Washout after Mumbai make 176

Match abandoned Mumbai Indians 176 for 5 (Pollard 58, Kanwar 45) v Cape Cobras

	Sarul Kanwar made a splash in his first game for Mumbai Indians © Associated Press

Two men at different ends of the Twenty20 spectrum powered Mumbai Indians to their best batting performance in the tournament after which heavy rain wiped out the match. One of the biggest names in the format, Kieron Pollard, and a debutant, Sarul Kanwar, went on a six-hitting spree as Mumbai put up a strong 176 against Cape Cobras.

Aiden Blizzard was expected to be the fire starter at the top of the order for Mumbai, instead it was the little known Kanwar who provided the pyrotechnics. Kanwar, a 23-year-old Punjab opener with only one season of domestic cricket behind him, showed no fear in his first big game, clouting the Cobras fast bowlers.

The first shot to make people sit up was a clean swing that sent Charl Langeveldt over the midwicket boundary in the second over. Langeveldt was taken for a four and a six square on the leg side in his next over, and JP Duminy disappeared for 17 in the fifth, before Kanwar showed he can hit straight as well by thumping Vernon Philander over long-off. After five sixes and three fours, he nearly got to his half-century with a stylish hit over deep extra cover but the shot lacked a few yards and was caught.

Kanwar's effort solved Mumbai's headache at the top of the order, and they will also be pleased with the return to form of one of their middle-order stars, Pollard. With Blizzard and Ambati Rayudu falling soon after Kanwar, Mumbai were in danger of losing their way before Pollard intervened. He warmed up with two monstrous straight sixes off JP Duminy, before backing it up with a couple of fours behind square leg. James Franklin joined in by launching Robin Peterson for two more sixes. By the time Pollard completed Langeveldt's horror day by scoring 18 in the 16th over, Mumbai had surged to 143 for 3.

Cobras managed to pull it back a bit in the final overs, with Justin Kemp giving away only two runs in the 17th, but some more boundaries from Andrew Symonds pushed Mumbai to 176. Even as the Mumbai innings wound to an end, the rains arrived and stayed for several hours, forcing the team to split points. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Kallis and Gambhir keep Knight Riders alive

Kolkata Knight Riders 171 for 1 (Kallis 64*, Gambhir 55*) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 169 for 9 (Vettori 44, Bhatkal 25) by nine wickets

	Daniel Vettori rescued Royal Challengers Bangalore after the top order had failed © Associated Press

Kolkata Knight Riders bounced back to inflict a comprehensive defeat on Royal Challengers Bangalore to keep their own hopes alive in this tournament while making survival difficult for their opponents. A delightful cameo from the home captain Daniel Vettori seemed to have set up a close encounter, but the Knight Riders dominated the chase, reminding the Royal Challengers of what they should have done with the bat on a good pitch instead of leaving the lower order with the task of putting up a fight. Brad Haddin, replacing Shakib Al Hasan, did full justice to his role by delivering a flier at the start while the ever-so-reliable Jacques Kallis anchored the reply with support from Gautam Gambhir.

The Knight Riders were left angered and frustrated by Vettori's crafty batsmanship at the death in the Royal Challengers' innings, but didn't let that affect them in the chase. A spate of misfields and fumbles drew ire from Gambhir, but the batting was calm yet clinical in its approach. Haddin gave the initial push by stepping up in the second over of the chase, smacking the left-arm seamer S Aravind, who's won a call-up to the Indian squad for the ODIs against England, for three consecutive fours as the bowler struggled with his line.

Haddin's approach came with risks, and there was the seemingly inevitable miscue but it wasn't mindless aggression. He used his feet well against spin, charging out to J Syed Mohammad and dispatching him over long-on, and waiting patiently for Vettori to slip in a bad ball - and he did - before punishing it past point. He was unforgiving against a clutter of length deliveries from a struggling Aravind, carving them for sixes over midwicket and the bowler's head, interspersed by a slog for a four. When he fell with the score on 62 in the eighth over, the platform had been laid.

The consolidation, as the rest of the chase, seemed meticulously planned. Kallis ceded floor to Gambhir, as he had done to Haddin after launching a six over long-on early in the innings, and the Knight Riders captain played his role superbly. The Royal Challengers had faltered in the field in their previous defeat, and a half-chance that went down was perhaps the one big opportunity they had of a comeback. Saurabh Tiwary failed to latch on to a catch from Gambhir at the long-off boundary, lost his balance and crashed into his coach in the dugout. Gambhir was on 2 then, his only blip.

As the field spread out, the singles were on offer aplenty and the pair rotated the strike comfortably, the required rate in control all through. The timely bursts were provided by Gambhir, who hammered Syed to the straight boundary and past point and clipping an off-the-mark Dirk Nannes past short fine. The Royal Challengers didn't help their cause by doling out extra runs, either by way of overthrows or wides. Nannes was singled out for punishment in the final surge, Kallis reaching his fifty albeit with a streaky bottom edge while Gambhir scarred him with massive sixes over long-on and square leg. That over, the 16th, fetched 24, the win was complete shortly after and a team staring at the possibility of elimination ensured no other team in the group rests easy for the remainder of the league stage.

