Ponting returns to captaincy

Australian selectors have asked former captain Rickey Ponting to lead the side in the Commonwealth Bank tri-series ODI against Sri Lanka in Sydney on February 17 - an unsual move given that past captains are seldom given a sniff at the top job again.

A hamstring injury to Michael Clarke, the captain, will keep him out of the match. However, Clarke will captain Australia in the next two ODIs, including the game against India in Brisbane on February 19.

Chief selector John Inverarity said here on Tuesday, “After careful consideration, the National Selection Panel (NSP) has aked Rickey Ponting if he would captain team in Michael Clarke's absence.”

Dashing opener David Warner is the vice-captain in the side but Inverarity said, “David Warner is a young player making his way. He displays considerable leadership potential, but the NSP is of the

opinion that he should not, at the moment, have the added responsibility of captaincy thrust on him.”

The selection panel chief elaborated, “David has been gaining valuable experience under Michael Clarke's captaincy and now he will have the opportunity to grow his leadership skills further as vice-captain to Ricky Ponting. In making this decision the NSP reminded itself of the fact that Ricky Ponting led the winning Australian ICC Cricket World Cup teams in 2003 and 2007. The NSP appreciates the fact that Ricky is prepared to accept this responsibility in the wider interests of the team."

Paceman Ryan Harris, carrying minor niggles, have been dropped from the squad. Brett Lee, who has made a miraculous recovery from a broken bone in his left foot, has been included. The experienced paceman will, however, have to undergo a fitness test ahead of the match.

Swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, who was in the side as injury cover for the second game, has been inducted in the side. Wicket-keeper batsman Matthew Wade continues to keep Brad Haddin out.

Inverarity revealed key all-rounder Shane Watson was making good progress from his fitness concerns. Watson has taken part in grade cricket without the calf injury playing up and is now poised to play

Shield cricket.

The sqaud for Australia's next three ODIs: M. Clarke (captain, from the match against India in Brisbane from Sunday), R. Ponting (captain for Friday's match against Sri Lanka in Sydney), D. Warner, M. Wade, M. Hussey, D. Hussey, P. Forrest, D. Christian, M. Marsh, B. Lee, C. McKay, M. Starc, B. Hilfenhaus,D. Xoherty

Dhoni's Dharma

The first time that I sat up and took notice of MS Dhoni was during a training camp at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, in mid-2005. He was batting in the nets at the BEML end of the ground with Ajit Agarkar amongst the bowlers.

On what was a slow, low practice pitch, Dhoni looked quite comfortable on the front foot, so I asked Ajit to test him with a bouncer. Ajit had a very good bouncer that often surprised batsmen, especially on the slower wickets.

He bowled a beauty. Not too short, rising to about Adam's apple height over the right shoulder. Dhoni, unfazed, rocked back onto his back foot and hit the ball as hard and high, in front of square, as I had ever seen a ball struck. The ball rocketed up to hit the facia of the stand about 50m above the playing field.

The sound of ball hitting bat, and ball hitting facia, seemed to be simultaneous. It was one of the most audacious shots that I had ever seen. Had it not hit the facia of the stand, it would have landed in the Police Parade Ground, hundreds of metres away, on Link Road!

During that same camp, we had some sessions of simulated match practice aimed at improving the team's ability to chase targets in One-Day matches. The recent history in run chases was extremely poor. It soon became apparent that Dhoni was one of the best ‘finishers' in this format.

Tennis-ball grounding

Dhoni's grounding in tennis-ball cricket is obvious in the way he bats. He has an inimitable and unorthodox technique. With his strength, he is capable of hitting balls into places that only few others can conceive. He is the best attacking player of the yorker I have ever seen. I once saw him hit a James Anderson yorker straight back over the bowler's head for six. It was awesome.

Other things that I soon learnt about Dhoni was he really understood the game, he had a calm confidence about his own ability and was not bothered with false modesty. If he thought he could do something, he was not scared to say so. Not in an egotistical way; just forthright. This was also unique to Dhoni and I found it refreshing.

It was clear to me that Dhoni was a captain in the making. Whenever I thought of Dhoni, I was reminded of the quote from Bhagavad Gita, ‘It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of someone else's life with perfection.'

At the time, I thought that Dhoni's destiny was to lead India to the pinnacle of world cricket. I still believe that. He has led them to a T20 and 50-over World Cup victory. Test cricket has not been as easy to tame.

Records, good and bad

Dhoni's overall win record of 46 % in Tests, as captain, is not bad. His home record of 66% wins is excellent, but the glitch in his record is a win ratio of 26% from 19 Tests away from the comforts of home.

This record has been hammered on recent tours to England and Australia; probably the two toughest tours for Indian players brought up on the batting-friendly strips at home.

What bothered me most about this tour of Australia is that Dhoni looked tired and bereft of ideas, at times, during the Test series. His batting confirmed it as he appeared to be struggling to make the mental effort required to tackle the persistent Australian bowling.

This set the tone for the rest of his charges, who often looked resigned to the inevitable, long before the game was decided.

Has the demand of having the top job in the three formats, plus the IPL, jaded Dhoni to the point where he wants to give up on his ‘Dharma' of leading India to the top?

Not only does Indian cricket need him to see out his destiny, but the game in a broader sense and Test cricket in particular, needs him. No one else appears to have his combination of charisma, calmness and strength of character to bring together the right people, on and off the field, to make this happen.

If you need any further confirmation, just ask corporate India.

Dhoni takes a dig at DRS

Queried whether the five-ball over - sent down by Lasith Malinga in the 30th over of the innings - would have made a difference to the result of the game, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, "It's done and dusted, that is what is important. We can create a big fuss out of it but what is the point. Nothing can be done now?"

Dhoni added, "We have seen in the past, when we have bowled an over and almost changed sides (ends), the third umpire intervenes and says `okay, you have to bowl one more ball in this particular over'. It didn't happen in this game."

The Indian captain also took the opportunity to comment on DRS. "If it can happen, then I don't know why people back the DRS so much. We have seen people really being happy with DRS in one series when it goes in their favour. If it doesn't go in their favour, they're unhappy about it."

Dhoni said, "I'm quite happy with three individuals ... two umpires in the middle and a third umpire. Then you have the match referee and the scorer. If such a mistake still happens, it's better off accepting it because as humans they are bound to make mistakes."

Tuesday's Man of the Match also said, "Hopefully it won't be repeated with us or any other side."

Asked about Gautam Gambhir's remarks that the Indians should have finished the game against Australia on Sunday earlier and Dhoni, perhaps, was waiting for someone else to take responsibility, the Indian captain replied, "I am not in a hurry to finish the game in the 47th or 48th over. I am happy if I can do it in the 50th. I don’t have the luxury of batsmen behind me."

Dhoni elaborated, "It’s different with individuals. Some like to finish early, take risk and finish things off. It’s difficult to play huge shots on big grounds. When you go for it, it really has to pay off. Otherwise it looks as if this shot wasn’t needed at that stage.

If you ask Viru (Virender Sehwag), he would look to finish things in 35 overs. He believes the ball is there to be hit. So it’s a difference in perspective. There is nothing wrong between me and Gambhir.”

