Tendulkar leads solid batting performance

Cricket Australia Chairman's XI 6 for 398 (Robinson 143, Cooper 182*, Yadav 3-39) drew Indians 6 for 320 (Tendulkar 92, Laxman 57, Rohit 56*)

Rahul Dravid made 45 © Getty Images

The Indian batsmen, led by Sachin Tendulkar, began their tour of Australia with a strong performance on the second day of the tour match against Cricket Australia Chairman's XI, which ended in a draw in Canberra. After their bowlers struggled for impact on the opening day, the Indians replied with 6 for 320 before rain intervened to end the game.

Apart from Ajinkya Rahane, who was dismissed for 3, and Gautam Gambhir, who was edgy during his 35, the rest of the Indian top-order batsmen were in fluent touch. Tendulkar led the way, scoring a brisk 92 before retiring to give his team-mates time to practice. VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma made half-centuries, while Rahul Dravid scored 45.

The batsmen scored at a fast clip on a flat pitch at the Manuka Oval, with Tendulkar's innings taking only 132 balls and containing 15 fours. He had a 133-run partnership with Laxman, who scored 57 off 76 balls, for the fourth wicket before both batsmen retired after tea. They had begun their stand after Dravid had been caught by the mid-off fielder off legspinner Cameron Boyce. Virat Kohli was the only other batsmen to fall cheaply. He was caught and bowled by Boyce for 1.

Rohit was unbeaten on 56 off 80 balls and Wriddhiman Saha was on 23 at the end of the game. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Bairstow and Borthwick star in rout

England XI 367 for 4 (Bairstow 104*, Cook 85, Trott 74, Kieswetter 71) beat HCA XI 114 (Borthwick 5-31) by 253 runs

	Jonny Bairstow cracked eight sixes during his hundred© Getty Images

England's one-day tour of India is a chance for some of the youngsters to impress and two of them, Jonny Bairstow and Scott Borthwick, shone in the final warm-up match before the ODIs begin on Friday. Bairstow underlined his precocious talent with a thunderous 53-ball hundred as England piled up 367 for 4 then Borthwick took advantage of some slap-happy batting from the hosts to finish with 5 for 31 in a 253-run victory.

Bairstow's onslaught, which included eight sixes, built on solid work from the top order, including an opening stand of 159 between Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter, while Jonathan Trott also found form with 74 off 68 balls as he and Bairstow added 143. Bairstow's second fifty took just 20 deliveries. The only batsman to miss out was Kevin Pietersen, who fell to the left-arm spin of Medhi Hasan for 10, and he has failed in both warm-ups on his return to the one-day side.

Ian Bell sat out this match with a stomach upset and Ravi Bopara was rested following his 73 in the first game so, with Bairstow's form clear, there are now some tricky selection issues ahead of the opening one-day international. Given that Pietersen has been brought on this tour rather than continuing his rest he is unlikely to be left out so Bell could be the player who has to make way.

The top three, however, appear to be set in stone despite a few early doubts when Trott was named at No. 4 in the team sheet. England will need to be flexible with their thinking during the series, but the tried and tested order seems likely to start. Cook and Kieswetter reacquainted themselves in a productive partnership following the latter's return from the Champions League and were not overly tested by a friendly home attack.

However, after England's less-than-inspiring display on Saturday when they were bowled out for 219 it was an important statement of intent to produce a commanding batting performance. Both openers could have reached three figures, but neither will be too concerned to have missed out as it ensured others had the chance for time in the middle. Cook, having again outscored his opening partner, was caught on the boundary and Kieswetter mistimed a pull.

Pietersen was caught at backward point after a brief stay but England's innings never threatened to lose direction as Trott and Bairstow combined in their different styles. Trott manoeuvred the field while Bairstow gave a display of the power and timing that had been on show during his ODI debut in Cardiff last month. The last 10 overs of England's innings - outside of Powerplay restrictions under the new regulations - brought 105 runs.

Despite a promising start against England's pace bowlers - which included Stuart Meaker - the home side collapsed when spin came into the attack. A superb catch at slip from Cook to remove Akshath Reddy gave Borthwick his first wicket and the same combination struck again two balls later.

Wickets continued to fall in a hurry and Meaker then got in on the act with three for himself in the 29th over as his pace proved too much for the lower order. Neither Borthwick nor Meaker are expected to push for initial selection in the series, but their performances will have been noted.

