India play just for pride in final ODI

MUMBAI, Nov 10: The series already out of their grasp, India will have just pride to play for against the depleted but confident Australia in the seventh and final One-dayer at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday.

The Indian morale has hit a low following successive lost at Mohali, Hyderabad and Guwahati against what is essentially a very inexperienced Australian bowling line-up.

With the full series of Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s coming up against Sri Lanka only four days after the conclusion of the rubber against the world champions, it is imperative for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men to pull out all stops and reduce the margin of defeat.

A 3-4 score, that would happen if they can win Wednesday’s clash in the swanky Navi Mumbai stadium hosting its first ODI, would be a massive boost for the beleaguered home side as it prepares for the battle against a determined Sri Lanka eager to set right a winless past record in Tests on Indian soil.

A victory would be the ideal tonic for India before they lock horns with a new set of rivals in the longest format of the game from November 16 at Ahmedabad.

The main reason for India’s slump against an injury-ravaged Australia is lack of consistency in both batting and bowling.

Sreesanth to share new ball with Zaheer

Mumbai, Nov 10: Fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth makes a surprise comeback to the Indian Test side after more than a year while a fit Zaheer Khan expectedly finds a place in the 15-member squad for the first two cricket Tests against Sri Lanka.

The national selectors, who met here on Tuesday, also recalled left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha while Tamil Nadu batsmen Murali Vijay and Subramaniam Badrinath also found a place in the side.

With a third spinner coming in, there is no place for a third seamer and so Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra could not get in.

Sreesanth, whose last Test was against South Africa in 2008, has had his share of controversies off the field and had been issued a final warning by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) over disciplinary issues. In fact it is the last chance for the 26-year-old to resurrect his international career.

Zaheer has recovered well from the shoulder injury he sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa. Though he hasn’t missed a Test match after getting injured, he has missed out on ODIs.

While Sreesanth’s comeback was surprising, the exclusion of Munaf and Nehra was baffling.

Munaf played a crucial role, picking five wickets in India’s 10-wicket win over New Zealand in the Hamilton Test. India won the three-match series 1-0.

Nehra also made an impressive return to international cricket and spearheaded the Indian attack in Zaheer’s absence. He had a good run in the Champions Trophy, with eight wickets from three matches, despite India making an early exit.

The first Test is in Ahmedabad from November 16 while the second Test is at Kanpur from November 24.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain-wicketkeeper), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Murali Vijay, Subramaniam Badrinath, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, S Sreesanth. (IANS)

Real Madrid crash out of Spanish Cup

MADRID: Real Madrid crashed out of the Spanish Cup on Tuesday as they could only manage a 1-0 victory at the Bernabeu over third division Alcorcon Alcorcon, who went through to the last 16 with a 4-1 aggregate score.

The loss extended Real's drought in the competition dating back to 1993.

The Real supporters had booed the players off at half-time while there were cries of 'Pellegrini resign' at the coach Manuel Pellegrini, especially when the 56-year-old Chilean replaced Real's most impressive player on the night Frenchman Lassana Diarra with over 20 minutes remaining.

Pellegrini, who took over in the close season after an impressive spell in charge of Villarreal, had started with four strikers including Kaka, Real icon Raul and former Manchester United star Ruud van Nistelrooy.

However, they failed to have the impact he wished and it wasn't until the 81st minute they scored, through Dutch attacking midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.

TOI

Sreesanth surprise pick, Zaheer returns for Lanka Test series

S Badrinath
MUMBAI: Temperamental paceman S Sreesanth, whose on-field antics have often landed him in trouble, was on Tuesday surprisingly included inSreesanth India's 15-member squad for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka starting on November 16 in Ahmedabad.

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan expectedly returned to the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury, which had kept him out of the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the ensuing Champions Trophy in September.

The team to be captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni also includes Tamil Nadu players opener Murali Vijay and middle-order batsman S Badrinath, while pacers Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel were ignored.

Nehra did reasonably well in the ongoing One-day series against Australia, but failed to find a place in the squad announced by BCCI secretary N Srinivasan after a meeting of the selection panel here.

The selection of Sreesanth raised eyebrows as the Kerala pacer has not really done anything significant in the domestic circuit since recovering from a back injury.

The selection seems all the more baffling given the fact that the bowler, who has a history of disciplinary indiscretions, was only last month given a final warning by the BCCI to mend his ways.

The 26-year-old Sreesanth will return to the Test fold after more than a year having played his last Test in April 2008 against South Africa in Kanpur.

India last played a Test match in April this year against New Zealand and the players to miss out from that squad are pacer Laxmipathy Balaji, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik and Dhawal Kulkarni.

