Australia v India, Champions Trophy, Group A, Centurion

Australia v India, Champions Trophy, Group A, Centurion

Washout hits India's semis chances

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale

September 28, 2009

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Australia 234 for 4 (Hussey 67, Ponting 65, Paine 56) v India - match abandoned due to rain
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Michael Hussey found some form with 67 © Getty Images
Related Links Analysis : What India need to do to go through Matches: Australia v India at Centurion Series/Tournaments: ICC Champions Trophy Teams: Australia | India

India and Australia will have their Champions Trophy fortunes decided on Wednesday after a washout in the match between the two sides in Centurion on Monday, when Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey led a strong Australian batting effort. Australia reached 234 for 4 before the deluge that had appeared imminent for more than an hour finally arrived and set in.

It meant the only winner was Pakistan, who are now assured of a semi-final spot. The fate of Australia and India now rests with the final two group matches, both on Wednesday. For India to progress they must thrash West Indies and lift their net run-rate while also hoping Australia lose to Pakistan; any win or no-result for Australia in their remaining match and they are through.

Australia were the frontrunners when the match was abandoned. There was no centurion at Centurion but a string of half-centuries from Ponting, Hussey and Tim Paine, as well as a late flurry from Cameron White set them on a comfortable course. As the players toiled against the backdrop of lightning, White lifted the tempo with an unbeaten 35, including a monstrous six over midwicket off Amit Mishra.

However, it was Ponting and Hussey who controlled the middle of the innings as they kept the scoreboard ticking over with little drama. Hussey was typically unobtrusive in compiling 67 from 65 deliveries, driving through gaps and haring through for single after single. There had been a reverse sweep early in his innings but he'd taken few risks until he lofted a wide ball from Ishant Sharma, who bowled poorly, straight to Sachin Tendulkar at long off.

Ponting was more classical, if slower to score his 65 runs, until he was caught short by a magnificent direct hit from the deep from Gautam Gambhir. Until that moment, Ponting had looked set for a century as he settled into a rhythm with quick singles and the odd cracking cut or drive, as well as one brilliant, high lofted drive for six off a good-length Praveen Kumar delivery.

Ponting was the anchor, combining in an 88-run stand with Hussey and an 84-run partnership with Paine, while India's bowlers battled to make inroads into the top order. Paine was the aggressor early and took plenty of risks. He walked down the pitch to Ishant and turned him over midwicket for four, also pulling him for six as Ishant's first over cost 16 and his first three overs leaked 30.

The risk-reward strategy continued against Harbhajan Singh, whose first ball to Paine was paddle-swept for four from on the stumps and later in the same over Paine reverse-swept another boundary to bring up his half-century. However, Paine's luck expired on 56, when he top-edged another paddle-sweep off Mishra to midwicket.

Mishra and Ashish Nehra were the most impressive bowlers in an Indian effort that lacked bite. There was sharp turn for Mishra but not a great deal of assistance for the fast bowlers, although India could also have used a sharper fielding effort - Paine should've been run out on 6 and on 31 his edge off Mishra flew between MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid at first slip.

After India lost the toss, Nehra gave them the perfect start when he consigned Shane Watson to his third consecutive one-day international duck. Nehra found some extra bounce that surprised Watson, whose top-edged pull lobbed to Harbhajan at midwicket.

There wasn't much more joy for India, although the washout was a reasonable outcome for them given Australia's solid batting. However, India need to find some spark to hammer a West Indies side that has fought well in this tournament, and they must also hope for a Pakistan win against Ponting's men. Australia's fate is in their own hands.

Brydon Coverdale is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Yuvraj out from ICC Champions Trophy 2009

	Yuvraj Singh's absence leaves a large hole in India's batting order © AFP
Related Links Players/Officials: Yuvraj Singh Series/Tournaments: ICC Champions Trophy Teams: India

The Indian left-hander injured his right hand during a fielding session at the University Ground in Johannesburg

India's Champions Trophy campaign suffered a major setback even before it started with Yuvraj Singh fracturing a finger during a practice session in Johannesburg. The injury will sideline him for six weeks, which puts him in doubt for the home ODI series against Australia. Virat Kohli will replace him in the Champions Trophy squad while Gautam Gambhir takes over as vice-captain.

Yuvraj's absence presents fascinating challenges to a batting line-up struggling to cope with Virender Sehwag's unavailability and the failures of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina. Rahul Dravid was recalled as a result of those problems, and his role grows in stature with the current crisis.

There has been a pattern to India's innings since Sehwag's injury: Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir are solid at the top, MS Dhoni anchors the innings during the middle overs, while Yuvraj provides firepower to propel India to a strong total. That will now have to change.

Yuvraj's injury is likely to most affect Dhoni. Of late Dhoni has adopted a more sedate approach and has almost cut out his big shots. It could be said that even when Dhoni tried to play big shots during the final overs of ODIs, and in tournaments like the World Twenty20 and IPL, he could not pull them off consistently. However, with Yuvraj in the team, Dhoni could play the anchoring role, which he has done brilliantly. Time and again he promoted himself, especially when India made a good start, to steer the side through the middle overs, allowing Yuvraj to flex his muscles at the end.

That worked like a charm but it may change now. Dhoni could be forced to do what he has given up, turning the clock back and playing the aggressive shots that captured the imagination of his fans. It will be intriguing to see what route he takes: Will he bat at No 4 and leave the attacking roles to his younger team-mates, or will he take it up himself?

Dhoni's re-adjustment process could be helped by the presence of Dravid, whose much-discussed - and in some quarters much criticised - comeback couldn't have been timed better. Dravid can play the anchoring role, one that obviously suits him, and it might help him as well. He might have been under pressure earlier to increase the run-rate but now his role will be to bat through the innings. Dravid normally starts slowly but by the end of his innings his strike-rate is usually acceptable. Now, he can afford to start slowly without the added pressure.

Yuvraj's injury could also affect Tendulkar's role. With Dravid at No. 3 and Yuvraj to come, Tendulkar, as he showed recently in Sri Lanka, started to bat more fluently at the top. Because Dravid's strike-rate was likely to be low at the start of the innings, Tendulkar had to bat positively to seize the momentum. But now with Yuvraj missing, will he feel he has to bat through the innings? Will it hamper his fluency?

