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World T20, 2nd Semi-Final

India vs West Indies

at Mumbai, Mar 31, 2016
West Indies 196/3 beat India 192/2 by 7 wickets



Cricket News March 2006

England in India

Teenage sensation powers India to victory in second ODI; India 2-0

Teenager Suresh Raina struck a valiant 81 not out on Friday as India overcame an early collapse to beat England by four wickets in the second limited-overs international.
The win, which brought the capacity 25,000 crowd on its feet, was India's 14th win on the trot while chasing which equalled the previous record of West Indies achieved between 1984 and '86.
Raina and Mahendra Dhoni (38) combined for a 118-run, sixth-wicket partnership to help India recover from a 92-5 slump and overhaul a 227-run victory target to lead the series 2-0.
Earlier England, too, suffered a mild collapse and owed their score to half-centuries from Kevin Pietersen (71) and opener Andrew Strauss (61), the only batsmen to defy India offspinners Ramesh Powar (3-34) and Harbhajan Singh (1-43). Kevin Pietersen (71) passed 1,000 career runs in just his 21st innings, to tie Viv Richards' record.
Second one-day international, Faridabad: India 230-6 (49 overs) beat England 226 (49.5 overs) by four wickets

Flintoff aiming for milestone win

Andrew Flintoff is hoping to mark his 100th one-day international by leading England to victory over India.
But they go into Friday's game 1-0 down after throwing away the chance of winning the series opener in Delhi with a series of rash strokes. And the team will be in unfamiliar surroundings after deciding not to have a practice session in Faridabad.
England could give the side beaten in Delhi a chance to redeem themselves, although Matthew Hoggard is eager to play his first one-dayer for more than a year after taking a break following the Test series. It was the batting, however, which let England down in the first match and they cannot afford a repeat on what is expected to be another slow pitch.
Fletcher dismissed suggestions that Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen were guilty of trying to out-do each other in terms of big-hitting. Flintoff will be only the 11th England player to make 100 one-day appearances, but it is his excellent response to taking over the captaincy mid-tour, which has really impressed Fletcher.
There is a ray of hope for England in the fact that India have only won once in five previous games at the Nahar Singh Stadium, failing to defend a score of 274-6 against Zimbabwe in their last appearance there four years ago. The home side will make a late decision on the fitness of all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who is suffering from flu.
If Pathan is ruled out, paceman Munaf Patel could make his one-day debut, or they could turn to Ramesh Powar, an off-spinner and useful batsman. Opener Virender Sehwag will definitely play even though he is still receiving treatment for a back problem. India (from): RS Dravid (Captain), V Sehwag, G Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, M Kaif, SK Raina, MS Dhoni, IK Pathan, YV Rao, MM Patel, S Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, RR Powar, RP Singh.
England (from): A Flintoff (Captain), K Ali, JM Anderson, GJ Batty, IR Bell, ID Blackwell, PD Collingwood, MJ Hoggard, GO Jones, SI Mahmood, KP Pietersen, LE Plunkett, MJ Prior, OA Shah, VS Solanki, AJ Strauss.

India players stung by criticism

India's players have urged their supporters to be more tolerant when the team is struggling.
They were booed after losing the third Test against England in Mumbai and again during the first one-dayer in Delhi when they were all out for 203.
Despite their moderate total, India in fact went on to win the game against England in Delhi, prompting joyous celebrations among the crowd.
But results have been mixed over the past few months.
They dominated Sri Lanka on home soil in both forms of the game, but then lost a Test series in Pakistan before bouncing back to win the one-dayers 4-1.
They could only manage a draw against an injury-weakened England side in the first Test in Nagpur before raising their game to win the second in Mohali by nine wickets.
But their level of performance dipped in Mumbai, allowing England to share the series, and prompting calls from some fans for Sourav Ganguly to be reinstated as captain in Dravid's place.
Despite that, Dravid says he would be happy for Ganguly to be recalled to the team if his performances justified it.

Kabir backs England to raise game

Worcestershire pace bowler Kabir Ali believes England are good enough to come from behind and win the one-day series in India...

Pietersen defends batting style

Kevin Pietersen denies he should have shown more caution after his dismissal sparked an England collapse to lose the first one-day international in India...

