Sri Lanka postpones IPL-style tournament

The inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League has been postponed to next year following the withdrawal of the Indian cricketers, the island nation's sports minister told

"The company which is organising (the tournament) said financially they are not in a shape to organise this without the Indian players," sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said.

Twelve Indian players were set to participate in the July 19-August 4 event modelled on the successful Indian Premier League (IPL) but were denied permission by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) that eventually led to the tournament's postponement less than a fortnight before the proposed start.

Aluthgamage had earlier said the BCCI's opposition stemmed from their suspicion that former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, who was sacked on financial irregularity charges, was behind the tournament.

Sri Lanka Cricket's media manager Brian Thomas said once the Indian players had withdrawn, it was difficult to go ahead with the event.

"We thought we can't do a tournament of this magnitude (in absence of the Indian players). It is not a financial issue, it's a logistical problem."

Aluthgamage said the league would be replaced by a domestic tournament.

"The board is meeting today to discuss this and they will have the tournament without the foreign players, similar to the one held last year."

West Indian Kieron Pollard, Pakistan's Shahid Afridi and New Zealand's Daniel Vettori were among the foreign players recruited for the Twenty20 tournament.

Courtesy : Reuters

Kevin Pietersen gives backing to skipper Alastair Cook

Kevin Pietersen has said Alastair Cook has his backing despite a shaky start to his time as England one-day skipper.

England trail 2-1 with two to play in their series against Sri Lanka going into Wednesday's match at Trent Bridge.

Pietersen said: "Cooky is in charge [and] it's vital that whatever decisions he makes, we back. That's got to be good for his confidence.

"To become a successful and confident captain, you want to have the backing of your players."

Cook began his tenure as Andrew Strauss's successor with a 110-run Duckworth-Lewis victory over Sri Lanka at The Oval.

But consecutive defeats have followed, by significant margins, at Headingley and Lord's.

Critics have questioned Cook's suitability as an ODI opening batsman - notwithstanding his century at Lord's on Sunday - with some insisting he and Jonathan Trott cannot co-exist in the same 50-over team at one and three in the batting order.

Their measured styles put the onus on the likes of number four Pietersen, Cook's fellow opener Craig Kieswetter and Eoin Morgan to score quickly.

But former England captain Pietersen said: "I have kept well out of it.

"Cook is a new captain, and the last thing you want to be doing is putting yourself out there saying 'this is what we need to do'.

"Decisions have to be made. I don't make any decisions; I'm one of the soldiers.
"I'm just happy to be playing and I want to be doing my own role better."

Chennai and Mumbai in same Champions League group

The Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni, the India captain, have been grouped with Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians for the Champions League Twenty20 (T20) tournament.

The September 23 to October 9 competition, which will feature 10 of the world's top T20 sides, will be played in two groups of five with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

The tournament will be played in the southern Indian cities of Chennai and Bangalore, as well as Kolkata in the east.

Chennai will host the final and a semi-final, while Bangalore will host the other semi-final.

Seven teams from India, Australia and South Africa have earned given direct entries, while six others will play off for the remaining three spots in a qualifying tournament at Hyderabad from September 19-21.

The qualifying event will have two pools of three teams with the top side from both advancing, along with the next best qualifier.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, Trinidad and Tobago of the West Indies and the Auckland Aces of New Zealand will be joined by two teams from England and one from Sri Lanka in qualifying.

The Super Kings are the defending champions.

Kumar Sangakkara's century earns Sri Lanka draw

Kumar Sangakkara scored his first international century in England as Sri Lanka secured a draw when rain brought an early finish to the third and final test on Monday.

Sri Lanka were 334 for five at tea when rain prevented any further play. Stand-in captain Sangakkara led his team's fight-back with 119 after England began the fifth day with hopes of sealing a 2-0 series win.

He was out 10 minutes before the interval, while Thilan Samaraweera was left stranded on 87 not out and Prasanna Jayawardene on six when a heavy downpour ended the match prematurely. The tourists fought bravely, losing just two wickets in the day while leading by 141 runs.

It was England's fifth consecutive test series win, while Sri Lanka only missed out on a drawn series because of a remarkable batting collapse in the first test at Cardiff when they were bowled out on the last day in 24 overs.

Sri Lanka were dismissed for 184 in their first innings at The Rose Bowl, before England replied with 377 for eight declared thanks to a fluent 119 from Ian Bell.

Sangakkara notched up his 25th test century after previously managing a top score of just 26 in the series. He departed when driving James Anderson to substitute fielder Adam Rouse at backward point, ending an innings of more than six hours.

He required 35 minutes to score his first run after lunch and only moved from his interval score of 89 with an edge to the boundary that flew over first slip Andrew Strauss off Anderson.

Sangakkara reached three figures with a quick single to mid-on and he raised his arms in jubilation, having gone 10 years with a top score of 70 from all internationals in England.

England's only other success of the day was that of nightwatchman Rangana Herath before lunch for 36, though he survived three chances. Samaraweera added 141 for the fifth wicket with his skipper and rain possibly denied him a 13th test hundred.

Both Samaraweera, who faced 128 balls, and Sangakkara punished the bad ball clinically. Sangakkara illustrated his intentions by smashing two fours off Anderson through cover and then straight down the ground that reduced the deficit to 45.

Herath earlier lived dangerously. First when he was on five, the left-hander pushed forward at an Anderson delivery and first slip Strauss, perhaps distracted by second slip Graeme Swann, parried the ball towards third man.

Herath survived again when he could have been run out on seven. Sangakkara scampered through for a quick single but Anderson's throw from cover point missed the stumps when Herath was well short of his ground.

England's bowlers were often too short or wide in their line and length and the Sri Lankan batsmen were able to leave the ball comfortably.

England missed a third opportunity to remove Herath, on 19, when he was struck on the pad by offspinner Swann.

Umpire Rod Tucker gave not out and England chose not to review the decision. Replays suggested Herath would have been out if they had. Swann finally dismissed Herath lbw when he missed a sweep shot.

Rain meant that 155 overs were lost during the first three days, while 369 overs were lost to the weather in total in the series.

The teams will next meet in a Twenty20 international at Bristol on Saturday, before a five-match 50-over series.

