the wickets of Fidel Edwards (7) and Devendra Bishoo (4) within three balls.

Edwards tried to cut a googly and edged to Dhoni, while Bishoo picked out midwicket with a pull shot.

West Indies hit back in the final session as Rampaul trapped Murali Vijay for a duck with a ball that kept a bit low.

Rampaul should have added the scalp of Dravid but the 151-Test veteran survived a chance on 6 when he was dropped at second slip by Sammy.

Dravid added 56 for the second wicket with opener Abhinav Mukund (25), who was also making his debut.

West Indies rebounded with two quick wickets as Bishoo claimed Mukund and Sammy held a fine return catch to remove VVS Laxman without scoring to make it 57/3.

But Dravid continued to show broad-batted certainty, steering the team to the close with Virat Kohli (14 not out), who survived a late bouncer barrage from Fidel Edwards.

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India square off against underperforming West Indies in first Test

KINGSTON ( Jamaica): In the last four years of their journey to conquer the Test world, India have won a Test in 2006 at Sabina Park, Kingston; in 2007 at Trent Bridge, England, in 2008 at Perth, Australia, in 2009 at Hamilton, New Zealand; in 2010 at Durban, South Africa.

And yet, when they arrive for a major cricket assignment overseas, the talk of Indian batsmen being suspect against quality bounce and effective fast bowling keeps coming to the fore.

Express pacer Fidel Edwards, who last played a Test in 2009 before being sidelined with a back injury, says India will have to face some 'chin music' at Sabina Park, where the action begins on Monday. He is very sure that the visitors are susceptible to quality pace and bounce.

This whole notion of India not being able to handle pace comes as a surprise. Especially when we're talking about a team that has played Lee, Johnson, Clark and Tait in Perth; Steyn, Morkel, Tsotsobe and Kallis in Durban; Martin, Southee, O'Brien and Franklin in Hamilton. And all of this in the last three years. Therefore, Edwards can rest his case. Regardless of the doubts that the opposition may like to bear in mind, the fact remains that India have been there and done it well.

When you look at the Sabina Park wicket for the first Test from a distance, it appears less threatening than how Edwards feels it will behave. The pitch lacks any shine and grass and seems to have been smoked out. Both teams believe that there'll be good bounce and carry. However, that in turn should worry the West Indies if Harbhajan Singh finds his rhythm.

After the renovation of most stadiums in the Caribbean, none of the tracks at most historic stadiums here retain the old flavour any more. The need to protect and facilitate exciting Twenty20 matches, the pressure to have bigger scores in the 50-over format - to attract television viewers - have simply 'accommodated' factors that were alien to conditions here years ago. It is not India's fault, as a touring team, if host countries have failed to consolidate their cricketing strengths over a period of time.

Frankly, the talk of India not able to handle pace is now almost a 'joke'. At least as long as they're busy proving everybody wrong.

The focus in this Test, instead, is likely to be on how well can the West Indies live up to their own batting expectations. Only if they show the determination to hold on to their wickets and put runs on the board more frequently than they have in the recent years, will the hosts be able to make a match of this series.

India go into the Test without Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag - two batting stalwarts who've been unmatchable. The prolific Gautam Gambhir is also missing and so is the bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan. In the absence of these names, the tourists will depend on relatively newer faces to show them the way.

Captain MS Dhoni expects these circumstances to provide a competitive atmosphere in the Indian team ahead of important assignments later this year. "It will be a good competition for the batsman. This is an ideal opportunity for everybody and that's how I want them to look at it," he says.

Dhoni, of course, is wary of the West Indies pace attack. "They have good bowlers and the turn here (at Sabina) is likely to be lesser than the venues for the one-dayers," he says. He sums up that India have to be wary, but not in the manner in which oppositions like to think. They have to be wary of the standards the team has set in the last few years.

India's fitness worries were yet to be sorted out until Sunday night and therefore, chances are that the final eleven will be decided as late as possible. Dhoni will not rush any of his players into the game if even there's a slightest doubt over fitness. Given the flurry of assignments coming up in the near future, the skipper believes fitness will remain the most important ingredient for success.

Swot Analysis

World No. 1 India take on 7th-ranked West Indies in the Test series from Monday. TOI presents a swot analysis of both teams

INDIA

Strengths: The Indian batting line-up has pioneered the team's surge to the top spot. With experienced campaigners such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman back in the fold, the West Indian bowling will surely be tested. Also, with regular skipper MS Dhoni coming back fresh from a break, the youngsters in the team will feel at home.

Weaknesses: Without Zaheer Khan, and Sreesanth, the pace attack looks way short on penetration. And there are doubts over Munaf's fitness too. The onus will be on spinners Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra to get the wickets.

Opportunities: With the likes of Dravid, Sachin, Laxman and Zaheer nearing the end of their careers, the series will provide a serious platform for the youngsters to prove their mettle at this level. India will be hoping that they will grab the chance.

Threats: The young batsmen will have to contend with some disconcerting pace and bounce. If the untested opening duo fails, their job will be much more harder. Raina and Badri's form too does not inspire confidence.

