Chandigarh, September 1
The BCCI today announced a previously unscheduled Test and ODI series against the West Indies at home in November. They will visit India to play two Test matches and five One-day Internationals. The biggest implication of the series is that Sachin Tendulkar would, barring any unforeseen circumstances, play his 200th Test in India, and not South Africa. Tendulkar has played a record 198 Tests.

This series, which has been announced out of the blue, seems to be scheduled to ensure that Tendulkar would play his 200th Test on home soil; it also strongly suggests that this two-match Test would see him bow out of international cricket. The two Tests are likely to be played in Kolkata and Mumbai, and Tendulkar could get the opportunity to play his 200th and possibly last Test at his home ground in Mumbai.

India were scheduled to travel to South Africa for a Test and ODI series from November 21, but the announcement of the West Indies series has put a question mark over that series.

In the BCCI Working Committee meeting today, it was announced that India would tour New Zealand for two Tests and five ODIs in January/February 2014, followed by a tour of England for five Tests, five ODIs and one T20 International from July to September 2014.

However, there was no mention of the scheduled tour of South Africa in the BCCI announcement after the meeting. That tour had been announced by the BCCI two months ago, but since then there have been some disagreements between the BCCI and Cricket South Africa over scheduling of the fixtures. India has sought changes in the schedule that had been cleared by Cricket South Africa. Subsequently, the Indian board had also made clear its dislike of their new CEO, Haroon Lorgat. This all means that India's tour to South Africa could be cancelled.

Which all would be good news for Tendulkar's fans, for the master batsman has clearly been in a state of decline over the past couple of years. Tendulkar last scored a Test century in January 2011, at Cape Town in South Africa. After that Test, he has gone 37 innings without scoring a century, with an average of 31.8 from 21 matches. He averaged 23.8 in 2012 and this year is averaging 32 in this year. In this sort of form, the prospect of facing the South African quick bowlers on their fast wickets would not be very attractive.

Thus, the home series against a much easier opponent could provide the Indian master of a relatively easier farewell to Test cricket after 24 years of playing.

Dubai, September 1
India have retained their top position in the ICC ODI team rankings table while Virat Kohli remained the highest-ranked Indian batsman at the fourth spot in the latest list.

India, who have been in the number one position since February 2013 when they beat England 3-2 at home to regain the top place, have 123 rating points to their credit, ahead of Australia (114) and England (112).

While Kohli managed to maintain his position in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also retained his seventh spot in the top-10 list, which still has South Africa's Hashim Amla sitting at the top. Meanwhile, the bowlers' chart is still headed by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja with 733 points.

Jadeja will have the first shot at an outright lead at the top of the tree when he's expected to take the field against Australia in Pune on October 13. West Indies' Sunil Narine continues to lead the bowlers' table, followed by Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan in second place and England's Steven Finn in third spot. In the ODI All-rounders' list also Jadeja has remained at third position, while Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez has gained four points to reclaim the number-one ranking.

Hafeez, who won the player of the series award for his 232 runs and two wickets in Pakistan's 2-1 win over Zimbabwe in three One-dayers, has leapfrogged Shakib Al Hasan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shane Watson and Tillakaratne Dilshan after earning 26 ratings points. — PTI

London, September 1
Batsman David Warner has been dropped from Australia's one-day international squad while paceman Mitchell Starc will fly back home because of lower back soreness, the country's board said on Sunday.

The batsman's recent lack of runs in the 50-over format was the reason behind his dropping from the 15-man squad, said Darren Lehmann, who was appointed Australia's coach before the start of the Ashes series.

“By his own admission, David would acknowledge that unfortunately he hasn't scored the weight of runs that he would like recently in one-day cricket for his country," Lehmann, who is also a selector, said Cricket Australia.

“Like all selection matters, it was a tough decision, but like all players he understands the situation and knows he needs to get back to playing Ryobi Cup (domestic 50-over tournament) and making a heap of runs that we can't ignore.

“I spoke with David at length about what he needs to do and I've been impressed with his attitude since I've come into the setup.” The 26-year-old, who was suspended from the team for a bar room fracas with England Joe Root during the Champions Trophy, managed 83 runs in four 50-over matches for Australia this year. Starc, 23, is Australia's latest injury headache with two other young fast bowlers, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins, also recovering from injuries. The experienced Ryan Harris has also been sidelined for two months with a hamstring problem. “Mitch reported some lower back pain in recent days so we have decided it's best for him to return to Australia for further assessment and investigation,” Australian cricket team doctor Peter Brukner said. Australia will play a lone ODI against Scotland on Tuesday before they start series on Friday.

