India-Aus final ODI abandoned, hosts win series 1-0

STAFF WRITER 15:33 HRS IST

Margao, Oct 24 (PTI) The third and final ODI between India and Australia was today abandoned without a ball being bowled due to wet outfield caused by overnight rains to give the hosts a 1-0 series victory, their first in over two decades.

With the abandonment of today's ODI, the second such case in the three-match series, Australia returned home without winning a single game in their tour of India. They had lost the two-match Test series 0-2 before the ODI series.

India had beaten Australia by five wickets in the second ODI at Visakhapatnam on October 20 while the first match in Kochi on October 17 was washed out.

India thus notched up their first ever whitewash of Australia in both Test and ODI series in the same tour.

Rajasthan Royals to appeal in Bombay HC on Monday

MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals is set to file an appeal in the Bombay High Court on Monday against the Board of Control for Cricket's October 10 order throwing it out of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Royals, which won the 2008 IPL tournament, had its contract terminated after BCCI charged that it had changed its shareholding pattern without taking the consent of the board or the IPL governing council.

The promoters of Rajasthan Royals have now retained Supreme Court lawyer Harish Salve to argue their case. Salve, who was out of the country, returned late on Saturday and is learnt to have met Royals co-owner Manoj Badale in New Delhi. Following the meeting, it was decided to go to court.

When contacted, Badale told TOI, "As a group of overseas investors promoting Indian cricket, I still fail to see what we have done wrong. We will now have to put our full faith in the legal system."

Ranjit Barthakur, chairman of Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd, said; "As an early promoter of Indian cricket, I am saddened the situation has come to this. Manoj and I have made multiple attempts to meet the BCCI without success. So, legal recourse is the only option." Salve, despite several attempts, was unavailable for comment.

Suresh Chellaram, a 44% stakeholder in the franchise, is suspended IPL chief Lalit Modi's brother-in-law. However, when asked, BCCI chief Shashank Manohar had insisted, "The decision to sack Royals has not been taken because of any individual."

toi

Top players likely to skip ODI series vs Kiwis

New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) Some of India's top cricketers are likely to miss the ODI series against New Zealand next month with the Cricket Board planning to send them to South Africa to prepare for the Test series there.

India has never won a Test series in South Africa yet and the BCCI is keen to send the senior cricketers well before the start of the rubber to get fully acclimatised to the conditions.

"We are planning to send the key Test players to South Africa early to prepare for the series. The conditions in South Africa are quite different and we want to give our players enough time to come to terms with the conditions" a BCCI source said.

New Zealand are scheduled to play three Tests and five one-dayers in India from November 4 to December 10.

India, Australia arrive for final ODI in Goa

STAFF WRITER 19:54 HRS IST

Margao, Oct 21 (PTI) India and Australia today arrived here from Vishakapatnam ahead of the third and final one-dayer scheduled to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Sunday.

After the first ODI was washed off in Kochi, India won the second match by five wickets yesterday at Vizag to take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The Australians arrived here with only 12 playing members after injured speedster Doug Bollinger and key middle order batsman Michael Hussey flew home at the conclusion of the second match.

Cricket Australia's Communications advisor Lachy Patterson, who is traveling with the visiting team, said that no replacements have been called for as the October 24 fixture was the concluding tie of the rubber.

"Yes, that's correct. We have come here with 12 players.

2nd ODI: Kohli, Raina power India to 5-wicket win over Australia

VISAKHAPATNAM: Young Virat Kohli overcame a bout of cramps to make a career-best 118 as India posted a thrilling five-wicket win over Australia in the second one-day international on Wednesday.


The 21-year-old hit one six and 11 fours in his third hundred to help India achieve a stiff 290-run target with seven balls to spare in the day-night game for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The opening match was washed out due to rain. The third and final international will be played in Goa on Sunday.

Kohli upstaged Australia captain Michael Clarke, who scored an unbeaten 111 for his fifth one-day hundred, helping his side post a big total.

Australian paceman Clint McKay jolted India with two quick wickets before Kohli and Yuvraj Singh (58) steadied the innings with a 137-run stand for the third wicket.

Batting with a runner because of leg cramps in the later part of his innings, Kohli was also involved in an 84-run stand for the fourth wicket with Suresh Raina, who smashed one six and nine fours in his 47-ball 71 not out.

