India fight back despite KP ton

India claimed two wickets late in the day to seize the initiative after Kevin Pietersen led a spirited England fightback.

England's hopes of pushing for an unlikely victory in the final Test stalled with the loss of two wickets in 12 balls just before stumps on day three.
The tourists had fought back after slumping to one for two, captain Pietersen forging a 149-run fifth-wicket stand with Andrew Flintoff to lead his team to 280 for four in reply to India's 453.
But with just minutes remaining before the umpires called a halt to the day in fading light, England lost both batsmen and slumped to 282 for six at the close, still trailing by 171 runs.

Pietersen had hit his 15th Test century and become the third fastest England player to reach 4,000 Test runs on 105, beaten only by Herbert Sutcliffe and Len Hutton.
He hit 17 fours and a six during his brilliant 144 and transformed England's fortunes with his aggression, only for India to fight back in the closing overs.
Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan had undermined England's reply with the third ball of the innings when he won an lbw appeal against Andrew Strauss.
England slipped into further trouble in the next over with seamer Ishant Sharma continuing Ian Bell's struggles by removing his middle stump with his first delivery.
India captain MS Dhoni used Pietersen's arrival at the crease to embark on psychological tactics to try to unsettle his rival.
Instead of continuing with Zaheer following his successful first over, Dhoni turned to the occasional left-arm spin of Yuvraj Singh, who has waged a running battle with Pietersen through the series.
It was a tactic which was almost inspired with Pietersen nearly bowled off an inside edge from the first delivery, while he almost picked out extra cover with a drive off the final ball of the over.
Yuvraj was taken off after one over and it took the return of Zaheer midway through the afternoon session to make the next breakthrough, an inswinging yorker accounting for Alastair Cook lbw for 50 - his 20th innings without a century.
England regained momentum with Freddie and KP
But with Flintoff showing aggression from the start of his innings, England quickly regained the momentum and added 154 runs in the afternoon session.
It prompted India to go on the defensive and bowl way outside off-stump for most of the final session, and it paid off in the closing minutes when Harbhajan won an lbw appeal against Pietersen.
England chose to use nightwatchman James Anderson rather than send out Matt Prior but it backfired when the Lancashire seamer took a single in what became the final over of the day to expose Flintoff, who gave a bat-pad catch to short leg off leg-spinner Amit Mishra.

Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham

Irish winger Damien Duff came off the bench to fire fast-improving Newcastle to a last-minute 2-1 victory over Tottenham.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder had only been on the pitch for two minutes when he combined superbly with fellow substitute Mark Viduka before beating goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.
Spurs midfielder Luka Modric cancelled out Charles N'Zogbia's 11th-minute opener 17 minutes later, but it was Duff who had the final say.
Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins was denied the opportunity to score in a fifth successive league game against Tottenham when a groin injury ruled him out of this afternoon's clash.
The Nigerian, who sustained the problem just before putting his side 2-0 ahead at Portsmouth last weekend, was replaced by Shola Ameobi in the only change to Joe Kinnear's starting line-up.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp welcomed back Roman Pavlyuchenko, Vedran Corluka, Ledley King, Aaron Lennon and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who sat out the 2-2 UEFA Cup draw with Spartak Moscow in midweek.
Fraizer Campbell, Gareth Bale, Chris Gunter, Gilberto and Jamie O'Hara were the men to make way as the visitors looked for a repeat of their 2-1 Carling Cup win at St James' Park back in September.
The visitors lined up with Pavlyuchenko playing as a lone striker, with support from former Magpies target Luka Modric and wingers Lennon and David Bentley.
Lennon was in action within two minutes of the kick-off when he received Michael Dawson's long ball and cut inside left-back Jose Enrique.
Danny Guthrie got in an important block, but the ball broke back to the winger and he drilled a cross across the face of Shay Given's goal with no-one able to get a decisive touch.
Newcastle created their first chance five minutes later when Jonas Gutierrez forced Assou-Ekotto to concede a right-wing corner.
Fabricio Coloccini headed down Guthrie's set-piece to Sebastien Bassong, who scuffed his volley.
Given had to punch away a looping header from Dawson after he met Bentley's eighth-minute corner in a lively start.
Dawson then had to block a shot from Charles N'Zogbia after 11 minutes, but the Frenchman was not to be denied as the home side took the direct route seconds later.
N'Zogbia managed to reach Given's clearance before Assou-Ekotto, and although the defender recovered to hold him up, the midfielder turned smartly to fire right-footed past goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.
Enrique, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Lennon, was having a torrid time with the England international running at him at every opportunity.
For all the pressure they were exerting, Redknapp's men were failing to make the most of it as a series of set-pieces ended up in Given's waiting arms.
N'Zogbia, who has been linked with the north London club this season, was enjoying his afternoon and forced his way into another promising position with 27 minutes gone.
He worked his way into the box from the left and blasted a shot towards Gomes' near post, forcing the keeper to punch it away.
However, the visitors were back on terms a minute later when Dawson's strong challenge on Ameobi saw him lift the ball over the top to Modric, and as the home defence hesitated with Pavlyuchenko working his way back from an offside position, the Croatian ran in unopposed to beat Given.
Ameobi limped off before the restart to be replaced by Mark Viduka as Kinnear's side set about the task of restoring their lead.
The momentum was very much with Spurs and Enrique had to intervene to prevent Modric reaching Pavlyuchenko's return pass.
And the Spaniard did even better to deny the Russian seconds later, just getting ahead of him to clear as he prepared to shoot at the near post.
Michael Owen flicked a 39th-minute header well wide from an N'Zogbia cross as Newcastle responded, and King had to make an important challenge to dispossess Viduka on the edge of the box four minutes later.
Spurs were on the attack once again within seconds of the restart when the home defence failed to deal adequately with a Modric cross and central defender Dawson shot acrobatically over the bar from close range.
Newcastle were seeing plenty of the ball, but with the visitors pressing them in possession, were unable to create any meaningful openings in the early stages of the half.
However, N'Zogbia caused problems down the left once again with 50 minutes gone when he smashed the ball across the face of goal and Dawson managed to stab it away.
Modric continued to put the Magpies under extreme pressure, and Habib Beye conceded a free-kick for bringing him down as he threatened to break free down the left two minutes later.
But Viduka was beginning to have an impact at the other end, holding the ball up well for the support to reach him, although too often the final pass was inaccurate.
Nicky Butt was enjoying another solid performance, and sensed a chance for glory with 56 minutes gone when he beat Modric to the ball and went for goal from distance, although he sliced his effort horribly wide.
Tottenham started to impose themselves once again with Bentley in the thick of it down the left and the game opening up.
They thought they were in with 62 minutes gone when Lennon cut inside to slip the ball through for Tom Huddlestone, but Sebastien Bassong got a touch before Given cleared with the midfielder earning a booking for going to ground under his challenge.
Pavlyuchenko made way from Campbell three minutes later as Redknapp introduced fresh legs, but it was Bentley who forced Given into a decent 69th-minute save when his shot reared up off Fabricio Coloccini.
Owen had a glorious opportunity to make it 2-1 when Viduka laid off an N'Zogbia cross to him six yards out, although his disappointment at lifting the ball over the top was eased by an offside flag.
Campbell flicked a header well wide from Bentley's 83rd-minute cross, but it was his side which looked the more likely to snatch victory as the clock ran down.
The on-loan Manchester United striker just failed to connect with Lennon's cross two minutes later, but the twist in the tail was to come at the other end.
Damien Duff, who had replaced Enrique two minutes earlier, played a superb one-two with Viduka and slid a left-foot shot past Gomes to snatch an invaluable win in the final minute of normal time.