Sachin watch

Sachin ruled out of West Indies tour

Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of his country's forthcoming tour of the Caribbean next May with a shoulder injury that will keep him out of action for up to three months.
Tendulkar, 32, reportedly travelled to London on Saturday to undergo surgery on his injured right shoulder after suffering from a cyst and a tear, which causes discomfort throwing the ball.
"The surgery proceeded successfully without any complications. At the time of the operation we found clear evidence of instability associated with a tear of the rim of the socket of the shoulder joint.
"The tear extended through 75 percent of the biceps tendon and had created a large cyst that was impinging on a nearby nerve. "Tendulkar underwent arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery to stabilise the shoulder joint and decompress the cyst."
The Indian number one batsman holds the record for scoring the most centuries in both Tests and limited-overs matches, at 35 and 39 respectively and, Wallace, who also performed an earlier surgery on Tendulkar's elbow six months ago, said the champion batsman is recovering well. "Sachin is recovering well from the shoulder surgery. As expected after this type of surgery, Sachin's shoulder is sore today," Wallace said.
"We will be monitoring him throughout the day and keep him in the hospital overnight so that we can give him the pain relief he needs." The Caribbean series which includes four Test matches is expected to bowl off on May 18 with the first of five one day internationals.

BCCI News

India seek Pakistan games backing

The Indian cricket board is looking for sponsors for two one-day games against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi next month...

BCCI gives permission to Zaheer

BCCI has given its go ahead to left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan to play for Worcestershire where the Baroda seamer was signed up as a replacement for Australian left-arm bowler Nathan Bracken...

Mumbai Police questions Dalmiya

Former Cricket Board President Jagmohan Dalmiya and three other former office-bearers of the BCCI on Monday appeared before the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the city police on the Bombay High Court's directive...

England in India

Harbhajan magic propels India to dramatic win

After top-scoring with 37 in India's modest total of 203, Harbhajan Singh swung the game in India's favour with a career-best haul of 5-31 to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the seven-match series.
England ended up 39 runs short after Kevin Pietersen (46) and Flintoff (41) led England's counter-attack, adding 60 runs in a brutal fourth-wicket partnership. Paceman Irfan Pathan (3-21) took two wickets in the opening over.
First one-day international, Delhi: India 203 (46.4 overs) beat England 164 (38.1 overs) by 39 runs

England seek one-day consistency

Andrew Strauss says England will aim to use the one-day series against India to improve their consistency...

Sachin watch

Tendulkar could miss three months

Sachin Tendulkar could be sidelined for three months after undergoing surgery on his shoulder in London on Monday.
The 32-year-old was ruled out of the seven match one-day series against England after suffering a tear.
And he could miss the start of the West Indies tour which starts on 16 May, according to surgeon Andrew Wallace.
Tendulkar recently returned to action after missing six months following elbow surgery and was well below par in the Test series against England.

England in India

Bell backs England to come good

Batsman Ian Bell insisted valuable lessons had been learned following England's five-run defeat in Jaipur by a Rajasthan President's XI...

RCA President's XI beat England XI by 5 runs

Kaif, who was dropped from India's Test side despite his 91 in Nagpur, hit two sixes and 11 fours in an unbeaten 119 to lead a Rajasthan President's XI to 260-6 in Jaipur. In return England (256) lost their last wicket in the last ball, still needing 5 runs to win. Bell top scored with 71.
Last 4 Overs: 1 2 W . 1 . | . W 1 1 2 2 | 1 6 1 W 1 1 | . 2 1 6 .W
One-day match, Jaipur: Rajasthan President's XI 260-6 (50 overs) beat England 255 (all out, 49.5 overs) by 5 runs
England: V S Solanki (Captain), M J Prior (Wicket Keeper), O A Shah, K P Pietersen, I R Bell, I D Blackwell, L E Plunkett, G J Batty, Kabir Ali, J M Anderson, S I Mahmood.
RCA President's XI (from): G Gambhir, P A Patel (Wicket Keeper), S K Raina, M Kaif, Y V Rao, A Jadeja (Captain), Jaydev Shah, R R Powar, V R Singh, Piyush Chawla, R P Singh.

Solanki leads England in warm-up

Vikram Solanki will captain England in Friday's one-day practice match as the tourists rest four of their Test stars...

BCCI News

Mumbai Police filed FIR against Dalmiya

An FIR filed at a Mumbai police station will force Indian crickets former boss, Jagmohan Dalmiya, to face police grilling on seven days for alleged embezzlement of World Cup 1996 funds...

Jagmohan Dalmiya replies to BCCI Notice

Former Indian cricket board chief Jagmohan Dalmiya has replied to a notice served on him by the board in connection with a probe into corruption charges against him. ..

England in India

Aussies impressed by England win

Justin Langer says Australia's respect for England has soared in the aftermath of their "outstanding" triumph over India in the third Test in Mumbai...

Ambitious England seek more wins

All-rounder Paul Collingwood says England want to keep on improving and winning after their third Test triumph against India...

England feat 'close to Ashes win'

England coach Duncan Fletcher believes tying a Test series in India with five first-choice players missing is almost as big as winning the Ashes...