Kumar Sangakkara's century earns Sri Lanka draw

Kumar Sangakkara scored his first international century in England as Sri Lanka secured a draw when rain brought an early finish to the third and final test on Monday.

Sri Lanka were 334 for five at tea when rain prevented any further play. Stand-in captain Sangakkara led his team's fight-back with 119 after England began the fifth day with hopes of sealing a 2-0 series win.

He was out 10 minutes before the interval, while Thilan Samaraweera was left stranded on 87 not out and Prasanna Jayawardene on six when a heavy downpour ended the match prematurely. The tourists fought bravely, losing just two wickets in the day while leading by 141 runs.

It was England's fifth consecutive test series win, while Sri Lanka only missed out on a drawn series because of a remarkable batting collapse in the first test at Cardiff when they were bowled out on the last day in 24 overs.

Sri Lanka were dismissed for 184 in their first innings at The Rose Bowl, before England replied with 377 for eight declared thanks to a fluent 119 from Ian Bell.

Sangakkara notched up his 25th test century after previously managing a top score of just 26 in the series. He departed when driving James Anderson to substitute fielder Adam Rouse at backward point, ending an innings of more than six hours.

He required 35 minutes to score his first run after lunch and only moved from his interval score of 89 with an edge to the boundary that flew over first slip Andrew Strauss off Anderson.

Sangakkara reached three figures with a quick single to mid-on and he raised his arms in jubilation, having gone 10 years with a top score of 70 from all internationals in England.

England's only other success of the day was that of nightwatchman Rangana Herath before lunch for 36, though he survived three chances. Samaraweera added 141 for the fifth wicket with his skipper and rain possibly denied him a 13th test hundred.

Both Samaraweera, who faced 128 balls, and Sangakkara punished the bad ball clinically. Sangakkara illustrated his intentions by smashing two fours off Anderson through cover and then straight down the ground that reduced the deficit to 45.

Herath earlier lived dangerously. First when he was on five, the left-hander pushed forward at an Anderson delivery and first slip Strauss, perhaps distracted by second slip Graeme Swann, parried the ball towards third man.

Herath survived again when he could have been run out on seven. Sangakkara scampered through for a quick single but Anderson's throw from cover point missed the stumps when Herath was well short of his ground.

England's bowlers were often too short or wide in their line and length and the Sri Lankan batsmen were able to leave the ball comfortably.

England missed a third opportunity to remove Herath, on 19, when he was struck on the pad by offspinner Swann.

Umpire Rod Tucker gave not out and England chose not to review the decision. Replays suggested Herath would have been out if they had. Swann finally dismissed Herath lbw when he missed a sweep shot.

Rain meant that 155 overs were lost during the first three days, while 369 overs were lost to the weather in total in the series.

The teams will next meet in a Twenty20 international at Bristol on Saturday, before a five-match 50-over series.

Cricket World Cup 2011 Final, India Vs. Sri Lanka, India Are World Cup Winners

With five overs remaining, the game – whilst tipped in India’s favour

MS Dhoni will collect the World Cup trophy from Mr Sharad Pawar.. Jubilant scenes, champagnes all around, fireworks surround, Mumbai erupts and so, the entire nation. Party will be never ending.Mahendra Singh Dhoni: There were quite a few decisions that I took, two out of them were - Why not Ashwin? Why 'me' ahead of Yuvraj who is in terrific form? Each and every individual played his part, it has been a memorable month or two. My job was to stay down the order and let the youngsters play well. Against Sri Lanka, I thought, they have a couple of good spinners and it is time for me to go up the order. The team management backed me, the seniors backed me and I got the runs that I needed. Gauti and Kohli played really well after losing Sachin and Sehwag early. I would have loved to see Gauti score his hundred, but he has himself to blame.The Indian team now walks up to collect their medallions. Sehwag wants to be the opener here as well. Runs up to be the first one to collect it. Loud cheers for everyone, as expected. The noise levels reached the unattained levels when Sachin Tendulkar's name was called up. The noise doesn't seem to end.Yuvraj Singh: This is unbelievable, for the entire nation, the team and for Sachin Tendulkar. I want to dedicate this award to my gurujis and my family. We were chasing 359 in the previous World Cup and there was more pressure. But today, Gauti and Dhoni batted exceptionally well, took the pressure away and batted like champions. It was my job to come and bowl 10 overs every time I got a chance to bowl. Tonight's gonna be a good night! Thank you Team India, thank you the support staff.Clive Lloyd gives the Man of the Tournament award to 'Yuvraj Singh' for scoring 362 runs and for taking 15 wickets. If there is one person who played his part in almost every game, it is Yuvraj Singh. He is a proud man.MS Dhoni is the Man of the Match for an excellent knock of 91 under pressure.Kumar Sangakkara: Very proud of everyone, especially Jayawardene but looking at the Indian team, with the kind of batsmen they have, anything under 350 would look very less. The Indians have been the deserved winners, they thoroughly deserve the tag 'favorites'. Congratulations India, you were the better side. The only way to stop the Indians was to take wickets quickly, they played in front of a fantastic crowd and Gambhir played exceptionally well. Dhoni stepped up when it mattered the most.The big

presentation: Ravi Shastri is the man doing the honors. The top men of the ICC - Sharad Pawar and Haroon Lorgat, the top officials of the Sri Lankan and the Bangladesh board along with Clive Lloyd are the honorable guests. The umpires and the match officials are being invited to accept their medallions. The Sri Lankan team, who have been outstanding in this World Cup, come in alphabetical order to collect their mementos. Jayawardene and Malinga get the loudest of cheers, next to Muttiah Muralitharan though.`My heart goes out to them for coming second best.

Sehwag: We discussed last year in a match at Dambulla that we would be playing the World Cup final. The quarter-finals were hard and the way Gautam, Sachin and Yuvraj batted was fantastic. The batsmen and the bowlers gave everything to the team.Sachin (with Yuvraj and Zaheer): Winning the World Cup is the ultimate thing and I could not have asked for anything more. Without such fabulous performances, this was not possible. I could not control my tears. It is a dream come true for us and we wanted this badly. It was for a special man standing next to me (Sachin). It is also for Yuvraj. It is a dream come true and we did it for Sachin. The support staff worked really hard and Mike Horn worked hard on our mental side. The team stuck together and we coped well under pressure. We proved most people wrong who doubted our ability. The last couple of years, we have been consistent and it is a great honor. Special thanks to Gary and Paddy Upton.

