Team upset with Yuvraj's attitude: report

Melbourne: As if Yuvraj Singh's failure with the bat in the first Test against Australia was not bad enough, the left-hander's attitude has now become an issue with the Indian team management."Yes, there's a problem with Yuvraj's attitude. We will have to have a one-on-one with him in Sydney," Lalchand Rajput, assistant coach of the team, was quoted as saying by The Age.The daily claimed Yuvraj's attitude during the Boxing Day Test "infuriated members of the Indian side."It also went on to say that the left-hander's "air of indifference", coupled with his failure with the bat at MCG, might cost him his place in the side, paving the way for either Virender Sehwag or Dinesh Karthik to open the innings.Yuvraj scored 0 and 5 in the match and it was to accommodate him that the team think-tank had decided to open with Rahul Dravid, a move that came a cropper as Australia romped to a 337-run win to take 1-0 lead in the four-match series.Yuvraj was also fortunate to escape a fine from Match Referee Mike Procter for lingering at the crease after Billy Bowden had adjudged him caught behind lark for a first-innings duck.The 26-year-old again stood his ground after Brad Hogg trapped him leg-before for five in the second innings. He later attended a hearing but was declared not guilty of breach of ICC conduct.

India jostle for answers as second Test looms

Melbourne: After a shattering loss in the Melbourne Test, it's time to re-group for the Indian team in Australia. Within a couple of days, they will be up against the world champions again in Sydney and the team management is burning the midnight oil to solve some prickly issues.While the headlines have focussed on the failure of the likes of former captain Rahul Dravid, sources tell CNN-IBN that within the team it's felt starts such as the ones Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly got in the first innings should have been converted into bigger scores.Sources also say that India's batsmen had an informal discussion among themselves after the defeat. The consensus was that they were perhaps timid as a batting unit and need to bat more freely from now on."There are two strategies in cricket: one is to be defensive while the other is to be offensive. In the first Test we were a bit defensive, but we will definitely come back stronger because we are also having some strategies which I cannot let you know now. But we will be back stronger," India's cricket manager Lalchand Rajput assures.The focal point of debate, though, remains Rahul Dravid. Over four hours in the middle in two innings got him a mere 21 runs. His troubles as makeshift opener seem to be weighing heavy on the team and possibly himself."Well, I wouldn't say any technical problem. It's just in the mind because a batsman goes through a lean patch, when he can't get runs, I think he has to overcome that. And I'm sure he will bounce back because he is a tremendous cricketer and everybody knows it," Rajput adds.So is it time now to unleash Virender Sehwag on the Aussies? That decision hasn't been made yet, but perhaps India will do well to listen to these words of wisdom from the opposition camp."I would have known a little while before this game that he (Dravid) was going to be doing that, playing that role. Obviously in the tour game in Melbourne he opened the batting, didn't he? So obviously we had a fair idea of what was going to happen. In that situation, I think most times, the opening role is such a specialist position that I think the Australian selectors would always go with a specialist opener," Australia captain Ricky Ponting explains.A source within the team described the mood as hugely disappointing, but also said that there is a quiet confidence among the boys that they can indeed bounce back in the series. They believe this is a four-Test match battle and Australia may have won the first round, but it's no certainty that the world champions can keep landing the punches.

How Australians plotted Dravid's fall

Melbourne: Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson on Sunday revealed that his side gambled on Rahul Dravid's orthodox batting style to get the better of him in the Boxing Day Test here."I kept it outside the off-stump for him. That was the plan, to be patient to him because we knew he was a patient type of batsman," said Johnson at the MCG on Sunday."Unfortunately, a dropped catch in the gully and then a catch off a no-ball was disappointing," he added. Dravid was twice let-off on nought in the first innings of the Test, which India lost by a massive 337 runs, both off Johnson, and had trouble in getting the ball offside the square. In general, he scored at five runs per hour.He ultimately fell to part-time spinner Andrew Symonds after labouring to 16 runs against a miserly spell by Johnson and pace partner Brett Lee.Johnson said he was constantly telling himself not to get overawed by the reputation of the Indian batsmen. "I remember the game in the DLF Cup. I was more excited about bowling with Glenn McGrath at that time. I wasn't thinking about the reputation of the Indian batsmen," he said. "I think in this Test I gave it a little more though. I backed myself and didn't think much who was at the other end. I think once you start thinking about who you are bowling to, you might start to struggle. I just backed myself," he added.Johnson has a good success rate against India. In nine One-Dayers against the Indians, Johnson has claimed 19 wickets, including career-best figures of five for 26. Johnson was wicketless in the first innings but he believed he had bowled as well as he has ever in his still nascent Test career "I really thought my rhythm was good in this game, perhaps the best I have ever bowled. I was hitting the areas where I wanted to. The back-up of Brett Lee and Stuart Clark was tremendous and it just made a lot of things easier," he recalled.Despite going wicketless in the first innings, Johnson was persisted with in the second innings and he claimed three Indian scalps."It was a little bit of relief to get those wickets. I didn't have much luck in the first innings. But to get the ball to reverse swing like I did at the end was a good sign for me," he said.Johnson acknowledged team's bowling coach Troy Coolley's help in getting his seam and wrist position right for the game."In the first innings, I didn't swing the ball. When we were batting, we (with Coolley) we had a bit of discussion about seam and wrist position. It started to work for me, I started reversing the ball. In the second, I did and get my wrist up nice and straight."Johnson said he was over the moon after the team's success here but cautioned his mates against getting complacent."They are a great batting side. You have greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Dravid and guys like Yuvraj Singh. So they are definitely going to bounce back from this." "But we are going to try and be patient and do as we did by keeping the pressure on him," he said.

Australia won the first Test

Third time lucky would be an apt judgement when Wasim Jaffer nicked one off Brett Lee off a no-ball. But his dismissal a couple of deliveries later was a clear sign of things to follow, as Australia wrapped up the proceedings with a huge 337-run margin in the Boxing Day Test to establish a 1-0 lead in the four-match series on Saturday.Brave resistance from VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly (42 and 40 respectively) were the only hope while Ricky Ponting's men marched towards their 15th successive Test win. India capitulated inside four days chasing an enormous 499 — shot out for a paltry 161 runs — their second score of less than 200 in the game.Mitchell Johnson bagged three second innings wickets, while Brett Lee and Brad Hogg took two apiece to break the back of the Indian batting. Andrew Symonds too featured in the list with the scalp of Rahul Dravid.Resuming on an overnight six without loss, India limped to 56-2 at lunch as openers Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid saw the first innings repeat itself.Brett Lee was hostile in the second session as he out-thought Sachin Tendulkar when the batsman was lured into a rash drive outside off-stump after making 15.VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly attempted to break the near deadlock of runs before Laxman fell prey to an uppish drive to Stuart Clark for 42. Yuvraj Singh departed in quick succession to Brad Hogg, failing to read a well-disguised flipper for five, as India's challenge had all but faded.

Laxman, Yuvraj fall as Aussies seek early finish

Australia marched towards victory as India found it hard to get going in an attempt to chase an enormous 499 on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.Resuming on an overnight six without loss, India limped to 56-2 at lunch, adding 50 runs in two hours of play as openers Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid saw the first innings repeat itself.Brett Lee was hostile in the second session as he out-thought Sachin Tendulkar when the batsman was lured into a rash drive outside off-stump after making 15.VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly attempted to break the near deadlock of runs before Laxman fell prey to an uppish drive to Stuart Clark for 42. Yuvraj Singh departed in quick succession to Brad Hogg, failing to read a well-disguised flipper for five, as India found themselves in a pickle at 125-5.

