Cricket: Australia beat India by 122 runs

Melbourne debacle: Australia beat India by 122 runs

The famed Indian batting line-up collapsed like a pack of cards as the visitors faced a big defeat on the fourth day of the first cricket Test against Australia in Melbourne on Thursday.

Chasing 292, India's top-order batsmen produced a toothless batting display to see the visitors reel at 117 for six during the final break of the day. In their quest for the highest fourth- innings chase at the MCG in 58 years, India lost half of their side inside the 100-run mark with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (14 batting) and Ravichandran Ashwin (30 batting) holding the fort for the visitors.

India, 24 for one at lunch, lost Gautam Gambhir (13), Rahul Dravid (10), VVS Laxman (1), Virat Kohli (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (32) in the afternoon session as the pace trio of James Pattinson (2/32), Ben Hilfenhaus (2/28) and Peter Siddle (2/40) wreaked havoc in the tourists' ranks.

Siddle started the rot when he had Gautam Gambhir caught by Ricky Ponting at second slip, fiddling at a bouncy delivery in the same manner as he had done in the first innings. Tendulkar, who once again entered the ground to a standing ovation, came and drove his first ball into covers for three runs to convey his intentions clear.

An on-drive, with virtually the full face of the bat, by Tendulkar brought up the 50 of Indian innings.
Dravid was sedate but solid at the other end, yet Pattinson was able to create a huge gap between his bat and pad to knock back his middle stump. The right-hander hit one four during his 29-ball stay.
Dravid's exit opened the floodgates for Australia.

VVS Laxman took his first run off the seventh ball he faced but then flicked Pattinson into the hands of Ed Cowan at square leg to make it four down for 68 runs.

Kohli fell off the first delivery he faced, LBW to Hilfenhaus. But the biggest blow came soon thereafter when Tendulkar drove a swinging delivery from Peter Siddle straight to Hussey at gully.
Tendulkar batted for 73 minutes and faced 46 balls. He hit four fours before disappearing into the MCG tunnel amidst a standing sendoff, possibly for the last time.

Dhoni chose attack as the best defence and decided to take matter into his hands by slamming Hilfenhaus over wide long on for a six.

Ashwin rode his luck well, inside and outside edging boundaries behind square but ended the session with a brilliant straight drive off Siddle. Earlier, Australia, resuming at the overnight score of 179 for eight, rode on mixture of luck and bold hitting to stretch their innings to 240 before being bowled out 42 minutes before the lunch break.

Cricket- Sehwag surpasses Tendulkar, scores 219

Sachin Tendulkar stepped on a plane yesterday as the proud owner of the highest individual score in 50-over cricket but will land on Australian soil to find that he has been robbed of the record by his one-time protégé Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag has come a long way since his early days when he was called a ‘Tendulkar-clone’ and the 33-year-old struck a blazing 219 against West Indies to surpass his mentor in his 240th one-day international.

Tendulkar, who hit 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior in February 2010, was among the first batch of Indian cricketers to leave for the team's Australia tour. Sehwag fiercely cut an Andre Russell delivery for the most memorable of the 25 fours he hit yesterday as Indore's Holkar Cricket Stadium went into a delirium.

One of the few batsmen considered capable of hitting 200 in one-dayers, Sehwag punched the air before hugging batting partner Rohit Sharma. He then took the helmet off to acknowledge the cheers from the hollering fans. One male supporter even managed to sprint on to the ground with a bouquet and tried to present it to a bemused Sehwag before being escorted out.

"Everybody was expecting me to score a double hundred and I think I lived (up to the) expectation," a visibly tired Sehwag said at the innings break, happy to have made the most of the perfect batting conditions. "Whenever I wanted to hit a ball, I hit into the gaps and it went for four. Whenever I wanted to hit a six, I just tried to hit it with a straight bat," said the opener with perhaps the most uncomplicated batting philosophy. "I was telling myself and Gautam Gambhir that if we batted with a little patience, we could score a big one here."

Fortune also favoured the brave opener in his pursuit of the milestone. Sehwag survived a run-out chance when he was on 20 and could have been dismissed on 170 as well but his opposite number Darren Sammy running in from extra cover, dropped an easy catch off Ravi Rampaul. "When Sammy dropped my catch, I thought God is with me and God is telling me 'just bat until the 45th-46th over and you will achieve your 200'," said Sehwag, one of the most devastating batsmen in contemporary cricket.

Sehwag took 41 balls to reach his half-century and needed 28 more to score his 15th ODI century. His 150 came off 112 balls and by the time Kieron Pollard ended his 149-ball batting pyrotechnics studded with seven sixes, Sehwag had entered the record book after a breathtaking knock that left him drained. Sehwag scored his previous highest ODI score of 175 against Bangladesh in the February 19 World Cup match in Dhaka. "I'm very tired because I'm a 33-year-old. I'm an old man and my back and glutes are tight," Sehwag said.

Cricket: India defeat England by five wickets in 3rd ODI

India took an unassailable 3-0 lead by inflicting a crushing five-wicket defeat on England in the third one-dayer at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Thursday.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35*) and Ravindra Jadeja (26*) added 65 runs for the sixth wicket to take India to victory after they were in a spot of bother at 235/5.

With seven runs needed off the last over, Dhoni hit fours on the first two deliveries by Tim Bresnan to seal victory for India.

Graeme Swann trapped Virat Kohli plumb in front of the wicket as India lost their fifth wicket.
Kohli hit 5 fours in his 30-ball 35 before falling to Swann.

Ajinkya Rahane fell short of his maiden century by 9 runs as he mistimed a Steven Finn slower delivery into the hands of England captain Alastair Cook at mid-off.
Rahane hit 6 fours in his 104-ball 91.

In the next over, Suresh Raina hit a Tim Bresnan delivery staright into the hands of Kevin Pietersen at short extra cover. Raina failed to trouble the scorers.

Pietersen took a superb diving catch at point to dismiss Gautam Gambhir off Finn.
Gambhir hit a six and 3 fours in his 60-ball 58.