Harbhajan & Kohli: It means a lot to me. I was part of three world cups and this is a big thing. This is for my nation. It is a wonderful feeling and this is for all the people who supported us. He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years on his shoulders and it is about time that we carried him on our shoulders. Without the support of the people, we would have not done it. We would like to thank all the Indians and this cup belongs to us. Gambhir: It has not sunk in yet. It is yet to sink in. The 2007 edition was a nightmare and we had to do it for Sachin. It is a dream come true.

Rajini mania: Someone said cheekily that if Rajinikanth - the Southern acting legend is in the audience - then nothing go wrong and nothing has. Tendulkar+Rajinikanth - what a combination. Unstoppable force+the immovable object. Rajini is sitting next to Neeta Ambani in the crowd along with his two daughters and are enjoying this win. Rajini and his daughters are wearing Team India Jerseys.

Reactions after the last hit: Dhoni swung that last hit and followed the path of the ball as it soared into the Mumbai night sky. He was watching it like a hawk. Then the camera focussed on Gary, who leant back, closed his eyes and then said a silent prayer. Funnily the official broadcasters have shown the winning hit a good 17 minutes after it was scored. Yuvraj went up to Dhoni and hugged him at full blast. He roared and roared, even as the crowd did too.What a show by MS and he was not allowed to get down as well as the Indian players came in swarms to crowd him. Finally Sachin emerged out after hiding somewhere. Then the crowd went mad. Now Gary Kirsten - the much liked and immensely low profile guy is being hoisted on Raina and Kohli's shoulders as the crowd shout Gary Gary. He can lay claim to being the most unsung, yet one of the best coaches of the Indian side of all time. World No.1 in tests and now a World Cup win - which was his last game incharge - would be the icing on the cake. Salute and respect to the man from Cape Town.

Post celebratory scenes: Lots of the Indian players are in tears. Gary Kirsten is hugged by Yuvi and Sachin is being carried on his shoulders by Kohli and Yusuf. He is being carried all around the ground. In front of his home crowd. What if he does not get his 100th ton, his dream of a WC medal has been fulfilled. A nation will rejoice for that. What a performer he has been. Amazing scenes. Two men - MS and Viru are so cool. An Indian flag is held by SRT as he is being given a lap of honor by his team-mates. Finally he is brought down. As soon as the winning hit was hit, huge roars, shouts and what not back here. That moment will forever be remembered in memory as long as an Indian citizen lives.Stop the Press!! MS Dhoni's India are the Champions of the 2011 World Cup.

Champion teams are born under pressure: For the 22 men who took the field today, it was probably the biggest moment of their lives, and it was all about stepping up and making it count. At the start of the game Zaheer did just that. At the end of his first spell, his bowling figures read: 5-3-6-1. The Indian bowlers were on the money and didn't let the Lankans blaze away. A fine innings from Sangakkara and a masterclass from Jayawardene showed the world that it takes a lot of courage, temperament and skill to deliver when it matters the most. A good batting powerplay helped them post a mammoth score of 274. Mind you, chasing 275 in the final of a World Cup in front of 40,000 supporters and against a strong bowling attack was an easy task by no means. The sorry tale of the openers: India lost Sehwag very early in the run chase, and Sachin didn't last long either. The scorecard read 31/2 in the 7th over and it was Gambhir and Kohli who had to do the rebuilding. Run rate was never a problem for the Indians as the duo, who are also terrific runners between the wickets, pinched the ones and twos without any hassles. It required the magic arm of Dilshan to remove a well set Kohli and the Indians were in a spot of bother at 114/3.Cometh the hour, cometh the man: Dhoni chose himself to come ahead of Yuvraj to keep the left hand - right hand combination intact. Remember, Dhoni was going through a very rough patch when it comes to batting. The big man made it count when it mattered the most. He along with Gambhir brought the runs required to less than a hundred and the required rate was just close to a run a ball. Sri Lanka desperately needed a couple of quick wickets and Perera gave them a ray of hope by removing Gambhir. It would be only fair to say that it was Gambhir who gave Sri Lanka some hope by throwing his wicket away.The finishers of old times: Dhoni and Yuvraj, who were popularly called 'The Finishers' against Pakistan and Sri Lanka a few years ago, took the game closer and a thrilling finish was on the cards. They needed 30 off 30 deliveries when the batting powerplay became mandatory. Could they do it? They were up against a lethal bowler in Malinga. Just three runs of the Malinga over meant the Indians needed 27 off the next four overs. There were nerves all around, but the two batsmen in the middle looked to be in a different world altogether. Pressure was just a distant relative and they kept their cool to help India romp home with 10 deliveries to spare. 48.2 Kulasekara to Dhoni, SIX!!, India are World Champions!, A nation of a billion will sleep well tonight. What a shot to end the game. Yuvraj can't control his emotions. He is in tears. Sachin runs in from the dressing room and is mobbed. What marvellous scenes in Mumbai. Dhoni got under the length ball and absolutely hammered that out of sight and out of the park. The White Kookaburra soared over the fence. Bhajji too is in tears. 28 years in waiting and the helicopter shot has brought an end to the game.Perfect time for Dhoni to hit the winning runs. He deserves to hit the runs.48.1 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 1 run, yorker outside off, dug out to point, Yuvraj and Dhoni scamper through for a singleend of over47.6 Malinga to Yuvraj, 1 run, low full toss on the stumps, whipped down to long on, retains the strike with that run, India are a hit away from being World Champions and Ravi Shaz is already thirsty.47.5 Malinga to Dhoni, 1 run, yorker length delivery outside off, dug out to point47.4 Malinga to Dhoni, no run, what a magnificent riposte, it was a superb in-swinging yorker, that snuck through Dhoni's legs as he was making room to go on side again, great take by Sanga diving to his left, saved some byes and some runs47.3 Malinga to Dhoni, FOUR!!, Tom Moody has been bitten by the Shaz bug, uses his iconic cliche - that went to the fence like a tracer bullet, a low full toss on middle has been whip flicked past Kula who dived, but only in vain, at fine leg, only a couple of steps to his left, but the pace of the ball was too hard and too tough to contain for the Lankan pacer47.2 Malinga to Dhoni, FOUR!!, Dhoni has timed the pants off that, it was the slower delivery that slipped down leg, Dhoni closes the face of the bat and tickled that past a diving Kula at fine leg, what timing from the Chennai Super King man, the crowd have gone ballistic and rightly so, Kula dived to his left, but could not cut it backThe ICC have announced that Yuvraj has been named the MoS.47.1 Malinga to Yuvraj, 1 run, fuller length delivery outside off, Yuvraj leans on it and drives hard to sweeper cover, only a singleend of over46.6 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 1 run, a low full toss has been chipped down to long on, only a single, a huge over for the Indians as 11 came off that46.5 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, no run, that has been slapped straight to the fielder at cover, took it on the full and smashed it, if he had found the gap, it was 4, didn't find the gap46.4 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, FOUR!!, and what does Yuvraj do? Take out his anger on Kulasekara, a harmless full toss has been swatted away regally through mid wicket, swung wide of the man and Yuvraj walks up to Dhoni who is in a much calmer mood, has a smile at him, hit powerfully by Yuvraj46.3 Kulasekara to Dhoni, 1 run, Dhoni is furious at Yuvraj for running in his way, a flat batted thwack to long on, the throw came in and hit direct at Dhoni's end, he was in, the third ump confirmed that, Dhoni wanted Yuvraj to run on one side of the pitch46.2 Kulasekara to Dhoni, FOUR!!, there comes Ravi Shaz's iconic cliche: That went to the boundary like a tracer bullet. That really did. Kulasekara misses the yorker and serves up a full delivery, Dhoni opens his stance and smears it wide of mid off who is standing inside the circle, tremendous bat spee46.1 Kulasekara to Yuvraj, 1 run, low full toss, Yuvraj swung at that hard, it hit the toe end and went down to long onend of overNuwan Kulasekara [7.0-0-46-0] is back into the attackRight, we are into the crunch here. After so many days of this WC, we have come down to the last 4 overs. And this final continues to pulsate and move in one direction to the other. A huge meeting going on between Sanga, Mahela, Murali and others. Murali is right in Sanga's ear. Kula comes on. Can bowl right up there. Possesses a mean yorker too. Deep mid, long off and a long on in place.45.6 Malinga to Yuvraj, 1 run, that high back-lift from Yuvraj again, driven down to long on, retains the strike with that run45.5 Malinga to Yuvraj, 2 runs, Samara is taking his own sweet time to run back from mid wicket, to stop that ball, they take 2, a high back-lift and a sweetly timed flick through mid wicket45.4 Malinga to Yuvraj, no run, short of length delivery on middle, Yuvraj defends it back to Malinga, 4 dots in a row, the pressure is building on the Indians45.3 Malinga to Yuvraj, no run, at Yuvraj's feet and he manages to dig it out to backward point, wanted a single, but Dhoni was not up for it

