India look to boost batting against Oz

Bolstered by the return of dashing Yuvraj Singh, India would look to wrest the initiative when they go into the second ODI against Australia.
Meanwhile, the visitors have been hit hard by injuries to three key players.

The home team sorely missed left-handed Yuvraj's explosive batting in the middle overs as well as his left-arm slow bowling since he was forced out of cricket after sustaining a finger injury in South Africa before the ICC Champions Trophy.

The hosts will also seek to exploit the injury-induced absence of Australian pacers Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson as well as all-rounder James Hopes who have been ruled out of the day-nigh encounter.

Down 0-1 in the seven-match rubber following their narrow four-run defeat in Vadodara on Sunday, the hosts would be keen to put an end to their inconsistent run in the 50-over format since their short tour of the West Indies in June-July.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men have won only five out of a dozen matches they had played from the series in the Caribbean, losing an equal number while two ties have ended in no result.

The home team were outplayed by Australia in Vadodara but with the visitors' pace department severely depleted due to unavailability of Lee and Johnson, besides all-rounder Hopes, due to injuries, Dhoni's men will be fancying their chances.

But for that to happen, the Indian top-order batting, that failed to click in Vadodara, needs to buck up while their bowlers, especially off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, will have to improve a lot.

The availability of Yuvraj, who missed the first ODI, would enormously lift India's hopes of restoring parity as he is capable of scoring at a fast clip that will ease the burden on the other middle order batsmen, especially Dhoni.

With a strike rate of close to 90, Yuvraj, whose last ODI innings was 56 not out off 41 balls against Sri Lanka, provides the major thrust in the middle overs when the ball becomes a bit soft and, with him back, the Indian batting wears a much different look.

He's expected to come into the side at the expense of either Suresh Raina, who flopped with the bat at Vadodara, or Ravindra Jadeja, who bowled very well in the first ODI but failed with the bat.

On the plus side for the home team in bowling was the performance of Ishant Sharma who, after a couple of nervous overs, settled down to show the rhythm with which be burst on the international scene spectacularly in 2007-08.

Australia, on the other hand, are a severely depleted side with three players ruled out. Moises Henriques has been named as reserve as cover for James Hopes whose injury is more serious than those of Lee (mild right elbow strain) and Johnson (left ankle inversion strain).

The visitors will have to test their bench strength tomorrow as Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger, who represented Victoria in the AirtelChampions League Twenty20, are certain to be called up.

Opener Shaun Marsh or rookie Jon Holland are in the running for Hopes replacement.

The visitors have come for the series without Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Nathan Bracken and the latest injuries to other key players have only added to their difficulties.

However, they would be encouraged by the tight bowling of Nathan Hauritz in Vadodara which was a big plus for the visitors who would be hoping for a repeat show from the off spinner.

Near perfect Aussie batting

The Australians have also had not put any foot wrong in their batting with the top-order firing in Vadodara.

Captain Ricky Ponting, who made 74 in his well-known fashion, and vice captain Michael Hussey, who was there till close to the end of the innings making a superb 73 that won him the man of the match award, especially looked good.

Indian bowlers have a hard task to do in curtailing this duo and to make matters intriguing would be the dew factor that might come into play for the team that bowls second at the VCA stadium in Jamtha that?s to host its first ODI.

The venue made its international debut by hosting the last Test of the India-Australia rubber last year.

A capacity crowd of around 40,000 is expected for the first day/night match in this Orange City, that would be a far cry from the dismal attendance for the Test in November, 2008.

To minimise the problem created to the side which bowls second, the organisers have decided to spray some chemicals which they said would reduce dew by around 40 per cent.
The Teams (from):

Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Hussey, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Shane Watson and Cameron White.

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.

Approaching milestones

- Sachin Tendulkar (16917) needs 83 runs to become the first batsman to aggregate 17,000 runs in ODIs.

- Sachin, in case of a hundred, would become the first batsman to register 9 hundreds against one opponent. He already has eight hundreds to his credit against two opponents - Australia and Sri Lanka.

India's ODIs at Nagpur

Played: 12

Won: 6

Lost: 6

Winning % 50.00


Hours of play: 2:30 pm to 6 pm; 6 40 pm till close.

More than their inconsistency, a loss tomorrow would put them in trouble as they will have to win four out of the remaining five matches to win the series.

Dhoni rules out batting up the order

MS Dhoni ruled out the possibility of batting up the order, saying there is no vacant slot for him in top four positions.

"It's a difficult choice to make. We have Viru (Virender Sehwag) and Sachin (Tendulkar) opening the innings, Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) at no. 3 and Yuvraj at no 4. The next slot available is no. 5," Indian skipper Dhoni said ahead of the second one-dayer against Australia on Wednesday.
"I float at times and bat at different slots. More often than not we have a fixed batting line when it comes to these four guys playing the game. If there are more off spinners in the attack we may shift Yuvraj to no. 5 and we have done that.

"But to say I have to bat every time at no. 3 or 4 is difficult for me (to do)," he said.

Earlier in the day, former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said that he would like to see Dhoni bat up the order, which would enable him to play as many overs as possible.

Dhoni also said that death bowling continues to remain a major concern for him and would like to see his bowlers conceding lesser runs in the final overs.

"It's been a worrying thing for us for the past few months. We had not been great with out death bowling. If you see the last game, the first few overs and 42nd over onwards - it was good and in the 50th we gave away one run", he said.

"In between there was a span of four overs when we gave away 50-52 runs. If we can bring that down, say by two to five runs it can count at the end," the wicketkeeper batsman said.

"Looks like a good wicket"

The India skipper also said that he was not too concerned about injury scares of the visitors, who will miss James Hopes, Brett Lee and possibly Mitchell Johnson in Wednesday's encounter.

"When we came for the practice sessions, we had a few areas we needed to work on. We concentrated on that. We are quite specific with death bowling and new ball bowling. We are concentrating on areas that can affect us in a direct way.

"(Am) Not really worried about that (their injuries). They have a squad of 15," he said.

The Indian captain said the team would have a look at the amount of dew fall on Tuesday night and decide on the composition of the side for Wednesday's tie.

"Looks like a good wicket. There is a little bit of grass cover that will help in binding the wicket. I don't see too much of a change in the condition of the wicket (through the match). Dew will be a factor, but (by) how much we will see at 8.30 tonight and accordingly decide (on the team composition)," he said.

Dhoni also backed out-of-form Harbhajan Singh and said he has the full support of the team and was confident that the off-spinner would bounce back strongly.

"We have confidence in Bhajj"

"He's an experienced bowler. He's not bowling at his best but is still bowling well. Everyone goes through such a patch. The kind of individual he is, he always bounces back and loves changes.

"We have confidence in him. He's batting well but we would like to see him bowling better than what he's doing but we are not too much worried about that," he said.

He welcomed Yuvraj Singh's return to the squad after recovering from the finger injury sustained in South Africa just before the commencement of the Champions Trophy and pointed out that the left-hander offers him the choice of an extra part-time bowler in the playing eleven.

"Yuvi has been the backbone of our batting at no 4. It's an important slot, as important as no. 3 is. Especially with the second Power Play coming in, you have some time to settle down once the ball change happens after the 34th over. More often than not you take it as soon as it's available if you are batting first," Dhoni said.

"It is of great help if you have an individual like Yuvraj who can capitalise on that.

"His bowling too helps as you have one more part-timer who has been bowling well. We have lost the luxury of three or four part time bowlers because of injuries and a few players going out of the side. With Yuvraj there's the luxury of three. If one has an off day you have others to fall back on," he said.

