Laxman, Tendulkar bag top honours at ESPNcricinfo awards

BANGALORE: VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar won the awards for best batting performances in Tests and ODIs while Dale Steyn bagged the top prize in Test bowling in the fourth annual ESPNcricinfo Awards on Monday.

Umar Gul, Michael Hussey and Tim Southee were the other winners.

Laxman bagged the award for best Test batting for his 96 on a bowler-friendly pitch in Durban last December, while Tendulkar won the ODI award for his unbeaten double-hundred against South Africa in Gwalior last February, the first in the history of the 40-year-old format.

Steyn took the bowling prize for his seven for 51 against India in Nagpur on a flat track.

While Tendulkar still remains the only player to have scored a double ton in ODIs, what helped Laxman and Steyn beat their rivals was that their efforts came on unfavourable conditions, and led their teams to historic victories.

This was the second time Tendulkar has won an award in this category -- he had won last year for his brilliant 175, though in a losing cause against Australia in Mohali.

Tendulkar faced stiff competition from Abdul Razzaq's hurricane 109, which took his side to miraculous win against South Africa after they were nine down and needed 30 runs to win.

Also winning his second award in two years was Umar Gul, the last year's T20 bowling winner taking the ODI prize for his six for 42 against England at The Oval.

In Twenty20, Southee was the runaway winner for his five-wicket burst in nine balls, which included a hat-trick.

Hussey's "freakish" innings of 60 in the World T20 semifinal against Pakistan beat Brendon McCullum's century against Australia.

The jury included former internationals Ramiz Raza, Kepler Wessels, Ian Chappell, Tony Greig, Geoff Boycott, Sanjay Manjrekar and Martin Crowe, and ESPNcricinfo's senior editors.

The jurors picked their top three performances in each category out of shortlists compiled by the site's editorial staff. Each performance ranked No 1 got five points, while No 2 and 3 got three points and one respectively.

Tendulkar's and Gul's performances were ranked No 1 by 10 jury members, Steyn's by eight and Laxman's 96 by five.

TOI

Brazil great Ronaldo confirms retirement

SAO PAULO: Three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo, whose goalscoring genius led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, confirmed his retirement on Monday at the age of 34.


The tearful Corinthians striker announced his decision at a press conference in Sao Paulo.

"I'm stopping my career as a professional footballer," he said, his voice breaking. "It's been a beautiful, emotional, marvellous career.

"These last two years, I've had a long series of injuries, from one side to the other, one leg to the other, one muscle to the other. The pain pushed me to think about the end of my career."

Ronaldo also revealed that he suffered from a thyroid problem that had made it difficult to control his weight.

"Four years ago, in Milan, I discovered that I suffered from an under-active thyroid that slowed down my metabolism and that to control it, I had to take hormones that weren't authorised in football as they were considered a form of doping," he said.

"Lots of people must regret having made jokes about my weight. But I feel no anger towards anyone."

Having earlier indicated that he hoped to play on until the end of the year, injuries and Corinthians' early elimination from the Copa Libertadores prompted him to bring forward his retirement.

During a glittering 14-year spell in Europe, Ronaldo scored goals at a prolific rate for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, before returning to Brazil in 2009.

He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and became the leading scorer in World Cup finals tournaments when he scored his 15th goal at the 2006 tournament in Germany.

He was twice named European Footballer of the Year, in 1997 and 2002, and finished his international career with 62 goals in 97 appearances.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, 'El Fenomeno' (The Phenomenon) won the World Cup with Brazil for the first time in 1994, though on that occasion the 17-year-old was part of the squad and did not play.

In 1998, he was among the losing finalists, beaten 3-0 at Stade de France by a rampant French side that included the inspirational Zinedine Zidane.

Brazil's star striker suffered a convulsive fit on the eve of the match and was removed from the starting line-up.

In a dramatic changing-room re-shuffle, he was reinstated just before kick-off but was a shadow of the intimidating forward who had scored four goals in the run-up to the final.

But the 2002 tournament was where he made history.

Shrugging off injury in the tournament, which was hosted by Japan and South Korea, he played a key role in helping Brazil to the trophy, scoring both goals in his country's 2-0 win over Germany in the final in Yokohoma.

At the 2006 World Cup in Germany he took his World Cup tally to 15 goals, surpassing the previous record held by Gerd Mueller by one goal.

Ronaldo, who began his career with Cruzeiro, had to fight back from three career-threatening knee injuries over the course of his career.

He was sidelined while playing for Inter by a knee injury in 1999 only to damage the same knee in his comeback for the club in February 2000, effectively keeping him out of action until March 2002.

In February 2008 he ruptured a tendon in his right knee playing for AC Milan against Livorno, an injury that ended his career in Europe.

TOI

Top 10 batting knocks in the World Cups

NEW DELHI: Brief run-down of the top batting knocks in the World Cup (against Test playing nations only) ahead of the 2011 edition which starts on Saturday.

