India v Sri Lanka, 4th ODI, Kolkata

Match facts

Thursday, December 24
Start time 14:30 (09:00 GMT)

	The absence of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni gives the injury-hit visitors a chance to draw level in Kolkata © AFP
Related Links News : Sehwag urges youngsters to grab opportunities Players/Officials: MS Dhoni | Yuvraj Singh Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India Teams: India | Sri Lanka

Big Picture

The 2-1 scoreline is not unexpected given the way India have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink in all but one game - a Twenty20 - played in the limited-overs leg of the tour. But now, with the home team missing two match-winners, a hurting Sri Lanka have a realistic chance of leveling the series.

This will be the first time since MS Dhoni's debut in 2004 that India play an ODI without him and Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni has often said that missing Yuvraj is a big blow, so how India cope with the loss of their captain and best batsman in ODIs in addition to Yuvraj will be crucial.

The tour has seen so many players succumbing to injuries it's a surprise the rest have managed to get so far. Sri Lanka have lost the services of Thilan Thushara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando and Angelo Mathews. Nuwan Kulasekara missed the Tests but returned for the shorter versions. Yuvraj had a recurrence of his finger injury and has been indefinitely ruled out. Sreesanth is yet to feature after getting the flu, while Lasith Malinga overcame it in time for the last game. Thankfully, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag overcame minor scares.

But there is always fear - especially among bowlers - of another injury around the corner. Three of them have shouldered the burden of carrying their respective attacks: for the hosts, the experienced duo of Harbhajan Singh (187.2 overs bowled so far) and comeback man Zaheer Khan (131) are in need of breaks. On the other hand, Sri Lanka thrust the rookie Chanaka Welegedara (126 overs) into the forefront on his first major series and he will be longing for a breather at the business end of a testing tour. This is the start of another busy season for India and there isn't much time to think ahead. Wrapping up the series in Kolkata will allow India to rest weary players ahead of the Bangladesh tour starting January 4. Sri Lanka also feature in the tri-series that kicks off that tour but, needing to win both their remaining matches in India, cannot afford the luxury of rotation.

The pitch, one that's expected to play slow and low in the latter half, will favour India's spinners who found rhythm and confidence in Cuttack. Chilly temperatures, the dew factor and a slow-paced track mean that the bowlers will need to produce another special performance. With bitter cold and early morning fog expected to have a telling impact in Delhi, the venue for the fifth match, India will be keen to wrap up the series here.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

India - WLWLL
Sri Lanka - LWLLL

Watch out for...

Tillakaratne Dilshan v Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja: Sri Lanka's strength lies, keeping with tradition, at the top of the order. In Tillakaratne Dilshan they have a batsman at the height of his powers, equally adept at firing in the first over and taking charge of the slog overs. A converted opener, Dilshan has acquitted himself superbly this year and his centuries in Rajkot and Cuttack kept India sweating all the way. His ability to play unconventional shots on either side of the stumps makes it critical for the spinners to plot their modus operandi against him with care. In the first match of the series, Dilshan collected 36 runs from 23 deliveries faced against Ravindra Jadeja but was more sedate against Harbhajan Singh, who allowed just 17 from 26 balls before he bowled Dilshan for 160. In the second ODI, Dilshan took 33 runs from 27 balls faced from Harbhajan, but just 18 from the 33 Jadeja bowled at him. Dilshan didn't last long enough to face spin in Cuttack, and if the pair comes up against him tomorrow, the margin for error will be miniscule.

Lasith Malinga v Virender Sehwag: Lasith Malinga's ability to sling out top-order batsmen hasn't been evident recently on the international stage, owing largely to the injuries that have restricted him to just 10 ODIs in 2009. In the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka's most experienced bowler has to deliver early if Sri Lanka want to keep Virender Sehwag quiet. Fast bowlers have accounted for Sehwag in his last nine innings, and getting him out early in every game was crucial to Australia's recent series win in India. On his comeback in Cuttack, Malinga's first over cost 16 with Sehwag blasting three fours. Sehwag was dismissed by Chanaka Welegedara and didn't get a chance to face Malinga further, but sparks could fly if they face off in Kolkata.

Team news

Virat Kohli will step in for Yuvraj and hope to build on his impressive 54 last week.

India: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Sri Lanka don't have any new fitness worries but they need to address their middle-order problems. Chamara Kapugedera struggled for fluency in Cuttack before a loose shot sent him back, and Sri Lanka should really reconsider Sanath Jayasuriya over Thilan Samaraweera not least because of the left-arm spinning option he creates.

Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Sanath Jayasuriya/Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Nuwan Kulasekara, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.

Pitch and conditions

Kolkata's Eden Gardens is set to host an ODI after nearly three years. It last hosted an ODI in February 2007, when Sri Lanka toured India for a short series before the World Cup. The dew factor is expected to play a large role and with a 2.30pm start, and the sun setting fairly early, the teams could have some slippery conditions while fielding under lights.

Stats and trivia

• The highest ODI total at the Eden Gardens is Sri Lanka's 309 in 49.4 overs against Pakistan in 1997.
• Head-to-head in Kolkata, India and Sri Lanka have each won and lost a game, with the third being ruined by February rain.
• The largest margin of victory in an ODI at this venue is India's 102-run win over West Indies in in 1993.

Quotes

"We have to get back to scoring runs so that we can put pressure on the opposition. It does not matter what team you are. If you are under pressure, you will lose wickets. Good sides make their own luck."
Trevor Bayliss, Sri Lanka's coach, has put the onus on the batsmen.

Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo

India v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, Rajkot

Match facts

Tuesday, December 15
Start time 09:00 (03:30 GMT)

	Sanath Jayasuriya is all set to move to the middle order © AFP
Related Links Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India Teams: India | Sri Lanka

Big picture

After a one-sided Test series and an even Twenty20 contest, during which flat pitches and big bats rendered the spinners ineffective, India and Sri Lanka embark upon a five-match ODI series beginning in Rajkot. Chastened by a 2-0 defeat in the Tests, Sri Lanka have a shot at redemption during this final leg of the tour.

The focus will be on Kumar Sangakkara and how he backs his talk with leadership and runs - he did thump exceptional fifties in the Twenty20s. The most interesting sub-plots of the series, though, should be the return of Zaheer Khan to 50-over cricket, and Sanath Jayasuriya's expected move down to the middle order. Jayasuriya's equation in the middle order - where he has not batted regularly since the early 1990s - and his role with the ball as Sri Lanka nurse Muttiah Muralitharan back will be crucial if Sri Lanka are to compete with India. For Sri Lanka these five matches provide an opportunity to assess their one-day prospects and identify areas they need to work on.

