Murali out of ODI series

Murali out of ODI series

Rajkot, Dec 16: Trailing 0-1 following the defeat in the series-opener, Sri Lanka were today dealt a massive blow after ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the remaining four cricket one-dayers against India due to a finger injury.

The Lankans have brought in two new off-spinners, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara and Suraj Randiv, in the squad.

“We have decided to rest Murali from the One-Day series to allow him to recover fully from the finger injury and to be available for future tournaments,” visiting team manager Brendon Kuruppu told PTI today.

“Murali injured his ring and middle fingers during the Mumbai Test (third and final match of the series held in the first week of December) and is going back home via Chennai,” Kuruppu informed.

Morgan predicts day/night Tests ‘within two years’

Morgan predicts day/night Tests ‘within two years’

LONDON, Dec 16: International Cricket Council president David Morgan said on Wednesday he would be “surprised if we don’t see day/night Test cricket within the next two years”.

While attendances for Test match cricket in England remain strong, crowds for five-day cricket in other leading nations have been in decline for several years. As part of plans to boost Test match crowds around the world, the ICC has been looking at staging five-day games in a day/night format - something that currently happens only for One-dayers and Twenty20 internationals.

Murali out of ODI series, two off-spinners called in

STAFF WRITER 10:43 HRS IST

Rajkot, Dec 16 (PTI) Trailing 0-1 following the defeat in the series-opener, Sri Lanka were today dealt a massive blow after ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the remaining four cricket one-dayers against India due to a finger injury.

The Lankans have brought in two new off-spinners, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara and Suraj Randiv, in the squad.

"We have decided to rest Murali from the One-Day series to allow him to recover fully from the finger injury and to be available for future tournaments," visiting team manager Brendon Kuruppu told PTI today.

"Murali injured his ring and middle fingers during the Mumbai Test (third and final match of the series held in the first week of December) and is going back home via Chennai," Kuruppu informed.

The world's leading wicket-taker in Tests missed the two Twenty20 Internationals that followed the Test series as well as the first ODI that India won here yesterday. .

India, Pakistan in same pool in hockey World Cup

New Delhi, Dec 15: Arch-rivals India and Pakistan were today clubbed in the same pool in the 2010 hockey World Cup scheduled to start in the capital from February 28. Apart from the 1975 champions India and four-time winner Pakistan, Pool B also has Australia, Spain, England and South Africa. Defending champion Germany is the top seed in Pool A and will meet Netherlands, Korea, New Zealand, Canada and Argentina in the group phase of the event. India won their maiden World Cup in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur, while Pakistan won the inaugural edition in Spain (1971) before winning back-to-back crown in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1978) and Mumbai (1982). The last time they won was in Sydney in 1994. Following the preliminary phase, the best two ranked teams of each pool would proceed to the semifinals, the International Hockey Federation said in a statement today. The match schedule for the World Cup will be released later this month, FIH said.

Pool A: Germany, the Netherlands, Korea, New Zealand, Canada and Argentina.

Pool B: Australia, Spain, England, Pakistan, India and South Africa. (PTI)

3 runs give India the smile

First ODI at Rajkot • Sloppy fielding continue to hunt India as Sri Lanka nearly chased down the highest score posted by the hosts

Rajkot, Dec 15: India posted their higest-ever one-day total of 414 but a rampaging Sri Lanka very nearly pulled off a sensational victory before losing their way in the fag end to give the hosts a narrow three-run victory in a high-scoring thriller here today.

After the Indians rattled up 414 of 7 built around Virender Sehwag’s 146, Tillkaratne Dilshan (160) and Kumar Sangakkara (90 off 43 balls) launched a ruthless assault but the Indian bowlers held their nerve to eventually scamper home and give the home team a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

The Madhav Rao Scindia stadium turned out to be a batting paradise with over 825 runs being scored and India would consider themselves a trifle lucky to escape with a win despite the sloppy fielding and the erratic bowling.

1st ODI: India make record 414 against Sri Lanka

RAJKOT: Virender Sehwag smashed 146 off 102 balls as India piled up their highest One-day total of 414/7 against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Day in Pics: December 14 The swashbuckling opener hit 17 boundaries and six sixes after the tourists won the toss and elected to field in good batting conditions at the Madhavrao Scindia stadium.

