Best available team has been picked: Nobbs

New Delhi: Brushing aside the controversy surrounding the exclusion of former India captains Rajpal Singh and Arjun Halappa from the team picked to play the Olympic qualifiers, the coach of the Indian men’s hockey team - Michael Nobbs - says the team has been selected from the best available resources.

Hockey India (HI) on Monday announced the squad of final 18, which didn't include the names of Rajpal and Halappa. While the former has been deemed unfit due to his appendix operation, Halappa could find his name only among the four standbys.

"The team is picked on form and fitness and I think this is the group that we need for the next three weeks to qualify for the Olympics," Nobbs said while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday with captain Bharat Chetri and vice-captain Sardar Singh alongside him.

CNN-IBN

"Let me explain, there were six of us in that room there, with probably combined 16 to 18 Olympic games under our belt. I think we know what we are doing," the coach replied to questions surrounding the exclusion of Rajpal and Halappa.

"Selection policy is with the selectors of Hockey India. I'm not going into that [team selection]. We have to pick the best right now who can win games for us and that's what we have done. Now we need to focus on what we need to do in the next few weeks to qualify [for the Olympics]."

Rajpal had alleged that he was not given a chance to prove his fitness; however, the coach refuted that claim. "No, that's not the case," he clarified.

Chetri - who will lead India in the qualifiers - was visibly miffed when confronted with questions related to team selection.

"Are you trying to say that those who have been picked are not capable? The fit players who have been chosen are not the bad players. There are the selectors, Hockey India and coaches [who select the team]. Our job is to play as a team that has been chosen," the captain replied.

The team's vice-captain and star midfielder Sardar Singh also toed his coach's line while staying confident of an Olympic berth.

"I'm pretty sure we will qualify [for the Olympics]. No doubt they [Rajpal and Halappa] are excellent players, but if you had seen the South Africa series, those who performed the best are in the team now. The rest, as [Bharat] Chetri has said, it's the selectors of Hockey India who have picked the team," Sardar said.

India face Canada, France, Poland, Singapore and Italy in the qualifiers; and Nobbs said though no game can be taken lightly at the international level, he was confident of India's chances of winning the tournament and booking a flight to London.

"No team is going to be taken lightly. As I have said, there are no easy games at this level. We just have to prepare as well as we can and control all the things that we can control and try our best. I am quite confident [of Olympic qualification], provided nothing goes drastically wrong in these qualifiers," Nobbs concluded.

India will open their campaign on February 18 against Singapore, who got a lucky entry after USA withdrew from the tournament at the eleventh hour.

Lara better than Sachin, Ponting

Brian Lara's knowledge of how to amass big scores at rapid rate without putting his wicket at risk makes him a "superior" batsman of his era, says Ian Chappell.

Chappell said Lara's remarkable feat of scoring the only 400 in Test cricket, a triple-century and seven double centuries, probably highlights an area where Lara was better than the senior India batsman Tendulkar and former Aussie skipper Ponting.

"There's no argument Ricky Ponting deserves to be mentioned with Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara as one of the three most dominant batsmen of the era. But who is the best of that trio?

"Lara is the world record-holder with a Test score of 400 and, next to Bradman, he's the scorer of the most 'big' centuries in Test cricket. He has the only score of 400 in Test cricket, a triple-century and seven double-centuries.

"That's a remarkable feat, especially when you consider neither Tendulkar nor Ponting has a triple-century.

"This probably highlights an area where Lara is superior to the other two players under discussion; his knowledge of how to amass big scores," Chappell said.

Chappell said Lara had an innate knowledge of which bowlers to target in order to score quickly and which ones were the most likely to endanger his existence.

"He would score quickly in spurts and steadily at other times. Fully capitalising on this knowledge, he was able to achieve huge scores. Because he didn't put his wicket at risk by trying to score at a rapid rate when the best bowlers were fresh, he was able to maintain a fast run rate by feasting at the opportune times.

The method of respecting best bowlers when they are fresh helped Lara accumulate runs quickly, feels Chappell.

"This method also allowed him to maintain a similar run-rate from the beginning to the end of his career, something that not even Bradman was able to achieve. Consequently, Lara was able to perform the most remarkable feat of all; he reclaimed the world record for the highest score in Test cricket 10 years after originally setting the mark," said Chappell.

Chappell said he loved the way Lara handled the spin attack.

"I loved the way he played spin bowling and I admired his determination to always do it his way. If you told me I could pick just one of that trio, I would take Lara."

He said it would be a "mistake" to exclude the former West Indian skipper from the conversation, debating who was the best of the trio.

"In a classic case of out of sight out of mind, the now-retired Lara hardly ever enters the conversation these days. To exclude Lara is a mistake."

While conceding that Ponting will never reach the statistical peak of Tendulkar, Chappell said that the experienced campaigner impressed with the strength of his mind.

"While the world has watched and waited anxiously for Tendulkar's 100th international century, Ponting has quietly beavered away in the background restoring his reputation with persistent practice and hard-earned runs in the middle.

"The fact that those runs were increasingly more convincing in Adelaide, and he was able to push on to score a double century, have turned the conversation from 'when will he retire' to, 'how long will he play on?'

"Ponting will never reach the statistical peak of Tendulkar, but while the 'Little Master' continues to stumble with the defining century in sight, often because of a mental aberration, Ponting impresses with the strength of his mind," he said. Courtesy: ESPNStar.com

Why fuss about Dhoni's captaincy?

Our sub-continental culture of captain-bashing is detrimental to the growth of cricket. MSD remains India's only leader.

By Wasim Akram

The entire hullabaloo around MS Dhoni's captaincy is extremely ill-timed. Captain-bashing is a favourite pastime of cricket pundits in the Indian sub-continent and the media just loves it. Ahead of the T20s versus Australia and the one-day series that follows, I believe Dhoni is the best man to lead India and will remain so in the immediate future.

I read a website report in one of the leading Indian dailies that Virender Sehwag will replace Dhoni as skipper. The report quotes 'sources' in the BCCI. I am not sure about the credibility of these 'sources'. In recent times, BCCI's planning has reflected poorly on India's overseas performances. So, it would be unfair to make Dhoni a scapegoat.

There are two names - Sehwag and Virat Kohli -- doing the rounds as 'next' captains. In my book, none of them qualify for the job. Sehwag was very unimpressive when he led the Indian team at Adelaide and Kohli is a kid who has just begun his career. He can wait for another five years.

I had expected better body language from Sehwag and his team during the Adelaide Test, but I was disappointed. India's cold demeanour has been an issue in both England and Australia. The lack of communication has been palpable and that reflected on the field.

This 'I give-a-damn' attitude is counter-productive when the chips are down. What did Sehwag do to salvage India's pride at Adelaide? I sometimes see streaks of Shahid Afridi in Sehwag. That dreadful propensity to self-destruct! Dhoni may not have done enough as skipper, but two bad series does not mean he should be derided and kicked out. Does the BCCI really have an option?

There is still a lot to play for in Australia. With Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Praveen Kumar coming in, India are a solid ODI and T20 team. I think India have the right mix to give high-flying Australia a run for their money and we shall see a 'new' India in the first T20 at Sydney on Wednesday.

In the three-nation ODI series, I don't see Sri Lanka making a huge impact. Mahela Jayawardene will concentrate on team rebuilding after the Lankans struggled in South Africa. Australia, of course, will have their tails up largely because their pacers are in great form. When you have a troika of pacers, each clocking 140 kmph regularly, a captain is always at a great advantage.

India's bowling remains a concern. Ishant Sharma has been the biggest disappointment. He has talked about the 'luck factor'. All that is just a lame excuse. After playing 45 Test matches, Ishant has not learnt to take responsibility.

When a quick bowler can't make an impact on a Perth or MCG wicket, he never will. First things first, he must first learn to bowl on one side of the wicket.

Self-belief will be crucial going forward in the remainder of the Australian tour. India must not tamper with their batting order. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir must open the innings because they already have a 'feel' of the conditions.

The more India back themselves, the better they will play. It's a brand new chapter and India must demonstrate the body language of a world champion. Hope Dhoni shows the way with his young brigade. Courtesy: ESPNStar.com

Djokovic beats Nadal to win Australian Open

Novak Djokovic wore down Rafael Nadal in the longest Grand Slam singles final in the history of professional tennis Sunday, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 after 5 hours, 53 minutes to claim his third Australian Open title.

