India vs England: Dhoni & Co. clinch massive win, lead series 1-0

Hyderabad: Dhoni & Co. ended their losing streak against England as they thrashed the visitors in the first ODI of the five-match series by 126 runs to secure their maiden victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday.

The magnificent victory, which was also India’s second biggest win against England, too an extent healed Team India’s wound which they developed during the recent England tour.

After skipper MS Dhoni’s blitzkrieg and Suresh Raina’s brave show powered India to a daunting 300/7, spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja rattled the Cook-led side, clinching a comprehensive win for their side.

Chasing 301, England lost opener Craig Kieswetter with just 7 runs on the board. Praveen Kumar gave the first blow to England getting Kieswetter caught behind. Kevin Petersen was the second man to depart before skipper Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott tried put up a strong fight against the hosts.

However, after Cook’s half-ton, Jadeja got him caught by Vinay Kumar, triggering England’s collapse. Trott (26) soon followed his master in the dressing room after being bowled by the left-arm spinner.

R Ashwin then capitalized on the double bow by Jadeja and dismissed Ravi Bopara (8) without allowing him to settle down. Jadeja then struck again and sent back J Bairstow (3) with a simple return catch, reducing England to 126/6.    

India were in full control before Ashwin worsened the matter England getting rids of their last hope Tim Bresnan. Umesh Yadav who had a wicket less spell earlier, claim two victims in the form of Graeme Swann and Samit Patel.

However, Ashwin gave India the victorious moment, bowling out Jade Dernbach. Ashwin finished with 3/35 while Jadeja ended up with 3/34.

Earlier, MS Dhoni destroyed the English attack in death overs to set a challenging 301-run target for England. Dhoni stayed unbeaten after hitting 70-ball-87, studded with 10 boundaries and a six to guide India to 300/7 in 50 overs.

The last 15 overs yielded a whopping 150 runs as one got a glimpse of vintage Dhoni. The now famous 'Helicopter shot' fetched him plenty of runs as he hit 10 boundaries and a six en route his 42nd half century in ODIs. The innings assumed significance considering the amount of pressure he was in after England tour. He was ably supported by Suresh Raina who also smashed an aggresive 61 off 55 balls.

India were scoring runs at a sedate pace for the first 35 overs partly to the dual nature of the surface and also some disciplined bowling by the visitors before the duo started the hammering of the England bowlers adding 72 runs for the fifth wicket in only 10 overs.

Electing to bat, India lost their first wicket in the fourth over. Parthiv Patel (9), who impressed with the willow in England, was unfortunate to be ahead of the crease when a straight drive by Ajinkya Rahane kissed Steven Finn palm before hitting the stumps at the non striker end with scorecard reading 17.

Rahane (15) too failed to shine and surrendered before Graeme Swann in his first over after a struggling knock of 15 off 41 deliveries.

Birthday boy Gautam Gambhir who was in fine touch couldn’t make it large and got trapped leg before wickets by Jade Dernbach after hitting 32.  With India three down before 100-mark, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina approached defensively.

However, after a 44-run stand between the two, Samit Patel dented India by sending back Kohli reducing them to 123/4 in 29 overs.

But a magical turnaround was on the card as Raina and skipper Dhoni took on the English attack with grit to accelerate the scoring rate. The due shared crease for 10 overs and scored at seven runs per over to raise hope for India.

Raina slammed an explosive 55-balls-61, studded with two sixes, before falling to Finn. Dhoni didn’t let the momentum slow down and kept attacking the bowlers with big hits.

Once Raina departed, Dhoni took it upon himself to punish the English bowlers who suddenly lacked discipline after bowling well for the better part of the innings.

Electing to bat, India lost their first wicket in the fourth over. Parthiv Patel (9), who impressed with the willow in England, was unfortunate to be ahead of the crease when a straight drive by Ajinkya Rahane kissed Steven Finn palm before hitting the stumps at the non striker end with scorecard reading 17.

Rahane (15) too failed to shine and surrendered before Graeme Swann in his first over after a struggling knock of 15 off 41 deliveries.

Birthday boy Gautam Gambhir who was in fine touch couldn’t make it large and got trapped leg before wickets by Jade Dernbach after hitting 32.  With India three down before 100-mark, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina approached defensively.

However, after a 44-run stand between the two, Samit Patel dented India by sending back Kohli reducing them to 123/4 in 29 overs.

But a magical turnaround was on the card as Raina and skipper Dhoni took on the English attack with grit to accelerate the scoring rate. The due shared crease for 10 overs and scored at seven runs per over to raise hope for India.

Raina slammed an explosive 55-balls-61, studded with two sixes, before falling to Finn. Dhoni didn’t let the momentum slow down and kept attacking the bowlers with big hits.

Brett Lee undergoes surgery, to return home

Sydney: Australian speedster Brett Lee on Monday underwent surgery for appendicitis in Cape Town and he is likely to return home in next couple of days-midway from the Twenty20 and ODI series in South Africa.