The run riot on a ground with shorter boundaries enabled India to just surpass their previous One-day record of 413-5 against Bermuda in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

It was also the fifth-highest score in One-day cricket overall, fuelled by a blazing start to the five-match series as Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar hammered 153 for the first wicket by the 20th over.

Tendulkar, the world's leading Test and One-day batsman, made 69 off 63 balls with 10 fours and a six before he was bowled by Dilhara Fernando.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni continued the batting feast as he added 156 for the second wicket with Sehwag, before both batsmen fell in successive overs.

Dhoni hit seven boundaries and three sixes in 72 off 53 balls.

Sehwag top-edged an intended flick off left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara to Tillakaratne Dilshan at point in the 36th over.

Five balls later, Dhoni holed out in the covers off Fernando as Sri Lanka slowed the scoring with a flurry of wickets towards the end of the innings.

India, who were sailing along at 309-1, lost five wickets in the space of 43 runs to slip to 352-6 by the 44th over.

Young all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hit an unbeaten 30 off 17 balls to help India record their biggest total.

Welegedara, Nuwan Kulasekara and Fernando finished with two wickets each.

India had won the preceding Test series 2-0 and both teams won one Twenty20 international each.

Teams:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra and Virat Kohli.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (C), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dilhara Fernando, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilina Kandamby, Nuwan Kulasekara, Angelo Mathews, Chanaka Welegedara, Thilan Samaraweera, Upul Tharanga

TOI

Hauritz’s Doosra is ready

Hauritz’s Doosra is ready

PERTH, Dec 14: Australian off-spinner Nathan Hauritz says he will use the ‘Doosra’ during the third Test against the West Indies, and is confident about bouncing back in Perth after putting in a lacklustre performance in Adelaide last week.

Hauritz bowled well in the first Test win in Brisbane taking 3-17 and 2-40, but only managed match figures of 2-179 in Adelaide.

India take on Lanka in opener

India take on Lanka in opener

RAJKOT, Dec 14: A suspected hairline fracture to Yuvraj Singh’s finger has left India worried as they go into the opening One Day International against Sri Lanka on Tuesday with a question mark on the availability of the dashing left hander.

It will be a big setback for India if the southpaw, who injured his left little finger while fielding in the last T20I match in Mohali, ends up warming the benches even though team management is keen to play him in the series-opener.

We want to end 2009 on a winning note: Bhajji

CHANDIGARH, Dec 13: After achieving the number one status in Test cricket, Indian cricketers will strive to end the year on a high by winning the five-match One-day series against Sri Lanka, says off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

“We played excellent game this year. We will strive hard to win the ODI series with Sri Lanka and end the year on a winning note,” Harbhajan told reporters here after launching a drug awareness campaign.

“We will not drop our guards and become relaxed and keep trying to win matches in future,” the seasoned tweaker added.

Drawn Tests a worry in India: Ponting

Drawn Tests a worry in India: Ponting

MELBOURNE, Dec 13: Too many Test matches played in the Indian sub-continent do not produce results, which is a worry for the health of cricket’s longer version, according to Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

Asked about his thoughts on the ‘death of Test cricket’, Ponting said, “I can understand where a lot of negative stuff might start because there’ are not a lot of results being achieved on the sub-continent these days.

India beat Bangladesh to enter final

DHAKA, Dec 11: India played their best match of the tournament as they beat Bangladesh by a solitary goal in the semifinal to set up a title clash against holders Maldives in the SAFF Championships on Friday.

Captain Sushil Kumar scored the all-important goal in the 62nd minute with a faint touch off a free kick by Robert Lalthama from just outside the box.

Daunting task for India

MOHALI, Dec 11: Stung by the flop show in the first game, India have plenty of repair work to do as they go into the second Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka on Saturday with the acute drop in fielding and bowling standards being a worrying factor.

The Indians put up a pathetic performance in all departments of the game to lose the first match by 29 runs in Nagpur and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men have a tough task at hand to level the series 1-1.