Batsmen Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Praveen Kumar, who are playing in the ongoing series against Australia, were not considered for selection for the three-match Test series.

As expected, the veteran batting duo of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman retained their places.

Barring Sreesanth's comeback, there were no major surprises in the squad, which has eight specialist batsmen, three pacers, three spinners and one wicket-keeper in Dhoni.

Zaheer's return will bolster the pace department which also has an off-colour Ishant Sharma, who has been retained despite his indifferent performance in last few months.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will lead the spin attack with leg-spinner Amit Mishra and young left-armer Pragyan Ojha supporting him.

While Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will open the innings, Murali Vijay has been picked as reserve.

The middle-order has a stable look with Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Laxman and Yuvraj Singh forming a formidable line-up.

The Indian play the first Test in Ahmedabad followed by two more Tests in Kanpur (November 24 to 28) and Mumbai (December 2 to 6).

After the Test series, the Sri Lankans will play two Twenty20 matches and five One-dayers.

Team:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, Pragyan Ojha, S Sreesanth and S Badrinath.

TOI

Series lost, India play for pride in final ODI against Oz

DY Patil Stadium
MUMBAI: The series already out of their grasp, India will have just pride to play for against the depleted but confident Australia in the seventh Dhoni and final One-dayer at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday.

The Indian morale has hit a low following successive lost at Mohali, Hyderabad and Guwahati against what is essentially a very inexperienced Australian bowling line-up.

With the full series of Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s coming up against Sri Lanka only four days after the conclusion of the rubber against the world champions, it is imperative for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men to pull out all stops and reduce the margin of defeat.

A 3-4 score, that would happen if they can win Wednesday's clash in the swanky Navi Mumbai stadium hosting its first ODI, would be a massive boost for the beleaguered home side as it prepares for the battle against a determined Sri Lanka eager to set right a winless past record in Tests on Indian soil.

A victory would be the ideal tonic for India before they lock horns with a new set of rivals in the longest format of the game from November 16 at Ahmedabad.

The main reason for India's slump against an injury-ravaged Australia is lack of consistency in both batting and bowling.

While the Indian top order has fired only in fits and starts, with the blazing hundreds from skipper Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, who also completed 17,000 ODI runs in the process, being the shining beacons, the bowling too has not performed in total.

Virender Sehwag, in particular at the top of the batting order, has come up with a few cameos and then thrown away his wicket when seemingly on top of the rival bowlers. He needs to stay longer at the crease to make a meaningful impact on the contest.

Fellow opener Gautam Gambhir started the series in impressive style by slamming vital half centuries and playing a sheet-anchor role in the first two matches at Vadodara and Nagpur before going off the boil, a neck injury sustained in Delhi also not helping his cause.

Tendulkar was slow to get off before playing the incandescent knock of 175, his second-highest score, in Hyderabad. Had India won that match chasing an imposing 351 for victory, the series would have been alive notwithstanding the rout at the next tie in Guwahati.

The master batsman, on the doorsteps of entering his 21st year in international cricket, would be eager to sign off from the series with another biggie against his favourite opponents.

Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh too have contributed in a few ties, but overall the batting has been a big letdown in three out of the six matches.

There has been none from the Indian squad to show the sort of consistent form, which has been the hallmark of Australian vice-captain Michael Hussey, who has tallied 313 runs averaging over 100 in the series so far.

The left-hander, with his risk-free approach and hard running between the wickets, has been unstoppable in this rubber.

All the Indian bowlers, including spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh, have been clueless on how to stop Hussey who came to India under severe pressure to retain his place in the Test team in the upcoming home series against the West Indies.

Hussey's approach is a lesson in what India lacked on a consistent basis after Gambhir's first two knocks. If an Indian can replicate it in the middle on Wednesday, the home team would benefit immensely.

Another star performer for Australia has been Shane Watson (256 runs at over 40 and 10 wickets). The all-rounder has contributed both with the bat and the ball, bowling at medium pace to take crucial wickets.

Skipper Ricky Ponting has also led from the front without a very big score to show for and the Indians would be hoping he has not reserved his best for last.

Ponting is most vulnerable at the beginning of his knocks and the Indian new ball bowlers, in which Ashish Nehra has been the pick despite his poor display in the last couple of matches, need to take this chance and send him back before he gets settled.

Leg spinner Amit Mishra has not been given a game thus far and the match offers the right platform to ease him back into the playing eleven ahead of the series against Lanka where he is expected to play second fiddle to Harbhajan.

The visitors, having lost Brett Lee and James Hopes after the opener at Vadodara and the impressive Peter Siddle later, have found their man on Friday in Doug Bollinger who has filled up the breach in admirable fashion.

