Indians win despite Denly ton

Indians 164 for 6 off 20 overs (Kohli 78, Rohit 30, Tredwell 2-18) beat Kent 159 for 5 (Denly 100, RP Singh 2-36) by 5 runs

	Virat Kohli's 78 ensured India reached a winning score© Bipin Patel

A century from Joe Denly went in vain as Kent failed to make eight runs off the final over, and lost an exciting match to the Indians by five runs. Riding on Virat Kohli's vibrant 78, the Indians had managed to set up a challenging target, but Denly, who has played five Twenty20 internationals for England in addition to nine ODIs, drove the chase before he was bowled seven balls from the end.

Originally meant to be a 50-over encounter, the match was converted to a 20-over one after rain delayed the start. It was a long Friday for everyone. After the rain had played spoilsport, news poured in that a suspect package was found near the Canterbury West Railway Station and there was a fire in the Marks & Spencer store near the team hotel. The main road leading to the city centre from the St Lawrence county ground had been cut off. Still, the die-hard fans, who had bought tickets months in advance and had waded through the streams of water gushing down from the slope at the ground entrance, did not panic and leave. Instead they stayed put and even enjoyed the bhangra music, performed by the local group Jugnu, who kept the crowd going through the afternoon and evening.

And what an evening it was. It belonged entirely to Denly till Munaf Patel's nail-biting final over. Denly had started on the wrong foot when he charged at RP Singh and tried to hit the third ball of the chase over the bowler's head. He only succeeded in getting an inside-edge that raced down to the fine-leg boundary. RP Singh followed that up with two wides.

When Vinay Kumar came in from the Nackington Road end, Denly flicked him for consecutive boundaries, beating a harried Parthiv Patel at deep square leg. Denly then swept Amit Mishra for a flat six to move quickly into the 40s. When Mishra returned from the Pavilion end, Denly cut him for another easy four.

Only R Ashwin managed to keep Denly quiet, with the batsman smartly respecting him once he realised he could take easy runs off the other bowlers. No other Kent batsman managed to cross 17 but that was also because Denly took most of the strike during the two major partnerships in the innings. A 60-run stand for the second wicket with Martin van Jaarsveld helped Kent stay in the race. Denly then combined well with allrounder Darren Stevens in a 73-run stand.

Forty-nine runs were needed from the last six overs. That became 37 from the last four. Denly pulled RP Singh for a four and then cleared cow corner with a powerful six. Eighteen were need from 12 deliveries. Denly got to his hundred with a hard-run two off a free hit. But the very next ball, he was caught in two minds as his body was positioned to play the pull but the arc of his bat suggested he wanted to cut it, and he ended up being bowled.

	Joe Denly's century was nearly enough to take Kent home© Bipin Patel

Kent needed a further eight runs from the final six deliveries. Munaf, who had been off colour during the Indians' tour game in Hove, bowled off a slightly shorter run-up but put in more effort. He gave away two singles off the first two balls and then kept Sam Northeast guessing with his lengths off the next two deliveries. Stevens and the Kent fans were growing anxious. Off the fifth ball Stevens charged for a single when Northeast failed to connect. Northeast failed to reach the non-striker's end, meaning the hosts still needed six off the last ball. Munaf clean bowled Stevens with a yorker and let out a shriek.

India had recovered well in their innings after Parthiv Patel was dismissed off the third ball of the match. Rahul Dravid, a former overseas player for Kent, failed to make an impact, falling for 15 when he pulled straight to short midwicket where James Tredwell dived forward brilliantly to complete the catch.

Over the last year Kohli has proved that he can bat comfortably in his own space and not let anything distract him. In Hove he had led India towards their target without breaking a sweat in the company of Rohit Sharma. The only difference in Canterbury was Rohit remained largely a bystander throughout their 69-run stand for the third wicket as Kohli doused the Kent bowling with a straight blade, a sharp eye, powerful wrists and good footwork. India had scored just one boundary by the end of the third over when Kohli came in. Immediately he flicked Matt Coles past the fine-leg boundary, then hit over mid-off for two, and improvised the very next ball by hitting over the bowler's head for another boundary.

It was at the same venue that Kohli had made 123 in a Youth Test against the likes of Steven Finn and Adil Rashid back in 2006. Kohli was in a dominant mood today as he clobbered a full toss from Stevens high over deep midwicket. He then pulled offspinner Adam Riley over deep square leg for his second six and, in his next over, cleared his back foot and swatted Riley high over long-off for another six.

