Kumble , Zaheer rips apart English tailenders …

England 198 (Z Khan 4-59) & 355 (M P Vaughan 124, P D Collingwood 63, A J Strauss 55, Z Khan 5-75) v India 481 (S R Tendulkar 91, S C Ganguly 79, K D Karthik 77, W Jaffer 62, V V S Laxman 54, M S Panesar 4-101) 10-0 Karthik 6* , Jaffer 3*

A fine century from Michael Vaughan is not likely to save England at Trent Bridge as Zaheer Khan's five-wicket haul has left India on the brink of victory.

Zaheer Khan bowled India to the brink of a second Test win against England with an impressive five-wicket haul at Trent Bridge here Monday.

England, at tea on the fourth day, were 221 for three - still 62 runs shy of avoiding an innings defeat. Vaughan was 91 not out and Paul Collingwood 13 not out. The England skipper on-drove left-arm quick Rudra Pratap Singh in classical style to go to 98. And the Yorkshire batsman completed his 17th hundred in 69 Tests and his fourth against India with his 15th boundary, an elegant back-foot force through the covers off leg-spinner Anil Kumble.

Vaughan, whose highest Test score of 197 came against India at Trent Bridge five years ago, saw his rearguard action end as Khan struck twice in three balls with the new ball.Trying to turn Khan legside, Vaughan saw the ball hit his thigh pad, bounce down and trickle onto the stumps as he played on for 124. He faced 193 balls with 18 fours in nearly five hours at the crease.Two balls later new batsman Ian Bell, who'd been hit on the back of the head by a net bowler before play started Monday, was out for nought falling plumb lbw to Khan - the second most succesful bowler in English first-class cricket last season when he took 78 wickets for Worcestershire.

India, set 73 to win, were 10 without loss at stumps on the fourth day needing just a further 63 runs for only their fifth win in 47 Tests in England. England, who have gone 11 Test campaigns since last losing a series, the 2001 Ashes, on home soil were now looking at going 1-0 down with just the third and final Test at The Oval to come.

Dinesh Karthik was six not out and Wasim Jaffer three not out. Left-arm quick Khan took five for 75 in 27 overs as England were bowled out for 355 in their second innings. That gave the 28-year-old pace bowler Test best match figures of nine for 134 after his first innings return of four for 59.

England captain Michael Vaughan held India up with an elegant hundred but the second new ball proved England's undoing, their last seven wickets falling for 85 runs in 22 overs. Khan, whose first over with the new ball cost 13 runs, then took two wickets in his next three overs - all of them maidens.

Umpiring error sents Tendulkar back to the pavilion ..

Sachin Tendulkar was denied a 38th test century by an umpiring error as India continued to push towards victory against England on the third day of the second test at Trent Bridge on Sunday.
India reached 419 for six at tea and are well placed to claim a rare test victory outside Asia given their lead of 221 runs. VVS Laxman is 37 not out and Anil Kumble has one.

Australian Simon Taufel, rated the world's best umpire for the last three years, gave Tendulkar out lbw for 91 off medium pacer Paul Collingwood to the sixth delivery after lunch -- the bowler's first of the day.

Television replays indicated the ball struck Tendulkar outside the line and would have missed off stump in any case. Taufel's on-field colleague Ian Howell has made a series of errors in the innings that have all gone in India's favour.

Tendulkar, who on Saturday became only the third man to pass 11,000 test runs, stood his ground after the umpire's finger was raised and it was likely his reaction was out of disappointment with the official rather than self-admonishment.

Taufel was at the centre of another controversy 15 minutes before tea when he sent Ganguly on his way for a catch down the leg side to wicketkeeper Matt Prior off the bowling of James Anderson for 79.

The left-handed Ganguly, chasing his 14th test century, tried to glance Anderson down to fine leg and when Prior took a diving catch to his right Taufel upheld England's appeal. Television replays were inconclusive, although they did not find evidence to support the decision.
Taufel had rejected an lbw appeal against Ganguly when he was on 75 but on that occasion he made the right decision.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni edged Ryan Sidebottom to Prior for five shortly before tea to eliminate the danger of a quick-fire innings from the usually dangerous batsman.

India are seeking their first test series win in England for 21 years but Michael Vaughan, who has never lost a home series as captain or player, will be determined to preserve his record.
The first test was drawn after England were prevented from taking a 20th wicket to win by rain.

Tendulkar joins 11,000 Test run club ...

Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday became the third batsman to score 11,000 runs in the longer version of the game when he reached his individual score of 27 on the second day of the second Test against England at Trent Bridge. Tendulkar, who is the highest run-getter in One-Day Internationals, drove left-arm spinner Monty Panesar through the covers and achieve the feat during India's first innings.

India, when bad light forced an early close to the second day of the second Test, were 254 for three - a lead of 56 - after they'd made short work of bowling out their opponents for 198 - England's lowest completed Test innings score this season.Tendulkar was 57 not out and Sourav Ganguly four not out.

But Monty Panesar kept England in the game by dismissing Dinesh Karthik and India captain Rahul Dravid on his way to two wickets for 50 runs in 18 overs.