Dravid laments India batting woes

Rahul Dravid blamed India's "collective collapse of reason" for their 212-run defeat by England in the third Test.
The hosts slumped from 75-3 to 100 all out as the series was tied in Mumbai (Bombay) and captain Dravid said: "It was quite bizarre the way we collapsed.
Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar added 42 after the Indians lost two early wickets on day five at the Wankhede Stadium.
But the skipper was caught behind off Andrew Flintoff's third delivery after lunch and Tendulkar fell soon after.
Coach Greg Chappell said the home side's demise had shown once again how badly they need more players who can battle it out for long spells like Dravid.
The Indian captain - known as "The Wall" - provided stubborn resistance throughout the series to finish with 309 runs. India Cricket Live

Ajay Jadeja will lead the RCA Presidents XI

Former Indian Test cricketer Ajay Jadeja will lead Rajasthan Cricket Association Presidents XI against England in a practice ODI match in Jaipur on March 25.
England are to play seven ODIs from March 28 to April 15 at Delhi, Faridabad, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati, Jamshedpur and Indore.
RCA Presidents team: Ajay Jadeja (Captain), Gagan Khoda, Gautam Gambhir, Venugopala Rao, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Vikram Rajvir Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ramesh Powar, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Pankaj Singh, Sanjay Gill, Dishant Yagnik, Jaidev Shah and Vikrant Yadav.

England beat India to tie series

England won by 212 runs in Mumbai for their first victory in India for 21 years to tie the Test series.
Shaul Udal took four wickets for 14 runs to bowl the home side out for 100 in mid-afternoon on the final day.
Needing 313 to win, India crashed from 75-3 at lunch, with Udal dismissing Sachin Tendulkar for 34 and having last man Munaf Patel caught in the deep.
Andrew Flintoff triggered the collapse by having captain Rahul Dravid caught behind and finished with 3-14.
THIRD TEST, MUMBAI - MATCH SUMMARY, DAY FIVE: England 400 & 191 bt India 279 & 100 by 212 runs

Sachin says career not over

INDIA's star batsman Sachin Tendulkar insists his career is not winding down despite a shoulder injury which will see him miss seven one-day matches against England.
On Tuesday, India selectors said that Tendulkar, 33, was suffering from a cyst and a tear in his right shoulder that will require surgery in London.
Tendulkar said that he had problems with his shoulder for the past two to three months.
Throwing the ball sparks pain in Tendulkar's shoulder but his batting remains unaffected by the injury, Pandove said.
Tendulkar has been having a run of poor scores 16 and 28 not out in the first Test against England at Nagpur, four in the first innings in the second Test at Mohali, and one in the first innings in the current Test in Bombay.
But news of the injury again raises question-marks about the 32-year-old's long-term future in the game. He has been in the Indian side since 1989, playing 132 Tests and 362 one-day internationals.
With a two-month recovery process required after his operation, Tendulkar may miss part of the India tour of the West Indies.
A section of the nearly 30,000-strong partisan crowd booed him for the first time in his hometown Bombay when he got out for one on Sunday.
Tendulkar had returned to the India squad in October after sitting out six months following surgery for tennis elbow, which has been blamed on his use of a heavy bat, an assertion Tendulkar denies.
One of the world's most prolific batsmen, Tendulkar holds the record of 35 Test hundreds and 39 centuries in one-dayers.

Tendulkar out of one-day series

Sachin Tendulkar will miss the one-day series against England with an injury, it has been announced.
Tendulkar is expected to bat in the second innings of the final Test against England on Wednesday.
Pandove said Tendulkar had a cyst and a tear in his right shoulder. The injury was first noticed after the home series against Sri Lanka last December.
He was out of the game for six months last year due to a persistent elbow injury, and has concerned many observers with his lack of runs in the Test arena this calendar year.
He has had better fortunes in 50-over-a-side cricket, however, with a century in Peshawar and 95 in Lahore featuring in his last four innings in one-day internationals.
Tendulkar could have a vital role to play on Wednesday with the outcome of the match and the series in the balance.
He did not look to be in discomfort when his quick pick-up and throw ran out England batsman Owais Shah shortly after lunch on Tuesday.
Added to the India squad who triumphed in the one-day series in Pakistan recently are batsman Venugopal Rao and fast bowler Munaf Patel, who has impressed in the Tests against England and replaces left-armer Zaheer Khan.
The selectors have overlooked the claims of veteran leg-break bowler Anil Kumble, despite his tremendous Test form and desire to resume his one-day international career.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Ramesh Powar, called up to provide extra depth to the squad in Pakistan, retains his place at the expense of Murali Kartik. India squad: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid (Captain), Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Irfan Pathan, Venugopal Rao, Munaf Patel, Sri Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar, Rudra Pratap Singh.