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool

Liverpool fought back to take a 1-1 draw from a high-octane clash with an Arsenal side who had Emmanuel Adebayor sent off.
Robin van Persie had fired the Gunners ahead with a fine strike on 24 minutes, only for former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane to equalise.
Adebayor was shown a second yellow card by referee Howard Webb on the hour mark, and the Gunners had to settle for a draw which further dents their fading title aspirations.
Liverpool looked to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League without manager Rafael Benitez, who did not travel to Emirates Stadium following surgery to remove kidney stones.
Assistant boss Sammy Lee had taken charge of training during the week and named a side showing four changes from the one which started against Hull, with Robbie Keane, Lucas, Emiliano Insua and Daniel Agger all coming in. Javier Mascherano was absent with a virus.
Arsenal welcomed back winger Samir Nasri from an ankle injury, but defender Kolo Toure missed out with a calf strain.
The Gunners were looking to get back into the top four at the expense of Manchester United and close the gap to Aston Villa to a point.
Arsenal may have beaten both United and Chelsea this season, but the failure to see off so-called lesser sides has proved costly to their title challenge.
The leaders were, of course, set to present a stern test of those credentials and it was a cagey opening to the game.
The first decent chance came in the ninth minute.
A long ball up field was knocked back by Keane from the edge of the Arsenal penalty area into the path of Reds captain Steven Gerrard, whose 20-yard effort was straight at Manuel Almunia.
Both teams were flying into the challenges, with Keane complaining to referee Howard Webb that defender William Gallas had used an elbow to shake him off in the Arsenal half.
A clipped ball in from Bacary Sagna on the right floated through to Emmanuel Adebayor, but his glanced, diving header just lacked the power to beat Jose Reina.
Keane was in the book on 20 minutes for clattering in from behind on Gael Clichy out on the left touchline.
Arsenal then snatched the lead through Robin van Persie out of nothing after 24 minutes.
Nasri chipped a high ball through from just inside his own half, which the Dutchman, on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, collected on his chest before turning two defenders and firing a right-foot shot into the net.
Liverpool, whose form has dipped in recent weeks, were clearly rattled after previously looking quite comfortable.
In contrast Arsenal were now playing with a renewed confidence and held possession well.
On 33 minutes, Gerrard tried his luck with a long-range free-kick, but it was too central to trouble Almunia.
Adebayor was cautioned for leaving his foot in as he went for a 50/50 ball with Insua before Liverpool levelled minutes before the break.
The ball was thumped upfield from deep inside the Liverpool half by Alvaro Arbeloa and bounced right over Johan Djourou into the path of Keane.
The Republic of Ireland striker let the ball bounce again into the Arsenal penalty area before lashing it past Almunia.
The Reds almost snatched another ahead of half-time, but Gerrard was unable to get on the end of Dirk Kuyt's low ball across goal.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas had suffered what looked like a knee problem in a tackle with Spanish compatriot Xabi Alonso at the end of the first half, and was unable to continue.
Abou Diaby came on to play on the left of midfield, with Denilson and Alex Song in the centre.
Liverpool started strongly, with Almunia having to beat away a snap-shot from Lucas.
The tempo of the match increased as the hour approached, but it was the visitors who remained in the ascendancy as Agger headed wide following a corner.
Referee Howard Webb then caused a storm when he reduced Arsenal to 10 men after Adebayor was shown a second yellow card for a hefty challenge on Alvaro Arbeloa, who fell to the ground clutching his face.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was incensed, but replays suggested the Togo striker had indeed gone in with a raised boot, rather than a flaying arm, which would have merited a caution.
The atmosphere in the Emirates was becoming highly charged, and Van Persie was another in the book when he fouled Agger.
To their credit the Gunners responded by pressing Diaby further forwards as they looked to get back in front.
Tempers, though, were never far from boiling point as Sagna became the third Arsenal man into the book when he tripped Albert Riera.
Nasri sent a 25-yard effort wide, then Almunia saved bravely at the feet of Kuyt as the visitors pressed for a winner.
Agger fired a superb 25-yard strike just over as both teams had to settle for a point.

Rooney wants to sing a song

Wayne Rooney wants to change the words of a song Manchester United's fans sing in their club's honour.

Instead of 'champions of England, champions of Europe' being bellowed out around grounds across the globe, the striker wants to hear 'champions of the world' instead.
They would be able to do just that if the Red Devils were to overcome Ecuador's LDU Quito in Sunday's Club World Cup final.
And while some in England still doubt the validity of the competition, Rooney is convinced it is an honour worth winning.
He said: "You don't get many chances to win this tournament so we want to take it.
"I could hear our fans singing 'champions of England, champions of Europe'. It would sound even better for them to add 'champions of the world' to the song, so we want to win it for them as much as ourselves."
Rooney freely admits this competition has never been on his list of priorities before.
However, once he arrived in Japan, the England international has been whipped up by the enthusiasm of supporters attending games.
Almost 70,000 were present last night to see the Old Trafford outfit defeat Gamba Osaka, with a similar number due to watch Sunday's decider.
"Winning the world championship has never really been in my mind," said Ferguson.
"When I joined a club like United the targets were the obvious ones like the Premier League and the Champions League.
"But the chance to play in this competition has really excited me. I am really happy to be playing in it."
One man who does not require an explanation about the prestige which goes with being world champions is Edwin van der Sar.
Thirteen years ago, the veteran Dutchman was part of the Ajax side which defeated Gremio in a penalty shoot-out in Tokyo to collect the old Intercontinental Cup.
And Van der Sar still remembers the reception Ajax received on their return to Amsterdam.
"It was a big thing," said the 38-year-old, who has just agreed a new one-year deal with the Old Trafford outfit.
"We didn't lose a game with Ajax for 18 months, so we were really in the flow. There was a big celebration in Amsterdam, with about 100,000 people welcoming us back.
"It is not the same as winning the Champions League but I never became a world champion with the national team and are we are playing different teams in a different country so I am up for it."
Just like the Champions League, which Van der Sar won last May - 13 years after his previous triumph with Ajax - the Club World Cup offers him a chance to revisit past glories.
"You could say it has taken too long to achieve all this again but it is never too late to enjoy them," he said.
"Let's hope I am repeating everything again on Sunday."
Van der Sar's team-mates want that too, putting worries over how the 12-hour return trip and readjustment to GMT will still be affecting them by the time they tackle Stoke on Boxing Day.
Instead of dwelling on a potential negative, Rooney prefers to look at the positive side and what a boost it would give United over their domestic rivals to return as number one in the world.
"It would send out a powerful message if we were to win it," he claimed.
"We are in quite a strong position in the league and if we can go back as champions of the world it would be a big boost for us and a platform for the second half of the season."
Ferguson has confirmed his intention to make changes to his starting line-up, with Rooney among those set to come in.
United must await a fitness update on Dimitar Berbatov before learning whether the Bulgarian will be involved with Ferguson admitting, defensively at least, his team must do better.
"We were a bit slow covering our defensive positions, which is possibly because we are still adjusting to the time difference," he said.
"Hopefully by Sunday we will be in better physical shape and our performance will be better. It will have to be because in my experience it is always difficult playing South American teams."

Inzamam urges India to tour Pakistan

Inzamam-ul Haq has urged India not to snap cricketing ties with Islamabad and go ahead with the January tour.

India are scheduled to travel to Pakistan early next year for a full tour, but the series is in doubt following the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Last week, India's sports minister MS Gill categorically stated India should not travel to Pakistan and the International Cricket Council refused to intervene saying it could not force teams to tour Pakistan.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is awaiting a reply from the government of India asking for permission to tour.
BCCI officials say they would abide by the decision the government takes.
Inzamam, however, believes India should tour as it would bolster deteriorating political and diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries.
"Cricket has always served as a good tool to soothe tensions between the two countries in the past," Inzamam said.
"By not touring, India will not serve any purpose.
"If anything cricket will help keep relations on an even keel and prevent things from getting out of hand."
Inzamam, who was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board for playing in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, said India's decision to tour would be crucial to other teams touring Pakistan.
"If India decides not to play in Pakistan; it would be a big setback for cricket in the subcontinent," he said.
"When these two neighbouring countries can't play against each other then why should we expect other teams to come and play in the subcontinent.
"That is why I feel England took the right decision to return to India.
"When England can accept assurances from India and return why not the same approach for Pakistan?".
Pakistan have not played a Test this year with teams cancelling scheduled tours due to security concerns.
Inzamam said the PCB was to blame for the mess.
"It is strange that we did not have any other Test matches scheduled in the FTP this year apart from the Australia series which was cancelled," he said.
"Bangladesh is playing more international cricket than we are doing.
"Our administrators need to rectify this."

India call off Pakistan tour

India's proposed tour of Pakistan in January of 2009 has been called off by the government in the wake of recent political tensions.