The good news is that Kohli, Yuvraj's replacement in the squad, is in fine form. He scored 398 runs at an average of 66.33, with two hundreds and two fifties, in the Emerging Players tournament in Australia and is a genuine talent in limited-overs cricket. Kohli was unfairly bracketed as a Twenty20 player; his skills are actually more suited to the 50-over format. He is not a power hitter in the conventional sense, he likes to take his time to settle down but possesses the shots to dictate terms later. Along with Dravid, he can be expected to take the lead during the middle-overs and allow Dhoni, Raina and Yusuf Pathan(or Abhishek Nayar) freedom during the final overs.

Ironically, even if India can compensate for Yuvraj's batting skills, they are likely to miss his left-arm spin. He has taken 12 wickets at 30.91 this year and Dhoni has increasingly used him in ODIs. He has allowed India to get away with just one regular spinner in Harbhajan Singh and his absence is likely to upset the balance of the team.

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at Cricinfo

DAY 1 Results and Upcomming Matches

Pakistan vs West Indies, 2nd Match, Group A,The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Live commentary | Full scorecard

Match Referee: Javagal Srinath(Ind)

Match Umpires: Stephen Davis(Aus) , Daryl Harper(Aus)

Third Umpire: Simon Taufel(Aus)

PRESENTATION

Tillekeratne Dilshan: I think I am in good form since the last 6 months-1 year. Kumar always has helped me a lot when he is at the non striker's end. That partnership helped us in going past 300. I have changed my batting after being promoted to open. That is the turning point as I can play my shots during the powerplays.

Tillekeratne Dilshan is the Man of the Match for his magnificent ton

Sangakkara: The batting went really well for us with Dilshan going great guns but I think we have to work on our bowling. 320 was a big score on this track. (On Mendis) It is always tough to read him as he is unorthodox. This game is gone. We have to go back to square one. We have got a good start and if we don't capitalise then it is of no use.

Grame Smith: It was our first outing in a while. We never got the basics right. Kumar and Dilshan got going very well. We have got to improve a lot and we are looking for a better performance on Thursday.

That is all over friends. The hosts have started off the campaign on a note that is as gloomy as the weather. They asked Sri Lanka to bat after winning the toss and Sri Lanka made most of it with Dilshan hammering a superb ton. He was ably supported by Sangakkara and Jayawardene's fifties and the bowlers managed to stick to their task despite a bit of stick that they received early on. For South Africa, the first encounter with the mystery spinner was not great as he ripped through the top order, picking up 3 wickets within 4 overs. Stay connected for the post match updates.

Update 20:25 GMT (01:55 IST): And we have the official verdict. Play has been called off and that means that Sri Lanka win by 55 runs (D/L Method).

Update 20:15 GMT (01:45 IST): The pictures from the ground are not good. Although the rain has relented a bit, there is still a drizzle. The umpires will not come out until it has stopped raining completely. The cut off time is 20:45 GMT (02:15 IST)

D/L Method: The par score for South Africa at this stage with seven wickets down is 261. So if there is no further play then Sri Lanka will win with a comfortable margin of 55 runs.

What drama! Now it has started puring down heavily here. And the players are walking off. The covers come on. Rain stops play. If there is no more play, Sri Lanka will be comfortable winners, I reckon.

Sout Africa v Sri Lanka, Champions Trophy, Group B, Centurion

Match facts

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)

	Will Smith be any closer to that trophy in a fortnight's time? © Getty Images
Related Links Players/Officials: Nuwan Kulasekara | Kumar Sangakkara | Graeme Smith | Dale Steyn Matches: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Centurion Series/Tournaments: ICC Champions Trophy Teams: South Africa | Sri Lanka

Big picture

Lack of choices can be a blessing in disguise. Hence we have potentially the best event organised by the ICC in a long while. Not entirely by design, though: there was no window for a longer tournament, there isn't even a reserve day for the final. So there was no space for flab or Super Sixes or Eights or whatever. Although Bangladesh can argue they had a better case than West Indies, few could have envisaged the political turmoil in the Caribbean when the tournament was being drawn up. As a result the preliminary groups are neither meaningless cakewalks nor so fickle that one freak loss ends the tournament for a team. Throw in the fact that the top three teams are so close to each other, the No. 1 ranking is likely to change hands more often in this tournament than the baton in a relay race. So good on the ODIs, which do with this shot in the arm.

It helps that South Africa has been the setting for memorable starts to world events. In the first match of the 2003 World Cup, Brian Lara's century helped West Indies beat South Africa by three runs in a tense finish. Four years later the ICC went to South Africa unsure if the World Twenty20 would be accepted by the audience. The same two teams, in 37.4 overs, hit all such trepidations out of the Wanderers. The possibility of an exact repeat has been ruled out by the draw, which pits Sri Lanka opening the tournament against the hosts, but a similar start is needed.

Both players in the act on Tuesday run the risk of becoming perennial best men: both have been consistent limited-overs teams for large parts of last 15 years, but only two players in each team have tasted success in an ICC event: Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan won the 1996 World Cup, and Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis won the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998.

Since then South Africa have lost two World Cup semi-finals, one World Twenty20 semi-final, and three Champions Trophy semi-finals. Sri Lanka haven't been that consistent, but they too have lost a World Cup final and semi-final each, a World Twenty20 final, and shared a Champions Trophy final.

Not much has changed on that front: this is another best chance for South Africa to shrug off the chokers' tag, and although Sri Lanka are not starting off as favourites it would be folly to underestimate them. So let the nearly men kick the nearly tournament off.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)

South Africa - LWWWL
Forget their record in big tournaments, this is indeed South Africa's best chance in a big tournament. They are the most settled team among the eight, Australia are not what they used to be - their 6-1 win in England notwithstanding - and others generally have more issues to settle than the hosts. They last played an international match back in April. Will they be rested or rusty?

Sri Lanka - LWWLL
A new-look team trying to bring together mavericks, team players and veterans makes for interesting following. Their No. 5 ranking in ODIs should not prompt other teams to let their guard down.

Watch out for...

Dale Steyn has stated what the world knows in its heart of hearts but is not so convinced about when it comes to big tournaments. "If the team play to their potential, and this might sound cocky, I really believe no side can match us at the Champions Trophy." The world is waiting, Dale, for the "team to play to their potential".

Nuwan Kulasekara quietly became the No. 1 bowler in ODIs without many noticing, and has kept the ranking for some time now. Now he will be tested in the open and, if the conditions help swing, his accuracy, inswingers, and the odd one that goes straight could just confirm the ICC rankings.

