Symonds cleared to keep playing

Symonds cleared to keep playing

Andrew Symonds has apologised to his team-mates for the events of the past few days after being cleared of any wrongdoing by Cricket Australia. Symonds is free to keep playing, including in Friday's Adelaide Test against New Zealand, having avoided punishment for an incident in which a member of the public was alleged to have thrown punches at Symonds in a Brisbane pub on Sunday.
"I maintain that I acted appropriately while at the hotel, but I regret making the decision to visit the hotel as I realise I put myself in a compromising position," Symonds said in Adelaide on Wednesday. "I have told my team-mates that I am sorry to have put them through this distraction at a time when they are trying to prepare for a Test match so soon after the Brisbane game, particularly those who were also at the hotel and were named in media reports."
Symonds has effectively been on a final warning since his Cardiff pub crawl in 2005. After that incident, in which he turned up on the morning of an ODI still drunk, he was told by James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, that another off-field indiscretion would result in him losing his contract.
That threat was not carried out this year, when Symonds' fishing trip and other behavioural issues were treated as a welfare concern. Sutherland said he was "totally satisfied" that Symonds had acted appropriately by not retaliating at the Normanby Hotel on Sunday. "Andrew did nothing wrong, in fact he coped with a difficult and challenging situation well," Sutherland said.
Several of Symonds' team-mates were reportedly angry that Symonds had been drinking in a busy pub having just completed his first Test since being welcomed back into the side. The incident also came only a week after Symonds admitted on national television that he had sometimes been drinking too much during the past year.
Symonds said he would not rule out visiting hotels in the future but he would be more careful about when and where he would do so. His manager Matt Fearon said there could be merit in Symonds keeping a lower profile for the time being. "Maybe faced with the choice, it's not an option for him to be out socialising at this time," Fearon told the Courier-Mail. "But they are the lessons he needs to look at and make choices on. He regrets this, there is no question."
Paul Marsh, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers' Association, agreed that Symonds had handled the situation well and he said there was nothing wrong with Symonds declining to pose for a photo, which reportedly led to the altercation. "He has a policy that he is not going to have his photo taken in a bar," Marsh said in the Sydney Morning Herald. "People don't always understand that, but I don't see what is wrong with that."
Steve Waugh, the former Australia captain, said it might be in Symonds' interests to accede to requests for photos and autographs in the future. "My philosophy is don't look down on people who look up to you," Waugh told the Daily Telegraph. "Sometimes you are larger than life to people, they might have only seen you on TV or whatever, you have to be polite.
"Most of the time the easier option is to give the person their autograph or have the picture taken. It takes longer to say no than just to oblige with a fan's request - as long as the person is respectful. If they aren't respectful, it can be a delicate situation but you just have to back out of it before it becomes a problem. How you handle that makes the difference. If someone gets a bit aggressive you just have to shrug your shoulders and walk away."
It has also been reported in the Australian that Symonds had struggled so much with his fame that earlier this year he offered to take a pay cut of $250,000 to avoid all off-field commitments. Cricket Australia reportedly turned down the offer, which came after Symonds became the highest-paid non-Indian player in the IPL.