England in India

England set to press for Test win

England have their sights on a win in Mumbai to tie the series after setting India a massive 313 in the third Test.
Stand-in opener Irfan Pathan fell to James Anderson in an eight-over period before stumps to leave India on 18-1.
Andrew Flintoff hit 50, sharing a stand of 66 with Paul Collingwood (32), as England totalled 191 in their second innings after refusing to declare.
Spinner Anil Kumble bowled 28 overs in the day and had Flintoff stumped on his way to figures of 4-49.
Only four sides have won a Test batting fourth at the Wankhede Stadium, with the 163 attained by South Africa six years ago the highest target achieved.
No team has ever scored more than 276 to win a Test in India and the home side's chances did not look good when Pathan played on to an Anderson full toss.
Third Test, Mumbai, day four (stumps): England 400 & 191 v India 279 & 18-1

Bowlers earn big lead for England

James Anderson and Geraint Jones combined to give England the upper hand in the third Test against India.
The tourists will take a lead of 152 into the fourth day in Mumbai despite losing Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell cheaply as they closed on 31-2.
Anderson had two chances dropped off his bowling but took 4-40 and produced a direct hit to run out Mahendra Dhoni, who smashed 11 fours in his 64.
Jones supported his bowlers with five catches as India were all out for 279.
It left them 121 in arrears, but could have been far worse but for a ninth-wicket stand of 55 between Anil Kumble and Sri Sreesanth.
Third Test, Mumbai, day three (close): England 400 & 31-2 v India 279

England put India under pressure

England produced a solid performance in Mumbai (Bombay) to leave India 89-3 chasing the tourists' score of 400.
Owais Shah (88) and Andrew Flintoff (50) both did well with the bat on day two although Flintoff was dropped off successive balls from Munaf Patel.
England's seamers were impressive when India batted and Matthew Hoggard removed both openers in a fiery spell.
James Anderson then trapped Sachin Tendulkar, who edged a wide ball to the keeper and departed for a single.
The one blemish for England was the loss of five wickets either side of lunch, which resulted in a collapse from 326-3 to 356-8.
Young paceman Sri Sreesanth triggered that demise for excellent figures of 4-70 in only his second Test appearance.
But in the final session, England's seamers did what India's had twice failed to do - take wickets with the new ball.
Hoggard was in his element and he first struck when Sehwag, not for the first time in the series, failed to get his gloves out of the way of a short-pitched ball which then looped into Shah's lap at first slip.
Tendulkar was in no frame of mind to end a worrying run of failure in Tests and he was the next man out when Anderson, working up good pace, had him taken by Jones.
At 28-3, India were gasping for a recovery and the dependable Dravid found a partner willing to play a few shots in Yuvraj Singh.
Third Test, Mumbai (day two, stumps) England 400; India 89-3

Strauss ton puts England on top

Andrew Strauss ended a run of low scores in the sub-continent to hit 128 and guide England to 272-3 on the first day of the third Test against India.
Strauss put on 106 with debutant Owais Shah and 72 with Kevin Pietersen after India captain Rahul Dravid had surprised many by opting to bowl first.
Shah was only playing because of an illness suffered by Alastair Cook.
Third Test, Mumbai (day one, stumps) England 272-3 v India

India Cricket News

Dravid to lead India to World Cup

Rahul Dravid has been confirmed as India captain through to the end of next year's World Cup in the Caribbean.
The decision was announced during the opening morning of the third Test against England in Mumbai.
Dravid has had mixed fortunes since taking over the captaincy from Sourav Ganguly last October.
He began with success against Sri Lanka, but India lost a Test series in Pakistan 1-0 before bouncing back to dominate the one-dayers 4-1.
Dravid has scored almost 8,500 Test runs at an average of 58 and more than 9,000 in limited overs internationals.

BCCI News

BCCI files FIR against Dalmiya

The infighting in the Cricket Board, on Thursday, took a serious turn with the new regime headed by Sharad Pawar filing an FIR against former BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya for alleged misappropriation of funds during the 1996 World Cup...

India police receive Dalmiya file

Indian cricket bosses have filed an official complaint with police chiefs in Mumbai (Bombay) as they pursue their case against Jagmohan Dalmiya...

England in India

Harmison ruled out of Mumbai Test

England will be without fast bowler Steve Harmison for the third Test against India in Mumbai...

Dravid backs Harbhajan revival

India captain Rahul Dravid is confident that Harbhajan Singh will return to form and collect wickets in the final Test with England starting on Saturday...

England hint at return for Udal

England coach Duncan Fletcher has given a strong indication that spinner Shaun Udal will replace seamer Liam Plunkett for Saturday's final Test with India...