WEST INDIES

Strengths: The bowling attack has sheer pace at its disposal in Kemar Roach and Fidel Edwards who will love to revel on bouncy tracks.

Weaknesses: An unstable and inexperienced team. And the batting looks fragile barring Sarwan and Chanderpaul.

Opportunities: The team has a chance to resurrect its dwindling fortunes and its sorry Test record over the last several years. It has a chance of doing so against an understrength Indian line-up.

Threats: The team has a history of disintegrating in a jiffy. Unless the new ball yields wickets, containing a solid batting line-up will be tough.

TOI

Murali Vijay fit for Test opener against West Indies

KINGSTON ( Jamaica): The injury-hit Indian cricket team heaved a sigh of relief after opener Murali Vijay was declared fit for the opening Test against the West Indies, starting on Monday.

Vijay, who was hit on his right forefinger in his first practice session on Friday, has suffered no real damage.

Vijay was back in the nets and batted with intensity at Sabina Park on Sunday.

The Indians, unhappy with the practice facilities, chose to send their batters to a faraway location while the bowlers bowled alongside the main pitch at Sabina Park.

Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra and Harbhajan Singh bowled for a long period in trying to work out the right length for the Test match. They also had a fair idea of the bounce the pitch would offer over the next five days.

The batters though returned to the venue once it was known that the repairs had been done and the practice pitches were fit to be used.

Even though Vijay is fit, there is still uncertainty over the fitness of pacer Munaf Patel.

Munaf, who is battling an elbow injury, was again out of action on Sunday.

It is ironical that on a pitch which offers a great deal of bounce, India would be forced to go with just two medium-fast bowlers in the match.

Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar will be sharing the new ball but there is no other fast bowler on whom skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni can fall back upon.

Replacement medium-pacer Abhimanyu Mithun is expected to arrive on Monday, well after the first day's play is over.

Mithun thus has ruled himself out and with the team unlikely to take chances on Munaf, it appears certain that India would go into the Test with two pace and an equal number of spinners.

It seals the place for leg-spinner Amit Mishra who, despite his one-day heroics, must have been praying for his inclusion in the side after being out for 10 months.

Harbhajan Singh will be keen to do well as well since he needs only seven wickets to reach the magical 400-wicket mark in his 94th Test.

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Munaf doubtful as Team India sweats out ahead of first Test

KINGSTON ( Jamaica): Clouds of uncertainty continue to hover over medium-pacer Munaf Patel's availability for the first Test against West Indies at Sabina Park starting next Monday.

The gangling medium-fast bowler from Gujarat was reduced to a spectator as his team-mates, including Test arrivals from home notably Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, put themselves to a vigorous work-out on Friday.

Coach Duncan Fletcher has refused to shed light on the reason for Patel's inactivity in the last two team sessions, as well as on missing out on the final one-day international on Thursday.

The only word the Zimbabwe-born coach has said is that "Patel should be fit for selection for the Test."

Patel was hugely impressive in India's World Cup campaign as well as in the one-day series here where he picked up eight wickets from three matches at 17.75 average.

However, he has not played a Test for India for over two years now and if the trend continues it would most likely pave the way for Praveen Kumar's inclusion in the Test team.

In the practice session, coach Fletcher appeared keen to pick up the brains of Dravid and Dhoni.

Fletcher had said earlier that he was looking forward to learning from men with such wealth of experience.

Dhoni was among the early bats to pad up but then sat in the shade for long while others took their turn under a scorching sun.

The arriving Test specialists were impressively intense even though it has been less than 24 hours since they landed in the Caribbeans.

Openers Murali Vijay and Abhinav Mukund, particularly the former, spent a long time in the nets against both spinners and pacers alike.

The hosts, on their part, afforded good net bowlers to the visitors as all Indian batsmen had an extensive work-out.

VVS Laxman was the centre of attraction with his graceful strokes, while Vijay made some rasping drives.

Later Dhoni, alongwith the spin cordon of Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli latched on to some sharp catching practice organised by fielding coach Trevor Penny.

Bowling coach Eric Simmons appears to have taken over the job of former coach Gary Kirsten who threw down countless ball at the batsmen. Simmons gave a good work-out to Raina, Mukund and Laxman with his throw-downs.

The first Test starts on Monday.

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BCCI considers DRS unreliable in its present form

NEW DELHI: Unfazed by the criticism it has drawn for opposing the Decision Review System, the Indian cricket board on Saturday stuck to its stand that it does not consider DRS reliable in its present form.

The BCCI, which has opposed DRS since its very inception, has been facing flak from several countries for refusing to use the technology in Test matches. Recently English players such as James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Chris Tremlett criticised BCCI for rejecting it for next month's Test series.

In fact, Swann went on to suggest that India was intimidated by the prospect of losing out on close calls due to DRS but the Indian board seemed least concerned.

"The DRS, and the BCCI's stance on the same, has been the subject of several media reports over the past few days," the BCCI said in a statement.