Sadly Kohli's innings ended abruptly as he slog-swept Tredwell towards deep midwicket where Denly fumbled, prompting Suresh Raina to call for a second run. Kohli seemed happy with the single but Raina's desperate calls forced him to respond and even a full-stretched dive could not save him from being run out. A disappointed Kohli let Raina know that there was no need for a rushed extra run. He needn't have worried. He had helped India to a winning target. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

ICC Test team: Sachin lone Indian in playing eleven

Dubai: Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian cricketer to make the cut in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Test Team of 2011 announced on Friday while the presence of five English players reaffirms the side's rise to the top of the rankings. (Also see: Sachin's greatest achievements)

Indian seamer Zaheer Khan has been named the 12th man of the side chosen by a specially-appointed selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend Clive Lloyd. (Also see: The different moods of Sachin)

The 12-man line-up was chosen along with the short-lists for the ICC Awards 2011 which are due to be held in London Sep 12. (Also see: When Tendulkar Junior played at Lord's with Yuvi)

Tendulkar makes the line-up for the third year in a row - having appeared in the Team of 2009 and 2010 - while South Africans Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, along with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, and England duo of Graeme Swann and James Anderson all appear for the second year in a row.

Jonathan Trott, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad are the other English cricketers who find a place in the playing eleven.

South African speedster Dale Steyn has earned a place in the Team for the fourth successive year. He was also featured in the Team of 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Sangakkara is named as captain of the team.

"The selection of this year's Test team was a difficult one with so many worthy candidates available to fill just 12 places. The team has a formidable line-up that bats well down the order and has bowlers with the ability and form to dismiss any opposition twice on any surface," said the Chairman of the selection panel Clive Lloyd.

"While selecting the squad, the selectors didn't rely only on statistics only but took into account all other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situation etc. But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out.

"In the panel's expert opinion, it has selected the best team based on performances over the past 12 months."

Lloyd was joined on the panel by former South Africa spin bowler Paul Adams, former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas, former New Zealand bowler-turned-commentator Danny Morrison and former England batsman Mike Gatting. — IANS

The ICC Test team of the year (in batting order):

Alastair Cook (Eng)
Hashim Amla (SA)
Jonathan Trott (Eng)
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL - wicketkeeper/captain)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Graeme Swann (Eng)
Dale Steyn (SA)
James Anderson (Eng)
Zaheer Khan (Ind) (12th man)

It's time to mourn after 4-0 whitewash

By: Clayton Murzello

Date: 2011-08-23

Place: London

Instead of celebrating 40 years of India's greatest Test triumph in England this month, it is time to mourn after 0-4 whitewash

India should have been celebrating 40 years of their greatest Test triumph in England this month -- the 1971 series win over Ray Illingworth's Ashes-winning champion team. It was achieved at the Oval on August 24.



Instead, in many ways, it is a time to mourn. Yesterday, the same ground witnessed probably India's nadir in Test match cricket, a format Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men were No 1 in before the series kicked off at Lord's a month ago.

The Lord's defeat was disappointing, but there was hope for Trent Bridge where India won in 2007. But a heavy loss was experienced there too. New zeal was expected in Edgbaston, but the defeat margin got heavier. And when it came to the Oval, India were expected to do far better on a surface that suited them traditionally. The optimists were proved wrong again as India succumbed by an innings and eight runs yesterday.


Sachin Tendulkar walks back after being dismissed for 91 by England's
Tim Bresnan on the final day of the Oval Test yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

There were not too many believers (and who can blame them) in India at the start of the day, but Sachin Tendulkar and Amit Mishra batted splendidly to go into lunch at 216 for three. But the second session of the final day proved fatal as India could score only 67 runs more before England rejoiced at their 4-0 win.

Sure, there were a couple of questionable umpiring decisions and English brilliance came to the fore once again, but the fact that seven wickets fell for just 21 runs proved that Dhoni's men didn't have the bottle for the fight.

Amit Mishra ended up smelling like a rose (84 off 141 balls), Tendulkar (91 off 172 balls) despite two lives, scrapped all the way and Dravid was exceptional in the truest sense of the term. The rest of the batters need to go shopping for a mirror to take a good look at themselves and they don't have to visit the fashionable Oxford Street for that.

Thanks to old television footage, even young fans have had the opportunity to watch how the 1971 team fought for their Ajit Wadekar-led Oval win ¦ Chandrasekhar, Sardesai and Solkar, who stood precariously close to the batsmen -- unafraid and unaffected of the dangers. Dhoni's men paled in comparison 40 years later.