Ajinkya Rahane and Gambhir hit half-centuries as India crossed the 150-run mark with one wicket down.

Gambhir reached his 27th half-century off 53 balls with a six over long-off off Graeme Swann.
Gambhir brought up the 100-run partnership with Rahane off 91 balls.

Rahane hit his second half-century off 59 balls with the help of four hits to the fence.

Tim Bresnan gave England the first breakthrough when he trapped Parthiv Patel plumb in front of the wicket.

Patel hit 3 fours in his 46-ball 38 and put up a 79-run opening stand with Ajinkya Rahane.
Patel and Rahane brought up the Indian 50 in 9 overs as the hosts got off a good start in pursuit of 299-run target.

Earlier, Jonathan Trott's unbeaten 98 and brisk half-centuries by Samit Patel and Kevin Pietersen powered England to 298/4.

Trott remained undefeated on 98 that came off 116 balls with the help of 8 hits to the fence.
Patel's unbeaten 70 came off 43 balls and was studded with 2 sixes and 7 fours and he justified his promotion up the order ahead of Jonny Bairstow.

Trott and Patel added 103 runs off 71 balls for the fourth wicket and the stand came after Praveen Kumar clean bowled Ravi Bopara with a fantastic yorker.
Trott hit his fifteenth fifty soon after Ravindra Jadeja trapped Kevin Pietersen plumb in front of the wicket.

Pietersen hit a 61-ball 64 with the help of 9 fours and added 101 runs with Trott for the third wicket to revive England.
Virat Kohli gave India the second breakthrough when he scalped Craig Kieswetter to reduce the visitors to 53/2 in 12.1 overs.

Kieswetter, who scored 36 off 38 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes, attempted to squeeze it out to the off side but it took the inside edge and went onto rattle the stumps.
England again suffered an early jolt when seamer Vinay Kumar struck to dismiss skipper Alastair Cook.

Earlier, England skipper Alastair Cook won the toss and decided to bat first against India. Both India and England retained the same sides from the first two games at Hyderabad and New Delhi.

Teams:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Gautam Gambhir, Parthiv Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, Praveen Kumar.

England: Alastair Cook (captain), Craig Kieswetter (wicketkeeper), Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Ravi Bopara, Jonathan Bairstow, Graeme Swann, Samit Patel, Tim Bresnan, Steven Finn.

Scoreboard

Third one-day international between India and England at Mohali,

India, on Thursday. 

India won by five wickets 

England innings 
A. Cook lbw b Vinay Kumar          3 
C. Kieswetter b Kohli             36 
J. Trott not out                  98 
K. Pietersen lbw b Jadeja         64 
R. Bopara b P. Kumar              24 
S. Patel not out                  70 
Extras (lb-1, w-2)                 3 
Total (four wickets; 50 overs)   298 

Did not bat: J. Bairstow, T. Bresnan, G. Swann, S. Finn, J.
Dernbach 

Fall of wickets: 1-8 2-53 3-154 4-195 

 Bowling: P. Kumar 10-0-56-1 (2w), Vinay Kumar 9-1-64-1, V.
Kohli 3-0-20-1, U. Yadav 10-0-71-0, R. Ashwin 10-0-45-0, R.
Jadeja 8-0-41-1 

 India innings 
P. Patel lbw b Bresnan            38 
A. Rahane c Cook b Finn           91 
G. Gambhir c Pietersen b Finn     58 
V. Kohli lbw b Swann              35   
S. Raina c Pietersen b Bresnan     0 
MS Dhoni not out                  35 
R. Jadeja not out                 26  
Extras (lb-8, w-7, nb-2)          17 
Total (five wickets; 49.2 overs) 300 

Did not bat: R. Ashwin, Vinay Kumar, U. Yadav, P. Kumar 

Fall of wickets: 1-79 2-190 3-212 4-217 5-235 

Bowling: S. Finn 10-0-44-2, T. Bresnan 7.2-0-62-2 (1nb, 2w),
J. Dernbach 10-0-69-0 (1nb, 3w), S. Patel 10-0-50-0, G. Swann
10-0-59-1 (1w), R. Bopara 2-0-8-0 (1w) 

India lead 3-0 in five-match series.

Kohli and Gambhir powers India to 8-wicket victory over England

World champions India rattled England once again with bat and ball to win the second one-dayer by eight wickets on Monday and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Seamer Vinay Kumar returned with his best international figures of four for 30 as a lacklustre England were shot out for 237 in good batting conditions at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in New Delhi.


Scorecard


Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir powered India to 8-wicket victory ove England. They couldn't have been any more comfortable at home than they were at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Monday. 

Like pukka Delhiites, they played by the numbers, an assured ease and a calculated approach to help India overhaul England's 238-target with surprising ease. Kohli, in particular, made another strong claim for a berth in the Test squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies with an unbeaten 98-ball 112, a knock head and shoulders above the rest of the batting competition from either side. The runs have been coming at such fair clip it's hard to believe this feisty young batsman is already seven ODI centuries old.

India will also welcome Gambhir's return to international form following injury and the painful incidents of the England tour. He played excellent senior statesman with a fluent, unbeaten 84, trademark whips, cuts and steers in place as Kohli flicked, drove and pulled with elan at the other end.

That India finished the game with 80 balls remaining and eight wickets in hand is a fair indication of their complete superiority. Vinay Kumar picked up a career-best haul and even the English fielders were outshone by their Indian counterparts.

The chase didn't start out easy, though, since after 8.5 overs, India too were exactly 35/2 like England had been earlier in the day, both teams having lost the openers. But while Cook and Kieswetter departed without putting up a run on the board and the Trott-Pietersen combine perished after a decent start, Gambhir and Kohli - having found themselves together after 6.5 overs - clinically proceeded to fashion a new record for the third wicket with their unconquered 209-run stand.

England had their moments, like when Steven Finn bowled with fire and repeatedly beat the bat. They often employed aggressive fields too, but not at times when it was really required, and will be left wondering whether Cook's captaincy was a little underdone.