Lee's replacement may join the squad just in time for the three-match one-day series as the 13-man squad for the two Twenty20 games in has already been selected.

Lee's tour of Twenty20s and one-dayers ended after he complained of abdominal pain on arrival in Cape Town Sunday and had to be operated on Monday.

He will be out of cricket for six to eight weeks.

"Brett complained of some abdominal pain after arriving in Cape Town on Sunday," Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a Cricket Australia statement.

"After consulting specialists and having the relevant investigations, he has been diagnosed with appendicitis."

"He will obviously be ruled out of the Twenty20 and ODI series in South Africa and is likely to return to cricket in six to eight weeks."

CLT20: Sunil Narine helps T&T shock Chennai Super Kings

Chennai: A determined Trinidad and Tobago snatched a dramatic 12-run win against title holders Chennai Super Kings to record their first win in the Nokia Champions League T20 tournament here on Sunday.

Batting first on winning the toss, Trinidad and Tobago, who had narrowly lost their previous two encounters, scored 123 for eight and then off-spinner Sunil Narine turned in a brilliant performance (3 for 8) as the Super Kings could manage 111 for six to suffer their second defeat in three games.

The result left the Super Kings, who had lost their opening game to Mumbai Indians, and Trinidad and Tobago tied on two points at the bottom of Group A. Mumbai Indians head the group with five points, followed by New South Wales Blues on four and Nashua Cape Cobras on three.

The Super Kings chase began on a bright note as 20 runs came off the first two overs before the hosts went off the rails. Openers Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey, followed by Suresh Raina departed with Narine picking up two wickets and seamer Ravi Rampaul one as the Super Kings crashed to 28 for three.

Then came a brief recovery through Subramaniam Badrinath and Wriddhiman Saha, but the latter fell leg-before to Kevon Cooper and the home team was left struggling.

There was no respite for Super Kings as Badrinath, who was playing a dour innings, was next to go, run out when backing up too far leave them floundering at 52 for five in the 12th over.

With the pitch getting lower and slower, stroke-making was at a premium and the asking rate kept climbing all the time. Narine, brought back for his second spell, foxed skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni into giving a return catch as Super Kings seem to slide further into quicksand.

Thus, with three overs left, the Super Kings needed another 48 runs to win with Bravo and big-hitter Albie Morkel at the crease.

The 18th over bowled by Rampaul fetched 14 runs with Bravo smashing two boundaries leaving the Super Kings to get 34 off 12 balls. Only seven came off the 19th, leaving the hosts to get 27 from Rampaul's last over off which 14 runs were struck to leave Trinidad and Tobago winners by 12 runs.

Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago's innings had a steady start with Lendl Simmons and his new partner William Perkins putting on 52 runs, but thereafter, they seemed to lose their way, losing three wickets in as many overs, courtesy some brilliant fielding.

Perkins, threatening to open out, was caught at point a ball after he smacked Jakati for a massive six, his second of the night.

In the next over, Simmons was caught short attempting a single as Daren Bravo played Jakati to square-leg where Wriddhiman Saha swiftly picked up and threw to Dhoni who whipped off the bails.

Jakati, who has suffered a painful blow on his finger while attempting a return catch off Simmons in his very first over, then struck again, accepting a return catch to dismiss Bravo as Trinidad and Tobago slid to 57 for three in the 11th.

Adding to Trinidad and Tobago's misery was off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who had skipper Daren Ganga top-edging to Suresh Raina and Super Kings took control even as Denesh Ramdin and Adrian Barath joined him in the dug-out soon after with Dwayne Bravo and Doug Bollinger picking up a wicket apiece.

A flurry of sixes by Cooper at the death added important runs to the Trinidad and Tobago total while Bollinger collected two more wickets in the final over of the innings to complete a profitable night.

Brief Scores: Trinidad & Tobago 123 for 8 (Perkins 34, Cooper 28, Jakati 2-18) beat Chennai Super Kings 111 for 6 (Bravo 32*, Narine 3-8) by 12 runs 

CLT20: Smith, Rohrer clinch low-scoring thriller for NSW

Chennai: Steven Smith and Ben Rohrer fought back after early setback to guide New South Wales to a fantastic win over Mumbai Indians in a low scoring thriller at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 101 to win, South Wales lost five wickets for just 28 before Smith (45) and Rohrer (26) came up with a gritty partnership to pull off a thumping victory in 17 overs.

The partnership came after Abu Nechim took three wickets in three overs to dent NSW run chase.

Nechim dismissed New South Wales openers Shane Watson and David Warner in one over.

Watson edged the first ball of Nechim's first over off his pads onto his stumps and Warner gave Mumbai captain Harbhajan Singh a simple catch at short extra cover on the last ball of the same over.

Earlier, Stuart Clark and Steve O'Keefe took two wickets each as New South Wales restricted Mumbai Indians to 100/7. James Franklin, top scorer for Mumbai, remained unbeaten on 42.

Earlier, Mumbai Indian won the toss and choose to bat.

