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Ishant to miss first ODI
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Only big games count: KP
Punter says he will do it again
Akmal clinches thriller as Pak beat WI
Ranji Round-Up
Roddick out of Masters Cup
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Ishant to miss first ODI
Mumbai, November 12 Man-of-the-series in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ishant, who took 15 wickets in the series, has been advised rest for five days by the Indian team physio Paul Close. ''Ishant Sharma has got a mild ankle sprain and he has been advised rest for five days. He is undergoing his rehabilitation at present and is making good progress. Hence, he would not be available for the first ODI against England,'' BCCI said in a statement. However, the Board did not name any replacement for Ishant as the the team has three frontline pacers in Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and RP Singh. Meanwhile, England left-arm pacer Ryan Sidebottom has also been ruled out of the opening one-day international with an Achilles injury, a team spokesman today. Sidebottom is yet to recover from the Achilles problem that has dogged him since the start of the Stanford Twenty20 competition in the Caribbean last month. The tourists also have concerns over fast bowler Stuart Broad who missed yesterday's warm-up match with a sore knee after suffering the problem in the first warm-up amtch against Mumbai Cricket Association MCA XI in which he bowled just four overs. England team spokesman Andrew Walpole said the swelling in Broad's knee had been injected and was being monitored closely. ''At the moment we are hopeful that he'll be fit for the first match. The plan for him is to bowl at nets tomorrow morning and see if there is any reaction to it,'' Walpole said. India will play a seven-match ODI series against England which will be followed by two Tests.
— UNI |
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Only big games count: KP
And it hadn’t. Chasing 223 for victory England were bowled out for a miserable 98 by the equivalent of a Mumbai second XI. The margin of defeat would have been even greater but for a 34-run last wicket stand between Graeme Swann and Anderson, a display that highlighted just how inept the performance of the top order had been. As Ian Bell and Matthew Prior padded up and the groundstaff erected temporary netting around a practice pitch, Kshemal Waingankar nervously made his way to the middle hoping to get Pietersen to sign the back of his bat. Waingankar, a medium pacer with one first-class appearance to his name, was the cause of England’s embarrassment, taking 5-37 in eight incisive overs. The autograph of the England captain, whom he trapped lbw for nought, gave the 23 year-old the prefect souvenir from a memorable day. For Pietersen, as with the $20m match against the Stanford Superstars just over a week ago, it was a day to forget. He and his fellow batsmen were indisciplined against modest opponents, and the England management will be hoping the fallout from the Stanford match has not affected their morale and focus here. Pietersen does not think so. “This is different to Antigua, and I don’t think too much should be read into a performance like this,” said the England captain. “It was a warm-up game and you can’t get as switched on as you can for internationals. The boys had a long journey to India and we’ve settled in nicely now so it’s just a case of getting our heads on. I’m not sure if we were fully focused but this is a really good lesson, I don’t see this is a bad thing at all. By the time we get to Rajkot [the venue for Friday’s match] the boys will have their heads turned on. “The boys will be disappointed, you are never happy when you lose whilst playing for England, but nobody will remember these games at the end of the tour. It is the internationals that count and I know the boys will have their heads right and come in firing on Friday. It is a case of learning from today and this was a quick little reminder that we need to get back to winning ways.” England would have arrived in India believing that spin would have been the major threat but the team’s 10 wickets all fell to seamers. “They bowled at a spinner’s pace, they were 60mph dibbly dobbers,” said Pietersen. “But there is absolutely no drama. If we do this three or four times in a row in internationals then there will be drama but there’s no need for any yet.” The performance, though disappointing, gives some context to Australia’s recent Test series defeat here. Indian cricket, on the back of the 2-0 victory over the world champions, is on a high and yesterday’s result may make those who thought Australia’s loss made England firm favourites to win The Ashes think again. Indian cricket has always contained many fine players and they are beginning to realise their full potential. This confidence, as long as it does not turn to complacency, means that England will have to be at their best over the next six weeks if they are to leave India with happy memories. “There is a feeling in India that we can become the best team in the world,” said Waingankar. “It is just a matter of time. The levels of confidence are growing under Dhoni, who my team-mates have told me is an inspirational figure.” England will be joined in India by Michael Vaughan who will fly out on 21 November after being added to the National Performance Squad. Vaughan is hoping the trip will allow him to convince the selectors he is worthy of selection for England’s post-new year tour of the West Indies. The former England captain, who was controversially awarded a central contract in September, will meet up with the England team in Mumbai before the final Test. “It will be good to have him here,” said Pietersen. “He has got his head back on and is willing to do whatever it takes to get back in to the England team, which is great.”
