Australia beat India in one-day thriller

World champions Australia claimed a four-run victory in the opening one-day international on Sunday after India went close to reaching a daunting target of 293.

A plucky eighth-wicket stand of 84 by Harbhajan Singh (49) and Praveen Kumar (40 not out) almost gave India victory after they had slid to 201 for seven.

India needed nine off the last over from Peter Siddle but the paceman bowled accurately, conceding just four runs and clean bowling Harbhajan.

Earlier, Australian batsmen, led by captain Ricky Ponting, fed on some listless Indian bowling on a flat Reliance Stadium track to post an imposing 292 for 8 in the first of the best-of-seven-match ODI series here today.

Electing to bat, Australia suffered an early blow before recovering superbly through a near-century stand between Ponting (74) and opener Tim Paine (50).

The sound beginning was build upon by half centuries from Cameron White (51) and Michael Hussey (73) as the Indian bowling, which has struggled of late, was put to the sword in merciless fashion in hot conditions.

In the morning, the hosts struck an early blow by sending back Australian opener Shane Watson, on a high coming into the series with back-to-back hundreds in the semifinal and final of the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

The burly batsman straight-drove the first ball of the series from Praveen Kumar for a boundary but then was trapped in front by an incoming ball from Ashish Nehra in the second over to which he played back.

Watson's early dismissal left Australia at five for one after eight balls and brought in visiting team's skipper Ricky Ponting to the crease.

Ponting, on a roll in one-dayers since the best-of-seven ODI series against England with two centuries and four half centuries under his belt from his last 10 innings, and Tim Paine -playing for the first time in a ODI in India -dominated the bowlers.

The duo kept the run rate at a healthy five plus to raise the 100 of their innings in the 19th over when wicketkeeper Paine tried to slash Ishant Sharma to be caught behind for 50.

Paine, who struck nine fours in his 62-ball innings, and Ponting shared 97 runs for the second wicket in 107 balls.

Ponting looked in total command, striking the ball beautifully, and hooked left arm pacer Ashish Nehra for a six.

He looked good for a 100 when he left, trapped leg before by young left-arm slow bowler Ravindra Jadeja while trying to turn the ball to the leg.

The Australia skipper faced 85 balls and hit eight fours and two sixes, the second one off Jadeja over a leaping Nehra at long off, and his dismissal at team total of 151 in the 30th over brought down the scoring rate a bit.

But that was a brief respite for the home team as Cameron White (51) and Michael Hussey (73) again stepped up the run rate after the 35th over to help Australia reach 213 for three at the end of the 40th. They added 76 runs in 77 balls.

Australia added 54 runs in the last 10 overs to leave India with an asking rate of 5.86.

Hussey, out of form before this series and a question mark against his name for the next Test series against West Indies, departed in the last over after facing 54 balls and striking the ball cleanly to hit eight fours and a six.

Indian bowling was a mixed bag. Nehra impressed right through but Kumar was expensive though he was unlucky that twice he got the edge of Paine's bat but the ball did not carry to the slip fielders.

Kumar was hoisted over the roof of the pavilion by Hussey in the 49th over of the innings to end up with no wicket for 77 runs.

Ishant, who has struggled of late, started unimpressively but then settled down to show glimpses of what he is capable of when in rhythm in his opening spell. Coming back in the slog overs he leaked runs but picked up the wickets of Hussey and Brett Lee and ended up with figures of 3/50 from his 10 overs.

Another disappointment was spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh who bowled a poor line and was punished for 20 runs in his first three overs and 27 in his second spell of five overs. He ended up with the wicket of Adam Voges in the slog overs after conceding 57 runs.

Jadeja did reasonably well and got the prize wicket of Ponting, and ended with impressive figures of one for 39 from his nine overs.

The Indian fielding was generally below par with many slow movers in the line-up.

Earlier, India had to leave out Yuvraj Singh, who is recovering from a finger injury sustained before the start of Champions Trophy, along with Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra and Sudeep Tyagi.

Australia benched Doug Bollinger, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus and Shaun Marsh.

