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BANGALORE: After three straight wins, India will seek to clinch the series by going for the kill in the fourth cricket One-dayer against England on Sunday with a batting line-up strengthened by the return of an in-form Sachin Tendulkar.
India need to win just one more match to wrap up the seven-match series and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his bravehearts will be eager to maintain their winning sequence in the floodlit encounter at the Chinaswamy stadium.
The visitors, on the other hand, have been left with the daunting task of winning four matches in a row to clinch the series and it appears extremely unlkely that they would be able to stop the Indian juggernaut.
The return of Tendulkar has no doubt made the Indian batting line-up more formidable but it would also force the hosts to tinker with the batting order.
Tendulkar had been rested for the first three matches of the series after playing in all the four Tests against Australia and it remains to be seen whether he will open the innings with Virender Sehwag.
Source: Indiatimes
November 2008
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Sachin Tendulkar was rested for first three one-dayers against England as the national selectors announced a 15-member team, which also includes M Vijay of Tamil Nadu, in Nagpur on Wednesday.
Tendulkar has been rested as the master batsman himself requested not to be included in the team considering the hectic schedule ahead, besides the amount of cricket he has already played so far in the year.
"Considering the hectic schedule ahead and the amount of cricket he has already played this season, Sachin Tendulkar requested that he be rested for the first three ODIs. The selectors accepted his request," BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement issued after the K Srikkanth-led selection committee met.
The team is almost the same that did duty under Mahendra Singh Dhoni and won the last ODI series it played in Sri Lanka barring the inclusion of young Tamil Nadu opener Murali Vijay and Yusuf Pathan in place of his younger brother Irfan who has been ignored. Praveen Kumar has made way for Delhi pacer Ishant Sharma.
Virender Sehwag made a return to the team as expected while Gautam Gambhir, banned from playing in the fourth and final Test against Australia commencing beginning on Thursday, has been included.
The first three ties in the best-of-seven series against England, who are to arrive in Mumbai on Thursday, are to be held at Rajkot (Nov 14), Indore (Nov 17) and Kanpur (Nov 20).
Team: M S Dhoni (Capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh , Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, R P Singh, Virat Kohli and M Vijay.
WISHING YOU A BRIGHT AND PROSPEROUS DIWALI
September 2008
ICL 20-20 Indian Championship, 2008/09
October 2008
Fri 10
20:30 local, 15:00 GMT 1st Match - Hyderabad Heroes v Lahore Badshahs
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Sat 11
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 2nd Match - Dhaka Warriors v Chennai Superstars
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Sun 12
14:00 local, 08:30 GMT 3rd Match - Ahmedabad Rockets v Delhi Giants
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Sun 12
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 4th Match - Royal Bengal Tigers v Lahore Badshahs
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Mon 13
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 5th Match - Chandigarh Lions v Mumbai Champs
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Tue 14
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 6th Match - Ahmedabad Rockets v Chennai Superstars
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Wed 15
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 7th Match - Dhaka Warriors v Hyderabad Heroes
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Thu 16
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 8th Match - Delhi Giants v Royal Bengal Tigers
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Fri 17
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 9th Match - Ahmedabad Rockets v Mumbai Champs
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Sat 18
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 10th Match - Chandigarh Lions v Chennai Superstars
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Sun 19
14:00 local, 08:30 GMT 11th Match - Mumbai Champs v Royal Bengal Tigers
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Sun 19
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 12th Match - Ahmedabad Rockets v Lahore Badshahs
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Mon 20
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 13th Match - Delhi Giants v Dhaka Warriors
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Tue 21
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 14th Match - Chennai Superstars v Hyderabad Heroes
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Wed 22
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 15th Match - Ahmedabad Rockets v Royal Bengal Tigers
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Thu 23
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 16th Match - Mumbai Champs v Lahore Badshahs
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Fri 24
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 17th Match - Delhi Giants v Chennai Superstars
Teri Oval, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon
Sat 25
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 18th Match - Dhaka Warriors v Royal Bengal Tigers
Teri Oval, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon
Sun 26
14:00 local, 08:30 GMT 19th Match - Chandigarh Lions v Hyderabad Heroes