India clinch series in curtailed game

Sehwag and Zaheer seal India's series

Whether it's a contest over 50 overs, 20 overs, or - as it turned out today - 22, India's one-day cricketers are simply streets ahead of England's. They duly claimed an unassailable 4-0 lead in the seven-game series thanks to a 19-run victory in a match that was rescued from a soggy grave by some valiant work from the Bangalore groundstaff.
After nearly five hours of rain delays, the contest was minutes away from an abandonment when the umpires decreed that the conditions were fit for play, and as things turned out, their decision proved to be worthwhile. For eight hard-hitting overs, while Owais Shah and Andrew Flintoff were together at the crease, adding 82 for the fourth wicket, England put up the best fight they have shown all series. But in the final analysis, the unbridled flamboyance of India's batsmen, coupled with the nerveless short-form skills that India's bowlers have learnt from their time in the IPL, proved decisive.
In every respect, India's approach to the game was superior to that of their opponents. Virender Sehwag epitomised the difference in mindset - the bulk of his 69 from 57 balls came when he was batting with a view to lasting for 50 overs, but in the final analysis you would hardly be able to tell the difference. He started the match by belting James Anderson's first ball over the covers for four, as India cruised a healthy 106 for 1 after 17 overs. Then, nearly seven hours later, he clobbered Samit Patel's first ball of the resumption for six, as India reappeared to help themselves to 60 more runs in the remaining five overs of their reduced allocation.
India's ability to switch tempo at will was astonishing and, to England's rigid mentality, unthinkable. Yuvraj Singh belted three more sixes to continue his extraordinary run of form with 25 not out from 11 balls, while both Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan - from the final ball of the innings - also launched the first balls they faced into the stands. Their final total of 166 for 4 was rightly adjusted under the Duckworth-Lewis method to an imposing target of 198, a prospect that looked stillborn when England began their chase.
The contrast between Sehwag's onslaught and the cautious dirge chosen by England's openers was stark. Only 21 runs came from England's first six Powerplay overs, and though Zaheer Khan, who finished with 2 for 20 from five overs, was exceptional - both for his own bowling and the way in which he guided his younger team-mates - England's stifling orthodoxy was bewildering and self-defeating. Playing with a pendulum-straight bat, Ravi Bopara played out four dot balls in the first over, before being caught by a flying Ishant Sharma in the second, while Ian Bell managed a gravity defying seven runs in seven overs.
With every straight-batted push that England produced, the run-rate leapt another notch or ten. Bell was eventually bowled for 12 while attempting a sweep against Harbhajan Singh, and though Kevin Pietersen clipped his first ball effortlessly through midwicket for four, he had arrived at the crease approximately eight overs too late. In his haste to make up for lost time, he inside-edged a massive swipe across the line, and was bowled for 5 by a gleeful Sharma.
India's dominance at this stage was so total that Yuvraj was able to burst out laughing after a blunder from Suresh Raina on the square leg rope gifted Shah an extra boundary. Slowly but surely, however, England found their feet. Shah brought up his half-century in flamboyant style - and from an unexpectedly brisk 35 deliveries - with a pull through midwicket off Sharma, then creamed a huge six into the stands with a fetched slog-sweep off Yuvraj. Flintoff, meanwhile, ran a clever four off an open-faced bat after noticing that third man was up in the circle, and then made Harbhajan pay for one full-toss too many by swiping him fiercely through cow corner.
That single blow gave Flintoff the confidence he needed, because he followed up with arguably the biggest blow of the series so far, a gargantuan swipe that might have ended up in Chennai had it not rebounded off the top of the stadium roof. It meant that England had added 61 in five overs, at the required rate of two a ball, and for the first time in four matches they were matching India's strokeplay shot for shot.
Shah continued in the same vein, greeting Munaf Patel's return with another flick into the midwicket stands to bring the requirement down to 73 runs from 43 balls. But back came Zaheer for the final Powerplay, and after conceding three runs from his first four balls, he beat Shah with a low full toss that flew off the leading edge to Sachin Tendulkar at point to end a fantastic innings of 72 from 48 balls. In the very next over, Flintoff drove a slower ball from Sharma to extra cover, and England's two big guns had gone in the space of five balls.
That was effectively that. Samit Patel drove his first ball through long-on for four as he and Collingwood kept England in contention until the penultimate over. But Zaheer, kept bowling full and fast, removed Patel via a butterfingered catch in the covers from Gambhir, and Munaf was given the honour of sealing the contest as he successfully defended the 27 runs England still needed in the final over. For the fourth match in a row, England had shown an improvement on their earlier efforts in the series, and yet the gulf between the sides appeared as wide as ever before. The prospect of a 7-0 clean sweep looms ever larger.