Dhoni and his men may play T20 in Tihar jail next week

After entertaining crowds in every part of the cricket globe, India's cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and some of his teammates may turn up in Tihar jail next week for a Twenty20 tournament involving the inmates.

According to a Tihar jail source, the jail authorities have approached Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Ajay Jadeja to turn up for the Twenty20 Tihar Winter Olympics Cricket Tournament's final next week.

Among them, Dhoni and Gambhir have expressed their interest to be part of the event, though they have still not confirmed their participation.

"We have approached these players and are now waiting for their confirmation. We can only tell you the details only after we get their approval", the source said.

The participating teams are made of Tihar prisoners and the cricketers would only play a few overs to encourage them, the source said. If the jail authorities manage to rope in the star players, each of the four participating teams will have at least one professional cricketer in its ranks.

Back in 1994, Sachin Tendulkar played cricket in Tihar while World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev has also played there on a few occasions.

Dhoni stays atop ODI batting chart, Yuvraj at six

Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni extended his stay at the top of the ICC ODI Rankings for the batsmen, which has his flamboyant teammate Yuvraj Singh at the number six position.

According to the latest chart issued on Monday, Dhoni has 779 points and is closely followed by Australian Mike Hussey, who is just three points adrift of the The Jharkhand marauder.

Yuvraj has 744 rating points for his sixth place and the next best Indian in the ranking chart is Sachin Tendulkar, who stands 12th with 708 points.

Among the Indian bowlers, paceman Zaheer Khan (660) and spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh (617) feature in top 20 at 11th and 20th positions respectively.

India (119) remains third in the ODI ranking for the teams, behind table-toppers Australia (131) and South Africa (119).

Meanwhile, New Zealand can now rise to the fourth place but could slip to as low as eighth as well, depending on the outcome of their five-match series against West Indies.

Daniel Vettori's side currently sits in fifth place on 113 ratings points and a 5-0 series win will put it ahead of Pakistan in fourth place on 118 points.

However, a reversal would mean Kiwis conceding 11 ratings points to the West Indies. This will put both the teams level on 102 ratings points but Chris Gayle's side will be placed higher than the Black Caps in seventh place when ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

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.

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.

Yuvraj Singh edges out Akshay Kumar

The cricketer replaces the superstar in the Punjabi version of Jumbo.

Though a Punjabi himself, Akshay Kumar will surprisingly not be associated with the Punjabi version of his forthcoming big-budget animation film Jumbo. In a signing coup of sorts, cricketer Yuvraj Singh has been roped in by the film-makers to be the voice that Akshay had provided in the Hindi movie.

It is believed that Yuvraj’s recent performances against England, his unforgettable on-field feats — including his six sixes in one over in the inaugural T20 world tourney — and his enormous popularity among cricket aficionados were the deciding factors behind signing Yuvraj and dropping Akshay. Yuvraj also enjoys an enviable fan following in North India and among people of different age groups across the country.
Incidentally, the dropped Akshay has been enjoying a great run at the box-office.

“Yuvraj has been signed to do the voice-over in the Punjabi version of Jumbo and will lend his voice for the same character whose voice Akshay Kumar had been in the Hindi version. Akshay is not a part of the Punjabi version. Yuvraj is the star of that,” says Shailendra Singh, head honcho, Percept Picture Company.

He adds: “It is a very strategic move. Though given Akshay’s box-office run and the fact that he can speak excellent Punjabi since he is a Punjabi, it was tough to take the decision to drop him. But this is purely a business move; don’t read anything between the lines.”

Shailendra adds, “Yuvraj is very popular in North India and having him is a boon for the film. He is excited about doing something that Akshay has done earlier. With this move we intend to give Indian cricket lovers - who love Yuvraj’s style and his powerful performances — a chance to watch him on a different pitch altogether. We are trying to draw a large section of cricket fans to the theatres.”

This move could have interesting connotations as Yuvraj had earlier been a part of Percept’s talent pool but things had reportedly gone sour between the two and Yuvraj signed up with another company. Will he return to Percept’s fold? “I diplomatically say that this deal (doing the film) is only a professional agreement between Yuvi and us. We have been very good friends for along time and we are happy he has agreed to do the film. Other deals may follow,” Shailendra ends.

