New Delhi, November 5
The Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi doesn’t always fire the imagination of cricket buffs. The ground has been a little bit of a controversial forum, a spoilt child who makes headlines, often for all the wrong reasons. But Kotla still has its moments. Maybe it is setting itself up for another landmark.

The Test series between India and the West Indies is primarily about one thing - to see whether Sachin Tendulkar can finally find that elusive mark of 100 international centuries. While many grounds have cricketing history written all over them, Kotla somehow manages to hold its own, with huge days like when Anil Kumble got all ten wickets against Pakistan and also when he chose Kotla to announce his retirement.

Tendulkar’s century is the immediate issue since it seems that most people have more or less come to a conclusion that the West Indies are just not the side that can put one past India, let alone in an away series. The batsman has been stuck on 99 since the World Cup and the entire England Test series was one eagerly-awaited stage for the climax to be reached. That just didn’t happen and surely even Tendulkar would not have enjoyed this landmark being consigned to a losing cause.

But here, on a docile track where the West Indies can offer very little in terms of sustained aggression, is a platform where things can happen.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni must be pretty tired of questions about Tendulkar’s record and while he has managed to stay on the politically correct side in terms of his reactions, the little edge is invariably evident when he answers. He wants to win the series, century or no century.

“We will let him get the century and then we will speak about it,” was Dhoni’s terse response to the predictable question at the Kotla today. “Hopefully he gets in this game and we will speak about it on the fifth day.

“What we try to do is to be in the present and not think too much about the future,” Dhoni added. “It's important to prepare ourselves as individuals. It's a milestone Sachin will achieve, whether this game, next game or some other game. It's bound to happen. So rather than discussing too much ahead of the milestone coming in, we said 'okay, let him get the ton and then we'll talk about it'. We are thinking about how we need to prepare for the series.”

Pretty much puts things in perspective, though there must be many who would put the man ahead of the match.

The match in itself throws up some interesting aspects. Dhoni professes that there may be two debuts tomorrow. One surely has to be Ravichandran Ashwin, since India will need one big-time spinner to replace Harbhajan Singh.

The other is a teaser. Ajinkya Rahane, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Rahul Sharma are the candidates. Rahane would be optimistic to think he will get a chance, since all the batsmen are back - Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir et al.

So that leaves us with the question - who shares the new ball with Ishant Sharma? Could be a Delhi Double Delight, with Yadav being put ahead of Aaron, given the former’s local knowledge? Or Sharma get a nod, though that is unlikely, since if India were to field two specialist spinners, the second would be Pragyan Ojha.

So essentially, it would be a safe bet to assume that Ashwin and Yadav come to the party.

Also interesting to see will be the return of Sehwag, Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. The first will be testing his health, the second his focus (having just gotten married) and then third his career. Another teaser, by the look of things.

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy wants to be brave. "I think the brand of cricket we have come here to play should be fearless," he said. "Playing cricket in India gives you a different feeling. People here look at cricket like religion. This should be the biggest test for us, for me as a captain as well," he said.

He will be sorely tested indeed.

Possible India squad: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, M.S. Dhoni (capt), Ishant Sharma, R. Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav.

West Indies (from): Darren Sammy (capt), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford.

Umpires: Rod Tucker and Kumar Dharmasena. TV umpire: Sudhir Asnani. Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

Mohali, November 5
The two captains in the middle presented two contrasting pictures. While Uttar Pradesh skipper Suresh Raina was belting boundaries and could do no wrong, Punjab skipper Harbhajan Singh was anxious to get some wickets but that was not happening. By close of play on the third day, Raina was the one on a high with his side in the driver’s seat, while Harbhajan was left to rue the difficult state of affairs his side was in.

Raina scorched a brilliant unbeaten double hundred (204 not out) and Parvinder Singh slammed an impressive 138 as UP declared at a massive score of 596 for five. That gave the visiting team a big lead of 267 and they later reduced Punjab to 26 for two to complete a highly forgettable day for the home team.

It was a day when both Raina and Parvinder played some exquisite shots and the Punjab bowling looked utterly toothless. Harbhajan bowled a further 11 overs today and in all he had 28 overs but the agony was all too stark as the ace spinner had nothing to show for his efforts with the ball.

Raina peppered the field with powerful drives and Parvinder was equally impressive. Parvinder finally fell after scoring 138 but Raina found a strong partner in Piyush Chawla who stroked an aggressive half-century as UP went for quick runs and found them as well.

Raina put the disappointment of being omitted from the Test team behind him and made the most of this opportunity to stay in delectable touch. His shot-making was delight to watch and Punjab’s miserable day in the field was compounded by the fact that their bowlers could not create chances.