	Since 1998 South Africa have lost two World Cup semi-finals, one World Twenty20 semi-final, and three Champions Trophy semi-finals. Sri Lanka have lost a World Cup final and semi-final each, a World Twenty20 final, and shared a Champions Trophy final

Graeme Smith has not shied from making statements for his team, and on the first day of the tournament, with regular co-opener Herschelle Gibbs out, his team needs the leader in the front.

Kumar Sangakkara the captain has been conspicuous in trying to bring a hard edge to his skilled team, but Sangakkara the batsman last scored an ODI century in June 2008, against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka won't mind a reconciliation of the two Sangakkaras.

Team news

Smith has confirmed Hashim Amla will open with him in Gibbs' absence due to a rib injury that has ruled him out of the first match. It probably won't hurt the middle order, which looks settled - only Albie Morkel and Mark Boucher could be needed earlier than usual. The most likely to sit out are Robin Peterson and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Expect a toss-up between Roelof van der Merwe and Wayne Parnell for the final position.

South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Roelof van der Merwe/Wayne Parnell, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Dale Steyn.

Murali should be fit to take the field now. After the tri-series final that Sri Lanka lost to India, Sangakkara had said Murali was fit but they didn't want to risk him before the Champions Trophy. Whose place will he take if he plays is an interesting question. Unless it is a rank turner, Ajantha Mendis should be the man most likely to sit out.

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilina Kandamby, 6 Chamara Kapugedera, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Thilan Thushara, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Lasith Malinga.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa lead 5-1 head-to-head on Sri Lanka in ICC events. They lost to Sri Lanka in the 1992 World Cup, and tied with them in 2003, but have won all other encounters.

• Murali, with 23 wickets, is the highest wicket-taker in Champions Trophy history.

• Sangakkara, with 22 catches and four stumpings, leads the dismissals table for wicketkeepers.

Quotes

"Our team has a lot of variety. We have got a left-armer, we have got pace, we have got allrounders and we have got spin. It is nice as a captain to have so many options."
Graeme Smith likes what he sees when he casts an eye over South Africa's squad.

"A game's a game and it doesn't matter who the opposition is. But it's nice, because we've come here as underdogs in this game and they [South Africa] have got a major tournament to start, to kick off in front of their fans and the pressure is really on them."
Kumar Sangakkara plays a mind game or three.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Cricket: Pakistan achieved a championship

Last June, when Pakistan won the Twenty20 Championship trophy after defeating Sri Lanka in the final, cricket-loving country was like a beast. Pakistan had not won any major championship cricket since the World Cup 1992 and this win could not have come at a better time. The Pakistanis were proud encantandos and you could hear the echo of his joy in the blogosphere. Some Pakistani bloggers launched an electronic manifestation of support for Pakistan cricket selection.

Few comments by Pakistan Cricket Fans

Arguably, the Pakistanis are the strongest people in the history of this land. No other nation can absorb so much pressure as has happened with Pakistan in recent years.

Therefore, it is no surprise that despite not being at the highest level of international cricket for over 15 months, having been isolated internationally and shaken by the most distressing incident of the game, fighting a war within our borders and concerned about three million of our brothers and sisters who were left homeless by the conflict, we made it out first in the world yesterday in the final of T20.

Our selection of cricket has won the (cup) in the world in the T20 game mode, and appears to be well enough to defend the title with the new captain.

All these developments have given the sad country much to cheer about and to think about.

Sehwag quits as Daredevils captain

Virender Sehwag has stepped down as captain of Delhi Daredevils, the franchise said on Monday. Sehwag is coming out of a shoulder injury and said he wanted to focus on his batting. Gautam Gambhir will lead Delhi in next month's Champions League Twenty20, and is expected to remain captain in next year's IPL, with wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as his deputy.

"I would like to thank GMR [the franchise owners] for their understanding in accepting my request to step down," Sehwag said. "Personally, I would like to concentrate on my own batting and contribute to the team."

Sehwag, 30, said he had full faith in Gambhir, who had captained the side during the second edition of the IPL and had also been a Ranji Trophy-winning captain for Delhi. "Gautam did a great job of captaining Delhi and also during IPL 2 in South Africa this year," Sehwag said. "He has shown very good leadership skills and will bring fresh energy into the Delhi Daredevils."

Gambhir, on his part, said he would draw from his experience of leading Delhi on the domestic circuit. "I am delighted at my selection as captain of Delhi Daredevils and I am committed to deliver my best," Gambhir said. "I have led Delhi in the past and it was an enriching experience. Hopefully, I can put into practice all that I have learnt.

"I have always looked up to Viru [Sehwag]. He has been a guide and friend for me. It is always difficult to fit into the shoes of someone as illustrious as him. I can always turn to him for any advice, as also to the other seniors in the team. We have had great camaraderie in the side and this will help us reach greater heights."

The favourites for the Champions Trophy

All about champions trophy.

Latest Scores,news,videos and pictures...

The favourites for the Champions Trophy
Recent form in ODIs and results in South Africa suggest the hosts, Australia and India are the best bets to lift the trophy
S Rajesh
September 18, 2009
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Rahul Dravid has scored nine fifties in 17 ODI innings against the top teams in South Africa, but Sachin Tendulkar hasn't been as successful © AFP

Related Links
Numbers Game : Last week's column - A decade of toil for bowlers
Players/Officials: Rahul Dravid | Mahela Jayawardene | Jacques Kallis | Brett Lee | Muttiah Muralitharan
Series/Tournaments: ICC Champions Trophy
Teams: Australia | India | South Africa

