Jaipur, September 23
The four-match Indo-Australia Test series for AirTel Gavaskar-Border Trophy would mark the beginning of a new era in Australian cricket, ace speedster Brett Lee stated here today.

Asserting that the team despite having many inexperienced players were no underdogs in the series, Lee said the team has learnt to live without the all-time greats McGrath and Shane Warne.

"Many of our players may not have played in India. But they surely have played at many other places and excelled also. We always play tough, hard and aggressive cricket and the challenging tour of India provided the right dose of challenge for us," he said.

The team arrived here late last evening amidst unprecedented security following the team's concern on security after the Delhi blasts. Jaipur police has put up multi tier security cauldrons. Australian cricket officials expressed satisfaction at the security measures and appeared cool and relaxed.

He said Shane Watson, who played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL, would fill in well in place of dashing middle-order batsman Andrew Symonds.

He said the team hoped Symonds would be back soon.

He said the Aussies always aspire to play in the best spirit of the game and unfortunate controversy of last Indo-Australia series Down Under should be forgotten, "Those controversies are behind us now. We have to look forward."

On the role of Greg Chappell, who has once again donned Aussie color and was under immense media scrutiny being an official associated with Indian, Australian teams as well as Rajasthan Cricket Academy, Lee smilingly said Aussie team would be eating the brains out of Chappell for vital tips.

He added any player or official, however, know the importance of the country colours he was wearing.

On a question whether Chappell would be leaking out weaknesses of Indian players he worked Brett Lee said cricketers like Chappell have highest standard of professionalism and such things should not be said about them.

When reminded the acrimony between him and Indian team, Lee said Chappell has moved on now.

When asked to single out single Indian player, they looked up as the greatest challenge in the ensuing Test series, Lee said they have always thought about the eleven players and not any single individual.

On his changed role in the team as the leading bowler now, Lee said he enjoyed leading the Aussie attack, "The challenge of making early breakthroughs provide the best opportunity to me."

He said he could not play much in the 2004 Australian tour to India. “Last few years were the most difficult phase in my career. I badly wanted to be in the playing eleven in the Australian tour of 2004 but could not.”

Australia is scheduled to play a practice match with Rajasthan Academy XI led by Venugopal Rao on September 27-28.

Agency adds: Lee said the Indian Premier League offered them a good opportunity to clear the air and forge friendships.

"In the IPL the players forged good bonds and the upcoming series will be a new leaf and a new page in the history of both countries. I hope it will be a hallmark of friendship and would help world cricket," Lee said.

"I am not worried about what had happened in the past but we look to play here in the spirit of the game," he added.

The tearaway pacer, who enjoys sizeable fan following in India due to his music and Bollywood aspirations, said instead of acrimony it would be the competitiveness of the series that would keep the fans engrossed.

The 31-year-old speedster, who is yet to make his Test debut in India, felt the Australians, despite being considered underdogs, would not be easy to beat for the hosts.

Lee lamented Andrew Symonds' absence from the squad after the feisty all-rounder was sacked for indiscipline.

"He is a great player. At any given point of time every one might love to have him in the team. Unfortunately he is not here but he knows what he has to do to make a come back.

"Understandably if we look at the positives his absence is an opportunity for Shane Watson. His experience of playing in IPL here might help him grab the all-rounder's slot in the team," Lee said.

Lee said of all the Indian batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman remains the toughest to bowl to especially in their own backyard.

"There is no other player like Sachin in the world. It has always been a challenge to bowl to Indian batsmen and now too I am looking forward to it. I feel it will be a tough series," he said. 

Melbourne, September 23
Former India coach Greg Chappell is 'excited' to give his inputs to help the Australian cricket team prepare strategies for the up coming four-Test series against Anil Kumble's men.

Chappell, who was India's coach for two year, is travelling with the World Champion side as an assistant coach to Tim Nielsen.

The former Australian batsman, who heads the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, will be assisting Nielsen until at least the first Test in Bangalore, starting on October 9.

"It's good to be involved this time. Obviously it's a transition period and always an exciting time," Chappell was quoted as saying by Herald Sun.

"We'll be talking about the whole strategy involving bowling and batting in India. There will be discussions certainly with the coaching staff and probably with the individuals," Chappell said.

Chappell began his Indian coaching assignment in 2005 and in 2007 he ended his controversy ridden tenure. He is currently working with the Rajasthan Cricket Academy in Jaipur.

Chappell said his assistance to the Australia team was a part of his job at the Centre of Excellence.

"It's a role that the Centre of Excellence head does from time to time," Chappell said.

"Tim Nielsen obviously did it with the team on various occasions when he was with the academy, so it's no different to the past. Some people will want to make it look different, but it's not," he added.

"He is experienced and owns a great personal record. He is second to none. We are looking up to him and he is a key member of our team," tearaway fast bowler Brett Lee told a news conference in Jaipur. — Agencies

Rajkot, September 23
Yuvraj Singh will lead the President's XI as they take on Australia in a four-day warm-up tie to be played at Hyderabad from October 2 to 5.

