Standard Bank not to renew contract with CSA

Cricket and soccer in South Africa have suffered a major financial blow with the news that Standard Bank will end its sponsorship with Cricket South Africa (CSA) and soccer teams Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Standard Bank will not renew its sponsorships when the current deals expire in May 2011.

CSA is the hardest hit by the news as Standard Bank was the sole sponsor of the South Africa one-day international and twenty20 teams.

The bank, which recently announced they would be cutting 1,305 permanent jobs and 710 fixed term jobs in Johannesburg and London, also sponsors South Africa's domestic Twenty20 tournament and CSA's high performance centre.

"While our sponsorships of soccer and cricket have been extremely valuable in building our brand and engaging with fans, we have had to reassess the costs of these sponsorships and the benefits for Standard Bank in the light of changed business needs," said Sarah-Anne Orphanides, Standard Banks' Group Marketing and Communications Director, in a statement.

"This was a difficult decision as we have made significant investments in both soccer and cricket. But, essentially we believe that this is a responsible, necessary and prudent decision to ensure that we support our business needs in the best possible way," she added.
© Reuters

Pakistan fight back in S.Africa cricket Test

Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali led Pakistan's fightback with half-centuries apiece to keep South African hopes of enforcing the follow-on at bay on the third day of the second Test on Monday.

Misbah finished with 77 not out to guide his team to 317-6 at the close after Ali (90) and Asad Shafiq (61) also contributed in a fight for survival with Pakistan still needing another 68 to avoid following on.

Abdul Rehman was the other unbeaten batsman without scoring.

Pakistan trail South Africa's first innings score of 584-9 declared by 267 runs on an Abu Dhabi Stadium pitch which is still not offering any real help to the bowlers.

South Africa pushed hard to enforce the follow-on and to press their chances of winning the two-match series after the first Test in Dubai ended in a draw last week.

Misbah, who reached his sixth Test half-century with consecutive boundaries off Dale Steyn, has so far hit nine boundaries and a six during his 150-ball knock and will have to continue on day four to avoid the follow-on.

South Africa's bowlers, led by Steyn (3-78) and left-arm spinner Paul Harris (2-71), managed just one wicket in the morning session and two each in the second and third.

Misbah added an invaluable 107 for the fifth wicket with Shafiq and then 46 for the sixth with Adna Akmal, who fell five overs before the finish, to Harris, after scoring 17.

Steyn had removed Younis Khan (14) and Ali in the space of five balls to raise hopes of enforcing the follow-on as Pakistan slumped to 156-4 from 153-2 soon after lunch.

But Misbah and Shafiq defied all such attempts, batting confidently to thwart the South African pace-cum spin attack. Both hit off-spinner Johan Botha for three boundaries each in successive overs to take Pakistan to 220-4 at tea.

South African captain Graeme Smith took the second new ball in an attempt to break the partnership, but it was Harris who brought the breakthrough with the wicket of Shafiq, caught in the slip by Jacques Kallis.

Shafiq hit ten boundaries during his 118-ball stay at the crease.

South African coach Corrie van Zyl said his team needs to continue the good work.

"We just have to come and do the same on Tuesday," said van Zyl. "The quicker we can get the last four wickets in terms of time and then we can have a second go or enforce the follow-on."

Shafiq said Pakistan needed to keep batting well.

"I was a bit nervous at the start, but after two-three overs I got the confidence," said Shafiq. "We need to bat well so that the follow-on is avoided and we can't afford to relax."

Resuming at 59-1, Pakistan's batsmen faced no problems as the Umer-Ali duo put on 117 for the second wicket stand before Jacques Kallis provided his team with its only breakthrough by dismissing Umer.

Ali hit paceman Morne Morkel for his eighth boundary to complete his fifth Test half-century -- his third consecutively in the series after hitting one in each innings of the drawn first Test in Dubai.

Ali then had a lucky escape when, on 64, he edged left-arm spinner Paul Harris towards forward short-leg where AB de Villiers juggled with the ball before dropping it.

Ali hit 12 boundaries during his 175-ball knock, falling two runs short of his Test best of 92, made against England at The Oval three months ago.
© AFP

Asiad hockey: Olympics on mind as India brace for semis

GUANGZHOU: The story has unfolded very differently this time, and the Indian men's hockey team will now be eyeing a fairytale ending.

Rajpal & Co. have reached a stage here that was denied to them in Doha 2006. Their disappointing fifth-finish four years ago was followed by an even bigger disaster when the country failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in its long history. The events led to a churning from which Indian hockey hasn't quite recovered yet.