The one-day format has come under much flak recently, but it'll get a huge shot at redemption over the next couple of weeks with the Champions Trophy, which, under a new format, will feature the best teams and the best teams only. All eight teams, barring a weakened West Indian outfit, have a shot at the title, but if recent form - over the last few years and in the country where the tournament is being held - is any indication, the winners will be one of Australia, South Africa or India.
They are the three top teams in the ICC ratings, with only one point separating them - Australia and South Africa are on 127, with India on 126. However, the gap between the third- and fourth-ranked teams is 17 points, with Pakistan on 109.
The stats of teams since the last Champions Trophy - which finished on November 5, 2006 - back the rankings completely. Australia, South Africa and India are the only teams to win more games than they've lost against the top eight teams. India have a win-loss ratio of 1.40, and the next best is New Zealand, with 0.88, which indicates just how big the gulf has been between the top three and the rest during this period.
During this period India have won 11 out of 17 series (including multilateral tournaments), of which six have been on the trot, the latest being the Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka. Australia have won six out of 12, but one of those was the 2007 World Cup. South Africa have won seven out of 10, including five out of five at home.
Top eight ODI teams against each other in ODIs since last Champions Trophy
Team ODIs W/ L = ratio Bat ave RPO Bowl ave RPO
Australia 70 43/ 23 = 1.86 37.12 5.33 27.76 4.97
South Africa 46 28/ 16 = 1.75 35.37 5.31 29.10 4.93
India 78 42/ 30 = 1.40 33.87 5.38 33.69 5.41
New Zealand 55 22/ 25 = 0.88 31.00 5.20 34.53 5.15
Pakistan 44 20/ 23 = 0.86 30.97 4.99 34.15 5.31
Sri Lanka 60 25/ 31 = 0.80 28.98 4.96 28.58 4.94
England 62 25/ 34 = 0.73 28.74 5.00 31.40 5.19
West Indies 49 11/ 34 = 0.32 27.09 4.99 36.91 5.34
Not only have these three teams been the best everywhere in the last three years, they're also the top three in South Africa since the beginning of this decade (against the top eight sides). The home team have been by far the most dominant, which makes them - notwithstanding their ability to somehow lose key games - the favourites for the trophy. Australia have an excellent record here as well, thanks largely to their 2003 World Cup success, but India's stats in South Africa are considerably worse than their record elsewhere - in 14 matches, they've only won five, four of which came during their glorious run to the final in the 2003 World Cup.
India's numbers in South Africa aren't great, but five other teams have done much worse. Pakistan, for example, have a 20% success-rate, the same as West Indies, while New Zealand and Sri Lanka aren't much better.
Teams in South Africa in ODIs among the top eight teams since 2000
Team ODIs W/L = ratio Bat ave RPO Bowl ave RPO
South Africa 87 58/ 21 = 2.76 37.14 5.21 28.04 4.83
Australia 27 17/ 9 = 1.88 34.45 5.32 29.19 5.08
India 14 5/ 9 = 0.55 24.82 4.66 35.93 5.11
England 14 3/ 9 = 0.33 27.77 4.59 27.22 4.67
Sri Lanka 17 4/ 12 = 0.33 25.53 4.52 39.73 5.27
New Zealand 19 3/ 14 = 0.21 27.52 4.70 37.07 4.94
West Indies 13 2/ 10 = 0.20 28.43 4.86 44.35 5.27
Pakistan 13 2/ 10 = 0.20 23.98 4.72 38.20 5.61
The individual batting stats of players in South Africa offer some interesting insights too. For one, it explains - partially at least - why Rahul Dravid was brought back into the Indian team. He leads the averages chart among batsmen who'll be playing in the tournament - in 17 innings (against the top eight teams only) he has notched up nine half-centuries. Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis, the mainstays for Australia and South Africa, are next on the list. Only three other batsmen average more than 40.
On the other hand, there are several big names who'll be looking to improve their stats. Sachin Tendulkar, for instance, averages less than 32, with five 50-plus scores in 26 innings. Sanath Jayasuriya and Mohammad Yousuf haven't done much better. Sri Lanka's other big batting stars have struggled too - Kumar Sangakkara averages 28.85, while Mahela Jayawardene has embarrassing numbers: in 20 innings he has scored a total of 280 runs. In fact, the last time Sri Lanka toured South Africa was for the 2003 World Cup, a tournament in which Jayawardene had a shocker. His last eight innings in the country (against the top teams) read thus: 9, 3, 1, 9, 1, 0, 0, 5. That explains why Sri Lanka's record in South Africa is so poor.
Batsmen against the top eight teams in ODIs in South Africa
Batsman ODIs Runs Average Strike rate 100s/ 50s
Rahul Dravid 17 737 56.69 67.42 0/ 9
Ricky Ponting 22 1031 54.26 94.06 4/ 4
Jacques Kallis 113 4080 46.89 74.33 6/ 28
JP Duminy 13 398 44.22 81.72 0/ 2
Michael Hussey 10 338 42.25 93.62 0/ 3
AB de Villiers 34 1159 41.39 85.22 0/ 9
Graeme Smith 56 2079 39.98 83.72 3/ 16
Herschelle Gibbs 87 2739 34.23 82.97 9/ 9
Sanath Jayasuriya 29 899 32.10 81.72 2/ 5
Mohammad Yousuf 18 509 31.81 77.12 1/ 2
Sachin Tendulkar 26 822 31.61 73.92 1/ 4
Kumar Sangakkara 17 404 28.85 68.94 0/ 2
Mark Boucher 101 1522 27.67 82.58 0/ 5
Michael Clarke 10 243 27.00 71.68 0/ 3
Brendon McCullum 12 237 26.33 69.50 0/ 1
Paul Collingwood 10 181 25.85 78.35 0/ 1
Younis Khan 13 336 25.84 67.74 0/ 2
Yuvraj Singh 10 180 22.50 81.08 0/ 1
Shahid Afridi 13 206 17.16 120.46 0/ 1
Mahela Jayawardene 20 280 14.73 61.81 0/ 1
Among the bowlers, most of the wicket-takers have been the fast men. Brett Lee leads the way with an excellent haul of 41 wickets in just 19 games, with three four-wicket hauls and a five-for. Shane Bond and Makhaya Ntini have been among the wickets as well. The spinners have reasonable economy-rates, but apart from Muttiah Muralitharan, they haven't had a lot of wicket-taking success.
Bowlers against the top eight teams in ODIs in South Africa
Bowler ODIs Wickets Average Econ rate
Brett Lee 19 41 21.75 5.30
Shane Bond 10 17 24.52 4.80
Makhaya Ntini 67 99 26.75 4.69
Muttiah Muralitharan 22 31 27.80 4.06
Dale Steyn 10 16 30.12 5.18
Nathan Bracken 10 14 32.14 5.21
Jacques Kallis 113 95 33.30 5.09
Daniel Vettori 12 11 36.00 4.00
Shahid Afridi 13 12 37.75 4.81
Harbhajan Singh 11 10 44.10 4.72
Johan Botha 10 8 48.50 4.27
Sanath Jayasuriya 29 16 55.18 5.23

