India sweep series against Australia

India scored an emphatic seven-wicket win over Australia in the second and last cricket Test to clinch the series 2-0 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here Wednesday.

Ganguly shines but Tamil Nadu retain title

new Delhi: Sourav Ganguly may have retired from international cricket but he continues to make an impact in his rare appearances on the domestic circuit.

Ganguly made an eye catching 74 in just 66 balls for Bengal in the final of the Vijay Hazare trophy in Ahmedabad.

Bengal ended up on the losing side in a high scoring final, ending on 350 for 8 in their 50 overs in reply to Tamil Nadu's massive total of 379 for 6.

Ganguly hit seven fours and three sixes in his innings while Shreevats Goswami and Anustup Majumdar. It was Tamil Nadu's fourth limited overs domestic title.

It's day-night or death for Test cricket: Modi

Twenty20 will surpass all other formats of the game and Test cricket would simply disappear if it doesn’t go day-night, predicted Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi.

Mr. Modi, the mastermind behind the cash-awash IPL and a relentless champion of the Twenty20 format, has no doubt whatsoever that cricket’s shortest format would rule the roost, overshadowing both Test and ODI cricket.

“Twenty20 will become the dominant format without doubt,” Mr. Modi predicted.

“It lasts only three hours and people don’t have time any more to sit all day watching cricket. We’re competing with football and other sports and I think three hours is a good time limit to help us expand the market. We are definitely bringing new consumers to cricket,” the IPL chief told ‘The Guardian’

According to him, Test cricket’s biggest problem is its duration and the only way out is a flood-lit culture.

“I am a great supporter of Test cricket. People say I’m not but I also run the marketing department of the BCCI and Test cricket is extremely important to us. All I am trying to do is remind people that we live in a modern age and Test cricket has a big problem: it is played in the daytime when most people are working,” Mr. Modi explained.

We should be embracing every opportunity for getting viewers into watching Tests and the most effective way is making it a day-night affair. If you take it to day-night, then people can watch it on TV when they get home from work — or they can go to the stadium,” he elaborated.

Asked if that means it would be either floodlight or death for Test cricket, Mr. Modi said: “Yes, because the broadcaster won’t be interested. Whether we like it or not, broadcasting determines whether a game survives. Without broadcasters you don’t have money to pay players or keep the sport alive.

“The five-day game should still be the pinnacle and the ultimate test of skills. You don’t need to fiddle with the format at this stage. All you need do is change the timing

India set South Africa 299 runs victory target

JAIPUR: Contributions from the top order saw India post a total of 298 for nine in the first One-Day International against South Africa at Sawai Mansingh Stadium here Sunday.


After being asked to bat, Indian innings revolved around Suresh Raina, who top scored with 58, Virender Sehwag (46) and Dinesh Karthik (44) while Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) and Virat Kohli (31) provided them support.

All the batsmen except Sachin Tendulkar, who was unfortunately run out for 4, got a good start but failed to convert it into a big score, leaving the lower order to take charge in the crucial end overs.

India scored at a good pace but South Africa did not allow any partnership to flourish. Jacques Kallis, who is leading the side in place of injured Graeme Smith, took three wickets.

Sehwag and Karthik added 79 runs in quick time after India lost Tendulkar with just 10 runs on the board.

Sehwag struck six fours and two sixes in his 37-ball innings, but he too, was run out.

Karthik, who hit five fours and one six, and Dhoni then kept the scoring rate moving before the former was dismissed by fast bowler Charl Langeveldt. Dhoni followed Karthik to the pavilion, becoming the first victim of Kallis.

Raina and Kohli kept up the good job with a brisk 66-run stand for the fifth wicket. With both at the crease India reached the 200-mark in the 35th over and were eyeing a big total but South Africa struck back with crucial blows.

Kohli left with Herschelle Gibbs taking a fine low catch at short mid-wicket off Morne Morkel.

Yusuf Pathan (18), who was making a comeback to the Indian team, did not stay for long, falling to left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell.

Left-handed Raina, who hit six fours and one six in his 63-ball knock, was the next to go, dismissed by Kallis.

Ravindra Jadeja (22), Praveen Kumar (13) and Ashish Nehra (16) then chipped in to take India closer to a competitive total.

Weather stalls India's victory quest

KOLKATA: India's quest for a series-levelling victory in the second Test against South Africa here at the Eden Gardens was hindered by the weather gods on Wednesday.