"The BCCI would like to reiterate that it does not accept the reliability of the ball-tracking technology, which is an integral part of the DRS. The BCCI's position has been consistent," it added.

Earlier, senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar had stated that he was not against the system as such but would want it to be more consistent by incorporating Hot Spot and Snickometer for close LBW and caught-behind decisions.

"I am not against DRS, but I feel it will be more effective with the support of the Snickometer and Hot Spot technology. This will give more consistent results," Tendulkar had said.

However, neither Hot Spot nor the Snickometer, is part of the ICC's list of minimum technology requirements for the DRS.

BCCI president Shashank Manohar added, "I have even told the ICC that we have no problem with Hot Spot. Our objection is to ball tracking. It becomes just a case of someone else's imagination versus the umpire's imagination."

Australia and England are among the cricket boards which are backing the DRS.

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Dravid is still motivated by Tendulkar

KINGSTON ( Jamaica): He has spent 15 years in international cricket but senior India batsman Rahul Dravid says he continues to be inspired by Sachin Tendulkar, with whom he has starred in 19 Test century stands.

"He's been phenomenal, has had terrific last 2-3 years and possibly done the best batting of his life," said Dravid in his ever-earnest manner in his first practice session in the Caribbean on Friday.

"When I came he had already been around for seven years; he was my captain in West Indies (in 1997) and was a source of great motivation. That motivation has not changed," he added.

India will play three Tests against West Indies starting from next Monday and four against England spread across next two months this summer.

Dravid is the third highest run-scorer of all time, scoring 12,063 Test runs in 150 matches at an average of 52.44. He is also the only batsman to have hit at least one century in all 10 Test playing nations. That's not all, he is also a world-beater with 200 catches.

Yet all this greatness sits lightly on a modest man who still is anxious to compete well for himself and his country.

"I had a seven month time off (from Tests). But I knew about these seven Tests in a row and was ready with my preparations," he said.

"You know you have done enough but there is still a certain pressure; you still feel nervous and there are butterflies (in your stomach). These things never change. It would be nice to get runs early on and keep the form going."

Dravid expects great things from this largely young side which is being led by an extremely capable captain in Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"He (Dhoni) has led very well and done a great job. He exudes calm and his records, be it in Tests, in IPL or in one-day cricket has been phenomenal. His ability to remain calm under pressure is a priceless ability. (The team is) lucky to have a guy who has this kind of quality," he said.

The 38-year-old cricketer is aware that the transitional phase of Indian cricket is at hands and is hopeful that a few of the younger guys would carry the torch forward.

"Over the next year or two, young batsmen should be coming through -- like Ganguly, Laxman and I did. Sooner than later, similar young boys would come through and two or three would have similar long careers for the next 15 years. Then the team is going to be in good health," he said.

Dravid hoped he would play a role in this learning curve, sharing his experiences with the younger kids.

"Young kids love to chat and you are always open. There would be opportunity to share this experience over the next seven Tests. It would be great to pass on this knowledge.

"Unfortunately, today it's not the nature of cricket to have a lot of practice games ahead of a series. I remember I had six or seven practice games in England and there was so much to learn from the Tendulkars, Manjrekars and Azharuddins of the side.

"Tests are always so stressful but practice games allow you to relax and interact. I don't know any solution; its tough on kids," he added.

Dravid was particularly keen to do well in Sabina Park, and generally in the Caribbean, for the great charm the region held in his mind while growing up.

"You remember as a kid listening to radio and hearing about Sabina Park; Gavaskar hitting centuries; those fearsome fast bowlers and you dreamt of playing here," he said.

"I have now been involved in four Test matches at this venue and I know when I sit back I will be happy about it."

It was at the Sabina Park where he last came as a captain in 2006 and his two half centuries was instrumental in India winning their first series in Caribbean after 35 years.

Dravid rated those two innings of 81 and 68 in a low-scoring game as one of the better knocks of his entire distinguished career.

"It was a very difficult pitch. In the context of the series, it was one of the better Test match innings I have played. In a low-scoring game, anything could have happened. It was most satisfying and in terms of quality, I rate it one of my better innings," he said.

Dravid believed the pitch here for the first Test is going to be extremely testing too.

"This generally has good bounce. Looking at this wicket, it would be a good challenge. They have a good pace attack. We have the bowling and hopefully the guys will make a difference."

Dravid claimed he didn't feel bad he wasn't part of the team which won the World Cup earlier this year and indeed took delight in the achievement of his mates.

"I knew I wasn't playing, I haven't been playing one-day cricket for the last two and a half years. So I didn't feel bad in that sense. I was happy for the team, for Indian cricket as it took 28 long years," he said.

"You feel good for the guys, that you have played with some of these guys and that men like me, Ganguly, Kumble were involved in the system in the past, have had some role to play in this onward journey," he added.

Dravid was evasive in his views on the controversial Umpires Decision Review System (UDRS) which is not being supported by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"My views really don't matter. In the past I have said that UDRS is going to be used at some stage. Obviously Indian board wants it be consistent, really this is between the ICC and BCCI to sort it out."

