London to host 2011 Badminton World Championships

London has won the right to stage the 2011 Badminton World Championships.

Wembley Arena will host the event, which is staged annually apart from in an Olympic year, from 8-14 August.

The arena will also be the venue for the sport at the capital's 2012 Olympic Games after organisers decided against building a new venue in Stratford.

Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy said hosting the competition one year out from the Games made the event "even more special".

Christy added: "I would like to assure the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the players that Badminton England will do all that is possible to make the first BWF World Championships in London a truly wonderful experience for all concerned.

"I would also like reiterate our appreciation to the BWF for their confidence in Badminton England to host the World Championships.

"We have just staged the European Badminton Championships in Manchester and we are now looking forward to the countdown to the 2011 World Championships."

The tournament was last staged in Britain in 2003 in Birmingham, while this year's championships take place in Paris.

Wembley Arena will also be the venue for the sport at the 2012 Games after organisers decided against building a temporary venue at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.

China's Lin Dan is the reigning men's champion, having won the last three titles, while compatriot Lu Lan is the women's champion.

Andrew Flintoff in big demand

ANDREW Flintoff's declaration that he wants to play in Australia is likely to spark a fierce interstate bidding war for cricket's freelance gun for hire.

In an expansive interview in England overnight, Flintoff insisted one of his last remaining cricket goals was to play in Australia where his explosive all-round talents would attract a pot of gold.

"I'm hoping to play more for Lancashire and in the Indian Premier League. Another ambition is to play in an Australian domestic tournament," Flintoff said.

Flintoff recently joined Australia's Andrew "Roy" Symonds in becoming a freelance short-game player when he rejected a second-tier contract from the England Cricket Board.

The man they call Freddy is out of action now after knee surgery but states are already lining up to secure his services as a Twenty20 player in the 2010-11 Big Bash competition.

South Australia last night confirmed they were "aggressively pursuing" Flintoff and one of their key selling points was the relaxed lifestyle in Adelaide for Flintoff, his wife Rachael and young family.

"We have made no secret of the fact that we are after Flintoff and we have already talked to him on several occasions," a SACA spokesman said.

Queensland is another state that is in the market for Flintoff after already showing interest in the world's premier allrounder.

Bulls coach Trevor Barsby says he would love to have Flintoff on deck but one sticking point could be the price the allrounder would demand.

It is believed Flintoff is seeking a two-year domestic deal in Australia and he would be able to demand a base price of at least $120,000 in the Big Bash.

That payment may be topped up by Cricket Australia who would be just as keen to see Flintoff playing in Australia after claiming they wanted to turn the Big Bash into a "Bigger Bash".

Queensland Cricket boss Graeme Dixon confirmed the Bulls' interest in Flintoff but said they did not have a bottomless pit of cash.

Other states such as NSW, which has already shown a liking for big-name international stars after recruiting Kiwi Brendon McCullum last season, are also likely to join the race to secure Flintoff.

Flintoff also wants to continue playing one-day cricket for England and become the world's best limited overs cricketer at the next World Cup in 2011. He denies he has done anything wrong by snubbing the ECB's contract offer.

"I'm comfortable in what I've done," he told The Guardian in England.

"I know what I'm doing, sincerely. I'm in a good position to know when I can play, and when I can't. I'll never duck out of an England game."

England escape one-day whitewash

England avoided a 7-0 one-day series whitewash with a four-wicket win over Australia at the Riverside.

Graeme Swann was England's star performer, taking 5-28 as Australia were dismissed for 176 despite an innings of 53 by Ricky Ponting.

Andrew Strauss (46) and Joe Denly (53) gave England a solid platform with a 106-run opening partnership.

A middle-order collapse gave Australia hope but Paul Collingwood and Tim Bresnan saw England home on 177-6.

Although the victory ensured England escaped an unprecedented 7-0 series drubbing, another sub-standard batting performance - Strauss and Denly excepted - gave them little cause for optimism ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which starts on Tuesday.

After an impressive bowling display, when Swann became only the fifth England spin bowler to take five wickets in a one-day innings, the hosts almost contrived to throw away a match which was there for the taking.

From 106-0, when an injudicious reverse sweep cost Strauss his wicket, England slumped to 141-5 and although they reached their target with 10 overs to spare, it was somehow fitting that they should finally stumble over the line courtesy of a no-ball.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on a series whitewash, and dropping to third in the one-day rankings as a consequence, Australia will travel to South Africa for the Champions Trophy confident of repeating their 2006 victory.

With the sun belting down on a glorious morning in Chester-le-Street, Ponting once again lost the toss - his sixth from seven - as Strauss opted to utilise the favourable overhead conditions and bowl first.