Under-pressure England face Tendulkar challenge

Big PictureEngland were thrashed in Rajkot and comprehensively beaten in Indore but improved their performance in Kanpur. The gap between the teams has narrowed with every game but, at 3-0 to India, the series has reached a stage where England have to win in Bangalore to keep it alive.
Should the toss go Kevin Pietersen's way, there are a couple of extraneous factors that could aid England. Sunday's encounter is the first day-night match of the series and, if England's batsmen post a competitive total, England's bowlers could use the conditions under floodlights to put the Indian batting line-up under pressure, as they did in Kanpur. The other variable is the weather in Bangalore which at the moment is typically Manchester - wet and overcast. England's chances of victory are greater in a low-scoring contest - their batsmen are more adept at nudging difficult runs and the conditions could aid their fast bowlers.
Sunday's match is an opportunity for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to win another limited-overs trophy but to achieve that he will need to forget the controversy that arose on the eve of the match and focus on the game. The Indian selectors changed a winning combination when they picked the squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs and Dhoni reportedly expressed his displeasure at RP Singh's axeing. He was certainly angry when the issue was raised at Saturday's press conference.
The other change to the squad, however, will boost a team already high on confidence. Sachin Tendulkar, who had asked to be rested for the first three ODIs, will return to the team and is likely open the innings with Virender Sehwag. His inclusion, however, will split the Sehwag-Gautam Gambhir partnership that has given India outstanding starts in 2008 and could give England a tiny window of opportunity.
Form guide (last 5 completed ODIs, most recent first)India WWWLWEngland LLLWW
Watch out for:Tendulkar hasn't played an ODI since March but he was in fluent form in the recent Tests against Australia, against whom he scored 396 runs at 56.57. His return to the top of the order will add experience to a batting line-up full of dashing stroke-players.
Andrew Flintoff was a force with the ball in Kanpur. He hurried Yuvraj Singh with a bouncer after which he had a long, hard stare at the batsman. The next ball was a bouncer off which Yuvraj holed out in the deep. Flintoff is beginning to get into his stride and needs his team-mates to back him up.
Indian spin: England's batsmen have struggled to build momentum during the overs when Dhoni uses the spinners. Harbhajan Singh was the Man of the Match in Kanpur for his 3 for 31 and even Yuvraj has bowled long spells and contained the England batsmen.
Team newsTendulkar's return is a certainty but what is less clear is whom he is going to replace. Rohit Sharma's scores in this series are 11 not out, 3 and 28 and it's likely that he will make way for Tendulkar. Gambhir will drop down to No. 3, giving India's top order the look it had when winning the tri-series in Australia earlier this year. Ishant had a poor game in Kanpur, conceding 12 of India's 17 extras, but India are unlikely to change their bowling attack.
India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Munaf Patel.
England made several changes to their batting order in the last game in Kanpur, promoting Ravi Bopara to open, Pietersen to No. 3, and dropping Owais Shah and Matt Prior to Nos 6 and 8. They are likely to persist with that plan after the Bopara-Ian Bell combination produced 79 runs in quick time. They could make a change to the bowling attack, however, replacing the out-of-form James Anderson with Steve Harmison.
England (probable): 1 Ravi Bopara, 2 Ian Bell, 3 Kevin Pietersen (capt), 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Andrew Flintoff, 6 Owais Shah, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Matt Prior (wk), 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 Steve Harmison.
Pitch and conditionsBangalore has had daily showers in the run-up to the match and the meteorological department has predicted moderate to heavy rain over the weekend. The pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, however, is expected to be full of runs. "It's a sporting wicket, and should assist the batsmen more than the bowlers," the curator Narayan Raju said. "The ball will come on to the bat nicely." In the last ODI at this venue, in September 2007, Australia scored 307 for 7 before rain interrupted play shortly into the Indian innings and forced the match to be abandoned.
Stats & Trivia
Gambhir isn't unfamiliar with batting at No 3. He's played 18 innings in that position and scored 697 runs at an average of 46.46 with two hundreds.
England batsmen have scored only seven hundreds in 43 ODIs in India, compared to Australia's 19 centuries in 63 ODIs, and West Indies' 17 in 62 matches.
There were 168 dot balls in England's innings in Kanpur compared to 143 in India's. The dot-ball percentages for England in Rajkot and Indore were 51 and 62 compared to India's 45 and 52.
Anderson's been in poor bowling form in 2008. In 19 matches this year, he has taken only 10 wickets at an average of 71 in 19 ODIs, compared to a career average of 31.
Quotes"If you lose this game, you lose the series. It's a big game. We have got to do it here in Bangalore. From now on, every game is a final game."England coach Peter Moores knows how big the stakes are on Sunday.
"We want him [Tendulkar] to play as long as possible and whenever he is available he should play. He has played his part in Indian cricket and it's up to the upcoming players to get the most out of him. The more he plays, the more it benefits the youngsters."Dhoni on Tendulkar's return to the team.