The pitch was slow but Kotla's usual demons had taken the day off, meaning England had only themselves to blame for putting up a low total. They batted as if promises were meant to be broken, every favourable partnership being broken on the cusp of lending the innings an air of authority.

Wickets fell in pairs and the batting, even given England's continued travails on India's slow pitches, was quite out of character. The match had been billed as a battle between India's slow bowlers and a visiting lineup hesitant in tackling spin. But having prevented Ashwin and Jadeja from wreaking havoc, England didn't do themselves any favours by succumbing to the seam-up stuff of Vinay Kumar (4/30 off 9 overs). Praveen Kumar and third seamer Umesh Yadav too chipped in with satisfying contributions as seven wickets were taken by the faster men.

An impulsive England had negated Kohli's pre-match prediction of spinners holding sway but failed to capitalize on the Powerplays and lost their wickets in 48.2 overs. Even before the Kohli-Gauti spectacular, MS Dhoni's men had bowled to a plan and reaped the rewards.

Cricket-India crush England by 126 runs in first ODI

SCORECARD
 India's spinners wreaked havoc, after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina starred with the bat, to clinch a 126-run victory over England on Friday in the first of five one-day internationals.

Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets with his part-time left-arm spin and off-break bowler Ravichandran Ashwin took three more as England, chasing a target of 301, were bundled out for 174 in 36.1 overs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

After electing to bat first India were reduced to 123 for four but Dhoni (87 not out) and Raina (61) helped them rally to finish on 300 for seven.

The home team smashed 150 runs in the last 15 overs as Dhoni and Raina, who survived a close run-out decision on 16, flayed the England attack.

Jadeja also contributed with the bat with a 22-ball 27 on a slow wicket.

India, playing at home for the first time since winning the 50-over World Cup in April, failed to win a single international match on their tour of England earlier this year.

The visitors, who left out Ian Bell and selected young Jonny Bairstow instead, suffered a middle order collapse after captain Alastair Cook (60) fell to Jadeja.

Opener Cook hit seven boundaries and put on 71 for the third wicket with Jonathan Trott (26) before he holed out in the deep while trying to up the scoring rate.

Mumbai stun Bangalore in Champions League final

With all the injuries and replacements at the start of the tournament, one wouldn't have given Mumbai Indians a chance of getting to the knockouts at the Champions League, let alone winning it today.On a slow wicket at the Chidambaram Stadium with just 139 runs to defend, Harbhajan Singh led Mumbai astutely. He took 3-20 and Royal Challengers Bangalore were crushed by 31 runs in a low-scorer.

Bangalore started the chase strongly with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chris Gayle adding 38 in four overs. In the next 10, they made 39-5. Harbhajan and Chahal choked the runs dry on a wicket that seemed considerably slower than earlier.

Mumbai raised their fielding a notch, took the catches that mattered. By the end, Bangalore had fallen so far behind the required rate, it's hard to tell looking at the scoreboard that they were ever in the chase.

Harbhajan gambled by giving Lasith Malinga a third over in his first spell. Malinga delivered with his first ball. Dilshan swung across the line and missed. Gayle fell to a dubious LBW to Harbhajan when his front leg was a long way down the wicket. Mumbai had a foot in the door.

Mayank Agarwal and Virat Kohli, still feeling the effects of batting on the Chinnaswamy belter, didn't last long and were caught in the deep slogging slow turners. Arun Karthik and Mohammad Kaif fell the same way but they were under considerable pressure from the mounting run-rate.

Three run-outs dented Mumbai before they could steer the innings to substantiality. It wasn't sensational fielding but Mumbai's sloppiness. Opener Sarul Kanwar was ball-watching at the non-striker's end when he ignored Aiden Blizzard's call and got him out.

Suryakumar Yadav was promoted above Kieron Pollard and batted usefully for 24. Then he backed up too far and Vettori ran him out in his follow-through. The big wicket was James Franklin's (41) and some lazy running with Pollard cost him his wicket.

In the next over by Vettori, Mumbai fell apart. Pollard strange half-hearted loft couldn't clear mid-on. Harbhajan Singh was given not-out by Kumar Dharmasena to plumb LBW first ball. But he was given LBW to a faster delivery next ball which clearly seemed heading down the leg-side.

This loss extends Bangalore's poor run in T20 finals. They had lost IPL finals in 2009 and 2011.

India loses its favourite Tiger, Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, fondly known as Tiger, one of India's greatest cricket captains, passed away at Sir Ganga Ram hospital on Thursday. He died due to respiratory failure leading to cardiac arrest. He was 70.

In an international career spanning 15 years, Pataudi played 46 Tests, scoring 2,793 runs with six Test  centuries at an average of 34.91 - all while playing with one good eye. A car accident in July 1961, six  months before his Test debut, left the "dazzling" young talent (as cricket magazine Wisden described him) with a severely impaired right eye. No one would ever know what he could have attained with full vision.
But the Nawab of Pataudi still had the eye of the tiger. In his prime, he was a regal middle-order batsman
who relished scoring at a brisk pace and hooking the fastest of bowlers.

He was also unafraid to step out and play lofted shots against spinners. Pataudi exuded style off the pitch too: his romance and subsequent marriage to Hindi film heroine Sharmila Tagore remains the biggest union of glamour and sports in modern India. They were India's premier Page 3 couple much before Page 3 happened. But above all, he was an astute leader of men. Pataudi was thrust into captaincy mid-series against West Indies in 1962 when only five Tests old and 21 years of age after then-skipper Nari Contractor was struck in his head by a Charlie Griffith delivery that nearly killed him. Pataudi captained India for the next eight years.

