India series against South Africa was thought by many as the one that will take them closer to Australia as the top Test team in the game. After the Test series in Australia where India came back strongly after losing the first two Tests hopes were raised that the same form would continue and India would easily beat South Africa and stake a claim for being the number two side in the world.

If anything with South Africa drawing the series and that too in India, they have the right to claim the number two ranking in the world.

The Proteas have done remarkably well in the sub-continent this year, after a pretty disastrous tour to Sri Lanka last year and that is a tribute to the homework that was done by the coach and captain.

Graeme Smith

They were well prepared for the rigours of touring India this time of the year and had brought along a combination that showed that they were going to hang tough and not give it up, as most touring teams with the shining exception of Australia do whenever they are touring the sub-continent.

Teams touring India invariably lose patience and that is their downfall. Be it wickets or runs, patience is a virtue in India and the Proteas were terrific in that regard. Their batting was based on playing a mix of cautious and aggressive game but for the second innings in Kanpur, it worked wonderfully.

India were undone not so much by the little grass on the pitch at Motera, but by some cracking deliveries that got rid of their top batsmen there.

The deliveries that got Dravid, Laxman and Jaffer out were virtually unplayable ones and that set about a bit of panic in the rest. The pitch had little to do with those dismissals for it definitely was not demonic enough to have a team with India's batting line-up out in 20 overs. It was never going to be easy to come back from that.

Both teams had their heroes and South Africa owe a lot to the openers Smith and McKenzie who gave the team a solid start in just about every innings.

Hasim Amla and Kallis carried on from the starts that the openers gave and the surprise was AB de Villiers. Nobody expected him to show the patience he did in waiting for the scoreable ball to come along. If India believed that he was just a batsman wanting to hit the cover off the ball, that impression was quickly put to rest as he piled up a double century of the highest class at Motera.

It was the pace attack of the Proteas who were the real heroes. They bowled splendidly on unhelpful pitches and hardly gave any respite to the Indians. Both Steyn and Morkel were relentlessly at the throats of the Indian batsmen and Ntini though not as pacy now as these two, never eased the pressure.

Virender Sehwag's triple ton at Chennai was the batting highlight of the series for India. However, the batting of Sourav Ganguly on a bowler friendly pitch at Kanpur and also at Ahmedabad in the second innings was tremendous. He missed well deserved hundreds both times dismissed on 87 and he may well reflect that if he had taken the extra second and third runs then he would have added two more centuries to his total in Tests.

Still it was an effort that shows that there is nothing like experience in Test cricket. Dravid's ton at Chennai got him in the 10000 club but he was not at his best otherwise.

Harbhajan was the pick of the bowlers for India and Sehwag was the only other bowler who looked threatening. The others were disappointing to say the least.

As for the fielding, if South Africa get eight out of ten India would struggle to get four and that is another reason India will take a long time to achieve their dream of getting to the number one spot in Test cricket. — PMG

Chennai, April 15
The world's highest Test wicket-taker, Muttiah Muralitharan today said spinners will play a big role in Twenty20 cricket and the shortest format will be the face of cricket in the future.

The Sri Lankan spinner, with 735 wickets from 120 Tests, emphasised that "T20 is the future face of international cricket" and he had no reservations in accepting it.

Spinners had a greater role to play in T20 game, Muralitharan, who is part of the Chennai Super Kings Indian Premier League Team, told a press conference after a practice session at M A Chidambaram Stadium.

Muralitharan said if people felt that spinners have a limited role in this format, the same held good for batsmen too as they also have little time to settle down.

Emphasising that spectators were looking for entertainment these days, Muralitharan said "However, as any cricketer would tell you, Test cricket is the ultimate. But these days, not many people can spare five days to watch a Test match. They need entertainment and that is what T20 is all about."

On motivation level of cricketers from other nations playing for a franchise, he said "We are all professional cricketers and as such, would love to win matches. That's the way we were brought up and will be doing our best to win the tournament."

Muralitharan, who has 464 wickets from 309 ODIs and two Twenty20 wickets at the international level said "spinners can and will play a big role in T20. After all, the spinner stands a chance since the batsmen would be looking to play strokes.

"If you have the right strategy, it is quite possible to take wickets. But you also need to be a good spinner to make an impact."

He admitted that he had not played much of T20 cricket but "during my days with Lancashire, I thought I did pretty well. So, I feel spinners can play a crucial role in this format."

Muralitharan, who turns 36 on April 17, is part of the 16-member Chennai Super Kings team for the IPL commencing on April 18.