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Opportunity lost for India's new faces

KINGSTON ( JAMAICA): The land of Bob Marley, to put it in the words of the Reggae king, gives the Indian selectors the right opportunity to pluck some weed.

The five-match one-day series against the West Indies saw the wise men picking the best of India's young talent in the absence of senior cricketers. Having seen them put their brand of cricket on display, selectors now have the chance to pick the best from the lot and mark them out for the future. The rest will have to simply take it into account that as much as they've earned a reputation for themselves in India's vast domestic circuit, the temperament to do equally well at the international level is not quite there.

There's no shame in accepting that. Not every good cricketer is necessarily good enough to play international cricket. And it becomes all the more important to realise this when you're discussing a World Champion team.

Tamil Nadu's S Badrinath – certainly a batsman of considerable talent and with a lot of runs to back that in the domestic circuit – is a case in point. At 30, Badrinath managed to make it to the Indian team on two separate tours and has played seven one-dayers and batted in six innings so far after making his debut in 2008. Three of those innings have come on this current tour of West Indies.

In all these outings put together, he's aggregated a mere 79 runs and a highest of 27 not out. His one-day average thus stands at 15.28 and the strike rate has been a dismal 45.93.

Now, before one goes any further, it is important to note that Badri made it to the Indian team in the first place only because of the massive number of runs he's stacked up in domestic cricket and most importantly in all formats.

He averages a whopping 62.41 in first class cricket and 32.44 in Twenty20. Those are impressive figures.

Then why exactly has a man of such talent – he underlines it when he cuts fast bowlers through point and gully with immense ease and plays spinners with a lot of heart – not been able to convert it all to the international level?

In the series against West Indies, Badrinath batted at No 4 in all the matches he played and every time he walked out to bat, circumstances presented him with an opportunity to make it his own stage. He missed thrice before being dropped for the final one-dayer.

Was it lack of temperament?

Opener Shikhar Dhawan, the Delhi batsman, is another example – but certainly not in Badri's league even when it comes to the domestic circuit.

On slow batting wickets where seeing off the new ball can be the easiest thing to do instead of walking in late in the batting order and managing situations, Dhawan made a mess of his chances too. With the exception of a 67-ball 51 on an eased out batting track in Port of Spain in the first one-dayer, Dhawan has failed miserably in other games, only to be rested in the fifth and last match. As an opener, which is Dhawan's regular batting position, he had absolutely no shots to show in the 'V' and entirely got his runs playing square off the wicket.

Yusuf Pathan is another batsman to make it to this unwanted list and stands thoroughly exposed with each day in international cricket. While there's little doubt that he can hit the ball harder than most of his ilk, the belligerent right hander can do almost nothing if the delivery doesn't get pitched in his zone. Anything on good length, just outside the off-stump and he'll smash it into the stands. Anything else will leave him in big trouble.

It doesn't take bowlers in international cricket long to figure that out.

Among the three, Badri may find it the hardest to digest that getting another chance at this level for another time will be difficult, especially because he is a very good batsman who has earned his runs with sheer display of talent.

However, like his two other teammates, he has to realise that international cricket is a different ball game altogether. No disrespect meant.

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West Indies beat India by 7 wickets in fifth ODI

KINGSTON (JAMAICA): Darren Bravo hit a career-best 86 as West Indies comfortably defeated India by seven wickets in the fifth and final ODI on Thursday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

Chasing a target of 252, Bravo's clean hitting helped West Indies reach the target in 48.4 overs to reduce the series score to 3-2.

Interestingly West Indies had lost the first three ODIs against Pakistan in the earlier series before winning the last two.

Cheered by local hero Chris Gayle from the stands, Bravo (86, 99 balls, 3x4, 6x6) who many believe is a 'Brian Lara clone' launched into Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra hitting as many as five out of his six sixes off the two.

The Batting Powerplay proved to be the turning point for Windies as Indian bowlers gave away 57 runs between overs 43 and 47. When Bravo was finally out in the 46th over with 39 still to get, Kieron Pollard (24, 13 balls, 3x4, 1x6) and Marlon Samuels (28, 25 balls, 3x4) plundered 42 runs in only 3.3 overs to seal the issue.

Credit should also be given Ramnaresh Sarwan (75 retd hurt, 94 balls, 5x4, 1x6) who anchored the innings to perfection before he couldn't carry on due to cramps. Sarwan and Bravo added 103 runs for the third wicket before the right-hander retired hurt.

Bravo took his time to settle down but with wickets in hand, he waited for the batting Powerplay to explode. The other turning point was India losing seven wickets for 62 runs despite Virat Kohli's solid 94.

Leaden-footed Darren Bravo sprang to life with two successive sixes off Ashwin as he scored 15 runs in the 43rd over.

Mishra, the most consistent Indian bowler in the series met with similar fate as he too went for couple of sixes with 15 runs coming off it.

Vinay Kumar who had a good first spell went for 11 runs, the target was reduced to 23 from the final three overs.