TEAMS
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (c) (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thissara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan.

India: Zaheer Khan, S Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni (c) (wk), Suresh Raina.

Viru and the power of concentration

Virender Sehwag's 293 against Sri Lanka compels one to admire his deep commitment to the sport, and more importantly, his ability to concentrate during such long knocks.

Thursday's feat comes about a year after he constructed 319 off only 278 balls against South Africa to break his own record of the highest individual score by an Indian in Tests.
This unique quality of playing flamboyantly -- and along with that -- managing to retain concentration for such prolonged periods demarks the 31-year-old from the rest of the great Indian batsmen.

Intense concentration is a quality which is required to excel in any form of human endeavour. And even though we all know what concentration is, I would like to offer a very apt definition of concentration which has been given by Swami Parthasarathy in his book, The Vedanta Treatise. The book defines concentration as, "The intellect supervising the mind to remain in the present". This is a definition which every sportsperson can relate to because typically in any sporting situation when one is poised at a crucial juncture, the mind collapses thinking about a disappointing past incident or reaches a premature state of euphoria even before scoring the winning stroke and in the process is unable to finish the task at hand.

The 'nervous nineties' in cricket is a case in point and if one goes through the record books, one will find countless batsmen across the world having succumbed when in the nineties. The state of the mind, like I mentioned earlier, either remembers a disappointing incident of the past or begins the process of sub-conscious celebration even before reaching the 100-run mark.

Ironically, it is the ability to play each ball with the mind only on 'that ball' -- and not for any record -- that make great cricketers of the world actually establish those records.

They just focus on keeping the mind in the present.

And can concentration be developed over a period of time or are great athletes born with it? Concentration can be developed. For a sportsperson, hours of practice on the field help in building concentration. The intensity of concentration is built over a period of time, increases with an athlete's involvement with his particular sport and peaks after the athlete has spent about 10,000 hours honing his skills in his or her respective sport. This is a theory put forth by Michael Gladwell in his recent book, The Outliers, wherein he has documented a very strong correlation between achieving excellence and 10,000 hours of work by a person in any particular field.

And most of the great records in sport have been created by athletes who have completed their 10,000 hours. It is for this reason they say that success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.

So whilst we salute Sehwag for yet another praiseworthy innings, let us also remember that behind his talent, concentration and ability to score runs with such effortless ease, lies a lot of hard work.

A wicket with character . . . about time

FOR almost all my international career, Perth had been a fortress for Australia.

I made my Test debut there in December 1995, when we comfortably beat Sri Lanka, was dropped when the West Indies won there the following season, and went the next 10 years never experiencing defeat at the WACA Ground.

The pace and bounce of Perth was usually too much for the opposition. Six of our victories there in my time were by more than an innings, one by seven wickets, another by almost 500 runs and another by more than 200 runs.

With very rare exceptions, Perth and Brisbane were the two places we felt most confident of victory because of the extra bounce in the pitch.

Yet as batsmen we loved playing there. The pitches played with great consistency and the ball came on to the bat so you had the confidence to play your shots, making for entertaining cricket.

I am looking forward to playing on that type of Perth pitch again in the third Test against the West Indies, beginning tomorrow. .

It had become lower and slower in recent seasons, continuing the trend of pitches around the world that are losing, or have lost, their character.