Teri Oval, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon
Sun 26
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 20th Match - Delhi Giants v Lahore Badshahs
Teri Oval, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon
Mon 27
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 21st Match - Mumbai Champs v Dhaka Warriors
Teri Oval, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon
Tue 28
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 22nd Match - Chandigarh Lions v Royal Bengal Tigers
Teri Oval, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon
Wed 29
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 23rd Match - Ahmedabad Rockets v Hyderabad Heroes
Teri Oval, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon
Thu 30
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 24th Match - Delhi Giants v Mumbai Champs
Teri Oval, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon
Fri 31
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 25th Match - Chandigarh Lions v Dhaka Warriors
Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, Chandigarh
November 2008
Sat 1
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 26th Match - Delhi Giants v Hyderabad Heroes
Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, Chandigarh
Sun 2
14:00 local, 08:30 GMT 27th Match - Chennai Superstars v Mumbai Champs
Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, Chandigarh
Sun 2
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 28th Match - Chandigarh Lions v Lahore Badshahs
Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, Chandigarh
Mon 3
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 29th Match - Ahmedabad Rockets v Dhaka Warriors
Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, Chandigarh
Tue 4
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 30th Match - Chennai Superstars v Royal Bengal Tigers
Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, Chandigarh
Wed 5
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 31st Match - Chandigarh Lions v Delhi Giants
Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, Chandigarh
Thu 6
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 32nd Match - Hyderabad Heroes v Mumbai Champs
Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, Chandigarh
Fri 7
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 33rd Match - Dhaka Warriors v Lahore Badshahs
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Sat 8
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 34th Match - Hyderabad Heroes v Royal Bengal Tigers
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Sun 9
14:00 local, 08:30 GMT 35th Match - Ahmedabad Rockets v Chennai Superstars
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Sun 9
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 36th Match - Chennai Superstars v Lahore Badshahs
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Mon 10
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT Semi Final 1 - TBC v TBC
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Tue 11
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT Semi Final 2 - TBC v TBC
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Thu 13
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 1st Final - TBC v TBC
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Sat 15
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 2nd Final - TBC v TBC
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
Sun 16
19:30 local, 14:00 GMT 3rd Final - TBC v TBC
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan
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In the absence of a potent spin attack, the responsibility on Stuart Clark has increased and he can be a handful with his nagging accuracy © AFP
Match facts
Oct 9-13, 2008
Start time 9.30am (0400 GMT)
Big Picture
All the talk of retirement and succession planning has hogged the limelight over the last few weeks, but thankfully the focus will switch to the cricket when India and Australia take the field in the first of four Tests, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. For both teams, the series is of massive importance: the Australians are in transition mode, and are searching for replacements who can adequately fill the huge voids left by Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist; the next month could be a pointer to just how well the team will fare in their absence. For the Indians, this series is the last time their five experienced stalwarts will all be playing together. With the Australians so inexperienced to these conditions - none of their specialist bowlers have bowled a ball in a Test in India - this is an excellent opportunity for India to sneak a series win after two successive losses against them.
Australia may be a relatively weaker team, but that's only when compared to their formidable sides of the recent past. The batting has plenty of class, while the pace attack will probably ask uncomfortable questions of the Indian line-up even on slow tracks.
India have the better balanced bowling attack and plenty of experience in their batting, but most of their top order are coming off a lean spell in Sri Lanka. The home advantage belongs to India, but Australia have done well in Bangalore in the past: the last time they played here was also in the series opener, and they cruised home by 217 runs, with Michael Clarke scoring a delightful 151 and winning the Man-of-the-Match award on debut.
Form guide (last 5 Tests)
India LWLWL
Australia WDWDL
Watch out for
Stuart Clark: All eyes will be on Brett Lee when the Indian innings gets underway, but watch out for Stuart Clark, whose nagging accuracy and ability to seam the ball both ways can be a huge weapon for Australia.
