Rousing welcome for Lionel Messi in Kolkata

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi arrived in Kolkata in the wee hours on Wednesday but more than 1500 frenzied fans were left heartbroken as securitymen whisked the Argentine superstar away through the VIP gate.

The football-crazy city did not witness the same turn-out when Diego Maradona visited about three years back as the Kolkatans then had lined up on the streets while state government officials had come to welcome him at the airport.

But the euphoria was exactly the same as the fans with many wearing the Albiceleste colours painted the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Dum Dum in white and sky blue.

Holding Argentina flags and lifesize Messi cutouts, the fans poured in since 2am, more than one hour in advance of the Argentine star's arrival. There were also few Tricolours seen flying high among the white and sky blue colours.

The football-crazy fans danced and cried deliriously, shouting "three cheers for Messi, three cheers for Argentina," as near stampede like scenes were witnessed outside the airport.

"It's an achievement for Kolkata. I don't know what will happen to me when I see the God of football. Perhaps, I will faint," ardent Messi fans Arindam Ghosh and Uttam Saha who were part of a 50-member team of Bidrohi Club in Baghajatin stated.
Lionel Messi, who arrived in the wee hours on Wednesday, defied jet lag and fatigue to join his teammates for a full practice session under new coach Alejandro Sabella at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan here this evening.

During the team's first full practice session, the Albicelestes slugged it out on the artificial turf of the stadium for more than an hour ahead of their FIFA International friendly against Venezuela here on Friday.

Messi, who led Barcelona to a 5-0 rout of Villareal in Sunday's La Liga clash, seemed relaxed and was equally agile along with the likes of Javier Mascherano, Gonzalzo Higuain and Sergio Aguero.

Sporting a pair of green sneakers, Messi enthralled with his magical left-footer as his powerful shots kept flying into the net with total perfection.

But the highlight of the practice session was new coach Sabella's main focus on team co-ordination and the last line of defence, goalkeeping.

Throughout the session, he gave special attention to the three Argentine custodians -- Sergio Romero, Estaban Andrada and Mariano Andjar.

Soon after the practice match, the Argentine midfielders and forwards tested their shooting skills in turn, even as Sabella made his support staff give some muscle relaxing exercises to the rest of the players.

What followed next was a brief team meeting where Sabella took stock of the players' fitness.

Although no spectator was allowed inside the stadium during the training session, many gathered to get a first glimpse of Messi.

Slum dwellers to walk Messi & Co out into Yuva Bharati

Glad tidings are in store for four children from the most marginalised communities in Kolkata as they have been chosen to walk the Lionel Messi-led Argentina and Venezuela players out into the ground ahead of the friendly match at the Salt Lake stadium on September 2.

While millions of Messi's fans will have to be content with watching the match live on TV, these children will be standing at an arm's distance from the genius, thanks to an initiative by "Save the Children", a child rights organisation that works in India and in over 120 countries across the world.

The organisation has been chosen as cause partner for the match to be played in Kolkata.

Each of these four children is either a child labourer or has been rescued from hazardous child labour situations.

Fourteen-year-old Rajen Bhuia is one of them. "I go to Salt Lake everyday to practice for three hours early in the morning and I am a player of the team East Calcutta District Force, Kishalaya. To watch Messi play live will be the most unforgettable moment of my life. One day, I want to be a football player like him," said Rajen, who is a resident of Tangra slums.

Man United 8-2 Arsenal

Manchester United shattered Arsenal by slamming eight goals past the shell-shocked Gunners at Old Trafford.

The home side's delirious fans mocked Arsene Wenger with chants of "You're getting sacked in the morning" as Wayne Rooney walked off with the matchball, having scored his 150th Red Devils goal, then adding two more after half-time to complete his hat-trick.

Yet Rooney's efforts did not even account for half of United's staggering tally as they scored eight for the first time since 1999.

Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young, Nani and Park Ji-sung also found the net before Young completed the rout with his second.

It was Arsenal's worst ever defeat against United and the first time they have conceded eight in a league game since 1896.

The result leaves Wenger staring at the biggest crisis of his 15 years at the helm.

For Sir Alex Ferguson, so strident in his defence of the Frenchman pre-match, this is of little concern.

His side are yet to drop a point, as are their noisy neighbours across the city.

And while there are plenty at Stamford Bridge and Anfield who will strongly disagree this season already seems to be turning into an eight-month shoot-out between the red and blue halves of Manchester.

That United suffered a series of setbacks during the first-half just made the 3-1 interval scorline even more remarkable.

Jonny Evans conceded a penalty, Welbeck limped off with a hamstring injury and Theo Walcott scored.

None of this prevented Ferguson's side jogging off to a rapturous reception after a mesmeric display, in which their youngsters again showed their class, and even David De Gea joined the party.