— By arrangement with The Independent |
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Punter says he will do it again
Sydney, November 12 He said that slow overrate has been a problem with his side for quite long and that he had told his teammates that such a situation might arise when he would have to call spinner to bowl long spells to increase the overrate. Denying that he resorted to "negative tactics" in order to restore the over-rate during a critical period of the fourth day of the Test, he said he was not aware how far behind he was until the side emerged from the tea break. "Over rates have been an issue for our team for a long time and I've made it pretty clear to everybody that at some stage somewhere I've always felt it's going to come back to bite us. With this actual incident it snuck up on me without me knowing much about it. An hour before the tea break we were only six overs down," The Australian quoted Ponting as saying last night after arriving from India. He added: "Six overs down in a Test match is manageable, understanding that at some stage later in that afternoon we were going to have to bowl spin for a long period of time. The fast bowlers bowling the way they were going into the tea break meant that when I went back on to the field after tea the umpires alerted me to the fact that I was nine overs down and that obviously becomes a big problem then. It snuck up on me without me being aware of it."
— ANI |
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Melbourne, November 12 The skipper, currently under fire for losing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India, said in his 'Captain's Diary 2008' that Roebuck "was scathing in his criticism" and "so far over the top it was ridiculous" following the drama at Sydney. "We made the mistake of assuming that those closest to us would automatically back us and realise that our cause was noble. When we didn't get that support, we were angry and felt totally let down," he said in the book which hit the local book stores today. Ponting also said he would defend his teammates in the same fashion again without caring for his own reputation. "I guess there was a certain naivety on my part in all of this; next time, I'll want to be just as sure about my convictions as I was this time, but I'll also want to be certain that the game is as committed to justice as I am before I put my reputation, and the reputation of my teammates, on the line," he said. "There is a part of me that says in future I should steer clear of 'cricket politics'... but I don't want to run away from my responsibilities. I couldn't then, and I won't in future. Trust me." "I hope I never have to go through another year like it before my career is through," Ponting wrote for the 2007-08 season. On Roebuck's column after the Sydney Test in January, Ponting said the noted writer treated the row as if 'World War III' had been started by the Australians. "Peter Roebuck ... had written a lengthy piece that demanded I be sacked. The message in page one was loud and emphatic: Ponting Must Go. "He was scathing in his criticism, which of course he is entitled to be, but to me he was so far over the top it was ridiculous. "It was as if we'd started World War III. He suggested that the entire cricket community was 'disgusted' and 'distressed' by our performance, but that was hardly the feedback I was getting," he said. — PTI
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Akmal clinches thriller as Pak beat WI Abu Dhabi, November 12 Earlier, captain Chris Gayle scored his 17th one-day international hundred to power West Indies to an imposing total of 294 for nine. The left-hander bludgeoned 113 in 106 balls with 11 fours and five sixes as his side took full advantage of a good batting track after winning the toss. Pakistan, though, pegged West Indies back by grabbing six wickets in the final 10 overs. Left-arm paceman Sohail Tanvir was the pick of the attack with three for 42 as he removed Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell in successive balls. Pakistan received a pre-match blow when Shoaib Akhtar was ruled out with a calf injury. Gayle was in aggressive mood, sprinting to his 50 in 36 balls and reaching three figures off 90 deliveries. He and Sewnarine Chattergoon also shared a first-wicket stand of 125 at a run a ball. Gayle then added 73 for the second wicket with Ramnaresh Sarwan (55). The opener eventually fell when he mistimed a pull straight to Shahid Afridi at mid-wicket off paceman Umar Gul (3-66) with the total on 198. Sarwan was caught flicking Afridi down the leg side to keeper Kamran Akmal. Brief Score: West Indies: 294 for 9 (C Gayle 113, R Sarwan 55; Tanvir 3 for 42, Gul 3 for 66). Pakistan: 295 for 6 (Shoaib Malik 66, Younis Khan 56; Baker 3 for 47, Jerome Taylor 2 for 54). — Reuters
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Ranji Round-Up