Younus may return to Twenty20

Barely four months after quitting Twenty20, Pakistan captain Younus Khan said he might come out of his retirement.

Younus, who announced his Twenty20 retirement after guiding Pakistan to the World Cup triumph in England in June, said he was giving it a thought and would come out of the retirement if he felt the urge to play this format.

"Yes. I have given it some thought," he said.
Meanwhile, everything seems alright between Younus and Shahid Afridi, who was named the next Twenty20 captain with both claiming that there was no rift within the team.

After Younus briefly quit captaincy, a section of Pakistan cricket did not want him back and lobbied to get Afridi selected for the captain's post.

Pakistan Cricket Board, however, brought back Younus and made him captain till 2011 World Cup, much to the chagrin of the Afridi-camp.

Afridi himself, however, claimed he had no issues with Younus.

"Believe me, they are no major rifts in the team at all. But like every team they are minor issues that be can resolved through proper communication levels," Afridi said.

He said nothing was more important then performing for the team and country.

"We are what we are because of Pakistan and the love and affection the people and fans give us and we need to pay them back properly," he said.

"I get along well with everyone"

Younus also claimed he held no grudge against anyone in the team and he was not seeking revenge either.

"I get along well with everyone and returning as captain I feel there is greater responsibility on all of us to perform consistently well and give 100 percent for the team," Younus said.

Younus said he had resigned because of the pressures that came with the match-fixing allegations made by the Chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on sports Jamshed Dasti after the team lost in the Champions Trophy semifinal to New Zealand.

"It is very difficult for the players to go and appear before the standing committee because we are sportsmen and our job is focus on doing well on the field," Younus said.

Australia outdo India to win thriller

Australia's bowlers held their nerve in a tight finish to edge a four-run victory over India in the first ODI in Vadodara.
Ricky Ponting (74), opener Tim Paine (50), Cameron White (51) and Michael Hussey - with a fluent 73 off just 54 deliveries - helped Australia post a commanding 292 for eight.

Gautam Gambhir responded with a fine 68 and pieced together useful partnerships with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli, but India were still left with a mountain to climb.
Harbhajan Singh (49) and Praveen Kumar (40no) then put on 83 in quick time for the seventh wicket to bring India within range of what had looked a highly unlikely victory - but Australia's bowlers eventually prevailed as the hosts fell just short on 288 for eight.

Ponting won the toss only to lose opener Shane Watson lbw to one that seamed into him from Ashish Nehra in the second over.

The Australia captain steadied the ship as he and Paine had some minor slices of luck in a 97-run stand which ended when the wicketkeeper was caught behind off Ishant Sharma.

Ponting went lbw to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, and the tempo fell as White and Hussey began the process of rebuilding.

White eventually fell in the first over after the batting powerplay was taken - and Australia seemed in danger of losing their way, with Adam Voges and James Hopes falling cheaply.

Only 33 came from the powerplay - but Hussey superbly accelerated at the death, hitting Praveen for 18 runs and helping Australia to a decent total.

Ishant sent down an excellent final over, claiming Hussey with the first ball and bowling Brett Lee with the last and conceding only one run in between to keep Australia under 300.

ndia's chase stuttered at the start, openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar falling cheaply.

Gambhir was then joined by Kohli in a rebuilding phase until left-arm spinner Voges struck in his first over to remove the latter and end a stand of 58.

Dhoni and Gambhir put on 64 for the fourth wicket. But the left-hander was trapped in front by Mitchell Johnson, who quickly got rid of Suresh Raina too - and then Dhoni holed out off Lee.

India needed an improbable 92 from the last 10 overs, but Harbhajan and Praveen kept them in it with a stream of boundaries.

Peter Siddle went for 13 in the 48th over, and Watson disappeared for 20 in the 49th.

Nine was required from the final over, but Siddle bowled Harbhajan and conceded only four runs as Australia sneaked to victory.

IND vs AUS, 1st ODI: LIVE

India have got their important breakthrough as Tim Paine departed after a well-made half-century.
Ashish Nehra drew the first blood for India by sending back Shane Watson in the second over itself after Australia elected to bat against India in the inaugural one-dayer of the seven-match ODI series.

Even after losing Watson early, Australian captain Ricky Ponting and Tim Paine managed to steady the innings.

The duo mixed cautious with aggression to counter Indian bowling and play their shots to put Australia on top.

Ponting and Paine slowly but steadily kept on piling up runs for Australia before Ishant Sharma gave India a much-needed breakthrough by seeing off Paine for a well-made 50 off 62 balls.

Earlier, India left out Yuvraj Singh, who is recovering from an injury, besides Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra and Sudeep Tyagi.
The injury-hit hosts are fully aware that a series triumph in the seven-match rubber would catapult them to the number one spot.

The Indians will also be keen to make amends for their ICC Champions Trophy debacle as they take on the world champions in what promises to be a thrilling contest of nerve and skills.
Australia are in super form having clinched the Champions Trophy title, which followed an impressive 6-1 thrashing of England while the Indians have not quite lived upto expectations in recent times.

Teams:

India: SR Tendulkar, V Sehwag, G Gambhir, SK Raina, MS Dhoni*†, V Kohli, RA Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, A Nehra, P Kumar, I Sharma.

Australia: SR Watson, TD Paine†, RT Ponting*, MEK Hussey, AC Voges, CL White, JR Hopes, MG Johnson, B Lee, NM Hauritz, PM Siddle.

Islanders seal shootout win

The Islanders clinched their first NHL victory of the season but required a goal from John Tavares in the shootout to sink the Hurricanes 4-3.
Andy Sutton, Tim Jackman and Matt Moulson scored in regulation for New York as the Islanders looked to avoid their worst start to a season in franchise history.

The hosts relinquished a 3-1 lead in the third period but responded well in the shootout with goals from Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen and Tavares.

Mikko Koivu struck twice as the Minnesota Wild came from behind to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2.

The Finn levelled the game in regulation and then notched on Minnesota's first shot in the shootout to secure a narrow win.

Darcy Tucker and Kyle Quincey had netted second-period goals to put the Avalanche in the ascendancy following Brent Burns' opener on a first-period power play.

Mike Grier, Jason Pominville, Matt Ellis, Tyler Myers and Thomas Vanek were all on target in a blistering first period to set the Buffalo Sabres en route to a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers.

Steve Reinprecht and Rostislav Olesz had goals for the home team but to no avail.

Mikael Samuelsson's late goal proved the difference between the teams in Chicago as the Vancouver Canucks rallied to down the Blackhawks 3-2 for their first road victory of the season.

The Swedish right wing scored with 4:42 left in regulation to break a 2-2 tie after Michael Grabner had levelled for the visitors.

In Anaheim, defenseman Trevor Daley grabbed his first goal of the campaign on a power play to help the Dallas Stars edge the Ducks 4-2.

Loui Eriksson, Brenden Morrow and Steve Ott were also on target for the victors while Ryan Getzlaf and Joffrey Lupul had goals for Anaheim.

Steve Begin's late winner earned the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators.

“I have tried to copy Brian Lara”

Having grown up in Trinidad, Perkins obviously found his idol early in the Prince. Brian Charles Lara's legacy has rubbed off on a lot of young Trinidadians and Perkins is just one of them.

The 23 year old has found the perfect stage to showcase his talent and he makes no bones about it.

"I have always watched Lara and tried to copy his style. He has been such a legend," Perkins says with a shy smile.

Perkins is busy living up his new found success. There is a sudden spur of excitement around the Reds and there is talk of how they have taken everyone by ‘surprise.'

Be it Kieron Pollard's brutal attack against the New South Wales Blues or Adrian Barath and Perkins' stunning opening stand against the Eagles, every move was planned for months.