The Indian government has conveyed its decision to the BCCI to not go ahead with the scheduled tour in early 2009.
The Government's decision was conveyed to the BCCI President Shashank Manohar today through a letter which cited "recent developments as well as the overall circumstances prevailing at present" as the reasons for calling off the high-profile tour."The final decision has been taken. We have got the letter from the Sports Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs not to proceed with the tour", senior BCCI official Rajeev Shukla told PTI."The government has declined permission to go ahead with the tour taking into account the recent developments in Mumbai as well as the overall circumstances prevailing at present", Shukla said.He said the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the Sports Minister M S Gill had also personally called up Monohar to convey the decision.India were scheduled to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match during their tour of Pakistan from January 4 to February 28 but the tour had been thrown into jeopardy in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.The BCCI had all along maintained that it was upto the government to decide on the fate of the tour. "Now that we have received the letter, we will intimate it to the Pakistan Cricket Board," Shukla said.There was intense speculation that the tour will be called off in the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage and top BCCI officials had privately admitted that there was no chance that the team will travel to Pakistan.Even the Sports Minister Gill had gone on record last week that the team should not tour Pakistan under the circumstances, which was seen as a clear indication of things to come.Even before the Mumbai carnage, some of the senior Indian cricketers were apprehensive of travelling to Pakistan because of the security scenario in the strife-torn country.The cancellation of the tour has not only put a question mark on the sporting ties between the two countries but will also have a bearing on the 2011 Cricket World Cup being jointly hosted by the four Asian countries.Pakistan was keen to play the series at a neutral venue in case the tour was cancelled but the BCCI said it had not taken any decision on such a possibility.BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said that the government's decision will not have any impact on the 2011 World Cup. "It will not affect the 2011 World Cup, that's a different tournament," he said."We'd written to the government about the tour and we've just got the letter from the government that in the present circumstances the tour is not possible.Asked if it was because of the fact that senior players were not ready to play in Pakistan, Shetty said "I am not ready to comment on that. It was upto the government to decide and it was not for the BCCI to decide.Shetty did not feel it would create an uncomfortable atmosphere for the BCCI and PCB."No, I don't think so. PCB is aware of whatever is happening at the moment." He said there was no discussion on the two teams playing the series at a neutral venue."We've not discussed anything on this," he said and added there would be "no tour to replace the Pakistan series".The Sports Minister gave the first indication of the government view when he sent out a strong message by bluntly suggesting that the team's tour of Pakistan should not go ahead. The Minister had said it was not the right time to play cricket with Pakistan when "people from their soil were indulging in mass murder in India"."Is it possible for one team to arrive in Mumbai and indulge in mass murder, and have another team go and play cricket in the winter afternoon sun at Lahore, immediately after," he had said.The cancellation of the tour will hit Pakistan hard with the cash-starved PCB having already suffered with many teams calling off tours in the recent past.Hit hard by teams after teams refusing to tour the country because of the volatile security situation there, Pakistan has not hosted a major international tournament since the Asia Cup in June this year.The high-profile Champions Trophy, which was originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan in September this year, had to be deferred with most teams refusing to tour the country. The Indian junior hockey team's tour was also cancelled last month.Desperate to salvage the series, PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt had decided to tour India to convince the BCCI top brass and also offered to shift the series to a neutral venue, possibly Abu Dhabi or England, but after the Mumbai attacks, even that possibility had become non-existent.
Maninder Singh, former India spinner hailed the decison to cancel the tour, saying he was surprised to see that people actually thought that India could still have gone on to play cricket in Pakistan.
"This is absolutely the right decision. First correct the political differences and then play cricket. How can anyone think of playing cricket with Pakistan in this environment? The country comes first", Maninder said .

Sri Lanka agree to tour Pakistan

Pakistan have invited Sri Lanka to tour next year, filling the gap created by India's recent cancellation of a proposed Test series.

The Indian government refused to sanction permission for India to travel to Pakistan for a series comprising of three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 international in January and February next year.
The Pakistan Cricket Board, who had already discussed the possibility of Sri Lanka stepping in to bridge the gap should India refuse to tour, wasted no time in sending a formal invite to Sri Lanka.
"India's withdrawal is disappointing for us but we were expecting this," PCB chief operating officer Salim Altaf said.
"We have sent an invitation to Sri Lanka to play three Tests, three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 game.
"Pakistan has gone without Test cricket for more than a year now and we are desperate to have international cricket at home.
"The Sri Lankan board should hopefully accept our invitation."
Confirming receipt of the invitation Sri Lanka Cricket chairman Arjuna Ranatunga said they had assured Pakistan of their support.
"The PCB have official contacted us and we have assured them of our fullest support," Ranatunga said.
"We have agreed to play in Pakistan and have not demanded huge financial guarantees.
"As for security concerns, we were very pleased with the security arrangements made during the Asia Cup.
"India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have always worked closely together and we wish to ensure that good relationship is maintained.
"It will be an exciting series."
The Sri Lankan team is currently away in Bangladesh where they are due to play two Tests and a triangular one-day series also involving Zimbabwe.
India's tour of Pakistan was due to begin with the first Test in Karachi on January 13, but Sri Lanka can only travel to Pakistan only after January 16 when the tri-nation one-day series ends in Bangladesh.

Football Premier League,Scolari waiting on Blues trio

Luiz Felipe Scolari faces an anxious wait to learn if three of his players will be ready to face Newcastle on Saturday.
The Chelsea boss was in Brasilia on Wednesday night to watch a Portugal team containing Deco, Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira get thrashed 6-2 by Brazil.
The trio then faced an arduous journey back to London and must be doubtful for the clash with Joe Kinnear's team.
Yet Scolari, unlike some of Barclays Premier League colleagues, refused to criticise the latest round of international friendlies.
The Brazilian understands the requirements of national teams having been in charge of both Portugal and his home nation during his managerial career.
He believes that players must enjoy their time with the national side even if it means that he is left with little to work with in training.
"It is not a problem for us because we follow the schedule and know the time the players go to the national team," says Scolari.
"It is difficult sometimes because we stay here with five, six or seven players only and it is difficult to do our job, but we worked before the players went to the national team for the next game.
"When they arrive back it is only to check they are not injured and do a little training before putting them on the pitch.
"I understand my friends (international coaches) and when it is possible, I say to my players every time, they need to go to the national team because it is fantastic for them and the coach needs to receive these players in good condition."
Scolari hopes to have England midfielder Joe Cole back for their clash against the Geordies on Saturday although it is unlikely that he will start.
Cole has been struggling with a hamstring injury but the Chelsea coach believes the midfielder could be fit in time.
The Blues still have other problems, with both Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard doubtful. Cole is struggling with a foot problem and Lampard was forced out of the England squad for the friendly with Germany because of a rib injury.
Alex and Juliano Belletti are doubtful while Michael Essien and Franco Di Santo are definitely out.
Meanwhile, Neil Warnock has admitted making an approach to Chelsea about striker Ben Sahar.
The Crystal Palace manager is looking to boost his side's goalscoring power after scoring just 20 goals in 17 Championship games this term.
The 19-year-old is currently on a six-month loan deal at Portsmouth, but is due to return to Chelsea in January.
Now Warnock has admitted Palace have asked about his availability.
"We know Sahar is not playing at Portsmouth, he is someone we've asked about," confirmed Warnock.
Sahar has previously spent time on loan in Championship with both Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.

International Cricket, England set to ring changes

Graeme Swann could make the cut for the next ODI against India as England attempt to bounce back from two defeats.

Yesterday's 54-run loss at the Nehru Stadium followed an emphatic 158-run hammering in Rajkot, with England sticking to an unchanged line-up for both matches.
But with the tourists needing a vast improvement in their performance and tactics for the next game in Kanpur on Thursday, England may consider dropping their previous formula and introducing Swann's off-spin into their plans.
Nottinghamshire spinner Swann has been overlooked as England kept faith with a seam-heavy attack and county team-mate Samit Patel took on the slow bowling duties.
That formula is clearly not working, however, and captain Kevin Pietersen has admitted Swann may be considered in Kanpur either as a replacement for Patel or to feature alongside him.
"There's a food for thought there definitely, but we'll just wait and see," said Pietersen. "It's quite emotional talking just after a match so we'll see where we go."
Left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom could also come into contention after missing out on the warm-up matches with prolonged Achilles problems as England desperately try to shuffle their pack to try to remain in contention in the series.
"I just think we can be competitive and keep improving to get closer and win a couple of games," said Pietersen. We want to try to win this series because that's what we're here to do.
"I didn't want to change the side, I wanted to give the guys the confidence to know that they could turn things around.
"The team we went in with, we thought could win this fixture, and be more competitive, and we were."
Indeed, despite the healthy margin of defeat, Pietersen remained upbeat about England's performance in the second match of the series and believes it should be regarded as evidence of their progress over the last week.
"We've made a marked improvement from the first game, when we were totally outplayed and were out of it from 30 overs onwards," he explained.
"We certainly got a good start here, but we probably weren't aggressive and didn't carry that through and we probably thought it would just happen for us, which is a mistake of ours.
"The bowlers tried their hearts out and the batters definitely gave us a good run but we needed someone to get a big score like Yuvraj (Singh) did."

International Cricket, MSD: We are playing like a team

Indian skipper MSD Dhoni said the team is beginning to eenjoy each other's success resulting in a cheerful dressing room.

Dhoni, who led India to a second consecutive win against England Monday said: "The guys are enjoying their teammate's success. We are gelling well as a team. And that is eveident from the way the dressing room shapes up."
He said even if a batsman fails in the middle, he knows he can make it up with a special effort in the field.
Dhoni heaped praises on Yuvraj Singh, who scored back to back tons and grabbed four crucial English wickets to help India pouch the Indore ODI by 54 runs.
"We were in a scenario where we were struggling to get even 200 runs from 29 for three. But Yuvi played a stunner."
The Indian skipper also praised the way Gautam Gambhir and Yususf Pathan batted to set up a daunting target for England.
Dhoni said he never had any particular target in mind: "We were changing the target every five to 10 overs. When the partnership between Gautam and Yuvi blossomed, we knew we were in for a rich haul. When Yusuf batted the way he did, it was clear we were headed towards a good total."
He said Yusuf's maiden ODI fity would give him a lot of confidence: "He has not got a landmark before but this knock would certainly give him a lot of confidence."
Dhoni said India would take one game at a time and not look too far ahead into the series.
India next play England on November 20 in Kanpur.

International Cricket, India keen to maintain momentum

India will be looking to continue their domination of England when the two teams clash for the third ODI in Kanpur on Thursday.