1. Sourav Ganguly (India) - 183 (158 balls, 17 fours, 7 sixes) v Sri Lanka, Taunton, 1999

Ganguly provided a taste of what T20 might be like with his towering hits that almost cleared the outskirts of the town, let alone Taunton's tiny ground. After stuttering in their opening encounter against South Africa and choking in a space of six balls from Henry Olonga against Zimbabwe, India needed to win big against Sri Lanka. Ganguly's innings ensured just that and provided the momentum for a place in the Super Sixes. However, the early setbacks cost India the chance of further qualification.

2. Viv Richards (West Indies) - 181 (125 balls, 16 fours, 7 sixes) v Sri Lanka, Karachi, 1987

Richards walked in to bat on a hat-trick and by the time he departed, he had scored the highest score (then) in a World Cup. He went about his business in such a savage manner that Desmond Haynes' 105 almost seemed pedestrian by comparison. It was a perfect riposte to two back-to-back losses in World Cups for the West Indies (1983 finals to India; opening encounter against England in 1987). Although, they exited before the semi-finals, Richards had once again stamped his authority on the World Cup.

3. Matthew Hayden (Australia) 158 (143 balls, 14 fours, 4 sixes) v West Indies, North Sound, 2007

Hayden imposed himself on the home side with an innings of various gears. It was an uncharacteristic innings, given it was Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Shane Watson who provided the impetus while the big man almost played a 'sheet anchor' role by his standards. Having not opened his account for 18 deliveries, he got to his 50 in 72 deliveries, and it was only in the 45th over that he really went into overdrive. Despite a glimpse of Brian Lara's class, there was no stopping Australia.

4. Adam Gilchrist (Australia) 149 (104 balls, 13 fours, 8 sixes) v Sri Lanka, Bridgetown, 2007

Clive Lloyd (1975), Viv Richards (1979), Aravinda de Silva (1996), Ponting (2003) and Gilchrist (2007). It is a Who's Who list of batsmen who left their indelible mark on World Cup finals. After a rather tepid tournament by his standards, Gilchrist -- with a squash ball inside his gloves -- treated the cricket ground akin to a squash court. His brutal assault propelled Australia, and although Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakarra made a game of it, they could not stop Australia from winning the 2007 World Cup for the third consecutive time.

5. AB de Villiers (South Africa) 146 (130 balls, 12 fours, 5 sixes) v West Indies, St George's, 2007

With the West Indies already out of contention for a semi-final slot, Lara experimented with some debatable team selection and bowling decisions. But nothing can be taken away from the knock of De Villiers, who ensured that South Africa's shock defeat to Bangladesh was an aberration.

Although Sarwan tried gamely, South Africa eased through to the semis where, again, their fragile batting was exposed by the Australians, thus re-invigorating the tag of 'chokers'.

6. Rahul Dravid (India) 145 (129 balls, 17 fours, 1 six) v Sri Lanka, Taunton, 1999

Indian cricket is replete with Dravid's feats in some monumental partnerships and this extremely crucial 318-run partnership with Ganguly was no less momentous. The fact that he scored at a very impressive strike rate almost went unnoticed as he was finding the gaps and using his pull shots but not hitting the towering sixes that regularly came at the other end. However, Mr Dependable was there when India needed him most.

7. Andrew Symonds (Australia) 143* (125 balls, 18 fours, 2 sixes) v Pakistan, Johannesburg, 2003

In Australia's first match of the 2003 World Cup as defending champions, they were stunned by the Pakistani fast bowling attack with Gilchrist, Hayden, Damien Martyn and Jimmy Maher back in the hutch within the Powerplay. Ponting and Symonds rebuilt the innings and a sedate start assumed fierce proportions once Ponting departed. Symonds took a liking to Shahid Afridi's bowling and did not spare the Ws (Wasim and Waqar) in the death overs either. Pakistan never really got going and Australia were off and running.

8. Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa) 143 (141 balls, 19 fours, 3 sixes) v New Zealand, Johannesburg, 2003

A feeling of deja vu must have crept in when Gibbs scored another century at the World Cup and lost another crucial match. Rewind to 'You just dropped the World Cup, mate' quip from Steve Waugh in 1999 when Gibbs dropped a sitter after having scored 101 and let Australia off the hook. Fast forward four years, and this time it was the Kiwi skipper, Stephen Fleming, who upstaged Gibbs' heroic effort with sheer class and grace. It was a tournament where bad luck, rain, Messrs Duckworth & Lewis, and common sense (or lack of it) conspired to eliminate the hosts.

9. Dave Houghton (Zimbabwe) 142 (137 balls, 13 fours, 6 sixes) v New Zealand, Hyderabad, 1987

Another heartbreak story for another valiant centurion. Zimbabwe had always threatened to be giant slayers in their performances against India and Australia in 1983. They nearly did it again, chasing a respectable 243 to win. Houghton played one of the most majestic innings and almost single handedly won the match for Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the rest of the batting line up let him down with tennis scores of 1-5-12-4-5-2-1. When Zimbabwe fell short by three runs, all neutral cricket fans must have been equally dejected.

10. Scott Styris (New Zealand) 141 (125 balls, 3 fours, 6 sixes) v Sri Lanka, Bloemfontein, 2003

To round off the theme with a hat-trick of centuries in losing causes, Styris was the sole survivor amidst a sinking ship with only a fighting 32 from Chris Cairns to prop up the New Zealand total. New Zealand never really came close to challenging the relatively imposing total of 272 from Sri Lanka.

