Bangalore, February 13
Indian fans who left the Chinnaswamy Stadium after watching Australia control the first 70 overs of the high-profile warm-up match will be kicking themselves.

An early finish seemed likely when Australia coasted to 116 for 1 in 21 overs after rolling over India for 214, and there was an early finish, but it was India who ran out victors as Australia lost their final nine wickets for 68 runs. A massive crowd befitting an actual World Cup game had turned up to cheer India, expecting much from the star-studded batting line-up, but it was the less-heralded spinners, led by Piyush Chawla, who gave them plenty to shout about. Chawla spun out four middle-order batsmen before Harbhajan Singh applied the finishing touches to a back-from-the-dead victory.

Earlier, An impressive Brett Lee produced a fast and furious second spell to skittle out India for a modest 214. Lee (3/35) accounted for three Indian wickets in his second spell of five overs, giving away just 12 runs. He was ably supported by John Hastings who returned with figures of two for 24 from his six overs. David Hussey also picked up two wickets during the fag end of the Indian innings with the part-time off-spinner giving away 25 runs.

Opting to bat, India produced a listless batting display as they lost wickets at intervals to be eventually bundled out under 250 in 44.3 overs. Virender Sehwag was the top-scorer for India with a 56-ball 54 while Yusuf Pathan took his time to the open up during his 32 that came off 39 balls and was studded with two towering sixes. Apart from Sehwag, the Indian batters were found wanting from the onset against Australia's lethal pace battery. Virat Kohli (21), skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (11) and Suresh Raina (12) all got starts but gave away their wickets when the team needed them.

India's agony in the batting department can be gauged from the fact that they failed to notch up a single 50-run partnership, the highest being the 49-run ninth wicket stand between Pathan and R Ashwin (25 not out). — Agencies

Dhaka, February 13
Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has lot of reasons to look forward to the upcoming World Cup, having missed the previous edition due to a doping ban, and one of them is the possibility of a duel with Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar.

"We all know he is a great player. Every bowler gets hit. Even Brett Lee gets hit a long way, so I am not worried about being hit for sixes by Tendulkar. I have got him off the first ball too," Akhtar told reporters here.

"Not only Sachin, we will try to get other key players early because they can single-handedly win matches. Put them under pressure, and get them out early -- that's what I will like to do," he added.

India and Pakistan are placed in different groups for the event, starting February 19 here. The top-four from each group would advance to the quarterfinals and it is only from here on that the possibility of an Indo-Pak clash arises if the two teams move ahead from their respective pools. Speaking of Pakistan's chances, Akhtar said the team has to win the mega-event to reclaim the fan-base that has been hit due to the scandalous one year in which three of the team's top players were handed bans for involvement in spot-fixing. Akhtar admitted that former captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif — the trio banned by the ICC — would be missed.

"Obviously we are very hurt inside by whatever has happened to us. Pakistan need to win this World Cup at any cost. It will bring the charm back for people in Pakistan," said Akhtar.

"We are unfortunate that they are not there. But what can we do now? We have got to move on. I think whatever pace attack we have is good enough to win matches.

"We have the bowlers who can bowl at the death and we can restrict the sides. The main thing is that the ball is going to reverse swing as the match progresses. That is where I think Pakistan's strength lies," he added. — PTI

Bangalore, February 13
It has been a roller-coaster ride for Suresh Raina during his six years in international cricket. But if he gets a chance in the playing XI, the talented batsman wants to get his mojo back after an indifferent last few months with the willow.

Going by indications, Raina probably will find it difficult to make the cut in the playing XI, except for injuries to any regular batsman. After Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan almost cemented their places in the XI with impressive performances in the five-match One-Day series in South Africa, it will be tough decision for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to accomodate the talented UP southpaw.

"It is good that we have a healthy competition in the team between me, Virat (Kohli) and Yusuf (Pathan) but whenever I am on field, my main focus always is to win matches and contribute for the team," Raina said during an open media session here.

"I generally bat at No 6 and No 7 and whenever you bat these positions you have to play big shots. I am scoring 25-30 but I know I can do more. I know I can deliver. I am looking forward to score big runs (in the World Cup)."

Raina who has been found out susceptible against the short pitched stuff dismissed popular notion that South African quicks sorted him out with rising deliveries. "In South Africa, I was not getting out on short balls. I was getting runs but not big scores. I am working on game, trying to focus on my batting and do the basics right," Raina defended himself. — PTI

Ranchi, February 13
South Asian Games gold medallist Sandeep Kundu clinched the first yellow metal of the 34th National Games when he lived up to his reputation to reign supreme in the above 87kg category of the taekwondo competition here today.

The seven-time national champion knocked down Goa's Veera Basaviah who had to settle for silver at the Ganpat Rai Indoor Stadium in the Mega Sports Complex at the outskirts of the city. Kundu has two South Asian Games gold medals in his kitty.

Manipur's Usham Herojit Singh and Services of Nirmal Singh clinched the silver and bronze medals respectively. In the 46kg women's category, Shradha Dixit of Uttar Pradesh claimed the gold defeating Shabina Sundesh of Sikkim as hosts state Jharkhand too opened their account through a bronze medal by class XII student and Bokaro girl Preeti Kumari.

Gurgaon, February 13
Indian golfers, a big force to reckon with on their home soil, will be the strongest contenders as the 1.8 million euros ($2.3 million) Avantha Masters takes off next week. The event, co-sanctioned with the European and Asian Tours, will be staged Feb 17-20 at the DLF Golf and Country Club here.

The Avantha Masters is the biggest professional event in India. Started last year with a purse of 1.5 million euros, it has increased the purse by 20 per cent this year adding to the excitement.