S Badrinath will be Yuvraj's deputy and the team will also include openers Wasim Jaffer and Aakash Chopra along with young guns like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

The bowling attack will be spearheaded by Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla.

Wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel will be given an opportunity to stake his claim after a long hiatus.

Squad:

President XI: Yuvraj Singh (Capt), S Badrinath (VC), Wasim Jaffer, Aakash Chopra, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kholi, Parthiv Patel (wk), Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla, Pragyan Ojha, Pankaj Singh, Manpreet Gony, Yogesh Takawale, Rakesh Dhruve. — UNI 

Vadodara, September 23
A gem of a knock or a magical spell over the next five days would do what truckloads of runs and sackful of wickets over a season's trundling can not and hence the Irani Cup match between Ranji champion Delhi and Rest of India starting here tomorrow would be more of a battle among 22 individuals rather than two outfits.

Rest of India (from): Anil Kumble (C), MS Dhoni (wk), S Badrinath, Ashok Dinda, Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, Wasim Jaffer, Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan, VVS Laxman, Pragyan Ojha, Munaf Patel, Parthiv Patel and RP Singh. Delhi (from): Virender Sehwag (C), Narender Singh, Amit Bhandari, Rajat Bhatia, Puneet Bisht (wk), Aakash Chopra, Shikhar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Mithun Manhas, Chetanya Nanda, Ashish Nehra, Pradeep Sangwan, Ishant Sharma, Mayank Tehlan.

On paper, Ranji champions Delhi, under the talismanic Virender Sehwag, would lock horn with Rest of India, an intriguing assortment of ageing stalwarts and India hopefuls who have a statesmanlike captain in Anil Kumble.

In reality, it's a gilt-edged opportunity for all to impress men who matter and grab berths in the Test team, which would take on Ricky Ponting's Australia in another fortnight.

Sachin Tendulkar's late withdrawal owing to an elbow injury has indeed taken some sheen out of the tie but with so much at stake, Kumble and Sehwag would be spared the job of motivating teammates.

For most of the Rest of India players, the next five days would be a make-or-mar situation, as far as their Test career is concerned.

Individually, no one seems to have more at stake than Rahul Dravid. Selectors have already shoved the bitter pill down Sourav Ganguly's throat and no one realises it better than fellow Thirtysomethings Dravid that time is ticking by for him.

Like Ganguly, he too proved a dud with the bat in Sri Lanka and though he was lucky to escape the boot, Dravid badly needs to cash in on this end of the rope thrown by the selectors and prove that he is not past the sell-by date.

Interestingly, teammate Mohammad Kaif is more or less in a similar tricky situation. Once touted the future captain, Kaif's has been one of the most incredible slides in recent times till he finally arrested the freefall and clawed his way back in the reckoning.

The cultured 94 for India A against the Australian colts did help as did Ganguly's ouster but in case Kaif lets go this opportunity, it may not come knocking again.

Like him, Parthiv Patel too has gone through the grind before finally helping himself to an opportunity to prove his mettle. The babyfaced left-hander is set to open the innings with Mumbaikar Wasim Jaffer who faces similar challenge to prove his mettle.

In the middle order, VVS Laxman can breath easy indeed, for he did manage to salvage some reputation in Sri Lanka and going by his jaw-dropping record against the Aussies, there is no such air of uncertainty around the stylish Hyderabadi. In the bowling department, Ashok Dinda hit a jackpot in the Indian Premier League and got a place in the side but with Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and R P Singh in the ranks, the Bengal pacer's chances of gatecrashing into the playing XI looks slim.

For Delhi, the tie comes as an opportunity to make amends for losing the Mohammad Nissar Trophy to the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited.

Sehwag himself was woefully out of form and though Aakash Chopra and Virat Kohli stacked runs after runs in the second innings, it was too late by then and the Pakistani side ran away with the silverware, thanks to their first innings lead.

For Chopra, it would be another occasion to send the message across that he has mastered the art of crafting, which may not look glamorous because of its painstaking nature but can be effective in the longer version of the game.

For Delhi, neither Sehwag nor his deputy Gautam Gambhir has anything new to prove but teammate and comeback man Ashish Nehra is itching to prove critics wrong who had penned the obituary of his stop-start career.

Nehra, in Mumbai Indians colour, sizzled in the IPL and looked sharp in Mohammad Nissar Trophy as well. Bowling against the likes of Laxman, Dravid, Kaif and MS Dhoni would surely bring out the best in the lanky pacer. — PTI

Chandigarh, September 23
If weightlifter Monika Devi was wronged and denied participation in the Beijing Olympic Games, the one, who allegedly messed up her case has as a punishment, been rewarded with a posting nearer home.