This season there have been good reports coming out of Perth, with NSW beating Western Australia inside three days thanks to an excellent bowling performance from Doug Bollinger on a lively pitch. If the Test pitch is something similar that is great news for players, and great news for the fans, who will see plenty of lively cricket.

The pitch being prepared for this Test does have a good cover of grass but we'll wait until today before having a close look at it.

Certainly all the signs are encouraging because for most of my career Perth has been one of the great places to play cricket.

Cricket needs more pitches like the WACA Ground of old, a wonderful contrast to the type of slow, low wickets you find in so many places now.

This reduces one of the great joys of Test cricket, to be challenged on unique surfaces, something which Australia could once boast about. Each of its major cricket grounds had a distinctly different surface.

If you could learn to cope with a variety of difference surfaces around the country and around the world, whether you were a batsman or a bowler, you were considered the complete Test cricketer.

That challenge is now going out of Test cricket as pitches around the globe develop a sameness. Low, slow pitches can make for bland, one-sided cricket where bat dominates ball and results can be difficult to achieve.

This is my concern for Test cricket on the subcontinent in particular, where there can be some real batathons.

It was no surprise to us that the West Indies batted well in Adelaide. The slow, low pitch was always going to suit their style of play. However, if the WACA Ground pitch is anything like the Perth of my younger days, I think they'll struggle like they struggled in Brisbane during the first Test.

There has been talk that their impressive young fast bowler Kemar Roach could be a handful for us in Perth.

He can certainly be quick but we played him well on the helpful Brisbane pitch and I believe we can do the same again during this Test. Likewise, we've got some impressive young quicks of our own who will enjoy any assistance at least as much as the West Indian fast bowlers.

Statistics suggest that off-spinners struggle in Perth but I don't believe they tell the full story.

Left-arm finger spinners Daniel Vettori from New Zealand and South Africa's Paul Harris have had success against us at the WACA Ground in recent seasons.

And many touring sides chose not to play their off-spinners in Perth, with India leaving out Harbhajan Singh just two years ago.

Off-spinners have had success at state level drifting the ball away from the right-handed batsmen in the breeze. I had a chat to Nathan Hauritz after the Adelaide Test and he admitted he didn't bowl as well as he would have liked, but I believe that with the prevailing Fremantle Doctor aiding his drift and a bit of extra bounce, he could bowl well.

One thing we have talked about since we arrived in Perth is our batting.

We have played consistently well, making 8(dec)-480 in Brisbane and 439 during the first innings in Adelaide.

During that time nine players have made 50 or more, and two have made it to the 90s, but no one has scored a century.

This contrasts with the West Indies, who have made three hundreds and yet are 1-0 down in the series. Those sorts of statistics are starting to have an Ashes feel about them.

It's important that players who get starts do press on and get big scores, but by the same token you don't want to make a big deal about it.

The more you talk about it, the harder it can become.

Last summer we talked about losing wickets around the breaks and it kept happening. It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy.


by Ricky Ponting

Courtesy : http://www.theaustralian.com.au

Cricket: History counting against Black Caps

Shane Bond being invalided out of a series is not the only recurring nightmare preying on the minds of New Zealand's cricketers as they approach today's second test against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve.

An injured Bond's unavailability represents a potentially serious setback to a team that has a worrying history when leading a three-match series 1-0.

On three occasions New Zealand has let an advantage slip - on the cannabis-gate tour of South Africa in 1994, in Sri Lanka four years later and most recently when hosting England in March/April last year.

Captain Daniel Vettori hardly needed reminding of the English series when ruling out complacency as a potential pitfall when Pakistan attempts to become the fourth team to regroup and prosper after dropping the first test.

New Zealand dominated the first match of the English series in Hamilton, winning by 189 runs before being soundly beaten at the Basin Reserve (126 runs) and Napier (121 runs).

Despite being justifiably pleased after securing a tense 32-run triumph in Dunedin last weekend, Vettori has warned his teammates a series victory - what would be only the third in 19 attempts against Pakistan - was far from certain.

"I think the guys are feeling good about themselves but there's a need not to get caught up in that, and a need for improvement," he said.

"It was a good test performance but there's a series that needs to be won.

"We've done it in the past against England where we've gone 1-0 up and in a lot of ways rested on our laurels. We lost the next two test matches.

"There was a real desire within the team to have celebrated in Dunedin - and also to make sure it's not the end of the summer."

New Zealand's batting unit will likely have a significant influence on whether the year ends on a high note considering a traditionally bouncy wicket should be spiced up by spending the best part of four days under cover as rain lashed the capital.

The home side's batting frailties are well documented and with Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul all in the zone at University Oval, the trio can expect to cause more angst among a fragile top and middle order.

Of the specialists, only Ross Taylor produced a notable double last week with 94 and 59.

CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) Felicitates the Stalwarts of International Cricket

CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) Felicitates the Stalwarts of International Cricket
E Prasanna Conferred with CEAT International Lifetime Achievement Award



-- CEAT International Team of the Year award - Australia
-- CEAT International Cricketer of the Year - Gautam Gambhir (India)
-- CEAT International Test Batsman of the year - Gautam Gambhir (India)
-- CEAT International ODI Batsman of the Year - Virender Sehwag (India)
-- CEAT International Test Bowler of the year - Mitchell Johnson (Australia)
-- CEAT International ODI Bowler of the year - Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka)
-- CEAT International Spirit of Cricket Award - Thilan Samaraweera (Sri Lanka)
-- CEAT International 300 Wickets Felicitation Award - Harbhajan Singh (India)

Tyre major CEAT Limited celebrated the success and glory of International cricket with ‘CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2009’ at a glittering ceremony here today. The awards honored the best of the International cricketers based on their performances as rated by the CEAT Cricket ratings (CCR) for the year 2008 – 2009.

CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) is the first cricket rating to officially recognize and reward cricketers for their performances in the international cricket arena. This year CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) awards touched a new high with awards in 9 different categories.

Mr. Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Group said, ‘The CCR International Award function is a reiteration of the close association CEAT has with cricket and our endeavor to recognize the individual brilliances on the international cricket scene.” He added “In India, where cricket is not just a sport, CCR awards plays a pivotal role in paying tribute to not just the cricketing brilliance but also the millions of cricketing fans as well”.