 Under him, India won its first Test series abroad, a 3-1 against New Zealand in 1967-68. Equally importantly, under his tutelage, the famous Indian spin quartet earned their spurs and honed their craft, although the larger rewards came to his successor Ajit Wadekar. "He was a bowler's captain. And he was always cool under pressure," recalls fellow Test cricketer Abbas Ali Baig. It was at Pataudi's insistence that the gifted Gundappa Vishwanath got an early break in Tests. A terrific fielder in the outfield, he was one of the first skippers who emphasized the importance of fielding and worked on improving it. Under him, Indian cricket took its first steps towards the modern age. 

The Nawab, whose father too played Test cricket, albeit for England, led India to nine victories in 40 Tests. In today's context, such an achievement might appear modest. But as Mihir Bose writes in 'A History of Indian Cricket', "To a nation that for 20 years regarded a draw as a victory, and whose cricket had a certain predictability, he brought the prospect of victory, often unexpected victories, and his captaincy had an element of daring, at times maddeningly unpredictable, so that even when India failed the impression was of having attempted the impossible." Pataudi also dabbled in politics, though not successfully.

After being replaced as India's cricket captain by Ajit Wadekar in 1971, he contested the Lok Sabha polls from Gurgaon. His party was VHP - Vishal Haryana Party. He lost heavily. Even his second innings as a politician - he contested under a Congress  ticket for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat in 1991 - was a failure. His mother belonged to the Bhopal royal family.

His association with journalism was more fruitful. For years, he edited the magazine Sportsworld. He also penned his autobiography, 'Tiger's Tale'. Much like his cricket, it was frank and forthright and laced with anecdotes.

Years after retirement, Pataudi retained the aura of a star; his enduring charisma earned him modelling assignments, sometimes with his son, actor Saif Ali Khan. In the photographs, there was no denying he was the bigger and the better-looking star. The Tiger was always burning bright.

Azharuddin's son Ayazuddin loses battle for life, laid to rest

Former Indian cricket captain and Lok Sabha member Mohammed Azharuddin's son, Mohammed Ayazuddin, who was critically injured in a motorbike accident five days ago, passed away at a hospital

on Friday.

The 19-year-old was laid to rest on Friday evening at a graveyard in Santosh Nagar after 'Namaz-e- Janaza' at the historic Mecca Masjid in the old city. Hundreds of mourners -- including Azharuddin's relatives, friends and eminent personalities of the city -- joined the burial procession.

Ayazuddin died at 11.51 am due to hypoxic encephalopathy, said a statement from Apollo Hospital where the youngster battled for life since Sunday.

The budding cricketer was critically injured in a motorbike crash at Puppalaguda on Outer Ring Road of Hyderabad on September 11.

Ayazuddin's cousin, Ajmal-ur- Rahman (16), who was pillion riding with him, died a couple of hours after they were taken to hospital. The high-end sports bike skidded off the road when Ayazuddin was riding it at a high speed, according to police.

Ayazuddin's mother, Naureen Azharuddin, his second wife, Sangeeta Bijlani, and other close relatives were at the hospital when the end came.

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy rushed to the hospital and consoled Azharuddin, who was seen fighting
back his tears. State ministers and members of Parliament, including Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and leaders of ruling Congress party also condoled the former cricketer.

A pall of gloom descended on Azharuddin's house in Banjara Hills, where Ayazuddin's body was brought after autopsy.

Ayazuddin was the youngest of the two sons of Azharuddin from his first wife, Naureen, whom he divorced to
marry former actress Sangeeta Bijlani.

Doctors at Apollo Hospital said Ayazuddin was in critical condition and was put on a ventilator ever since he was shifted to hospital.
They said he was brought with cardiac arrest and had sustained injuries to his kidneys. The doctors later  removed one kidney to stop the bleeding.

According to a medical bulletin late on Thursday, tests conducted on him indicated brain dysfunction. Ayazuddin was a second-year B.Com student at St. Mary's College. He had a good record as a cricketer in
school.

The Hyderabad Cricket Association also condoled the death of Ayazuddin. His friends were shocked over the death. 0Ayazuddin's coach, John Sanjay, said he could not believe that the upcoming cricketer was no  more. "We lost a very promising cricketer. 0He was very disciplined, a talented batsman and used to play like his father," he said.

Neurological tests on Azhar's son Ayaz confirm brain dysfunction

The worst fears of the family members of Mohammed Ayazuddin were confirmed on Thursday when the  neurological assessments performed on him showed that the bike accident on Sunday had severely damaged his brain.

Doctors treating Ayaz for the last five days had been worried about his neurological condition and
had even said that it was a matter of grave concern. On Thursday, hospital sources said that since Ayaz had
suffered a cardiac arrest on his way to the hospital, a major portion of his brain had become dysfunctional
with no blood supply from the heart for a prolonged period.


Ayazuddin's neurological assessments were being taken up for the last few days in between the other treatments and surgeries he was undergoing, but on Thursday doctors carried out full-fledged neurological tests to asses the extent of brain damage. "The assessments were going on but we couldn't take them up properly since it would have required stopping the medication which cannot be done," said a source.

Ever since Sunday morning when the accident occurred, sources said that the foremost challenge the doctors faced was to revive the two boys. While former ricketer Mohammed Azharuddin's 16-year- old nephew Ajmal-ur-Rehman succumbed, his younger son Ayaz could be revived.


Ayaz was brought to the hospital in a collapsed state. The other challenges that followed were to stop the profuse bleeding from his lung and kidney that was successfully done by performing two surgeries for which, the left kidney was removed.

A health bulletin issued by the hospital authorities on Thursday stated that brain function tests conducted on Ayazuddin indicated brain dysfunction. His status remains to be critical and he continues to be on ventilator support. Doctors said they were worried that even if Ayazuddin could come out of this serious condition, his brain dysfunction could be a major deterrent in him leading a normal life.

Cricket-England thrash India to complete 4-0 whitewash

England completed a 4-0 series whitewash over India after winning the final test by an innings and eight runs on Monday. England, who snatched the top ranking away from the 50- over World Cup winners earlier in the series, grabbed India's last seven wickets for just 21 runs to seal victory.