TOI

India will come in as favourites for World Cup: White

Bangalore, Feb 12(ANI): Australian batsman Cameron White reckons that the Indian team is one of the favourites for the upcoming World Cup.

"The Indian team is obviously full of very good players playing in their own backyard, in their own conditions, so everyone in the cricketing world understands why India would be a favorite," White said.

"We are playing well, but the Indian and many other teams have a lot of good players and they are probably favorites because obviously playing in their home conditions," he added.

The World Cup will take place between February and early April, with the first match to be played on February 19 with co-hosts India and Bangladesh facing off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

The opening ceremony will be held at Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium on February 17, two days before the start of the tournament. The final would take place on April 2 at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

Shakib, Tamim star in Bangladesh's win

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan led from the front as World Cup co-hosts Bangladesh trounced Canada by nine wickets in a one-sided warm-up match on Saturday in Chittagong.

Shakib grabbed three wickets for five runs with his left-arm spin as Canada were shot out for 112 in 37.3 overs after being sent in to bat at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chittagong.

The left-handed opening pair of Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes then put on 106 by the 17th over to ensure the day-night match finished early.

Tamim smashed seven boundaries and three sixes in his 69 off 50 balls before he was bowled by Rizwan Cheema when just seven runs remained for victory.

Kayes remained unbeaten on 39 and Junaid Siddique was on one when the hosts surpassed the modest target in the 20th over.

Shakib was supported in the field by two wickets apiece from seamers Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain and off-spinner Mohammad Mahmudullah.

Canada were reduced to 22-2 by the seventh over before skipper Ashish Bagai (30) and Amarbir Hansra (22) added 39 for the fourth wicket. But the Canadians lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out with 12.3 overs still remaining in their innings.

The warm-up match, which did not have official status, involved all the 15 players from either side, but batting and fielding was restricted to 11.

Bangladesh take on co-hosts India in the World Cup opener in Dhaka on 19 February. Canada's first match is against the third co-host, Sri Lanka, in the island's southern town of Hambantota on 20 February.

Chawla poses selection headache for India

BANGALORE: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was grappling with a selection puzzle on Monday after a match-winning performance by leg-spinner Piyush Chawla in a World Cup warm-up game against Australia.

Chawla, who returned to the one-day side during a recent series in South Africa after a three-year break, was a surprise inclusion in a World Cup squad already including specialist spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin.

With part-time spinners Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Yusuf Pathan further bolstering the slow bowling department, Chawla's selection sparked a debate.

But the baby-faced bowler forced the Indian team management into a serious rethink on their playing eleven after picking off four wickets for 31 runs to fashion India's unlikely 38-run win in Bangalore on Sunday.

"A leg-spinner can really trouble batsmen," Dhoni said after the match. "Chawla turns the odd one and has a very good wrong'un. He is consistent with line and length. Also, it gives you more options in bowling.

"One of the reasons for his selection was our need to have a spinner who can bat a bit. If he could contribute 15-20 runs then it would be good for the side.

"It's a bit of headache whom to play and whom not to play with the kind of talent we have in the team but it is good for the team."

Chawla said his warm-up performance could work in his favour once the tournament starts on Saturday with an India-Bangladesh match in Dhaka.

"We have a few good spinners in the squad," Chawla, 22, said. "If the pitch is slow and offers some turn, I will have a good chance to make it.

"When I came to bowl in the first powerplay, the ball was turning a bit and all I needed to do was pitch the ball in the right areas."

Chawla, who made his one-day debut against Bangladesh in 2007, has picked 28 wickets from 22 ODIs.

TOI

Cramped calendar hampers mental preparation, says Dhoni

BANGALORE: India's jam-packed itinerary has not only taken a physical toll on the players but could also affect their mindset heading into the World Cup, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Boasting some of the hottest young talent in the game, co-hosts India are one of the favourites to lift the World Cup which begins on Saturday.

But Dhoni warned that the team's mental preparation had been hit by the rigors of constantly switching between Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches in the run-up to the World Cup.

"The mindset was not really there. Mentally we were not ready, that's one of the reasons why we couldn't bat well," Dhoni told reporters after India defeated World Cup holders Australia by 38 runs in a warm-up match in Bangalore on Sunday.

"Of course for the warm-up game mentally it was very difficulty to prepare yourself.

"If you play 35 odd ODIs in a year and 10 Test matches and 45 days of IPL and Champions League, then all of a sudden you hear there's a warm-up game, it's a very difficult scenario to mentally prepare yourself for the game which really reflected on the field."

India's much-hyped middle order, which included big hitters Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni, failed to get going on Sunday and the only meaningful contributions were a half-century from opener Virender Sehwag and an uncharacteristically slow 32 from Yusuf Pathan.

Only a special effort from the spinners and an Australian batting collapse turned the game in India's favour.

In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, who was rested due to a hamstring niggle, the procession of India's specialist batsmen came and went without troubling the scorers too much.

This is proving to be a cause for concern.