Derided for his performances since an £18million summer move from Atletico Madrid, De Gea needed a lift. Turning Robin van Persie's penalty round the post provided it.

It was the central component of a pivotal five-minute spell, during which United established their clear superiority.

The hosts had already threatened to dismantle an Arsenal side shorn of Bacary Sagna and Thomas Vermaelen, in addition to the suspensions of Alex Song and Gervinho.

But when Anderson lifted the ball over Arsenal's static defence, Welbeck had too much strength for Johan Djourou and headed over Wojciech Szczesny.

In their present fragile state, Van Persie's failure to punish Jonny Evans' penalty box foul on Walcott was a shattering blow.

That United immediately headed up to the other end and doubled their advantage through Young's magnificent curling strike only made matters worse.

Even Welbeck's injury, which will surely deprive England of his services in Bulgaria next week, was only a minor inconvenience, especially as his replacement was last season's star man Javier Hernandez.

Rooney added his name to the scoresheet with a perfect free-kick, which beat Szczesny's despairing grasp to find the top corner.

Walcott pulled one back in stoppage time for the visitors but when Young forced Szczesny into an excellent save by his near post straight after the restart, Arsenal's fans could sense what was unfolding and launched into long and passionate backing of their team.

It wasn't that Arsenal were incapable.

Had Van Persie's first-time volley found the net instead of being superbly repelled by De Gea or Andrey Arshavin's close-range effort not flicked wide off Evans, they would have been back in with a chance.

They were incapable of preventing United from swarming all over them though.

The heroic Szczesny denied Young. Nani contrived to miss from four yards. It was all rather embarrassing for the visitors, who simply could not hold out.

When Johan Djourou pulled Rooney down on the edge of the area, he was merely creating the opportunity for England's number one striker to replicate his landmark United goal with his 151st.

Rooney then sent Nani through, the Portugal winger calmly chipping Szczesny before making way for Park Ji-sung, who promptly grabbed one himself.

Van Persie pulled one back amid the carnage, which also saw Carl Jenkinson sent off for hauling down Hernandez, having already been booked.

At that stage, Arsenal would happily have accepted the final whistle.

But their agony was far from being over.

After Van Persie has scored, Walcott pulled one back, which merely seemed to annoy their hosts.

Evra was brought down by Walcott, allowing Rooney to complete his hat-trick from the spot and then, in stoppage time, Young added an eighth.

The scoreboard told its own story at the final whistle.

United will march on to face the threat posed by Roberto Mancini and his men.

For Wenger, there are far more searching and deep-rooted questions that, in the wake of the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, may not be easy to answer.

The rise and rise of Novak Djokovic

2011 has so far been a game of numbers for Serbian ace Novak Djokovic.

Consider these figures: Nine titles. Five Masters 1000 titles. A staggering 57-2 match record, with 33-1 on hard courts.

"I am human - I can definitely assure you of that," said the Serb after lifting his Rogers Cup trophy in Montreal. His flummoxed opponents might disagree with him.

As an incredulous tennis fraternity watches Djokovic's run of success in awe, the question on everyone's minds is: how long can it last?

Just last week the top seed showed he was not infallible when he was forced to retire in his final against Andy Murray in Cincinnati, citing exhaustion and shoulder pains. While he could have persevered, he claimed it did not make sense to take the risk.

"I am confident that I can recover and be ready for the US Open," he told reporters. The week leading up to Flushing Meadows will be a crucial one, and should Djokovic regain the form he exhibited before his injury, he is set to go far in the tournament.

Looking at those hoping to edge him out on the rankings, it seems that they will have a tough fight on their hands. Andy Murray is too inconsistent, with the tendency to choke when it matters most. While Roger Federer has beaten Djokovic this year in Roland Garros, he has also lost to him in three straight matches (Melbourne, Dubai and Indian Wells). And besides toppling Rafael Nadal from his 57 consecutive weeks at No.1, Djokovic has also beaten the Spaniard in four ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals.

More recently, all three challengers to Djokovic have also suffered surprise exits in the recent Rogers Cup, with Nadal and Federer struggling in the Western and Southern Open. These defeats do not bode well for their chances.

That being said, no one would dare suggest that the reason for Djokovic's success is due to his rivals' faltering performances. Mardy Fish, who was beaten by Djokovic in the Rogers Cup final, said that the latter "has no weaknesses... there is no safe place to hit the ball". The hard work that the Serb and his team have been putting in (from regulated diets to specialised balancing drills) has finally paid off - Djokovic is faster, quicker, his serve is improved and his play more aggressive. What his opponents find so frustrating is his ability to move from defensive returns to offensive play, from seemingly irretrievable angles.

"I can work on some things, but my temper is my temper. My character is my character. You have to try to take the best out of it, not change it," he insisted. True to his word, in recent months he has caged his inner demons in his rise to the apex of the sport. And perhaps this is the secret to Djokovic's success - six years after his Grand Slam debut, he has taken his natural competitiveness and now wields it as a weapon.

