London, July 17
He fell five-run shy of a ton in his very first Test some 11 years ago but Team India captain Rahul Dravid still cherishes every moment of his debut match at cricket's traditional and spiritual home, the Lord's.

Dravid was batting on 95 when he edged one to the wicketkeeper and walked in the 1996 Test to see Sourav Ganguly outshine him with a debut ton.

On Thursday, Dravid leads the Indian team in the first Test against England and the right-hander said he had no regrets even though he fell tantalisingly short of becoming the fourth cricketer to score a century on debut at the Lord's.

"I couldn't have scripted it better. Just playing for India would have been special, to be honest with you - whether it had been in Chittagong or at Lord's. But for it to have happened at Lord's - really the home of cricket," Dravid told 'Cricinfo' website.

In awe of the venue and its rich history, Dravid said "To have known that so many great cricketers had played at that ground - the tradition, history. They really have maintained the culture and traditions in the ground.

"And whatever people may say, you do feel it. There's something about walking down those steps at Lord's. I do feel it definitely. So for me it was special to have played at Lord's and to have actually done well there. Every time I've gone there, I've always felt nice in some ways."

Dravid said playing in England was a dream which, like every aspiring cricketer, he cherished at the bottom of his heart and touring the country was realising that dream.

"A summer tour to England is something you always grew up hearing about even before you actually got a chance to play at grounds like Lord's, The Oval, Trent Bridge, Headingley," Dravid said.

Dravid has thrived in the English conditions and after the memorable 1996 debut, runs flowed from his bat in the 2002 tour as well. He averages an astounding 87.66 in England and Dravid said he hardly put a foot wrong in that tour.

"I must admit that during the last tour I went through a bit of a purple patch. I think it was the beginning of a very successful run which lasted almost two-and-a-half years. I felt my game peaked at that stage, I was playing at the top of my game, playing really well.

"What made me happy was that we all played some good cricket on that trip - to win the Headingley Test after taking a decision to bat first on that wicket... that century was the highlight of the tour. It set the tone for us, allowed us to fight back in the series."

Dravid said the key to his success in England was his relaxed attitude. Besides, travelling was never a worry here, he pointed out.

"There's not as much travel, there's so much stuff to do. There are shows to be seen, people to meet, friends who I've known for so many years now. I guess there's a nice feeling about the place that, so far, has brought the best out of me.

"I hope this time is no different. Being a captain is probably going to be different in that sense. I may not have the kind of time I had earlier, but I hope I'll be able to relax, enjoy myself, and play some good cricket."

Putting up a good show in front of Lord's knowledgeable crowd is also something at the top of Dravid's mind.

"I know I'm not going to go back (to England) as an Indian cricketer, so I'm looking at this as an opportunity to go out there and do well in front of a public that really appreciates the sport, knows their cricket. There's a charm to that as well - playing in front of people who appreciate the game and the cricketers," he said. — PTI

London, July 17
The reassuring presence of the senior trio in the middle order notwithstanding, the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni should take more responsibility in the Indian cricket team, feels former captain Kapil Dev.

Country's lone World Cup winning captain thinks the presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly - all in their mid 30s - lend stability to the side but players like Yuvraj and Dhoni should take the baton from their senior pros.

"Players like Dhoni and Yuvraj have to start pulling their buckle and say: 'OK we must take this responsibility now'.

"They are the future of Indian cricket and the size of their task is considerable," Kapil was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

"As long as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid are there, they should be the anchor, the platform to ensure that nothing should go wrong.

"But I think the younger boys have to take a lead and start to win games," Kapil said.

He also had similar expectation from Zaheer Khan, who, Kapil felt, could guide other members of the inexperienced Indian attack.

"Zaheer is very important for India in this series because of his experience of playing county cricket. He knows more about English pitches and English conditions than any of the other seamers. If he can also take responsibility it will be lovely," Kapil said.

The former all-rounder accused the BCCI of dilly-dallying over the recruitment of a new coach and felt it might affect the team's show in the ongoing tour of England.

"India are going through a rough period and they need to get their heads together and sort things out. England is always a tough tour and this series will be a real test for India after the World Cup.

"They are totally down and the recent series against Bangladesh wasn't a great test. We'll see whether they have the character to get back to where they belong. They have the potential to do that but the team are not sure what is happening with the management, so the sooner they sort out their internal problems, the better," he said.

"But the issue of who will coach the side has dragged on too long," Kapil remarked.

Currently chairing the board of the rebel Indian Cricket League, Kapil said he would like to see youngsters back home learning from playing against some of the best names in the game in the ICL.

"The problem at the moment is that the leading Indian players don't play enough domestic cricket because of the international schedule.

"Cricket is now a global game and if we can get some of the best players in the world to come to India and play alongside some of our best young players then the youngsters will learn a lot," Kapil said. — PTI

Cincinnati, July 17
Third seed Sania Mirza sailed into the second round of the $175,000 WTA event here with a straight set win against unseeded America’s Abigail Spears.

Spears tried her best against the Indian but Sania never allowed her any leeway and cruised to a comprehensive 6-4, 6-3 win.

Sania’s second round opponent will be the winner of the match between Varvara Lepchenko (Uzbekistan) and Kirsten Flower (USA).