HOME PRESSURE

Although the likes of Pathan, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina are vastly experienced in ODIs, they are all making their World Cup debuts - a tournament that is gruelling enough mentally without the added pressure of playing at home.

With the old rearguards such as Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly gone, Dhoni will be looking to Sehwag and Yuvraj to draw on their experience in guiding the new crop of players through the tournament.

"You know the kind of talent we have got, we just need to get off to a good start and the middle order needs to contribute," said Dhoni.

Dhoni himself is a key player and will look to draw on his own experience of the 2007 World Cup, where India were eliminated in the group stages.

"I am talking about my experience to mentally play in a game like this especially after what we saw in the 2007 World Cup. The first two games were really good for us. After that I don't know where we lost," he added referring to India's unexpected defeat by Bangladesh.

With the Indian team boasting the sport's most prolific run scorer in Tendulkar, the joint second-ranked ODI batsman in the world in Kohli and an explosive hitter of the ball in Sehwag, besides others, it is a safe assumption that over the next seven weeks, all eyes will be on India's batting.

India play their final warm-up match against New Zealand on Wednesday, and then take on co-hosts Bangladesh in the opening match of the tournament in Dhaka on February 19.

TOI

World Cup coaches have different goals

NEW DELHI: They don't win matches by smashing sixes or grabbing wickets but prefer plotting their teams' success behind the scene.

Fourteen coaches go into the World Cup with different goals, some eyeing the trophy while others seek improvement. The only thing unacceptable to all of them is under-performance.

Seven of the nine Test-playing nations named new coaches after the 2007 event in the Caribbean for different reasons, highlighting the significance of their role.

India coach Gary Kirsten, England's Andy Flower, Australian Tim Nielsen, Sri Lanka's Trevor Bayliss, South African Corrie Van Zyl and Pakistan's Waqar Younis believe they have the team to hit the jackpot.

Coaches of the remaining three Test nations - Jamie Siddons (Bangladesh), John Wright (New Zealand) and Ottis Gibson (West Indies) - are also hungry for success and expect their teams to improve upon their 2007 performances.

With Mahendra Singh Dhoni as captain and former South Africa batsman Kirsten as coach, India have done remarkably well in recent years to eventually become number one in Test and two in one-day rankings.

Kirsten is likely to step down after the tournament.

Expectations grew with each success and millions of fans now want India to bury bitter memories of the 2007 edition that saw them crash out in the first round.

England are the in-form team, having recently won the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 24 years. Flower's biggest challenge is to make England believe they are as formidable a side in one-dayers as in Tests.

"Andy Flower is a guy we all respect for what he's achieved and how he holds himself in the dressing room. He's been incredible," England captain Andrew Strauss said.

Bayliss played a major role in helping Sri Lanka improve their Test and one-day rankings and expects his team to repeat the 1996 feat in his last assignment.

Sri Lanka have also set lofty standards as they were the champions in 1996, semi-finalists in 2003 and runners-up four years later.

"The World Cup success is a very big thing here in Sri Lanka. Everyone involved in cricket would like to copy what happened in 1996," said Bayliss.

Nielsen will feel the heat when Australia make a bid to win a fourth successive Cup without key players -- Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds.

Australia, who did not lose a match in the last two editions with John Buchanan as coach, may not find it easy this time as they have shed much of their strength in recent years.

They, however, remain a team to beat in one-dayers.

Waqar, looking for consistency from his team, has said restoring faith among the players will be his top priority.

"My first task will be to mix with the players and raise their morale," Waqar said after being named coach last year.

Pakistan will be determined to put in a solid all-round performance this time after their first-round exit in the last edition.

South Africa had to be content with semi-final finishes in 1999 and 2007 as they faltered at crucial moments.

Van Zyl hopes his side handles the pressure better this time as they have the talent to beat the best.

Bangladesh, who made history by advancing to the second round in 2007 with Dav Whatmore as coach, have been steadily improving in recent years and the credit also goes to Siddons.

Their best came last year when they blanked New Zealand and Zimbabwe in home one-day series.

Wright, India's coach when the team reached the 2003 final in South Africa, is expected to revive New Zealand's fortunes after the team's recent poor performances, including 11 successive defeats in the sub-continent.

TOI

Smith raises doubts over MAC pitch

CHENNAI: When India played their last international match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in December, the pitch wasn't at its best with the spinners calling the shots right from the start.

Two months have passed, the stadium looks swankier than ever, but there are still a few question marks that are being raised about the pitch. The practice match that was played on Saturday between South Africa and Zimbabwe didn't see a deluge or runs and the winning skipper Graeme Smith raised doubts about the quality of the pitch.

Though he didn't mean to be "too harsh on the curators", Smith said that he was a little disappointed with the pitch that was on offer. "The pitch looked a little underprepared. The subcontinent pitches are much better than this," Smith said at the end of the match.

That was precisely the reason why he didn't even go gaga over the performances of his spinners Imran Tahir, Robin Peterson and Johan Botha. "They were OK, but I think the pitch suited them more," Smith said.

The TNCA curator K Parthasarathy, though, vehemently opposed that the pitch was underprepared. "We had left a little bit of grass and that's why the pitch was keeping a little low. You cannot term a wicket underprepared because of that," Parthasarathy told TOI.

