The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Bhajji’s hearing on Jan 29-30 Dubai, January 14 The hearing on Harbhajan Singh's appeal against the three-Test ban imposed on him will be conducted after the end of the four-Test series on January 29-30, the ICC announced today. "The commissioner appointed to hear the appeal by Harbhajan Singh of his Code of Conduct hearing has announced that it will be held after the ongoing Test series between Australia and India but before the Twenty20 International and subsequent ODI tri-series," an ICC press release said. ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the world governing body would have preferred to conduct the hearing earlier but it was not possible due to different factors. "The reality is that it is likely to go into a second day as lawyers will be involved so we needed to have two clear days to assign to it. With just three full days between the third and fourth Tests, we were conscious of the teams' travel arrangements and preparations for the match," he said. — PTI
	Sehwag likely to open Ashis Ray Perth, January 14 Indications are that Virender Sehwag, following his timely hundred in the tour match at Canberra, will be recalled to the Indian XI for the 3rd Test against Australia commencing on Wednesday. He may even open, if the fact that he got first strike at the practice session with Wasim Jaffer is evidence to go by. The Indian team’s consultant, Gary Kirsten, however, did not confirm Sehwag’s inclusion when he met media on Monday. To consign VVS Laxman back to number six after his fluent display at first drop at Sydney would be unfortunate. At the same time, demoting Dravid to below the first four in the line-up would mean ignoring his full potential. Kirsten was candid. “Rahul is probably more suited to batting at number 3,” he said. Now that the Test has become a must-win for India, if they are to avoid defeat in the series, the composition of the bowling attack has assumed even greater importance. Apart from captain Anil Kumble, Rudra Pratap Singh and Ishant Sharma can be safely pencilled in. But whether the Indians will opt for the experience of Harbhajan Singh or the horses-for-courses package of Irfan Pathan is the question. Not surprisingly, Kirsten remarked: “I am not sure.” Without setting Australia on fire, Harbhajan has bowled well enough from the 2nd innings of the 1st Test to retain his place in the side, whereas Pathan was steady rather than penetrative at Canberra. But Harbhajan has not captured enough wickets to close the debate; and Pathan is approaching being a Test all-rounder, indeed notched up a maiden century against Pakistan last month. An aspect the tour selectors may consider is the psychological impact of the charges of racial abuse controversy on Harbhajan. The Indian team’s reported demand that Proctor’s ruling be revoked before the 3rd Test has clearly not found favour with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), let alone the International Cricket Council. In fact, the Indians have not been able to fully concentrate on the job at hand, what with shenanigans like peace talks between Kumble and the Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and the non-hearing pertaining to Ausssie spinner Brad Hogg allegedly calling Kumble and Mahendra Dhoni “bastards” during the 2nd Test. Besides, Sourav Ganguly skipped preparations on Monday. According to M V Sridhar, spokesman for the Indians, he was still suffering after-effects from the flu that afflicted him at Melbourne, in spite of which he rendered service at Sydney. He is expected to train on Tuesday. Adam Gilchrist, overlooked by New South Wales, moved from Sydney to Perth as Western Australia assured him of a regular place in their side and thereby a springboard to turn out for Australia. Having just surpassed Dravid’s record by appearing in 94 consecutive Tests, this wicket-keeper-batsman declared the Australians were hungry for a 17th straight win, which would eclipse the record established under Steve Waugh. Interestingly, before the start of this home season, the Australian squad underwent a course under motivational guru, Ray McLean. On the visit Down Under four years ago, India hired a sports psychologist. Whether coincidental or not, India almost won the series on that occasion. The only way Indian can avenge the appalling umpiring and the perceived injustice to Harbhajan at Sydney is by beating Australia. This translates to being as ruthless as their rivals. But they lack the pace of Sreesanth and the guile of Zaheer Khan; and their batting is prone to collapses. Test cricket is not a 20 over bash; it’s about applying oneself for four innings and winning a majority of the 15 sessions of play.