A spirited performance from the Knight Riders bowlers helped them have the advantage for 14 overs of the hosts' innings, the early assault from Chris Gayle being the only highlight with the bat until then. But Kallis' stirring reply after being hit for six - a yorker that knocked out leg stump - backed up by Brett Lee's extra bounce that dislodged Virat Kohli, made up for the early damage. The Royal Challengers didn't make use of their line-up's depth efficiently, losing wickets after their batsmen got partnerships going, holing out needlessly while an uncharacteristically quiet Tilakaratne Dilshan was stumped smartly by Haddin. With his sly shuffles to the off and the use of those powerful wrists, Vettori, amid company from Syed and Raju Bhatkal, sparked a recovery that left the hosts with the momentum at the end of the innings. It wasn't with them for long. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Chetri named captain as Sandeep, Sardara return for Australia tour

NEW DELHI: As part of a rotation policy, goalkeeper Bharat Chetri was on Thursday named captain while the controversial duo of Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh have been recalled to the Indian hockey team for the tour of Australia starting next month.


In pic: Indian players lift goalkeeper Bharat Chetri as they celebrate after defeating England in the 2nd semifinal of the men's hockey at the Commonwealth Games 2010 at Major Dhyanchand National Hockey Stadium in New Delhi on October 12, 2010

Veteran midfielder Ignace Tirkey has been appointed as Chetri's deputy.

The 27-year-old custodian, who has 114 international caps to his credit, will replace Rajpal as the skipper and will lead the country for the first time in his career.

PR Sreejesh, who shot to limelight with his super show in the final of the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy against Pakistan, is the other goalkeeper in the 22-member squad.

During the tour of Australia, which will conclude on November 5, India will play a four-nation nine-a-side International Super Series tournament and another International tournament featuring Pakistan and the home team.

The squad was announced after a selection trails at the SAI centre in Bangalore on Monday, which was attended by Hockey India selectors BP Govinda, Syed Ali, Thoiba Singh and AB Subbaiah besides government observer Dilip Tirkey.

Among notable inclusions, both Sandeep and Sardara, who were handed a two-year ban by HI for indiscipline only to be lifted later, have found a place in the squad.

Former captain Arjun Halappa, who missed the Asian Champions Trophy in China due to a groin problem, also returned to the team along with Tushar Khandker and Bharat Chikara, who have also recovered from injuries.

Rajpal will continue to lead the forward line which also has the young Yuvraj Walimiki who retained his place by virtue of his impressive performance in China, Sarvanjit Singh, Gurvinder Singh Chandi and Danish Mujtaba among others.

The selectors have also named five stand-by players in Nanak Singh (goalkeeper), Birendra Lakra (midfielder), Mandip Antil (forward), Chinglingsana (forward) and Roshan Minz (forward).

One of the HI selectors, AB Subbiah later confirmed that Chetri's appointment is part of a rotation policy through which chief coach Micheal Nobbs wants to create a group of leaders from among the senior players.

"It's part of a rotation system as Michael Nobbs' idea is to create a thinking group in the team, who will share more responsibility. He wants to groom 5-6 senior players as leaders," Subbiah said.

"So, from now onwards till the Olympic qualifiers next year, you will see a new captain in every tournament," he added.

Apart from India and hosts Australia, the other two teams in the tournament to be played from October 20 to 23 are Pakistan and New Zealand.

The format is played on the normal dimension field but with many changes like an additional one metre wider goal and one player must be in the attacking half at all times.

Also, there can be only two defenders besides the keeper to stop penalty corners and there must not be more than four players from the attacking team for taking these set pieces.

The attacking players have to stand outside the 23 metre line before they receive the out push from the backline and the penalty corner must be executed within 25 seconds.

However, in the case of long corners it is five players versus five, but again the attackers have to be outside the 23 metre area.

If the scores are level after 30 minutes, penalty shootout will be applicable where the striker is allowed only eight seconds to score starting from the 23 metre line.

Unlike the 70-minute game, the duration is 30 minutes with two halves of 15 minutes each, thus making it fast and furious with fitness and athleticism playing a key role.

India will begin their tour with a match against Australia A on October 17 followed by another against New Zealand the next day before embarking on their nine-a-side event, which has the sanction of FIH.

This is the first time such a format is being played internationally and the organisers have coincided the event with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at Perth.

Apart from the nine-a-side event, India will also play an international tournament featuring Australia and Pakistan at Busselton and Bunbury in Western Australia.

Team:

Goalkeepers: Bharat Chetri (captain), PR Sreejesh

Defenders: Manjit Kullu, Rupinderpal Singh, VR Raghunath, Sandeep Singh.

Midfielders: Ignace Tirkey (vice-captain), Gurbaj Singh Vikas Sharma, Manpreet Singh, Vikram Pillay, Arjun Halappa Sardar Singh

Forwards: Danish Mujtaba, Ravi Pal, Sarvanjit Singh, Rajpal Singh, Yuvraj Valmiki, SV Sunil, Gurvinder Singh Chandi, Tushar Khandker, Bharat Chhikara.

Standbys: Nanak Singh (goalkeeper), Birendra Lakra (midfielder), Mandip Antil (forward), Chinglingsana (forward) Roshan Minz (forward).