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).

In times of terror, seek joy in sports

Sport has often provided me the escape route. Squeaking shoes on the wooden floor of a badminton court, the sound of a shuttlecock whizzing past the ear, reassured me that in the hours spent in its confines, everything else was secondary.

The mundaneness of a summer afternoon was made tolerable by a repeat telecast of an India-Pakistan cricket match on TV.

Racing downhill, bare-feet, on dew-kissed grass, gave me the biggest high.

But the last four days have been different. Filippo Inzaghi’s record-breaking goal in European competitions mattered little. I didn’t care that Chelsea still hadn’t made the last sixteen of the Champions League. In fact, blasphemous as it may sound, I even thought Bill Shankly a passionate fool for believing that football is more important than life and death.

My city was burning, people grieving for the loved ones they lost. How could I, then, seek solace in sport?

It’s in moments like these that you realise, sport may not be that big a deal after all. It may be important for the soul of a man but not as important as life itself.

By late Friday night, as some normalcy returned, and my mother stopped questioning every loud noise she heard while talking on the phone with me, I turned to sport again. Not to escape, but maybe to revive the faith.

I watched the DVD of that NatWest final at Lord’s, where Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif helped India rise from the dead. Then, I played the DVD of the World Cup final between France and Italy, rewinding the Zinedine Zidane head-butt some 10 times and each time gasping, “How could he?”

I saw Ronaldinho at his magical best, then immediately felt a sense of guilt at the happiness his genius brought me.

On Saturday, Mumbaikars woke up to feel safer than they felt in the last four days. I am glad that the ordeal is over. But, I guess, now we will all need reassurance.

I think I will find mine in sport. This weekend there is some football — matches that can turn out to be classics. Arsenal play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, hoping to stay in the race for the title. But I think more enthralling could be the game at the City of Manchester Stadium. It’s Manchester City against their old foes Manchester United.
Brazilian Robinho is at the centre of it all. In his first in-depth interview since moving to England, Robinho has revealed that over the last week he has been stopped by hundreds of people in the streets, who tell him, ‘You must beat United. This is our game. This is our day. You have to score the winning goal’.

For the City fans, this is the time for revenge against their more famed rivals. For the first time in years, they feel they can match the Devils kick-for-kick. A win on Sunday, could wipe out the hurt that taunts of ‘wrong Manchester’ have caused.

When Robinho joined City after a £32.5m signing from Real Madrid in September on a salary of £160,000 a week, we called him a mercenary.

Rob’s taken the criticism, played his best football, scored eight goals in 11 league games and brought immense happiness to thousands of City supporters. If he wins them the game on Sunday, they’ll have no greater hero.

In our tough times, let’s all seek our Robinhos.

India v England ODI series - 5th one-day - India beat England

Kevin Pietersen hit a century but India eased to a six-wicket win over England with 38 balls left to take a 5-0 lead in the seven-match one-day series.

Pietersen scored 111 off 128 balls and shared 112 in 116 with Owais Shah (66) as England posted 270-4 in Cuttack.

But in reply Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar amassed 136 inside 20 overs, Sehwag (91) firing 15 fours and a six.

Two wickets fell in two balls before Mahendra Dhoni (50) compiled 94 with Suresh Raina, who was unbeaten on 53.

Pietersen's landmark century was the first by an England player for 14 matches and the first overseas by an England skipper, and helped the team pass 250 for the first time in the series.

However, critics still smarting from the decision not to have nets on Tuesday were given further ammunition by another perplexing batting line-up.

Alastair Cook was recalled to the side for his first one-day international match since June and Paul Collingwood, with only 44 runs to his name in the series, was promoted to number four.

Cook cut his fourth ball for four but in the sixth over he tried a similar shot to a wide one and edged to slip.

Partner Ravi Bopara survived a confident lbw shout before he had scored, but went on to play some attractive shots in his 24.

Pietersen was full of intent early in his innings, getting off the mark with a top-edged hook over the wicketkeeper's head, but was soon playing shots of more authority as 68 were scored inside the first 10 overs.

However, Bopara drove to backward point and the next powerplay chunk produced only 13 runs in the five overs as Collingwood looked painfully out of touch.

