Port of Spain, June 7
Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 68 helped world champions India overcome a shaky start to notch up a facile four-wicket win over the West Indies in the first one-dayer of a five-match series here.

Chasing a modest 215 runs, Rohit anchored the Indian innings and, together with captain Suresh Raina (43), raised 80 runs for the fifth wicket to guide India home in 44.5 overs after the visitors lost their first three wickets for just 61 runs at the Queen's Park Oval yesterday.

Rohit's unbeaten knock came off 75 balls during which he struck three fours and a six while Raina scored his 43 from 50 deliveries with the help of four boundaries. At the top, opener Shikhar Dhawan (51 off 76) notched up his maiden half-century and guided the chase initially to help India's cause.

Leg-spinner Anthony Martin (2/39) was the best bowler in action for the home team while pacer Ravi Rampaul also snared two wickets but gave away 58 runs in the process. Earlier, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels scored hard-earned half centuries as West Indies struggled to a modest 214 for nine.

Opting to bat, West Indies made a wobbly start to their innings as they lost their first three wickets scoring just 59 runs in 18.2 overs. But Sarwan and Samuels paired up to resurrect the innings with an 82-run fourth-wicket partnership that came off 118 balls.

While Sarwan's 56 came off 94 balls and was studded with only five boundaries, Samuels took 75 deliveries to score his 55. He hit three fours and two sixes. The stand between Sarwan and Samuels was the only highlight of the West Indies innings as the hosts scored 73 runs in the last 12 overs losing as many as six wickets.

Down the order, Dwayne Bravo tried his bit to up the scoring rate with a 20-ball 22 while opener Kirk Edwards (21 off 45) was the next best scorer for the Caribbean side. For India, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh made merry at the low and slow Queen's Park Oval pitch with figures of three wickets for 32, while Praveen Kumar (2/37), Munaf Patel (2/47) and captain Suresh Raina (2/23) shared six wickets among them.

Coming in to bat, the Indians found it difficult to bat with fluency on a sluggish Queeen's Park Oval wicket and against the niggardly line of West Indian bowlers, especially the leg-spinning duo of Martin and Devendra Bishoo.

The two bowlers conceded only 76 runs from their 20 overs and picked up three wickets between them. West Indies skipper Darren Sammy was an excellent foil to his spinners and it was only the depth of India's middle order which gave them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Openers Parthiv Patel (13) and Dhawan (51) had smoothly moved to 29 runs by the sixth over when a smart throw from Dwayne Bravo at mid-on found the former short of his crease at the batsman's end.

Virat Kohli (2) aimed a lordly drive at an away going delivery from Ravi Rampaul and nicked a straightforward catch to Carlton Baugh behind the stumps as India slumped to 34 for two.

Badrinath then under-edged a cut off Bishoo into the gloves of Baugh to leave India in testy waters at 61 for three. Dhawan and Rohit then soldiered on to bring up the hundred of the innings, which also was the moment to celebrate the former's maiden ODI fifty.

Dhawan appeared to have got carried away by the occasion as he slog-swept Martin from outside the off-stump to hole out to Lendl Simmons at deep midwicket. Dhawan played a useful knock of 51 off 76 balls with three fours and a six. Rohit and Raina then played like seasoned campaigners and after laying the foundation of their stand, they slipped into top gear to gallop towards the target.

Rohit reached his half century with a backfoot drive off Martin into the covers in the 39th over and ensured he stayed till the end to take India past the finishing line in the 45th over. Raina, on the other hand, thrived under pressure and batted with authority to make 43 from 50 balls.

The West Indies fought hard but they didn't have enough runs on the board to stretch the visitors. — PTI

Port of Spain, June 7
It was not the most comprehensive of wins, but having taken a morale-boosting 1-0 lead in the series, India would look to press home the advantage against a nervy West Indies in the second one-dayer, here tomorrow.

The four-wicket win in the first one-dayer came after a wobbly start and the second-string Indian team would be aiming to plug the loopholes as the series progresses. Missing key players Sachin Tendulkar and regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the young team led by Suresh Raina benefited from the West Indians' follies in the lung-opener.

The Caribbeans, on the other hand, would hope to tilt the scale in their favour by picking up on the few positives they gained from the four-wicket loss at the Queen's Park Oval here last night. The hosts might have lost the first game by four wickets but they were probably 30 runs and a wicket away from walking away as winners.