Australia, India and Sri Lanka dazzled at the event by sweeping away all the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) awards between them. The awards honor the best of the International cricketers based on their performances in international cricketing both test and ODI as rated by the CEAT Cricket ratings (CCR) for the year 2008 – 2009.

While Australia won the award of CEAT International Cricket Team – cash prize of Rs 10 Lakh. India’s Gautam Gambhir was the winner of the CEAT International Cricketer and CEAT International Test Batsman awards. India’s Virendra Sehwag was the CEAT International ODI Batsman of the Year. Australia’s and Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis – was conferred with the CEAT International Test Bowler and CEAT International ODI Bowler of the year award respectively.

This year CEAT Introduced the CEAT International Spirit of Cricket Award to celebrate the sportsman spirit shown by the cricketers. The CEAT International Spirit of Cricket Award was conferred on Sri Lanka’s Thilan Samaraweera, India’s Harbhajan Singh was given a special award the CEAT International 300 Wickets Felicitation Award.

It was also a day to honour the stalwarts of the yesteryears who have carved a name for themselves as legends of Cricket. Cricketing legend E. Prasanna was awarded the ‘CCR International Lifetime Achievement Award’ The Lifetime Achievement award recipients have been selected on the basis of the Retro-CEAT cricket ratings, and have taken into consideration the performances of the cricketers since 1947. Mr Prasanna received a cash prize of Rs 5 Lakh from CEAT

CEAT has CCR Rating and Awards for both for domestic and international cricketers. CEAT Cricket Ratings has been a pioneer in identifying and honoring the potential cricketing talent of the country. CEAT has also initiated the Under-19 and T-20 cricketing awards taking another step to emphasize its commitment to cricket.

Speaking on the occasion cricket legend Mr.Sunil Gavaskar said, “CEAT International Cricket Rating Awards is one of the most important events on Cricketing calendar as it recognizes the achievements of the players from grassroots to the international arena“. He also added, “CEAT Cricket Rating is a unique rating in that recognized and rewarded Indian and International cricketers for their outstanding performances at the end of the year. CEAT Cricket Rating thrives to focus on identifying the right talent..The ratings are pretty much accurate as you can see some of the modern greats like Brian Lara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ricky Ponting etc winning the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year in the past.”

ABOUT CEAT

CEAT Limited, the flagship company of RPG Enterprises, with an annual turnover of Rs. 2,600 crore, was established in 1958. Today, CEAT is one of India’s leading tyre manufacturers and has a strong presence in both domestic & international markets. The company manufactures over 10 million tyres every year and enjoys a major market share in the light truck & truck tyre market. CEAT tyres, tubes and flaps are renowned for their superior quality and durability. CEAT offers the widest range of tyres to all user segments and manufacture world-class radials for all Indian vehicles including: Heavy-duty Trucks and Buses, Light Commercial Vehicles, Earthmovers, Forklifts, Tractors, Trailers, Cars, Motorcycles and Scooters, Auto-rickshaws.

CEAT has three manufacturing plants - Mumbai (Bhandup), Nasik & Sri Lanka. The company currently exports tyres to nearly 110 countries across USA, Europe, Africa & other parts of Asia. CEAT has a robust network consisting of over 3,500 dealers, 33 regional offices and more that 100 C & F agents. CEAT also has a branded franchisee network ‘CEAT Shoppe’. These Shoppes are retail tyre outlets, providing comprehensive expertise in tyres and tyre services -- all under one roof. The company has a dedicated Customer Service department, comprising Customer Service Managers in all the four divisional offices, assisted by 50 Service Engineers. The board of the company is headed by Mr. R P Goenka, Chairman Emeritus and Mr. Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Enterprises. Mr. Paras K Chowdhary is the Managing Director of CEAT Ltd and Mr. Arnab Banerjee heads the Sales & Marketing division.

About CEAT CRICKET RATING (CCR)

The CEAT Cricket Rating was the first rating system in international cricket to recognize and reward outstanding performers in cricket on an annual basis. Conceived in 1995 by CEAT, the CEAT CRICKET RATINGS attempted to answer every cricket-lover’s persistent and perennial query – “Who is the best of the best?”

The CEAT Cricket Rating stands out by virtue of its simplicity. It comprises an objective points system that awards points to cricketers for their batting, bowling and fielding performances. There is a separate CEAT Team Rating (initiated in 1996-97) that assigns points to teams on the basis of their performances in Tests and one-day internationals.

The CEAT Cricket Year commences on 1st May and ends on 30th April of the following calendar year. The cricketer and team that accumulate the highest number of points in their respective categories at the end of this twelve-month period are declared the CEAT Cricket Rating International Cricketer and Team of the Year respectively.

Karthik came, saw and left in a hurry

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik came, saw and left in a hurry -- all in the span of 24 hours -- knowing his 23rd Test appearance would take some more time before materialising.

Karthik was plucked out of the Tamil Nadu Ranji team which would take on Himachal Pradesh in Dharamsala tomorrow and flown in as cover for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had sustained a minor finger injury during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad.

That his injury would not jeopardise his participation in the second Test was evident in the nets yesterday when Dhoni batted with gay abandon, hitting every bowler in sight all over the Green Park.

And once done with batting, Dhoni also sent down some medium pace stuff in the nets, signalling there was nothing to worry about.

Sangakkara says India under pressure in upcoming Test series

Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara has said the islanders would be able to upstage India in the upcoming three-match Test series.

Addressing reporters here on Sunday, Sangakkara said India would be under pressure to maintain their home record of not losing a single Test to Sri Lanka in their previous 14 encounters.

"We know that we have not won a Test match here before so, we are here to change things up. But the pressure is probably on India as it was on during the Australian series to keep their home series record intact," said Sangakkara.

Sangakkara said that the Lankan fast bowling attack was experienced, but it may turn out to be an advantage.

"Inexperience again it's sometimes is a good thing because may be the Indian batsmen have not really played our fast bowler before regularly in longer format of the game. That can work for us," said Sangakkara.

He also said Sri Lanka had the option of playing three spinners in Tests because of the presence of a formidable all-rounder like Angelo Mathews.

"It is a great option to have, especially since we have Angelo Mathews who is bowling so well that gives us that flexibility of playing three spinners if we want to. We got him being a frontline fast bowler and batsman it frees that one spot if the wicket shows us that three spinners are a possibility," said Sangakkara.

