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Cricket News December 2005

Pressure on Pakistan - Harbhajan

India spinner Harbhajan Singh says the pressure will be on home side Pakistan when the two teams meet for a three-match Test series in January. Harbhajan said: "The last series held in Pakistan was won by India and this time they will be under heavy pressure to ensure it does not happen again. "We have improved a lot under new coach Greg Chappell's guidance and our unity has only improved further." Harbhajan missed India's last series in Pakistan due to a finger injury. He acknowledged Pakistan might be enjoying good form - especially after beating England 2-0 - but felt India had the tools to unseat them.

Wasim in call for lively wickets

Former star cricketer Wasim Akram has advised Pakistan to prepare bouncy tracks in the home series against India to unnerve the visitors' batsmen. "Pakistan have a transformed Shoaib Akhtar who can rock the Indians on hard pitches, said World Cup-winner Wasim. "With his pace and accuracy Shoaib can target any Indian batsman, and none more so than Sourav Ganguly." Wasim's left-arm pace brought him 414 Test wickets for Pakistan and a world record haul of 502 in one-day internationals. And he is looking for Pakistan to win a Test series on home soil against India for the first time since 1984, a year before his debut. He said: "Pakistan are better organised than a year ago and can avenge their 2004 home defeat, but for that they will have to play positive.

Swap for two Pakistan-India ODIs

Pakistan have decided to swap the venues for the first two one-day internationals against India in February for security reasons. The first match will be played in Rawalpindi on 6 February and the second in Peshawar two days later. The opener was originally slated for Peshawar and the second, in Rawalpindi, would have been three days later. But police in Pindi informed the Pakistan Cricket Board they would have staff shortages on 9 February. That is when the 10-day period of Muharram (month of mourning) starts. Security officials had warned much of their manpower would therefore have to be focused on sensitive places in and around Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Pakistan star Razzaq in hospital

Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq could miss the start of the home Test series against India after being admitted to hospital in Karachi. Razzaq is suffering from a severe chest infection and has less than three weeks to recover before the opening Test match in Lahore on 14 January. "It is a terrible blow to me to fall ill just when India is due to arrive. "I am feeling very weak and doctors say it will take time before I can resume playing cricket," he said. "But I am keeping my fingers crossed that I am able to regain full fitness before the first Test." Razzaq recently missed an entire Test series against England, which Pakistan won 2-0, before returning to action in the one-day internationals.

Ganguly to play for state team

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly will play for state team Bengal before joining the tour to Pakistan. Ganguly had intended to miss domestic fixtures prior to the tour, citing family reasons, but the Indian board instructed him to play. Vice-captain Virender Sehwag , spinner Anil Kumble and reserve wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel will also feature in the Ranji Trophy before going to Pakistan. Ganguly, who has played in 86 Tests and 279 one-day internationals, has not been in competitive action since the second Test against Sri Lanka in Delhi earlier this month, when he made 40 and 39 as India won by 188 runs. He was left out of the final Test of the series, leading to protests from some of his supporters. There were rumours that Ganguly's international career may have come to an end, but the selectors opted to retain his experience for the tour of Pakistan, which features three Tests and five one-day internationals. Chief selector Kiran More spoke with the 33-year-old left-hander by telephone earlier this week and was angered when informed that the batsman wished to spend time with his family prior to the trip. BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah insisted that there was no question of action being taken against Ganguly and said: "The matter is now closed." The other 12 players in the India squad leave for Pakistan on 5 January and will form the squad for a three-day practice match starting two days later.

Seamer Gul faces touring Indians

Seamer Umar Gul is in Pakistan A's squad for the opening match of India's tour in Lahore on Saturday 7 January. The 21-year-old impressed in Pakistan's victory over India in the second Test in 2004 but was then out for a year with a back problem. Hasan Raza, who led Pakistan A to a win over England in November, will captain a line-up featuring seven Test players. Opener Mohammad Wasim, 28, who played the last of his 18 Tests in 2000, has been rewarded for good domestic form. India arrive on 5 January and are scheduled to play three Tests in Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi. Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan have been pencilled in for the five one-dayers. But the final itinerary will only be announced later this week after an Indian security delegation completes its visit to Pakistan.

Selector queries Ganguly decision

India's chief cricket selector Kiran More has denounced former captain Sourav Ganguly for skipping domestic cricket ahead of the Pakistan tour.
Ganguly, a controversial selection for the tour, opted to miss Bengal's two first-class Ranji Trophy matches against Karnataka and Gujarat. "I am shocked that Sourav is not playing against Gujarat," More said. "This was the ideal time to get some match practice in before the tour. I demand an explanation." Ganguly is no longer part of the one-day squad and was not selected for the third Test against Sri Lanka despite an injury to Rahul Dravid . His position in the squad has become one of the top debates in India. But rather than show his determination to get back into the side by playing for Bengal, he chose to spend Christmas with his family.

Pakistan ready to dish out visas

Pakistan will issue nearly 8,000 visas for Indian spectators to watch the forthcoming cricket series between the two countries, it has been announced.
The Indian team are due to arrive on January 6, and will play three tests and five one-day internationals. Limited daylight is likely to affect the Test matches, as happened in the recent home series against England. But a Pakistan spokesman said: "We have to deal with it. This is the only time of year we can hold our home season."