Overnight rain ensured play started no sooner than 10.30 a.m. on the fourth day. And an hour and 35 minutes after a delayed lunch, at 1.45 p.m. to be precise, the persistent gloom further darkened, forcing the players off the field. A steady, shimmering drizzle then held up play.

Truncated play

The murkiness lightened, allowing a restart at 3.20 p.m. It lasted one over. The 34.1 overs that were possible featured riveting cricket. India, seeking to protect both a proud home record and its No. 1 ranking, managed to extract Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis — a significant achievement, for they are South Africa's best at batting time.

India also dismissed Alviro Petersen, who, after making a century in his first Test innings, looked in fine touch in the second. India, however, couldn't shift Hashim Amla (49 batting). Amla has batted one ball short of 120 overs in the series thus far, relinquishing his wicket just once. M.S. Dhoni's bowlers must find a way past this batting bulwark early on Thursday to improve their chances of pressing for a win.

Forecast encouraging

India will be encouraged that Thursday's forecast is better than Wednesday's. If the Met Office mandarins are to be believed, the fifth day of the Test will be partly cloudy; the likelihood of rain is only 10 per cent. For the record, they got Wednesday's forecast — scattered thundershowers and a 40 per cent chance of rain — right.

India's bowlers have, in theory, 98 overs to take seven South African wickets on the fifth day, with play scheduled to start at 8.45 a.m.

The evidence of the first four days suggests however that it's an optimistic assessment. The Indians will have to factor for fewer overs to play with, all the time ensuring that desperation doesn't get the better of them — easier said than done.

Consistency needed

India's bowlers will also have to be more consistent than they were on Wednesday. There was some very good punctuated by some very ordinary. Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh took the new ball. It was a curious decision, but not one without precedent. Dhoni has thrown the new ball to his off-spinner in the past.

Harbhajan enjoyed the extra bounce of the harder ball, and once skilfully drifted a delivery past Petersen, the ball guided in its journey by the seam.

Although Zaheer forced Petersen to edge just past a diving V.V.S. Laxman at second slip and in another over troubled Smith, he couldn't manage the breakthrough in two short spells. Dhoni shuffled his bowlers around, making four changes before Amit Mishra struck with his first ball.

Smith played around a leg-break that ticked all the boxes for the leg-before decision: it may have pitched just outside the off-stump, but it turned to strike the left-hander in line; crucially it turned just enough — Mishra's incredible sidespin on the ball sometimes costs him for the ball does too much, but in this case, perhaps because the ball being only 12-overs old hadn't gripped nearly as much as an older ball, the turn was just sufficient.

Superb leg-break

Mishra later defeated Jacques Kallis with a terrific leg-break — certainly among the best of its kind that can be spun into existence.

All series Mishra has wrapped South Africa right-handers around ripping leg-breaks without gaining the edge. On this occasion Kallis — who was in supreme touch (a pull and an on-drive as good any in the match) — managed to nick it.

This delivery is why Mishra needs to be persisted with: he is capable of defeating great batsmen in defence thanks to what he does both in the air with drift and dip, and off the surface with turn and — to a lesser extent — bounce.

In between, Harbhajan Singh, consistently India's best bowler on Wednesday, had Petersen caught at forward short-leg with an off-break that turned and jumped to elude the bat's middle.

Amla gets a reprieve

Harbhajan then nearly conquered Amla. The batsman glanced an off-break to backward short-leg where M. Vijay, who had lifted early from his crouch, couldn't get back down in time to complete the catch. Amla was on 10 then.

But the weather gods had the final say, allowing only 151 minutes of play.

Dhoni might profitably consider including a propitiating ceremony among his tasks before Thursday morning.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa — 1st innings: 296

India — 1st innings: 643 for six decl.

South Africa — 2nd innings: G. Smith lbw b Mishra 20 ( 33b, 2x4), A. Petersen c Badrinath b Harbhajan 21 ( 51b, 2x4), H. Amla (batting) 49 ( 80b, 7x4), J. Kallis c Dhoni b Mishra 20 ( 47b, 3x4), A. Prince (batting) 0 ( 4b); Extras (nb-5): 5. Total (for three wkts. in 35 overs): 115.

Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Smith), 2-54 (Petersen), 3-111 (Kallis).

India bowling: Zaheer 6-0-32-0, Harbhajan 13-3-31-1, Ishant 8-1-36-0, Mishra 7-3-15-2, Sehwag 1-0-1-0 .