West Indies openers Lendl Simmons (6) and Adrian Barath (17) fell cheaply before Sarwan and Bravo began their rescue mission.

Earlier, when India batted it was a case of poor shot selection by the middle and lower order batsmen after Kohli (94, 104 balls, 10x4) along with Rohit Sharma (57, 72 balls, 2x4, 1x6) laid the foundation with a 110-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Coming in to bat in the fourth over, Kohli stayed put till the 36th over to help India overcome early jitters although a fantastic piece of fielding by Sarwan from the deep robbed the batsman a chance to score his sixth international hundred.

Andre Russell was the pick of the West Indian bowlers, grabbing four for 35 and his spell at the death earned him the man-of-the-match award.

Indian openers Parthiv Patel (6) and Shikhar Dhawan (11) were gone by the seventh over as West Indian quicks took full advantage of the bouncy strip that was on offer.

Patel was hurried onto a pull shot by a Russell bouncer and was holed out at mid-wicket. Dhawan was done in by the extra bounce as he was caught in the slips off Kemar Roach.

Kohli started by clipping Russell delightfully to mid-wicket fence off the eighth ball he faced.

The next boundary was rather a streaky edge past slip off Darren Sammy but he made it up with a delightful cover drive in the West Indian skipper's fourth over.

Manoj Tiwary (22, 22 balls, 1x6, 1x4) looked in good nick during his short stay and a six off Sammy which hit the wooden roof of the club's bar was a breathtaking sight.

Tiwary though was unable to build on his start and edged one from Pollard behind the stumps just before the first drinks interval took place. His partnership with Kohli yielded 58 runs.

India now had the best batting passage of the innings as their two best young batsmen put their wares out on display.

Both looked to hit down the ground and picked up runs with ease as the 100 runs of the innings came in the 22nd over.

Kohli was careful in his shot selection and hit fours off leg-spinner Anthony Martin and Andre Russell in successive overs.

Kohli first bisected Martin through the backward point fence and then punched Russell through the covers.

The Delhi lad reached his half century in the 23rd over with a single off Martin having faced only 63 deliveries. He celebrated it with a cheeky steer for four off Lendl Simmons.

Man of the series Rohit having settled into a nice groove at the other end, slammed returning Roach over midwicket for an effortless six in the 36th over.

Kohli departed in this very over when he flicked one to fine leg and hurried back for a non-existent second. Sarwan's throw was hard and accurate to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh who found the batsman short of his crease.

Once Kohli was dismissed, there was virtually no resistance from the other batsmen.

Skipper Suresh Raina played an ill-advised lofted shot to be out in the deep off Pollard. He has often tried this shot in the series with disastrous results. The stand-in captain could manage only 74 runs in the series.

Rohit completed his third fifty of the series but was cleaned by Martin trying an ugly heave. He hit two fours and a six during his 72 ball knock.

Yusuf Pathan (30, 29 balls, 2x4, 1x6) looked confident for the first time in the series but again his undoing was a short ball that lifted from short of good length to kiss his edge.

Russell blew away the lower order as Amit Mishra (0) was bowled trying a big hit and Ishant Sharma was castled by a yorker as India missed a chance to play 15 more deliveries.

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I wish no cricketer goes through what I have: Mishra

JAMAICA: He has had the West Indies batsmen in knots in the ongoing ODI series but not so long ago, Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra was considering hanging up his boots out of sheer frustration at being dropped despite decent performances.

The affable spinner's nine wickets at an average of 17.00 in the ongoing series exceed the value the figures can ever suggest. Yet, Mishra lives with the dictum of his day-to-day philosophy.

"I once took seven wickets and scored a 50 against Bangladesh in a Test - and was promptly dropped in the next game," recalled Mishra.

He could have also mentioned his dramatic first year in Test cricket in 2008 when he took 20 wickets in five games against Australia and England and yet was sent to cool his heels for the entire next year.

It is not as if he has been compensated in one-day internationals. He made his ODI debut in 2003 and after just two games was banished for more than six years.

He did have his shoulder injury to contend with but he was still picking wickets by bucketful in domestic cricket.

"I wish no cricketer goes through what I have in my career," says the 28-year-old cricketer.

"But for my family who egged me on and Mr Ranbir Mahendra (Haryana cricket supremo) I would have hung my boots long ago."

Mishra is mindful that during this spell of 2008-09, Anil Kumble made a mighty return and Harbhajan Singh was still on top of his craft.

Also only one spinner is usually preferred in Tests abroad. Yet the feeling lingered that he was being unfairly treated with.

"I just let out my frustration on a cricket ball. I bowled and bowled and bowled. During matches, in nets and many a time alone. I worked on my leg-spinners, drifters, googly, variations in pace, degree of spin, everything," says an eager-faced Mishra who has nearly 400 first-class wickets to show for his 11-year toil.

Mishra was finally thrown a lifeline in the form of IPL. He was picked up cheaply by Delhi Daredevils in the first year auction in 2008 but his impressive hauls, including two hat-tricks, have ensured he could no longer be ignored so brazenly.

