Anand is king, says victory comprehensive

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: It's his third world chess title, but the relief at winning this one is palpable and the joy is unbridled. ''I'm just exhaustedChess World Champion Viswanathan Anand poses with his trophy after defending his title against runner-up and challenger Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in Bonn October 29, 2008. (Reuters Photo)
, man,'' Vishwanathan Anand told the Times of India, speaking on his cell phone from Bonn on the way back to his hotel to stash away his trophy before heading out for a Mexican dinner.

It's been so bad, he said, that he's not even followed the world financial crisis, let alone the Obamania that's sweeping America - something unusual for a guy who likes to stay on top of news and current events. But the preparation has been bruising, and his team of seconds is so overjoyed that everything panned out well that they are already out roistering, well before Anand and his wife Aruna can join them.

''I might surprise you guys this time,'' Anand joked, when asked if he would join them for a tipple.

But the man who is said to drink nothing stronger than tomato juice has sent the country's spirits soaring with a performance that will sparkle in the annals of sporting history that is getting richer by the year. It's not every day or every year that the Soviet/Russian/Central Asian chess dominance is challenged, and Vishwanathan Anand is starting to make it a habit.

The victory over Kramnik, a consummate artist, was especially sweet (Australian Grandmaster Ian Rogers called it a battle between the painter and the philistine, so well-regarded is the Russian's sense of aesthetic play). But Anand is a stylist in his own right, and one of his fabulous win among the three in this series is set to go down as one of the great games in the chronicles of world championships.

''Kramnik does not lose three games in a year, forget three games in a series,'' Anand mused, ''So in that sense, I guess it was a comprehensive win.'' The fact that it finished one game ahead of the scheduled 12 means, Anand and Aruna can actually advance their plans to visit India, where doubtless a hero's welcome awaits him.

Asked to choose which was his favourite between the three world titles, Anand said they were all special. For us, too.

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Dhoni continues to top ICC ODI batsmen ranking

DUBAI: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni continued to top the batsmen chart in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI rankings issued on Wednesday. Mahendra Singh Dhoni in action. (PTI Photo)


Dhoni, with 793 rating points to his kitty, is way ahead of Australian Mike Hussey (776) and South African Graeme Smith (764) who are at the second and third position respectively.

Dhoni's teammate Sachin Tendulkar is the other Indian in the top 10 list at the eighth spot with 724 rating points.

Smith, however, is eyeing second place in batting list as South Africa face Kenya in a two-match ODI series in Bloemfontein on October 31 and in Kimberley on November 2.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, Australia's Nathan Bracken heads the list with New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori in second spot and left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson, another Australian, in third.

In the ODI championship table, India is in the fifth spot above Pakistan. India and New Zealand both have 113 points, but the Kiwis are on fourth position after recalculation upto two decimal points.

Australia (131) leads the table while South Africa (118) and England (116) are in the second and third positions respectively.

Well played, mate!

NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir and Venkatsai Laxman hammered double-centuries to put India in complete control on the second day of the third Test against Australia on Thursday.

Opening batsman Gambhir struck a career-best 206 while the stylish Laxman remained unbeaten on 200 as the hosts posted a massive 613-7 before declaring their first innings midway through the final session.

Australia were cautious in their reply, reaching 50-0 at the close with Matthew Hayden on 16 and Simon Katich on 29.

The day belonged to the Indian batsmen, who thrived in good batting conditions and set their side up for a series-clinching win.

The hosts lead the four-Test series 1-0 after winning the previous match in Mohali by 320 runs. The opener in Bangalore ended in a draw.

Barton strikes as Newcastle gain valuable win

NEWCASTLE: Joey Barton justified the faith of Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear by scoring the opening goal as the Magpies beat West Brom 2-1 fNewcastle United's Joey Barton scores from the penalty spot.

or only their second Premier League win this season.

Barton, making his first start since being released from prison, struck from the penalty spot in the 10th minute before birthday boy Obafemi Martins added a second three minutes before half-time at St James' Park on Tuesday.

West Brom substitute striker Ishmael Miller pulled a goal back in the 65th minute to fray the nerves of Newcastle's fans but the home side hung on for a first league win since August.

Victory took United out of the relegation zone and into 15th place, a point behind the Baggies, although all the other teams around them at the bottom of the table are in action on Wednesday.

"I know it's an old cliche but nobody wants to be in the bottom three," Kinnear said. "Nobody likes being in that position but if we can carry on now and get a second win then that would be great.

"If we can get a second victory back to back then it would be a completely different picture."

Reflecting on a fraught display after half-time, Kinnear added: "We started the second-half too cautiously.

"We kept defending deeper and deeper because we were trying to protect what we had but we sat back instead of going for it and we caused ourselves some problems."

Barton returned last weekend in the north-east derby against Sunderland after a six-game ban imposed by the Football Association (FA), following the 74 days he served in prison for assault on a 16-year-old boy, and also a training ground assault on former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo which earned him a suspended sentence.

The midfielder was only on the pitch for the final few minutes of the defeat but was pelted with coins and bottles as he warmed-up on the touchline.

His response was to kiss the badge on his Newcastle shirt, a move that many saw as inflammatory and a contributory factor to the violence which broke out after the final whistle between rival fans at the Stadium of Light.

Kinnear insisted, however, the midfielder would be picked on the same basis as any other player and Barton, eager for responsibility, showed no sign of being under pressure when he slotted home a penalty after Shola Ameobi had gone down in the box under a challenge from Ryan Donk.

Nigeria striker Martins, 24 on Tuesday, doubled United's lead, when his powerful header was deflected in off West Brom defender Jonas Olsson.

By that stage, Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given had preserved the home side's lead with a fine save when one-on-one with James Morrison.

Miller, a 54th minute replacement for Chris Brunt, did get the goal the Baggies' pressure deserved when, after Robert Koren's precise pass had opened up United's defence, he calmly rounded Given and shot into the unguarded net.

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Chelsea up next for high-flying Hull

LONDON: Chelsea visit Hull City on Wednesday hoping to avoid becoming the latest big scalp from the capital for the Premier League's surprise pack age.

Hull, who this time last year were struggling in the second division and were thrashed at home by Chelsea in the League Cup, have beaten Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Fulham so far in their debut season in the top flight. There has been a joke doing the rounds that Chelsea might even pull off a "surprise win" at Hull but nobody from Stamford Bridge will be taking the trip to Humberside lightly.

Hull's incredible start continued with a 3-0 win at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday which put them level on 20 points with Chelsea who lost 1-0 to Liverpool, their first league home defeat since February 2004.

Tigers coach Phil Brown indulged in some subtle mind games on Saturday when he said "after 10 games we've got 20 points and if we do as well in the next 10 I will be a happy man".

Actually, Hull have played only nine games so either he got his maths wrong or he was implying that Hull had already written off the three points against Chelsea. "We've got a couple of massive games on the horizon now and we've earned the right to at least give a good account of ourselves instead of everyone calling us whipping boys," Brown said.

They travel to champions Manchester United at the weekend. Chelsea should have midfielder Joe Cole back from injury and goalkeeper Petr Cech believes Chelsea will need to be at their best if they are to shake off the Liverpool defeat. "They (Hull) have confidence and have nothing to lose, this is really dangerous," Cech told Chelsea's website.

"When you win promotion and get some positive results you go into every game fighting and enjoying it. Every year you have one of the promoted sides starting so well and this time it is Hull and we know what to expect from them."

GENUINE BELIEF

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said his side's win at Chelsea had sent out a message to the rest of the Premier League and he will want that underlined in thick red marker when they take on managerless Portsmouth at Anfield.