Sachin, Viru tons put India in control

KOLKATA: Sachin Tendulkar notched up his fourth consecutive Test ton and Virender Sehwag cracked 165 as India relied on the sheer class of the experienced duo to take control of the second and final cricket Test against South Africa here today.


After polishing off South Africa's first innings at 296, the hosts rode on Tendulkar's 47th ton and Sehwag's 19th century to reach 342 for five at close on the second day which saw the home team lose three key wickets in quick succession at the fag end.

At stumps on an eventful day, VVS Laxman (9) and night watchman Amit Mishra (1) were at the crease with India having taken a lead of 46 runs. They will now look to take a substantial first innings lead and push to level the series 1-1 in the remaining three days.

The vociferous crowd at the Eden Gardens was treated to a stunning exhibition of strokeplay by the two Indian masters as they put on a 249-run partnership for the third wicket to torment the South Africans, who need to win the match to dislodge India from the number one position in the Test rankings.

But both Sehwag and Tendulkar (106) fell at the fag end of the day alongwith S Badrinath to allow the visitors to claw back into the game to some extent.

Sehwag and Tendulkar, who unleashed some exquisite shots, appeared to be in no discomfort at all against the South Africans who did every thing to break the partnership without much luck till the very end of the day.

With the partnership taking gigantic proportions, South Africa's spinner Paul Harris mainly bowled a negative line outside the leg stump to dry up the runs.

It was Tendulkar's fourth century on the trot since the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong last month. He hit his second century in the second Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur and his third came in the first Test of the ongoing series in Nagpur.

The quick dismissals of Sehwag and Tendulkar, the two well set batsmen, meant that India could not finish the day on a a really commanding note.

Sehwag fell to part-time bowler J P Duminy with Ashwell Prince taking a simple catch in the cover region. His 174-ball 165 contained 23 boundaries and two sixes.

Tendulkar also returned to the pavilion soon after completing his century, his fifth against South Africa, with Harris plotting his dismissal. The star batsman edged the ball to Jaques Kallis in the slip leaving the Eden crowd shell shocked.

Earlier, India began the day by folding South African first innings at 296, conceding 30 more runs in the opening session.

With a four off Parnell to backward square-leg fence in the 69th over, the batting maestro carved his 47th century as his helmet came off and in his trademark style he looked upwards before acknowledging his feat to dressing room.

Sehwag, who was cruising along at the other end with 163, joined Tendulkar midway down the wicket with a warm hug as a standing ovation came from the near-full Eden crowd.

In the post-lunch session, the duo showed tremendous resilience as India slowly recovered from the twin blows of Gambhir and Murali Vijay.

Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag gave India an explosive start, stitching 73 runs for first wicket in just 9.2 overs before the southpaw was run out for 25.

Dale Steyn, first Test hero for the visitors, found the going tough with Sehwag creaming him for three consecutive boundaries and went on to concede 29 runs in his forgettable first spell of five overs.

With Sehwag on fire, there was a similar treatment at the other end for Morkel who conceded 28 runs from his three-over first spell.

Left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell replaced Morkel but it did not help as he leaked 11 runs in his first over with Sehwag freely dispatching the left-arm quickie over third-man for the first six of their innings.

Gambhir also joined the party as the Indian openers kept an eight-plus run-rate.

Viru puts India in command; 16 runs short of creating history

It was a performance that deserved a few minutes silence. Phew! We needed some time to recover from the hectic ride

Virender Sehwag and his accomplices had taken us on. But the thousands present at the Brabourne on Thursday were stunned not to silence but send decibel levels through the roof.

With only two Sri Lankan wickets to go, the crowd had lined outside the stadium in anticipation of the Indian batting blooming. But even they could not have predicted the massacre, especially given how the pitch behaved on the first day. They left after six hours of power batting, the image of one boundary getting blurred by the other. The beauty was difficult to miss even if you were a Sri Lankan supporter. Or maybe, the brutality of it.

In the morning, Angelo Mathews fell a run short of his maiden Test hundred as he tried to take on the arm of Sachin Tendulkar. Sri Lanka, after only 26 minutes of play on the second day, were bowled out for 393. India, making the most runs in a day in Tests, plundered 443 for one to take a 50-run lead.

When Sri Lanka ended the first day at 366 for eight, it remained to be seen who would prove to be the bigger monster on day two — the wicket or Muttiah Muralitharan. Both seemed lulled by Sehwag’s batsmanship. He scored the sixth double hundred of his career (including two triple centuries) and stamped it with trademark audacity. After all, that’s what you’d expect of a man who scored India’s first-ever triple hundred with a six.