"We have had team-meetings for long now. The team has been a major force in T20 cricket for the last four years and everyone has been able to execute the plans to perfection.

I am not surprised the team is doing so well. There is a method to our madness."
Perkins said it was easy to get bogged down by the pressure around the event but backed the passion in the side to take them through further.

"The boys are very passionate about the game. As an opener, I have my game to play and I am happy doing my job well."

Not the one to back off from challenges, Perkins recalled what exactly happened when Blues tearaway Brett Lee seemed to say something to him on his way back to the dugout.

"Really, he did not say much and the noise was deafening so I would not have heard him in any case.

If he did say something, I would have given it back."

Guts and attitude coupled with some exceptional skills have helped the Calypso Kings rock and roll. By the look of things, the party is all set to continue.V

“IPL teams had a major disadvantage

All the pre-tournament talk of how the three IPL teams would exploit home conditions in the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 fell flat on its face within a week.

While the Deccan Chargers crashed out in the league stages, the Delhi Daredevils and the Royal Challengers Bangalore just made up the numbers in the Super Eights, without any realistic chance of going through to the last four.

However, Gibbs pointed out that the IPL sides were always going to be up against it.

"They had a major disadvantage. I know everybody kept talking about how these three teams would enjoy local conditions and home support but all that didn't matter because they play together a lot less than the other teams.

These guys just come together for six weeks once a year while the other teams in the tournament play through the season and gel well as mates."

The IPL teams have as many as four international players in their playing eleven and some of the others do not even belong to the city he represents.

That is a far cry from the strong Australian, South African and the West Indian domestic sides, who have been together for years and played in all formats.
Gibbs, one of the most prolific opening batsmen in modern day cricket, also plays for the Deccan Chargers and said he was "disappointed" to not see them progress beyond the group stages.

"It would have been fun to play against them. The Chargers are a tough side and the Cobras would have been up for a good challenge."

Not for nothing do they say that cricket is all about momentum and team spirit. Gibbs refused to believe that the IPL teams were perhaps just not as good as the others in the fray. They need to come together more often.

How much of that would be possible is anybody's guess. A packed international calendar and a host of foreign stars do not augur too well.

Katich bowled over by reaching final

New South Wales Blues captain Simon Katich praised his bowlers after reaching the final of the Champions League Twenty20.
NSW claimed a commanding 79-run win over Victoria Bushrangers in the first semi-final in Delhi.

David Warner (48) and Phil Hughes (35) gave NSW a cracking start on their way to a formidable 169 for seven.

Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, who shared the new ball with Brett Lee, then struck twice in his first over as Victoria's chase suffered an early jolt.

They never recovered from those blows and finished with a meagre 90 for nine.
"We thought of it earlier in the day and we thought he (Hauritz) would be an option to their batsman upfront. He did a great job and it worked," Katich said.

"With that new ball some spun and the others skidded on and it was always going to be hard for their opening batsmen to judge what was going to happen.
"Our bowlers have been fantastic right through the tournament and they are a big reason for our progress so far.

"It was a great team effort all around. Warner and Hughes set the tone early with the bat and the rest of the guys chipped in nicely.

"We tried to break it up, have left-right combinations in the middle overs to the spinners.

"We tried to keep the momentum going right through the innings, even when the ball got softer and made it harder to score towards the end.

"All the bowlers were outstanding and our fielding was really sharp.

"I think we have got consistent performances across the board with both bat and ball and hopefully we can carry that confidence into the final."
South African side Cape Cobras take on Trinidad and Tobago, the only team to have beaten NSW in the competition, in the second semi-final tomorrow.

Victoria captain Cameron White is already looking ahead to the next edition of the tournament.

"We were outplayed by a very good outfit," White admitted. "The pitch was marginally better than the ones we played on here earlier on, but it still wasn't a 160 pitch, although NSW got there.

"We gave away a few too many runs and the only thing we can do is to go back and work hard in Australia and hopefully we can qualify next year.

"I think the future of this tournament is strong and, from our point of view, it's a great experience for some of our guys who haven't been here before.

"We will take plenty of experience away and hopefully it will help us give it a crack again next year."

Cobras up against Caribbean magic

There could never have been a better study in contrast on a stage that has captured and shaped the imagination of many around the world.

As a flamboyant Trinidad and Tobago get ready for battle against the seasoned Cape Cobras, the tension seems only too palpable amongst the South Africans.
Decked in red, the Calypso kings have been on a rampage, winning all of their four games - the last two with consummate ease.

The Cobras have had a merry ride as well with the exception of their last game against the Delhi Daredevils on a pitch that was an aberration in an otherwise wonderfully organised tournament.

That defeat, would hardly be playing on the Cobras' minds. Skipper Andre Puttick has a lot more to worry about.
To begin with, he needs to reflect on the dangerous batting form the men from the Caribbean Islands have exhibited so far. Kieron Pollard showed the way and William Perkins and Navin Stewart promptly picked up the thread.

That is just one. What about Herschelle Gibbs' indifferent run in the Airtel CL T20? Though JP Duminy and Puttick himself have stepped up, it does rattle the team when their best batsman stays off colour for the breadth of a crucial meet.
Puttick, however, chose to play it down: "Gibbs is a bit of an enigma. All he needs to come good is one well timed shot and if he stays on the wicket from thereon, he can win us the match."

A semi-final clash tends to play on the players' psyche. One loss and they know that all the good work done by them over the last two weeks will come undone.

T&T captain Darren Ganga exuded the exuberance in his camp despite the high-profile clash weighing down on him.

"The mood is upbeat in the team. People back home had high expectations from us and now they have become higher.

We are all looking forward to the game on Thursday."

While the Proteas will miss the injured Charls Langeveldt against a power-packed T&T batting line up and hope that Gibbs comes good at last, Ganga has to cope with the pleasant problem of plenty.

There is something about the way the Trinidadians go about their business. When you see a bunch of grown up men, shrieking and screaming like high-school enthusiasts at every step at nets and training, you know they are enjoying their game.
A source close to the team said: "The players are like brothers. They are really good friends and celebrate each other's success."

When Ganga said the mood is upbeat, he knew what he was talking about. Perkins, who has smashed a few around the park already, warned the Cobras to watch out for his team.

"We are confident going into the semis. The Proteas need to watch out. You go tell them, ‘A storm is coming your way maan'."

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin felt the Trinidad and Tobago have nothing to lose at all.

"The Cobras have to worry more about us, not the other way round. No one had given us a chance coming into this tournament and we have proven a lot of people wrong with the way we have played."

The Cape Cobras have been extraordinarily stiff since they landed in Hyderabad on Tuesday. The players have avoided the media and not many have been willing to talk about the game.

There are a few things to sort out here. The Delhi track may have been turning like a minefield and the low bounce might well have been disconcerting but the way the Proteas capitulated, scoring just 84 runs within 19 overs should be a matter of concern for the coach.

The captain however, refuses to look that far back besides playing down the advantage his counterpart would have had playing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium more often.

The Cobras, after all have played just one game there.

"We are not too worried about that. We are familiar with the conditions here, maybe not as much as Trinidad and Tobago are.

I am pretty confident that my boys will do well."

For a man, who was not even named in the initial 15 member squad before replacing regular skipper Graeme Smith and having blasted a hundred along the way to leading his team to the last four, confidence is no small word.

As the man of the match from T&T's emphatic win against the Diamond Eagles pointed out: "We don't see the semi-final as a major challenge. It will be just another game for us. Having won all our matches so far, there is no reason why we can't win one more and play in the finals."