England have their tail tucked between legs after the twin mauling in Rajkot and Indore and will have to quickly find a way to stop India's in-form batsmen from launching another assault at the Green Park.
With pitch curator Shiv Kumar predicting a bowlers' bloodbath tomorrow, England pacers would have their task cut out when they mark their run-up against India's awe-inspiring batting order and a defeat here would leave them with the improbable task of winning the remaining four matches to win the series.
It was not merely the margin of defeat but the manner of it that exposed England's lack of resources in all three departments and Pietersen and party are simply clueless how to silence Yuvraj Singh's booming blade.
Eight years in the business and still not a certainty in the Test squad, Yuvraj unleashed his pent-up frustration with some power-hitting and the English bowlers can consider themselves simply unlucky to find themselves in his line of fire.
In two matches, Yuvraj proved he could be swashbuckling and sublime as well. His 78-ball 138 in Rajkot was pure aggression but the ton in Indore, on a two-paced track, would rank even higher because of its influence on the outcome of the match.
Spread-eagled by Yuvraj's blazing blade, Stuart Broad and his bowling colleagues can only hope for the law of average to catch up with the England bugbear tomorrow. So far, India has kept things simple, raise a mountain of runs and bury England under it. English bowlers bled 679 runs in just two matches -- 372 of it in fours and sixes -- failing to bowl out the hosts even once.
Not that Yuvraj alone milked the English attack dry. Gautam Gambhir's back-to-back fifties got overshadowed by Yuvraj's successive tons but the pint-sized powerhouse has been in terrific form of late and he does not look in a mood to relax.
Along with Yuvraj, Gambhir raised those 134 runs that steadied India's rocking boat in Indore after England had reduced the hosts to 29 for three to give themselves the best chance of the series so far.
And if Virender Sehwag has his way, life would be difficult for the English bowlers, who simply lack the sting of firepower to reign him in.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has long ago shed the reckless reveller's tag and is more of the crisis man these days and having a long-hitter like Yousuf Pathan only eases the pressure on the India skipper.
That Pathan can use the long handle with lethal effect was on ample display in the Indian Premier League and having been at the receiving end of his pyrotechnics in Indore, the visitors would be at their wit's end, wondering how to straitjacket the towering India.
In the bowling department too, India's embarrassment of riches contrasts England's thin resource, both in the spin and pace segments.
For India, Zaheer Khan has been both probing and poaching, while Munaf Patel has been difficult to score off. R P Singh did go for a few runs but India's spin attack, especially the part-timers, has more than compensated for that. Interestingly, Harbhajan Singh had a very limited role in the series so far while the part-timers made merry. In fact in Indore, Yuvraj, Sehwag and Pathan shared as many as eight wickets among them.
Overall, the series so far has been a lop-sided affair with India treating England with utter disdain and though Pietersen and his teammates would be hoping to be third time lucky, they would have to conjure an extraordinary show tomorrow to halt the Team India juggernaut.
Teams (From): India: MS Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag (V-C), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, R P Singh and Murali Vijay.
England: Kevin Pietersen (C), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright and Tim Ambrose.
Umpires: Amish Saheba, Russell Tiffin Third Umpire: Suresh Shastri Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama Hours of Play: 9 am to 12.30 pm, 1.15 pm to 4.45 pm.

ICL T20 Final

Sparkling Imran Nazir century makes Lahore the 'Badshahs' of ICL20s Indian Championship.

Lahore Badshahs beat Hyderabad Heroes by 8 wickets to lift ICL 20s Indian Championship; pocket humongous prize money of Rupees 2 crore.Hyderabad Heroes pick up handsome runner up prize of Rupees1 crore.Rana Naved Ul Hasan wins man of the series award; wins 40 Lakhs rupees, Dish TV digital set top box, Luminous inverter & electric bike.Stuart Binny wins “Kapil Dev Award” for most improved promising Indian player.

Ahmedabad: The third final of three finals for the ICL 20s Indian Championship featured defending champions Hyderabad Heroes, take on the mighty Lahore Badshahs for top honors at Sardar Patel stadium Ahmedabad. It was the mighty Lahore Badshahs who in the end conquered the final Fortier in ICL, thrashing their arch rivals Hyderabad Heroes by a comprehensive margin of 8 wickets, with 6 overs to spare. The highlight of the win was a sparkling unbeaten century from the dashing Imran Nazir plundering 111 runs off only 44 balls; studded with 7 fours & 11 mighty sixes. The Knock also too Imran Nazir to the top of the leading scorer list for the tournament. Imran Nazir was fittingly declared man of the match. Nazir also won the Haywards Soda Solid Six award of US $10,000 for longest six of that went 140mts in the same match.Chirs Harris won the all important toss and elected to bat. Lahore came out with a serious purpose in the field, with Azhar Mahmood striking early; castling the experienced Jimmy Maher in the 2nd over with only 8 runs on the board. Harris promoted the talented Anirudh Singh up the order at the no3 position. The move however did not pay dividends, as double strikes from the impressive Shahid Nazir in form of Singh & Razzaq’s wicket, had the defending champions in a bit of a bother at 58/3 at the end of the 7th over.

Inzamam introduced his premiere spinner Saqlain in the 10th over who struck immediately with the big wicket of the inform Khaleel out for a well made 45 off 25 balls, including 7 fours and 1 six. The half way mark of their innings had the defending champions placed precariously at 76/4. Rayudu’s wicket as Shahid Nazir’s third scalp of the match set the stage for Boje & Binny to play the resurrection role for the Hyderabad Heroes. 19 runs off the 14th Saqlian over, took the score to 120/5, brining Hyderabad back in the match. The pacy Sami however had other plans, getting Boje to nick one to a diving Humayun Farhat, ending the 42 run partnership for the 6th wicket in the 15th over. With 5 overs to go Hyderabad were placed at 125/6 needing a major onslaught in the death overs to set up a decent target. The crafty Lahore bowling machinery was at its best, not giving any leeway to the Hyderabad batsmen, restricting their batting scorecard to 158/7 in their allotted 20 overs.The Lahore chase got off to a blistering start with Nazir going hammer & tongs after Razzaq to plunder 24 runs off the first over. Nazir was carrying out a complete carnage on the Hyderabad bowing brining the Lahore fifty off only 20 balls in the 4th over. It was a Nazir show all the way at the start of the Lahore innings; brining his half century off only 16 balls in the 5th over; studded with 4 fours and five sixes. The 100 run partnership for the opening wicket came about in only the 8th over with the defending champions. The 108 run partnership was finally ended by Razzaq with the wicket of Farhat out for a well made 28 in the 9th over.Nazir was toying with the Hyderabad bowling bringing about his maiden ICL hundred off only 42 balls; studded with 7 fours and 10 sixes. Imran went on the finish the match with his unbeaten knock off 111 coming off only 44 balls, made of Champagne stuff; single handedly finishing the match in only the 14th over.Brief scores: Hyderabad Heroes 58/7 in 20 overs (Khaleel 45, Binny 25, Shahid Nazir 3/29) lost by 8 wickets to Lahore Badshahs 160/2 in13.5 overs (Imran Nazir 111*, Farhat 28, Boje 1/25)

Tennis, Federer admits Wimbledon dream

Swiss Roger Federer has admitted he would prefer winning Wimbledon again than regaining his world No 1 ranking.

The Swiss star, speaking at the press conference for the Showdown of Champions Kuala Lumpur 2008 here today, expressed his special love for Wimbledon which he says means more to him in tennis than anything else."Wimbledon is something special. There is no substitute for it," said Federer, who lost his top ranking to Spain's Rafael Nadal a few months ago."While I would also love to beat Pete Sampras' Grand Slam record of 14 titles, and also to regain my No 1 ranking, I place winning another Wimbledon title above all else," said Federer ahead of tomorow's showdown at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.Federer will share the spotlight with two other former Wimbledon champions, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg in the Showdown of Champions. James Blake will make up the quartet who will play two singles matches and one doubles tomorrow night."It's going to be an exciting match for Malaysian fans tomorrow as they will witness two generations of players in action," said McEnroe."Players now days are so fast and hit the ball even more powerful than during my time. I also believe that there are personalities in the men's game, much more than in the women's. We must capitalise on this as we can bring more fans to the game.Mean while, Federer will have a rare meet the fans session at the Petronas Twin Towers lobby from 11.30am-12.25pm tomorrow. Fans are advised to come early to avoid disappointment.Tennis fans in Malaysia will also be treated to entertainment levels of mega proportions when they attend the Showdown of Champions where one lucky fan will drive away with a brand new Proton Satria Neo.Aside from being thrilled by the skills of world-class tennis players, attendees of the event will be awed by the stunning performances of the country's top three divas.Local stars Jaclyn Victor, Ning Baizura and Ella have agreed to perform and do their own bit of entertaining the fans during the Showdown of Champions. The stars will be performing a pre- tennis concert and will perform between game changeovers during the actual matches throughout the night.

Premier League , Torres named player of the year

Liverpool's Fernando Torres has been named BPL player of the year at the Northwest Football Awards.