South Africa are supposed to play one of their key matches — against England — on March 6 on the same track and that is probably the reason why Smith is a little worried. Though Smith didn't say that in as many words, he felt that there will be wear and tear on the pitch over the next one month. "As more games are played, the pitch is bound to take a beating. Let's see how it shapes up over the next few days," Smith said.

However, the TNCA authorities informed that the World Cup games won't be played on the pitch where Saturday's practice match was played. "It was just a practice match and we cannot allow our best pitch for such a game. Moreover, there was no television coverage either," a senior TNCA official said. It was also told that India's practice game against New Zealand will be played on a different pitch.

On Saturday, Zimbabwe had managed only 152 runs on the track and South Africa ran away with the game in 24 overs. It was evident from Smith's words that he was looking for a better contest than that.

"The wicket was pretty slow and dead. I hope it's better prepared for the World Cup proper as coming to those games the wickets will get a lot more attention," the South African skipper added.

The TNCA officials countered smith by saying that "the pitches have been made with a lot of care and unless there's an official complaint either from the teams or from the match referee, they are just not bothered".

TOI

Pietersen dismisses ODI retirement talks

LONDON: Top England batsman Kevin Pietersen has dismissed reports that he will be retiring from one-day cricket after the Cricket World Cup in the sub-continent to prolong his Test and Twenty20 career.

"Just to set the record straight. I have no intention of retiring from ODI's after the World Cup!!" Pietersen wrote on his Twitter account before boarding the flight to Bangladesh for the World Cup.

Reports had Saturday claimed that the England batsman was to stop playing in the 50-over format and instead focus on Test, Twenty20 cricket and the Indian Premier League, giving him more time to spend with his family.

"Kevin would like to make it clear he will continue to play ODIs for England as long as he is selected," his agent Adam Wheatley was quoted as saying by Sunday Telegraph.

Like many of the England squad, Pietersen has of late spent months away from his family, including son Dylan who was born in May last, over the course of a long winter which has included an Ashes tour of Australia and now the World Cup.

The 30-year-old will extend his time abroad by playing in the IPL after the World Cup, having earned a $650,000 contract with the Deccan Chargers.

England open their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on February 22.

The IPL season four runs from April 8 to May 22, after which Pietersen will return to his new county Surrey for the English domestic season, which will already be in full swing by that stage.

TOI

WC warm-up tie: Spinners give India 38-run win over Australia

BANGALORE: Sticking to one's strengths is the best possible policy. Both India and Australia put that theory into practice and each came away with results that would have left them satisfied. This though applies to the respective bowling strategies only, with the batting on either side, considered strong on paper, not really coming to the party during the World Cup warm-up game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. For the record, albeit it doesn't count, the result went India's way, by as many as 38 runs in a low-scoring game.

Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson had brazenly announced his team's game plan against the Indians on Saturday itself. He had stated that despite the World Cup being played in the sub-continent, the strategy would still be to test the Indians out with short-pitched stuff. And in front of a packed stadium, after Mahendra Singh Dhoni had won a rare toss and decided to bat, Johnson and Co. were true to their word. Hardly a ball landed in the batsman's half and the Aussie pacers didn't bother either that they were conceding many a wide with the ball sailing over the head.

This was all a bit too much for the Sachin Tendulkar-less side (the master and Zaheer Khan were left out, while the other 13 took part) who didn't have a counter strategy and crumbled for a poor 214 inside the 45th over. That total in itself was owed to a restrained (by his standards) half-century from Virender Sehwag (54, 56b, 8x4, 1x6) and an even quieter 38-ball 32 from Yusuf Pathan, who had no fours in his innings but had two massive sixes to show.

The Australian reply was typically strong, Shane Watson and Tim Paine getting the side off the blocks quickly. The Indians for their part, reacted by turning to their spinners as early as the ninth over. With the fresh pitch surprisingly affording ample turn, the test was on for the Aussies, skipper Ricky Ponting in particular. Ponting (57, 85b, 4x4), who had stayed away from the slips when his side bowled to protect his finger, batted through the period with typical grit to at least ensure he got some useful time in the middle if not a winning start to the World Cup defense.

For the Indians, all the three spinners, Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin and Piyush Chawla, who was even on a hat-trick once, were impressive as was skipper Dhoni, who had three stumpings to show for his first donning of the wicketkeeping gloves since the tour of South Africa.

Will all the pitches to be used in the tournament turn thus, will the ones in Bangalore at least do so, is the question now. If it does, it will certainly be advantage the hosts.

Scorecard

India:
G Gambhir c White b Bollinger 6,
V Sehwag b Krejza 54,
V Kohli c Hussey b Hastings 21,
Yuvraj Singh c Paine b Johnson 1,
MS Dhoni b Hastings 11,
S Raina c Paine b Lee 12,
Y Pathan c Krejza b Hussey 32,
Harbhajan Singh b Lee 4,
P Chawla b Lee 0,
R. Ashwin not out 25,
A. Nehra c Krejza b Hussey 19.