McKay took three wickets and debutant paceman John Hastings two.

Clarke earlier played a key role in boosting Australia as he added 144 for the third wicket with Mike Hussey (69) and 129 for the unfinished fourth with Cameron White (89 not out).

White hammered six sixes and as many fours in his 49-ball knock as the tourists plundered 84 runs in the last five overs.

Australia were struggling at 16-2 after being put in to bat before Clarke and Hussey steadied the innings.

Clarke completed his century in the 46th over, hitting paceman Vinay Kumar for two successive fours and then turning the next ball to mid-wicket for a single. He cracked one six and seven fours in his 138-ball knock.

Hussey was trapped leg-before by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin after hitting seven fours, but not before setting the stage for a closing-overs onslaught.

Left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra did the early damage when he dismissed openers Shaun Marsh and Tim Paine in his opening four overs.

India had to work hard for their next success as Clarke and Hussey paced their innings remarkably well, taking no risks and relying more on singles and twos to keep the scoreboard moving.

India and Australia rested top players for the series to test their bench strength ahead of next year's World Cup.

Read more: 2nd ODI: Kohli, Raina power India to 5-wicket win over Australia - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/australia-in-india/top-stories/2nd-ODI-Kohli-Raina-power-India-to-5-wicket-win-over-Australia/articleshow/6782471.cms#ixzz12xled0tM

Kochi investors fail to form JV, seek 10 more days from BCCI

MUMBAI: The future of the Kochi franchise of the Indian Premier League remains uncertain. The franchise managed to submit a reply to the BCCI before the deadline of 6pm on Wednesday to incorporate their joint venture elapsed. However, the shareholders have merely sought more time from the board to resolve their dispute.

The Kochi investors have submitted to BCCI that they need time (approximately another 10 days) to bring changes in their shareholding pattern. They have thus put the ball back in BCCI's court.

"Our legal team is going through it (Kochi's reply)," top BCCI officials said on Wednesday evening about the Kochi reply. The board, it is learnt, is looking at legal implications if it decides to grant Kochi an extension.

Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, the franchisees that were recently axed, are bound to protest if Kochi does get an extension. Further, allowing changes in the Kochi franchise's shareholding pattern would mean allowing it to do exactly what the board had held against the two expelled franchises.

Over the last two months, the Kochi investors had met several times to resolve their internal dispute but failed to do so. However, the last 24 hours seem to have made them see the issue in a different light when they all unanimously agreed to the bigger picture that the franchise was slipping out of hand.

Therefore, backed with a horde of legal advisors, the Kochi investors and the sweat equity holders met at an undisclosed location in Mumbai and are learnt to have come to certain agreements in changing the shareholding pattern. "The only way they could reach a solution to their internal problems is by making the Gaikwads listen to their demands. So, if there's finally a patch-up, that means the Gaikwads have relented," said another official. The proposed idea is likely to have been submitted to the board.

The Gaikwads partly own the 25% free sweat equity held by Rendezvous Sports World Pvt Ltd (RSWPL) that includes Kisan, Shailendra and Pushpa Gaikwad, Puja Gulathi, Jayant Kotalwar, Vishnu Prasad and Sundip Agarwal. Apart from this, Shailendra Gaikwad also holds 1% paid up equity.

The bone of contention was that the remaining investors didn't want the Gaikwads to hold such a huge stake which would give them a larger say in the team affairs.

The Kochi franchise, jointly owned by RSWPL, Anchor Earth Private Ltd, Parinee Developers, Anand Shyam Estates, Film Waves Combine and Vivek Venugopal, was bought at $333.333m, making it IPL's second costliest team. As per the 10-year contract, the franchise would earn BCCI a minimum of $33.33m per year which, as one official pointed, is far more than Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab put together.

TOI

India aim to keep all-win record intact at Vizag

VISAKHAPATNAM: Back in their happy-hunting ground, an upbeat India will look to take the lead against a wounded and depleted Australia in the second ODI on Wednesday after the series-opener was washed out in Kochi.

The three-ODI series has now been reduced to a two-match affair after the first match in Kochi two days ago was abandoned before a ball could be bowled because of heavy rains.