Nothing went right for the hosts in Nagpur and seldom does a top international cricket team go into a game worrying about so many factors.

If the fielding was poor, the batting and bowling also left much to be desired and the team management may opt for a couple of changes in the playing eleven for tomorrow’s floodlit contest at the PCA stadium.

The Indians may also contemplate leaving out Yousuf Pathan who has not been able to make a significant contribution off late despite his immense talent.

The visitors, on the other hand, will go into the contest in a positive frame of mind after their convincing victory in Nagpur where captain Kumar Sangakkara led from the front with a blistering 37-ball 78.

Indian, Sri Lankan teams arrive for Mohali T-20 tie

STAFF WRITER 18:23 HRS IST

Chandigarh, Dec 10 (PTI) The Indian and Sri Lankan teams arrived here this evening for their second and final Twenty20 International at PCA grounds at Mohali.

The Indian team, led by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, checked in at Hotel Taj here without Virender Sehwag, Ashish Nehra and Ishant Sharma.

The Delhi trio will join the team tomorrow.

The Sri Lankans, led by captain Kumar Sangakkara, also checked in at the same hotel.

The teams arrived here after playing their first Twenty20 International at Nagpur, which the visitors won by 29 runs.

Immediately after their arrival, Dhoni and his team-mates cut a cake that had been prepared by the Taj staff to celebrate the team becoming the top ranked Test side in the world.

Yuvraj Singh, who hails from the city, will celebrate his 28th birthday on Saturday.

ICC wants to carve out window for IPL: FICA

London, Dec 10: The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has alleged that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is mulling changing the Future Tours Programme (FTP) to carve out a window for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Champions League and not cutting down on the hectic international schedule.

ICC chairman David Morgan had said that the current home and away rule in FTP could be relaxed to save the players from burnout. Currently teams have to play each other twice over a six-year cycle but that could be reduced to once.

ICC rankings: Ponting out of top ten batsmen for first time since 2002

Sydney, Dec 10(ANI): Australian skipper Ricky Ponting’s sub-par performance in the Adelaide Test against West Indies has seen him slide out of the world’s top ten batsmen for the first time since 2002.

The most recent figures released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) has Ponting sitting at 12th place, a drop of three spots. He is now behind New Zealand’s Ross Taylor (ninth) and Indian batsman Virender Sehwag, who jumped 14 spots into fifth after his recent 293 against Sri Lanka, Fox Sports reported.

Indian opener Gautam Gambhir leads the batting table with Sri Lankan duo of Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara second and third. The only Australian to sit among the top ten is vice-captain Michael Clarke, who improved his position by one spot to fourth.

There is no change in the list for Test all-rounders with South Africa’s Jacques Kallis leading the field by a comfortable margin.

Meanwhile, in the team rankings Australia had started the year in the number one spot, but face the embarrassing prospect of slipping to fourth if they fail to beat West Indies in the third Test at the WACA Ground.

Not even a draw against West Indies will halt the slide with Sri Lanka set to assume third spot on the rankings behind India and South Africa.

Team India is currently at the top of the ICC rankings after defeating Sri Lanka in the three Test match series, while not even a draw against West Indies will halt the slide with Sri Lanka set to assume third spot on the rankings behind South Africa. (ANI)

India thrash China in Champions Challenge hockey

Salta (Argentina), Dec 9: India played an attacking game to outplay China 4-1 in a pool A match of the Champions Challenge hockey tournament underway here.

Prabhjot Singh (7th minute) Rajpal Singh (35), Sarwanjit Singh (56) and Shivendra Singh (70) scored for India. China pulled one back through Yi Song in the 41st minute.

Having drawn their opening match against New Zealand, India showed intent against China right from the start on Tuesday.

India go down to SL in Nagpur T20

Nagpur, Dec 9: A buttered-finger India paid a heavy price for a slopping fielding display to allow Sri Lanka to clinch the first Twenty20 international with a comfortable 29-run run victory and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series here today.

The visitors first rattled up an imposing 215 for five riding on captain Kumar Sangakkara's blistering 37-ball 78 before restricting the hosts to 186 for nine in a high-scoring contest.