Lloyd hopeful ICL and IPL will co-exist

Lloyd hopeful ICL and IPL will co-exist

Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and ICC cricket committee chairman, is hopeful the ICL and IPL can co-exist and believes similar leagues in the West Indies will boost the game in the region.
"There's nothing like having a discussion to break the ice," Lloyd told the Times of India. "Just like the United States president Barack Obama said 'you have to speak to people'. They [IPL and ICL] both need to understand their agendas and work accordingly." At present, the ICC and the Indian board have not recognised the ICL, and most national bodies have banned players contracted with the league from playing international or domestic cricket.
Lloyd felt it will take some time for administrators to find a window for the Twenty20 leagues. "It will be ideal if they have a period where they can go and earn money and go back to Tests. It's some time before the FTP [Future Tours Programme] can find the right slots for IPL and other similar tournaments so that players representing their countries are not forced to make a choice.
"The players are now hoping that they don't have to choose between Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s.
With contracts worth millions on offer in the Twenty20 leagues, and a million dollars on grabs for each of the winning XI in the Stanford 20/20 for 20 in Antigua, Lloyd felt upcoming players needed to be given proper advice. "We need to get to make young players to understand that it's just not about money. Money is there to be earned, but they need to learn the rudimentary elements of the game."
Lloyd said the West Indies needed leagues like the IPL and ICL to help revive the falling fortunes of the country in the sport; the region has the Stanford 20/20 as its premier domestic tournament currently, with 20 teams participating. "Leagues similar to the IPL and ICL will not only bring young talented players in the national team but will also make their basics clear," Lloyd said. "The standard of domestic cricket is poor in the Caribbean and hence there is a need to bring in leagues like these. They would not only improve the standard of the game but will also help players become experienced at a young age."
After the success of the Stanford Superstars, Lloyd is backing the players to win a World Cup soon. Lloyd had led West Indies to wins in 1975 and 1979. "The team has not won any major trophy for a long time and lacks consistency. But I am sure they will be back in form and will bring the [World] Cup home in the Caribbean soon," he said. "Apart from the money, players will gain experience with the right people to guide them from Standford Twenty20 Super Series."

India v England, 3rd ODI, Kanpur

India win by 16 runs in fading light

40 overs India 198 for 5 (Sehwag 68, Flintoff 3-31) beat England 240 (Bopara 60, Bell 46, Harbhajan 3-31) by 16 runs (D/L method)

India made heavy work of an under-par England total in the first evenly-contested match between the two sides, but edged ahead thanks to a superior run-rate under the Duckworth/Lewis method when bad light curtailed their chase after 40 overs.
Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh produced some fireworks during India's chase, and that ultimately proved crucial as the umpires were forced to stop play in murky conditions, with India ahead by 16 runs. The toss, scheduled at 8:30 am local, had been put back 45 minutes because of the thick haze and overcast conditions in smoggy Kanpur, but only one over was docked from each innings, and to top it off, the lunch interval was not shortened.
The win could not have been possible without India's spinners, who had made the most of the pitch with 22 tidy overs that derailed England after a strong start. Harbhajan Singh picked up 3 for 31, his best returns since April 2006, incidentally against England at home.
Perhaps confident of chasing a relatively low target, India threw their bats at the bowling but lost two quick wickets. After consecutive half-centuries, Gautam Gambhir fell for 14, slashing Andrew Flintoff's fifth delivery to third man. Suresh Raina went next, inside-edging a leaden-footed, ambitious drive against Stuart Broad (40 for 2). Sehwag decided that spin would be attacked - Samit Patel put down a hard caught and bowled when he was on 47 - and raised his half-century with six off Graeme Swann. A stand of 68 with Rohit Sharma thrust the initiative back India's way, only for the latter to throw it back with a loose cut against Graeme Swann in the 23rd over.
Flintoff's return in the 26th over ended Sehwag's resistance on 68, thanks to a brilliant reaction catch from Paul Collingwood at backward point. Sehwag absolutely smashed the ball and Collingwood intercepted it with a leap in the air. Attempting to edge ahead of the D/L requirement, India took their batting Powerplay after 34 overs, and Yuvraj welcomed it with a six. Attempting to hit another, he pulled Flintoff to deep square leg, holing out to Broad this time leaving the crowd stunned.
India were ten runs ahead at this point in fading light. Dhoni scampered singles and Yusuf Pathan found the gaps as well, taking Flintoff for consecutive boundaries. Matt Prior fluffed a leg-side stumping off his captain to reprieve Yusuf in the 39th over, but by then it was game up for England.
This win was set up in the field. Having lost the toss and looking on as England's openers added 79, Dhoni used his spinners well. Slowing the pace for the batsmen, he fired an impressive comeback with a steady flow of wickets. Not only did India restrict England in the middle overs, they also reduced the threat of a late-innings attack, with the otherwise wayward Ishant Sharma narrowly missing a hat-trick in the penultimate over. No boundaries were scored by England in the last three overs.
The visitors earlier got off to an assured start despite the hazy conditions. Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara struck a partnership of 79 for the first wicket, scoring at over five-and-a-half an over. At this stage, Kevin Pietersen probably wouldn't have envisioned how the innings would unravel. Bell was dismissed by Munaf Patel four short of his half-century and that triggered a collapse, with the run rate also dipping.
Dhoni turned to spin after the first drinks break, operating with the Singhs, Yuvraj and Harbhajan. Pietersen - back at No. 3 - took on Yuvraj with a driven six over long-on but couldn't dominate Harbhajan, spooning a catch to long-off on 13.
Collingwood's dismissal was a gem, set up craftily by Harbhajan. Having tossed up a few offbreaks, Harbhajan slipped in the doosra to suck Collingwood further. The ball crept past his bat and Dhoni completed a smart stumping (106 for 3). That ball would have done in far better batsmen and Harbhajan continued to bowl admirably, tossing the ball up and landing it on all the right areas.
Having brought up his fourth ODI half-century with a blazing boundary through cover, Bopara was stumped off Yuvraj for 60. The rebuilding was now left to Flintoff, who was joined by Owais Shah at 133 for 4, but his struggles against spin continued. Moving across to Yusuf, he was struck plumb in front below the knee roll for 26. Dhoni's decision to give the ball to Pathan immediately after the second drinks break had paid dividends.
England took the batting Powerplay after 38 overs, but managed 21 in the four overs. Shah hit some breezy strokes before becoming Harbhajan's 200th ODI wicket, chipping to long-off for 40 from 42 balls.
England played better in this game, and more than questioning the laws of cricket, and should rue the batting collapse for the 0-3 deficit.