To his credit he scraped his way to 40, frequently employing the chip into the leg-side, and shared 89 in 20 overs with Pietersen.

Andrew Flintoff arrived at the crease in his cap expecting spin, but Dhoni double-bluffed him by using Ishant Sharma, and Flintoff edged his third ball to slip.

Pietersen worked the ball expertly through the leg-side and passed 3,000 one-day runs with a six down the ground, but was becalmed in the closing stages of the innings.

Having hit the first ball of the 35th over for his ninth four, it took until the penultimate ball of the innings for his next boundary.

England took their batting powerplay in a strong position at 196-4 after 40 overs with the captain and Shah both going well.

However, Zaheer Khan and Sharma gave them little to hit in those five overs as only 32 were added.

England were fortunate that Shah played another innovative innings, mixing forceful strokes with unusual ones, but were left wondering how many more they might have scored had he batted higher up the order.

India coasted to 62-0 from the first 10 overs, and Pietersen chose not to take the powerplay and brought slow left-armer Samit Patel into the attack.

That plan lasted all of an over as Flintoff came back and the fielding powerplay was taken.

With the fielders still up spinner Graeme Swann was risked, and it was a gamble that backfired as Sehwag cut loose and 21 came from the over.

A direct hit from Bopara at cover would have run out Tendulkar, but the only problem for the Indian strokeplayers appeared to be the surface, with several deliveries keeping low as the evening dew began to take effect.

However, Sehwag had no trouble in wristily carving Stuart Broad to the fence before driving the next ball effortlessly past the bowler for four more.

He moved into the 90s in the 23rd over with one of his few false strokes, an inside edge, going past the stumps for four off Bopara.

Tendulkar completed a remarkable 90th one-day fifty before he was bowled by a slower ball from Steve Harmison.

There were waves of noise when the boundaries were flowing but total silence ensued as Yuvraj Singh got a leading edge and Bopara took a sharp return catch.

From the first ball of the next over Broad nipped one back to trap Sehwag pushing forward, although the only way the ball would have hit stumps was if another set had been placed alongside.

The next passage of play was also quiet, as Dhoni and Raina for once were forced into a period of consolidation.

Swann returned and might have had Dhoni stumped, the captain given the benefit after a series of replays, while a leading edge spooned to safety over the spinner's head.

But the required rate was always well below the current one and the batting powerplay was still in hand.

The persevering Swann managed to oust Dhoni after the captain had recorded his 25th half century, but a beleagured England were left with the very real prospect of suffering their first 7-0 whitewash.

India return up to us - Kevin Pietersen

England captain Kevin Pietersen insists none of his players will be forced to return to India for the two-Test series after the terror attacks in Mumbai.

The tourists fly home on Friday but are scheduled to return in December.

"We will make every effort to come back and play in the Tests, but at the end of the day if it's not safe we won't be coming back," Pietersen told BBC Sport.

"I'll never force anybody to do anything. A man is a man and he can make his own decisions for himself."

India invite England to bat in fifth one-dayer

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl against England in the fifth one-day international on Wednesday.

England, down 4-0 in the series, dropped opener Ian Bell and struggling paceman James Anderson for the day-nighter in search of their first win in the seven-match series.

They included left-handed opener Alastair Cook for his first game of the series and recalled fast bowler Steve Harmison after he sat out the previous two outings. India also made two changes from the previous rain-hit game which they won by 19 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method in Bangalore.

They rested in-form batsman Gautam Gambhir for youngster Rohit Sharma with all rounder Irfan Pathan replacing paceman Munaf Patel.

Teams

England - Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen (captain), Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Owais Shah, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison.

India - Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma.

On course to becoming top team in world: Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Basking in the glory of India's Test triumph over Australia and one-day series victory over England, chief national selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth said MS Dhoni and his boys are now well on course to becoming the top team in the world in both formats of the game.

Srikkanth said a new face of Indian cricket has emerged with the team oozing confidence after notching up victories against top nations.

"The entire approach of the players has changed. They have been consistently aggressive and the approach has been positive. The most important thing is they are playing as a well-knit team. Everybody has done his job well and contributed for the success of the team. We are looking at building a team that will become world number one in both Test and one-day formats. That is the first goal," he said.