Afridi takes a U-turn, says didn’t question Sachin’s greatness

New Delhi: Just a day after claiming that he saw Sachin Tendulkar's legs trembling while facing Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan's former captain Shahid Afridi has now stated that he did not intend to question the Indian batting icon's greatness and was only talking about one incident.

"I am not denying what I have said. I have seen that Tendulkar was not at all comfortable against Shoaib in Kolkata Test in 1999. It was Shoaib's first tour of India and he bowled out Sachin without giving him a chance to open his account. He also claimed (Rahul) Dravid's wicket in both the innings," Afridi said from Karachi.

"Shoaib was in full form on that tour and had tremendous speed. He terrorised almost all the batsmen in the world at that time. I have seen Sachin trembling as I was fielding at square leg. I am still saying that.

"But this was only one incident. He never spared Shoaib after that. We all have seen what happened in 2003 World Cup," he added.

Afridi went on to state that the Indian batsman does not need his certificate.

"Sachin is one of the best batsmen and the whole world knows this. He does not need mine or anybody else's certificate. His records speak for him," Afridi said.

The controversy-prone former captain on Saturday backed his Akhtar's claim that Tendulkar was uncomfortable against his pace, saying that he had once witnessed the Indian batsman "trembling" while facing the pacer.

Afridi, who retired after revolting against his own board and has a history of making controversial remarks, said Tendulkar was uneasy against Akhtar, a claim which the pacer made in his recently-launched autobiography 'Controversially Yours'.

Afridi said his remarks should not be construed as demeaning to Tendulkar.

"I am not raising any question on Sachin's greatness. Everyone knows that how many sixes Sachin has smashed on Shoaib's bowling after that. But sometimes it happens. I got out on a duck against a weak opponent like Zimbabwe in Peshawar when I was at the peak of my career," he said.

"Any batsman can go through this on a good wicket and opposite a good bowler. That was Shoaib's day and Sachin was nervous that day. Media should not read much into it as it can happen to Don Bradman as well," added the all-rounder.

Afridi huge fan of Sachin 

Afridi said he is a huge fan of Tendulkar both on and off the field.

"I am a huge fan of Sachin. He is not only a great cricketer but a humble human being as well. I have only one photograph on the wall of my drawing room and that is of Sachin. It has Sachin's autograph on it, do I need to say more," said Afridi.

When asked if he will talk to Tendulkar to clarify his position on this issue, he said that there is no need for it.

"The whole matter is blown out of proportion by Indian media. Sachin is a great cricketer and he will understand what I am saying. I have not said anything wrong," he said.

"Media should play a positive role to reduce tension between the two neighbours. When we went to play the World Cup in India earlier this year, we saw all the negative reporting against Pakistani team. Indians love and respect us but not their media," he said.

On the possibility of his comeback to international cricket, he said that he wants to play for another two-three years.

"Inshah Allah, I will be back in national team. I think I can play for 2-3 years. I am not going to beg for it but I know that I will represent Pakistan again," said Afridi.

Akhtar could make best batsmen nervous: Gul

Karachi: Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul said Shoaib Akhtar, when at his best, could ruffle the best batsmen in the world including West Indian great Brian Lara.

Akhtar, who retired after the World Cup earlier this year, had created a stir by claiming in his autobiography that the Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar was scared to face him.

Gul did not directly comment on Akhtar's remarks on Tendulkar but said the former quick with his sheer pace could make even the best in the business nervous.

"I can't say specifically that I saw Tendulkar running away from Shoaib, but no one can deny that when Shoaib was at his fastest and best, the world's best batsmen were nervous against him. There is no batsmen who is not nervous or ruffled when facing a pure fast bowler," Gul was quoted as saying in espncricinfo.com

"Even Brian Lara, who I rate as the world's best batsman, admitted to feeling ruffled when he was hit on the helmet by a bouncer from Shoaib."

Gul said he is opposed to legalising ball tampering as against Akhtar, who in the autobiography suggested to "set rules" for tampering.

He feels if the ball tampering is made legal, it would make it too easy to bowl reverse swing, which is an art, and some of the beauty of the game would be lost.

"I don't think the way is to legalise it. Leave cricket with its traditional ways rather than making changes that would take all the charm out of it," he said.

Spot-fixing: Trial of Pak trio to begin on Tuesday

London: Three Pakistan Test players, who are accused of being involved in spot-fixing during a match against England in 2010, will face trial in London on Tuesday. Former skipper Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer, speedster Mohammad Asif who are charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat will appear before the Southwark Crown Court.
  
British-based agent Mazhar Majeed will go on trial alongside the cricketers charged with the same offences, which carry maximum sentences of seven years and two years in prison respectively.

The charges relate to allegations of deliberately bowling no-balls during England's fourth Test against Pakistan at Lord's in London in August 2010. The allegations were made by the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid.

Earlier, in February, an independent International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption tribunal had banned the three players for a minimum of five years each. 

Lata surprised by Shoaib's remarks on Sachin

Mumbai: Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar is surprised at the comments of Pakistani bowler Shoaib Akhtar on ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

In his just-released book "Controversially Yours", Akhtar has claimed that batting maestro Tendulkar was afraid of facing his deliveries and that he and Rahul Dravid lack the "art of finishing the game".