Soon after reaching his double-hundred, Raina declared the innings and his bowlers got into the act straightaway. Once again R.P. Singh bowled with a lot of energy but it was Buvnesh Kumar who struck the first blow when he castled Ravi Inder Singh for a duck. This was the second failure of the match for Ravi and both times he paid the price of playing against the swing too early in his innings.

Raina brought in leg-spinner Chawla for the final over of the day and the move proved to be a smart one as Chawla struck with his fifth ball to remove night watchman Sandeep Sharma.

Punjab have a mountain to climb on the final day on Sunday and will once again be looking to Mandeep Singh their saviour from the first innings. Mandeep is still recovering with stitches on his chin but he is a tough customer and will once again be keen to bail his team out of an extremely sticky situation.

Brief scores: Punjab 329 and 26 for 2. Uttar Pradesh 596 for 5 decl. (Suresh Raina 204 not out, Parvinder Singh 138).

Roopnagar, November 5
The fourth day of the 2nd Kabaddi World Cup today witnessed three matches with Pakistan opening their account after thrashing Sri Lanka 71-8 at the Nehru Stadium, Ropar.

Pakistan raiders Aamir Ismail Jatt and Imtiaj Aalam collected 10 points each to ensure the win while Ishfaq Pathan secured nine points. On the other hand, sweeper Mohd. Kashif Pathan amassed 11 points while Mohammad Mansa gathered seven points to keep the team in the driver’s seat. For Sri Lanka, Sashantha collected three points.

“This is an important win for us. India is like our second home, the boys always feel proud and comfortable to play anywhere in India,” said Muzfar Ali Bhatti and Badshah, officials with the Pakistan team.

In the second match of the day, the US team registered their second win by getting better of Italy by 57-37. The US stoppers hogged the limelight. Maula Kandhala Jatta collected 10 points while stopper for the US and Dontte gathered six points.

For Italy, Yodha and Karan Ghugshor secured nine points each and stopper Bitty Purewal collected three points.

In another match, Argentina went down against Norway 25-62. Norway’s raider Manjinder Singh Sonipattar secured 10 points while Kamaljit Singh Soni managed to attain 9 points.

Roopnagar, November 5
There is a saying, ‘Old is Gold’, and that seems to motivate Punjab’s masses these days, as they turn up in large number to witness 2nd Kabaddi World Cup at various cities of Punjab.

At Nehru Stadium, Ropar, people turned up in huge numbers and the scenario was the same as that of the World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and India at Mohali. The stadium was full to capacity to cheer the teams of the desi game and watch their favourite raiders holding their opponents.

“As I do not want to miss even a single moment of the US and Pakistan players, I came early to book my seat, said Harsimran, who owns a grocery shop in town. “After the US defeated last year’s runners- up, they became my favourites. I asked my brother to attend practice session at a nearby village. I want him to play this game and become strong like these players.”

The craze was such that the spectators thronged into the stadium three hours before the first match. They were finding it hard to get seats in the general block while the VIP block also witnessed many tussles for seats.

“It is for the first time that kids are watching kabaddi match live here,” said Gurkirat Singh, a teacher in a Government school here.

According to local residents, for the first time they have seen the stadium jam packed. “The stadium was not that live before this day,” says Kuldeep Singh, General-Secretary of the District Kabaddi Association. “Kabaddi matches do take place in the nearby areas of Chamkur Sahib but it is for the first time that it is being organised here. I hope the tournament will boost the confidence of the youngsters and they will also opt for this sport to shine.”

“The response of the public says it all,” says Pargat Singh, Director Sports, Punjab. “This is the best way to promote the game among youngsters and it also takes the others back to their childhood.”

Sharjah, November 5
Chanaka Welegedara took two wickets with the second new ball, including that of centurion Younis Khan, to give Sri Lanka the edge in the third Test against Pakistan at Sharjah stadium here on Saturday.

The 30-year-old left-arm paceman dismissed Younis (100) with the first delivery of the second new-ball and then had Asad Shafiq (16) in the same spell to leave Pakistan at 282-6 at the close on the third day.

Sri Lanka, who scored 413 in their first innings, still lead by 131 runs and are seeking a big first innings lead to give them a chance of levelling the series after losing the second Test by nine wickets in Dubai. The first Test in Abu Dhabi ended in a draw.

With just two overs to go left-arm spinner Rangana Herath removed Adnan Akmal, leg before wicket for seven to leave Sri Lanka on top. At close, skipper Misbah-ul Haq, who reached his 13th half-century in the penultimate over, was unbeaten on 50 and with him Abdul Rehman on three not out.

The first two sessions had belonged to Pakistan as Younis added 98 for the third wicket with Azhar Ali (53) and another 100 with Misbah for the fourth wicket but Welegedara's double strike slumped Pakistan from 233-3 to 258-5.