Despite their No. 2 ICC ranking, India are not exactly bristling with confidence. They might have won 14 out of 23 completed ODIs this year, but are coming off a disappointing Champions Trophy and a home-series defeat to Australia. Sreesanth is surely out, and Yuvraj Singh is unlikely to play in the opener. That leaves a shaky middle order and a patchy bowling attack, neither of which fired cohesively against Australia. Zaheer and Harbhajan Singh's task of boosting India's bowling is now cut out.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India - LLLWW
Sri Lanka - LLWLW

Watch out for...

A hungry Kumar Sangakkara is precisely the captain and player Sri Lanka need. His successive thrilling half-centuries in the two Twenty20s underlined his quality - if proof were needed - and he remains a formidable figure at the top of the order. Sangakkara hasn't made a one-day hundred in 34 innings since June 2008, but there were signs in Nagpur and Mohali that his best form might just be around the corner.

Sanath Jayasuriya did better than Tillakaratne Dilshan in the Twenty20s but was comfortably overshadowed by Sangakkara's top-order fireworks. Always a powerful striker, he will now be an important middle-order player regardless of whether Sri Lanka get away to a flier or lose early wickers. The test will be for him to add extra patience to his game in the latter scenario. Jayasuriya's left-arm spin is equally vital - his spell in the first Twenty20 was crucial to Sri Lanka's win - and he has a knack of breaking through when the lead bowlers are struggling.

It has been exactly 10 months since Zaheer Khan played an ODI, but he held up during the Tests and the break from the Twenty20s should have given him time to rest. India's bowling wasn't at its best in the time Zaheer was out with injury and he will reunite with Ashish Nehra, India's best fast bowler since he returned in June, for the first time since 2005. The two are clever one-day bowlers, and having a potent left-arm opening duo could lift India's chances.

Suresh Raina was a spectator during the Twenty20s and needs to raise his stock in the 50-over format. Yet to be given a fixed spot in the line-up, largely due to Dhoni's penchant for flexibility, Raina will assume more responsibility now that Yuvraj is likely to miss the first match. He scored two fifties against Australia, but his only centuries so far have come against Hong Kong and Bangladesh. The time may have come for Raina to rectify that.

Team news

Dhoni didn't name India's final XI, but Yuvraj's absence at training signalled towards Virat Kohli getting a game. Sreesanth's absence may not mean an ODI debut for rookie Sudeep Tyagi, because Praveen Kumar could fill up that opening. Harbhajan will take the lead spinner's role and the allrounder's spot should go to Ravindra Jadeja.

India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Sri Lanka's line-up is likely to be significantly different from the Twenty20s, with key changes at the top and in the middle. With Jayasuriya playing in the middle order, Upul Tharanga will open. The last middle-order spot will be a toss-up between Thilan Samaraweera and Thilina Kandamby, the latter being the frontrunner.

Sri Lanka were dealt a jolt today when Lasith Malinga came down with fever and did not train at the ground. The good news, though, was that Murali is almost certain to return as the lead spinner after missing the Twenty20 internationals due to a finger injury sustained during the Mumbai Test. He showed no signs of discomfort in the nets, though he visited a hospital later for a pain-relief injection on the finger. With Angelo Mathews a guaranteed allrounder, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando and Ajantha Mendis will contest two spots.

Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Thilina Kandamby/Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Sanath Jayasuriya, 8 Angelo Mathews, 9 Muttiah Muralithara, 10 and 11 Nuwan Kulasekera/Dilhara Fernando/Ajantha Mendis.

Pitch and conditions

For the second year running a bilateral series gets underway at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground. Last November, India and England squared off here and the home side set the tone for a series sweep with a resounding win. While it is a venue with plenty of runs on offer, it isn't one where India have always enjoyed playing. They have a 50-50 record here and the last time they played Sri Lanka at this ground, in 2007, they lost by five runs.

Stats and trivia

• India have a clear 25-10 win-loss advantage in home ODIs against Sri Lanka. Their recent record is even more dominant, with 10 wins and two losses since 1999.

• Virender Sehwag is the leading run-scorer at this ground, with 259 runs in five innings at an average of 64.75 and a strike rate of 115.62. Sachin Tendulkar has struggled, though, scoring only 161 in six innings. Among the Sri Lankans, Kumar Sangakkara is the only one to score a century here, while Tillakaratne Dilshan has two half-centuries.

• Five of the last six ODIs here - dating back to November 1999 - have been won by the team batting first. Four out of India's five victories have come batting first.

  Quotes

  "We cannot afford to drop our guard and become complacent. Every time we take the field, we go out with the intention of winning the game. We will strive to finish the year with a series victory."
  Harbhajan Singh aims to finish 2009 on a high.

  "It's not about what has happened in the series. He's still a great bowler and can have an impact on the game at any time in the series it has nothing to do with what has happened till now."
  MS Dhoni is not taking Muttiah Muralitharan lightly at all.

India v Sri Lanka, 1st Twenty20, Nagpur

Sri Lanka 215 for 5 (Sangakkara 78*, Kapugedera 47) beat India 186 for 9 (Gambhir 55) by 29 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Kumar Sangakkara equalled the record for the fastest fifty by a Sri Lankan © AFP
Related Links Players/Officials: Ashok Dinda | Chinthaka Jayasinghe | Muthumudalige Pushpakumara Matches: India v Sri Lanka at Nagpur Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India Teams: India | Sri Lanka

Kumar Sangakkara starred with his highest Twenty20 score, a serenely-destructive 37-ball 78, as Sri Lanka thumped India by 29 runs in Nagpur. Chamara Kapugedera pitched in with a cameo to charge Sri Lanka to 215, a total that proved too much for India, who fell away after a promising start provided by Gautam Gambhir.

Gambhir tried valiantly with a counter-attacking fifty but it was Sangakkara who stole the show. He played only one dot ball till reached his fifty - from 21 deliveries, the quickest for Sri Lanka - but it wasn't a conventional Twenty20 knock in which the batsman goes hell for leather. There weren't many ugly swipes or heaves and anything unconventional was designed with the field in mind.

Sangakkara's innings sparked off in the ninth over against Pragyan Ojha's left-arm spin. He chipped the first delivery he faced from Ojha over mid-on, swept the next to the boundary and lifted the third for a six over long-on. There were more classy strikes, the highlight being a chipped shot over mid-on to a length delivery from the debutant Ashok Dinda. Sangakkara's predetermined shots also came off perfectly: when he shuffled to the off side, the ball was invariably so full that it was easily lapped around the corner; when he moved outside leg, he flat-batted short-of-length deliveries over mid-on or mid-off.