He was all praise for Gambhir's 91 here. "Once he gets going, he really comes up with the big scores. He plays the spinners very well and runs well between the wickets. He bats for 35-40 overs."

Dhoni said it was important for a finisher to keep his mind blank in the final stages. "You need to keep the mind blank and back yourself to hit. For instance, Malinga can bowl yorkers at will."

Queried whether the Indians would now rest Gambhir after his innings of 92 and 91 in successive games, Dhoni said, "One of the things we want is all players to be fit by the time we play the finals, if we make it. The grounds here in Australia are big and there is no guarantee that everyone will be fit if they play all the games. Sachin, Sehwag and even Gautam, are over 30 and we thought it would be a good idea to give the youngsters a chance. It would also have them ready for the later duels in case someone gets injured."

Dhoni said the tie was a fair result - "both the teams did not deserve to lose" - and added the Adelaide pitch was sub-continental in nature.

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said, "230 odd was not going to be enough here. Then, we dropped catches and missed run-out chances."

Jayawardene also gave credit to Dhoni, "When he is batting through to the end, it becomes difficult for the opposition."

He added, "We fought and one has to back Malinga to do the job. But we are happy with two points. We could have lost the match."

India and Sri Lanka play out a sensational tie!

It was a face-off of the gladiatorial kind. The world's foremost death overs paceman against a feared finisher. It was Lasith Malinga versus Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the Adelaide Oval.

India required four runs off the last ball. Malinga, his mane gleaming under the lights, steamed in. Dhoni settled into his stance. The crowd held its breath.

The Sri Lankan's thunderbolt was full and outside off. Dhoni, with an acrobatic one-legged slash, fired the ball over cover.

The Indian captain and last man Umesh Yadav ran three amid tension, suspense and hectic Sri Lankan fielding. The match ended in a nerve-jangling tie.

Dhoni, sweat streaming down his visage, was once again India's savior in the climactic stages. Man of the Match he was.

The Commonwealth Bank ODI series threw up one more thriller here on Tuesday. Both teams finished with identical scores – 236 for nine.

India now has ten points from four matches and Sri Lanka two from three.

Skipper Dhoni, unbeaten on a 69-ball 58, walked back with a wry smile.

Opener Gautam Gambhir, who set up the chase for India, continued his fine form with a 106-ball 91.

One never knows what might have been had the 30th over of the innings – sent down by Malinga – not been a five-ball one.

The match twisted and turned going into the final stretch. India needed 24 from the last two overs. Irfan Pathan swung a full toss from seamer Angelo Mathews for a six before being run-out by the bowler.

Then, Dhoni thwacked the bowler past the mid-wicket ropes to reach his half-century.

India took 15 from the 49th over and required nine from the final one.

The over built up towards an edge-of-the-seat finish. Vinay Kumar was run-out by Mathews, finding the target from mid-off from the fifth delivery. Then came the game's final act.

The players had felt the pressure as the game neared conclusion. Even experienced men made mistake. Sangakkara, with the big gloves on, grassed a skier from Ravichandran Ashwin. The Indians ran two for the stroke.

But then, paceman's Thisara Perera putting down a return catch off Dhoni when the Indian captain was on 10 proved a lot more expensive for the Sri Lankans.

The Sri Lankans fought hard. Mahela Jayawardene shuffled his bowlers around cleverly, kept a single-denying field to build pressure, and saved Malinga for the last.

The Sri Lankans never lost belief and there was some assistance for the bowlers – some movement and spin – from the surface. The crafty Rangana Herath impressed with his left-arm spin.

The dismissal of a well-set Gambhir was the turning point. Dhoni and Gambhir had added 60 runs for the fifth wicket when India ran into a truckload of problems. Dhoni pushed Malinga to mid-on, stopped after initially setting out for a run, and Gambhir was stranded at the non-striker's end with Kulasekara hitting the stumps.

Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar – Virender Sehwag sat out of the game with a back spasm – nicked an attempted drive off Nuwan Kulasekara early on.

The Indians lost wickets at regular intervals. Virat Kohli played across to an off-cutter from seamer Thisara Perera. Mahela Jayawardene scored a terrific direct hit from point to end Rohit Sharma's tenure.

And Suresh Raina, unable to time his glance off Malinga, was splendidly taken on the leg-side by a diving Sangakkara.

Meanwhile, Gambhir batted with balance and poise. He was light on his feet and heavy with his strokes. The southpaw cover-drove with a still head. With dexterous wrists, he whipped the ball into the open spaces.

When Malinga bounced, Gambhir pulled. When Rangana Herath flighted, he split the off-side field with a front-footed drive.

Dhoni has this ability to pick runs unnoticed before he launches into the big blows. The Indian skipper picks his moments to strike, possesses a calm head that weighs options. Dhoni's six over wide long-on off Perera was a massive blow.

The Sri Lankan innings revolved around a fine 91-ball 81 from Dinesh Chandimal. He used his feet and found the gaps.

He rocked back to cut and pull, jumped out to either strike the ball over the infield or drive it between the fielders or simply worked it around for the singles.

The 94-run fourth-wicket partnership – in 100 balls – between Chandimal and Mahela Jayawardene powered Sri Lanka before the side lost momentum. Jayawardene (43), rediscovering form, played with soft hands and sure footwork.

The Sri Lankans, however, turned powerless in the batting Power Play.

The five overs – between overs 36 and 40 – fetched the Sri Lankans just 18 runs while they lost three wickets.

Mahela Jayawardene perished trying to turn a off-cutter from Vinay Kumar, Chandimal was done in by Rohit Sharma's quick release to Dhoni from short cover and Perera walked back after attempting to slog Ravichandran Ashwin. Sri Lanka had surrendered advantage.

Earlier, the consistent Vinay Kumar found the edge of Upul Tharanga's bat with a back-of-a-length ball that seamed away. The steady Irfan Pathan – in the team because Zaheer Khan was nursing a strained right calf – removed Tillakaratne Dilshan when the batsman under-edged a drive.

Off-spinner Ashwin bowled capably. The off-spinner took out Kumar Sangakkara, stroking the ball, fluently, with a teasing delivery that spun away from the left-hander.

Scoreboard: Sri Lanka: U. Tharanga c Dhoni b Vinay Kumar 0 (2b), T. Dilshan c Dhoni b Pathan 16 (23b, 1x4, 1x6), K. Sangakkara c Gambhir b Ashwin 31 (56b, 2x4), D. Chandimal (run out) 81 (91b, 6x4, 1x6), M. Jayawardene lbw b Vinay Kumar 43 (49b, 2x4), A. Mathews (run out) 17 (30b, 1x4), T. Perera c Kohli b Ashwin 5 (9b), N. Kulasekara c Gambhir b Vinay Kumar 12 (25b), S. Senanayake (not out) 22 (14b, 3x4), L. Malinga (run out) 0 (0b), R. Herath (not out) 1 (1b); Extras (lb-3, w-5): 8, Total (for nine wkts. in 50 overs): 236.

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Tharanga), 2-28 (Dilshan), 3-79 (Sangakkara), 4-173 (Jayawardene), 5-178 (Chandimal), 6-184 (Perera), 7-210 (Mathews), 8-232 (Kulasekara), 9-235 (Malinga).