With fellow-left-arm bowler and senior Mitchell Johnson too re-discovering the right length to bowl in India, the Australian attack looks healthier.

Another unsung hero for the Australians has been off spinner Nathan Hauritz who has been very consistent but for the caning he received from Tendulkar at Hyderabad.

And in fielding, Australia have outmatched India easily and the hosts need to perk up in this department.

The track prepared for the tie is a good one, according to DY Patil Academy in-charge and former India pacer Abey Kuruvilla.

A full house of over 50,000 spectators would be rooting for the home team who need to take advantage of every little morsel thrown at them and stop Australia from flying home with another win under their belt.

Teams (from):

Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Hussey (vice captain), Shane Watson, Cameron White, Shaun Marsh, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson, Graham Manou, Adam Voges, Clint McKay, Andrew McDonald, Burt Cockley.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Sudeep Tyagi, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.

Umpires: Ashoka de Silva, Amiesh Saheba
Match Name: 7th ODI
Teams: India vs Australia
Venue: DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai
Time: 1430 IST

TOI

College cricket

GUWAHATI, Nov 9 – The second edition of the prize-money Inter College Cricket Tournament for the Pramoda Kanta Sarma Trophy will commence at Latasil playground here from November 20.

Interested colleges may contact the organisers, NEEDS, at Star Mobile Zone near the ground before November 17, a press release said.

Lack of consistency let us down: Dhoni

STAFF Reporter
GUWAHATI, Nov 8 – Blaming the batsmen for today’s drubbing and the loss of the ODI series against Australia, Indian skipper MS Dhoni today stated that the failure of the Indian batsmen in putting their act together at crucial times eventually cost them the home series.

“We lacked consistency in batting throughout the ODI series, which was the deciding factor. Our bowlers, however did their best and I am happy with the way they applied themselves on the field,” Dhoni said during the post-match press conference today.

Lankan official reviews security arrangements ahead of cricket tour

Kanpur, Nov 5: After the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan earlier this year, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board is leaving no stones unturned to ensure their team’s safety during the island nation’s Test and ODI tour in India starting this month. A special Security Consultant, Lorence Fernando, has flown to India and is visiting various States to review the security arrangements in the stadiums where the Sri Lankan team is scheduled to play. He visited Kanpur on Thursday and expressed satisfaction at the security arrangements that he has been promised. “I’m visiting all the district associations, our team is visiting ten states. So, I’m happy with the arrangements made by the district associations and also by the senior police officers, in charge. We have discussed the matter at length and I’m sure they will have very good security here,” Fernando said. Earlier in March, six Sri Lankan cricketers and their British assistant coach were wounded when militants attacked their bus in Lahore. The Sri Lanka team will arrive in India on November 8 and play tests in Ahmedabad, Kanpur and Mumbai. Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Cuttack, Kolkata and Delhi will each host a one-day international, while the Twenty20s will be played in Nagpur and Mohali. (Agencies)

Oz clinch thriller

Hyderabad, Nov 5: Australia beat India by 3 runs despite a heroic innings played by Sachin Tendulkar (175) in the 5th ODI in Hyderabad on Thursday. Australian bowlers hold their nerves in the dying overs to finish Indian tail in the 50th over.

Earlier, A belligerent century stand between openers Shaun Marsh (112) and Shane Watson (93) powered an injury-hit Australia to an imposing 350 for four in the fifth cricket ODI against India here today.

Strapping Queensland all-rounder Watson smashed 93 off 89 balls with three sixes and eight fours, while left-handed Western Australian Marsh initially played the second fiddle before stepping up his run-rate to make his first ODI century in his 19th appearance.The 26-year-old son of former Australian opener Geoff made a run-a-ball 112 with the help of two sixes and eight fours, putting on 145 runs for the first wicket with Watson.Marsh was out in the slog phase, caught just inside the boundary line off Ashish Nehra.

Jharkhand down Tripura

Correspondent
TINSUKIA, Nov 5 – Jharkhand defeated Tripura by 23 runs in the East Zone Women Limited Over Cricket Tournament here today.

Chasing a winning target of 160 in 50 overs, Tripura managed to score 137 for the loss of nine wickets.

Jharkhand 159 (Moumita Chakraborty 40, Seema Singh 37, Rima Chakraborty 2/14, Sujaita Roy 2/34). Tripura 137/9 (Rima Chakraborty 71, Rita Debbarman 21, Neetu Singh 2/15, Asha Das 2/33, Niharika Prasad 2/31).