Yuvraj overwhelms England again

India 292 for 9 (Gambhir 70, Yuvraj 118, Pathan 50*, Broad 4-55) beat England 238 (Shah 58, Flintoff 43, Yuvraj 4-28) by 54 runs

Few would have expected Yuvraj Singh to improve on a 78-ball 138 but he went one better in Indore, following up his second consecutive century - this time rescuing India from a top-order collapse - by dismissing four of England's top five batsmen. The contest was effectively ended when he got rid of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen in the same over, ensuring India won by 54 runs.
Just when England's bowlers seemed to exercise control over India's powerful batting line-up, they were once again attacked by Yuvraj, who showed no traces of the back injury that troubled him in Rajkot. England were on top early in the game, having reduced India to 29 for 3, but the hosts recovered through a brisk partnership of 134 for the fourth wicket between Yuvraj and Gautam Gambhir. Yuvraj went on to score 118 off 122 balls and led India to 292 for 9.
The target was always going to challenge England and they seemed out of the contest when the asking rate soared towards nine around the 32th over. However, Pietersen decided to take the batting Powerplay and gave Flintoff the licence to break free. He obliged and smashed Harbhajan for three sixes - two over deep midwicket and one straight - in the 33rd over. Flintoff continued his awesome assault and England scored 59 off the final Powerplay, reducing the equation to 110 off 13 overs.
Enter Yuvraj and, with the field spread, he trapped Flintoff lbw with a faster one and bowled Pietersen through the bat-pad gap in the space of four balls. Those two blows virtually secured India's 2-0 lead in the series.
Yuvraj's spell was the second time he had to fire-fight in the match - India's situation bordered on the dire when he began his innings. This pitch, unlike the batting paradise in Rajkot, was two-paced and had variable bounce. Driving and hitting through the line - a feature of several innings in the first match - was hard, for the speed at which ball came on to bat was slower than the batsmen expected. Stuart Broad used the conditions cleverly, holding his length back and moving the ball into the right-hander, and was rewarded with three wickets in his first spell: Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma were dismissed while playing their shots too early.
Yuvraj hit his stride quickly, glancing a no-ball from Andrew Flintoff off his pads four four and pulling the free-hit into the stands at midwicket in the ninth over. Those couple of balls seemed to settle him down and thereafter he placed a flurry of pulls and drives into gaps in the outfield to give the innings direction.
Smart Stats
Yuvraj Singh, who hit his tenth century, became the second Indian, and the ninth player overall, to score 1000 ODI runs or more against England.
Yuvraj also became the ninth player, and third Indian, to score a century and take four wickets or more in the same match. Vivian Richards and Paul Colligwood are the only players to have scored a century and taken five or more wickets in the same ODI.
Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni went past 1000 runs in 2008, the only two players to have achieved that feat this year.
India's spinners took nine wickets in the England innings, the eighth time spinners have taken 9 or more wickets to fall in an innings. Sri Lanka are the only side whose spinners have taken all ten wickets, against Zimbabwe in Colombo in 2001.
England fared better than India in the powerplays. India made 43 in their first, losing three wickets, while England were 47 for 1 at the end of their first ten overs. The next two powerplays yielded 55 runs for India for the loss of one wicket, while England scored 84, losing none.
Partnering Yuvraj was Gambhir, who grasped the nature of the pitch early and played accordingly. He rarely went hard at the ball and did not play away from the body. His off-side options were restricted because of a strong field but he did not get bogged down, instead nudging and pushing for runs while waiting for the boundary opportunity. England, and Anderson in particular, bowled several deliveries on leg stump which Gambhir flicked to find the boundary either side of the fielder at long leg.