	‘‘Courage needed at WACA’ Perth, January 14 India's coach-designate Gary Kirsten has prepared a document for the team to counter the bouncy track at the WACA where the conditions will be "mentally more demanding" for the batsmen. "It takes a lot of courage to get into position on bouncy wicket to be successful. More than the technical it's the mental side and I am sure Indian batsmen are aware of it," said Kirsten as he faced his first press conference in India colours. The former South African opener revealed that he has prepared a document for the Indian team where he has put down his experience of travelling to this part of the world. "I have put together a document on touring Australia...it is how to go about doing it. There is a definite style of playing technically on bouncy wickets. "At WACA, it's a very tough cricketing environment. There is never an easy game and it's mentally very demanding. But the Australians also say it's the best place to bat. One needs to brace the challenge and give everything you have got. "I guess it's a case of looking at the glass that is half full and not half vacant," he said. Kirsten believed that more than any other nation, Australia tests the character of a cricketer to the fullest. "It's a mental battle. When you come to Australia you could be sure they would leave no stone unturned. It tests you as a person, yes you got to have skills but it you can go by skill only up to a point," Kirsten said. "You need to have a strong character. In Australia, you are fully examined." From what he has seen in a brief interaction with the Indian team, the visitors want to put the controversy of recent days behind and get on with the game. "They are two cricket-mad countries, there is a lot of emotion flying around, lot of intensity. Whatever has happened in recent days has been sad. "The game has changed so much in recent years. It's all about performance, all about winning and sometimes players step outside the line. "Sometimes under pressure you can make wrong choices. However, it is brave to stand up and accept it. At the end of the day it's the players who can sort this issue out. They are the custodians of the game which is bigger than team, individuals." On India's choice of batsmen for the openers' slots, Kirsten said Virender Sehwag should open the innings while Rahul Dravid should go back to his reputed middle order position. "I do feel there are specialist positions...Sehwag has just hit a big hundred and has the respect of the Australians. Rahul Dravid on the other hand has been hugely successful as a middle order batsman," Kirsten said. — PTI
	Oz pace attack will be tough to handle: Gilly Perth, January 14 Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist is hopeful the Australian pace attack can make life very difficult for Indians in the third cricket Test on the fast and bouncy WACA pitch. "The pace and bounce of this pitch can shock you a little bit... they played here a few years ago and we managed to beat them pretty comprehensively. Hopefully, it would open the scars and wounds of that day," the Australian vice-captain said after his team finished practising today. Indians made 203 in that one-day international in 2004 with Virender Sehwag (34), Yuvraj Singh (47) and Murali Kartik (32) alone being among the runs. Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark and Shaun Tait are likely to form the lethal pace attack which could test the Indians to the maximum, regardless of the experience which the Indians have in their ranks. "Lee has bowled as quick as I have ever seen anyone bowl on that sort of track, the variety of Johnson and the accuracy of Clark, who, I would think, will enjoy these conditions to the full," Gilchrist said. He said the team was focused on securing the 17th consecutive Test win which would give Australians the world record. "Having secured (16 successive wins) it earlier, I never thought we could do it again. The boys are desperate to do it. We also win the series and even as everyone keeps saying it's a dead rubber, we don't want to think it that way." Inevitably, the questions veered off towards the team meeting which the Australians held yesterday in response to the heated reactions from the cricket world on their conduct at the SCG earlier this month. "We had a normal meeting. It was scheduled three months ago, it wasn't as if we were responding to the criticism. "There was minimum reaction on the on-field stuff. Everyone was allowed to make a point but I don't think anyone did," the wicketkeeper said. "(Former captain) Mark Taylor was present but it isn't as if he addressed the boys. He made a couple of points... Ricky Ponting addressed the team, spoke about his week and asked everyone to put it behind and move on." After the controversy-marred Sydney Test, Indian skipper Anil Kumble had suggested that the hosts did not play in the spirit of the game and Gilchrist said the veteran leg-spinner was entitled to his opinion. "Anil is a fine man, he is obviously a fine leader of the team, trying to give it a direction as we could see from the other side. He is a great competitor and someone I've tended to admire over the years," he said. "I rang the guy up when he took his 500th Test wicket, I tracked down his number and that's a reflection of how highly we regard him. — PTI