India slump to three-run defeat despite Tendulkar's heroic

HYDERABAD:

HYDERABAD: Sachin Tendulkar produced a breathtaking 175 to very nearly take India to a sensational win in a nerve-wrecking fifth One-dayer

against Australia but the hosts floundered in the dying stages to succumb to a three-run defeat and give the visitors a 3-2 lead in the series.

Chasing Australia's mammoth 350 for four, built mainly around Shaun Marsh's 112 and Shane Watson's 93, the Indians rode on Tendulkar's heroic 141 ball knock to come within sniffing distance of a remarkable win but the tailenders faltered under pressure to be all out for 347 with two balls to spare.

It was a remarkable exhibition of strokeplay by Tendulkar, who not only notched up his 45th ODI hundred but also became the first cricketer in the history of the game to cross the 17,000-run mark.

It was also the fastest century by an Indian against the Australians as well as the highest individual score against the visitors.

TOI

The jam-packed Rajiv Gandhi International stadium witnessed an extraordinary contest which saw as many as 697 runs being scored in a game which fortunes fluctuated from one end to the other till the very end.

The two teams will now travel to Guwahati for the sixth One-dayer to be held on Sunday.

Tendulkar was at his ominous best from the onset as he clobbered the Australian attack to all parts of the ground, hitting 19 fours and four sixes.

Opening the batting, he first shared 66 runs with Virender Sehwag (38 off 30) and then stitched a vital 137 runs with Suresh Raina, who made a run-a-ball 59, for the fifth wicket in exactly 19 overs to power India to the victory.

But Tendulkar's dismissal in the first ball of the 48th over, caught when he played the scoop shot at fine leg by a diving Nathan Huaritz, unhinged the Indian innings as the remaining tail-end batsmen proved unequal to the task of scoring 19 runs in 17 balls.

Ravindra Jadeja (23) and Praveen Kumar (9) were run out, while Ashish Nehra fell for one as India slid to defeat from 299 for four in the 43rd over.

The Indian innings was floundering at 162 for four when Tendulkar was joined by Raina and their excellent stand for the fifth wicket brought India on the doorsteps of victory, but it was not to be.

Except for Sehwag and Tendulkar, the Indian top order failed as Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni departed cheaply to leave Tendulkar with the huge task of guiding India past the finishing line.

Tendulkar, who had been outstanding in the field while most of his other teammates fumbled when Australia batted, got the ideal partner in young Raina.

The duo piloted the innings from a difficult 162 for four in the 24th over with their century stand with Tendulkar guiding and cajoling his younger partner to a nicety. They were separated only when India needed 52 runs from 45 balls, Raina top-edging a sweep to keeper Graham Manou.

The hosts asked for the batting Power Play when 46 were needed from the last six overs with four wickets in hand, after Harbhajan Singh made a first ball duck, but to add to India's misery, Tendulkar started to develop leg cramps by that time.

India needed 31 runs from the last 24 balls and then 19 from 18 when Tendulkar and Ravindra Jadeja departed at the same score. The equation was brought down to 16 from 12 when Ashish Nehra was out.

The hosts needed eight of the last over and got four of those before Praveen Kumar was run by Hauritz after the right-hander went for the second run.

Tendulkar, who notched his fourth 150-plus innings in his 435th ODI, played with a lot of freedom once he reached the landmark of 17,000 runs.

Tendulkar and Sehwag were going great guns before the Delhi dasher top-edged a hook off Ben Hilfenhaus to fine leg.

Ponting decision to bring in Clint McKay into the attack in place of the expensive Bollinger worked as Gambhir although greeted the debutant with a four, the right-arm pacer got his revenge getting the lefthander's wicket, caught at third man.

Tendulkar, after reaching his 50 with a single in 47 balls that included seven hits to the fence, lofted the 26-yar-old McKay to the long on fence for his eighth four.

The champion batsman, whose previous highest score in this series was 40 made at Mohali in the fourth tie, then turned on the heat at Nathan Huaritz and struck the off-spinner for successive fours. He also hoisted him for two sixes off successive balls.

In between, Yuvraj Singh was caught and bowled in a tame manner while trying to flick Watson after he added 34 runs in 30 balls with Tendulkar.

Skipper Dhoni too departed early, caught brilliantly at gully off McKay to leave India in a spot of bother at 162 for four in the 24th over.

But Raina fully utilised the life handed by Cameron White at slip in the first ball he faced from McKay and blossomed in Tendulkar's company, hitting 10 fours and three sixes to take India inches closer to the win before the tail made mess of their efforts.

Earlier, strapping Queensland all-rounder Shane Watson smashed 93 off 89 balls with three sixes and eight fours, while left-handed Shaun Marsh's maiden ODI century took Australia to their second highest total against India.