ICC Champions Trophy, 2009/10 India Squad

ICC Champions Trophy, 2009/10
August 16, 2009
MS Dhoni
captain/keeper
Age: 28 years 40 days
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm medium

Yuvraj Singh
vice-captain
Age: 27 years 247 days
Batting: Left-hand bat
Bowling: Slow left-arm orthodox


Rahul Dravid
Age: 36 years 217 days
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm offbreak

Gautam Gambhir
Age: 27 years 306 days
Batting: Left-hand bat
Bowling: Legbreak


Harbhajan Singh
Age: 29 years 44 days
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm offbreak

Dinesh Karthik
Age: 24 years 76 days
Batting: Right-hand bat


Praveen Kumar
Age: 22 years 318 days
Playing role: Bowler
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm medium

Amit Mishra
Age: 26 years 265 days
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Legbreak


Abhishek Nayar
Age: 25 years 312 days
Batting: Left-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm medium

Ashish Nehra
Age: 30 years 109 days
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Left-arm medium-fast


Yusuf Pathan
Age: 26 years 272 days
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm offbreak

Suresh Raina
Age: 22 years 262 days
Batting: Left-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm offbreak


Ishant Sharma
Age: 20 years 348 days
Playing role: Bowler
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm fast

RP Singh
Age: 23 years 253 days
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Left-arm fast-medium


Sachin Tendulkar
Age: 36 years 114 days
Batting: Right-hand bat
Bowling: Right-arm offbreak

ICC Champions Trophy / Tournament Format

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 will be contested by 8 teams which have been 'seeded' and divided into two groups:
Each team will play every other team in its group. Points will be allocated for each match in accordance with the system described below which will apply throughout the competition.
Following the group stage the top 2 teams from each group will progress to the semi finals where the winner of Group A will play the runner up of Group B (in the 1st semi-final) and the winner of Group B will play the runner up of Group A (in the 2nd semi-final).
The winners of the semi-finals will contest the Final.
Group A
Australia (1)
India (4)
Pakistan (5)
West Indies (8)

Group B
South Africa (2)
New Zealand (3)
Sri Lanka (6)
England (7)

Points
The following point system will apply:
Win 2
Tie or no result 1
Loss 0
Group Matches
In the event of teams finishing on equal points in its group, the right to play in the semi-finals will be decided in the following order of priority:
The team with the more wins in the group stage will be placed in the higher position.
If there are teams with equal points and equal wins in the group stage then in such case the team with the higher net run rate in the group stage will be placed in the higher position (refer to below for the calculation of net run rate).
If following the net run rate calculation above there are teams which are still equal, then the team with the higher number of wickets taken per balls bowled in the group stage in which results were achieved will be placed in the higher position.
If still equal, the team which was the winner of the head to head match played between them will be placed in the higher position.
In the highly unlikely event that teams cannot be separated by the above this will be done by drawing lots.
Semi Final
If a semi-final is tied, the teams shall compete in a one over per side eliminator to determine which team progresses to the final. Refer Appendix 7 click here to read.
If following a tie, weather conditions prevent the one over eliminator from being completed, or if the match is a no result, then the group winners shall progress to the Final.
Final
In the event of a tied Final, the teams shall compete in a one over eliminator to determine which team is the winner. Refer Appendix 7 click here to read.
In the event of a no result, provided weather conditions permit, the teams shall compete in a one over per side eliminator to determine which team is the winner. If weather conditions do not permit, the teams will be declared joint winners.
Net Run Rate
A team‟s net run rate is calculated by deducting from the average runs per over scored by that team throughout the competition, the average runs per over scored against that team throughout the competition.
In the event of a team being all out in less than its full quota of overs, the calculation of its net run rate shall be based on the full quota of overs to which it would have been entitled and not on the number of overs in which the team was dismissed.
Only those matches where results are achieved will count for the purpose of net run rate calculations. Where a match is abandoned, but a result is achieved under Duckworth/Lewis, for net run rate purposes Team 1 will be accredited with Team 2‟s Par Score on abandonment off the same number of overs faced by Team 2. Where a match is concluded but with Duckworth/Lewis having been applied at an earlier point in the match, Team 1 will be accredited with 1 run less than the final Target Score for Team 2 off the total number of overs allocated to Team 2 to reach the target.
In circumstances where a match (and the points for such match) is awarded to a team as a result of the other team‟s refusal to play, either by the match referee in accordance with Law 21.3 (a)(ii) as read with playing condition 21.3 or in accordance with the provisions of the relevant event agreements signed by the participating teams, the net run rate of the defaulting team shall be affected in that the full 50 overs of the defaulting team‟s innings in such forfeited match shall be taken into account in calculating the average runs per over of the defaulting team over the course of the relevant portion of the competition. For the avoidance of doubt the runs scored and overs bowled in such forfeited match will not be taken into account when calculating the net run rate of the team to whom the match was awarded

ICC Champions Trophy, 2009/10

Tue Sep 22
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Group B - South Africa v Sri Lanka
SuperSport Park, Centurion 16 - 28° C

Wed Sep 23
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Group A - Pakistan v West Indies
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg 13 - 21° C

Thu Sep 24
09:30 local | 07:30 GMT
13:00 IST Group B - South Africa v New Zealand
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Fri Sep 25
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Group B - England v Sri Lanka
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Sat Sep 26
09:30 local | 07:30 GMT
13:00 IST Group A - Australia v West Indies
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Sat Sep 26
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Group A - India v Pakistan
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Sun Sep 27
09:30 local | 07:30 GMT
13:00 IST Group B - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Sun Sep 27
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Group B - South Africa v England
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Mon Sep 28
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Group A - Australia v India
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Tue Sep 29
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Group B - England v New Zealand
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Wed Sep 30
09:30 local | 07:30 GMT
13:00 IST Group A - Australia v Pakistan
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Wed Sep 30
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Group A - India v West Indies
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Fri Oct 2
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST 1st Semi-Final - TBC v TBC (A1 v B2)
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Sat Oct 3
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST 2nd Semi-Final - TBC v TBC (B1 v A2)
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Mon Oct 5
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST Final - TBC v TBC
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Compaq Cup, Final: Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Sep 14, 2009