The team is scheduled to leave for Mohali early tomorrow morning to take on Kings XI Punjab on Saturday.

On his links with Chennai, Muralitharan said "My wife is from Chennai and I am a Tamil myself.. So, I feel it is an honour to represent a Chennai team and I feel motivated." — PTI

Lahore, April 15
Putting a strong appeal before the ICC, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has warned the governing body against the Indian Premier League's (IPL) potential danger to world cricket.

''I fear the IPL can be a serious distraction and destruction if the International Cricket Council (ICC) doesn't intervene because it involves huge money and players are ready to abandon international cricket,'' Akram said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)-backed IPL is scheduled to start from April 18 that will feature eight teams with numerous international stars competing against their current and former teammates.

Akram criticised the ICC for not been able to foresee the situation that has been exploited by the cash rich IPL.

''The ICC should have foreseen the danger 10 years ago because the ICC and cricket boards of countries earn billions of dollars with players getting a small percentage, so such a thing was bound to happen,'' he said.

He added that with IPL's arrival in to the scene, players would prefer to leave international cricket to earn quick money in the Indian Twenty20 tournament.

''Had players been paid properly by the ICC and the boards they would not have joined such leagues.

''Now there has come a stage where players are willing to opt out of international cricket, which is dangerous,'' he added.

The former Pakistan captain, who has played 104 Tests and 356 one-day internationals, is hopeful that the new ICC chief Haroon Lorgat would arrest the situation with his competency.

''The new ICC chief executive seems a level-headed man and I hope he finds a solution,'' he said.

Akram who holds the world record for most one-day wickets with 502 added that Twenty20 cricket is no threat to Test cricket but interest in 50-over matches have certainly declined with its arrival.

''Test cricket will stay on as it is but I think the ICC will have to find some ways to keep the 50-over interest alive.

''Overs 20 to 40 are starting to prove boring for fans, even I would not watch the middle overs if players like Adam Gilchrist, Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi aren't batting,'' he said. — UNI 

London, April 15
The ICC's principal adviser IS Bindra has warned cricketers against giving up their central contracts to participate in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), saying the twenty20 event will not accept any rebel.

Bindra, also a member of the IPL governing board, urged players to be patient and wait for the league to adjust itself in the cricket calendar.

"That solution (players rejecting central contracts) is not acceptable to us," Bindra told BBC Sport.

"We will not have any player revolting against their establishment and becoming part of the IPL," he added.

His comments came in the wake of England Cricket Board's refusal to allow its players to participate in the next edition of the IPL, which triggered speculation that the cricketers might revolt against the move.

Apart from this, a players' survey in Australia also revealed that easy money on offer in IPL was too tempting for the cricketers to resist and they were willing to give up national duty for it.

However, Bindra said the IPL does not wish to be labelled a rebel tournament by allowing revolting players to participate.

Bindra said he would speak to ECB chairman Giles Clarke during the IPL inauguration in Bangalore to work out a window for English players.

"We don't want to be a rebel league, we want to be part of the system with the support of the ECB. We are looking forward to meeting Giles Clarke and other members of the ECB during the inauguration in Bangalore," he said.

"We can make adjustments, we can postpone our league by a couple of weeks. If we can find a solution, it will be in the interests of everyone involved, including the players," Bindra said.

Bindra said all concerns about a players' revolt would be mitigated once the ICC finds a permanent slot for the IPL in the international calendar.

"The ICC have said they will try and find if they can have a permanent slot for the IPL. That will make it a lot easier for the players to know what the calendar is, what the options are. It will facilitate everyone going forward," he said.

The former BCCI chief said although he was confident of the IPL being a success, he was still keeping his fingers crossed till the first ball was bowled.

"At the end of the day, it depends how many bums are on seats and how many people are in the grounds. That is where the major success of the tournament will lie. These are early days and the real sales pick up in India a few days before the match," he said.

"In terms of marketing it's been a great success and we're looking forward to a wonderful tournament. I hope it's the beginning of a new milestone in the cricketing history of the world. In the long run, we will do a lot of good to cricket and make it truly a global sport," he said.

Bindra said despite the massive build-up, the IPL was bound to face a few hiccups initially but he was confident of a smooth run nonetheless.