The Sri Lankan cricket team arrived in Mumbai on Sunday for the upcoming three-match Test series.

The first test starts on November 16 in Ahmedabad.

The next two matches will be played in Nagpur and Mumbai.

Cricket fraternity praises Tendulkar

India's cricket fraternity today lavished praise on country's batting icon Sachin Tendulkar for becoming the first player in the game's history to cross the 17,000-run mark.

Sachin Tendulkar, who was chasing the milestone from the onset of the series against Australia, achieved the feat when he, requiring seven runs coming into today's match, played an on-drive to fetch three off pacer Ben Hilfenhaus during the fifth one-dayer in Hyderabad.

"It's really a remarkable achievement. He is one of the best cricketers of the world cricket. I have had some good memories with him, having partnering him for years in one-day cricket," said former India skipper Sourav Ganguly. The southpaw also wished the little master for the 2011 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"I wish he scores another 2000 runs by 2011 World Cup. Sachin knows best how to accumulate runs. Once he gets going he becomes unstoppable," Ganguly said. Meanwhile, Mumbai batsman Wasim Jaffer hoped that Tendulkar would also achieve 20,000-run mark.

He has achieved several records. I hope that he reached 20,000-run mark. Whatever he has achieved, it is nearly impossible to achieve for anyone else. I just wish that he keeps on going and gets more and more runs for India," Jaffer said.

Sachin Tendulkar reached the new ODI milestone in his 435th match and 66th tie against the World Cup holders. "It's a great achievement. Anyone playing for 21 years is not an easy job, we are proud of him," said India all-rounder Rohit Sharma. "Sachin has played for 20 odd years and I think, it's wonderful task by a man who has achieved so much. I congratulate him," South Africa cricketer Herchelle Gibbs said.

Sachin Tendulkar made a 141-ball 175 in front of the 35,000 strong packed crowd which erupted in joy when Tendulkar reached the magic figure in company of opening partner Virender Sehwag.

Sri Lanka cruise to opening win

Tillakaratne Dilshan's 106 inspired Sri Lanka to a 55-run rain-affected win over South Africa in the opening match of the Champions Trophy in Centurion.

The opener put on 158 with captain Kumar Sangakkara (54), while a brutal 77 from Mahela Jaywardene took Sri Lanka to 319-8 in their Group B game.

Graeme Smith's 58 gave the hosts a strong start, but a devastating Ajantha Mendis spell ended their victory hopes.

Mendis' 3-30 left the hosts at 206-7, well behind the Duckworth/Lewis target.

The thumping victory made a mockery of South Africa's ranking as the world's best one-day team as they were dismantled by the match-winning abilities of Mendis and Dilshan.

The result means the hosts will need to win their next match against New Zealand on Thursday to stand any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the tournament.

With Sri Lanka in total control at 70-1 after 10 overs, captain Smith must have questioned his decision to bowl first on a good batting wicket as Dilshan launched an astonishing aerial assault in the mandatory powerplay overs.

Despite losing Sanath Jayasuriya, lbw to Steyn in the third over, the opener meted out punishment to South Africa's fast bowlers, including the first "Dilscoop" of the tournament, shovelling the ball high over wicketkeeper Mark Boucher's head for four off Wayne Parnell.

Batting serenely with Sangakkara, Dilshan brought up his 17th one-day half century off just 38 deliveries.

A crunching cover drive and a fine cut allowed Dilshan to record his third one-day century in the 28th over, but he lost Sangakkara almost immediately after when he chipped a return catch to off-spinner JP Duminy.

Dilshan's epic innings was eventually brought to an end in the 30th over when a rank long-hop outside off stump from Steyn was upper cut into the hands of the relieved Albie Morkel at third man.

But an intelligent fourth-wicket partnership of 116 between ex-captain Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera gave Sri Lanka the impetus to set a daunting target of 320 under the floodlights.

"We batted very well by doing the basics properly and building partnerships," said Sangakkara.

The hosts' riposte began in the worst possible fashion when a thick inside edge off the bat of Hashim Amla dislodged his leg stump at 9-1.

But Smith and new batsman Jacques Kallis punched boundaries on both sides of the wicket, with the Proteas captain bringing up his 50 in just 40 deliveries with a deft glance for his eighth boundary.

But his innings was brought to a close when a beautiful delivery in Mendis' first over totally bamboozled him.

The spinner quickly dispatched Kallis (41) and Duminy for a golden duck, while the dismissal of AB de Villiers (24), caught top-edging and attempting to pull a Lasith Malinga short delivery, effectively ended the run chase.

"Ajantha is a big challenge for anyone playing him for the first time," Sangakkara added.

"With him, Muttiah Muralitharan and Malinga, we have a lot of unorthodox match-winners in our side."

Late hitting from Johan Botha and Morkel took South Africa beyond 200 but a heavy storm forced the game to be abandoned in the 38th over with South Africa comfortably short of their Duckworth/Lewis target of 261.

"We never got our basics right and we've got to improve very quickly," said Smith, whose side had not played an international match since the World Twenty20 semi-final in June.

"The number of extras we gave away is a problem, and we've got to think better on our feet."

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."

India wins Compaq Cup - Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar’s century, Harbhajan Singh’s five-wicket haul and the magnitude of the target (320 in 50 overs) ensured that India won the Compaq Cup final against Sri Lanka here on Monday night.

Although India was given a fright by Sri Lanka, M.S. Dhoni’s men had but to hold their nerve; this they managed, and, despite fielding incompetently, dispelled the memory of Saturday’s mortifying defeat.

The memory hovered, however, for much of Sri Lanka’s innings. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya, both of whom are ever open to adventure, began Sri Lanka’s chase in a flurry of boundaries.

Harbhajan, introduced in the eighth over, provided the opening, quickening his pace to puncture Dilshan’s attempted stroke to off. The off-spinner then tricked Mahela Jayawardene in flight to procure a return catch.

When Ashish Nehra, unsteady under the high ball, kept his head to catch Jayasuriya off Yusuf Pathan, India had the whip hand. But Sri Lanka didn’t give up.