AP Novak Djokovic holds the trophy aloft during the awarding ceremony after defeating Rafael Nadal in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne.

Djokovic sealed victory at 1.37 a.m. local time and became the fifth man since the Open Era began in 1968 to win three straight Grand Slam finals.

The 24-year-old Djokovic tore off his shirt in celebration after one of the most dramatic finals in the history of the game. He went to his support camp and repeatedly thumped the side of the arena in delight and relief.

Djokovic’s win mantained his mastery of Nadal, who has lost seven straight finals against the Serb since March last year.

In the most devastating of circumstances, Nadal became the first man in the Open Era to lose three straight major finals. He lost in four sets to Djokovic at last year’s Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

After coming from 5-3 down to win the fourth-set tiebreaker, Nadal was up a break at 4-2 in the fifth set against Djokovic, who seemed to be tiring.

But the No. 1-ranked Djokovic, who needed almost five hours to win his semifinal against Andy Murray, somehow responded. He broke for a 6-5 lead and saved a break point before finally claiming the win.

The previous longest major singles final was Mats Wilander’s win over Ivan Lendl at the U.S. Open in 1988, which lasted 4 hours, 54 minutes.

The longest Australian Open final also involved Wilander in 1988, when the Swede beat Pat Cash.

Pak people enjoying India's mauling by Australia

KARACHI: The media and fans in Pakistan are not just savouring their team's terrific series-win against world number one England but they are also relishing the pounding India received at the hands of Australia Down Under.

The Pakistani media has been giving lot of coverage to India's humiliation in Australia and have highlighted with obvious pleasure that the Indian media is praising the performance of Misbah-ul-Haq and his players against England.

"Whether we accept it openly or not but such is our cricket rivalry with India that when they lose and we win it gives us more to pleasure," psychologist Dr Ambreen explained.

"The fact that the Indian media has been urging their players to learn a lesson from the Pakistan team is also very satisfying for our people," she said.

Former captain Moin Khan believes that Pakistanis are also happy with the situation because of the way the Indian cricket establishment has shunned Pakistani players from the Indian Premier League.

"Obviously there is anger at the way our players are being treated and ignored by the Indians where the IPL is concerned. The better our team is performing the more the value of our players is increasing," he said.

India's crushing defeat in the fourth test has been given prompt coverage by the Pakistani media which has constantly highlighted that the Indians are tigers only at home while Pakistan have been winning away despite many scandals and problems that have hit Pakistan cricket.

"I think we badly needed this win over a top team. The series victory comes at just the right time for Pakistan cricket which needs to have international teams playing in Pakistan again," PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

Ashraf, who is in Abu Dhabi with chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad to attend a ICC meeting, indicated that Pakistan's good performances on the field and a controversy free last few months would allow him to plead Pakistan's case to have international cricket at home more forcefully.

Former captain Zaheer Abbas felt that given Pakistan's intense cricket rivalry with India the reaction of the Pakistani cricket fans was not surprising.

"We lost to them in the World Cup semi-final. India is not willing to play bilateral cricket with us. In this background it is understandable that our people are enjoying our team's victory and India's capitulation in Australia," he said. — PTI

Paes-Vesnina lose Australian Open mixed doubles final

Melbourne: A second title eluded Leander Paes at this year's Australian Open as he and Elena Vesnina ended runners-up in the mixed doubles event after being outplayed by Horia Tecau and Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the summit clash in Melbourne on Sunday.

The fifth-seeded Indo-Russian pair lost 3-6, 7-5, 3-10 to the eighth-seeded Romanian-American combination in one hour and 48 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena.

Paes and Vesnina hit 14 unforced errors to their opponents' 20, but their opponents smashed 34 winners, which in the end made all the difference. The No.5 seeds also failed to capitalise on the seven break-points on offer, converting only three.

AP Photo

The 38-year-old Paes was chasing a rare feat of winning two Grand Slam titles in the same tournament for the second time in his career, but fell at the final hurdle. In the 1999 Wimbledon, he had won both the men's doubles (with Mahesh Bhupathi) and mixed doubles (Lisa Raymond) titles.

Earlier on Saturday, Paes had won the men's doubles title with Czech Radek Stepanek to complete a career Grand Slam.

It was Paes' fourth Australian Open mixed doubles final, having won two and lost two. Overall, Paes has six mixed doubles titles, with the French Open trophy the only one missing from his Slam cabinet.

The combination of Tecau's strong serve and Mattek's stunning and powerful ground strokes proved too hot to handle for Paes and Vesnina. Mattek hit some breathtaking winners, especially with her crushing forehand, while Tecau hardly erred on his serve.

Mattek and Tecau made a strong start to the match as they broke Paes and Vesnina in the second game to take the lead. Mattek returned well and played aggressively. One of her lobs and then a winner by Tecau earned them three break-points straightaway. They broke Paes' serve when the Indian fired a backhand into net.

Paes and Vesnina broke back immediately but Vesnina could not hold serve and they trailed 1-3, which became 1-4 when Tecau held his own in the next game. Paes finally held his serve, albeit after saving three break-points, when Vesnina hit a volley winner on Tecau's return. But there was nothing to worry their rivals as they had a comfortable lead, and Tecau served out the set with ease when Vesnina hit a backhand to net.

An early break on Vesnina's serve and an easy hold by Tecau again put them up 2-0 in the second set and the eighth-seeded duo led 4-2 at one stage.

However, a seven-minute break due to drizzle changed the complexion of the match. Perhaps the rhythm of Tecau and Mattek got disturbed and they began to commit a lot of unforced errors.

Mattek was broken in the eighth game and the scores were level. Vesnina served impressively in the ninth game to lead 5-4. The pair broke Vesnina for the second time to take the second set and force a match tie-breaker.

The momentum shifted yet again in favour of Mattek and Tecau following the amazing first point. Mattek ran down the court on her right, just avoided colliding with an umpire, but succeeded in hitting a stunning winner. From there, Mattek and Tecau dominated the proceedings, not letting their hard work go down the drain.

"I almost dove into the crowd," Mattek-Sands said with a laugh.

Tecau then hit an ace and Mattek-Sands a soft drop volley to give the pairing a 3-0 lead. They were never challenged the rest of the way.

It was the first Grand Slam victory for the 26-year-old Mattek-Sands, known as much for her eccentric on-court attire as her tennis. She didn't disappoint in the final, wearing a lime, one-sleeve top, black skirt, black knee-high socks, purple streaks in her hair and her regular eye black on her cheeks.

Tecau, dressed more conservatively in a black T-shirt and shorts, also captured his first Grand Slam title. He has lost twice before in the men's doubles final at Wimbledon.

Time for India to shed denial

After their skills were found wanting and their mental fortitude questioned, India can't afford to wallow in home comforts

India were out-batted, out-bowled, out-fielded and out-captained © Getty Images

Four years ago, during an ugly series between these two teams in this country, Anil Kumble, India's captain, evoked Bill Woodfull circa Bodyline, saying only one of the teams was playing cricket. The same could just as easily be said of this series. In their own cocoon of denial, living in the past, out-batted, out-bowled, out-fielded, out-captained both on and off the field, out-coached, out-jibed by the hosts, India didn't really turn up.

The batsmen kept failing but kept getting picked and kept batting in the same positions on the top of that. The bowlers lacked the control; Ishant Sharma carried his flaws and misfortune, which might or might not be inter-related, despite a strong and specialised coaching staff; the old men without the runs didn't write off the debts they incurred in the field; the openers were found out, but everybody kept talking of a time in the past when they used to win.

They used to win no doubt but never as comprehensively as they have lost over their last two series. It was a team skating on thin ice, albeit skating exceptionally well until earlier this year, but the ice has given away now. The rescue squad is of the view it will prepare better ice at home.

To find out where it all went wrong on this tour it is important to go back to where it all started. Melbourne was the kind of Test India used to win over the last four years or so. They just did. Somehow. They used to have the mental strength. That is the reason the fans began to trust this side. That is the reason why they are angry now. They haven't seen that desperation here.