The following is schedule of India's tour of Australia:

October 17: India vs Australia 'A' October 18: India vs New Zealand

International Super Series nine-a-side tournament at Perth:

October 20: India vs New Zealand (Two Matches) October 21: India vs Pakistan (Two Matches) October 22: India vs Australia (Two Matches) October 23: Final and 3/4 Place

International tournament:

October 26: India vs Australia at Busselton October 27: India vs Pakistan at Busselton October 31: India vs Australia at Bunbury November 1: India vs Pakistan at Bunbury November 3: Final.

Harbhajan dropped for first two ODIs

	Harbhajan Singh has been dropped for the first time in years© Associated Press

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh has been left out of India's squad for the first two ODIs against England on October 14 and 17. Karnataka medium-pacer S Aravind and Punjab legspinner Rahul Sharma have received their maiden international call-ups.

Fast bowler, Varun Aaron who was part of the ODI squad in England but did not play, retained his place in the 15-man team. Batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary are the other replacements sent to England who kept their spots.

Fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who was not part of the India set-up since the 2010-11 Test series in South Africa, also made a comeback.

The squad is missing Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel and Ishant Sharma due to injuries sustained on the recent tour of England. Fast bowler Ashish Nehra, who had declared himself fit after breaking his hand during the World Cup, and allrounder Yusuf Pathan, who was part of the World Cup squad, were not selected.

India's squad contained five batsmen - Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Manoj Tiwary - two wicketkeeper batsmen - MS Dhoni and Parthiv Patel - and one allrounder in Ravindra Jadeja. The bowling attack comprised five seamers - Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, S Aravind and Praveen Kumar - and two spinners in R Ashwin and Rahul Sharma.

Harbhajan's axeing came after his disappointing performance during the Test series in England, where he took only two wickets in 69.4 overs at an average of 143.50 and economy-rate of 4.11. He suffered a stomach injury during the second Test and was ruled out of the last two matches and the limited-overs series that followed. India lost the Test series 0-4 and the ODI series 0-3 in England.

This selection meeting in Chennai was the first since the BCCI replaced Yashpal Sharma with Mohinder Amarnath as the North Zone representative on the panel.

Squad: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Gautam Gambhir, Parthiv Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, S Aravind, Rahul Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Praveen Kumar. © ESPN EMEA Ltd

Bravo blasts Chennai Super Kings to victory

Chennai Super Kings 146 for 6 (Bravo 45*, Duminy 4-20) beat Cape Cobras 145 for 7 (Shah 45, Bravo 2-23) by four wickets

Chennai Super Kings got their title defence back on track with a chase that covered the spectrum from blue to yellow and all the colours in between against Cape Cobras. Michael Hussey got the pursuit of 146 off to a positive start, but JP Duminy wrested the advantage and put the Cape Cobras in the pound seat. MS Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo's 43-run partnership helped Chennai recover but Vernon Philander dismissed Dhoni to give the Cobras another sniff. Then, Bravo made a mockery of Dale Steyn, scoring 17 runs off his last over, the 19th of the innings, to paint the Chidamabaram Stadium in the colour of the home team.

Ferguson blasts South Australia to victory

South Australia 188 for 5 (Ferguson 70*, Christian 42) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 169 for 9 (Tiwary 40, Putland 3-31, Harris 3-42) by 19 runs

	Kane Richardson celebrates after bowling Manvinder Bisla© AFP

Callum Ferguson's transformation, from a batsman who was struggling to find gaps in the field to a big-hitting finisher, helped South Australia earn their first points of the tournament and heal their damaged net run-rate to a certain extent. Ferguson turned the innings against Kolkata Knight Riders around in a single over and then helped ransack 94 off the last six to set up a match-winning 188 on a slow pitch.

The Knight Riders' 19-run defeat was their second loss in as many matches and a severe blow to their chances of progressing from their five-team group. Their chase was hampered by frequent wickets at one end and the lack of strike to Jacques Kallis at the other. The game was up when Yusuf Pathan fell, with the score on 102 for 5 after 14.1 overs, and all Ryan ten Doeschate and the tail could do was narrow the margin of defeat, which looked like being much larger until 59 runs came off the last four overs.

For 15 overs South Australia batted with bluster without being too effective. They slogged, often across the line, and tried to hit everything a bit too hard to reach 94 for 3. Then Ferguson found his fluency, and the boundaries, and added 84 runs with Daniel Christian in 7.2 overs, which changed everything.

Ferguson was dropped on 18 in the 13th over, bowled by Yusuf. He had lofted towards long-on, and Kallis ran in too fast, lost sight of the ball, and nearly got hit on the head as it went past him for four. It was Ferguson's first boundary, coming off his 22nd ball. They came quickly and in abundance after that.

In Yusuf's next over, Ferguson lofted to the straight boundary twice, once for four, once for six. He also pulled with power and paddled delicately, finding the spaces that had eluded him earlier. South Australia scored 20 runs off that over. The acceleration had begun.

The Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal is Christian's home ground when he plays for Deccan Chargers in the IPL and he too lit it up. In the 16th over, Christian hit his first boundaries, pulling Iqbal Abdulla to midwicket and sweeping over square leg. He brought up the 50 partnership with Ferguson off 29 balls.