Even though the pitch was sluggish, West Indies could have tested India with a score of 250-plus. That score was a possibility till key men Ramnaresh Sarwan (56) and Marlon Samuels (55), after an 82-run fourth wicket stand, departed in the final overs. — PTI

Hyderabad, June 7
Stylish middle-order batsman VVS Laxman says his dream is to score a century at Lord's and help India win the match during the team's upcoming tour of England. A veteran of 120 Tests, Laxman has scored centuries in some of the famous grounds in the world, but is yet to get one at the Lord's, considered to be the mecca of cricket.

"I never got a 100 in England. Hopefully, it would be very special if I get a 100 at Lord's and India wins the match," Laxman said before leaving for the West Indies tour where India will play three Tests, besides the on-going five-match ODI series.

Laxman has been appointed deputy to Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the tour of West Indies and England. Showering praise on former coach Gary Kirsten, Laxman hoped that incumbent Duncan Fletcher would continue the good work.

"Definitely, we will be missing Gary. He has been with us for the last three years and it is a great experience that we will relish throughout our lives. But Duncan Fletcher has done well with the teams he has been associated with. I am sure the Indian team will prosper during his tenure," Laxman said.

The elegant Hyderabadi observed that the upcoming series against the West Indies, England and Australia will test the world No. 1 side. "There are three tough overseas series. Playing West Indies in West Indies is always a tough competition. — PTI

Mumbai, June 7
After failing to score big in the run-up to the World Cup summit clash against Sri Lanka here, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni resembled a "bomb about to explode" ahead of the final, teammate and Man of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh said.

"He (Dhoni) was not getting big scores in the tournament, but he kept working hard, and did not miss a single practice session. Watching him in the nets gave one the impression that he was a 'bomb about to explode'," Yuvraj wrote in the Cricket Board's latest quarterly newsletter dedicated to India's World Cup triumph.

"Looking back, I am glad he 'exploded' in the final, and not earlier! He went in ahead of me in that game, but that was purely to keep the left-right combination going in the middle. He had a point to prove and he played an innings of a lifetime," the left-handed big-hitter said.

Dhoni went in ahead of man-in-form Yuvraj when the final was on a knife-edge at the Wankhede Stadium with India at 114 for 3 in the 22nd over chasing a target of 275. The Indian skipper, in the company of left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir (96) first and then Yuvraj (21 not out), smashed an unconquered 91 off only 79 balls with eight fours and two sixes - including the winning hit off Nuwan Kulasekara - to power India to victory.

Yuvraj wrote in the article that the Ranchi-born captain takes to "pressure like a fish to water" and that he was lucky to "have the best view of the captain's winning hit".

Yuvraj, who excelled with both the bat (362 runs from nine games) and ball (15 wickets) recalled that the defeat to South Africa in the league stage at Nagpur was the turning point of the Indian team's triumphant run which fetched the country its World Cup title after 28 years.

"The defeat against South Africa was the turning point of our campaign. Our batting and fielding was disappointing in that game, and we worked hard on both areas over the next few days. A top priority was to build partnerships in the middle," he wrote.

India were all out for 296 in the match against the Proteas on March 12 at Nagpur. — PTI

Johannesburg, June 7
South Africa's tendency to choke at big tournaments is something newly-appointed ODI and Twenty20 captain AB de Villiers would like to change during his tenure. Soon after being anointed as the Protea skipper yesterday, de Villiers conceded that the national team has a history of choking at ICC events, which included the quarter-final ouster in this year's World Cup in the sub-continent.

"It was helluva disappointing for us to have lost in the World Cup quarter-final," De Villiers was quoted as saying by the local media. "We obviously have the history of not performing well at the big events and that is definitely something we want to change and will work on," he said.

"I don't believe we played bad cricket, but of course we went down again when the pressure was on, but there is a fresh look in the side now which is always good. And as we develop the trust between this leadership group, I am sure it will improve," the right-hander added.

De Villiers will take charge of the ODI and Twenty20 team from Graeme Smith while Hashim Amla will be his deputy. Smith, however, will remain skipper of the Test side.

In other major decisions, Gary Kirsten, who guided India to the World Cup earlier this year, has been appointed as South Africa coach for a period of two years. The 43-year-old former India coach, who replaced Corrie van Zyl, will have Russell Domingo as his assistant, while ex-teammate Allan Donald will be the bowling coach. — PTI

New Delhi, June 7
Former ICC chief Ehsan Mani today slammed the Sharad Pawar-led world body for its reported move to do away with rotational policy in the appointment of its presidents after 2015, suggesting that India might have initiated it.