They can't pinpoint a time when the desperation, the mongrel, left this team. Was it when the seniors passed a certain age - and can cricketers age all of a sudden? Was it when surgeries were postponed so that IPL could be played and Tests missed? Was it when the previous 4-0 whitewash was not even part of the board's recap of the last year at its awards function? Did the World Cup win exhaust them and sate them at the same time? This is all conjecture, and possibly unfair, but the fans are asking themselves these questions.

The good Indian team used to win the big moments - it didn't happen over a long period but it was the same personnel consistently making second-innings comebacks and or chasing high-ish totals in the fourth innings. Not now. Melbourne was a bit like Trent Bridge when they let the batsmen off the hook twice. India's bowling plans were outdated, as if the captain and the coaches hadn't seen Australia play since they last played India. They tried to bounce Ricky Ponting out when clearly he had been falling lbw over the last few months, thus playing him back into form. The good Indian teams' tailenders added runs, here Zaheer Khan refused to stay in front of the stumps. A lot of the blame has to be laid at the door of a team of defensive captain and defensive coach, but the mongrel wasn't there either.

It all can't be put down to the absence of that intangible quality either. The skills were found out. Perhaps it might have to do with age and slowing down of the instinct, but Virender Sehwag against the seaming and bouncing ball wasn't a good sight. Gautam Gambhir spent half the series fighting the poke only for the bouncer at his throat to consume him for the other half.

VVS Laxman remained strangely passive at the crease, and only in Adelaide - a Test he shouldn't have played in the first place - did he move his guard to middle stump to counter the fifth-stump line. Rahul Dravid knew his back foot was not moving across, and he tried his darnedest in the nets to overcome it, but could not manage it. Sachin Tendulkar began the summer gloriously, and still looked the best equipped technically, but that is where it stopped.

	Melbourne was the kind of Test India used to win over the last four years or so. They just did. Somehow. They used to have the mental strength. That is the reason the fans began to trust this side. That is the reason why they are angry now

The question marks against the seniors are valid and well documented, and it is time to drop those who will not be a part of the side at the start of the overseas tours in late 2013. There is no disrespect to their previous contributions in dropping them. However, it is disrespectful to plant stories in the media, as has been happening, to try to put covert pressure so they are forced to retire. Retirement should not even be a question here; that is the players' decision, and it is understandable for players to want to keep playing. What are the selectors and team management doing?

Good Indian teams bounced back from first defeats, now "bouncebackability" is a word used to mock them. With this team you badly hoped, for the sake of a contest, that they didn't lose the first match. In the lead-up to Sydney, no one other than the Indian team spoke of their ability to come back after their first defeat. From the time they were bowled out for 191 on that first day in Sydney, it was clear it would be nothing short of a miracle to avoid a whitewash.

Perth and Adelaide were natural progression. Mentally they were gone. They were in such bad state they couldn't even ignore criticism in the papers: R Ashwin called the media a deterrent and Sehwag asked them to support the side like cheerleaders.

MS Dhoni's captaincy may be open to whatever criticism but his leadership style of letting everyone be so they did their job best had worked until this debacle began. Good leaders, however, change their ways with time. There seems nobody in this team capable of lighting a fire under a few backsides, or of making on-the-spot decisions that match the desperation of the situation.

If Dhoni's erstwhile strength might have become his weakness, we don't even know what Duncan Fletcher's role is, except that no player wants to blame him. He was a control freak when with England, but has no powers here. He loved DRS, but can't say that in his new employment. He is supposed to be good with youngsters, but doesn't seem to be pushing for them here. He used substitutes to rile opposition captains, but is part of a team that calls back technically run-out batsmen. Is he a square peg in a round hole?

It is believed it is good to hit the rock bottom once in a while so that the only way is up. The problem is, the team and the board react in a manner that suggests they don't believe they have reached there yet. They still boast of home wins. They are complaining of grass on pitches that have actually been pretty fair, and ignoring completely that most of their recent wins away from the subcontinent have come in more-than-friendly bowling conditions. Hopefully they don't actually feel that way, and it is just a "brave face", although it isn't very clever.

Hopefully, at the next year's awards function, the BCCI will acknowledge that apart from hosting IPL and Champions League and putting together a side that won home Tests - the last one is no guarantee - India also lost badly in Australia. Accepting flaws is the first step towards correcting them. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Leander Paes completes long-awaited career Grand Slam in doubles

Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek won 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 over defending champions Bob and Mike Bryan. (AFP Photo)

BANGALORE: Leander Paes, the 38-year-old livewire, lit Melbourne Park with his sparkling play on Saturday night, to clinch his first men's doubles title at the Australian Open and in the process completed a long-awaited career Grand Slam in the doubles.

In the title round, Paes, partnering Czech strongman Radek Stepanek, stopped the top-seeded defending champions Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States, who were on a 23-match winning streak in Melbourne. Paes and Stepanek won 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 win in 84-minutes. The champions, playing just their fourth tournament together, took home $454,500, while the Bryans, five-time champions here, settled for $227,250.

Paes, who thanked his partner for, "putting me on your shoulder and carrying me through this week", added, "I've lost three Grand Slam finals to the brothers and you can imagine how I felt coming out today to play them. Two weeks ago in Sydney, they gave us a hiding. I have the greatest respect for Mike and Bob, who are one of the finest ambassadors of the game."

Paes, who clinched his seventh Grand Slam men's doubles title on Saturday, applauded the Czech-born American legend Martina Navratilova, who was at courtside cheering the Indian. He called Navratilova an inspiration. "I've learned so much from you in life," he said.

The Paes-Stepanek friendship, which was on display through the final, was further underlined when the 33-year-old Czech, a former top-10 singles player, presently ranked 92 in doubles, said, "I know what this title means to Leander. He has won all the other Grand Slams, this one was the one missing from his trophy cabinet, I am glad I was able to help him win today."

If Paes, having finished runners-up in Melbourne on three occasions, including last year, when he and Mahesh Bhupathi fell to the Bryans in the final, was the difference between the four men on the court, Stepanek, seeking his first Grand Slam title, held his end up wonderfully, especially at the net. From the baseline, the Czech, ranked 31 in singles, was relentless.

Seventh Heaven

Following is the list of Leander Paes' Grand Slam men's doubles triumphs:

1999 French Open (with Mahesh Bhupathi): bt Goran Ivanisevic (Cro) & Jeff Tarango (US) 6-2, 7-5

1999 Wimbledon (with Bhupathi): bt PauHaarhuis (Hol) & Jared Palmer (US) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6

2001 French Open (with Bhupathi): bt Petr Pala & PaveVizner (Cze) 7-6, 6-3

2006 US Open (with Martin Damm): bt Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) & Max Mirnyi (Blr) 6-7, 6-4, 6-3

2009 French Open (with Lukas Dlouhy): bt Wesley Moodie (RSA) & Dick Norman (Bel) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

2009 US Open (with Dlouhy): bt Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind) & Mark Knowles (Bah) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

2012 Australian Open (with Radek Stepanek): bt Bob & Mike Bryan 7-6, 6-2

Mixed Doubles titles : 6 (3 Wimbledon, 2 Australian Open, 1 US Open)

All-round Rajasthan cruise to title

Rajasthan 621 (Saxena 257, Chopra 94, Srinivas 4-192,) & 204 for 5 dec (Bist 92, Prasanna 3-31) drew with Tamil Nadu 295 (Karthik 150, Rituraj 4-76) & 8 for 2 (Gajendra 2-5). Rajasthan won on the first-innings lead

Rajasthan celebrate their second consecutive Ranji Trophy title © K Sivaraman

Rajasthan became only the fifth team to win the Ranji Trophy in successive seasons, as they beat Tamil Nadu on the first-innings lead in Chennai. The defending champions had effectively won the match on the penultimate day, when they had bowled out Tamil Nadu to gain a 326-run lead. Having opted to bat again, the visitors extended the lead to 530 runs. Then to rub further salt on Tamil Nadu's wounds, Gajendra Singh trapped Yo Mahesh and Abhinav Mukund leg before in successive overs, before both teams decided to call off the match before the mandatory overs started with no outright result possible.