Squad: Michael Clarke (captain), George Bailey, Fawad Ahmed, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Adam Voges, Matthew Wade, Shane Watson. — Agencies

Hyderabad, September 1
Elated after an unbeaten run that helped Hyderabad Hotshots lift the inaugural Indian Badminton League trophy, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal said she expects the USD one million event to become as big as cricket's IPL in the coming years.

"Nobody expected it would be so successful because everyone was comparing it with the IPL, which is actually not right at this point of time...and we are trying to make it big but first time of course it is not so easy. I am sure in the coming years, it will catch up with IPL," she said.

The Hyderabad Hotshots, led by Saina, clinched the trophy last night by defeating Awadhe Warriors 3-1.

The London Olympic Games bronze-medallist, who was slated to play in the mixed doubles, said she was nervous against the Indonesian sibling pair of Markis Kido and Pia Bernadeth if the tie had come down to the last match. (IBL a great thing to happen, says Awadhe Warriors' K Srikanth)

"I am a singles player. Frankly speaking, I was a little scared also because Kido and Pia are world number 9. They are champions. I was just ready and wanted to give my best. That was our strategy but good we pulled out in the men's singles. It would have been a tough match because Kido and Pia are better than us," she said.

"In the first game when Ajay (Jayaram) lost, I was a little tense and thought it is going to come down to the mixed doubles. I think the way he played in the second and the third (game) was brilliant. I am very happy for his result because it was the main match for our team," she added.

On her match against P V Sindhu, where she outclassed the youngster 21-15,21-7, Saina said, "It was the finals so I personally had no pressure. I just wanted to give my best. Sindhu also played quite well today but I am happy I pulled off my match.

"We actually didn't expect the doubles also because Kido and Mathias Boe are great champions at the same time our players did very well."

The Hyderabadi said the team just wanted to do its best and didn't expect to be crowned champions in the debut season itself.

Saina, who remained undefeated in the tournament, said she is hopeful of ending the year on a positive note.

"It is not easy to win seven matches in a row but I was very focussed and I was confident that I could pull off the matches. (Juliane) Schenk is a tough opponent, Sindhu, everyone is giving their best.

"I never thought I could pull off seven matches but I am happy to be playing well and getting back my rhythm. And I just hope I end the year on a good note by winning some title. It is not easy but I will give my best," she said.

The world number four said next year's IBL would be tougher as more singles players are expected to participate in the tournament.

"Next year, it will be tougher because many more singles players would be coming in. It is more difficult because it is a team event and there is a lot of pressure on you but at the same time, it will help me because I would be playing with a lot of top players," she said. Jayaram, who made a remarkable comeback against RMV Gurusaidutt after dropping the first game to win the match 10-21, 21-17, 11-7 said he was under pressure.

"I started out under a lot of pressure because I knew mine was the deciding match and if I won, the team would win.” — PTI

Ipoh, September 1
India made a spirited fightback in the second half but failed to earn a direct berth in next year's hockey World Cup as they lost the high-scoring summit clash 3-4 to defending champions South Korea on Sunday.

The Indians, who are virtually assured of a place in the game's showpiece event to be held at The Hague, Netherlands, needed to win the eight-nation tournament to secure a direct entry in the World Cup.

Korea's fourth title win means Malaysia are certain to return to the World Cup after a gap of 12 years.

The Indians will now have to wait till the conclusion of the Oceania Cup in November, which either Australia and New Zealand is expected to win, for the official confirmation of their participation from the FIH.

Both Australia and New Zealand have already made it to the World Cup through FIH World League.

The Koreans scored through Jang Jong Hyun (28th minute), You Hyo Sik (29th), Nam Hyun Woo (57th) and Kang Moon Kweon (68th). For India, Rupinderpal Singh (48th), Nikkin Thimmaiah (57th) and Mandeep Singh (64th) were the goal-getters.

It was a case of near yet so far for the Indians who did a tremendous job in the second half, after going into the breather trailing by two goals.

But the Indians eventually fell short as Korea eked out a hard-fought win and also got their revenge over the Sardar Singh-led side against whom they lost 0-2 in the pool stage.

However, it was a great show by a young and inexperienced Indian team considering the fact that the country finished a lowly seventh in the last edition of the event in 2009.

It was a fitting contest between the two top teams of the Asia as both India and Korea matched each other stick to stick. The Indians started the match on a bright note and dominated the early share of exchanges, India made some good moves from the right flank but the forwards fizzled after entering the opposition circle. Korea's game was all about putting the Indian defence under pressure through counter-attacks.

New York, September 1
Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal remained on course for a tantalising first ever collision at the US Open after demolishing their opposition at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.

The two great rivals have never played each other at the year's final grand slam but are drawn to meet each other in the quarter-finals next week, and they moved a step closer by winning their third-round ties in brilliant fashion.