Sure, there were injuries, which crippled the side physically and in spirit. Poor form cannot be arrested in the face of high quality opposition, but India will always be guilty of not respecting this series enough. India vs England was a big-ticket event that ended up being a terrible mismatch. The rematch could be a different story next year in India, but Indian cricket has a lot of ground to cover. — MiD DAY

Swann's six completes India's humiliation

England 591 for 6 dec (Bell 235, Pietersen 175) beat India 300 (Dravid 146*, Bresnan 3-54) & 283 (Tendulkar 91, Mishra 84, Swann 6-106) by an innings and eight runs

	Graeme Swann chose the final day at The Oval to turn in a match-winning performance © Getty Images

Graeme Swann's six wickets led England's charge to a famous whitewash on a dramatic final day at The Oval as India collapsed during the afternoon session, which included Sachin Tendulkar falling for 91. An increasingly agitated home side had been frustrated as Tendulkar and Amit Mishra added 144 for the fourth wicket, but once Swann made the breakthrough the rest of India's resistance crumbled. The innings folded in 15 overs with England winning by an innings and eight runs.

Swann's success made it the complete series for England, where everyone played a key role in either setting up, positioning or securing a victory. This was a display of attacking offspin of the highest quality, although the wide smile he wore when he savoured his fifth wicket, as Gautam Gambhir sliced to backward point, and his sixth to complete victory, hadn't been so evident during the earlier part of the day.

By batting through the morning without further loss, India had managed their first wicketless session of the series, increasing the prospects of a draw that would have salvaged a modicum of pride. However, that was being overshadowed by the progress of Tendulkar towards the century that would have completed his 100th international hundred - the landmark that has stalked him throughout the series. It continued to prove elusive.

Tim Bresnan, with his first ball of new spell, swung one back into Tendulkar, who was hit on the pad, and Rod Tucker raised his finger. There was a mixture of celebration at a vital wicket mixed with shock and disappointment. Replays showed it was clipping leg stump. It hadn't been a classic Tendulkar innings by any means, but the fact he'd had at least three lives raised the belief that it was to be his day.

The previous evening, England had failed to appeal for a stumping when Tendulkar momentarily lifted his foot, and two further opportunities were missed on the final day. Alastair Cook dropped a relatively straightforward chance at short leg when Tendulkar had 70, and Matt Prior shelled a thick edge with him on 85. During a wonderful contest with Swann, there was also an lbw appeal from a missed sweep that, had there been the DRS and England had reviewed, would have been overturned. The look on Tendulkar's face when he was finally given suggested he, too, would have reviewed given the chance but it wouldn't have mattered.

To highlight that Tendulkar's innings wasn't fluent, it was Mishra who dominated the partnership and caused England, possibly, the greater headache. His second Test fifty had come from 103 balls, and he used his feet against Swann, while playing leg-side shots off the quicks that wouldn't have looked out of place coming off Tendulkar's bat.

For all his failings with the ball, Mishra showed tremendous application with the bat that has been missing from some of his team-mates. For a while it appeared he may even beat his partner to three figures but Swann's persistence paid off when a delivery scooted past the edge. Mishra's presence, and the missed chances off Tendulkar, had certainly got England hot under the collar and Andrew Strauss was given an official warning for his players walking across the pitch.

It wasn't the most edifying sight - and England's on-field temper can still boil over - but it showed the hunger to win. The final two days of this match were of terrific value to them, even if the foot-sore bowlers might not agree, because Test victories shouldn't come easily. To be made to work, as they were yesterday by Rahul Dravid and today by Tendulkar and Mishra, and to come through with victory, will stand them in good stead.

England know how to sense an opening and continued to surge through line up. Suresh Raina completed a horror match as he was given lbw to complete a pair, which used up 42 deliveries, although it was a poor decision from Simon Taufel. There was an inside edge before pad and the ball was also heading over the stumps.

The new ball was taken straight away - Swann had said he, too, preferred a harder ball on this surface - and Stuart Broad, the pick of England's quicks - and their Man of the Series - on the final day as James Anderson struggled with the foot holds, made swift inroads. MS Dhoni flashed an edge to second slip and three balls later RP Singh edged behind. The only question now was whether India would at least make England bat again.