Team Composition

Sri Lanka	India
Tillakaratne Dilshan Sanath Jayasuriya Kumar Sangakkara (c) (w) Mahela Jayawardene Chamara Kapugedera Thilina Kandamby Angelo Mathews Nuwan Kulasekara Thilan Thushara Ajantha Mendis Lasith Malinga Malinga Bandara Muttiah Muralitharan Thilan Samaraweera Dammika Prasad Upul Tharanga	Virat Kohli Sachin Tendulkar Rahul Dravid Yuvraj Singh Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c) (w) Suresh Raina Yusuf Pathan Harbhajan Singh Rudra Pratap Singh Ashish Nehra Ishant Sharma Dinesh Karthik Praveen Kumar Amit Mishra Abhishek Nayar

Hello and welcome to the big final of the Compaq Cup between Sri Lanka and India at the Premadasa in Colombo. India were absolutely hammered by the Lankans on Saturday as Angelo Mathews ripped the heart out of the Indian middle-order with a 6-fer. But today is a new day and the Indians would hope that they can turn the tables on the Lankans when it matters most in a big final..

Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar are at the crease. Rahul Dravid is on strike. Nuwan Kulasekara will open the attack

Right then we are all ready to go as the players amble out. It will be me, Srivathsa and Nishant Majithia who will be bringing it to you. It looks like Dravid is walking out alongwith Sachin. Hmmmm...

Trivia: While SL have played in 36 of them winning 20 and losing 15, also they have shared the CT in 2002 alongwith India.

Trivia: India have played 47 tournament finals winning 19 and losing 26 with 2 of them being shared

saneindian: supportindia should know that the team for CT is already announced and Kohli isn't there..in any case DK deserved his chances as an opener after doing well in WI as an opener..in fact DK should have played today as well.

Pitch: It looks nice and flat says Ranil Abeynaike, no grass on it, but he says that the team that is batting second will have a tough time under the lights as it gets low and slow. 250 is a par score on this wicket. The weather looks fine as of now, although some showers are predicted for later in the day..

supportindia: This doesnt make any sense.. Virat Kohli being drafted in only to perform or perish, this young kid deserves more...Irrespective of his performance he will shown door in CT as SRT and GG will open....

Teams:

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara(w/c), Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedera, Thilina Kandamby, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga

India (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni(w/c), Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma

Sri Lanka are playing the same side from Saturday..

Virat Kohli replaces Dinesh Karthik, which is the only change from Team India...

India have won the toss and elected to bat

Tony Greig has done some research on Dilshan and says that he has the worst run-out record among all present players in the ODI format. Dilshan's run-out's amount to 16.3 % of all his dismissals.

2nd match of the Compaq Cup India Vs New Zealand

New Zealand under pressure to stay afloat

Match facts

Friday September 11
Start time 14.30 (9.00 GMT)

	India's middle order has been shaky against fast, short-pitched bowling and if a wicket goes down early, expect Rahul Dravid to walk out first © Associated Press
Related Links News : Dhoni backs flexible line-up to fill Gambhir void Players/Officials: MS Dhoni | Ashish Nehra | Jesse Ryder Series/Tournaments: Compaq Cup Teams: India | New Zealand

Big Picture

Despite finding out the morning before their first match that Gautam Gambhir had aggravated a groin injury and would take no part in the series, India's captain MS Dhoni was confident of the side's chances. He has reason to be.

This is India's third one-day series in Sri Lanka over the last 13 months. Where for decades India's record here had been nothing to crow over - they arrived for a tri-series in 2005 having won just nine of 33 matches - a strong one-day outfit has turned that record around dramatically.They have won seven of ten matches since then and in their last two series proved the past now counts for little, beating Sri Lanka 3-2 last August and 4-1 in February. In terms of rankings, there's plenty at stake for India in this series - if they go unbeaten into the final and win there, they will climb to No. 1 in the ICC's ODI rankings for the first time.

India strutted their stuff at the two practice sessions they had since arriving two days after the tournament began, and look confident. There were no traces of rust in how their batsmen and bowlers applied themselves. On the whole, the manner of their preparation has been calm and self-assured even though Virender Sehwag, a critical cog in the batting line-up, is missing. Plenty of responsibility will be on Rahul Dravid, recalled to the one-day team after two years. India's middle order has been shaky against fast, short-pitched bowling and if a wicket goes down early, expect Dravid to walk out first.

To beat a confident Indian outfit, New Zealand will have to shape up in disciplines that let them down in the first game. Their batting was rocked by a superb display from three bowlers of varying speeds and trajectories - Ian Bishop called it one of the best one-day efforts under lights he had seen - but the application was perhaps to blame. The top order seemed intent on attacking from the start. In the field, New Zealand failed to finish the job when Sri Lanka were 69 for 5 in 25.3 overs, and also gave them leeway with singles and doubles in the field. That was surprising given how efficient they were in the Twenty20s. A defeat tomorrow will see them crash out of the short tournament.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
India NRWLWL
New Zealand LWLLNR

Watch out for...

Ashish Nehra's return to Sri Lanka. In 17 matches here, he has taken 25 wickets at 26.36 with a best of 6 for 59 in his last outing here. That match happened to be at the R Premadasa Stadium. A recall to the side after a stellar IPL in South Africa was followed up by a good showing in the West Indies. If he gets the chance to bowl under lights at the Premadasa this time, with the assistance it provides to swing, Nehra could add to his impressive tally in the country.

Jesse Ryder should take a look at this Indian team and say to himself, 'Right, let's get some runs here'. Ryder was in top form when India toured New Zealand earlier this year, and set the tone for a personally excellent series in the one-day leg. He scored a sublime hundred in Christchurch and then took three wickets and scored a half-century in the last game, smashing India's attack all around Eden Park. Conditions are obviously a lot different and hitting sixes at the Premadasa will be a difficult proposition, but Ryder may just decide to raise his game against this outfit.

Team news

Dinesh Karthik has been confirmed as the man to open the innings in Gambhir's absence, at least for this game. Dravid will bat at either of Nos 3 or 4. Dhoni said it was rare that India went in to a match with five specialist bowlers, and indicated that it would be a 3-1 combination, which means Harbhajan Singh will be the only spinner. Ishant Sharma, Nehra, Praveen Kumar and RP Singh will contest the fast-bowlers' slots, but it is likely RP will be the one to miss out. Abhishek Nayar will have to wait to get his chance.