"The aggressive attitude reflected in the increased run rate in Test matches. There were times even in Nagpur and Mohali when things were not going our away but our boys fought their way. The fighting spirit and the adaptability is commendable. Even in the Indore one-dayer, we were 29 for three and from there to score 290 plus shows that they have adjusted to the situations well," he added.

The former India opener said what was heartening for the country's cricket was that the team was doing well collectively though there have been outstanding performers.

"If you see overall, everybody is contributing to the success of the team. It is not one individual or two. Opening batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have found their moorings and give us solid base in Test and one-dayers. Similarly Zaheer (Khan) and Ishant Sharma have been getting us early wickets in both Test and one-dayers."

England should open with Flintoff: Geoffrey Boycott

Sluggish starts have been England's bane in the ongoing ODI series against India and Andrew Flintoff should be asked to open the innings if they are to avoid a whitewash, according to cricketer-turned-commentator Geoffrey Boycott.

Criticising the ploy to open with Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara in Sunday night's rain-truncated tie, Boycott said England needed a flying start in the shortened match but the openers just could not deliver the goods.

And by the time Flintoff hammered 41 off 30 balls in company of Owais Shah, who blasted 72 off 48 balls, the match was all but over, rued Boycott.

"Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara are both good batsmen, pretty to watch, full of classy touches and nice timing. But are they the kind of players who can slog the ball out of the ground? Absolutely not. They have trained themselves to play correct cricket shots, not to heave across the line," said the former opener.

"We saw when Andrew Flintoff got going just what could be achieved with a more muscular approach, but his cameo came too late. If you get off to a bad start in a 22-over match, you will always be playing catch-up cricket," Boycott wrote in "The Daily Telegraph'.

To succeed in India, Boycott argued, England needed to put the Indian bowlers under the kosh right from the start and Flintoff is the man who could do that.

"Even in a 50-over game, like the one at Kanpur last week, I would not go in with Bell and Bopara as openers. I would get Flintoff out there straight away: he is the man with the power to put the Indian bowlers on the defensive," he said.

"Pietersen needs to learn from the Indians, who go hard at the ball from the word go. When I say that Flintoff should open, I am not recommending that as a universal solution. Certainly you wouldn't want to throw him away against the new ball in England, where it nips about early on. But that is not so much of a problem in India," he said.

"The first few overs are the best time to bat. The ball skids on nicely, the fielders are inside the circle, and you have plenty of time ahead of you to pace your innings. Best of all, as far as Flintoff is concerned, you can get your eye in before the spinners come on," he added.

Rest & reign Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The series is in the bag, won so comprehensively that pundits can’t stop singing paeans on Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team. The scoreline reads 4-0 in India’s favour and Dhoni wants the series against England to finish at 7-0. This spells bad news for Kevin Pietersen, whose side hasn’t hit the straps since arriving in the country. India’s current position of strength presents a fine opportunity for the team think-tank to give some tired legs rest and replace them with fresher players. “You will see a few changes in the side in the next three matches,” Dhoni said.

Immediately, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan and Pragyan Ojha come into the picture. Kohli has played five ODIs and has opened in all of them. An attacking player, Kohli can fit into the side if either Gautam Gambhir or Virender Sehwag need a break. Kohli also plays for Delhi and he shouldn’t have any problems teaming up with the either of them.

Throwing Ojha into the ring would be a brave move. The left-arm spinner will present England with more worries in addition to Harbhajan Singh’s off-spin.

With much hullabaloo surrounding the dropping of RP Singh for Irfan, it would be silly for Dhoni not to pick the all-rounder, who has also been among the wickets in the domestic circuit. The inclusion of Irfan will give Zaheer Khan an opportunity to take some much-needed rest and come out fresh for the two-Test series that starts on December 11. Zaheer, along with Ishant Sharma, has provided India with the most potent opening attack in over a decade and the team can’t risk injury to either of these pacemen. It wouldn’t be too bad an idea to give them some more rest.