Federer, playing the feature night match at a buzzing Arthur Ashe Stadium, doled out a 6-3 6-0 6-2 hammering to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino but knows the focus is already on the possible meeting with Nadal. "I have gone through that my entire career, people talking about our matches even before the tournament started," he said.

"We're used to it. We know how to handle it. Clearly I think we both hope it's going to happen this time for the first time in New York."

Earlier in the day, when the sun was at its hottest, Nadal turned on his own masterclass to brush aside Croatia's Ivan Dodig 6-4 6-3 6-3 and lead a trio of Spanish men into the fourth round.

David Ferrer also moved through, beating Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4, while a third Spaniard, Tommy Robredo, ended the Cinderella run of British qualifier Dan Evans.

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki and the 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova were among the high-profile casualties in a women's draw packed with surprises. Four of the eight women already through to the fourth round are unseeded and three of the eight are Italian.

Camila Giorgi, who had to come through the qualifiers to reach the main draw, sent Wozniacki packing with a 4-6 6-4 6-3 win while Flavia Pennetta knocked out the former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5 6-1. Roberta Vinci also won for Italy.

Nadal has been in great form in the past month, winning warm-up tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati. He has not dropped a single set in getting to the last 16 at Flushing Meadows and believes he is still improving. "I played better today than in the previous matches. (That's) always a positive thing," he said.

Indians advance
It was a perfect day for Indians as Leander Paes, Rohan Bopanna, Sania Mirza and Divij Sharan advanced to the third round in their respective groups.

While fourth seeds Paes and Radek Stepanek beat the unseeded duo Daniel Brands and Philipp Oswald 4-6 6-3 6-4, sixth seeded Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat the experienced Russian duo Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Elgin 7-6(2) 7-6(0).

While 10th seeds Sania and Jie Zheng drubbed Katalin Marosi and Megan Moulton-Levy 6-3 7-5 in the womens doubles, in his second ever Grand Slam outing, Sharan with Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei overcame Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram 6-4 5-7 7-6(2). — Reuters

Daniel Sturridge (15) celebrates scoring against Manchester United with teammates during their English Premier League match in Liverpool on Sunday. — Reuters

The game continued at a frenetic pace with chances at both ends, although neither United keeper David de Gea nor Liverpool's Simon Mignolet were seriously tested.

Arsenal sink Spurs in north London derby

A first-half goal by Olivier Giroud earned Arsenal a 1-0 win over big-spending local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League north London derby on Sunday.

Norton (USA), September 1
Sergio Garcia was not planning to play in the Deutsche Bank Championship but with a one-shot lead after Saturday's second round, the Spaniard will certainly be glad he did not take the week off.

Phil Mickelson hits out of the bunker to the 18th hole during the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts, on Saturday. — Reuters

Garcia held a one-stroke lead from American Roberto Castro and Sweden's Henrik Stenson at a low-scoring TPC Boston on Saturday.

Garcia, only opted to play in the tournament because he risked missing the next cut in the FedExCup playoffs and he eagled the 18th hole to complete an impressive seven-under-par round of 64, leaving him at 13-under for the tournament. The Spaniard's only major hiccup came on the par-four 14th where he double bogeyed as did Castro.

Stenson was immaculate as he recorded a bogey free eight-under par 63, a round matched only by Justin Rose, the US Open champion who also avoided bogeys as he moved within four shots of the lead.

Overnight joint leader Phil Mickelson was unable to progress from his first round 63. He shot an even-par 71 after some wayward driving - albeit with characteristic recovery work - on the back nine where he made two bogeys and a double as well as a pair of birdies.

Classic shot

Mickelson did produce the shot of the day however. His chip from a poor lay in rough over the back of the 11th green landed two feet from the pin for a tap-in par after the left-hander produced a remarkable amount of back spin. It was classic Mickelson, as he acknowledged after his round.

"I've not seen anybody else hit that shot, to be able to spin it back from that distance and lob it. It sure looks good," he said. "I could describe it, but nobody is going to understand that. It was a really good shot," added the British Open champion.

World number one Tiger Woods, playing with Mickelson and Masters champion Adam Scott, shot a four-under 67, with just one bogey as he ended up a stroke behind Mickelson at the end of their 36 holes together.

But Woods was disappointed with his work on the greens.

"I had a hard time hitting the putts hard enough. They were a little slower this afternoon, obviously with the mist coming in, it definitely slowed it up," he said. "But still, I just didn't hit them hard enough. And a couple of putts I thought I poured, but they got snagged at the end."

Defending champion Rory McIlroy shot even-par for the day to leave himself well back, 12 strokes away from Garcia. — Reuters

Madrid, September 1
In-form playmaker Isco struck twice and Cristiano Ronaldo netted his first goal of the campaign to give Luka Modric-inspired Real Madrid a 3-1 home win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Sunday.