There appears to be genuine belief in the city that this Liverpool side can compete all the way for a first title since 1990 but they know any slips will be punished. Fourth-placed Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur in a north-London derby that Spurs fans may well be viewing with a little more optimism than they were three days ago.

A whirlwind chain of events at White Hart Lane saw Juande Ramos and his coaching staff sacked and replaced by wily Harry Redknapp, who quit Portsmouth to try and rescue a club hurtling towards relegation. Spurs are still bottom of the league despite a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers on Sunday and all eyes will be on Redknapp's first team selection. "Sometimes you've got to move forward if things aren't working and Harry's come in and had an instant impact," Spurs striker Darren Bent told the club's website.

Sixth-placed Manchester United, held 1-1 at Everton on Saturday, host West Ham United while fifth-placed Aston Villa host Blackburn Rovers.

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Bangladesh vs. New Zealand, 1st ODI, 9-OCT-08

Bangladesh shrugged off the recent loss of 14 players to the Indian Cricket League with their maiden one-day international win over New Zealand. The Tigers reached a target of 202 with 4.3 overs to spare to earn a seven-wicket success in the opening game of the three-match series in Mirpur.

Bangladesh vs. New Zealand Test-1 Day-2 (Oct 2008) live

Bangladesh vs. New Zealand Test-1 Day-2

Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests as Bangladesh dominated day two of the second Test against New Zealand.

The 21-year-old finished with 6-31 to leave the tourists reeling at 155-9 in reply to Bangladesh's 245.

New Zealand tour of Bangladesh 2nd test:

Bangladesh v New Zealand at Dhaka (SBNS), Oct 25-29, 2008

Match scheduled to begin at 09:30 local time (03:30 GMT)

Stumps - Day 3
Full scorecard



Hours of play: 09.30 start, Lunch 11.30-12.10, Tea 14.10-14.30, Close 16.30
Current time: 18:13 local, 12:13 GMT




Bangladesh squad
Abdur Razzak, Junaid Siddique, Mahbubul Alam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Rajin Saleh, Shahadat Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan, Syed Rasel, Tamim Iqbal


New Zealand squad
GD Elliott, DR Flynn, MR Gillespie, GJ Hopkins, JM How, BB McCullum, KD Mills, IE O'Brien, JDP Oram, JS Patel, AJ Redmond, JD Ryder, TG Southee, LRPL Taylor, DL Vettori


Stumps day 3: The covers are off and they are working on the outfield..super soppers are working and they are rolling the pitch but the umpires decided it will take too long for the drying out process today. Day 3 has been abandoned. Do join us again tomorrow at 09:00 local time, until then it is bye from all of us here at Cricinfo.

11:15 local time: The two umpires inspected the ground at 11.00 local time and ordered removal of the covers, but the ground conditions are still not suitable so there will be another inspection at 14:00 local time.

10:30 local time: The pitch has been covered again as it started to drizzle. The umpires, curator and the New Zealand manager had a look at the ground but not an official inspection.

09:05 local time: There is lot of water on the covers and outfield is very soggy. If there is no rain in next few hours we might have an start but that is a distant possibility. The umpires are expected to have an inspection at 11:00 local time.

Day 3: Good morning and welcome to Cricinfo's live coverage on day 3. It has stopped raining but the covers are still on. Overcast conditions at the moment.

Stumps - 2nd day The umpires have decided to pack in for the day as the rain continues to fall. It's another early start tomorrow at 9.00am, do join us again, until then this is Binoy George along with Bill Andersson and Sohel Awrangzeb signing off.

11.00am More bad news as it continues to rain and the forecast is for more rain. The chances of any play today looks increasingly bleak.

9.00am Play was expected to start half-an-hour early but the weather continues to spoil things. It has been raining since yesterday afternoon, gusty wind accompanied. It is still dark and raining, since the ground is specially made for drainage that looks fine, but the covers flooded with water. Players are inside.There may be an inspection at 11.00am.

Day 2: No play was possible yesterday due to persistent rain and the forecast for today doesn't look good either.

Stumps - 1st day It is official now, play has been abandoned for the day. It is an early start tomorrow. Thanks to Bill Andersson and Sohel Awrangzeb for all the updates. Do join us tomorrow for live coverage at 9.00am until then this is Binoy George signing off.

12.55pm We have some unofficial news, there might not be any play today, it looks very bleak, we will keep you posted if there is any play today.

12.30pm The drizzle continues! It is the effect of depression in the Bay of Bengal. It does not look good for tomorrow, things may improve on Monday.

11.45am The players are having lunch at the moment. The ground is fine but the drizzle is preventing the start. An inspection is scheduled at 12:30 local time if the drizzle stops.

Lunch No play before lunch, it is still raining. The two umpires Daryl Harper of Australia and Asoka de Silva of Sri Lanka were due to have the first inspection before lunch but it could not take place due to non-stop rain.

9.25am The covers are on as it is raining and the weather looks gloomy. There will be an inspection at 11:00 local time but that is if the rain stops.

Ashraful: "Pressure is always there. Team-wise we have done well, both in the one-dayers and the Test, so we must keep the good work and put up our best effort."

Vettori: "Oram is probably our most important player because of the role he offers, being our third seamer and one of our best batsmen, so when he is out it makes it more difficult."

Oram has a back injury and he will be replaced by Grant Elliot, the allrounder who made his debut against England in Napier earlier this year. Coincidentally, he replaced Oram in that Test too.

9.10am There is some bad news, it is raining at Dhaka at the moment and the news that is coming in is that it is unlikely there will be any play before lunch and the weather forecast isn't good for the whole Test.

After an absorbing first Test, the teams have moved to Dhaka for the second Test. Hello and welcome to Cricinfo's live coverage.

2006 Oval Test still a forfeit for MCC

The MCC, the independent governor of cricket’s laws, has recommended the ICC overturn its awarding of a draw for the disputed England-Pakistan Test at The Oval in 2006. Originally the match was ruled the first forfeit in the game’s history, but the ICC changed the result at an executive board meeting in July.

The MCC world cricket committee, which includes current India captain Anil Kumble and former Test leaders Rahul Dravid, Michael Atherton, Shaun Pollock and Steve Waugh, met on Saturday and Sunday in New Delhi and decided “cricket is the worse for this decision”.

The committee chairman Tony Lewis wanted confirmation from the ICC that the original outcome of the match should stand. “The ICC has no power under the laws of cricket to decide that results should be altered, whether it feels it's ‘inappropriate’ or otherwise,” the former England captain Lewis said. “The ICC’s decision is wrong and sets a very dangerous precedent. Cricket is the worse for this decision.”

Majid Khan, the former Pakistan captain, said the committee’s decision was unanimous “simply because the rule states that you can’t overturn a decision”. “The result should stay as is,” he said. When asked what the reaction to the decision would be in Pakistan, Majid said “we’ll wait and see”.

The controversy began after tea on the fourth day of the fourth Test when Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, refused to lead his team back on to the field following Australia umpire Darrell Hair and West Indian Billy Doctrove enforcing a five-run penalty for ball tampering. It was a decision that initially gave England victory and resulted in a suspension for Hair, who was reinstated after an employment tribunal hearing in October 2007, following protests from Pakistan. Hair has since stood down from elite-level umpiring.

Inzamam, who is now retired and playing in the unofficial Indian Cricket League, was fined for four games for bringing the game into disrepute. The team was cleared of the original ball-tampering allegations.

"The board's decision was based on the view that in light of the unique set of circumstances, the original result of the match was felt to be inappropriate," the ICC said in a statement in July. The ruling meant England won the four-match series 2-0 instead of 3-0.

“As far as we’re concerned there is no record of any other result [but a forfeit],” Lewis said. “We’re not reversing the ICC result, we’re just saying they had no place to do that. We, MCC, wrote the rules in 1788 and the laws working party now is run by Robert Griffiths QC. Legally, there is absolutely no way the ICC can change the laws of the game, which it did do.”