India bowling: Vinay Kumar 10-1-46-3, Pathan 9-0-38-1, Yadav 9-0-51-0, Ashwin 10-1-30-2, Jadeja 10-0-58-0, Rohit 2-0-10-0.

India: G. Gambhir (run out) 91 (106b, 6x4), S. Tendulkar c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 15 (24b, 2x4), V. Kohli lbw b Perera 15 (25b, 1x4), Rohit (run out) 15 (27b, 2x4), S. Raina c Sangakkara b Malinga 8 (19b), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 58 (69b, 3x4, 1x6), R. Jadeja c Jayawardene b Perera 3 (10b), R. Ashwin c Senanayake b Malinga 14 (13b, 1x4), Irfan (run out) 8 (5b, 1x6), Vinay (run out) 1 (2b), U. Yadav (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-1, w-6, nb-1): 8; Total (for nine wkts. in 50 overs) 236.

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Tendulkar), 2-61 (Kohli), 3-94 (Rohit), 4-118 (Raina), 5-178 (Gambhir), 6-184 (Jadeja), 7-212 (Ashwin), 8-223 (Irfan), 9-233 (Vinay).

Sri Lanka bowling: Malinga 10-1-53-2, Kulasekara 10-0-39-1, Mathews 5-0-35-0, Perera 9-0-45-2, Herath 10-1-33-0, Senanayake 6-0-30-0.

Man-of-the-match: M.S. Dhoni

Is Rohit being made the scapegoat?

After two successive failures in India's first two matches in the triangular series, talented middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma wears the expression of a man who is waiting to be shown the door.

Ironically, it's his own batting colleagues who could be sending him the distressing signals.

After spending the entire Test series on the sidelines, Rohit failed to deliver with the bat in the first two matches of the tri-series and to make matters worse for the right-hander, he is now made to understand that his place in the playing eleven is at the expense of one of the three senior openers — Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.

To add to it, the fact that Rohit is India's best limited-over batsman since the last World Cup is not enough to guarantee him a place in the playing eleven.

After the four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Perth, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Rohit was the reason why the three senior batsmen were being rotated.

“We would look to rotate (in Adelaide also). I want Rohit to play as many games as possible. It gives him an opportunity to get set. We can afford to give him chances in the first leg of the tournament,” Dhoni had said.

Dhoni's sentiments, on the face of it, are laudable. But Rohit should not be made a scapegoat as another youngster — Suresh Raina was no better with the bat in the first two ODIs.

The three young batsmen who man the middle order are Virat Kohli, Rohit and Raina. But Kohli doesn't enter the scenario as he is in the form of his life and is a natural starter in the eleven. But Raina's is a different story. The left-hander has scored only two half centuries in 22 matches since the last World Cup. Rohit, in contrast, has six in 13 games.

Raina's best average in any series since the World Cup is 44-odd, while Rohit, in two full series since the World Cup, averaged 128 and 76 plus.

The idea to rotate the top three in order to give a chance to a young middle-order batsman is a sound one, but to mark out Rohit as reason for rotation is grossly unfair to the Mumbai lad.

Gavaskar formally inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

Former India cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar was formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, here on Wednesday when he received his commemorative cap from fellow Hall of Famer and teammate Kapil Dev.

Gavaskar is one of the initial 55 inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, which was launched in January 2009 in association with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) as part of the ICC's centenary year. He now joins a Hall of Fame that includes 72 male and female cricketers.

“It is a huge honour because it is the peers in the game who decide who is going to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. It has taken some time to coordinate the presentation, but finally it is there and I am delighted that I have been inducted,” Gavaskar was quoted by an ICC media release.

“This means that you are in select company and therefore, it becomes all the more special. To be an original inductee is an even bigger honour,” he said.

Thrilled

Gavaskar was thrilled to receive the cap from Kapil who was his teammate for close to a decade. “Kapil is somebody I consider the greatest Indian cricketer and to receive this cap from him is a real big plus, a real big honour.

“Kapil and I have had some wonderful times playing in the Indian team. Being part of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad is a memory that will always stay with me. Kapil lifting the World Cup at Lord's is something that I will always treasure and, therefore, to receive the cap from him makes this occasion even more special,” the legendary opener, who scored 10,122 Test runs, said.

Privilege

Kapil, on his part, said it was a privilege to present the cap to Gavaskar. “It is a proud moment to be in the same group where Sunil Gavaskar is. In our time, we used to think and even today we think Sunil is one of the best openers.

“Sunil was the greatest player in my era and certainly was the best I played with. He was the best captain I played under.”

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat and former Pakistan captains Aamir Sohail, Ramiz Raja, and Waqar Younis were present at the function.

Jayawardene may rely on batsmen to deliver

Michael Clarke is riding a crest this season. He has been tactically stimulating, can inspire his men and lead by personal example. Pitted against Clarke in the third game of Commonwealth Bank ODI triangular series here on Friday will be an old fox.

Mahela Jayawardene is an inventive captain who can create opportunities. Pro-active, he is alive to the changing shades of a contest. By his lofty standards, Jayawardene had an ordinary game here on Wednesday against the Indians. Not picking a specialist spinner and going in with an all-pace attack was a flawed strategy that came back to haunt him and his team as the match progressed.

Given that the only way Sri Lanka could have won the match against India would have been to attack more, Jayawardene was in no man's land with his field placements. He was neither aggressive nor defensive and allowed the game to drift.

But then, this was Jayawardene's first game as skipper after taking over the reins again during difficult times for his country's cricket team. There is plenty of time to make amends.

High-risk ploy?

Jayawardene has embarked on a high-risk ploy ahead of Friday's game. By declaring that the Sri Lankan batsmen could target the Australian pace attack — he indirectly suggested there were chinks in the line-up — the Sri Lankan captain was, in effect, showing the red rag to the bull.

Now, Australia, despite injury concerns and the need to provide rest to its premier pacemen, possesses the depth and the firepower in these conditions. The host's pacemen can blow away opponents as the Indians found out in the Melbourne ODI.

And Jayawardene was now provoking these pacemen. Perhaps, he wanted them to veer away from their successful game-plan — where precision and controlled aggression formed the back-bone — and attempt to bowl quick without accuracy. Then, the Sri Lankan batsmen could take advantage.

Australia is likely to retain the pace trio of Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc and Clint McKay with all-rounder Daniel Christian backing up as the fourth seamer. Xavier Doherty, the steady left-arm spinner, is expected to retain his place.

The pitch here should offer speed, carry and movement to the pacemen. But, as we saw at the WACA on Wednesday, there could be a fair amount of purchase for the spinners as well.

Forrest may play

Australia with five points, including a bonus from its first game against India, could make one change. The team-management appears keen to provide an opportunity to Queensland batsman Peter Forrest, either at the top of the order or in the middle order, and one of the specialist batsmen could be rested.

Sri Lanka is likely to bring in left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for batsman Lahiru Thirimanne. Herath could provide much needed variety to the side's bowling.

Pace spearhead Lasith Malinga will have to lift the levels of his bowling. He appeared rather flat against the Indians, operating without the fire and aggression of old. Worse, his swinging yorkers were hardly visible.

Sri Lanka has a few other areas to improve upon. The side needs to pace its innings better — the Lankans got bogged down in the middle overs against the Indian spinners and could never regain momentum.