The hosts welcomed back Collingwood from a three-game hiatus and gave another local favourite, Graham Onions, his one-day debut at the ground where he recently helped Durham win the County Championship for the second successive year.

On a track offering assistance for both seamers and spinners, England bowled with the control and aggression so often missing in their previous six performances in the series.

Anderson reaped instant success as Shane Watson edged a simple catch to Swann at first slip and Tim Paine, fresh from a maiden one-day ton at Trent Bridge in the previous match, followed suit to give Onions his first one-day wicket for England.

With Australia teetering for the first time in the series at 17-2, the experience of Ponting and Clarke steered the tourists away from immediate danger.

Ponting, in particular, was cutting, pulling and driving with consummate ease and a booming front-foot drive saw the Tasmanian surpass Inzamam-ul-Haq and move to third in the all-time leading one-day run scorers, with only Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar now in front of him.

But soon after reaching his 68th one-day half century, Ponting was beaten in the flight by Swann and looped a catch to Collingwood, who was stationed at mid-on, a dismissal which sparked a seven-wicket collapse for just 80 runs.

The breakthrough provided fresh impetus for England and Clarke followed soon after for 38, run out by a smart piece of fielding from Eoin Morgan.

Cricket set for Champions Trophy

Cricket's second biggest 50-over event, the biennial Champions Trophy, begins in South Africa on Tuesday, as the sport's top eight teams vie for glory.

The tournament was to have been held in Pakistan last year but was postponed and moved because of security concerns.

Two teams from two groups of four will form the semi-finals, with the final to be staged in Centurion on 5 October.

England face South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka but are without star men Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen.

Group A consists of holders Australia, India, Pakistan and the West Indies.

The England team were thrashed in the recent 50-over series against Australia, with only a narrow victory in the final match preventing them from becoming the first team to lose a series 7-0.

Without Flintoff and Pietersen their chances appear remote, and they begin with a daunting day/night contest against the talented Sri Lankans in Johannesburg on Friday.

Kumar Sangakkara's highly-regarded Sri Lanka side begin the competition against the hosts in Centurion (1330 BST start).

South Africa, the world's number one side, have not been in competitive action since the ICC World Twenty20 in England in June but skipper Graeme Smith said his side were ready to make an impact.

He said: "One of our major challenges as a team going into this tournament is our lack of games, but we have really focused hard in the last three weeks to train as well as we can by making it as competitive as possible.

"We have created a lot of scenarios and challenges which will best enhance our abilities.

"The guys are motivated and excited and I think we can use the freshness to our advantage by getting in and playing good cricket up front."

Counterpart Sangakkara was in optimistic mood as his team look to win the trophy for the first time outright, having shared the title in 2002 when the final and the reserve day against India was washed out.

In the last two months they have won a five-match series against Pakistan and won triangular series games with New Zealand and India, before losing in the final to Mahendra Dhoni's side.

"Everyone here is a professional unit and whether they have played recently or not won't matter because you are always in training and up to the challenge of playing," Sangakkara said.

"It is nice to have had a bit of cricket, but the only advantage of that is that we have been competing under pressure.

"Everyone in our team is confident, but our recent wins are not going to count for anything."

The popularity of the 50-over format of the game has waned since the introduction of Twenty20 and speculation about its future is rife, with a general air of apathy surrounding a second world tournament in the space of three months, following the ICC World Twenty20 won by Pakistan.

Lessons have been learned from the torturous 2007 World Cup, which comprised 16 teams and took more than six weeks to complete its 51 matches, with only 15 games over a far more sensible two-week period in this competition.

The loss of crowd-pullers such as Flintoff and Pietersen, plus India's cavalier opening batsman Virender Sehwag, is unfortunate, however, and some big-hitting, action-packed close contests are urgently needed if the event is to continue in the long term.

ECB backs world Test championship

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) says it supports the idea of introducing a world Test championship.

Haroon Lorgat, chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), had claimed that England and India were blocking the initiative.

But the ECB's only reservations are believed to be over the event's format.

"We are fully engaged with the ICC over proposals for a world Test championship and are supportive in principle," an ECB spokesman said.

Cricket's governing body has been looking into ways of increasing the popularity of Test cricket, whose future is threatened by the rise of the Twenty20 game.

In July, the MCC's world cricket committee recommended the introduction of a world Test championship, involving teams playing each other over a four-year cycle, culminating in semi-finals and a final.

The ECB are believed to be concerned about spreading the tournament over such a long period, during which the strength of the teams would vary enormously.

The plans could also lead to lucrative series against the likes of Australia, India and South Africa being shortened to accommodate matches against lesser Test nations like Bangladesh and New Zealand.