"Did he really say that Sachin was scared to face his bowling? Look, no one can take away from Sachin what he has achieved. Anyone who speaks ill of someone as great as Sachin is making more a comment on himself than on anyone else," said Lata, who turned 82 Wednesday.

Champions League T20: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets

Chennai: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets, with one ball remaining, at Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai.

Lasith Malinga emerged an unlikely hero as a truncated Mumbai Indians snatched a thrilling three-wicket win over title holders Chennai Super Kings in the Nokia Champions League T20 tournament on Saturday.

A few lusty blows in the death overs by Malinga, who scored an 18-ball 37 not out, which included 3 fours and 3 sixes, swept Mumbai Indians to a memorable victory that ended the Super Kings' unbeaten run at Chepauk.

It should be noted that this was Chennai Super Kings' first loss at home after eight consecutive wins.

The man of the match was awarded to Lasith Malinga.

Replying to Super Kings' challenging total of 158 for four, courtesy a classic 81 by opener Michael Hussey, the Mumbai Indians, without eight regulars and struggling at 106 for seven in the 16th over, came through in the 20th with Malinga and skipper Harbhajan Singh (19 not out) adding 53 runs in 4.4 overs.

Mumbai needed 25 off the last two overs and Malinga ensured they got those runs to script a believe-it-or-not win. Going into the final over, Mumbai needed 12 and a boundary off the fourth delivery by skipper Harbhajan Singh off Doug Bollinger tied the scores and then he scampered for a single off the fifth delivery to take his team over the line.

Until the Malinga-Harbhajan partnership, Mumbai were never really in the hunt after they allowed Super Kings to race away in the second half of their innings. The hosts, who were 67 for two after 10 overs, got out of the jail with a late blitz, including 12 off the 18th over bowled by Malinga.

Mumbai Indians began their chase promisingly with Aiden Blizzard and Davy Jacobs scoring at a good clip, but when Ravichandran Ashwin broke the partnership, it triggered a dramatic collapse as Mumbai lost wickets in a hurry.

Ashwin lured Jacobs out of the crease and had him stumped by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni; Suresh Raina, replacing Ashwin, bowled Blizzard and in the next over, Dwayne Bravo had Ambatti Rayudu caught behind as Mumbai slid to 57 for three. Raina struck again by foxing Tirumalasetti Suman who fell to another stumping by Dhoni.

It brought together two power-hitters, Andrew Symonds and Kieron Pollard, but the expected fireworks did not come about as Bravo had an out-of-sorts Symonds caught in the deep.

With half the side dismissed for just 63 by the 10 over, it was all over bar the shouting, although big Kieron Pollard briefly threatened to perform magic, but top-edged a pull shot to be caught behind.

Malinga then struck a few lusty blows to bring Mumbai Indians close to an improbable win that was eventually achieved with a ball to spare.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings innings was mostly about Hussey who showcased his batting versatility in no uncertain manner with a truly magnificent innings that underlined the touch and form he is in.

In fact, Hussey paced his innings quite beautifully and only sacrificed his wicket at the fag end when he tried to accelerate further. However, until then, he dominated the proceedings with a mix of delicate shots and power-packed hits.

Malinga provided Mumbai Indians a great start when he knocked out Murali Vijay with a near-perfect yorker, but was taken off the attack to be preserved for the death overs.

It provided some reprieve for the Super Kings. Raina, coming in at number three, survived a couple of uncomfortable moments facing Malinga before unleashing a few fine shots before departing following a freak incident.

Raina missed a shot off Kieron Pollard and wicket-keeper Jacobs fumbled with a stumping. However, the ball hit the stumper's pads and rolled on to the wickets and Raina was caught just outside the crease.

Chennai Super Kings innings somewhat lost its steam at this juncture with Subramaniam Badrinath unable to get cracking and it was not until his dismissal in the 16th over and the advent of Dhoni did the pace pick up noticeably.

Although Hussey duly reached his half-century and then perished in the 19th over, Dhoni delivered a few hefty blows to ensure Super Kings a fighting total.

Dhoni rues missing Malinga's stumping

Chennai: Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings blamed himself for missing a stumping of Lasith Malinga whose unbeaten 37 off 18 balls took Mumbai Indians to a three-wicket win in the Champions League T20 tournament on Saturday.

"There is no one to be blamed but myself for tonight's defeat. I missed a stumping of Malinga and we then gave him a lot of pace to score. We also gave away a lot of easy boundaries, something we shouldn't have," said Dhoni.

Malinga was on 18 with Mumbai needing another 32 runs in the final three overs when the Sri Lankan jumped out to left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati and missed. Dhoni, however, failed to gather and Malinga did not look back thereafter.

"We now have to be at our best in the remaining matches and not repeat the mistakes that we committed today," said Dhoni.

Mumbai Indians skipper Harbhajan Singh said: "Hats off to Malinga and the team. They showed a lot of character. I think, Malinga played the innings of his life today.