There is now this wonderful opportunity to erase those memories and move on.

If India win their semifinal against Malaysia here on Tuesday, it will not just take them to the gold-medal match but also to one step away from sealing a berth in the 2012 London Olympics. FIH, the game's world body, has reserved a direct entry for the champions of the Asian Games and India are within sniffing distance.

But, then, there is still so much to do if that magical moment is to reached.

For one, the Indians need to sort out a few problems in the defence and will be hoping that their forward-line, which was a pale shadow of itself in the Pool B matches against Pakistan and Japan, come back to form against bogey team Malaysia on Tuesday. The semifinal is scheduled for 2.30pm IST.

India, of course, will be elated with the superb form of penalty-corner specialist Sandeep Singh, who has 10 goals from his drag-flicks. The worrying point is that his skills as a defender are as raw as ever and that has brought added pressure on Sardar Singh and Vikram Pillay.

While Pillay wasn't consistent against Pakistan. Sardar held fort admirably but his extended role in defence is bound to have a say on the midfield, which has been suffering from lack of inspiration. That may prove a weak spot against Malaysia, who always seem to reserve their best for India.

The head-to-head this year is 1-1 with India defeating Malaysia 3-2 in the Delhi Commonwealth Games, but losing 2-5 in the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament at Ipoh.

Korea, gunning for a hat-trick of Asian Games hockey titles, take on Pakistan in the first semifinal.

Read more: Asiad hockey: Olympics on mind as India brace for semis - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/16th-asian-games-2010/india-news/Asiad-hockey-Olympics-on-mind-as-India-brace-for-semis/articleshow/6972355.cms#ixzz164p2IuQb

Australia's Clarke in doubt for 1st Ashes test

Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke missed training due a back injury Monday, casting doubt over his fitness for the first Ashes cricket test against England.

Clarke has been troubled by a degenerative back condition for most of his test career and Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris has confirmed he is no certainty to play in the first test which starts Thursday at Brisbane's Gabba ground.

Clarke was unable to play for his New South Wales state team in the most recent round of Australia's Sheffield Shield competition after aggravating the injury in an earlier Shield match.

Kountouris said Clarke's absence from training Monday was planned and his condition was being closely watched.

"He's in the process of recovery now (and) part of the plan was for him not to have a bat today and hopefully he'll be available for the game," Kountouris said. "I'm reasonably optimistic but ... until he bats tomorrow we can't be absolutely 100 per cent sure that he's OK to go."

Clarke refused to rate his level of fitness.

"We want him 100 per cent fit on Thursday, it doesn't matter what he is today," he said.

Clarke played no part in Australia's intense training on Monday. While his teammates warmed up, he walked laps of the Gabba oval before resting.

Allrounder Steve Smith, who remains a member of Australia's 13-man first test squad, will likely play in Clarke's place if he is deemed unfit.

Kumble elected KSCA chief after thumping win

Former India captain Anil Kumble and former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath romped home to a thumping 24-0 victory in Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) polls held on Sunday. At 40 and 39 respectively, Kumble and Srinath are the youngest president and secretary of the state cricket association. The Kumble group wiped out the prospects of their rivals, headed by the former Maharaja of Mysore, Srikantadatta Wodeyar.

The thumping majority in the managing committee of the association is expected to give Team Kumble a free hand to shape Karnataka cricket on the lines that they had promised� world-class facilities at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, practice pitches and infrastructure for local clubs and promoting talented cricketers from Karnataka.

The outgoing managing committee headed by Wodeyar had a thin 13-11 majority in the association resulting in turbulence and little progress for cricket. "Cricket is first for us, everything else is second," Javagal Srinath said in the run-up to the polls.

The Kumble-Srinath team comprises mainly of former cricketers, and enjoys the support of current Test players such as Rahul Dravid. It also has in its ranks experienced administrators and long time association committee members such as hotelier P Sadanada Maiya and finance expert Tallam Venkatesh. Kumble also had the support of Vijay Mallya, owner of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, and outgoing secretary of KSCA, Brijesh Patel. Nearly 1500 people, including 229 representing clubs and the life members of the KSCA voted in the elections.

Captaincy, a dream come true: Gambhir

Nagpur: Handed over the responsibility of captaining India in the first two ODIs against New Zealand in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's absence, opener Gautam Gambhir on Sunday said leading the national team in the upcoming series is a dream-come-true moment in his career.

Gambhir was yesterday named captain of India's ODI team for the first two ODIs against New Zealand after the selectors decided to rest five senior players, including regular skipper Dhoni.