Even that proved too much as Swann wrapped up the innings against batsmen who had decided to have a swing. Sreesanth was the last to fall, heaving an inside edge on to the stumps to send England into another round of celebrations. It was a familiar scene in this series, a run of performances that will go down in the game's history as one of the most dominant displays. England have set a benchmark for this generation of Test cricket and now others need to follow suit. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

England chip away after Dravid's epic

India 300 (Dravid 146*, Bresnan 3-54) and 129 for 3 (Tendulkar 35*, Mishra 8*) trail England 591 for 6 dec by 162 runs

	Rahul Dravid continued his outstanding innings to finally make England work for their success but he won't be there on the final day © Getty Images

This was a proper day of Test cricket, which has been a rarity over the last two matches, with a Rahul Dravid masterclass making England dig deeper for their successes. However, his unbeaten 146 wasn't enough to save the follow-on and India still face a huge task to avoid the whitewash after closing on 129 for 3 although Sachin Tendulkar remained on 35.Graeme Swann made the early inroads, including the scalp of Dravid, during a superb spell on a pitch offering plenty of turn.

Dravid's unbeaten hundred, his third ton of the series, was a magnificent innings, contributing nearly half India's total (the first time they had reached 300 in the series) during six hours at the crease and 266 balls. He became the third India batsman to carry his bat, after Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar, and due to Gautam Gambhir's ongoing problems with concussion was back out 10 minutes later for the follow-on. When he took guard he had 448 runs for the series and India's next best was MS Dhoni with 217.

Smart stats Rahul Dravid's century is his 35th in Tests and takes him to second on the list of Indian batsmen with the most Test centuries. This is the second occasion that Dravid has scored three centuries in a series in England. Among overseas batsmen in England, only Don Bradman has scored three or more centuries in a series twice. During his effort, Dravid also became the third Indian batsman to carry his bat through the innings. Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag have done so previously. Dravid is also the seventh batsman to carry his bat through in an innings at the end of which the team has followed-on. Dravid's tally of six centuries in England is third on the list of visiting batsmen with the most centuries in Englandbehind Bradman (11) and Steve Waugh (7). The 87-run stand between Dravid and Amit Mishra is the sixth-highest seventh-wicket stand against England in Tests at The Oval. It is also the third-highest for India at the venue. The 291-run deficit at the end of the second innings is the sixth-highest deficit margin for India in Tests against England (fielding first). They have lost on four of the five previous occasions when the deficit has been higher.

His second innings then reignited the technology debate. On 7 he was saved by the DRS where it was clear there was no bat or glove when he had been given caught short leg off Swann. A run later he had a life when Matt Prior couldn't hold an edge, although it was signalled four byes which would have likely brought DRS into play again had the chance been held.

However, his dismissal, also involving short leg, was somewhat controversial as Steve Davis, the third umpire, decided there was conclusive evidence to suggest Rod Tucker could overturn his on-field not-out decision. Hot Spot didn't appear to show anything clear from the front angle, while the side-on view was obscured by Alastair Cook at short leg but Dravid was given out and later admitted to a thin edge.

The debate was still bubbling when Swann claimed his second, a wonderful piece of bowling when he drew Sehwag forward and bowled him through the gate. Sehwag, after three innings totalling eight balls, was unusually restrained against the quicks but eager to attack Swann. It was always fraught with danger with big turn from the footmarks which made for a fascinating contest that ultimately went Swann's way.

The battles continued against Tendulkar and VVS Laxman; batsmen brought up on turning pitches against an attacking spinner searching for wickets. England sensed further scalps and came close on a number of occasions. The scorebook will show that Laxman took three fours in a row off Swann, but one was inside edge past leg stump and another a glove that eluded leg slip. Then, on 20, he was dropped at first slip by Andrew Strauss off James Anderson, but six overs before the close he played down the wrong line to Anderson and lost his off stump.

Tendulkar survived - although not without a few scares including a potential stumping when England didn't appear to appeal with his foot in the air for a second - and that offers an enticing prospect for what is expected to be a near full house on the final day. In all probability he will need to secure his 100th hundred if India are to survive.

India had started the day on 103 for 5, but the second half of their innings proved harder to extract than the first. Dravid's progress to three figures during the morning wasn't without alarm as he offered England two chances to run him out. The closest came on 61, when there was confusion between him and Dhoni following a Ravi Bopara misfielded at cover, but Kevin Pietersen couldn't hit the stumps. Then Stuart Broad had a shy from mid-off when Dravid sprinted for his 99th run and had to dive.

A blow on the bottom hand from Bresnan caused Dravid pain, but two balls later he steered the same bowler towards third man to bring up his century from 168 deliveries. The most enthralling aspect of the innings was his contest with Swann, which went hands down to the batsman. Dravid had moved through the 90s with three boundaries off Swann; a rare slog-sweep, a late cut and a flick through midwicket. His ability to play late off the back foot continued to make it difficult for Swann to find the right length.