Extras: (lb3, nb1, w25) 29
Total: (for all out; 44.3 overs) 214
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-54, 3-63, 4-101, 5-113, 6-132, 7-136, 8-138, 9-187

Bowling:
B Lee 10-1-35-3 (nb1, w4),
D Bollinger 6-0-29-1 (w2),
M Johnson 9-0-42-1 (w10),
J Hastings 6-0-24-2 (w4),
J Krejza 10-0-56-1 (w2),
M Hussey 3.3-0-25-2 (w3).

Australia:
S Watson c Chawla b Sreesanth 33,
T Paine c Patel b Yuvraj Singh 37,
R Ponting st Dhoni b Harbhajan 57,
M Clarke b Chawla 0,
C White c Ashwin b Chawla 4,
D Hussey st Dhoni b Chawla 0,
C Ferguson c Kohli b Chawla 8,
M Johnson st Dhoni b Harbhajan 15,
J Hastings n.o. 1,
J Krejza lbw Harbhajan 0,
B Lee b Ashwin 1

Extras: (b3, lb6, w11) 20
Total: (all out; 37.5 overs) 176
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-118, 3-120, 4-138, 5-138, 6-148, 7-166, 8-175, 9-175.

Bowling:
A Nehra 2-0-12-0,
S Sreesanth 5-0-21-1,
M Patel 2-0-22-0,
R Ashwin 9.5-0-47-1,
P Chawla 9-0-31-4 (2w),
Yuvraj Singh 5-0-19-1,
Harbhajan 5-0-15-3 (1w).

Result: India won by 38 runs

India's next warm-up match: vs New Zealand at Chennai on March 16.

TOI

ICC clears Eden Gardens for three World Cup matches

KOLKATA: Eden Gardens is on course to host the remaining three World Cup matches after being stripped of the high-profile game between India and England due to unfinished renovation work, the International Cricket Council indicated on Tuesday.

"We are pleased with the progress made since January 25 and if that pace of work is maintained, we believe that the stadium will be ready for the games scheduled in March," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

A three-member ICC team, which inspected the Eden Gardens on Monday, reported that outstanding work can be completed in time to host the three matches, the statement added.

Buoyed by ICC's statement, CAB officials said they are hopeful of getting back one India match. According to CAB joint secretary Biswarup Dey, the association will appeal to the ICC through the BCCI to reallocate an India match at the Eden Gardens.

The CAB is eyeing the India-Ireland match scheduled to be played at Bangalore on March 6, but the ICC is unlikely to entertain any further change in the schedule as it could throw the entire itinerary out of gear

Four World Cup matches were to be played at the Eden Gardens, but doubts over the fate of the last three games arose after the February 27 match between India and England was shifted to Bangalore.

The venue is now scheduled to host South Africa v Ireland on March 15, Ireland v the Netherlands on March 18 and Zimbabwe v Kenya on March 20.

TOI

BCCI's agenda against Dalmiya behind Eden fiasco: Kapil

KOLKATA: Captain of Indian World Cup winning team Kapil Dev on Sunday criticised the BCCI for Eden Gardens not being able to host World Cup matches involving India.

"It is also responsibility of BCCI to see that CAB completes the renovation work of the stadium in time," Dev said while participating in a cricket chat show here.

"I am not supporting CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya nor BCCI. Everybody should have come together to host a match at Eden," he said.

Stating that adding "personal agenda" should not have come in arranging such matches, he asked: "Why for Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, people of West Bengal will be deprived to see India in action at Eden Gardens in this World Cup?"

A stadium in Mumbai, where no match has been played earlier, has been allotted a match this time, but the match scheduled to be held in Kolkata, known for its love for cricket, has been taken away, Dev lamented.

"I also feel sorry for the people here," he said at a chat show in which three other former captains of World Cup -- Vivian Richards, Steve Waugh, and Sourav Ganguly -- were present.

Former Aussie skipper Steve Waugh said the Australians have a very good memory of Eden where they won the World Cup beating England in 1987.

About pressure to be faced by the Indian team for playing before the home crowd, Dev said, "Pressure will be there. But you have to take it in your stride as you have the crowd and the pitch in your favour."

On the dependence of the Indian team on Sachin Tendulkar, he said, "I don't like to depend on one player. Cricket is a team game."

Praising Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he said Dhoni was able keep his cool under pressure.

Former West Indies great Richards said fielding would be going the deciding factor this time.

He said Indian batting has been improved quite a lot under coach Gary Kirsten.

According to the present format, all the rated teams should reach the quarterfinals, said Sourav Ganguly.

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WC 2011: Reserve day from knock out stage

Mumbai, Feb 10 (PTI): A reserve day has been factored in from the knock out stage in the World Cup which will commence with the Group B preliminary league clash between India and Bangladesh at Mirpur on February 19.

Play would be continued from where it stopped on the scheduled day of the quarterfinals, semifinals and final if it spills over into the reserve day, as per the playing conditions of the tournament.

"There shall be one reserve day allocated to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final on which an incomplete match shall be continued from the scheduled day."

"Every effort will be made to complete the match on the scheduled day with any necessary reduction in overs taking place and only if the minimum number of overs necessary to constitute a match cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day," the playing conditions state.