India begins Pakistan inspection

A five-member Indian delegation arrived on Christmas Day to assess security at cricket grounds before the team's tour of Pakistan in January.
"We will tour all the venues of the series," said Yashovardhan Azad, a senior police official. India will start their tour on 5 January 5 and are scheduled to play three Tests and five one-day games. India's government has cleared the tour but concerns remain, particularly over violence-plagued Karachi. England recently played a one-day international in the southern city but refused to play a Test match there. India are due to play a Test and a one-day international in Karachi. They also have some concerns about Peshawar, where they are due to play a one-dayer.

Ganguly recalled to face Pakistan

India have recalled former captain Sourav Ganguly to their 16-man squad to tour Pakistan next month and given him a central contract for the next year.
The selectors also recalled left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan after a three-month absence but dropped batsman Mohammad Kaif and spinner Murali Karthik.
Ganguly, India's most successful Test captain with 21 wins, has scored 5,150 runs in 86 Tests. Ganguly led India to historic Test match and one-day series victories on the last tour to Pakistan in 2004.
Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah announced the list of contracted players for the coming year with Ganguly one of eight in grade A. The others in the top bracket are Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar , Virender Sehwag , VVS Laxman, Irfan Pathan, Kumble and Harbhajan.
Yuvraj , Kaif, Mahendra Dhoni and Ajit Agarkar have been put in grade B.
Zaheer, Kartik and Gautam Gambhir form grade C.
India squad for Pakistan Tour: Rahul Dravid (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Sachin Tendulkar , Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Wasim Jaffar, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni (wkt), Parthiv Patel (wkt).

India land 25m sponsorship deal

The Indian cricket board has signed a kit sponsorship deal with Nike, worth around 25m over five years. Nike outbid rivals such as Adidas, Reebok and Slazenger to land the contract, which begins on 1 January. Vice-president Lalit Modi said India had now become the world's "most valued brand in team sponsorship". Airline company Sahara, remain the national side's main backers after agreeing a new four-year deal worth almost 40m on Monday. The figures go a long way towards explaining why the BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world. England, by comparison, have a four-year sponsorship deal with Vodafone, thought to be worth 15m. The West Indies Cricket Board, meanwhile, agreed the biggest deal in their history with Digicel earlier this year which will bring in 10.5m.

England switching focus to India

England's cricketers have flown home from Pakistan with plenty to think about following defeats in the Test and one-day series. They will not have much time to rest as they head to India in mid-February. Michael Vaughan (knee), Ashley Giles (hip) and Kevin Pietersen (rib) all had to return home early from Pakistan. Batsman Andrew Strauss missed a Test in Pakistan to fly home for the birth of his son and England face a similar scenario in India with star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff's wife expecting a baby on 20 March. Vaughan backs the policy of allowing players home leave in such circumstances. Vaughan admitted England, who have slipped below India in the ICC Test rankings, had under-performed in Pakistan.

India complete convincing victory

India wasted little time on day five of the third Test against Sri Lanka as they completed a 259-run victory to wrap up a 2-0 series victory.
The hosts needed just four wickets on the final day with the tourists 274 behind their unlikely target of 509. They added just 15 runs as Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble took two wickets apiece - Harbhajan completing a 10-wicket haul for the match. The win puts India second in the ICC Test rankings, ahead of England. Kumble took the wicket of Farveez Maharoof in the second over of the day and also had last man Malinga Bandara caught as Sri Lanka were all out for 249.
Man of the match Harbhajan had Maharoof caught and bowled Muttiah Muralitharan to finish with match figures of 10-151. Kumble was named man of the series after his seven-wicket haul in Ahmedabad took his tally for the three-match series to 20. The margin of victory was India's biggest against Sri Lanka in terms of runs.
Third Test, Ahmedabad, day five: India 398 & 316-9 dec beat Sri Lanka 206 & 249 by 259 runs

India to inspect Pakistan venues

Senior intelligence officials from India will leave for Pakistan later this week to inspect venues chosen for the upcoming Test and one-day series.
"They are going to check the security conditions not only in the venues, but also in hotels and airports," said an Intelligence Bureau official.
The delegation will also hold talks with representatives of the Pakistan interior ministry and cricket board.
The Indian team is due to set off for Pakistan on 6 January. Their itinerary includes three Tests and five limited overs internationals. Karachi, which is due to stage the third Test and final one-dayer, is the most contentious venue. India declined to play a Test there on last year's 2004 tour but this time the government has given permission, subject to security clearance. Only Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have played Test cricket in Karachi since a bomb explosion prompted New Zealand to call off a tour in 2002. Security officers will accompany the Indian players on tour, but Pakistan will have overall responsibility for their safety.