India scored only 57 off the first 14 overs but Yuvraj and Gambhir took 106 off the next 16. Gambhir reached his half-century off 56 balls, brought up 1000 runs in 2008, and left England ruing a missed run-out opportunity off the very first ball off the match. Yuvraj took longer to reach his fifty - 61 balls - but his next 61 balls produced 66 runs as he attacked England's weaker bowlers and peppered the leg-side with 12 out of his 17 boundaries.
England tried to salvage the situation towards the end of the innings by dismissing Dhoni and Yuvraj just as India were beginning to go for broke. They conceded only 37 off India's Powerplay, taken between the 43rd and 48th over, but were assaulted by Yusuf Pathan, whose late surge included four brutal hits over the long-on and midwicket boundaries. Pathan reached 50 off 29 balls, his maiden ODI half-century, and scored 18 off the final over. India ended with 292 for 9, leaving England with a tough task to win their 500th ODI.
Chasing a daunting target England were jolted early by the run-out of Ian Bell. He pushed the ball towards cover, took on India's swiftest fielder - Suresh Raina - but was caught short by Raina's full-length dive and direct hit. India had two other chances to dismiss Prior, on 19 and 28, but first Rohit Sharma failed to hit the stumps at the bowlers' end, and then Yuvraj failed to latch on to a difficult chance at point.
The Prior-Shah partnership had an unsure start for the batsmen made the mistake of trying to hit the ball too hard. Shah, in particular, used a lot of bottom hand in his shots on the slow pitch and mistimed several as a result. They improved, though, and added 96 for the second wicket but the run-rate was considerably below what was required. They were dismissed in quick succession, on either side of the 25th over, and the task left for Flintoff and Pietersen to complete was simply beyond them.

Embattled England turn to Swann

Big Picture

One-day cricket is also about flexibility and adapting to conditions and England were muddled by team selection in Indore - Kevin Pietersen showed no faith in bowling the spinner Samit Patel during the final Powerplay, while keeping himself down instead of trying to solidify a shaky top order. Pietersen insisted England had not made a mistake in picking an unchanged team after slumping to another heavy defeat, terming the display in Indore as a sign of progress. England were marginally better in that they reduced the margin of defeat from 158 runs to 54, but they need a drastic shake up.
Graeme Swann, who played a key role in a famous away win in Sri Lanka a year ago, has been drafted into England's playing XI to bolster a weak attack. That's one plus for a struggling side, but Pietersen also needs to bat himself at No. 3 - he is England's best one-day batsman. Despite trailing India 2-0 in the seven-match series, Pietersen expressed faith that the side which beat South Africa 4-0 this summer could come back strongly here. There are even whispers that a disastrous trip to the Caribbean has destabilised Pietersen's unit.
India, conversely, find themselves on top at home again, under an energetic captain. This ODI team has continued the good work shown in the Asia Cup and in Sri Lanka, with the younger players stepping up admirably. Undoubtedly India have been lifted magnificently by Yuvraj Singh's displays in the last two games, but this side is brimming with intent. Gautam Gambhir has powered India's starts, Yuvraj has scored the most runs, and Yusuf Pathan blasted India out of a middle order collapse to a large score in the last game. Zaheer Khan has been naggingly accurate and among the wickets, while Munaf Patel has kept a lid on the runs. Harbhajan Singh hasn't been that successful, but Yuvraj, Virender Sehwag and Yusuf have kept a check with their variety of slow stuff. It will take something special to stop India going up 3-0 on what is expected to be a batting track.
Form guide (last 5 completed games, most recent first)