India: (probable) 1 Dinesh Karthik, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

It's not been confirmed whether Kyle Mills, who was under the weather before the last game, will fit in this time. Daryl Tuffey stepped up admirably in Mills' absence, and Ian Butler's poor bowling in the batting Powerplay during the last match may see him sit out for Mills. The batting will remain the same.

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Jesse Ryder, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Grant Elliot, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Ian Butler/Kyle Mills, 10 Daryl Tuffey, 11 Shane Bond.

Pitch and conditions

In the last match the pitch was two-faced and not an ideal one for one-dayers. It remains to be seen what is rolled out for Friday's encounter. As usual, scattered showers are forecast but fans will hope the rain stays away, as it did on Tuesday.

Stats and Trivia

Sachin Tendulkar averages 44.25 at the Premadasa, with 885 runs and three centuries from 24 matches.

Dravid averages 31.25 here, with 500 runs from 21 matches.

Quotes

"It is good to have him in the team. With that sort of experience, he is always going to help the team. It is wonderful to have him back in the squad."
India's coach Gary Kirsten is excited about Dravid's return

"New Zealand really missed him when he was in the ICL. He's their spearhead and the fast bowling goes to a new level with Bond."
Dhoni knows New Zealand's confidence will be up with the return of Shane Bond

India to play Champions Trophy warm-up match against NZ

Indian team will play a warm-up match against New Zealand on September 20 at Potchefstroom, South Africa before going into the eight-nation event.

The International Cricket Council on Thursday announced the schedule of warm-up matches ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy and these practice matches will be played on September 18 and 20 in Potchefstroom, Benoni and Pretoria.

More in cricket

"In line with previous ICC events none of these matches will carry official ODI status," the ICC said in a statement.

The Champions Trophy will be staged at The Wanderers and Centurion from September 22 to October 5.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will hold his arrival press conferences on September 19.

Sparkling White ton flattens England( England v Australia 2009)

Australia 230 for 4 (White 105, Clarke 52) beat England 228 for 9 (Strauss 63, Watson 3-36) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Cameron White's 116-ball hundred followed his half-century at The Oval © PA Photos
Related Links News : Australia eye 7-0 whitewash over sleepy England Players/Officials: James Anderson | Michael Clarke | Callum Ferguson | Andrew Strauss | Cameron White | Luke Wright Matches: England v Australia at Southampton Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of England and Scotland Teams: Australia | England

Cameron White scored his maiden international hundred, and Michael Clarke signed off as captain with a sheet-anchor 52 from 92 balls, as England's under-performing batsmen were taught an object lesson in how to pace a run-chase in the third ODI at the Rose Bowl. Chasing 229 under the floodlights after losing the toss for the third time in the series, White and Clarke added 143 for the third wicket to steer Australia to a comfortable six-wicket victory with nine balls remaining, and secure a virtually unassailable 3-0 lead with four matches of the NatWest Series still to come.

Though England's bowlers put up something of a fight with the ball, the match was lost during another inadequate performance from the batsmen, in which Andrew Strauss, once again, was the only redeeming feature, Australia lost both openers early in their chase, and at 56 for 2 after 15 overs, it looked as though they might be forced to struggle for the ascendancy. But whereas England's batsmen produced five partnerships worth between 34 and 41 runs - a stat that perfectly encapsulated the wastefulness of their performance - the Aussies needed just one hefty alliance to make the game safe.

For differing reasons, White and Clarke had plenty to prove in tonight's contest - the return of Ricky Ponting for Saturday's fourth ODI will require White to relinquish his No. 3 spot, and Clarke to hand back the captaincy. But both men ensured that the skipper will return to a steady ship after silencing a full house at The Rose Bowl with a performance that was light on fireworks but brimful of determination. Clarke contributed a solitary boundary to a stay that spanned 30 overs, which also happened to be his last shot before being bowled by Graeme Swann one ball later, and while questions remain about his lack of impetus in the middle-order, tonight is not the night for quibbling.

Instead, it is a night for White to celebrate his arrival on the international stage. Having never batted higher than No. 5 before this series, today's 116-ball hundred followed on from his maiden half-century in the first match at The Oval, and whereas England's skittish batsmen have continually found new and innovative ways to squander their promising starts, he belied his reputation as a biffer to set himself a platform and, then, crucially, to build on it.

His only error with the bat came on 92, during Australia's Powerplay, when Tim Bresnan fluffed a skier at long-on - and while the bowler, James Anderson, was not best pleased at that let-off, Anderson himself had earlier been guilty of letting White off the hook with two run-out chances - the first an underarm shy from five yards that somehow missed the stumps with the batsman on 46, and later a failure to break the stumps with White on 70, and floundering for the crease having worked a single into the leg-side.

There was no panic at any stage of Australia's performance, however. They claimed the Powerplay at 154 for 2, with 66 balls of the chase remaining and 75 runs still needed, whereupon White drilled Sidebottom over mid-on for their first six of the series. His own contribution ended with nine runs still required, when he scudded a Luke Wright slower ball to mid-off, but Callum Ferguson and Michael Hussey ensured there were no late dramas.

And so England were left to rue another day in keeping with their performances all year, in which their fortunes were dictated entirely by their captain. Having won his third toss of the series under overcast skies, Strauss might well have been tempted to bowl first, were it not for the memory of the failed run-chases that England compiled in the first two matches at The Oval and Lord's. This time, he took it upon himself to set the agenda personally, and at first he did so to fine effect. Though he did not open his account until his 11th delivery of the innings, he then climbed into Brett Lee with three fours in a row - a pull, a cut and a drive, the three staples of his international diet - en route to a 60-ball half-century.

	James Anderson holds his head in his hands as England drift towards another defeat © Getty Images

At the other end, Ravi Bopara showed signs of his returning confidence when he drilled the first ball of Nathan Bracken's third over over long-on for six, and at 40 for 0 after seven overs, England were looking in command of their destiny. But then, however, it all started to go wrong. Bopara attempted a repeat stroke, but picked out James Hopes at full stretch running back towards the pavilion, and in the very next over, Matt Prior sized up a violent pull shot to get himself off the mark, but he fizzed a simple chance straight to Hopes once more, this time off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson.