Torres scored 33 goals in his first season at Anfield before helping Spain to European Championship glory.
Ryan Giggs was named footballer of the year while his manager Sir Alex Ferguson won an outstanding achievement award following Manchester United's league and Champions League double.
Everton boss David Moyes received the manager of the year award while Sir Tom Finney was presented with the lifetime achievement award.

Premier League, Vidic: United have staying power

Nemanja Vidic is convinced Manchester United will show their true Premier League title credentials in the second half of the season.

Despite recording their biggest win of the season against Stoke on Saturday, United remain eight points adrift of pace-setters Chelsea and Liverpool - knowing they will probably slip even further behind before Christmas because their scheduled clash with Wigan on December 21 has been postponed due to the World Club Cup.
But Vidic remains unconcerned.
In each of his three years at Old Trafford, the Red Devils' form has improved markedly after the festive period.
The Serbian defender sees no reason why this season should be any different.
"I can only speak from experience - but after three years here, I know we are always better in the second half of the season," he said.
"We pick up the flow, and our performances tend to improve. I hope it will be like that again."
While Chelsea's credentials - if not Luiz Felipe Scolari's - at the end of an exhausting domestic campaign are already established, Liverpool remain an unknown quantity.
Many felt Rafael Benitez's side would challenge for the championship last term, only for the Anfield outfit to fall away badly after they were beaten by United in December.
Having avenged that loss and ended Chelsea's formidable home record already this term, Liverpool seem intent on lasting the pace.
But as Vidic knows only too well, performing at your highest level in April and May - when the pressure is at its most intense - is another matter entirely.
"It is always about the second half of the season," he said.
"That is when the games are decisive. That is when it is really tough.
"It is hard to say how Liverpool will handle it. All we can do is keep as close as we can and then push forward.
"I am certainly not worried about the way we are playing - because we have done well in the last few games, even against Arsenal when we lost the match but our performance was good."
Vidic certainly feels at home with United, contrary to speculation that erupted around his critique of the English weather.
While Manchester's climate is nothing to write home about, it is at least warmer than his previous home in Moscow - and Vidic is happy to confirm the north-west suits him just fine.
"I definitely feel settled here," he said.
"It is unnerving for everyone when they move clubs.
"When I joined Red Star Belgrade as a young player it was two hours away by car. It felt like the end of the world and at first it was very hard.
"It was the same when I came to Manchester United.
"But you get used to it. I have more friends and I am used to the language. I really feel at home now."

Premier League, Jagielka: Home form must improve

Phil Jagielka admits to harbouring growing concern that Everton's home form could cost them European qualification.
The Toffees were held 1-1 at home by Middlesbrough on Sunday, and now only Wigan and Blackburn have worse home league records.
Is is a surprise, therefore, that Everton have retained seventh place and lie just four points behind a Champions League spot.
Four wins on the road have kept David Moyes' side in the running for a UEFA Cup spot.
Jagielka witnessed his side toil to grab a late equaliser through Ayegbeni Yakubu - his first goal in 10 games - and said: "We kept our unbeaten run going, but we would all like to see our home form pick up.
"One win in the league here all season is not good enough.
"And this was the sort of game we would have expected to take three points from."
Everton struggled to gain parity after Gary O'Neil's early strike, in front of the lowest home league crowd in boss Moyes' reign.
The tension from the fans was evident, with Goodison Park nothing like the bear-pit it can be when Everton are firing on all cylinders.
Jagielka said: "The fans are a bit quiet because we are not giving them much to shout about. For the home draw with Manchester United, the place was electric, so it is up to us to provide the fans with something that excites them.
"We are realists. We know it is up to us to pick up our home form, and that will then get the crowd going.
"The way this division is at the moment, if you lose a couple you are in a relegation fight. So we must just keep this unbeaten run going, and see where it takes us."
He added: "It took us a long time to get back into the game, but the reaction to going behind from the lads was impressive.
"We had some chances, then you start thinking that it can be one of those days.
"But then Yak got on the end of a free-kick, a fantastic finish with his back!
"After that we put them under a lot of pressure but they stood up to it well."
Moyes was pleased to have avoided defeat but disappointed to have dropped two points.
The Scot said: "We have kept the unbeaten run going, but it is another home game gone. A win would have pushed us up nearer the top group.
"I am disappointed that we did not do that. But our home form is not worrying me, I believe by the end of the season we will have picked up what we need at home.
"But if we continue to keep getting draws against the Middlesbroughs etc, it will become an issue that we're not getting the points at home."
Like Everton, Boro are on a five-match unbeaten run, and boss Gareth Southgate was delighted with the attitude of his young side under severe physical pressure and the performance of his front pair of Tuncay and Afonso Alves.
He said: "We have pace and we are a threat. We have always been competitive and have started to put a decent run together.
"We are unbeaten in five and that is as good as anyone in the division.
"That is an indication of the nature of the Premier League, everything is so tight. But it is good progress for us.
"We have become much harder to beat, and taking four points from two very tough away games at Aston Villa and now Everton has pleased me.
"Maybe in the past we have been a soft touch away from home. That has not been the case this season.
"We have picked up eight points from our last four away matches, that is a good return."
He added: "The front pair are working well. Tuncay drops deep into dangerous areas and caused the best teams a lot of problems.
"He is an outstanding talent and a joy to work with. His enthusiasm for the game is special and he gives tremendous energy to the team as well.
"Alves is improving. It takes people coming into English football time to adapt, and he is now getting there."

International Cricket, MSD climbs up ICC rankings

Stuart Broad breaks into the top 20 bowlers for the first time but England lose ground in Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship.

There has been plenty of movement in the latest Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shoaib Malik and Michael Hussey being the main beneficiaries as Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Shivnarine Chanderpaul lose out.
Dhoni has not been dismissed so far in the Asia Cup having scored 135 runs in two unbeaten innings. This effort has moved him up five places in the batting rankings to fourth position, level with Hussey and Ponting of Australia.
Former number-one Hussey has been slipping down the rankings of late but has now managed to halt that decline. The West Australian gains three places in the figures announced today after a crucial innings in Friday's ODI against the West Indies in Grenada.
With his side in a bit of trouble at 35-3, the 33-year-old top-scored with 62 and shared a 100-run partnership with Michael Clarke to make sure Australia posted what turned out to be a winning total of 213-5.
Ponting, on the other hand, has dropped from second position to fourth after failing to make an impression with the bat during either of the two ODIs of the series played so far. Meanwhile, South Africa captain Graeme Smith is still on top of the log as his side prepares for its upcoming Test series in England.
Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik is back into the top 20 batsmen having gained no fewer than seven places in latest rankings. His unbeaten 125 against India was not enough to win the match for Pakistan but it has made a big difference to Shoaib's standing in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen.
The 26-year-old has moved to the top of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, taking over from team-mate Shahid Afridi, who slips to second spot with New Zealand's Jacob Oram up two places to third place.
With the Black Caps having dominated the ODI series against England, captain Daniel Vettori lifted the trophy at Lord's on Saturday and his match figures of 10-1-32-3 in his side's 51-run victory illustrated just why the 29-year-old is the top-ranked one-day bowler in the world at present.
Team-mate Scott Styris is currently enjoying the highest rating of his career to date and has gained four places to 22nd in the batting list after hitting a memorable 87 not out.
But the most impressive progress is by an England player. Stuart Broad has gained 22 places to a career-high 12th position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Rankings for ODI bowlers capping off a good series for the young fast bowler.
Among the other bowlers, there is also good progress for Daren Powell of the West Indies, who climbed three places to fifth position, Australia's Brett Lee (up three places to joint-seventh) and West Indies' Jerome Taylor (up two places to join Lee in seventh place).
England loses further ground in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship and is now firmly in seventh position two points adrift of Sri Lanka in sixth spot and five ahead of the West Indies in eighth.
New Zealand managed to stay ahead of India in third place but with the Asia Cup still going on, India can go third if it wins its next two matches, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, even if New Zealand overcomes the challenge of Ireland in Aberdeen on Tuesday.
If the Irishmen win that match, they will gain seven points, putting a little bit of pressure on Bangladesh in ninth spot.

Asia Cup, We can win Asia Cup: Dhoni

Indian skipper MS Dhoni has said that if his side plays to its potential, there is no doubt of their winning the Asia Cup.
Dhoni told reporters that his team had played well over the last few tours in Pakistan and that will give them the confidence to go and play good cricket in that country again.
Reacting to Sri Lankan ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's statement that India start favourites in the Asia Cup, Dhoni said, "At the moment the team is playing well and therefore I feel that Muralitharan is right in calling us the favourites."
Stating that not much should be read into the loss to Pakistan in the tri-series final in Bangladesh, he said: "We had played good cricket in the tournament and winning and losing is part of the game. As long as you play good cricket, there will be more wins than losses."
Dhoni further added that his team has taken a lot of positives out of the tri-series and they had been working on handling the middle overs better.
"In a 50-over game, the middle overs form a very important part of the game. This is the time when you have to score four to five runs an over, while at the same time keep wickets in charge," Dhoni said.
India coach Gary Kirsten said the new generation batsmen have adapted themselves to the job very well.
"They are an extremely talented bunch of boys, who have it in them to carry Indian cricket forward," the coach said.
The former South African opener also said that winning the Asia Cup was within their grasp and it will be another feather in the cap for these players.
The Asia Cup will be played from June 24 to July 6. India are in Group B with hosts Pakistan and Hong Kong, while Group A consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and UAE.