The one breakthrough of the morning went to Anderson, who was rewarded for some probing outswing when he found Dhoni's edge. Gambhir dropped further down the order, but Mishra provided Dravid with excellent support in a stand of 87 and showed more gumption that some of the top-order batsmen as he played sensibly with the occasional flourish, including a six off the last ball before lunch.

Mishra's resistance was ended when Ian Bell plucked out a diving catch at short square leg and Gambhir made his appearance at No. 9. He was dropped at short leg on 1, a tough chance to Cook off Swann, and didn't look comfortable during his stay, although he at least offered Dravid further support. Unsurprisingly, England's quicks peppered him with the short delivery, and it was an approach that paid off when Broad made one bounce with the new ball and found the edge to gully.

RP Singh proved an able replacement for Praveen Kumar's lower-order hitting, making a 23-ball 25 before he flapped Tim Bresnan to third slip and two balls later Sreesanth drove straight to mid-off. It was a poor piece of cricket from Sreesanth with Dravid still unbeaten, but then it isn't the first time India's stand-out performer had been let down in the series. On the final day India need someone else to save them. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Swann and Bell leave India with mountain to climb

India 103 for 5 (Dravid 57*, Dhoni 5*) trail England 591 for 6 dec (Bell 235, Pietersen 175) by 488 runs

	Graeme Swann played a major role on a wearing pitch as he worked through India's brittle line up © Getty Images

The whitewash is well and truly on. Despite another session being lost to rain, and the best efforts of Rahul Dravid, England surged at The Oval as India were left in tatters on 103 for 5 in reply to the hosts' massive 591 for 6. Ian Bell carried his serene maiden Test double to 235 then, after a four-over delay, Virender Sehwag was removed in the first over of India's reply and a of succession team-mates, including Sachin Tendulkar, followed him withGraeme Swann making a major impression with three wickets.

England would probably and carried on their run-glut towards 650 - or even consecutive scores of 700, something that has never been done - had the weather not closed in at lunch and, despite a damp outfield, it was a fairly straightforward decision for Andrew Strauss to let his bowlers lose during a long final session. After a quiet time this is looking like Swann's match with substantial turn already on offer out of the footmarks. If he is the matchwinner it really will be the complete series for England.

Having seen Swann's first ball turn from RP Singh's follow through Tendulkar tried to counter the threat by sweeping. It took Swann a little time to settle, but the sweep proved Tendulkar's downfall when he gloved a chance over the wicketkeeper's head and James Anderson jogged round to hold the catch.

Suresh Raina was given a torrid time by pace and spin and couldn't open his account before being brilliantly stumped by Matt Prior for a 29-ball duck - the joint longest by an India batsman - as Swann spun one sharply past a lunging prod. The foot was probably on the line, but it was a brave decision from the third umpire Steve Davis. To cap Swann's best day of the series he had nightwatchman Ishant Sharma caught at short leg two overs before the close.

India's problems were compounded by Gautam Gambhir suffering concussion following the blow he took to the head while dropping Kevin Pietersen on Friday which meant India had to shuffle their line-up again. However, even if Dravid had remained at No. 3 he wouldn't have had a long wait. There he was at the close, defiant on 57, with another mountain to climb.

Sehwag at least avoided a third golden duck after his king pair at Edgbaston but didn't go much further. After two sighters outside off stump he played a pair of trademark back-foot drives off Anderson who responded with a delivery that nipped back to trap Sehwag lbw in front of middle and leg. It meant the sum total of his series was eight balls, eight runs and three dismissals while, for the fourth time in the series, India had lost a wicket in the opening over.

When it comes to changing India's batting line-up Tendulkar never shifts so it was VVS Laxman at No. 3 where he hasn't been comfortable during this series. He received an excellent delivery from Stuart Broad that seamed away to take the outside edge as England's quicks extracted far more life from the surface than India's bowlers managed. And so, for the seventh innings in a row, there was a standing ovation as a batsman walked to the middle.

Tendulkar didn't settle during his innings, seemingly always distracted by problems with the sightscreen and troubled by the pace bowlers. He ducked into a bouncer from Broad (although responded with a flowing on-drive), offered a return chance to Tim Bresnan who couldn't hold on with his left hand and was very late on another delivery from Bresnan that wasn't far from being lbw. For once, though, it was spin not pace that ended the latest attempt at 100 hundreds.