On Sunday, the main reason Rajasthan had not enforced the follow-on was to provide the pair of Vineet Saxena and Robin Bist the chance to get to 1000 runs in the season. Aakash Chopra did not show any inclination to stay out in the middle, at least on the evidence of his exit: he went for a pull shot from outside off, without getting behind the line of the delivery from J Kaushik. The bowler finished an easy catch after Chopra's top edge ballooned over his head.

Saxena, whose first-innings' marathon 907-minute 257 was the third-highest score this season, could add only three more runs to his total of 10 though. He was the second wicket to fall in the morning, after Chopra. He had started the innings 116 runs adrift of the landmark but was bowled trying to tap the ball away without moving his feet against a straight delivery from R Prasanna.

But Bist did not miss out - he became the 12th man in Ranji Trophy history to log 1000 runs in a calendar year. He reached the milestone by pushing a single to fine leg off Kaushik. He had already notched his second fifty of the match by hitting a nicely-timed cover drive of part-time slow bowler M Vijay. What Bist missed was his fifth century of the season, by eight runs, when he played a tired slog against Prasanna that was easily pouched by Mukund at midwicket. Still Bist, with four tons under his belt, finished the tournament with the most number of centuries.

In addition to having the top two run-makers this season, Rajasthan added one more feather to their cap when Pankaj Singh, who had taken two wickets in the Tamil Nadu innings, finished as the third-highest wicket-taker with 34 victims. Only TP Sudhindra (Madhya Pradesh, 40) and Ashok Dinda (Bengal, 37), were ahead of him.

As for the hosts, Tamil Nadu had to finish second to Rajasthan for the second straight year. Last year Rajasthan had denied the visitors a first-innings lead in the semi-final in Jaipur. This time it was much worse, as Tamil Nadu remained mute spectators all through the five days. Their biggest problem was the failure of their formidable top order, which showed no character or resilience barring the battling century from Dinesh Karthik.

The only plus point for the hosts from the final was the bowling of Aushik Srinivas, the 18-year-old left-arm spinner, who bowled a record number of overs comprising long, attacking spells that did not allow the batsmen to play their shots with freedom. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

ODI squad: Tendulkar, Irfan in; Yuvraj, Harbhajan left out

Veteran Sachin Tendulkar was on Sunday recalled while paceman Praveen Kumar and spinner Rahul Sharma were also included in India's 17-member squad for the next month's tri-series in Australia.

Irfan Pathan also staged a comeback in the team, announced by BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale after a marathon meeting of the selection committee in Chennai.

There were no major surprises in the ODI squad despite the team's dismal performance in the ongoing Test series, which India is trailing 0-3.

Tendulkar, who played his last ODI in World Cup final on April 2, is the only batsman who seems to be in good nick and will get an opportunity to record a historic 100th international century.

Zaheer Khan will spearhead the bowling attack which has Umesh Yadav, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar and Irfan Pathan in the pace department.

Ishant Sharma, who figures in the Test team, was not considered for the shorter format as he is regarded more as a Test bowler.

R Ashwin and Rahul Sharma are the two specialist spinners while all rounder Ravindra Jadeja can also chip in with his spin.

Yuvraj Singh, who is still recovering from a lung ailment and injured Harbhajan Singh were not considered for selection.

Varun Aaron and Munaf Patel were also not considered because of injuries.

The Indians are scheduled to play two Twenty20 matches on February 1 and 2, followed by the tri-series, also involving Sri Lanka, from February 5.

ODI and T20 squad: M S Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag (VC), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Unesh Yadav, Praveen Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan.

Mumbai Marathon: Moiben, Abeyo emerge winners; India's Yadav gets Olympic berth

MUMBAI: African domination continued at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon as Kenya's Laban Moiben and Ethiopian Netsanet Abeyo bagged the top honours in men's and women's categories in the ninth edition on Sunday.

Among the Indians, veteran long distance runner Ram Singh Yadav booked his berth for the London Olympics.

Moiben, whose previous best timing in a marathon was 2:09:44 -- set in Ottawa in May 2010 -- won the race in a photo finish as he completed the 42-km race in 2:10:48.

Ethiopian Raji Assefa also clocked 2:10:48 but was adjudged second after photo finish results while compatriot John Kyui (2:10:54) was third.

Fatuma Sado (2:30:20) and Makda Harun (2:30:47), followed Abeyo (2;26:12) to complete an all-Ethiopian sweep in the women's category.

The top winners in the two categories got a prize money of USD 36,000 each.

Tanzania's Dickson Marwa and Simon Kasimili were the initial pace setters as they exchanged the lead position during the the first 15 km stretch.

However, after the initial surge, Marwa fell behind and it was here that Kyui and Moiben began their domination. It was at about the 30km stretch that Moiben took the lead which he held throughout.

However, it was a close tussle for the two runners-up places which Assefa and Kyui finally managed to grab.

Yadav, who held the course record for the Indians here -- 2:18:03 set in 2009 -- finally fulfilled his potential as he completed the race in 2:16:59, bettering Olympic qualification timing of 2:18 hours. The Armyman was followed by Elam Singh (2:18:27), who narrowly missed qualification, and T A Rajesh (2:24:25).

Yadav said that his armymates Elam Singh and Karan Singh, who ultimately faded out after being in the lead in the Indian bunch to finish 20th, had given him good competition after he tried to match the Kenyans initially.

"I started strongly and tried to keep pace with the Kenyan runners for 2-3 km but realised that if I continued to do so I would fade out at the 21-22 km mark. Elam Singh and Karan Singh were hot on my heels and I was afraid I would be beaten too by them," said Yadav, who became the eighth Indian athlete to attain the qualifying mark for the London Games.

The other Indians who have achieved the mark are: Vikas Gowda (men's discus), Krishna Poonia (women's discus), Mayookha Johnny (women's triple jump), Tintu Luka (women's 800m), Gurdev Singh, Babubhai Panucha (men walkers with Gurdev attaining A mark and Panucha reaching B mark) and Om Prakash Singh (men's shot put).

"The weather was very helpful this time and there was no head wind too which also helped," Yadav added.

Army coach AS Mathew was also very emotional at his ward Yadav reaching the mark and also felt that the weather played its part.

"It was the best weather since the inception of the Mumbai Marathon. It was to the advantage of the runners. He had missed the qualifying mark earlier narrowly," said Mathew.

Mathew, who said a number of runners had trained at Wellington near Ooty ahead of the race, also took the opportunity to take a pot shot at the Athletics Federation of India for having given a 45-day break to the campers.

"They have a 45-day break. No other country does this. But the good news is that AFI has decided now, after my talks with Mr Dogra (AFI director) that 4 women and 6 men marathoners will be supported well," said Mathew.

Elam Singh said he was quite satisfied with his performance as he had converted from steeplechase to marathon running only 10 months ago.

"I am pleased with my performance. It was my first marathon. I was a 3000m steeplechase runner. It's a huge change from running 3 km to 42 km," said Bishnoi. — PTI

Dhoni banned from Adelaide Test for slow over-rate

MS Dhoni has been banned for the Adelaide Test after India were found to be two overs short of the required over-rate during the Perth Test. India bowled 76 overs in 362 minutes in the only innings they bowled in at the WACA ground. This is India's second over-rate offence in the last 12 months. Dhoni had been on notice after India had been found short in the West Indies in June-July last year. The rule regarding the over-rate offences was changed last June wherein the second offence within 12 months began to merit a ban for the captain. Earlier, captains were allowed three offences.

Virender Sehwag, the vice-captain, is expected to lead the side in Adelaide. Wriddhiman Saha, the back-up wicketkeeper, will take over the gloves.

Australia demolish India by an innings to go up 3-0

Australia 369 (Warner 180, Yadav 5-93) beat India 161 (Kohli 44, Hilfenhaus 4-43) and 171 (Kohli 75, Hilfenhaus 4-54) by an innings and 37 runs

Ben Hilfenhaus claimed four wickets in each innings © Getty Images

Australia's fast bowlers completed an innings-and-37-run destruction of India minutes after lunch on day three of the third Test, snatching the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the most emphatic style imaginable. Ryan Harris split a stubborn stand between Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid before Peter Siddle nicked out MS Dhoni in the shadows of the interval, and Ben Hilfenhaus razed the tail with three wickets in five balls on resumption.