Asia Cup , Shoaib talks up Asia Cup rivals

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik believes there is no clear favourite for the Asia Cup, which begins on Tuesday.
Many pundits have tipped Pakistan for glory after an impressive recent run of form. Malik's side have claimed victory in 12 of their 13 one-day internationals this year and beat India and Bangladesh to claim the Kitply Cup earlier this month.
That win was all the more remarkable considering star bowler Mohammad Asif was held in Dubai over allegations of possessing drugs for the duration of the competition.
Nevertheless, Malik was quick to play down his sides chances of triumphing on home soil.
"I wouldn't say any team is favourite," Malik told Chennai Online. "India is a strong and balanced side but we showed in the tri-series final they can be beaten. So in a way this Asia Cup I think is going to be the closest one in recent years."
Former Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Sarfraz Ahmed has been called into the Pakistan squad to replace out of form wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal.
Holders Sri Lanka come into the tournament on the back of consecutive ODI series defeats against England, Australia and the West Indies. The 2007 World Cup finalists have won just two ODIs all year and will be without injured duo Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof.
Captain Mahela Jayawardene told the Times of India that his side have been pulling out all the stops to turn their slump around.
"We have had good preparations as it is an important cup to win. Both India and Pakistan will be hard to beat," said Jayawardene who welcomes back Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan after their absence against the West Indies.
India fast bowler Sreesanth has failed to recover from the side strain he suffered during the IPL and will miss tournament.
Sreesanth joins Sachin Tendulkar on the sidelines for the three-time champions who will be looking to build on their victory over Australia in the VB Series earlier this year.
Bangladesh enter the competition on the back of comprehensive defeats to Pakistan and India in the Kitply Cup.
The form of star batsman Mohammad Ashraful, who has been promoted up the order to number three by coach Jamie Siddons, could hold the key to whether Bangladesh can progress past the group stage of the tournament.
As in the 2004 Asia Cup, minnows Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates will make up the numbers. Honk Kong face the daunting task of games against India and Pakistan in Group A, while the UAE join Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Group B. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.
Pakistani officials are viewing the tournament as good preparation for hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in September.
England and Australia have already expressed security concerns about travelling to the country this autumn and a smoothly run Asia Cup could play a crucial role in alleviating those fears.

Asia Cup , Malik: We'll learn from mistakes

Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik said his side needs to learn from the mistakes they made in the win against Hong Kong.

Pakistan were struggling at 162-7 before a record eighth wicket partnership between Fawad Alam and Sohail Tanvir bailed Pakistan out of trouble.
None of Pakistan's top order batsmen, apart from Younis Khan, who scored a classy 63, could hang around for their money' worth and allowed Hong Kong to atleast sniff a chance for sometime in the match.
Malik, speaking to STAR CRICKET after the match said: "This sort of thing happens in cricket. The important thing is we learn from the mistakes we made on the field."
The captain was effusive in his praise for Tanvir and Alam, who scored character filled half centuries to put Pakistan in a commanding position.
"We were struggling at one stage but Tanvir and Alam batted brilliantly."
Malik, however, realised that the margin for error would be lesser against India. He reiterated that he expected big things from the team.
"I expect big things from the team. I don't want to lose a single game in the Asia Cup."
Hong Kong captain Tabarak Dar looked impressed the way his bowlers but admitted they were tired.
"The bowlers did well but they were tired at one stage. Had we broken the partnerhip between Tanvir and Alam,we could have been chasing less than 200."
Left arm spinners Nadeem Ahmed and Munir Dar were spectacular for Hong Kong, with the fomer taking four for 51 off nine overs.
Tabarak said his team won a few sessions but lacked the proffessionalism to deliver the knock out punch.
"We had a few fitness problems and could not carry it through. That is the difference between professional and part time cricketers.

Asia Cup , Tanvir: I am an allrounder now

Sohail Tanvir said he was happy he got a match winning knock under his belt and is now ready to be branded an all rounder.

"I was looking for an innings like this. I am happy I am an all rounder now. I can brand myself one now," Tanvir told STAR CRICKET after the match.
The left arm bowler joined Fawad Alam at the crease when his side were tottering at 160-7 and departed after adding 56 runs to the total. His record partnership with Alam propelled Pakistan to 288-8, a more than challenging total against an inexperienced Hong Kong.
Tanvir then came back to bag three wickets for 22 runs, bowling with a lot of venom.
Speaking of his crucial partnership with Alam, he said: "Fawad and I got as many as we could. I told him we need to score in singles for the next 10 overs."
Tanvir was clealrly ecsatic with his performance. "When I first came to international cricket,I was bowling well but was struggling with the bat. I am happy I delivered today."
Experts have repeatedly hailed Tanvir as a talented all rounder, waiting to explode.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was happy with Tanvir's showing. He told STAR CRICKET: "I am happy with the way he batted. I hope he continues this way. He surely has the talent."

Champion's leauge, T20

McCullum gets top scorer award:

Brendon McCullum was on Thursday awarded the T20 Champions Award in the highest individual scorer category.

McCullum, sent a message from Bangladesh, saying he cannot wait to see his fans in Kolkata Knight Riders.
The Kiwi batsman, who turned out for a couple of games for the IPL side, Kolkata Knight Riders, was selected on the basis of his pyrotechnical 158 in the opening game of the Indian domestic T20 championship earlier this year.
The inaugural T20 Champions Award has been instituted by BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa to recognise the best of Twenty20 performances in domestic leagues across all Champions League Twenty20 constituent countries.
McCullum, whose services were secured forr USD 700,000, smashed 10 boundaries and 13 sixes in his 73-ball knock in the first match of the IPL played against Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Chinnaswamy stadium that literally set the tone for the entire tournament.
In that knock, McCullum bettered Cameron White's record of 141 not out off 70 balls, for Somerset against Worcestershire in July 2006.
The wicketkeeper-batsman will, however, not feature in the Champions League Twenty20 because his team Kolkata Knight Riders failed to reach the title round of the IPL.

Champions leauge T20

Oram out of Chennai team:

The Chennai Super Kings have not named injured Jacob Oram in their squad for the Champions League Twenty20.

The hard-hitting Oram missed the second Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur last month due to a back injury and returned home for treatment, but he is yet to recover.
India bowler Joginder Sharma has also not been named by the Super Kings due to a heel injury.
"We have almost all our overseas stars available which means some of the Indian cricketers have missed out," the Super Kings' director of cricket operations VB Chandrasekar told the Hindu.
"Of course, we would have loved to have Oram, who can be influential."
The Super Kings will be coached by former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who succeeds Kepler Wessels after the South Africans contract was not renewed.
The Chennai Super Kings are placed in Group A of the Champions League tournament along with Australia's Victoria Bushrangers, South Africa's Pretoria Titans and English champions Middlesex Crusaders.
They take on the Bushrangers in their first match in Mumbai on December 4.
Chennai Super Kings team: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, Albie Morkel, Subramaniam Badrinath, Chamara Kapugedara, Arun Karthik, Parthiv Patel, R. Ashwin, Muttiah Muralitharan, Makhaya Ntini, Laxmipathy Balaji, Manpreet Gony, Sudip Tyagi.
Coach: Stephen Fleming.

CHAMPION'S LEAUGE T20

CL T20 final to be held in Chennai
The Champions League T20 final on December 10 will be played in Chennai instead of Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium.
The opening match in Group Awill be between Victoria of Australia and Middlesex of England will commence on December 3 in Mumbai.
The Chennai Super Kings, IPL runners-up, and Titans of South Africa make up the other two teams in this group.
IPL champions Rajasthan Royals headline Group B together with South Africa's Dolphins whom they will face-off first in Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium. Sialkot Stallions of Pakistan and Western Australia make up the rest of this Group.
The group games will be played in Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai over four days, with Bangalore and Chennai hosting the semi-finals.

Tennis, Djokovic downs del Potro

Novak Djokovic started his Tennis Masters Cup campaign with a win after beating Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday.
The second seeded Serb battled to a 7-5 6-3 victory over his Argentinian opponent in one hour 57 minutes in Shanghai.
Djokovic surrendered an early break in the first set as Del Potro recovered to level matters at 5-5.
But the world number three moved ahead at 6-5 and then sealed the break and the set after a long baseline rally.
Del Petro drew first blood in the second set as he broke to go 2-1 up after his opponent opted to leave his passing shot and the ball dropped in.
Djokovic though broke right back after producing a fine return to a serve into the body and had the chance to move 4-2 ahead only for the Argentinian to keep himself in the game with a fine lob and then make it 3-3 with a running backhand down the line.
That was the last game Del Potro would win though as Djokovic broke again to close out the win.