The 26-year-old son of former Australian opener Geoff made a run-a-ball 112 with the help of two sixes and eight fours, putting on 145 runs for the first wicket with Watson.

Marsh was out in the slog phase, caught just inside the boundary line off Ashish Nehra.

Skipper Ricky Ponting too chipped in with a run-a-ball 45 and was also involved in a breezy 91-run stand for the second wicket with Marsh in 82 balls to set up the late assault in which the visitors added 105 runs in the last 10 overs.

Cameron White (57 in 33 balls with 5 sixes and 2 fours) and Michael Hussey (31 in 22 balls with 2 sixes and one four) struck lusty blows against the three Indian pacers.

Electing to bat first on a perfect batting track after Ponting had won the toss for the fourth time in five ties, the right-left duo of Watson and Marsh put on the first century stand in the series on either side to lay a strong foundation.

The Indian spinners, particularly Harbhajan Singh, applied the skids on the tourists' runaway start, to keep Australia well under check by denying them boundaries for 80 balls in the middle overs.

The Indian bowlers had a total off day barring Harbhajan whose two spells cost 28 runs in eight overs and 16 in his last two for the wicket of Watson. Nehra and Praveen Kumar were just not in their elements and were punished mercilessly by the batsmen. Munaf, in his first match, was equally unimpressive and left-arm slow bowler Ravindra Jadeja was hammered for 44 runs in five overs.

To top it all, the Indian fielding too was below par barring a few diving stops as there were a number of mis-fields, Nehra in particular being pathetic with his slow running and poor anticipation.

Sachin Tendulkar crosses 17000-run mark in ODIs

NEW DELHI: After completing 17,000 runs in the 50-over format of the game, Sachin Tendulkar scored his 45th ODI century off just 81 balls during

the fifth One-Day International against Australia in Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad.

Earlier, Tendulkar finally touched the magical 17,000-run mark in One-Day International cricket, when he completed the formality of scoring seven runs needed to reach another milestone in his glittering career.

Sanath Jayasuriya is second on the list with 13,377 runs while Aussie captain Ricky Ponting has a lot of catching up to do.

The moment Tendulkar attained that mark the packed vociferous Rajiv Gandhi Stadium crowd jumped out of their seats and erupted in jubilation.

Tendulkar's wait to reach the 17,000-run mark in One-dayers continued in Mohali as he missed the milestone by just seven runs after getting dismissed for 40 on a dubious decision in the fourth ODI against Australia.

The 36-year-old scored the requisite seven runs to put another feather in his cap, which is already full of feathers but still managing to have some more. The Indian batting legend has 45 One-day hundreds and 91 ODI fifties under his belt.

The diminutive Mumbaikar, who made his ODI debut Pakistan in 1989, is already way ahead of his contemporaries when it comes to accumulating runs.

Rated as the world's best batsman after Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman, Tendulkar has an awe-inspiring Test record. In the whopping 159 matches that he has played thus far, Tendulkar has scored 12,773 runs at an average of 54.58.

The veteran batsman has scored 42 hundreds and 53 half centuries in the longer format of the game.

One-day cricket's leading run-scorers

Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 17,000
Sanath Jayasuriya (SRI) 13,377
Ricky Ponting (AUS) 12,286
Inzamam-ul Haq (PAK) 11,739
Sourav Ganguly (IND) 11,363
Rahul Dravid (IND) 10,765
Brian Lara (WIS) 10,405
Jacques Kallis (RSA) 10,328

The break-up of Tendulkar's run tally against various opponents:

2995 runs in 66 matches vs Australia
1335 runs in 36 matches vs England
1750 runs in 42 matches vs New Zealand
2389 runs in 67 matches vs Pakistan
1655 runs in 52 matches vs South Africa
2749 runs in 74 matches vs Sri Lanka
1571 runs in 38 matches vs West Indies
1377 runs in 34 matches vs Zimbabwe
354 runs in 10 matches vs Bangladesh
57 runs in 1 match vs Bermuda
4 runs in 1 match vs Ireland
647 runs in 10 matches vs Kenya
152 runs in 1 match vs Namibia
52 runs in 1 match vs Netherlands
81 runs in 2 matches vs UAE.

TOI

India need their batsmen to fire in crucial 5th ODI

HYDERABAD
HYDERABAD: With the seven-match series tantalisingly poised 2-2, India will have to overcome its batting shortcomings when they go into theSachin, Sehwag crucial fifth cricket One-dayer against a spirited but depleted Australia on Thursday.

The Indians, seeking to dethrone Australia from the number one spot in world rankings, will be strengthened by the expected rerun of Gautam Gambhir, who had to skip last match due to a neck injury.