"We were without three key players in Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Munaf Patel, but we fought hard and it is great to beat a champion side like Chennai Super Kings."

The Mumbai Indians overahualed Super Kings total of 158 for three by scoring 159 for seven in 19.5 overs to script a shock win.

Tendulkar's presence helped us win: Harbhajan

Chennai: Mumbai Indians upstaged defending champions Chennai Super Kings despite missing some key players in their Champions League Twenty20 opener and stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh felt his side's cause was helped by the inspiring presence of injured regular captain Sachin Tendulkar in the dressing room.

"It is nice to have Sachin around even if he is not playing. It is a great sign because he is a great player and great motivator. To have him in the dressing room obviously motivates all the players and he has got the knowledge to pass on," Harbhajan said after the three-wicket triumph last night.

"He was sending messages whenever it was required. He was happy with the result. To be honest it is difficult not to have Sachin in the side and Rohit Sharma and Munaf (Patel) were also not there. It is not the same side for us in the tournament," he added.

Tendulkar is not playing the tournament due to a toe injury he picked up during India's recent tour of England.

Harbhajan praised his team for showing character under pressure and hoped that it is just the start of some great results in the tournament.

"I think this win will set the tone for us to go forward, we do not want to take things for granted. We have won this game and this will definitely boost our confidence. We would like to stay very humble in the remaining matches and do what we can do at our best," he said.

Mumbai's win came courtesy a Lasith Malinga cameo during which he scored 37 runs off just 24 balls.

"When we were batting in the middle, Malinga and myself were looking to play all the overs. It was Malinga's day and he played a good innings. Malinga has proved that he can come up with valuable runs and take a lot of responsibility. I can count on him for the future that if there are runs to chase, Malinga is there and anything can happen," Harbhajan said.

Asked whether going forward in this tournament without knowing the quality of the other teams would affect his plans, Harbhajan said, "Most of the guys from overseas also play in IPL and we do have some footage of the others, whom we have not played. We will see the footage and plan our game.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to how well you will bowl, bat and field on a given day and even if you plan, the guys have to execute them," he added.

Meanwhile, Malinga said he was happy to contribute with the bat even though bowling remains his primary job.

"I am playing in Mumbai Indians as a bowler. But, sometimes you have got to get a few runs in crucial times," he said.

Champions League T20: Warriors thrash Redbacks by 50 runs

Hyderabad: Jon-Jon Smuts' blistering 88 and an impressive show by the bowlers helped Warriors crush South Australia by 50 runs and record their second consecutive win in the Champions League Twenty20 on Sunday.

Electing to bat, Warriors rode on a strokeful 65-ball 88 by Smuts to post a challenging 171 for five before their bowlers came up a disciplined show to restrict South Australia to 121 for six at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.

Warriors' had beaten Royal Challengers Bangalore by three wickets on September 23 in their opening Group B match.

South Australia struggled from the very beginning in their run chase of 172 as they were down 35 for three inside six overs and they never recovered from there with wickets falling at regular intervals.

Fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe snapped two wickets for 30 runs while Smuts, Rusty Theron, Johan Botha and Wayne Parnell took a wicket apiece.

Tsotsobe snapped a wicket each in his first two overs --that of opener Daniel Harris (4) and Tom Cooper (3) -- to send South Australia at the backfoot early on.

Harris nicked a Tsotsobe angled delivery to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher while Cooper was caught and bowled while trying for a pull to leave South Australia at 18 for two in the third over.

Callum Ferguson (7) did not last long as he was foxed by a Theron slow delivery and the batsman spooned the ball to Ingram while going for a drive.

Opener Michael Klinger (34), however, clung on and he punished Warriors bowlers with some delightful shots, including a six off Nicky Boje.

Earlier, Smuts fell 12 short of his maiden CLT20 ton but powered Warriors to 171/5. Despite losing Ashwell Prince early after electing to bat, Warriors ruled over the Redbacks with two big partnerships. 

Prince was bowled out by Shaut Tait (3) in the second over of the match at the score of 10. Smutt and Colin Ingram, however, consolidated the innings, denying the opponents any success for the next nine overs.

The duo shared 73-run stand for the second wicket before Daniel Harris got rid of Ingram (30) to reduce the Warriors to 83/2.

Mark Boucher then paired up well with Smutt who was full charged after reaching his fifty.  Smutt slammed 10 boundaries and two sixes during his 65-ball-88-run knock that came to an end in the 19th over.

Boucher (34) who shared 80-run partnership with Smutt for the third wicket was sent back by Daniel Chirstian in the fifth ball final over. Christain struck again with the final delivery dismissing K Smuts for a duck. 

Champions League T20: Van der Merwe stars in Somerset's win over KKR

Hyderabad: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lost to Somerset in the Sunday's match in a Group B fixture of the Champions League T20 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.

An explosive knock from skipper Jacques Kallis and a fiery cameo by Yusuf Pathan powered KKR to 161/3.