Back-to-back losses in the recently-concluded two-Test series have dented the world champion Australia's pride and they would be looking to get back at the hosts at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ADA- VDCA Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Known for their fighting spirit, Australia have won every one-day series in India since 1998 and the pressure will clearly be on Michael Clarke who had a barren Test series that added fuel to criticism against him.

Clarke will lead a side light on experience after regular skipper Ricky Ponting, all-rounder Shane Watson and pacer Mitchell Johnson were rested from the series, while the fast bowling stocks were further thinned by injuries to Shaun Tait, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle among others.

For Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men, it is all about carrying on the momentum on a ground where India have won all the two matches they have played.

It was at the same venue that Dhoni had announced his arrival on the big stage with a 123-ball 148 against Pakistan in what was his fifth ODI on April 5, 2005.

Playing hard and true, unlike typical Indian wickets, the Vizag strip saw a total of 654 runs scored with India winning comfortably.

India followed it with a win over Sri Lanka in the second ODI that the stadium hosted on February 17, 2007.

Dhoni did not get a chance to bat then as Yuvraj Singh guided the team home and the Team India skipper would look for another big knock when the match is played on Wednesday for the first time under lights.

Bright and sunny weather here means that the cricket starved crowd of the coastal city in Andhra Pradesh will witness an international match after about four years.

Star players including Sachin Tendulkar and Ponting being rested, the series is seen as a battle of upcoming prospects in the two cricketing powerhouses ahead of the ICC World Cup early next year.

Dhoni will lead a new-look Indian side in absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, while the bowling department will see the absence of speedster Zaheer Khan and spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha.

But the team is bolstered by the return of an off-colour but determined Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped for the Asia Cup.

The stylish Punjab batsman, not in best of form, will look to find the rhythm at the same venue where he had scored an unbeaten 95 in India's win over Sri Lanka.

With one more series -- against New Zealand -- coming up, this will perhaps be his last chance to pass the litmus test before the quadrennial extravaganza next year.

In the absence of regular openers, the in-form Murali Vijay will start the proceedings with Shikhar Dhawan looking to don Team India colours as well.

The line-up may also mark the debut of explosive rookie batsman Saurabh Tiwary who played for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

"He has got exposure against the best bowlers in the IPL and CL T20. I think it is an ideal opportunity for us to give him a place in the final XI and let him play the kind of cricket he plays," Dhoni had said.

The side also has the tried and tested trio of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who will again be under scrutiny for the middle order slots.

With little assistance from the Vizag strip, Indian seamers of Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar and rookie Vinay Kumar will be tested.

In R Ashwin, India have an in-form off-spinner who had a fantastic run in the Twenty20 version helping Chennai Super Kings win the Champions League. It will be a big test for him ahead of the World Cup.

Australia too will have a new-look side, with players like David Warner, John Hastings and Mitchell Starc keen to show an aptitude for Indian conditions.

"This is great experience for a lot of the guys who haven't played international cricket especially in India," said Clarke.

"I think India is one of the greatest places to play international cricket, but it is a challenge, it is hard, and this is where the World Cup is going to be as well.

"There's a lot of guys who've been waiting for an opportunity, been doing well in first-class cricket, but now with Watto, Punter and Mitch resting and the other bowlers being injured, it has given the guys an opportunity.

"Our preparation is for the World Cup, the selectors pick certain guys to see how they go in these conditions to work out who is going to be in that squad.

Warner will be the danger man for India especially on the flat track of Vizag while the Aussie middle-order will be manned by Clarke who will be keen to score runs after forgettable outings in the Test series.

In Michael Hussey, the Aussies have the experience while Callum Ferguson will be the one to watch out for especially after his stupendous show in Champions League Twenty20.

Doug Bollinger will lead the bowling attack if he has recovered from the abdominal strain that ruled him out of the Bangalore Test.

Youngster Clint McKay is likely to partner him while Mitchell Starc may make his debut in case the senior-most bowler misses out.

A batting paradise, the Vizag strip is seen as one of the best batting pitches of the country and has seen totals of more than 650 and 500 in the last two occasions.

Andhra's director of cricket operations MSK Prasad has promised a run feast for the fans.

"The pitch is a batting beauty. We expect another run feast," the former India wicketkeeper said.

But with the stadium hosting its first match under lights, dew may play a role towards the evening.