Also it waits to be seen if the selectors and Dhoni are ready to experiment further for the 6th and 7th ODIs. If fringe players, like Mohammad Kaif, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay or Pradeep Sangwan make the cut then the rotation policy would truly be in full swing. What will be interesting to see is whether Dhoni decides to take a break keeping in mind that he will have to play in the Champions League. However, it will be vital that any rotation or experimentation doesn’t come at the cost of India losing the momentum going into the two-Test series.

Lack of IPL exposure is keeping us behind:Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff has blamed England's dismal show in the ongoing one-day series squarely on their non-participation in the Indian Premier League, which he
believes has helped Indian players develop their game by leaps and bounds.

"I think through playing the shorter form of the game they (India) have developed new skills with both bat and ball, and we have been found wanting a little bit," Flintoff said.

"Their game has developed through playing Twenty20 cricket, you just have to look at the way the guys hit the ball and the positions they get into. You also look at the
bowling skills that Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma have too. They are developing slower balls and yorkers."

The England all-rounder also sought to clarify that the reason for his teamamtes' keenness to play in the IPL was not just the big bucks they could earn through it.

"A few of our players are keen to go to the IPL. The thing that most people write about when they mention the IPL is the financial rewards, but it should also be looked at as
something that helps with a player's development," Flintoff told Britain's 'Independent' newspaper.

However, England players are yet to know if they would get a chance to play in the second edition of IPL due to ongoing tussle between the England and Wales Cricket Board and the IPL organisers.

IPL are keen to ensure that English cricketers to commit their presence in the event but ECB is ready to release the players only for a limited period which was not okayed by IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi.

India v England ODI series - 4th ODI - Owais Shah Heroics fail to save England

Owais Shah's 72 could not prevent England from suffering a 19-run, rain-affected defeat by India, who took an unassailable 4-0 lead in the series.

Set an adjusted victory target of 198 from 22 overs, Shah and Andrew Flintoff (41) gave England hope with a fine 82-run fourth-wicket partnership.

But both men were dismissed in the final six overs as England fell short.

India's 166-4 was interrupted by rain delays as Virender Sehwag (69) and Gautam Gambhir (40) set the platform.

The victory ensures India are still on target for a resounding 7-0 whitewash, although Shah did not deserve to finish on the losing side after a superb innings from just 48 deliveries.

India's already daunting line-up was further boosted by Sachin Tendulkar, who returned from a three-match absence to the top of the batting order at the expense of the unfortunate Rohit Sharma.

How England's selectors would have loved to have a dilemma like their hosts. Instead, they kept faith with the same XI from Kanpur, with James Anderson retaining his place ahead of Steve Harmison.

India had made comfortable progress to 106-1 after 17 overs after Kevin Pietersen had won the toss and elected to field to utilise the overcast and humid conditions.

Already hampered by a two-hour rain interruption in the 14th over, the match was held up a further three hours by another long rain shower, forcing umpires Amiesh Saheba and Daryl Harper to reduce the match to 22 overs a side.

The resumption saw the hosts plunder 60 runs from their final five overs, with Pietersen conceding 17 runs from his solitary over.

Swann was England's most productive bowler, accounting for both Sehwag and Gambhir, with both men caught on the long on boundary by Anderson.

But cameos from Yuvraj Singh (25) and a six off the final ball of the innings from Yusuf Pathan ensured England's batsmen were chasing a challenging Duckworth-Lewis adjusted total.

England's replay began in the worst possible fashion when opener Ravi Bopara was brilliantly caught by Ishant Sharma for one in the second over from Munaf Patel.

Partner Ian Bell continued to labour at the top of the order, failing to pierce the infield and his misery was finally ended when he missed a straight delivery from Harbhajan Singh for nine.

Lusty blows from Shah kept the scoreboard ticking over, but the required run-rate exceeded 11 an over when Pietersen played on to Ishant Sharma for five.

But the complexion of the match turned when Flintoff joined Shah at the crease in the ninth over as the pair rallied by smashing 16 from a profligate Yuvraj in the 10th over.

Shah brought up his half-century from just 35 balls with a blistering pull shot through midwicket off Sharma for four in the 12th over.