Younis had completed his 18th Test hundred with a sharp single off Welegedara in the last over before tea, taking 188 balls studded with 11 boundaries and a six. Misbah hit the 53rd delivery he faced for his first boundary, ensuring Pakistan didn't lose sight of winning 2-0 if they want to replace Sri Lanka at number five in the current test rankings. — AFP

Margao, November 5
Riding high on three consecutive victories, Dempo look favorite to win against rookie Pailan Arrows when the two sides meet in the fourth round of the I-League at Tilak ground, Vasco tomorrow. Dempo's coach Armando Colaco sounded a bit disappointed after their tomorrow's match was shifted to Tilak ground because of the ongoing National School games at Nehru Stadium, Margao. "Our team is used to playing more at Nehru Stadium than Tilak ground which does not suit to our liking but we have no option but to play and win tomorrow," Colaco said. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Chiragh clinches Bilt Open
Greater Noida: Chiragh Kumar was rewarded for his consistency as he fired a five-under 67 on the final round to pip overnight leader Anirban Lahiri and Vikrant Chopra to clinch the Rs one crore Bilt Open golf title here today. Slow and steady, Chiragh, who had finished second in the Indian Open at DGC recently, brought home a bogey-free round, studded with five birdies, four of which came at the back nine to win by a stroke with a total 273. — PTI

Dipika loses in quarters
Mumbai: India's number one woman player Dipika Pallikal crashed out of the PSA World Open Squash after losing to Mexican rival Samantha Teran at Rotterdam. Dipika, who had reached the last eight of the women's section, with impressive wins over 14th seed Jaclyn Hawkes of New Zealand and Kanzy El Dafrawy of Egypt, was beaten 0-3 by 15th seeded Teran in 36 minutes, according to information available. — PTI

Sophia School win
NEW DELHI: Pulkit Narang and Susheel Gaur helped St. Sophia School, Paschim Vihar beat Ravindra Public School, Pitampura, by one wicket in the Coca-Cola inter-school cricket tournament. Brief scores: RPS: 135 28.5 overs (Vivek Bhatu 30; Pulkit Narang 3/21, Susheel Gaur 3/31) lost to SSS: 137 for 9 in 29.2 overs (Shivank Vashisht 22; Siddhant Sharma 2/17, Ajay Rana 2/21, Anuj Rai 2/26, Vivek Bhatu 2/32). In another match, Vidya Jain Public School, Rohini, beat Titiksha Public School, Rohini, by five wickets. Brief scores: TPS: 144 for 8 in 40 overs (Manas Khemka 57; Rajesh Sharma 4/23) lost to VJPS: 146 for 5 in 25.2 overs (Paras Khari 38 not out, Akash Chaudhary 31 not out; Vishal Dhruv 3/53, Rhydham Bhardwaj 2/26). — TNS

WSB live on ESS
Mumbai: All 10 home and away matches of India's lone franchise - Mumbai Fighters - in the World Series Boxing league commencing on November 11, would be telecast 'live' on ESPN Star Sports channel. The Indian boxing franchise will open their campaign against Milano Thunder of Italy at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune on the first day of the event. They would then travel to Russia to take on Dynamo Moscow in their second encounter on November 18, said Jay Kowli, joint secretary of the Indian Boxing Federation. — PTI

Injury forces Kaka to wait
Madrid: Kaka will have to wait a little longer before making his return to international football with Brazil, after his Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said on Saturday he was still suffering from an injury. The former World Player of the Year had been called up for Brazil's upcoming friendlies against Gabon and Egypt, and was set to make his first international appearance since their World Cup quarterfinal exit in South Africa last year. "Kaka will not be able to play tomorrow and he won't be able to go with Brazil," Mourinho told a news conference ahead of Real's La Liga match at home to Osasuna. — Reuters

India lose 4-6 against Korea
Johor Bahru: India suffered a shocking defeat as Korea rode on captain Yang Ji Hun's superb hat-trick to script a remarkable come-from-behind 6-4 victory in their opening match of the U-21 Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament here today. Down 0-4 at the breather, a valiant Korea pumped in as many as half a dozen goals in the second half to dash India's hopes at the Taman Daya stadium. — PTI

Jeev overcomes poor start
Shanghai: Jeev Milkha Singh overcame a poor start with a brilliant mid-round surge as he carded a three-under 69, which brought him to two-under for 54 holes and placed him at tied 41st at the end of the third round of the WGC-HSBC Champions today. However, fellow Indian SSP Chowrasia continued to languish at the lower end of the table with a round of one-over 73 and a total of four-over 220. He was tied 65th. — PTI