Teams (from)

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), Murali Vijay, Shikhwar Dhawan, Saurabh Tiwary, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar

Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Tim Paine (wk), Doug Bollinger, Callum Ferguson, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Clint McKay, Shaun Marsh, Steven Smith, Michael Starc and David Warner.

Umpires: Billy Bowden, Shavir Tarapore
TV: Sudhir Asnani
Match Referee: Chris Broad.

Hours of play: 2.30pm to 6pm and 6.45pm to end of the match.

Read more: India aim to keep all-win record intact at Vizag - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/australia-in-india/top-stories/India-aim-to-keep-all-win-record-intact-at-Vizag/articleshow/6773616.cms#ixzz12rrQ0vcG

Wrestlers removed from Delhi Games now in Asiad squad

CHENNAI: Sushil Kumar's exclusion from the 18-member wrestling squad for Asian Games came as no surprise as he is recovering from shoulder and knee injuries.

However, the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) selection committee's decision to pick three grapplers who are under the dope cloud did lead to raised eyebrows in wrestling circles.

Freestyle wrestlers Rajiv Tomar (120 kg), Mausam Khatri (96 kg) and Gursharan Preet Kaur (women's 72 kg), who didn't feature in the Commonwealth Games (CWG) after testing positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine (MHA) just days before the Games, have made it to the squad for the Guangzhou Games.

The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) had cleared the wrestlers for CWG after the provisional hearing on the technicality that World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has moved MHA from non-specified substances to specified substances category in the 2011 list of prohibited stimulants.

With MHA coming into the specified list, its usage will attract, at the most, a warning. Earlier, its abuse invited a two-year ban.

The trio will appear before a NADA panel for a final hearing on Thursday and if the authorities don't clear the wrestlers, the WFI will have to look for replacements. This brings us to the question: Why were they included in the first place? And, why didn't WFI wait for the Thursday hearing?

WFI president GS Mander explained: "We are very strict about doping. And we follow the NADA and WADA codes. Here, the substance in question (MHA) has been removed from the non-specified list by WADA. It was just added in January and now the authorities have changed their stance. These wrestlers were cleared to take part in the CWG along with the other 10 sportspersons who were originally pulled up by NADA. In fact, one of the athletes from that group (shot-putter Shaurab Vij) took part."

Mander added, "The use of MHA is not a big offence according to doping rules and that is why we have included the wrestlers in the Asiad squad. We are confident they will be cleared by NADA in the next hearing too. If they are not we will find replacements for them."

But with our coaches advertising the depth of talent in Indian wrestling now, was it that difficult to find replacements for these wrestlers? "All three are the best in their respective categories. Rajiv Tomar would have won gold in CWG had he played.

"But we didn't allow him or the other two, even after they were cleared provisionally by NADA, as we wanted to set an example that we wouldn't tolerate any form of substance abuse," said Mander. "Now, since the authorities are clear that it is not a serious offence, we wanted to go with the best possible team to China."

Meanwhile, Sushil was confident the team, even without his presence, would come back with a rich haul from China. "Yogeshwar (60kg) and Narsingh Yadav (74kg) are strong gold medal contenders. They are in good form right now. Besides, Rajiv and Mausam are also back in the team and they are in good touch," he said. "But tough competition will be there from Iran, Japan, China, Korea and wrestlers from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan."

The team: (Freestyle) Vinod Kumar 55kg, Yogeshwar Dutt 60 kg, Pradeep Kumar 66 kg, Narsingh Yadav 74 kg, Ram Vir 84 kg, Mausam Khatri 96 kg, Rajiv Tomar 120 kg; (Greco-Roman): Rajender Kumar 55 kg, Ravinder Singh 60kg, Sunil Kumar 66kg, Sanjay 74 kg, Manoj Kumar 84 kg, Anil Kumar 96 kg, Dharmender Dalal 120 kg; (Women): Nirmala Devi 48 kg, Geeta 55 kg, Suman Kundu 63 kg, Gursharan Preet Kaur 72 kg.

Read more: Wrestlers removed from Delhi Games now in Asiad squad - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/2010-asian-games/Wrestlers-removed-from-Delhi-Games-now-in-Asiad-squad/articleshow/6777494.cms#ixzz12rrAajxo

Asian Games: Easy for Saina, tough draw for other Indians

NEW DELHI: Going by current form and the draw, India's badminton star Saina Nehwal should have little difficulty in making the women's singles semifinals at the Asian Games at Guangzhou, China, starting November 12.