It completed a fine day for England's new faces but tougher challenges await. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Bopara, Finn shine in scrappy win

England XI 219 (Bopara 73, Woakes 46*, Khader 3-25) beat Hyderabad XI 163 (Yadav 47, Finn 4-28) by 56 runs
Scorecard

Steven Finn's hat-trick ensured an easy win after what had been a less than perfect display from England with the bat © Getty Images

A Steven Finn hat-trick helped England to a 56-run win in their tour opener against a Hyderabad XI at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium. Finn dismissed Nos. 7, 10 and 11 in the 37th over to ensure a dominant end to what had been a scrappy first outing for England after they were bowled out for 219. They might not even have got as many as that had it not been for Ravi Bopara's fluent 73, which helped steady the innings after early wickets had been lost.

Hyderabad XI were by no means coasting before Finn's dramatic eighth over ended the match, although Arjun Yadav's 47 had at least kept them in with a shout. Finn had removed captain Dwaraka Ravi Teja - beaten for pace with the new ball - and returned to dismiss a slogging Amol Shinde before bowling Kaneshuk Naidu and pinning Anwar Khan lbw to end the match.

Yet, his efforts masked just how much pressure England had been under for much of the match, and the contributions of Bopara and Chris Woakes, who cracked an unbeaten 46 before picking up two wickets, should not be underestimated.

On a slow pitch, England had lost Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen inside the first eight overs before Bopara entered to steady the innings, batting with a fluency not seen in his team-mates from the very beginning. Bopara got going with a straight six off Shinde's offspin, and after Jonny Bairstow was dismissed continued to hold the innings together with a 42-run stand in Samit Patel's company.

He reached his fifty from 62 balls and continued the good work to put together the highest stand of the innings with Woakes - 46 for the seventh wicket. When Bopara eventually fell, caught behind driving at Anwar Ahmed in the second over of the powerplay, England were 169 for 7 and under pressure once more.

Woakes did well to shepherd the tail and coax the score past 200, but the innings quickly subsided once his stand with Graeme Swann was broken and more than two overs were left unused as Jade Dernbach's run out brought England's effort to an end.

It looked as though Hyderabad XI might make a fist of their chase when Akshath Reddy hooked the first ball of the second innings, from Finn, over deep backward square for six, but England soon began to make inroads.

They slipped to 12 for 2 before Yadav and Neeraj Bist got the innings back on track with a 55-run stand for the third wicket. Once they were parted, Woakes turned the tide England's way by removing Mohammed Khader and Ibrahim Khaleel with consecutive deliveries to leave the score at 99 for 5.

Shinde's aggressive 25 suggested the beginnings of a fightback, but his dismissal at Finn's hands brought the contest to a swift end.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Indians win despite Denly ton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

England beat Pakistan by 67 runs in final warm-up game

Speedster Stuart Broad blew away the Pakistan top-order with a five-wicket haul as England comfortably won the final warm-up game by 67 runs at the Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium, here today.


In pic: S Broad takes wicket of K Akmal © PA Photos

Chasing a stiff target of 274, Broad (5/25) dealt three quick blows removing Akmal brothers Kamran (18) and Umar (2) along with Mohammed Hafeez (0) within the first 10 overs to seal the issue as Pakistan were all out for 206 in 46.1 overs.

Broad started the slide in the second over of the Pakistan innings when he got Hafeez caught by skipper Andrew Strauss. In the sixth over of the innings he brought one back to trap Kamran plumb in-front.

His brother Umar also didn't survive too long as he edged one to Matt Prior behind the stumps. While regular captain Shahid Afridi didn't play, none of the established batsmen save Younis could make a significant contribution. Stand-in-captain Misbah-ul Haq (25) and the talented Ahmed Shehzad (26) didn't score much as the innings never gained any sort of momentum.

While Misbah was trapped leg before by Paul Collingwood, Shehzad was cleaned up by James Anderson. Later, Broad came back for his second spell to remove Pakistan's top scorer Younis Khan (80). He also dismissed Wahab Riaz who was the last Pakistan wicket to fall as he completed a five-for.

Earlier, England team management's decision to open with Kevin Pietersen clicked well as the star batsman scored 66 in team's total of 273 in 49.3 overs at the Apart from Pietersen's half century, former skipper Collingwood contributed 65 as England were all-out in 49.3 overs.