Ricky Ponting:. Enough has been written about Ponting's abysmal record in India, and he'll be keen to make an emphatic statement to counter that as soon as possible. He has conquered Muttiah Muralitharan in Sri Lanka, so there's no reason why he can't tackle Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in India.
Sourav Ganguly: His decision to retire at the end of this series means he will probably bat with greater freedom. Plus, he has pleasant memories of this ground - the last time he batted here, he scored 330 in two innings, which is the second-highest runs scored by any batsman in a single Test in Bangalore.
Harbhajan Singh v Australian top order Ponting has struggled against him in the past, and Matthew Hayden has had plenty to say about him off the field. Expect some intriguing clashes when Harbhajan gets the ball.
Team news
India have left out S Badrinath and RP Singh from their squad. They are almost certain to go with six specialist batsmen, which means Amit Mishra and Munaf Patel will probably miss out as well.
India (likely) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Sourav Ganguly, 6 VVS Laxman, 7 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 8 Anil Kumble (capt), 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ishant Sharma.
Australia have excluded Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle and Phil Jaques in their XII, and the only decision they need to make on the morning of the game is which spinner to play. Considering the ease with which Jason Krejza was handled in the tour game, it's likely that Cameron White will make his Test debut. White also happens to be a very handy option with the bat.
Australia (likely) 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Shane Watson, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Cameron White, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Mitchell Johnson, 11 Stuart Clark.
Pitch & conditions
Both captains reckoned the pitch looked fairly hard and would be good for batting on the first couple of days before aiding spin. The weather has been unpredictable over the last couple of days, and the forecast is for scattered thundershowers over the next five days. If overcast conditions prevail, the fast bowlers will have something to cheer as well.
Stats & Trivia
India haven't won a Test in Bangalore in the last 13 years. During this period they've played six Tests here and lost four, including two to Australia.
Anil Kumble's batting average in Bangalore (27.87) is higher than that of VVS Laxman (24.28) and Rahul Dravid (20.54) at this ground.
The last six decisive Tests between India and Australia have all been won by the team winning the toss.
If he bats at No.3, which he is likely to, Dravid will become the first batsman to bat at that position in 100 Tests.
Sachin Tendulkar needs 76 runs equal Brian Lara's record of 11,953 runs in Test cricket.
Quotes
"Certainly this is my last Test match in Bangalore. I don't know when the next Test match is. As I have always said, I take one series at a time. So this certainly will be my last Bangalore Test."
Anil Kumble announces that he won't be playing another Test in front of his home ground
"There's no doubt that yesterday afternoon and today the Indian team would have faced pressure of different distractions than they're used to. Everyone would have wanted to talk about Sourav's retirement. They'll be facing that now for the next four weeks."
Source: Cricinfo
West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul has become the fifth player to be named as the 2008 ICC Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards ceremony in Dubai. Chanderpaul, who also made the shortlist last year, fought off competition from other nominees Mahela Jayawardene from Sri Lanka, as well as South Africa's Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn to take the top award.
South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn has won the Test Player of the Year award while India's one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the ODI Player of the Year award.
India's flamboyant batsman Yuvraj Singh became the inaugural winner of the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year Award in recognition of his amazing six sixes in one over during the ICC World Twenty20 2007 in South Africa.
Sri Lanka's 23-year-old spin sensation, Ajantha Mendis, won the Emerging Player of the Year award. With his mesmerising brand of spin bowling, Mendis has exploded on to the international scene in recent months. In just three Tests against India in July and August, he claimed an amazing 26 wickets at an average of 18.38, rendering some of the best batsmen in the world strokeless.
Six countries were represented in the 12-man ICC Test Team of the Year and three players - Kevin Pietersen of England and the Sri Lanka pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan - also appeared in the World Test Team of the Year in 2007. Indeed, Sangakkara and Muralitharan also appeared in the 2006 side as well. Smith was named as captain of the team.