The committee also supported the umpire review system that was used in the recent Sri Lanka-India Test series and agreed to work with the ICC in ensuring the primacy of Test cricket. It also vowed to complete further research into trialling pink balls in the hope they could be used in day-night Tests.

An increased focus on fostering spin bowlers was also discussed along with a recommendation that umpires should not give the players the option to leave the field for bad light. MCC’s 18-man world cricket committee is charged with improving the game and its governance. As the sport’s law makers, the MCC has the power to alter the rules while using its influence to urge the ICC to change its position.

Not the spectacle that Stanford envisaged

England XI v Middlesex, Antigua
Not the spectacle that Stanford envisaged
Andrew Miller in Antigua

Andrew Strauss drops quite possibly the easiest chance he will ever have © PA Photos

If, as many people suspect, Allen Stanford’s intention is to crack the US market in the course of this Antiguan expedition, then the quality and drama of the opening two fixtures of his Super Series does not augur well for his prospects for New World domination.

It hardly seemed possible to put together a less enthralling contest than the one that the Superstars and Trinidad produced on Saturday evening, and yet England and Middlesex managed just that in a turgid affair that masqueraded as a close finish only because of the inability of either side to score at more than a run a ball. Stanford’s visions of soaring sixes and transfixed audiences were replaced instead by the sight of Neil Carter swinging with ugly optimism like a second-rate baseball slugger, as he pinch-hit his way to a self-defeating 11 from 27 balls.

This match followed an identical pattern to the opening fixture. The favourites batted first, and produced a substandard effort on a track that favoured spin bowling. The underdogs kept pace for a while, threatening to cause an upset only for the gulf in class to yawn between them in the final analysis. “We did our best, against the best bowlers in the country,” Middlesex’s captain, Shaun Udal, said. “I’m happy really.”

There has been a grim fascination to these matches, but it’s not been Twenty20 cricket as the world knows and loves it. Low-scoring games are not uncommon in this format – some of the finest matches so far have been double-digit affairs – but at least when sixes refuse to fly, stumps tend to go cartwheeling instead. But, so far in the Super Series there have been 21 wickets out of a possible 40, and only two sixes in each of the last three innings. That adds up to an awful lot of inactivity for a supposedly hyperactive brand.

Kevin Pietersen has never been fond of slow, low wickets, and his 10-ball 5 ended with a predictable stumping as he attempted to force the pace. “It’s a bit of a shame really,” he said. “Given the spectacle that’s going to be, you’d expect us to have scores of 160 to 200, but it’s the same for both teams, and the best team is going to win on the day. That’s what we’ve got, so that’s what we’ve got to try and practice with.”

Pietersen was quick to add that he believed that, given the sums of money riding on the match, nothing would detract from next Saturday’s spectacle. But it’s clear that after just two days of competition, England are already accepting that their pre-conceived notions might have to be trashed if they are to fly back home with Stanford’s loot on Sunday evening. The knots into which they were tied by Murali Kartik and Udal, coupled with the success of the Superstars spinners on Saturday night, means that Graeme Swann is one step closer to his dream of a pink Ferrari, as he prepares to join Samit Patel in a twin-spin attack.

It’s a bit of a shame really. Given the spectacle that’s going to be, you’d expect us to have scores of 160 to 200, but it’s the same for both teams, and the best team is going to win on the day - Kevin Pietersen on the slow nature of the Stanford wicket

“It’s definitely an option,” said Pietersen, who underlined the likelihood by bringing himself into the attack for a full four-over stint. “I’m not good enough to bowl as a second spinner, but it’s something we’ll think long and hard about. It’s not something we were thinking about at the start of the tournament, but we didn’t think we’d have conditions like this.”

All of a sudden it’s hard to envisage quite how England’s bowlers will line up for Saturday’s big match. Andrew Flintoff was the trump card this evening, bowling so full and fast at the death that Middlesex could do little more than dig out his yorkers, but Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom – on his return to England colours – were the two most economical men in the attack. With Steve Harmison unlikely to miss out if he is fit enough to take part, it could be that James Anderson will once again be England’s fall guy, if space has to be found for the second spinner.

“It’s going to be difficult but we’ve come here as a squad,” Pietersen said. “If we win the squad benefits, if we lose no-one benefits. At the end of the day we’re here as a team to play for England, to play for the badge and show the pride and passion that I always talk of. If [players] miss out, they miss out. It’s for the good of the team, to pick the best team we can possibly pick.”
England might also be mindful of picking the very best fielders they can muster, because there has, of course, been another comical factor to the contests so far – the standard of the catching, which has been woeful from all four teams on display. If the Superstars’ Kieron Pollard took the biscuit in yesterday’s match, with his facile drop at midwicket, then today he was superseded by two spectacularly poor attempts – Kartik’s clanger at slip, and Andrew Strauss’ blunder for the ages at short midwicket.

“It was one of Auntie’s Bloomers for history,” Strauss’ captain, Udal, said after a miss that has scarcely ever been rivalled in the history of televised cricket. Mike Gatting’s reprieve of Kiran More on England’s 1992-93 tour of India is one such howler that merits comparison, as does Eric Upashantha’s spill in the gully on Sri Lanka’s tour of England in 2002. But Udal did at least come up with a plausible explanation for the rash of chances that have gone begging in the last two days.

“The lights here are pretty low, due to the airport being next door,” Udal said, “so as soon as it goes above the line of the lights, it fades into oblivion, and it’s like looking at little stars. If something comes down at you, you have to try and make a move, and Strauss’ went straight into the middle of the lights and he lost it, [or so] he said.” Both teams could be seen out in the middle for 20 minutes after the game, circling underneath skiers and practicing for the ball that might, in a matter of days, have US$20 million riding on it.

Ponting tells team leaders to step up

Australia in India 2008-09

Ponting tells team leaders to step up
October 27, 2008

Michael Clarke knows that as one of the senior men in Ricky Ponting's side, he must lift his output to help the side recover from a 1-0 deficit © AFP

Ricky Ponting has asked his senior men for a greater impact in Delhi when Australia attempt to fight back from a 1-0 series deficit in Wednesday’s third Test. The elder statesmen, particularly Matthew Hayden and Brett Lee, have been quiet overall during the opening two games and are desperate to show their worth against a committed India.

Michael Clarke, the vice-captain, is one of those who want to lift after the start of his campaign peaked with his first half-century of the series in the second innings at Mohali. In the four years since making his debut in India, Clarke has grown into a mature figure and will also look to help the team’s large group of inexperienced players through the final two games of the series.

“Ricky spoke to us about a little more responsibility going on the senior guys,” Clarke said. “It’s hard enough playing in India for the first time and for the first couple of Tests, so it’s important the extra expectation gets put on the captain, vice-captain and senior players. Hayden, Lee, Clark, Hussey, it’s up to us guys to really stand up, with bat or ball.

“I’m certainly going to take a little bit more responsibility in my own performances. It’s crucial for us to win in Delhi, and important for the senior guys to stand up.”

Stuart Clark’s elbow will continue to be monitored in the lead-up to the match, but he has bowled strongly in training and will come into the side if fit. The Australians will also keep a close eye on the pitch, which had a slight covering of grass on Sunday, but is expected to turn heavily late in the match.

One of the issues discussed when the Australians returned from a short break this week was the importance of not thinking about the glut of engagements they have over the next two years. The India series is the start of a run that won’t settle down until well into 2010.

“What did come out was we weren’t going to look backwards or too far forward,” Clarke said of the meeting. “There’s been a lot of talk about how much cricket we have coming up over the next 12 to 15 months and it’s important to look at what we have right now.”