Siddle found Kohli's outside edge to complete proceedings, heralding the start of rich celebrations for the hosts following victory over opponents who never came to terms with the challenges posed by Australia's bowlers and conditions. The performance of the match was by a home batsman however, and it was a measure of the Man-of-the-Match David Warner's 180 that India's batsmen fell short of his individual tally in each innings.

His efforts gave the pace ensemble a chance to squeeze India, and all the bowlers contributed in another strikingly even performance. Harris will bowl far worse and claim five wickets rather than the one he plucked in the second innings, while Siddle and Hilfenhaus maintained their outstanding marriage of pressure and late movement. Mitchell Starc, of course, had made two critical breaks on the second evening.

Dravid and Kohli provided the staunchest Indian batting resistance of the match in a union of 84, but were never completely in control against Harris, who deservedly found a way past Dravid towards the end of an exacting spell. Siddle's dismissal of Dhoni was a familiar sight, the captain's edge snapped up by Ricky Ponting in the cordon.

Kohli's innings was a beacon of hope for India's future, demonstrating strong technique and a stronger mind to cope with Australia's bowling that did not flag in considerable heat. Following up a similarly composed 44 in the first innings, it may warrant a promotion in the batting order for Adelaide.

Resuming at 4 for 88, still 120 short of going into credit, Dravid and Kohli had plenty of testing moments in the opening overs. Harris' first two deliveries of the day did everything but bowl Dravid, angling in and seaming away, while at the other end Hilfenhaus swung the ball tantalisingly away with the help of a south-westerly breeze.

Kohli was the more assured of the batting duo, collecting his runs quietly with ones and twos, reining in his most aggressive tendencies in a struggle for survival against bowling that offered precious little latitude.

Harris, in particular, posed question after question, taking advantage of a crack on a length at the Lillee-Marsh Stand end to bring the ball sharply back into Kohli and Dravid. Dravid was late to react to some subtle inswing, the ball swerving between bat and pad to send leg stump cartwheeling. Dravid shuffled off, bowled five times in six innings during the series.

Dhoni's technique has been found similarly wanting, and once again he would edge tamely into the cordon. Siddle's delivery was full, fast and swinging, and Ponting's hands at second slip were alert and safe. Nevertheless, the dismissal was another grim reflection on the batting of Dhoni, who has always struggled to replicate his subcontinental run-scoring on foreign shores.

Lunch came and went, Kohli still harbouring the desire to reach a century. But Hilfenhaus was not in a mood to countenance charity. Bashing the ball in short of a length, he had Vinay Kumar and Zaheer Khan fencing to Michael Clarke at slip in consecutive balls, and while Ishant Sharma survived the hat-trick delivery, he fended his third straight to Ed Cowan at short leg.

Umesh Yadav survived one ball to give Kohli the strike, but Siddle probed the perfect line and length once more to coax a touch behind and seal a series that has been more lopsided than anyone can have imagined. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Kulkarni blames batting for Mumbai's failure

Sulakshan Kulkarni: "Tamil Nadu were a far superior team. So you had to be mentally stronger" © Fotocorp

Sulakshan Kulkarni, Mumbai's coach, has singled out the failure of his senior batsmen and their inability to adapt to the situation in the knockouts as the main reason behind the team not reaching the Ranji final. The trio of Wasim Jaffer, the Mumbai captain, Abhishek Nayar and Suryakumar Yadav not performing in the semi-finals against Tamil Nadu proved fatal and Kulkarni, in his first season as coach, did not shy away from holding them responsible.

"As far as our batting was concerned we completely played very bad cricket," Kulkarni said, highlighting the first-innings performance in the semis as the worst. After Jaffer elected to field, Tamil Nadu recovered from a critical 139 for 6, to post a healthy 359 in their first innings. In response, Mumbai failed miserably, folding up for 157.

Jaffer was unlucky to be adjudged lbw by the umpire K Hariharan, as there was big inside edge and the gully fielder leapt forward to attempt the catch. That aside, Jaffer had been struggling throughout the season, recording an aggregate of 406 runs in nine matches across twelve innings with just one century at an average of 45.11.

Jaffer, usually one of the top run-getters in the season, had failed by his own high standards. "We lost this year and one of the biggest factors was Wasim's batting," Kulkarni said. "We needed him the most in the last two matches. It was a big loss to us."

The worst of the shot selection came from the pair of Nayar and Yadav in the semi-final. What saddened their coach was how two of his best batsmen had erred at the most important juncture in the tournament.

Against Tamil Nadu, Nayar and Yadav had started re-building the innings from 14 for 3 after the Mumbai top order collapsed. But when the partnership was worth 47, Nayar opted to play a scoop in the very first over from the left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas, offering an easy catch. Yadav, too, poked at a delivery from Yo Mahesh that moved away, to nick to the wicketkeeper. Yadav had just crossed his fifth half-century of the season, but wasted an opportunity to convert into a big score. Now he would need to be happy being the third-highest run-maker this season with 754 runs.

"Yadav should have taken the responsibility when the team needed him the most," Kulkarni said. "I was a bit disappointed with Abhishek. We were 15 for 3 and around then we had a 45-50 run partnership. That time we needed a big partnership. And being a senior player Abhishek Nayar should have taken the initiative. He had played so well in the season."

Kulkarni said the gameplan went awry once Mumbai had let Tamil Nadu out of the jail. "We thought if we could bundle them out for below 200 we had a very good chance. Also, on the first day the pitch was seaming and we had our chances when they were 139 for six," Kulkarni pointed out. "But after that we did not attack the lower order and an opportunity was missed."

The Tamil Nadu lower order, marshalled by Ramaswamy Prasanna, bounced back strongly. Prasanna went on to score a brilliant ton, his second after five years, and importantly, stitch a valuable 155-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Mahesh, who scored a steadfast half-century himself. That put the visitors back on track and they did not suffer from any further stage fright.

In contrast Mumbai registered their lowest innings total of the season. In the eight completed innings so far in the season, Mumbai had crossed the 400-run mark seven times. Even in the one match they missed out, against Saurashtra, they had managed to score 360. Kulkarni was happy with the consistency they had shown until then.

Kulkarni admitted the youngsters in the squad had suffered from nerves during the knockouts. But after Mumbai had recovered from a disastrous position against Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals, Kulkarni was confident they would regroup against Tamil Nadu.

In the quarters Mumbai were in dire straits at 70 for five, but Kaustubh Pawar remained stoic to register a big hundred and Ankit Chavan hit a resolute century. But Kulkarni said the pressure in the semis was more only because Tamil Nadu were a better team "man to man". "They were a far superior team. So you had to be mentally stronger," Kulkarni said.

Kulkarni, who was appointed Mumbai coach when Praveen Amre decided to take a break after five years, said he was happy at the end of his first Ranji season. "It was quite good looking at the larger picture. We lost very badly this game," he said. "'[But] as far as the season is concerned there have been a lot of positives which will help Mumbai cricket in the future. The main thing is success of youngsters like Surya Kumar Yadav, Kaustubh Pawar, Balwinder Sandhu, Ankit Chavan and Kshemal Waingankar. This indicates Mumbai cricket is in good health."

Immediately after taking up the job Kulkarni found himself in a spot when Ajit Agarkar, Mumbai's most experienced and successful fast bowler, decided to abruptly return home after being dropped against Orissa. Agarkar found support from his Mumbai team-mate and India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who told the media that Kulkarni and Mumbai chairman of selectors Milind Rege were pulling back Mumbai cricket.

Today, Kulkarni did not want to delve on the Agarkar incident and disagreed that the issue had any bearing on the rest of the season. "That was purely a cricketing situation," Kulkarni said. "That incident is over. Had we concentrated on that issue we wouldn't have come this far."

Pressed further if the issue had any impact on the morale of the dressing room, Kulkarni provided an example to back his thoughts. "If you look at the performance even in that match, Suryakumar Yadav scored a double-hundred. Kaustubh Pawar scored a century too."

Asked if he was bothered about his future, Kulkarni laughed at the questions. He said Mumbai being a champion team, everybody expected them to win the title. "That is not news. But if we lose it is big news."