There were also six countries represented in the ICC ODI Team of the Year of which only two - Ricky Ponting of Australia and India's Sachin Tendulkar - also appeared in the 2007 side and only one - Brett Lee - made both XIs. Ponting was included in 2006 as well while Andrew Symonds was previously been named in the 2005 team. Ponting is named as captain of the team for the second year running.
The Australian umpire, Simon Taufel, was named as Umpire of the Year for the fifth successive time. Taufel, 37, received his votes from the captains of the ten Full Member nations, as well as the eight-man elite panel of ICC match referees. "I'm delighted to win this award but I don't set this as a goal at the start of a season," he said.
England captain Charlotte Edwards, who last night steered her side to a 4-0 one-day win over India, won the Women's Cricketer of the Year award.
The Netherlands allrounder, Ryan ten Doeschate, was named as the Associate Player of the Year.
The Sri Lanka team were the recipients of the Spirit of Cricket Award for the second year running. The prize is presented to the team which, in the opinion of the elite panel of ICC umpires and match referees, has best conducted itself on the field within the spirit of the game.
"The past year has been another exciting one for cricket fans around the world in a time that included the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 and plenty of competitive Test and ODI cricket," David Morgan, the ICC president, said. "These players have contributed hugely to our enjoyment. This is the fifth annual ICC Awards night and each year it is gaining in prestige."
ICC Test Team of the Year Graeme Smith (SA, capt), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Mahela Jayawardena (SL), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Jacques Kallis (SA), Kumar Sangakkara (SL, wk), Brett Lee (Aus), Ryan Sidebottom (Eng), Dale Steyn (SA), Muttiah Muralitharan (SL). 12th man: Stuart Clark (Aus).
ICC ODI Team of the Year Hershelle Gibbs (SA), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Ricky Ponting (Aus, capt), Younis Khan (Pak), Andrew Symonds (Aus), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind, wk), Farveez Maharoof (SL), Daniel Vettori (NZ), Brett Lee (Aus), Mitchell Johnson (Aus), Nathan Bracken (Aus). 12th man: Salman Butt (Pak)
Source: Cricinfo
DUBAI: MS Dhoni hung on to his place atop the ODI batting chart but Australian Nathan Bracken surrendered top slot in bowlers' rankings to Daniel Vettori after his relatively disappointing series against Bangladesh.
In three ODIs, 30-year-old Bracken took just two wickets at an average of 29 which allowed New Zealand captain Vettori topple the Australian.
Vettori had surged to the top of bowling chart back in February before Bracken swapped places with the left-arm spinner following the second ODI between England and New Zealand in June.
Bracken's team-mate Mitchell Johnson has also slipped one place to fourth but fellow pacer Stuart Clark has jumped four rungs after picking up five wickets at an average of 9.20. He shares 15th spot with the West Indies' Daren Powell and Pakistan's Iftikhar Anjum, according to an ICC release on Sunday.
Shane Watson has returned to the top-50 after rocketing 14 places to share 40th place with India's Praveen Kumar.
Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak has strengthened his status as Bangladesh's premier bowler by climbing seven places to 27th position while Saqibul Hasan has also jumped seven places to 39th spot.
However, fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza has failed to defend his 36th position and has dropped to 42nd spot after a wicket-less series.
In the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen, Australia's stand-in captain Michael Clarke has dropped one place to 15th after scoring 40 runs at an average of 13.33.
Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has risen 10 places to 35th position but captain Mohammad Ashraful has slipped three places to 59th.
Dhoni leads Australians Mike Hussey in the batting chart while England's Andrew Flintoff heads the all-rounders' category.
At eighth, Sachin Tendulkar is the only other batsman in the top-10.
At 14th, Zaheer Khan is the highest ranked Indian bowler. In the ICC ODI Championship, Australia's 3-0 victory has earned it one ratings point. In contrast, Bangladesh has dropped to 45 ratings points.
Colour of Chiru Praja Rajyam Party Flag White N Green with sun in the middle….
Praja Rajyam Party, with a white and green colour, a red sun embossed in the middle and a yellow colour was unfurled by two disabled, including a girl, who lost both her hands.