Reports said that ICC is planning to stop the rotation policy once the term of Pawar's successor Alan Issac (New Zealand) is over in 2015. ICC is likely to deliberate on the proposal in its annual general meeting on June 28 in Hong Kong.

Pakistan and Bangladesh would lose out if the current rotational policy is done away with as the two countries are to present their nominees for the post of ICC president and vice-president. Both the two countries are reportedly opposed to the idea of scrapping the system.

Mani hinted that the change in rotational policy could be initiated by India so that somebody from India could "jump the queue" to the top post. "I don't know why the ICC wants to change it (the rotational policy). If it is going to be changed I want to ask who are the people behind this," said the former PCB official.

"Sharad Pawar's term is ending next year. The question which can be asked is that if there is anything India want to jump the queue and an Indian getting the ICC president's post," he added. Nine out of 10 Test playing nations have reportedly signed on the ICC's proposal to change the rotational policy and Mani termed it unusual.

"I can't comment who signed for the proposal or not but it is very unusual. Normally, a proposal is forwarded to the president through the chief executive and then it is voted by the member countries. But here it seems the proposal has already been signed before the ICC Board meeting," said Mani who was ICC chief from 2003 to 2006.

Mani conceded that Pakistan has no chance of its turning the tables if nine member countries have agreed to change the rotational system as has been reported. — PTI

New Delhi, June 7
India's hopes of winning a bagful of gold medals at the Giraldo Cordova Cardin Memorial Boxing tournament suffered a setback as the pugilists settled with just one silver and five bronze on the concluding day of the event in Havana, Cuba.

Manpreet Singh (91kg) won the lone silver medal for India, while Nanao Singh (49kg), Suranjoy Singh (52kg), Santosh Harijan (52kg), Kuldeep Singh (75kg) and Paramjeet Samota (91kg) had to be content with a bronze medal each.

Playing in the heavy weight category, Manpreet, a silver medallist at the 2010 Asian Games, made his way into the finals of the tournament after beating compatriot Paramjeet Samota. Samota, a super heavy weight boxer, chose to fight in the heavy weight category for this event.

But the Commonwealth Games gold medallist fell short against the speed and accuracy of Manpreet. He was trailing by one point after the first round when Manpreet stretched the advantage to five points in the second.

In the third round, Samota, with his hard hitting body blows and hooks tried to make a comeback, but Manpreet held on to emerge triumphant 20:18. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old Manpreet, failed to compete in the summit clash due to medical problems and had to make do with a silver medal.

In the light-fly weight category, Thokchom Nanao Singh was up against Muzaparov of Kazakhstan. The Asian Games silver medallist ended up on the losing side in a high paced bout. Nanao went down to the Kazak boxer 22:57 after three rounds of intense action.

In stark contrast, Satosh Harijan's purple patch came to an end in what was a very low scoring contest against Ramirez of the Cuba Main team, in the fly weight division. Both boxers adopted a defensive approach, but in the end, it was the Cuban boxer, who took a crucial three-point lead to win the bout. Satosh, who had performed exceptionally well to reach the semifinals, had to settle for a bronze with a 4:7 defeat. Playing in the same weight category, Suranjoy Singh suffered a similar fate as he went down to J Neto of Brazil 7:18. The Commonwealth Games gold medallist exhibited some excellent technique and combinations but lost at the end. — PTI

New Delhi, June 7
The Indian team will participate in the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship to be held at Jakarta (Indonesia) from June 9 to 12.

The following wrestlers will take part in the championship:

Freestyle: Deepak (50 kg), Amit Kumar (55 kg), Anil Kumar (60 kg), Arun Kumar (66 kg), Sumit Sehrawat (74 kg), Pawan Kumar (84 kg), Krishan (96 kg) and Hitender (120 kg). Greco-Roman: Navneet (50 kg), Manoj (55 kg), Pradeep (60 kg), Deepak (66 kg), Ravinder Khatri (74 kg), Harpreet Singh (84 kg), Bheem Singh (96 kg), Manish (120 kg).

Women's freestyle: Ritu (44 kg), Vinesh (48 kg), Lalita (51 kg), Pooja Dhanda (55 kg), Sakshi Malik (59 kg), Ritu (63 kg), Anshu Tomar (67 kg), Nikki (72 kg).