England won the toss, and elected to bat first ENGLAND: 591/6 decl INDIA 300, 283-all out (91.0 Ovs) England won by an innings and 8 runs MOM: Ian Bell MOS: Stuart Broad, Rahul Dravid

India in England, 2011 The Brit Oval, London, England August 18-22, 2011 Umpires: Simon Taufel(Aus), Rod Tucker(Aus) Third Umpire: Steve Davis(Aus) Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle(SL)

• Scorecard:
• England Ist Inning
• India Ist Inning
• India IInd Inning

England Ist innings Total: 591 / 6 in 153.0 overs dec. (Run Rate: 3.86)
Batsman			Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes	SR
Andrew Strauss (c)	c M Dhoni	b Sreesanth	40	106	5	0	37.74
Alastair Cook	c V Sehwag	b Ishant	34	87	4	0	39.08
Ian Bell	lbw	b Raina	235	364	23	2	64.56
Kevin Pietersen	c and	b Raina	175	232	27	0	75.43
James Anderson	c V Laxman	b Sreesanth	13	26	2	0	50.00
Eoin Morgan	c M Dhoni	b Sreesanth	1	10	0	0	10.00
Ravinder Bopara	not out		44	75	3	0	58.67
Matt Prior (wk)	not out		18	28	2	0	64.29
Tim Bresnan
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
Extras: ( 7 wd, 8 lb, 6 b, 10 nb, 0 p)			Total: 591 / 6 in 153.0 overs dec. (Run Rate: 3.86)

Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	NoBall	Wide	Eco
RP Singh	34.0	7	118	0	1	1	3.47
Ishant Sharma	31.0	7	97	1	1	1	3.13
S Sreesanth	29.0	2	123	3	4	0	4.24
Suresh Raina	19.0	2	58	2	0	0	3.05
Amit Mishra	38.0	3	170	0	4	5	4.47
Sachin Tendulkar	2.0	0	11	0	0	0	5.50

India Ist innings Total: 300 / 10 in 94.0 overs (Run Rate: 3.19)
Batsman			Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes	SR
V. Sehwag	lbw	b Anderson	8	6	2	0	133.33
Rahul Dravid	not out		146	266	20	0	54.89
VVS Laxman	c M Prior	b Broad	2	7	0	0	28.57
S. Tendulkar	c Anderson	b Swann	23	34	4	0	67.65
Suresh Raina	st M Prior	b Swann	0	29	0	0	0.00
Ishant Sharma	c A Cook	b Swann	1	9	0	0	11.11
MS Dhoni (C)	c M Prior	b Anderson	17	50	2	0	34.00
Amit Mishra	c I Bell	b Bresnan	43	77	6	1	55.84
G. Gambhir	c Pietersen	b Broad	10	62	1	0	16.13
RP Singh	c Anderson	b Bresnan	25	23	5	0	108.70
S Sreesanth	c E Morgan	b Bresnan	0	2	0	0	0.00
Extras: ( 7 wd, 9 lb, 8 b, 1 nb, 0 p)			Total: 300 / 10 in 94.0 overs (Run Rate: 3.19)

Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	NoBall	Wide	Eco
James Anderson	16.0	7	49	2	0	0	3.06
Stuart Broad	21.0	3	51	2	1	0	2.43
Tim Bresnan	17.0	3	54	3	0	7	3.18
Graeme Swann	31.0	5	102	3	0	0	3.29
Kevin Pietersen	7.0	1	27	0	0	0	3.86
Ravinder Bopara	2.0	2	0	0	0	0	0.00

India IInd innings Total: 283 / 10 in 91.0 overs (Run Rate: 3.11)
Batsman			Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes	SR
V. Sehwag		b Swann	33	67	5	0	49.25
Rahul Dravid	c A Cook	b Swann	13	32	2	0	40.63
VVS Laxman		b Anderson	24	42	4	0	57.14
S. Tendulkar	lbw	b Bresnan	91	172	11	0	52.91
Amit Mishra		b Swann	84	141	10	0	59.57
Suresh Raina	lbw	b Swann	0	13	0	0	0.00
MS Dhoni (c)	c G Swann	b Broad	3	19	0	0	15.79
Gautam Gambhir	c E Morgan	b Swann	3	27	0	0	11.11
RP Singh	c M Prior	b Broad	0	3	0	0	0.00
Ishant Sharma	not out		7	21	1	0	33.33
S Sreesanth		b Swann	6	9	1	0	66.67
Extras: ( 0 wd, 7 lb, 12 b, 0 nb, 0 p)			Total: 283 / 10 in 91.0 overs (Run Rate: 3.11)

Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	NoBall	Wide	Eco
James Anderson	17.0	4	54	1	0	0	3.18
Stuart Broad	20.0	6	44	2	0	0	2.20
Graeme Swann	38.0	6	106	6	0	0	2.79
Tim Bresnan	11.0	2	30	1	0	0	2.73
Ravinder Bopara	3.0	0	13	0	0	0	4.33
Kevin Pietersen	2.0	0	17	0	0	0	8.50

England Moves to Top, Push India to No. 3 in ICC Test Rankings

England claimed the number one rank in the ICC Test championship table for the first time in 32 years following a crushing win by an innings and 242 runs over India in the third match at Edgbaston here today.

Andrew Strauss's side had started the series in third position behind South Africa and trailing top-ranked India by eight ratings points.
To go to the top of table England needed to win the series by a 2-0 margin or better.

England accomplished its mission in great style, winning the first Test at Lord's by 196 runs, and then followed it with a convincing 319 runs victory at Trent Bridge before sealing the series here today.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat complimented the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the England team.

"On behalf of the ICC, I would like to congratulate Andrew Strauss, Andy Flower and the whole team for becoming the number-one ranked Test team in the world.
"I know they were determined to be number-one and through careful planning and a series of clinical performances, they have deservedly achieved their goal.
"They were clearly the most consistent side in the world over the past few years as evidenced by their 19 out of 30 Test wins and only four loses," Lorgat said in an ICC statement.