Indian fans complain of racist taunts at MCG

Despite Cricket Australia's (CA) repeated warnings, racism has reared its ugly head at the ongoing Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with Indian supporters complaining of "offensive and ugly" chants being hurled at them by local supporters.A 'Herald Sun' report said Australian supporters shouted "Show us your visas, show us your visas" at the Indian fans, interviewed by their reporters. The visiting fans described the chant as "offensive, ugly and racist". Even some Australian fans found the chants racist."That is racist," a home supporter Heath Robbins was quoted as saying."It is attacking a person's country and they should be kicked out of the ground as they should for any offensive behaviour to any other people," he said."Everyone feels offended when they are attacked on the basis of their residency or where we came from," an Indian supporter, who did not wish to be named, was quoted as saying.However, when CA officials and police investigated the incident at the old Bay 13 section, they did not find any offended fan.CA spokesman Peter Young said no action can be taken against those involved in the chant because it was not reported to the police or security.
"Police have confirmed the chant took place and conducted extensive interviews with both Indian and Australian supporters and they did not find anyone who was offended," Young said."But we urge anyone who considers the comments to be racist to report them to police and security staff. Racism is in the eye of the beholder," he said.

Adam Gilchrist broke the Ian Healy Australian record

Adam Gilchrist broke the Australian Test wicketkeeping record with his 396th dismissal as Australia edged closer to victory on the fourth day against India. Adam Gilchrist's catch in the morning session took him over Ian Healy Australian record with 396 Test dismissals.

Australia in control as Tendulkar falls

Australia marched towards victory as India found it hard to get going in an attempt to chase an enormous 499 on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.Resuming on an overnight six without loss, India limped to 56-2 at lunch, adding 50 runs in two hours of play as openers Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid saw the first innings repeat itself.Australia continued their domination with their pace battery making life difficult for the Indian batsmen. Brett Lee was hostile in the second session as he out-thought Sachin Tendulkar as the batsman was lured into a rash drive outside off-stump after making 15.Third time lucky would be an apt judgement when Wasim Jaffer nicked one off Brett Lee off a no-ball. But his dismissal a couple of deliveries later summed up the task ahead of India, of overhauling the highest ever fourth innings target.Adam Gilchrist's catch in the morning session took him over Ian Healy Australian record with 396 Test dismissals.By the time Dravid had faced the same amount of balls he did in the first innings, he had scored twice as many runs. However, his struggle to get the scoreboard ticking again proved to be his downfall at the stroke of lunch, after having absorbed 114 balls for his 16.

West Indies in control despite collapse

Port Elizabeth: The West Indies suffered a second innings collapse to give South Africa an outside chance of victory on the third day of the first Test against South Africa at St George's Park on Friday. The West Indies were 146 for eight at the close, an overall lead of 359. Chris Gayle decided not to enforce the follow on after the tourists took a first innings lead of 213. Dwayne Bravo took four for 24 as South Africa were bowled out for 195. At 122 for two in their second innings, the West Indies were heading for an indomitable position but they lost six wickets for 22 runs to give South Africa hope of winning a Test in which they were outplayed for most of the first three days. The collapse was started by a direct-hit run-out by Herschelle Gibbs to dismiss Daren Ganga for 45. Fast bowler Dale Steyn took three wickets and left-arm spinner Paul Harris two as the momentum shifted dramatically in the last hour of play. Gayle got the second innings off to a blazing start before he was caught behind off Makhaya Ntini for 29 off 22 balls. Although Runako Morton was out cheaply, Ganga and Samuels put on 65 for the third wicket to put their side in a dominant position. Ganga and Samuels were out in successive overs but they had ensured that South Africa would be set a target bigger than the best they have previously achieved in the fourth innings of a Test match - 340 against Australia in 2001/02. Samuels followed Ganga when he dragged an attempted pull against Steyn into his stumps and wickets started to tumble with Steyn finally showing the form that brought him 20 wickets in two Tests against New Zealand last month. Shivnarine Chanderpaul's run of form came to an end when he edged Steyn low to Jacques Kallis at second slip and Denesh Ramdin gloved a bouncer to gully. Bravo was given a torrid time by Steyn but fell to Harris when he drove the spinner to mid-on. Harris also trapped Darren Sammy leg before. Bravo, who finished with four for 24, took the last four wickets in 21 runs at a personal cost of six runs as the West Indies bowled out South Africa for 195. South Africa suffered an early blow after resuming on 122 for five when Mark Boucher was out in the third over of the morning. Boucher top-edged a hook against Jerome Taylor and was caught by Daren Powell at fine leg. But AB de Villiers and Paul Harris defied the West Indian bowlers for most of the morning in a seventh wicket stand of 43 before Bravo struck shortly before lunch. De Villiers, the only top order batsman to shine, made a patient 59 off 127 balls before he was bowled by a superb delivery from Bravo which straightened off the pitch and clipped his off stump. Bravo followed up with the wicket of Harris, who batted for 100 minutes and faced 68 balls in making nine. He was caught at mid-off when he attempted a forcing shot off the back foot. South Africa's last two wickets fell in 13 balls after lunch as Bravo had Andre Nel caught at mid-on and Dale Steyn caught at fine leg.

Harbhajan backs India to save MCG Test

The pitch at the MCG deteriorating, Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh today admitted that chasing the Australian target of 499 would be a tough task for the visitors but hoped that their formidable line-up will stand up to the challenge.“Obviously, it’s a stiff target, but I won’t say it’s not achievable,” Harbhajan said after the third day’s play, which India ended at 6 for no loss. “With the kind of batting line-up we have, if we play to our potential anything can happen in cricket and this is a good wicket to bat on and I’m sure our batsmen are looking forward to going out and showing some character tomorrow,” he added.Harbhajan rued the first innings collapse and said the situation could have been different had India not conceded a 147-run lead to the hosts.“If we had batted well in the first innings, I think the match would have been evenly placed. But I still believe that we have the calibre to save it. We just have play through the next two days,” he said.Harbhajan said the MCG track was keeping low and with hardly any bounce, it has turned out to be quite an opposite of a typical Australian pitch. “There is hardly any bounce or spin in this track and it gets a bit tough on these sort of wickets. It is not a typical Australian track which offers good bounce,” Harbhajan pointed out.Harbhajan, who surpassed the 250-wicket mark after scalping three today, said he varied his pace to surprise the batsmen and be more effective.“It is a nice feeling to surpass the mark but I think I could have bowled better. But I would take it as a learning thing... it’s a bit tough on such wicket and I bowled okay but could have done better.” “In the first innings, I was taking a lot of time before delivering the ball but varied my pace and angle in the second innings as the track was not helping me,” he explained.The off-spinner said even his ‘doosras’ were rendered ineffective by the non-responsive pitch.“I bowled quite a lot of doosras but the wicket is too slow, they didn’t go as I wanted. I was looking to bowl a good rhythm and a couple of early wickets would have helped,” he said.