Yet it hurt him immensely that he wasn't part of India's World Cup squad as Piyush Chawla was preferred to him.

However, he got his break in the present series and has been impressive to the extent that legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar feels he ought to be on plane to England later in the summer.

Having learnt the bitter lessons, Mishra now believes only wickets can give him a good run in international cricket.

"Economy is alright but wickets matter more to me. There's no point in going for 0 for 45, it's better to have 3 for 50. It's good for you, it's good for team."

Says Eric Simmons, India's bowling coach, "Mishra is very confident, very aggressive. He gets a lot of drift which is always a very good sign for a leg-spinner."

Mishra's approach has helped India as many a time in the past, the middle overs were passive periods for the team. Most opposition could recover from poor starts only because there was nobody to pick wickets in the middle overs.

"Even though I can bowl three variations of googly, my stock bowl is leg-break. I feel my strength is the loop and the drift and dip which accompany it," remarked Mishra.

His 36 wickets from 10 Tests compare favourably with his idols Shane Warne (25 wickets), Muttiah Muralitharan (40) and Harbhajan Singh (38) at the same cut-off point.

Kumble alone is markedly superior at 53 wickets from 10 matches.
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Years with Chappell as coach worst of my career: Zaheer

NEW DELHI: Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan considers the two years with Greg Chappell as national coach the worst of his decade-long career as the controversial Australian made him feel unwanted in the team.

Zaheer said he and other senior players were constantly worried about their place in the side and were unable to perform during that tumultuous period between 2005 and 2007.

"It was as if you've been framed. It was like 'we don't want you in the team. It's not about performance, we don't like your attitude, you're stopping the growth of cricket in the Indian team'. I felt it personally because I was dropped straight after the Sri Lanka tour, even though I had not performed badly," Zaheer said.

"I was fortunate enough to go to South Africa to represent the Asia XI (in the Afro-Asia Cup). I got about nine wickets and I was recalled for the next series. In that phase it was always a struggle. When you're fighting within the team, when you have a war to fight in your own camp, it is always difficult to win," he said.

Chappell took over as India coach in May 2005 but his tenure was marred by serious differences between him and senior players, including Sachin Tendulkar. He also had a public spat with the then captain, Sourav Ganguly, who was dropped from the team but later recalled.

At the end of his tenure, following India's first round exit from the 2007 World Cup, Chappell decided not to seek an extension of his contract.

Zaheer said, in contrast, former South African batsman Gary Kirsten's tenure as India coach was "amazing".

"He has given everyone their space. He's understood the Indian culture and how we do things. He's taken that step of coming closer to us rather than dictating. He was our friend, not a coach," Zaheer said.

Kirsten took over in tumultuous circumstances but left the job on a high, guiding the Indian team to a historic World Cup triumph after a hiatus of 28 years besides taking them to the pinnacle of Test rankings.

Zaheer said the only positive of Chappell's tenure was the inclusion of youngsters in the team but felt that sacrificing experienced players was not the only way to give opportunities to youth.

"A youngster coming in is a good sign but not at the cost of a cricketer who is doing his bit."

The 32-year-old Baroda pacer said the county stint with Worcestershire came at the right moment for him when things were not going his way.

He signed up with Worcestershire for the 2006 county season and finished as the highest wicket-taker in Division Two of the County Championship, taking 78 wickets at 29.07.

"Worcester taught me the reason I'm playing this game. Sometimes when you play at the highest level, especially in India, the whole country is so passionate about the game, so whether you do well or do badly it affects you in many ways. So when I went to Worcester, it was just me playing cricket."

"I was just enjoying cricket and not thinking about other pressures, about the pressure of performance. Everything was falling into place. I was taking wickets. Even though I was not in the Indian side, I was actually happy," Zaheer said.

Talking about the historic World Cup triumph, in which he was the joint-highest wicket-taker with Shahid Afridi with 21 wickets, Zaheer said he is now a calm and composed player as compared to the emotionally-driven youngster in the 2003 final against Australia.

In the 2011 World Cup final, he bowled three consecutive maidens at the start of the innings.

"It was only a couple of years into international cricket; the World cup journey itself was something special in 2003. That time my thing was to bowl quick. I wanted to be aggressive.

"It was a World Cup final; there were a lot of emotions. As soon as the national anthem finished, there was this rush of young blood. I wanted to do really well, wanted to just blast the Australians apart," he said.

"This World Cup I was aware of the fact that there will be a lot of emotions, I have to deal with it. I have to maintain my calm and focus on the process. I was telling myself just go there and bowl," he added.

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Summer of content for Rohit in the Caribbean

ANTIGUA: Even as the Indian cricket coach Duncan Fletcher joins the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne in heaping praise on batsman Rohit Sharma, the purists only hope that it's not again just a case of false dawn.

For a batsman of Rohit's calibre, it is surprising that he has had a roller-coaster ride so far in his career and has struggled to foment his place in the Indian national side.

Rohit has inspired India to two of its three ODI wins in the ongoing series against the West Indies with unbeaten knocks of 68 and 86.