In the match against Spears, Sania’s serve stood her in good stead and the Indian won 69 per cent of her first serve points.

In both the sets, Sania had to shrug off her inertia but once she settled into her strides, there was no looking back.

Spears raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set before Sania hit back with vengeance and won six of the next seven games to pocket the set.

In the second set as well, Sania was a break down before she stepped on gas and swept aside her opponent.

“She started off very well and rarely missed anything, and I just found it a little hard to focus, maybe because it was my first match of the tournament,” Sania said.

“But at the end when I really needed it, I pulled it off. I made the balls I needed and the winners I needed. I’m just taking it match by match.” Sania said her injured knee, which kept her out of action for two and a half months, was shaping well.

“I feel fit now. I feel fitter than when I stopped. My knee is probably around 90 per cent right now, but that last 10 per cent is the hardest part to get. I still struggle with some movements, but it doesn’t hamper me when I play. That’s just how it is.”

Sania has been drawn on the same half with top seeded Russia’s Anna Chakvetadze and if she can manage to reach the final, the world number 38 might run into former champion Patty Schnyder.

In doubles, Sania teams up with America’s Bethanie Mattek and the top seeded Indo-American pair takes on Catalina Castano (Colombia) and Meng Yuan (China) in the first round. — PTI

New York, July 17
Victoria Beckham’s attempts to woo the US media since arriving in Los Angeles with soccer star husband David appear to have backfired, with critics savaging a reality show that has been broadcast.

“Victoria Beckham: Coming to America,” was originally intended as a mini-series, but trimmed to a one hour special by the NBC network.

Billed as a revealing special that “delves into Victoria’s larger-than-life world to reveal, among other things, her wicked sense of humour and style,” the show failed to impress the mainstream media yesterday.

The New York Post gave the show a damning zero-star review, slamming the pop-star turned fashion figure as “relentlessly self-promoting” with “vapid, condescending behaviour” in a show described as “an orgy of self-indulgence.” “You’ll sit there slack-jawed at the gall of these people who think we are that stupid,” the Post’s reviewer wrote in a scathing broadside, also laying into the couple’s “nightmarishly overdone rococo mansion” in Beverly Hills.

“The ‘special’ which NBC calls an ‘exclusive’ inside look at Victoria’s larger-than-life life smacks of too much fame, too much money and too much time spent, believing the hype for all concerned,” the paper wrote.

The New York Times was no more forgiving in its write-up, describing Victoria as being “somewhat famous for being sort of famous, and is photographed lot in Britain.” “She does appear to be pleasant and not without a sense of humour. But that isn’t quite enough to carry viewers through an hour of house hunting, sunbathing and applying for a driver’s license,” the paper’s reviewer said. — AFP

Moscow, July 17
The Russian Fed Cup team were hailed by the local media following their semi-final victory in the US at the weekend, while the hosts were criticised for their choice of venue and the treatment of the visiting captain.

Despite missing world number two Maria Sharapova and number four Svetlana Kuznetsova through injury, the Russians overcame a US team led by Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, 3-2, to reach their third Fed Cup final in four years.

''America got their butts kicked,'' a headline in today's edition of a leading daily Kommersant blared in hailing the understrength team's victory.

However, the tie at the picturesque mountain resort in Stowe, Vermont, was overshadowed by a political row between Moscow and Washington when US authorities failed to issue Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev an entry visa on time.

Only after intensive lobbying by the International Tennis Federation and the Russian Foreign Ministry was Tarpishchev able to fly to the US and arrived in Stowe just 24 hours before Saturday's opening match. — Reuters

H Lalnuzira rounded of the winners’ tally in the 87th minute. Satwinder Singh scored the solitary goal for Mahilpur Football Club.

Chandigarh, July 17
India's only representative in the women's British Open golf prequalifying event Irina Brar missed the cut for the golf major by just one stroke.

Irina played a three over card of 75 failing to make the 25-tied cut by just one stroke at the Berkshire Golf Club course yesterday.

Irina created a flutter as she vyed for the cut along with 300 women golfers from all over the world. She showed her steady play as she sunk birdies on the third, fifth and sixth holes after conceding bogeys on the first two holes. On the completion of the first nine she was occupying the tied third spot with a one-under par score of 35.

She continued doing well midway through the return nine maintaining her one-under card till the 13th hole. But then her first exposure to the British Open challenge began to show. She conceded four bogeys on the 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th holes collapsing in the leadership order from tied third to tied 26th.

Her return card of four-over 40 saw her missing the British Open main qualifying round by just one stroke. For Irina, who has made her mark in the Indian Open and the Asian Open, it was her first attempt at the Wimbledon of international golf. That she can show her class in a major international event was evident the way she played the first nine of the prequalifying event.

Lancashire keen to rope in Laxman
London: English side Lancashire is keen to rope in Indian Test batsman VVS Laxman in place of Australia’s Brad Hodge for their last four County Championship matches this season. The county authorities have written to the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) to find out the availability of Laxman, who is part of the Indian Test team currently touring England. “Our cricket manager Mike Watkinson is looking at all options. Laxman is one of them,” Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes was quoted as saying in the English media. — PTI