Kumble hastens Sri Lanka decline

Anil Kumble claimed three wickets in the space of four overs to put India on course for victory over Sri Lanka in the third Test at Ahmedabad.
Kumble removed Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga and Thilan Samaraweera to reduce the tourists to 96-4.
But India were held up by Tillakaratne Dilshan (65) and Mahela Jayawardene (57), who shared a stand of 105.
Both batsmen were dismissed in the final session but Sri Lanka survived to reach 235-6 at the close. ndia declared their second innings on 316-9 after Harbhajan Singh (40) and Kumble (29) had enjoyed themselves in an unbroken partnership of 69. India lead the series 1-0 following their 188-run victory in the second game in Delhi. Third Test, Ahmedabad, day four (close): India 398 & 316-9 dec v Sri Lanka 206 & 235-6

India cleared for Test in Karachi

The Indian government will allow the national team to play a Test in Karachi on the forthcoming tour to Pakistan.
"Karachi has been cleared for a Test, provided certain security conditions are met," said Rajiv Shukla, chairman of the Indian board's media committee. The match at the National Stadium is due to begin on 30 January. Only Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have played Tests in Karachi since a bomb explosion in the city prompted New Zealand to abandon a tour in 2002.
England refused to a Test in Karachi being included in the schedule for their current tour but a one-day international which they did agree to passed off without incident.
India's itinerary includes three Tests, the first and second to be played in Lahore and Faisalabad, and five one-day internationals.
It will be the third series involving the two teams since their respective governments approved a resumption of cricket ties in 2004.
But the Pakistan Cricket Board are concerned that the importance of the rivalry could be diminished by playing too often.

Yuvraj extends India's advantage

India remain firmly in position to wrap up the third Test against Sri Lanka after building a lead of 479 runs at the end of day three in Ahmedabad.
Muttiah Muralitharan and Malinga Bandara took three wickets each, but India clung on at 287 for nine.
India suffered a top-order slide before Yuvraj Singh steadied the second innings with 75 off 83 balls.
Earlier, Indian spin duo Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble combined to dismiss Sri Lanka for 206 at lunch. The visitors resumed on 131-5 but were reeling when Harbhajan struck three times and Kumble twice in the morning. Harbhajan ended with 7-62 to leave Sri Lanka 192 runs adrift.
Third Test, Ahmedabad, day three (stumps): India 398 & 287-9 v Sri Lanka 206 all out

Harbhajan stars after Laxman ton

Harbhajan Singh took four wickets in five overs as Sri Lanka struggled to match India's 398 on day two of the third Test in Ahmedabad.
Harbhajan's haul included the wickets of Marvan Atapattu (40) and Mahela Jayawardene in successive balls as the tourists limped to stumps on 131-5.
VVS Laxman (104) had earlier claimed his ninth Test century to steer India from a shaky overnight 247-6.
He and Irfan Pathan (82) put on an 125 for the seventh wicket.
Third Test, Ahmedabad, day two (stumps): India 398 v Sri Lanka 131-5

Ahmedabad test: India back after collapse

India fought back after a collapse to end day one of the final Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad on 247-6.
The hosts were reduced to 125-5 at tea as Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga took two wickets each. But VVS Laxman hit an unbeaten 71, putting on 86 with wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni (49) and 64 with Irfan Pathan (39no) to lead the recovery. India, leading 1-0, were without gastroenteritis victim Rahul Dravid - whose run of 94 consecutive Tests since his debut in England in 1996 was ended.
Leg-spinner Anil Kumble became the fifth Indian to play in 100 Tests and would have been delighted when stand-in captain Virender Sehwag won the toss and opted to bat.

Third Test, Ahmedabad, day one (close): India 247-6 v Sri Lanka

QUOTE of the day!

"It's too early to say but the doors are definitely not closed on him," Kiran More after dropping Ganguly.
And to think that Kiran More would have been a mere wicket keeper under Ganguly if the Calcuttan had started playing a little early!! Talk about Karma.

Saurav Ganguly was dropped from India's winning test cricket squad yesterday, all but ending the international career of the country's most successful captain.

Surrey Kumble!

Surrey have signed India leg-spinner Anil Kumble as one of their overseas players for the 2006 season. Kumble took his tally of Test victims to 478 with a 10-wicket haul in the win over Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
Surrey were relegated from the top tier of the Championship last season and are also in Division Two of the National League.
Kumble, who has previously had stints in county cricket with Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, added: "It's great to have this opportunity and it is something I am looking forward to immensely.

Ganguly dropped, again.

India have dropped former captain Sourav Ganguly for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad. Ganguly, 33, was axed as skipper and from the one-day team in October after a row with coach Greg Chappell but was recalled for the first two Tests. However, after scoring 40 and 39 in the win in Delhi, he has been left out of the 15-man squad for Saturday's game. The Left-hander has scored 5,150 runs at an average of 40.87 and led India to 21 Test victories in five years as captain.

Wasim Jaffer has been recalled, while fellow opening batsman Virender Sehwag is back after a throat infection. Jaffer played seven Tests for India from 2000 to 2002 with limited success but has been in good form in domestic cricket.
Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid has been retained as captain for the series against Pakistan and England in March.

Indian Test XI: Rahul Dravid (capt), Virender Sehwag , Gautam Gambhir, Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar , VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan, Mahendra Dhoni (wkt), Ajit Agarkar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik.