Akram's words of wisdom to Zaheer

Melbourne: Zaheer Khan was roundly booed by Indian supporters at the MCG for the flurry of no-balls but apparently there was a reason to it.Zaheer was working on the bowling tips by the Pakistani legend Wasim Akram who had asked him to completely redo his bowling style for the present tour of Australia.Akram had advised Zaheer to understand that his method of swinging the delivery, as he did so brilliantly in England this summer, would not work in Australia. "It wouldn't help if he was to just come and release the delivery in Australia as he did in England. There is a different method to obtaining swing in this part of the world", Akram said.Zaheer was asked to run in quicker than he normally does and instead of just releasing the ball, he should look to hit the deck on Australian pitches.Zaheer worked on the advice and turned in a brilliant performance at the MCG in both the innings, never mind there were a dozen no-balls in Australia's second innings.Even though he grabbed just a wicket in Australia's second innings, he troubled all Australian batsmen as he had done during his four-wicket haul in the first innings. The only trouble was that in order to run-in and hit the crease hard, Zaheer was overstepping time and again.One such transgression cost him the wicket of Andrew Symonds. The hefty all-rounder was bowled but much to Zaheer's disappointment, the right arm of umpire Billy Bowden was already stretched out in a signal for no-ball. "When you bowl with the old ball, trying to gain reverse swing, you tend to overstep, that's common," said Akram. "I like the way he has bowled in this Test though I would like him to keep switching on either side of the wicket, lest a batsman gets used to his style of bowling".Akram's pearls of wisdom did not stop here. He also gave tips to Zaheer on how to hide the ball away from the gaze of batsmen when trying to reverse swing it.Akram wanted Zaheer to hold the ball in his right hand and then switch it to his bowling left-arm in the final strides of his run-up.Earlier, Zaheer used to keep the ball in his left palm before delivering it at the batsmen.Akram also paid attention to the bowling style of Rudra Pratap Singh, another left-arm bowler like him and Zaheer, and asked him to try and bowl a lot from the edge of the crease.He told RP Singh it would help him make batsmen play the wrong line."By bowling from the edge of the crease, it would fool a batsman into believing that the ball might angle away. But RP has an action which naturally brings the ball in. It can confuse a batsman," Akram said.Even though the pacers did not quite get bagful of wickets in Australia's two innings, it's fair to say that there were periods of play when they kept the batsmen on a leash.

Dravid needs to establish his credentials again

Melbourne: If there was muted criticism of the move to promote Rahul Dravid as India's opening batsman till today, the voices opposing that decision are now getting louder. Dravid has looked reluctant to play that role but he may have little choice left.66 agonising deliveries had got Rahul Dravid a mere 5 runs before Stuart Clarke put him out of his misery. But for the out of form Dravid, there is little chance in the near future of a return to his preferred slot at number three."Not always are you going to strike the ball the way you want to. Sometimes the balls are also not in the areas where you can put them away comfortably. You just have to fight it out and it was one of those days when both the openers had to fight it out. But it is not the first time that it has happened in Test cricket. There are some wonderful spells which you have to play out. Today was one of those cases and it is pretty normal. No complains against the openers," said Sachin Tendulkar. Dravid has cut a forlorn figure in Australia so far. He is no longer captain, has been dropped from the One-Day team and has now been asked to front up against the world's best new ball attack. He offered bravado when asked if he was keen on the job but its hard to miss the edge in this response."I have batted all my career in different positions and if the management at this stage feels that the best chance for us to beat Australia on this tour is for me to do that (opening the batting for India) then I will do that," Dravid had said before the start of the first Test match in Melbourne. Less than six months ago, Dravid led Team India to a series win in England. Now in hushed tones even the unthinkable is being said. If Dravid fails again in Melbourne and in Sydney; he may face a spell on the sidelines. Just like the legendary Bill Ponsford at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Rahul Dravid too will go down in history as one of India's greatest batsmen. But what has been a remarkable career, he now faces a career defining moment. He needs to establish his credentials as an opening batsman.

More woes for India; Yuvraj faces hearing

Melbourne: India's star middle order batsmanYuvraj Singh faces a disciplinary hearing with Match Referee Mike Proctor for showing dissent after his dismissal in the Boxing Day Test against Australia.Umpire Billy Bowden ruled Yuvraj caught behind off Stuart Clark yesterday, a decision that failed to amuse the left-hander who was yet to open his account. Though snickometer suggested a thin edge, Yuvraj lingered for a few seconds at the crease before finally departing.The left-hander is expected to attend a hearing with Proctor later today and if found guilty, Yuvraj might lose part of his match fee, media reports claimed on Friday.

Showman Shoaib may pay for antics in India

Karachi: PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf on Friday hinted that pacer Shoaib Akhtar could face disciplinary action when the governing body of the Board meets to review the performance of the Pakistan team on their tour of India. The meeting will be held next month here. "We are not happy with the antics and efforts of Shoaib at times during the tour, particularly in the final Test in Bangalore and this will be discussed by the governing body," Ashraf told PTI. "It would be premature to comment on what the governing body might decide but it is authorised to recommend any disciplinary action against any player or official if it feels he has not shown enough commitment to the national team." Shoaib made a comeback to the team on the Indian tour after serving a 13-match ban and being fined Rs 3.4 million for four charges of misconduct. He was also put on a one-year probation during which any act of indiscipline could automatically lead to a lifetime ban. he speedster took nine wickets in the three Tests in India at an average of around 31.The on-field show may not have fetched him many headlines but he made news for his off-field activities after being offered a role in a Bollywood film and appearing on a music show on an Indian channel as judge. Ashraf said the board was not happy with some of the things seen in India and specially with the commitment shown by Shoaib in the final Test. "Some of his behaviour was not right. We will be studying the reports of the manager and coach before the governing body decides to take any action against anyone," he said. Ashraf reiterated that the Board had made it clear time and again that it would not compromise on discipline with anyone. "No one is bigger than the game and there will be no compromise on discipline. No player should think he is bigger than the team or game." Sources say Talat has in his report made some disparaging remarks about Shoaib's behaviour while report of coach Geoff Lawson's report was still awaited. Since returning home from India, Shoaib has maintained a low profile.

Mountain to climb for India as Aussies declare

Australia piled on the agony for the Indians as they handed the visitors a fourth innings target of 499 on the third day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG on Friday Half-centuries from Michael Clarke and Phil Jaques, and handy contributions from the rest of the batting order ensured Australia were firmly on top as captain Ricky Ponting declared their second innings on 351-7 with an overall lead of 498.Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds restored Australia's momentum after India's bowlers managed to peg the hosts back during the second session.Captain Anil Kumble got into the act to remove opener Phil Jaques who fell for his second straight half-century, before RP Singh struck to remove Michael Hussey (36) to stem the flow of runs.Zaheer Khan, too, appeared to get into the act when he bowled Symonds with a swinging delivery only to return to his mark as he had overstepped the line.Harbhajan Singh snared two wickets in two overs in the morning session as India attempted to claw back even as Australia continued to build their lead. Off-spinner Harbhajan reached 250 Test wickets with his second wicket after openers Matthew Hayden and Phil Jaques gave Australia a breezy start. Hayden followed up an imperious 124 in the first innings with a quickfire 47 before he holed out for the off-spinner's first wicket in the game. The burly batsman, too, reached a personal milestone of 8,000 Test runs.Captain Ricky Ponting had a rare bad outing in both innings of a Test when he edged Harbhajan to the slips for three as Australia fell to 89-2. He was out for four in the first essay. India's effort with the ball to close out Australia for 343 in the first innings was wasted as the hosts' fast bowling duo of Stuart Clark and Brett Lee bagged four wickets each to establish a huge 147-run lead.

Kiwis flay Bangladesh; set mammoth score

Napier: An injury-free Peter Fulton led New Zealand to an imposing 335-run total batting first against Bangladesh in their second one-day cricket international at McLean Park here on Friday. Fulton, who missed the recent tours of South Africa and Australia where New Zealand were comprehensively outplayed, scored an impressive 83 off 93 balls. Opener Jamie How chimed in with 74 and Jacob Oram blasted a rapid 55 off 31 balls as New Zealand made light of the Bangladesh bowling and scored freely around the ground. A New Zealand win would wrap up the series with a game in hand after they won the opening match in Auckland on Wednesday by six wickets. Brendon McCullum was the first batsman to fall, run out by a direct hit from Tushar Imran for 35 with the score at 82, and How and Fulton then put on 65 for the second wicket. How, still looking for his maiden one day international century after falling for 88 in the first game, was lucky to survive a caught behind appeal when on 12. He then went on to stroke a dozen boundaries to strengthen his claim for a Test recall. Scott Styris joined Fulton to put on 83 for the third wicket before he was well caught by Tushar Imran off the bowling of Farhad Reza for 41.When Fulton was dismissed 17 runs later, with the score at 246, Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram then attacked the Bangladesh bowlers, who wilted over the final eight overs.Taylor was not out 34 and Oram, whose 55 included four fours and four sixes, was out on the last ball of the innings, caught in the deep by Tamim Iqbal off the bowling of Mashrafe Mortaza. For Bangladesh Abdur Razzak took two for 75 and Mushrafe Mortaza finished with one for 66.

Teams:

New Zealand: Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Peter Fulton, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Mathew Sinclair, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Daniel Vettori, Mark Gillespie, Chris Martin.

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Aftab Ahmed, Mohammad Ashraful, Saqibul Hasan, Tushar Imran, Farhad Reza, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain.
Umpires: Tony Hill (NZL), Peter Parker (AUS). Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).

Feisty Chanderpaul sets record

Port Elizabeth: West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul equaled the world record for most consecutive Test half-centuries when he reached 50 on the second day of the first Test against South Africa at St George's Park.It was Chanderpaul's seventh consecutive score of 50 or better, equalling a mark set by fellow West Indian Everton Weekes in 1948 and 1949 and repeated by Andy Flower of Zimbabwe in 2000 and 2001. Chanderpaul's sequence started when he made 69 against Pakistan in Karachi in November 2006 and continued when he had scores of 74, 50, 116 not out, 136 not out and 70 in a series in England earlier this year.The left-handed Chanderpaul resumed on 43 Thursday and reached his half-century when he pulled Dale Steyn to the boundary 40 minutes into the second day's play. At that stage the West Indies were 304 for five.

Powell, Taylor send South Africa reeling

Port Elizabeth: Fast bowlers Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor struck hard at the South African top order as the tourists took control on the second day of the first Test at St George's Park Thursday. South Africa were crashed to 122-5 at close of play in reply to a West Indian total of 408 in which Shivarine Chanderpaul made a patient century. Powell took three for 40 and Taylor two for 28 as South Africa were left with their last two recognised batsmen, AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher, at the crease. While South Africa's bowlers were notably unable to strike with the new ball after the West Indies were sent in to bat Wednesday, their West Indian counterparts were on the mark almost immediately. Powell struck with the fifth ball of the innings when Herschelle Gibbs edged a catch to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. South Africa captain Graeme Smith made an aggressive 28 but was then trapped palpably leg before wicket when he played across a full delivery from Taylor. In his next over, Taylor claimed the prize wicket of Jacques Kallis, who had made five centuries in his previous four Test matches. Kallis failed to score before he tried to withdraw his bat from a lifting delivery by Taylor but instead steered a catch to third slip. Powell came back for a second spell, changing ends, and with his first ball sent Hashim Amla's middle stump flying with a superb yorker. Amla had looked in good form in making 29 off 30 balls.Ashwell Prince and De Villiers put on 33 for the fifth wicket and seemed to have steadied the innings until Powell struck again three balls after a drinks interval when Prince edged a catch to second slip. At that stage, half South Africa's batsmen had been dismissed for 96. Boucher was hit on the gloves by a bouncer from Powell but he and De Villiers survived until the close when South Africa, who started the match as hot favourites, still needed 87 runs to avoid the follow on. Chanderpaul made 104 for the West Indies before he was ninth man out, bowled by Andre Nel after a patient vigil which lasted 398 minutes during which he faced 254 balls and hit 12 fours.It was Chanderpaul's 17th Test century and his fourth against South Africa. He also made his seventh consecutive score of 50 or better, equalling a world Test record set by fellow West Indian Everton Weekes in 1948 and 1949 and repeated by Andy Flower of Zimbabwe in 2000 and 2001. Fast bowlers Makhaya Ntini and Nel took three wickets each but none of the South African bowlers found any of the help in the pitch that Smith expected when he won the toss on Wednesday. Ntini, armed with the second new ball, made two early strikes for South Africa on the second morning before Chanderpaul and Darren Sammy came together in a seventh wicket stand of 71. Chanderpaul's sequence started when he made 69 against Pakistan in Karachi in November 2006 and continued when he had scores of 74, 50, 116 not out, 136 not out and 70 in a series in England earlier this year. He was finally bowled by an excellent delivery from Nel, bowling around the wicket. The ball angled in to the left-hander and straightened off the pitch.

Troublemakers give tough time to police at MCG

Unruly spectators marred the opening day of Boxing Day Test between India and Australia with police arresting a dozen and evicting more than 110 people from the Melbourne Cricket Ground.Police said they were 'disappointed' with the behaviour of the spectators on Wednesday, after more than 110 people were evicted from the MCG and a dozen arrested, according to a report in 'The Age'. While authorities praised the overall crowd behaviour, Victoria Police warned unruly cricket spectators that its zero-tolerance approach to misconduct would continue."There's an element of the crowd that have decided they are going to come here for one reason, and that is to have a little bit of cricket, and also to see if they can get thrown out," Superintendent Stephen Leane was quoted as saying.Among those sent from the ground were instigators of the Mexican wave, which circled the stadium several times throughout the day despite being banned for the first time at the Boxing Day event, the report said.Several people were caught throwing items during the Mexican wave including food were also ejected from the ground, along with a female fan who revealed herself.Two streakers invaded the pitch late in the day, one of them draped in an Indian flag. Both were arrested and face fines of up to $6000, it said.Other arrests include nine for drunkenness and one for assaulting a police officer.However, Superintendent Leane said there were no reports of racial abuse.It had been 'a very good day' for relations between Indian and Australian supporters, he said.

Waugh blames Dravid for handing momentum to Aussies

Rahul Dravid's timidity while facing an aggressive Australian pace battery has turned the match in the favour of Ricky Ponting's men, feels former skipper Steve Waugh."Rahul Dravid looked out of touch and instead of being bold and countering with aggression, he opted for a grafting response which would have been fine if he went on to make a significant score. But to fall for five off 66 balls was to hand the momentum clearly back to Australia," Waugh wrote in his column for the 'Daily Telegraph'. India collapsed to 196 all out after having done well to bundle out Australia for 343 and Waugh said the visitors only had themselves to blame for being in a precarious position as they buckled under the pressure of being faced with a pace onslaught from Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson."India would have been well pleased to bowl Australia out for 343 but immediately gave the impetus back by getting bogged down at the crease and allowing Lee and Johnson to determine the way forward," he pointed out.Waugh, however, lavished praise on Sachin Tendulkar for applying himself well against a hostile attack."Much in the same mould as (Matthew) Hayden, Tendulkar appeared primed for a big innings, playing straight off the quicker bowlers and accumulating runs before setting himself for a premeditated assault on Brad Hogg where he swatted across the line and over the infield, much in the same way he took to Warne on the subcontinent," he said.Waugh felt despite coming in for some hammering early on, chinaman bowler Hogg justified his selection in the Australian squad with a couple of crucial wickets."With two exceptional players of spin in Ganguly and Tendulkar clearly showing their intent against Brad Hogg, the blowtorch was well and truly on, with no place to hide.""The perceived weakness in the past was his temperament, which could falter under pressure, but on this occasion he showed a calmness and control over his emotions, culminating in Ganguly's dismissal, in a display that justified his spot in the side," Waugh said.

Bad umpiring Down Under haunts India

The bogey of bad umpiring decisions refuses to leave India when they tour Down Under.Yuvraj Singh, that man in sublime touch and a scourge for bowlers from around the world, was on Thursday adjudged caught behind off Stuart Clark by umpire Billy Bowden before the left-hander had scored a run.At least a couple of inches seemed to separate the line of the ball from the prodigious left-hander’s bat, but there was not even an iota of doubt in Kiwi umpire Billy Bowden’s mind. He was quick to raise the dreaded finger, though Yuvraj did not respond as fast to the decision. The left-hander shook his head in dismay, prolonged his stay in the middle while showing his dissent, before walking off with his head still shaking.The MCG may not be the easiest place to officiate in, as pointed out by commentator Ravi Shastri earlier in the day while praising the same umpire, but the fact is that a decision here or there can still have a bearing on the outcome of the match. That Mahendra Dhoni was adjudged lbw immediately afterwards to a ball that swung in a lot to hit the stretched left foot did not seem to help the Indians either, which also seemed to be a close decision and Dhoni could have enjoyed the benefit of doubt.It is just the second day of a tough Test series and there have also been some other doubtful decisions both for and against India, leaving one hoping that umpiring does not become the topic of debate in the series.It might just be a matter of chance that Sachin Tendulkar got quite a few bad decisions on previous tours of Australia and in a practice game against Victoria last week in which he was given out off a no ball, but the fact is that India have suffered at the hands of the best of the umpires Down Under.

Lee, Clark shine as India collapse for 196

India's momentary revival in the first innings was halted by twin dismissals of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh as the visitors fell to 112-5 at tea on the second day of the opening Test at the MCG on Thursday.Stuart Clark starred with the ball with three wickets as Australia eclipsed India's effort as the visitors were in disarray at 55-3 soon after the first session, but Sachin Tendulkar had other plans.A laborious start to India's first innings was resurrected by Tendulkar who tore into the Aussie bowlers, stamping his class on his way to a half-century in just over a run-a-ball.The master batsman brought about his own downfall by playing on to his stumps after a classy 62 from 77 balls, which was followed by the wicket of Yuvraj Singh for a duck as the teams broke for tea.After closing out Australia's first innings for 343, India surrendered the initiative by losing both their openers for just 31 runs at lunch, and further slumping to 55-3 in a painstakingly slow batting display, and the batsmen had themselves to blame.The running between the wickets failed to capture the imagination after opener Wasim Jaffer fell for a 27-ball four. Rahul Dravid, promoted to open the innings along with Wasim Jaffer, took 41 balls to open his account before he, too, departed out leg before to Stuart Clark for five, after surviving a catch off a no-ball and a dropped chance. Aussie bowling spearhead Brett Lee had India hopping to his accuracy and pace, and a bombardment of well-directed bouncers unsettled the visitors with Laxman fending one awkwardly that took his glove on its way to Ricky Ponting for 26.Australia's last pair of Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson added six runs to their overnight tally of 337-9 before Clark holed out to fine leg after the duo added 31 runs for the final wicket.Zaheer Khan took four wickets for 94 runs while his skipper bagged his 35th five-wicket haul in Tests to finish with 5-84, also his 10th five-for against the reigning world champions.On Boxing Day, Matthew Hayden provided the crowds with his 19th Test century on home soil and was involved in a 135-run first wicket stand with partner Phil Jaques.

Tendulkar, Yuvraj dismissals peg India back

India's momentary revival in the first innings was halted by twin dismissals of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh as the visitors fell to 112-5 at tea on the second day of the opening Test at the MCG on Thursday.Stuart Clark starred with the ball with three wickets as Australia eclipsed India's effort as the visitors were in disarray at 55-3 soon after the first session, but Sachin Tendulkar had other plans.A laborious start to India's first innings was resurrected by Tendulkar who tore into the Aussie bowlers, stamping his class on his way to a half-century in just over a run-a-ball.The master batsman brought about his own downfall by playing on to his stumps after a classy 62 from 77 balls, which was followed by the wicket of Yuvraj Singh for a duck as the teams broke for tea.After closing out Australia's first innings for 343, India surrendered the initiative by losing both their openers for just 31 runs at lunch, and further slumping to 55-3 in a painstakingly slow batting display, and the batsmen had themselves to blame.The running between the wickets failed to capture the imagination after opener Wasim Jaffer fell for a 27-ball four. Rahul Dravid, promoted to open the innings along with Wasim Jaffer, took 41 balls to open his account before he, too, departed out leg before to Stuart Clark for five, after surviving a catch off a no-ball and a dropped chance.Aussie bowling spearhead Brett Lee had India hopping to his accuracy and pace, and a bombardment of well-directed bouncers unsettled the visitors with Laxman fending one awkwardly that took his glove on its way to Ricky Ponting for 26.Australia's last pair of Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson added six runs to their overnight tally of 337-9 before Clark holed out to fine leg after the duo added 31 runs for the final wicket.aheer Khan took four wickets for 94 runs while his skipper bagged his 35th five-wicket haul in Tests to finish with 5-84, also his 10th five-for against the reigning world champions.On Boxing Day, Matthew Hayden provided the crowds with his 19th Test century on home soil and was involved in a 135-run first wicket stand with partner Phil Jaques.

Kumble has outstanding intuition: Waugh

Melbourne: Hailing Anil Kumble as a bowler with "outstanding intuition," former Australian captain Steve Waugh said one should never underestimate the veteran leg-spinner.Impressed with Kumble's performance on the opening day of the first cricket Test here, Waugh said Kumble was a clever bowler capable of reading the minds of batsmen well."Having played against him many times, I knew never to underestimate Anil Kumble - even though you wogSep stressing over how to combat his bowling out in the middle," Waugh wrote in his column for daily Herald Sun."His methods are subtle and often most effective when you think you have him under control. He possesses outstanding intuition, which enables him to sense complacency or uneasiness from a batsman, and in turn he cleverly mixes up his deliveries and angles at the crease," Waugh said.Analysing his old adversary's performance, the Aussie great said the spinner exhibited great artistry while scalping Phil Jaques and Mike Hussey today."He tempted Jaques with a flighted delivery that was a well-concealed wrong 'un, while Mike Hussey departed to a quicker, flatter wrong 'un that beat him for pace."Both were clever pieces of artistry from a street-fighter, who for many years has been the benchmark in mental toughness in Indian cricket."Waugh felt that this series would be demanding on Kumble as he would play a double role of captain and strike bowler against tough opponents like Australia."Being the captain this tour will provide him greatest challenge, as his focus will have to be shared and not channelled," he said."It was in the first session that he appeared unsettled when he continually rotated his fieldsmen where the ball has just gone, but as the day evolved he became progressively pro-active and comfortable with the leadership," Waugh said.Waugh said playing the Test series against Pakistan would help India during the tour of Australia, who had a cakewalk in the home series versus Sri Lanka."One advantage India has over Australia is it has just come off a demanding three-Test series against its arch-rival Pakistan, while Australia steamrolled a lacklustre Sri Lanka."This was evident when Australia was perfectly placed at 0-135 and on remote control again to dominate, but the Indians hung tough, stuck to the basics and turned things around."This appears to be an Indian team that is ready for the challenge and willing to ask questions of Australia's batsmen through swing bowling and spinners with attitude," he said.Expressing astonishment over the slow track of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Waugh said the Aussies might be losing the home advantage because of the wicket.
"Deliveries not carrying through to the wicketkeeper, batsmen checking their shots and edges falling short of the slip cordon on the first day."Even with a limited preparation because of rain and the fact it will bake, harden and quicken with the sunshine during the next two days, it is becoming a common theme that our pitches are losing their character. Consequently, home-ground advantage is a thing of the past as the playing surfaces become all too familiar."On this particular pitch, Australia will be hard-pressed to bowl India out twice with the limited sideways movement and lack of exaggerated bounce," he said.

'Aussie crowd will love macho Dhoni'

Melbourne: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has emerged as a showstopper in India and manager Lalchand Rajput believes it is just a matter of time before the Australian people fall in love with the stylish wicketkeeper."I am 100 per cent sure the Australian public will love him by the end of the series. He is our flamboyant macho man with the bat, and he has become a very crucial member of this side," Rajput was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.Rajput said Dhoni was India's answer to the charismatic Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist."To have a person just like Gilchrist gives everyone great confidence. He can change the course of a game very quickly, and he gives the batsmen above him great confidence," he said.Rajput felt Dhoni's meteoric rise internationally and his exceptional leadership in India's Twenty20 World Cup triumph has made him as big a star as Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly back home.
"I think people forgot about Sachin and Sourav (Ganguly) for a while after the Twenty20 World Cup. When he came back,he was a demigod to the people. He is on the verge of being at the status of Sachin, Sourav and Rahul. After his success at the Twenty20 World Cup, he has just about reached that elite group," he explained."People feel they can relate to him, and they love the way he plays the game. Nobody thought it was possible to come from where he did and become captain of India. That kind of fame could have a bad effect on some people, but he is very mature about it," Rajput added.

BCCI not happy with Munaf's attitude

New Delhi: The Indian team management may be keen to have Munaf Patel in the squad for the Test series against Australia, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not too happy with the pacer's attitude. In fact, the BCCI appears to have second thoughts about sending him to Australia and has taken a strong exception to Munaf's decision to skip the Ranji Trophy match between Maharashtra and Karnataka currently being played in Ratnagiri.
To make matters worse, neither Maharashtra nor the BCCI officials have been able to contact him to get a feedback on his availability."It is something which has not gone down well with the officials. If the Board does not get a proper feedback on his recovery and if he does not prove his fitness in domestic matches, it will be difficult for him to go to Australia", a BCCI source said.
It is also learnt that Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar has not been able to contact Munaf nor does he have an idea about his whereabouts.Munaf, recuperating from a back strain, was supposed to play the Maharashtra-Karnataka Ranji match but had to be omitted from the team since Maharashtra Cricket officials could not establish contact with him."He is prone to injuries and it is necessary for the BCCI to know how his rehabilitation programme is going. He has to show some seriousness", the source said.Munaf was to join the Indian team in Australia as the 17th member from the third Test in Perth but the BCCI had made it clear that he would have to prove his fitness before embarking on the tour.

Kumble rattles Australia after Hayden hundred

Captain Anil Kumble led from the front by scalping five wickets as Australia squandered a flying start to allow India come back strongly in the opening Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.Electing to bat, the hosts got off to a solid start with Matthew Hayden (124) and Phil Jaques (66) putting on 135 runs for the first wicket but the visitors bounced back splendidly to restrict Australia to 337/9 at close on the opening day. The formidable Aussies threatened to seize early control of the Boxing Day Test and were cruising along briskly before the complexion of the game changed after the lunch break with the Indians ripping through the strong Australian batting line-up.Mitchell Johnson (10) and Stuart Clark (21) were at the crease at stumps on an eventful day watched by a sizable crowd.The seasoned Kumble turned out to be the hero as he produced a devastating spell to pick up 5/84, his 34th five-wicket haul to bring to help his team bounce back on a good batting track at the MCG.Pacer Zaheer Khan also played a stellar role by taking three wickets while fellow pacer Rudra Pratap Singh chipped in with one wicket to thwart Australia's hopes of putting up an imposing first innings total on the board.
The burly Hayden, who has always scored heavily against the Indians, continued to torment the visitors by notching up his 28th Test century but none of the other Australian batsmen, barring Jaques, could get going against a disciplined bowling attack.The match turned when Australia lost three wickets in the hour after lunch and then six more in the final session of play.Australia crumbled under pressure as batsmen after batsmen tried to hit their way out of trouble instead of playing to the situation.Kumble picked two wickets in the afternoon in a space of four overs and then three late in the day inside eight overs to let the world champions know they have a battle on hands.The skipper started the slide when he fooled Jaques with a googly that beat his defensive bat and undid him with a stumping.Three overs later, Kumble got rid of Michael Hussey (2) who played the wrong line and was declared leg before wicket.In between, Zaheer bowled the Australian captain Ricky Ponting (4) with a peach of a delivery which moved that bit slightly to clip his off-stumpAustralia were 213/3 from 56 overs at Tea as Hayden and Michael Clarke appeared to be digging in their heels for a home revival. RP Singh nipped those ambitions in the bud when he had Clarke (20) flaying at an overpitched delivery, wide off stumps, into the hands of VVS Laxman in slips.Clarke had struggled in his 80-minute stay during which he made 20 from 40 balls and put on 60 runs for the fourth wicket with Hayden.
Zaheer then earned Indians the wicket they wanted. Hayden tried to force a delivery off the backfoot which rose higher than he expected and a simple catch went to Rahul Dravid at mid-on.
Kumble then took over and gutted the host with three quick wickets inside 28 balls.Andrew Symonds (35) and Adam Gilchrist (23) were both guilty of trying to force the issue against Kumble and departed to ill-judged strokes.Symonds aimed a pull at a shortish delivery and was smartly caught by substitute Dinesh Kaarthick at midwicket.Gilchrist attempted a hoick at a widish delivery and the leading edge was safely caught by Sachin Tendulkar at short third man.
Brett Lee became the eighth victim of the day when he played forward the wrong line and umpire Mark Benson had no hesitation in ruling him leg before wicket.Johnson had a reprieve when he inside-edged Kumble to Yuvraj Singh at forward short-leg but umpire Benson ruled not out.With four overs to go, the new ball was taken and it paid immediate dividends with Brad Hogg's (17) attempted drive off Zaheer nestling in the safe hands of Dravid at third slip.
Some good hitting towards the end by Johnson and last man Clark got some valuable runs for Australia, but India should be happy with their day's work. Following are the statistical highlights of the first day's play: Sourav Ganguly became the seventh Indian player to appear in 100 Tests or more, joining Sachin Tendulkar (143), Kapil Dev (131), Sunil Gavaskar (125), Anil Kumble (122), Dilip Vengsarkar (116) and Rahul Dravid (116).India became the second nation in Test annals to achieve the feat of featuring four players (Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble and Ganguly) with 100 or more appearances in the same Test squad.The Australian team was the first to achieve the distinction during the 2006-07 Ashes series against England when Justin Langer, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting appeared together.Matthew Hayden (124 off 183 balls) registered his 28th hundred, fourth against India. Only Ponting (33), Steve Waugh (32) and Don Bradman (29) have recorded more hundreds than Hayden for Australia.
Hayden's 124 is his sixth hundred at MCG - the last three in successive innings - 137 vs South Africa in 2005-06, 153 vs England in 2006-07 and 124 vs India in 2007-08.Hayden recorded his second successive hundred against India at MCG. In the 2003-04 Melbourne Test, he had made 136 and 53 not out.Only Bradman has registered more hundreds (9) than Hayden (6) at MCG.Hayden, during the course of his innings, became the sixth batsman to amass 1,000 runs or more at MCG. Bradman (1671 in 11 Tests) holds the record for most runs at this venue.
Dravid, with Hayden's catch, overtook Mark Taylor's tally of 157, moving into the fourth place in the list of all time leading fielders. His tally of 159 catches is exceeded only by Mark Waugh (181), Brian Lara (164) and Stephen Fleming (161).Phil Jaques (66) registered his fifth 50-plus score in succession.The 135-run stand between Hayden and Jaques is Australia's second best for the first wicket against India at Melbourne, next only to the 191 between Bobby Simpson and Bill Lawry in 1967-68. The aforesaid partnership is Australia's first century partnership in 32 innings.Kumble became the third Indian bowler to claim five wickets in an innings twice at Melbourne, joining Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Kapil Dev.Kumble became the fourth bowler to capture 10 five-wicket hauls or more (in 15 Tests) against Australia, joining Richard Hadlee (NZ) - 14 in 23 Tests; Sydney Barnes (England) - 12 in 20 Tests and Tom Richardson (Eng) 11 in 14 Tests.Kumble has now claimed 35 five-wicket hauls and only Muttiah Muralitharan (62), Shane Warne (37) and Richard Hadlee (36) have claimed more five-wicket hauls than Kumble.
Kumble became the third Indian captain to bag five wickets in an innings against Australia, joining Bishan Singh Bedi (thrice during the 1977-78 series - twice at Perth and once at Brisbane) and Kapil Dev (Adelaide, 1985-86).

Dhoni India's answer to Gilchrist?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has emerged as a showstopper in India and manager Lalchand Rajput believes it is just a matter of time before the Australian people fall in love with the stylish wicketkeeper."I am 100 per cent sure the Australian public will love him by the end of the series. He is our flamboyant macho man with the bat, and he has become a very crucial member of this side," Rajput was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald'. Rajput said Dhoni was India's answer to the charismatic Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist."To have a person just like Gilchrist who gives everyone great confidence. He can change the course of a game very quickly, and he gives the batsmen above him great confidence," he said.Rajput felt Dhoni's meteoric rise internationally and his exceptional leadership in India's Twenty20 World Cup triumph has made him as big a star as Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly back home.
"I think people forgot about Sachin and Sourav (Ganguly) for a while after the Twenty20 World Cup. When he came back, he was a demigod to the people. He is on the verge of being at the status of Sachin, Sourav and Rahul. After his success at the Twenty20 World Cup, he has just about reached that elite group," he explained."People feel they can relate to him, and they love the way he plays the game. Nobody thought it was possible to come from where he did and become captain of India. That kind of fame could have a bad effect on some people, but he is very mature about it," Rajput added.

HC relief for Yuvraj Singh

Star cricketer Yuvraj Singh can negotiate a fresh contract with a new talent management agency and his current agency, Percept, can not stop him from doing so, observed the Bombay High Court.Currently, Yuvraj is bound by a contract with Percept Talent Management Agency. This contract will expire on December 11. However, he has already started negotiations with another agency. Percept had moved the High Court, saying that the existing contract had a "first refusal clause", which means he could not have a fresh agreement with a new agency unless Percept had a chance to offer him better terms.But Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud, in an order late last evening, held that such a clause amounted to restraint on trade, which is not permissible under the Indian Contract Act.Percept had asked Yuvraj for details of the contract that he was negotiating with another agency.Yuvraj's lawyer however assured the High Court that he would sign the new contract until December 11.

Yuvraj can enter into new contract

Yuvraj Singh can enter into a fresh contract with a new portfolio management agency, but it will be subject to judgment on appeal filed by Percept before the Bombay High Court.Division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice J P Deodhar today reserved the judgment. However, the court did not restrain the Indian batsman from inking deal with the new agency, but said it will be subject to outcome of the present case. Both Yuvraj's counsel, as well as that of Globosport, with which he is likely to sign a new deal, agreed to this.Percept Talent Management Agency has appealed against Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud's judgment, which held that Percept cannot bind him by 'right of first refusal' clause. Such clause requires that on expiry of existing contract with Percept, Yuvraj must give the agency right to match an offer made by outside agency.However, Yuvraj was not willing to abide by this clause, and Justice Chandrachud held that such a clause was illegal as per Indian Contract Act, as it puts restraint on trade.Before the division bench, Yuvraj's lawyer Iqbal Chhagla cited Supreme Court's judgment in similar case against Zaheer Khan."Post termination restraint is void, as per the law laid down by Supreme Court," Chhagla said, adding that Yuvraj's existing contract had come to an end on December 11.However, Percept's argument is that first-refusal clause was a separate agreement itself, and it will not be hit by the Contract Act's provision that bars any term, which restrains trade.

Cricketers to show solidarity on World Aids Day

Leading cricketers including Indian captain Anil Kumble will show their support for people living with HIV when they wear red ribbons in international matches taking place on 1st and 2nd December.Players taking part in the India-Pakistan, Sri Lanka-England, South Africa-New Zealand and Zimbabwe-West Indies games, as well as those taking part in the ICC World Cricket League Division 2, will wear the ribbons to raise awareness and reduce stigma about the disease.

India captain Kumble said: ''India-Pakistan is one of the most exciting and important matches in world cricket. If we can use this high profile game to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, then hopefully we can make a difference in reducing the prevalence of the disease across the globe.''The ICC has been working closely with UNAIDS to address the issue of HIV/AIDS in cricket playing countries and has undertaken a wide range of activities since 2003 to raise awareness and reduce stigma around people living with HIV/AIDS.This partnership was joined by the UNICEF in 2006 to back the 'Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS' campaign and is also supported by the Global Media AIDS initiative.

South African captain Graeme Smith said: ''World AIDS Day is an opportunity for everybody to show their support for people living with HIV/AIDS.''As a South African in a high profile position, I feel that it is important to support the International Cricket Council's partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF and use the reach and popularity of cricket to deliver important messages that hopefully will play a role in reducing AIDS not just in my own country but across the world as well,'' he added. continued..Echoing the same thought, England's Test captain Michael Vaughan added: ''International sportsmen are lucky to be in a position where we can deliver important messages on social causes such as HIV/AIDS to millions of people. ''By wearing red ribbons on World AIDS Day in our match against Sri Lanka, we hope to play an important role in showing support for people living with HIV/AIDS.''Activities will also be delivered by the ICC Development Program, including a series of coaching and awareness activities at the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia, a HIV/AIDS awareness cricket match in Gambia and a joint AIDS awareness promotion in a match between the Uganda and Rwanda women's teams.The support for the World Aids Day is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at using the popularity of cricket to deliver messages on HIV/AIDS.During the ICC World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 2007, players from competing teams visited local community projects to illustrate the cricketing world's support for people living with HIV and recorded Public Service Announcements that were shown by broadcasters around the world.

Brett Lee to make guest appearance in Bollywood movie

Australian pacer Brett Lee's much-talked about Bollywood career is all set to take off next year when he lands in India to shoot for a cameo in a film titled 'Victory'.Although the details of the film are not yet known, a report in the 'Sunday Telegraph' said the tearaway pacer will do a day-long shoot for the movie next year. "There's no question Brett is among the most marketable athletes in Australian sport," Lee's agent Neil Maxwell, who is himself a former cricketer, was quoted as saying by the newspaper."There are Australian athletes offshore who can tap into bigger markets and possibly make more money, but the Indian market has been a massive coup for Brett. It's given him a platform to launch himself globally," he added.The affable bowler, who has a huge fan-base in India, has never been shy of admitting that he was interested in foraying into acting in Bollywood.Lee, who also sings and plays bass-guitar for a band Six and Out, last year teamed up with legendary Indian singer Asha Bhonsle for a chart-buster duet 'You are the one for me'.And his manager said Lee's squeaky clean image has increased his opportunities in the entertainment industry."Obviously there's his blond, fresh-faced appeal, but one thing about Brett is his make-up as a person," Maxwell said."No sponsor needs to worry about him taking drugs or being pulled out of a nightclub at 3am. I've never seen anyone so pedantic about what goes into his body," he added.The 31-year-old, who is one of the highest-paid Australian cricketers, has a multi-year Cricket Australia contract and would end the year with earnings of more than USD three million.However, Lee said he would not allow money to influence his choice of brands for promotion. The pacer said he would never take up any campaign for a alcohol brand.

Tendulkar to donate pullover for Bradman museum

Sachin Tendulkar will donate a pullover that he wore while scoring his 30th Test hundred at Headingley, overtaking Don Bradman's record of 29 tons, to the Australian legend's museum in Adelaide.Tendulkar will make the donation at the 'Bradman Pavilion' in Adelaide when the touring Indians arrive there for the fourth and final Test of the series against Australia.
Along with Tendulkar, former India captain Sourav Ganguly will also gift his shirt that he wore during the epic Test win over Australia in the second Test in Kolkata in 2001. India went on to beat the Aussies 2-1 after clinching the third Test in Chennai.The Kolkata-Test was made unforgettable by VVS Laxman, who stroked a masterly 281, and his 300-plus stand with Rahul Dravid. The duo batted out the fourth day to turn the game on its head and lead India to an epic win after the hosts had been asked to follow on.

India will find it tough, says Hayden

Melbourne: The Indians may have done exceptionally well to reduce Australia to 337 for nine in the opening cricket Test but Matthew Hayden reckons the visitors will also find the going tough on a pitch that will "definitely get difficult to bat on over the next few days.”Hayden stood out among the Aussie batsmen to score a dominating 124 and gave a healthy start to his team by putting on a 135-run opening stand with Phil Jaques. But the hosts could not capitalise on the solid foundation on the first day. "I think we've lost a few too many wickets, there's no doubt about that, but in my mind it was a difficult enough wicket and those conditions will be revealed over the next four days," Hayden said after the opening day's play."The fact is we are facing quite a difficult wicket. It's definitely a par effort (Australia's score), but maybe one or two more wickets down. I think it is going to be a wicket that will be definitely hard to score on over the next few days," he said. Hayden said with the wicket getting slower, Australia would make life difficult for the visiting batsmen. "They are going to be slow conditions, they are going to be challenging for run-scoring and I think you will see Australia putting the pressure with good in-out fields and really try to constrict India", he said."I definitely think the pitch is going to deteriorate, just looking at it, and it is definitely going to be difficult to bat on over the last day," Hayden said.The 36-year-old opener, who overtook former skipper Allan Border in terms of most Test centuries scored by the Australians, said he was well-prepared for the Boxing Day Test."I've built this particular match up in my mind more than any other, it announces the summer, it's the vibe of the ground, the spirit of Christmas, having your families around, I just think it's one of those events that I really enjoy. I really enjoy playing spin bowling, and the majority of overs today were spin on a first-day wicket as well," he added.

Farhat to apply for British nationality

Karachi: Former Test opener Imran Farhat, who appeared in the rebel Indian Cricket League, on Wednesday said he would apply for British nationality next year, saying the cricket authorities had closed all doors on him for pursuing a cricket career in Pakistan."My wife is a British national and after discussions with my family I feel the best thing is to apply for a British passport next year in March. At least that way I can earn my livelihood from cricket as a professional without any problems," Farhat said.The Pakistan Cricket Board has banned all those players, who appeared in ICL Twenty20 tournament, from playing in PCB-organised events.
Farhat said he had no option but to move ahead for the sake of his livelihood."The fact is that it is appearing more difficult everyday to play cricket in Pakistan because of the PCB attitude. I have to earn my living from cricket and have no option but to apply for British nationality."If we are not allowed to even play domestic cricket and do our jobs how can we earn our living," he said.Ehsan Malik, a PCB official, though said the order was interim and would be discussed at the governing body meeting next month."It is an interim policy decision and it can be reversed if the governing body does not support it but for the moment the ban on these players stays," Malik said.

Samuels, Gayle put Windies on top

Port Elizabeth: Marlon Samuels and captain Chris Gayle played contrasting innings as the West Indies belied their underdog status on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at St George's Park on Wednesday.Gayle hit an explosive 66 and Samuels made a watchful 94 as the West Indies reached 281 for four at the close after being sent in to bat on what proved to be an easy-paced pitch.Opening batsman Gayle hammered his runs off 48 balls in his first innings since injuring his right hamstring against Zimbabwe 26 days ago.Mainly through Gayle, who was a doubtful starter until declaring himself fit shortly before the start, the West Indies raced to 130 for two at lunch but the scoring rate slowed during the afternoon as the South Africans opted for containment and the West Indian batsmen dug in.Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul were particularly careful as they eked out a 50-run partnership off 163 balls. But the rate picked up and they made the stand worth 100 off only another 58 balls. Samuels seemed set for only the second century of a 25-Test career as he moved imperiously from 67 to 92 in nine balls, with three fours each off Andre Nel and left-arm spinner Paul Harris.But the second new ball was his undoing as he launched an extravagant drive against Dale Steyn's fifth ball and Jacques Kallis leapt to his right at second slip to hold a spectacular catch.It was consolation for Steyn, who twice thought he had dismissed Samuels, who was caught off a no-ball by Graeme Smith at first slip when he had 14.Samuels did not initially hear the call from umpire Aleem Dar and started walking towards the pavilion. Six runs later he gloved the ball to AB de Villiers, also at first slip, but the ball had looped off his right glove, which he had taken off the bat.Samuels batted for 267 minutes, faced 195 balls and hit 12 fours.Gayle and Daren Ganga put on 98 for the first wicket in just 16 overs but both were out within the space of three balls.Ganga edged a drive at a wide ball from Andre Nel and was caught behind by Mark Boucher after making 33 off 57 deliveries with four fours.In the next over Gayle cracked left-arm spinner Paul Harris' first ball of the match through extra cover for four but was then caught at slip by Jacques Kallis when he attempted to drive the next ball. He hit 13 boundaries.Runako Morton and Samuels put on 64 for the third wicket but it became slow going before Morton was caught at backward point off Makhaya Ntini for 33 off a ball that bounced higher than expected and looped off a thick edge.Gayle barely managed a jog in his pre-match fitness trial but after a discussion with coach John Dyson he took his place as West Indian captain for the first time in a Test match.He put the injury to the test when he scored his first run with a sharp single off Steyn, having to dive to make the crease, but then played a typical Gayle innings, pounding the ball mainly off the back foot with minimal footwork to race to his half-century off 42 balls.

The Teams:

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher (wk), Shaun Pollock, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini.

West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Daren Ganga, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor.

New Zealand cruise to six-wicket win

A rash shot by Mohammad Ashraful triggered a sensational Bangladesh collapse as they failed to bat out their 50 overs in the opening One-Day cricket international against New Zealand here on Wednesday.Bangladesh were all out for 201 with 21 balls remaining after a score in excess of 250 had earlier been on the cards.Captain Ashraful and opener Tamim Iqbal had lifted Bangladesh from a tentative start, where they were 39 for two, to a positive 125 for two at the halfway mark.But their partnership ended soon after and so to Bangladesh's hopes of a high score on a ground where 300 has become the norm in recent years.Iqbal was first to go, out for 50 after a 97-run partnership with his skipper and the score at 136. Ashraful was out 14 runs later.After blasting a masterful 70 off 57 balls, Ashraful mistimed a short ball from Jacob Oram and sent it straight to Peter Fulton at deep midwicket.Bangladesh were then 150 for four after 29 overs, and in 20 more balls they added just four runs and lost three wickets to be 154 for seven.Mashrafe Mortaza (17) and Abdur Razzak (not out 22) added some life to the tail and ensured the tourists posted a record score for Bangladesh against New Zealand and passed the 200 mark.For New Zealand, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram and Mark Gillespie took three wickets apiece, although Chris Martin was the pick of the bowlers conceding just 35 runs off his 10 overs.