That is a chilling assessment of how the new talk of the town has geared themselves up.

Will the sprightly red brigade succumb to the pressure of their new found fame or will they continue their juggernaut?

It will come down to how both teams hold their nerves. Come what may, the action in the middle will not be for the faint-hearted.

The pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium looks a beauty. Curator Chandrashekhar said the second semi-final should be another high-scoring affair after the run riot between the Eagles and Trinidad and Tobago.

"I relayed the entire surface two months ago and it has paid me rich dividends. Batsmen have had fun playing their shots here while the seamers got the ball to bounce."

The curator did well to make sure the wicket did not turn much: "Spectators don't come to watch T20 cricket to see the ball turning square. They want to see runs on the board and big shots."

There is another high-scoring thriller on the cards. A terrific T20 wicket and two strong batting line ups - a perfect mix for a sizzler.

Teams (From):

Cape Cobras: Andrew Puttick (C), Derek Brand, Ryan Canning, Henry Davids, Jean-Paul Duminy, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Herschelle Gibbs, Claude Henderson, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Justin Ontong, Vernon Philander, Francois Plaatjies, Stiaan van Zyl, Monde Zondeki, Charl Langeveldt.

Trinidad and Tobago: Daren Ganga (C), Samuel Badree, Navin Stewart, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Denesh Ramdin, Kieron Pollard, William Perkins, Sunil Narine, Dave Mohammed, Adrian Barath, Dwayne Bravo, Rayad Emrit, Sherwin Ganga.

Maradona slams press after win

Diego Maradona has slammed Argentina's press after his side beat Uruguay 1-0 to qualify for next summer's World Cup in South Africa.
Huracan midfielder Mario Bolatti, winning just his third cap, fired home with six minutes remaining after the home defence failed to deal with Juan Sebastian Veron's drilled effort from a free-kick.

After being subjected to repeated criticism during his side's far from straightforward qualifying campaign, Maradona wasted little time in lambasting his critics following a night of high drama in Montevideo on Wednesday.

"The win is going to all Argentineans, except the journalists," the South American icon declared.

"They (the journalists) treat me like dirt, but we qualified with honour.

"I dedicate this to all of the Argentinean people and my family, but one sector does not deserve it because they treated me like garbage.

"They invented fights with Carlos Bilardo, among other things.

"I don't usually read the newspapers or listen to sports programmes but my daughters do and they told me what had been said about me. So, I repeat, to all those that said anything against me, keep eating your words.

"I am very proud of my players, they made me feel a real coach because all of what we had planned in dressing room, they did it on the pitch.

"Now we have a lot of time for working calmly and for analysing many things."

"This qualification is thanks to my players, who played like men and now consecrate my role as a coach."

Argentina's win relgated Uruguay to a play-off clash with CONCACAF representatives Costa Rica, although Maradona believes his coutry's South American counterparts will still be in South Africa next year.

"Uruguay has a very good team and a coach in Oscar Tabarez that I admire and respect. Uruguay can qualify for the World Cup.

"That is what I want because I have many friends in their country."

Hamilton relishing Brazil party

Lewis Hamilton is ready to revel in Sao Paulo's party atmosphere this year.
In each of the last two seasons, the Brazilian Grand Prix has seen Hamilton embroiled in a world championship fight, losing out in 2007 prior to taking the crown in dramatic fashion a year ago.

Twelve months on, and although Hamilton has picked up more points than any other driver over the last six races, the McLaren star is simply an interested spectator in the race for the title on this occasion.

McLaren's abysmal start to the campaign has denied Hamilton the chance of being in the title shake-up along with Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel.

But it leaves the 24-year-old able to soak up more of Sao Paulo and Interlagos, one of motor racing's respected and renowned circuits.

"I'm really looking forward to this year's Brazilian Grand Prix," remarked Hamilton.

"It will be the first time I've been in Sao Paulo without being in contention for the world championship.

"I'm actually looking forward to taking in a bit more of the city and relaxing and enjoying the experience of driving on one of the world's greatest racetracks.

"One of the greatest things about racing at Interlagos is the crowd. There's such a great atmosphere.

"The fans have so much energy and life. It's a party while you're working, and it's great to see everyone happy."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh also suspects this weekend will be a more relaxed affair for the entire team in comparison to the last two high-pressurised occasions in Brazil.

"Nobody on our team will ever forget the dramatic final laps of the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix as they are memories that will live with us forever," said Whitmarsh.

"Of course, the defining moments of the last two world championships have both taken place in Brazil and, as a result, the race has become an unusually colourful and intense occasion for us.

"Travelling to Sao Paulo this year with our focus solely on achieving the very best result will allow us to attack the race weekend without any additional considerations, and we are very much looking forward to that challenge."

Bravo's belief too much for Chargers

T&T seamer Dwayne Bravo was always confident he could defend a target of eight runs from the last over.
Small contributions right through the order helped T&T reach a competitive 149 for seven - and although the Chargers lost early wickets, Adam Gilchrist (51) put on 55 with Rohit Sharma (25) to set up a close finish.

By the time the Chargers needed those eight runs off the last six deliveries, they had lost seven wickets.

Bravo, who had already bagged two, claimed a third, effected a run-out and crucially conceded only four runs as the Chargers were restricted to 146 for nine.

T&T not only knocked the Chargers out but kept Somerset Sabres in the tournament, as group runners-up.

Bravo said: "Funnily enough this morning at breakfast I had a chat with the manager and I said to him in a match situation if there were 10 runs to get and I was bowling the last over, I'd back myself to defend that.

Match in pictures

"I believe in myself; the team believes in my ability to restrict the opposition. I knew just what I had to do, and did it."

The all-rounder is nonetheless aware T&T still have plenty to prove.

"There is a lot that we can be improve on - but as a unit, we are very good and we are looking to the next round," he said.

"It was a great team effort, and we played very good cricket.

"We beat the IPL champions, and it's a great feeling for us."

The Chargers frontline bowlers Fidel Edwards and RP Singh leaked runs at the start, the latter struggling with his line and run-up.

Captain Adam Gilchrist blamed the poor start for the defeat.

"It's disappointing to go out without even one victory, and to get so close a couple of times is frustrating," he said.

"In the last match it was one wicket off the last ball and in this one just three runs. It's a very fine line.

"We just didn't do the basics right in both games, but particularly in this game.

"We did well to restrict T&T to the total that we did. But early on, we were sloppy; there were misfields, and we didn't do the little things which get you into winning positions with bat and ball."

"We are at a distinct disadvantage"

Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Ray Jennings says that the side has a tough job at hand against Victoria.

By Dominic Franks
Anil Kumble-led Bangalore take on Victoria Bushrangers in the first match of the league stage of the inaugural Airtel Champions League T20 in Bangalore today.

Challengers' batting has been smoking the turf at the Chinnaswamy stadium, but they still have a mountain to climb if they harbour hopes of making it through to the semi-finals.

Ray Jennings coach of the RCB conceded that the team was at a distinct disadvantage going into the League stage without a point after losing a thriller to the Cape Cobras. "It is important for us to understand that the stronger sides are going to come through and Thursday's game is important, seeing that we haven't got points going into the second round of the tournament."

While Royal Challengers have looked solid in the batting department, chalking up scores of 180 and 188 in their first two matches, it is their bowling that has looked slightly underdone. The clamour for the inclusion of Dale Steyn has been rising steadily.

"We have got two world class spinners and they work well together," Jennings said referring to Kumble and Roelof van der Merwe. "They are a handful and if Steyn plays, it's going to be even better," the South African said hinting at a bold move that will involve the benching of Mark Boucher, with Robin Uthappa manning the wickets.