Clarke admitted he had been guilty of gazing too far ahead, but it wasn’t because he was concerned about too much cricket on the horizon. “It’s excitement over who we’re playing,” he said. “We’ve got some really tough cricket. India in India is a good start, then a big Australian summer, South Africa in South Africa, then the Ashes, which is something you always look forward to.”

Since taking over the vice-captaincy from Adam Gilchrist – his first appointment was in the West Indies – Clarke has scored 277 runs at 39.57 in four Tests, including 110 on his return to the side in the Caribbean following the death of his fiancée’s father. The figures are slightly down on his career average of 45.50 in 37 games.

“Personally I don’t feel it [the vice-captaincy] has had too much of an impact on my individual performances,” he said. “My stats since being vice-captain probably aren’t the greatest, but I feel as comfortable as I ever have.”

Clarke has talked to Ponting, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne about how to marry the leadership duties with maintaining high batting standards. “They’re the guys who have helped me a lot and they’ve explained there are extra responsibilities, being captain or vice-captain of your country, but you should enjoy those,” he said. “I knew that when I took on the job.”

Rain washes out 2nd day in Bangladesh-NZealand Test

Persistent rain washed out the second day here of the second and final Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand.

With the first day's play also washed out and more rain forecast Monday, it means Bangladesh are running out of time in their bid to square the two-Test series.


Sunday's incessant rain spoiled any chances of removing the pitch covers at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium and calling the toss. Showers turned heavy, leaving the ground too soggy.

"If it gets clear we have an early start on Monday," an official said.

New Zealand won the first Test by three wickets at Chittagong, chasing down a daunting 317-run target -- their highest run pursuit in away Tests -- to beat a home team who had dominated the first four days of the Test.

The tourists also won the preceding three-match one-day series 2-1.

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Pitch, Oram are Vettori's worries

The New Zealand team returned to the hotel without conducting any practice at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur because of rain yesterday. There has been more rain forecast following a low in the bay but it's difficult to predict whether the rain may cause a complete washout because of the tremendous drainage system at the 'home of cricket'.

The weather conditions, however, forced the home side to think about the team combination as they were thinking about an extra seam bowler and in that case Mahbubul Alam may make his international debut. For New Zealand side the most frustrating fact was the loss of all-rounder Jacob Oram, who was ruled out of the second and final Test with a sore back, though skipper Daniel Vettori was confident that his team can overcome the absence of the big all-rounder who salvaged his side in the one-day series to secure the man-of-the-series award."He (Jacob) is probably our most important player because of the role he offers, being our third seamer and one of our best batsmen, so when he is out it makes things more difficult," Vettori observed while speaking in a very short pre-match briefing at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The Black Caps skipper, however, said that the inexperienced Grant Elliott may come as replacement of Oram.

"We haven't decided yet, Jacob Oram is obviously out, so we have gone to look to make a replacement. Elliott hasn't got the experience or the performance of Oram, but we still think he will come and do a pretty good job. Any time you lose a player of Jacob's calibre it's tough," he added.At one point New Zealand captain parroted the views of his Bangladesh counterparts as he said that their main target is to improve on their first Test performance. And that was the reason he was hardly concerned about the home side's comeback after a nerve-wrecking three-wicket defeat. "I suppose it's not really my concern. I am not too worried about how they are going to comeback.

We have got our games to worry about, we have got to improve on our first Test match performance, so this is where our concentration lies," he said. The left-arm spinner cum handy batsman also gave his observation on the tricky Mirpur pitch. "I hope it doesn't dry up too much. You probably presume that the second day can be the best to bat on," he observed.

Tigers target 'session wins'

BRAC Bank Series 2008

Second Test starts today

Bangladesh opener Zunaed Siddiqui (C) holds onto a chance during a slip-fielding session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. The Tigers will hope that Zunaed shakes off his poor form and gives the team a good start as the second Test gets underway today. Photo:

The weather was gloomy but there was no darkness in the face of the Tigers ahead of the today's second and final Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. It had been a common scene in the Bangladesh tent to look downcast while going into the second match after a heavy defeat in the first one. But this time the scenario has been reversed, although they are still 1-0 down in the series. The reason is simple: a spirited performance in the first Test at Chittagong.

The home team lost the match but won the hearts of many by the way they fought against the Kiwis for five days before New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori snatched the three-wicket victory. Here, however, lies the challenge for Mohammad Ashraful's men as they have to prove a point that they are consistent in their performance, irrelevant of results. And the Bangladesh skipper knows that only 'good cricket' for session after session can ensure that they will be competitive enough in the last match of an otherwise good series.

"Our target remains same as we have to bat eight sessions. I think we played good cricket for five days in the first Test and we should continue it. We have to win sessions if we want to be competitive in the Test," said Ashraful in a pre-match press conference at Mirpur yesterday. In Ashraful's consideration the most encouraging feature in the first match was his side's approach to make an effort until the end of the match. "We have to focus on a few things like our first innings batting which was good in Chittagong.

But we were a few runs short…a set batsman should carry his batting for long and undoubtedly the top five should give a platform which was not the case in the first Test," said Ashraful. At this point naturally the question was raised about his own performance because the Tigers skipper scored 0 and 2 in the first Test. Was he feeling any extra pressure?: "No, my performance was not good but as a team we played good cricket.

I am trying my best and I am hopeful about the second Test match."Then is it the bowling or batting of the New Zealand skipper, Daniel Vettori, the main headache for his side?: "Both (batting and bowling) but honestly speaking we are thinking only about our improvement. We are not surprised by our performance in the first match because we were practising hard for this and the key thing is that we continue it," he said. The Bangladesh captain, however, admitted that the absence of injured Jacob Oram is an advantage for his side.

"The absence of an all-rounder like Oram will definitely effect the team balance and of-course it is an advantage for us that he will not be available for the second Test but once again I want to say that our main focus is on our own performance". In the first Test the Tigers have learnt that hard lesson on how tough it is to win a Test match but another effort like the first match would definitely be highly praised from all corners.

TEAMS

BANGLADESH (12): Tamim Iqbal, Zunaed Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Mehrab Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Naeem Islam, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Mahbubul Alam Robin

NEW ZEALAND (From): Aaron Redmond, Jamie How, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Flynn, Daniel Vettori (captain), Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Lain O'Brien, Grant Elliott, Mark Gillespie, Tim Southee.

Sachin was unsure of success early in his career

NEW DELHI: He might be standing on a heap of runs today but at the start of his career, a nervous Sachin Tendulkar had doubts on whether he actually belonged to the game of cricket.

The batting maestro, who is the only batsman in the world to have more than 12,000 Test runs under his belt, the brief period of uncertainty was followed by a moment in 1992 when he got the feeling that he had it in him to conquer the cricket world.

The champion batsman also admitted that he has felt the burden of expectations every time he has stepped on the field. On being asked about his Test debut against Pakistan in 1989, Tendulkar said he has 'vague' memories of the tour as excitement got the better of him then. "Probably just for the first Test match, I felt I was out of place, I was unsure whether I belonged here or not, I was just hoping for another opportunity.

In the second Test match I had decided that come what may I am going to spend minimum 45 minutes here and then see what happens because the players around me told me that, the first fifteen minutes are always tough and once you have stayed there for longer than 25 or 30 minutes then things start changing gradually."

Tendulkar, who has earned respect from all quarters, said coping with pressure sometimes become difficult. "It's not that easy to switch off from all these things, our sub-conscious mind grasps all these things and somewhere it is stored. Even if you don't want to focus on all these things, the room-service guy will remind you of it, so somewhere it's stored and that's the last thing you want, you want to go out there with a blank mind. You just have to go out and bat, watch the ball as closely as possible and bat," he said.

His idol -- legendary Gavaskar, first Indian to enter 10,000 runs club, said what makes Tendulkar successful than any other batsman in the world is his 'balance' on the field as well as off-field. "Balance, which is the most important thing, he has got balance on the field and that is helped by a great extent by balance off the field. Without balance, so many potentially great cricketers have been lost, it's the balance off the field which is so important and to have that balance off the field you need people around you who will make sure that you have your feet on the ground, the family becomes such an important aspect in keeping that balance," Gavaskar said. In his illustrious career, Tendulkar has got almost every record by his name but Gavaskar wants him to win for one more time the coveted World Cup for India.

"I think I did that (advising Tendulkar) four years ago so I am not going to do that but what I will do is, not advise him, but I will make a plea - please regain the World Cup for us in 2011," Gavaskar said when asked what advise he would give to the master batsman at this stage of his career.

Responding to this, Tendulkar too admitted that he misses that trophy in his dazzling cupboard. "It has always been a dream because that is the ultimate thing you can get for your country. We came so close to it in 2003. It is definitely by far the best World Cup that I have played, and we came so close to it but I thought just in the finals, we tried a little too hard to get the Cup back home," he said.

Federer strides into semi-finals

BASEL: Roger Federer dismissed unseeded Italian Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors on Friday to maintain his bid for

Roger Federer returns a forehand against Simone Bolelli on October 24, 2008. (Reuters Photo)a third straight triumph in his hometown tournament.
Federer's route to the final was also made easier - on paper at least - when his expected semi-final opponent, American fourth seed James Blake, suffered a 6-4, 7-6 defeat by Spain's Feliciano Lopez. Lopez, the world number 39, has lost all six of his previous meetings with Federer who has yet to face a seeded player at this week's tournament.

After stuttering performances in his first two matches this week, the world number two was in full control against Bolelli, breaking the Italian twice in the opening set. Following a further break in the second, Bolelli did well to save three match points on his serve at 5-2 but could do nothing more as Federer took the final game to love, ending the match with two aces and a service winner.

"He's a player with a lot of potential so I had to stay alert," said the Swiss after wrapping up his first meeting with the 23-year-old from Bologna. "I tried to vary my serve a little and it all worked well, so it was a perfect result." Blake was understandably less upbeat after missing out on the chance to play Federer and improve his hopes of a place at the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

"I gave myself enough opportunities to win today," said the world number 11 who failed to convert any of the eight break points he carved out against Lopez on Friday. "But you always have to make the big points and I didn't do that today.

Whether I get to Shanghai depends on how I do in Paris next week but I won't lose any sleep if I don't make it. "Just being in contention shows that I have had a good year even just in terms of my health which is saying something given our schedule." While Federer will be strongly favoured to win Saturday's last four meeting with Lopez, the other semi-final is harder to call with Argentine Davis Cup team mates David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro going head to head.

Second seed Nalbandian booked his place with a 7-6 6-4 win over German qualifier Benjamin Becker while third seed Del Potro saw off Russian sixth seed Igor Andreev 6-4 7-5. The two Argentines have played each other twice on the tour, both times at the Madrid Masters. Nalbandian, six years older than Del Potro and a place above him at eighth in the world rankings, won their 2007 meeting 6-2 6-4 before losing last week by a similar 6-4 6-2 scoreline.

"We're good friends and it's always tough to play against your friends," said Del Potro. "It's true I beat him last week but I had to play a great match."

Stay patient and give me time: Pathan

In a freewheeling chat, Irfan Pathan sums up his five-year career, says he has never run away from the all-rounder tag but wants people to give him time and not penic every time he fails.

Irfan Pathan believes in pushing himself and his team-mates at all times. (TOI Photo)

Irfan Pathan believes in pushing himself and his team-mates at all times. (TOI Photo)ime and not panic every time he fails. There are times when you watch Irfan Pathan playing and you wonder what's a bowler like him even doing in the team and then again, there are times when you feel that the Indian team needs a player like him to balance things out. He has the ability to polarise opinion, just as he also possesses undeniable talent. He's been through the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a international career that has spanned five years. Yet, he is only 23 and the world is his oyster. Pathan reveals why the Greg Chappell manner of coaching suited him to a 'T'. During the Indian team's record 18-match winning streak, Pathan shone like a star India had rarely ever seen before. Excerpts: It's been five years since you made your debut in international cricket. In most people's books that's a long time even more so in that of a cricketer. What are your memories of that first game? There are so many memories. For me, it still seems like yesterday.

Getting my cap, Dada telling me three days before the match that I might play and then telling me on the eve of the match on the phone that I will get the new ball. My first wicket, someone dropping Ponting at second slip off my bowling... I could go on and on. Every second of that tour to Australia is still alive in my head. And it makes me feel proud. But how has Irfan Pathan the cricketer grown in the five years since then? I have learnt a lot, most importantly I have identified my strengths and my weaknesses. Growing up in the public eye can be difficult but I have managed to learn how to handle the adulation too.

So what would your weakness as a cricketer be? I wouldn't want to reveal that but it would suffice to say that I have been working on something and that will soon be clear to all those who see me play. Personally I am satisfied with it but professionally, I still have to try it out in the middle. I am pretty sure it will work pretty well. If you have a USP. What would it be? My energy. I am at the opposition at all times. You won't ever catch me slacking off or letting my team-mates do the same. I believe in pushing myself and my team-mates at all times.

Of the new pace battery, it would be rather difficult to break into the side on the strength of your bowling alone. Do you still deny the all-rounder tag? All I'm saying is that let my performance prove it. I'm not asking to believe everything I say but at the end of the day, numbers matter. In Tests, I average 31 with the bat and take enough wickets and in ODIs, as you saw with my 43 yesterday, I do have the talent for batting.

I am not running away from the all-rounder tag. All I am saying is stay patient and give me time. And don't panic every time I fail. I'm just 23 and I'm sure I'll continue to improve. It almost sounds like the insecurities associated with being in and out of the team started to get to you... I won't lie. There have been times when I have played to just protect my spot in the ODI team. It has even happened in the Test matches and those days are not something that I would like to brag about. But instinctively, we try and protect ourselves first, the rest comes later. I think that feeling was also around because I knew that one bad performance and I would be dropped.

Anand draws eighth game to maintain lead

PUNE: In a dynamic endgame, Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik almost repeated their moves to get a draw in Game 8 of World chess championship in
Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik in Game eight of the World chess championship. (AP Photo)


Bonn, Germany, on Friday. The 39-move draw took Anand to just one point away from taking the title in this 12-game match. The Indian leads the Russian 5.5-2.5 now. The next board is slated for Sunday with Anand having white pieces. According to the webcast, Anand opted for Vienna variation which was quite tricky from the black side. He came up with a novelty on the 10th move.

The middle game was probing, replete with sharp play from Anand, who again chose not to castle. However, Kramnik found the necessary counterplay. Meanwhile, Anand had gained some advantage on the clock, and he used that to take his king to safety without castling it. As the first time control came nearer, the position looked picturesque with attacking queens still on board. Kramnik attacked on the king-side while Anand had managed to open a file on queenside and ‘connect’ his pieces well. When the draw was agreed to, Kramnik’s attempts to squeeze out a win had reached a dead end. He had managed to hassle Anand with eight checks in last 12 moves but his knight and rook were almost rendered inactive.

The Russian appeared not to have a concrete plan to continue. Both of them had a rook each supported by knights; and their knight manoeuvres were blocked by pawns. Both had six pawns each. But neither of them was a passer or vulnerable to the opponent’s attack.

The World Chess Championship is taking place from Oct 14 - Nov 2, 2008 in the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn. The match consists of twelve games, played under classical time controls: 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game plus an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move 61. The prize fund is 1.5 million Euro (approximately $2.35 million), including taxes and FIDE license fees, and is split equally between the players.

I admire Sachin, have not called him a liar: Gilchrist

In an exclusive column for TOI, Adam Gilchrist clarifies his stand after a chat with Sachin Tendulkar.
There were headlines around the cricketing globe on Friday suggesting that I had accused Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar of being a bad sport and also that he had lied when giving evidence in the Harbhajan Singh racial vilification hearing earlier this year. Neither of these accusations is true and I felt strongly enough on this to immediately ring Sachin once it was brought to my attention, to explain to him.I am pleased to say that at the conclusion of our chat the same respect Sachin and I have always had for each other continues to exist. The headlines arose from the manner in which some journalists interpreted a couple of points I have made in an about-to-be released autobiography. In the book, I mention that a cultural difference between our team and that of the Indians was the importance of shaking hands with the opposition after a loss. It's simply my thoughts and from my experiences it seemed that this routine wasn't as important to some oppositions as it was in Australia, where it is drilled into us from an early age. I made the comment that Sachin and Harbhajan were sometimes not around to shake hands. Whether that is right or wrong is not my point. It was more the cultural differences I was trying to highlight, which it's fair to say, have been integral in most disputes or flare-ups between these two proud nations in the past. Nowhere do I accuse Sachin of being a bad sport. With respect to the Harbhajan hearing, I obviously had to address it in the book as it was such a huge issue last summer and too big to ignore. That said, my only real reference to it was to recall the way the events unfolded from the initial hearing, the night the match finished, through to the final judicial hearing a few weeks later. All I stated are the facts that everyone knows, that initially Sachin mentioned he wasn't sure what Harbhajan had said, then later confirmed his support when Harbhajan said he'd used a Hindi word in the heated exchange with Symonds. Nowhere do I accuse Sachin of lying. So to have spoken directly with Sachin about these matters was a great relief for me. I have always admired his amazing cricketing ability and have spoken regularly about how I believe he has set the finest example of how to handle fame and the extraordinary public profile that comes with being an Indian cricketing superstar. I also feel that people who know me, or people who read the book in its entirety, will know only too well the sincere affection I have for India as a country and the very friendly, passionate people that live here. I have always enjoyed touring here, and most importantly have many strong friendships in India. For those reasons and for my personal friendship with Sachin, I was most concerned that a few off-the-mark headlines and interpretations of my book could possibly sour those friendships. Thankfully, that hasn't occurred and I look forward to visiting these shores both as a cricketer and personally, for many years to come.

Pitch comfort for Kumble

As India head into the third Test against Australia at Feroze Shah Kotla ground, the visitors will surely be biting their nails in anxiety as one man is still waiting for his chance to spew venom on the world champions. That man is none other than Indian skipper Kumble who returns to his favourite haunt to continue his love affair with the Kotla.

The affair dates back to the 1992 Irani Trophy, where Kumble's 13-wicket haul propelled him into national reckoning once again. Sixteen years on, after picking up 616 international Tests wickets, Kumble can proudly boast of his Kotla record which stands at 55 wickets from just six matches at an outstanding average of 15.41. (Reuters Photo)

Indian bowlers' variety show Second Test: The Demolishers The deadly Indian bowling attack

Roddick overcomes Ginepri to reach Lyon quarter-finals

FRANCE: Top seed Andy Roddick served a barrage of aces to beat fellow American Robby Ginepri 7-6 7-6 and reach the Lyon Grand Prix quarter-finals on
Thursday.

"Robby certainly played better than me and my serve obviously made the difference," said the former world number one, whose 26 aces included one on a set point for Ginepri in the second tiebreak.

Roddick faces Robin Soderling for a berth in the last four. The seventh seeded Swede easily swept past Belgian qualifier Christophe Rochus 6-1, 6-2 in only 46 minutes.

Soderling beat Roddick in the quarter-finals in Memphis earlier this year in their only encounter so far.

"It is going to be hard for me," Roddick said.

The American, who is sixth in the race for the season-ending Masters Cup, is bidding for one of the three remaining places in the eight-man Shanghai event in November.

Gilchirst questions Tendulkar's honesty

MELBOURNE: While efforts are being made by both Indian and Australian players to keep emotions under control in the current Test series, former Austr
alian stumper Adam Gilchrist questioning Sachin Tendulkar's honesty during the spiteful Sydney Test could open fresh wounds.

In his autobiography, an extract of which will appear in a magazine, Gilchrist has hinted that Tendulkar was a sore loser and questioned his honesty in the "Monkeygate" affair that threatened to go out of hand during India's tour Down Under.

Terming Tendulkar's testimony during Harbhajan Singh's appeal as a "joke", Gilchrist noted, "The Indians got him (Harbhajan) off the hook when they, of all people, should have been treating the matter of racial vilification with the utmost seriousness."

Gilchrist was particularly disappointed with Tendulkar's behaviour who, according to him, had initially told the hearing that he could not hear what was said, he was "certain he was telling the truth" because he was "a fair way away".

But during the appeal which followed, Tendulkar said that Harbhajan used a Hindi term that sounded like "monkey" to Australian ears.

The stumper was convinced that the Harbhajan was guilty and considered India's threat to abandon the tour was "a disgraceful act, holding the game to ransom unless they got their way", ' The Age ' reported.

He also wrote that there was vast difference in the manner the teams approached the game.

"In the Australian mentality, we play it hard and are then quick to shake hands and leave it all on the field. Some of our opponents don't do it that way. Sachin Tendulkar, for instance, can be hard to find for a changing room handshake after we have beaten India. Harbhajan can also be hard to find.

"I guess it's a case of different strokes for different folks."

Man United seek victory over Celtic

MANCHESTER: The memories of Manchester United's defeat to Celtic are still fresh for Alex Ferguson. As the two sides prepare to meet on Tuesday in the Champions League, the United manager can't help looking back at the 1-0 group stage loss to Celtic in 2006 that followed a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford."Last time we could have scored more goals in the home game but at Celtic Park we forgot the essential issue of putting the ball in the net," Ferguson said. "We played brilliant football but forgot the real reason for going to a game of football is to win it."Adding to Ferguson's irritation was the satisfaction it gave Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, who has a prickly relationship with his former coach. Strachan played for Ferguson at Aberdeen, Scotland and United.Ferguson, a former player with Celtic's fierce Glasgow rival Rangers, eagerly anticipates facing Scottish sides.

India romp to historic win over Australia by a record margin

MOHALI: India completed a crushing victory over Australia by a record margin of 320 runs in the second Test on Tuesday to seize a 1-0 lead in the four matche series.
Triumphant members of the Indian Team after beating Australia in the second Test.r-match series.

Scorecard
Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan grabbed three wickets in four balls and Australia, chasing an improbable victory target of 516 runs, were dismissed for 195 before lunch. It was only Australia's second defeat in 28 Tests since their 2-1 loss in the 2005 Ashes series against England. Both reverses have come against India. "We were outplayed," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said. "In batting, bowling and probably in fielding as well."

It was India's biggest ever Test win by runs, bettering their 280-run success over South Africa in Kanpur in 1996. Khan struck in the first over to dismiss Brad Haddin and snuff out any slim Australian hopes of salvaging a draw. Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke top-scored with 69 before being the last man out, pulling leg spinner Amit Mishra to mid-wicket. Mishra finished with a match haul of seven for 106 after claiming five wickets in the first innings on his Test debut. An off-colour Australia, reduced to 141 for five overnight, subsided against pace and spin on a slow Mohali pitch. Khan struck his first blow when he bowled Haddin on his overnight score of 37 with a perfect off-stump yorker.

In the next over, he forced Cameron White (1) to edge a drive to give wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni a low catch and he bowled Brett Lee first ball to be on a hat-trick. Clarke, who added 84 runs for the sixth wicket with Haddin, put on another 50 for the ninth with Mitchell Johnson (26) before Mishra had the tail-ender caught and bowled. Harbhajan Singh took five wickets in the match to leave himself one short of becoming the third Indian bowler to claim 300 Test wickets. Sachin Tendulkar claimed the world record for most Test runs and Sourav Ganguly struck 102 in his farewell series to help India amass 469 in their first innings. The first Test in Bangalore ended in a draw. The third Test starts in New Delhi on October 29.

Some interesting facts

What a memorable Test match this has been, Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run scorer and the first batsman to reach 12000 runs in Test cricket. Sourav Ganguly became the fourth Indian to score 7000 Test runs before notching up his 16th Test century. Amit Mishra became the sixth Indian to take five wickets on Test debut. Dhoni became only the third wicket-keeper batsman and captain to make half-centuries in both the innings of a Test. Gautam Gambhir got his first Test century in India. And of course India registering their biggest Test match victory ever in terms of runs and it tastes sweeter as it has come against Australia. Congratulate Team India

Zaheer Khan found guilty, fined 80 per cent of match fee

MOHALI: India fast bowler Zaheer Khan was on Tuesday fined 80 per cent of his match fee after breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the second Test against Australia in Mohali.

At a hearing in front of match referee Chris Broad, Khan pleaded guilty to a Level 2 charge under clause C1 of the ICC Code of Conduct which states that players "shall at all times conduct play within in the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws of Cricket". The incident that led to the charge being laid took place after the fall of the first wicket in Australia's second innings on day four of the match. Once Australia opener Matthew Hayden was dismissed by Harbhajan Singh, Khan ran from his fielding position towards the outgoing batsman. He then circled the batsman and shouted at him in an aggressive manner before returning to his team-mates. "Clearly, this sort of behaviour is not acceptable at any level of cricket - it showed a lack of respect for the player who had been dismissed," said Broad, who is a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. "

Respect for the opposition was something that we talked about in the pre-series meeting I had with both captains and so it was disappointing that Zaheer behaved in this way. "However, in considering the penalty, I took into account the fact that Zaheer had a good disciplinary record. He also pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was very apologetic while also promising not to repeat the offence."

The charge against Khan was laid by the umpires. The penalty for a Level 2 offence is a fine of between 50 and 100 per cent of the player's match fee and/or a maximum ban of one Test match or two ODIs. For Level 2 offences players have the right to appeal against an adjudicator's decision within 24 hours of notification of that decision. In attendance at the hearing were the match referee, all four umpires, Zaheer Khan and India coach Gary Kirsten.

Shakib sets new mark

Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan recorded the best bowling figures in an innings for Bangladesh in all Test cricket when he took 7-36 against New Zealand here on Sunday.The 21-year-old bowled 25.5 overs in an extraordinary display to help Bangladesh dismiss New Zealand for 171 in their first innings on the third day of the opening Test at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium.

Bangladesh made 245 in their first innings.The feat surpassed the previous best bowling figures in an innings of 7-95, also taken by a left-arm spinner, Enamul Haque, against Zimbabwe at the MA Aziz Stadium, also in Chittagong, in 2005.

England's off-spinner Jim Laker leads the chart of best figures in an innings since Test cricket began in 1876, with 10-53 against Australia at Old Trafford in Manchester in 1956.Here are the best innings figures for all ten Test playing countries:

Will the Tigers pounce?

Cricket
BRAC Bank Series 2008
Will the Tigers pounce?

LEADING FROM THE FRONT: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori (L) is ecstatic after dismissing Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal in the second innings of the first Test at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium yesterday. Photo: STAR
If the words of the New Zealand camp is to be taken seriously, overly confident might be a close enough assessment of their mood.

“We hopefully will take the two remaining wickets tomorrow and knock off the runs in the afternoon or the fifth day,” said Jeetan Patel yesterday despite his side's poor track record of chasing down fourth innings targets.

One of those two wickets, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, however, believes that a total between 270 and 300 always offers pressure.

“We should get another 30-40 runs because any score above 270 can be difficult,” said the Tigers pace spearhead, who was unbeaten on five having made sure that no further damage took place at the end of the third day of the first Test at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium.

Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons believed that the game will go into the fifth day, whichever way the tide turns.

“Whatever happens it will probably go into the fifth day,” said the former Australian international.

Wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim who struck a vital 32 said that the Black Caps would be tense.

“If we can score another 30 runs, they would be nervous. They have no experience in their top-order,” said Mushfiqur.

Interestingly enough, if the Black Caps were asked to chase the 259 runs -- Bangladesh's lead so far -- it would be their best showing away from home.

The last time they were successful was in 1985-86, when they chased down 164 runs in Perth against Australia and their sub-continental best has been 177 all out against Pakistan in 1990, where they lost by 66 runs. In 49 attempts, the Black Caps have won just six times chasing on foreign soil.

“I think we still are in a strong position as well. If you look at stats, it goes each way,” said Patel before adding, “I think the guys worked on their game plan really well. We are really looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.”

With two days remaining, he said that time is on their side.

"I think the guys need to work on their game plan and have a day and a half to do it. The belief is still there. We've got a lot of time to do that,” insisted Patel, who took two wickets for 52 in the second innings.

“We need to gut it out for 30-40 overs when the chance arrives. If we can bat for long periods of time, we have a good chance,” added the off-spinner.

He observed that there was enough encouragement in the wicket for his side's batsmen.

“There's plenty of runs out there. A lot of us are saying that it is going up and down all over the shop but it's not that bad a wicket. There's little bit of turn and variable bounce but our guys are in a good position.

“It was always going to turn here (in Bangladesh). We would always come here and expect to play on spinning wickets. But it is easier when the ball gets older,” added the Kiwi.

But chief selector Rafiqul Alam said that the spinners, especially Shakib Al Hasan, would be quite a handful.

“Shakib (Al Hasan) has been bowling well for the last few months, especially in the one-dayers and this first innings,” said the former national cricketer.

He also believed that a target of 300 runs would be a slightly comfortable for the Tigers, given the state of the wicket.

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McCullum licking his lips

It was the stifling heat coupled with the sultry air from the Bay that greeted the New Zealand team as they entered the Chittagong Divisional Stadium yesterday for their final practice ahead of the deciding one-day match against Bangladesh.But New Zealand vice-captain Brendon McCullum took that in his stride while making a bold declaration they were going to brave the itchy weather and the nature of typical subcontinent wicket to play much better cricket in the third game to confirm another series victory against the Tigers.“It's not too bad (a condition). This is what we try to adjust with when we come to the subcontinent,” said the wicketkeeper-batsman in a pre-training press briefing.McCullum also said this series deserves a good finish after the first two low-scoring games in Dhaka.

"I mean good cricket waits for the day. The series is one all and it's great news for fans. Now we want to put up a high scoring game what the series deserve.”The big-hitting batsman himself needs a big score after unimpressive showings in the first two games where his contribution was 14 and 12 respectively. It however hardly reflected what he is capable of. Better known as a nightmare for bowlers, McCullum struck a stunning 30-ball 80 against the Tigers to finish off the chase in just six overs, which is a one-day record.Now the question is can Bangladesh bowlers be able to quell him for a third time?

The flat pitch in Chittagong however speaks in favour of the dashing right-hander.McCullum also warned that he was looking forward to making his presence felt in the series."Yeah, I haven't played yet, tomorrow [Tuesday] is a great opportunity to try and get big runs. I am confident that I will be able to play my natural game and contribute some runs for my team if I get a start,” he said.The tourists' vice-captain said that they were disappointed with their batting in the first two games and also explained the reason behind the poor showings.“We just came out from an off season. Obviously we have got to try to make some adjustments on the subcontinent wickets. Our top-order batting has been disappointing so far but hope we will try to rectify that tomorrow,” he said.

He dismissed the notion that they took the Tigers lightly because of their previous record. "No, not at all. We knew that they were going to be a difficult opposition in their own condition and they bowled very well early on, did not allow us to score runs in this sort wicket.“I don't think the 1-1 position is unusual because Bangladesh is a good side. They have knocked down some good teams in the last few years. Certainly they have some potentials and quite some hope. In the first game they played very well. We had to fight in the last game to level the series and that gave us the opportunity tomorrow to try and win the series and if we can do that it will be very a hard fought win,” he said while praising his opponents.

One of several CNG filling stations between Kanchpur Bridge and Jatrabari of the capital which BNP big shots built on the Kutubkhali canal, drastically reducing Dhaka's drainage capability. PHOTO:
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Tough but possible

Everyone in the Bangladesh tent believes that the job has turned into a tough one after losing a great opportunity in Dhaka to pull off their first-ever one-day series victory against any major Test-playing nation.

There is also little doubt that conditions were more suitable in Dhaka for the home side rather than in Chittagong where they are going to play the series-deciding third and final match against New Zealand at the Divisional Stadium here today. Even the brave Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has declared: "Here it's very difficult. Because the wicket is too flat and we have to give more than hundred percent to win this match and the series," the Tigers vice-captain explained yesterday."Definitely the batsmen will dominate in this condition, so there is no alternative for us other than batting our best.


It would not be easy for the pace bowlers like Mirpur but the spinners will get assistance in the latter stage, so winning the toss is important,” said the 'Narail Express', who claimed four wickets to lay the foundation of his side's seven-wicket victory in the series opener.There was, however, little encouraging factor for winning the toss as the toss-winning team -- none other than the home side -- lost thrice. Interestingly, the only team winning the toss and the match were also Bangladesh against minnows Scotland.



“Hope we can capitalise on the chances against Jacob Oram who made the difference in the last match but in my opinion, we have to make sure that (Brendon) McCullum and (Scott) Styris don't appear with their usual style. These two batsmen have the ability to take away the match from anybody," observed the pace spearhead.The equation, however, is very simple for Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful: "We bowled and fielded well in the first two games and we have to make sure that our all three departments click in tomorrow's match. The matter is very simple.""We need to play our best to win the series and I don't think it's impossible. There is a different wicket and the pitch will be good for batsmen.



The outfield is also fast, so we can hope for a good match," said a confident Ashraful, who got back among runs after a long lean patch."I think it's important that three top batsmen contribute something," he added.Coach Jamie Siddons said everybody were excited with the series-decider and confirmed that his guys were looking forward to this game. "Little bit disappointed for the other day, I thought it was a great opportunity to win the series in Dhaka. We have got another chance now. The series is one-all which is a great feeling. Coming here the people are excited and obviously the players are also excited and looking forward to it," Siddons said.



"But look at the age of the side, they are still very vulnerable under pressure. We got long ways to go. I think we are getting better. I am excited for tomorrow. If we can bat well, we can win," the Australian added. "The wicket will probably suit New Zealand batsmen more than Dhaka and also our batsmen should score freely. It will be a high scoring game for sure,” Siddons warned. The Bangladesh coach also hinted at little chance of breaking the team despite inclusion of opener Imrul Kayes in the 12-member side. In case he gets in, the axe will fall on either Mahmudullah Riyad or Shahadat Hossain.“Riyad is playing as a genuine all-rounder. But he has not got that much bowling and only had one hit so far and got run out.



I thought he was going alright the other day. Its good to have six options. Right-had spinners were under-utilised in the last game. I think we should use more off-spins against Oram.""We are also trying to figure out how Oram bats at this stage. I think the right-arm off-spinner is a good option against him. "Shahadat just had little bit of extra pace and he is pretty good at the end overs like in Australia where he got three wickets in an over. We hope that he can do that again. He is learning the slow ball which was a lot more effective in the last two games. We need to keep his confidence up. He is probably a key bowler for us at the end of the day.



"The slow seam bowlers did the job for New Zealand and also for us in the last two games. Rasel did well in the last game, but bowled only two overs in the first game. We need that back up," he said.

Broad plays down Zaheer-Haddin spat

MELBOURNE: Australian wicket-keeper Brad Haddin and India fast bowler Zaheer Khan's angry exchange of words during the first Test had all the elements of snowballing into a major crisis but match referee Chris Broad has played down the incident, saying it was just a 'chat'.

"It's a Test match involving Australia isn't it," Broad was quoted as saying in ' The Australian' . "There's always a bit of chat. Nothing was reported to me," said the Englishman.

Zaheer and Haddin got engaged in an animated exchange shortly before a rain break on the third day of the drawn first Test, raising fears that the acrimony which engulfed the Sydney Test in January would resurface. The left-arm pacer protested against Haddin's behaviour with Australia skipper Ricky Ponting even as the teams left the ground.
However, Broad and umpires Rudi Dozen and Asad Rauf found nothing wrong with the behaviour of the players.

Jayasuriya, Mendis lead Lanka to Toronto T20 title victory

TORONTO: Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, with his trademark big-hitting, and new-boy Ajantha Mendis, delving into his bag of bewildering spin tricks, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene recieving the championship trophy. (AP Photo)ed Sri Lanka to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Canada Twenty20 final on Monday. Chasing 133 to win, Sri Lanka registered their first win over Pakistan in the new-style, wham-bang format with six balls to spare. He may be pushing 40 years old but Jayasuriya (40 runs) showed little sign of ageing as he and fellow opener Mahela Udawatte (25) put on 66 in 6.6 overs. They took advantage off a wayward Pakistan attack with Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul being hit to all parts of the ground in front of 9,000 fans at King City.

Jayasuriya was particularly harsh on Akhtar, flicking the recalled quick for four in his first over and then pulling him for consecutive sixes over midwicket. Desperate Pakistan, who had won the group match between the two sides by three wickets on Saturday, turned to spin and Shahid Afridi dismissed Udawatte while Shoaib Malik accounted for Jayasuriya.

But despite losing skipper Mahela Jayawardene for just five, Kaushalya Weeraratne (12) and Chamara Kapugedera (17 not out) saw Sri Lanka home. Earlier Mendis, 16 years Jayasuriya's junior, took 3-23 for a tournament total of 11 wickets as he put the brakes on the Pakistan middle order. Opener Salman Butt top scored with 44 before he fell to Mendis who also accounted for Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal. Zimbabwe trounced Canada by 109 runs to claim third place. Zimbabwe had needed a bowl-out to beat the hosts in the group stage on Saturday but there was no repeat of that drama this time as the African side piled up 184-5, the highest score of the tournament.

Opener Hamilton Masakadza smashed 79 with useful contributions coming from Chamu Chibhabha (40), Elton Chigumbura (25) and Keith Dabengwa (16 not out). Masakadza had made a brave 53 in his side's seven-wicket loss to Pakistan on Saturday and he was in brutal form again on Monday smashing two giant sixes off Abdool Samad.

Canada were immediately in trouble slipping to 10-3 by the sixth over as captain Ashif Mulla (2), Rizwan Cheema (2) and Sandeep Jyoti (0) all failed. Canada just managed to avoid the lowest Twenty20 score of all time -Kenya's 67 against Ireland in August - as they were skittled out for 75 with Zimbabwe's 23-year-old captain Prosper Utseya taking 3 for 26 with his off-breaks.