With the world wondering if the new No.1 is possibly flying too close to the sun, self-doubt is a luxury that he cannot afford.

"To be the best is what drives me," he said, claiming that his focus is always on how many matches he wins. He matched those words to his actions by winning the Rogers Cup, becoming the first player since Pete Sampras in 1993 to win an ATP tournament on debut as No.1. When asked to comment if he could surpass the 82-3 record John McEnroe set in 1984, Djokovic professed ignorance of McEnroe's feat, but said that it was now "something to fight for".

Tendulkar, Dhoni shortlisted for ICC awards

Still smarting from their humiliating Test series defeat to England, Indian cricketers had something to cheer about as Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir were Friday named in the final shortlists for ICC Cricketer of the Year and ODI Player of the Year awards.

Tendulkar, who had a below performance in the four-match Test series with just 273 runs at an average of 34.12, was named along with South African Hashim Amla and two Englishman Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott for the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for the ICC Cricketer of the Year.

Tendulkar was ICC cricketer of the year last year.

Gambhir, who struggled with injuries in the Test series, found a place in the shortlist for ICC ODI player of the Year along with Amla, Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara and Australian Shane Watson for the awards to be presented here on September 12.

Test's world number one England fittingly had three players from the team for the ICC Test Player of the Year with James Anderson, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott competing against Jacques Kallis for the award.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to recall Ian Bell after the England batsman was ruled run out by the umpire during the second Test at Trent Bridge earned him a place in the shortlist for ICC Spirit of Cricket award.

Dhoni will have competition from South African Kallis who was named for walking twice during the 2011 Cricket World Cup after clarifying with the opposition fielder if they had caught the ball cleanly.

Dhoni, who was ordinary as a skipper and wicketkeeper in the England Test series, was also shortlisted for People's Choice Award along with Amla, West Indian Chris Gayle, Sangakkara and Trott.

The shortlists of the Annual Awards to be held in association with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, was announced after vote by an independent 25-person academy in each category.

The academy includes a host of former players, respected members of the media as well as representatives of the Emirates Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and ICC Match Referees.

The long-lists were made by a five-man ICC selection panel chaired by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd. The panel also includes former captains Zaheer Abbas of Pakistan and England's Mike Gatting and New Zealand's Danny Morrison and South Africa's Paul Adams.

Based on the period between August 11, 2010 and August 3 2011, the LG ICC Awards 2011 take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.

Shortlist of nominees for ICC Awards:

Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Alastair Cook, Sachin Tendulkar, Jonathan Trott.

ICC Test Player of the Year: James Anderson, Alastair Cook, Jacques Kallis, Jonathan Trott

ICC ODI Player of the Year: Hashim Amla, Gautam Gambhir, Kumar Sangakkara, Shane Watson

ICC Emerging Player of the Year: Azhar Ali, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Wahab Riaz

ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year: Ryan ten Doeschate, Hamid Hassan, Kevin O'Brien, Paul Stirling

ICC Twenty20 International Performance of the Year: Tim Bresnan, JP Duminy, Tim Southee, Shane Watson.

ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year: Charlotte Edwards, Lydia Greenway, Shelley Nitschke, Stafanie Taylor

David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year: Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Ian Gould, Simon Taufel

ICC Spirit of Cricket: M S Dhoni, Jacques Kallis

People's Choice Award: Hashim Amla, M S Dhoni, Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Jonathan Trott. (PTI)

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2011-12 GROUP STAGE DRAW

Manchester City avoided a group of death in their first Champions League draw but Roberto Mancini's side still face something of a baptism of fire.

City will come up against three tough opponents in Group A foes Bayern Munich, Villarreal and Napoli.

Manchester United were given a much easier draw, in Group C alongside Benfica, the club they beat to secure their first European Cup in 1968, as well as Swiss champions Basle and unknowns Otelul Galati from Romania, making their bow in the competition.

Arsenal have to overcome Marseille, Greek champions Olympiakos and a potentially tricky test against Borussia Dortmund - the club among the pot of fourth seeds to avoid - in Group F.

Chelsea will face Valencia, the former club of latest new signing Juan Mata, plus Bayer Leverkusen - where Michael Ballack is now playing - and Genk from Belgium in Group E

Group A

Bayern, Villarreal, Man City, Napoli

Group B

Inter Milan, CSKA Moscow, Lille, Trabzonspor

Group C

Man United, Benfica, Basel, Otelul Galati

Group D

Real Madrid, Lyon, Ajax, Dinamo Zagreb

Group E

Chelsea, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, Genk

Group F

Arsenal, Marseille, Olympiakos, Borussia Dortmund

Group G

Porto, Shakhtar, Zenit, APOEL

Group H

Barcelona, AC Milan, BATE Borisov, Viktoria Plzen

F1 TO SET TRACK ON FIRE IN INDIA

The Indian Grand Prix (Hindi: भारतीय ग्राँ प्री) will be a Formula One race held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The first event is scheduled to take place on October 30, 2011 as the 17th race of the 2011 Formula One season,^[2] The homologation of the new race track will take place on September 1, 2011.

The race will be held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, 50 km from Delhi.^[29] The circuit will be roughly 5.14 kilometres (3.19 miles) and will be designed by F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke. The track will be spread in an area of 875 acres. The initial seating capacity is speculated to be around 150,000. However there are plans to increase the seating capacity to 200,000 later on. The sprawling circuit will be a part of Jaypee Green Sports city and will also be used for hosting one or more rounds of Moto GP championships in the year 2012. The 10-year contract for the race has been given to the Indian construction company Jaiprakash Associates.^[30]

The track in all has 16 largely medium speed corners where F1 cars will lap at an average speed of 210 km/h. The back straight will let F1 cars reach 320 km/h making it one of the fastest tracks in the world. The expected F1 car lap time is 1 minute 17 seconds. The organizers have also taken feedback from teams which have done the track analysis via simulators leading to modification of the turn 7 in order to maximize overtaking opportunities into banked turn 10. A grand stand with a capacity of 13,000 will overlook the turn 10 and turn 11 giving the F1 fans an opportunity to be a part of the action.^[31]

Says Samir Gaur, MD and CEO of JPSI Sports, a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates, "Land acquisition for the 5.5 km track is on and we are hopeful of completing the exercise by February. The designer and contractor for the job too, have been finalised and we are sure of getting the track ready by February 2011, in time for the championship." According to Ashok Khurana, executive vice-chairman of JPSI, the core area of the circuit would be spread over 4,000 hectares and building the infrastructure of the circuit would cost between Rs 12 billion and Rs 15 billion (US$309 million/£188 million/€216 million, at exchange rates of 21 August 2009).^[32]

The latest development (January 2010) with the circuit in India was the appointment of Mark Hughes, former number 2 at the Bahrain International Circuit for 5 years and also advisor to the Yas Marina Circuit for their first Grand Prix at the end of 2009. But on January 24, 2011, Hughes confirmed that he quit the Indian job due to 'personal reasons'. His post later went to Mr. Azhar Rehman, a former race organiser in Sepang, Malaysia.^[33]

Economic benefits

Delhi has been seeing a lot of infrastructure developments for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. However, there has been no direct funding provided for an Indian Grand Prix yet.^[17]

According to experts^[who?], the benefits of a booming economy like India joining the F1 calendar are clear. Not only would the hotel and tourism industry get an immediate boost, the country's profile, too, would get a lift.

Experts are also of the view that once the Indian Grand Prix kicks off, it has the potential to generate around $170 million in revenue and employ as many as 10,000 people. The opportunity in advertising tie-ups between manufacturers and F1 cannot be overlooked either.^[32] The race was to coincide with the important Diwali holiday, when consumer spending is typically at its highest and many are travelling, so economic prospects are excellent.^[34]

Reactions

Leading businessman Vijay Mallya said after signing a sponsorship agreement between his Kingfisher Airlines and the Force India team (of which he is also team principal) that he was confident the sport would come to the subcontinent. "It has always been my dream to bring Formula One to India," he told a news conference on the sidelines of the launch of Force India's car in 2008. "The government of Delhi I think really wants Formula One in India and I am optimistic that maybe we will be able to host our first race in 2009."^[35]

Both the Motorsports Association of India and the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India have expressed some scepticism. The latter's president, Rajat Mazumbar, has said that "The only authorised body that can run motorsports in the country is ours" despite the fact the deal has been signed with the Indian Olympic Association.

Increased awareness has led to the popularity of merchandise, Formula 1 tickets, and race tours to F1 destinations.^[36]

Controversy

Local farmers are planning a protest against what they claim were heavy-handed methods used to acquire their lands and low rates of compensation.

Baichung Bhutia announces retirement from football

Former India captain and the poster boy of Indian football for the major part of the last two decades, Baichung Bhutia announced his international retirement on Wednesday from the AIFF headquarters in New Delhi, bringing to an end an illustrious 16-year career.
Baichung, known as the 'Sikkimese Sniper' for his shooting skills, announced his walk into international football sunset during a press conference at the AIFF headquarters.

"I had fantastic 16 years of international football. I enjoyed every moment to have represented the country, to have contributed to the game," Bhaichung said.

"Winning the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008, to qualify for the Asian Cup were the best moments of my career and I thought of retiring after playing in that tournament," he said.

"But I could play only 15 minutes in the Asian Cup and I thought it was not the right way to retire. I wanted to continue playing but the last 7-8 months have been frustrating due to lot of injuries. So I have decided to quit," he added.

He was dropped from the Indian squad selected for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the preparatory matches.

Bhaichung, however, will continue to play for his club United Sikkim FC which he founded.

"Lots of things in life do not happen the way we wish so I am quitting from international football but will continue playing for my club," he said.

"My commitment and contribution to Indian football will not diminish and I am ready to help the AIFF in whatever way they want me," he said.

He had been struggling with injury in the past one year and could only play for just 15 minutes in the Asian Cup in Qatar in January, the most prestigious event India has ever taken part in the last 27 years.

He was dropped from the Indian squad selected for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the preparatory matches, a move which he took into his strides but to complain for not showing the courtesy of at least informing him of that.

Bhaichung first came to the forefront at the 1992 Subroto Cup in New Delhi where he played for SAI Centre Gangtok. Next year, he was signed on by Kolkata giants East Bengal after his showings in the Subroto Cup and for the National Under-16 team in the Asian Under-16 Cup Qualifiers.

In 1995, Bhaichung, along with a host of other Indian top stars, signed up for JCT Mills of Phagwara and had two very successful seasons with them, among other things winning the first-ever National Football League title, being also the league's top scorer.

In 1997, Bhaichung returned to East Bengal. By this time he had become one of India's top players and in the 1998-99 season he was club captain, one of the youngest ever at 21.

After unsuccessful trials with English Premiership side Aston Villa and Championship clubs Fulham FC and West Bromwich Albion, Bhaichung finally signed for Division Two club Bury FC in 1999 to become the first Indian to play in Europe.

He was with Bury FC for three years till 2002.

Baichung had captained India for more than 10 years and has scored 43 international goals, more than any other footballer of the country. He is also the only Indian and one among few international players to have played more than 100 matches for his country.

Under him, India won the South Asian Football Federation Championships thrice, two Nehru Cup titles (in 2007 and 2009) and the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup which gave India the right to play in the Asian Cup this year for the first time after 1984

England complete series whitewash

England completed whitewash over India after ending Sachin Tendulkar's stout resistance nine runs short of a hundredth hundred in international cricket. Tendulkar (91) and Amit Mishra (84) shut England out for 46 overs in a fourth-wicket stand of 144 as the tourists dug in to try to save the final Test, before Graeme Swann (six for 106) intervened to bowl nightwatchman Mishra and spark a collapse of seven wickets for just 21. Tendulkar was the key wicket, though, and he appeared destined to set a unique century of centuries only to fall lbw to a fine nip-backer from Tim Bresnan and a marginal lbw decision from umpire Rod Tucker. The Little Master had endured many scrapes in a near four-hour stay but when he eventually went India folded alarmingly. It was the culmination of an outstanding campaign which had already seen England depose India as the world's number one Test team, on the back of a string of headline individual performances this summer. The last hero for England turned out to be Swann, the world's leading spin bowler who spent so much of the series watching the seam attack bag wickets ahead of him but at last found conditions in his favour here. For much of a taxing day, England had good reason to regret Sunday night's generosity - when Tendulkar would have been stumped on 34 had Matt Prior appealed off the bowling of Swann. A sell-out crowd assembled on the final day for the chance to pay homage to Tendulkar, in what may be his last Test innings in this country, and witness England's coronation as the world's best. They seemed set to get value for their money on both counts too, because England would receive their International Cricket Council mace as current table-toppers whatever the outcome here - and Tendulkar demonstrated he was not going to let another shot at that century of centuries slip easily from his grasp. Mishra appeared at least as comfortable as his illustrious partner, however, confirming the impression of the first innings that he is far from flattered by a first-class average under 20. The nightwatchman was struck a painful early blow on the left thigh by James Anderson, and required on-field treatment for several minutes. But he was otherwise untroubled by everything the England attack could muster throughout the morning and well into the afternoon. Swann was to endure several more pieces of misfortune against Tendulkar, starting just before lunch when Alastair Cook dropped a bat-pad catch at short leg to reprieve the great man again on 70. For the first time in an unexpectedly one-sided series, it seemed the force was with India, and it stayed that way when Tendulkar escaped Swann three more times between 79 and 85 - first spilled by Prior and then surviving close lbw calls thanks to umpire Simon Taufel. Swann's frustration was becoming increasingly evident - and even after both Mishra and Tendulkar had gone in successive overs, England's mood was scratchy when an official warning came Andrew Strauss' way to stop his players walking across the pitch to take their fielding positions. Hope had been fading, in an ever tightening equation for the hosts, by the time Mishra played inside a delivery that did not turn from Swann but did disturb off stump. He had hit 10 fours from 141 balls, and significantly inconvenienced opponents who could hardly believe how their luck had suddenly turned when Bresnan struck with the first ball of his second spell to end the Tendulkar fairytale again. He needed Tucker's agreement too, that a ball which jagged in off the seam would have hit leg-stump - a judgment, narrowly confirmed by video simulation inadmissible in this series, which ended a typically high-class 172-ball innings. England were on a familiar roll once more, and Suresh Raina did not seem a likely contender to stand in their way for long. So it proved as he contributed a 13-ball duck, making it a runless match for him from 42 deliveries in all, albeit lbw to one that might have both taken a faint inside edge and also cleared the stumps. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni then proved powerless to resist the second new ball, well caught high at second slip by Swann off Stuart Broad, and RP Singh fended the same bowler behind to Prior. Gautam Gambhir, once again batting down the order due to the concussion he suffered in the field on Friday, was next to fall as he sliced Swann straight to Eoin Morgan at point to give the off-spinner his fifth wicket of the innings. The majority of the crowd were already in celebratory mood, and got the go-ahead to cheer their team to the skies when Sreesanth was last out in a total of 283 half an hour before tea - bowled, appropriately, by Swann.

England breach India's "Wall"

England moved closer to a 4-0 series whitewash against India despite encountering some brave resistance from Rahul Dravid on day four at The Oval.

Dravid's unbeaten 146 accounted for almost half of his side's first-innings total as the tourists were bowled out for 300 during the afternoon session.

It was the first time they had reached that mark in the whole series, but the total was still not enough to avoid the follow-on as England made their opponents bat throughout the whole day.

India avoided another top-order collapse and finished the day 162 runs behind on 129-3, but they still face an uphill task on the final day if they are to avoid defeat in the fourth and final Test.

India had resumed the day on 103-5 and the overnight partnership of Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (17) survived for 12 overs until the latter edged behind off the bowling of James Anderson.

Dravid continued undeterred and brought up his century, from 168 balls, with a dab to third man for two off Tim Bresnan.

The 38-year-old is fourth on the all-time list of Test centurions with 35 and becomes only the third India player to carry his bat in a Test innings.

Amit Mishra, who smashed the last ball before lunch for a six over long-on, made a breezy, defiant 43 in a seventh-wicket stand of 87 before he was dismissed by a superb one-handed Ian Bell catch as he attempted to pull a Bresnan delivery.

Usual opener Gautam Gambhir, not used at the top of the innings due to a concussion, then made a n almost strokeless 10 before looping an easy catch to Kevin Pietersen at gully off Stuart Broad.

RP Singh hit five boundaries in a rapid 25 to help take the tourists to the 300 mark for the first time in the series, but they would go no further.

Bresnan (3-54) had Singh caught at third slip and last man Sreesanth drove the same bowler straight to Eoin Morgan at cover two balls later.

Dravid was stranded four runs short of 150 and minutes later was back out in the middle again, retaining opening duties as England, with a first-innings lead of 291, enforced the follow-on.

His unbroken spell at the crease looked to have come to an end when he was given out caught by short-leg Alastair Cook off Swann, but a review showed the ball had clearly missed his bat.

But his valiant resistance finally finished when he was once again snared bat-pad by Cook off the same bowler, with the review this time going against him despite no evidence of any edge. With no conclusive evidence suggesting Dravid had actually nicked the ball, it was strange how third umpire Steve Davis decided to overrule the on-field umpire.

The Hot-Spot and snickometer clearly failed to spot any contact between the bat and ball but Dravid walked off the field in a gracious manner, very typical of him.

The wicket can be crucial in the context of the game, felt Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box.

Virender Sehwag made a patchy 33 before departing as he was beaten by the spin of Swann and bowled through the gate attempting an ambitious drive against the turn.

Sachin Tendulkar (35 not out) and VVS Laxman almost made it to the finish but the latter fell for 24 late in the day after a beauty from Anderson sent his off stump flying out of the ground.

And Tendulkar was given a life when slow-motion replays suggested he was stumped by Prior in the closing stages of the day but no England player appealed after the bails were removed with the batsman's back foot appearing to be in the air at the crucial moment.

But with no appeal, Tendulkar survives and will have a chance to make that elusive hundredth international hundred on the final day of the series.

Australia clinch ODI series in style

Michael Clarke's side sewed up the series with a game to play thanks to another destructive bowling performance as the hosts were dismissed for 132.

Off-spinner Xavier Doherty claimed career-best figures of four for 28 while veteran quick Brett Lee also took four scalps as Sri Lanka lost their last eight wickets for 37 runs.

Shaun Marsh then hit 70 as Australia cruised to their victory target with the comfort 22 overs to spare.

Marsh was recalled to the top of the order in place of the out-of-form Brad Haddin and, while he lost Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting early on, a 97-run stand with skipper Clarke ensured the series-clinching win.

Marsh had not played an ODI since a hamstring injury ruled him out of the World Cup and he looked intent on re-establishing his place with a composed knock.

The Western Australian has proved himself an able batsman on the sub-continent, most notably at the Indian Premier League, and he did his reputation no harm as he crashed 11 fours and a six in reaching 70 from 80 balls.

Marsh's only mistake was to fall 10 runs short of the victory target when he got a thin edge off debutant Seekkuge Prasanna through to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara.

With victory in sight Australia then briefly wobbled as the Hussey brothers, Michael and David, both fell without scoring in the next three balls, but Clarke saw his side home unbeaten on 38.

Sri Lanka elected to bat after an vastly-improved batting performance secured them their first win in the five-game series in midweek, but they were soon in trouble.

Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan edged a short Doug Bollinger delivery behind before Lee struck for the first time bowling Upul Tharanga, who struck a century in the midweek game, with a slower ball.

Sri Lanka began to rally thanks to veteran duo Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, but after they added 71 runs the rot set in.

Doherty broke their stand when Sangakkara (31) loosely drove him to Lee at deep mid-off before trapping Chamara Silva lbw for a duck two balls later.

Doherty was gifted his third wicket when Angelo Mathews missed a reckless swipe and was stumped.

The Sri Lanka tail then disintegrated when the speed of Lee was too much as he removed Shaminda Eranga, Malinga and finally Jayawardene after he had provided some resistance with 53.

The fifth and final match of the series will also be played in Colombo on Monday.

Brutal England toy with India bowling

Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen piled up twin hundreds in a record triple-century stand as England showed India no mercy on day two of the fourth npower Test at The Oval.England's third-wicket pair dominated India's vulnerable attack in a partnership of 350 as a benign surface and sunny skies made life increasingly comfortable for the hosts, and desperate for their opponents.

Sreesanth did his best to generate an illusion of competitiveness, with a series of vain attempts to engage Pietersen verbally.

But after the early loss of both Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook for the addition of only two runs between them, there was rarely even an approximation of a true contest between bat and ball in a total of 457 for three, with Bell and Pietersen posting England's record stand for any wicket against India.

After a watchful start, Bell (181no) and Pietersen (175) duly made the most of easy pickings on their way respectively to and well beyond their 16th and 19th Test centuries.

Bell's was his first on this ground, but fifth in 11 innings of a prolific 2011 to date.

Pietersen now has four Test hundreds here, and has moved level with Strauss and Cook's career tallies - to stand joint-third on England's all-time list.

He and Bell were circumspect in the hour before lunch, adding 29 after Strauss was second out. But the first 10 overs of the afternoon proved especially punishing for India as 59 runs were plundered.

Pietersen announced himself first with boundaries off leg-spinner Amit Mishra - and then Bell struck a quarter of fours in five balls off Sreesanth.

After the first, a fierce pull followed next ball, then there were two glorious cover drives on the up in Sreesanth's next over.

Bell also counted several of the 12 fours in his 181-ball hundred from what has become one of his trademark shots - the back or late-cut off pace to the habitually unguarded third-man boundary.

Pietersen, by contrast, typically used his unique reach and footwork to disrupt India's lines - whipping to leg or smearing off-side width among his 27 fours in a 232-ball innings.

He completed his hundred with a resounding pull from the first ball after tea from Ishant Sharma - only to offer his only chance off the very next delivery when he miscued a planned repeat high to mid-on.

But instead of easing India's pain, Gautam Gambhir haplessly inflicted some more on himself when he failed to hold an awkward skier and fell backwards on to his head and shoulders.

Pietersen and Bell had bagged 170 unbeaten runs from 38 overs in an extended second session as they took England's number of century partnerships in the series to nine.

In the presence of Primer Minister David Cameron England therefore moved ominously back on course for a match-controlling total, in pursuit of a 4-0 series whitewash to consolidate their new-found world number one Test status.

Those ambitions had hit a near immediate setback this morning.

Cook swished his bat in frustration after following some away swing from Sharma and edging the fifth ball of the day to second slip.

It was an especially aggravating turn of events for a batsman renowned for his powers of concentration and so immovable during his career-best 294 at Edgbaston just last week.

But had he known what was to come, he need not have been so hard on himself.

The same could be said for Strauss, who took an hour and 32 balls to add just two runs to his overnight 38 before going after some full-length width from Sreesanth and edging tamely behind.

If India hopes were rising, it was merely a cruel passing phase.

Bell took 10 balls to get off the mark, and Pietersen had one close call on 18 when a glance at Sharma fell just short of leg-slip from the final ball of the morning.

But other than Gambhir's early-evening mis-calculation, that was as close as they would ever get to interrupting the inevitable in a stand which surpassed Graham Gooch and Allan Lamb's England best for any wicket against India when it went past 308.

The tourists had just one 'centurion' of their own - thanks to Mishra's bowling figures, which had just yielded the first sixes of the innings to Bell, when Pietersen finally went caught and bowled to Suresh Raina's off-spin at the other end.

Baichung Bhutia set to take call on retirement in few days

Frustrated with a recurring calf muscle injury, veteran India striker Baichung Bhutia will take a call on whether to extend his international career or hang up his boots in the next couple of days. The injury, which forced Bhutia to miss all the matches in the Asian Cup in January, barring the last 15 minutes of the final game against South Korea now threatens to delay his bid to make a comeback to the national team for the three—match tour of England next month. “I am working hard but I will know in the next 2—3 days,” he said when asked about the England tour and his future. Bhutia had recovered but suffered the injury a few days back while practicing for his club Sikkim United. Not just his international career, Bhutia might just take a decision on his club career as well. “I will know everything in the next 2—3 days,” he reiterated. Even if he makes the trip to the UK, Bhutia said he will return after playing in the first match, against Pakistan on September 3, as he wants to make himself available for his club Sikkim United, who will be competing in the Federation Cup qualifiers in the second week. “I will come by September 9, probably after the first two matches. The Indian team are scheduled to play against Pakistan at Pride Park Ground in Derby, followed by matches against England U—23 and Scotland U—21 sides.

The 4th test- India playing for pride....a preview

196 runs, 319 runs and then by an innings and 242 runs. As the margins of defeat suggest, the gulf between England and India has only got bigger with each passing match. For the first time since 1999, India has lost 3 tests in a series. Not only has India surrendered its numero uno rank in the test arena, this is also the first series loss for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The visitors now have their pride at stake and will look to avoid an embarrassing 4-0 whitewash when the two teams square off in the fourth and final test of the series at The Oval on Thursday.
The home team has been on a dream run of late and there hasn’t been a single department where the team has been found wanting. While the seam bowlers have been brilliant, never allowing the famed Indian batting line up to go past 300 even once in six attempts, the batsmen too have consistently raked up huge scores and put the visitors under pressure.
England:
The hosts had originally named an unchanged squad for the fourth test, giving Ravi Bopara another chance in place of the injured Jonathan Trott. The openers' quiet performances in the first two tests was the only concern for the Englishmen heading into the third test, but with a superb 294 from the Ashes hero Alastair Cook and skipper Andrew Strauss’s return to form, that box has been ticked off as well. The middle order has also been in good form with Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan and Matt Prior all scoring centuries in this series. The lower order is now considered as the most capable tail of all English teams and has more than wagged whenever called into action.
If the batting looks good, the bowling has been devastating. The pace bowlers have shown tremendous form and never let the intensity down at any moment. James Anderson and Stuart Broad have led the way with 39 wickets between them. Tim Bresnan, who made it to the playing eleven only due to an injury to Chris Tremlett, has also proven his worth with 12 scalps which includes one five wicket haul. The depth of the side can be gauged by the fact that despite the loss of first choice Tremlett, who has been ruled out of the final test due to a back injury, the hosts have another able replacement in Graham Onions. James Anderson is a slight doubt for the final test due to a quadricep injury, and Steve Finn, who was in the squad for the third test will take his place should the need arise. The only concern remains in the spin department as Graeme Swann hasn’t been in his element and has conceded runs at over 4 an over. That could change at the Oval, a ground generally known to be the biggest turner in the country.
India:
The Indian batting line up in the third test was the strongest one they have on offer at present, but it still wasn’t able to last even 3 sessions in either innings. Despite the presence so many big names, their regular failures has been baffling. Their impact player Virender Sehwag, who made a comeback to the international arena at Edgbaston, lasted just two balls, picking up a king’s pair. His opening partner Gautam Gambhir has found the seaming conditions in England a bit tough to handle and is yet to make a decent contribution. The experienced middle order trio of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendukar and VVS Laxman, quite uncharacteristically too have floundered, wilting under the pressure exerted by the England bowlers. The only solace for the visitors has been the return to form of captain MS Dhoni, who batting with the tail made 70 odd in both innings. With the conditions at The Oval being more batting friendly, the Indians need to show more application and look to bat for long hours and put up a big score to put England under pressure.
Seamers Ishant Sharma and S Sreesanth have bowled well in patches but they just haven't picked up enough wickets in the series. With RP Singh and Munaf Patel both available for selection and the series already lost, it will probably make sense to let them have a go, rather than going in with the tried and tested (and unsuccessful). Leggie Amit Mishra got some purchase from the pitch at Edgbaston but didn’t pose enough questions for Cook & Co. he also needs to work on his tendency to bowl no balls as it can cost India dearly.
No doubt england have been the far superior team in this series,maybe its just a matter of time before the indian guns start blazing and salvage some pride....Its been hard on the players,and shameful also,but a test win now can boost them before the One day series.And a defeat,4-0 whitewash and rank 3rd in the world.
All eyes on the oval now...lets hope for another exciting test match.