Although the left-hander Gambhir's presence will lend solidity to the top order, the worrying factor for the hosts has been the lack of good starts in the series so far.

Clearly the onus is on the Indian batsmen to deliver the goods on a track which according to the curator has plenty of runs to offer but will also aid the bowlers.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar have put on stands of 25, 21, 37 and 40, and the home team would be hoping this can be extended to something closer to the hundred mark which would be the ideal platform for Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni and Raina to launch a blitz later on.

Tendulkar is on the verge of reaching another milestone in his glittering career as he his just seven runs short of touching the 17,000 run-mark and the champion batsman would take inspiration from the moment to score big.

"We failed as a batting unit. We should have batted the full 50 overs but that was not possible because we kept losing wickets at regular intervals," India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had said after the defeat in the previous match.

While the Indians have their task cut out for the flood-lit encounter the Aussies have been grappling with a spate of injury problems ever since the series began.

The latest to join the casualty list is Peter Siddle, who has returned home because of a side-strain. They have already lost the services of pace spearhead Brett lee, stumper Tim Paine, and all-rounder James Hopes.

Dhoni's men did a remarkable turnaround after narrowly losing the first ODI at Vadodara but a shoddy batting display in the fourth match saw the hosts handing back the advantage to Ricky Ponting's outfit.

Another batting failure could spell disaster in Thursday's match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Uppal as the team that wins the clash is sure to hold a huge advantage in the final outcome of the rubber, with the last two ties scheduled at Guwahati (day) and Mumbai (day/night).

Gambhir's presence in the line-up has become a crucial one as he brings in the virtue of patiently working the ball into the gaps and rotating the strike to the other stroke-makers in the team.

The Delhi left-hander can change gear as per the needs of the situation and has been the calming influence in the top- order while skipper Dhoni has taken over this job in the latter part of the innings.

What the Indians would be hoping for is explosive opener Sehwag's longer stay at the crease as he has rocketed off with a flurry of boundaries but continues to lose way in the 30s and 40s.

If he and Tendulkar, can give a better start than what they had done thus far, the others can cash in on the inexperienced and injury-hit Australian bowling attack.

India's bowling has been a mixed bag with Ishant Sharma, in particular, blowing hot and cold.

The pick has been left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra whose display in the beginning as well as the end of the Australian innings has been outstanding.

Praveen Kumar has been steady while off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also shown improved form after an indifferent start to the series.

The visiting team's pace attack has lost a bit of bite after losing very impressive Siddle and they would hope Mitchell Johnson, who has been inconsistent, to put up an improved show.

Doug Bollinger has impressed in the absence of his seniors colleagues and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz has also done well though he lacks support in the middle overs.

In batting too, the Australians have depended on skipper Ponting and his deputy Michael Hussey to a large extent while Shane Watson's all round display at Mohali must have gladdened them.

Left-handed Hussey, in particular, has become the thorn in the India's flesh as he has smashed three half-centuries in four matches to frustrate the hosts.

Teams (from):

Australia: Ricky Ponting (C), Michael Hussey (VC), Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Clint McKay and Moses Henriques.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Sudeep Tyagi, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.

Umpires: Asoka D Silva (Sri Lanka) and Shavir Tarapore (India)
Third Umpire: Sanjay Hazare (India)
Match Referee: Chris Broad (England)
Match Name: 5th ODI
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
Time: 1430 IST
Channel: Neo Cricket

HT

Aussies to get replacements for sixth ODI

Aussies
The Aussies keep flying Down Under with a kind of relentlessness seen rarely on a tour of India of late. Moises Henriques, the Australia and Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder, became the fifth man from the troubled visiting squad to join that list, on Wednesday. He has a hamstring injury.

It has been rather disconcerting, to hear from the Australian media manager almost every day that someone or the other is going back and Henriques is the second man in as many days, after Peter Siddle, to join the list of casualties. Brett Lee, Tim Paine, James Hopes and Siddle had already withdrawn from the ongoing series due to injuries.

A media release from the Australian team said that Victoria all-rounder Andrew McDonald and New South Wales fast bowler Burt Cockley will join the squad for the sixth ODI in Guwahati slated for Sunday.

"Moises complained of some discomfort after the fourth ODI in Mohali. He had an MRI scan when we arrived in Hyderabad which showed signs of injury to the right hamstring," Australian physiotherapist Kevin Sims was quoted as saying in the release.

"The medical staff believes the injury will not recover sufficiently for him to participate in the last week of the tour and therefore we have decided he will return to Australia where he will continue his treatment."

The release also had statements from Australia's chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch. "In view of the injury to Moises Henriques together with the ongoing player workload concerns of the players currently in India, we have decided to add Andrew McDonald and Burt Cockley to the squad for the balance of the team's tour."