Kumble spins India to Delhi win

India leads the 3-Test series 1-0
Spinner Anil Kumble took 10 wickets as India beat Sri Lanka by 188 runs in the second Test to lead the series 1-0. Kumble and fellow spinner Harbhajan Singh rattled through Sri Lanka who collapsed to 247 all out in Delhi. The tourists, resuming the final day on 123-5 were all out soon after lunch as they tried in vain to chase the world record 436 to win.
Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene jointly top-scored with 67 as Kumble recorded his eighth 10-wicket Test haul. He took 4-85 in the second innings to add to the 6-72 from the first to record 10-157 in the match. Jayawardene battled for 164 balls for his 67 but when he fell to Harhajan Singh, who took 3-70, the last three wickets tumbled for four runs.
Second Test, Delhi, day five: India 290 & 375-6 dec beat Sri Lanka 230 & 247 by 188 runs

Highest Fourth Innings Totals

Match won
418-7 (set 418) West Indies v Australia St John's 2002/03
406-4 (set 403) India v West Indies Port of Spain 1975/76
404-3 (set 404) Australia v England Leeds 1948
369-6 (set 369) Australia v Pakistan Hobart 1999/00
Match tied
347 (set 348) India v Australia Chennai 1986/87
Match drawn
654-5 (set 696) England v South Africa Durban 1938/39
429-8 (set 438) India v England The Oval 1979
423-7 (set 451) South Africa v England The Oval 1947
Match lost
451 (set 550) New Zealand v England Christchurch 2001/02
445 (set 493) India v Australia Adelaide 1977/78
440 (set 479) New Zealand v England Nottingham 1973

Delhi test: Sri Lanka falter in record chase

Sri Lanka suffered a late collapse in their quest for a world record 436 to win the second Test against India, ending day four in Delhi on 123-5. They were progressing well at 109-1 with skipper Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara sharing a partnership of 79. Atapattu hit 11 fours in 67 but Anil Kumble struck twice in one over and Thilan Samaraweera fell at the close.

Earlier Yuvraj Singh (77) and Mahendra Dhoni, who hit two sixes in 51 off as many balls as India declared on 375-6. Resuming on 237-5, Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj added 34 before Ganguly played on to Muttiah Muralitharan.
Second Test, Delhi, day four (close): India 290 & 375-6 dec v Sri Lanka 230 & 123-5

Delhi test: Pathan puts India in control

Irfan Pathan hit a career-best 93 as India reached 237-5 in their second innings at the close on day three of the second Test against Sri Lanka. Opener Pathan, standing in for the sick Virender Sehwag , put on 92 with skipper Rahul Dravid (53) as India extended their lead to 297 in Delhi.

Earlier, Anil Kumble finished with 6-72 as India bowled out Sri Lanka for 230. Pathan finished with 3-34 as Jehan Mubarak ran out of partners to finish unbeaten on 29. India were 86-3 at one point, paceman Chaminda Vaas removing opener Gautam Gambhir (3) for his 300th Test wicket and VVS Laxman (11).
Second Test, Delhi, day three (close): India 290 & 237-5 v Sri Lanka 230

Delhi test: Murali and Kumble weave magic on day two

India were on a high overnight after Tendulkar completed a world record 35th Test hundred, surpassing compatriot Sunil Gavaskar's mark, just before the close. But Tendulkar and former captain Sourav Ganguly added just nine runs in the morning, taking their fourth wicket partnership to 121, before Muralitharan had both lbw. Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan triggered a collapse to bowl India out for 290. He took four wickets for two runs in 18 balls as India lost their last seven wickets for just 36 runs. Muralitharan finished with figures of 7-100, his 40th haul of five wickets or more in Tests and the best by a Sri Lankan on Indian soil.

But spin rival Anil Kumble hit back with four wickets of his own in the space of six overs as Sri Lanka fell from 175-2 to 198-6 at stumps. India's left-arm paceman Irfan Pathan struck in successive overs after the break to remove left-handers Avishka Gunawardene for 25 and Kumar Sangakkara for three.
Second Test, Delhi, day two (stumps): India 290 all out v Sri Lanka 198-6

35!!

India's Sachin Tendulkar celebrated becoming cricket's most prolific Test century scorer when he hit his 35th ton against Sri Lanka.
Tendulkar brought up the world record with a single off Chaminda Vaas in fading light as play ended on the first day of the second Test in Delhi. He surpasses the record held by compatriot Sunil Gavaskar. India ended the day on 245-3 with VVS Laxman hitting 69 and Sourav Ganguly unbeaten on 39.

Tendulkar, who had not been in great batting form since returning from a six-month injury absence, took 177 balls for his century, hitting 13 fours and a six along the way. And he reached the milestone in 125 Tests, the same amount Gavaskar took to score 34 centuries.
Second Test, Delhi, day one (stumps): India 245-3

Top Test century makers

Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) 35 in 125 Tests
Sunil Gavaskar (Ind) 34 in 125
Steve Waugh (Aus) 32 in 168
Brian Lara (WI) 31 in 121
Don Bradman (Aus) 29 in 52
Allan Border (Aus) 27 in 156
Gary Sobers (WI) 26 in 93
Ricky Ponting (Aus) 25 in 97

Sachin Tendulkar

Born in Bombay, Tendulkar was just 16 when he became India's youngest Test debutant against Pakistan in 1989. By the time he turned 20 he already had five Test centuries to his name - the first came against England at Old Trafford. His outstanding batting has earned him the nicknames The Little Master, Master Blaster, Smashin' Sachin and The King. In 2004 Tendulkar became only the second Indian to pass the 9000 run mark in Test match cricket. in 2005 he joined an elite band of just five batsman to pass 10,000 Test runs. In his 125th Test match he hits a world record 35th Test century, passing compatriot Sunil Gavaskar's mark.