Amid all this Dravid held firm. If anything, he started his innings with more positive intent than is often the case. That meant positive in defence, too, which sends an equally important message to bowlers not that boundaries were in short supply as he hit nine in a fifty that came from 93 deliveries.

Dravid apart, none of India's batsmen have shined whereas each of the opposition have played their part and here it was Bell's turn to join the double-hundred club, the first time England had made three in a series since 1938. His 20th boundary took him to his milestone and celebrated with a dismissive pull through midwicket. He continued to have few problems as he eased along against defensive fields until missing an aggressive sweep against Raina.

Although the game had already been taken well away from India, Sreesanth at least bowled with a bit more verve during the morning session and showed the passion that has been lacking from India's performances. When Anderson jabbed to second slip he was given a long stare by Sreesanth and he also accounted for Eoin Morgan who edged behind for 1, playing away from his body which is still an area of concern with Morgan's game at Test level.

At least Morgan's failure meant Ravi Bopara didn't have to spend another day watching his team-mates pile on the runs even if 487 for 5 didn't exactly represent a pressure situation. As at Edgbaston he looked jittery, but the nerves were settled a little as he clipped a boundary to fine leg and cut the medium-pace of RP Singh through point.

However, he should have been run out on 38 when there was confusion with Prior over a single to backward point but the throw from Sehwag to Amit Mishra was poor. Mishra, meanwhile, continued to struggle with figures of none for 170. A poor piece of fielding and a set of horror bowling figures were two apt ways to sum up India's series. It will take a huge effort to avoid 4-0 from here. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Hilditch gone as chairman of selectors

	Andrew Hilditch (left) won't be Australia's chairman of selectors any longer, while Greg Chappell has been removed from the panel © Getty Images

Who is Don Argus? Don Argus, or to use the nickname he earned during a 50-year business career, Don't Argue, is one of Australia's most-senior boardroom figures. For a decade until his retirement last year, Argus, now 73, was the chairman of BHP Billiton, the global mining giant; early in his tenure he oversaw the merger between BHP and the African-based Billiton. During those years he also served as the chairman of the logistics firm, Brambles. Prior to that, he was chief executive of the National Australia Bank, having joined the bank's staff in his native Bundaberg, in Queensland, as an 18-year-old. Argus has a reputation as a forceful businessman - hence the nickname - and hasn't been without his critics, but he remains a well-respected figure and last year was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), the highest honour given in Australia since knighthoods were effectively abolished in 1983. And with a record like that, who'd argue?

Cricket Australia has effected sweeping changes in the running of the national game, from the top-most levels, while ratifying several key recommendations from the Argus review. It decided to appoint a full-time national selector, ending Andrew Hilditch's tenure as Australia's chairman of selectors, and also removed Greg Chappell from the selection panel, while asking the coach Tim Nielsen to re-apply for his job.

The Argus review was set up to investigate Australia's team performance following their Ashes debacle last summer and its wide-ranging investigation has pointed to problems at every level. At the top are the selectors, and the review has recommended a five-man selection panel with a full-time chairman and two independent selectors, while the captain and coach have also been given increased responsibility and will become selectors.

The national talent manager, Chappell, won't be part of the group. Jack Clarke, the CA chairman, said the newly-created position of national selector would be a full-time role and had therefore ruled out Hilditch, who also works as a solicitor in Adelaide, although Clarke was unsure whether Hilditch would apply to stay on the panel as one of the two part-time selectors.

"The position is a full-time role," Clarke said. "Andrew is not available to work full time. He has just started up a new legal practice so he is not available to apply for the role. I haven't spoken to Andrew about [whether he wants to stay on the panel]. He's certainly unavailable for the top job."

Hilditch said in a statement: "I fully support the recommendation of the review panel to appoint a full-time chairman of the national selection panel and the appointment of the captain and coach as members of the panel. It is a structure I supported as appropriate when interviewed by the review panel and I think it will serve Australian cricket well going into the future.

"They were always going to be difficult years as chairman with the exodus of so many great players but I have given it my all and always acted to the best of my ability to achieve the best outcome for Australian cricket. Once the new head selector is appointed I look forward to spending a lot more time with family and friends and my growing legal practice. It has been a privilege and an honour to serve Australian cricket."

Nielsen and Australia's captain, Michael Clarke, will immediately be made selectors for the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, while Chappell, who is with the team as the selector on duty, will temporarily remain in the job while the new structure is finalised. However, Nielsen's future is uncertain, with the coach's position to be expanded to become a more senior role, leading the overall coaching strategy for Australian cricket, and he is not guaranteed of getting the job.