"It's a dream-come-true moment for any player to lead his country. I am obviously excited about it and hopefully we would do well," Gambhir told reporters after the second day's play in the third and final Test between India and New Zealand here.

Asked whether his concept and visualisation about captaincy is different from Dhoni, he said, "I know that there are ups and downs in captaincy. I have experienced that while leading the Delhi Daredevils and Delhi Ranji Trophy side. Everyone has a different way of going about his job. It's more about being instinctive.

"You can't think beforehand about a particular situation. You have got to take instinctive decisions and back yourself."

If the left-hander was excited about the prospect of leading the national side, there was disappointment on missing out on a three-figure mark having got out on 78 after playing a loose shot off Tim Southee's bowling.

"You want to make the most of the opportunities. So it's pretty disappointing that despite being involved in two century partnerships in back-to-back Test matches, I couldn't convert it. Hopefully, we will get those in South Africa," Gambhir said.

About how the match has panned out, the opener feels that the ball has already started turning and a first innings lead of around 300 can clinch the issue for the home team.

Asked about his lack of runs much throughout the past season, Gambhir attributed it more to his recurring knee injury rather than poor form.

"After Asia Cup, I wasn't playing three or four Test matches at one go. When you play three to four Test matches, it helps a lot to get back into form," he said.

Dravid, Dhoni author huge lead for India

NAGPUR, India (Reuters) - Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni batted with supreme authority to steer India into a huge lead after New Zealand bowlers had picked up three early wickets on the third day of the deciding test match on Monday.

Dravid stood tall with his 31st test hundred while captain Dhoni looked set for his fifth hundred in tests as they stitched together a 182-run partnership for the unbroken sixth wicket.

India reached a huge total of 510 for five wickets at tea to stretch the lead to 317, with Dravid (166) and Dhoni (95) still at the crease.

The right-handed Dravid got to the coveted mark with a flicked two, 10 minutes before lunch at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

Dhoni, who had been short of runs of late, joined Dravid at the crease after the hosts had lost Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman and Suresh Raina cheaply.

The pin-up boy of Indian cricket then stepped on the pedal with some lusty hits to demoralise the New Zealand bowlers. He hit 12 boundaries and a six in his unfinished knock.

The tourists had a couple of half chances but the fielders failed to cling on to any making it more difficult for the under-assault bowlers.

Tendulkar (61) could add just four runs to his overnight score before he edged debutant Andy McKay to wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins to become the left-arm seamer's first test wicket.

Laxman followed soon after as Chris Martin bowled a big inswinger to breach his defence while New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori dismissed Raina through a bat-pad catch at silly mid-on.

The three-test series is tied at 0-0 after two draws.

Pietersen signs on with Surrey

LONDON: England batsman Kevin Pietersen will play for Surrey next season after signing a one-season deal with the English county club.

Pietersen, who is currently in Australia for the Ashes series that starts in Brisbane on Thursday, had spent the end of the 2010 season on loan at the Brit Oval after announcing his plans to quit Hampshire, another southern county at the end of the campaign.

"I'm delighted to be playing for Surrey next season, as I really enjoyed my time with them at the end of this year," Pietersen said in a Surrey statement issued Monday.

"I hope I can get some games in over the summer and spend time at this great club, meeting more of the staff and supporters. I look forward to catching up with the guys when I get back from the Ashes."

Pietersen's Surrey contract will run concurrently with his England central contract, funded by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

As with other centrally contracted players, Pietersen's availability to represent his new county will be governed by England coach Andy Flower and the England team management.

Given his status as a regular for England sides in all three international formats - Test, one-day and Twenty20 cricket - Surrey may not see much of their new signing unless he is dropped from the national set-up.

Pietersen has struggled to get back to the superlative form he showed before an Achilles injury ruled him out of most of last year's Ashes series although the 30-year-old still has an average of nearly 48 from 66 Tests.

He has not made a Test century since the West Indies series in March last year and that led to the South Africa born batsman omitted from England's end-of-season one-day matches against Pakistan in a bid to find some first-class form at The Oval.

Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon said: "It is a real privilege for Surrey to have signed one of England's greatest players.

"When Kevin played for us last season, he was a strong positive influence in the dressing room, especially with our younger players.

"Although there is a packed schedule of International cricket in 2011, I know that whatever contribution he can make to the club will be of immense value. Meanwhile, we have sent Kevin and our other England squad players our very best wishes for the Ashes series starting on Thursday."

Pietersen joined Hampshire from Nottinghamshire, where he began his career in England, in 2004.