For an over or two Ferguson rode in Christian's slipstream, as the allrounder dismantled the Kinght Riders attack, using force to clear the long-on boundary and deft touch when placing towards fine leg. Christian raced to 42 off 26 balls before holing out to mid-off. Ferguson then ensured a strong finish, pulling Lee into the second tier at midwicket and ending the innings with a massive blow over long-on. Ferguson ended on 70 off 40 balls.

Ferguson played the sort of innings Kallis is known for: a steady, if sedate, start followed by a compelling finish. Kallis, however, was unable to do that today. He didn't get enough strike: at the end of the sixth over, Kallis had faced only eight balls, and only 16 balls after ten. He was caught and bowled for 20 soon after by Daniel Harris, leaving the Knight Riders on 81 for 4.

Kallis' partners had used the majority of the strike to attempt a rash of attacking shots, and perished in the process. Manvinder Bisla struck three fours in the opening over but was bowled in the second by medium-pacer Kane Richardson, whom South Australia had drafted in for this game along with Gary Putland. Putland would finish with 3 for 31. Shakib Al Hasan and Gautam Gambhir hit sparkling boundaries but failed to get past 15.

The contest ended when Yusuf skied Putland towards third man and was caught by Aaron O'Brien, who sprinted back from the circle. It was the first ball off the 15th over, precisely when Ferguson had begun his onslaught in South Australia's innings. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Ganga loses gamble on safety-first

The fifth bowler continues to be a problem for Trinidad and Tobago

Yuzvendra Chahal did the job with the bat © Associated Press

For the second game in a row at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, it went down to the last ball. For the second game in a row, it was two needed off the final delivery. For the second game in a row, the fielding captain chose to keep the field spread out, and the chasing side won.

On Friday, Wayne Parnell broke Royal Challengers Bangalore's hearts with a scuffed two to long-on. In that game, the defensive field for the final ball could have been explained by the high scores in the match and the fact that Parnell, a player with international experience and one accustomed to high-pressure situations, was at the crease and had just muscled his first ball for a boundary.

On Monday, in a game where both T&T and Mumbai Indians found run-scoring exceedingly difficult, the final ball was to be faced by Yuzvendra Chahal, who at 21 has little exposure on the big stage and shown modest batting capability. Even as late as three deliveries into the last over, the No.11 Chahal wouldn't have expected to be needed in the middle, only forced to stride out after run-outs on the fourth and fifth ball of the over.

The T&T captain, Daren Ganga, had attacked with helmeted close-in fielders for significant parts of the innings, but decided to keep a deep-set field for the last delivery to be bowled by his brother, the offspinner Sherwin. On the leg side, only short fine leg was in the circle, with three men patrolling the boundary. On the off side, there were three fielders in the ring, and a sweeper and long-off deep.

Perhaps the decision to not crowd the in-field and push for a win was a result of a lack of confidence in Sherwin Ganga. The fifth bowler has proved problematic for T&T so far in the tournament, with Ganga and Lendl Simmons going at nearly 12 an over in the two matches in the qualifying phase.

The strategy nearly paid off as well, despite Ganga sending down a poor final delivery. It was a low full toss that was flailed toward midwicket. Adrian Barath had to come in from deep midwicket nearly all the way to the circle, but even as he collected the ball the batsmen had just taken off for the second. Even though Barath's throw was several yards off the mark, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin had the time to effect the run-out that would have prompted the super over T&T aimed for, but his underarm throw missed the stumps.

Most of the T&T fielders sank to their knees in despair, and the others barely moved, still digesting the fact that their valiant attempts to defend the seemingly indefensible total of 98 had left them with nothing to show on the points table. Only Daren Ganga shuffled around, patting his team-mates on the back and lauding their efforts.

After the match, Daren Ganga explained why he went for the tactic. "Whenever a team has got two runs to win, you first and foremost ensure that you at least get a draw," he said. "Judging from the way we were bowling and the way we were fielding, it was very difficult for us to defend one run, we tried to have another bite at the cherry, so to speak, and play the super over."

There should be little criticism of Daren Ganga for the strategy, though T&T lost a match that Harbhajan Singh said Mumbai didn't deserve to win. Given the fiendish difficulty in stopping the single even with the field brought in, the safety-first approach was probably the sensible option. It would have been fun, though, to see if Chahal would have batted for the super over if all the fielders were positioned in the circle or if he would have gone for glory by hitting over the top. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

van der Merwe leads Somerset to tight win

Somerset 164 for 5 (van der Merwe 73, Trego 28) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 161 for 3 (Kallis 74*, Yusuf 39*, Gregory 2-9) by five wickets

Roelof van der Merwe excelled with bat and ball to lead Somerset past Kolkata © AFP

Jacques Kallis showed technical prowess, Yusuf Pathan great power, but the pugnacious Roelof van der Merwe mastered the slow and low track the best to help Somerset chase a daunting 162. Kolkata Knight Riders' late surge with both bat and ball made them work hard for the win, Kolkata looted 78 off the last six overs, and quick wickets meant Somerset had to struggle for 43 off their last seven.

