Chennai, July 6
Rahul Dravid finds himself back in the ODI reckoning after the former captain was today named in India’s 30-member probables list for the Champions Trophy.

Virat Kohli

The All-India Senior Selection Committee, which met at the MA Chidambaram Stadium to pick the 30 probables for the elite top-eight tournament to be held in South Africa during September 2009, however decided to ignore the likes of Irfan Pathan and Robin Uthappa.

Pankaj Singh

A veteran of 333 ODIs, Dravid has not featured in India’s ODI squad since playing his last one dayer against Australia in Nagpur in 2007. Senior cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who had opted out of the just-concluded West Indies tour, returns to the side as do the injured duo of Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.

Hard-hitting Delhi batsman Virat Kohli, Bengal stumper Wriddhiman Saha, Tamil Nadu’s R Ashiwin and Murali Vijay also found a place in the list of probables.

UP pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, lanky Rajasthan medium pacer Pankaj Singh and the Mumbai duo of Ajinkya Rahane and Dhawal Kulkarni also found mention in the list. 
— PTI

Chandigarh, July 6
The national selectors have probably pulled a rabbit out of the hat by inducting former skipper Rahul Dravid in the list of 30 probables for the Champions Trophy to be held in South Africa come September. The choice of Dravid is absolutely stunning, coming as it does, after the Karnataka player last played for the country in the one-dayer against Australia in Nagpur in October 2007.

But one thing is clear, given his stature as a senior pro, the 36-year-old is bound to make the team to South Africa because a senior player like him cannot be called for training camps and not be included in the team. His inclusion, pundits would say, is bound to lend stability to the middle order.

A veteran of 333 ODIs, Dravid did struggle in the last two years in the ODI format where in 14 matches he could muster just 284 runs at an average of 25.81 before being shown the door, temporary as it now seems.

What message do the national selectors plan to send out to younger players by inducting Dravid in the list of prabables? Is there no player among the youngsters who can lend stability to the middle order in the Champions Trophy? His inclusion probably follows the recent struggle of Indian batsmen against short-pitched bowling, brutally shown up in the ICC World Twenty20 where Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan were troubled by bouncers from the West Indian and English fast bowlers. The problem continued in the subsequent ODI series in the West Indies and Dravid is probably one of the best batsmen against short-pitched deliveries among contemporary Indian cricketers.

Of course, Dravid’s credentials as a player can never be doubted as he averages 39.49 from 333 games with a strike-rate of 71.22 and is the third Indian to accumulate more than 10,000 runs in ODIs. He is also not out of form as he showed during IPL-II where, playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he scored 271 runs at a strike-rate of 115.81 for the team which finished runners-up. 

Galle, July 6
Left-arm pace bowler Mohammad Aamer claimed three wickets in an outstanding post-lunch spell to leave Pakistan chasing just 168 for victory in the opening test against Sri Lanka on Monday.

Pakistan bowled out the hosts for 217 and then finished the third day on 71 for two - just 97 runs shy of their victory target having lost the wickets of Khurram Manzoor and Younis. Salman Butt was unbeaten on 28 with first-innings centurion Yousuf on 12 with the tourists closing in on a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The 17-year-old Aamer followed up on his impressive first innings performance (3-74) by capturing the key wickets of Paranavitana (49), Jayawardene (0) and Sangakkara (14) as the tourists took control.

Aamer went wicketless during a rain-shortened morning session but swung the ball both ways in the afternoon to reduce Sri Lanka to 101-5. The debut-making teenager finished with figures of 3-38 from 11 overs and a match haul of six for 112. — PTI

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 292

Pakistan (1st innings): 342

Sri Lanka (2nd innings)

Herath lbw b Younis 15

Warnapura c Younis b Gul 0

Paranavitana c Akmal b Aamer 49

Sangakkara c Akmal b Aamer 14

Jayawardene c Akmal b Aamer 0

Samaraweera c Misbah b Ajmal 34

Dilshan c Manzoor b Younis 22

Mathews c Butt b Rauf 27

Kulasekara lbw b Ajmal 25

Thushara not out 15

Mendis b Ajmal 1

Extras (lb 7, w 1, nb 7) 15

Total: (all out; 56.2 overs) 217

Fall of wickets:1-0, 2-68, 3-86, 4-88, 5-101, 6-138, 7-156, 8-191,9-211,10-217.

Bowling: Aamer 11-2-38-3, Gul 10-2-62-1, Rauf 13-14-1,Younis 10-1-27-2, Ajmal 12.2-0-34-3.

Pakistan (2nd innings)

Manzoor c Jayawardene b Mendis 15

Butt batting 28

Younis lbw b Mathews 3

Yousuf batting 12

Extras: (b 12, w 1) 13

Total: (2 wickets; 19 overs) 71

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-39.

Bowling: Kulasekara 5-1-14-0, Thushara 4-0-9-0, Mathews 4-0-13-1, Mendis 5-0-17-1, Herath 1-0-6-0.

London, July 6
A 10th Grand Slam title eluded Indian ace Leander Paes after suffering a straight-set defeat in the Wimbledon mixed doubles final along with partner Cara Black. The top seed Indo-Zimbabwean pair, who played dominant tennis until the summit clash, lost 5-7, 3-6 to ninth seeds Mark Knowles and Anna-Lena Groenefeld in one hour and 28 minutes, here last night.