Standing alongside the star, the two challenged persons hoisted the flag on the dais symbolizing the launch of the party.
Speaking about the idea behind the design of the flag, Chiranjeevi said the inspiration came from the nature from the green fields and sun rise.
“Sun is source of energy and life for all the living beings and it gives energy continuously.
The 24 rays of sun symbolise our commitment that right from an ordinary worker to the top level, the party will work 24 hours for the people.
Chiranjeevi said the sun also symbolizes change and revolution. White, he said was not one colour, but manifestation of several colours coming together.
White has colour of all the people. It symbolizes clean governance and transparency”, he said.
On the green colour, Chiranjeevi said that it was the basis of life. “It is also an acknowledgement of farmers.”
The yellow line on the flag expresses the wish that there should be smile on every face and happiness in every home.
On the other hand every colour also symbolizes different religion. Yellow for Hinduism, green for Islam and white for the Christianity.
“The party should get support from every section and every person”, he said.
Match facts
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Start time 2.30pm (local time) 0900 (GMT)
Big Picture
After a hiding in the first game in Dambulla, India have regrouped well to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Much of the success has been due to the seam duo of Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar who, with their contrasting styles, have found chinks in Sri Lanka's imposing top order. India's batting wears a rather thin look in terms of form and numbers but the bowlers have compensated for that by relentlessly chipping away at the wickets and not allowing any top-order partnerships to develop.
Sri Lanka have their backs to the wall and need to win the next two to round off a victorious summer. The scenario is similar to last year's home series against England, which they conceded 3-2 after winning the first game. Since their 5-0 clean sweep against South Africa four years ago, their only bilateral series wins have come against Bangladesh. Surprisingly, their batting hasn't been up to scratch, contrary to the popular perception of their invincibility on home pitches. Mahela Jayawardene's 94 yesterday was the highest score by a Sri Lankan at home in 14 complete ODIs, after Upul Tharanga's 105 against Bangladesh in 2005. Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara have yet to fire in this series, Tillakaratne Dilshan has failed to convert his starts and the persistence with Chamara Silva hasn't paid off.
Sri Lanka have just a day to get their act together and keep the series alive. They haven't ever lost two successive ODI series at home, and Jayawardene will be desperate to ensure it doesn't happen now.
Form guide (last 5 ODIs)
Sri Lanka LLWWL Watch out for
Kumar Sangakkara: Following his century in the third Test, Sangakkara has had a rather quiet series so far, with scores of 19, 2 and 9, and on two occasions was squared up by Zaheer's incoming delivery. He is too good a player to fail continuously, though, and a big score should be around the corner.
Wickets with the new ball: Seamers have enjoyed the conditions at the Premadasa at least over the last three day-night matches, claiming 42 of the 50 wickets taken by bowlers. Dilhara Fernando rolled England over with figures of 6 for 27 under lights last year and India's seam attack was just as potent on Sunday.
Team news
The teams didn't practice on the eve of the match. Chamara Silva will be under pressure to keep his place with the likes of Mahela Udawatte and Malinda Warnapura competing for his spot. Silva has scored just one fifty in his last 11 innings. With the opening pair not firing either, Sri Lanka may decide to bring in an opener to replace Silva, and drop Sangakkara to No. 3.
Sri Lanka (likely) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Mahela Udawatte, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Chaminda Vaas, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.
India will probably retain their winning combination and the performances of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina - both were due some runs - should come as a relief to the captain.
India (likely) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 S Badrinath, 7 Rohit Sharma, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Munaf Patel.
Pitch & conditions
A similar pitch to the first game is on the cards, and with conditions likely to suit bowlers in the evening, the captain winning the toss will almost certainly bat first. Scattered thundershowers are predicted on Tuesday, but hopefully, the forecast will be as inaccurate as it was on Sunday.
Stats & Trivia
Sri Lanka have gone 20 innings without a half-century partnership for the opening wicket against the top teams (excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). They average 16.90 for the first wicket against these teams during this period.
