Adelaide, February 11
Their morale lifted after a win over Sri Lanka, India would look to break the stranglehold that Australia seems to have taken on them in a nightmarish tour when the two sides clash in the fourth match of the ongoing ODI tri-series on Sunday.

With a win against the winless Sri Lankans, India are second in the points table. The unbeaten Australians are top of the heap after two successive wins.

India have a selection issue on hand as there is a dilemma on whether to go with two spinners or two medium pacers in the match.

Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, who pulled out of Perth's game last Friday because of a split webbing, turned his arm over in the nets on Saturday and if he is fit, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be loathe to leave him out.

The tall youngster gains exceptional bounce on his leg-spinners and is very difficult to get away.

While Sharma cooled his heels in Perth, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed his chances with both hands and was man of the match for his 3/32 and unbeaten 30 runs with the bat.

Ashwin can't be dropped now and if Sharma also is brought in, then either Zaheer Khan or Vinay Kumar would miss out in the playing eleven.

India's batting line-up will once again have rotation at the top to allow youngsters in the middle order to have a hit in the centre. The rotation policy, by logic, should now call for Sachin Tendulkar to be put on bench but indications are the little master would be a part of the playing eleven, implying either Virender Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir would sit out.

Australia, on the other hand, will blood a youngster in the match. Queenslander Peter Forrest or Western Australia's Mitchell Marsh could get a call up to fill in the place left vacant by Michael Hussey.

Australia have pulled out Hussey and pacer Ben Hilfenhaus from the squad which gives an opportunity to either Forrest or Marsh to come into the picture.

Marsh has already played a one-day international, a game against South Africa at Centurion last year, but is in serious reckoning this year with some powerful knocks in the Big Bash league this year.

The 20-year-old youngster from a sporting family — his father Geoff Marsh and elder brother Shaun Marsh have both represented Australia -- Mitchell also bowls his medium-pacers in high 130s and is an excellent all-round fielder.

Forrest, who originally hails from New South Wales, has had a windfall since he moved to Queensland last year. In six Shield matches, the 26-year-old middle order bat struck three centuries. Skipper Michael Clarke has already spoken in glowing terms about the youngster.

Australia can afford to tinker with the squad as they presently lead the table in the triangular series with nine points from two matches. India are second with four points while Sri Lanka it yet to open account from as many matches.

India have always found it difficult to pin down Australia in the latter's backyard and given how the summer has panned out, it would be doubly so difficult for the visitors.

However, a leaf out of Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene's book is recommended for the Indians. Jayawardene attacked Australian batters throughout in Friday's game at Perth. Even when the powerplay was not on, most players were inside the ring, breathing down the neck of the home batsmen.

The tactic was worth its weight in gold as Australia lost wickets regularly and eventually folded up for 231 runs. Sri Lanka ought to have overcome the target but fell short by five runs.

India's batsmen don't seem to have learnt from their follies of Test matches. There are far too many irresponsible shots being played. The match day though is likely to be sunny throughout. — PTI

Gurdaspur, February 11
Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection we can attain excellence. However, hockey players in Gurdaspur can neither afford to chase perfection nor can they attain excellence as the six-a-side Astroturf gifted by the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) authorities about two years ago is lying in a state of disuse at the Government College ground.

This district is known as a conveyer belt for producing top class hockey players. However, what is irking the game’s fans is that once youngsters of the region graduate to playing on the artificial surface, they are left with little option except to migrate to neighbouring cities including Jalandhar and Amritsar to hone their skills because the only turf lying with the Gurdaspur District Hockey Association (GDHA), courtesy GNDU, is slowly being cut to pieces by local residents who prefer to use it as door mats!

Gurdaspur district is known for giving the country top drawer players like Mukhbain Singh (1972 Munich Olympics), Surjit Singh (1973 Amsterdam and 1975 Kuala Lumpur World cups,1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympics), Col Harcharan Singh (1973 and 1975 World cups,1972 and 1976 Olympics), Prabhjot Singh (2004 Athens Olympics) and Sukhjit Singh Cheema (1992 Barcelona Olympics). On the distaff side, women who have earned accolades are Shashi Bala who captained the country in the 1998 Utretch world cup, former District Sports Officer Uma Jaggi who played International matches in 1975, Amandeep Kaur who was a member of team that garnered the gold in the New Delhi Commonwealth games and internationals Preetinder Rana and Sukhwinder Sukhi.

The rich history of the game notwithstanding, the GDHA is finding it’s hands tied to its back as far as laying the turf is concerned. Amarjit Sandhu, Secretary GDHA, claimed, “the Punjab Sports Department promised to pay the District Sports Officer (DSO) Rs 7 lakh but the money never materialised as the authorities were made to concentrate on the World Cup Kabaddi matches leaving the turf nobody’s baby.”

The 44 by 22 yard surface is not only gathering dust and grime in equal measure but, shockingly, residents are playing their own role by slashing the turf with knives and using it as door mats. “Incredible India,” rues Amarjit Sandhu on the development.

The Sri Guru Arjan Dev Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Dhariwal, which has been winning the District championship for the past 25 years, is ready to get the turf laid and with it the requisite sprinkler system. However, due to some inexplicable reason the GDHA is reluctant to give the turf to the school.

Dubai, February 11
Jeev Milkha Singh shot two-under 70 but still found himself falling three places at the end of third round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic here today. He shot 70 but still dropped to tied 29th, down from overnight 26th. The Indian had three birdies on the front nine on fourth, fifth and seventh and one on 12th on the back stretch, but bogeys on sixth and 13th spoilt his card and at six-under he was tied 29th.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood (67) stormed to the top of the leaderboard even as Rory McIlroy (72) and Thomas Bjorn (73) faltered.

After finishing his second round 65 with three straight birdies, Westwood, who can take over from McIlroy as World number two this week, picked up shots on three of his first four holes today en route to a 67 that lifted him to 15 under.

He was one ahead of first round leader, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (70) at 14-under. Germany's Marcel Siem (68) and Scot Stephen Gallacher (68), who played with Westwood's playing partners, were also tied at 14-under with Cabrera-Bello. — PTI

Adelaide: Australia have decided to rest veteran batsman Michael Hussey and bring in all-rounder Mitchell Marsh for the tri-series one-dayer against India on Sunday. The 36-year-old Hussey will be back for Australia's next match against Sri Lanka in Sydney on February 17. "Mr Cricket having a well earned rest. He will be back for Syd," tweeted Australian skipper Michael Clarke.

Apart from Hussey, pacers Ben Hilfenhaus will also sit out of Sunday's match while uncapped batsman Peter Forrest has again been named in the squad.

The 20-year-old Marsh has played just one ODI. Australia are unbeaten in the tri-series after beating both India and Sri Lanka in their previous two matches.

Australia's squad for the remaining matches of the series would be announced on Monday.

Madrid, February 11
Rafael Nadal says he underwent a surprise doping test toward the end of a week in which the Spaniard was at the center of jokes made by a French TV program about his country's alleged ties to doping.

Nadal wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday: "8:30 in the morning!!! Just finished passing a surprise antidoping test...it was expected after everything...but I'm happy it's like this!''

The Spanish sports ministry has contacted its French counterparts to complain over the satirical skits, and is considering legal action after Spain's tennis and cycling federations said they would sue Canal Plus for using its logo in a video that poked fun at Nadal.

Former Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain received a doping ban on Monday. — Agencies