In reply, Somerset started off well, with Roelof van der Merwe scoring 73 runs of 40 balls. Roelof van der Merwe's knock included 9 fours and 2 sixes. It looked like the Somerset would cruise to victory easily, but they suffered a hiccup in between when they lost 3 quick wickets between the 14th and 15th over.

However, Nick Compton and Steve Snell held their nerves and led their side to victory with 2 balls remaining.

Roelof van der Merwe was the man of the match.

While receiving the award, Merwe said: "It is always good to play an innings like this and contribute to a win. At present, I am looking at playing for Somerset; they have been good to me. I have had the opportunity to bat up the order for them."

KKR captain Gautam Gambhir said that he hoped his team would not repeat the mistakes of Sunday's match against Somerset, which they lost by five wickets.

"The way Somerset batted in the first six overs, they took the game away from us. However, we did well to take the game to last over. There are a lot of positives from this game. And, in the coming game, we should not repeat the mistakes we made today," said Gambhir.

Asked about his fitness, as Gambhir was making a comeback after more than a month following an injury that he sustained during the recent England tour, he said: "I am 100 percent fit; therefore, I played today. I had always said that until I am not 100 percent fit, I would not play."

Gambhir, who was out on a duck, said: "This was my first game after one-and-a-half months, it takes time to comeback after injury."

Whether the team was short of runs in Sunday's game, he said: " The 162-run score on board was a good total. This score gives lot of confidence to bowlers, but Somerset batted well."

To another query, he replied: "In the other 20-20 format, you have to always think as a professional that you will win. In today's match also, we never thought that we will lose."

Asked about the road ahead for the team in this tournament, he replied: "It is pretty clear. We have three more games. Hopefully, we can win all three and get into the semi-final. Sometimes, it is good that you need to win all games. You go out and give everything."

"We have got strength in our dressing room. We can bounce back. I have lot of confidence in the team," he added.

Gautam Gambhir set to wed Delhi girl Natasha Jain

New Delhi: It’s heartbreak time for the female fans of cricketer Gautam Gambhir, as the eligible bachelor is now off the market.

According to reports, Gautam Gambhir’s wedding has been finalised, and is likely to take place either at the end of October or early November this year.

Reports also suggest that the marriage is likely to be a simple one and would take place in Delhi.

The lucky girl, Natasha Jain, is the daughter of a prominent businessman from Delhi.

Reports suggest that the marriage is an arranged one and was fixed a couple of months back. shantanu- Nikhil have been touted as the designers of choice while either Rahat Ali Khan or Atif Aslam could perform at the wedding.

Tiger of Indian cricket Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi passes away

New Delhi: India's cricket legend Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, known for his swashbuckling style on and off the cricket field, died Thursday after battling a lung infection for about a month. He was 70.

The former Indian captain, who was admitted to the Sir Gangaram Hospital, is survived by his wife, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, and three children - daughters Soha and Saba and son Saif.

His son Saif, a popular actor, and his partner Kareena Kapoor were by his side when he breathed his last.

He played 46 Test matches for India between 1961 and 1975.

On Thursday morning, doctors had warned that Pataudi's condition was deteriorating and he was critical.

"His condition has deteriorated since Wednesday and he is unable to maintain his oxygen level in spite of maximum treatment. He continues to remain in the ICU (intensive care unit)," Neeraj Jain, senior consultant and chairman of pulmonolgy (chest medicine) at Gangaram Hospital in central Delhi, had said.

Pataudi had been admitted to the hospital in August with acute lung infection.

"This disease... had been static since the last three months. It worsened very acutely over the last four weeks," Jain said.

"The possibility of lung transplant was discussed very early as soon as his condition worsened. But he was not a suitable candidate for it," he added.

A dashing cricketer, Pataudi hit the arclights when he married the young Sharmila Tagore in 1969.

The connection to Indian cinema endured through the decades when his son Saif also became a Bollywood actor and so did his daughter Soha.

In his later years, Pataudi was a familiar figure in Delhi circles.

Tiger Pataudi: From royal prince to India's youngest captain

New Delhi: Indian cricket suffered a big setback on Thursday as former skipper Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi passed away following severe lung infection. From a Nawab of royal entitlement to a dashing captain of Indian team, Pataudi’s journey of life has been a roller-coaster ride.

Born in 1941, Pataudi, was the ninth and the last Nawab of Bhopal when India abolished royal entitlements. He lost his father at a young age of 11.

Pataudi suffered another setback 10 years later, when he lost the vision of his right eye after a car crash in England. But a steely resolve saw him making his international debut a few month later against the formidable Ted Dexter's England in Delhi, in December, 1961.

Once asked by a journalist, how he played with one eye, Pataudi said: "In I fact see two balls. I hit the one on the inside."

Like his father, Pataudi couldn't get a century on debut but achieved his maiden ton, a classy 103, in his third Test against England to set-up a 128-run win in Chennai. He never looked in discomfort playing with one eye, and swotted the fast bowlers with ease. The innings earned him a berth for the Caribbean tour.