Other Indian players, however, will have a tough time right from the first round.

India won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the Commonwealth Games, but repeating the feat at the Asian Games will be a tough ask. They will have to reckon with powerhouse China who will be in full force.

World No.3 Saina and the gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games, is seeded second and has a bye in the first round. Saina could face Hong Kong's Pui Yin Yip, sixth seed, in the quarterfinal. She is likely to encounter her first Chinese opponent only in the semifinals, possibly third seeded Shixian Wang.

The other women's singles player Aditi Mutatkar may face fourth-seeded Eriko Hirose of Japan in the second round as she is expected to beat her first-round opponent Thilini Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka.

In the men's singles, Chetan Anand will open against Sri Lankan Niluka Karunaratne in the first round and may face sixth-seeded Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand in the next round.

Parupalli Kashyap, who emerged India's star player at the Commonwealth Games with singles bronze, will take on world No. 9 Vietnam's Tien Minh Nguyen, seeded fifth, in the first round.

World No.1 Malaysian Lee Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan are seeded one and two respectively in men's singles.

In the men's doubles, Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas will face top-seeded Malaysian Kien Keat Koo and Boon Heong Tan.

India's women's pair Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who won the doubles gold at the Commonwealth Games, meet Thailand's Savitree Amitrapai and P. Munkitchokecharoen in the first round. However, they are expected to run into second seeded Chinese Shu Cheng and Yunlei Zhao in the next round.

In mixed doubles, Gutta and V Diju, seeded fourth, have got a bye in the first round.

In the men's team event, India will open against Chinese Taipei. If they win they will meet third seeded Indonesia in the second round.

The women's team will face Indonesia first and is likely to take on fourth seeded Chinese Taipei in the next round. China is the top seed in both men's and women's team event.

Read more: Asian Games: Easy for Saina, tough draw for other Indians - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/2010-asian-games/Asian-Games-Easy-for-Saina-tough-draw-for-other-Indians/articleshow/6769478.cms#ixzz12m3yvKkJ

Asian Games: Easy for Saina, tough draw for other Indians

NEW DELHI: Going by current form and the draw, India's badminton star Saina Nehwal should have little difficulty in making the women's singles semifinals at the Asian Games at Guangzhou, China, starting November 12.

Other Indian players, however, will have a tough time right from the first round.

India won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the Commonwealth Games, but repeating the feat at the Asian Games will be a tough ask. They will have to reckon with powerhouse China who will be in full force.

World No.3 Saina and the gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games, is seeded second and has a bye in the first round. Saina could face Hong Kong's Pui Yin Yip, sixth seed, in the quarterfinal. She is likely to encounter her first Chinese opponent only in the semifinals, possibly third seeded Shixian Wang.

The other women's singles player Aditi Mutatkar may face fourth-seeded Eriko Hirose of Japan in the second round as she is expected to beat her first-round opponent Thilini Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka.

In the men's singles, Chetan Anand will open against Sri Lankan Niluka Karunaratne in the first round and may face sixth-seeded Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand in the next round.

Parupalli Kashyap, who emerged India's star player at the Commonwealth Games with singles bronze, will take on world No. 9 Vietnam's Tien Minh Nguyen, seeded fifth, in the first round.

World No.1 Malaysian Lee Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan are seeded one and two respectively in men's singles.

In the men's doubles, Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas will face top-seeded Malaysian Kien Keat Koo and Boon Heong Tan.

India's women's pair Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who won the doubles gold at the Commonwealth Games, meet Thailand's Savitree Amitrapai and P. Munkitchokecharoen in the first round. However, they are expected to run into second seeded Chinese Shu Cheng and Yunlei Zhao in the next round.

In mixed doubles, Gutta and V Diju, seeded fourth, have got a bye in the first round.

In the men's team event, India will open against Chinese Taipei. If they win they will meet third seeded Indonesia in the second round.

The women's team will face Indonesia first and is likely to take on fourth seeded Chinese Taipei in the next round. China is the top seed in both men's and women's team event.