In Dinesh Chandimal, the side has a fine prospect. Much of the side's chances would depend on this wicket-keeper batsman and the experienced Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. Of course, the ebullient Tillakaratne Dilshan will be the X factor.

The islanders have another match-winner in all-rounder Angelo Mathews. He lends balance to the side, whether taking on the bowlers and dismissing the ball to the far corners of the ground or sending down his off-cutters with deadly precision.

This said, the Australian batsmen could relish the extra bounce at the WACA. If the explosive David Warner plays, he could revive memories of the Test match when the Indians chased leather.

Sri Lanka does not have a point after its only game but things could change in this unique tri-series with a lengthy league phase. History, however, is against Sri Lanka at the WACA. It has not defeated Australia in eight previous meetings between the sides here in the ODIs.

The teams:

Australia (from): M. Clarke (capt.), D. Warner, M. Wade, R. Ponting, M. Hussey, D. Hussey, D. Christian, P. Forrest, C. McKay, R. Harris, X. Doherty, M. Starc, B. Hilfenhaus and M. Marsh.

Sri Lanka: M. Jayawardene (capt.), T. Dilshan, U. Tharanga, K. Sangakkara, D. Chandimal, A. Mathews, T. Perera, N. Kulasekara, L. Malinga, R. Herath, C. Welegedara, D. Prasad, L. Thirimanne, F. Maharoof and S. Senanayake.

Play starts at 9.50 a.m. IST

Pattinson may play in the later stages of tri-series

Australia coach Mickey Arthur expects James Pattinson to figure in the later stages of the Commonwealth Bank triangular ODI series.

The 21-year-old fast bowler impressed in the first two Tests against India with 11 wickets at 23.36 but was forced to miss action subsequently because of a foot injury.

Pattinson, though, is recovering well. Arthur revealed that the fast bowler bowled at the nets before the ODI in Melbourne. “Pattinson, we might see at the back of the ODI tri-series,” Arthur said.

The Australian coach, however, did not think another injured young paceman Pat Cummins, would be able to make the ODI series. “We, perhaps, won't see Cummins until the tour of the West Indies,” he said.

Watson making progress

Key all-rounder Shane Watson, Arthur felt, was making good progress from his fitness concerns. “He is getting his body to the point where we want him to be. We do not want to put any time-frame on his return. I am in regular touch with him and he's a valuable player for us.”

Arthur said, “He should be playing in grade cricket soon and we could take things forward from there. At some stage, he'll bat down the order and bowl for us.”

Indeed, Arthur felt Watson opening the innings might not enable Australia make the most of his all-round ability. “It's about where best it fits us and where best it fits for him. He might be doing a fair bit of bowling for us and Michael Clarke has used him wisely. Whether he can sustain that level of bowling and continue to open the batting, that's the question.”

The Australian coach was pleased with Shaun Marsh, desperately out of form in international cricket, finding some runs with a 79 for Western Australia against Queensland in a Shield game recently. “That's the way for him, making plenty of runs in Shield cricket rather than playing in the ODIs.”

The reserve batsman in the ODI squad, Peter Forrest, Arthur said, would feature in the Australian side sometime during the tri-series. “We need to take a look at him before the tour of the West Indies,” he said.

Coach backs Haddin

Arthur also backed out-of-form wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin. “I think he did okay in the Test series against India. He could have got a few more runs but the middle-order made big runs and he did not always get an opportunity.”

In the same breath, the Aussie coach added, “It's good to see Wadey (Matthew Wade) pushing him. But we should be taking two 'keepers to the West Indies anyway. It will be a nice internal battle between them. I am looking forward to seeing who comes up trumps.”

Big money will lead young players astray

Serious concerns have been expressed by many about the future of Test cricket. But neither the nature of pitches nor the one-sidedness of matches will kill Test cricket as quickly as will the flawed attitude of players. The manner in which huge sums of money are being given to young players will have a direct bearing on their attitude.

When, in 2002, a 14-year-old, curly haired and extremely hyper Ravindra Jadeja joined the Cricket Club of India academy his first glimpse reminded the coaches of the talent of Salim Durrani, who hails from Jamnagar, the same place as Jadeja. The coaches: Nari Contractor, Hanumant Singh and Vasu Paranjpe would call him junior Salim.

Not only did Jadeja have loads of talent, he had the guts to perform in crunch situations. Once, in a match against the Mumbai under-22 team, he kept telling the coaches to send him in at No. 3, but to no avail. Eventually when he did go in, the required rate was very high.

He hooked, pulled and lofted the tall bowlers with ease. Some bowlers engaged in sledging, but Jadeja gave it back to them by winning the game comfortably for his side. The cocky guy that he was, he proclaimed to the coaches that he was better than his colleagues.

Jadeja's talent in whatever he did made Raj Singh Dungarpur think of playing him for Rajasthan, just as Kailash Gattani did when he was 14.

Very impressive

So impressed were the coaches that they were confident Jadeja would play Test cricket for India before he was out of his teens. He showed amazing wicket-taking ability and was a very good fielder off his own bowling. While batting he not only displayed a wide range of shots but also knew how to tackle situations. He had a lovely pick-up and throw as well.

A school drop-out, the only thing he knew was that he had to make cricket his livelihood. He did exceedingly well for Saurashtra and says Shane Warne's advice helped him in his approach towards the game.

The money factor made him master the art of succeeding in the shorter formats of the game, thereby giving the impression that he was not cut out for bowling long spells, which is not true. Sadly, it is the ‘more money for less work' mindset that he seems to be happy with.

Nari Contractor has a point when he says, “Jadeja is good enough to play the longer formats but if his mindset remains at restricting the batsmen rather than getting them out, he can't be successful in Tests. For the IPL, we must pick players who have performed in a certain number of first class matches. This is the only remedy to work on their mindsets.”

By taking into consideration only the performances in the shorter formats of the game, we are letting talented youngsters think solely of monetary gain. This is affecting the skill level that we see in Tests. If we go by Contractor's logic, we will get to watch talented players develop further by playing in the longer format of the game, as it really tests all the vital aspects of the game.

Jadeja has hit the jackpot. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of this player because not many have succeeded in handling fat cheques.

Dhoni praises Ashwin

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said off-spinner R. Ashwin “had to bowl out of his comfort zone in the Power Plays and the slog overs.”

He praised Ashwin for his all-round display in India's four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka here on Wednesday. “He also batted well, did well for himself and the team.”

Dhoni said the side had belief in Ravindra Jadeja as someone who can bat capably at No. 7 and do his job as a bowler.

He also said the Indian team missed a genuine pace bowling all-rounder which is why it had to depend on its two spinners who could also bat well to lend the side depth. Dhoni was appreciative of Virat Kohli's vital 77. Asked about Kohli having to be carried off the field after being run-out, he replied, “It's only cramps, nothing serious. You have to be properly rehydrated in these conditions.”

On his stunning diving catch to the left to dismiss Kumar Sangakkara, Dhoni joked, “I celebrated more than usual because I thought it was a fluke!”

Bigger totals

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said his team was short by 30 to 40 runs. “We did not pace our innings well and got bogged down in the middle phase. We have to get bigger totals on the board.”