There would be no reserve day for the group matches.

The quarterfinals are scheduled on March 23 (Mirpur), March 24 (Ahmedabad), March 25 (Mirpur) and March 26 (Colombo) and the semi finals are to be held on March 29 (Colombo) and March 30 (Mohali).

The final is at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2.

SA look to asses fitness in warm-up tie against Zimbabwe

Chennai, Feb 11 (PTI): One of the title favourites, South Africa start their World Cup sojourn with a warm-up match against Zimbabwe here on Saturday, a match which is expected to help both teams assess their fitness and acclimatise to the conditions ahead of the big one.

High on confidence after their ODI series win over India last month, South Africa will look to gain vital match practice in the day-night encounter at the refurbished M A Chidambaram Stadium here.

The Graeme Smith-led Proteas, after a hard-fought Test and ODI series against India at home, have had two days of nets since their arrival here on Wednesday.

Smith had already indicated that the team's sole aim this time around, is to bag the coveted trophy that has not only eluded them so far but also earned them the tag of chokers.

Having lost three semifinals and a quarterfinal despite being the title contenders in their past five World Cup appearances, South Africans would like to make it a memorable event for the 30-year-old Smith, on his last ODI assignment as the skipper.

South Africa are in Group B with Bangladesh, England, India, West Indies, Ireland and the Netherlands. They are slated to play another warm-up tie against Australia on February 15, nine days before opening their World Cup campaign against the West Indies on February 24.

Despite leading a team bulk of which consists of World Cup first-timers, Smith sounded confident and said his wards are best prepared. A major worry, of course, will be the fitness of veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who is recovering from a rib injury he suffered during the series against India. Smith has indicated that Kallis would not bowl tomorrow.

Besides Smith and Kallis, AB de Villiers and Robin Petersen are the other two survivors from the last edition of the tournament in the West Indies.

Realising the importance of slow bowlers on sub-continental wickets, South Africa have plenty of options in their spin attack, described by Smith as the most varied.

Pakistan-born uncapped leg-spinner Imran Tahir is tipped to be the secret weapon for the Proteas who also have two other frontline spinners Johan Botha and Peterson besides part-timers. The pace attack would be spearheaded by Dale Steyn.

Morne van Wyk, with his experience, would bring more strength to the batting line-up that boasts of the likes of the in-form Hashim Amla, who has consistently done well against India, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy.

On the other hand, Zimbabwe, currently in a rebuilding phase, have nothing to lose and would look to cause an upset or two, like they did against Australia in a warm-up tie during the T-20 World Cup in April last year.

Chasing Zimbabwe's 173 for seven, Australians fell short by one run.

Coached by former England batsman Alan Butcher, Zimbabwe have won just eight of 46 matches in seven appearances.

The team's last notable performance in the tournament was in 1999 when it beat India and South Africa to storm into the Super Six stage.

Skippered by all-rounder Elton Chigumbura, Zimbabwe are hoping their tour of Bangladesh last December and inputs from West Indian legend and consultant Brain Lara would stand them in good stead during the tournament.

The team has three seamers, as many specialist slow bowlers, and it would rely on them to make for the lack of firepower in fast bowling.

Pollock believes SA will reach World Cup final

JOHANNESBURG: Former South African skipper Shaun Pollock believes that the Proteas will reach the final of the World Cup, starting on February 19.

Pollock, who played four World Cups, including the one in which he was the captain of South African team in 2003, said this time round there would not be any fear factor for the Proteans.

"There is no other team to be afraid of," the Afrikaans weekly Beeld quoted Pollock as saying at a function.

"In previous tournaments Australia instilled fear in its opponents because of their domination. This time that is not the case. That is why South Africa have a good chance of returning as world champions," he added.

Pollock said South Africa should just survive the group phase, "after that it just needs three big performances to become world champions."

He said India will face tremendous pressure as a host nation, while Australia have many problems and will particularly miss the experience of Michael Hussey.

"I also favoured the chances of the English, but there is something missing in them. New Zealand is also not a threat and the West Indies are now so weak that they are just making up the numbers. Pakistan is like the French rugby team -- you never know what mood they will show up," said Pollock.

Pollock said he believed that the core team that was in action against the visiting Indian team in the recent tour would be seen in action in the sub-continent."

"(New cap) Imran Tahir (former Pakistan player) will probably play against the smaller sides to see how he performs," said Pollock.

TOI

Sehwag returns to captain Delhi Daredevils in IPL 4

NEW DELHI: Just one season after giving up captaincy to focus on his batting, swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag will return to lead the Delhi Daredevils in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League.

The 32-year-old opener had captained the team in the first two seasons, leading them to the semifinals. He stepped down from the post before the 2009 Champions League.

Gautam Gambhir took over the reins of the team at that stage but he would now be playing for Kolkata Knight Riders after being released by the Daredevils ahead of last month's players' auction.

"For us Virender Sehwag stands for the Delhi Daredevils credo of Khelo Front Foot Pe," Srinivas Bommidala, chairman of Daredevils owner GMR Sports, said in a statement.

Sehwag said he was excited about taking over captaincy again.