A year later he made his Test debut against Australia in a series that culminated with his Ashes-clinching 158 at The Oval.

After his loan spell at Surrey, Pietersen had a brief stint last month playing for South African side Kwazulu Natal Dolphins where he was coached again by longstanding mentor Graham Ford.


Read more: Pietersen signs on with Surrey - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Pietersen-signs-on-with-Surrey/articleshow/6969895.cms#ixzz160fi4Co4

Asiad: Somdev, Sanam bag sixth gold for India

NEW DELHI: India's tennis pair Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh won the sixth gold for the country in the men's doubles event of the Asian Games, when they beat Gong M and Li Z of China on Monday.

The Indian pair won 6-3, 6-7, 10-8 in super tie-breaker.

The gold came after Sania Mirza and Vishnu Vardhan settled for silver medal after losing the mixed doubles final 6-4, 1-6, 2-10 to Chan Yung Jan and Yang Tsung Hua.

Earlier in the day Somdev advanced to the final's of the single's event.

TOI

Asiad Athletics: Indian duo in men's 1500m finals

STAFF WRITER 9:51 HRS IST

Guangzhou, Nov 22 (PTI) The Indian duo of Hamza Chatholi and Sandeep Karan Singh qualified for the men's 1500m finals of the Asian Games after finishing fourth in their respective heats here today.

The 29-year-old Chatholi clocked 3:46.68 to be sixth overall. First four in each heat and the next four fastest advanced to the final which is scheduled to be held tomorrow.

Chatholi's personal best stands at 3:39.90, but his best effort this season has been 3:43.39.

Sandeep also finished fourth in his heat but ended up eighth overall with a qualifying time of 3:53.88.

The 24-year-old clocked his personal best of 3:43.39 this season only.

Sachin Tendulkar misses out on 50th Test century again

STAFF WRITER 9:52 HRS IST

Nagpur, Nov 22 (PTI) Sachin Tendulkar missed out on his much-anticipated 50th Test hundred yet again after being dismissed at 61 on the third day of the second cricket Test against New Zealand at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here today.

Resuming at his overnight score of 57 runs, Tendulkar just added four runs to his innings.

The 37-year-old was dismissed by debutant pacer Andy McKay, whose short of a length delivery angled across Tendulkar and got an outside edge of his bat and flew straight to wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins, much to the disappointment of the fans.

Tendulkar will get a chance to achieve the feat again only next month in the three-match Test series against South Africa.

The first Test starts on December 16 at SuperSport Park, Centurion.

Sensex opens 170 points high in morning trade

MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today opened over 170 points up on emergence of bargain buying by funds and investors in blue chip companies amid strong Asian cues.

The 30-share index rose by 170.53 points or 0.87 per cent to 19,755.97 points with all the sectoral indices trading in the positive territory. The index had lost 345.20 points in the previous session following deepening crisis over 2G spectrum allotment.

The National Stock Exchange index Nifty, too, moved up by 54.55 points or 0.90 per cent to 5,944.85 points.

Brokers said increased foreign fund inflows into equities and emergence of buying at lower levels by investors helped in Sensex recovery.

They said firming trend on the Asian bourses amid expectations of bail out of debt-ridden Ireland by the European Central Bank and IMF buoyed the trading sentiment.

In Asian markets, the Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was marginally down by 0.29 per cent while the Japanese Nikkei gained 1.10 per cent in the morning trade.

Read more: Sensex opens 170 points high in morning trade - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Sensex-opens-170-points-high-in-morning-trade/articleshow/6967831.cms#ixzz15z0yvKVK

India top points-table with four wins in a row

GUANGZHOU: Star drag-flicker Sandeep Singh continued his goal-scoring spree as India defeated Japan 3-2 for their fourth consecutive win and finished atop the points-table in group B of the Asian Games men's hockey competition, on Sunday.

Sandeep kept a cent per cent record in penalty corners today, converting the two short corners India earned in the day with precision in the 38th and 62nd minute to see his team finish the preliminary stage on an impressive note.

However, it was captain Rajpal Singh (31st minute) who drew parity for India after Japan had surged ahead with a Hiroki Sakamoto strike in the 21st minute.

And then seven minutes later Sandeep converted the first of his two set pieces with a fierce drag-flick to ensure his team a 2-1 lead at the breather.

Crossing over, both the teams struggled hard for goals till the 62nd minute when Sandeep once again was bang on target from India's second penalty corner.

Japan, however, pulled one back a minute later through another field strike from Sakamoto.

With four wins out of as many matches, India finished on top of Group B with 12 points, while arch-rivals Pakistan finished second with nine points.