Even when Kallis and Yusuf went berserk, van der Merwe was the only man to hold his own. He went for just 14 from the 18th and 20 overs despite two dropped catches, one of which went for four. With the bat in hand he was an absolute jack in the box, reverse-sweeping sixes, managing to mishit over the infield, drop-kicking his favourite cricketer Kallis over midwicket, late-cutting the spinners delicately, and scoring the third-fastest Champions league fifty.

It would have been easy for Somerset to feel disheartened after part-timer Arul Suppiah conceded 30 off the 15th over, or feel hard done by Brett Lee's getting away with clear overhead bouncers and Alfonso Thomas' being penalised for a border-line slower bouncer with Kallis down on his knees. Especially when Thomas followed that harsh call with a high full toss that Kallis duly deposited for a six.

Somerset, though, got stuck in. And like with the ball van, der Merwe was the man with the bat. He came in to bat when Iqbal Abdulla struck with the first ball off the second over, but dominated so much that Peter Trego managed only 23 out of a 105-run second-wicket stand. He began with an edge through the vacant first slip region, but proceeded to counter Abdulla and Shakib Al Hasan with lovely late-cutting. It frustrated Kolkata so much that Manoj Tiwary - wired up for live-time interviews - berated his spinners on air for not turning the ball at all. The reverse-swept six off Shakib worked a treat.

Kallis, who had worked hard in the first innings for his 74, was picked up for a six over midwicket and then upper-cut over the keeper's head. That it was his devotee hitting him out of the attack made it more interesting to watch. At that time Somerset had reached 107 in 10 overs, and all they needed was milking. Kolkata, though, weren't quite bovine, and Shakib brought them back. He dropped a caught-and-bowled from Trego but produced a direct-hit to run him out. The one from van der Merwe in the same over he gleefully accepted.

With two new batsmen in, the pitch was back to being a mud-wrestling arena. The ball held up from the middle of the pitch, and stroke-making was difficult again. Nick Compton, Arul Suppiah and Steve Snell kept their cool for long enough to see them through with two balls to spare.

It was similar sensible batting from Kallis that had kept Kolkata alive in the first quarter of the game. With Somerset bowlers using the slow track well and the fielders giving hardly anything away, Kallis had to use all his technique and judgement. It took him 39 deliveries to reach a strike-rate of 100. That was in the 14th over, when he hit his first six to take Kolkata to 82, off the 82nd legal delivery. In the next over, Thomas, the exemplary Somerset captain, gambled. He asked part-time spinner Suppiah to bowl. He was the seventh bowler used, and the run-rate of six an over then didn't suggest Somerset needed overs to be made up. Perhaps Thomas was greedy with the slow track now.

Yusuf seized the moment. He stood still, waited for the full flat deliveries and kept swinging to leg, hitting four consecutive sixes. Eighty-three had become 113 in one over, and clearly the fielding side, who had played smart cricket until then, was rattled. Catches were dropped, overthrows conceded, Kallis joined in in the fun too, but van der Merwe was still in their face. He would continue to be there with the bat too. © ESPN EMEA Ltd

Malinga's cameo outdoes Hussey's hard work

Mumbai Indians 159 for 7 (Malinga 37*, Ashwin 2-23, Raina 2-6) beat Chennai Super Kings 158 for 4 (Hussey 81, Dhoni 22*) by three wickets

	Lasith Malinga's late surge with the bat outdid Michael Hussey's solid knock earlier in the day © AFP

It is not raining, it is absolutely pouring for MS Dhoni. On a night that everything was going to script for Dhoni's side - the toss was won on a slow track, Michael Hussey had scored 81 to set up a more-than-competitive total, the slower bowlers had choked the Mumbai Indians innings off, Dhoni had himself pulled off two good stumpings and a dodgy catch - he missed a fairly simple chance to stump Lasith Malinga. Malinga had come in to bat with 53 required in 4.4 overs with three wickets in hand, but with nothing to lose he swung hard. When he connected clean he hit sixes, when he edged he got fours, when he missed he got byes. With 37 off 18, he completed an improbable win with one ball to go.

It was a classical Twenty20 case of four overs outweighing the hard work done over 36 overs. It all began with the profusely sweating Hussey. He had lost four kilos over September 16 and 17 in Colombo when scoring the century that earned him the third of three Man-of-the-Match awards in the three-Test series. A week later, in similar humid conditions but a completely different format, he seemed like he had never stopped playing Indian leagues on slow and low pitches.

Seamlessly he went from playing dabs and nudges for ones and twos to pulling out the big hits, helping Chennai double their 12-over score of 79. He even got the better of Malinga, scoring 13 off the bowler's third over, but Malinga came back well to concede just eight of his last. Little did Malinga know then that he would be doing similar things with the bat at a similar stage of the next innings.

Mumbai's openers knew a majority of their scoring would have to be done against the hard ball, and came out swinging accordingly. However, the approach was not going to work against the spinners. Hussey played 22 dots in his innings of 81; Aiden Blizzard, though he hit attractive shots, failed to score off ten balls in his 28. R Ashwin came on to accentuate the dots. Almost inevitably he got Jacobs stumped down the leg side. Dhoni's no-reverse-follow-through stumping worked a treat here.

Dhoni introduced Raina before the specialist spinner, Shadab Jakati, and was rewarded with another stumping to send T Suman back. That followed a low catch to dismiss Ambati Rayudu, a piece of action that didn't meet the scrutiny it deserved. Once again it was all down to Pollard, who flattered, promised, and as has so often happened, deceived by top-edging a slower one from Albie Morkel. Then came Malinga.