Young pacer Junaid Khan who replaced an injured Sohail Tanvir at the last moment was the pick of the bowlers grabbing three for 44 in his eight over spell. Wahab Riaz also took three wickets for 52. Although Pietersen didn't really smash the Pakistan bowlers all over the park but he did play sensibly adding 80 runs for the third wicket with Ian Bell (39, 58 balls, 2x4).

Pietersen scored his runs of 78 deliveries hitting three boundaries and a six in the process. After Pietersen and Bell fell in quick succession it was Collingwood and Ravi Bopara (35) who added 82 runs for the fifth wicket just when it looked that Pakistan bowlers will be running through the England middle-order.

However England had a mini-collapse in the end as they lost their last five wickets for only 12 runs. Brief Scores: England 273 in 49.3 overs (K Pietersen 66, P Collingwood 65, I Bell 39) beat Pakistan 206 in 46.1 overs (Y Khan 80, Misbah -ul Haq 25, S Broad 5/25). —PTI

India's batsmen pulverise New Zealand

India 360 for 5 (Dhoni 108*, Gambhir 89, Kohli 59, Raina 50) v New Zealand

In pic: MS Dhoni gets ready to punish one © AFP

The Indian batting emphasised why they are such a feared unit by piling up 360 against New Zealand, despite the failures of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, two batsmen who tormented New Zealand in the one-day series three months ago, crafted a century partnership to set the base, before MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina, two batsmen who are crowd favourites in Chennai for their IPL exploits, delighted the fans with brutal hitting that was frenetic even by Twenty20 standards. The final 16 overs brought a jaw-dropping 193 runs to further demoralise a struggling New Zealand outfit.

It had been run-of-the-mill stuff till the 34th over, with the bowling mostly mediocre and the batsmen mainly concerned with consolidation. The mandatory ball change in the 35th over prompted the batting Powerplay, and began an hour-long period of carnage. Gambhir started it with lap sweeps and carves over extra cover, followed by three successive boundaries off Tim Southee in the 37th to pick up 31 off 12 deliveries before nicking to the keeper. —ESPNcricinfo

Full report to follow

Australia lose to South Africa in warm-up game

Defending champions Australia lost their second warm-up game for the World Cup as they went down by seven wickets to South Africa in Bangalore Tuesday.

Opting to bat first, Australia were all out for 217 runs in 47.1 overs. Vice-captain Michael Clarke was the top scorer with 73 while captain Ricky Ponting (55) struck his second successive half-century.

South African pace spearhead Dale Steyn took three for 21 while spinner Robin Peterson got three for 45.

Openers Graeme Smith (65) and Hashim Amla (60) got some good batting practice before retiring out. Jean Paul Duminy remained unbeaten on 47 as the Proteas won their second warm-up game.

For Australia, it was their second loss after being humiliated by India at the same venue by 38 runs Sunday.

At Nagpur, skipper Elton Chigumbura's blistering unbeaten century went in vain for Zimbabwe as Ireland chased down a 245-run target with three balls to spare in a thrilling finish to their World Cup warm-up match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

Electing to bat, Zimbabwe scored 244 for eight in 50 overs after Chigumbura made 103 not out. In reply, Ireland reached the target losing six wickets with Andre Botha (79, 101 balls, 5x4) being the top scorer. He along with Kevin O'Brien (62 not out, 61b, 6x4) forged a 99-run fifth-wicket partnership to lay a strong foundation for the chase.

Earlier, Zimbabwe were off to a horrendous start, losing three wickets for 12 runs before wicketkeeper-batsman Tatenda Taibu and then Chigumbura propped up the scoring. Chigumbura's knock came in 81 balls with eight fours and three sixes.

At the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Bangladesh, Pakistan registered an 89-run win over Bangladesh.

Twin centuries from Ahmad Shehzad (103) and Misbah-ul-Haq (100) helped Pakistan score 285 for nine in 50 overs.

Pacer Abdul Razzaq picked up three wickets while spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Abdur Rehman scalped two wickets each to bowl out Pakistan for 196 runs in 41.4 overs. Opener Imrul Kayes was the top scorer for Bangladesh with 39 runs while Junaid Siddique made 38.