Kulkarni was happy with the state of Mumbai's bench strength, and wanted to build on it. According to him, Mumbai's lesson from the season was to work harder and be more consistent. "A lot of the youngsters play a lot of Twenty20 and it is important that these guys adapt quickly to the four-day game and play consistently." © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Sachin to play ODI cricket after nearly a year

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will finally make his return to one-day cricket in the forthcoming triangular series (starting Feb 5) featuring India, Australia and Sri Lanka Down Under, it is learnt.

Rest and injury concerns prevented Tendulkar from figuring in 50-over cricket after India clinched the ICC World Cup on April 2, 2011. The national selection committee headed by Krishnamachari Srikkanth will only be informed about Tendulkar's availability for the tri-series by the team management when the selectors meet tomorrow.

Tendulkar has played in 453 one-day internationals and has scored 18,111 runs over a 22-year period. India won the tri-series by beating a strong Australian team in a best of three finals system in 2007-08. They did not need a third final to achieve their first success in this competition which they earlier participated in 1980-81, 1985-86, 1991-92, 1999-2000 and 2003-04. However, India under Sunil Gavaskar claimed the World Championship of Cricket in 1985.

YUVRAJ RULED OUT: Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh has been ruled out of the one-day tri-series to be played in Australia following the ongoing Test series, reported ESPNcricinfo. Yuvraj, it is learnt, has yet to fully recover from the non-malignant lung tumour which kept him out of the team since the home ODIs against

West Indies.

Australia storming towards 3-0 lead

India 161 and 4 for 88 (Starc 2-14) trail Australia 369 (Warner 180, Cowan 74, Yadav 5-93) by 120 runs

Mitchell Starc dismissed Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar in the second innings to send India hurtling towards defeat © Getty Images

David Warner's 180 powered Australia to a strong lead before their bowlers set about routing India a second time on day two of the third Test at the WACA ground. Australia were cut down for 369 after an opening stand of 214 between Warner and Ed Cowan, but any gains made by India's bowlers were frittered away by their batsmen, who limped to 4 for 88. They were still 120 runs short of making Australia bat again, and a handful of wickets away from surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It was the left-armer Mitchell Starc's turn to be the visitors' chief tormentor, swinging the ball at high pace while also gaining some steepling bounce. Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus also struck to maintain their summer jaunt through the visitors' batting, while Ryan Harris beat the bat often.

Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli were India's last faint hope, but it seemed a forlorn one given how the ball continued to swing, seam and bounce. The failures of the other top-order batsmen opened the question of whether or not Rohit Sharma will debut in Adelaide.

Starc defeated Gautam Gambhir with a ball that pranced at the batsman and looped to gully off the bat handle, and then pinned Sachin Tendulkar lbw with in-swing. Tendulkar was unhappy about the decision, shaking his head as he walked off then reacting with dismay to replays that showed the ball clipping leg stump. Virender Sehwag was undone by a Siddle delivery that lifted and left him, while VVS Laxman made another duck on a wretched tour, edging Hilfenhaus' outswinger into the cordon.

For all of India's woes, their bowlers had again found a trace of brittleness in the hosts' batting. Australia lost all 10 wickets for 155 from the time Cowan was the first man out, underlining the value of Warner's innings, among the most brazen played by a Test opener, and his partnership of contrast with the more restrained Cowan. However it reflected poorly on the batsmen that Siddle's 30 was the next best score.

Yadav claimed five wickets for the first time in Tests, striking three times in a hostile morning spell, then Ishant, Zaheer Khan and Vinay Kumar chimed in across the afternoon to limit the hosts' lead to 208.

Resuming at 0 for 149, Cowan and Warner played in more or less the same vein as the previous evening. If Warner reined in his game at all, it was only in a nod to better bowling from the visitors. He was still inclined to swing for the fences every now and then, and crashed another straight drive over Ishant's head for his fourth six.

The first chance of the innings arrived at 193, Warner touching a well-pitched delivery from Zaheer only for it to be dropped by Kohli at first slip. Cowan accumulated soundly at the other end, reaching his second half-century of the series and rotating the strike intelligently. It was he who raised the 200 stand, pulling Yadav to the square-leg boundary to take Australia's openers past that mark for the first time since Simon Katich and Phil Jaques did it against West Indies in 2008.

Thoughts had turned to the possibility of a Cowan century when Yadav moved around the wicket and produced a delivery that moved back a shade to burst between the opener's bat and pad and disturb the stumps. Cowan was crestfallen to have left the middle, but the following passage would show that batting was not as easy as it had seemed.

Warner was struck a painful blow on the elbow, requiring the physio's attention for the second time in his innings, and Marsh fell cheaply for the fourth time in as many innings this series. He played at a delivery that left him and snicked to Laxman at second slip. Ponting managed one back-foot cover drive before he too was undone by Yadav, who found just enough swing and seam from the off to flatten the former captain's middle stump.

The merry progress of Warner continued in a stand of 48 with his captain Michael Clarke, before the opener finally miscued a loft to offer an outfield catch. Much as Warner cussed, the end of the innings reflected the crazy brave manner of its construction.

Clarke received a fine delivery from Zaheer, angled in then moving subtly away, and a similar ball also accounted for Brad Haddin, the wicketkeeper's duck raising further questions about his place in the side. Michael Hussey battled for fluency and was oddly subservient to the cleaner hitting of Siddle in another brief stand, before Vinay collected his first wicket when Hussey cut to gully.

Siddle's fluent stay was ended when Yadav beat the outside edge to flick off stump, Harris perished for 9 when he lobbed a pull shot to square leg, and Hilfenhaus could not contain himself against Sehwag's off spin. But bad as Australia's batsmen had done once Warner departed, India would do worse. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Bradman museum to erect Tendulkar statue

The authorities of the Bradman Museum in Bowral are planning to build a statue of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar alongside Aussie legend, Sir Don Bradman.


Sachin Tendulkar with Sir Don Bradman in 1998

The great Australian had once said that Tendulkar bats like him and so the authorities felt that the Indian is the only candidate who can have a statue besides the Aussie great.

To execute the plan, the museum authorities have been repeatedly requesting Tendulkar to visit Bowral -- the city where Bradman was brought up and learnt his cricket since the age of four. But the maestro is believed to have refused the invitation saying, it's not possible during this tour and he has to come to this part of the world at another time.

Though the legendary Aussie batsman was born in Cootamundra, which is a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Bowral, he is known as the Boy from Bowral because he spent most of his time there.

The Aussie legend used to practise by throwing a golf ball at a water tank in Bowral. Sir Don once revealed that he worked on his concentration and timing by doing that. On entering the museum, a visitor is also allowed to practise with a stick by throwing a golf ball against a makeshift water tank.

Walking around the village, one will get to see two houses where he used to live and a beautiful picture of a cricket ground which is called the Bradman Oval. The cricket museum along with hall of fame -- which was inaugurated last year by Sunil Gavaskar -- cannot be missed either. — MiD DAY

Bhupathi-Bopanna knocked out of Chennai Open

Chennai: Top seeded Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna crashed out of the doubles event in the semifinals of the Aircel Chennai Open 2012 after losing to Israel's Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich on Saturday.

The fourth seed Israeli pair came back from a set down to upset the title favourites in tie-breaker 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.

The 34-year-old Erlich slammed a volley from close to the net to return a Bopanna shot from the baseline to enter the final and set up a title clash with either third seeded Indo-Serbian pair of Leander Paes an Janko Tipsarevic or the all-American duo of Rajeev Ram and Scott Lipsky.

In a match that lasted about 90 minutes, the Indian pair wasted a breakpoint in the seventh game of the second set to go 4-3 up, following which Erlich and Ram won three games in succession, including game seven, to wrap up the set 6-3 and take the match into the tie-breaker.

In the tie-breaker, Erlich and Ram took the lead in the fifth point of Bhupathi's serve, when Erlich placed a serve return on the line. They went 6-4 up after Erlich rushed upfield after serving and placed a volley that the Indian pair could not return.

The Israeli pair was stretched in the tie-breaker by Bhupathi and Bopanna, but the latter's weak service returns and backhand returns let the team down.

Erlich and Ram have already made the final of the Chennai Open before, losing to the Spanish pair of Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo in the 2004 doubles title clash.