Dravid set to reach Test landmark

Rahul Dravid is planning to mark his 100th Test by captaining India to a series victory against England...

Patel puts fire into India attack

India paceman Munaf Patel hopes his impressive Test debut is just the start of an illustrious career...

Fletcher backs Flintoff captaincy

England coach Duncan Fletcher says Andrew Flintoff is doing a "great job" as captain on the tour to India...

India - Pakistan Cricket News

Asian rivals plan European series

India and Pakistan could play a series of one-day matches against each other throughout Europe in 2007...

Pakistan to play 3 Tests on India tour

Pakistan have agreed to play three Tests and seven One-day Internationals on their tour of India from first week of November next year...

England in India

Flintoff wants more from batsmen

Andrew Flintoff was critical of the England batting in both innings after his team were beaten in the Mohali Test by an excellent Indian outfit...

ICC fines Pietersen for outburst

Kevin Pietersen has been fined 30% of his match fee for dissent after showing frustration following his dismissal in the second innings of the second Test...

India - too many good players to select from!

India captain Rahul Dravid admitted that it would be difficult to decide who to leave out after his team sealed an emphatic nine-wicket win in Mohali.
Meanwhile, the India selectors were quick to announce an unchanged squad of 15 for the final Test in Mumbai beginning on Saturday, with batsmen VVS Laxman and Mohammad Kaif, plus pace bowler Sri Sreesanth hoping for a return to the side.
Veteran spinner Anil Kumble was named Man of the Match after taking nine wickets and he is hoping his impressive display will earn him a recall to the one-day squad. India (from): R Dravid (Captain), V Sehwag, W Jaffer, S Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, M Kaif, Yuvraj S, M Dhoni (Wicket Keeper), I Pathan, S Sreesanth, A Kumble, Harbhajan S, RP Singh, M Patel, P Chawla.

Sehwag powers India to win; India 1-0

Virender Sehwag (76*) and Rahul Dravid (42*) took India to victory, stitching together an unbeaten partnership for the second wicket, taking India to 144 for 1 and a 9 wicket victory over England.
Earlier England were all out for 181 in 76.1 overs
Munaf Patel was the hero in the morning with three quick wickets which sent the tourists tumbling to 181 all out from an overnight position of 112-5.
Patel and Kumble took 4 wickets each, while Piyush Chawla took his maiden Test wicket, catching Flintoff of his own bowling for 51
Set 144 to win, India lost one wicket with the score on 39, but Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag guided them home.
Second Test, Mohali, day five: India 338 & 144-1 beat England 300 & 181 by nine wickets

BCCI News

Team selection methods on agenda for new Indian panel

Former Indian cricket captains Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev have been appointed to a new board which will look at creating fairer selection methods for the national side and improving playing facilities...

Australia South Africa ODI Series

I n c r e d i b l e !
South Africa Beats Australia in the GREATEST 1-Day Cricket Match

Visiting captain Ricky Ponting led Australia to a WORLD RECORD TOTAL of 434 for four with his innings of 164 off 105 balls in Johannesburg. Simon Katich added 79 and Michael Hussey got 81. In return, South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs scored 175 runs in 111 balls to help overhaul Australia's record total and clinch a 3-2 victory in the teams' one-day cricket series. South Africa captain Graeme Smith opened with 90 and Mark Boucher scored an unbeaten 50, including the winning runs, as the home side trumped their opponent's score to total 438 for nine, with just a ball of the 50 allotted overs to spare. In a day when many records fell, Ricky Ponting refused to share the joint man-of-the-match with Herschelle Gibbs, stating that the latter deserved it more.
World Records:
Australia: First team to score over 400 - Previous: Sri Lanka 398 against Kenya in Kandy on their way to the 1996 World Cup.
South Africa: Highest team total, Biggest chase to register victory.
Highest Totals: Highest-scoring one-day match of all time, with the aggregate of 872 runs beating the 693 amassed between India and Pakistan (Karachi in 2003/04)
Most Boundaries: 87 fours and 26 sixers the highest in history of ODI Cricket
Expensive Bowling: Australias Mick Lewis conceded 113 runs off 10 overs beating previous record of Martin Snedden of New Zealand (105 in 12 overs vs England at the Oval, 1983).
Two 150s: For the first time, batsmen from either side scored 150-plus (Ponting 164 and Gibbs 175) in the same match.