He went on, “The only way you can put pressure on the opposition after scoring just over 230 is to get wickets at regular intervals and deny the batsmen singles. I would not mind boundaries but those singles hurt us. We had our moments but could not finish things off.”

Jayawardene said, “These are early days in the tournament. We can improve. I still believe there is a lot of talent in this side. You need to identify them and define the roles properly.”

India stutters before prevailing

India lived at the death at the WACA here on Wednesday. The side found unlikely batting heroes in Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin who held their nerve in the cauldron.

At the end of it all, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team clinched a match of twist and turns by four wickets. The side now has four points from two matches in the Commonwealth Bank triangular ODI series. Australia has five from one and Sri Lanka is yet to open its account.

India required 53 runs from 14 overs – the side was 181 for six – when Ashwin joined Jadeja. Sri Lanka, which has made 233 for eight after electing to bat, was closing in for the kill.

Ashwin (30 not out) and Jadeja (24 not out), both spin bowling all-rounders, handled the situation with a calm mind. They collected ones and two by relying on deft placements. Only when the ball was lacking in direction or length did they venture into the bigger strokes.

Jadeja cut Tillakaratne Dilshan bowling off-spin – Sri Lanka erred by going into the match without a specialist spinner – while Ashwin timed paceman Lasith Malinga through wide mid-off and pulled seamer Dhamika Prasad past the ropes. Soon, India was home.

Ashwin, who had contained and struck with his off-spin to finish with figures of three for 32 in the Sri Lankan innings, was adjudged Man of the Match.

Virat Kohli's 94-ball 77 held the Indian innings together. The fiesty Kohli's commitment to the team's cause was exemplary. He put a price on his wicket, got solidly behind the line and handled the lifting deliveries capably.

The right-hander flicked with aplomb and pulled with panache apart from running hard between the wickets. Kohli also blasted Prasad over the straight-field for a six.

Moments later, he pushed one to mid-on and set off for a single.

Malinga took him out with a direct hit. Cramping and in pain, the brave Kolhi left the arena in dejection.

Jadeja and Ashwin left him smiling at the end of the match though. India required a start but Virender Sehwag, failing in his ploy to harness the bounce in the surface, was caught at third man off slinger Malinga.

Sachin Tendulkar rolled back the years when he – his feet movement in harmony – eased Malinga through mid-off . Tendulkar (48) looked good for more when he tried to dab an off-cutter from paceman Angelo Mathews and played on.

India failed to build sizable partnerships. Never appearing organised with his footwork on a lively pitch, Rohit Sharma succumbed to seamer Thisara Perera; Tillakaratne Dilshan came up with a blinder at point.

Suresh Raina promised much with a couple of rapier-like cover and off drives before being gobbled up by the short ball by Mathews – the left-hander simply does not get into a proper position to essay the pull.

Dhoni too perished to a pull off Prasad; Malinga ran back at wide mid-on to hold a fine catch.

Earlier, Zaheer Khan, back in the eleven, bowled with rhythm and precision. And off-spinner Ashwin rediscovered his control to bowl with heart and craft.

Bowling is a lot about partnerships – pressure has to created from both the ends – and Zaheer combined wonderfully with Ashwin in a probing pace-spin association.

Between them, the two sent down 14 Power Play overs in which their returns were four wickets for 42.

Ashwin impressed in the batting Power Play – taken between overs 36 and 40 – sending down three overs for just 10 runs while scalping two.

It was an influential piece of bowling at a critical juncture.

Mahela Jayawardene top-edged a sweep and was splendidly held by Rohit Sharma. Then the big-hitting Perera was done in by a sharp off-spinner from round-the-wicket; Dhoni pulled off a smart stumping.

Ashwin got his off-spinners to turn, switched his line to the right and the left-handers capably and employed the carrom ball judiciously.

Crucially, the variations were not of a predictable nature as he altered his trajectory and surprised the batsmen by releasing from behind the crease.

The off-spinner then consumed the talented Dinesh Chandimal with a delivery, angled across the right-hander, from round the wicket. The carrom ball got big on Chandimal and Dhoni did well to effect another stumping.

Dhoni had earlier defied gravity in the manner of a soccer goal-keeper to come up with the ball after Zaheer straightened one to find the edge of the left-handed Kumar Sangakkara's bat.

India picked one more paceman – Zaheer replaced injured leg-spinner Rahul Sharma. A 3-2 combination meant there was greater balance in the Indian attack.

For Sri Lanka, opener Dilshan (48) drove fluently off either foot and pulled well before being unable to keep a cut off left-arm spinner Jadeja down.

Chandimal (64) used his feet nicely to bind the innings and the strong Mathews gave the Lankans some fillip towards the end.

These runs were not enough for the islanders.

Scoreboard (PTI):

Sri Lanka :

Upul Tharanga c Tendulkar b Khan 4

Tillakaratne Dilshan c Kohli b Jadeja 48

Kumar Sangakkara c Dhoni b Khan 26

Dinesh Chandimal st Dhoni b Ashwin 64

Mahela Jayawardene c Sharma b Ashwin 23

Thisara Perera st Dhoni b Ashwin 7

Anjelo Mathews not out 33

Lahiru Thirimanne run out 7

Nuwan Kulasekara c Sharma b Vinay Kumar 7

Lasith Malinga not out 1

Extras: (LB—6, W—7) 13

Total: (For 8 wickets in 50 overs) 233

Fall of wickets: 1—12, 2—74, 3—100, 4—152, 5—172, 6—189, 7—204, 8—228

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 10—1—44—2, Praveen Kumar 10—0—54—0, Vinay Kumar 10—1—56—1, Ravindra Jadeja 10—0—41—1, R Ashwin 10—1—32—3.

India:

V Sehwag c Kulasekara b Malinga 10

S Tendulkar b Mathews 48

V Kohli run out 77

R Sharma c Dilshan b Perera 10

S Raina c b Mathews 24

MS Dhoni c Malinga b Prasad 4

R Jadeja not out 24

R Ashwin not out 30

Extras: (LB—5, WD—2) 7

Total (for six wickets in 46.4 overs) 234

Fall of wickets: 1—14, 2—89, 3—122, 4—157, 5—167, 6—181.

Bowling: L Malinga 9—0—49—1, N Kulasekara 8—0—38—0, D Prasad 10—0—47—1, A Mathews 9.4—1—31—2, T Perera 5—0—37—1, T Dilshan 5—0—27—0.

This game is not about marquee names alone

Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar once said the Indians always played better when they had sun on their backs. Where are those days now?

There is no dearth of sunshine in Perth, the leafy, charming capital of Western Australia. But then, the Indians were rolled over in the Test here by the marauding Australian pacemen on a typically fast WACA pitch.

And as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men prepare for their next game in the Commonwealth Bank triangular ODI series — against Sri Lanka here on Wednesday — they would do well to remember Umesh Yadav who bowled with fire and passion in the third Test against the Aussies at this venue.

The Indians missed the wood for the tree when they entered the tournament opener at the MCG with just two pacemen. This game can punish mistakes.

Searing intensity

India's strategic blunder overshadowed, rather unfairly, a display of searing intensity and aggression by the Australian pace pack. Indeed, the story of the season has been the depth in the Australian pace bowling ranks.