Mohali, November 12 Punjab, who had scored 262 in their first innings in reply to Rajasthan’s 133, had the visitors limping at 57 for the fall of six wickets at the end of the second day’s play yesterday. Sumit Mathur (31), Saxena’s overnight partner played his bit and added some useful runs, which could ultimately only delay the inevitable. When Charanjit Singh scalpe Saxena’s wicket the Rajasthna innings came crashing down and the visitors were bundled out for a paltry 169 in the second innings. With the victory target a meagre 41 runs, the home team achieved the target, losing Sunny Sohal’s (10) wicket. Ravinder Singh and Ravneet Ricky took Punjab to their target. Brief scores: Rajasthan 133 & 169. Punjab 262 (Sunny Sohal 106) & 41/1. Jharkhand struggle against Haryana
Chandigarh: Made to follow on after being skittled out for 113 in the first innings, Jharkhand came up with a vastly improved display in the second innings on the penultimate day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Plate League Group A match against Haryana at Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Rohtak today. Opener Subroto Ghosh led the Jharkhand’s spirited reply as the visitors, following on, were 180 for the loss of two wickets at close. Manish Vardhan, the other opener, played a useful knock before being castled by seamer Jitender Billa on 44. Ishank Jaggi, unbeaten on 32, was keeping Jharkhand’s hopes alive. Resuming from the overnight score of 86 for 6, Jharkhand innings did not take long to fold. All rounder Sachin Rana completed a five-wicket haul as the visitors were bowled out for paltry 113, conceding 387-run first innings lead to the hosts. Scoreboard
Haryana (1st innings): Jharkhand (1st innings): Ghosh lbw b Billa 0, Vardhan c Dhruv Singh b Rana 8 Jaggi lbw b Rana 4, Tiwary c Sumeet Sharma b Rana 27, Hashmi c Saini b Budhwar 17, Jha lbw b Dhruv Singh 2, Kuldeep c Sunny Singh b Billa 14, Shahid Khan lbw b Rana 8, Roy c Saini b Rana 4, Aaron c Dewan b Budhwar 10, Rao not out 2, Extras (b 1, lb 7, w 8, nb 1): 17, Total (all out; 51.4 overs): 113, Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-7, 3-34, 4-49, 5-67, 6-69, 7-89, 8-89, 9-94, 10-113 Bowling: Jitender Billa 14-3-32-2, Sachin Rana 15-4-32-5, S Budhwar 10.4-3-28-2, Dhruv Singh 6-3-9-1, G aurav Vashisht 2-1-2-0, A Lavasa 1-1-0-0, Sumeet Sharma 1-1-0-0, Sunny Singh 2-0-2-0. Jharkhand (2nd innings): Ghosh c Sumeet b Budhwar 89, Vardhan b Billa 44, Jaggi not out 32, Hashmi not out 1,Extras (b 2, lb 4, w 5, nb 3): 14, Total (2 wickets; 75 overs): 180, Fall of wickets: 1-94, 2-167, Bowling: Jitender Billa 13-4-34-1, Sachin Rana 7-1-22-0, Dhruv Singh 11-4-22-0, S Budhwar 16-4-48-1, Sunny Singh 6-2-9-0, Gaurav Vashisht 17-6-30-0, Sumeet Sharma 5-1-9-0. Innings win for Himachal Dharamsala: Himachal handed an innings defeat to Kerala in the Ranji Trophy match that concluded here today. Himachal bowlers maintained their dominance on the third day winding up Kerala’s second innings for just 173 runs. With this Himachal won the match with innings and 56 runs. V Malik remained the most successful bowler for Himachal in second innings claiming 4 wickets for just 17 runs. Sarandeep was the other successful bowler claiming 3 wickets for 30 runs. For Kerala SK Nair who scored 44 runs and Sony Cheru who unbeaten 41 were only batsmen who offered some resistance. With this win Himachal has scored vital 6 points in their opening match of Ranji trophy. Brief Score: Himachal (first innings) 370, Kerala (first innings) 135, (second innings) 179. |
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India thump Pak in kabaddi
Muktsar, November 12 From the beginning of the game, Indian players, dominated the proceedings in the first half of the match, collecting 33 points against Pakistan’s 17. Among the Pakistani players, Shafaqat Ali Billa, a Pakistani raider, put up a brave fight to keep the Indian stoppers under pressure, losing no point. Throughout the match, commentators kept on boosting the players’ morale and also kept the spectators involved. A number of people also came forward and announced cash rewards for the players to add to their enthusiasm. After losing the match, Pakistan players alleged, “We are not changing our players, but Indians have been replacing their players in every match. It can never be expected from injured players to beat the fresh ones.” Speaking on the occasion, Sikander Singh Maluka, president of the Punjab Kabaddi Association apprised the audiences about the World Kabaddi Cup-2009, which would be organised in March and the final would be played at Ludhiana. He disclosed that 16 international teams would vie for the cash award of Rs 1 crore. |
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Roddick out of Masters Cup
Shanghai, November 12 |
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Within minutes of James Anderson edging a catch to SM Shaikh, the Mumbai wicketkeeper, it suggested all had not gone according to plan for Kevin Pietersen and his side in their final warm-up match before Friday’s first one-day international against India.