The comfortable victory in an unusual midday kickoff at the Bernabeu gave Carlo Ancelotti's side a joint share of the lead in the standings with a perfect nine points from three games.

It also suggested the Real players have not been distracted by the drawn-out saga over the possible arrival of Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur.

Real have until Monday to wrap up the purchase of the Bale, which could set a transfer record of around $132 million, according to media reports in Britain and Spain.

After a subdued start at the giant, sun-drenched arena, Karim Benzema dinked a pass through to Isco in the 26th minute and the Spain playmaker, who joined from Malaga in the close season, drilled a shot past Bilbao goalkeeper Iago Herrerin.

Ronaldo powered home a header moments before halftime for his 202nd goal in 202 official games for Real and his 11th against Bilbao, putting him on a par with the club's former strikers Raul and Hugo Sanchez.

Bilbao threatened a comeback on a couple of occasions before Isco picked up another assist from Benzema, again whistled by the home crowd after fluffing a number of chances, and the 21-year-old found the net with a sublime 72nd-minute strike.

Ibai Gomez made the scoreline slightly more respectable for the visitors when he clipped the ball past Diego Lopez in the 79th minute after neat work on the right from fellow substitute Oscar de Marcos.

"Things are going well for me," Isco said.

Silverstone, September 1
World champion Jorge Lorenzo held off fellow Spaniard Marc Marquez in a dramatic tussle to win the British MotoGP at Silverstone on Sunday.

World championship leader Marquez, who dislocated his shoulder in the morning's warm-up session, started from pole position on his Honda but Yamaha's Lorenzo made an early move to overtake him.

Marquez, bidding for his fifth win in a row, fought back to regain the lead on the last lap before Lorenzo nipped past him again to seal victory on the line by less than a tenth of a second.

"My goal was to get away at the front," Lorenzo said. "I managed to open up a lead of half a second but as always Marc refused to throw in the towel and he was right behind me. I tried to increase the rhythm but it was impossible riding on worn tyres. This win means a great deal."

Dani Pedrosa of Honda finished third to complete a Spanish sweep of the podium.

Marquez was docked two world championship points for failing to follow safety regulations before the warm-up crash which caused his shoulder injury. He still leads the standings by 28 points from Pedrosa with Lorenzo a further nine back in the third. — Reuters

1. Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda 233
2. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 203
3. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 194
4. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 156
5. Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 136 

BRIEFLY

Jalandhar in semis of Punjab junior badminton
Jalandhar: Jalandhar beat Patiala 2-0, while Sangrur beat Ropar 2-1 in Punjab State Junior Inter-district Badminton Championships being held at Raizada Hansraj Stadium on Sunday. All the seeded districts reached the next rounds. Gurdaspur beat Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar 2-0, while Amritsar beat Ludhiana in quarterfinals of the boy’s category. In girls Under-19 category, Jalandhar got walk over from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, while Sangrur beat Amritsar 2-0. Gurdaspur beat Fazilka 2-0 and Ludhiana beat Ropar 2-0.

Punjab Police beat PSEB
Rurka Kalan: Punjab Police defeated Punjab State Electricity Board 1-0 in an exhibition football match organised by the Punjab Football Association with the help of the Youth Football Club (YFC), Rurka Kalan. The match was organised to increase awareness towards sports among the youth. Chief Parliament Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs Pawan Tinu was the chief guest. He promised Rs 3 Lakh to YFC. — TNS

SAFF meet: India edge Pak 1-0 in opener
Kathmandu: Defending champions India produced a under-par performance but still managed to beat arch-rivals Pakistan 1-0 in the opening game of the SAFF Football Championship here on Sunday.It took an own goal from Pakistan captain Samar Ishaq in the 14th minute that ensured three points for Sunil Chhetri and team. India will take on Bangladesh in their second group league encounter on Tuesday.The match was billed as a contest between Pakistan defender and former Fulham player Zesh Rahman against Chhetri. Both internationals however were lacklustre during the 90 minutes of play.

Brazil are World Cup favourites: Maradona
Buenos Aires: Diego Maradona says Brazil are firm favourites to win next year's World Cup. The 1986 World Cup winner predicts a poor showing from European nations during football's showpiece tournament to be played from June 12-July 13, reports Xinhua. "Brazil won't have anybody to match them during the World Cup. We all saw what happened in the Confederations Cup. The European teams drop a level when they play in South America," Maradona said Saturday. The former Napoli and Boca Juniors star also renewed his feud with Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona, calling for the 81-year-old to step down. He was sacked as national coach after 2010 World Cup. — Agencies