It wasn't a solo show from him, though. Sangakkara found support from his partners at various points in the innings - Tillakaratne Dilshan at the start, unfurling a couple of on-the-up hits, Chamara Kapugedera in the middle and Angelo Mathews at the very end. Kapugedera was fluent against everyone but he reserved his best for Ashish Nehra, looting 18 runs from the 19th over with four boundaries to all parts of the ground - a punch over cover, a pull, a slice and a cut over point - which reflected the bowler's poor lines.

The run-glut came after India started with four tight overs, only for their bowling and fielding to disintegrate under pressure. Nehra and Ishant Sharma got the ball to skid from short of a length and cramped the openers for room but the fielding gave way first after which the bowling buckled under the assault. Yuvraj Singh dropped a sitter at point off Jayasuriya when he was on 2.

After the let-off, Jayasuriya went berserk in the fifth over, bowled by Nehra, taking him for 22 runs with five boundaries, including two lap-shots past the short fine-leg fielder. Dilshan was dropped too, with Ishant missing a straightforward return chance, and he too took full toll. Though the openers didn't go on to make big scores, they had broken the shackles and set the platform for Sangakkara to play a gem.

Despite Virender Sehwag's fall in the third over, Gambhir helped India take 76 from the Powerplay but their hopes started to sink with his departure. Gambhir's was a cheeky yet intelligent innings and he peppered the off-side field with his well-timed drives - the highlight being a sequence of seven fours from nine deliveries spread over two overs from Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara. Despite a crowded field - a short point, backward point, cover point and cover were in place - he stole five of those seven boundaries through the off side. However, he fell while trying to paddle sweep Angelo Mathews and India lost four more wickets, including those of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, in three overs as the chase derailed spectacularly. The bowling was disciplined, without ever being threatening, but India were done in by the pressure of the steep run-rate.

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at Cricinfo

India v Sri Lanka 2009/10

Lunch Sri Lanka 138 for 5 (Mahela 26*, Prasanna 2*) trail India 642 (Gambhir 167, Dravid 144, Sehwag 137, Herath 5-121) by 504 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

The prodigal son Sreesanth returned in style with a three-wicket haul to rattle Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test in Kanpur. For nine successive overs, Sreesanth ran in hard, got close to the stumps, hit the deck and found enough life in a slow pitch to leave Sri Lanka struggling to avoid follow on.

Green Park was the venue where Sreesanth played his last Test 19 months ago before he disappeared from the sports pages and made occasional appearances on Page 3. Today, he stormed back, lifting India with a spell that read: 9-2-28-3.

It was a classical spell of seam bowling: Sreesanth's pace wasn't frightening (135 kmph was the average), there were no fiery bouncers and he didn't swing it around corners, but what he did was land ball after ball on a probing line and length and cut it either way just enough to test the batsmen. He had his share of luck too - two batsmen played on off the inside edge - and Sri Lanka's batsmen didn't tailor their techniques to the demands of the pitch.

Instead of playing as close to the body as possible on a pitch with variable bounce, the batsmen erred by playing away. Tharanga Paranavitana was set up by a bouncer that crashed into his shoulder before he pushed at one cutting away from him. Kumar Sangakkara, who faced 24 deliveries from Zaheer Khan today, fell in the first over he faced off Sreesanth. Sangakkara played out three straight deliveries but was lured into a cover drive by a full wide one and ended up dragging it on to his stumps. Thilan Samaraweera was the next to go, pushing hard and early at a length delivery cutting away from him.

With Sreesanth, as always, it's not just his bowling but the entire package of quirky traits that catches attention. Today, those signature self-exhortations at the top of the run-up were not seen too often, nor was there any special celebration after a wicket.

Not everything went Sreesanth's way though. He produced an edge from his best delivery but it didn't get him a wicket. Mahela Jayawardene, on zero, pushed at one that cut away late and got an edge but neither MS Dhoni nor Sachin Tendulkar at first slip went for the catch. It was the keeper's catch. Jayawardene got another reprieve on 25 when he edged a late cut off Harbhajan Singh to first slip where Rahul Dravid couldn't hold on to a sharp chance. Harbhajan, who had Angelo Matthews bowled playing down the wrong line, was in the middle of a probing spell but the two Jayawardenes survived.

India v Australia, 7th ODI, Mumbai

Match facts

Wednesday, November 11
Start time 14.30 local time (09.00GMT)

Big Picture

	India have struggled to counter Doug Bolinger's pinpoint accuracy © Getty Images
Related Links News : 5-2 sounds a lot better than 4-3 - Ponting Players/Officials: Doug Bollinger | Sachin Tendulkar Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India Teams: Australia | India

For India, it's a bleak and depressing one. Three successive losses have cost them the series against a patchwork-quilt Australian side. Despite an appalling injury list, Australia have managed to hold their nerve at key moments. India have lapsed back into 1990s mode, with stellar individual performances like Sachin Tendulkar's 175 in Hyderabad expected to paper over collective weakness. That hasn't happened, and the pre-series hype of going for the No.1 ranking now sounds pathetic.

For the second series in a row at home, they head to Mumbai, the heartland of Indian cricket, with the cause hopelessly lost. Back in 2007, Zaheer Khan and Murali Kartik pulled off a late show to give the scoreline (4-2) a slightly more respectable look, and that's as much as India can aspire to at the DY Patil Stadium. As for Australia, having won the Champions Trophy and now swatting aside the challenge of one of their big rivals away from home, this is a happy time, an occasion to revel in the success of a system that can produce stand-ins like Doug Bollinger and Clint McKay. Even with half the first team back home nursing injuries and niggles, they've been far too good.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia -WWWLL
India - LLLWW

Watch out for...

Sachin Tendulkar: That dazzling century at Hyderabad aside, he has contributed just 100 in five innings. This, though, is a special game, the first time he'll be playing in front of his home crowd since the terror attacks in Mumbai a year ago. Some of his greatest innings against Australia have come in Mumbai (twin fifties in the Test in 2001, and 90 in the World Cup of 1996), but they never resulted in Indian wins. He'll be desperate to change that.

Doug Bollinger: A generation ago, Brett Schultz's left-arm pace caused India immense discomfiture on a tour of South Africa. Bollinger, who's as quick and more accurate, has had a similar impact since his introduction into this series, taking nine wickets at 19.33. The caught-and-bowled dismissal of Tendulkar was the big moment in the six-wicket romp in Guwahati, and there should certainly be enough bounce at the Navi Mumbai venue to keep him interested.

Team news

India have to make a choice. Do they opt to give the fringe players a chance, or do they focus on the victory that would claw back some pride? Had the series been won rather than lost, Sudeep Tyagi and Amit Mishra would certainly have been given outings. Mishra could yet play in place of Ravindra Jadeja, but Virat Kohli is unlikely to get a game, given how the frontline batsmen have struggled at times. Ishant Sharma could make a return with the Test series against Sri Lanka now just four days away.