The presence of Polly Umrigar, Nari Contractor and Vijay Manjrekar made it difficult for Pataudi to find a place in the final eleven in the West Indies and he had to miss the first two Tests, in which India suffered humiliating defeats.

But a nasty injury to Contractor, who had to undergo a brain operation after being hit by a Charlie Griffith bouncer, changed Pataudi's fortunes. There was bickering in the team and none of the seniors were willing to take up the responsibility of leading the side.

They found a leader in Pataudi, who on March 23, 1962, at the age of 21 years and 79 days, became the youngest cricketer to captain any country in a Test match.

The next 13 years were known as the Pataudi era during which he went on to re-write India's cricketing history by captaining the side to its first ever overseas series win, when they defeated New Zealand 3-1 in 1967-68, at a time when a draw was considered as a win.

Under him, India played some good cricket and got the confidence of beating big teams overseas. The spin quartet of Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, S. Venkatraghavan and Erapalli Prasanna also flourished under his captaincy.

For Pataudi, limited eyesight was never a handicap, but flighted spin and tear-away pace occasionally troubled him. But the good looking Pataudi always made cricket look good. Pataudi was also a great fielder and set benchmarks for his fellow players.

Pataudi's highest, 203 not out, was against against one of the finest fast bowling attacks of Colin Cowdrey's England at the Ferozeshah Kotla here in his 10th Test match in 1964. The same year he was conferred the Arjuna Award. He emulated his father in 1968 when he was named the Wisden Cricketer of the Year, his father having received the honour in 1932.

Pataudi also emulated his father in 1968 when he got a hundred in his first Test against Australia. He was compared to Robert Loius Stevenson's fictional character Long John Silver after he braved a hamstring injury to make gritty 75 and 85 at Melbourne in 1967-68.

Pataudi retired from international cricket in 1975 after playing 46 Test matches and scored 2,793 runs at an average of 34.91. He got his six hundreds in his first 22 Tests but couldn't add one in the next 24. He led the country in 40 of his 46 Tests and guided the team to nine wins and was easily the greatest captain ever.

During his stint as captain, Pataudi married actress Sharmila Tagore in 1969.

After quitting the game in 1975, Pataudi made headlines in 2005 after he was arrested for poaching an endangered Blackbuck.

Pataudi is survived by Sharmila Ragore, son Saif Ali Khan and daughters Soha and Saba Ali Khan.

Champions League T20: Ruhuna XI beat Leicestershire by 4 runs

Hyderabad: Ruhuna XI thrashed Leicestershire Foxes in last over thriller by 4 runs in the pool B qualifier of the Champions League T20 on Wednesday. In reply to 161 set by Ruhuna XI after being invited to bat, the Foxes got off to a good start but soon lost the plot and could score just 156/8 in 20 overs.

Abdul Razzaq (68) was the top scorer for Leicestershire. Janaka Gunaratne claimed three wickets, conceding 27 runs.

Earlier, invited to bat, Ruhuna got off to a poor start. However, Chandimal delivered an impressive knock to guide his side to 160/6 in 20 overs.

Harry Gurney claimed three wickets for Leicestershire, conceding 33 runs.

Ruhunu, however, will have to wait for the result of the match between Kolkata Knight Riders later in the day to know about their chances of qualifying to the main stage of CL T20, beginning Friday. They lost the first match to Trinidad and Tobago by five wickets Monday.

Brief scores: Ruhunu 160 for six in 20 overs (Dinesh Chandimal 62 not out; Harry Gurney 3/33).

Leicestershire: 156 for eight in 20 overs (Abdul Razaaq 68; Janaka Gunaratne 3/27).

Champions League T20: Somerset beat KKR in close encounter

: Kolkata Knight Riders lost to Somerset by 11 runs in their last qualifying match pool A match here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday but both teams qualified for the final round of Champions League Twenty20.

Chasing a target of 167, Knight Riders made 155 for eight in 20 overs after a brilliant 31-balls 46 by Dutch star Ryan ten Doeschate and qualified for the main round on the basis of better net run rate.

Opting to bat first, Somerset put on a competitive 166 for six in 20 overs thanks to a crucial 72-run stand between Peter Trego (70) and the county's South African import Roelof van der Merwe (40).

Trego produced a brilliant 61-ball knock smashing nine fours whike Van der Merwe got his 40 in just 25 balls camw down hard on off-spinner Yusuf Pathan, who gave away 31 runs from his full quota.

Knight Riders made a disappointing start to the chase as they lost openers Manvinder Bisla (8) and Jacques Kallis (1) in the first two overs.

Leg-spinner Max Waller (2/23) then removed Shreevats Goshwami (14) and Manoj Tiwary (27) to keep Kolkata behind the run-rate but Doeschate and Shakib Al-Hasan (13) played sensibly as Knight Riders soon caught up with the required run rate to qualify for their maiden Champions League.

Van der Merwe took a stunning catch in the 16th over on the square-leg boundary to dismiss Shakib, Doeschate and Rajat Bhatia (19) to assured that the Knight Riders book their berth for the final stage with three balls to spare.