South Africa v Australia, 5th ODI, Johannesburg: South Africa 438 for 9 (Gibbs 175, Smith 90, Boucher 50*) beat Australia 434 for 4 (Ponting 164, Hussey 81, Katich 79) by one wicket

England in India

India on the up as England crumble in Mohali

Anil Kumble took 3 wickets as England faltered to 112-5 on day four of the second Test against India in Mohali. The tourists currently lead by just 74 runs after they bowled India out for 338 in their first innings. Now they will need a big performance from their remaining batsmen if they are to have any chance of saving the match. Mahendra Dhoni fell early on but Rahul Dravid (95) and Irfan Pathan (52) shared 76 in India's total of 338. Flintoff (4-76) ousted both but Harbhajan Singh (36) and Anil Kumble (32) made useful runs to help build a lead of 38. Second Test, Mohali, day four (close): England 300 & 112-5 v India 338 India Cricket Live

Kumble joins 500 club - first Indian to do so

Kumble became the first Indian and fifth cricketer ever to claim 500 wickets in Tests when he dismissed Stephen Harmison leg before in the England first innings. He has been a proven match-winner for over a decade, but is still criticised for not being a big spinner of the ball.
"It's a great feeling to get to a milestone," he told reporters. "Being the first Indian to get there is even more special." Kumble thanked his team mates for their support down the years and those who helped him overcome a career-threatening shoulder injury in 2001. Kumble said he would love to reach the levels of Australia's Shane Warne and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan before calling it a day. The legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, who earlier became the first Indian to take 434 wickets surpassing New Zealand great Sir Richard Hadlee, also hailed Kumble as the all-time great Indian spinner. Warne is test-cricket's highest wicket-taker with 659 scalps while on Friday Muralitharan became the second bowler to reach the 600-mark.

England recover after Kumble feat

Anil Kumble became the first Indian to claim 500 wickets but the hosts' celebrations were cut short as they lost four of their top order batsmen to some spirited fast bowling by England in the second cricket Test here today.
The Kumble-inspired Indians did well to bowl out the visitors for 300 in their first innings before wobbling to 149 for four at the end of the third day, leaving the match delicately poised. Kumble took three wickets in four balls to wrap the English innings.
At close, skipper Rahul Dravid was batting on 60 with four fours during a 147-ball effort while Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on 12 with two fours on the only day of the match when weather did not cause an interruption.
Second Test, Mohali, day three (close): India 149-4 v England 300

Rain leaves Mohali Test heading for draw

A draw between England and India looked likely after rain ended day two of the second Test with just 87 balls bowled.
In the first hour, England moved from their overnight 163-4 to 200-5, with Andrew Flintoff reaching 26 not out. India spinner Anil Kumble took his 498th Test wicket when he dismissed Paul Collingwood for the first time in the series, bowling him for 25.
Geraint Jones had 20 deliveries to make an unbeaten seven with a boundary off the veteran spinner. But with more rain forecast over the next two days, the sides look set to go into the final Test deadlocked at 0-0 in the series.
Flintoff and Collingwood both got off the mark for the day to the first ball they faced.
But they added just 13 runs in the first half-hour of play, attempting to lay firmer foundations than the side had established on the opening day. Three boundaries came off paceman Munaf Patel, Flintoff driving one particularly fine shot down the ground.
Kumble, though, offered a tough examination, beating Collingwood's forward defensive with a delivery that turned slightly and bounced, hitting the top of middle stump. Only when joined by Jones did Flintoff take any risks, and he was lucky when a chip off Kumble landed just fine of the mid-on fielder.
Second Test, Mohali, day two (stumps): England 200-5 v India

England struggle on rain-hit day

England failed to build on some good foundations against India on a disrupted first day in the second Test.
More than two hours were lost to the weather as the tourists limped to 163-4 after winning the toss in Mohali, with Kevin Pietersen's 64 the highlight. He and Ian Bell (38) put on 81 before Bell fell to Anil Kumble and debutant Munaf Patel snagged Pietersen late on.
Irfan Pathan dismissed openers Andrew Strauss (18) and Alastair Cook (17) in successive overs before lunch. Once stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff called the toss of the coin correctly for the second time in this series, England knew they must build a big total.
Kumble was one of three spinners in the India side, including debutant Piyush Chawla, at 17 the second-youngest debutant ever for India. With Sri Sreesanth suffering from a virus, they handed pace bowler Patel his first cap and brought batsman Yuvraj Singh back from injury, replacing Mohammad Kaif and VVS Laxman.
Meanwhile England replaced one of their slow bowlers, Ian Blackwell, with an extra seamer in Liam Plunkett.
Second Test, Mohali, day one (stumps): England 163-4 v India