The proposed starting date of 2012 could clash with the London Olympics.

But the ICC is determined to push the plan through in order to give greater importance to every Test series.

"I would like to convince people that the way to ensure Test cricket survives is through a championship model," Lorgat told the Guardian.

"The only two countries who do not see the argument are India and England, but debate is growing all the time.

"The MCC seem to have come out in favour but when I met the ECB recently it was the wrong time to tackle them in detail. They were too high on the Ashes."

While Test matches in England regularly attract full houses, attendances in most other Test-playing nations have been falling.

There is also concern about the increasing ambivalence towards Test cricket among players from certain nations.

An MCC survey among professional cricketers around the world revealed players coveted a lucrative Twenty20 deal with an Indian Premier League team above any other achievement.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff recently retired from Test cricket, and rejected an England central contract in a bid to maximise his earnings from limited-overs cricket around the world.

"There's no doubt a Test championship would be of great benefit," added Lorgat.

"Let's say you and your mate are South African and Australian - and India are about to play Sri Lanka. If the result impacts on your team's championship standing you are bound to be more interested."

Sachin Tendulkar returns to top 10 in ODI rankings

Riding on his fantastic performance in the tri-series in Sri Lanka, veteran Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar today returned to the top-10 of ICC one-day rankings, rising five places to seventh.

For the first time in 10 months, Tendulkar is among the world’s top 10 after scoring his 44th one-day century for India, earning his team a 46-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final of the tri-series in Colombo on Monday. Tendulkar scored 138 to lay the foundation of India’s winning total of 320.

Tendulkar, also the leading run-scorer in the series with 211 runs, had slipped out of the top-10 after the home series against England in November 2008 and had rested for the first three ODIs of the five-match series which India won 5—0.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni leads the batting table from his vice-captain Yuvraj Singh who has achieved his career-best second place in the rankings for ODI all-rounders.

Yuvraj leapfrogged Jacques Kallis of South Africa, Jacob Oram of New Zealand and Andrew Flintoff of England into second place after scoring 80 runs with the bat and taking four wickets with the ball.

Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have dropped two places each after both missed the series due to injuries. A player loses one per cent of his rating for every match he misses.

Andrew Flintoff's rejection threatens test cricket

Andrew Flintoff may have unwittingly incited the break-up of international cricket. In the wake of his audacious decision to refuse an England contract and become a freelance player roaming the world in search of a game, it began to seem certain yesterday that other players would soon follow.

This will cause the dilution of Test and one-day cricket between countries if top players are unavailable, which would in turn lead to a slow, lingering but inevitable death as fans and sponsors turn away. The grim scenario has suddenly heightened the significance of two conferences in Johannesburg later this month n one for players, the others for administrators - and there will be serious talking which needs to yield swift verdicts on how cricket and its leading players are to be run.

Flintoff himself issued assurances that his rejection of an England increment contract, a second tier deal offered to him because of his retirement from Test cricket, did not lessen his commitment to England. The all-rounder, who is Dubai undergoing rehabilitation after knee surgery, made it clear that he has no intention of missing any England games should they clash with matches in the various Twenty20 franchise competitions he also hopes to be part of.

Although Flintoff has put all negotiations on hold while he recovers he is known to have been in preliminary talks with teams in Australia, where their revamped Twenty20 competition is to be called the Big Bash and South Africa, where the Pro20 is easily the most popular professional cricket in the country.

Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, said yesterday that other players would join Flintoff in rejecting national deals and that there may be a rash of early retirements from international cricket.

"I think there will be a lot of serious discussion in Johannesburg later this month among the parties and between the parties," he said.

"I can't overestimate its importance. In the space of a few weeks we have had two leading players withdrawing from components of the international game, Andrew Flintoff from tests and Ricky Ponting, from Twenty20 internationals.

"I think other players will, like Flintoff, reject contracts from their boards, not necessarily from England but from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies where the rewards are not nearly so great. If that happens then the teams they put out will not be representative. This can be overcome if windows are made for franchise Twenty20 competitions. We're only surprised that it has not been done before now and if it doesn't get done then the consequences down the line will be huge."

Flintoff wants to become best one-day player in the world

All rounder Andrew Flintoff, who underwent a knee operation 24 hours after his heroics helped England regain the Ashes, wants to become best one day player in the world.

Flintoff was devastated last week when told by specialist Andy Williams that he would require more surgery as he has already had four on his right ankle.

"Wearing the three lions is a massive incentive and I want to wear them again," The Sun quoted Flintoff, as saying.

"My aim is to become the best one-day player in the world and play in the next two World Cups for England," he said.