Defending the title will be Andrew Dodt of Australia. The local brigade will be spearheaded by Asian Tour honorary member and two-time Order of Merit winner, Jeev Milkha Singh who will be hoping to bounce back after a dismal 2010 season plagued by injuries. “I just want to prepare myself to be injury-free in 2011. Becoming fit, and keeping that way, is definitely my priority number one. And if I can manage to do that, I think I will be able to achieve all my other ambitions.

“2010 was a stop-and-start one and I had absolutely no momentum. Just when I thought I was getting back into the swing of things, I got injured again. It was extremely frustrating,” wrote Singh in his blog. All eyes will also be on India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar who got his pre-season preparations off to the best possible start when he won three titles in a row and then had another top-10 last week. — IANS

Mumbai, February 13
Six Olympians have accused the International Hockey Federation of taking away all the profits generated at the World Cup in Delhi and written a letter to the government to stop the world body from repeating the act during the Champions Trophy allotted to India this year.

In a letter to Sindhusree Khullar, Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the former players have charged that by continuing to support Hockey India and controlling the affiliation, FIH has shown disrespect to the Indian Government which has recognised only the age-old Indian Hockey Federation (IHF).

V Bhaskaran, V J Philips, Gurbax Singh Grewal, Balbir Singh Grewal, Surinder Singh Sodhi and Aloysius Edwards have also accused Hockey India, which they said was a creation of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as an ad-hoc body, of preventing units affiliated to the IHF from fielding teams in the National Games in Jharkhand that began yesterday.

"The Sports Ministry (MYAS) has, in its correspondence with the FIH in August 2010, had clearly intimated/informed that IHF was the sole body recognised by the Government as the national sports federation," the Olympians wrote. — PTI

London, February 13
Arsenal made sure they did not push the self-destruct button on Saturday as they cruised past Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 to bolster Arsene Wenger's belief that his side can overhaul Manchester United in the title race.

Robin van Persie scored twice as second-placed Arsenal kept United's lead at four points with 12 games left to play. As victories go it was as stress-free as last week's bizarre collapse at Newcastle United was harrowing.

"We are in a Premier League race, we believe we can do it, we have the hunger, and we can focus on every single competition and that is important," Wenger, whose team threw away a 4-0 lead last week to draw 4-4, told the club website (www.arsenal.com).

With Barcelona looming large in Wednesday's Champions League first knockout round tie Wenger was delighted his side had maintained their focus on the domestic title race. "We were defensively solid and that was important after the four goals we conceded," Wenger said. "We create many chances, the only regret is that maybe we didn't score enough goals.

"We had to stay focused. For us it is important because on Wednesday we play certainly at the moment the best team in the world. It is important to go into the game with psychological confidence and as well in a strong position in the league.

"For me it was important we showed the focus today and (the players) did not have Barcelona in their mind." While Dutch striker Van Persie grabbed the headlines with his timely double, Wenger again praised the contribution of young midfielder Jack Wilshere who made his first start for England on Wednesday against Denmark. — Reuters

BRIEFLY

WC getting worse: Roebuck
Sydney: Noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck reckons that the 50-over World Cup needs oomph to recapture its luster, as "far from improving with every edition, it seems to be getting worse". "World Cups are supposed to identify the strongest team on the planet, and they ordinarily serve that purpose. It's a bit different in cricket because 50-over matches are not regarded as the supreme form of the game. Test cricket fulfils that role. Accordingly, cricket's World Cup is slightly artificial," Roebuck said in his syndicated column for the Sydney Morning Herald. — ANI

Bopara has high hopes
London: England batsman Ravi Bopara hopes that his inclusion in England's 15-man World Cup squad, as a replacement for injured Eoin Morgan, will 'kick-start his career'. Derided following his abject performances Bopara's star has waned dramatically since he burst on to the scene as a teenager with Essex. "I've had a lot of down moments this winter, not seeing my name in any of the squads, but that has just made me more determined. When you are first left out you think you can't be any more determined to win your place back. But every time it happens it makes you even more determined," the Daily Express quoted Bopara, as saying. — ANI

Ponting shows recovery signs
Bangalore: Australian captain Ricky Ponting has shown encouraging signs that he is recovering well from his broken finger by facing Australian bowlers in a 50-minute net session at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium. Ponting, who had missed the final Ashes Test and the entire ODI series against England due the broken finger, played a fine array of pull shots against the fast bowlers and drove the spinners down the ground. However, Mitchell Johnson, who bowled with good pace, occasionally troubled him, the Age reported. — ANI

Doull: Lanka, India favourites
Wellington: Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull has picked Sri Lanka and India as top two favourites to lift the World Cup, starting February 19 in the Indian subcontinent. Picking Sri Lanka as his top favourite, Doull writes in Sunday News: "While most are tipping this to be India's time to shine in the sun, I'm not so convinced. To me, Sri Lanka looks like the team to beat. On paper, they boast an impressive side that is strong in all facets of the game." He writes that India is the other favourite to win the Cup, but the team can struggle under pressure of huge expectation. — ANI

Kiwis seek CT inspiration
Wellington: New Zealand is seeking inspiration from their near-miss at the ICC Champions Trophy, termed as mini World Cup, 16 months ago. The Black Caps against the odds in South Africa in October 2009 reached finals beating Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England on their way to the Champions Trophy decider. They were beaten at the final hurdle by Australia, but ended the tournament ranked the fourth-best one-day team in the world. Since then, their slide backwards has been overt to say the least and in the 28 one-day appearances that have followed, the New Zealand team has won just 10 and lost 16, Stuff.co.nz reports. — ANI