India: (probable) 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Harbhajan Singh, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

With Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson flying home on Tuesday night to get some rest ahead of the upcoming home season, Australia are certain to give one-day debuts to Andrew McDonald and Burt Cockley. There could also be an opportunity for Jon Holland, the left-arm spinner who has watched from the sidelines, while Nathan Hauritz has been the most economical bowler in the series.

Australia: (probable) 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 Adam Voges, Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Cameron White, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Andrew McDonald, 7 Graham Manou (wk), 8 Clint McKay, 9 Jon Holland, 10 Doug Bollinger, 11 Burt Cockley.

Pitch and conditions

The DY Patil Stadium can seat 55,000 and has one of the best facilities in the country. Even the square was prepared with the help of 200 tonnes of soil flown in from South Africa. There should be enough pace and bounce to keep the quick bowlers interested, though no one can be certain how it will play given that it's the first international match at the venue. During the IPL final in 2008, the slow bowlers had some joy, and the batsmen also enjoyed an outfield where the ball raced to the ropes.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow and the overcast conditions should further encourage the seamers. India's practice session on the eve of the game was cancelled due to persistent showers.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won two of the three one-day matches they've played in Mumbai. The loss came in the dead rubber in 2007.
• Michael Hussey averages 104.33 in the series and is the only batsman on either side with more than 300 runs.
• The top six for Australia have averaged 42.96 in the series so far, as opposed to India's 34.70

Quotes

"Even though the series is won, it's not as if we're going to leave everyone out now and not worry too much about the last game. We feel we've started something here with this group, not only here but since the one day series in England, we've started to get a really good feeling around the group and I don't want to abandon that or let that go. It'd be nice to finish off on a winning note."
Ricky Ponting doesn't want to lose that winning feeling.

"We haven't backed the opportunities that we have got. A majority of the batsmen haven't contributed at the same time."
MS Dhoni sums up India's big problem in the series.

Dileep Premachandran is an associate editor at Cricinfo

Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan recalled for Tests

	Sreesanth last played for India 19 months ago © K Sivaraman
Related Links Features : 'A new beginning for me' Players/Officials: Subramaniam Badrinath | Zaheer Khan | Pragyan Ojha | Sreesanth | Murali Vijay Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India Teams: India

Temperamental fast bowler Sreesanth has been given another chance to resurrect his stop-start career, after being selected in India's 15-man squad for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka. Weeks after being given a "final warning" for his poor on-field behaviour, Sreesanth is now a candidate to share the new ball with Zaheer Khan, who has recovered from his shoulder injury.

Sreesanth last played for India in 2008, and had his share of injuries and criticism over attitude in equal measure. During the time he spent out of the Indian team, Sreesanth played 10 first-class games for 28 wickets, including one five-wicket haul for Warwickshire, and 23 overs for no wickets against Andhra in his latest Ranji Trophy match. Clearly his selection is a gamble on promise over form. It is a big - bordering on generous - decision made by the selectors, and an equally big chance for Sreesanth to wash away all the criticism against him.

Zaheer made an expected comeback, having recovered from the injury he sustained during the IPL, and having featured in Twenty20 matches during the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament and a Ranji Trophy fixture. He has not missed a Test, but has not played limited-overs cricket for India since the ICC World Twenty20 in June.

The selectors also recalled Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner, and S Badrinath. His Tamil Nadu team-mate M Vijay retained his place as reserve batsman. Ojha, yet to make his Test debut, toured Sri Lanka in 2008, but lost his place to Amit Mishra, who made a strong debut against Australia in Mohali in 2008-09. Vijay, an opener, was handed a debut in Nagpur against Australia after Gautam Gambhir was banned for one Test. Badrinath has yet to play a Test.

There was no place for Ashish Nehra, who has done well after making his ODI return, or Munaf Patel, as India opted for three spinners. There was no reserve wicketkeeper named.

The decision to pick 15 players, and that too an extra batsman, raised questions about the selection. Usually for a home series, only 14 players are picked. And with the middle order set in stone, neither Vijay nor Badrinath has a realistic chance of starting in Ahmedabad. Now both of them will miss important Ranji Trophy matches, when only one was needed as injury cover, unless someone is sent back to domestic cricket on the morning of the Ahmedabad Test.

The selection also left the bowling unbalanced. MS Dhoni is not a fan of playing only two pace bowlers unless the pitch is extremely spin-friendly, and the selectors have given him only three fast bowlers to choose from. Zaheer Khan is coming back from injury, Ishant Sharma is in poor form, and Sreesanth is a completely unpredictable character. One bowling back-up would have been of more value than two batting back-ups. And what about Munaf? He has lost his Test place on the basis of 13 overs bowled in two ODIs against Australia, one of them on a flat Hyderabad pitch.

India squad: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, M Vijay, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

India v Australia, 5th ODI, Hyderabad

Match facts

Thursday, November 5
Start time 1430 (0900GMT)

	That leaves us, and 10 more © AFP
Related Links News : Clarke no certainty for first Test News : Victory would be 'amazing effort' - Ponting News : Henriques injured and will fly home early Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India Teams: Australia | India

Big Picture

Australia have no business being 2-2 in this series. Seven first-choice men out, followed by two of their replacements (Moises Henriques being the latest). Foreign conditions. Back-to-back matches, spread across the length and breadth of India, suggesting more a sightseeing tour than one of the cricketing variety. Bowlers struggling at the death. Big hitters absent. Horror of horrors, Andrew Symonds is being discussed again by the fans. Conventional wisdom suggests that cannot be a good sign for the Australian team. Look at the scoreline, though - Two wins each. Who told Australia they could compete once their players started going down one by one after the first ODI?

Two-all doesn't mean this becomes a fresh three-match series, as MS Dhoni would suggest. Australia have simply lost too many players, which has made India the favourites though the Mohali loss puts the pressure back on the hosts. They will know losing the series in home conditions against an under-strength Australia will be an embarrassment; a 4-3 result won't be much better received. All of which gives Australia added incentive to win on Thursday and take a step closer to the grand heist.

India have had their share of injury troubles, with Zaheer Khan out for the series and Gautam Gambhir missing the fourth ODI. But the selectors' retaining the existing XV for the final three games suggests Gambhir's injury is not serious, nor is Virender Sehwag's. India need a win in Hyderabad to start their march towards 5-2, anything less than which should disappoint them. By the look of things right now, there are no excuses in sight either.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia - WLLWW
India - LWWLW

Watch out for...