Tennis , Federer admits to injury concern

Roger Federer admits he is unsure if his back will hold up when the Tennis Masters Cup gets under way in Shanghai.

The Swiss star has been struggling with the problem since withdrawing from the Paris Masters last week.
Federer is the top seed at the prestigious eight-player season finale in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, and comes in to the event as the two-time reigning champion.
The 27-year-old, who starts the defence of his title against Frenchman Gilles Simon on Monday, has been able to practice pain-free, but admits how the injury holds up in a match is another matter.
"It's way better than last Friday," Federer told reporters. "I've been able to practice without pain.
"(But) I'm not sure (what to expect against Simon) because I haven't been pushing it to the very limit. It just needs as much time as possible."
Also a back-to-back winner of this event in 2003 and 2004, Federer is aiming to join Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl as the only players with five titles.
But even though he has won four of the last five titles, and finished runner-up in 2005, Federer still has something to prove this time.
The 13-time grand slam champion has won 65 matches and four titles this season, including his fifth straight US Open crown, but his 13 loses have been the bigger story.
It is the first time since 2003 that he has endured a double-digit loss total, and his four titles are the fewest since 2002, when he won three.
While a bout with glandular fever at the start of the year played its part in Federer's struggles, the form of Nadal has also made things difficult.
The Spaniard has won all four of his meetings with Federer this year, including wins in the French Open and Wimbledon finals.
An eight-time champion this year, Nadal also took the world number one ranking from Federer in August, ending a record 237-week run.
Those setbacks appear to have made Federer more determined than ever, though.
"It is a challenge to get back to number one," he said. "I'm here to win. I'm not here just to participate."
Already guaranteed to finish the year as the world number one, Nadal will not be able to trip up Federer again here as the 22-year-old has withdrawn with knee tendinitis.
That's not to say Federer won't have his hands full as he attempts to emerge from the Red Group and improve on his 26 wins in the Masters Cup.
Awaiting him in round-robin play are American number one Andy Roddick, US Open finalist Andy Murray and Simon - a trio of players who have defeated Federer at least once in 2008.
The Gold Group is headlined by Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who will be joined by Nikolay Davydenko, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro.
The 20-year-old del Potro has been one of the finds of the second half of 2008.
The Argentinian had never played in an ATP singles final prior to winning four consecutive titles during July and August.
Del Potro has soared from 81st to a career-high ranking of eight since April.

Tennis, US Open my best chance - Murray

A stunning end to 2008 has given Andy Murray the belief he can soon add a Grand Slam title to his already impressive resume.

Murray has climbed to fourth in the world rankings after winning five tournaments this season, including back-to-back Masters Series victories, as well as reaching the final of the US Open where he lost to Roger Federer.
And the Scot believes the list of impressive scalps he has captured this season is an indication he has the ability to claim one of the sport's four most prestigious prizes. Asked if he felt he was ready to do so, Murray said: "I don't think you ever know until you do it (but) my results would suggest that I am."
He added: "I've played very well the last three or four months, making the final of the US Open. At Wimbledon I played pretty well and in the big tournaments since then. In the Masters series I've obviously performed well.
"I have to make sure I keep getting stronger physically and improve my game so if I do get in a situation where I'm in a Grand Slam final I'm better prepared.
"Realistically, the US Open is my best chance."
Most of Murray's success this year has come since suffering a disappointing quarter-final exit to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and the Scot recently saw a 14-match winning streak ended by David Nalbandian in Paris.
Murray underlined his success in the second half of 2008 was mostly down to a punishing fitness regime he decided to undertake at the end of last year.
"I worked very hard on that in December last year," he added.
"I think that's why my results got better as this year went on. I didn't only work on lifting weights, I also worked on my speed as well."

Tennis, Venus Williams stars in Doha

Venus Williams added another title to her illustrious career with victory in the final of the WTA Championships in Doha.
The American battled back from a set down to claim a 6-7 (5/7) 6-0 6-2 triumph over Vera Zvonareva of Russia.
It was the 39th title of her career for Williams, but the first for the 28-year-old in the prestigious year-ending tournament.Both players had won all four of their previous matches in this year's tournament, but it was eighth seed Zvonareva who made the stronger start.
The Russian, who beat compatriot Elena Dementieva to reach the final, raced to a 5-2 lead in the opening set and then found herself holding four set points in game eight.
But Williams woke up at this point and reeled off a string of impressive strokes to take the set into a tie-break.
This time it was the American who surged into the lead, only for Zvonareva to claw her way back with six points in a row to take a one-set advantage.
Williams stormed back however with three breaks of serve allowing her to wrap up the second set to love and level the match.
Zvonareva briefly regrouped to break Williams early in the third set, but the American again stepped up a gear and responded with two breaks of her own to clinch the match in two hours and 10 minutes.
It marked Williams' sixth win in seven meetings with Zvonareva to cap off a remarkable week for the seventh seed in Doha.

International Cricket, Oz media flays India tactics

India's defensive tactics on the third day of the fourth Test against Australia came in for criticism from the media Down Under.
The Oz media lambasted the hosts for "killing the game" and showing scant respect for the spectators with their "negative" approach.
"Towards the end of the first session the screen reported that 'of 100 balls bowled today, the Aussies have left 59'. But the message was the wrong way around. It ought to have read: 'Of 100 balls delivered this morning, India directed 59 wide of the wickets'," noted cricket writer Peter Roebuck wrote in a column for the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.
"It's hard to remember a more cynical display from a side that commands such widespread affection, a side that represents both the mightiest force and future of the game. On this evidence the Indians are more concerned with ends than means," he fumed.
Just 166 runs were scored on the third day with Indian bowlers bowling a line wide outside off stump. The tactics, however boring, handed India a substantial 86-run lead going into the fourth day.
Roebuck said if teams start relying on such a negative approach then it should not surprise anyone if people don't turn up to watch Test cricket, which is already battling dwindling fan interest.
"Does Test cricket want to survive? Does it even care? Both sides have played a boring game, aiming wide of the sticks whenever it suited them, stifling stroke play, killing the game.
"Unsurprisingly, the stands have been almost empty. It's not much fun to sit exposed to the sun for hours on end watching seamers send the ball wide of the sticks and batsmen shouldering arms, or spinners aiming into the rough outside leg stump, daring batsmen to roll the dice.
"Joining the dots it is called in the jargon. Spectators ought to have been paid to attend but instead were forced to take a rickshaw to a distant ground, buy a ticket for all five days and survive numerous glares and searches from security officers," Roebuck wrote. He said India's tactics were so outrageous that Australians, for once, earned a right to question the host team's spirit.
"On this occasion the Australian batsmen were not to blame for the banality of the morning 'play'. Rightly, the occupants refused to throw their bats at wide deliveries. As the balls flew past almost out of reach they have every right to echo Anil Kumble's withering remark after the SCG Test that only one team had played in the spirit of the game." 'The Australian' said India's approach strangulated the game.
"Bowling defensively against an Australian side which trails 1-0 and must win this match to level the series and retain the Trophy, India appeared as through it was content with a draw but is now well placed to win.
"The sparse crowds which inhabited this magnificent but inaccessible new arena in the middle of nowhere have little reason to bother returning next time India play a Test here.
'The Courier Mail' echoed the view and criticised Dhoni's men for slowing down the match.
"In a city known for its oranges, India began to squeeze the life out of Australia's bid to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the fourth Test slowed to snail's pace.
"Chasing India's first innings total of 441, the tourists were bowled out for 355 shortly before stumps on a third day marred by India's overly defensive field placings.