England kept guessing over pitch

India have prepared two wickets for Thursday's second Test in Mohali and are keeping England guessing as to which one they will choose.
One is a lush green and would suit seam bowling whereas the other is cracked and dry and would be conducive to spin.
India captain Rahul Dravid has not let the cat out of the bag and said he was considering playing a fifth bowler. Mohali only became a Test ground in 1994 and in the past has been batting-friendly with high scores.
England have played there only once, in 2001, and were thrashed by 10 wickets. Hoggard will win his 50th Test cap at Mohali and said: "It means a lot to me...I only ever look to the next game, so it is a big honour for me to be selected for 50.
India have named a 12-man squad and left out batsmen Mohammad Kaif and VVS Laxman and young pace bowler Sri Seethanth is unfit to play because he is suffering from a flu virus. India look set to hand a Test debut to fast bowler Munaf Patel. The 22-year-old took 10 wickets against England in a three-day tour match last month.
Yuvraj Singh returns to the line-up after missing the first Test with a hamstring strain and the final spot will go to either fast bowler RP Singh or spinner Piyush Chawla.
England will have to decide whether to play two spinners or bring in a seam bowler, with Liam Plunkett favourite to land his second Test start.
India (from): Rahul Dravid (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Rudra Pratap Singh, Piyush Chawla.
England (from): Andrew Flintoff (Captain), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen, Geraint Jones, Ian Blackwell, Shaun Udal, Matthew Hoggard, Stephen Harmison, Monty Panesar, Liam Plunkett, Matthew Prior, Owais Shah and James Anderson.

Laxman and Kaif left out by India

Glamorgan and England paceman Simon Jones says he hopes to be back in the nets by the end of the month...

Jones targeting speedy comeback

The groundsman preparing the wicket for Thursday's second Test between India and England in Mohali has predicted a result pitch favouring the seamers....

Mohali wicket set to favour seam

The groundsman preparing the wicket for Thursday's second Test between India and England in Mohali has predicted a result pitch favouring the seamers....

Fletcher lauds England character

England coach Duncan Fletcher has praised his makeshift side for the way they raised their game in the drawn first Test against India in Nagpur....

Buoyant England move on to Mohali

England arrived in Chandigarh on Monday morning with a buzz around the side ahead of the second Test against India....

Trescothick, Jones both ruled out

Simon Jones has officially been ruled out of the rest of England's Test series in India after knee surgery....

Yuvraj return boosts India squad

India have recalled batsman Yuvraj Singh for the second Test against England in Mohali.
The left-hander missed the drawn first Test because of a hamstring strain suffered during India's recent one-day series in Pakistan. He replaces Suresh Raina in the squad for the game, starting on Thursday.
The other change sees paceman Munaf Patel given a chance after taking 10 wickets for an Indian Board President's side against England last month. Patel, reputed to be one of the fastest bowlers in Indian cricket, is preferred to Vikram Rajvir Singh, who did not make the final XI at Nagpur.
Meanwhile, More reaffirmed that veteran and former captain Sourav Ganguly would no longer be considered for selection.
India squad: Rahul Dravid (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Irfan Pathan, Sri Sreesanth, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla.

India coach given Ganguly warning

India coach Greg Chappell has been censured over comments about former captain Sourav Ganguly.
The Indian board took action after a complaint from Ganguly about an interview with Chappell which appeared in Britain's Guardian newspaper.
He claimed Ganguly wanted to hang onto the captaincy because it was "utterly important to his life and finances".
The dispute between Chappell and Ganguly first surfaced during a tour to Zimbabwe last September. Ganguly revealed he had been asked to step down as skipper prior to the Test series and an e-mail from Chappell to the Board in which he claimed the player was no longer "physically or mentally fit" to lead the team was later leaked to the Indian media.
They were eventually summoned to a meeting with Board officials in Mumbai when they were told to sort out their differences. Chappell said they clashed because Ganguly was struggling with the bat and he felt it was best for him to give up the captaincy.
Ganguly is India's most successful captain in history in terms of the numbers of Tests won and has scored more than 5,000 runs in 88 games at an average of 40.78.
He has also played 279 limited overs internationals and led India to the final of the World Cup in South Africa three years ago. The 33-year-old recently dismissed suggestions that he should retire from the game and has been publicly backed by another former India skipper, Sunil Gavaskar, is his desire to continue playing.