The first set saw both teams hold serve till the fifth game, when Bhupathi and Bopanna finally broke their Israeli opponents after wasting three breakpoints in the same game.

After allowing Ram and Erlich to come back from being 0-40 down, the Indian duo went 3-2 up after Erlich netted a forehand volley from a forward position. However, the Indian pair wasted an opportunity to go up 4-3 in the second set when Bopanna sent a return wide.

The second set saw Ram and Erlich break Bhupathi and Bopanna twice, in game four and eight.

In game four, the Israeli duo, just like their opponents, allowed them to come back into the game from 0-40 down on Bhupathi's serve. They finally broke them when Bhupathi netted a backhand return to gift them the game just after firing an ace to bring Bopanna and himself level to deuce.

In game eight, the Indian duo was broken on Bhupathi's serve as the Israeli pair went 5-3 up, wrapping up the set in the next game when Bhupathi netted a return off Erlich's serve, making it 6-3 and taking the match into the tie-breaker. — PTI

Hilfenhaus takes five in Australia's innings win

Australia 4 for 659 dec beat India 191 and 400 (Gambhir 83, Tendulkar 80, Laxman 66, Ashwin 62, Hilfenhaus 5-106) by an innings and 68 runs

Ben Hilfenhaus finished with 5 for 106 © Getty Images

This was supposed to be India's best chance to win a Test series in Australia. It has taken only eight days of cricket for Michael Clarke's men to deny them that goal. On the fourth afternoon in Sydney, an attack led by Ben Hilfenhaus deconstructed India's formidable batting line-up, bit by bit, to secure an unbeatable 2-0 series lead with victory by an innings and 68 runs, Australia's first innings win over India in 12 years.

The last such result also came at the SCG, in 2000. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were all part of that side, as they were members of the outfit that lost this time around. It is unlikely they will have another chance to beat Australia at home. For now, India still hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and should they win in Perth and Adelaide they will retain it. But their grip on it is as weak as Chris Martin's forward defence.

This was an Australian victory that will be remembered for Clarke's unbeaten 329. But on the fourth day, it was a second consecutive five-wicket haul from Hilfenhaus that was the highlight. Hilfenhaus completed the success with the final wicket when R Ashwin, who had made a fighting 62, skied a pull and was caught by Nathan Lyon running around from mid-on.

The Australians were overjoyed. Clarke especially was thrilled. His declaration on the third day, when he could have chased personal milestones like Brian Lara's world-record Test innings of 400, was designed to ensure Australia would win the match. They did so with three and a half sessions remaining. Clarke is not the kind of man to harbour any regrets. The win was everything.

He knew better than anyone that batting on the SCG surface was not particularly difficult, and as Tendulkar and Laxman put on a 103-run stand his mind might have flicked back eight years, to a 353-run partnership between the same men at the same ground. Fittingly, it was Clarke with his left-arm spin that ended the partnership, and India's hopes of saving the Test.

Tendulkar had reached 80 and seemed to be on track to register his long-awaited hundredth international hundred in the SCG's hundredth Test when Clarke changed the course of the day. He produced a delivery that was accurate enough to draw Tendulkar into a stroke and turned just enough to catch the edge, which ricocheted off Brad Haddin's gloves and was snaffled by Michael Hussey at slip.

When the new ball arrived, the other architect of that one threatening partnership, Laxman, on 66, fell to a near-perfect delivery from Hilfenhaus, who finished with 5 for 106. The ball angled in and then nipped away to beat the outside edge of Laxman's bat, clipping the edge of the top of off stump, and the batsman could scarcely believe his fate, confident as he appeared that he had covered his wicket.

From there, the wickets fell steadily. MS Dhoni (2) chipped a return catch to Hilfenhaus, who seemed to think it was a bump ball. But the umpire's decision to have the third official check on the shot revealed it had lobbed cleanly back to Hilfenhaus without touching the ground, surprising some of the Australians.

Virat Kohli was lbw to James Pattinson for 9, a fraction unlucky as the ball kept low, but there was no question over the decision. Peter Siddle joined in by removing Zaheer Khan, who had made an entertaining 35 when he slashed hard at a delivery outside off and was taken by Shaun Marsh running back from extra cover.

Briefly, Ishant Sharma and Ashwin staved off the Australians with a 42-run stand, but Ishant (11) was lbw to the offspin of Nathan Lyon. That was the only breakthrough of the match for Lyon, who also collected just one in Melbourne and has not removed a top-six batsman since the first Test of the summer, against New Zealand at the Gabba. Though usually loath to change a winning side, Australia might consider replacing him with Ryan Harris at the WACA.

There are far more questions for India. For a while it looked like they might take the match into the fifth day as they worked through the first session for the loss of only one wicket, that of Gautam Gambhir. He missed the chance for his first Test century in nearly two years when, on 83, he stood on the crease and reached his bat a long way forward to the bowling of Siddle, who found a leading edge that was snapped up by David Warner at point.

Tendulkar and Laxman continued to fight. Laxman played some of his trademark wristy flicks through the leg side, against the fast men and also the offspin of Lyon, and Tendulkar showed off some wonderful cover-drives early in the morning. Shortly before the lunch break, Tendulkar upper-cut a frustrated Pattinson over the sole slip for another boundary.

But it was all a big tease for the Indian fans. In a match where three Australians made tons, including one triple-hundred, India needed more than a handful of pretty half-centuries. There are questions over their batting and their bowling as the Perth Test approaches. They have a week to sort out their problems. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Mumbai make semis on first-innings lead

Madhya Pradesh 192 (Birla 63, Kulkarni 5-74) and 474 for 3 dec (M Mishra 174*, Bundela 101*) drew with Mumbai 434 (K Pawar 161, Chavan 102*, Sudhindra 5-96) and 113 for 1 (Pawar 52*, Waghela 51*)

Mumbai eased into another Ranji Trophy semi-final on the basis of a massive first-innings lead after their quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh ended in a draw on the fourth day in Indore.

On the final day, Mohnish Mishra led a dominating batting performance from MP and, with his captain Devendra Bundela, smashed the friendly Mumbai attack for 224 runs in just over a session. MP declared on 474 for 3 but Mumbai, with the security of first-innings points, were never going to go for the target of 233 in a minimum of 49 overs. The match ended at the start of the mandatory overs, by which time Kaustubh Pawar and Praful Waghela had scored fifties to lead Mumbai to 113 for 1.

The only source of interest at the start of the final day was whether MP would go for quick runs and set a target for Mumbai. They did not disappoint. Mishra and Bundela plundered at will on the flat pitch and Wasim Jaffer had nine fielders on the boundary for the major part of the first session. The batsmen still kept hitting the odd boundary, and Mishra smashed five sixes as well. Some of them were flat and clean strikes against the medium-pacers that cleared long-on.

With Dhawal Kulkarni resting ahead of the semi-final against Tamil Nadu because of a shin niggle, the Mumbai spinners did the bulk of the bowling. Ankeet Chavan bowled 40 overs for a return of 1 for 171. Mumbai were not thinking about taking wickets; their only consideration was to bat for as few overs as possible. MP helped them by batting on for a few more overs after lunch so that Bundela could get to his century. When the declaration finally came, Mishra was unbeaten on 174.

Pawar, who had rescued Mumbai in the first innings with a defiant 161, punched powerfully off the back foot for boundaries to sign off with a half-century in the second. The pitch looked good to last another four days; it was their indecisive batting on the first morning, when the surface was at its freshest, that ended MP's tournament. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

India facing ordeal after Clarke's triple-century

ndia 191 and 2 for 114 (Gambhir 68*, Tendulkar 8*) trail Australia 4 for 659 dec (Clarke 329*, Hussey 150*, Ponting 134, Zaheer 3-122) by 354 runs

Michael Clarke celebrates his triple-hundred © Getty Images

Matthew Hayden, Mark Taylor, Don Bradman, Michael Clarke. That is the list of the men with the highest Test scores for Australia after a day on which Clarke not only wrote himself into the record books but also declared early enough to give his side a strong chance to push for victory over India. Clarke ended Australia's innings with his own score on 329, choosing neither to seek the glory of chasing down Brian Lara's world-record 400, nor even Taylor's iconic 334, the best score by an Australian Test captain.

Instead, he chose drinks in the middle session - the halfway point of the game - to declare Australia's innings closed at 4 for 659. His partner, Michael Hussey, had just reached 150. His thinking as he and Hussey walked off to a standing ovation from the SCG crowd was clear: on a good pitch, Australia would need time to bowl India out, especially with the chance of rain on the fourth day. Personal milestones meant nothing. The team goal was all that mattered.

By the close of play, Australia had two of the ten wickets they wanted. Virender Sehwag had gone in the fourth over of the innings. He flashed hard at a wide ball from Ben Hilfenhaus and was brilliantly snapped up at point by David Warner, whose split-second leap up and to his left allowed him to clasp his hands around the ball and remove India's quickest scorer for 4.

Hilfenhaus also accounted for Rahul Dravid, who was bowled for the third time in the series. On 29, Dravid moved his front foot across in line with off stump but left enough of a gap for the bowler to nip a ball in between bat and pad. The Wall is in desperate need of some mortar, but don't expect the former bricklayer Hilfenhaus to supply it.

At stumps, India were 2 for 114, still trailing by 354, and the Australians needed to find a way through the defences of Sachin Tendulkar, who was on 8. Unexpectedly, given his struggles in the first three innings of the series, it was Gautam Gambhir who was giving them the most trouble. He had reached 68 and was playing positively, having struck nine boundaries.

Already he had his highest Test score in more than a year. However, Gambhir had been given a life on 66 when James Pattinson found his outside edge in the dying stages of the day. Brad Haddin dived to his left and for the second time in the series moved too far; the ball sailed between his arms while his gloves kept moving further towards first slip.

The Australians knew it could be a costly let-off, for runs had flowed easily for Clarke and Hussey on the third day. In three hours of cricket, they added 177 for the loss of no wickets. In fact, from 4.43pm on the opening day of the match until 2.10pm on the third day, Australia had put on 622 runs for the loss of just one wicket, that of Ricky Ponting, who fell for 134 midway through the second afternoon.

And while Hussey finished with 150 not out, the third day was all about Clarke. He not only became the sixth man to score a Test triple-century for Australia, his innings was also the best by an Australian captain in a home Test, surpassing Bradman's 270 at the MCG in 1937. It also broke Tip Foster's 108-year-old record for the highest score in an SCG Test; his 287 on debut was passed when Clarke drove a boundary through extra cover.

That was a record that could not be overstated, especially in the SCG's 100th Test. Over the years, 3747 times batsmen have walked out on to the Sydney Cricket Ground to commence a Test innings. In all of those performances, nobody has ever scored as many as Clarke did over the past three days. He went to lunch on 293, and it took barely ten minutes after the break for his triple-century to arrive.

It came with a flick off his pads for a boundary off Ishant Sharma, an appropriate shot for Clarke had punished anything on his legs throughout the innings. In truth, there was hardly a region of the ground in which Clarke didn't score freely: he drove through off and down the ground, cut, pulled and glanced with ease. He was slow out of the blocks on the third morning, ensuring he got himself set again, but never did his innings stagnate.

He was helped by the presence of Hussey, who became the third centurion in Australia's innings. In a 334-run partnership with Clarke, Hussey kept the scoreboard ticking over at a reasonable rate. He brought up his 16th Test hundred with a single tickled towards third man off Sehwag's offspin shortly before lunch, and he pumped his fists with delight.

Although it was Hussey's fifth Test century since the start of the Ashes last summer, he had also fallen for three golden ducks during his past nine innings. At no did India seriously look like breaking the partnership, although R Ashwin bowled an impressive, searching spell in the opening session.

The action in the middle became so predictable that in the ABC radio commentary box Harsha Bhogle and Kerry O'Keeffe entertained listeners by challenging each other to eat the world's hottest chilli. Meanwhile, in the Channel Nine box, Ian Healy quizzed Bill Lawry on pigeon diseases.

But all eyes were fixed on Clarke as he reached his triple-century, and when he declared less than an hour later. It was a captain's innings in every way, just as he delivered in Cape Town against South Africa in November. Australia lost that Test. Clarke made sure they won't lose this one. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Ponting's ton, Clarke's double demoralise India

Australia 4 for 482 (Clarke 251*, Ponting 134, Hussey 55*) lead India 191 by 291 runs

Michael Clarke scored all around the wicket during his maiden Test double-century © Getty Images

Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting have prior form in shattering Indian spirits at the SCG. Four years ago, they conspired to steal victory during a mad quarter hour late on the fifth day, when Clarke was handed the ball by the captain Ponting and took three wickets in an over. This year, they tortured India more slowly, with a partnership that lasted the best part of six hours and all but ensured Australia could not lose the Test.

Of course, since Kolkata in 2001, nothing has ever been truly certain in Tests between these two countries. But the drought-breaking century from Ponting - his first in nearly two years - and Clarke's maiden Test double-hundred steered Australia into the kind of position from which it would take a Kolkata-like comeback to rescue India. They would need something very, very special.

The Sydney crowd had already witnessed the exceptional, from Clarke and Ponting. By stumps, Clarke was unbeaten on 251, having batted through the day, and it was not out of the question that he could become the first man to score a Test triple-century at the SCG. Michael Hussey had chipped in with 55 not out and Australia's lead had ballooned to 291, with six wickets in hand.

Clarke's innings was mature and mesmerising, but it was Ponting's hundred that had really brought the crowd to life. Ponting had been starved of a Test century in his past 33 innings, and for the first time since the early days of his career had faced pressure to justify his place in the side. At no stage during his slump did he give up. It was somehow appropriate for a man who had fought so hard over the past few months that he was dirty and dishevelled when his hundred arrived.

The milestone came via a quick single, a poorly-judged one too, for a direct hit from Zaheer Khan at mid-on would have had Ponting run out for 99. He dived to make the crease and climbed up off the ground - the most fitting metaphor imaginable - with helmet askew and dirt all down his shirt and trousers. It was a sight that brought smiles from Clarke and even the umpire Ian Gould, and importantly from Ponting himself.

Amid all the debate over his form and his position in the side in recent months, Ponting had maintained that he was batting well. In this innings, he was. There were several classic Ponting pulls and his flicks through the leg side were a feature of his game. To some degree, he eschewed the typical Ponting back-foot drives through the off side, though that in part came down to the lines India bowled.

It was not until the second new ball arrived that Ponting departed, caught at point for 134 when he drove Ishant Sharma. Ponting walked off to a standing ovation, having joined his catcher, Sachin Tendulkar, and Jacques Kallis as the only men to have scored 40 Test centuries. His 288-run stand with Clarke, the highest fourth-wicket partnership ever compiled against India in Test cricket, had demoralised the visitors.

More was to come from Clarke, who had brought up his 18th Test century, and his fourth in his past 11 innings, with a perfectly placed cover-drive for four in the last over before lunch. His double-century arrived from his 284th delivery with a flick through square leg off Zaheer, and it brought a kiss of the helmet and a tear to the eye of Clarke, who is in his first home summer as Australia's full-time captain.

Clarke scored his runs all around the ground, with cover-drives, off-drives, clips off the pads, pulls, cuts, lofts over the infield against spin - perhaps the only thing he didn't attempt was a reverse-sweep. He was seeing the ball so well that he was able to walk across his stumps and down the pitch to turn good balls from the fast men into opportunities to score through the leg side. By stumps, he had the best score by an Australia batsman in an SCG Test, and needed 37 more to beat Tip Foster's record for all-comers.

To cap it all off for Australia, Hussey joined in late in the day with some quick runs, including two consecutive fours followed by a six off R Ashwin. It was an immensely disheartening day for India, who could manage only one wicket throughout the day after 13 had fallen on the opening day. There were no-balls from the part-time offspinner Virender Sehwag, strange field placements from MS Dhoni and a general lack of spark, which was to be expected by the end of a long, hot day in the field.

In the first couple of overs of the morning, Dhoni had a man back at deep square leg when he needed to be on the attack, and later he removed all of his slips while Umesh Yadav was bowling, seemingly a concession that all he could do was try to slow the run scoring of Ponting and Clarke rather than try to get them out.

He can be rest assured that Clarke won't be as defensive in the field when he gets his chance. Unfortunately for Dhoni, that might be a while off yet. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.