Virender Sehwag: Two fours off first two balls in Vadodara, three in the first over in Nagpur, and a first-ball boundary in Mohali. Despite a sedate 11 off 25 in Delhi, Sehwag's strike-rate for the series is 109.3, but he has faced only 86 balls in four matches. He needs to face 86 balls in one innings - and preferably utilise the third Powerplay.

Ricky Ponting has been exemplary through the series both as captain and in scoring 197 runs at 49.25. What's missing so far is the definitive Ponting knock, one during which he lets go of all restraint and wins the match on his own. The law of averages suggests it could be just around the corner.

Team news

Gambhir has been cleared to play and is likely to replace Virat Kohli, and it would be a surprise if India split Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar at the top.

India(probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt./wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

It's an easy selection for Australia - with 13 fit men, they have only to decide which two to keep out. Clint McKay has arrived in India, but he and Jon Holland are likely to sit out.

Australia (probable): 1 Shane Watson, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt.), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Cameron White, 6 Adam Voges, 7 Graham Manou (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pitch and conditions

Everyone who played the Champions League matches in Hyderabad loved the pitch: true and flat. And being in the southern part of India, Hyderabad should be relatively dew-free. The toss shouldn't put any team at a major disadvantage.

Stats and trivia

• Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, a relatively new addition to Hyderabad, hasn't been kind to teams who call themselves hosts. Deccan Chargers have gone through a season each of IPL and Champions League without registering a win. India have lost both the ODIs they have played here: to South Africa in 2005-06 and to Australia in 2007-08. Hyderabad, who call this their home ground, have lost six out of seven List A games they have played here, and won three and lost four first-class games.

• Yuvraj Singh has scored two centuries in those two lost matches: 103 off 122 balls against South Africa, and 121 off 115 balls against Australia.

• MS Dhoni and Michael Hussey have been the most consistent batsmen in the series. Dhoni has scored 255 runs at 85 and is the only centurion in the series on either side. Hussey has managed 247 at 82.33, his lowest score being 40, in Mohali.

Quotes

"It's disappointing to see these guys go down, because you know how much they want to play and be a part of the series. So it's more disappointing for them more so than anything. I'm sure everyone who's returned back home would much rather be here with the series as it is at the moment, but we've got what we've got.''
Ricky Ponting knows he can't do much about the fitness issues.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

James Hopes to return home, Clint McKay called up

	Clint McKay was Victoria's best bowler during the Champions League © Getty Images
Related Links Players/Officials: James Hopes | Brett Lee | Clint McKay Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India Teams: Australia

Australian allrounder James Hopes will not take any further part in the ongoing seven-match series in India due to a hamstring injury and is set to fly back home. Cricket Australia's selection panel has confirmed that Clint McKay , the Victoria fast bowler, will join the squad as cover.

Hopes' injury is the latest setback to the team which is currently 2-1 down with four games remaining. Hopes bowled just two overs in the first ODI in Vadodara before leaving the field after pulling his right hamstring.

"James has done everything he can with medical staff to try and make himself available for the remaining games of the tour of India," Kevin Sims, the team physiotherapist, said. "However due to the compressed nature of this tour and his speed of recovery so far, we feel now we have insufficient time to have James fully fit to take part in the remaining games of this series.

"Therefore a decision has been made that James will return to Australia where he will continue his rehabilitation from this hamstring injury."

McKay, 26, was impressive for Victoria during the Champions League Twenty20, which he finished as the tournament's joint second-highest wicket-taker (with Moises Henriques) with ten wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6 per over. In the 2007-08 FR Cup, he collected a remarkable 13 wickets at 14.76 from only five games.

"Clinton is a young promising bowler who performed well at inter-state level last season and has recent very good form for Victoria in the Champions League in India," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. "He will be very well suited to Indian conditions and we believe he is another young player who benefit from the experience of being in the Australian team set-up during this tour.

"We also feel he has the ability to perform well at the international level. With Moises having played in the last ODI game and James Hopes going home, Moises will now remain with the squad in India for the duration of the series."

Hopes joins Australia's strike bowler Brett Lee and wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who have already flown home after picking up injuries. Lee was unable to complete his quota of overs in Vadodara - he bowled six - after complaining of a sore right elbow.

Paine broke his finger during the second game in Nagpur and was replaced by Graham Manou. Before the series began, Australia had already lost Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Callum Ferguson and Nathan Bracken to injuries.

India v Australia, 4th ODI, Mohali

Match facts

Monday, November 2
Start time 14.30 (09.00GMT)

	Will Virender Sehwag be fit enough to open with Sachin Tendulkar in Mohali? © Associated Press
Related Links News : Dinesh Karthik called up to Indian squad as cover News : James Hopes to return home, Clint McKay called up Matches: India v Australia at Mohali Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India Teams: Australia | India

Big Picture

When this seven-match ODI series is finished, it's likely that what lingers in the memory the longest is not MS Dhoni's century in Nagpur, or the consistency of Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting, but how the teams lost key players to injury after every contest and had to make do with thinning resources and last-minute reinforcements. Not one of the first three fixtures was contested by two full-strength elevens and both India and Australia are further depleted ahead of the fourth game at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.

India's latest setbacks occurred at the Feroz Shah Kotla, where Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag picked up injuries, making them doubtful starters for the Mohali game. Gambhir was struck on the neck by a full-blooded pull from Ponting while fielding at short leg and a yorker from Peter Siddle crashed into Sehwag's foot. Only on the morning of the game will it be known whether either batsman will be fit to play.

Australia, meanwhile, had a third player from their original tour party flying home because of injury. James Hopes picked up a hamstring strain in the first one-dayer, remained with the squad longer than fellow casualties Brett Lee and Tim Paine, but hadn't recovered quickly enough for him to be able to play the remaining ODIs. Clint McKay, the Victoria seamer, was the latest addition to the Australian squad after Moises Henriques and Graham Manou. Mitchell Johnson seems to be pulling through the series despite a sore ankle. Other national hopefuls might be watching tomorrow's match thinking they might be next to receive a call from Andrew Hilditch.

The schedule isn't kind to the injured either. The teams left the Kotla only at midnight after Saturday's game. Their arrival in Chandigarh was delayed and by the time they reached, there were fewer than 24 hours to go before Dhoni and Ponting are scheduled to toss. Provided both of them remain injury-free of course.

The added incentive to tomorrow's contest is that if India win, they will claim the No. 1 ranking in one-day internationals. If Australia prevail, they will stretch their current one-point lead to three.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Australia - LLWWW
India - WWLWL

Watch out for ...