"It's the first season and there will be a few hiccups, a few aberrations, but I'm sure it will settle down in a couple of years to a very smooth and very significant league that will become a prominent part of world cricket," he said. — PTI

ICL India XI

Khaleel c Chandana b Elliott 34

Vignesh lbw Chandana 57

TP Singh st Vincent

b Chandana 9

Abbas Ali c & b Arnold 0

Binny b Tuffey 13

Sathish c Wath b Hall 5

Jhunjhunwala run out 9

Mohammed c Martyn b Hall 0

Kumaran not out 10

Extras (b-2, lb-2, w-7) 11

Total (8 wkts; 20 overs) 148

Fall of wickets:1-76, 2-104, 3-105, 4-109, 5-126, 6-126, 7-127, 8-148.

Bowling: Wath 4-1-20-0, Tuffey 4-0-32-1, Hall 4-0-38-2, Chandana 4-0-31-2, Elliott 2-0-17-1, Arnold 2-0-6-1.

ICL World XI

Elliott c Khaleel

b Vignesh 4

Martyn run out 60

Vincent st Khaleel b Mohammed 28

Cairns run out 9

Arnold not out 8

Atapattu c Mohammed

b Vignesh 9

Wath not out 19

Extras (w-1) 1

Total (5 wkts; 20 overs) 138

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-75, 3-102, 4-102, 5-119.

Bowling: Ahmed 2-0-14-0, Vignesh 3-0-28-2, Murtaza 4-0-31-0, Kumaran 3-0-28-0, Mohammed 4-0-10-1, Binny 4-0-27-0.

Chicago, April 15
US Olympians began speaking out about China's recent crackdown in Tibet and links to Darfur and other human rights issues, some predicting possible podium protests at the Beijing Olympics.

More than 125 US Olympians gathered here to speak with reporters from around the world just days after protests disrupted the global Olympic torch tour stops in London, Paris and San Francisco.

"There will be protests but I don't think it will brand the Games," said 2004 bronze medal wrestler Patricia Miranda said. "I would have said no a month ago but the fact the protests started so early caught me off guard.

"I would say the protests are going to be smart, not just not showing up." Some world leaders have talked of world boycotts or spurning the opening ceremonies, but Sheila Taormina, a two-time triathlete and 1996 swim relay champion trying to become a modern pentathlon Olympian, says it's a bad idea.

"I'd be very disappointed if there was a boycott," she said. "I don't think it would solve anything and it would shatter a lot of dreams. There are other ways that wouldn't cause harm or take away from the spirit of the Olympics." "It's not that I don't believe in human rights issues. But the Olympic Games are about the world coming together and putting all of our differences aside and feeling the goodwill.

"The Olympic Games is not a platform to take action on any human rights issues. It would be very hypocritical. It would be jumping on the bandwagon without feeling very passionate about it." Paul Hamm, the 2004 Olympic all-around men's gymnastics champion, agreed.

"The Olympics are about bringing people together. It's not about making the Olympics something you can use as a political tool," Hamm said.

"What's going on is important. We should pay attention to it. If you want to bring politics into the Olympics, let politicians do that. We're athletes." US President George W Bush has not confirmed he will attend the start of the Beijing Olympics on August 8.

"That's up to President Bush and the other world leaders. They are able to make that decision," said gold medal softball outfielder Jessica Mendoza, who admitted she has pondered a podium protest.

"I thought about that. I guess we will just have to see. First we have to win the gold to get that 15 minutes of fame. If we get that we'll have to see." After protesters disrupted the torch relay, IOC president Jacques Rogge termed the mess a "crisis" and spoke of China's moral engagement to push for change even as the government cracks down.

"Are we human? Do we have consciousness in our minds and hearts? Yes. We hope to make change. We hope to bring the world together. But that's a lot to ask of an athlete," women's soccer standout Heather O'Reilly said.

"Winning the gold medal is where we can speak the loudest, by representing our country in the best way possible." Miranda, whose Brazilian father and late Japanese mother fought Brazilian military rule in 1960s, praised the 1968 Olympic medal podium raised-fight protest of Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

"That was an effective use of their position," Miranda said. "I'm not leaning toward actually protesting during an Olympic ceremony. I think I will go with the IOC recommendation on that.

"I feel a duty (to speak out) because I'm going to benefit, especially when I hear them taking over homes (for the Games). The genocide in Darfur, where China has a connection, I'd say the genocide is more important." Mendoza advocates the quiet diplomacy of talk among athletes as a catalyst to change even as she educates teammates and foes, saying, "In a way ignorance is bliss.

Sometimes I'm jealous of how happy they are." "It's not my place to tell China what to do. It's my place to let people know what's happening so they will hold people accountable for what they do," Mendoza said.