The Indians dropped as many as five catches, missed a couple of run out chances and were generally pathetic with the ground fielding to allow the islanders to pile up a huge total on a good batting track at the VCA stadium in Jamtha.

India pay price for poor fielding,lose by 29 runs

STAFF WRITER 20:52 HRS IST

S S Ramaswamy

Nagpur, Dec 9 (PTI) A butter-fingered India paid a heavy price for a slopping fielding display to allow Sri Lanka to clinch the first Twenty20 international with a comfortable 29-run run victory and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series here today.

The visitors first rattled up an imposing 215 for five riding on captain Kumar Sangakkara's blistering 37-ball 78 before restricting the hosts to 186 for nine in a high-scoring contest.

The Indians dropped as many as five catches, missed a couple of run out chances and were generally pathetic with the ground fielding to allow the islanders to pile up a huge total on a good batting track at the VCA stadium in Jamtha.

Apart from Sangakkara's assault, Chamara Kapudegera (47 off 20 balls), Tillakaratne Dilshan (34) and Sanath Jayasuriya (26) were the other notable scorers for the Sri Lankans.

Pakistan name Waqar Younis bowling, fielding coach

KARACHI: Pakistan have appointed former captain and renowned paceman Waqar Younis as a bowling and fielding coach for their tour
of Australia Waqar Younis starting later this month, an official said on Wednesday.

"Waqar has agreed to serve as fielding and bowling coach for the tour of Australia after we requested his services for the job," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said.

Pakistan dropped about half a dozen catches in their first Test defeat against New Zealand at Dunedin last month. They also grassed three crucial catches in their series-levelling win at Wellington
last week.

Pakistan play three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and a Twenty20 international on the tour of Australia, starting December 26 in Melbourne.

Waqar, who has settled in Australia and works as a television commentator, left the bowling coach job in 2007 after a dispute with the former PCB leadership. He also blamed then-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq for his ouster.

During an illustrious career, Waqar took 373 wickets in 87 Tests and 416 in 262 One-Day Internationals. He also led Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup before retiring the next year.

TOI

Akthar's contract not to be renewed: PCB

Embattled Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar's career has been dealt another blow with the Cricket Board deciding not to renew his central contract as he is neither playing for the national team nor competing in the domestic circuit.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt said no fresh contract would be issued to the fast bowler, whose career has been marred by injury breakdowns, a dope scandal and disputes with the authorities.

Shoaib's current contract expires at the end of this month.

Butt said only those players are given contracts and monthly salaries who are playing for the country or competing at the domestic level.

"Unfortunately in both cases, Shoaib has not played for a while now so from next month he will not be getting anymore salary from the board," he said.

Shoaib is placed in the category A of the central contracts, which allows him to draw a salary of Rs 250,000 per month from the board.

The troubled bowler has kept a low profile since returning from England after undergoing a knee surgery two months ago.

He also had a liposuction in Islamabad to remove excess fat from his body but has not spoken to the media or played any competitive cricket.

Shoaib has had a troubled time in the past two-three years and has played only a handful of matches for Pakistan.

Butt said the fast bowler was given a central contract last time as he was active and the PCB wanted him to play regularly for the team provided he was fit and in form.

Talking about Younis Khan's non-availability for the Australian tour, Ejaz Butt said he was disappointed with the senior batsman.

The Pakistani selectors yesterday announced the squad for the tour, retaining Muhammad Yousuf as captain for the Test and one-day series in Australia.

Younus, who had pulled out of the ongoing tour of New Zealand due to personal reasons and lack of form, didn't make himself available for the Australian tour.

"I had spoken to Younus in England and had told him to play some domestic cricket and make himself available for the Australian tour," Ejaz Butt said.

"I am disappointed that he didn't listen to my advice because I feel he is our top batsman and should have been going to Australia. But since he didn't make himself available there is nothing the selectors could do," he added.

The PCB Chairman said despite several attempts by the PCB to contact Younus, nothing had come out of it.

"At present we don't even know where Younus is as he has not gotten back to us as yet," he stated.

© PTI