If Flintoff is fit to play in Bangladesh, he could then go to the IPL for a six-week campaign with his Chennai Super Kings franchise.

"I've been an Ashes winner twice and I've played 79 Tests. I'm happy. I enjoyed the celebrations but it has dawned on me that the next time England play a Test match I'm not going to be involved.

"I've never achieved greatness. Look at the greats of our game - Garry Sobers, Ian Botham and Ricky Ponting have achieved greatness over a long period of time. I've done it occasionally," he added.

England coach Andy Flower is confident that Flintoff has not played his final game for England.

"He's had a tough time with injuries and has always fought back. He looks after himself well and is a strong man. I'm sure he'll come back and do great things for England's one-day team," Flower said.

No respite for Andrew Flintoff

One of the enduring images which accompanied England's 2005 Ashes triumph was of Andrew Flintoff's (in AFP photo) heroic bender. Should the team somehow repeat the feat at the Oval in the coming days, it is unlikely that their all-rounder will be able to do likewise.
Rather than drinking for England, and indeed the Rest of the World, to celebrate as he did four years ago, Flintoff will have to board a plane for Belfast.

In another outstanding example of bizarre scheduling, England have agreed to play a One-Day International against Ireland only three days after the decisive fifth Test which also marks the end of Flintoff's Test career.

Flintoff was yesterday named in the squad for the game ~ together with six other members of the squad for the Ashes match ~ and for all England's other imminent limited overs assignments.
It is a sure indication that the selectors have taken him at his word: that although he is finishing with Tests, he intends to become the best one-day cricketer in the world.
By picking Flintoff, despite his dodgy knee, for Ireland, for the two Twenty20 matches and the seven ODIs against Australia which follow and for the Champions Trophy against South Africa, the selectors are giving him every opportunity.

"I hope there is no wishful thinking," said Mr Geoff Miller, national selector. "He is retiring from Test cricket so his focus is going to be on one-day cricket and we're hoping he will play as many as possible because that's what he has designated himself for.
"We're trying to build a squad and a side so that people are comfortable about where they play.
“We know what Andrew is capable of and he knows what he's capable of. If we have to monitor Andrew day by day we will do that. But at the moment he's in our squad and an integral part of our side."

England picked one debutant in the squads, Joe Denly of Kent. Denly has been on the selectors' radar for some time as a regular part of England Lions teams and has the additional benefits of being only 23 and having learned his cricket in England.
"He's an exciting prospect," said Mr Miller.
"We have monitored him very regularly and he's played extremely well not just in one-day cricket but in four-day cricket as well. It will be very interesting to see how he reacts.
"He's a very strong character, very effervescent and how he plays is how you see him as a character."

There is no place in the one-day squad for Kevin Pietersen, who is recovering from Achilles surgery.
The selectors hope he will be fit for England's full tour of South Africa starting in November.
Ian Bell has been dropped, which is slightly surprising since he has been entrusted with the number three spot in the nerve-jangling Ashes match.
It lent a hollow ring to Miller's words of support.
"We don't have a concern about Ian Bell," he said. "We don't pick players if we have a concern. We're confident they can do a job for us."
Good enough for the Ashes, but not for a few one-dayers.

Injured Flintoff under pressure not to play IPL

Injured England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is reportedly under pressure not to play in the 2009 Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.

With Australian captain Ricky Ponting and several other players from that country deciding to opt out, Flintoff's fragile fitness has assumed a larger than life picture, especially in the wake of England failing to win the third Test in Antigua.

In an article for The Telegraph, former England fast bowler Derek Pringle is critical of Flintoff's desire to appear for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL in his injured state, and urges him to learn from Ponting, who has put country first before IPL.

He quotes one England player as saying: "Ponting can do what he likes. I'm playing in IPL, end of story."

"If that sounds unpatriotic, the reality of playing for England these days is a non-stop slog of matches and tours for which the England and Wales Cricket Board must take much of the blame. After all, the quickest way to grow the game's revenue in recent years has been to enhance TV deals by playing ever-increasing amounts of cricket, a process that has proceeded unchecked for 10 years," says Pringle.

At first players countered by warning of burnout, but with money now to be made by playing yet more cricket, a hard-nosed attitude has taken hold," Pringle adds.

He blames the ECB squarely, saying that had they not made such an issue over IPL participation last year, and not insisted that players appear for the ill-fated Stanford venture as a way of remaining out of reach of India's Twenty20 moguls, the players would probably have been less bullish now about taking part.

"The Board's other option, and one many former England cricketers feel they should have taken, was to have handed players, especially those dithering over signing their central contracts, an ultimatum: "You can play in IPL but while it takes place when it does [April and May], if you do you won't play for England," Pringle says.