In another warm-up match, the Netherlands beat Kenya by two wickets in a cliff-hanger at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.

Choosing to bat, Kenya, riding on Seren Waters' unbeaten 126 (150b, 12x4) rustled up 263 for five in 50 overs. But Ryan ten Doeschate hit an unbeaten 98 (92b, 3x4, 4x6) to take the Dutch home with the loss of eight wickets and five balls to spare.

Veteran Steve Tikolo, who will be making his fifth World Cup appearance, was the pick of Kenyan bowlers, taking four for 39.

At the nearby Premedasa Stadium, hosts Sri Lanka defeated the West Indies by four wickets with 15 balls remaining.

Opting to bat first, West Indies were all out for 281 runs in 50 overs. Opener Chris Gayle top scored with 58 while Dwayne Bravo made 54.

Sri Lanka achieved the target in 47.3 over with skipper Kumar Sangakkara scoring 71 and Tillekaratne Dilshan made a swashbuckling 62. —IANS

Spinners star in dramatic Indian win

India 214 (Sehwag 54, Lee 3-35) beat Australia (Ponting 57, Chawla 4-31, Harbhajan 3-15) by 38 runs

	Piyush Chawla has given the Indian selectors plenty to think about with his performance against Australia © Getty Images

Indian fans who left the Chinnaswamy Stadium after watching Australia control the first 70 overs of the high-profile warm-up match on Sunday will be kicking themselves. An early finish seemed likely when Australia coasted to 116 for 1 in 21 overs after rolling over India for 214, and there was an early finish, but it was India who ran out victors as Australia lost their final nine wickets for 58 runs.

A massive crowd befitting an actual World Cup game had turned up to cheer India, expecting much from the star-studded batting line-up, but it was the less-heralded spinners, led by Piyush Chawla, who gave them plenty to shout about. Chawla spun out four middle-order batsmen before Harbhajan Singh applied the finishing touches to a back-from-the-dead victory.

Australia made a solid beginning to the chase as Shane Watson kick-started the innings with a bunch of boundaries. Ricky Ponting and Tim Paine then carried their side halfway to the target before things started to fall apart for Australia. Paine had lashed four fours in the first six overs but got bogged down after that, and fell trying to clear long-on, where Munaf Patel sprinted to his right to take a sharp catch. During the 67-run stand between Paine and Ponting, Chawla went for 22 runs in four overs.

His second spell transformed the game. In his first over back - immediately after Paine was dismissed - Chawla had Michael Clarke playing-on for a duck. Four overs later, Cameron White chipped a legbeak to midwicket, and David Hussey picked up a golden duck, drawn forward by Chawla before being beaten by the turn. Australia had slid to 138 for 5, and the first Mexican wave of the day made its way around the ground as the fans found their voice again. Callum Ferguson probably had the worst time of the lot: in a nine-ball stay, he was nearly run-out, was dropped at first slip, inside-edged a drive to square leg, was beaten by a vicious turner from Chawla and finally nicked one to slip. Chawla's second spell was 5-0-9-4, and it provided more questions for the Indian selectors.

Harbhajan, who was off the field for a while, returned to remove Ponting through a quicksilver stumping from MS Dhoni, and the rest of the Australian batting folded. There was help for the spinners from the pitch but this was not the minefield the Australian batsmen made it seem.

One consolation for Australia will be the gritty half-century from Ponting, in his first match since the Boxing Day Test. He began with a couple of Chinese cuts against the unlucky R Ashwin, who bowled far better than the scorecard indicates, but soon produced some convincing shots - an on-drive off Ashwin and a pull when Chawla dropped short. Even in a warm-up match, Ponting retained the intensity of old. Sreesanth had some advice for him after a delivery pushed out to cover, and added some more after a strident appeal for caught-behind on the next ball. Ponting wasn't going to just ignore it; he walked up to Sreesanth and doled out some advice of his own. The innings itself wasn't Ponting at his best, but he showed no signs of the finger trouble which sidelined him last month.

The top scorer for India was also a player coming back from injury - Virender Sehwag, whose shoulder problem didn't bother him during his half-century. He began with an effortless push past extra cover for four off a low full toss, but couldn't provide his customary high-speed start since he was starved of strike: he faced only four deliveries in the first five overs. Sehwag was at his most attacking against Jason Krejza, skipping beyond leg and looking to cut four times in Krejza's first over. He carved three fours off Krejza, and blasted him over long-off to reach his fifty, but the offspinner had his revenge by bowling Sehwag next ball.

Before his dismissal Sehwag watched a procession of India's specialist batsmen come and go, none of whom made big contributions. Gautam Gambhir never looked at ease in a short stay before edging to slip; Virat Kohli showed glimpses of class in his 21 before chopping John Hastings to backward point; Yuvraj Singh walked after an indecisive response to a bouncer - initially looking to sway out of the way before feathering the ball to the keeper; Dhoni was bowled for 11, prolonging his fallow spell in one-dayers.

At 113 for 5, with the seniors dismissed, Suresh Raina had a chance to stake his World Cup claim by reviving the innings. He survived the short balls Australia fired at him initially but didn't last very long, nicking Brett Lee as he attempted an on-the-up drive. Once again, it was left to Yusuf Pathan to ensure India put up a fight, and he did with an unusually patient 32 (after being 18 off 34 at one stage).

India made it past 200 thanks to some late resistance from Ashwin and Ashish Nehra but Australia would have been happy with their bowling performance, barring the huge number of wides. Brett Lee was in top form, accurate and slipping in the bouncers and yorkers at pace; Krejza had a decent outing against batsmen looking to attack him, and even their lowest-profile bowler, Hastings, provided two significant breakthroughs.

India's batting, which is their strength, has one more chance to get it together, against New Zealand on Wednesday, when they will have the re-assuring presence of Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the order. -ESPNcricinfo

All eyes on Krejza, India's seamers

Two fancied teams, India and Australia, play their first World Cup warm-up match on Sunday, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. It is an inconsequential game as far as the result goes, but there are some points of interest in the contest

	Sachin Tendulkar has played just two ODIs since his 200 against South Africa in February last year © AFP

India's lower-middle order
Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan are fighting for the No. 6 and 7 spots. All three have been getting games in recent series due to the absence of some of the seniors at the top of the order, but one of them will have to be benched in the World Cup. Current form suggests it will be Raina, since Kohli was India's most assured batsman in the one-dayers in South Africa, and Yusuf has repeatedly shown what a destructive force he can be lower down the order. Raina, though, is expected to fare better on the flat tracks likely to be served up in the subcontinent. Which of the trio misses out in Dhaka in a week's time could be decided by the performances in the warm-ups.

The return of Punter
Entering his third campaign as captain, Ricky Ponting is yet to lead Australia to a loss in a World Cup match. With the legends of past World Cup triumphs retired, and his own batting rarely hitting the imperious heights of old, this will be his toughest World Cup at the helm. A finger injury has sidelined him since the Boxing Day Test, forcing him to be away from the game for a month, a break which Ponting says has refreshed him. He has played only one ODI since July, has only three centuries in the format in three years, and there have been several calls for him to give up the captaincy. Sunday's game will be the first chance to remove some of the question marks.

Heavyweights at the top
India's batting order starts with three of the biggest names in the game: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. The talent, experience and firepower they provide forms the bedrock of the strongest batting unit in the tournament, but all three are returning from injuries (Sehwag - shoulder, Gambhir - elbow and Tendulkar - hamstring). One other slight concern is the lack of match practice in the format in recent times: the trio has played only seven ODIs between them in the past five months, and hasn't been in a one-dayer together since December 2009. Match fitness and their slightly changed roles when all three are present will be things to work on at the Chinnaswamy.

Australia's spinners
Few things caused as much mirth for England fans as Australia's muddle-headed picks in the slow-bowling department over the past few months. With their two preferred options - Nathan Hauritz and Xavier Doherty - out injured, their frontline spinner for the World Cup is Jason Krejza, a man with all the experience of one ODI. His performance on Test debut, in India, two years ago was the definition of a mixed bag; he took 12 wickets while shipping 358 runs. There's support for him in the form of young legspinner Steven Smith, and a wealth of part-timers - David Hussey, Cameron White and Michael Clarke - but in a tournament where quality spinners are likely to be game-changers, how Krejza adapts to the subcontinent will be pivotal to Australia's chances.

The Indian quicks
Less than a week ago, Sreesanth thought his only contribution to the World Cup campaign would be a song he wrote and dedicated to the Indian team. Praveen Kumar's slower-than-expected recovery from an elbow injury signalled an 'I am back' tweet from Sreesanth, though whether he will make the XI remains uncertain. Over the past year, India have had three quicks who were definite starters when fit - Praveen, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. With Praveen injured, and Nehra's form taking an alarming dip in the previous two series, Zaheer is the only one absolutely certain of his place. Nehra has a solid record over the past two years, Munaf Patel has shown he can be a steady option when given a one-day chance, and Sreesanth has more pace than anyone else in the squad. Another conundrum which the Indian selectors will solve over the two warm-up matches coming up. -ESPNcricinfo

Bangalore geared up for India-Australia warm-up clash

Bangalore: A warm afternoon, chilly evening and around 50,000 spectators to cheer them on -- the Indian cricket team could not have asked for a better stage to start their World Cup campaign.

In pic: Sachin Tendulkar takes a catch during a practice session © AFP

This is what the famed Bangalore weather and the sporting Bangaloreans will have on offer Sunday for the Indian and Australian teams when they clash in a warm-up game ahead of the big battle that unfolds Feb 19 in Dhaka.

The Sunday game at the 50,000-seat Chinnaswamy stadium is one of the two warm-ups India will play before heading to Dhaka for their first match against co-hosts Bangladesh, who upset them in the previous edition.

The Indian team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni wound up the four-day preparatory camp Saturday at the National Cricket Academy adjacent to the Chinnaswamy stadium.

While exuding confidence of good showing in the long tournament that ends April 2, Dhoni and his team members were cautious during their interaction with the media suggesting the hype around them should cool a bit.

Their caution was not misplaced as the 14 teams featuring in the event may still be in warming-up mood but the buildup to the event has been high-pitched.

Each team and each member has been analysed - ball by ball or stroke by stroke - their strengths praised sky-high, weaknesses thrashed and tips generously offered to better themselves or better be prepared for more bashing if the performance fails short of the hype.

Advantage of home support and home pitches have been pitched against the disadvantage of the pressure of expectation from the home crowd - a billion Indians, as is so often said when it comes to any Indian sportsperson taking part in an international competition.

Dhoni was obviously aware of the flak he and his team will face for failure and the damage the hyped build up can do to the team's performance.

He played his usual self - cool. Time to shift to preparation for better performance, he told the media at the start of the camp in Bangalore Feb 9.

May be because the build-up to the event has been so high in each of the participating country that no team, not even those which have earned notoriety for it, has played the 'mind games' yet.

Of course, how effective these mind-games are in demoralising a team will always remain in the realm of debate.

Still it was a pleasant surprise to see the Australians, particularly their captain Ricky Ponting, not going off with their 'psychological warfare' ahead of the Cup.

May be he has realised that these 'games' do not really bring the Ashes home and it is performance on the field with the bat and the ball that makes the team win matches. —IANS

Tamim, Shakib star in Bangladesh win in warm-up match

Chittagong: Tamim Iqbal scored a blistering half-century as Bangladesh crushed Canada by nine wickets in their first warm-up match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium here Saturday.

Bangladesh, electing to field, bowled Canada out for a paltry 112 in 37.3 overs and knocked off the runs in just 19.2 overs.

Explosive opener Tamim smashed 69 off 50 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes.

Openers Tamim and Imrul Kayes (39) plundered 106 runs, ripping apart the Canadian bowling attack.

Kayes struck five fours in his 57-ball innings.

Medium pacer Rizwan Cheema bowled Tamim out with Bangladesh needing seven runs for victory. Junaid Siddique (1) and Kayes took the team home.

Earlier, Bangladesh captain and left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets, giving away only five runs. Fast bowlers Shaiful Islam and Rubel Hossain and off-spinner Mahmudullah claimed two wickets each.

Canada, who are making their fourth World cup appearance, lost wickets from the start and never recovered.

Captain Ashish Bagai was the top-scorer with 30 runs while Jimmy Hansra contributed 22. The duo shared a 39-run stand for the fourth wicket, but once they were separated, Canada's batting fell apart.

Bangladesh will play Pakistan in Dhaka in their second warm-up match Tuesday while Canada will take on England Wednesday.

In their first World Cup match, Bangladesh, who upset India in the previous edition, will again take on the subcontinent giants in the opening match of World Cup in Dhaka Feb 19. Canada will play Sri Lanka at Hambantota in a Group A match. —IANS

Sarwan century guides West Indies to victory against Kenya

Colombo: Ramnaresh Sarwan smacked a sparkling century as West Indies warmed up for the World Cup with a 61-run victory over minnows Kenya here Saturday.

In pic: Ramnaresh Sarwan steadied West Indies after a top-order failure © Getty Images

Sarwan (123, 125b, 11x5, 5x6) along with Dwayne Bravo (54, 56b, 6x4, 1x6) guided West Indies to 253 for eight after being sent in to bat by Kenya in the warm-up match. In reply, the Kenyans could rustle up only 192 in 45.3 overs with Andre Russel (4-43) and Kemar Roach (3-23) splitting seven wickets among themselves.

Seren Waters (43) and Collins Obuya (68) shared a 70-run partnership for the second wicket to give wings to the Kenyan chase but after their departure, the batting tumbled like nine pins.

Earlier, West Indies were off to disastrous start and at one point were struggling at 65 for four. Sarwan and Bravo collected 94 runs for the fifth wicket to prop up the West Indian score. It was a timely century by Sarwan, who has been out of the game for past one year, battling injury and form.

Experienced Kenyan pacer Thomas Odoyo was the pick of the bowlers picking up 3 for 34.

Kenya, who reached the semifinals of the World Cup 2003, will play the Netherlands Feb 15 at Colombo in their second warm up match. Their first World Cup encounter is against New Zealand at Chennai Feb 20.

West Indies will next play Sri Lanka Feb 15 at Colombo. They play South Africa at New Delhi Feb 24 in their first Group B match.

Sri Lanka thrash Netherlands in World Cup warm-up match

Colombo: Sri Lanka, one of the favourites to win the World Cup, put up an all-round performance to thump the Netherlands by 156 runs in a warm-up match here Saturday.

In pic: Tillakaratne Dilshan shapes up to play his favourite scoop shot © AFP

The Dutch, chasing a huge target of 351 runs, could not get anywhere near the total and were bowled out for 195 in 47.3 overs. The silver lining for the minnows was a spirited knock of 76 by Tom de Grooth.

Grooth smacked one six and 10 fours in his 96-ball knock. He added 80 for the fifth wicket with Bas Zuiderent (38) and 62 for the seventh with Atse Buurman (25), but that was not enough.

For Sri Lanka, Dilhara Fernando took four wickets.

Sri Lanka, after winning the toss, made full use of a flat deck at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. All batsmen got good hitting practice with Tillakaratne Dilshan (78), Thilan Samaraweera (60), Chamara Silva (54) and Chamara Kapugedera (50) making most of the opportunity. Captain Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene did not bat.

Explosive opener Dilshan and Upul Tharanga (47) laid the foundation of the big total hitting 117 runs off 104 balls. Dilshan struck 12 fours in his run-a-ball innings while Tharanga hit seven fours. Silva and Kapugedera then added 94 for the unbeaten fifth wicket.

The Netherlands tried seven bowlers but barring Mudassar Bukhari (2-52) and Pieter Seelsar (1-44) all conceded more than six runs an over.

Sri Lanka play West Indies in their next warm-up match while the Netherlands play Kenya Tuesday. —IANS

Smith slams Chennai pitch, happy with Tahir show

Chennai, Feb 12 (IANS) "Under-prepared", "slow" and "dead" was how South African captain Graeme Smith described the pitch at the refurbished M.A. Chidambaram Stadium where the Proteas strolled to an eight-wicket win against Zimbabwe in a cricket World Cup warm-up game Saturday.

"The wicket was pretty slow and dead. Yet, Morne Morkel, who bowled well in Indian series back in South Africa, had carried the form here. I was standing in the slips and I must say that he manage to hit the deck well," said Smith.

"The wickets probably will get slower and slower. Tonight, there were a few things. There was quite a lot of dew out in the atmosphere and it is a bit disappointing when a lot of day-night games are played in these conditions," he added.

It was hardly a surprise that Zimbabwe opted to have their spinners open the bowling when the South Africans began their chase.

Coach Alan Butcher said: "That has been part of the strategy for last year for us. I will be surprised if before the end of the tournament other sides are not doing it. It is a ploy that has been used in previous World Cups. I feel the conditions here will be very suitable for it."

Smith heaped praise on rookie leg-spinner Imran Tahir, a Pakistani by birth who recently acquired South African citizenship.

Tahir returned with a three-wicket haul in 8.5 overs and looked quite impressive given his relative inexperience.

"The wicket was a little bit under-prepared. It was Imran's day. He is naturally a tough guy, but was perhaps little bit tense today. He started to be more consistent in length and was more confident on what he was doing.

"For me, it was nice to see the guy making good use of the opportunity. He gave himself a platform to bowl on now," said Smith.

His counterpart, Elton Chigumbura, said Tahir bowled tight, but the Zimbabwe batsmen often played down the wrong line leading to their cheap dismissals.

Butcher said: "I have seen quite a lot of Tahir in English county cricket. I know he is a quality bowler. I am sure he will have an impact on the World Cup competition."

Regarding Jacques Kallis, recovering from a rib injury and who scored an unbeaten 49, Smith said that he would prefer to preserve the all-rounder for the World Cup rather than rushing him to bowl.

"As I had said earlier, we do not want to slide back to the player he was a couple of weeks ago. We still need to preserve him for bowling as we need him for another six weeks," he said. —IANS

Kallis powers South Africa to victory

CHENNAI: Quite the best news for South Africa was the return of Jacques Kallis whose unbeaten 49 off 39 balls carried the Proteas to a comfortable eight-wicket win here Saturday against Zimbabwe in a warm-up game ahead of the ICC cricket World Cup.

In pic: Jacques Kallis enjoyed his return to action, finishing unbeaten on 49 © AFP

The South Africans, among the title favourites, had little difficulty in brushing aside Zimbabwe who were dismissed for 152 with skipper Graeme Smith utilizing all his bowling options. The Proteas then took just 23.3 overs to knock off the runs and reach the target for a loss of two wickets.

Kallis, recovering from a rib injury, did not bowl, but that was to be expected, and even otherwise, new ball bowler Morne Morkel and rookie leg-spinner Imran Tahir took three wickets apiece even as Zimbabwe collapsed.

Smith (41) and Hashim Amla (45) provided South Africa a solid start before Kallis finished off the game in style.

Earlier, the athletic South Africans showcased their fielding ability as they held the catches that came their way and their bowlers kept it tight while the Zimbabwe batsmen, barring opener Brendon Taylor (40) and Sean Williams (35), were all at sea.

It was just the sort of loosener that the South Africans were looking in preparations for their opening group fixture against the West Indies in Delhi Feb 24 while Zimbabwe travel to Ahmedabad where they face champions Australia Feb 21. —IANS

Scoreboard

Zimbabwe:

Brendon Taylor c de Villiers b Tahir 40
Charles Coventry c Tahir b Morkel 21
Tatendu Taibu c Smith b Morkel 0
Greg Lamb c de Villiers b Peterson 11
Elton Chigumbura lbw Peterson 0
Craig Ervine lbw Botha 8
Sean Williams (run out) 35
Regis Chakabva c de Villiers b Morkel 18
Prosper Utseya c Duminy b Tahir 5
Graeme Cremer (not out) 3
Shingirai Masakadza lbw Tahir 0

Extras: (Lb-6, Nb:2, W-3): 11.

Total (all out, 41.5 overs): 152

Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-49, 3-76, 4-76, 5-82, 6-95, 7-141, 8-144, 9-152.

Bowling

Dale Steyn 6-1-29-0
Lonwab Tsotsobe 2-0-10-0
Morne Morkel 6-0-16-3
Wayne Parnel 5-0-11-0
Imran Tahir 8.5-0-35-3
Robin Peterson 6-1-21-2
J. Botha 6-0-18-1
Jean Paul Duminy 2-0-6-0.

South Africa

Hashim Amla c Taibu b Price 45
Graeme Smith st. Taibu b Lamb 41
Jaques Kallis (not out) 49
AB de Villers (not out) 12

Extras (w-6): 6
Total (for 2 wkts, 23.3 overs): 153.

Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-117.

Bowling

Chris Mpofu 3-0-22-0
Prosper Utseya 3-0-14-0
Shingirai Masakadza 5-0-27-0
Ray Price 4-0-19-1
Graeme Cremer 4.3-0-26-0
Greg Lamb 4-0-45-1.