After openers Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer had provided a solid start to India, Tendulkar accompanied captain Rahul Dravid to get past the England first innings total of 198. The Mumbai batsman was the target of the English bowlers and was treated with several bouncers by the hosts' pace spearhead James Anderson. On one occasion, he received a nasty blow on the grill of his helmet but shook off the blow to march on and went on to achieve the rare feat.

West Indies great Brian Lara (11,953) and former Australian captain Allan Border (11,174) are the other two players to have reached the milestone.

Indian bowlers take the first day at Trentbridge ...

Indian bowlers justified their skipper Rahul Dravid's decision to field first by making full use of the conditions to reduce England to 169 for 7 at the close of a rain-shortened first day of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Friday.

The bowlers drew advantage of the pitch that was offering plenty of movement and took control of the match from the word go. Zaheer Khan led the attack and finished with three wickets, while the rest of the bowlers also got the swing throughout the day. India sent back Andrew Strauss (4), skipper Michael Vaughan (9) and Kevin Pietersen (13) before the total had reached 50.

At the close of the day's play, Chris Tremlett (16) and Ryan Sidebottom (0) were at the crease.

The seamers - Zaheer and RP Singh claimed three early wickets to reduce England to 94 for 3 at tea after a delayed four hours start of the match due to the wet ground conditions.
It was Zaheer, who got the early breakthrough for India, taking both Andrew Strauss and Michael Vaughan, to give the visitors a perfect start after England was put in to bat.And although, Kevin Peitersen and Alastair Cook weathered a brief storm but R P Singh soon grabbed the big wicket of the dangerman Pietersen for just 13.

But after tea, Collingwood and Cook tried to ensure that there was no further damage and they went on to share a valuable partnership of 54 runs. But their resistance was brief and Sreesanth made up for a lacklustre first session with a critical strike to see off Collingwood for 28. And then it was Sourav Ganguly, who got rid of Cook for a second time in the series and put India in the drivers seat at 109 for 5. Ganguly during his spell, maintained a perfect line and length, while he constantly kept the English batsmen under pressure.

However, after Cook's dismissal, another partnership between Prior and Ian Bell flourished for a while but Kumble came to India's rescue by sending the Prior back to the pavilion for 11and finally, Zaheer took his third wicket of the day by clinching the wicket of the last expert batsman of the Engalnd line-up - Ian Bell. So, India now will just have to deal with the English tail-enders tomorrow.

Both teams have named the same XI that played the first Test at Lord’s.The three-Test series is tied 0-0 after the Lord's match ended in a draw.

Fantasy league is back , let's go for it ...

Fantasy Soccer league is back, come let’s play together. We earn points when our selected players score goals All u need is to select 15 players which includes 1 goalkeeper and 3 reserve players. Please make sure that you select the best XI that would earn you points.

Your squad would consist of 15 players, but you only earn points for 11 players each Gameweek, which should give you some clue as to how to structure your squad. You are never going to be able to afford 15 'star' players, but filling your bench with bargain players, will give you some idea of how much you have left to spend on your starting 11.

The sensible option when choosing players to fill your bench, is to choose players from the newly promoted sides who are guaranteed starters for their club, not cheap players from the top sides who may never play, as you may need your substitutes to earn points in case of last minute injuries or fixture changes

You may enter one Fantasy Premier League squad, Squads must consist of: 2 Goalkeepers 5 Defenders 5 Midfielders 3 Forwards You can select up to 3 players from any one team. If a player is transferred during the season and this transfer takes you over this limit, then you will need to go back under the limit when making your next transfers. Each player has been given a value. The total value of your initial squad must not exceed £100 million. The value of each player can be found here. Any changes you make to your team will become active at the next deadline

You must nominate a member of your team to be captain. This player will score double the number of points he would usually have been awarded that Gameweek. If your captain does not play then he will be automatically substituted in accordance with the rules, but the captain bonus will be lost. Another player will not take over the captaincy in his place. You can change your captain at the bottom of the My Team page. Any changes you make to your captain will become active at the next deadline .

If your goalkeeper plays no part in the Gameweek, then the computer will substitute him for your replacement goalkeeper, if he played in the Gameweek. If any of your outfield players play no part in the Gameweek, then the computer will try to substitute the inactive player for one of your replacements. This is done by replacing him with your highest priority substitute who actually played in the Gameweek and doesn't break the formation rules
Automatic substitutions are applied at the end of the Gameweek, when all matches have been played.

You can change your substitution priorities at the bottom of the My Team page. Any changes you make to your substitution priorities will become active at the next deadline .After selecting your squad you can still deal in the transfer market. Unlimited squad transfers can be made, 1 transfer can be made between each gameweek deadline without charge. Each additional transfer made in the same gameweek will deduct 4 points from your total at the next deadline. Free transfers are not carried over from week to week.

All transfers before the start of the season are made at no cost. For teams entering after the start of the season, no points will be deducted before their first deadline You can play 1 transfer wild card a season. All transfers made in the Gameweek your wild card is played will be without points deduction. You play your wild card when confirming transfers. Any transfers you make will become active at the next deadline

So Guys all the best , Let’s play together …..remember one thing you can also create your own league and compete with each other . Wanna play with me , join sportsline. Code for joining the league would be 464448-87400 .

Wanna know more click on Fantasy games ...

Veteran Jayasuriya mauls Bangladesh to sweep series ..

Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya grabbed four wickets as ruthless Sri Lanka thrashed Bangladesh by 39 runs here to sweep the one-day series 3-0.The 38-year-old allrounder picked up 4-14 in four overs to cap a series of dominating performances by the World Cup runners-up who had mauled Bangladesh by a 3-0 margin in the Test series as well.Sri Lanka, who were bowled out for 196 after being sent in to bat, hit back to send Bangladesh crashing for 157 in a match reduced to 40-overs-a-side due to a wet outfield.

Teenage left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal provided a brief resistance for Bangladesh with a 74-ball 54, but the rest of the batsmen wilted under pressure.Jehan Mubarak, who was named man of the match, had earlier boosted Sri Lanka's total with a career-best 72 off 82 balls that included six boundaries."We have played excellent cricket through the last few months and the results show that," said Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene."Bangladesh improved their bowling with each match but the batsmen need to bat longer to put up big scores.

"Bangladesh paid the price for a sloppy display in the field which saw them floor four catches and miss at least three run-out chances.The visitors still managed to bowl out the Sri Lankans for the first time on the tour, but any hopes they might have nursed of salvaging pride were dashed when they lost five wickets with just 69 runs on the board. Javed Omar was dismissed in the very first over, caught by Jayawardene at second slip off Farveez Maharoof.Maharoof claimed another wicket in his next over, sending back Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck.

The Bangladesh innings was briefly resurrected with a 60-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Iqbal and debutant Mohammad Mahmudullah (36).The 18-year-old Iqbal had also shared a 42-run partnership with skipper Mohammad Ashraful (20)."As in the previous games, our bowlers did well but the batsmen failed," said Ashraful. "Sri Lanka were just too strong for us."Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers managed to strike at regular intervals before bowling Sri Lanka out with one ball to spare.The 26-year-old Mubarak lifted the team from a shaky 61-4 with a valuable 78-run stand for the fifth wicket with Tillakratne Dilshan (39).Mahmudullah chipped in with two wickets, including that of Upul Chandana who was caught brilliantly by Iqbal near the boundary, the only bright spot in an otherwise disappointing display by the visitors.

Ferguson insits Ronaldo to hold on …

Alex Ferguson has rubbished suggestions that Cristiano Ronaldo could be tempted away from Manchester United by insisting that the club is big enough to keep the Portuguese superstar.
Ronaldo, 22, has emerged as the biggest draw for soccer-crazy fans in Asia during United's tour of the region, with incredible scenes of adulation greeting the player so far in Tokyo, Seoul and Macau.

The former Sporting Lisbon youngster has scored in each of United's tour games and there is a growing belief that the forward is now the key man in Ferguson's team. Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have both tracked Ronaldo since last year's World Cup and rumours persist that the Madeira-born player is keen to return to his Mediterranean roots at some stage in his career. However, having penned a new five-year deal at United earlier this year, Ferguson insists he has no fears over Ronaldo's long-term future at United. "As for talk of Cristiano being bought by another club, I can say that he only signed a new five-year contract three months ago, so why would he leave?" asked the United boss. "He is very happy here at United because he knows he is at the right club. This is a massive club and Ronaldo knows he can achieve great things here."

Fellow Portuguese striker Nani, 20, made his United debut in the 6-0 rout of Shenzhen here on Monday and Ferguson believes that the 17.3 million pound buy from Sporting Lisbon has the potential to emulate Ronaldo at Old Trafford. "We knew about Nani before we signed Ronaldo because he was in the youth team at Sporting, so we have followed his career in the time since," he said. "He is a tremendous talent who we hope will become a fantastic player for us, but the Shenzhen match was his first game and he needed it because he hasn't played since the European Championship tournament in Holland last month. "He has recovered from his ankle injury, but not done a great deal of training, so it was good to see how he did against Shenzhen.

"He scored a good goal as well, so it was a good start for him." United complete their four-game tour of Asia on Friday when they face Guangzhou Pharmaceutical in Guangdong in southern China before flying home to Manchester.

Their pre-season warm-up continues with a glamour friendly against Italian champions Inter Milan at Old Trafford next week

Weather saves the Indians at Lord’s …

The weather came to India's rescue as they drew the first Test at Lord's with England just a wicket away from going 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Bad light, which forced an early tea, with India, at 282 for nine, still 98 runs shy of their imposing victory target of 380, initially gave the tourists a dramatic reprieve.
The umpires had hoped to re-start the match at 4:40pm local time (1540GMT) but, just as the covers were being removed, rain fell and ended play. However, it wasn't just the weather alone that saved India.

Wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, after several failures by the top order, made an invaluable 76 not out during more than three hours at the crease where he faced 159 balls and struck 10 fours. He also did a good job of protecting last man Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who faced just seven balls on his way to four not out, surviving a Monty Panesar lbw appeal in the process, during an unbroken stand of 19.

India, chasing what would be the fourth highest fourth innings winning total in Test history had they achieved it, were 207 for five at lunch. VVS Laxman was 29 not out and Dhoni, who'd rode his luck, 28 not out. The pair, the last recognised batsmen, had come together following the loss of two quick wickets that left India struggling at 145 for five. But a stand worth 86 was ended when debutant quick Chris Tremlett, who took three for 52, bowled Laxman for 39 as he stayed on the backfoot.