Muttiah Muralitharan's figures of none for 48 from nine overs on Sunday was his second-most expensive spell in a home ODI for the last ten years. The only occasion he went for more runs during this period - against Pakistan in 2006 - he had three wickets to show for his efforts.
Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas both went wicketless on Sunday. The last time this happened in a 50-over ODI was way back on January 13, 2006, in a VB Series match against Australia in Melbourne.
Dhoni has made ten 50-plus scores in 34 ODI innings as captain. The matchwinning 76 on Sunday was his first ODI half-century in eight innings in Sri Lanka.
Zaheer has taken 10 wickets in his last five ODIs at an average of 13.30 and an economy rate of 3.01.
Quotes
"You need to punish him if he bowls a bad ball. If you continue to defend him, he will always be on top."
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is asked for the umpteenth time on how to play Ajantha Mendis
"I am pleased with the way the two spinners bowled. They went for 50 runs but lot of guys do go for that kind of scores these days. These are two exceptional spinners and I am sure they well come back strongly."
Mahela Jayawardene backs his spinners after they had a relatively forgettable day in the office
Source: Cricinfo
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Mon 18
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Twenty20 called off a day early
Cricinfo staff
August 19, 2008
Chester-le-Street has been left unplayable after recent heavy rain © Getty Images
England's one-off Twenty20 international against South Africa has been abandoned a day in advance because of heavy rain. The ICC match referee Roshan Mahanama called off the game on Tuesday afternoon in consultation with the ground staff after deciding there was no chance of the ground being ready.
With Chester-le-Street having been under water for a week, Kevin Pietersen will have to wait to lead England for the first time in this form of the game. The match would have represented a final chance for England's players to make a mark ahead of November's Stanford matches which are worth millions.
"The ECB were advised by Durham that there were concerns about the state of the ground following a considerable amount of rain in the last week," said a statement. "The ECB then called in the ICC match referee who along with the ECB match umpire Nigel Llong inspected the ground this (Tuesday) afternoon.
"An early decision was taken because the weather forecast was poor for the next 24 hours and to prevent spectators making an unnecessary journey. Ticket holders will be eligible for a full refund. The refund policy is detailed on the back of the tickets."
Owais Shah was slated to come in at No 3 with his new captain favouring boosting him up the order as he felt he was "wasted" at No 7. Jacques Kallis was to have opened for South Africa who had been forced to practise inside.
The teams will now meet in the first of five ODIs at Headingley on Friday.
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Abhinav Bindra gave India its first gold medal at the Beijing Olympics when he won the 10 metres air rifle event on Monday morning.
The 25-year-old Indian shooting ace, who qualified in fourth place for the final, finished with an overall score of (596+104.5) 700.5 in a thrilling finale which went right down to the last shot.
Bindra's historic feat makes him India's first individual gold medallist, bettering the silver medal feat of double trap shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in Athens 2004.
India's last gold medal at an Olympics came in 1980 when the hockey team emerged triumphant in Moscow
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Anil Kumble
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June 2008
July 2008
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Indian ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has opted out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka citing exhaustion caused by non-stop cricket.
Dhoni, who had hinted of his desire to take a break after a hectic Asia Cup in Pakistan, met BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah to convey it officially.
"Dhoni met BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah and expressed his wish to take a break. He wants to opt out of the Test series," BCCI sources told PTI.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has been playing non-stop for the past one year that included an 80-day tour of the UK, the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, an ODI series against Australia and a Test and ODI series against Pakistan at home, a more-than-a-two-month long tour Down Under, a Test series against South Africa followed by the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Just days after the 44-day IPL, in which he played the most matches as his team -- the Chennai Super Kings [Images] -- were the finalists, the Indian captain was back in action in the tri-series against Bangladesh and Pakistan followed by the Asia Cup.
Faced with a hectic schedule at the Asia Cup, which saw India twice play back-to-back matches, Dhoni had sarcastically quipped that the team was "running on reserve".
The BCCI was quick to react with vice-President Rajiv Shukla saying "any tired player should inform the board".
And taking a cue from the Board vice-President, Dhoni has conveyed that he needs a break to save himself from burn-out.