But his success in the past have almost inevitably followed a string of failures, which explains why his career still flounders at average 30.63 after 64 games and why he is still not seen fit enough for Tests.

In 2008 in Australia, Rohit played two successive unbeaten knocks of 39 and 70 in a triangular series before his career fell in a mire and only 496 runs accrued over the next 33 one-day internationals with just two half centuries.

Left out in the cold in 2009, he made a roaring comeback in Zimbabwe last year with successive centuries against the hosts and Sri Lanka in a triangular before the almost inevitable rut hit him again - 290 runs from the next 17 one-day internationals with just one half century.

He has now yet again made screaming headlines with two purest of knocks and critics believe that this time it is for real.

"He's far more disciplined now," concedes stand-in-skipper Suresh Raina.

Rohit himself said that he "wants this tour to count" for him.

While Raine feels that "it's the time he has spent with Sachin for Mumbai Indians", Rohit feels missing out on World Cup was a catalyst and that he has worked "unbelievably hard on his cricket in the last three months".

Rohit actually never needed to work on his cricket, for many are convinced he is the most talented young batsman in the world. It's his mind which is said to have been his own worst enemy.

From the time he lazily walks up to the crease; languidly settles into his stance and stroke a few in the outfield; Rohit seems so superior to the mortals around him that he tends to get bored all too easily and throws it away.

He seems devoid of hunger; unmindful of the use he could be to himself and to his country. He has truckload of time and this rare combination of technical astuteness and innovation which Ramnaresh Sarwan concedes "allows him to sneak upon you and within no time he has 40 on the board."

Ironically, the region which saw him touch his nadir in 2009 - only 15 runs from four ODIs - could as well restore him to the one-day side and earn him a Test cap.

On Saturday, after he had sealed the game in India's favour with a winning four, Rohit turned around to pick up a stump as a souvenir. He finally might have begun to value himself, his talent, his team and his nation.

Almost every generation, India has produced a great, world-class batsman from Mumbai.

Rohit could be the next one, following on in the footsteps of Vijay Merchant, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.

If Rohit has indeed conquered the demons of his mind, Indian cricket can approach the moment of transition with hope and confidence.

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India aim clean sweep, Windies to play for pride

ANTIGUA: West Indies have oscillated between bad and worse against a young India side and now trailing 0-3, they've nothing to gain from the remaining matches except some pride. The fourth ODI between the two teams will be played at the Vivian Richards Stadium on Monday and the hosts will have to come up with something better than what they've dished out so far to stop the confident Indians.

Darren Sammy, it seems, has been lacking the vision of a leader and the authority that comes along with it. For someone who has to lead by way of example, Sammy's own performance in the field and his ordinary bowling has not helped the team's cause. Last week, the skipper spent most of his energies signing press releases that said how local media had been showing him in poor light for not attending a particular awards function recently.

Cricket, somehow, doesn't seem to be the primary focus and that's been showing in the team's performances.

There have been flashes of brilliance, like that of Andre Russell's 64-ball 92 in the last game, Devendra Bishoo's attacking leg-spin and Ramnaresh Sarwan's two timely half-centuries. However, the players have not been able to convert these good performances into match-winning ones.

India, on the other hand, have stuck to their gameplans well, and maybe the West Indies will have to take a leaf out of the India's book. While India intend to go into the game with wholesale changes in the squad, it is unlikely if the West Indies will try any such thing. Instead, they'll want the Pollards and Sarwans and Bishoos to come forward with something extraordinary.

Chris Gayle's participation in the ODI series now is completely ruled out, especially because he's yet to meet with the officials of the West Indies Cricket Board. The home team will have to make do with the resources they already have and come up with something special.

India's captain Suresh Raina, meanwhile, lauded India's bench strength and hinted that now that the series had been won, more youngsters would be given opportunities. The remaining two ODI might see players who've been warming the bench so far – R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, R Vinay Kumar and Wriddhiman Saha – getting into the action.

Ashwin has been unlucky so far considering the team decided to include a leg-spinning option in Amit Mishra for the first three matches. "We wanted to have that option (of leg-spinner) and it was unfortunate to leave Ashwin out. He's a very important bowler for us and you can expect to see him play the next game," says Raina.

Ishant and Vinay made way for the more experienced Munaf Patel and Praveen Kumar but both the medium-pacers are now likely to get a game each. And as far as the batting goes, Raina is still trying to figure how he can fit in Tiwary for the next game. That leaves Saha, the wicket-keeper-batsman who seems to have been the selectors' pick.

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Ind vs WI: India beat West Indies by 7 wickets (D/L)

PORT OF SPAIN: India produced a disciplined all-round performance to notch up a convincing seven-wicket victory over the West Indies in a rain-affected second one-day international and also take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series on Wednesday.


Virat Kohli (81) played a stellar hand in first partnering opener Parthiv Patel (56) for 120-run second wicket stand and then withstanding the little tremor induced by the rain breaks.