India WWLWW

England LLWWW
Watch out for
It's so difficult to resist not mentioning Yuvraj's name, simply because of the form he's shown in two matches. Yuvraj has displayed some deep love for this England attack, hitting a 78-ball 138 in Rajkot and following it up with 118 and four wickets in Indore. His hitting has been as pure as ever, while his left-arm spin accounted for four of England's top five in the second ODI. The tourists have had no answer to him. With such form and confidence on his side, Yuvraj will walk to the crease on an expected belter, looking down from a different plateau.
Pietersen has yet to set India ablaze with his trademark whips past mid-on and brilliant switch-hitting. He struck a bright 63 in game one, but the result was already long gone for England. A move back up to the No. 3 spot appears the best way to regain form and bail England out of trouble, and Pietersen has been known to step up when the chips are down. Trailing 0-2, with the series on the line, he may be the man for the moment.
Will an England spinner finally make an impact? Thats what the team management expect from Swann, who took seven wickets in four matches in Sri Lanka but has since struggled to maintain his place in the team. Swann took just one wicket in the recent Stanford Super Series and arrived in India expecting playing time on pitches that would assist him. Swann's uncomplicated, almost classical offspin provides a wicket-taking option for Pietersen, and he also offers good batting and fielding, which could further enhance his claims. Swann has only played 12 ODIs for England, spread over eight years, and has expressed his eagerness to play whenever the opportunity arises.
Team news
There are only two foreseeable changes for India. If Ishant returns to action, RP Singh is likely to make way. Rohit Sharma's last half-century was in July and since then his scores read 22*, 3, 19, 0, 32, 18, 3, 11* and 3. Virat Kohli impressed as opener in Sri Lanka, and having batted at Nos. 3 and 4 for Delhi, he could come in, with Suresh Raina capable of batting anywhere in the top and middle order.
India: (likely) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Virat Kohli, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Munaf Patel.
England suffered a further setback when Ryan Sidebottom complained of discomfort in his back and was sent for scans. Swann is due a chance to impress and will take over the spinning responsibility from Patel. The explosive Ravi Bopara could be promoted - he was unable to practice because of a stomach complaint - although Pietersen is keen for the current top three to prove themselves.
England: (likely) 1 Matt Prior (wk), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Owais Shah, 4 Kevin Pietersen (capt), 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Ravi Bopara, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Steve Harmison, 11 James Anderson.
Pitch and conditions
The pitch curator at Green Park Stadium has predicted a batting paradise. "The bounce would be even, ball would come nicely onto the bat and the strokemakers would make merry," said Shiv Kumar. "So far, the 294 India scored against Pakistan remains the highest at Green Park. I don't rule out a 300-plus score on Thursday."
Thats good news for the batsmen on both sides, after the raging turner prepared when India played South Africa in a Test earlier this year. There's a likely chance that smog will obstruct visibility throughout the day, because Kanpur is a very polluted town.
On a side note, local police resorted to laathi charges at to control the spilling mob which gathered to buy tickets for this match.
Stats and Trivia
England's bowlers have given away 679 runs in two matches - 372 in fours and sixes - and haven't bowled India out yet.
Three batsmen have scored three ODI centuries in a row - Zaheer Abbas, Saeed Anwar and Herschelle Gibbs. Yuvraj, given his form and career average of 55.78 against England, has a shot too.
Quotes
"On song, Yuvraj is simply one of the best, even the top bowlers struggle against him. I hope he scores his third consecutive century here."Dhoni puts faith in his murderous batsman, who has reeled off two tons in a row.
"I'm going to take Yuvraj out in the hotel tonight and make sure he doesn't come to Kanpur for the next game!"Pietersen looks for other alternatives to winning a game on tour.

India v England, 1st ODI, Rajkot

Yuvraj century sets up crushing win

India 387 for 5 (Yuvraj 138*, Sehwag 85, Gambhir 51) beat England 229 (Pietersen 63, Bopara 54*) by 158 runs