He began with a pulled four off Morkel, but his innings reached a crescendo when he hit successive deliveries from Jakati for near-parallel straight sixes into both dugouts. Chennai were not panicking quite yet. Later in the over Malinga ran past a flat one from Jakati. This time Dhoni had enough time to collect it cleanly, but his instinctive no-reverse-follow-through method caused the ball to spill. He rarely misses those. He did today with 31 still required off three overs.

In the next over Malinga edged a Bollinger yorker fine for four. The curse of the batsmen with nothing to lose was working. Bollinger came back with four slower deliveries that went for just one run. Morkel tried slower balls too, but bowled two of them wide. The one quick one he bowled Malinga sent for another flat six over long-off. Still at 13 required off seven, Chennai were the favourites.

Morkel finished his night deceiving Malinga with a slower ball. The ball bounced halfway through to Dhoni, took a vicious bad bounce towards his face, and went for two byes. The second delivery of the last over Malinga absolutely slapped with no idea where he was hitting. It went flying over point for four, and Mumbai were now the favourites with six required off four. Captain Harbhajan Singh provided the finishing touches with a clipped four off a slower one and a single off the fifth ball of the over. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Indian cricket pays rich tribute to Tiger Pataudi

New Delhi, (IANS) Present and former cricketers paid rich tributes to former Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who passed away here Thursday after battling a lung infection.



Abbas Ali Baig: It is a terrible moment indeed. His health was deteriorating and eventually he had to give away. He was suffering but he wasn't really sure about the extent of his suffering. He had the talent not only to play for the country but also to lead it to perfection.

Erapalli Prasanna: What we are today in the spin department is because of Pataudi. He had the vision what we could do really on spin bowling to win matches. It is the greatest loss for Indian cricket.

Mohinder Amarnath: I played my first Test under him. He was a great cricketer and a real person to look up to. He used to show a lot of aggression on the field. He showed great fielding skills at a time when we did not have good fielders. He was man of a few word but whatever he said was encouraging.

Sachin Tendulakr: It is a terrible loss for Indian cricket. I had the privilege of meeting him on a few occasions.

Anil Kumble: When we got together for the formation of the Players Association, he readily agreed to become the president. He was the most gentle person I met. He made us feel as Indian cricketers were held in high esteem. Gundappa Vishwanath had great stories to tell about Pataudi. It is a sad moment not only for Indian cricket but also for the entire country.

Rahul Dravid: He is an absolute legend of the game. We never saw him playing but heard so many stories about him from the likes of Prasanna, (Gundappa) Vishwanath and (Bhagwath) Chandrashekhar. He was an inspirational cricketer and that is a fantastic legacy to leave behind. He made the game popular with his personality and leadership skills. He gave a pan-Indian flavour to the game. During 2002, he helped us a lot during the sponsorship issue with the ICC. It was really encouraging to listen to him.

Imran Khan (former Pakistan captain): He was the contemporary of my elder cousin (Javed Burki) and a very popular cricketer in Pakistan. He was a crowd puller. The way he played with one eye was amazing. Imagine, what he could have done with proper vision.

Sanjay Manjrekar: As long as the game is alive he will be remembered. His personality was like Imran Khan. He could mingle with anyone.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: It is quite shocking. He was one of the most determined and a stylish cricketers. He was one guy who hit the ball really hard. During the 2003 World Cup, I had lots of opportunities to spend time with him in the commentary box. During review meetings in the BCCI, he never imposed anything on anyone. He was a symbol of aggression and style. His fielding was amazing.

Bollywood mourns Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's death

Indian film fraternity today expressed shock and sadness over the demise of former Indian cricket captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.

The 70-year-old cricketer breathed his last here this evening after battling a lung infection.

He is survived by wife Sharmila Tagore, son Saif Ali Khan and daughters Saba Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan. Many took to Twitter to pay tribute to one of India's finest captains.

"Sad news...Tiger Pataudi passes away," said Bachchan, who starred with the cricketer's actress-wife Sharmila Tagore in films like 'Chupke Chupke' and 'Viruddh'.

Lyricist Prasoon Joshi said Pataudi's death was a great loss. "I have met him briefly and because I am close to Sharmilaji, we have discussed him and his life many times. All I can say is that it is great loss. I am shocked. God bless him," Joshi told PTI.

Actor-comedian Boman Irani too tweeted his tribute to the great cricketer. "MAK Pataudi passes away! RIP."

Actor Riteish Deshmukh wrote, "RIP Tiger Pataudi - True cricketing legend passes away." Arbaaz Khan wrote: "RIP Tiger Pataudi. One of the India's finest captains."

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur called Pataudi one of the most "corageous cricketers" in the world.

"Tiger has left us. One of the most courageous cricketers the world has known, who took on the fastest bowlers in the world after loosing one eye. "Deepest condolences to Sharmila, Saif, Soha and Saba, Tiger Pataudi will be missed, one of the biggest icons of my generation, why so early?," Kapur said.

Actor Rahul Bose recalled being coached by the cricketer once summer.