Of the 284 runs he scored on the day, 202 came off boundaries. The numbers kept piling — 50 off 54 balls, 100 off 101, 150 off 130, 200 off 168, 250 off 207 balls — accelerating the scoring rate and denting Sri Lanka’s confidence and chances with every personal milestone. If he gets 16 more on Friday, Sehwag would be the first batsman to three triple centuries, overtaking Don Bradman and Brian Lara.

Sehwag, the star, shone so bright that even substitute opener Murali Vijay (87) and Rahul Dravid’s (62) efforts faded

into the background.

The Tamil Nadu batsman, who replaced Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order, though was more than just a sleeping partner to Sehwag. Though Sri Lankan bowlers were hardly incisive, Vijay kept his calm to score 87 off 121 balls (10x4, 1x6). The only blemish was when he was dropped by Rangana Herath, off Nuwan Kulasekara, on 67.

Herath though had his man, when he trapped Vijay leg-before as the batsman missed the line while attempting to sweep.

That, incidentally, was the only success for the Sri Lankans, whose bowling looked off the boil. A lot weighed on

Muralitharan and once the lead bowler goes for almost six an over and shows signs of dejection, it is bound to rub off on the rest of the team. Sri Lanka also had a poor day in the field, dropping two catches and there were numerous misfields.

Opening the batting has made me a better player - Dilshan

Sri Lankan centurion Tillakaratne Dilshan attributed his improvement as an international batsman to his decision to convert into an opener.

Dilshan struck a quick 112 to help Sri Lanka reach 275 for three in reply to India’s 426 at stumps on the second day of the first test on Tuesday.

Dilshan got an opportunity to open in one-day internationals in January when he replaced an out of form Upul Tharanga.

The explosive batsman was then chosen to open in test match cricket in August during the series against New Zealand and cracked 92 and 123 not out at Galle.

“Changing my spot in the batting order has helped me,” Dilshan told reporters after recording his fifth test century in 2009.

“Now there’s an opportunity for me to bat longer and I have got runs and I don’t want to throw my wicket away.”

Dilshan hit 12 fours while scoring his 10th test century and has been consistent at the top of the order in all three forms of the game this year and was named player of the series in the Twenty20 World Cup.

Sri Lanka are aiming to record a first test win on Indian soil in this series.

“Mahela (Jayawardene) and Thilan (Samaraweera) need to bat out the first session and the ball will start turning towards the end and a lead of around 150 will give us an edge,” he said.

The unbroken fourth-wicket pair have put on 81.

“The main target we have is to bat longer and get closer to 400 and see how it goes from there. We have two good spinners and if we get that lead we can control things.”

India coach Gary Kirsten praised Dilshan’s knock.

“Dilshan is a fantastic player, very talented and aggressive. He’s a dangerous player, we need to continuously work out how to get him out,” he told reporters.

Moves on to ensure that The Ashes return to free-to-air television

LONDON - Cricket’s showpiece Test series has joined the list of legally protected “crown jewel” sporting events, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt.


A review of “crown jewel” events which must be shown live on terrestrial television, led by David Davies, the former Football Association executive, is understood to have recommended that the Ashes be made free to air, The Daily Telegraph reports.

It is expected that the Gordon Brown Government will fully back the recommendation in view of the fact that complaints were lodged about a large television audience unfairly missing out on live coverage this year.

This summer’s England-Australia Test series was shown live only by Sky, whose paid-for sports channel achieved a peak of two million viewers when it broadcast the deciding Test at the Oval, whereas in 2005, viewership peaked at seven million.

A senior Government source said: “It’s a no-brainer. This is one thing we can do that chimes in with the wishes of millions of voters.”

However, the ruling is likely to lead to an outbreak of hostilities with Sky, which acquired the rights to screen the next home Ashes series, in 2013, as part of a 300 million pound deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year.

Relations between the Government and Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Sky and News International newspapers, are at a low point after the decision by the Sun newspaper to abandon Labour and back David Cameron’s Conservatives following Gordon Brown’s speech to his party’s conference last month.

Sky would be likely to resist fiercely any move to end or water down its exclusive rights to the 2013 Ashes series.

Currently, Sky broadcasts all England Test matches live, with free-to-air channel Five showing highlights. (ANI)