"For me there cannot be any other team than Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. As someone who grew up playing cricket in Delhi I am very proud to be playing for the Delhi Daredevils. I am delighted to be part of the Delhi Daredevils and lead the team," said Sehwag.

"I am looking forward to taking the Daredevils to new heights in IPL 4," he added.

Under his leadership, Delhi Daredevils topped the league stage in the 2009 season.


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Vijender asked to show proof he won medals

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government which awarded its meritorious athletes with the highest state award - Bhim Award - with much fanfare on Thursday cast aspersions on Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh's claim to the cash award meant for Asian Championships and World Championships medals.

The sports department asked Vijender to produce certificates proving that he indeed had won medals in the mega events. Vijender had won a silver in the Asian Championships in Guangzhou (2010) and a bronze - the first ever by an Indian - in the 2009 World Amateur Championships.

Haryana sports director OP Singh said, "Shukr manaye ki unko itne paise mile hai Commonwealth Games me kharab pradarshan karne ke bavjood. Ye jo paisa hai public money hai, main inhe aise nahi de sakta. There are set government procedures I've to follow like proper documentation. Bring the certificates and I'll give the money."

Vijender said, "For past sometime they have been asking about the certificates. For World Championships we do not get certificates, so how can I prove it. I have the medal which they do not accept. I lost the Asian Championships certificate during transit. Though I have given a letter from the federation confirming that I have indeed won the medal, but that does not satisfies them."

The cash prize does not amount to more than Rs one lakh each for both events. Vijender's father said, "My son deserves the cash prize but do we need to run after them."

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Sachin is the greatest role model: Kirsten

BANGALORE: Indian coach Gary Kirsten on Thursday termed batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar as the "...greatest sporting role model" he has ever met.

"I have played fair amount of cricket with Sachin and it has been a humble privilege to have worked with him and the rest of the Indian team," Kirsten said.

Kirsten, by far the most popular among the foreign coaches is on the last leg of his tenure as India coach admitted that he was apprehensive in the beginning when offered the role of coaching India.

"When I got the offer of coaching the Indian team. I was little bit nervous and apprehensive as to how I will start the proceedings.

"I still remember in Adelaide (tour of Australia 2007-08), Sachin came up to me and said "Can you throw a few balls at me? I said to myself, I need to impress him. I threw from 16-17 yards and he missed a few balls. Next moment, he came to me and said, "Gary do you mind going a few yards back?" Kirsten recollected during the release of journalist Gautam Bhattacharya's book 'Sach'.

"After that, lovely cover drives flowed from Sachin's bat. It was a good learning experience for me. I am fortunate to have had many net sessions with him and played alongside him," one could gauge the admiration in the former South African opener's voice.

Kirsten feels that it's his humility towards the game that makes Sachin the true champion that he is.

"Whenever Sachin comes out to bat, he treats his batting with absolute humility."

While the legend himself was present on the occasion of the release of his biography, also present were current Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, along with former India captains Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble.

"I have never really got tired of watching Sachin bat. He inspired so many generation of kids," Dravid said.

For Kumble, Sachin is someone whom is not just followed by Indians but also by the entire sub-continent.

"He has touched the lives of more people than anyone in the world. It's been a privilege that I have been a witness to Sachin's achievements. World Cup is one tournament which requires team effort. I wish Sachin, MS (Dhoni) and the rest of the boys in their endeavour to win the Cup," Kumble said.


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Dropped Tanvir says he is fit to play in World Cup

KARACHI: He has been dropped from Pakistan's World Cup squad due to injury but pacer Sohail Tanvir insists he is fit to play and should have been retained in the side for the quadrennial event starting February 19 in the sub-continent.

The Pakistan cricket Board on Wednesday dropped the unorthodox bowler from the 15-member squad on the recommendations of the national team management, a medical panel and the selection committee and replaced him with rookie left arm pacer Junaid Khan.

Tanvir, who has so far claimed 48 wickets in 36 ODIs, said, "I don't know why they dropped me and the selectors should tell me the reason because I was fit and getting better in bowling and fielding.

"It is hugely disappointing to be dropped from a major event like the World Cup at the last moment," Tanvir told The Express.

Tanvir was dropped after playing in five of the six one-day internationals in New Zealand.

Justifying its decision to omit Tanvir, the PCB said the medical panel had examined the 26-year-old bowler and decided he was not 100 percent fit to play at the top level.

"He still requires time to make a complete recovery from his knee problem for which he had an operation sometime back," PCB said in a statement.

Chief selector, Mohsin Khan said that it was on the recommendations of the team management that the pacer was dropped from the squad.

"The team management spoke to the board Chairman expressing its concerns over Tanvir's fitness. Subsequently the medical panel examined him and declared he was not fully fit.

"The team management felt that Tanvir was struggling while fielding because of his knee problem.

"Junaid Khan was called up because of his fine performances in domestic cricket," Mohsin revealed.

Meanwhile former test batsman, Basit Ali cautioned that Junaid was too raw and not ready for the international cricket.

"It would have been better if they had included Muhammad Yousuf in place of Tanvir. They already have too many pacers in the side and on the pitches in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh you don't need so many pacers," Basit said.

TOI