Although neither Thilan Thushara nor Angelo Mathews stayed long, Sri Lanka remained close to the required run rate thanks to its start. And with Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Kandamby batting sensibly, the host wasn’t out of it.
Freak dismissal

A freak dismissal appeared to alter matters: Sangakkara lost hold of his bat, which descended in a gentle parabola on the stumps. India had an opportunity to seal the contest, but Yusuf dropped Kandamby (37) off Yuvraj Singh. The left-hander allied again with Chamara Kapugedera, raising 70 for the seventh wicket, heightening India’s anxiety with every run.

But the batsmen couldn’t sustain the partnership. Suresh Raina had Kapugedera caught behind, Harbhajan bowled Kandamby, and India’s breathing grew easy. Harbhajan soon had his fifth: Ajantha Mendis stumped by country mile.

SCOREBOARD

India: (for five wkts. in 50 overs) 319.

Fall of wickets: 1-95 (Dravid), 2-205 (Dhoni), 3-276 (Tendulkar), 4-277 (Yusuf), 5-302 (Raina).

Power Plays: One (overs 1-10): 52/0; Bowling (11-15): 24/0; Batting (35-39): 33/1.

Sri Lanka bowling: Kulasekara 8-0-38-0, Thushara 10-0-71-2, Malinga 10-0-81-1, Mendis 10-0-70-1, Jayasuriya 9-0-43-1, Mathews 3-0-15-0.

Sri Lanka: T. Dilshan b Harbhajan 42 (29b, 9x4), S. Jayasuriya c Nehra b Yusuf 36 (29b, 7x4), M. Jayawardene c & b Harbhajan 1 (5b), K. Sangakkara ht wkt b R.P. Singh 33 (37b), T. Thushara b Ishant 15 (14b, 3x4), A. Mathews c Raina b Yuvraj 14 (11b, 1x4, 1x6), T. Kandamby b Harbhajan 66 (94b, 4x4), C. Kapugedera c Dhoni b Raina 35 (42b, 3x4), N. Kulasekara (not out) 9 (9b, 1x4), L. Malinga c & b Harbhajan 0 (1b), A. Mendis st Dhoni b Harbhajan 7 (10b); Extras: (lb-3, nb-1, w-11) 15; Total; (in 46.4 overs) 273.

Fall of wickets: 1-64 (Dilshan), 2-76 (Jayawardene), 3-85 (Jayasuriya), 4-108 (Thushara), 5-131 (Mathews), 6-182 (Sangakkara), 7-252 (Kapugedera), 8-264 (Kandamby), 9-264 (Malinga).

Power Plays: One (overs 1-10): 79/2; Bowling (11-15): 35/2; Batting (45-46.4): 11/3.

India bowling: Nehra 7-0-43-0, Ishant 7-0-51-1, R.P. Singh 5-0-34-1, Harbhajan 9.4-0-56-5, Yusuf 4-0-36-1, Yuvraj 6-0-24-1, Raina 8-0-26-1.

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.

Sachin dedicates 44th ODI ton to Dungarpur

Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot during the final tri-nation cricket series between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Monday. Tendulkar has dedicated his match-winning 44th ODI ton to Raj Singh Dungarpur, who headed the National Selection Committee, which selected the ace batsman for the tour of Pakistan, twenty years ago.

Sachin Tendulkar has dedicated his match-winning 44th one-day international century to Raj Singh Dungarpur.

Tendulkar made 138 in the final of the Compaq Cup against Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Sunday. He was also declared the ‘Man of the Match’ and ‘Man of the Series.’

Twenty years ago, Tendulkar was selected in the Indian team for the tour of Pakistan by Raj Singh Dungarpur, the then chairman of the National Selection Committee.

“His (Tendulkar’s) selection went like a shot,” had said Raj Singh.

In a text message Tendulkar said: “I would like to dedicate this century (138, 133b, 10x 4s, 1 x 6) to Mr. Raj Singh. It’s (his passing away) terrible for us to recover from.”

Raj Singh, who held many positions in the BCCI, died last Saturday.

Australia tumble from top, cricket rises from ashe

The jury is still out on whether England's superb Ashes victory will help revive Test cricket in the time of Twenty20, but Australia's tumble from the number one spot arguably heralds the most exciting phase in the history of the game.

Not since the 1960s when England, Australia, West Indies and South Africa looked to be on equal terms has the sport seemed as profuse in talent -- only now, it is far more competitive and infinitely richer in terms of money and texture of play. Better financial rewards have shaped a new, market-driven aggressive attitude that has facilitated greater expression of skill and ensured more results than draws.

A visibly chastened Ricky Ponting, while chomping on humble pie on Sunday, acknowledged that Australia's stranglehold over the game was virtually over and the field was now wide open. Australia have been acknowledged as world champions since 1993-94 and have held the number one position from the inception of the ICC rankings in 2003. The Oval defeat saw them fall to number 4, behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India.

Yet, only six points separate the top side from the number four suggesting an exciting race for supremacy in the next 12 months. Of these four, India have the opportunity to take the number 1 position if they win a home series 2-0 against Sri Lanka this October. But to retain this position for some length of time, they must win the away series against South Africa late next year - and almost everything else in between - which should be great incentive for MS Dhoni and his team.

This entails maintaining superb form playing overseas and consistency overall. While Indian cricketers had traditionally been poor tourists, there is reason for optimism. The trend was bucked when Sourav Ganguly's team drew against Steve Waugh's side in 2003-4 and though the 2008 series was lost, the Indians succeeded in dismantling the aura of invincibility around the Australians. Since then, they have beaten Ponting's team at home and defeated New Zealand in New Zealand emphatically too.

In that context, Australia's fall from the top has been has not been such a surprise. In the last two years, out of 23 Tests, Ponting has won nine but also lost eight. In this period, he has also lost the services of four or five supremely gifted players. Compare this with 30 victories and just three defeats from the previous 38 Tests he captained, and the unhappy Aussie captain's plight is evident.

Happily for him, though, Ponting has the support of his board and selectors and retains his job, despite being only the second captain to lose two Ashes series. Australia's cricket ethos rarely allows a captain to remain in the team if he loses his job, so if he was sacked, Ponting would have probably retired. That would have meant losing one of the game's best batsmen still.

In the dilemma, the Australian administrators hope, also lies the redemption.