England had last surged to the top of the Test rankings in February 1979 when the then number-one ranked West Indies lost a six-Test series in India by 1-0.
However, the West Indies bounced back five months later to beat England by 1-0 in a five-Test series to reclaim the number-one ranking.
Prior to this and since the 1950s, England had twice achieved number-one rankings – from 1955 to 1959 and then from 1970 to 1973.
In contrast, India had achieved the number-one ranking on 6 December 2009 after beating Sri Lanka 2-0 in the three-Test series.

While England will be sitting on top of the tree when the Test Championship table will be updated at the end of the series at the conclusion of the fourth and last Test, India's position will depend on how The Oval Test, which starts next Thursday, pans out.

If England wins The Oval Test, it will finish on 125 ratings points while India will drop to third on 117 ratings points.

If India wins or draws the Test, it will stay ahead of South Africa in second position. A win will allow India to finish on 120 ratings points while a drawn Test will mean it will finish on 119 ratings points.

With the new Test Championship confirmed, the top four teams will progress to the play-offs with seedings determined at the cut-off date around mid-January 2013.
England are unbeaten in the Tests since May 2009.

They beat West Indies (2-0 at home), Australia (2-1 home), Bangladesh (2-0 away), Bangladesh (2-0 home), Pakistan (3-1 home), Australia (3-1 away), (Sri Lanka (1-0 home) and now lead India 3-0 (home). They drew 1-1 with South Africa (away).

England Blow India Away by an Innings and 242 Runs

Sachin Tendulkar was run out after backing up a bit too far and Rahul Dravid was out caught behind, but strangely neither Hot Spot nor snicko confirmed the edge. That’s the way cookie crumbles. SCORECARD

A relentless England ended India’s 19-month reign at the top of the Test rankings with a resounding innings and 242-run win on the fourth day of the third Test here at Edgbaston on Saturday. The win helped England build an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-Test series.

England won’t be officially number one till the end of the series, but that is just a formality, the top position the perfect icing on the cake. The two sides meet again in the final Test at The Oval from Thursday.

Needing a whopping 486 to make England bat again, India had a mountain to climb when they resumed at 35 for one. But their batting showed they couldn’t even have scaled down a molehill as their modest reply -- 244 all out – exemplified. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (74 n.o., 79b, 13x4) helped himself to a second half-century of the match while Praveen Kumar (40, 18b, 5x4, 3x6) threw his bat around for an entertaining knock.

The two innings helped India avoid their biggest innings defeat (innings and 336-run loss to the West Indies in Kolkata in 1958) which at one stage looked very much on the cards.

In a wonderful exhibition of swing bowling on the fourth morning, James Anderson (4/85) cut a swathe through the Indian batting line-up to bring England within striking distance of victory. Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad then played their hands with two dismissals each as the home team registered its second biggest innings win over India. The innings and 285-run drubbing in 1974 at Lord’s is India’s heaviest defeat at the hands of England.

Anderson was simply unplayable on the day. After watching silently his fellow pacemen Broad and Tim Bresnan feast on the Indian batsmen in the last three innings, the right-arm quick returned to wicket-taking ways in fine style. In a devastating six-over spell (6-2-17-3) in overcast conditions, the 28-year-old scythed through the cream of the Indian top-order to inflict irreparable damage. Having removed Virender Sehwag the previous night with the second delivery of the innings, Anderson began in better fashion, scalping Gautam Gambhir with his first ball of the day. If this was the kind of start England were looking for, then India were dreading exactly the same.

As the ball moved away after pitching on middle and off, the left-hander poked at it tamely and Swann did the rest at second slip. Dravid had appeared fluent the previous night and a lot obviously depended on him. The right-hander got an absolute sucker, the ball shaping away from his bat at the last moment taking an edge on the way to wicket-keeper Matt Prior. The replays, however, showed no evidence of the nick but Dravid didn’t review the verdict.

VVS Laxman flailed his bat to an outswinger and Prior gleefully accepted the offer. In a matter of 27 balls, India had been reduced to 56 for four from 35 for one. Suresh Raina aptly illustrated the Indian batsmen’s confused state of mind when he asked for a review of his lbw decision off Swann even though there is no option of challenging leg-before verdicts in this series.

Tendulkar seemed to be having no problems whatsoever with the movement of the ball. He looked the most confident of the Indian batsmen but like in Trent Bridge, where India suffered a 319-run defeat, he was fighting a losing battle. The right-hander had sailed to a smooth 40 when Dhoni drove Swann straight back to the bowler, who extended his right hand to deflect the ball onto the stumps.

Tendulkar tried to get back but his bat was on the line by the stumps had been disturbed. It must have been the longest trudge back to the pavilion for the Mumbaikar as the crowd once again gave him a standing ovation.

SCORECARD

India vs England , 3rd Test Match Scorecard

England vs India, 3rd Test, Birmingham

England won the toss, and elected to field INDIA: 224, 244-all out (55.3 Ovs) ENGLAND: 710/7 decl England won by an innings and 242 runs MOM: Alastair Cook	India in England, 2011 Edgbaston, Birmingham, England August 10-14, 2011 Umpires: Steve Davis(Aus), Simon Taufel(Aus) Third Umpire: Rod Tucker(Aus) Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle(SL)

• Scorecard:
• India Ist Inning
• England Ist Inning
• India IInd Inning

India Ist innings Total: 224 / 10 in 62.2 overs (Run Rate: 3.59)
Batting			Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes	SR
Gautam Gambhir		b Bresnan	38	64	7	0	59.38
Virender Sehwag	c M Prior	b Broad	0	1	0	0	0.00
Rahul Dravid		b Bresnan	22	68	3	0	32.35
Sachin Tendulkar	c J Anderson	b Broad	1	8	0	0	12.5
VVS Laxman	c S Broad	b Bresnan	30	41	6	0	73.1
Suresh Raina		b Anderson	4	21	0	0	19.0
MS Dhoni (c)(wk)	c A Strauss	b Broad	77	96	10	3	80.2
Amit Mishra	c M Prior	b Broad	4	13	1	0	30.7
Praveen Kumar	c M Prior	b Bresnan	26	39	4	1	66.6
Ishant Sharma	c A Cook	b Anderson	4	19	1	0	21.0
S Sreesanth	not out		0	4	0	0	0.00
Extras: ( 0 wd, 14 lb, 4 b, 0 nb, 0 p)			Total: 224 / 10 in 62.2 overs (Run Rate: 3.59)