An injured Brett Lee pulled out of the competition with a fractured foot and left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc stepped in to bowl with precision, craft and rhythm. The delivery that consumed Gautam Gambhir reared like a cobra before finding the edge — the kiss of death really.

The Australians, on Monday, roped in Ben Hilfenhaus as cover for the host's game against Sri Lanka here on Friday.

Hilfenhaus, as selection panel chief John Inverarity indicated, might not play the match here; the Aussies are likely to stick to the same pace attack that routed India at the MCG. But he could be in the swing of things at Adelaide.

Hilfenhaus was one of the key players in Australia's 4-0 sweep of India in the Test series. He bowled at a lively pace, moved the ball in the air and achieved deviation off the seam too.

Crucially, he made the batsman play from around their off-stump. The numbers — 27 wickets at 17.22 — tell the story.

Eyeing a return

Hilfenhaus will be eyeing a return to the ODI scheme of things – he last played for Australia in this format during the tour of India in 2009 before returning home with tendinitis of his right knee.

And the 28-year-old Tasmanian with limitless stamina will surely seek to improve upon his ODI stats of 18 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 5.67.

Swing bowlers tend to go for runs in the shorter formats but can strike telling blows.

Australia has still not overcome fitness concerns vis a vis its pace bowlers. The promising James Pattinson, who tormented India in the first two Tests with his speed and thrust, is recovering from a bone stress injury on his left foot.

Mitchell Johnson, grappling with a damaged toe, finds his international career under a cloud with comeback men such as Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle and the younger bunch grabbing their chances.

And the lively Ryan Harris — the skilful bowler with strong shoulders and wrist has been luckless this season — is still buzzing around.

Not to speak of Clint McKay, the lanky paceman who hits the deck to extract bounce and seam movement. McKay was in his element against Inda at the MCG scalping four. He also possesses a deceptive Yorker and can vary his pace cleverly at the death.

McKay and Starc combined effectively against India at the MCG.

Immense possibilities

The 22-year-old Starc has immense possibilities. The left-armer has an easy run-up where the momentum is gained gradually, a natural action and has the delivery that comes into the right-hander.

The New South Welshman's short-pitched deliveries can open up batsmen; he uses the ball to disrupt the feet movement of the batsman before unleashing a fuller one. He is working on the delivery leaving the right-hander that would make the one that darts back even more dangerous.

To his credit, Starc has been able to switch his line to the southpaws admirably from over-the-wicket. He is taking the ball away from the left-handers — this delivery is laced with bounce — at will. A lean and mean pace predator, he certainly is.

Then we have someone like Peter Siddle — another Australian hero in the Test series with 23 wickets at 18.65 — who is desperate to make a come-back to ODI cricket.

With his aggression, velocity and nip off the wicket, he can be a handful in any format. When this fiery customer bounds in, cricket can be engaging; you can sniff a duel. Siddle can sizzle.

Waiting in the wings

There are others waiting in the wings. Twenty-five-year-old Queenslander Ben Cutting, they say, cuts like a knife. These men are fast, furious and hungry. This Australian pace attack might lack great names but has bowled in great areas.

When you seam and swing the ball both ways in the corridor at speeds in excess of 140 kmph, consistently send down good length deliveries that would go on to hit the top of off-stump, cramp the batsmen for room by denying them width, and unsettle them with well-directed lifting deliveries, it can be a handful for most.

This game is not about marquee names alone.

Please respect Yuvraj’s privacy, BCCI tells media

The Indian Cricket Board on Monday said it would issue regular health updates of World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh, who is being treated for lung cancer in the United States, and pleaded with the media to respect the ailing player’s privacy.

“Yuvraj Singh is presently undergoing treatment for his medical condition. The BCCI wishes him a speedy recovery,” BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement.

“The BCCI is in touch with Yuvraj’s family members. They have been inundated with calls from the media over the past few days. His family values the affection and concern the media has for Yuvraj.

“The Board would like to appeal to the media to respect the privacy of Yuvraj and his family members, at this critical juncture,” he added.

Mr. Yuvraj, player of the Tournament in the World Cup last year with 362 runs, 15 wickets and four Man-of-the-Match awards, has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy at the Cancer Research Institute in Boston.

The 30-year-old left-hander has been in U.S. since January getting treatment for what was earlier claimed to be a tumour in the lungs by his family.

His physiotherapist Dr. Jatin Chaudhary has, however, assured that the ailment is curable and the batsman would be fit to resume cricket in May.

The news of Mr. Yuvraj’s ailment sparked off massive media coverage on Sunday.

“Periodic media releases regarding his health status will be issued by the BCCI,” Mr. Jagdale said.

Pakistan completes a clean sweep

Pakistan's bowlers sealed an emphatic 71-run win in the third and final Test against England here on Monday, inflicting a 3-0 humiliation on the Englishmen. Pakistan won the first Test here by 10 wickets and the second at Abu Dhabi by 72 runs.

Set a daunting 324-run target, England was bowled out for 252 with paceman Umar Gul taking four for 61 and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (four for 67) to help Pakistan achieve a first-ever Test clean sweep against its opponent.

Pakistan has become the first team to win a Test after being bowled out for under 100, since 1907, when England, shot out for 76, beat South Africa at Leeds.

It was England's seventh series whitewash and its first at the hands of Pakistan. Pakistan has now recorded five series whitewashes, its last coming against Bangladesh in 2003. England's last series whitewash came in 2007 when it was routed by Australia 5-0.

Spinners dominate

So dominating were the Pakistani spinners that Ajmal finished the series with 24 wickets while Abdur Rehman had 19.

With the ball turning, it was always going to be a difficult task for the England batsmen, who have been unable to read the Pakistan spinners throughout the series, on a weary fourth day pitch at the Dubai Stadium.

England looked for solid partnerships after resuming at 36 for no loss but that never transpired. Pakistan could have wrapped the match earlier had it not dropped two crucial catches, the first off Andrew Strauss on 26 when wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal grassed a simple chance off Gul.

But that didn't hurt Pakistan as Rehman trapped the England captain in the very next over. Strauss challenged the decision by Australian umpire Steve Davis but his review failed.

Gul then let off Alastair Cook at 24 when he failed to hold a top-edge sweep off Rehman.

Ajmal then broke a dangerous looking 37-run stand between Cook and Jonathan Trott (18) by forcing a top-edge sweep which was smartly snapped up by Rehman at square-leg.

England, 89 for two at lunch, was still in with a chance with Cook (49) and Kevin Pietersen (18) batting well, but it lost four wickets in the space of 84 runs. It went to tea at 173 for six.

Pietersen, who struggled for runs in the series, hit Rehman for a boundary before hoisting him for a six to bring up England's 100. But, Ajmal struck from the other end.

Peach of a delivery

The off-spinner produced a beautiful delivery to bowl Pietersen through the gate for 18. He had a mere 67 runs in the series during which he was out to the spinners on five occasions.

In his next over, Ajmal produced another sharp turning delivery which caught the edge of Cook's bat and was smartly held by a diving Younis Khan, the lone slip.

Ian Bell (10) and Eoin Morgan (31) added 37 for the fifth wicket but again failed to produce a big score in the series as Gul dismissed them in the space of just three runs.