"Andrew played very well for Victoria in the recent Champions League in India, was in very good form in the first Sheffield Shield game scoring a hundred and bowling impressively on a batsman friendly Adelaide wicket… We are sure Andrew will grab his opportunity and perform well in the Australian one-day set up."

Bangladesh crush Zimbabwe to win series

Chittagong, Nov 3: Bangladesh won their five-match one-day international cricket series against fellow minnows Zimbabwe in style after beating the visitors by six wickets in the fourth match here today.

The visitors were shot out to one-day international cricket’s fifth lowest total, setting the hosts an easy target of 45 to seal the series 3-1 before Thursday’s final match.

In reply, Bangladesh overcame some moments of panic, losing four wickets in five runs after the openers added 33 runs in 6.3 overs, before cruising home to a well-deserved victory in front of 20,000 fans at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Stand-in Zimbabwean captain Hamilton Masakadza won the toss but came to rue his decision to bat first as Bangladesh opted for the same pace-spin opening attack that paid rich dividends on Saturday. “Obviously, we misread the wicket. It was slower than we thought,” Masakdza said, conceding that his batsmen also gave away wickets cheaply.

The visitors lost their four top batsmen for eight runs, due largely to some innocuous shots on a wicket that was forecast to be a batting paradise.

All-rounder Malcolm Waller (13) tried to build the innings with Stuart Matsikenyeri (11), but once he lofted a catch at cover-point off Bangladeshi captain Shakib Al Hasan, Zimbabwe’s innings folded up for just 44 in 24.5 overs.

Shakib, the world’s number one one-day allrounder and Wisden magazine’s international cricketer of the year, was the wrecker in-chief, picking up three wickets and conceding just eight runs in 6.5 overs.

“When we started playing, we thought it was a flat track but when our spinners came in it was doing a bit and they landed the ball in the right areas,” the 22-year-old captain said. Left-arm spinner Enamul Haque got three wickets, repeating his brilliant feat on Saturday.

But it was the pace-spin opening attack of Nazmul Hossain and Abdur Razzak which triggered the collapse, both grabbing two wickets each while giving away only 10 runs apiece. Nazmul was adjudged man of the match for picking the heavyweight wickets of Masakadza and Charles Coventry and the brilliant catch that sent back Waller.

“I just tried to bowl straighter and stump to stump,” said Nazmul. In reply, Tamim Iqbal played a quick-fire 22 in front of his home crowd. But once he was gone, trying to sweep Raymond Price, three more followed in some unnecessary panic that the hosts are known for. It needed the steady hands of Raqibul Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim to guide Bangladesh to one of their best victories in one-day cricket. Both sides play the fifth and final match at the same venue on Thursday. (PTI)

Beckham to return to AC Milan in Jan

Milan: England midfielder David Beckham will return to AC Milan on loan in January after the Italian club reached an agreement with Los Angeles Galaxy on Monday.

Beckham played for Milan for six months from January 2009, scoring two goals in 18 matches in a successful bid to win his place back in England's national squad.

"I had to give myself the best chance to play in the World Cup and playing on loan with Milan will help me do that," Beckham told Milan's Web site. "I enjoyed my last experience in Milan a lot and I can't wait to meet the team and the staff again.

"I have to thank (Los Angeles owner) Tim Leiweke and (Los Angeles coach) Bruce Arena for having given me this opportunity. I remain close to Los Angeles Galaxy and Major League Soccer and I care about football's development in the United States.

"Now I am completely concentrated on finishing this season in the best way with my club by winning the MLS Cup."

Negotiations for Beckham to return had been ongoing between Milan and the Galaxy for a number of weeks.

"We are delighted to see David Beckham back in the red-and-black shirt after his splendid experience last season," AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said on the club's Web site.

"We are sure that this period in Europe will help him make it to the next World Cup, and after that his career with Los Angeles Galaxy. We must thank them for agreeing to this deal." In March 2009 against Slovakia, during his time with Milan, Beckham became England's second most capped player when he broke Bobby Moore's record of 108 international appearances.

Currently, Beckham has played 115 internationals, with only former goalkeeper Peter Shilton ahead of him with 125.

It was England manager Fabio Capello who pushed Beckham to join a European club on loan in early 2009 to maintain his fitness during Major League Soccer's offseason.

Originally, it was scheduled to be a three-month agreement until the start of the MLS season. But such was his success that both Beckham and Milan sought to extend the loan period till the end of the European season.

Having helped Milan reach the Champions League, Beckham returned to the Galaxy to receive a hostile reaction from some supporters and criticism in print by teammate Landon Donovan.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder did little to smooth relations when he confronted some abusive fans after.