No Ganguly problem says Chappell

India coach Greg Chappell insists he has no problem with Sourav Ganguly being recalled to the team despite their public row in September. The 35-year-old batsman was axed as captain and dropped altogether after the pair fell out in Zimbabwe. But he returned for the first Test against Sri Lanka and Chappell says the two are happy to work together. Despite the Ganguly row, and the intense scrutiny he has received from the Indian media, Chappell insists he has no regrets about taking the job. Chappell, who took over the role in May following New Zealander John Wright's departure, added: "It's a challenging job and, for that reason, a very exciting job. "I wouldn't be as keen to take the job on if it was easy. I think it's the most most challenging job in cricket from a coaching point of view. "The demands and expectations of a billion-odd people puts some extra pressures and the media reflects that. "When I was playing I learned that you can only concentrate on things you have control over. "I have a strong vision for what I feel is required to make Indian cricket competitive and I have to stick to that vision."

India batting flops in drawn First Test

India were bowled out for their lowest Test score against Sri Lanka before the rain-ruined series opener in Madras (Chennai) ended in an inevitable draw. The home side lost eight wickets for 77 runs as they were dismissed for 167. Chaminda Vaas was Sri Lanka's star performer, taking 4-20 from 21 overs, and he now needs only two wickets to reach 300 in Tests. Mahela Jayawardene made a bright and breezy 71 in the final session before the game ended with Sri Lanka on 168-4. With the first three days washed out, and only 32.3 overs possible on Monday, there was no possibility of a positive outcome in favour of either side. With nothing but batting practice in store for the remainder of the day, Sri Lanka began badly in reply when Gunawardene nicked a ball from Pathan and was caught behind for four.
Kumar Sangakkara and Jayawardene added 57 in 14 overs for the second wicket before the former was lbw to Kumble for 30. Jayawardene lifted the tempo after tea and he struck a six and 16 fours in his 80-ball innings before he was caught off Kumble by Gautam Gambhir. Kumble (3-41) also bowled Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu for seven but a halt was called once Sri Lanka had passed India's score, with Thilan Samaraweera 35 not out and Dilshan on eight. The second Test in Delhi begins on Saturday.

Sri Lanka achieve confidence lift

Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody was far happier than India counterpart Greg Chappell after the rain-hit first Test in Madras (Chennai) ended in a draw. The tourists were thrashed 6-1 by India in a recent one-day series and Moody said: "This is a much-needed start for us. It's brought our confidence back." Chappell had plenty to think about after his side were bowled out for 167. "It was a tough pitch to bat on, but we made it difficult for ourselves," the former Australia captain commented.
First Test, Madras, day five : India 167 drew with Sri Lanka 168-4

Pakistan adjusts India itinerary

Pakistan has adjusted the itinerary for the India tour early next year with the Tests to begin from January 14. Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan said some requests of the Indian board had been accepted and the itinerary tweaked accordingly. He added: "The finalisation of Karachi, where we have proposed a Test and a one-day internatiional, is subject to approval from the Indian government.

Asia Cup date will be rearranged

India's new cricket regime have persuaded hosts Pakistan to postpone next year's Asia Cup to give players respite from a gruelling schedule. The event, also featuring Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the UAE, and Oman, was due to take place from 16-28 February. But new Indian board president Sharad Pawar said it would now be played at a "mutually convenient" date later on. It would originally have been scheduled between India's tour of Pakistan and England's India visit early next year. India have been on the road since August, playing in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe before returning home for 12 one-dayers against Sri Lanka and South Africa in November. In the next few months they will be even busier and even tour the West Indies in May and June after hosting England. "Players felt they needed some rest because of the back-to-back itinerary," BCCI executive secretary Ratnakar Shetty said. The biennial Asia Cup was planned by Asian Cricket Council chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, who stepped down as its president on Saturday. Pawar is almost certain to replace Dalmiya as ACC president because India's term as head of the continental body lasts until June.

India waiting on Ganguly decision

All eyes will be on Sourav Ganguly on Friday as India pick their final XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka. Ganguly, axed as captain and dropped from the one-day side after a row with coach Greg Chappell, rejoined the squad as an all-rounder. One of in-form youngsters Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif would have to make way if he returns in Chennai (Madras). Ganguly, who has scored 5,066 runs in 84 Tests with 12 centuries, has rarely bowled in India, claiming just 25 wickets at an average of 52.47. Pro-Ganguly selectors - Pranob Roy, Gopal Sharma and Yashpal Sharma - were on Tuesday sacked from the panel after Sharad Pawar took over as cricket board president. With new skipper Rahul Dravid at the helm, India won eight of the 11 recent home one-day internationals against Sri Lanka and South Africa. They need to adjust quickly to the Test game, with the prospect of replacing England as number two in the ICC rankings if they win 2-0.

Pakistan worry of India overkill

Pakistan cricket chief Shahriyar Khan has warned that playing India too often could ruin the impact of the match-up. The teams have played 21 times since relations were resumed in March 2004, with India touring Pakistan next month. The Pakistan Cricket Board sent a proposed match schedule for the forthcoming tour to its Indian counterparts two weeks ago and is keen to finalise an itinerary. Shahriyar hopes Sharad Pawar's election as president of the Indian board will result in the negotiations being concluded in the near future. The proposed itinerary includes three Tests and five one-day internationals. It is expected that the Indian board (BCCI) will agree to the inclusion of Karachi in the itinerary as venue for one of the Tests. Only two Tests have taken place there since a bomb explosion in 2002 prompted New Zealand to abandon a tour - and England only agreed to a one-day international in the city during their current series.