"Distraught to hear about Tiger Pataudi's demise. He was a great captain, player, gentleman and my coach for a summer. Will never forget him," Bose wrote.

'Rang De Basanti' star Siddharth wrote: "One of the greatest people I have ever had the good fortune of knowing passed away today. goodbye and RIP, the great 'Tiger' Pataudi..."

Musician Vishal Dadlani said, "Tiger Pataudi. A Legend in the true sense of the word. RIP, Sir."

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi dies aged 70

	'Tiger' Pataudi was Test cricket's youngest captain© PA Photos

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who overcame an impaired eye to become a visionary and pioneering captain of the Indian Test team, has died in Dehli at the age of 70. He was suffering from interstitial lung disease. He is survived by his wife Sharmila Tagore, his son Saif Ali Khan and his two daughters Soha and Saba Ali Khan. Tagore, Saif and Soha are prominent actors in India's film industry.

Pataudi's career timeline December 13, 1961: Makes debut against England in Delhi, scores 13. January 10, 1962: Scores maiden century in his third Test, 113 against England in Chennai. March 23, 1962: Leads India in his fourth Test, in Barbados, and at 21 is Test cricket's youngest captain. February 12-13, 1964: Makes career-best score, 203 not out against England in Delhi. February-March 1968: Leads India to their first overseas Test in, in Dunedin. India go on to win an away series for the first time, beating New Zealand 3-1. January 23, 1975: Plays his final Test, scoring 9 in each innings against West Indies in Mumbai.

Pataudi played 46 Tests between 1961 and 1975 and was arguably India's greatest captain. He was given the leadership in his fourth Test, when he was 21, in Barbados in 1962, because the regular captain Nari Contractor was in hospital after getting hit on the head by Charlie Griffith. Pataudi was the youngest Test captain, a record that stood until 2004. He led India in 40 Tests and had a successful career despite impaired vision in his right eye, which was damaged in a car accident. He also captained Sussex and Oxford University.

India won nine Tests under Pataudi and it was during his tenure that the team began to believe it could succeed. He advocated the multi-spinner strategy because he believed India needed to play to their strengths and used it to achieve their first overseas Test win, in Dunedin in 1968. India went on to record their first away series victory, beating New Zealand 3-1. Pataudi was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year that year.

Pataudi scored 2793 runs at an average of 35 and made six centuries, the biggest of which was an unbeaten 203 against England in Delhi in 1964. However, many rate his 75, scored on one leg with one eye, against Australia in Melbourne in 1967-68 as his finest. Pataudi retired in 1975 after West Indies' tour of India. After retirement, Pataudi served as a match referee between 1993 and 1996, officiating in two Tests and ten ODIs, but largely stayed away from cricket administration.

Pataudi was the ninth and last Nawab of Pataudi until 1971, when the Indian government abolished royal entitlements through the 26th Amendment to the Constitution.He was also the editor of Sportsworld, the now defunct cricket magazine, and a television commentator in the 1980s but gradually withdrew from an active role, though he remained a strong voice in Indian cricket.

Since 2007, bilateral Test series between India and England have been contested for the Pataudi Trophy, named after his family for their contribution to Anglo-Indian cricket. Pataudi's father, Iftikhar Ali Khan, represented both England and India in Tests. Pataudi had taken ill since his return from England this summer after presenting the Pataudi Trophy to Andrew Strauss at the end of the four-Test series.

Pataudi was also a consultant to the BCCI from 2007 and part of the first IPL governing council but refused to continue in the role in October 2010, when the BCCI made significant changes to the league following the sacking of Lalit Modi as its chairman. As the spate of controversies increased, Pataudi was the only member of the governing council to admit the body's culpability, saying it "failed in its role to monitor the IPL's administration and be more questioning of decisions taken." He also took the BCCI to court in April this year, claiming the board had not abided by its contract with him while he was a consultant as well as a member of the IPL governing council. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Mumbai allowed to field five overseas players

	Andrew Symonds is one of the six players called up as replacements to Mumbai's squad © AFP

Mumbai Indians have been permitted to field five overseas players in a team during their Champions League Twenty20 games because several of their Indian players have suffered tournament-ending injuries. However, all the overseas players must have been contracted by them to play in the 2011 IPL. Mumbai are without six of their first-choice players, including the captain Sachin Tendulkar, and their reinforced squad contains seven Indians and seven foreign players.

The other IPL teams will be permitted to field only four overseas players in their XIs during the CLT20.

Apart from Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ali Murtaza, Dhawal Kulkarni and Suryakumar Yadav were ruled out of the tournament. They were replaced by Andrew Symonds, Dilhara Fernando, R Sathish, Sarul Kanwar and Abu Nechim. Moises Henriques is contracted to Mumbai, but cannot be considered for selection since he is a part of the New South Wales squad for the tournament.

Mumbai have not announced a captain yet. Tendulkar (injured toe), Rohit (broken finger) and Munaf (twisted ankle) were injured during India's recent tour of England.

The CLT20 technical committee said, in addition to those six players, it had also received medical reports that ruled out two more Mumbai players - Aditya Tare and Pawan Suyal - from the tournament. Therefore, in all, a total of eight out of Mumbai's 23 contracted players were unavailable for selection.