Ricky Ponting: The Delhi pitch was tough for batting, the squad was inexperienced and depleted by injury, and in the interest of team balance Australia decided not to play specialist opener Shaun Marsh. They needed someone to partner Shane Watson at the top and Ponting took on the responsibility. It was only the second time he was opening in his 327-ODI career and he fought the conditions and batted with restraint to score his second half-century of the series. "I'm obviously the most experienced player in our side and to put one of the other guys up to open the innings I thought would have been more of a challenge for them than it would be for me," Ponting said. He is likely to open again.

The Yuvraj-Dhoni partnership: Their 148-run partnership won India the Delhi game on a pitch that was difficult for shot-playing. The PCA Stadium surface is likely to be much flatter and faster and, if Yuvraj and Dhoni should spend considerable time in each other's company, they could render Australia helpless once again. Yuvraj will also be playing in front of his home crowd, something he said he was looking forward to very much while collecting his Man-of-the-Match award at the Kotla.

Team news

India will decide on Sehwag and Gambhir's participation only on Monday morning and have brought in wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik as cover. Virat Kohli, who played in Vadodara but was dropped thereafter, is the other batsman in the squad. They might have wanted to rest Sachin Tendulkar, whom Yuvraj referred to in jest as the "grandfather" of the dressing room, because of the one-day gap between matches but that is now unlikely. The bowling attack is settling down nicely and doesn't need changing.

India(probable): 1 Virender Sehwag/Dinesh Karthik, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir/Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Ponting said that Australia fielded the XI they did in Delhi in order to maintain team balance - playing Marsh would mean one less bowler - and they could be unchanged, with the captain opening the innings again.

Australia: (probable): 1 Shane Watson, 2 Ricky Ponting (capt), 3 Michael Hussey, 4 Cameron White, 5 Adam Voges, 6 Moises Henriques, 7 Graham Manou (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at the PCA Stadium, like most of those in India, would ordinarily be a win-toss-and-bat surface. However, with the onset of winter, the significant difference between day and night temperatures will result in heavy dew in the evenings. Nathan Hauritz struggled during his spell in Delhi, and Adam Voges bowled only one over because he couldn't grip the ball. If the pitch looks like it will stay good for batting for 100 overs, the captain winning the toss could be tempted to bowl first to give his bowlers the benefit of a dry ball.

Stats and trivia

• India have won five out of eight ODIs they've played at the PCA Stadium. However, they lost their last two matches there, against Pakistan in 2007, and against Australia in the 2006 Champions Trophy. Australia have played four ODIs in Mohali and won three.

• No Indian batsman has scored a hundred in an ODI in Mohali. Tendulkar's 99 against Pakistan in 2007 is the highest. Tendulkar is the highest scorer at the venue, with 241 runs at an average of 60.25.

• Harbhajan Singh, another local lad, has taken seven wickets at 24.71 apiece in four matches in Mohali. He has an economy-rate of 4.91 there.

Quotes

"If it looks like everyone's fit and ready for the next game there's probably every chance that I'll open again."
Ponting is prepared to lead from the front again.

"Plan? We are in fact tired of planning celebrations for him. Every week, the guy goes on to make some record or other. How many times can you celebrate?"
Yuvraj's reply when asked if the team had plans to celebrate should Tendulkar score the 47 he needs to reach 17,000 ODI runs in Mohali.

George Binoy is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo

Big-hitting Dhoni helps level series

India 354 for 7 (Dhoni 124, Gambhir 76, Raina 62) beat Australia 255 (Hussey 53, Jadeja 3-35) by 99 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	MS Dhoni: Unstoppable © AFP
Related Links Analysis : When Dhoni's worlds collide Players/Officials: MS Dhoni | Gautam Gambhir | Ravindra Jadeja | Suresh Raina Matches: India v Australia at Nagpur Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India Teams: Australia | India

First, he consolidated the innings with Gautam Gambhir. Then, in tandem with Suresh Raina, he ripped the bowling to shreds. MS Dhoni's superb 107-ball 124 was the foundation for India's highest-ever total against Australia, a mammoth 354 for 7, and once Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma winkled out Australia's top three for just 45, the match was effectively over. Michael Hussey's 53 provided a lone note of defiance as India romped home by 99 runs, to leave the series all square as the teams packed their bags and headed to Delhi.

The match slipped out of Australia's grasp in the final 11 overs of the Indian innings. When the batting Powerplay was taken with the scoreboard showing 238 for 4, the run-rate had dipped close to six. But with 47 coming from those five overs, and the mayhem continuing unabated afterwards, Ricky Ponting's decision to bowl first in view of the dew factor didn't look too clever. Peter Siddle bowled with impressive pace and accuracy, while Nathan Hauritz was tidy, but the rest were taken to the cleaners on a day when Dhoni appeared to rediscover his big-hitting mojo.

It was no one-man show though, with Gambhir contributing 76 from 80 balls and Raina lashing 62 from just 50 deliveries. When Gambhir departed, run out by a direct hit from Hauritz at mid-off after Dhoni had miscued a slower ball from Siddle, the stage was set for a final onslaught, but few could have predicted how devastating it would be. The first five overs of the Dhoni-Raina partnership produced just 22 runs, but from the moment Dhoni slugged Siddle though cover to end the first over of the Powerplay, the wheels came off for Australia.

Raina kept heaving Mitchell Johnson through midwicket, and with Dhoni slapping one straight down the ground, 18 came from the over. Ben Hilfenhaus's return to the fray was greeted with an astonishing flat six over midwicket and two mighty wallops over long-off from the hapless Shane Watson took Dhoni to his century, his first against Australia, from just 94 balls.

Raina then took over, racing to his half-century from 42 balls in a Hilfenhaus over that went for 18. And though Johnson, who'd gone for 70 in his first nine overs, returned to dismiss both in the final over, the damage had been done, with the partnership worth 136 in just 93 balls.

They had started as explosively, with Virender Sehwag in terrific form. Hilfenhaus took the new ball in Brett Lee's absence, and Sehwag wasted no time, with a lofted cover-drive and powerful cut setting the scoreboard in motion. At the other end, Sachin Tendulkar got off the mark with a neat tuck off the pads for four, but when Siddle got one to dart away a touch after pitching outside off stump, he could only edge to first slip.

Prime Numbers 12 The number of times India have scored 350 or more in ODIs, which is the most by any team. South Africa have done it eight times, and Australia six. 354 India's total, which is their highest against Australia, and the highest by any team when batting first against them. The previous highest by a team batting first had been 343, by Sri Lanka in Sydney in 2003. 124 MS Dhoni's score, which is the highest by a captain in an ODI against Australia. The previous highest had been Sanath Jayasuriya's 122 in the match mentioned above. It's also the highest by a wicketkeeper against Australia,bettering Kamran Akmal's 116 not out in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. In fact, it's only the fourth century by a wicketkeeper against Australia. 99 The margin of victory, which is India's fourth-largest in terms of runs against Australia. It is their biggest win against them in more than eight years. 136 The partnership between Dhoni and Suresh Raina, which is India's second-highest for the fifth wicket against Australia. 87 The number of runs India scored in their last seven overs.