India will now take on the second placed team from Group A -- the winners of the match between China or Malaysia later in the day -- in the semifinals on November 24 while Pakistan will be up against formidable Korea.

Read more: India top points-table with four wins in a row - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/16th-asian-games-2010/india-news/India-top-points-table-with-four-wins-in-a-row/articleshow/6964647.cms#ixzz15z0cKEK2

CBI's third big arrest for CWG mess

NEW DELHI: The noose appears to be tightening around Suresh Kalmadi with the CBI arresting another top Commonwealth Games official, M Jeychandren, for his alleged role in the Queen's Baton Relay scam. Jeychandren, as joint director-general of finance and accounts, was part of the empowered committee that finalized the controversial deal with London-based AM Films.

Two other members of that committee – Sanjay Mohindroo and T S Darbari – have been arrested and are believed to have implicated Jeychandren. The CBI has seized laptops and documents from Jeychandren's office and residence.

The CBI is also questioning Sudhir Verma, deputy director general (communication) of the Games Organizing Committee and part of the empowered panel that picked AM Films to install video screens at the venue at exorbitant rates.

Jeychandran will be produced in the CBI court on Monday, where the investigators might seek his remand to unearth the money trail in the CWG scam, CBI officials said.

With his arrested aides beginning to sing, trouble is brewing for the Organizing Committee chief himself. Darbari and Mohindroo reportedly told CBI that it was Kalmadi who entered into the deal with AM films and AM cars during the QBR in October 2009. Kalmadi will be questioned by CBI after his return from China.

The CBI claimed to have seized several documents, laptops and bank account details from Mohindroo and Darbari during its weeklong probe. While the agency is likely to seek further remand of Mohindroo on Monday, officials said Darbari was no longer needed for questioning. Based on the interrogation so far, CBI officials said it was the empowered committee of the OC which took the decision for release of payment for the QBR deals at the behest of Kalmadi. No tendering process was followed and no contract papers were given. The CBI had earlier accused the duo of forging the emails that were sent to bag the deal, which was signed by by Mohindroo, Jeychandran and Verma.

The CBI has also contacted Interpol and is in the process of sending Letters Rogatory (LR) to the United Kingdom for questioning Ashish Patel, who owns AM Films and AM Cars.

Read more: CBI's third big arrest for CWG mess - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CBIs-third-big-arrest-for-CWG-mess/articleshow/6966712.cms#ixzz15z0JcZmO

Spinner Hauritz left out of Australian Test squad

SYDNEY: Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz was the major omission when the Australian squad was reduced to 13 players on Saturday for next week's opening Ashes Test against England in Brisbane.

Hauritz made way for younger spinners, left-arm wrist-spinner Xavier Doherty and leg-spinner Steven Smith.

Hauritz has played 17 Tests and taken 63 wickets at an average of almost 35. If Doherty, 27, is chosen to play in next Thursday's match it will be his Test debut, while Smith, 21, has played in two Tests.

Selectors last Monday named an initial 17-man squad and said that four players would be cut from the selection this weekend after assessing the form of the contenders in England's tour match against Australia A and three Sheffield Shield games.

"Nathan Hauritz is one of these players omitted and he can consider himself unlucky as his Australian record has been very good over the past 12 months," chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said.

"However the panel believes the left-arm orthodox variety Xavier Doherty provides against a predominantly right-handed English batting middle-order is the better option in this game."

Batsmen Callum Ferguson and Usman Khawaja along with paceman Ryan Harris were the other players left out of the squad.

"Callum and Usman are both wonderful young players who we believe will play a big role for Australian cricket moving forward but on this occasion the experienced middle order has been preferred," Hilditch said.

"We felt Ryan Harris needed further time to recover from his knee injury and also believe the four fast bowlers we have selected are in good form and will be key weapons for us winning the Ashes Series this summer."

Hilditch said he believes his panel has chosen a strong and well balanced squad, selected specifically with the conditions in Brisbane in mind.

"The squad contains a number of experienced Test players and some exciting young talent and we firmly believe it has the ability to win the first Test of the Ashes Series in Brisbane," he said.

England regained the Ashes in last year's series in England, but have not won a series in Australia since Mike Gatting's team of 1986/87.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke (vice-captain), Doug Bollinger, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin, Mike Hussey, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Marcus North, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Shane Watson.

Read more: Spinner Hauritz left out of Australian Test squad - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Spinner-Hauritz-left-out-of-Australian-Test-squad/articleshow/6958290.cms#ixzz15nK0tonB

Wet outfield delays India-New Zealand Nagpur Test

NEW DELHI: The third and final Test of the three-match series between India and New Zealand has been delayed due to wet outfield at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur.