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Victoria Bushrangers are coming off a defeat against the Wayamba XI. They will also for the first time in the tournament move away from the Kotla pitch that has come in for severe flak for not being a sporting wicket. This should augur well for their predominantly seam-up pace attack, which will enjoy the extra bounce at the Chinnaswamy.

Shane Harwood, Clint Mckay and Andrew McDonald have taken 14 wickets between them. Peter Siddle has been menacing and frugal. Watch out for Jon Holland, the 22 year old left-arm spinner, who has just been drafted into the Australian squad for the forthcoming ODI series against India.

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The hard, bouncy Bangalore strip will also allow the Victorian batsmen to play their full range of strokes -- something they were hard-pressed to do on the capricious Kotla surface. Their opening batsman Brad Hodge has been prolific in this version of the game, scoring nearly 2500 runs at a phenomenal average of 41.80.

Cameron White, captain of the Bushrangers and an erstwhile member of the Royal Challengers line-up (he didn't get a look-in for IPL 2), knows all about the explosive intent that Ross Taylor and Robin Uthappa have brought to the crease. "They have been playing really well. We have discussed it a little so far. The Bangalore side has lots of good players. So it will be up to us to come up with some really good plans, especially at the end of the innings. Hopefully we can implement them well and execute them."

The crowd at the Chinnaswamy has been a handful (and a mouthful too!) for the opposition teams. When asked how the younger members in the squad would cope with the deafening roars that emanate every time the Challengers play, White said, "That's one of the things I have been talking to the guys about. Obviously, the fans and the great home support will be really intimidating. It will be really loud. If the home side gets on a roll, it will be tough to come back. We are definitely aware of that."
The Bushrangers have made the finals of the Big Bash T20 tournament in Australia for four years running -- winning the first three editions, and ending up second best in the 2009 edition. They boast an enviable record of only five losses in 23 games. But all that will count for nothing when they turn up against the Royal Challengers, who have to win both their League matches against the Bushrangers and the Daredevils to qualify for the semi-finals.

The four-match winning streak towards the fag end of IPL 2 that saw the Challengers qualify as surprise semi-finalists will hold them in good stead in the days ahead.

Canada hold India to 4-4 draw

Sandeep Singh scored four times but Canada held the visitors to a 4-4 draw in the third Test of the seven-match hockey series.
Sandeep flicked home in the ninth, 18th, 31st and 45th minutes while Scott Tupper (second), Rob Short (66th) and Mark Pearson (68th and 70th min) scored for Canada, who took advantage of a fragile Indian defence to stage a late comeback.

However, India continue to lead the series 2-0.

Canada began aggressively and took an early lead when the Indian defence conceded a soft penalty corner in the second minute which was sunk in by Tupper to goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza's right.

Rattled by this reversal, India took a firm grip on the proceedings soon after, with forays from both flanks.

The midfielders led by skipper Tushar Khandker propelled the forwards Shivendra Singh, Rajpal Singh and Gurwinder Chandi to move cohesively in the Canadian danger zone for a look in.

A physical tackle by Scott Sandison on Rajpal Singh within the Canadian quarter line gave India their first penalty corner from which Sandeep levelled the score.

Sandeep scored again nine minutes later after Shivendra was brought down by Canada's Gabbar Singh.

India continued to hold sway with Khandker, Dhananjay Mahadik and Arjun Halappa constantly moving upfront in tandem with the forwards.

Sandeep completed his hat-trick off a scorcher past custodian David Carter in the 31st minute after striker Roshan Minz found the foot of a Canadian defender.

Canada came close to reducing the margin shortly before the break but a penalty corner attempt by Tupper was wide and Rob Short's open attempt was well anticipated by D'Souza.

India kept the accelaration initially in the second half with Rajpal missing the target with a reverse.

The Canadians replied with swift turnovers and won their third penalty corner when Pearson was wrongly tackled by Bharat Chhikara. Wayne Fernandes' dragflick was well saved by D'Souza.

Soon after, India were reduced to 10 men when Sarwanjit Singh was yellow carded for hitting the ball deliberately after the umpire had blown the whistle for an infringement against him.

However, despite this setback, India further increased their lead to 4-1 in the 45th minute after a splendid Halappa-Prabhjot Singh move from the left flank was halted by an obstruction from Canada. Sandeep found the target yet again, high to Carter's left.

However, the hosts continued to attack and their efforts bore fruit when they were awarded a penalty corner after Prabhjot's attempt to stop a long overhead with a raised stick four minutes from the end.

This proved to be the turning point as Short fired home to give Canada their second goal.

The Indian defence went into panic mode as Canada played long hard hits into the Indian circle.

Deep defenders Sardar Singh, Sandeep and Chhikara were unable to thwart the Canadian onslaught as Mark Person found the target twice in two minutes to level the match.

Indian chief coach Jose Brasa was visibly upset after the draw and said his defence had thrown away the match in the final minutes with irresponsible and unprofessional play.

Dravid dropped from India ODI squad

Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been omitted from the one-day squad for the first two ODIs of the series against Australia.
The 36-year-old was called up to the one-day team for the Champions Trophy after an absence of almost two years and, although he was the second highest scorer in India's failed campaign in South Africa, the top-order batsman has been dropped to make way for the return of Virender Sehwag.

Meanwhile, BCCI have sacked Robin Singh and Venkatesh Prasad as fielding and bowling coach for the team.

Sehwag, who missed the Champions Trophy due to a shoulder injury which also kept him out of the World Twenty20, has made a successful comeback to competitive cricket in the Champions League for the Delhi Daredevils.

Hard-hitting left-hander Yuvraj Singh, who was forced out of the Champions Trophy due to a finger injury sustained two days before India's opening match against Pakistan in the tournament, also returns to the team but BCCI secretary N Srinivasan admits his fitness is still a concern.

"The selectors were advised that Yuvraj Singh would definitely be fit to play the second ODI (On October 28)," Srinivasan said.

"It is possible that he may be able to play the first match as well and a decision on the playing XI would be made subject to Yuvraj's fitness."

The selectors have rung several other changes as well.

Fast bowler Zaheer Khan was not considered as he is still recuperating from a shoulder injury, while Abhishek Nayar has been dropped, leading to a call-up for the Chennai Super Kings' Sudeep Tyagi. Munaf Patel returns in place of left-arm seamer RP Singh.

Virat Kohli, who was rushed out to take Yuvraj's place for the Champions Trophy and top-scored in the competition for his team, retains his place in the side ahead of wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik. Left-arm spinner all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja takes the place of Yusuf Pathan, who was dropped after a poor show in the Champions Trophy.

The first match of the series against Australia is scheduled to be held in Baroda on October 25.

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

"We failed to do basic things right"

Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist admitted they failed to execute the basic things in proper way against Trinidad & Tobago.
Chasing a 150-run target, Chargers could manage 146 for nine in stipulated 20 overs at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad.

"We just can't do few basic things well, particularly in Twenty20 cricket. You need to do simple controllable things well and we just did not do that," Gilchrist said after the match.

"I mean, the no-balls, wide deliveries, mis-fields, fielding was sloppy early on, run outs - these simple mistakes were the culprits there," the Australian added.

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Gilchrist also admitted that their fancied batting order, consisting of VVS Laxman and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, failed to live upto the expectation.

"We just felt like try and chase down the total. We boasted our batting, so we felt like comfortable chase down the total. I think, we should have got the total," he said.

The skipper came out with a gutsy 51, but his effort went in vain as Deccan lost wickets in vital moments.

Asked who, according to him, might win the USD six million event, Gilchrist said, "It is anyone's tournament."