Sehwag though carried on undaunted, clipping Hilfenhaus for two leg-side fours, prompting Ponting to bring on Johnson in the seventh over. Siddle was bowling furiously quick, stinging Tim Paine's fingers with a misdirected bouncer, but it was all India as Sehwag clouted a slower ball from Johnson over long-on for six.

The next slower ball had a different outcome. This time, Sehwag could only find mid-off, and with 67 already on the board, Australia delayed the Powerplay by an over and called back Hilfenhaus. Yuvraj Singh, back in the side in place of Virat Kohli, promptly worked him through midwicket for four, and when Paine grassed a tough chance to his left with Gambhir on 20, it seemed as though it wasn't to be Hilfenhaus's day.

But the break for drinks changed that, with Yuvraj slamming the first ball, another slow one, straight back down the pitch. Hilfenhaus took it at shin height. The next ball struck Dhoni on the back of the helmet. By that stage, Ponting had turned to his slow bowlers. Hauritz had been lofted for a straight six by Yuvraj, but both he and Adam Voges were getting sharp turn and for a while, the Indians were reliant on singles and twos to keep the score ticking over.

But a Dhoni straight-drive off Hauritz and two impressive shots from Gambhir through the covers broke the boundary shackles, and with both men running brilliantly between wickets, the bowlers were never allowed to settle. Both took 55 balls for their half-centuries, and it took a moment of carelessness on Gambhir's part to end the partnership which was worth 119 from 113 balls. But with Raina filling the breach so effectively, India never flagged. As for Dhoni, he was simply unstoppable.

Praveen didn't start too well with the new ball, and it seemed that the mistakes of Vadodara were being repeated. But then he got a full delivery to swing and take the inside edge of Paine's bat. The leg stump went cartwheeling and India were on their way. Conscious of the asking rate, Ponting got going with a lovely off-drive off Ashish Nehra, prompting Dhoni to bring Ishant on in the 10th over.

The very first ball he bowled reared up at Watson, and was fended off the face to Tendulkar at slip. As Watson walked off, angry words were exchanged. The potentially decisive blow came from the other end, as Praveen nipped one back to strike Ponting right in front. At 45 for 3, Australia were on the ropes.

Hussey revived the innings somewhat with three consecutive fours through the off side when Harbhajan was introduced, but when Cameron White's stop-start innings ended with a tame clip to midwicket, the asking rate was on its way towards 10 an over. Ravindra Jadeja then bowled Hussey through the gate, bringing the curtain down on the contest long before the last ball was bowled.

Dileep Premachandran is an associate editor at Cricinfo

3rd ODI: India v Australia at Delhi

Sun Oct 25 09:00 local | 03:30 GMT 09:00 IST	1st ODI - India v Australia Reliance Stadium, Vadodara	N/A
Wed Oct 28 14:30 local | 09:00 GMT 14:30 IST	2nd ODI - India v Australia Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur	N/A
Sat Oct 31 14:30 local | 09:00 GMT 14:30 IST	3rd ODI - India v Australia Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi	18 - 31° C Forecast Sunny Click here for 10-day-Forecast
Mon Nov 2 14:30 local | 09:00 GMT 14:30 IST	4th ODI - India v Australia Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh	14 - 28° C Forecast Mostly Sunny Click here for 10-day-Forecast
Thu Nov 5 14:30 local | 09:00 GMT 14:30 IST	5th ODI - India v Australia Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad	N/A
Sun Nov 8 09:00 local | 03:30 GMT 09:00 IST	6th ODI - India v Australia Nehru Stadium, Guwahati	N/A
Wed Nov 11 14:30 local | 09:00 GMT 14:30 IST	7th ODI - India v Australia Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai	N/A

India v Australia 2009/10

Brett Lee's absence told in Nagpur © Getty Images

Related Links News : Sore Johnson keeps going Players/Officials: Brett Lee | Ricky Ponting Matches: India v Australia at Nagpur Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India Teams: Australia | India

After two matches in the series, the Indian fast bowlers can breathe easier with the spotlight shifting to their Australian counterparts. If India's fast men were the weak link going into the series, the death overs have indeed spelt doom for the Australian quicks.

MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina took 108 in the last 10 overs in Nagpur - Australia's worst showing since 1999 - and the 82 conceded in the last eight overs in the previous match in Vadodara was their sixth-worst.

The absence of Brett Lee (who didn't bowl his quota in Vadodara and was injured in Nagpur) and Nathan Bracken is telling. More incriminating than the figures is the manner in which the runs have come. Fulltosses, leg-side wides, half-volleys, length deliveries, and misfields have all made the job easier for India.

Ricky Ponting was honest in assessing the problems he faces. "Since [Glenn] McGrath has moved on, we have mixed and matched with a lot of different guys over the last few years," he said after Wednesday's defeat. "The last ten overs - 108 off the last ten - is too many to give away. When you have batsmen at the crease who can strike the ball as well as the Indians can, you only have to be a few centimetres or a few inches off your execution, and you are going to go."

Since McGrath's retirement, 18 bowlers have bowled in the last ten overs for Australia, and among those who have managed to put in 20 overs or more, only James Hopes, Lee and Mitchell Johnson have gone at under seven per over. Hopes has given away an impressive 222 off 239 balls bowled in the last ten overs of an innings. Hopes and Lee were missing in Nagpur and Johnson a last-minute inclusion. Ponting made no bones about how much Lee was missed in the current line-up. "He is one of the leading fast bowlers in one-day cricket. His form over the last few weeks has been particularly good. To have that kind of strike power up your sleeve is quite nice."

When India are playing at home with the momentum on their side, even the best of sides has found it hard to stop them. Many a touring side has found the crowds, the conditions, and the confidence of the hosts a bit too much to tackle. Dhoni, who has had more than a few problems with the bowlers himself, empathised with Ponting. "Some of our batsmen who bat at Nos 5 and 6, and Yuvraj [Singh] at 4, they are the best hitters right now in the world, and the subcontinent conditions really favour them," he said. "I won't say Australian bowlers are not good enough. They bowled well. When it comes to a pressure situation you commit errors, we do that too, some of the best bowling sides have done that."