Pakistan took the second new ball at 196 for six and the first ball saw Gul dismissing Stuart Broad (18) and then Graeme Swann for one. Matt Prior was left high and dry on 49.

The teams will now play four ODIs and three T20s.

Scoreboard

Pakistan 99 and 365

England 141

England 2nd innings: (Overnight 36 without loss)

Andrew Strauss lbw b Rehman 26

Alastair Cook c Khan b Ajmal 49

Jonathan Trott c Rehman b Ajmal 18

Kevin Pietersen b Ajmal 18

Ian Bell c Shafiq b Gul 10

Eoin Morgan c Akmal b Gul 31

Matt Prior not out 49

Stuart Broad c Taufeeq b Gul 18

Graeme Swann c Shafiq b Gul 1

James Anderson c Khan b Ajmal 9

Monty Panesar lbw b Rehman 8

Extras- (4b, 8lb, 3nb) 15

TOTAL- (all out) 252

Overs- 97.3.

Fall of wickets- 1—48, 2—85, 3—116, 4—119, 5—156, 6—159, 7—196, 8—203, 9—237

Bowling- Umar Gul 20—5—61—4 (3nb), Aizaz Cheema 4—0—9—0, Mohammad Hafeez 5—2—6—0, Abdur Rehman 41.3—10—97—2, Saeed Ajmal 27—9—67—4.

Yuvraj has no lung cancer, says doctor

Doctors involved in the treatment of Yuvraj Singh have confirmed that the cricketer has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy in the USA.

Setting aside speculation about Yuvraj's medical condition, Dr. Nitesh Rohatgi and Dr. Anupama Hooda of Max Healthcare said here on Monday that Yuvraj had a condition called “extragonadal seminoma, located between his lungs.”

“It is not lung cancer. It is a rare tumour which forms less than one per cent of cancers,” Dr. Rohatgi said at a press conference here.

Dr. Hooda said the disease was “over 95 per cent curable” and the exact cause of it was not known.

The doctors and Yuvraj's family, through his spokesperson, pleaded with mediapersons to respect their privacy. They made it clear that details of Yuvraj's illness and location of his treatment, supported by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), would not be revealed anymore.

Meanwhile, BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a release that the Board had been in touch with Yuvraj's family members.

“His family values the affection and concern the media has for Yuvraj. The Board would like to appeal to the media to respect the privacy of Yuvraj and his family members at this critical juncture. Periodic media releases regarding his health status will be issued by the BCCI,” Jagdale said.

The ace cricketer had contacted Dr. Rohatgi and his hospital in mid-January. “Since our meeting we have been coordinating his present treatment and will continue close follow-up,” Dr. Rohatgi read out from a statement.

“On Wednesday, Yuvraj will begin the third of his nine weeks of chemotherapy in the USA. As expected, in the first few days Yuvraj did not feel very good, he felt nauseous, but starting this week he will be hopefully on the mend. Yuvraj has shown tremendous courage and kept his spirits high all this while.

“The chemotherapy has been planned, to ensure that Yuvraj can return to full fitness and readiness for cricket. Yuvraj should be able to start active training in about 10 weeks. I feel that Yuvraj the person will be cured of this cancer and most likely Yuvraj the cricketer will return with the same fervour that he had when he left. Hopefully, he would be on the field by first week of May,” said Dr. Rohatgi.

“The USA-based team has specially been chosen because of their vast experience with sportsmen and they have had many positive outcomes, more importantly, seen the athletes return to field.”

According to the doctors, the star cricketer had been playing video games, going for long walks, jogging and reading books, including those by top cyclist Lance Armstrong who had made a remarkable recovery himself after being treated for testicular cancer.

Kochi IPL franchise decides on legal action

Rendezvous Sports World (P) Limited, co-owner of Kochi franchise has finally decided to challenge the termination of Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK) from the Indian Premier League in court.

KTK was thrown out of the hugely popular league after just one season after it failed to honour its financial commitments to the Board of Control for Cricket in India on September 19 last year ‘on an irremediable breach in the terms of contract'.

A team of RSWPL was in the city the last couple of days seeking support for the revival of the team from State Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Sports Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar.

The move to take the BCCI to court, incidentally, comes just before the players' auction for the IPL season IV scheduled for Saturday.

The RSPWL through a release said it would get the Kochi team back into IPL. “RSWPL will be taking legal action against the termination of the franchise and is confident that it will be successful in getting the team to play this season.

We were really positive today: Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja, adjudged Man-of-the-Match here on Friday, said the Indians did not want to let the 4-0 rout in the Test series impact their morale going into the shorter formats of the game.

“The team was upbeat. We were really positive out there today. We fielded very well. Those early run-out kept them on the back foot,” Jadeja said.

The all-rounder, who effected two vital run-outs and bowled his left-arm spinners with a fair measure of control, added, “It was nice that we got our victory here. We will be playing our first match against Australia in the triangular ODI series here on Sunday.”

Jadeja conceded it was not easy for the spinners to operate on the pitches here. “The ball does not grip the surface. So I tried to mix it up. Bowled slower and mixed my pace.”

Australian captain George Bailey said, “They (the Indians) really lifted their fielding. The four run-outs hurt us. We did not bat well.”

On the decision to shift Matthew Wade — the hero from the first game — from an opener's role to a middle-order slot, he said, “One of the things we wanted to do this week was to try different people in different slots. That Wadey was able to contribute in both the positions is pleasing.”

Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, injured in the first game and bravely operating with a bandage on his bowling hand here, came in for praise from Bailey. “It was courageous of him to bowl with a big bandage on his hand. He does not turn the ball a great deal but gets good bounce. He bowled well.”

All eyes on Jadeja at IPL auction

Team owners, a few iconic players and number-crunching executives will walk the razor's edge, while 144 cricketers are set to go under the hammer during the Indian Premier League's player auction at the ITC Royal Gardenia Hotel, here on Saturday.

The teams, numbering nine after the disbanding of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala outfit, found their core personnel during last year's auction. Only a few names amidst the latest list, will trickle off auctioneer Richard Madley's tongue, and make the cut as managements fit in those rare missing links in their respective squads.

The buzz is big on Ravindra Jadeja and he is expected to gift a lighter wallet to whoever wins the bidding war. Teams ranging from defending champion Chennai Super Kings to Pune Warriors are all interested in the all-rounder, who played for Kochi Tuskers last year.

Pegged at a base price of $100,000, Jadeja is likely to attract a hefty price, within the $2 million cap, which quite a few team owners have unlike Pune Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have retained Sourav Ganguly and Chris Gayle respectively. The Saurashtra player might well end up in a tie-breaker situation if two teams bid at the maximum cap of $2 million.

Eight Indians in fray

In the bidding list, eight Indians are in the fray, all from the erstwhile Kochi Tuskers team, with the exception of V.R.V. Singh. It also remains to be seen whether franchises will be keen on V.V.S. Laxman, who has a reserve price of $400,000. Last year, the names of Brian Lara and Ganguly evoked a deathly silence. Among the rest, R. Vinay Kumar will draw attention, especially from Royal Challengers Bangalore that is keen to regain its local fervour. Last year too, RCB's chief mentor Anil Kumble and the rest did bid for Vinay, before a tight purse meant that Bangalore had to yield to Kochi's demands. Besides Kumble, Rahul Dravid too will be present at the venue in his present role as captain of Rajasthan Royals.