Soruce:http://www.financialexpress.com/news/beckham-to-return-to-ac-milan-in-jan/536622/

Gayle back as Windies for Australia tour

Bridgetown

Bridgetown (Barbados): Chris Gayle was reinstated as West Indies captain to lead a full-strength squad on a three-test tour of Australia later this month.

The 30-year-old Jamaican was appointed on Monday after he and other leading players had withdrawn from a home series against Bangladesh in July and the Champions Trophy in September due to a long-standing contract conflict with the West Indies Cricket Board.

Only four players that made themselves available during the strike action - allrounder Darren Sammy, batsman Travis Dowlin and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge – were selected to tour Australia from November 18.

Gayle, who has played 82 tests, will open the batting with 19-year-old Adrian Barath, the only player in the squad without international experience.

Barath, from Trinidad & Tobago, had been chosen in a 13-man squad for the test series against Bangladesh before the dispute between WICB and the West Indies Players' Association.

Jerome Taylor returns to lead the pace attack, and will be aided by Ravi Rampaul, Roach and Tonge.

Taylor's usual new ball partner, Fidel Edwards, has been forced to miss the series after injuring his knee while playing for Deccan Chargers during last month's Champions League in India.

Shivnarine Chanerpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and allrounder Dwayne Bravo are also back from strike action.

Australian-born Brendan Nash will return home for the first time as a West Indies player since making his debut 18 months ago.

The squad:

Chris Gayle (captain), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor, Gavin Tonge.

Agassi doping case not a dead issue: WADA

World Anti-Doping Agency

New York: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) wants to investigate whether any charges can be brought against Andre Agassi following his admission that he lied after taking crystal meth in 1997 and failing a drugs test.

Agassi's revelations in extracts of his autobiography "Open", published last week in 'The Times' newspaper in Britain, stunned the tennis world and cast a shadow over the eight-times grand slam champion's glittering career.

"He took something from the banned list in 1997, we can't do much about that because it's outside the statute of limitations, the eight-year bar," WADA director general David Howman said on Sunday.

"Two things need a little bit more inquiry, if he's lied, and he's confessed he lied, so he's obviously lied and he lied under oath then I think that warrants further investigation to see whether there might be any other charges.

"We all know about Marion Jones, she lied to a tribunal, it can't just be one of those things you get away with," he added in reference to the American sprinter who served a six-month prison term for lying to federal prosecutors about her drug use.

"The second issue is, he had a lawyer represent him, does his lawyer know that he was lying?

"Maybe something can be done in relation to that."

After failing a drugs test, Agassi wrote a letter to the ATP asking for leniency because he had accidentally drunk a "spiked soda" belonging to his assistant.

Agassi received no punishment from the governing body of men's tennis.

WADA has an eight-year limit on punishment for doping offences but last week former Ukraine pole vaulter Sergei Bubka, a committee member on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Agassi should be penalised for taking banned substances.

"It may not be something the ATP has any jurisdiction over. It may be that some other agency has to look at it," Howman said. "We just don't rely on sport to sanction for doping offences.

"These things have to be pursued," Howman added. "You don't just take them at face value, that it's outside the eight-year limit so nothing can be done. You've got to say maybe something else can be done."

Vancouver Winter Games torch relay diverted

STAFF WRITER 14:39 HRS IST

Victoria(British Columbia), Oct 31 (AP) Protesters forced the 2010 Vancouver Games torch relay to be diverted from its planned route, hours after organisers kicked off what is supposed to be the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history.

Several hundred protesters, angry that billions are being spent on the Olympics instead of housing and health care, blocked Victoria city streets for hours yesterday, preventing the torch from passing by Government House and forcing organisers to reroute.

Relay organisers attempted to drive the torchbearers around the demonstration. Instead, they were taken several miles away to Victoria's waterfront.

Then, more than a half-dozen participants lined up side-by-side along the road, where they passed the flame from torch to torch without running their segments.

The run resumed with a short relay to the day's final stop, the provincial legislature.

Australia win toss, elect to bat

STAFF WRITER 14:13 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat against India in the third one-dayer at Feroze Shah cricket stadium here today.

India are unchanged for the match but injury-hit Australia have been forced to bring in debutant Graham Manou to replace regular wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who broke his finger during the second ODI in Nagpur.

All-rounder Moises Henriques has replaced Shaun Marsh and Doug Bollinger comes in for Ben Hilfenhaus for the visitors.

The series is currently level 1-1.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (c), Shane Watson, Cameron White, Mike Hussey, Adam Voges, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson, Graham Manou, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger.