All-round Ashwin stars in hard-fought win

India 234 for 6 (Kohli 77, Ashwin 30*) beat Sri Lanka 233 for 8 (Chandimal 64, Dilshan 48, Zaheer 2-44, Ashwin 3-32) by four wickets

R Ashwin enjoyed his best day in what's been a long, hard tour © Getty Images

India's feted openers exited too early, and the inexperienced middle order succumbed to old failings, but their bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin showed admirable poise to steer a wobbly chase home. Virat Kohli's authoritative 77 set the agenda, but India began to falter when he contracted cramps around the mid-point of the innings. His exit, run out while attempting a hopeless single, left India's lower order 53 tricky runs to get. Ashwin and Jadeja did the rest, braving the Lasith Malinga threat and the epidemic bout of nerves that had blighted the middle order.

For some reason Sri Lanka did not go hard enough at India after Kohli's fall. Malinga, who yorked the stumps with a typical sling-shot throw from mid-on to catch a diving Kohli short in the 36th over, had four overs left. Mahela Jayawardene brought his trump card on quickly, but didn't provide him with the Test-match fields that the situation demanded. Malinga was off after two quick overs that were handled well, and by the time he returned for the 45th over, India needed only 17 more runs. It was too late - Ashwin and Jadeja had played themselves in, and ticked the runs away with composure.

The only moment of indiscretion came when India needed one run to win. Ashwin tried to loft Angelo Mathews down the ground and mis-hit it straight up in the air. Three men converged, and mid-off, who should have taken it easily, backed off following some miscommunication, as India scrambled through for the win. The fielder at mid-off was Malinga.

The batting effort capped Ashwin's best day on tour, when he reduced his pace, tossed up the ball, and extracted a lot more spin than is the norm at Perth. He came into the attack at an ideal moment, soon after Zaheer Khan had extracted Kumar Sangakkara in the 17th over with a peachy away seamer. That was Zaheer's second moment of excellence against a left-hand batsman, after he took just 10 balls in his opening spell to work over Upul Tharanga. Thereafter, Ashwin suffocated Sri Lanka's momentum in partnership with Zaheer. Between them, they reaped combined returns of 20-2-76-5. That included 14 of the 20 Powerplay overs, which yielded 4 for 42.

Tillakaratne Dilshan fought through Zaheer's opening burst, and was primed to take off after beavering his way to 48, but gifted his wicket away. Dinesh Chandimal took charge, walking across his stumps to clip Praveen fine, steering with soft hands into the covers and setting himself up early for swings to the leg side. He had added 52 in 11.2 overs with Jayawardene, at which point Ashwin began to wield his influence.

The carom ball was scarcely used, as Ashwin focused on loop, drift and traditional turn to good effect. He first induced Jayawardene to top-edge a sweep to fine leg in the batting Powerplay. He then dented hopes of a quick recovery by weaving a sharp offbreak past Thisara Perera, before dismissing Chandimal in the 44th over. That put paid to Sri Lanka's prospects of a flying finish, though Mathews slogged hard and ran harder to provide some late succour.

Sri Lanka's all-seam attack, in contrast to their opponents earlier in the day, attempted to use pace and bounce to unsettle India. Virender Sehwag perished attempting his patent upper-cut, which did not carry beyond third man. Sachin Tendulkar's fans enjoyed 48 runs of sublime batting, before he once again succumbed without completing the most eagerly anticipated century in cricket history. Until he played on to Mathews, attempting a cheeky dab to third man, Tendulkar lined up a bunch of pleasing shots, with head stationary and feet moving well. A firm front-foot push off Malinga was as good as any stroke played until then in the day, until Kohli began to dazzle.

Kohli imperiously flicked his second ball through square leg for four. The extra pace on the pitch seemed to play into Kohli's hands, as he pranced into position early to play attacking shots on either side of the pitch. His control was epitomised by the ease with which he pulled a pacy Dhammika Prasad bumper through square leg. Rohit Sharma's lethargic movements at the other end were only accentuated by Kohli's quick feet and hands.

India were coasting when Rohit played a loose cut to be caught at point. Suresh Raina kept the flag aflutter with a couple of pleasing cover drives, but the threat of the short ball was imminently around the corner. With Kohli cramping, Raina took it upon himself to go for the boundaries, and holed out while trying to pull Mathews. MS Dhoni too returned without making a dent, late on a pull that spiralled to mid-on. When Kohli ran himself out, India had lost three big wickets for 24 in 3.5 overs. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, that was the last time Malinga hit the stumps. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Harbhajan left out of Australia tour

Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin have been picked as India's two spinners for the tour of Australia © AFP

India have left out Harbhajan Singh from the squad for the Test series in Australia, picking Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin as the spinners in the 17-man group. Medium-pacer Praveen Kumar, who was part of the team in England, returns to the squad in place of legspinner Rahul Sharma, who was part of the squad for the ongoing Test series against West Indies but did not play a match.

The squad comprised eight specialist batsmen, two wicketkeeper batsmen, five fast bowlers and two spinners. Wriddhiman Saha was named as reserve wicketkeeper, while Zaheer Khan, who is recovering from hamstring and ankle injuries, will join the team subject to match fitness.

"Zaheer will play in a couple of Ranji Trophy matches. And once he is fully match-fit and everything is fine, he will join the side," Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of India's selectors, said. "He may also go with the team as by the time [the team leaves] he would have played a couple of matches."

MS Dhoni, the India captain, said that Zaheer testing his fitness in a Ranji game for Mumbai against Orissa would be beneficial for both the player and the team. "He [Zaheer] gives his 100%. But if you have to undergo rehab it has to be done really well," Dhoni said. "We are hoping that he is 100% fit for the Australia series. Once he plays a first-class game that will help judge to some extent the way he feels."

Zaheer bowled to the Indian batsmen in the lead up to the third Test against West Indies at the Wankhede and Dhoni said he "looked quite fit."

Harbhajan's omission was a result of left-arm spinner Ojha and offspinner Ashwin produced compelling performances in the Test series against West Indies. Ashwin was the series' highest wicket-taker with 22 scalps at 22.90 apiece, while Ojha took 20 at 22.50. Ashwin also scored his maiden international century in the third Test at the Wankhede.

"Unfortunately, we cannot help it [not picking Harbhajan] as the team selects itself," Srikkanth said. "In Australia, you cannot have more than two spinners. Pragyan Ojha and Ashwin are doing an excellent job. Sometimes it becomes bad luck and sometimes people miss out. I'm sure everyone has their own time and space to come back."

Harbhajan had been dropped from the squad for the West Indies series after a poor performance in England, where he took only two wickets in two Tests before an abdominal-muscle injury forced him to return home. He failed to perform in the Ranji Trophy as well, managing only two wickets at an average of 102 in three matches as captain of Punjab. On India's previous tour to Australia, in 2007-08, Harbhajan had a tally of eight wickets in three Tests at 61.25. He conceded over 100 runs in an innings three times in that series.

Yuvraj Singh, who will miss the upcoming ODI series against West Indies because of a lung infection, and Suresh Raina, were also not in not in the team.

"We have chosen a very balanced side. We have taken everything into account, including fitness and Australian conditions," Srikkanth said. "If you ask me today whether this team can beat Australia in Australia, I would say I'm very confident. We should beat Australia in Australia in a Test series.

"Our batsman are in form, our bowlers are in form. And now we have all kinds of bowlers. We have fast bowlers, medium-fast bowlers, we have swing bowlers, spinners - left-arm and offspin," Srikkanth said. "So depending on the conditions there the team management will select the team on a match-to-match basis."

Squad: MS Dhoni (capt &wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Zaheer Khan (subject to fitness). © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Only the second draw with scores level

India 482 (Ashwin 103, Tendulkar 94, Dravid 82) and 242 for 9 (Kohli 63, Sehwag 60) drew with West Indies 590 (Bravo 166, K Edwards 86, Powell 81) and 134 (Ojha 6-47, Ashwin 4-34)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Virat Kohli forged his second Test fifty in two days to seal his place at No. 6 for the Boxing Day Test © AFP

The draw was the predicted result at the start of the final day at the Wankhede. It was a draw alright, but instead of the widely expected bore, India and West Indies served up one of the most extraordinary days of Test cricket, with the match ending with the scores level for only the second time in history.

R Ashwin was the Man of the Match and Man of the Series, but wasn't the man of the moment for India when they needed two off the final delivery - he took a single, but didn't set off immediately for the tight second that could have sealed the win, and the clean sweep for India. Ashwin was run out, ending an hour of almost unbearable tension that showcased Test cricket's slow-burn thrills. Fidel Edwards, a man renowned for securing nail-biting draws with the bat, had done the job with the ball in the final over this time.

A comatose Test had sprung to life on the final morning in Mumbai, as Pragyan Ojha and Ashwin ran through the West Indian line-up courtesy a combination of quality spin and atrocious shot selection. That left India a tricky 243 to get in 64 overs. Virender Sehwag then concocted another brisk half-century to set the early pace, before Virat Kohli forged his second Test fifty in two days to seal his place at No. 6 for the Boxing Day Test and keep India's pursuit on course.

With ten overs to go, India were well in control - 42 away with Kohli and Ashwin at the crease, both youngsters brimming with confidence after making plenty of runs on the fourth day, and having their places for the tour of Australia confirmed earlier on the fifth. The pair took India within 19 runs of the target, and victory seemed a formality. That was when Kohli top-edged a catch to a hobbling Darren Sammy at gully.

That put Ashwin in the spotlight. He revelled under responsibility all series, but the biggest test of his temperament had just arrived, as the required-rate increasingly gained significance. He was remarkably composed, often counselling the tailenders as the match wound its way to an impossibly tense finish. The most common chant in Indian grounds is the "Sachin, Sachin" mantra - the first word stretched out, the second short and sharp. A similar chant went around the Wankhede, only Sachin was replaced by Ashwin.

As the light faded, so too did the West Indian fielding. They missed several direct hits, including two off successive deliveries in the penultimate over. One precise throw could have been a match-turner. Ishant Sharma began with a classic off-drive for four, and then scraped singles with Ashwin to bring it down to four runs needed off eight, with two wickets remaining.

Ravi Rampaul then got reward for his give-it-everything burst, getting a ball to swerve past Ishant's bat and take out leg stump. The debutant Varun Aaron walked out, under far more pressure than he would have ever faced in his fledgling career. He inside-edged a single to keep strike for the final over. Three needed.

Edwards bowled with a packed in-field, with only third man and fine leg deep to prevent any edged boundaries. His first ball was too quick for Aaron, the second was sharply fielded at cover, and third was a tailenders' mow that connected with nothing. A take-it-easy mid-pitch conversation followed. Rather than the batsman, it was the West Indian fielding that took it easy though, as yet another misfield provided an opening, with Marlon Samuels conceding a single to bring Ashwin on strike.

Two off two then. Ashwin edged the penultimate ball onto the pad. No run, but with two wickets in hand, an India defeat had now been taken out of the equation. He pummelled the final delivery to long-on, and though Aaron was haring back to the non-striker's end, Ashwin was slow to turn around for the second, giving more time for a run-out at the wicketkeeper's end. When it mattered, the throw was spot on, Ashwin was run out with the scores level.

The drama at the death made the topsy-turvy events of the morning seem humdrum. It had taken India nearly six sessions to get eight West Indian wickets in the first innings, but the same feat required little more than an hour on the final morning. The difference between West Indies' totals was 456, the fourth-largest in Test history, yet again highlighting their inability to put together two solid innings.

Ojha sparked the collapse by removing West Indies' best batsman of the series, Darren Bravo, and their most experienced, Samuels, in one over. He snared the first five wickets of the innings, before Ashwin joined the party, and the two were in a race to top the series' wickets chart. It ended Ashwin 22, Ojha 20.

While one Caribbean meltdown a Test is almost the norm, it was expected that even if India lost a few early wickets, the stalwarts in the middle order would at least hold out for a safety-first draw - especially against an attack that was missing Sammy, troubled by a leg injury. Devendra Bishoo was also hampered by a thigh injury. Sehwag made the most of three dropped catches, and though it wasn't his usual blast-from-the-start innings, there was plenty of typical audacity as he powered India along at five an over.

It was all India as they motored past 100, before the twist duly arrived. Sehwag, the great entertainer, found an unusual way to get out - top-edging a full toss outside leg to short fine leg after attempting an insouciant reverse-paddle. Samuels then made up for the eyesore of a stroke he attempted earlier in the day, by wheedling out the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

India still had the iron-clad guarantee of VVS Laxman, perhaps the finest final-innings player around. For once, he couldn't stay till the end, and when another famous finisher, MS Dhoni, followed him soon after, it was down to the new boys, Kohli and Ashwin. They might not have taken India over the line, but were instrumental in one of the most dramatic denouements in Test history.

If Test cricket's obituarists hadn't been daunted by Zimbabwe's brave but failed chase in Bulawayo, or the twists-and-turns of the South Africa v Australia series, this match should certainly keep them at bay.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Match fizzles after Ashwin century

West Indies 590 and 81 for 2 lead India 482 (Ashwin 103, Tendulkar 94, Dravid 82) by 189 runs
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	R Ashwin hit a maiden Test century, to become the first Indian since 1962 to take five wickets and score a ton in the same innings © AFP

There was a century at the Wankhede Stadium, but not the one the sell-out crowd came to see. Sachin Tendulkar missed his historic ton by six runs, but the fans at least had the consolation of watching R Ashwin conjure an energetic hundred to become the first Indian since 1962 to take five wickets and score a century in the same match.

When Ashwin walked out, India were facing the possibility of a humiliating follow-on on the flattest of tracks after the West Indies' quicks struck three times with the second new ball, but with the help of Virat Kohli, he sliced the deficit to a far more manageable 108.

In recent times, West Indies' batting has rarely shown the ability to put up strong performances in both innings of a Test, but the all-too-familiar collapse didn't occur in the final session as Darren Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite steadfastly hung on against the spinners.

West Indies' fast bowlers began the day with intent - Ravi Rampaul starting with a bouncer to Tendulkar and Fidel Edwards striking with his first delivery of the day, getting VVS Laxman to edge to gully.

It was all about Tendulkar for the next half an hour though, as he galloped to the nineties with a series of sumptuous strokes. The classic straight drive, an effortless punch past cover, an audacious upper cut over third man for six all suggested Tendulkar was in top form, turning the Wankhede into a buzzing cauldron of noise. Ravi Rampaul switched the mute-button on though, by getting a short-of-length ball to jump at Tendulkar, who edged it to Darren Sammy at second slip. The seemingly interminable wait continues.

The crowd was at its most dejected then, and their mood didn't improve when MS Dhoni was bowled by Sammy soon after. With only the inexperienced Kohli and the bowlers to come, and India needing 60 more to force West Indies to bat again, the follow-on looked a distinct possibility.

All the hoopla may have been around Tendulkar, but it was a far more important day for Kohli, who finally got the chance to show his credentials for the No. 6 spot. He responded well, with an array of wristy flicks, guiding India ever closer to the crucial 391-run mark.

Smart stats R Ashwin became the 20th player to score a century and take a five-for in the same Test. It was the 27th instance of such a feat, and only the second since 2000. There were 11 fifty-plus scores in the first two innings of the match, which is a Test record. There are six instances of ten such scores. Ashwin's hundred is the 13th for India by a No.8 batsman, which is the most by any team. Pakistan are next with 11. Sachin Tendulkar is the first batsman to be dismissed in the 90s ten times in Tests. Rahul Dravid and Michael Slater have been out nine times each. On the third day, Dravid became the second-oldest batsman to score 1000 Test runs in a calendar year, after Don Bradman, who scored 1025 runs in 1948 at the age of 40.

Barring a caught-behind chance on 43, Kohli was barely troubled by the bowling either side of lunch, and his partnership with Ashwin not only avoided the follow-on but swelled towards triple-figures. Kohli progressed to his maiden Test half-century but couldn't carry on, gifting his wicket away while attempting to clear mid-on. There was a scream of disappointment from Kohli, but he has seemingly done enough to at least book a place for the Australia tour.

Another youngster whose tickets for Australia can be confirmed is Ashwin, who continued to find Test cricket easy in his debut series. He used to be an opener at the Under-19 level, and that was reflected during his century, which wasn't a tailender's swing-at-everything effort but a more controlled one.

The early boundaries came through measured drives and flicks, as he outscored Kohli in their partnership. After lunch, two streaky edged fours were bookended by murderous hits over mid-on for six off Bishoo. There were late cuts for four off Edwards and Marlon Samuels, audacious paddles to fine leg after jumping across the stumps on consecutive deliveries, and an air of level-headedness even as he started to run out of partners.

He started to decline the singles towards the end, and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the tension of seeing whether Ashwin could make it to the hundred with last man Pragyan Ojha for company. The No. 11 survived 14 deliveries, including a testing over from Edwards, before Ashwin stabbed the ball past gully in the next over to bring up the century which caps an eventful month in which he has already won the Man-of-the-Match award on Test debut, and got married.

Even with a sizeable first-innings lead, West Indies looked like the only team likely to lose - their batsmen needed to withstand a trial by spin, and even if they succeeded the visitors couldn't risk declaring too early on the fifth morning to push for a victory given the might of the Indian batting.

Ojha caused some early excitement by getting rid of both Adrian Barath and Kirk Edwards within the 11th over, but Brathwaithe again showed that though he may lack flair, he wasn't short on defensive doggedness. At the other end, Bravo continued to bat as fluently as you'd expect from a man who has two centuries in his previous two innings. There was a moment of concern, when he edged a chance to Kohli at forward short leg in the final over of the day but that was put down.

Though the track showed signs of taking spin, the draw remains the likeliest result. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Laxman, Tendulkar take India to comfortable win

India 209 (Sehwag 55, Dravid 54, Sammy 3-35) and 276 for 5 (Tendulkar 76, Laxman 58*, Sehwag 55) beatWest Indies 304 (Chanderpaul 118, Brathwaite 63, Ojha 6-72) and 180 (Chanderpaul 47, Sammy 42, Ashwin 6-47) by five wickets
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He might not have got the much-talked-of hundred, but Sachin Tendulkar set India on their way © AFP

India raced through the longish home stretch of 124 runs to register their first win in seven Tests. Anchoring the innings was Sachin Tendulkar, who overtook Rahul Dravid as the leading run-getter in chases, and rushing through it was VVS Laxman, who calmed any nerves there might have been after Dravid's wicket early in the day. Along the way Laxman passed 1000 runs in chases, including an eighth score of fifty or more. It was also the third time since last summer that Laxman was in the middle at the successful completion of a 200-plus chase.

From the moment Darren Sammy slipped down leg twice in the first over of the day, going for eight runs, West Indies began losing whatever little grip they had on the match. Fidel Edwards rejuvenated them momentarily with a reversing inswinger to send Dravid back, but Laxman announced his arrival with two leg-glanced boundaries. Forewarned of the reverse, Laxman played late, without much back lift, and kept the accurate ones from Edwards out.

Helping India was the fact that Edwards, and West Indies as a bowling unit, didn't have the control to exercise the perfect mix of offence and defence required in defending mid-range totals. Laxman continued to ease India through the chase, and when he punched and flicked Edwards for two boundaries in the 56th over, they reached 200 and the contest was all but over. In the first hour of play India smashed 56 runs, including 11 fours. The possibility of Tendulkar's 100th international hundred - overnight he needed 67 out of the 124 India required - was a little thought in the corner of the mind, and that is where it seemed it would remain.

However, the last three of those 11 boundaries were hit by Tendulkar in successive Ravi Rampaul overs, a flick to square leg, a picture-perfect cover drive and a push - a mere push - through point. Tendulkar now needed 41 out of the remaining 67 runs, and with the game relatively secure Laxman eased up a bit. Tendulkar kept picking the boundaries, and Laxman singles, until the equation came down to 24 out of 43 runs required. Then Tendulkar went to pull a Devendra Bishoo googly, and was deceived by the low bounce. Rod Tucker made another correct lbw call in what has been a good match for him.

Along with Tendulkar went any thoughts of extending the first session to get a result before the lunch break. Laxman and Yuvraj Singh didn't want to do anything stupid.

Sammy removed Yuvraj with a shooter when the scores were level and he nearly got MS Dhoni with another grubber next ball, but that could only delay India's third-highest successful chase. West Indies were left with memories of the Jamaica Test earlier this year, when they had caught India cold but failed to convert it into a Test win. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Ashwin, Sehwag give India edge

India 209 and 152 for 2 (Sehwag 55) need 124 to beat West Indies 304 and 180 (Chanderpaul 47, Sammy 42, Ashwin 6-47)
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	I'll have five, and then some: R Ashwin during his match-turning spell in his debut Test © AFP

Smart stats R Ashwin's 9 for 128 is the second-best match haul for an India bowler on debut behind Narendra Hirwani's 16 for 136 in Madras in 1988. Ashwin also becomes the fifth India spinner and the seventh India bowler overall to pick up a five-wicket haul on Test debut. His second-innings figures of 6 for 47 are third behind Hirwani's twin eight-wicket hauls in 1988. If India are to win the first Test, they have to equal the record fourth-innings chase in Delhi, by West Indies in 1987. On that occasion, West Indies chased the 276-run target with the help of Viv Richards' unbeaten 109. Virender Sehwag scored a half-century in both innings for the fifth time in his career. It is also the 30th time that an India batsman has made a fifty-plus score in both innings against West Indies. There have been ten leg-before dismissals in the game so far. On eight previous occasions, there have been more leg-before dismissals in Tests in India. Tendulkar reached the 15,000-run landmark in Tests in his 182nd match. He has now scored 15005 runs at an average of 56.19.

R Ashwin's six wickets, which gave him the second-best match haul for an Indian debutant, and quick runs from Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Sammy pulled the game in opposite directions to leave it in a state of delicate balance. India were left with 276 to get for a first win in seven Tests, which if managed would be their third-highest successful chase. Virender Sehwag then rudely shook the balance with his sixth half-century in chases, but Sammy pulled West Indies back with Sehwag's wicket, only for two highest run-getters in Test cricket and its fourth innings, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, to give India the edge with an assured partnership before stumps.

India had every reason to feel good about the chase: they had built some momentum, and only one of the 10 wickets to fall in the day was a direct consequence of the pitch's misbehaviour. The first session of the day, though, looked like the continuation of an exercise in making the Kotla pitch look brutish. India had started it yesterday, losing 10 wickets for 120 runs, and on this slow track with low but manageable bounce, West Indies found a way to lose four wickets in the first hour today. It could have been three wickets in the first three overs, but Ishant Sharma was denied one by the umpire and Ashwin failed to catch a half chance.

The beneficiaries, Kirk Edwards and Darren Bravo, added 27 for the fourth wicket. Edwards played positively, hitting three fours in the first four overs of spin, but for some reason he chose to leave alone a straight delivery to give Umesh Yadav his maiden Test wicket. More uncertain cricket followed. Bravo thrust his pad forward to Ashwin and was trapped by one that didn't turn as much as expected. Ashwin then cleaned up Marlon Samuels with one of his first carrom balls in Test cricket. He uses that variation regularly in limited-overs cricket, but had hardly done it on Test debut until he got through the defence of Samuels.

A familiar thorn in the side remained, though. Chanderpaul began with two fours off the first two balls he faced, using his wrists on both occasions to manipulate the off-side field. First he rolled them on the cut shot to beat the squarish third man, and then he pushed through a length ball, placing it to the left of point. Despite Carlton Baugh's careless dismissal, Chanderpaul kept scoring unaffected.

With an aggressive Sammy for company, Chanderpaul threatened serious damage. Ashwin, though, interrupted him three runs short of a fifty with an offbreak that didn't turn as much as he expected. It was a brave lbw decision by Rod Tucker, as this was bowled from over the wicket and pitched within the stumps, but proved to be correct because of the small degree of turn. Sammy, though, continued to exploit the open field sets for him. He found the gaps for couples, hit a four with the field up, and in the most Caribbean of fashions drove Ishant for a six even with the field back. It took a straight Ashwin delivery that stayed low to get rid of Sammy, the first signs of the pitch playing unmanageable tricks. Ravi Rampaul and Devendra Bishoo didn't throw it away, and added 23 for the last wicket.

Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir came out aggressive. A potentially game-changing moment arrived in the fourth over, when Sehwag was a touch early into a straight-drive, but Rampaul couldn't take the tough return catch to his right. India took 23 off the first four overs, but it would become challenging when pace was taken off.

Sammy did so as early as the fifth over, and the openers went into singles mode. Sehwag, though, didn't like the sight of Samuels' offspin that early in the innings, and drove him over extra cover for six. Even though Samuels came back with Gambhir's lbw, Sehwag continued to beat the slowness of the pitch. The fields were spread, the ball didn't come on, but Sehwag adjusted superbly to score behind square on the off side. The quicker balls he guided past slip, for the slower ones he arched back and used the wrists to impart power. Three of his five fours he hit there.

He did not hit everything behind square. He lofted Bishoo, the opposition's only specialist spinner, for a six over long-on in his first over. Quietly Dravid slipped into positive mode, too, driving two boundaries through midwicket and extra cover before Sehwag managed to reach a score of fifty in both innings of a match for only the fifth time in his career.

A typical slow-pitch dismissal followed when Sehwag chopped Sammy on. More control and interrogation was a natural expectation. Immediately West Indies bowled the first maiden of the innings. They could now have some control over where they bowled, but Tendulkar and Dravid remained resolute. Tendulkar avoided playing across the line, and made positive forward movements every time he could. Dravid scored only 17 off the last 73 balls he faced, and the partnership was worth only 57 off 25.5 overs, but the two were desperate to stay unbeaten in fading light, which they managed.

Just about. For two overs before stumps, running in classical Indian style, Dravid crossed the stumps without grounding his bat or his feet. A lazy bail and inconclusive replays saved him there, after which he berated himself. The reaction would have been much more severe had he been given out. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Pressure gets to me easily, have to be calm during WC: Ashwin

As he gears up to live the dream of being in a World Cup squad, young Indian off-spinner R Ashwin says he is trying all he can to be of more utility by improving his batting and, more importantly, learning to handle pressure which "gets easily" to him. "I'm trying my best to be an asset to the side. I'm working hard on my batting and want to be a utility man for the side so that I can be a real asset to the side. Pressure gets to me easily. I am working hard to be calm in a pressure-filled situation," Ashwin told PTI in an interview.

The 24-year-old player's rise from obscurity to rank among the top spinners in two years time is no fluke but Ashwin says he is not quite sure whether he would actually get a chance to play in the World Cup starting February 19. "I'm not overly-excited or thinking of figuring in the playing XI in the World Cup. I don't know if I have a chance to make the playing XI. I will do whatever is there in my hands. That is a part and parcel of every game. It really does not get to me. I'm focussed in whatever I'm doing," Ashwin said.

Asked how he was gearing up for the World Cup personally, Ashwin said, "I have been working hard and working smartly for past five-six months. When I bowl, I put myself in the batsman's shoes, I keep thinking a lot. "You really can't work hard on your skill but what you can do is to out-think the batsman on the field. You have to execute your plans well," Ashwin said.

On the three-pronged spin attack, Ashwin said, "Bhajji will lead the attack well. He has really been bowling well... he's always been inspirational and a guiding force. Also, I have the confidence and trust of my skipper (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) that helps in giving freedom as a bowler." With the hype rising about India's prospects in the biggest cricketing extravaganza, Ashwin said: "Already there have been talks that this is the strongest Indian side ever. We are really good as a unit and well-suited to the domestic condition."

"Obviously I want the team to win the Cup. The atmosphere in the team is just perfect, honestly speaking we stand a very good chance. We definitely have all the ammunition to make it to the last stage. But it's just one game at a time after all," Ashwin said.

"Every team is good at this level. You cannot underestimate any team. Moreover aided by technology all the 10 Test playing nations are well-equipped to tackle any opposition." Ashwin felt the recent tour to South Africa has also been good preparation for the mega-event. "It's one of the best South Africa tours, this team has the tenacity. We put them under tremendous pressure and fought till the end. That's really a good sign... This team has the right vibes, helping each other."

Alongside India, Ashwin picked England, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and defending champions Australia to go all the way. "England are doing very well at the moment, in these sub-continental condition everybody knows that Sri Lanka can be a big threat, while Pakistan can be real dynamite. At the same time, we cannot just rule out World Cup champions Australia," he said.

At the same time, he said Bangladesh have it in them to upset the heavyweights. "In home conditions, Bangladesh can be a real threat. I will be surprised if they don't stun some big names in the cricketing world in the course of the tournament."

The World Cup is likely to be Gary Kirsten's swansong assignment as India coach and Ashwin said the South African, under whom the team did exceptionally well, would be missed. "Of course Gary Kirsten had a major role having been with the side for the last few years. He has been amazing. Hopefully somebody gets into his head and makes him to stay back (with us)," he quipped. -PTI

India's World Cup squad announced; Rohit, Sreesanth omitted

Young batsman Rohit Sharma and pacer S Sreesanth were today omitted from India's 15-member squad for the upcoming cricket World Cup to be held in the sub-continent from February 19.

Tamil Nadu spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who is also a useful batsman, and Piyush Chawla were named in the squad to be captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and which includes most of the star players like Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.

The national selectors, who met for one and half hours to finalise the team here, picked three specialist spinners considering that the high profile-event will be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Praveen Kumar, who are nursing injuries and have been ruled out of the ongoing one-day series against South Africa, have been included in the squad announced by BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan.

Left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel, who were among the front-runners to make the cut, failed to find a berth.

India is one of the favourites for the 14-team tournament, which commences with a match between India and Bangladesh at Dhaka on Feb 19.

The final will be played in Mumbai on April 2.

India's World Cup squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag (Vice Captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, Piyush Chawla. -Agencies

Hapless New Zealand swept away again

India 107 for 2 (Parthiv 56, Yuvraj 42) beat New Zealand 103 (Styris 24, Ashwin, 3-24, Yuvraj 2-5, Nehra 2-34) by eight wickets

In pic: India celebrates their 5-0 victory in the ODI series against New Zealand

New Zealand were at the receiving end of another humiliation as a hapless batting performance led to their lowest score against India and sealed a 0-5 whitewash. On a dry pitch susceptible to the influence of the overcast weather, New Zealand were keen to make the most of initially favourable batting conditions. But their edginess against pace at the start of the innings, and capitulation to spin later on, ensured their misery in ODIs continued.

The pitch offered limited assistance to the bowlers and was not responsible for the domination that India showed; New Zealand's inability to survive perhaps was. The seamers were crafty enough to make use of the hint of swing and movement available early on, the spinners, led by R Ashwin, varied their lengths, pace and worked the angles well to prove more than a handful against the middle and lower orders.

Praveen Kumar's control and Ashish Nehra's quick recovery from a Brendon McCullum onslaught in his first over set up India. Praveen earned his prize straight away, beginning with three straight-ish deliveries before getting one to nip away and prompt a fatal poke from Martin Guptill. Nehra had a contrasting start, struggling for line and length, dragging one short to be dispatched over square leg and providing width to be slammed through the off side for two boundaries. McCullum's aggressive posture, characterized by his advances down the wicket as well as moving well across to look for scoring opportunities, promised an entertaining counterattack. It caused his downfall instead, as he shuffled across to Nehra and was done in by the inswing to be caught on the pads, leaving New Zealand 14 for 2.

Smart stats This is the second time India have won an ODI series 5-0. The only previous instance was against England in 2008-09, when a seven-match series was curtailed to five due to the terrorist attack in Mumbai. India won each of those five games. For New Zealand, it was their fourth 5-0 drubbing in a five-match series. Three of those four series defeats have happened since 2003. New Zealand's total of 103 is their lowest in a completed innings against India. It's their second-lowest in India - they'd scored six runs fewer against Australia in Faridabad in 2003. India won with 173 balls to spare, which is their fourth-highest in all ODIs and their best against New Zealand. For the visitors too, it's the fourth-heaviest defeat in terms of balls remaining. Over the five-match series, Indian batsmen averaged 56.95 runs per wicket, at a strike rate of 94.05 runs per 100 balls, and scored four hundreds. New Zealand averaged 24.38 at a strike rate of 80.43, and didn't manage a single hundred. Ashish Nehra became the 11th Indian bowler to take 150 ODI wickets.

The pitch largely behaved itself for the duration of the innings and the Indian bowlers, for their part, provided reasonable opportunities to ease the pressure. Ross Taylor looked confident, piercing the field with some delicious drives past mid-off, but his stay ended with an instinctive attempt at a pull against Nehra, and the ball scraped the glove on the way to Parthiv Patel. Jamie How appeared on course to lend some respectability to what's been a miserable series with some lovely flicks off his pads and Scott Styris seemed determined to get the innings back on track, but the steadiness that they had painstakingly brought to the innings was obliterated by spin.

The slow bowlers were expected to play a prominent role as the day wore on and it didn't take long for Yuvraj Singh to step into the act. In the 17th over, after having built a stand of 43 with Styris, How tried to play across the line and was bowled as the ball straightened. Styris misread the length and played the sweep, almost as an afterthought, against Ashwin in the next over to be caught plumb. And Grant Elliott, included in the line-up to strengthen the batting, made no impact, failing to read the straighter one from Yuvraj to be lbw.

Three wickets in three overs, and the departure of Daniel Vettori to a catch at slip not long after indicated New Zealand were in a hurry to finish the game even before the weather, overcast and ominous, was given a chance to intervene. Sure enough, Kyle Mills' inability to read Ashwin's carrom ball and Tim Southee's gifting a catch to short leg marked a sorry end to a line-up that bats deep.

The early wickets of the in-form Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli were the only consolation as New Zealand succumbed to a 0-5 battering, with their World Cup preparations in disarray following a bitter experience in two recent assignments in the subcontinent. India, for their part, have been boosted by the successful return of Yusuf Pathan and the consistency of Ashwin, while consecutive fifties from Parthiv Patel have further spiced up the selection race for the World Cup.- Cricinfo

Ashwin, Chawla bowl Rest of India to huge victory

Jaipur: October 5, 2010 (Cricinfo, espnstar)

R Ashwin and Piyush Chawla shared nine wickets to bowl Rest of India to a crushing 361-run win against Mumbai on the final day of the Irani Cup tie in Jaipur. Ajinkya Rahane's aggressive 191 went in vain as the Ranji champions were bowled out for 420 in the penultimate over. Rest of India, who were already assured of the title after securing the first-innings lead, won the tournament for the fifth straight year.

The spinners came into the game after Wasim Jaffer's run-out for 88. Ashwin bowled a tight line throughout, getting some turn, and lots of bounce, for his eighth first-class five-wicket haul. Chawla got some sharp turn, and mixed googlies with legbreaks to pick the remaining four.

Jaffer, along with Rahane, had begun confidently in the morning. Both were positive in their approach, launching into a flurry of boundaries, as 67 runs came in 13.4 overs. Jaffer was pleasing as ever to watch, driving with minimum effort down the ground. Mumbai had raced to 146 when Shikhar Dhawan's direct hit caught Jaffer short of his ground while attempting a quick single. That was the opening Rest of India needed and thereafter the spinners barged in.

Two overs later, Ashwin almost had Rohit Sharma holing out to mid-on, but Umesh Yadav dropped the chance as it went over his head. Rohit seemed to have settled in well when he was given out leg before to Ashwin, though struck outside the line of off stump while looking to sweep.

Ashwin then got one to turn across Abhishek Nayar's defensive push and hit him plumb in front. Rahane, meanwhile, was in the zone, playing with purpose and hitting fours at will. A pull off Chawla to the midwicket boundary brought up his 14th first-class century.

Ashwin continued to strike, trapping Onkar Khanvilkar leg before with the second ball after lunch, as the batsman pushed outside the line. Ramesh Powar then buckled down to support Rahane, who continued to attack. He was dropped twice after passing 150, once at mid-on off Abhimanyu Mithun and then by Yuvraj Singh at slip off Ashwin, both tough chances. Rahane hit 30 fours and as long as he was there, the draw seemed the favoured result.

At 366 for 4 with less than thirty overs to go, Powar threw it away, dancing down the track to Chawla and getting bowled off the inside edge. Three overs later, Rahane hit Ashwin straight to midwicket to fall nine short of a double century.

In the fourth over after tea, Ashwin picked up his fifth wicket, getting one to turn and bounce sharply past Sushant Marathe, who edged it to slip. Chawla cleaned up Ajit Agarkar in the next over with a quick googly, and Mumbai were going down in quick time.

However, Dhawal Kulkarni and Iqbal Abdulla resisted as they had done in the first innings before Chawla got Abdulla to edge to slip after 12 overs of defiance. With time running out, he then got Kulkarni to guide one to gully, off the first ball of the penultimate over, to set off celebrations among the Rest of India players.