"Coaching the Australian team is a tough job anyway with the travel and that sort of thing," Jack Clarke said. "It's going to take some additional time and skill sets to put a strategy for the whole of Australian coaching. We need to align the coaching so that there's one philosophy which the head coach has got to be able to articulate and get that through to the state coaches and all other coaches in the system.

"Tim can apply for the job and he may well get the job. But it's a different role, and in a restructure, you don't just give someone the job in a new role."

Another key change will be the appointment of a general manager of team performance, who will report to the CEO and oversee coaching, selection and the Centre of Excellence. The position is similar to the role Hugh Morris now fills for the England team, a job the ECB created after the Schofield Report into their disastrous Ashes series in 2006-07.

In his opening remarks, Clarke conceded that Australian cricket's custodians had more or less sat on their hands towards the end of an era of great success, and had not been proactive enough in dealing with the looming problems posed by the retirements of great players and the change in the Australian team's profile.

"It is clear with the wisdom of hindsight there are some issues that could've been addressed earlier. The right time for fundamental change to structures and processes is not always easy to pick, particularly with a system that has worked so well for so long," Clarke said.

"Sustained on-field success may well have masked some problems - in a sense we were victims of our own success, and if you won in a certain way you were probably less likely to change your ways. However it is quite clear the world has moved on, and a system that once worked is now in need of change. In doing this we have not taken a short-term approach, looking for scapegoats or applied band-aids to problems.

"It might be argued we should've done more to replace the great players who retired recently, having said that it is not easy to replace players the calibre of Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, Hayden and others of the era."

Paul Marsh, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers Association, commended CA and the review panel for their thoroughness.

"I commend Cricket Australia and the Argus review panel for their thoroughness and transparency," Marsh told ESPNcricinfo. "The players want to see Australian cricket back at the top as much as anyone, and we are glad to see that desire shown so strongly in the review."

CA directors were handed an executive summary of the Argus review findings at the conclusion of the first day of Thursday's board meeting, before Argus led a detailed presentation to the board on Friday morning. The recommendations stemmed from a most exhaustive review undertaken into the drastically waning fortunes of the Australian side, culminating in an Ashes defeat that included an unprecedented three innings hidings.

Australia are fifth on the ICC's Test rankings, and are in danger of missing out on a place in the inaugural Test match World Championship, to be held in 2013. The team is in the midst of a tour of Sri Lanka, the first Test assignment for the new captain Michael Clarke, and players and officials - including Chappell, the selector on duty - were briefed on the review findings before public discussions commenced.

Chaired by Argus, the review panel included the former captains Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh, plus Malcolm Speed, formerly the chief executive of Cricket Australia and more recently the ICC. Speed's CA successor, James Sutherland, sat in on the process as an ex-officio, non-voting member, but interviewees were allowed to request his absence if they felt uncomfortable discussing problems in front of their current boss.

A total of 61 interviews were conducted, across a spectrum that included players, coaches, officials, media and other well-placed observers. Senior figures from other sports were also consulted, including the multiple-premiership winning Australian Rules football coach Mick Malthouse. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Click here to read the entire Argus review.

Rain prevents England building on solid start

England 75 for 0 (Strauss 38*, Cook 34*) v India

	Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook batted throughout the morning session before rain arrived © Getty Images

Given the way England have dominated this series it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that the only thing that will stop them completing a whitewash is the weather. Rain wiped out play after lunch on the opening day at The Oval, but during the two hours possible Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook formed a solid platform against a very disappointing India attack as England reached 75 without loss.

This was as poorly as India had bowled all series as they wasted whatever help was on offer under overcast skies. There was barely a chance created during the session and the whole attitude portrayed by the visitors was of a team low on confidence and waiting for the series to finish. Defeat here will leave them third in the world rankings but it's difficult to see them limiting England's in-form batting line-up with a better forecast for Friday.

RP Singh, on his return to the Test team after a three-year absence for the injured Praveen Kumar, didn't set a good tone with his opening over. The first ball was sprayed down the leg side and the batsmen were offered some gentle leg-stump deliveries to open their accounts. He was also about the same pace as Praveen, but with less swing, which wasn't entirely surprising considering he hadn't played first-class cricket since January.

Although a couple of early boundaries came to third man they were played with soft hands by Strauss and Cook. There was an alarming lack of intensity from India, both with the ball and in the field, as they failed to make any use of the overcast conditions. Sreesanth's first spell was poor with too many deliveries on leg stump which ensured the scoreboard kept ticking over with Cook, for the time being at least, taking his average over 50.