Cricket News from the Past..

Sri Lanka in India 2005 Cricket Series Brief

Dhoni makes it 6-1 for India

Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced another match-winning innings as India wrapped up a 6-1 one-day series win over Sri Lanka at Baroda. Dhoni, who made an astonishing 183 not out in the third game, hit three sixes and nine fours in his 80 off 73 balls.
He was caught at long-off with just five needed for victory as India eased home on 245-5 with 10.3 overs to spare. Russel Arnold (68) and Marvan Atapattu (59) had earlier shared a stand of 133 as Sri Lanka totalled 244-9. It represented a good recovery after the tourists had been reduced to 85-5, but the eventual outcome was never in doubt after India made 109 off the first 14 overs of their reply. Sachin Tendulkar (39), Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan (both 35) were responsible for India's flying start.

Seventh ODI, Baroda: India 245-5 (39.3 overs) beat Sri Lanka 244-9 (50 overs) by five wickets

Yuvraj, RP Singh lift India to 7-wkt win

Yuvraj Singh hit an explosive unbeaten 79 as India thrashed Sri Lanka by seven wickets to take a 5-1 series lead.
Yuvraj blasted nine fours and three sixes in an unbroken century stand with Mohammed Kaif to guide India to their target of 197 with 15.1 overs to spare. Earlier, left-arm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh took four wickets as Sri Lanka were bowled out in the 43rd over, Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scoring on 59.

Sixth ODI, Rajkot: India 197-3 bt Sri Lanka 196 allout by seven wickets

Dilshan restores Sri Lankan pride

Tillakaratne Dilshan (81) and Russell Arnold (49) put on an unbroken 131 as Sri Lanka beat India by five wickets in the fifth one-dayer in Ahmedabad.
Gautam Gambhir and captain Rahul Dravid both hit 103 as India totalled 285-8, with Farveez Maharoof taking 4-20.
The tourists were struggling on 155-5 but Dilshan and Arnold kept the score ticking along before accelerating to clinch victory with 14 balls to spare.
Sri Lanka now trail 4-1 with the sixth match in Rajkot on November 9.

Fifth ODI, Ahmedabad: Sri Lanka 286-5 bt India 285-8 by five wickets

India clinch series with Pune win

Mahendra Dhoni and Suresh Raina put on 82 to guide India to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Pune and a 4-0 lead in the seven-match one-day series.
Captain Marvan Atapattu hit 87 as the tourists were bowled out for 261, with seamer Ajit Agarkar claiming 5-44. India were cruising at 176-3, thanks to 63 from skipper Rahul Dravid , but they then lost three wickets for four runs. Dhoni (45) hit two sixes off Russel Arnold to clinch the series with three games left while Raina contributed 39.
Dravid's decision to put the Lankans in paid off when the in-form Kumar Sangakkara (8) and fellowopener Sanath Jayasuriya (16) were trapped lbw by Agarkar.

Forth ODI, Pune: India 262-6 bt Sri Lanka 261 by four wickets

Dhoni's 183* seals India win

Mahendra Dhoni hit a brilliant century as India beat Sri Lanka in Jaipur to earn themselves a 3-0 stranglehold in the seven-match limited-overs series. Wicket-keeper Dhoni allowed the hosts to chase a stiff target of 299 at a canter and he hit a national record 10 sixes in his remarkable 183 not out. His score also matched the second highest by an Indian in one-dayers.
Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara hit 152 not out in Sri Lanka's 298-4, which also included 71 from Mahela Jayawardene.
Sri Lanka won the toss but started slowly. Sangakkara however hit two sixes and 13 fours as he blazed to a career-best score in one-day internationals.
Dhoni's score was only 11 runs off the best ever in one-day internationals - Saeed Anwar's 194 for Pakistan against India in Madras in 1997.

Third one-day international, Jaipur: India 303-4 beat Sri Lanka 298-4 by six wickets

Sri Lanka crumble to Pathan swing

Irfan Pathan took 4-37 as India bowled out Sri Lanka for just 122 in Mohali, and they went on to win the second one-day international with ease.
Kumar Sangakkara was the highest scorer with 27 in a feeble effort from the tourists in the Mohali day-nighter. Pathan, who found plenty of swing movement throughout, removed Sanath Jayasuriya in the first over and also dismissed three others in the top six. Sachin Tendulkar then hit 70 not out as India got home in the 21st over.
The margin of victory was a healthy eight wickets - Virender Sehwag (38) and Jai Prakash Yadav the only men to be dismissed.

Second one-day international, Mohali: India 123-2 beat Sri Lanka 122 by eight wickets

Tendulkar shines in India victory

Sachin Tendulkar struck 93 in his first international match for over six months as India thrashed Sri Lanka by 152 runs in the first one-day match in Nagpur. Tendulkar, back from a long-term elbow injury, hit nine fours and two sixes. He shared a second-wicket stand of 164 with Irfan Pathan, who blasted 84 in a new role as pinch hitter. And new full-time captain Rahul Dravid hit an unbeaten 85 from 63 deliveries to lead the hosts to a mammoth 350-6.
The Sri Lankans lost Marvan Atapattu second ball and by the 22nd over were in tatters at 121-7, before finally being bowled out for 198 in the 36th. Sri Lanka had Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan fit to play despite last-minute injury scares.