Besides Knight Riders and Somerset, who have qualified for the third time, Trinidad and Tobago is the third team that qualified while for the next stage, while Leicestershire Foxes, Auckland Aces and Ruhunu Rhinos went back home.

Trego, Man of the Match, said: "I have been playing for Somerset for some time and this one of the proudest nights of my career with them. When Roelof bats the way he did, it takes the pressure. All other batsmen batted at more than run a ball. We had nothing to lose as outsiders, so we can give it our all."

Knight Riders captain Jacques Kallis said he was happy that his team has qualified but termed it as a poor performance.

"To be honest, we are happy to qualify. It was tight in the end. To be brutally honest, it was a poor performance. We fielded poorly, didn't bat well. Ryan played an exceptional innings to get us through. When we lost a couple of wickets up front, we realised we didn't need to be heroes," he said

Somerset: CR Jones, NRD Compton, L Gregory, JC Hildreth, PD Trego, RE van der Merwe, AV Suppiah, SD Snell†, AC Thomas*, M Kartik, MTC Waller

KKR: MS Bisla†, JH Kallis*, SP Goswami, MK Tiwary, YK Pathan, RN ten Doeschate, Shakib Al Hasan, R Bhatia, B Lee, Iqbal Abdulla, JD Unadkat

Chandimal played a mature innings: Udawatte

Hyderabad: Ruhunu Eleven captain Mahela Udawatte was all praise for his batsmen especially Dinesh Chandimal, who played a key role in the side's four run win against Leicestershire in Champions League T20.

"He is our key player. After Sanath (Jayasuriya) and I got out early, he played a mature innings," Udawatte said at the post-match press conference

Chandimal smashed unbeaten 62 runs off 51 balls to help the team score 160 in 20 overs.

The skipper of the team from Sri Lanka said after losing two early wickets, the batsmen ensured that they play full 20 overs.

"We had to work hard for it. It was not a matter of fortune," he remarked when asked if his side was fortunate to score a win.

"He is our main batsmen. These kind of things happen. We played a practice match earlier and he batted very well in that," the Ruhunu captain said when asked about the failure of Jayasuriya.

"160 runs were chaseable. We should have probably won the match. It is very disappointing," said Leicestershire captain Andrew McDonald.

"It is pretty tough to play two games and then walk home when you start getting used to the conditions," he added.

Leicester, which needed 29 off the last five overs, could score 156 in 20 overs.

Tendulkar writes to ICC, seeks change in ODI format

London: The ODIs are perceived to be on the decline and it's none other than Sachin Tendulkar who has now come out publicly in support of revamping the current 50-over format having written a letter to ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

Tendulkar, the world's highest run-getter in both Tests and ODIs and someone who is on the threshold of his 100th international century, wants ICC to make "a radical switch" from 50-50 to four 25-over innings.

Tendulkar wants ICC to make "a radical switch" from 50-50 to four 25-over innings.

Apart from reducing the number of overs per innings, Tendulkar has also proposed several more changes for the ODIs.

The Indian batting icon had spoken about this new concept in television interviews in the past but had never written a letter to ICC in this regard.

"I have been capturing my thoughts on what I think would be the way forward to ensure that all three formats in the game co-exist and ensure value creation," he wrote in the letter seen by The Times.

He argued that four alternate innings of 25 overs for each side in an international would be the fairest way of balancing the advantages gained by the team that won the toss when pitch and weather conditions mean that a match can virtually be decided by the spin of a coin.

Tendulkar's letter also proposed changes in voluntary Powerplays.

In each 25-over block, Tendulkar wants only two Powerplays at the behest of the batting side but suggested that up to four bowlers should be allowed up to 12 overs each, rather than the present limit of 10.

One of the prominent matches featuring India seemed to have been lost after spin of coin was 1996 Wills World Cup semi-final when Lankans batted first on a square turner.

The match was awarded to Sri Lanka by the referee after a crowd riot which stopped proceedings after India lost eight wickets.

Again, Sri Lanka were unlucky when they were forced to chase a large Australia total in fading light towards the end of the 2007 World Cup final in Barbados.

Tendulkar also cited two games in the most recent World Cup when evening dew helped England to achieve a tie in their classic qualifying game against India in Bangalore but then counted in favour of Ireland during their famous run chase against England at the same venue.

A split into two equal innings a side was often proposed for the final of the domestic county competition in the UK - originally the Gillette Cup - in the days when it was invariably an advantage to field first, the report said.

The hover cover, instant outfield drainage and sophisticated drying equipment have ensured that matches at Lord's almost always start on a dry pitch these days, but that is not the case everywhere.

In Australia last winter, the inter-state one-day tournament, the Ryobi Cup, was played over 45-overs-a-side, split into two alternate innings of 20 overs followed by two of 25.

The format was generally rated a success by Cricket Australia (CA). There were more close finishes, more runs, more wickets and larger TV audiences.

Significantly, the new regulations appeared to overcome the relatively dull and predictable middle-over phases of 50-over games.