Owais Shah, under pressure again thanks to his haphazard running in the second ODI, was adjudged lbw, somewhat unluckily, as replays suggested that Johnson's delivery would have slipped past the off stump. And then, in a lapse in concentration that has been an unfortunate part of his otherwise excellent form in this series, Strauss worked Hauritz in the air with a flick of the wrists, and Clarke swooped low at midwicket to send him on his way. At 98 for 4, Australia were firmly in the ascendancy.

Collingwood, charged with raising the tempo as well as providing mature support to the tyro Eoin Morgan, then produced arguably the most culpable dismissal of the lot, as he attempted to biff Shane Watson's medium pace over the leg-side field, but succeeding only in scuffing his drive to Bracken at mid-on for 28 boundary-free runs. And when Luke Wright scorched to short extra cover, it was left to Morgan to cobble together a defendable target. He added 36 in seven overs with Bresnan, including a rare six as Hopes was punched over the top, but the decision to call for the Powerplay in the 42nd over once again scuppered all England's momentum.

On 43, Morgan was suckered by a slower-ball full toss from Lee, and patted a tame drive to Johnson at wide mid-off, before Swann played across the line to a wicket-to-wicket delivery from Shane Watson to be adjudged lbw for 3 from three balls (188 for 8). As England dribbled through their allocation, it wasn't until Bresnan cleared his front leg to smash consecutive fours off Watson with three balls of the Powerplay remaining that they managed so much as a boundary in their five sloggable overs.

Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom ensured that the innings was not a total surrender by hauling England through their 50 overs in a ninth-wicket stand of 40, with both men posting their highest scores in ODI cricket before Sidebottom holed out to Cameron White off Watson's final ball of the innings. Nevertheless, their modest achievements were a further indictment of the failings higher up the order. Only an inspired performance with the ball would have enabled England to escape. And sure enough, White and Clarke ensured it did not materialise.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo

he future of Test cricket Bangladesh agree to day-night Test in England

	The MCC would like to host the Test now with its brand new floodlights in place at Lord's © Getty Images
Related Links News : Test cricket could die out warns MCC News : Taufel gives backing to pink ball News : Lord's could host first day-night Test in May 2010 In Focus: Cricket rules Teams: Bangladesh | England | Marylebone Cricket Club

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has agreed to the ECB's request to appear in the first-ever day-night Test during the team's tour of England in May-June next year. However, the ICC has not yet cleared the idea and its approval will be subject to suitable equipment being developed for the purpose.

The idea was first proposed by the MCC during its World Cricket Committee meeting at Lord's in July as a way of making the game's longest and oldest format more appealing. The other proposals included the use of pink balls and a World Test Championship.

The ICC has made it clear that though the concept of day-night Tests was discussed by its cricket committee, no decision has been taken yet. "The ICC cricket committee had last year agreed in principle that the notion of day-night Tests should be investigated," an ICC spokesperson said. "For now, we are happy for members to try this at the domestic level first and if it proves successful, the cricket committee would consider recommending this on a trial basis at the Test level."

Apparently, there are a number of key issues related to the concept that are still being discussed: the colour of players clothing, whether the suggested pink balls retains its colour or needs to be changed frequently due to discolouration or wear and tear, to what extent would batting, bowling and fielding conditions vary and so on.

An MCC spokesman confirmed to Cricinfo that the World Cricket Committee would meet with the ICC in November. The future of Test cricket is on the agenda, and within that floodlit Tests will be discussed. "We are very keen to help in any way we can," the spokesman said, "and have been continuing with our trials of coloured balls to see if it will work on television."

The MCC could have a dual role in this process: as well as being fully behind floodlit Tests. Lord's could be the ground to host the match. One of the Bangladesh Tests is currently allocated to Headingley; the other is part of the bidding process, with Lord's in the running to hosting it. "We we would like to host it and we have our brand new floodlights," said the spokesman.

The future of Test cricket has been the subject of debate within the ICC over the last year with the concept of a Test championship initially gaining ground. But the idea was opposed by the India and England cricket boards who did not find merit in sharing their substantial TV revenue that would have gone to a common pool.

India and England have subsequently backed the idea of day-night Test cricket as a way of taking the format forward amidst the rise of Twenty20 cricket. However, the ICC, which is finalising its Future Tours Programme post-2012, is yet to arrive at a decision on the matter. The ICC's executive board meets next in October, when the issue is likely to be discussed again.

Compaq Cup ( India,Sri Lanka,New Zealand )

Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Colombo (RPS)

Sep 8 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)

India v New Zealand at Colombo (RPS)

Sep 11 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)

Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS)

Sep 12 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)

Final: TBA v TBA at Colombo (RPS)

Sep 14 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)

Tournament : Compaq Cup
Teams : India,Sri Lanka,New Zealand
Starts from : 8th September 2009
Venue : Sri Lanka ( Colombo )

'I don't want to be captain' - Sehwag

	'I want that I should continue to score runs and keep winning matches for the team' © AFP
Related Links Players/Officials: Virender Sehwag Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Delhi Daredevils | India

Indian batsman Virender Sehwag has said he doesn't want to lead the team and suggested that a new face be given the vice-captain's responsibility, so that he can be groomed to take over the reins after captain MS Dhoni.

"I don't want to be a captain, I have already told selectors about it. I have said that a new player should be made vice-captain and be groomed to be a captain," Sehwag told Indian news channel News24. "I want that I should continue to score runs and keep winning matches for the team."

Sehwag, 30, was appointed vice-captain in October 2005, with Rahul Dravid replacing Sourav Ganguly as captain. A dip in Sehwag's form in 2006-07 resulted in VVS Laxman assuming the vice-captaincy responsibilities in Tests, albeit for a brief period. Sachin Tendulkar was appointed deputy for the 2007 World Cup before the position went to Dhoni soon after.

And it was only when Dhoni became captain in all three formats, the last being for Tests after Anil Kumble's retirement in November last year, that Sehwag regained the vice-captaincy. But a shoulder injury for Sehwag in the lead-up to the World Twenty20 in June this year resulted in the deputy's position going to Yuvraj Singh. However, Sehwag hoped to regain his fitness completely before turning out for the Delhi Daredevils in the Champions League, beginning on October 8.

Sehwag also considered Ganguly as the best leader he had played under. "Sourav Ganguly has been the best captain India ever had," Sehwag said. "Sourav took over as captain of the India cricket team when it was going through a very bad patch. The Indian team was struggling to put come out of the match-fixing scandal. He had a responsibility to put together a new team and he did a splendid job."