Meanwhile, his counterpart Dwayne Bravo was satisfied with the spirited performance by his men.

"We won our first game. We came into this game to win. We make sure that we won't lapse on anything like that. We knew we can defend the total of 150 and did that," Bravo said.

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"We put a lot of effort into our preparation and believe in ourselves. We really like each others company that is the most important thing. We also understand each others' strength and weakness," he added.

McGain: I love watching Kumble bowl

He looks like the IT professional he was two years ago before changing trades. Bryce McGain decided to become a cricketer in 2005 and was soon a part of the Australian Test team. He made his debut against South Africa earlier this year in Cape Town.

He somehow does not fit into the Aussie band of cricketers. McGain is way too soft spoken and is almost a charmer. In fact, while talking to most of the Victorians, you get a feeling there is something different about them. Then why do they suddenly become so aggressive and daunting when they don the Baggy Green?

"Well, Victoria play a different brand of cricket from Australia. We love playing the game and play it to the best of our abilities."
McGain puts it to different personnel and a difference in attitude. He refuses to be drawn into the image the national team had earned: they sledged and bullied their way through and played hard, uncompromising cricket.

"Victoria are tough too but we don't sledge on the field."

At 37, McGain still has the passion and he loves talking about the game. Bespectacled and lanky, the Aussie leggie has an uncanny resemblance to Indian legend Anil Kumble. As suave and gentle, McGain unsurprisingly loves Kumble's bowling.

"I love watching Kumble bowl. He has been a true legend, hasn't he? The kind of consistency he has shown for India over the time he played was immense."

Shane Warne, of course, would have had a huge impact on him as well. What about that? "Oh yes, he passed on a lot of his experiences to me. Warnie has been a great help."

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McGain, maybe new to cricket at his age, but he still has the youthful exuberance that many young spinners lack these days.

Why else would they be scared of flighting the ball and luring the batsmen the good old way?

"I don't know really. Maybe they are too concerned about bleeding runs and want to restrict rather than take wickets.

"It will be silly to put half your weapons away. Part of the deception is to throw the ball and let it turn."

With Victoria Bushrangers safely in the Super Eights, McGain may still have a huge role to play as the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 reaches a pinnacle.

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Sania-Vania out of doubles event

Second seeds Sania Mirza and Vania King have crashed out of the doubles event of the Japan Open.
They suffered a shock straight-set defeat at the hands of unseeded French pair of Julie Coin and Mathilde.

The Indo-American pair lost lost 4-6, 2-6 in the quarter-final of the USD 220,000 WTA hard-court event after battling for one hour and seven minutes.

Sania got 70 ranking points for making the last-eight stage and will share USD 1,650 prize money with Vania.

To survive in the event, Sania will have to beat World number 13 and second seed Marion Bartoli of France in the singles competition on Friday.

Sania and Vania had plenty of chances against their rivals in the both the sets but could not cash in on.

They dropped serve twice in the first set and missed equal number of chances on their opponents' serve.

They saved five breakpoints and were successful in breaking the French pair once but that was not enough.

The second set too saw the second seeds missing many a chances as they squandered three breakpoints and dropped their own serve thrice.

Hamilton: No pressure on McLaren

Having endured a nail-biting outing last year, McLaren are looking forward to racing in Brazil without any pressure.
Lewis Hamilton captured the driver's title at the season-ending Interlagos last year, and while there are still two races remaining in this year's season the McLaren star cannot defend his title.

With only pride on the line the Briton admits he's looking to have a bit more fun in Brazil than he has had in the past, with the energetic crowd something he's looking forward to.

"I'm really looking forward to this year's Brazilian Grand Prix - it will be the first time I've travelled to Sao Paulo without being in contention for the World Championship, and I'm actually looking forward to taking in a bit more of the city and relaxing and enjoying the experience of driving on one of the world's greatest racetracks," said Hamilton.

"One of the greatest things about racing at Interlagos is the crowd. There's such a great atmosphere; the fans have so much energy and life. It's a party while you're working, and it's great to see everyone happy."

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh echoed the thoughts of his driver but insisted the team would not be resting on their laurels despite being out of the title race.

"Travelling to Sao Paulo this year with our focus solely on achieving the very best result will allow us to attack the race weekend without any additional considerations, and we are very much looking forward to that challenge," explained Whitmarsh.

For his part Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug insisted the race for the Championship title was far from over with Jenson Button only 14 points ahead of his Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello and 16 points ahead of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

"The world championship fight is open and electrifying - I know from my own experience what I am talking about when I say that with a 16-point deficit of Sebastian to Jenson, nothing has been decided yet," said Haug.

Pennetta eases into the second round

Top seed Flavia Pennetta made light work of American Meghann Shaughnessy in the Generali Ladies with a 6-1 6-1 victory.
The Italian forced 12 break points on her way to victory.

Sixth seed Sorana Cirstea was sent home after losing 6-3 6-3 to qualifier Julia Goerges, but all the other seeds in action survived.

Number five Iveta Benesova saw off Stephanie Gehrlein 7-5 6-0, while seventh seed Lucie Safarova powered past Patricia Mayr 6-2 6-1 and number eight Sara Errani beat Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2 6-3.

Also going through were Anna-Lena Groenefeld, a 7-5 6-1 winner over Roberta Vinci, Tatjana Malek, who beat Aravane Rezai 7-5 7-5, and Olga Govortsova, a 6-2 6-7(7/9) 6-2 winner over Petra Martic.

Several reasons behind resignation

The match fixing allegation was just one of the factors which prompted Younus Khan to quit the captaincy of the Pakistan team.
Sources said Younus is ready to take back his resignation but only on the condition that the Pakistan cricket Board makes a clear announcement about his captaincy term.

"It is true he was fed up with the remarks made by the NA committee Chairman in which he accused the Pakistan players of deliberately under-performing in the Champions Trophy but there are other elements involved behind his decision," one source told PTI

According to the source Younus apparently was also not happy with the behavior of the team management and few players for the last few months.

"He is not happy with manager Yawar Saeed and assistant manager Shafqat Rana and also coach Intikhab Alam and believes they have not supported him the way they should have in normal circumstances," the source claimed.

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He said a couple of incidents in South Africa and the way a concerted campaign was orchestrated against him had also left Younus disillusioned.

"He is aware who is behind this campaign and when he meets with the Board Chairman to discuss his resignation he will have a talk with him on these issues," the source said.

He said Younus was appalled by Rana's statement that he should not have played with his injured finger.

"Younus is upset because before the semi-final against New Zealand he told the team management and tour selection committee clearly that he didn't want to play.

"But they insisted he should play because of the important nature of the match. And now some people are giving the impression it was his sole decision to play with the injured finger," the source said.

He said Younus was also upset that no one had ever mentioned the fact that he had gone out of his way to back senior and junior players.

"Shafqat Rana has made an issue that Younis didn't want Muhammad Asif to play the semi-final although the team management felt he should play in place of Rana Naved.

"But Rana has not revealed the fact that it was Younus who insisted on playing Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf in the match against India although the manager, coach and vice captain wanted to drop them," the source said.

Malik scored a hundred and Yousuf a half-century in the victory over India vindicating the tough stand taken by Younis.

The source said it was Younis who had backed Muhammad Aamer although the coach and manager didn't have faith in the youngster.

"He is upset that no one talks about these positive contributions he has made despite resistance from the team management," the source said.

Vettori could fill Oram void

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori is not averse to filling the batting role left vacant by Jacob Oram's retirement from Test cricket.
Oram has batted at number six for the Blacks Caps at Test level with Vettori usually coming in a couple of places further down the order.