India: S R Tendulkar, V Sehwag, R Dravid (Capt), Yuvraj Singh, Y V Rao, M S Dhoni (Wkt), J P Yadav, I K Pathan, A B Agarkar, S Santh, Harbhajan Singh Sub: M Kartik

Sri Lanka: M S Atapattu (Capt), S T Jayasuriya K C Sangakkara (Wkt), D P M D Jayawardene, T M Dilshan, R P Arnold, U D U Chandana, W P U J C Vaas, M Muralitharan, M F Maharoof, C R D Fernando Sub: L H D Dilhara

First one-day international, Nagpur: India 350-6 (50 overs) bt Sri Lanka 198 (35.4 overs) by 152 runs

South Africa in India 2005 Cricket Series Brief

India cruise to victory in Mumbai, Series Tied

India cruised to an easy win over South Africa under lights in Mumbai (Bombay) as the series ended drawn 2-2. Jacques Kalls (91) held together South Africa's innings as they totalled 221-6 having lost another crucial toss. For India, Irfan Pathan (3-20) and Harbhajan Singh (2-32) were the two outstanding bowlers during the day.
And India's batsmen found it much easier to score boundaries than the tourists. Rahul Dravid's 78 not out saw them cruise home with 15 balls to go. Sachin Tendulkar hit a breezy 30 off 44 balls with five fours

Fifth one-day international, Mumbai: India 224-5 beat South Africa 221-6 by five wickets Series tied 2-2

Smith ruins Tendulkar celebration

Graeme Smith's career-best 134 helped South Africa crush India by 10 wickets in the fourth one-dayer in Calcutta. Sachin Tendulkar - in his world record 357th appearance - scored two as India made only 188, with Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall taking three wickets each. Captain Smith, who hit 20 fours and a six off 124 balls, and Hall (48 off 94) had few problems reaching their target with more than 14 overs to spare.
South Africa lead the series 2-1 with the final game in Mumbai on Monday.

Fourth one-day international, Calcutta: South Africa 189-0 beat India 188 by 10 wickets

Match abandoned due to rain

Heavy rain in Chennai forced the third one-day international between India and South Africa on Tuesday to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. The wash-out was largely expected after rain lashed the city since Monday morning. The umpires inspected the ground at the M A Chidambaram stadium twice on Tuesday before deciding to call off the day-night encounter, much to the disappointment of the nearly 20,000 fans who braved the wet spell in the hope of witnessing at least a truncated match.

Third one-day international, Madras: No result - match abandoned due to rain

Sehwag makes it one-all.

Virender Sehwag 's blistering 77 off 62 balls steered India to a six-wicket victory over South Africa in the second one-day international in Bangalore.
Irfan Pathan's 3-23 and tight bowling from India's spinners kept the tourists down to only 169-9 in their 50 overs.
The result tied the series and ended South Africa's bid to match Australia's record 21-game unbeaten run in 2002/3.

Second one-day international, Bangalore: India 171-4 bt South Africa 169-9 by six wickets

South Africa open series with win

Jacques Kallis and Justin Kemp steered South Africa to a five-wicket win over India to open their one-day series.
The result marked South Africa's 20th successive match unbeaten, one behind Australia's all-time record. Kallis, who finished 68 not out, shared an 89-run stand with Ashwell Prince (46) before Kemp (46 not out) helped add 84 to win with seven balls left. Earlier, Yuvraj Singh hit 103 to drag India from early trouble at 35-5 towards a final total of 249-9.
First ODI, Hyderabad : South Africa 252 for 5 (48.5 overs) beat India 249 for 9 (50.0 overs) by five wickets

England in Pakistan Cricket Series Brief

England complete exciting victory

England ended their tour on a high with a six-run win in Rawalpindi following a mid-innings collapse by Pakistan.
James Anderson took 4-48 and Ian Blackwell three wickets in successive overs as Pakistan lost five wickets for 25 runs and were restricted to 200-9.
Yasir Hameed (57) and Mohammad Yousuf (54) put on 101 but fell to loose shots, and the rest followed suit.
Vikram Solanki top scored with 49 in England's 206-9 - debutant Mohammad Asif taking 2-14 for the home side.

Fifth one-day international, Rawalpindi: England 206-9 (50 overs) beat Pakistan 200-9 (50 overs) by six runs

Pakistan hang on to clinch series

Pakistan beat England by 13 runs in Rawalpindi to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the one-day series. Kabir Ali and James Anderson put on 33 for the final wicket but Anderson was caught in the slips at full-stretch by Younis Khan with 11 balls left. England looked favourites after dismissing Pakistan for 210, captain Inzamam-ul-Haq hitting 81 not out. But, with the exception of Andrew Flintoff and Ian Blackwell, England's top order was again rooted out cheaply. The final game of the tour is at the same venue on Wednesday.

Fourth one-day international, Rawalpindi: Pakistan 210 (47.2 overs) bt England 197 all out (48.1 overs) by 13 runs

England collapse to record defeat

England equalled their heaviest defeat ever with a 165-run loss in the third one-day game as Pakistan's Kamran Akmal hit his second successive century. Put in to bat, the hosts reached 353-6, the most ever conceded by England, with Akmal hitting 109 and Abdul Razzaq 50. Shahid Afridi blasted 31 from 14 balls and Inzamam-ul-Haq 45 from 35.
England never looked like matching the total and were bowled out for 188 in 42 overs, with Shoaib Malik taking 3-29 and Ian Bell the top scorer with 37. England's last defeat by such a margin was at the hands of West Indies in 1994. he result in Karachi leaves them 2-1 down in the series with two to play.

Third one-day international, Karachi: Pakistan 353-6 (50 overs) beat England 188 all out (42 overs) by 165 runs

Pakistan cruise to Lahore victory

Shoaib Akhtar's 5-54 and Kamran Akmal's 102 helped Pakistan crush England by seven wickets in the second one-dayer.
Akmal hit 15 fours and a six in his second one-day century as they reached a target of 231 with six overs left. Liam Plunkett's maiden fifty for England rescued the tourists after Shoaib helped reduce them to 130-8. 231 was not likely to tax the home side as Flintoff and Harmison served up plenty of wide deliveries for left-hander Butt and wicket-keeper Akmal to carve away on the off-side. A cut from Akmal flew over a despairing Blackwell on the third man boundary, while Butt smacked Harmison straight back over the bowler to the long-on boundary. Butt's 48-ball knock, which featured eight boundaries, was ended when Flintoff found a way through his defences but the runs continued to come freely. There was something of a shock when Collingwood's slower ball beat Younis Khan's attempt to turn it on the leg-side and, with Mohammad Yousuf content to nudge the ball around, the run rate slowed a little. But Akmal was determined to keep playing his shots and was quick to punish width from Plunkett and Harmison as he reached his century off 108 balls. The torment for England did not end after he hooked Harmison straight to Solanki at mid-wicket as captain Inzamam-ul-Haq tucked into the bowling.

Second ODI, Lahore: Pakistan 231-3 bt England 230 by seven wickets

England triumph in one-day opener

England achieved their highest one-day total on foreign soil to win the opening match of the one-day series against Pakistan by 42 runs.
Andrew Strauss anchored the innings with 94 and Kevin Pietersen (56) and Andrew Flintoff (72 not out) produced the big-hitting to carry them to 327-4. Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik all made half centuries in reply. But Pakistan were all out for 285 as super-sub Liam Plunkett claimed 3-51.
The result ended a seven-match winning streak for Pakistan in limited-overs internationals and gave England a much-needed lift after being beaten 2-0 in the Test series.

First one-day international, Lahore: England 327-4 (50 overs) beat Pakistan 285 (46.5 overs) by 42 runs

England beaten again in Pakistan

England's poor run continued when they lost by one wicket to Pakistan A in their only warm-up game ahead of five one-day matches against Pakistan. Matthew Prior (72) and Paul Collingwood (75) helped an experimental tourists' line-up make 236-7 off 45 overs. But despite James Anderson's 4-46, they were overhauled off the penultimate ball, with Bazid Khan unbeaten on 90. After a 2-0 Test series defeat, England will want to restore pride in the first one-dayer in Lahore on Saturday.

Brilliant Pakistan crush England

Pakistan bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria struck their best form as England collapsed to defeat by an innings and 100 runs in Lahore. The tourists slumped from 201-2 at lunch to 248 all out 70 minutes after the interval to lose the three-match Test series by a 2-0 margin. Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood put on 175 for the third wicket but their good work was wasted by their team-mates. Paceman Akhtar took 5-71, with leg-spinner Kaneria claiming 4-52. At lunch, it seemed Pakistan's victory hopes were dwindling. Mohammad Yousuf, who hit a sparkling 223, was man of the match.

Defiant England hang on for draw

England survived a nightmarish batting collapse to secure a draw with Pakistan in the second Test in Faisalabad.
Ashley Giles and Geraint Jones shared an obdurate stand of 30 for the seventh wicket until bad light ended the day. Chasing a notional 285 to win, England were 20-4 at one point before Kevin Pietersen (42) and Andrew Flintoff (56) put on 80 for the fifth wicket. Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq had hit his second century of the match before declaring on 268-9. The result leaves England 1-0 down with the final Test in Lahore next week, ending a run of six series victories stretching back to 2003.

Pakistan win as England collapse

Pakistan bowled England out for 175 after lunch on the final day to win the first Test in Multan by 22 runs.
Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria finished with 4-62, while Shoaib Akhtar took 3-49 and Mohammad Sami 2-31.
Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell added 40 to the overnight 24-1 but after they were caught off Kaneria the tourists folded. Only Geraint Jones (33) provided any real resistance as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, which continues in Faisalabad on Sunday. Pakistan's Salman Butt, who scored 196 runs in the Test, was named Man of the Match.

Indian Cricket Stars

Kapil Dev Nikhanj | Dilip Balwant Vengsarkar | Sunil Manohar "Sunny" Gavaskar | Roger Michael Humphrey Binny | Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri | Mohinder Amarnath | Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar | Ajit Agarkar | Anil Kumble | Gautam Gambir | Harbhajan Singh | Irfan Pathan | Mohammad Kaif | MS Dhoni | Murali Kartik | Rahul Dravid | Sourav Ganguly | Sreesanth | Virender Sehwag | VVS Laxman | Yuvraj Singh