Serie A, Serie A Weekend Review

A review of the weekend's action in the Serie A in which Alessandro Del Piero scored his 250th goal for Juventus.
Julio Cruz's stoppage-time winner snatched all three points for Inter Milan in a disappointing encounter against Udinese at the San Siro on Sunday.
The result was a harsh blow for the Friulians who deserved at least a point, but return to Udine empty-handed and drop three places to fifth in the Serie A standings.
A stoppage-time equaliser from Andrea Esposito prevented AC Milan from returning to the top of the league as Lecce earned a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Via del Mare.
A Ronaldinho goal 11 minutes from time had put the Rossoneri ahead, but Esposito's last-gasp header earned Lecce a draw which ruined Milan's plans of moving back above arch rivals Internazionale into top spot.
Alessandro Del Piero celebrated his 34th birthday in style by scoring his 250th goal for Juventus as they beat Chievo 2-0.
Del Piero broke the deadlock after 40 minutes in signature style with a swerving free-kick from just outside the area that whistled past Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.
It was reward for an opening half Juve dominated and a second was not long coming after the break with Vicenzo Iaquinta tapping in the rebound after Sorrentino had saved his 54th-minute penalty.
Napoli returned to winning ways to climb to second in the Serie A standings by beating struggling Sampdoria 2-0.
Daniele Mannini opened the scoring for the Partenopei midway through the first half and substitute Marcelo Zalayeta bagged the second to make the game safe 15 minutes from time.
Diego Milito scored a hat-trick as Genoa crushed 10-man Reggina 4-0 to move to within three points of the Serie A summit.
The Argentinian international took centre stage as Reggina's resistance crumbled following the dismissal of defender Andrea Costa on the stroke of half-time.
Giuseppe Sculli also scored for the hosts, for whom it was a sixth successive home victory, to leave Reggina rooted to the foot of the table.
Fiorentina notched up their fourth home win of the season as they defeated Atalanta 2-1.
The Viola took a two-goal lead into the break thanks to strikes from Felipe Melo and Alberto Gilardino before Sergio Floccari reduced the gap from the penalty spot late on.
Three goals in the second half helped Lazio to their third consecutive win in Serie A as they overcame Siena 3-0.
The in-form Mauro Zarate opened the scoring 12 minutes after the break, before second-half substitute Tommasi Rocchi added two goals in the final minutes to cement the win.
Rocco Sabato's late free-kick saw Catania come from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over Cagliari.
Jedaias Jeda took advantage of poor defending to head Cagliari in front in the sixth minute but Giuseppe Mascara equalised in the 37th minute.
And a good second-half performance paid off as Sabato pounced three minutes from time to ensure Catania got back to winning ways after three consecutive defeats.
On Saturday, an own goal by Cicinho in stoppage time gifted Bologna and new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic their first draw of the season - 1-1 against Roma.
Francesco Totti celebrated his 400th Serie A appearance with a 69th-minute goal, which seemed to be enough to grant Roma their second win in a week, before Cicinho headed into his own net in the second minute of stoppage time.
Jurgen Samuel's late goal against the 10 men of Palermo helped Torino to a 1-0 victory.
Toro looked to be heading for a frustrating draw until a red card for Antonio Nocerino seven minutes from time changed the face of the game, and Samuel was able to produce the winner with 89 minutes played.

Serie A, Del Piero's free-kick tactics

Juventus captain, Alessandro Del Piero spoke about his art of taking free-kicks after scoring two in the past week.

Against Real Madrid at the Bernabau in a midweek Champions League tie, Del Piero curled a well executed free-kick over the Madrid wall and into the left corner leaving one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Iker Casillas, stranded.
The midfield maestro did it again at the weekend in the league against Chievo when he picked his spot and left Stefano Sorrentino grasping thin air in goal.
"(Chievo goalkeeper Stefano) Sorrentino had quite the wall, but, I always play my football based on the sensations I'm feeling," he explained.
"Perhaps that is why this year, my strikes have been different."
Del Piero also gave his take on the most important fact of dead-ball situations when he said: "In reality there are many ways to strike a free-kick. The important thing is it goes in."
The player has scored five goals through direct free-kicks this season and with a huge chunk of the season still to be played, goalkeepers across Europe can expect more of Del Piero's dangerous free-kicks to come.
Next up for the 2006 World Cup winner will be Diego Milito's Genoa in Turin.

Serie A, Del Piero creates history for Juve

Alessandro Del Piero celebrated his 34th birthday by scoring his 250th goal for Juventus in the 2-0 win over Chievo.
Del Piero broke the deadlock after 40 minutes in signature style with a swerving free-kick from just outside the area that whistled past Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.
It was reward for an opening half Juve dominated and a second was not long coming after the break with Vicenzo Iaquinta tapping in the rebound after Sorrentino had saved his 54th-minute penalty.
The win maintains Juve's excellent recent form that has seen them rise to sixth place in the Serie A table, while new Chievo boss Domenico Di Carlo, who replaced Giuseppe Iachini earlier this week, saw his side slip to second from bottom.
Di Carlo made five changes for his first game in charge with Marco Malago, Andres Mantorani, Giampiero Pinzi, Antonio Langella and Mauro Esposito called into the starting XI.
For Juve, Iaquinta was one of three changes from the team that beat Roma 2-0 last time out.
The Italy striker replaced Amauri while Olof Mellberg and Paolo De Ceglie came in for Zdenek Grygera and Pavel Nedved respectively.
Juve took just six minutes to get into their stride when Cristian Molinaro broke free down the right flank before crossing a ball to Mohamed Sissoko at the top of the area where the former Liverpool midfielder took a touch to compose himself before arrowing a shot narrowly wide.
Chievo summoned a response, although it would prove one of few, four minutes later when Esposito used his speed to surge into space and cross to the near post where Sergio Pellissier arrived first, in front of Nicola Legrottaglie, but his effort flew wide.
From then on the first half belonged to Juve who controlled possession of the ball and they deservedly went ahead five minutes before the interval.
It came from Del Piero and proved to be a goal to befit his milestone as the veteran sweetly struck his free-kick, from a central position outside the area, just under the crossbar.
The goal added to a memorable day for Del Piero who, in a addition to turning 34, was making his 337th Serie A appearance for Juve to move him second on the club's all-time list alongside Gaetano Scirea.
Juve's second goal of the game was not long coming after the break with Chievo defender Andrea Mantovani penalised for handball in the 54th minute.
Iaquinta stepped up to take the spot-kick and while he saw his effort saved by Sorrentino, the rebound well kindly in the centre of the area to allow him to redeem himself.
The game slowed after that with Chievo showing little signs of finding a goal to make the game interesting again.
They did, however, have an appeal for a penalty waved away after 71 minutes when Legrottaglie awkwardly controlled the ball with Chievo protesting he had used an arm.
At the other end Del Piero forced Sorrentino into a good save to deny his long-range shot before substitute Grygera hit the crossbar with a spectacular 30-yard shot in injury time.

Premier League

Monday 10th November 2008

BPL Sunday Aftermath

A busy Sunday saw Chelsea, Tottenham, Fulham and Middlesbrough secure crucial wins in the Barclays Premier League.
Chelsea climbed back to the top of the Premier League after outclassing Blackburn 2-0 in a rain-soaked encounter at Ewood Park.
Nicolas Anelka was the star of the show for the away side as his brace sealed the win for Luiz Felipe Scolari's side who now lead the league on goal difference from Liverpool.
John Terry had called on his team to show more spirit after their 3-1 Champions League defeat at Roma on Tuesday and they responded by starting strongly despite the wet conditions.
The Blues threatened the Rovers goal from the start and Paul Robinson was called on to make two early vital saves from Anelka and Deco.
Chelsea took the lead through a freak goal on 39 minutes when Jose Bosingwa surged forward and unleashed a shot which was going wide until it hit Anelka's knee and rolled past Paul Robinson in the Rovers goal.
Blackburn brought on Robbie Fowler in the second half to try and add firepower to their attack but found themselves 2-0 down when Anelka chipped the ball over Robinson on 67 minutes after picking up the ball from Lampard in the box.
Anelka should have sealed his hat-trick at the death but 2-0 was enough to maintain Chelsea's 100% away record and put Scolari's team back on top of the league on the Brazilian's 60th birthday.Darren Bent scored twice to move Tottenham out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over nine-man Manchester City at Eastlands.
The England striker hit the winner after 64 minutes when he ran on to a Jermaine Jenas lay-off to fire in across the keeper from 15 yards.
Robinho had given City the lead in the 16th minute when he pounced on a loose ball in the box after Heurelho Gomes had spilled a low drive from Darius Vassell.
Just one minute later, City found themselves reduced to 10 men when Gelson Fernandes received a second yellow card after mis-timing a sliding tackle on David Bentley.
Spurs made good use of their numerical advantage and equalised with 28 minutes gone when Bent tucked the ball under City goalkeeper Joe Hart after Richard Dunne failed to clear a Luka Modric through-ball.
City captain Dunne was then given a straight red card after 82 minutes for bringing down Bent before Spurs defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto was dismissed with one minute left for a second yellow.
A late Steve Sidwell mistake gifted Middlesbrough all three points at Villa Park, where they overcame Aston Villa 2-1.
The former Chelsea midfielder inexplicably laid the ball straight into the path of Tuncay Sanli, who fired home with two minutes left to condemn Villa to their first home defeat of the season.
Tuncay had given Boro the lead after 34 minutes when he took advantage of Nicky Shorey's failure to clear a Stewart Downing cross to convert from close range.
The lead only lasted three minutes, though, as Sidwell stole in at the back post to head home James Milner's cross from point-blank range past Ross Turnbull in the Boro goal.
Afonso Alves thought he had squandered the visitors' best chance when he missed an open goal late on but Tuncay's second saved his blushes and moved Gareth Southgate's side up to eighth.Fulham moved nine places up the table to 10th after beating Newcastle 2-1 in an entertaining match at Craven Cottage.
Danny Murphy rifled his second-half penalty past Shay Given after Andrew Johnson was hacked down in the box by Fabricio Coloccini to seal the valuable win.
Fulham had opened the scoring after 23 minutes when Johnson hammered a low half-volley through Given's legs after Claudio Cacapa's failed clearance fell kindly for the striker.
Newcastle hit back through Shola Ameobi in the 57th minute but they could not equalise a second time and fell back into the relegation zone.