Chasing 241 to win, India were 100 for one in 22 overs when a sharp passing shower made the square unfit to play for 85 minutes. The rain break reduced the visitors innings to 37 overs and the target was revised to 183, implying they needed 83 runs from 90 deliveries.

India achieved the target comfortably losing the wickets of Parthiv Patel (56) and Virat Kohli (81) in 33.4 overs.

Earlier, India restricted West Indies to 240 for nine after skipper Suresh Raina won the toss and elected to field at the Queen's Park Oval.

Amit Mishra (4/31) and Munaf Patel (3/35) struck in the late moments to stop the run flow and trigger a collapse after the Caribbeans went off to a good start.

For the hosts, Ramnaresh Sarwan (56) and Lendl Simmons (53) cracked individual half-centuries up the order but their middle-order crumbled, slipping from 175 for three in 34 overs to 229 for nine in 48.5 overs.

Chasing the revised target, Patel left early, caught behind off a tickle, but Kohli held firm and was well supported by stand-in skipper Suresh Raina (26) who brought an early end to the innings.

India were off to a poor start when left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan (3) guided a Ravi Rampaul delivery into the hands of gully fielder.

But Kohli was in his element from the very start and rarely hit the ball in the air, a contrast with Parthiv Patel who scooped and flicked in vacant places at will.

Kohli completed his 2000 runs in ODI internationals with a sweep off Devendra Bishoo. It has taken him only 53 innings -- the second fastest behind the joint record holder Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sourav Ganguly (52 innings each).

None of the West Indian bowlers made any impression and the biggest flops were the local boys -- Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo -- who made little impression with either bat or ball.

Patel, during his gritty knock, faced 64 balls and hit two fours and two sixes.

Kohli, who hit six fours and one six in his 103-ball innings, was finally dismissed in the last ball of the 31st over when looking for a six, he ended up holing out to Pollard off Bishoo at long-off.

Raina's brief cameo of runs came off 19 balls and contained one four and a six.

Earlier, leg-spinner Mishra took four for 31 with his sharply turning leg-breaks to keep West Indies down to 240 for nine after the hosts had threatened to run up a bigger total at one stage.

Munaf Patel (3 for 35) too played a good supporting hand as the West Indies lost six wickets for 48 runs in the final nine overs.

An entertaining 36 for Marlon Samuels and a hectic eighth wicket 31-run stand between skipper Darren Sammy (22 not out) and Ravi Rampaul (14) gave the Caribbeans some momentum but in the end the total was not enough.

Earlier, openers Simmons and Kirk Edwards (25) provided the perfect platform with 57 runs by the 13th over as they feasted on some rugged fielding and wayward bowling.

Edwards' first four flicked bowler Munaf Patel's raised hand to go to long-on fence and the next one was crashed past covers in the fourth over.

Moving into his stride, Edwards smote Praveen Kumar at the other end over mid-on, hurrying Indians to bring on leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the eighth over.

Simmons survived a caught behind in the 10th over after Munaf Patel overstepped the bowling crease.

Mishra was impressive from the word go but Simmons was confident enough to sweep him for four.

Harbhajan Singh, introduced in the 12th over, had a horrid start as he either bowled too wide or too full to go for 24 runs in his first two overs.

There were two deliveries which spun past leg stump to go for wide fours and then Edwards launched into a ferocious hit straight down the ground for a six.

Mishra gave Indians the first breakthrough after a sharply turning leg-break took the edge of Edwards' bat to nestle into the gloves of Parthiv Patel.

However, Simmons was unperturbed as he smacked Mishra over midwicket for a six and later dished out the same treatment to Yusuf Pathan to bring up his half century in the 25th over with the score reading 114 for one.

New man Sarwan and Simmons forged a 67-run partnership before the opener was departed in the 27th over in a rather ungainly manner when he rushed down the wicket and Patel stumped him off a wide delivery.

Sarwan though had dropped anchor at the other end and once powerfully square cut Harbhajan to the fence and then deftly guided Munaf past vacant slips for four.

His new partner Marlon Samuels was more aggressive as he stylishly drove Mishra to the cover fence and then pulled Yusuf behind square leg for another four.

In this eventful over, he smote the next ball for a six but then was fooled by a slow wide floater to be out stumped.

Sarwan then brought up his 37th ODI fifty with a boundary of Praveen Kumar but the right-handed batsman gifted his wicket away, hitting a rank full toss from Munaf Patel into the hands of the deep square leg fielder Amit Mishra.

With Pollard next in line, West Indies asked for the batting powerplay at 192 for four in the 42nd overs and it turned out to be a disaster spell for them.

Pollard survived three balls before his attempted sweep made him a leg-before candidate for nought. Bravo (8) stroked one in the deep as if to give catching practice to Harbhajan Singh and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh completely misjudged a googly from Mishra to be bowled.

West Indies made 29 runs from the five overs of batting powerplay, losing three wickets.

Skipper Sammy and Rampaul then freed their arms for some entertaining hits before Munaf ended the pyrotechnics of this pair with two wickets in his final over.

Rampaul was caught in the deep and young Bishoo could only guide a rising delivery into the hands of the wicketkeeper.

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