India showed slightly more energy during the second hour - although everything is relative - and Strauss had his most uncomfortable moment when he was struck on the helmet by an Ishant Sharma bouncer that took a chunk out of the lid. From that moment Strauss was more reluctant to get forward, but was still able to play a beautiful off drive against Sreesanth.

Ishant remained the pick of the three quicks, probing away outside off and finding a touch of troubling bounce, but there were few alarms for the openers. Even with two left-handers at the crease it was a surprise when Suresh Raina's part-time offspin was used ahead of Amit Mishra who removed Strauss at Edgbaston.

Earlier, James Anderson had been passed fit to take his place in the England side as they remained unchanged. A thigh niggle had created doubts about his fitness, but he came through a net on Wednesday so Graham Onions or Steven Finn, who left to play for Middlesex against Kent, were not required. On the evidence of the first session, and with the impact of the weather, Anderson might not be needed until well into the weekend. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Former India cricketer Ramesh Saxena passes away

Jamshedpur: Former India test cricketer Ramesh Saxena passed away this evening at the age of 66 due to brain hemorrhage. Saxena, also the secretary of Bihar Jharkhand Cricket Association, breathed his last at 8:50pm in the intensive care unit of the Tata Main Hospital here, said Manish, doctor on duty.

Saxena was admitted to the hospital on Saturday with severe Sepsis MODS Hyper tension and old CB seizure disorder, informed Dr Manish. He is survived by his wife and two sons, including Vineet who played for Jharkhand in Ranji trophy. An opener, Saxena played for India in 1967 against England at Leeds. He also served two successive terms as the secretary of Bihar Cricket Association. — PTI

Rajpal to lead India in Asian Champions Trophy

New Delhi: Forward Rajpal Singh was today renamed as Indian hockey team's captain for next month's inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, China. Rajpal, who gave away the captaincy to Arjun Halappa in the Azlan Shah Cup earlier this year, will lead a relatively young 18-member Indian side in the China event to be held from September 3-11.

In the Asian Champions Trophy, India will be missing the services of senior players like Halappa, Shivendra Singh, Dharamvir, Tushar Khandekar and Bharat Chikara, all of whom are down with injuries. While Shivendra is recuperating from a collar bone fracture, Halappa and Khandkar are suffering from groin and ankle injuries respectively.

The squad announced by Hockey India selectors Col Balbir Singh, B P Govinda and A B Subbaiah alongwith government observers Harbinder Singh and Dilip Tirkey were selected after a two-day trial at Bengaluru on August 13 and 14.

Meanwhile, two of the five rebel players -- ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh and mid-fielder Sardara Singh -- who were issued a show-cause notice by HI for attending a promotional event of World Series Hockey last month, have also found a place in the squad.

However, goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza and veteran forward Prabhjot Singh has been ignored by the selectors for the upcoming tournament, while Halappa is injured. The 18-member Indian squad will have two goalkeepers, three defenders, five mid-fielders and eight forwards.

The selectors have also named six standby players for the tournament in which top six teams of last year's Guangzhou Asian Games -- Pakistan, Malaysia, South Korea, India, Japan and China will participate.

India's chief coach Micheal Nobbs expressed satisfaction with the squad he got for his first assignment. "I think I am happy with the team. All the selectors and coaches were unanimous on team selection," Nobbs said.

"While selecting the team we kept in mind not just this tournament but also Australian tour and Champions Trophy in December," he added. India will open the campaign against hosts China on September 3.

Team: Goalkeepers: Bharat Chetri, PR Sreejesh. Defenders: Sandeep Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Harpreet Singh.

Midfielders: Sardar Singh, Gurbaj Singh, Ignace Tirkey, Manpreet Singh, Manjit Kullu.

Forwards: Rajpal Singh (captain), Danish Mujtaba, Sarvanjit Singh, SV Sunil, Ravi Pal, Gurvinder Singh Chandi, Roshan Minz, Yuvraj Walmiki.

Standbys: Kamaldeep Singh (Goalkeeper), VR Raghunath (Defender), Vikas Sharma (Midfielder), Birender Lakra (Midfielder), Mandip Antil (Forward), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (Forward).

Schedule:

September 3 - India vs China,

September 4 - India vs Japan,

September 6 - India vs South Korea,

September 7 - India vs Malaysia,

September 9 - India vs Pakistan,

September 11 - Classification Matches and Final.