	Australian Open January 14-27 Serena, Henin advance, Moya falls Melbourne, January 14 The prizefighters of tennis punched their way out of trouble at the Australian Open today but British hope Andy Murray was felled by a fierce right hand at Melbourne Park. Serena Williams and Justine Henin fought off nerves and tricky conditions while Rafael Nadal survived an inspired opponent and Jelena Jankovic and Amelie Mauresmo clawed back from behind in first-round matches. Murray, though, was helpless against French enigma Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The British ninth seed, fancied as an outsider for the title, weathered withering blows in the first set, his legs wobbled in the second and, after a gutsy fightback, was sent to the canvas in the fourth, beaten 7-5, 6-4, 0-6, 7-6. Second seed Nadal struggled with the cool evening conditions and Viktor Troicki, a Serbian qualifier in his first grand slam. World number 126 Troicki had a set point at 6-5 in the first set and led 4-2 in the second, but Nadal fought back strongly to advance with a 7-6, 7-5, 6-1 win. Sixth seed Andy Roddick served his way to a thumping 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win over Lukas Dlouhy but men's 11th seed Tommy Robredo belonged in the strugglers' camp, needing four hours to down Germany's Mischa Zverev 4-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5. Spanish 16th seed Carlos Moya was not quite so lucky though, the 1997 runner-up losing 7-6, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4 to Austrian Stefan Koubek, while 18th seed Juan Iganacio Chela also bit the dust. The scorelines for Henin and Williams were emphatic but third-seeded Serb Jankovic endured an almighty ordeal before seeing off Austrian teenager Tamira Paszek. Against Jankovic, three match points came and went for 17-year-old Paszek, who served for victory five times in a third set which included 15 breaks. Experience told ultimately, however, with Jankovic winning 2-6, 6-2, 12-10. Serena needed just an hour to dispatch Australian wildcard Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3, 6-3. Top seed Henin also made a winning return to Melbourne Park but did not have it all her way against Japan's Aiko Nakamura. It was business as usual on the opening day of the 2008 event with a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Henin failed with almost half her first serves, hit 26 unforced errors. Former world number one Lindsay Davenport, in great form since returning last year following the birth of her first child, also struggled against Sara Errani before winning 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. — Reuters
	JCT ease past East Bengal Anil Datt Ludhiana, January 14 Last year's runners-up JCT scripted an easy 3-0 win over East Bengal to secure full three points in the 11th round match of the ONGC I-League played at Guru Nanak Stadium here today. With this victory, JCT have garnered 22 points to remain at second spot while the visitors found themselves stranded at the ninth position with eight points. JCT shot into the lead in the sixth minute through striker Baljit Singh Sahni, who after receiving a pass from Eduardo De Silva, burst down the left flank, cut inside and cracked the ball home. Three minutes later, JCT increased the lead when Eduardo's angular footer off a corner kick was headed into the net by Baldeep Singh, much to the chagrin of defenders and custodian Subarata Paul. Buoyed at this, JCT men went all out for the kill. They repeatedly stormed into the rival's territory and on couple of occasions, the trio of Eduardo, Marcos and Baldeep Singh managed to sneak into the box. However, their valiant attempts missed the target by a whisker. Midway through the first half, East Bengal players, too punctured JCT's defence regularly and forced free kicks in quick succession but failed to avail of these scoring chances. Dipendu Biswas and Macdonald Mukasi were also guilty of some bad misses when they were only to beat JCT custodian Prasanta Dora. JCT struck again in the 39th minute. A marching Eduardo was obstructed by Bengal's goalee at the goal mouth, resulting in a penalty and Edu made no mistake to roll the ball into the net. In the second session, JCT were distinctly unlucky not to add one more goal to their score when Marcos' blistering volley hit the crosspiece. On another occasion, Eduardo's shot from close of the goal mouth was fended off by the custodian. Baljit Singh Sahni was declared the Man of the Match.
	Anand held, Harikrishna wins Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands), January 14 Unable to break through the solid defence of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, World Champion Viswanathan Anand was held to a draw by the Azerbaijani in the second round of Group 'A' of Corus International Chess tournament here. Anand, who had lost his first round game against another Azerbaijan Teimour Radjabov, split the point to open his score. But another Indian GM P. Harikrishna came firing on all cylinders to beat GM Yifan Hou of China in a keenly contested game and emerged as joint leader on 1.5 points with five others in Group 'B', being played simultaneously. Harikrishna became the first Indian to score a victory in the Corus tournament as Koneru Humpy played out a draw with Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in the other game of Group 'B' while GM Parimarjan Negi suffered his second defeat in as many days in Group 'C', going down to Arik Braun of Germany. — PTI
	Big defeat for B’desh Wellington, January 14 New Zealand wrapped up the two-Test series against Bangladesh when they bowled them out for 113 before lunch on the third day of the second Test at the Basin Reserve today. New Zealand won the match by an innings and 137 runs, and wrapped up the Test inside three days for the second time. They had won the first Test in Dunedin by nine wickets. Shakib Al Hasan, who was dropped by Matthew Bell in the slips early in the day top-scored for the visitors with a defiant 41 not out. Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal did not bat in the second innings after he broke his thumb while fielding yesterday. Brief scores: Bangladesh (1st innings): 143 New Zealand (1st innings): 393 Bangladesh (2nd innings): 113 for 9 (Shakib Al Hasan not out 41, Habibul Bashar 25). — Reuters
	Sony-WSG win IPL rights Mumbai, January 14 The media rights for the BCCI-promoted Indian Premier League (IPL) were bagged by the consortium of Sony Television and World Sports Group for $1.026 billion (Rs 4,030 crore approx) which included $108 million (Rs 424 crore) for compulsory promotions. "There were two bidders in the final phase - ESPN Star Sports and the Sony-WSG combine. Sony-WSG bagged the media rights. The bid was for ten years," IPL chairman-cum-commissioner Lalit Modi told a media conference today. "There were seven individual bidders in the initial phase but finally only two were left," Modi said. The tournament, involving eight franchise teams, will be held in 12 cities under floodlights for 44 days beginning April 18, Modi said. — PTI