Paes was on course to bag his third SW19 crown after grabbing a 5-2 lead in the first set but unrelenting unforced errors severely dented their chances, giving rival easy chance to claw their way back. Paes and Black began on a confident note and broke their opponents twice -- fifth and seventh game - to race to a 5-2 lead.

But capitalizing on the top seed’s unforced errors, Knowles and his German partner changed the complexion of the match by wining five consecutive games. With the momentum in their favour, Knowles and Groenefeld continued their aggressive play and seized the initiative early in the second set, breaking Paes and then holding their own serve to take a 3-0 lead. From there on the set went with serves and although Paes and Black tried hard for a comeback, it was not to be their day as their opponents put on a clinical performance to win their first mixed doubles Grand Slam title together. — PTI

We thought we had seen everything when Roger Federer lost in the greatest final in Wimbledon history 12 months ago, but the Swiss returned to Centre Court to once again win the world’s most famous tennis tournament. Winning the title he needed to beat Pete Sampras’s all-time record of 14 Grand Slam victories, Federer beat Andy Roddick 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 after a final set of unbearable tension. Roddick had been unbroken in all his previous 37 service games until the American mishit a forehand on the final point to give Federer the record he has pursued for so long.

At the post-match presentation ceremony Roddick gestured to Sampras and said: “Sorry, Pete, I tried to hold him off.” The world No 6, who had lost two previous finals here to Federer in 2004 and 2005, might have been celebrating his own victory had he not let slip a 6-2 lead in the first tie-break, having already won the first set.

Roddick refused to buckle after losing the second and third sets, recovered to level the match and in the final set showed remarkable mental strength to hold serve nine times in a row to stay in the match. The only performance to match Roddick’s was that of Mirka, Federer’s heavily pregnant wife, who showed barely a sign of stress. Federer wept uncontrollably in Melbourne at the start of the year when Nadal beat him in a Grand Slam final for the third time in less than a year.

However, since announcing the imminent birth of his first child and marrying, Federer has won the French Open, the last jewel missing from his Grand Slam crown, and reclaimed the trophy dearest to his heart. He is only the fourth man in the Open era to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year and will today reclaim the world No 1 ranking from Nadal.

The final was a compelling contrast of styles, evident from the moment the two men walked on court, Federer in his cool military-style jacket, long trousers and head band, Roddick in regulation shirt, shorts and cap.
— By arrangement with  The Independent

BRIEFLY

Yuvraj No.2 ODI batsman
DUBAI: Yuvraj Singh zoomed to a career best second place in the latest ICC ODI Rankings, topped by his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Despite winning the four-match series against the West Indies, there was, however, no such good news for India as Dhoni’s men missed a chance to reclaim the second spot in the ICC ODI Championship and remained third. — PTI

Badri to lead emerging players
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath was on Monday named captain of the Indian team for the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia with Virat Kohli as his deputy. The All India Senior Selection Committee, which met at the M A Chidambaram Stadium, picked a 16-member side for the tournament starting later this month Down Under. — PTI

I’m angry at myself: Flintoff
LONDON: Angry with himself for yet another disciplinary transgression, England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff plans to take out the pent up frustration on Australia during the Ashes starting on Wednesday. “I’m angry with myself for messing up again, but I’ll make sure I take it out on Australia. I don’t need any further incentive to perform for England in the Ashes,” he said. — PTI

Chelsea signs Zhirkov
LONDON: New Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti began his first day at work for the London club by announcing the signing of Russia midfielder Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow on Monday. “I think that Zhirkov, (goalkeeper Ross) Turnbull, and (striker Daniel) Sturridge are all Chelsea players. I don’t know very well Sturridge or Turnbull, but I know Zhirkov,” Ancelotti said. — Reuters

Sania, Somdev slip in rankings
NEW DELHI: A second-round loss at the Wimbledon championships cost Sania Mirza seven places in the WTA singles ranking as the Indian slipped to 85 but maintained her 37th position in the doubles list. A failed bid at Wimbledon also affected Somdev Devvarman’s and Prakash Amrittraj’s rankings as the former lost three places to be 132 and latter went down by five spots to be at 159. — PTI

Chowrasia signs off tied 76th
PARIS: SSP Chowrasia’s nightmare continued as the Kolkata-golfer brought home a disappointing five-over 76 in the final round to finish tied 76th at the Open de France Alstom golf tournament here. Chowrasia’s card comprised three doubles bogeys, two bogeys against three birdies as he finished with a four-day tournament total of 11-over 295 at the Le Golf National here. — PTI

Pugilists leave for Russia
NEW DELHI: A nine-member Indian men boxing team, comprising six boxers left for Russia in the wee hours on Monday to participate in the Magomed - Salam Umakhanov Memorial Boxing Championship starting on Tuesday. The team comprises Amandeep Singh (48 kgs), Akshay Kumar (57 kgs), J Patil (69 kgs), Kuldeep Singh (75 kgs), Jasveer(81 kgs), Manpreet (91 kgs). — PTI

Astana team summoned
MARSEILLE: The Tour de France jury has summoned Lance Armstrong’s Astana team after the seven-times champion and his team mates arrived late for the pre-stage registration on Monday. International Cycling Union (UCI) regulations state that a rider must register for a stage at least 20 minutes before the start or faces a fine of 100 Swiss Francs. Tour de France competitions director Jean-Francois Pescheux called for tougher sanctions. — Reuters