"In the current circumstances, if the Mumbai Indians suffer one more injury to an Indian player, they will be unable to field a team due to CLT20 rules restricting teams to a maximum of four overseas players in any one match," the tournament organisers said in a media release. "As a result, the CLT20 governing council has approved a recommendation by the technical committee that to ensure the integrity of the tournament the Mumbai Indians will be permitted to select up to five overseas players in any one team, provided those players were contracted to play in the 2011 IPL.

"This was considered the most appropriate solution to respect player safety and ensure no player plays for a CLT20 team unless he played for, or was contracted to play for, that team in the qualifying event."

"Subject to approval, the ruling of the Governing Council and Technical Committee is applicable to any other team that, like the Mumbai Indians, suffers tournament-ending injuries in significant numbers that compromises its participation in the event.

"The current Mumbai Indians squad consists of 14 players, however they may add another player to their squad from their remaining injury-free contract list if they choose."

The CLT20 governing council comprises BCCI president N Srinivasan, former IPL chairman Chirayu Amin, BCCI vice-president Niranjan Shah, Cricket South Africa chief Gerald Majola, Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland and a CA official Dean Kino.

Mumbai squad: Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga (overseas), Andrew Symonds (overseas), James Franklin (overseas), Aiden Blizzard (overseas), Davy Jacobs (overseas), Kieron Pollard (overseas), Dilhara Fernado (overseas), R Satish, Ambati Rayudu, T Suman, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sarul Kanwar, Abu Nechim. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Kolkata lose, but qualify alongside Somerset

Somerset 166 for 6 (Trego 70, van der Merwe 40) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 155 for 8 (ten Doeschate 46, van der Merwe 2-23) by 11 runs

	Ryan ten Doeschate could not carry Kolkata to a win, but he did enough to steer them into the CLT20's main draw © AFP

Somerset out-fielded and out-bowled Kolkata Knight Riders to push them to the brink of elimination, but an ice-cool Ryan ten Doeschate hauled them alongside their opponents into the main draw of the Champions League. Kolkata needed 153 to qualify after Somerset had waltzed to an imposing 166 for 6 and, at 57 for 4 in the 10th over, seemed to have lost the final spot to Ruhuna. ten Doeschate however pulled off a special heist to ensure there will be four IPL teams in the main draw.

Ruhuna ended up the biggest losers of the day, and Kolkata celebrated jubilantly despite falling short 12 of victory, but Somerset deserved the most praise. They arrived for the tournament bleary-eyed and dispirited, two days after losing their fifth domestic final in two years, and without many of their first-choice players. If they were knackered, they didn't show it: Peter Trego batted with freedom, Roelof van der Merwe was typically tigerish with bat and on the field, and the three-pronged spin attack was ruthless to the end.

Kolkata were at the other end of the spectrum, and their struggles were epitomised by the inability of Manoj Tiwary and Shreevats Goswami - batsmen bred on slow tracks - to force the pace against spin. That Kolkata had lost the in-form Manvinder Bisla and captain Jacques Kallis early did not help matters, and things became worse when the legspinner Max Waller disloged both Tiwary and Goswami. Thereafter, ten Doeschate owned the night.

He announced himself with a lofted drive that Nick Compton palmed over the ropes at long-off, but that was the closest he came to being dismissed. With the asking-rate hovering out of reach, he dabbed Trego through point before whipping Arul Suppiah over midwicket for six. Yusuf Pathan was surprisingly subdued in his brief stay, but by the time he exited it was clear that the wicket that mattered was at the other end.

Shakib Al Hasan's stay was ended by a blinder in the outfield from van der Merwe, who single-handedly underlined the difference in fielding standards between the sides. Rajat Bhatia then held his nerve in a 30-run stand that took Kolkata close, while ten Doeschate continued to produce the fireworks with an audacious whip over midwicket for his third six. Van der Merwe dismissed both batsmen in the final over, but it wasn't enough to stop Kolkata.

Earlier, Somerset showed they had better methods against spin than their county rivals Leicestershire had displayed earlier in the day. Trego went after Iqbal Abdulla despite not always managing to reach the flight, and his enterprise forced Jacques Kallis to rely on seamers more than he would have liked, a move that played into Somerset's hands.

They moved to 56 for 1 after eight overs, at which point Trego shifted gears against Bhatia's mind-numbingly predictable lack of pace. Trego lost his balance while pulling him for four before cutting late for another boundary. The next over went for 17 as van der Merwe exploded against a raft of long-hops from Yusuf. Jaidev Unadkat gave Kolkata some respite when he got van der Merwe pulling to midwicket, and James Hildreth with a slower ball, but Trego bustled along unfettered, scoring his boundaries with a series of correct strokes. Unadkat was drilled through the covers, Jacques Kallis pulled through midwicket, and the Kolkata shoulders began to droop in a hurry.

Trego was starved of strike a touch in the end overs, but it did not seem to matter as Compton ramped Lee for six and stole a found a couple of inventive boundaries. More importantly for Somerset, Kolkata stayed generous right to the last over, with Unadkat making a hash of a regulation save at midwicket, and Lee getting a wicket of a no-ball. Kolkata's fielders had done themselves no favours, but the itinerary that gave them the chance to play the last innings of the qualifier stage was about to.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd