We'll dominate again in a few years: Ponting

Virtually admitting that the days of their absolute domination is over, Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Tuesday said it would take a few years before the side returns as the same ruthless force which ruled world cricket with an iron fist.

"We've had an amazing run as a team . We have dominated world cricket for a long period of time," Ponting said after his side went down to South Africa in the second Test on Tuesday.

"I'm still very positive and very sure that with some of these younger guys coming on that in a few years time we can get back up there and be dominating world cricket once again.

"It's going to take a little while, there is no doubt about that. You can not expect young guys to come in and have sustain success. The young guys are the ones who generally lack consistency," Ponting said.

"The gap between our best cricket and our worst cricket has been too big and we have to make that smaller if we want to win the next Test and if we want to stay in that top group of Test-playing nations," added Ponting.

Ponting admitted it was a strange feeling for some of the players who have been used to wins only but felt there was no reason to press the panic button yet.

"A lot of players in the team aren't accustomed to losing Test matches let alone Test series. We've all got to remain upbeat. There's no time for panic or as (chief selector) Andrew Hilditch said, chop and change," Ponting said.

Women bodyguards to protect Dhoni

In a bid to tackle the onrush of his female fan following, Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who flew down on Tuesday, has been provided with women constables in his security ring.

"We have given some women police in view of the female fan following," Inspector General of Police, S N Pradhan said.

Facing severe criticism from Dhoni's fans after India captain drove alone to the airport to catch a flight on December 4, the administration took no chances and deployed adequate security, including personnel from the special task force.

"We have provided security on par with the 'Z' security on the basis of his star status."

"Though 'Z' security is given to only those having threat perception from anti-national elements, yet we have provided sufficient security to him," Pradhan said in the background of the previous reports claiming that Dhoni's 'Z' security was just on paper.

But whatever might be the security level, Dhoni's fans are finding it difficult to have a glimpse of their idol whenever he is in the town.

"Earlier, we could at least reach till the doors of Dhoni as the men in police uniform never stopped us, but now it has become difficult for us to breach the the women policemen," rued a fan.

"Yes, they have to stand at a distance. We have been strictly instructed not to allow anyone, even the media people," said a woman constable, guarding the lane in the Mecon colony where Dhoni's resides.

Watson ruled out of bowling for six months

The Australian attack for the Sydney Test against South Africa depleted further with Shane Watson being ruled out of bowling for up to six months because of stress fractures in his back.

Pace spearhead Brett Lee has also been ruled out of action due to foot stress injury.

The Australian attack for the third and final Test, beginning January 3, could be one of the most inexperienced in its history, as pacemen Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson and spinner Nathan Hauritz have played only 22 Tests between them.

Watson, who was being considered a possible replacement for struggling Andrew Symonds, said the injury to his lower left-hand side of his back was sustained during a recent domestic game and had since troubled him.

Scans yesterday revealed the fractures. "I felt I'd made some really, really big inroads in to my game in being able to play consistently, and I suppose I was pushing myself to the edge, which is what I need to do to be able to achieve the things I want to achieve. Unfortunately it just tipped over the edge a little bit," Watson was quoted as saying in a media report on Tuesday.

"I think it's about four to six weeks of just rest, let the fracture heal, and then just start playing as a batsman. I am not exactly sure of the timeline for bowling but to be back to full bowling it probably going to be four to six months I think," Watson said.

I'm still a "dangerous player", says Vaughan

The snub for the West Indies tour has not dampened Michael Vaughan's spirit and the former captain insists he is still "dangerous as a player" willing to do everything to force his way back into the England squad.

In his column for 'The Daily Telegraph', Vaughan said he accepted the snub from the selectors but was still hopeful of a comeback into the side.

"I still feel I am mentally fresh and dangerous as a player but I understand the decision not to pick me for the West Indies," Vaughan wrote.

"Now I just want to bide my time and enjoy a proper, settled pre-season with Yorkshire. Preparing for the summer and scoring runs at the start of the season is the best way for me to force my way back into the England side," he added.

Vaughan, who was part of the English Performance Squad in India, said he did not get enough chance to get some runs under his belt and press his case.

"...due to what happened in Mumbai I did not get the chance to play in two matches for the England Lions and therefore missed the chance to press my claims for a recall," he said.

His career at a crossroad, Vaughan said he would now give his best for Yorkshire to stake his claim for a berth in the national side.

"I am not in the England team and Yorkshire now has to be my main concern. I have to knuckle down with them and start the season as well as I can. If that happens then I will put the guys under pressure and still have the chance to play for England again, something that I dearly would like to do during an Ashes summer," he said.

SA seal historic series win over Australia

South Africa ended nearly a century-old drought to register their first ever series win in Australia when they crushed the hosts by nine wickets in the historic second cricket Test on Tuesday. 

Since touring Australia for the first time in 1910-11, this was the Proteas' maiden series win Down Under -- their previous best performance being a 1-1 draw back in 1963-64.

Having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, South Africa will topple Australia from their top ranking if Graeme Smith's men can win the third and final Test in Sydney.

Resuming on 30 for no loss, South Africa needed 42 overs to score the remaining 153 runs losing just one wicket for a memorable win and the moment came soon after lunch when Hashim Amla flicked Michael Clarke behind square leg for two runs.

In a match where Smith struck two fifties, JP Duminy scored his maiden hundred and Ponting scored 101 and 99, fats bowler Dale Steyn was adjudged Man of the Match for his match haul of 10 for 154 besides the crucial 76 he scored in the first innings.

Smith was the lone South African wicket to fall in the second innings. The South African captain was trapped leg before by Nathan Hauritz after making a 94-ball 75 with 10 boundaries in it.

Neil McKenzie (59) and Amla (30) remained not out after guiding the team to a historic win.

Ponting, meanwhile, became the first Australian captain in 16 years to suffer a series defeat on home soil. Last time Australia lost a series at home was against the West Indies in 1992-93.

More than their bowling attack, Australia's slim chance of saving the match depended on rain.

Though there was slight drizzle in the morning, play started on schedule and South Africa could not be denied the win they so thoroughly deserved.

Ponting once again ignored Mitchell Johnson despite the left-arm seamer being Australia's best bowler of the season so far. Instead, the Australia skipper relied more on Brett Lee and Peter Siddle.

Lee, who is set to undergo a foot surgery, looked in pain and hobbled.

Matthew Hayden's nightmare also continued and the Australian opener today dropped McKenzie in the first slip when the batsman was on 49.

Having made history, Graeme Smith, meanwhile, was all smiles.

"I have been smiling since the winning runs. It's incredible. It has been a team effort and when it's come to key moment in this Test we've stepped up," a beaming Smith later said.

"JP (Duminy) was incredible and the self belief in the team is flowing. It's an honour to come here and beat a quality unit. We're going to celebrate and enjoy our New Year and not many of us are thinking about Sydney," Smith said.

His opposite number Ponting was graceful in defeat and he hinted there might be a few changes in the side for the Sydney Test.

"We deserved to be in this position and full marks to South Africa . They won very comfortably, a well deserved series win. Things were looking good for us at one stage, but their tail played exceptionally well and Lee went down through injury.

"We weren't able to convert our opportunities. Let's see what the selectors come up with for next week," Ponting said.

Though there was slight drizzle in the morning, play started on schedule and South Africa could not be denied the win they so thoroughly deserved.

Ponting once again ignored Mitchell Johnson despite the left-arm seamer being Australia's best bowler of the season so far. Instead, the Australia skipper relied more on Brett Lee and Peter Siddle.

Lee, who is set to undergo a foot surgery, looked in pain and hobbled.

Matthew Hayden's nightmare also continued and the Australian opener today dropped McKenzie in the first slip when the batsman was on 49.

Having made history, Graeme Smith, meanwhile, was all smiles.

"I have been smiling since the winning runs. It's incredible. It has been a team effort and when it's come to key moment in this Test we've stepped up," a beaming Smith later said.

"JP (Duminy) was incredible and the self belief in the team is flowing. It's an honour to come here and beat a quality unit. We're going to celebrate and enjoy our New Year and not many of us are thinking about Sydney," Smith said.

His opposite number Ponting was graceful in defeat and he hinted there might be a few changes in the side for the Sydney Test.

"We deserved to be in this position and full marks to South Africa. They won very comfortably, a well deserved series win. Things were looking good for us at one stage, but their tail played exceptionally well and Lee went down through injury.

"We weren't able to convert our opportunities. Let's see what the selectors come up with for next week," Ponting said.

Ragues, Mailleux named as the Signature drivers

Signature, a new team to the world of endurance racing, has been ramping up its efforts for a debut in the European-based Le Mans Series in 2009. The French squad, led by team principal Philippe Sinault, announced last month that it will enter the five-round championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

This week, Sinault made further news, naming Frenchmen Pierre Ragues and Franck Mailleux as the drivers of its Courage-Oreca LC70E Judd. Signature, which is branching out from its roots in the Formula 3 Euroseries, is the first customer of the 2008-spec chassis developed by the Hugues de Chaunac-led Oreca squad.

Ragues is no stranger to the Le Mans Series or to Circuit de La Sarthe, having driven a LM P2 Pescarolo Judd for Saulnier Racing in 2008. The 23-year-old scored a podium at Le Mans, followed by a fifth place finish in the Le Mans Series P2 drivers' standings. Ragues tested Signature's P1 entry for the first time earlier this month at Paul Ricard and immediately was on pace.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for me to graduate to the very top level of sportscar racing and I am very grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen," Ragues said. "This is a new ad venture for Signature and myself, but I completely trust the professionalism of the team, which was obvious from the moment that we first met."

Mailleux may be a name less familiar in the sportscar racing scene, but the 23-year-old has already proven himself on the open-wheel ranks. The winner of the 2006 British Formula Renault Winter Series, Mailleux jumped up to the F3 Euroseries in 2007, finishing second in the rookie rankings. Last season, the Frenchman scored a win at Brands Hatch as well as two podiums - all while driving for Signature. Now he makes the move into sportscars for the first time.

"I am very happy to stay with the Signature team for this new challenge," Mailleux said. "The world of sportscar racing is completely new to me though, so I will have a lot to learn. However, I'm fortunate to have a great time behind me and also a great teammate in Pierre Ragues. I am sure that he will be able to teach me a lot, so that we can hit the ground running from the very first race."

While the face of the P1 grid has yet to be fully determined, it's certain that Signature will have fierce competition. Peugeot has yet to confirm its program, but Team Oreca will return with a brace of AIM-powered Courage-Orecas, and Speedy Racing Team Sebah will campaign the ex-Charouz Lola B08/60 Aston Martin. Pescarolo Sport and Epsilon Euskadi are also expected to continue in the premier prototype category.

"Franck is very much a known quantity to us, and we have always appreciated his abilities and personality," Sinault said. "I'm very happy that we will continue to work together in 2009. In Franck and Pierre I think we have the perfect line-up with which to face our debut season in the Le Mans Series, which is sure to be a tough but very exciting challenge for everybody."

In other news, International GT Open and Italian GT competitor Edil Cris is looking to expand its program to include the Le Mans Series next year. The Italian team, which also took part in the FIA GT Championship in 2007, has campaigned Ferrari F430 GTs in each of the series.

Word has also been given that Trading Performance will return to the Le Mans Series grid in 2009, but under a new name. Team owner/driver Karim Ojjeh said the team will likely be now known as the GAC Racing Team, after securing the backing from the Gstaad Automobile Club. Ojjeh and Claude-Yves Gosselin will continue to steer the Zytek 07S, with a third driver to be named at a later date.

SA strike back after Ponting ton

Melbourne: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting slammed a scintillating century as the hosts managed to score 280 runs for the loss of six wickets on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Friday.

Matthew Hayden's poor run continued as the big-hitting southpaw made just eight runs before he became the first victim of Makhaya Ntini.

As the hosts were looking in control, Dale Steyn struck to send back Katich. He followed it up with the wicket of Michael Hussey for a duck. And suddenly Aussie slipped from 128-1 to 143-3.

However, the Australian captain helped the hosts recover after the fall of wickets in quick succession.

Ponting led from the front with a magnificent hundred that included 10 boundaries and one six. He was caught by Amla off Harris just before tea as the hosts were reduce d to 184 for four.

Australia lost two more wickets for 96 runs in the final session. All-rounder Symonds who was cleared a couple of days back to play in the match after injury, chipped in with 27. Haddin was the other batsman dismissed for 40. 

Teams

Australia: Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin (W), Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle.

South Africa: Neil McKenzie, Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn, Mark Boucher (wk), Makhaya Ntini, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris.

Ronaldo's fiancee gives birth to a girl

Ronaldo's fiancee, Maria Beatriz Antony, on Wednesday gave birth to the striker's second child, a hospital spokeswoman said.Antony gave birth to Maria Sofia in Rio de Janeiro's Clinica Perinatal, hospital spokeswoman Ana Maria Funky said by telephone, adding the baby was born weighing 2.98 kilograms (6.57 pounds).She said Ronaldo was present when his daughter was born and cut the umbilical cord.Funky said both mother and daughter were in perfect health and should leave the hospital no later than Friday.Ronaldo, who is recovering from knee surgery and recently signed with Brazilian club Corinthians, already has an 8-year-old boy, Ronald, from a previous relationship.The three-time FIFA player of the year hasn't played since injuring his knee in February while representing AC Milan in the Serie A.Ronaldo led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title in South Korea and Japan, scoring twice in the final against Germany.

Dhoni a good captain but we did well as a unit too: Tendulkar

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership on Thursday earned him accolades from his senior teammate Sachin Tendulkar, who said he was obviously a "good captain" but had a good team at his disposal to bring about the desired result.Tendulkar, who came here for a vacation with wife Anjali and two children, told reporters that apart from Dhoni's captaincy, it was a great team effort which saw India finish the year on a high."Dhoni is obviously a good captain. But a good captain needs a good team. Obviously his captaincy is good but the team's performance, its collective effort, is essential for a captain. A team never wins by the performance of one or two players only. When the entire team performs, we get good results," Tendulkar said.Early in his captaincy, Dhoni already enjoys some stellar success in all three formats of the game.The star stumper-batsman led India to Twenty20 World Cup triumph, a ODI tri-series victory in Australia and is yet to lose a Test match as a captain. Dhoni has won four out of the five Tests he led India in, the last of which was against England in Mohali earlier this week which ended in a draw.Tendulkar said both good leadership and some sterling performance by the team made it a memorable year for Indian cricket."Throughout the year, our players have performed. It has been a good team effort and good leadership," he said. Looking ahead, Tendulkar said the team would now strive to maintain the high standard it set this year."We had a great series against England when all players performed very well. We will try to maintain the form we have displayed throughout the year. The team has set some targets which we shall try to achieve," he said.Tendulkar lavished praise on opener Gautam Gambhir and said the left-hander has proved himself as a key member of the side."Gambhir has batted very well throughout the year. He has shown the kind of form that gives nightmares to the opposition. He has shown great consistency, he attacked when attack was required, defended when defence was required."He has displayed solid technique and capacity for making big runs. His teammates knew his capability, now the whole world knows about it," Tendulkar said.The 27-year-old Gambhir had a stupendous year that saw him breaking into the top 10 in the ICC Test Rankings for batsman.The diminutive Delhi batsman scored more than 1000 runs this calendar year, including three hundreds in his last five Tests.Asked about cancellation of India's Pakistan tour following the Mumbai terror attacks, Tendulkar said on such occasions, cricket should take a backseat."It is a decision by the government and we respect that decision. The attack on Mumbai was very unfortunate, so many people lost their lives in it. This tragedy is far bigger than any cricket tour or sports. Those who have lost their loved ones can never be compensated," Tendulkar said. Tendulkar also asked his critics to stop speculating about his retirement till they hear from him on the subject. "It will only be right for me to speak about retirement, if and when I feel the time is right. It's not for others to speak or speculate on the subject," he said."I have been subjected to such questions for long now. Let everyone wait till I have something to say on the matter," said Tendulkar.Cancellation of the Pakistan tour allows the Indian cricketers to have more rest before they tour New Zealand and Tendulkar was optimistic that the team would continue to do well on the other side of the break."For the next month and a half, we would be free of international engagements. There would be domestic ties and then getting together in time to prepare for the tour to New Zealand."Hopefully, our good form would continue next year," he added.India will tour New Zealand in March-April 2009 for a tour comprising two Tests and five one-day internationals.Wishing everyone happiness on the eve of new year, Tendulkar expressed hopes that the almighty's blessing would be on India in 2009.

Gambhir stands tall among Indian batsmen

Diminutive Delhi batsman Gautam Gambhir ended what has been an outstanding year for him with a stellar average of 90.25 to pip the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar in India`s Test series triumph over England.Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan was the pick of bowlers with a tally of eight wickets at an average of 21 in the just concluded series, which India won 1-0.Gambhir amassed 361 runs in the two matches with 179 being his highest score. He was followed by Yuvraj, averaging 70.66, on the number two spot and Sachin Tendulkar, who hit his 41st century in the first Test, on number three with an average of 52.Rahul Dravid, who managed one century, finished fourth with an average 35.75, to be just ahead of Harbhajan Singh who tallied 34.50.Zaheer`s fellow paceman Ishant Sharma of Delhi was second among bowlers with three wickets and Yuvraj Singh was third with four wickets to his credit.Among the English batsmen, Andrew Strauss was the top performer with an average of 84 and a total of 252 runs in the two Tests.

Toyota commits to F1 despite loss

Toyota has vowed to continue running its Formula One team despite forecasting an annual loss of £1.1bn.

Following Honda's shock departure from the sport in December because of the global economic crisis, it had been feared Toyota could follow suit.

But Toyota Motor Corporation president Katsuaki Watanabe insisted: "We will continue F1 and other motorsport activities while cutting costs.

"To keep [spending] up at the current level is extremely difficult."

Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, announced on Monday that it was bracing itself for its first annual loss in 71 years because of plummeting sales and a surge in the value of the yen.

Watanabe added: "The change in the world economy is of a magnitude that comes once every hundred years.

"We are facing an unprecedented emergency."

   But Toyota, who made their F1 debut in 2002, insist they do not plan to follow fellow Japanese teams Honda, Subaru and Suzuki out of motorsport.

Honda, which spent more than £300m a year on F1, withdrew from the sport on 5 December blaming the contraction of the global economy.

Last week Subaru, whose cars are made by Fuji Heavy Industries, and Suzuki pulled out of the World Rally Championship for the same reason.

Toyota plans to continue operating in F1 but warned the team would have to scale back costs.

This month F1's teams and the governing body, the FIA, agreed key cost-cutting measures for the next two seasons to help guarantee the future of the sport.

Those measures include doubling engine life, reducing engine revs and cutting the cost of engines to independent teams. 

Future Cricket Series/tournaments

» Zimbabwe tour of Bangladesh, 2008/09 (Jan 2009)
» Tri Series in Bangladesh 2008-09 (Jan 2009)
» England tour of West Indies, 2009 (Jan-Apr 2009)
» New Zealand tour of Australia 2009 (Feb 2009)
» Australia tour of South Africa, 2009 (Feb-Apr 2009)
» India tour of New Zealand, 2008/09 (Mar-Apr 2009)
» Sri Lanka tour of England, 2009 (Apr-May 2009)
» India tour of West Indies, 2009 (Jun-Jul 2009)
» The Ashes, 2009 (Jul-Aug 2009)
» Natwest Series, 2009 (Aug-Sep 2009)
» ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in Pakistan(Oct 2009)

Ferrari's F1 funds include $80M more than other teams, chief says

LONDON -- Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has hit back at criticism from Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo by detailing how much more money the Italian team receives from the sport than their rivals.
"Ferrari get so much more money than everyone else," the 78-year-old billionaire told Saturday's edition of the Times newspaper.
"They know exactly what they get, they are not that stupid, although they are not that bright, either. They get about $80 million more," added the Briton.
"When they win the constructors' championship, which they did this year, they got $80 million more than if McLaren had won it."
Ferrari is the sport's most glamorous and successful team and the only ones still in Formula One who were present at the outset of the world championship in 1950.
It has never been a secret that the Maranello team receives a greater share of the sport's revenues in recognition of their special importance but a figure had not previously been revealed.
Ecclestone's remarks followed comments by Di Montezemolo in which the Italian said Formula One was not run in a normal, transparent manner, did not need a dictator and that teams should get more of the revenues.
"The only thing he has not mentioned is the extra money Ferrari get above all the other teams and all the extra things Ferrari have had for years -- the 'general help' they are considered to have had in Formula One," Ecclestone said.
The Briton added that Ferrari benefited from agreeing to a new deal with him after breaking ranks with the other manufacturers in 2003 when they were threatening a breakaway series.
"They were the only team that broke ranks with the other manufacturers -- why did they break ranks?" he said. "That's where the $80 million comes in."
Ecclestone suggested Ferrari might like to share some of the money with the other teams rather than seeking more from him.
"What he [Montezemolo] should do, rather than asking for money, with all the extra money Ferrari gets, he should share all that amongst the teams," he said.
A Ferrari spokesman had no comment on Ecclestone's remarks.
"However, the topic of revenue is of the highest importance at this particular time in Formula One," he added.
Montezemolo also heads the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), which has agreed to a package of cost-cutting measures with the governing FIA to stabilize the sport in the face of the credit crunch.
At their last meeting, FOTA and FIA also agreed that they needed to sit down with Ecclestone's Formula One management team "to discuss the earnings of the Formula One teams."
FIA president Max Mosley has suggested that up to 12 teams should get at least $50 million each from the commercial rights holder to ensure full grids and a healthy championship

It’s `Indus Army` vs `Barmy Army` in Mohali

As India and England`s cricket teams fought it out on the ground, their fans were engaged in an equally passionate battle outside with `Indus Army` trying hard to outdo British rivals `Barmy Army`.To the repeated echoes of `Barmy Army`, the drum beats and Indian flags waived by `Indus Army` gave a stiff opposition to the England fans in the stands.Indus Army was started about an year and half back from Bangalore."Our moto is to cheer up Indian team in any situation," a member of the group said adding, "Indus Army is a group of fans of the game with no affiliation to any political party or religion."We are lovers of Indian cricket team," said Sudhendra, a member of the `Indus Army while adding that this calendar year the members of the `Indus Army` cheered the Indian team in six matches.All the 250 members of Indus Army are either working or students," Vikram said while asserting that the aim of the `Indus Army` is to provide support in the form of cheering up team India members.
The `Indus Army` group asserted that their group is a straight challenge to `Barmy Army`.The centuries from Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir failed to dampen the spirits of `Barmy Army` as it relentlessly cheered English players.`Barmy Army` is a group of English cricket loving fans and makes it a point to reach the venue to cheer England.

Dour Dravid out of the doldrums

The unbeaten knock of 65 -- a veritable assortment of jabs, nudges, edges, mishits, drives and pulls - may not stand out for its aesthetics but would definitely rank among the most valuables runs Rahul Dravid had ever scored as he finally clambered out of the hole. Walking out to bat on a chilly, gloomy morning soon after the side had lost its most potent batsman is hardly the ideal recipe to revive the sagging form of an off-colour batsman who has aggregated a pathetic 322 runs from his last 10 Tests. But loads of toil and a pinch of luck finally did the trick and in the end, Dravid managed to get the huge monkey off his back with a laboured knock, which would finally help him breath easy. As captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had predicted yesterday, the first job for Dravid was to get to the 30-run mark. "Once he passes that 30-run mark, he would get his confidence back," Dhoni had predicted yesterday. However, even that seemed a task beyond Dravid as he poked, missed and almost perished early in his innings. He blocked the first ball he faced from James Anderson with a big stride forward, considered a positive sign. But he had just opened his account when his fluffed pull looped over before landing in the no man`s land between the square and fine leg, much to the relief of the Karnataka batsman.
He, however, subsequently managed to properly execute the shot off Anderson and it turned out to be his first boundary in five innings. Dravid looked far more confident in the post-lunch session and he announced that by reaching for a Monty Panesar half volley and driving it through a packed offside. "He played a very important knock today, both from his personal and the team`s point of view," Gambhir said. "We were six for one and the ball was doing a lot. At that stage, we really needed a big partnership and I think he tackled the seamers really well. He is a legend of the game with 10,000-plus runs under his belt. Who am I to comment on him?” "But I think after this one innings, his confidence would be high and he would continue to do well," Gambhir added. England coach Peter Moores was definitely not amused that Dravid chose England to claw his way back into form but said he was not surprised. "He is a fantastic player we have seen playing very well in England, both in international and domestic cricket. Good players don`t become bad overnight... The longer he stays, the settled he gets and by the end, it was Rahul Dravid, all hard work.” "He is a good player and you expect it from them at some stage because that makes them the players they are," added Moores.

Krejza goes early on day four

Jacques Kalis removed Jason Krejza early on day four to leave Australlia 8 for 241 holding a lead of 335 runs in First Test against SouthAfrica in Perth

Australian coach Tim Nielsen said after play yesterday that his side was well placed to set South Africa a victory target in excess of 350.
But he said both teams will think they can win after an eventful third day.
"The fact now that they probably got a bit of momentum at some stage of the day and then we were able to climb our way out again means that I feel we're on top," he said.
"If they're sitting in their room, they're probably feeling like they're pretty close as well."
Simon Katich and Andrew Symonds each made 37 and captain Ricky Ponting 34 for Australia.
Nielsen said he was surprised no batsman had scored a century on wicket which looks good for batting.
"It's been a bit of a topsy turvy Test match," he said.
"It seems that every time batsmen get in they find a way of getting out for both teams.
"We haven't had a hundred yet on a wicket that looks like a pretty good surface."

Sehwag's great form fuels India's success

India's dominance in Test cricket this year has coincided with Virender Sehwag's run of excellent form after the explosive opener staged a spectacular comeback in January.
Sehwag has racked up 1,445 runs in 13 Tests so far this year, smashing Test cricket's quickest triple century against South Africa and a double hundred of rare quality against Sri Lanka's mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis.
The 30-year-old batsman hit six fifties and raised century partnerships for the first wicket on five occasions as India won six Tests and drew four others during the period.
The Delhi right-hander set up India's thrilling six-wicket victory in the first Test against England this week with a racy 83 as the hosts recorded the fourth-highest run chase in Test cricket.
"He set it up brilliantly. How many players in the world can do that?" centurion Sachin Tendulkar said at a news conference after guiding India to the most unlikely of wins having been set 387.
"Very few people in the world can do what he does and we're extremely happy that he plays for India."
Sehwag's rich vein of form has already placed him seventh in the all-time list for most runs in a calendar year and he has the final Test against England.
Turning the corner
Sehwag was picked for the Australia tour last December at the insistence of then captain Anil Kumble following injury to Gautam Gambhir even though he was not named in the initial list of probables due to an extended poor run.
Since his return, however, Sehwag, whose strengths lie in hand-eye co-ordination and an uncomplicated technique, has blazed away in both Test and one-day cricket and was last month reinstated as test vice-captain.
One of the hardest strikers of the cricket ball, Sehwag made a quick 29 and 43 and chipped in with two wickets with his fast-improving off-spin in his comeback game as India recorded their first-ever win at Perth in the third Test.
The 'Nawab of Najafgarh' hit 63 and a classy 151 in the final Test in Adelaide to help India save the Test, a change in approach coming through the innings. It was his first century in a second innings.
"In Adelaide I had played a full session without scoring a boundary and saved the game for India. I can change my game (according) to conditions," he told a news conference last week.
Sehwag became only the third batsman after Australia's Don Bradman and West Indian Brian Lara to score two Test triple centuries when he lashed 319 against South Africa in the drawn first Test in Chennai.
It was the highest test score by an Indian, bettering his previous best of 309 against Pakistan in March 2004.
Leading the way
In the following series he smashed the third double century (201 not out) of his career and 50 in the second innings to help India win the second Test at Galle.
The hosts won the final Test to win the series.
Sehwag hit 35 and 90 in Mohali and 66 and 92 in Nagpur in the two Tests that India won to hand top-ranked Australia their first series defeat in November since the 2005 Ashes tour of England.
His form has also helped to ease the pressure on India following struggling Rahul Dravid's poor run in that period.
"The credit largely goes to our coach Gary Kirsten," Sehwag said of the former South Africa opener who succeeded Australian Greg Chappell in March this year.
"He never tried to change my style of play. Instead, he has encouraged me and backed my game. He has told me not to compromise on my natural game," he told Mumbai daily DNA this week.
"When you have such backing from the coach, the captain and the team management, your confidence goes up."

Gambhir, Dravid grind England on Day 1

Under the poor light conditions in Mohali, India batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid combined for the second wicket and had an unbeaten 173-run stand to take India's score to 179/1 at the close of first day's play at the PCA Stadium. A delayed start and early close saw the loss of 18 overs as 72 overs were bowled out of the required 90 overs.Electing to bat first, India got early blow in the form of opener Virender Sehwag's wicket. The Indian opener, who was the architect of India's epic win in Chennai, failed to give India a good start and departed for a naught. England pacer Stuart Broad, who came in place of Steve Harmison, pitched one outside the off-stump. Sehwag played it on the drive but an outside edge saw keeper Matt Prior take a comfortable catch behind the wicket. Sehwag's dismissal saw an out-of-form Rahul Dravid in action in the third over. India's no. 3 batsman, who's had a dismal run this year, looked a bit shaky in the beginning. But he slowly gained ground and took a sigh of relief with a composed half-century that was his first in the last nine innings. Dravid, who averages 28 this year in comparison to his career average of 52, gave a much needed boost to his average and most importantly his confidence when he struck 54th Test fifty, his ninth against England. In-form Indian opener Gambhir, however, continued with his purple catch and slammed the fourth Test hundred, his first against England. This was also his second consecutive century at the PCA Stadium. He had made 104 runs against Australia in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy

India v England 2nd Test

England will delay naming their team for Friday's second Test against India in Mohali until just before the toss.
"The surface is a bit different from the first Test. We want to see how it will turn out before deciding who will play," said skipper Kevin Pietersen.
Stuart Broad could be recalled to the attack in place of Monty Panesar and batsman Owais Shah could also start if the out-of-form Ian Bell is dropped.
India, meanwhile, are set to keep faith with struggling veteran Rahul Dravid.
Pietersen, whose team suffered a six-wicket defeat in Chennai, prefers to reveal his line-up a day in advance of matches.
But after training at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Thursday, he said: "There are a few things we're thinking about.
"There are guys who have come on this trip who are raring to go and wanting to play.

"It's just about making a decision on who the best team is to try and win a Test match and try and play positive cricket.
"The lads are up for it and are raring to go. I thought the day after the Test would be a quiet day, but the boys are fine.
"The boys are really focused now on doing what they can and not focusing on what's happened in the past."
Dravid, nicknamed "The Wall", has been in dreadful form of late and scored just three and four in the first Test.
He was already under pressure after averaging a measly 17 in seven innings against Australia and has been dismissed many times playing awkwardly to deliveries pitched around off-stump.
It has been reported that Dravid is on the verge of retirement, but instead of dropping out of the side in Mohali, he could be moved down the order, although captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has hinted he will resist that temptation.
Dhoni said: "VVS (Laxman) could bat at number three and Dravid could come down to number five, but there is always a chance that if VVS gets a good ball and goes early then we could be three down and that would put extra pressure on Rahul.
"We are not worried about Rahul's form. No-one can question his talent - he just needs to get past the 30-run mark and get a start."

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior insists the team can bounce back from their first Test heartbreak on Friday morning.
"To lose the first match was really tough," he told BBC Sport. "To play five days of intense cricket and lose was hugely deflating.
"But we must dust ourselves off and come back hard. India are a great side but we are confident we can do it.
"It would be massive if we could get on the plane home before Christmas having drawn a Test series in India.
"We will take a lot of positives out of the Chennai Test. We have learned a lot tactically - for one, reverse swing is clearly going to play a key part in this next Test - and also the way Paul Collingwood and, in particular, Andrew Strauss batted was hugely impressive.
"Now we can put the negatives to one side and all our focus and attention is on bouncing back and winning in Mohali."
Prior was another positive to come out of the match, scoring 53 not out and 33 with the bat and keeping wicket well on his return to Test cricket.

"On a personal level, I was quite happy with my performance with the bat and I thought I did well with the gloves on what was a tricky surface," he said.
"It's always a huge honour to play for England and after something of a rollercoaster start to my international career I'm determined to enjoy every moment I can, work as hard as I can and do as well as I can, and see what happens."
Meanwhile, both sides have vetoed proposals to employ floodlights in the case of bad light at the PCA Stadium, according to the Punjab Cricket Association.
Fog and bad light are a common feature at this time of year in Mohali, with good light rarely extending beyond 1600 local time during the day.
But Punjab Cricket Association secretary MP Pandove revealed: "We sent a proposal to the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the use of floodlights in case of bad light.
"However, both the teams have agreed to natural playing conditions."
Pandove added that a proposal to start play 30 minutes earlier had also been rejected.
Mohali, where India clinched a record 320-run win over Australia in October, was chosen after original venue Mumbai was ruled out due to safety concerns in the aftermath of last month's attacks by extremists.

Pietersen looks to former captains for advice

Mohali: England captain Kevin Pietersen has said he is trying to take as much advice from former captains and retain them in his system so he can call on all that experience when he needs them.Pietersen's inexperience on the captaincy front came to the fore in some of his tactics in the Chennai Test, which England lost despite setting India a fourth innings target of 387.
On the flight out of Chennai, while heading to Mohali for the second Test, Pietersen is said to have sat next to Mike Brearley, the former England skipper, known to have one of the shrewdest cricketing brains. The duo were said to exchange thoughts, and Pietersen surely would be wiser after the conversation with Brearley.He even spoke to Michael Atherton, who is in India doing television commentary.Pietersen said about his chats with former captains, "I've been getting advice from former players and captains on things I might have tweaked on the final day of the First Test.
"I listened and took note. So, if the going gets tough, they are the sort of things I'll remember and turn to."

Captain Dhoni hints change in batting order

Mohali: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday revealed that the team think-tank was toying with the idea of dropping off-colour Rahul Dravid in the batting order but said it was in two minds fearing the ploy may boomerang in the second and final Test against England.

Dhoni said promoting VVS Laxman at number three was one of the options before the Indian team in the match starting on Friday but felt it was not a foolproof idea of helping Dravid wriggle out of his bad patch.

"We are thinking about that but as of now, it's not confirmed," Dhoni told reporters."Shifting Rahul to number five and asking VVS to bat at number three seems ok at times. VVS has scored runs at number three and it would be easy for Rahul too. But it can also boomerang," he said."If VVS gets a good ball and gets out, there is already pressure on Rahul and once you lose three wickets, the pressure is always on the number five batsman. It's really tough to tackle that," Dhoni explained."At least batting at number three gives you the freedom to play your natural game," he said.Since the home series against South African, Dravid has been a pale shadow of his former self and continuous failure has reduced the Mr Dependable to the weakling of the side.

"We are not really worried with Rahul's form. It's just a matter of time. Once he passes the 30-run mark he can get his confidence back. Nobody can question his talent and determination," Dhoni said. "It's the initial phase and he has not been able to pass that phase. But we have confidence in him," he added.
Dhoni said with India delivering as a unit, there was no insecurity in the side and he was not perturbed by a failure on any individual's part."It happens when the team starts doing well. It allows you to go ahead with a few guys who are not in very good form or phase. It's a team sport and if the team does well, you can carry a few individuals, giving them more time (to find their form)," he explained.Waxing eloquent on the unity in the dressing room, the Indian captain said, "We understand each other well, we know the strength of the individuals and enjoy each other's success."We back Virender Sehwag to play his shots even if he gets out in a few innings. As a team we know how dangerous he is and how he scored so many runs in international cricket. We believe in the talent every individual has got and that makes us a real team."We always have the self-belief. We believe we can do things. When people question our ability, we want to prove the wrong. Guys come up and say 'Well, I'll take the responsibility and take the team through," he said.Under him, winning has become a habit for the side but Dhoni insisted it was not as easy as it appears.

F1 stars may have to take pay cut

Formula One's top drivers may be forced to take a cut in wages as the global financial crisis hits the sport.
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, whose driver Kimi Raikkonen's salary is the highest in F1 at £35m, said teams had to make savings in all areas.
"When teams must significantly reduce costs, one could say you need an ace to make the difference," Domenicali said.
"But I feel in the current climate the big teams won't be able any more to offer the amounts some drivers get."
Domenicali, who was talking in an interview with the Italian magazine Autosprint, said he expected salaries within F1 to undergo "a major revolution" in the next few months.
Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, has by far the biggest salary in the sport, but there are a number of other leading F1 drivers earning salaries of more than £10m - such as Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso and this year's title winner Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.

A select few leading engineers in the sport - such as Red Bull's chief technical officer Adrian Newey - also earn salaries of several million a year.
Raikkonen's Ferrari contract was extended in September until the end of 2010, despite the Finn's largely lacklustre season, but Domenicali said changing it was not impossible.
"Anything can be modified in life," he said. "The important thing is wanting to do it. We know the terms of the contract.
"However, I'm convinced this issue will soon be discussed among all the teams and with every driver."
His comments follow those made by fellow team boss Frank Williams, who said last week that he was in favour of a driver salary cap.
"We've raised this issue several times and will take the opportunity to do so again," Williams told British newspapers.
"We'd also strongly support a budget cap, introduced gradually, if it could be properly policed."

Williams dominated F1 in the 1980s and 1990s, but has seen his team's competitiveness slip in the last decade.
And he admitted that enforcing limits on the salaries of top drivers would be very difficult.
"If McLaren don't want to pay Hamilton £15m, someone else will. How do we stop that?" he said.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo insisted he would not swap the English 2008 world champion for Felipe Massa, who lost the title to Hamilton by a single point.
"Hamilton is a great driver," Di Montezemolo said at Ferrari's HQ in Maranello. "But, with all respect, I wouldn't swap him for Felipe Massa.
"Felipe is extremely popular, for the man he is, for the great driver he's demonstrated to be, and for the beautiful way he lost the championship.
"If Massa did not win it this year it was because we (the team) were to blame.
"It would have been normal for him to win. He didn't manage to because of our mistakes."
Meanwhile, on a visit to the American headquarters of team sponsor Mobil, Hamilton concedes the new raft of regulations for 2009 could affect his title defence.
"With the new regulations it's going to make it very tough to win the championship again," the 23-year-old said.
"But I think as a team we are in a position to pull together and make a difference in some other way."

England wavering on team for tough India Test

Mohali: An unpredictable wicket and India's awesome recent form have forced England to delay naming their team for the must-win second Test starting on Friday. England captain Kevin Pietersen said a final decision on the playing XI would be taken just before the toss as the tourists attempt to level the two-match series.
"The surface is a bit different from the first Test and a little abrasive, so we want to see how it will turn out before deciding who will play," said Pietersen.
India won the first Test in Chennai by six wickets after surpassing a seemingly improbable target of 387 on the final day to achieve the fourth-highest run chase in Test history. England resume battle at the Punjab Cricket Association ground in the northern town of Mohali, where their predecessors were hammered by 10 wickets in 2001 and suffered a nine-wicket defeat in 2006.
The Indians also inflicted a massive 320-run defeat on world champions Australia at the same ground in October on their way to a 2-0 series win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
England need to decide if middle-order batsman Owais Shah, who hit three half-centuries in the preceding One-day series, should be brought in for his third Test match in place of Ian Bell. With fast bowler Stuart Broad fit after missing the Chennai Test with a hamstring injury, England may have to choose between spinners Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, or drop one seamer from Steve Harmison or James Anderson.
Pietersen, himself recovering from a fractured rib suffered while playing squash before the series, said he was not in favour of reshuffling the team after just one defeat. "We have got to try to win the game and get the victory, that's our sole purpose now," the England captain said.
"I think the boys played brilliantly last week, they played great Test cricket, but we just unfortunately got pipped on the last day. I don't see a reason to change much. If a few things had gone our way on the final day we would have won that Test and been 1-0 up. It's a bitter pill to swallow but at least we got a lot closer than we thought in really pushing this strong Indian team to the last session of the Test."
Pietersen said England were beaten in Chennai by Sachin Tendulkar's brilliant 103 not out on the final day and Virender Sehwag's blistering 83 off 68 balls on the fourth evening. "You've got a freak of a bloke (Tendulkar) who bats at number four for India, and a freak who opens the batting (Sehwag)," said Pietersen.
India, meanwhile, are set to play the same team with the struggling Rahul Dravid getting another chance to redeem himself after making just 342 runs in his last 10 Tests. "We have a lot of faith in Rahul," said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "The important thing for him is to get to the 30-run mark, which will give him a lot of confidence. Unfortunately, he is getting out before settling in."
Dravid, who turns 36 next month and is one of only four batsmen after Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting to score 10,000 runs in both Test and One-day cricket, made just three and four in Chennai

.

India call off Pakistan tour on government advice

The Indian board has called off next year's tour of Pakistan, following a directive from the government that it was not feasible "in the prevailing circumstances". The series was in doubt following deterioration of relations between the two countries, a fallout of the Mumbai attacks which India alleges had links to elements in Pakistan.
The only option now to stage the series is to agree on a neutral venue, though a senior BCCI official told Cricinfo it was too early to take that call.
"We had asked the government to clear the tour and Pranab Mukherjee, the foreign minister, informed me today that they are not clearing the tour," Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, said. "The BCCI had made it clear much earlier that they would go strictly by what the Indian government has to say, and now it's obvious that the tour is off. How can we go against our government's advice?"
Shukla said it was too early to say whether the tour would go ahead at a neutral venue. Officials from the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council have already offered to host the series at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, where the England team trained before reaching India for the current two-Test series.
The government directive does not come as a surprise, with public opinion in India, as well as that of former cricketers, administrators and politicians, largely against the tour. A series of newspaper reports after the Mumbai attacks quoted government sources as saying the tour would be called off and, last week, India's sports minister, M S Gill, said he was not in favour of the team travelling to Pakistan.
However, if the two countries don't arrive at an agreement to proceed with the series at a neutral venue, the BCCI will have to convince the ICC of its reasons not to tour, or pay a hefty fine.
In any case, Pakistan's chances of hosting the postponed ICC Champions Trophy next year have been hit hard as its status as the host depended on a security review that was to be conducted during India's visit. India were scheduled to tour Pakistan from January 4-February 20 for three Tests, five ODIs and one Twenty20 international

.

'Harbhajan was disappointing'

Mumbai: Former India captain Ravi Shastri and former England batsman David Lloyd have given Kevin Pietersen and his men their thumbs up.
Lloyd felt that the all important partnership between Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood made all the difference. "It is important to occupy the crease but you have to score runs as well. The partnership between Strauss and Collingwood was a great and busy one. The tempo of Strauss's innings was brilliant. India looked weary in the field today. They need some inspiration. India's got a lot to do."
Lloyd also had a little chuckle about the Durham player, "Paul Collingwood is a great crafter of the ball. He's somewhat in the league of Jonty Rhodes, not pretty to watch but very effective."
Shastri was also very impressed with this English duo. "The Strauss-Collingwood partnership was brilliant. Strauss's shot selection was amazing. Collingwood on the other end was very effective. They did not let the spinners settle down, they rotated the strike."
Shastri also looked very disappointed with the Indian turbanator. "The wicket is turning but not that much; it's on the slower side. Harbhajan for me was very disappointing today. He has been bowling his doosras and all but his wicket-taking off-breaks have gone missing."
Another issue of contention has actually been the pitch. Everyone has just been waiting for it to crumble but it has held on pretty well till now. Lloyd too was surprised at the turn of events, "Yeah we saw debris in the morning and expected the pitch to do a lot but it has done nothing."
Shastri was all gung ho about England. He seems to be very impressed with Pietersen and his boys, "England had a good approach to the match today. They did not let India bowl maidens after maidens and did not get bogged down. India on the other hand looked a tired side. The shoulders were dropping, that is something you haven't seen with the Indian side all season. I think Ishant should have bowled a lot more. England has got this game firmly under control. They would probably want to get into a position from where India know they can't win. I can't see India pulling this one off. If England bat properly for the first session tomorrow, they can win this match. But a draw is also possible. If someone in the Indian side decides, a century is possible even on day 5."

Aus cricketers workload compensated appropriately, says Healy

Melbourne: Former Australian wicket-keeper Ian Healy has dismissed suggestions that the national players were under-paid, saying although Ricky Ponting's men play too many matches they are being compensated with huge perks.
The matter came to public glare in Australia after vice-captain Michael Clarke raised the issue of burnout last week, claiming a glut of cricket, coupled with off-field sponsorship duties, had affected players' downtime and private lives.
"Perception is better than the truth in many cases. They are playing more games, but they are pretty well paid, they share in the game's revenues and that's what they have to ensure - that the game's revenue stays strong so they continue to benefit," Healy was quoted as saying by the 'Daily Telegraph'.
A recent study of the cricket calendar and player earnings suggests Australia's top players are getting handsome rewards for their efforts.
Last year, not a single contracted Australian player played more than 85 days of international cricket, with the top 12 collectively receiving 2.7 million Australian dollars as match fees.

I am a better leader now, says Smith

Graeme Smith, who became South Africa’s youngest captain in 2003, has said that he is still trying to prove himself and is a better leader now.“I think the best way to explain it is, when I took over the captaincy at 22 in 2003 there were so many doomsayers saying it was the wrong decision – He’s still trying to prove himself in the world of cricket, he’s just 22, how can he be captain?’” Smith (27) said. “There were so many critics and so, for me, it was all about proving everybody wrong. It was about going out and performing. It was about performance, taking the bull by the horns, showing that I could handle the job,” he added. “Showing that I could handle the pressure. Showing that I could score runs. Everything was about 100 per cent go. Maybe that came across as in your face, as trying to be too strong and trying to show everybody that I could handle it.”“Within the squad and behind closed doors I was a lot more relaxed but, in the public eye, it was important to me to show that I was strong enough to handle everything.”

“But now that I’m a little older and a lot more relaxed and chilled out, I think I probably still carry a bit of that image from 22 or 23,” he added. He said that there may have been some misunderstanding, but he has certainly developed as a man and skipper in recent years and learnt to curb some of his controversial ways. That has come from experience of dealing with tough times on a personal and team level, such as the 5-0 pounding Australia gave the Proteas in six home-and-away Tests in 2005-06. Smith struggled with the bat during that campaign, regularly fumbling around his front pad, and with the intense spotlight he turned on himself for trash-talking the world champions through the press. Handed the captaincy after only eight Tests when Shaun Pollock was sacked following the 2003 World Cup debacle, Smith was not a popular leader at first. Some of the more experienced players in the team felt he did not deserve the prize.