There's been plenty of rain over the past few days in Nagpur because of which the outfield is a bit wet, particularly around the boundary. The only good news is there was no overnight rain.

Umpire Simon Taufel said in his TV interview that the area from fine-leg to third man is quite damp and we will keep on checking the conditions with the groundstaff.

After not being able to break the deadlock in the first two Tests in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad respectively, the Indian team, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will be looking to go all out for an elusive victory against the New Zealanders at Nagpur.

Even Daniel Vettori-led Black Caps would also be aiming to script a historic away series win against India. This will also be the last chance, before the World Cup, for Sachin Tendulkar to complete his historic 50th Test ton in front of his countrymen.

If Tendulkar fails to reach the three figure mark in Nagpur, he would still have a chance to reach the milestone in South Africa. But completing the half century of Test tons in front of his countrymen would surely be extra special.

Skipper Dhoni will also expect that he gets a strip where it won't take his team "10 days" to extract a result.

With the curator promising a sporting wicket, the bowling combination for India will be the bone of contention during the next five days. With team's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan ruled out due to injury, there will be an additional pressure on senior pro Harbhajan Singh to shoulder the burden of leading the attack.

Harbhajan may have had the most memorable time wielding his willow to good effect, having scored back-to-back centuries with a total of 295 runs in the series but he hasn't been able to bother the New Zealand batsmen with the ball.

Agreed he didn't get much purchase from the previous two strips but one can't deny the fact that his bowling nowadays lacks the bite he used to have earlier on sub-continent pitches.

With Zaheer not there, it will be Ishant Sharma who will be back in the playing XI sharing the new ball with S Sreesanth. Ishant, who has been very erratic of late with persistent problems of overstepping, did bowl a good spell on the fourth day morning against Australia in Mohali before he was ruled out for the next Test in Bangalore.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has been one of the better bowlers for India in this series. Not only has he bowled long spells but also kept a tight check on the batsmen at times.

The batting department also has some worrying points. The skipper himself hasn't contributed anything with the bat in recent Test matches and he should be feeling the heat of trying to set an example by leading from the front with a solid performance.

Nor has Suresh Raina, who had an impressive debut in Sri Lanka and scored 80-plus in the first innings against Australia in Mohali, hasn't done much after that. Raina's weakness against short-pitched deliveries are now a well-known and teams are trying to cash in on that.

Among the top-order batsmen, only Virender Sehwag who has already scored 324 runs looks in ominous form. A lot will depend on the kind of start the Nawab of Najafgarh will provide. Another positive aspect has been Gautam Gambhir's half century in the Hyderabad Test.

The Delhi lad who hasn't been in the best of forms this season looked like getting back some of his touch which augurs well for his team.

VVS Laxman who is in sublime touch will also like to keep up the good work.

The New Zealand team, on the other hand, would be expecting to do the basics right, something they have done, showing exemplary discipline. That the Kiwis batsmen have done their homework was evident in the manner in which they have displayed remarkable application.

Brendon McCullum who scored a superb double hundred in Hyderabad Test, would like to do an encore in Nagpur.

The bowling sans skipper Vettori isn't something they would boast of but nevertheless, the two draws would definitely keep them in good stead.

Squad:

India: MS Dhoni(capt and wk), V Sehwag, R Dravid, G Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, VVS Laxman, A Mishra, PP Ojha, CA Pujara, SK Raina, I Sharma, S Sreesanth, SR Tendulkar, JD Unadkat, M Vijay

New Zealand: DL Vettori(capt), BJ Arnel, JEC Franklin, MJ Guptill, GJ Hopkins (wk), BB McCullum, TG McIntosh, AJ McKay, CS Martin, JS Patel, JD Ryder, TG Southee, LRPL Taylor, BJ Watling, KS Williamson

Umpires: Nigel Llong and Simon Taufel.

Third Umpire: Sanjay Hazare.

Read more: Wet outfield delays India-New Zealand Nagpur Test - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/new-zealand-in-india/top-stories/Wet-outfield-delays-India-New-Zealand-Nagpur-Test/articleshow/6958507.cms#ixzz15nJSyXCW

Advertisers bet big on IPL 4

MUMBAI: Despite numerous uncertainties surrounding the format of the Indian Premier League, advertiser interest seems to be intact in the Twenty 20 format. Multi Screen Media (MSM), the broadcast rights holder of the IPL which has been in the eye of a storm lately, says it has managed to close 9 sponsorship deals in 40 days for the fourth edition of the event scheduled to start from April 8 next year.