Source: Rediff
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Match facts
Start time 16.00 (local), 10.00 (GMT)
Four of India's batsmen have already scored more than 250 runs in the tournament
Big Picture
After a frenetic 11-day period that saw 12 matches, Sri Lanka and India have survived the crammed schedule, the heat, and a few wobbles to make their way to yet another Asia Cup final. Historically, these two sides have been the strongest in the tournament, winning seven of the eight editions so far; Sunday's game will be their sixth meeting in Asia Cup finals.
The excellent batting pitches have been a constant throughout the tournament, and the teams to survive have utilised these conditions better than others - India and Sri Lanka have easily been the best batting teams of the competition. Both have settled line-ups, with most of their top order in superb form, which points towards another run-fest on Sunday.
With both teams in such exceptional batting touch, the difference in the final could be a bowling spell or some inspiration in the field. Nine matches have already been played on the same square at the National Stadium, suggesting that spinners might have something to look forward to. Sri Lanka have the clear advantage in that department, with Muttiah Muralitharan and the exciting Ajantha Mendis leading the way.
Sri Lanka also have the edge in the field. India's exceptional batting has masked their generally sloppy fielding throughout the tournament. Catches have been missed, the ground fielding has been erratic and, in a crunch game, these factors could well be critical.
Form guide
(Last five completed ODIs; most recent first)
India WLWWW
Sri Lanka LWWWW
Watch out for ...
Sanath Jayasuriya, who loves the big occasion, and he loves batting against India. If he survives the early overs, the Indian bowlers could be in for more tough times.
Gautam Gambhir. He has been consistency personified in ODIs this year, and his excellence against spin makes him a key batsman for India against an attack featuring Muralitharan and Mendis.
The battle of the openers: Gambhir and Sehwag have added 319 runs for the first wicket in four innings at an average partnership of 79.75 and a rate of 8.14 runs per over; Jayasuriya and Sangakkara have averaged 88.75 per partnership at seven runs per over. The new-ball bowlers from both teams clearly have their work cut out.
Murali v Yuvraj: Yuvraj has often struggled against slow bowlers at the start of his innings, and if he bats at No. 5, there's a good chance that he'll be confronted by Murali as soon as he comes in.
Team news
Sri Lanka had rested Chaminda Vaas and Ajantha Mendis for their last round-robin match, against India, but both are certain to return for the final. Two out of Kaushalya Weeraratne, Thilan Thusahara and Dilhara Fernando will sit out. None of them has had tournaments to remember so far, but Fernando's experience might help him retain his place.
Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Chamara Kapugedera, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Chaminda Vaas, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Ajantha Mendis, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Dilhara Fernando.
India's batting has been spectacular throughout the tournament, but the bowling is a worry. The biggest concern has been Irfan Pathan, who, after missing the first three games due to a side strain, has leaked 148 runs in 20 overs for just a solitary wicket. His place could be taken by Yusuf Pathan. Pragyan Ojha will keep his place after two tidy performances, which means Piyush Chawla misses out.
India (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Pragyan Ojhan, 10 RP Singh, 11 Ishant Sharma.
Umpires Simon Taufel & Tony Hill. Third umpire Zameer Haider
Stats and trivia
Sri Lanka haven't lost to India in the last six finals between the two teams - they've won four while two were rained out. The last time India won a final against them was ten years ago, in the Singer-Akai Nidahas Trophy.
Sanath Jayasuriya averages 51.54 at a strike rate of 100.17 in finals against India. In 11 innings he has scored one hundred and four fifties, including a 99.
Muttiah Muralitharan has an excellent economy rate of 4.03 in finals against India. In seven innings, he has taken nine wickets at 28.22.
India's top five (Gambhir, Sehwag, Raina, Dhoni and Yuvraj) all average more than fifty in the tournament, with Dhoni the only one with a strike rate - 97.88 - less than 100.
Quotes
"Mendis is a big-game player and he has the ability to play well in big matches and we will be counting on him in the final."
Mahela Jayawardene names his trump card for the final
"Our openers have given us good starts and if they continue to do so it would keep pressure off the middle order and set the foundation."
Mahendra Singh Dhoni looks forward to another strong start by Sehwag and Gambhir.
Source: Cricinfo
Asia Cup, 2008
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Pakistan's floundering Asia Cup campaign wasn't made any better by Geoff Lawson's heated press conference after Sunday's defeat to Sri Lanka. However, on the eve of the match, the focus was on Shoaib Malik, the captain. Malik, who is suffering from dehydration, looked a doubtful starter but has declared himself fit for the match. The hosts, already without a strike bowler in Umar Gul, need to win both the remaining games to stay in contention for a spot in the final.
India, on the other hand, need just one point from their two games to secure their place in the final and are boosted by the return of allrounder Irfan Pathan from injury. A listless bowling performance against Bangladesh was attributed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni to playing three matches in four days and they should be back to their best after three days' rest.
Form guide
(Last five ODIs; most recent first)
Pakistan LLWWL
India WWWLW
Watch out for ...
Gautam Gambhir's dazzling form has made him the leading run-scorer in ODIs this year but his average against Pakistan is a pedestrian 28.45. Expect him to improve that against a weakened attack on Wednesday.
Less than a year since his international debut, Sohail Tanvir finds himself as Pakistan's spearhead, a role he handled with aplomb in the game against Sri Lanka. He needs to fire again if Pakistan are to tame the rampant Indian batting.
Team news
Another failure with the bat might result in the axe falling on Shahid Afridi © AFP
Pakistan are losing patience with Shahid Afridi's miserable batting form - he's made just three half-centuries in his previous 45 innings. Lawson said he would be dropped but a late change of mind means he will get another chance tomorrow . Pakistan have confirmed two changes to the XI that played Sri Lanka: Abdur Rauf replaces left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz and offspinner Saeed Ajmal will make his debut, legspinner Mansoor Amjad making way.
Pakistan: 1 Salman Butt, 2 Shoaib Malik (capt), 3 Younis Khan, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Sohail Tanvir, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Abdur Rauf, 10 Iftikhar Anjum, 11 Saeed Ajmal.
India are likely to bring back Virender Sehwag and Praveen Kumar while Irfan could find a place ahead of elder brother Yusuf Pathan, who has a minor viral infection. Either Robin Uthappa or Rohit Sharma might miss out and fast bowlers Manpreet Gony and Ishant Sharma could also find themselves on the sidelines.
India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Rohit Sharma/Robin Uthappa, 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 RP Singh, 10 Praveen Kumar, 11 Pragyan Ojha.
Stats and trivia
With two hundreds and a fifty, Suresh Raina's career batting average has shot up by more than nine runs in this tournament - from 26.48 to 35.66.
India's spinners have fared far better than their fast bowlers, taking 11 wickets at 26.64 against the quicker bowlers' haul of six wickets at 66.33
Quotes
"His hotel room is like a hospital ward and when he came off the field against Sri Lanka he was very ill. Only the doctors will decide whether he can play against India or not."
Geoff Lawson confirms Malik is struggling to be fit in time for the match.
"He is a star of the future. We will continue to work on his game and give him options in terms of what he can do on a cricket field."
Gary Kirsten gives Rohit Sharma a vote of confidence
Source : Cricinfo
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Germany captain Michael Ballack will play in Sunday's Euro 2008 final against Spain despite a calf muscle injury, Bild newspaper said on its website.
"Bild has learned that the injured captain will definitely be in the starting lineup," the newspaper wrote on www.bild.de under a headline "Jaaaa! Michael Ballack spielt!" (Yeess! Michael Ballack will play!)
Earlier report: Euro final: Ballack injury hampers Germany
"In a team meeting after an afternoon training session Ballack's name was written on the lineup board."
Ballack missed training on Friday at the team's base in Tenero and he was unable to join the eve-of-match session at the stadium in Vienna on Saturday.
The German FA said on Saturday that Ballack was considered doubtful for Sunday's final.
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