Flintoff combined subtle late cuts with sheer brutal strength, including a six which clattered into the stadium roof off Harbhajan in the 13th over.

With England requiring 65 off 36 balls, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was confronted with his first captaincy dilemma of the series.

With his spinners carted to all parts of the ground, the India skipper turned to Zaheer, who duly delivered when Shah top-edged a full toss into the hands of Tendulkar at point.

And Flintoff followed in the next over when he chipped Sharma into Zaheer's hands, a wicket which effectively ended any hopes of a morale-boosting victory.

With the run-rate shooting up to 14 an over, Samit Patel and Paul Collingwood attempted to cage the beast, but the former ended up holing out to Gautam Gambhir for 11.

And with 27 needed from the final over, England inevitably ended up short as India wrapped up the series as the clock ticked past midnight.

India v England ODI series - 4th ODI India Won

England captain Kevin Pietersen has urged his players to "come back firing on all cylinders" after losing the one-day series against India.

India took an unassailable 4-0 lead in the seven-match series with a 19-run win on Sunday in a rain-affected match.

The next match is in Cuttack on Wednesday and Pietersen said: "I want their chins up.

"I don't want to see anybody with their heads down and moping around - we want to come back firing on all cylinders."

He praised the efforts of Owais Shah and Andrew Flintoff despite slipping to a fourth consecutive defeat.

Chasing a rain-adjusted 198 to win, Shah (72) and Flintoff (41) added 82 for the fourth wicket to lift England's hopes before their eventual demise.

"The boys gave it a good run. Shah batted well and Freddie helped out with good contributions," said Pietersen.

"I'm disappointed but we've just got to take this on the chin and bounce back."

Pietersen was adamant England would be trying their hardest to win the remaining matches.

"We want to make sure this series stays as competitive as possible," he said. "We came here to win a few games, and win the series but we didn't do that.

"We're going to hold our heads up high and get on with trying to win some games of cricket."

Virender Sehwag was the driving force behind the host's victory in Bangalore, hitting nine fours and three sixes in his 69 off 57 balls.

"India played fantastic cricket, they played with a lot of freedom, without any fear and with a lot of confidence after beating Australia," said Pietersen.

"Somebody in the India line-up tends to come out and do us. Yuvraj has done us on occasions and when Virender Sehwag bats like that it's great to watch but when you're the opposing captain it's very hard work."

With the series secured, India are expected to rest some of their senior players in advance of the two-Test series against England, which starts in Ahmedabad on 11 December.

Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh may take a well-earned rest but Sehwag insisted he would rather continue playing while he was in a rich vein of form.

"I'd like to carry on playing in all the matches while I'm hitting the ball well," he said.

"I will carry on playing if I can but if the selectors want to look at younger players looking ahead to the 2011 World Cup then that's fine as well."

Former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer blasts match referee for Kanpur fiasco

Former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer has lashed out at match referee Roshan Mahanama for lacking in "common sense" which resulted in the third one-dayer between India and England at Kanpur being decided by Duckworth/Lewis system.

Fading light at the Green Park led to the match ending nine overs short to hand India a 16-run win which left England captain Kevin Pietersen fuming and Engineer said it was not the BCCI's fault but that of the ICC and its match referee.

"It's not the BCCI's fault or any of the teams' fault, it is the ICC's fault. They have two experienced umpires there and a match referee sitting in his cosy room watching the TV all day.

"Kanpur has good (floodlights) lights and they should have been used. Why couldn't Roshan Mahanama use his common sense, brought both captains together and said let's finish this with the lights on. They should also have started earlier and had a shorter break in between innings. These things need to be looked into as it is not a good advert for cricket," Engineer said.

"Somebody somewhere needs his backside kicking big time. Ian Botham said on air that whoever came up with the rule to end a game like that should not be given another job and I have never heard a truer statement," he added.

Engineer also spoke highly of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership and wicketkeeping abilities and said watching the India captain in action reminds him of his playing days.

"He is my blue-eyed boy. He reminds me so much of myself. His mannerisms, his batting, his ability to change a game, his wicketkeeping, I really have been impressed with him and how he has improved," Engineer told 'Cricketnirvana'.