"With the Ashes imminent, injury is likely to be an emotive matter with regard to IPL, which is why Flintoff, who will discover the extent of any damage to his right hip on Saturday, is keeping his own counsel. But the thought of him playing extra cricket, and IPL is an add-on, albeit a highly lucrative one, must run contrary to England's best interests for this summer's Ashes and World Twenty20," he concludes.

Kevin Pietersen gets huge IPL price tag

Kevin Pietersen has been priced up as the most expensive Englishman in the auction for the Indian Premier League.

The ex-England captain has been valued at a minimum of $1.35m (£944,000), IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has revealed.

The IPL list also includes fellow England stars Andrew Flintoff, Monty Panesar, Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell and Matt Prior.

Former England internationals Darren Gough and Dominic Cork have also been included in the player auction.

It set to take place on 6 February in Goa where the eight IPL franchises will bid for players.

The league runs from 10 April to 29 May, although contracted England players are only permitted to go for three weeks.

The England & Wales Cricket Board wants to ensure its centrally-contracted players return in time for the Lord's Test against the West Indies on 6 May.

The IPL auction list includes eight players who are centrally contracted to the ECB - Pietersen, Flintoff, Harmison, Bell, Collingwood, Panesar, James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom.

Flintoff has been rated at a minimum of $950,000 (£664,000), which means that both he and Pietersen can expect to receive more than £350,000 for three weeks work on a pro rata basis.

One-day specialists Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah, Graeme Swann and Luke Wright, who hold incremental ECB contracts, are also on the list - along with the uncontracted Ed Joyce, Rob Key and Sajid Mahmood, who have all played international cricket.

However, former England captain Michael Vaughan said he opted against putting his name forward, preferring to concentrate on regaining his place in the national side.

"I'm not too sure whether I would have been bought at the auction, but my [aim] is to get back into the Test team and to do that I have to play four-day cricket," said the 34-year-old Yorkshireman.

Shaun Udal was also a surprise inclusion on the IPL auction list, but the 39-year-old off-spinner, who captained Middlesex to victory in last year's domestic Twenty20 Cup, has rejected a lucrative short-term deal.

"I've decided, after some soul searching and advice from people I trust, not to enter myself into the auction," he said.

"One of the main reasons is the Middlesex captaincy, which is something that I really treasure."

Seamer Gough, 38, retired from first-class cricket in September after ending his second spell with Yorkshire.

Lancashire released Cork, 37, last August and Hampshire have since signed the all-rounder on a two-year contract.

Essex wicketkeeper James Foster had been on the initial auction list, but the 28-year-old said he will prioritise his county duties.

"Realistically, I do not think it likely that I will be involved this year given the number of international and highly-regarded local wicketkeepers who are already signed up by the franchises and the restriction on the number of overseas players allowed," he told said.

Centrally-contracted paceman Stuart Broad, England's highest-ranked bowler in one-day cricket, has decided against putting his name forward.

Vaughan, new captain Andrew Strauss and opener Alastair Cook were the other contracted players to opt out, along with wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose, who holds an incremental contract.

Hugh Morris, the managing director of the England team, said: "We've got a very important summer ahead of us with the World Twenty20 and the Ashes and this is a decision Stuart has made and we must respect that.

"Players will prepare in different ways for this summer. Stuart has chosen one way and others have chosen another way."

With a limited amount of franchise places available for overseas players in the IPL auction, it is unlikely all the England players will be picked up.

But Morris is confident that for those who do secure an IPL spot, it will prove to be a positive experience: "It's very much down to the players. It's their choice, the IPL is a fantastic opportunity.

"With the Twenty20 World Championship happening in England at the beginning of the summer, it's nice to have the opportunity for some our players to play Twenty20 cricket.

"The players who go there are going to be playing with and against some of the best players in the world in what we see as a very high-profile, very important tournament."

The first English player to play in the IPL was Hampshire's Dimitri Mascarenhas, who signed for Rajasthan Royals last year and is set to return for a second campaign.

Swann leads England fightback

England off spinner Graeme Swann grabbed three quick wickets to trigger an Indian batting collapse after lunch on day two of the second test on Saturday.

India were 356 for five at tea after losing four wickets for 19 runs in the afternoon. Yuvraj Singh was 12 not out with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on six at the interval.

Swann, playing in only his second test, led England's fightback in an unchanged 14-over spell in tandem with all rounder Andrew Flintoff, who took the other wicket after giving away just three runs in his outstanding six-over spell.