But with the 31-year-old now focusing on the shorter forms of the game, the Black Caps skipper undoubtedly has the pedigree - 3484 runs at 29.77 and 302 wickets over 93 Tests - to move up to the middle order.

"I think it is something we'll have to have a look at. It's not something I'm averse to. I've stepped up in the one-dayers in terms of moving up the order and maybe now is the right time to do that (in Tests) as well," Vettori said.

One possible drawback, though, would be the increase in workload for Vettori who has had his fair share of back injuries in the past.

"We've been talking about the workload on Jacob and I suppose the workload on me will only increase but maybe it's the right thing to do and maybe it's the opportunity for me to step up and actually fulfil that role," he told Radio Sport.

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Oram's Test retirement has also cleared a path for all-rounders James Franklin and Grant Elliott to press for regular inclusion in the squad.

Franklin, a left-arm pace bowler and handy lower-order batsman, has twice replaced Oram in recent months - when the West Indies and India toured New Zealand in the southern hemisphere summer and at the recent Champions Trophy in South Africa.

The 28-year-old has just returned to New Zealand after a season with English county side Gloucestershire where he scored 904 runs, including three hundreds, at an average of 50.22 and took 31 wickets, and Franklin himself believes he is the man to replace Oram.

Vettori does not disagree but wants more consistency from him, saying: "We all understand he has all the talent in the world and we just want him to get back to his best and be able to be a consistent performer for New Zealand because he could become one of our very good players."

Elliott, who Vettori sees as primarily a batsman, will have to bide his time as he faces several weeks on the sidelines with a broken thumb suffered during the Champions Trophy.

New Zealand's next Test series is against Pakistan which begins late next month. Prior to that the Blacks Caps play a one-day and Twenty20 series against the same opponents in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The squad for the limited-overs matches is expected to be named on Thursday.

The series, originally scheduled to be played in Pakistan earlier this year, was postponed following the terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore in March.

Jehan Mubarak: It was too late

Wayamba skipper Jehan Mubarak agrees that by the time his side got its act together, the time had slipped through their fingers.

By Chandraboli Mitra
No matter whether a tournament's duration is long or short, there is some team or the other, who feels cheated and this time also the story isn't too different.

Although, Wayamba won their match against Victoria Bushrangers on Tuesday, they have failed to qualify for the next round as they had lost their first match against Delhi Daredevils.

"It is mixed emotions as we started to get our act together but having lost the earlier game, there wasn't much we could have done about it," said Wayamba captain Jehan Mubarak.

Wayamba managed to post a modest 118 for nine in their allotted 20 overs. Replying to which, Victoria Bushrangers could reach only 103 for four, losing by 15 runs.

With all three teams - Delhi Daredevils, Victoria Bushrangers and Wayamba placed at 2 points each, having won one and losing another, but on the basis of the run-rate, Wayamba found themselves out of the tournament.

"It is a short and crisp tournament and getting adapted to the conditions was the main thing. But in Twenty20 you don't have much time and by the time we could get into the rhythm as a unit, it was too late," said Mubarak.

When asked about whether two matches are too little for a team to show its real potential, he explained, "This is a tough situation and you can't have extended tournaments as the international window is too cramped and you have to fit a domestic tournament in this window itself."

On the other hand, Victoria Bushrangers' skipper Shane Harwood chose not to complain as his team advanced.

However, he said, "We are disappointed but relieved to go through. It was very difficult to score runs and even more difficult to chase runs. But once a batsman gets in, it is easier to score runs but none of us could do that.

"We knew our target that was needed for us to advance into the next round but we still wanted to play aggressively and try and win the match," concluded Harwood.

“Victoria have a good chance”

Colac is country town in Victoria and Finch embodies the essence of the strong, sturdy country man in his game as well. Not just his game but his attitude too.

Finch is outright and honest about his cricket: “I think we have a very tough team and Victoria have a very good chance.

We can concentrate on our preparations as we go further on.”

Brett Lee Exclusive

The Bushrangers, clubbed with the Delhi Daredevils and Wayamba, went on to the next stage of the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 with a bit of a fuss they could have avoided.

Brushing aside the Daredevils did not take much doing but they stumbled against the Sri Lankans from Wayamba at the Feroz Shah Kotla last night but that did not hurt much apart from their pride.

Farvez Mahroof Exclusive

The loss notwithstanding, the Aussie outfit edged past Wayamba from the group stage by virtue of a better net run rate.

All the hype, the international class on show and the quality of cricket have been a pleasant surprise for cricket fans in the country, as it has been for the Bushrangers.

“This has been very exciting for the whole group and we are all very thrilled.”

Phillip Hughes Exclusive

How much research did the team do on the others in the fray before setting sail for Indian shores?

“Well, the research wouldn’t have been very different. Everyone team has seen the other closely before coming over and I am sure each would have had its own plans.

“I think we are a very tough team and that has shown in the way we have played so far.”

The battleground will become more menacing as the tournament draws to its business end. Now will be the time for the world to see what the Bushrangers can spread, fire or ire.

Xavi and Marquez doubts for Barca

Xavi and Rafeal Marquez are major injury doubts for Barcelona's next game against Valencia at the Mestalla.
Xavi was injured on interntional duty for Spain against Armenia and has returned to the club. Acording to Super Deporte, Xavi injured his right knee.

Marquez was also injured on international duty for Mexico and he was replaced in Mexico's 4-1 win over El Salvador at the weekend. He is not expected to be fit for the game against Los Che.

It's not all bad news for Barcelona. Andres Iniesta is expected to be fit despite picking up a knock against Armenia but he has been passed fit to return to train with Spain on Monday.

He is not expected to feature against Bosnia on Wednesday so should be fit for the game against Valencia.

"It's all about discovering their roots"

There is an Indian flavour with Trinidad and Tobago. Read on to find out more.

As a 23-year-old, Rabindra Ramanarayan Singh came to Madras in 1986 to further his education. He had played cricket for Trinidad and Tobago alongside Brian Charles Lara. But the Princes Town born boy wanted more from life.

Rabindra felt the need to grow and learn more. His first love was cricket, but he wanted something more from life. And he got just that during his stay in Madras. He stayed on, studied and played cricket as well.

Today we all know Rabindra as Robin Singh, the man who played for India and Tamil Nadu. Now, the 46-year-old is a proud native of Chennai with his roots firmly entrenched in Trinidad and Tobago. Long after his playing career ended, Robin is now the fielding coach of the Indian national team. He still cannot speak Hindi, but today is a proud Indian.

Cricket, India and the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago have traditionally been entwined. This bond started way back in 1845 when the British colonial rulers ferried a large group of Indian indentured labourers to the Caribbean Islands especially, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname.

These labourers, from parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, stayed on in the islands because there was just no way they could be back to their native land. Now, around 164 years after they left, the descendants of a few of those labourers return to India to compete in the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 tournament.

The Trinidad and Tobago cricket team travelling for the tournament includes 8 players of Indian origin. The team is even led by one of the players of Indian descent, Daren Ganga. Daren's brother Sherwin Ganga, Sunil Narine, Adrian Barath, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Dave Mohammed and Samuel Badree make up the rest of the list.

While a win in the tournament is the main focus, Ganga & Co will also try and reach out to their roots if possible.

``The Indian [origin] players have always been proud of their roots. It has helped carve out an identity for themselves in our cricket. The Indian players always try to involve the African players in their culture,'' says Omar Khan, a veteran Trinidadian cricket administrator.