The broadcaster expects a 20% increase in advertising revenues in 2011 compared to the third edition. MSM had raked in around Rs 800 core from IPL 3.

World Cup advertisers paying less

Telecom service provider Vodafone and diversified group Videocon have signed on as presenting sponsors while Samsung Mobile , LG, Hyundai, PepsiCo, Tata Photon, Havells and Cadbury India have got on board as associate sponsors. MSM has sold around 50% of its inventory as bulk deals for Rs 5 lakh per 10 secs while the rest will be sold as spot buys at a slight premium.

On the other hand, ESPN Star Sports, which holds the rights for the World Cup, has signed on brands such as Nokia , Maruti and PepsiCo at a much lower cost of Rs 3.5 lakh per ten seconds, say media buyers. But that this could change as the World Cup on the subcontinent draws closer.

With only a week between IPL 4 and the World Cup, the saving grace for advertisers is that the two events fall in separate fiscals. But they are still up against each other for the marketing dollars. "There are large outlays involved in such big cricketing properties and what IPL offers is a risk-free option unlike the World Cup," Rohit Gupta, president, MSM said. IPL 3 had grossed an average rating of 4.6, clocking 143 million viewers. The risk in case of the World Cup would arise if India were to exit early.

Some traditional advertisers associated with cricket feel that the cost-efficiency is better with the Twenty20 format although they have not completely ruled out being on the World Cup yet.

Read more: Advertisers bet big on IPL 4 - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Advertisers-bet-big-on-IPL-4/articleshow/6944895.cms#ixzz15bckXfnM

Zaheer is the source of my inspiration, says Unadkat

NEW DELHI: He is the newest among the breed of left-arm quicks that India have produced in recent years and no wonder Jaidev Unadkat idolises India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, whom he has replaced in the squad for the third Test against New Zealand, starting from Saturday.

If that's not all, he wants to bat like Harbhajan Singh, who has surprised one and all with his back-to-back centuries.

"Zaheer is my idol as I have learnt a lot by just watching him bowl. It is indeed a privilege for me that I got a chance to be in Test team. If I get a chance to play, I will try to prove my mettle," the 19-year-old Saurashtra speedster said.

Unadkat had replaced injured Ishant Sharma during second Test against Australia in Banglore last month but wasn't a part of the playing XI.

The lanky pacer rose to fame through his impressive performance in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League season and then for India A in their tour of UK. Incidentally, Unadkat got a match-haul of 13 wickets against West Indies A side during his debut first-class game in Leicester.

Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders he won the man-of-the-match award for his three-wicket haul against Shane Warne-led-Rajasthan Royals at Eden Garden. He has been praised by none other than the legendary Wasim Akram.

Unadkat also owes his success to KKR captain Sourav Ganguly and bowling coach Akram.

"Dada (Ganguly) taught me to be mentally tough. He gave me lot of tips about handling the pressure. Wasim bhai (Akram) also worked a lot on my bowling. I will be thankful to both of them for helping me become a better bowler," he said.

He said that he is here because of his performances at the first-class level and wants to continue that.

"I don't believe in comparisons. There is a healthy competition among the Indian bowlers which is good for Indian Cricket. I am here because of what I have done in the past. I would work hard to maintain that consistency," he said.

Unadkat also revealed that Harbhajan Singh inspired him to concentrate on batting as well.

"I have never worked on my batting earlier. But now I will consider that. I want be an all-rounder like Harbhajan. I will take tips from him for sure," he said.

He is also excited to be a part of Indian dressing room with legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

"Just like millions of cricket lovers, I have also grown up watching them (Tendulkar, Dravid) on television. It is dream come true for me to share the dressing room with them," he concluded.


Read more: Zaheer is the source of my inspiration, says Unadkat - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/new-zealand-in-india/interviews/Zaheer-is-the-source-of-my-inspiration-says-Unadkat/articleshow/6941341.cms#ixzz15bbyqzNz

IPL 4 starts six days after World Cup final

MUMBAI: The fourth edition of the Indian Premier League will begin from April 8 next year, six days after the conclusion of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, with the high profile players' auction to be held on January 8 and 9.

Like the first three editions, there will be eight teams participating in the Twenty20 event, with 60 matches to be played with the title clash to be held on May 22.

"The IPL GC met today to discuss matters related to next IPL. It was decided that the players auction will take place on January 8 and 9, 2011 in Mumbai. The IPL season will start on April 8 and end on May 22 but the opening ceremony will be held on April 7," BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.