Read more: Asian Games: Easy for Saina, tough draw for other Indians - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/2010-asian-games/Asian-Games-Easy-for-Saina-tough-draw-for-other-Indians/articleshow/6769478.cms#ixzz12m3yvKkJ

Gavaskar first non-Australian in Bradman Hall Of Fame

MUMBAI: Sunil Gavaskar and Adam Gilchrist will be recognised as Bradman Honourees at the annual Bradman Foundation's gala dinner to be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 20.

Adam Gilchrist's award is significant as he is the first honouree to still be playing the game at some level. Gavaskar will be the first international Bradman Honouree. According to the citation, "Embodying the Bradman principles of courage, honour, humility, integrity and determination, Gavaskar had a profound impact on cricket in India and around the world. He is recognised as the most successful of all opening batsmen and is credited for teaching his teammates and their successors the virtue of unconditional professionalism."

Gilchrist and Gavaskar join the ranks of cricketing greats such as Sam Loxton, Norman O'Neill, Alan Davidson, and Arthur Morris. Dennis Lillee, one of last year's Honourees, will also be attending the dinner.

The 2010 gala dinner which is now recognised as the premier cricket event will feature Michael Slater and Ian Healy as masters of ceremony with Barry Humphries giving his unique view on cricket.

The event will also have special significance as it will be held only a few weeks before the world's only International Cricket Hall of Fame will open at Bradman Oval in Bowral.

Read more: Gavaskar first non-Australian in Bradman Hall Of Fame - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Gavaskar-first-non-Australian-in-Bradman-Hall-Of-Fame/articleshow/6771485.cms#ixzz12m3aGYg2

Rain abandons India-Australia Kochi ODI

KOCHI: The first one-dayer between India and Australia was called off without a ball being bowled due to heavy rains on Sunday.

Incessant rains for the last few days resulted in a wet outfield and fresh downpour in the morning, forced match referee Chris Broad to abandon the match.

The umpires inspected the conditions at 9:00 am but found the areas near the bowlers' run-up and a few parts near the boundary lines quite damp.

They were scheduled to carry out a second inspection at 11:00 am but after the fresh drizzle hitting the port city at around 10:20 am, Broad decided to abandon the opening encounter.

The officials were of the view that with all the water already on the field, it was impossible to play.

Though, it was not raining at the time of toss, but the wet outfield caused due to persistent rain in the last few days, delayed the start of play at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.

Groundsmen were making efforts to make the field dry for play but the heavy downpour again meant covers were brought back on the ground.

Both India and Australia players were indoors at the hotel and it was decided that after second inspection of the pitch and outfield by match referee Broad, they would be asked to leave the hotel for the ground.

The teams now travel to Visakhapatnam for the second one-dayer on October 20.

The organisers have decided to refund the cost of tickets bought by the 30,000-odd spectators.

Kochi has been witnessing heavy downpour since last Thursday which washed out the practice sessions of both the teams.

The Indian and Australian team members had reached Kochi on Thursday after the second Test in Bangalore, which the host won. India had also won the first Test at Mohali.

Read more: Rain abandons India-Australia Kochi ODI - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/australia-in-india/top-stories/Rain-abandons-India-Australia-Kochi-ODI/articleshow/6762477.cms#ixzz12g6LPwuV

Indian Cricket team to debut in new ODI kit

STAFF WRITER 15:41 HRS IST

Kochi, Oct 16 (PTI) Team India will debut in the new Nike One-Day International kit, which has brighter and bolder blue jersey made from recycled polyester in their first match against Australia at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here tomorrow.

The new jersey is made entirely from recycled polyester, each one produced from up to eight recycled plastic bottles, Ravi Kallayil, Business Director-Cricket Nike India Private Ltd, told reporters here.

The new kit is an important step in the process to make all Nike products more sustainable.

Kallayil said Nike continuously strives to bring technology and innovations into the sport and help athletes improve their game.

"The new ODI kit not only looks great and delivers performance benefits, but is also made with recycled materials, creating less impact on the environment," he said.

Nike would provide cricket fans an assortment of jersey replicas, including the authentic game day jersey.

Aussies should learn the 'art of cricket' from Tendulkar: Jones

MELBOURNE: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar's dominance in batting is well known, but what makes him a genius and separates him from other batsmen in world is his ability to perform the basics in a better manner, and that too also in pressure conditions, according to Australian legend Dean Jones.

"Tendulkar is a freak, a pure sporting genius. I have seen a few in my time, such as Viv Richards, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting, players who had something different to others," Jones said.

"What makes a genius? To me, the difference between a genius and mere mortals is that their defence is better. They perform the basics better. When athletes or teams are under pressure and momentum goes against them, it is their defensive skills that stand out the most," he writes in The Age.

"For a mortal to aspire to something higher, he needs to know this. Take Andrew Symonds, whose defensive game was non-existent when he started playing Test cricket. He learnt to defend and became a better player," Jones said.

Commenting on the Australian players slide in form during the Test series in India, Jones said that spinner Nathan Hauritz was struggling because he forgets the basics of bowling under pressure.

"He simply cannot bowl six balls in a shoe box when he is under the heat. For Marcus North, his problem is that he does not read the length early enough and doesn't play straight early. Therefore he struggles with inconsistency. Our top-line bowlers do not bowl straight enough, particularly to new batsman at the crease. Just basics, really," he said.

Jones further asked Australia to take a few lessons from Tendulkar in the way he goes about his game, and added that never mumbles to himself when he is batting, never curses or gets rushed or irritated.

"Tendulkar is 37 and showing everyone up; making runs at will. He has about six gears in his batting, but for a while he was boring to watch as he never got out of third. Now, his attitude has changed and he is bringing some fun into his batting by hitting sixes. His current bat has made 13 Test centuries," Jones said

"He is meticulous about the way he prepares for a series or a game. When India is training, you never see him sitting down, he is always busy. Tendulkar hates running and is not keen on the gym. But he works hard on the stationary bike and watches what he eats. He plays enough cricket and makes enough runs to keep himself in top condition," he added.

Read more: Aussies should learn the 'art of cricket' from Tendulkar: Jones - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/australia-in-india/top-stories/Aussies-should-learn-the-art-of-cricket-from-Tendulkar-Jones/articleshow/6758429.cms#ixzz12Wdo3OPW

120 billion yuan invested in Guangzhou Asian Games

The gross investment for the upcoming 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games reached up to more than 120 billion yuan, said Wan Qingliang, mayor of Guangzhou City, on Oct. 13.

Wan said that the investment mainly covered three aspects.

The city budgeted 6.3 billion yuan for construction and maintenance of stadiums and 7.3 billion yuan as operating funds for the upcoming Asian Games and the Asian Paralympic Games.

Moreover, Guangzhou City also invested 109 billion yuan to improve the urban landscape and environment, which included the construction of subways, city roads and bridges. It also built up of infrastructure, integrated environmental management and industrial wastewater treatment and carried out a program of comprehensive environmental improvement, including air, water, transportation, living environment and comprehensive environmental barrier-free facilities.

It was reported that 70 stadiums are to be used in the Asian Games, of which 12 are newly built and 58 are renovated or expanded. Meanwhile, the Asian Games Village, covering an area of 2.73 square kilometers, was built to gather major non-competition venues, including the athletes' village, the technical officers' village, the media village and a main media centre.

By Li Mu, People's Daily Online

Asian Games 2010: 27 Days Remaining

Guangzhou: China: The 16th Asian Games has 30 days remaining before the Opening Ceremonies of the Games on Friday, November 12. The Asian Games 2010 are the part of the worldwide Olympic movement and governed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)

The Asian Games are the second largest sports event in the world after the Summer Olympic Games.

Games organizers and civic officials are in the final preparation work for the Games with all final construction within the city, including all final beautification projects, must be completed by November 1.

More than 80 percent of the stadiums used for training and competition during the Games will be connected by subway trains.

This includes an all-new subway line from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport – some 35 kilometers from downtown Guangzhou – linking the city of 10 million residents with the airport which has doubled in size in anticipation of the Games and future growth of the Pearl River Delta.

The Asian Games Torch Relay has started from its lighting last week at the Great Wall from Beijing to 21 cities in Guangdong Province

It will also travel to Harbin in Heilongjiang, Changchun in Jilin and Haiyang in Shandong.

More than 2,000 torch bearers ranging from 6 to 100 years old will participate in the one-month relay.

Demonstrative Torch Relay for Asian Games held in Harbin

Harbin, October 14 - The torch of the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games reached Harbin in Northeast China on Thursday (October 14) and 21 torchbearers took part in a demonstrative relay on the ice at Harbin Ice Hockey Gym, according to Xinhua.