Ganga & Co are proud of their Indian roots and celebrate Eid and Diwali in the dressing room with their teammates. ``The players of Indian descent often get their teammates to enjoy rotis and vegetables [Indian diet staples]. It is a great part of the cricket now,'' says Omar Khan.

Not part of this group, a young opener Tishan Maharaj is a sitar and tabla player. Currently out of the side, Tishan's main focus in the dressing room was to entertain the teammates with his Indian musical instruments.

These cricketers, much like most of the population in India, are devout Hindus, Muslims or Christians. Some of the players carry their own temples along with them and can be seen setting them up in their rooms.

One of the most devout Hindus, but tracing his roots to Guyana, is West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The left-hander carries his Lord Shiva temple with him everywhere and also has a photo of the god with him at all times.

Guyana, much like Trinidad and Tobago, has a strong Indian population, in fact they are in a majority there.

Indians form nearly 50 percent of the population in Trinidad and Tobago. No wonder then they play a key part in every walk of life from politics to cricket to media et al. Omar Khan, who has been part of the set-up for more than 40 years, feels Indians bring a lot of ``credibility and commitment'' to the sport in the region.

But despite the strong influence, the number of Indian players who have finally made it to the West Indies team has been small. Much of the Indian origin players making it to the West Indies team come from Guyana.

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``Guyana has a stronger Indian connection because they have a lot more players,'' adds Khan.
Over the years, the Indian connection with Trinidad has grown stronger because of various cricket tours to the region. Bollywood too has played a strong role in cementing the bond. In 2006, there was a Bollywood Music Awards Night in Trinidad with cricketers like Ganga, Dave Mohammed being the ushers for the event. To add to it, there are six Indian radio stations which help them keep in tune with their culture.

``At any point you can keep listening to them singing latest songs. Hindi movies are a big part of their lives, but they also actively participate in the Afro-Caribbean culture by taking part in the carnivals. Another reason is that unlike in other Islands, Indians here are very affluent,'' reveals Khan.

Proud as they are of their Indian roots, being called a Caribbean or a Trinidadian is what makes them most happy.

There have been many instances of the Indians in Trinidad using the help of one Kamaluddin, who has taken it up on himself to help trace their roots. Not part of the government, Kamaluddin has official sanction to help maintain records. In Jamaica, the small population there still has access to the ship records, but in Trinidad and Tobago, Kamaluddin himself traces the records. Many Indian families have searched for their roots this way.

Trinidad and Tobago's ex-Prime Minister Basudeo Pandey was helped by the Indian government. But of the cricketers, it is believed that only the late spinner Sonny Ramadhin has used this method. Ramadhin was the first Indian-origin cricketer to play Tests for West Indies.

True to their heritage, most Indian cricketers in Trinidad are either wristy batsmen or delightful spinners. But there are some exceptions like Tim Gopeesingh and Ravi Rampaul who turn out to be fast bowlers. Now 67, Gopeesingh is a member of parliament. He was in the news recently for raising the question of racism against Indians in Trinidad and Tobago. But none of that is ever heard about in cricket.

In fact, in the only case of role reversal, India's greatest leg-spinner in the 1960s, Subhash Gupte, married and settled down in Trinidad. His family, stays on in Port of Spain and are proud Trinidadians. Son, Anil Gupte, is a qualified doctor with the Ministry of Health. While cricket is the single source of bonding for now between India and Trinidad and Tobago, in the years to come, it could all change.

``Cricket was a big part of Dad's life, he even coached for a bit here. Even I played a bit of cricket till school. Then I moved to Jamaica and Barbados for my degrees. Now my son (Rohan, 19) is very interested in football.

He wants to be one of the Soca Warriors (Trinidad footballers),'' says Anil .

Mallya: We have the talent to deliver

Royal Challengers Bangalore have turned the tables with a dream win over Otago Volts. Here are excerpts from an interview with team owner Vijay Mallya.
Royal Challengers Bangalore trounced Otago Volts at the Chinnaswamy on Monday night and none was more pleased than the winning team's franchise owner, Vijay Mallya. Winning their do or die clash against Otago, RCB have leapt into the League Stage of CLT20. Mallya was all praise for the performers, especially Man-of- the-Match Jacques Kallis.

Mallya spoke exclusively to clt20.com post the win and expressed confidence that his team could go all the way now.

Excerpts:

It has been a dream year for Royal Challengers Bangalore, hasn't it?

Yeah, the first edition of IPL was disappointing, you know. Pretty much the same players, but for one reason or another we didn't bond enough. We have got a fabulous team, very close-knit. All determined to play well and contribute to the team.

How much of this is due to the skipper Anil Kumble?

Obviously, Anil Kumble as captain has done a superb job. I think he is responsible largely for the great teamwork. And we have got some great experienced players and some great youngsters. That blend is gelling well now.

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A word on the all-round skills of Jacques Kallis which has made the win possible?

Jacques Kallis is one of the world's best cricketers and has been acknowledged as such. I am not surprised that he batted superbly and bowled equally well. I hope Jacques Kallis is Man-of-the-Match many times over for us.

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Can the Royal Challengers go all the way now?

You know, in the first IPL, the team really hadn't come together. In the second IPL, we had a bad start, losing five in a row. But then guess what - we surprised everybody by winning six in a row. So we have got the capabilities and the talent to deliver. Just look at the two games in the Champions League Twenty20. Both games saw 180 plus scores and that's quite a good performance.

“This is like playing for England”

Brown, in the words of his skipper Michael Yardy, is the one to watch out for in the future.

The 22-year old right-handed batsman is excited to be in India for the Airtel Champions League Twenty20.

“It’s almost like playing for England without donning the national colours. I can tell you that a lot of national pride will be at stake.”

Brown’s thrill is balanced incredibly by a studied calm and poise that goes beyond his years and that is when you know, something special is round the corner.

Though he struggled against some fiery pace from Brett Lee and perished to a rush of blood against leg-spinner Steven Smith, there is firmness in his gait.

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That loss against New South Wales the other night would have hurt. Brown, like a lot of other British youngsters would have been seething at the 6-1 ODI drubbing against the arch rivals back at home before seeing their ICC Champions Trophy dreams crashing at the hands of the same opponents.

A chance to avenge was gone on Sunday. However, Brown knows as well as anyone else that a victory against Diamond Eagles tonight will set things up nicely for his team and let him go at his Aussie rivals again but does the rivalry end there for the Sharks?

Brown admits there will be a lot to fight for even against their own countrymen from Somerset, the Sabres.

“We are representing our country and our club. There is a lot of competition between the two sides and maybe we both of us can make it to the next stage.”

The bespectacled batsman almost broke Lee’s thumb and if he gets going, Brown can break a few hopes too. The Eagle will have to keep their claws crossed.

Indian squad for Australia ODIs on October 15

Mumbai: The Indian squad for the forthcoming seven-ODI series against Australia will be picked in Chennai on October 15.

"The ODI squad is to be picked on the 15th at Chennai," Cricket Board sources said on Monday.

Steve Waugh predicts a 'tough' India-Australia series

The selection is keenly awaited following the team's dismal display at the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa, where it got knocked out in the preliminary stage.

The national selection panel - barring chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth - watched the NKP Salve Challenger Series that ended in Nagpur on Sunday and will have worked out a few options to bolster the under-performing team.

Injury-depleted Australia team for India series

The ODI series will start with the day encounters at the Reliance (previously IPCL) Stadium in Vadodara on October 25 and end with the final day/night clash at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 11.

The other matches are scheduled at Nagpur (October 28), Delhi (October 31), Mohali (November 2), Hyderabad (November 5) and Guwahati (November 8) with all these ties, barring the sixth one in Assam, being day/night contests.