Opener Gautam Gambhir struck 179 and Rahul Dravid 136, after scoring his 26th test hundred as the pair piled up a record 314 runs for the second wicket.

Swann, who took two wickets in his first over on test debut in the six-wicket defeat in Chennai, struck in the fifth over after India resumed on their lunch score of 302 for one.

He had Gambhir and Dravid caught and then trapped Sachin Tendulkar (11) leg before, then Flintoff trapped Vangipurappu Laxman leg before for duck facing 24 deliveries.

England bowlers, who finally got on top of a slow pitch affording some seam movement, almost had a sixth wicket but Yuvraj was dropped on eight when Alastair Cook spilt a simple catch at point off Flintoff.

Swann, Flintoff star for England, India all out for 453

Graeme Swann triggered a top order collapse and Andrew Flintoff polished off the tail to abort India's bid to bury England under a run mountain on day two of
the second and final cricket Test on Saturday.

Resuming on 179 for one, India's overnight batsmen Gautam Gambhir (179) and Rahul Dravid (136) starred in a record 314-run stand for the second wicket before Swann and Flintoff pegged back the hosts who lost wickets in a heap towards the end to be all out for 453 runs in 158.2 overs.

England openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook did walk out to begin their first innings but once they were offered light, both returned to the pavilion without facing a ball.

Interestingly, the sun came out soon after. The morning session, which yielded 123 runs from 27 overs without any wicket falling, clearly belonged to the hosts, who looked set for at least 500 runs.

Fortune, however, fluctuated in the post-lunch session, which saw just 54 runs being scored off 28 overs with four Indian wickets tumbling in quick successions.

England dominated the final session as well, claiming the lower half of the Indian batting order conceding 97 runs. On a misty morning when the ball did quite a bit, both the overnight batsmen Gambhir and Dravid scratched around for a while before some easy boundaries calmed their nerves.

Much to their bemusement, they found singles were not easy to come by even though boundaries kept flowing. Gambhir cut Andrew Flintoff for a delectable boundary to score India's first runs of the day and twice stepped out to hit Monty Panesar for a couple of fours in his only over before lunch.

Tendulkar is egoless, gracious god : British media

Sachin Tendulkar is god to billion Indians but he is a "gracious god" who lifts his people out of the pit of despair in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, a leading British newspaper said, paying tribute to the champion batsman who has "not a scrap of ego".

Tendulkar offered balm to a country which was devastated by terror attacks in its finacial capital yet he remained a modest god, according to a write-up in Daily Telegraph.

"He (Tendulkar) is an unlikely-looking god. He stands there in the middle dwarfed by the gigantic Andrew Flintoff and the strapping Yuvraj Singh, a boy-like figure with a cherubic face whose Michelin man-style pads come half way up his thigh," Simon Hughes wrote.

"The poor Indian lifts his hands to Sachin Tendulkar in supplication; Give us respite, a sense of liberation; lift us up from the dark pit of our lives to well-lit places of the imagination with your skill-wrought perfection. He has not a scrap of ego. He is a gracious god. We will never see his like again".

The writer said that Tendulkar never shirked his enormous responsibility and spent considerable time preparing for a game.

"Tendulkar never shirks this enormous responsibility. He spends almost every waking hour seeking that perfection, practising, planning, preparing. He rings his brother, the man who knows his game best, every day, talking bowlers and bat angles and shot selection. He looks at the pitch and contemplates how he will make runs on it. He is thankful of his talent and dutifully delivers it to his public, the majority of whom have nothing," Hughes wrote.

A self-effacing man who keeps his emotions private, Tendulkar's inner urge to express the hurt caused to him by the audacious terror attack at the city he was born and brought up led him to dedicate his century in Chennai to the people of Mumbai and India, but he admits it was not his nature to play the role of a statesman too often.

"Sometimes I do it, but it is not my way," Tendulkar was quoted as saying by the newspaper. "Tendulkar lives in Bandra, in the north of Mumbai, Bollywoodville. But he often goes south to Colaba with family and friends, to eat in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel or the Oberoi.

"The Mumbai attacks were close to home and affected him deeply. The England players remarked on his extra patience and intensity at the crease. This time he was doubly determined to lift his people out of their pit," the article said.

Tendulkar wields a heavy bat unusual for his small frame, but he says he would not be the same batsman without his willow.

"I like a bow in it. I can't bat with anything else. I would not feel right at the crease," the master batsman said.

Sachin Tendulkar offers Mumbai tribute

Sachin Tendulkar dedicated his century to the families of those killed in the Mumbai terror attacks following India's six-wicket win over England in Chennai.

"This hundred will give a certain amount of happiness to people but what happened in Mumbai, it's very hard to recover from that," he said.