In Nagpur, with the odds stacked against Australia, it was refreshing to see an aggressive attitude from Ponting and and his bowlers. For much of the first 35 overs, Ponting kept the field up, with mid-on and mid-off in the circle to make singles and doubles harder to come by. He was not waiting for things to happen, he was trying to make them happen. "At every opportunity I brought as many fielders inside the circle as I could to try and put some pressure on," Ponting said.

Apart from Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, the other batsmen were given a fair share of bouncers by Peter Siddle, Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus. It seemed like it would work, with Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni both being put in uncomfortable positions as three wickets fell inside the first 15 overs. But the bowlers couldn't extract anything out of the pitch or air, and once India went into the last 15 overs with six wickets in hand, the inexperience of the bowlers showed.

The good news for both the captains, though, was that the conditions might not help the big hitters in Delhi, if the Champions League Twent20 matches are any indication. Ponting has followed the Champions League matches in Delhi and could be one of the few visiting captains who won't mind a low and turning pitch.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

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Champions League Twenty20 Teams

Champions league is finally begin on Thursday 8 October. The series has benn much delayed due to lots of reason including Mumbai terror attack. Total 12 teams are participating in the ICC Champions league. below is the teams list along with the squad for all the teams. Initially it ill be difficult to guess who will be the winner not even a wild guess can click this time.

	Deccan Chargers: Adam Gilchrist (c), VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, Fidel Edwards, Scott Styris, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh, Ryan Harris, Pragyan Ojha, Y Venugopal Rao, T Suman, Azhar Bilakhia, Harmeet Singh, SM Shoaib.
	Royal Challengers Bangalore: Anil Kumble (c), Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor, Dale Steyn, Manish Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Jesse Ryder, Roelof Van Der Merwe, Mark Boucher, Vinay Kumar, Virat Kohli, Akhil Balachandra, Rajesh Bishoni.
	Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag (c), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Dirk Nannes, Dinesh Karthik, Daniel Vettori, Ashish Nehra, Amit Mishra, AB DeVilliers, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Pradeep Sangwan, Aavishkar Salvi, Rajat Bhatia, Mithun Manhas.
	Somerset Sabres: Justin Langer (c), Marcus Trescothick, Zander de Bruyn, Omari Banks, James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Pete Trego, Arul Suppiah, Alfonso Thomas, Max Waller, Charl Willoughby, Wes Durston, Mark Turner, Jos Buttler, Ben Philips.
	Diamond Eagles: Boeta Dippenaar (c), Dillion du Preez, Morne van Wyk, Mthandeki Tshabalala, Adrian McLaren, Ryan McLaren, Victor Mpitsang, Ryan Bailey, Jandre Coetzee, Cornelis De Villiers, Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Alan Kruger, Rilee Rossouw, Shadley van Schalkwyk.
	Sussex Sharks: Michael Yardy (c), Luke Wright, Piyush Chawla, Dwayne Smith, Edmund Joyce, Joe Gatting, Robin Martin-Jenkins, William Beer, Andrew Hodd, Christopher Nash, Ben Brown, Rory Hamilton-Brown, Mohmmed Yasir Arafat, Chad Keegan, James Kirtley.
	Wayamba: Jehan Mubarak (c), Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Farveez Maharoof, Kaushlya Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulathunga, Mahela Udawatta, Thisara Perera, Sameera Soysa, Shalika Karunanayake, Isura Udana, Ishara Amerasinghe, Chanka Welagedera, Michael Vandort.
	Cape Cobras: Graeme Smith (c), Hershelle Gibbs, J P Duminy, Justin Ontong, Charl Langeveldt, Claude Henderson, Monde Zondeki, Vernon Philander, Henry Davids, Derek Brand, Francois Plaatjies, Ryan Canning, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Sybrand Engelbrecht.
	Otago Volts: Craig Cumming (c), Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Aaron Redmond, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Greg Todd, Hamish Rutherford, Derek de Boorder, Nick Baird, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, Mattew Harvie, James McMillan.
	NSW Blues: Simon Katich (c), Phillip Hughes, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Moises Henriques, Nathan Hauritz, Daniel Smith, Doug Bollinger, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith, Aaron Bird, Dominic Thornely, David Warner.
	Victorian Bushrangers: Cameron White (c), Bradley Hodge, Peter Siddle, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Jon Holland, Clinton McKay, Robert Quiney, Matthew Wade, Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Damien Wright, Bryce McGain.
	Trinidad and Tobago: Daren Ganga (c), Sherwin Ganga, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons, Dave Mohammed, Keiron Pollard, William Perkins, Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Navin Stewart, Sunil Narine, Adrian Barath.

Fifty-over cricket will hold its own - Ponting

	Ricky Ponting, who has played in all six editions of the Champions Trophy, said the latest edition had been the best organised. © Getty Images
Related Links Players/Officials: Brendon McCullum | Ricky Ponting Series/Tournaments: ICC Champions Trophy Teams: Australia | New Zealand

The ICC Champions Trophy has gone a long way to ensuring the continuance of ODIs, the captains of Australia and New Zealand, the two finalists, have said. Since the advent of the Twenty20 game, which has drawn huge crowds around the world, there has been increasing talk of the 50-over format falling away.

But Ricky Ponting and Brendon McCullum, standing in for injured Blacks Caps skipper Daniel Vettori, gave their thumbs-up for the 50-over format and the tournament after Australia beat New Zealand by six wickets in Monday's final in Centurion.

"There's been a lot of talk about that since the 20-over game has become as popular as it has," Ponting said. "There's plenty of space for both 20-over cricket and 50-over cricket to fit in alongside the Test game. The Test game is the form of the game I enjoy the most, but 50-over cricket, with tournaments like this, will certainly hold its own.

"I was worried at the time when 20-over cricket became as popular as it did that we might start playing a few less 50-over games, but I think tournaments like this can only help the game.

"I've really enjoyed the tournament and I think the fans around South Africa have enjoyed the tournament, so it's got some endorsement from me, and even a low-scoring game like today can probably be one of the more entertaining games that you can watch and be involved in as a player."

Ponting, who also picked up the Player-of-the-Series and Golden bat awards after his side defended their title, has played in all six editions of the Champions Trophy. But he said the latest edition, which was reduced to only eight teams for the first time, had been the best organised.

"We've only been here a couple of weeks and the tournament's over," Ponting said. "You've got the best eight teams in the world playing for it and you've got a great place to play here in South Africa with two very good grounds to play on."

McCullum endorsed Ponting's views on the tournament, which was postponed by a year after it was moved from Pakistan for security reasons. "I thought this tournament was good," he said. "The top eight teams in the world coming together and playing over a short period of time; I thought it worked well. I guess there weren't too many nail-biting games, but I still think the quality of cricket was fantastic.

"If 50-over cricket is to remain in the calendar, it's a great way to certainly push it with tournaments like the Champions Trophy."