Fall of Wickets:

1-3 (Virender Sehwag, 0.2 Over) 2-35 (Gautam Gambhir, 13.1 Over) 3-40 (Rahul Dravid, 15.2 Over) 4-56 (VVS Laxman, 21.3 Over) 5-87 (Suresh Raina, 29 Over) 6-89 (Sachin Tendulkar, 32.2 Over) 7-130 (Amit Mishra, 40.5 Over) 8-205 (Praveen Kumar, 48.2 Over) 9-221 (Ishant Sharma, 50.4 Over) 10-244 (Sreesanth, 55.3 Over)

Bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	NoBall	Wide	Eco
James Anderson	21.2	3	69	2	0	0	3.23
Stuart Broad	17.0	6	53	4	0	0	3.12
Tim Bresnan	20.0	4	62	4	0	0	3.10
Graeme Swann	4.0	0	22	0	0	0	5.50

England Ist innings Total: 710 / 7 in 188.1 overs dec. (Run Rate: 3.77)
Batting			Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes	SR
Andrew Strauss (c)		b Mishra	87	176	13	0	49.4
Alastair Cook	c S Raina	b Ishant	294	545	33	0	53.94
Ian Bell		b Praveen	34	43	6	0	79.07
Kevin Pietersen	lbw	b Praveen	63	78	9	1	80.77
Eoin Morgan	c V Sehwag	b Raina	104	199	11	0	52.26
Ravinder Bopara	lbw	b Mishra	7	15	1	0	46.67
Matt Prior (wk)	c S Tendulkar	b Mishra	5	11	0	0	45.45
Tim Bresnan	not out		53	75	6	1	70.67
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
James Anderson
Extras: ( 3 wd, 34 lb, 11 b, 15 nb, 0 p)			Total: 710 / 7 in 188.1 overs dec. (Run Rate: 3.77)

Fall of Wickets:

1-186 (Andrew Strauss, 56 Over) 2-252 (Ian Bell, 70.2 Over) 3-374 (Kevin Pietersen, 93 Over) 4-596 (Eoin Morgan, 160.5 Over) 5-605 (Ravi Bopara, 163.4 Over) 6-613 (Matt Prior, 166 Over) 7-710 (Alastair Cook, 188.1 Over)

Bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	NoBall	Wide	Eco
Praveen Kumar	40.0	13	98	2	0	1	2.45
S Sreesanth	36.0	4	158	0	4	0	4.39
Ishant Sharma	37.1	7	159	1	0	2	4.28
Amit Mishra	43.0	2	150	3	11	0	3.49
Suresh Raina	28.0	1	83	1	0	0	2.96
Sachin Tendulkar	4.0	0	17	0	0	0	4.25

India IInd innings Total: 244 / 10 in 55.3 overs (Run Rate: 4.40)
Batting			Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes	SR
Gautam Gambhir	c G Swann	b Anderson	14	42	2	0	33.33
Virender Sehwag	c A Strauss	b Anderson	0	1	0	0	0.00
Rahul Dravid	c M Prior	b Anderson	18	39	3	0	46.15
Sachin Tendulkar	run out (G Swann)		40	60	8	0	66.67
VVS Laxman	c M Prior	b Anderson	2	21	0	0	9.52
Suresh Raina	lbw	b Swann	10	24	2	0	41.67
MS Dhoni (c)(wk)	not out		74	79	13	0	93.67
Amit Mishra	c S Broad	b Swann	22	28	4	0	78.57
Praveen Kumar	c R Bopara	b Broad	40	18	5	3	222.22
Ishant Sharma	lbw	b Broad	0	8	0	0	0.00
S Sreesanth	c K Pietersen	b Bresnan	5	13	1	0	38.46
Extras: ( 7 wd, 6 lb, 6 b, 0 nb, 0 p)			Total: 244 / 10 in 55.3 overs (Run Rate: 4.40)

Fall of Wickets:

1-3 (Virender Sehwag, 0.2 Over) 2-35 (Gautam Gambhir, 13.1 Over) 3-40 (Rahul Dravid, 15.2 Over) 4-56 (VVS Laxman, 21.3 Over) 5-87 (Suresh Raina, 29 Over) 6-89 (Sachin Tendulkar, 32.2 Over) 7-130 (Amit Mishra, 40.5 Over) 8-205 (Praveen Kumar, 48.2 Over) 9-221 (Ishant Sharma, 50.4 Over) 10-244 (Sreesanth, 55.3 Over)

Bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	NoBall	Wide	Eco
James Anderson	18.0	3	85	4	0	0	4.72
Stuart Broad	12.0	4	28	2	0	2	2.33
Tim Bresnan	10.3	3	19	1	0	0	1.81
Graeme Swann	13.0	1	88	2	0	5	6.77
Kevin Pietersen	2.0	0	12	0	0	0	6.00

India crashes to an embarrassing defeat

India suffered a crushing, mortifying defeat in the second test at Trent Bridge, both the manner and the magnitude (319 runs) ill-befitting a team ranked No. 1.

Asked to bat five sessions and a bit, the batsmen were roughed up by a disciplined, bruising performance from England's seamers, who used their height and their strength forcefully.

There were pockets of resistance — Sachin Tendulkar's 56, Harbhajan Singh's 46, Praveen Kumar's 25 — but they merely delayed the inevitable. England took a 2-0 lead, Tim Bresnan adding to his second-innings 90 with five wickets.

India has a formidable task ahead of it in the two remaining Tests, but there is time yet to pursue that line of thought.