Overseas contingent

The bulging overseas component (136) in the list features Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Brendon McCullum, Peter Siddle, James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Mark Boucher to name a few, while former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood is now a British citizen and comes in as an ‘English' player.

The fancied names may be many, but Ireland's Kevin O'Brien, who slammed the England bowlers during a match-winning century in a World Cup game here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, could well draw in the heavy dollars.

Though the foreigners are a massive presence, the majority will go unsold as teams are allowed only 11 overseas players, and most outfits have already slotted in their key ‘non-Indian' players.

A team like Pune Warriors, that is likely to miss its indisposed skipper Yuvraj Singh, might look at gaining a key foreign player.

The IPL's top-brass and team owners were huddled in a meeting about the rules pertaining to the auction, late on Friday night and more midnight oil is bound to be burnt as rival think-tanks slot in their varied choices.

And for men like Jadeja, Vinay and Parthiv Patel, who are nursing the belated delight of an Indian victory in Australia, it will be time to check their phones and the internet while tracking their market-value in the IPL, which is hustling towards its fifth season, commencing at Chennai on April 4.

Team India finally on top down under

A victory would have seldom tasted sweeter. A sense of relief in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and opener Gautam Gambhir — the two men in the middle — and the rest of the team in the dugout was palpable.

When Gambhir whipped paceman Clint McKay through widish mid-on in the final over, India had won its first game overseas in 16 matches (including all formats) after suffering defeats in 13 of them. The Indians, lifting their game and successfully chasing 132, had finally broken a spell of setbacks.

Vibrant fielding

Vibrant fielding — the mercurial Ravindra Jadeja was adjudged Man-of-the- Match — and steady bowling set up India's convincing eight-wicket win in the second KFC Twenty20 international at the MCG here on Friday before a mammoth crowd. The two-match series ended in a 1-1 draw.

The left-handed Gambhir made the right moves with his unbeaten 60-ball 56. He worked the ball around, found the gaps, and displayed the footwork and finesse of an accomplished stroke-maker.

He was also involved in partnerships.

The opening pair of Gambhir and Sehwag put on 43 in 6.3 overs before the latter was picked up at cover off a full toss from left-arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg.

Then, Gambhir and the positive Virat Kohli added 54 when Kohli edged a Mitchell Marsh delivery that seamed away. 'Keeper Matthew Wade dived to his right to take the catch.

Crucially, India continued to have a left-right combination in the middle with Gambhir rotating the strike effectively and the threat from Lee and Hogg was negated effectively.

Then, Gambhir and Dhoni closed out the match with an unbeaten 38-run association.

The Indians had buzzed on the field earlier.

There was plenty of energy on view as the men in blue chased hard, dived to stop powerful drives crossing them, cut down the angles smartly and threw with speed and accuracy.

Jadeja's efforts

Symbolic of India's elevated levels of fielding was Jadeja at backward point. He was electric as he swooped and released the sphere in a flash.

Indeed, Jadeja's precise throws led to the run-outs of Aaron Finch (36 of 26 balls) and Australia skipper George Bailey during a critical phase.

India's fielding made a difference and the mercurial Jadeja was at the heart of it all.

And a direct hit from cover by Rohit Sharma sent back the dangerous Wade (32 off 29 balls).

The Indian fielding complemented the bowling as the visitor created the pressure after the host had elected to bat.

On a surface offering the pacemen a fair measure of carry, India's three-spinner ploy represented a risk but the team-management stuck to its game-plan.

R. Ashwin did not operate with the new ball this time around but the pace pair of Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar performed a fair job for India early on.

Although the two strayed down the leg-side on a couple of occasions, they hit the right areas more often than not and managed to move the ball. Praveen, in particular, achieved telling deviation.

The Australians decided to give Finch an opportunity at the top of the order which meant it was he and not first game hero Matthew Wade who walked out with David Warner.

The impressive Finch whipped Vinay over mid-wicket and square-cut Praveen for boundaries but the explosive Warner fell early; the southpaw was held well by Gambhir running back at deep-square-leg off Praveen.

Then, the hopelessly out-of-form Shaun Marsh dabbled at a Praveen delivery darting across him.

Sehwag struggled to hold the edge from the southpaw but managed to keep the ball in the air long enough for 'keeper Dhoni to pouch the catch.

The Indians had done a reasonable job in restricting the Aussies to 42 for two in the first six power-play overs.

Then, the spin trio held centrestage. Ashwin — bowling wicket-to-wicket and varying his speed — did not provide the batsmen either room or width. Rahul Sharma, releasing the ball from a lovely high-arm action, varied his trajectory intelligently.

And Jadeja revealed the tightness of an orhodox left-arm spinner in control.

The Aussies failed to build sizable partnerships. David Hussey (24) threatened briefly before he succumbed to Jadeja's change of pace.

The in-form Wade surfaced at No. 6 and struck a six with brute power off Rahul over squarish mid-wicket but Rohit's sizzling throw took him out.

There was also a gripping piece of action when Rahul had Mitchell Marsh stretching out and Dhoni pulled off a lightning-quick stumping.

The Indian bowling and fielding created the opportunity. For once, the batsmen did not miss out.

Scoreboard

Australia: D. Warner c Gambhir b Praveen 8 (8b, 1x4), A. Finch (run out) 36 (23b, 6x4), S. Marsh c Dhoni b Praveen 0 (2b), D. Hussey c & b Jadeja 24 (29b, 1x4, 1x6), G. Bailey (run out) 3 (4b), M. Wade (run out) 32 (29b, 1x4, 1x6), M. Marsh st Dhoni b Rahul 13 (13b, 2x4), B. Lee (not out) 6 (4b, 1x4), C. McKay c Dhoni b Vinay 0 (1b), B. Hogg lbw b Rahul 4 (4b, 1x4), X. Doherty (run out) 1 (1b); Extras (w-4): 4; Total (in 19.4 overs): 131.

Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Warner), 2-20 (S. Marsh), 3-49 (Finch), 4-54 (Bailey), 5-93 (Hussey), 6-119 (M. Marsh), 7-121 (Wade), 8-121 (McKay), 9-130 (Hogg).

India bowling: Praveen 3-0-21-2, Vinay 4-0-25-1, Kohli 1-0-7-0, Jadeja 3-0-16-1, Rahul 3.4-0-29-2, Raina 1-0-10-0, Ashwin 4-0-23-0.

India: G. Gambhir (not out) 56 (60b, 4x4), V. Sehwag c S. Marsh b Hogg 23 (16b, 2x4, 1x6), V. Kohli c Wade b M. Marsh 31 (24b, 3x4), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 21 (18b, 2x4); Extras (w-4): 4; Total (for two wkts. in 19.4 overs): 135.

Fall of wickets: 1-43 (Sehwag), 2-97 (Kohli).

Australia bowling: Lee 4-0-24-0, McKay 3.4-0-25-0, Doherty 3-0-29-0, Hogg 3-0-19-1, M. Marsh 4-0-30-1, Hussey 2-0-8-0.