Test ends on a positive note for India

Wasim Jaffer completed a maiden century as the first Test between England and India ended in a thrilling draw.
The teams shook hands when the umpires offered the light to the Indian batsmen with their score on 260-6, still 108 short of their target. There had been little sign of what was to come as Jaffer and Rahul Dravid (71) put on 167 in orthodox fashion.
But the game burst into life after tea as India produced a charge before accepting the task was beyond them. Irfan Pathan smashed 35 off 25 balls and Sachin Tendulkar took three fours off an over from Ian Blackwell with some audacious strokeplay. But the dangerous Mahendra Dhoni failed to sparkle and when he and Harbhajan Singh were dismissed in successive overs from Steve Harmison, India sent out VVS Laxman to shut up shop.
Matthew Hoggard (30.5 13 57 6 and 16.0 7 29 1) was declared the man of the match.
First Test, Nagpur, day five: England 393 & 297-3 dec drew with India 323 & 260-6

Day of torture for India

Alastair Cook marked his Test debut with a patient century as England built a 367-run lead in Nagpur.
Cook reached his hundred off 236 balls and was 104 not out at the close after he and Kevin Pietersen (87) made India pay for their fielding lapses. Three catches were dropped during the day as England reached 297-3 after bowling out the home side for 323.
Matthew Hoggard ended India's innings by having Sri Sreesanth lbw to finish with figures of 6-57.
First Test, Nagpur, day four (close): England 393 & 297-3; India 323

Hoggard blows put England on top

Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar took vital late wickets on day three as England revived their hopes of winning the first Test against India in Nagpur.
A 128-run stand between Mohammad Kaif and Anil Kumble allowed India to recover from 190-7 but both fell just before stumps to leave India 322-9. Matthew Hoggard (5-57) was in superb form during the first session after overnight rain enlivened the pitch.
With England still leading by 71 runs, they are the team with the advantage.
First Test, Nagpur: England 393; India 322-9 (day three, stumps)

England fight back to check India

England's Paul Collingwood hit a fine maiden Test century before Indian pair Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid put the hosts back on top in Nagpur. Jaffer (73 not out) and Dravid (40, also unbeaten) led the hosts to a solid score of 136-1 at stumps on day two after England had finished on 393.
Earlier, Collingwood, who started the day on 53 in a score of 246-7, had rescued a dire situation for England. The Durham ace helped put on 126 for the last two wickets with Steve Harmison (39) and Monty Panesar (9).
Panesar then bowled two overs before tea and gave opening batsman Wasim Jaffer (28 not out) a torrid time. After lunch Collingwood hit his fourth and final six when smashing Irfan Pathan back over his head.
His 66-run partnership with Panesar finally ended when Sreesanth had England's numer 11 lbw with a yorker.
The tourists only had to wait until the third over for their first wicket when a flat-footed Sehwag drove a slower delivery to an elated Kevin Pietersen at cover.
First Test, Nagpur: England 393; India 136-1 (day two, stumps)

England toss away Test initiative

England squandered the chance to seize the initiative after winning the toss in Nagpur as they stumbled to 246-7 at the end of the first day's play.
Debutant Alastair Cook (60) and Paul Collingwood each hit half-centuries but a number of promising partnerships were nipped in the bud by India. The most valuable stand was one worth 67 between Collingwood (53 not out) and stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff (43). Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan took three wickets for the hosts.
Early on, England were impressive. Flintoff, taking over as captain in the absence of Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, looked visibly relieved to have called correctly after the toss. Openers Cook and Andrew Strauss were into their stride quickly.
India broke through just after the hour mark with the total on 56 when Sreesanth, with the seventh ball of his second spell, ended Strauss' innings on 28. The Middlesex man drove at a wide ball which flew at pace towards VVS Laxman's throat. The fielder reacted swiftly to take the catch.
Pathan, bowling with the second new ball, got one to straighten a little but although it may have flicked pad before bat, it seemed to be missing off stump. As the shadows lengthened, Collingwood hit the day's only six by mowing Kumble over mid-wicket.
But India went into the dressing-room by far the happier of the two sides - particularly after Blackwell had inside-edged Pathan onto his stumps via a flat-footed drive.
First Test, Nagpur: England 246-7 (day one, stumps)

England elect to bat first

England captain Andrew Flintoff won the toss and elected to bat against India in the first cricket Test in Nagpur.
Kerala pace bowler S Sreesanth was awarded his first Test cap and he will share the new ball with Irfan Pathan. Mohammad Kaif made a comeback to the Test team.
England named three debutants in their playing eleven, including left-arm spinners Ian Blackwell and Monty Panesar, and left-hand batsman Alastair Cook. The 23-year-old Panesar, who plays for Northamptonshire, is the first Sikh to play for England. Blackwell has played 28 one-dayers, while the 21-year-old Cook was called back from his duties with the England 'A' team in the West Indies as cover up for a few injured players.
It is the first time that Andrew Flintoff is leading England in a Test. He was handed the responsibility after regular captain Michael Vaughan had to return home due to injury. India: Rahul Dravid (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble and Sreesanth. England: Andrew Flintoff (Captain), Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Geraint Jones, Ian Blackwell, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar.

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Editor: Nishanth Gopinathan.