"Everything that has happened in Darfur 400,000 people killed since 2003, the women being raped, millions of children with nowhere to call home - pulls at my heart." Mixing social responsibility with sporting success in China is a difficult blend for athletes powerless to impose change yet potentially with the world's attention come August.

"You do overhear what's going on," 2007 world all-around women's gymnastics champion Shawn Johnson said. "You can't do anything with our power to change it so you learn to live with it. We're focused on our training right now." "If there needs to be change in the world, it needs to be more than putting a torch in the water," US women's soccer captain Kate Markgraf said. — AFP

Rio de Janeiro, April 15
India is all set to send a cricket coach to Brazil in return for a soccer coach.

Under an understanding arrived between Brazil and India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will soon send a coach to train cricketers here.

''The BCCI will soon be sending a coach as Brazil wants the status of a cricket Test-playing nation,'' Indian Ambassador to Brazil Hardeep Singh Puri said.

However, the hunt for a good coach for Indian footballers is still on.

''Football in this part of the world is highly professional and coaches charge a large amount. But something will be worked out shortly,'' Puri remarked.

India had signed a cultural agreement in 2006 with Brazil under which the two countries would cooperate in promoting exchanges in football and training of Indian players and coaches.

Brazil, who joined the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2002, occupies the second spot in the FIFA rankings, while India is at the 130th position. — UNI 

New Delhi, April 15
I-League champions Dempo Sports Club will have to play out of their skins against Bahrain's Al Muharraq in tomorrow's away match if they want to stay afloat in the AFC Cup.

The 0-4 drubbing at home by the same opponents on April 2 has seriously dented the Goan side's chances of making it to the knockout phase of the tournament.

With the team now lying at the bottom of the four-team group with three points, collected from the 3-1 home win in the opening match against Al Ansar of Lebanon, Mauricio Afonso's team can ill-afford another reversal at the National Stadium in Ar Rifa, 12 km south of Manama.

With seven points from three games, Al Muharraq, the losing finalist in 2006 edition of the tournament, are the only unbeaten team in Group A and are in a strong position to reach the last eight.

They now have seven points from three matches, three points ahead of Lebanon's Al Ansar while Dempo and Sur Club of Oman have three points each.

Winners of the five groups and best three second-place finishers qualify for the quarterfinals.

A win against the Bahrain league champions will put Dempo's campaign back on track but Afonso knows that taming their opponents in their own backyard would be a huge task.

To add to Afonso's woes, midfielder Anthony Pereira and defender Valeriano Rebello suffered injuries and stayed home along with seasoned central defender Mahesh Gawli.

Afonso is deputising for regular coach Armando Colaco, who is recuperating after a car accident.

Afonso is unperturbed by the enormity of the task and expects his midfield and forwards to do their job if the defence does not concede early goals.

"It will be a tough match. We are prepared to give our best and give them a hard time," Afonso said.

"We could have done far better in Margao, the early goal had upset our plans. The players didn't seem to know what to do once Muharraq got an early goal. We must fix the mistakes from the previous match and try to learn from them," said the former India international.

Afonso is hoping Brazilian playmaker Roberto Mendis Silva will make amends for his poor performance in the last match and captain Ranty Martins and strike partner Chidi Edeh will do the scoring to keep the Goans afloat in Asia's second tier club competition.

Dempo had participated in the tournament twice before and failed to make it to the knockout phase on both occasions.

Meanwhile, Muharraq coach Salman Sharida has warned against complacency after the comfortable win in the previous match.— PTI

Houston (Texas), April 15
American teen Ryan Harrison became the third-youngest player in 18 years to win an ATP match, defeating Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-4, 6-3, at the ATP US Men's Clay Court Championship.

Harrison, 15, became the 10th player in the Open Era yesterday to win an ATP match at such a young age.

He joins Richard Gasquet and world number 2 Rafael Nadal as the only 15-year-olds to win a match since 1990.

Ranked 1,277 in the world, Harrison could face top-seeded James Blake in the next round.

American Blake is hoping to carry the momentum from his Davis Cup victories over the ATP Tour.

Blake captured a pair of singles wins in the US' 4-1 victory over France in the Davis Cup quarter-finals over the weekend.

Clay has been a difficult surface for the American, although Blake did show some signs of improvement with an appearance in the semifinal here last year. However, it did not translate over to the French Open, as the 28-year-old fell to Ivo Karlovic in the first round. — AFP