Upset over the adverse publicity the Sports Ministry in general and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in particular received in the case for holding back Monika on the charge of testing positive for drugs, sports minister Manohar Singh Gill wanted action against those found guilty in the case.

It was director teams R.K. Naidu who was overall responsible to make sure that no Indian athlete was using performance enhancers or drugs as some of athletes, especially weightlifters, in the last Olympic Games in Athens and also in Commonwealth Games had brought disrepute to the country for testing positive.

Orders issued by the Union Ministry of Sports want R.K. Naidu shifted from Delhi to Bhopal, a place nearer his hometown, Nagpur. Bhopal, incidentally, is one of the best-run centres of the SAI.

Intriguingly, the present director Adarsh Sharma, who will be superannuating in September next year, gets dislocated. Conventions are that those retiring in an year’s time should not be disturbed. Further, Adarsh Sharma has shown good results and Bhopal centre has been without any controversy.

Though officially, transfers of R.K. Naidu, Adarsh Sharma and S.S. Roy are on administrative grounds, yet the ministry wanted to appease the sports fraternity of Northeast by shifting director, teams. The entire Northeast had observed a bandh in protest against the SAI action in the Monica case.

Adarsh Sharma now goes to North Zone centre at Sonepat in place of S.S. Roy who has taken over as director, teams in New Delhi, in place of controversial R.K. Naidu. Though Sonepat centre is coming up well, yet it cannot be equated with a well-run centre like Bhopal.

Chandigarh, September 23
While hosts Punjab qualified for the Group B quarterfinal league yesterday, Delhi today strengthened their chances to advance to the next phase as they defeated Himachal Pradesh 5-0 in Cluster VII of the 31st Sub-Junior National Football Championship for Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy being played in Mahilpur.

It was Delhi's second triumph from as many matches and their last cluster encounter would be against Bihar on September 25. Bihar have one win and one defeat from two matches.

Uttarakhand gained a psychological advantage against Jharkhand by defeating them 2-1 in Cluster V. They will again face each other on September 25 to decide the cluster winners for group B quarterfinal league.

Delhi were propped up by striker Michael Chongthu, who banged home three goals (17th, 56th, 78th minutes). Kishlay Sajwan (8th) and Supanya Devavrat (24th). Delhi had earlier prevailed over Gujarat 1-0 on Sunday.

In the same cluster, Bihar obtained full points after defeating Gujarat 2-1. All goals came in the second half.

Bihar forged ahead with a fine goal from Aftab Alam in the 58th minute. Gujarat restored parity through Neuclus Sellar in the 65th minute. Aftab Alam snatched the winner in the 86th minute.

It was Bihar's first victory after losing to Himachal Pradesh in their first outing. Gujarat suffered their second successive defeat.

Uttarakhand got the better of Jharkhand 2-1 in a well-contested Cluster V encounter to gain full points. Striker Ashish Visht netted in the 15th and 44th minutes. Jharkhand reduced the margin by scoring a goal in the 57th minute through Durga Lorhra. — UNI

BRIEFLY

Raina to lead India ‘A’
Rajkot: The BCCI on Tuesday appointed Suresh Raina as the captain of the India 'A' team, which will take on New Zealand 'A' in two four-day matches to be played at Chennai. Jaydev Shah will be the vice-captain. The batting line-up will look to Cheteshwar Pujara, Sahil Kukreja, Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja to deliver the goods. The first match will be played from September 28 to October 1 and the second will be from October 3-6.
Squad: Suresh Raina (captain), Jaydev Shah (vice-captain), M. Vijay, Shikhar Dhavan, Sahil Kukreja, Cheteshwar Pujara, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha, Ashok Dinda, Dhaval Kulkarni, S Tyagi, Amit Mishra, Pradip Sangwan, Mohnish Parmar. — UNI

Gough's first-class career over
London: Former England fast bowler Darren Gough's first-class cricket career came to an end after he was left out of the Yorkshire squad for their final County Championship match of the season. Yorkshire captain Gough, 38, was omitted from the 13-man party on Monday for their match away to champions Sussex, which could determine the relegation-threatened county's status. A Yorkshire statement said, "Yorkshire's survival in the LV County Championship Division One hinges on the last round of matches as they head for Hove this week with Jonathan Bairstow set to make his debut, but minus skipper Darren Gough who has played his last first-class game of cricket." — AFP

4th draw for Harikrishna
Lubbock (Texas): Pentala Harikrishna was engaged in a fourth successive draw as he was forced to split a point with American Vasuzhan Akobian in the Spice Cup International Invitational Chess. Harikrishna now has two points from four rounds with all draws. Germany's Leonid Kritz, who drew with Kamil Miton and took his tally to three points shares the lead with Victor Mikhalevski, who beat Gregory Kaidanov with black pieces. The players now take a break and will be engaged in a blitz tournament among the ten players on the off day. It will be one of the highest rated invitational blitz tournaments ever held on US soil. — IANS