The dates were fixed at a meeting of the reconstituted five-member IPL Governing Council, headed by Chirayu Amin.

Even though the statement did not mention anything about troubled IPL franchisees -- Kochi and Rajasthan Royals-- it said that only eight teams will participate in the Twenty20 league next year.

"There will be a total of 60 matches, played by eight teams. The hosting venue arrangements were finalised and approved at the meeting," Srinivasan said in the release.

The committee also announced a new format to decide the finalists of the IPL on the basis of play-offs.

The play-offs will be played based on league standings with the Team 1 meeting Team 2 and Team 3 meeting Team 4 in the semifinals.

The winner of play-off 1 will automatically qualify for the grand finale.

However, the losers of play-off 1 will get a second chance as they will take on the victorious team of play-off 2 in a preliminary final, winner of which will progress to the grand finale.

BCCI vice-president and IPL Governing member Rajiv Shukla said the issue of Kochi IPL franchisee was not discussed during the meeting at all.

"Basically, today's meeting was about preparations for IPL 4. Because now the preparations for IPL 4 has started in full strength. We have to make IPL 4 a full success," Shukla told reporters after the meeting.

"The issue of the Kochi was not discussed at all during today's meeting. Because they have been given a notice of one month which expires on November 27. The issue was not in the agenda at all. A decision on the issue will be taken only after that," he said.

Kochi were given a 30-day notice by the BCCI last month to sort out their internal differences.

Speculation is, however, rife that the group of investors in the franchisee is not interested in running the franchisee and will soon ask permission of the Cricket Board to withdraw from it.

On retention of players in the IPL teams, Shukla said that it would stay the same as decided by the technical committee of Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi earlier this year.

"The same players' rules as decided by the technical committee will be implemented," he said.

A maximum of four players from each team, including a maximum of three Indian players, have been allowed to be retained by the franchisees, with $1.8 million to be deducted from their kitty for the first players and so on.

As per an earlier decision taken by the BCCI, the retention of players would result in reduced amount available with each franchise with amounts of $1.8 million per annum for the first player so retained, $1.3m, $0.9m and $0.5m for the other three players reduced from its kitty.

This is irrespective of the actual player fee paid to each of these players. If a franchise retains four players, its salary cap will be charged by $4.5 million in each of 2011 and 2012 seasons and it will have only $4.5m remaining to pay as player fees for the remainder of its registered squad.

The IPL has added a rider to player retention saying the franchisee and the player must mutually agree to it as well as the player fee to be paid for 2011 and 2012 seasons.

The two new franchisees -- Kochi and Sahara Pune -- who did not participate in the 2010 season were allowed to sign upto four players from the list of players who were not a part of the squad of any of the teams in the past three IPL editions.

TOI

Indian rowers script history, win two silver medals for first time in 12 years Read more: Indian rowers script history, win two silver medals for fir

NEW DELHI: Indian rowers scripted history after settling for two sliver medals for the first time in 12 years in the men's four and men's lightweight four events respectively on the sixth day of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

India's Anil Kumar, Saji Thomas, Ranjit Singh and Jenil Krishnan claimed the silver medal in the men's four event. China won the gold while Uzbekistan took the bronze.

In the lightweight men's four, Lokesh Kumar, Manjeet Singh, Rajesh Kumar Yadav and Satish Joshi finished second to win silver. Japan took the gold while Hong Kong settled for bronze.

Earlier in the day, India's Sania Mirza brushed aside Hong Kong's Chan Wing Yau in under an hour, showing no signs of the illness which forced her out of the women's team tournament, as she eased through her Asiad opener on Thursday.

Mirza, whose world ranking has slumped to 166 after a series of injuries, won 6-1, 6-0 and now tackles either Chinese sixth seed Zhang Shuai or Malika Rana of Nepal for a place in the quarterfinals.

With the addition of two silver medals, India's medal tally rose to one gold, seven silver and seven bronze but the collection could have been far better had the shooters lived upto their reputation on Wednesday.

Unheralded Sandhyarani Devi proved to be the saving grace for India by bagging a silver medal in wushu on Wednesday. The Manipuri lost 0-2 to Iran's Khadijeh Azadpour in the 60 kg final to fetch the second medal from the event.

Read more: Indian rowers script history, win two silver medals for first time in 12 years - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/16th-asian-games-2010/india-news/Indian-rowers-script-history-win-two-silver-medals-for-first-time-in-12-years/articleshow/6945510.cms#ixzz15bapdkmF