The immediate need is an account of Monday, the fourth day of what had shaped to be an enthralling contest before ending anti-climactically.

Impeccable delivery

Stuart Broad began England's victory charge with an impeccable delivery to Rahul Dravid. The angle of the delivery — it was directed from wide of the crease into the right-hander — and the movement off the wicket — it straightened after pitching on the seam — complemented the three-quarter length.

Dravid's hands flicked out like a switchblade; the thin edge was taken by the ‘keeper.

V.V.S. Laxman fell in the second over after lunch, to another magnificent delivery. James Anderson produced an in-swinging leg-cutter — the action of the wrist and fingers can sometimes conjure this magic ball (as it can, the out-swinging off-cutter), especially if the fingers drag down the side of the ball.

Laxman's off-stump was violently unearthed.

Bresnan, who had enjoyed his time batting earlier in the day, then got two wickets with two wickedly directed bouncers.

Abhinav Mukund might have narrowly escaped a king pair (it was Bresnan who put the catch down at second slip, a difficult chance), but he had no chance against a short ball of considerable pace that seamed across him. The ball looped to slip, bringing to memory the young opener's dismissals in the West Indies.

Suresh Raina was caught between ducking, swaying, and pulling in the first innings. He chose valour in the second (or fool hardiness, depending on how you see the world). He had no control of the hook stroke: he didn't play the ball; the ball played him. The top-edged hook travelled straight to fine-leg.

Bresnan also had Yuvraj Singh in trouble with the short ball, hitting the left-hander's fingers with a particularly nasty one. Broad smashed Yuvraj's elbow once, after the batsman had advanced!

Yuvraj looked to be walking off (perhaps he thought it was tea); eventually he turned and shook his head, and England's review of a caught-behind decision was of no avail.

Bresnan eventually overwhelmed Yuvraj, having him well caught at short-leg with a lifter.

The next ball found M.S. Dhoni offering no stroke; because the seam had been scrambled, swing, whatever little there was, had been turned off. The ‘lbw' decision was fairly straightforward for Asad Rauf, who's had an excellent two Tests.

At the other end, Tendulkar appeared to be batting in another match. When the ball was pitched up, it was driven surely, majestically.

When it was short, it was ducked under. A pity none of his mates, barring Harbhajan, wanted to hang around for the master-class. It ended when his bete noire, Anderson, trapped him ‘lbw' with a dramatic break-back.

Embattled bowling

The distressing batting performance followed an embattled bowling effort — England piled on the pain on Monday morning, continuing Sunday's charge. Matt Prior (73) feathered one behind, but Bresnan and Broad (44) plundered a tired attack.

There are few more exhausting things for a bowler than contending with a line-up that bats deep — and bats deep convincingly, the lower-order men playing with a batsman's judgment and repertoire.

Fatigue

For Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, who've bowled more than 210 overs between them in less than two weeks' time, it was an effort just to run up.

Harbhajan, who it's learnt is struggling with a stomach muscle injury, didn't bowl, and Yuvraj and Raina's part-time offerings were — as Shane Warne suggested on commentary — as inviting as a bowl of Caesar salad and a side of fries.

Substitute Wriddhiman Saha sparked a moment of fielding brilliance to run Broad out; Praveen got another to bounce off a length to end Bresnan's stay: it mattered little, for the Test was long gone by then.

Scoreboard

England — 1st innings: 221.

India — 1st innings: 288.

England — 2nd innings: A. Strauss c Dhoni b Sreesanth 16 (52b, 1x4), A. Cook c Yuvraj b Ishant 5 (11b, 1x4), I. Bell c Laxman b Yuvraj 159 (206b, 24x4), K. Pietersen c Dhoni b Sreesanth 63 (120b,7x4), E. Morgan c Dhoni b Praveen 70 (88b, 8x4, 1x6), M. Prior c Dhoni b Praveen 73 (60b, 10x4, 1x6), J. Trott c Dravid b Praveen 2 (10b), T. Bresnan c Dravid b Praveen 90 (118b, 17x4), S. Broad (run out) 44 (32b, 5x4, 2x6), G. Swann c (sub, Saha) b Ishant 3 (12b), J. Anderson (not out) 1 (15b); Extras (b-9, lb-5, w-2, nb-2): 18; Total (in 120.2 overs): 544.

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Cook), 2-57 (Strauss), 3-219 (Pietersen), 4-323 (Bell), 5-329 (Morgan), 6-339 (Trott), 7-458 (Prior), 8-540 (Broad), 9-540 (Bresnan).

India bowling: Praveen 36-5-124-4, Ishant 29.2-4-131-2, Sreesanth 27-5-135-2, Yuvraj 11-0-51-1, Harbhajan 9-1-47-0, Raina 8-0-42-0.

India — 2nd innings: A. Mukund c Strauss b Bresnan 3 (41b), R. Dravid c Prior b Broad 6 (12b, 1x4), V.V.S. Laxman b Anderson 4 (7b, 1x4), S. Tendulkar lbw b Anderson 56 (86b, 8x4), S. Raina c sub b Bresnan 1 (5b), Yuvraj c Cook b Bresnan 8 (32b, 1x4), M.S. Dhoni lbw b Bresnan 0 (1b), Harbhajan c sub b Bresnan 46 (44b, 8x4, 1x6), Praveen b Anderson 25 (25b, 5x4), Ishant (not out) 8 (25b), Sreesanth b Broad 0 (8b); Extras (b-1): 1; Total (in 47.4 overs): 158.

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Dravid), 2-13 (Laxman), 3-31 (Abhinav), 4-37(Raina), 5-55 (Yuvraj), 6-55 (Dhoni), 7-107 (Tendulkar), 8-129 (Harbhajan), 9-153 (Praveen), 10-158 (Sreesanth).

England bowling: Anderson 17-3-51-3, Broad 14.4-5-30-2, Bresnan 12-2-48-5, Swann 3-0-21-0, Pietersen 1-0-7-0.

Man of the Match: Stuart Broad.