First days for an opposition captain in India don't get much worse. Kevin Pietersen's decision to field because of an early morning start in Rajkot backfired spectacularly as India galloped out of the blocks and never looked back. What seemed a brave decision turned into an utter disaster with India posting 387 for 5 in 50 overs of ballistic strokeplay. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag added 127 for the first wicket, after which Yuvraj Singh overcame a stiff back to slam an unbeaten 138 from only 78 balls.
It was the fastest ODI hundred against England, while India's total beat the previous best against this team - Pakistan's 353 in Karachi in 2005. It was also India's best total at home and second highest anywhere. England could only reply with 229, and suffered their third heaviest ODI defeat ever.
The last time Yuvraj scored a hundred in a limited-overs game was on October 5 2007 against Australia. He began in the 24th over, after Sehwag had been brilliantly caught by Ian Bell at midwicket for a 73-ball 85. Shortly into his innings, Yuvraj had problems with his back and needed a brace. Steve Harmison decided to test him with some short balls and, though Yuvraj took his eyes off them, he pulled consecutive boundaries and rounded off the over with a steer past slip for four more. Those three strokes set the tone.
India took the third Powerplay after the 34th over, a move which prompted Pietersen to bring back Andrew Flintoff. Yuvraj, who had Gambhir running for him, took the opportunity to break free by hitting sixes off Flintoff and Harmison before raising his fifty with a classy off-drive. Yuvraj's partnership with Suresh Raina for the third wicket had added 89 off 78 balls before his partner scooped Flintoff to backward point for 43.
Yusuf Pathan came and went for 0, but Yuvraj, not disturbed by the double blow, stood his ground and swatted a wayward Stuart Broad for six and four. He brought up the 300 - and the fifty partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni - by smashing Samit Patel out of the ground in the 44th over.
A 20-year-old Indian record for the fastest century (Mohammad Azharuddin's 62-ball ton against New Zealand) was under threat but Yuvraj was probably unaware and turned the ball off his pads for a single when he was on 94 off 61 balls. He reached his ninth hundred off his 64th ball and lofted Flintoff for two sixes in the 47th over and took another 18 off him in the 49th. Yuvraj's 138 was one shy of his career best.
Smart stats
Yuvraj Singh reached his 100 off 64 balls. It was the second-fastest century by an Indian and the fastest by anyone against England.
India's total of 387 for 5 was the highest total in India . It was also their second-best total anywhere, and the highest by any team against England
India hit 13 sixes and England hit nine - the total of 22 was the second highest in a one-day match
India hit 51 boundaries in their innings - 13 sixes and 38 fours - beating their previous record of 48, against Bermuda during the 2007 World Cup
With the exception of Kevin Pietersen, Yuvraj Singh scored at more than a run-a-ball off all the other bowlers. He hit Andrew Flintoff for 34 off 13, Steve Harmison for 48 off 26, and Stuart Broad for 26 off 15
The platform for Yuvraj's blitz, however, had been by India's openers early in the day. Sehwag and Gambhir tucked into some generous offerings from James Anderson and Broad and added 127 in good time. Paul Collingwood took the ball after the drinks break and Sehwag slammed his first two balls for six. The second shot, a disdainful sweep into the stands at midwicket, raised his fifty, from 44 balls, and India's 200. Gambhir - who had crossed 2000 ODI runs - followed Sehwag to fifty, from 59 balls, but became the first casualty. Dancing down to Patel, he holed out to Owais Shah at long-off. Sehwag smashed Patel for 15 runs off four balls in the 24th over before he was splendidly caught by Bell. England needed something extraordinary to stop Sehwag, but failed to keep Yuvraj quiet.
Spin had been expected to play a key role, but by the time the first spinner appeared England were already four down thanks to the discipline of Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel. Both started well, bowling short of a length outside the off stump. Matt Prior fell for 4, edging Munaf to Sehwag at slip, and Shah was caught by the same fielder in the next over, giving Zaheer, who was playing his 150th ODI, his first wicket.
Maintaining a steady line and moving the ball both ways, Zaheer took two wickets in the 11th over. Bell nibbled a wide one to Dhoni but the prize scalp was Flintoff, unfortunate to be adjudged lbw to a delivery that pitched just outside leg stump. Paul Collingwood's 150th ODI appearance was one to forget: he wafted at a wide delivery from RP Singh and feathered a catch to Dhoni.
Pietersen had few qualms and settled quickly into his stride, collecting three boundaries off RP Singh. He kept things simple and rotated the strike without fuss, adding 71 with Patel. Just after the 25-over mark, Patel swung at Harbhajan Singh, missed, and was stumped for a run-a-ball 28. Rohit Sharma nailed a smart throw from cover to send Pietersen (63) on his way and the rest flittered away by the 38th over. Ravi Bopara's lusty hitting took the six tally for this match to 22, and his rapid fifty helped England avert their heaviest defeat.