Cricket to be in 2010 Asian Games

The 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China will feature cricket for the first time. The proposal to include cricket was approved at the Olympic Council of Asia's General Assembly in Kuwait recently.

The four Asian Test nations have committed to sending their best available teams, though as all but Bangladesh have home series scheduled at the time the event takes place, the strength of those teams may not be full strength.

The first Asian Games were held in Delhi in 1951, and Guangzhou will be the sixteenth games. Forty two sports will be played, 14 more than take place in the Olympics. The games will take place between the 12th and 27th of November.

Cricket has featured in multi-sports events before. The South Pacific games has had cricket as a discipline for a number of years, and will do so again this year, but this is the highest profile such event since the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

That tournament, in Kuala Lumpur was a disappointment, with England not sending a team, the West Indies being broken up into individual islands and most other Test nations sending weakened sides. The gold medal then was won by South Africa, with Australia taking the silver and Sri Lanka the bronze. It provided an upset moment as well, when a Northern Ireland side featuring recent World Cup squad members Kyle McCallan and Peter Gillespie beat Bangladesh in the group stage.

It had been hoped that the Glasgow bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games would include cricket as one of the sports, but the bid they issued recently saw cricket conspicuous by its absence.

Cricket has also featured in the Olympics, way back in 1900. Only one game was played, between a club side called Devon and Somerset Wanderers representing Great Britain, and a French Athletic Club Union team mainly made up of British Embassy staff in Paris representing France. Britain won the match by 158 runs, though neither of the sides seemed to be aware they were playing in the Olympics. Matches involving Belgium and the Netherlands were not played.

http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES/articles/000044/004449.shtml

Tendulkar jumps to top spot in the ICC Test ranking

DUBAI: Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday reclaimed the number one position in the Test rankings, following his stupendous show with the bat in the just concluded Test series against Australia.


Tendulkar was the highest run-getter with 403 runs in the two-match series, which India won 2-0.

Tendulkar also scored his sixth double hundred and was adjudged Man-of-the-series.

The Indian batting legend has now 891 points, according to the ICC ranking table on its website.

Virender Sehwag is the next best Indian at number three with 819 points, behind Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara (874).

TOI

India need to beat Australia to retain ODI second spot

DUBAI: India will have to beat Australia in the three-match ODI series starting on Sunday if they want to retain their second spot in ICC rankings.

While Australia sits pretty at number one position on 132 ratings points, India, South Africa and Sri Lanka are locked on 115. However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side is placed second by a fraction.

India will retain second place if it beats Australia 3-0 or 2-1 as they will have 121 or 118 ratings points in that case.

Dhoni's side, however, can drop to fourth if it loses the series against Australia as South Africa are playing against Zimbabwe in a three-match series starting on Friday.

If South Africa wins all the three ODIs, it will move to 116 ratings points.

In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, South African AB de Villiers and Dhoni resume their battle for the coveted number one position in different continents.

De Villier, ODI Player of the Year, claimed the top spot from Dhoni on August 29 but with the South African enjoying a slender nine-point lead, all that could change depending how the two perform with the bat.

Australia batsman Mike Hussey is narrowly behind Dhoni in third place and will also be aiming to regain the top position which he last achieved back in February after the series against Pakistan.

Also inside the top-20 and aiming for upward movements are Hashim Amla (joint-fourth), Jacques Kallis (seventh), Virender Sehwag (eighth), Graeme Smith (13th) and Michael Clarke (17th).

In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, left-arm fast bowler Doug Bollinger in sixth place is the highest-ranked player who will be featuring in these two series.

The list is headed by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori whose side currently trails 3-0 against Bangladesh with the last ODI in Dhaka on Sunday.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan leads the ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders. The left-hander is the only player with more than 400 points while second-ranked Shane Watson of Australia is on 367 ratings points.

Only 16 ratings point separate fourth-ranked Kallis from fifth-placed Vettori with Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi occupying third spot.


Read more: India need to beat Australia to retain ODI second spot - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/australia-in-india/top-stories/India-need-to-beat-Australia-to-retain-ODI-second-spot/articleshow/6754178.cms#ixzz12UXLKqaZ