"Cricket is a lesser thing compared to what has happened.

"Whatever we can contribute, we've been able to do that. We're right with the people who have lost their dear ones."

The two-match series against England was in serious doubt following the attacks in Mumbai, Tendulkar's home city, on 29 November, in which more than 170 people were killed.

The England squad flew home, but agreed to return last weekend after being promised unprecedented levels of security by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

They were in the driving seat for much of the game in Chennai but Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 103 on the final day as he and Yuvraj Singh guided India to their target of 387.

Tendulkar described it as a "special victory".

He continued: "The gameplan was to wait for opportunities to score runs because you can't afford to get bogged down.

"It was the kind of wicket where the bounce meant you could always play shots, we looked to put the bad balls away."

Despite his magnificent innings, the Man of the Match award went to team-mate Virender Sehwag, who wrested the initiative from England on the fourth evening with a sparkling innings of 83 off 68 balls.

"We weren't brilliant on the field for the first three days, so it was important to play the last two days with a lot of intensity," said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"Sehwag was the playmaker. Without his innings we would have been defending this Test match, but Sachin and Yuvraj really performed when it was really needed for the side."

Sehwag struck four sixes and 11 fours and he said: "I always back myself. If the ball pitches in my area, I'll go after it - it doesn't matter whether it's turning or not."

The second Test begins in Mohali on Friday with India looking to complete back-to-back series victories after defeating Australia 2-0 in a four-match series last month.

Tendulkar, Yuvraj Lift India Closer to Record Cricket Target

Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 65 to lift India to 304-4 at tea against England -- 83 runs short of the highest successful run chase in a Test in India.

Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, on 45 not out, boosted the home team in an 80-run stand on the final day of the first cricket Test in Chennai. Graeme Swann had earlier removed VVS Laxman to reduce India to 224-4 chasing 387 to win.

The Indians, who last lost a home Test series to England in 1985, have a minimum 40 overs for what would be the highest fourth-innings total to win a Test in India. The West Indies successfully chased 276 runs at Delhi in 1987.

India started the final day needing another 256 runs after opener Virender Sehwag blasted 83 off 68 balls late yesterday. Centuries by Andrew Strauss -- his second of the match -- and Paul Collingwood had lifted England to 311-9 declared in its second innings.

India added 10 runs to its overnight total today before Rahul Dravid edged an Andrew Flintoff delivery to wicketkeeper Matt Prior. With the score on 183, Collingwood took a diving catch at gully to dismiss Gautam Gambhir (66) off James Anderson’s bowling.

Laxman fell for 26 shortly after the lunch interval, caught at short leg by Ian Bell, to leave England needing six more wickets. Tendulkar then passed 50 for a world record-extending 92nd time to wrest the initiative. Yuvraj smashed a six and four fours in 68 balls to move within runs five of a half-century.

A series win would lift India above South Africa into second place in the International Cricket Council’s Test Championship. England would move above Sri Lanka into fourth with a 2-0 win.

The best-of-two contest had been in doubt when England cut short its one-day series following the Nov. 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. England’s players agreed to return to India at the start of the month after receiving security assurances.

The second Test is scheduled to start Dec. 19 in Mohali.

England call up Khan and Rashid

Kent fast bowler Amjad Khan, 28 has been added to England's squad for the two-Test series in India.

And Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid, 20, will also travel to Chennai if the tour goes ahead but has not been officially added to the squad.

The two newcomers have been promoted from the Performance group currently with the senior squad in Abu Dhabi.

But the players are still awaiting a security report on India before making a final decision on whether to tour.

Khan has been named as the official replacement for Ryan Sidebottom, who has endured an injury-plagued year and will play no part in India.

"I must have done something right in the last couple of days," said Khan, who was given the nod ahead of Lancashire's Sajid Mahmood.

"Saj and I got picked for the one-dayers and I thought if they were going to then, there was no reason they should not pick me for the Tests.

"I thought I had a chance but I knew it would come down to form on the day - that sort of stuff."

Sidebottom's Nottinghamshire team-mate Stuart Broad is not in the running for the first Test with a hamstring injury

But if the tour is confirmed, he will fly directly from the UK to Chennai in an attempt to force his way into the side for the second match in Mohali.

The other players are spending Sunday in Abu Dhabi, waiting for ECB managing director High Morris to report back to them on the security situation in Chennai.

They are then due to fly onto the southern Indian city on Monday should there be a collective agreement to tour.

However, individual players may still pull out, which would improve Khan's chances of a first Test cap.

Born in Copenhagen and a former member of the Danish national team, Khan's first full season for Kent was in 2002, when he claimed an impressive 63 wickets.

He was awarded British citizenship in December 2006 and earned a place at the Academy. However, a serious knee injury forced him home and reconstructive surgery kept him out of the entire 2007 season.

Rashid's best season in the Championship came last summer, when he took 62 wickets, and he is also a proficient batsman.

He has impressed for England at youth level, with a century and an eight-wicket haul in an under-19 Test against India.

In 2007, he struck his maiden Championship century.
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Revised England squad for the two-Test tour of India:

KP Pietersen (capt, Hampshire), TR Ambrose (wkt, Warwickshire), JM Anderson (Lancashire), IR Bell (Warwickshire), SCJ Broad (Nottinghamshire), PD Collingwood (Durham), AN Cook (Essex), A Flintoff (Lancashire), SJ Harmison (Durham), MS Panesar (Northants), MJ Prior (wkt, Sussex), OA Shah (Middlesex), AJ Strauss (Middlesex), GP Swann (Nottinghamshire), A Khan (Kent).

England may practice in UAE

As the England ODI and Performance teams arrived back home in London after suspending the tour of India due to the terrorist attacks, the ECB expressed confidence and commitment to the commencement of the Test tour after it received a security report in the next 48 hours. This was revealed by Hugh Morris, the ECB’s managing director in a press conference on Saturday.

“The only reason why we decided to suspend the tour and return home was to assess the safety situation in India in a comfortable environment,” Morris said. He added the ECB was waiting for a security report of the situation in India within the next 24 to 48 hours and a decision would be taken on Monday.

He also said if England could not reach India in time for the practice match, they might opt for a neutral venue if the ‘tour is on’. “We have to keep our options open and training in Abu Dhabi is definitely an option,” he said. But the ECB had no discussion on whether they would want to play the Tests in a neutral venue. “These are just speculations. We have had no discussions on this,” he said.

Flintoff, Harmison unsure

Agencies add: England will return to India to play their two-match Test series as per schedule, but without several senior players including talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison.

Meanwhile, the ICC has urged England on Sunday to play the Test series in India if player safety concerns are addressed. “If safety and security allow then I would urge the England Test tour of India to go ahead and if it does so then representatives of the ICC will be there to show solidarity with the competing teams,” chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

England players' kits left at the Taj

England's cricketers will have to bring along new kits if they return to India for next month's Test series as they had left them at Mumbai's terror-hit Taj Mahal Hotel before the abandoned ODI series.

The players left their kits for the two-match Test series, scheduled to start in Ahmedabad on December 11, at the Taj and planned to to pick the gear after the one-day series.

But the terrorist attack, which has killed nearly 200 people and left the Taj hotel shattered, meant that England were forced to return without both their kit and the Hugo Boss suits they are given for formal occasions on tour.

"If we're looking what's going on at the moment, all our cricket stuff is in storage at the Taj hotel so we'll be the first team to play a Test match in blues (one-day kit) that's for sure. So I don't know. If we do come back, we'll have to get all the logistic stuff sorted out first," captain Kevin Pietersen was quoted as saying by 'Daily Telegraph'.

"The decision to go back to London will buy us some time and if we need to fly back to India on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday next week then so be it," he added.

The English team left Bangalore early on Saturday morning for London after abandoning the remaining two matches of the ODI series. Their board had assured the BCCI that they would come back to play the Test series unless the security scenario in India does not worsen dramatically.

The BCCI has already moved the second Test from Mumbai to Chennai, besides fixing up a three-day warm-up game at Baroda from December 5-7.

England decision likely in 24 hours

Will they be back? The suspense will not last too long. England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will get back to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) soon. In fact, if one were to believe a top English Board official, in about 24 hours.

An emergency meeting of the England team management comprising players, representatives of the professional cricketers association, security experts and every concerned party, will be held some time on Sunday. If not, surely on Monday morning. “We want to hold the meeting as soon as possible,” an ECB official told DNA.

Any delay in the meeting could only be because of the timing of the team’s arrival in England. The players were not scheduled to land at the Heathrow before 7.30 pm GMT on Saturday, which is past midnight in India. “We want to call them for the meeting on Sunday itself,” the English Board official said.

The ECB has been maintaining silence over the claims of the BCCI that it has got the go-ahead from them over the tour. It has also not stated anything that is contrary to the BCCI’s assertions on the status of the two-Test series. The ECB’s silence is being deemed as approval of the Indian Board’s proposal.

When asked if that is the case, the ECB again chose to stay silent. “We have seen the comments of the BCCI. We will not say anything till our meeting is over. We will make our stand clear only after that,” Colin Gibson, communications manager of the ECB, told this paper on Saturday night.