England, who now found themselves in a race against the weather, took the new ball as soon as it became available after 80 overs. And three overs later left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom dismissed Anil Kumble with the match's 14th lbw, equalling the record for a Test in England.
Dhoni completed his fifth Test fifty, but at the other end Tremlett had Zaheer Khan out for nought, caught behind gloving down the legside. England captain Michael Vaughan brought himself on to bowl off-spin in a bid to prevent the umpires offering the light. But it was left-arm spinner Panesar who bowled Rudra Pratap Singh to leave India on the brink of defeat at 263 for nine before the light worsened.

India started the final day on 137 for three. Opener Dinesh Karthik was 56 not out and Sourav Ganguly, dropped on 12, unbeaten on 36. An overcast sky made conditions helpful for swing bowling and Sidebottom soon had left-hander Ganguly lbw for 40. James Anderson, recalled for his first home Test since 2004, had taken a Test-best five for 42 as India were bowled out for 201 in their first innings despite England missing injured pace bowlers Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff.

Anderson was again rewarded for his accuracy when Karthik, who'd otherwise cover-driven well during his 60, edged to second slip Paul Collingwood. Dhoni, on 14, edged Panesar just wide of Collingwood at slip. He then survived a Panesar lbw appeal on 21 and, on the same score, edged Anderson just short of Andrew Strauss at first slip.

Kevin Pietersen had put England in a strong position by scoring 134 in their second innings 282. But India stayed in the game thanks to 21-year-old left-arm quick Singh's maiden five-wicket Test of five for 59. However, before Sunday's stumps, Tremlett had India captain Rahul Dravid lbw for nine and Panesar, in a repeat of his first Test wicket on debut in Nagpur last year, had his boyhood hero Sachin Tendulkar lbw, again for 16.

The second Test starts at Trent Bridge on Friday.

Hosts announce their squad for the September World Cup .

Hosts South Africa named eight spinners in a provisional 30-man squad for September's Twenty20 world championships, which also included a surprise call-up for veteran batsman Neil McKenzie.The Proteas were widely criticised for their all-pace attack in the recent World Cup but the pool of 30, which must be whittled down to 15 by August 11, marks the start of a drive to develop slow bowlers for the international stage.

Spinners Gulam Bodi, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Justin Ontong, Paul Harris and Thandi Tshabalala have all been included after missing out on the one-day squad which reached the World Cup semi-finals in the Caribbean.McKenzie, who last played for the one-day side in 2003, has been rewarded for his performances in last season's domestic Twenty20 competition when he captained the Johannesburg-based Highveld Lions to victory.South Africa will open the inaugural world championships when they take on the West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on September 11.

Probables: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Loots Bosman, Gulam Bodi, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB De Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Paul Harris, Justin Kemp, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, Neil McKenzie, Albie Morkel, Mornie Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Alviro Petersen Robin Peterson Vernon Philander, Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn, Roger Telemachus, Alfonso Thomas, Thandi Tshabalala, Johan van der Wath and Morn van Wyk.

Beckham debuts inspite of injury ..

David Beckham began his daunting challenge to convert the United States into a soccer-loving nation with an uneventful debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer on Saturday night.

Beckham got into a 1-0 exhibition loss to Chelsea of the English Premier League in the 78th minute, jogging onto the field amid huge cheers and a sea of camera flashes from the sold-out crowd of 27,000 at The Home Depot Center.

"The atmosphere is incredible," Beckham said. Including stoppage time, Beckham was on the field for slightly more than 16 minutes. The 32-year-old midfielder spent most of the match on the bench because of a nagging left-ankle injury.

There were cheers each time Beckham touched the ball, the highlight being a corner kick he took in stoppage time. After taking about 10 minutes to get loose on the sideline, the ex-Real Madrid player entered as a substitute for Alan Gordon. "I'm not fit. I haven't trained since I got here," former England captain Beckham said. "But it's nice to be out there."

Chelsea captain John Terry scored in the 49th minute on a shot that went in after hitting both posts. Chelsea took 25 shots, compared with five for the Galaxy, and had a 6-2 edge in shots on goal. When Beckham sat before the match, he was quickly surrounded by about 100 photographers pushing and shoving. The scrum furiously snapped away within inches of him before being shoved back by about 10 security guards.

Zaheer strucks early after Anderson career best five ..

England reached 54 for two on the third day of the first test against India at Lord's on Saturday when rain forced the players off for an early tea.Michael Vaughan was three not out after 27 minutes and Kevin Pietersen had seven in 21 minutes as India enjoyed a period where the ball was dominating the bat.

Earlier, India, replying to England's first innings 298, collapsed to 201 all out after losing their last six wickets for 46 in the morning session. James Anderson claimed career-best test figures of five for 42.In England's second innings, left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan removed the openers and at the break had figures of two for 23 from 9.4 overs. England lead by 151 and will be seeking to set a target of at least over 300.

After an earlier downpour delayed the afternoon session by 110 minutes, Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook took their opening partnership to 40 when Strauss, on 18, failed to move his feet to a Zaheer ball outside off stump and edged to first slip.Shortly before, Strauss had been involved in an exchange with India fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth that may have affected his concentration.The batsman was struck on the thigh by Sreesanth who threw, supposedly at the stumps, after fielding off his own bowling.

Sreesanth apologised though Strauss's response was to walk away while Sreesanth neared his delivery stride next ball.Zaheer removed Cook lbw for 17 two balls after his first wicket though replays suggested the ball may have struck him outside the line of off stump.

Rooney and Ronaldo take centre stage in the warm up ..

Star duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were both on target as Manchester United provided an expectant South Korean public with the goals they craved.

In sticky and humid conditions, the Red Devils turned on the style, smashing home three goals inside the opening 20 minutes before Patrice Evra's second-half effort wrapped up an easy win.

Sir Alex Ferguson must have been particularly delighted to see Ronaldo and Rooney link up so well after pairing the youngsters together in attack during the opening period, an attacking unit that could well be used in the Premier League this term, even if the champions will face far stiffer tests than this.

When United make their bold statements about the huge size of their fan base, they are usually met with a roll of the eyes from sceptics who remain steadfast in their belief the club's core support remains in Salford and Stretford.

But here, approximately 6,000 miles away in South Korea, evidence of the Red Devils' global appeal was in clear evidence. There is no doubt Park Ji-sung's arrival has fuelled interest in day-to-day events at Old Trafford but judging by the massive cheers which rolled around the ground every time the pictures of veteran pair Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were shown on big screens, United had their followers in this part of the world long before that.

All 60,000 tickets were snapped up within six hours even though the Koreans knew Park had no chance of playing. Instead, they were able to cheer two undoubted world stars in Ronaldo and Rooney, who both made a major contribution to United's flying start. A vicious dipping volley from Ronaldo had already flown just over when he collected Rooney's square ball, advanced a couple of strides and then belted a shot into the bottom corner.

Ronaldo then provided the telling pass for Chris Eagles to convert a well-taken second. Within two minutes, Rooney had powered home his first goal of United's pre-season campaign, darting forward to collect Ronaldo's square pass before unleashing a shot that FC Seoul keeper Kim Byung-ji was unable to stop.

A cynic could argue the goals generated too much noise for Seoul's World Cup Stadium to be turned into Old Trafford for the day. Chants of 'Glory, Glory Man United' were clearly heard though as the capacity crowd enthusiastically celebrated the Red Devils first visit to their country.

Giggs and Scholes were introduced off the bench at half-time, as was Alan Smith, whom Ferguson confirmed yesterday could leave the club this summer if the Carlos Tevez deal eventually goes through.

However, Nani was not fit enough to take part even though the £18million new boy is virtually over the ankle injury he suffered on duty for Portugal at the European Under-21 Championships

England close on 268-4 in Lord’s …

Andrew Strauss enjoyed a welcome return to form with 96 before England lost two late wickets to surrender their advantage on the opening day of the first Test against India.

The home side's batsmen looked to be continuing on from where they left off against West Indies earlier this summer, reaching 252-2 at one stage at Lord’s, the host had later ended with 268-4 with Pietersen not out on 34 and nightwatchman Sidebottom on 0 .

Debutant Chris Tremlett, selected to replace the injured Matthew Hoggard ahead of Stuart Broad, got his first taste of Test action in the pavilion as England's bowling attack, boasting just 37 caps between them, watched the runs flow.

Vaughan had little hesitation in deciding to bat first after winning his fifth successive toss and his decision paid off immediately with an opening stand of 76.

India's seam trio of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Zaheer Khan and RP Singh served up plenty of loose stuff to allow Strauss and partner Alistair Cook to get off to a flying start. The pair scored at nearly a run-a-ball rate in the opening hour with the first 50 runs coming in just 51 deliveries.

Surprisingly it was Sourav Ganguly's part-time medium pace that saw the first breakthrough, Cook playing across his front pad to be trapped leg before for 36 and become only the fourth Test victim in the last six years for India's ex-captain.

That breakthrough was only a temporary success for the visitors though, and they didn't strike again until well after tea. Strauss was the man to depart just four short of his first Test century in 11 months, although by then he had done enough to show why the selectors had stuck by him during lean times.

Making the most of a lucky escape on 43 when Dinesh Karthik dropped a simple catch at backward point, the Middlesex left-hander marched towards a ton on his home ground as he and Vaughan put on 142. But, looking to strike the boundary he needed to reach three figures for the first time since the third Test against Pakistan last summer, Strauss edged Anil Kumble through to Rahul Dravid at first slip.

His departure was followed by two breaks for bad light, the second of which worked in India's favour as they picked up two crucial scalps in nine balls. Vaughan was the first to go when he edged RP Singh to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps, a rare error ending his 201-ball innings that had seen him strike 11 fours.

Collingwood followed in the next over when a googly from Kumble - easily the pick of the tourists' bowlers - trapped him lbw without troubling the scorers. Kevin Pietersen nearly became the third batsmen to depart in quick succession but he got a stroke of luck when a thick inside edge just missed his leg stump.

He was unbeaten on 34 not out when three successive play-and-misses by nightwatchman Ryan Sidebottom led to umpires Steve Bucknor and Simon Taufel offering the light for a third and final time.

Hoggard joins Harmison in the injury list ..

Matthew Hoggard, the Yorkshire and England bowler, is classed extremely doubtful for tomorrow's first test against India at Lord's.

Hoggard, who suffered a back spasm in training yesterday, was sent from an MRI today and appears likely to join Stephen Harmison (hernia) and Andrew Flintoff (ankle) on the sidelines. In his absence, Chris Tremlett and Stuart Broad will lead a relatively inexperienced and un-tested bowling attack for England, who are also waiting on the return of Simon Jones.

"It will be a bigger challenge," Michael Vaughan, the England captain, said. "The Indian side are full of experience, probably more so in the batting so it's going to be an exciting challenge for our young four-man attack to try to outdo them and get 20 wickets in a Test match.

"Of course inexperience is new but it's exciting. We don't have Harmison, Flintoff, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones from that great attack we had in 2005. But it's new, it's very exciting for us all to see how they [the new attack] react to playing in front of a lot of people and against a very good batting team."

Vaughan, who five years ago scored 615 runs against India at an average of 102.50, said of the upcoming three-game series: "When the Indians come you always know they are going to create a great atmosphere in and around the ground with their support," he said. "They are always great series to play in. I always feel like I play quite well at Lord's."

Harmison misses Test series due to injury …

Steve Harmison has been ruled out of the first Test against India after succumbing to a hernia injury.

The Durham paceman will see a specialist on Tuesday to determine the extent of the setback and whether an operation is required.

He has been replaced in England's 13-man squad by Hampshire's Chris Tremlett.

Harmison first experienced hernia problems during the final Test against West Indies earlier in the English summer and further aggravated the injury playing for Durham over the weekend.

Harmison had originally been pencilled in for surgery after the Friends Provident Trophy final against Tremlett's side on August 18 at Lord's.

His injury was not thought to be pressing at the time but if his appointment at Horsham turns up bad news then the 28-year-old could be out for the entire series against India.

Tremlett's call-up means he will do battle with fellow seamer Stuart Broad as both men seek to make a Test debut.

Like Broad, Tremlett has played one-day cricket for England, the last of his six appearances coming in a costly outing against Australia in Perth when he shipped 72 runs in 10 overs.

Broad is favourite to start after shining for the England Lions, formerly England A, against the tourists last week, but Tremlett's 1-40 and handy late-order batting also impressed the selection panel.

"We have taken the precaution of adding Chris Tremlett to the squad following confirmation this morning that Stephen Harmison will not be available," said chairman of selectors David Graveney.

"Chris performed well in the recent England Lions tour match against India and his inclusion will give us additional options when we come to decide on our starting eleven for Thursday."

Ryan Sidebottom, who has made a successful return to the international arena following a shock recall after a six-year absence, James Anderson and Matthew Hoggard are the other fast men in Peter Moores' party.

Spinner Monty Panesar, meanwhile, is almost certain to retain his Test place despite his recent dropping from the one-day side against the Windies.

Yuvi wants to kickstart his career in whites …

Yuvraj Singh has played just 19 Test matches and as the first Test of the India-England series gets underway on Thursday at Lord's, he will be hoping to kickstart his career in whites.
The last time Yuvraj Singh played a Test match for India was over a year ago; at the Sabina Park in Kingston against the West Indies. Since then injuries and the team composition has come in the way.

So understandably, Yuvraj is keen to find a place in a packed middle order.On the tour of England, Yuvraj said, "I’m coming to England for the first time. Last time I was here, I had a broken finger, so I had to come back after the ODI’s. this is the first time I’m playing Test cricket over here. So, they are most important games of my life. You never know when you tour England again. So a very important tour."

With the likes of Rahul Dravid , Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar holding fort, Yuvraj will have to fight with VVS Laxman for the final spot and Laxman's experience in the seaming conditions means he is likely to get the nod.

"I have had a lot of disappointments in couple of years. But I also know the guys ahead of me have played a lot of Test cricket. They are more experienced," said Yuvraj.

The only other option for Yuvraj comes in case the team management drop the out-of-form Wasim Jaffer. Yuvraj being the middle order batsman is not the most likely candidate for the job.

When asked Yuvraj said, "That question has not rose yet, we will see before the Test match what the team management decides. I don’t know what to comment anything on that."
With scores like 31, 18 and 54 in the last two practise games it looks like a tough road ahead for Yuvraj Singh but who knows this was an opportunity that he should have grabbed with both hands and this tour could very well be a make or break situation for him.

Orkut is back in a different way ...

Google's Joga.com is now picking up pace just like Orkut in Asia. Joga is a website dedicated to the football AKA soccer community. It's a brainchild of a joint effort between Google and Nike, and is based on Google'e Orkut social networking site.

What makes Joga exclusive is the fact that it's purely growing network of trusted acquaintances. The network that eats, breathes and sleep soccer and helps users to connect to people who share the same passion for the game and also access special contend around athlete profiles, video clips and photos. Users can also add pictures, videos and blog, and link up with friends. Joga users can build their own football teams, find local fields and even play other nearby Joga teams

Guys , you can sign in with ur google account . Remember as orkut is blocked you will not be able add friends . your friend list will be automatically linked to orkut friends list . So , you will have to go into their scrap book and post a scrap .

Click on this to access Joga ...

http://www.joga.com/GLogin.aspx

Do select ur players to build your own team .

Irfan Pathan admits being not in form …

Team India discard Irfan Pathan says he had first realised that he had a 'problem' in his bowling during India's tour of Pakistan in 2004.''I had informed coach Greg Chappell and biomechanics expert Ian Frazer about it. But, due to a packed international calendar they could not work on my bowling mid-way through the season,'' the Baroda all-rounder told a TV news channel.

According to Irfan, there were times when he used to wonder and felt lost on what's going wrong. However, he is philosphical about his present misery and says life is bigger then cricket. Irfan takes positives from the fact that not too many has achieved what he has as a 22-year-old.

Irfan admits it's a 'reality check' for him now that he has to spend time with some of the younger trainers from all parts of the country at the MRF guest house, where he is sharing one room with others, while his colleagues in the Indian team are treated royally.However, Irfan credits his modest upbringing for still being able to keep his head on his shoulders although it's not easy to adjust from five-star luxury to the guest house.''It's difficult to see low after high but I have seen worse things in my life. Here I have to do everything on my own. When you play for county, there are always people around you to help. From picking your kit-bag to pick and drop facility at the airport...But, things dramatically change one when you are out of the Team India...,'' he painfully adds.

He also admitted that he should have come earlier to the MRF pace foundation to work on his bowling action. After being left out from the England tour, he is naturally disappointed but says that he will make most of this forced-break. ''TA Sekhar has seen my bowling from close quarters and he is working with me. His advice and inputs are invaluable and I have found my swing and rhythm back. Sekhar showed me the glitches in my action from 2001 onwards. It's been eye-opener,'' he said.Denying that he was ever confused regarding his bowling, he said that he had shown his video to Greg and Frazer in Pakistan but ''By the time I realised it was a little problem, it got complicated and it became a bit complex. Also, didn't get much time to be mentally fresh during that period.''However, I must say its only a temporary phase and I would definitely be out of this sooner and am confident of being top of the game,'' he added confidently.

Irfan, who was once spearheaded the attack, says in a philosophical mood ''Of course, it is a critical stage of my career and I have learnt quite a few things not only about cricket but also life in general.'' He also dismissed talks of batting having a negative impact on his bowling, saying ''On the contrary, it has helped my game. I am a better cricketer because of it. Since, under-19 days I have been working on my batting. Before Chappell, John Wright too has worked on my batting. The critics would change their opinions once I am back to my best in bowling. They will appreciate my batting skill then.'' Justifying that pace alone cannot guarantee success in international cricket, he says ''Chaminda Vass is an ideal example and role model for us. Wasim Akram will remain my hero since I idolized him from my childhood but I have never tried to copy anyone.''

Brazil trounce Argentina in Copa America Finale ..

Brazil who started as underdogs for the Sunday’s clash against rivals Argentina beats them 3-0 in the Copa America Final in Maracaribo .

It was the second successive title for the Brazilians and was sweet justification for coach Dunga, who was without superstars Ronaldinho and Kaka, and who had been the target of vitriolic criticism for overseeing a workmanlike rather than traditionally wondrous side.

Argentina, chasing a record 15th title, were outplayed in every department as the sparkling form they showed in the run-up to the final deserted them and deprived coach Alfio Basile of a second Copa having overseen the team's last win in 1993.

Julio Baptista scored his third goal in three games at the tournament when he gave Brazil the lead after just four minutes. The striker, unwanted by Arsenal, picked up a long ball from Elano, who had replaced suspended skipper Gilberto Silva, and controlled it neatly.
He turned to the right of Argentina skipper Roberto Ayala and fired a fierce right-foot drive into the top corner of Roberto Abbondanzieri's goal. Five minutes later, Argentina were unfortunate not to be back on level terms.

A cushioned header from Juan Sebastian Veron found Juan Roman Riquelme in space but the playmaker's left-foot shot came off the post with goalkeeper Doni well beaten. At the other end, Abbondanzieri saved from Maicon to keep the deficit down while opposite number Doni was also alert to danger when he thwarted another Riquelme effort 10 minutes from half-time.

Federer clinches his fifth Wimbledon title ..

Roger Federer retained his crown as king of Wimbledon, beating young Spanish prince Rafael Nadal to secure his fifth consecutive title, matching the legendary reign of the watching Bjorn Borg, the king of this court in a previous era.
The 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-2 victory he achieved followed a feast of tennis fit for any king. At three hours and 45 minutes, it was the third longest men's single final in Wimbledon's history and the most thrilling climax to the Championships since Goran Ivanisevic's dramatic victory in front of a raucous third Monday Centre Court crowd in 2001.

Federer was at his very best, and he certainly needed to be to hold at bay the tigerish challenge of the Spanish 21-year-old. Last year Nadal lost here in four sets, this time he took the master of grass court tennis the full distance. And next year? In a breathtaking fifth set Nadal, who had undergone treatment to his right knee towards the end of the previous set, twice held two break points. If he had cashed in on either occasion surely he would have toppled the champion. But twice Federer rose magnificently to the challenge, fighting off the danger before he broke Nadal for what proved to be a crucial 4-2 lead.

Yet at the start it had seemed Federer would be in for a straightforward coronation. He broke for a 2-0 lead in the opening set, only for Nadal to pull level and push it into a tie-break. Here a Federer trademark forehand and one of the 24 aces he struck in the match left him with three set points, only for the bounding Nadal to fight off all three and resist a fourth set point before Federer finally clinched it, by nine points to seven with a cross-court backhand volley, sparking a triumphant pirouette.

Was Nadal downhearted? Never. He set about clawing back Federer's advantage, and did not need long to do so. Three aces got the Swiss out of trouble in the sixth game of the second set but, with a 5-4 lead, Nadal conjured an incredible backhand winner while in a seated position on the baseline. The startled Federer sent a forehand wide on the next rally to offer the challenger two set points, but he needed only one, levelling the match with a glorious backhand passing shot.

As it has done to so many of his opponents, Nadal's relentless play seemed to be getting to Federer, but his ability to produce aces and spectacular winners kept him in front in the third set. As it moved towards another tie-break, Federer became involved in his longest match at this year's Wimbledon, though he took the tiebreak more easily this time, by seven points to three.

Any thought that it might be simple from there on for Federer lasted as long as the opening game of the fourth set, Nadal breaking with a forehand service return which trapped the champion coming in.
Another service break put Nadal in command at 3-0 but only after he had issued a Hawk-Eye challenge on a forehand called out. The system decided it was in by a whisker, provoking an eruption by the normally calm Federer. "How in the world was that ball in?" he asked umpire Carlos Ramos. "It [Hawk-Eye] is killing me today."
There was hope for Federer in this otherwise bleak part of the match when Nadal called for treatment to his right knee, after which he was unable to jump off so effectively on his serve, but he held on to take the set and again level things after three hours seven minutes.

Then followed the high drama of the deciding set. At 1-1 two Nadal errors saved Federer at 15-40. Then at 2-2 the champion again fell 15-40 behind but battled clear thanks to a Nadal error, followed by a crunching service winner. It provided the all-important breakthrough as Nadal then dropped serve to another of Federer's forehand specials

With reason, the Swiss exulted. Federer sealed his initiative with three aces in the next game and Nadal, for once, had nothing left. He saved one match point on his own serve before, on the second, Federer hammered home an overhead smash and fell forward onto his face. Flat out maybe, but Wimbledon's winner for the fifth time.Admiring it all from the Royal Box was Bjorn Borg, who was crowned here every year from 1976 until 1980. The two men are now level in the Wimbledon record books but next year will it be King Roger VI?

Broad gets a nod to play in Lord's ..

Uncapped Leicestershire paceman Stuart Broad has been named in England's 13-man squad for the first Test against India which gets underway at Lord's on Thursday.

Broad has been selected along with James Anderson and would appear to be the man to benefit from the current uncertainty over Steve Harnmison's fitness. The Durham quickie has been given the nod for the first Test, but remains "extremely doubtful" to feature given a hernia complaint.

England chairman of selectors David Graveney admitted Harmison was unlikely to be recover in time and explained that Broad and Anderson would be competing to replace him.
"At this stage his (Harmison's) chances of playing are slim and the choice for the final pace bowling position will be between James Anderson and Stuart Broad," Graveney stated.
"They are different types of bowlers and the final decision will depend on our assessment of the pitch and the weather conditions at Lord's.

"It will be very disappointing if we are without Stephen as he has been in excellent form for Durham recently and looked to be back to his best in the last Test against West Indies at Chester-le-Street.

"It may mean that we have to go into this series with a relatively inexperienced attack, but I am sure all of the bowlers concerned will relish the opportunity to test themselves against a side which has one of the strongest batting line-ups in world cricket."

The squad shows no other changes from the side which completed a 3-0 series win over the West Indies, with Andrew Strauss retaining his place despite concerns over his form.

Michael Vaughan continues as captain with Yorkshire team-mate Matthew Hoggard, Ryan Sidebottom and Monty Panesar completing England's attack. Kenny Benjamin believes the Windies will bounce back - but it might take a decade.

Lawson recommended as Pak Coach ..

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will name former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson as their new coach on Monday, sources said on Saturday.The PCB has entered into final negotiations with Lawson after deciding to appoint him from a shortlist of three candidates, including fellow Australians Dav Whatmore and Richard Done.The 49-year-old Lawson, currently working with the New South Wales state team in Australia, played 46 Tests and 79 one-day internationals.

The PCB committee meets on Monday to formally announce the new coach to succeed Bob Woolmer, who died during the World Cup in the West Indies in March from natural causes after earlier fears he was murdered.The board was initially in favour of Whatmore, who has coached Sri Lankan and Bangladesh, but leaned towards Lawson after getting positive feedback about him from team management and the players, the sources said."

The board has decided to go along with Lawson as his appointment was backed by the players and also manager Talat Ali in recent meetings with the board Chairman," one source told reporters."The players felt that Lawson had a very positive attitude towards the game and was an easy person to get along with."Pakistan has had eight different coaches since 1996. Former Test captain Javed Miandad has had three stints as coach.

Woolmer, the former England batsman, coached the team from June 2004.

Venus beats youngster Bartoli to clinch title ..

Venus Williams and the Venus Rosewater Dish were reunited on Centre Court today when the 27-year-old collected her fourth Championship with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over France's Marion Bartoli that was harder earned than the score would indicate.

Never before in Wimbledon's modern era had the women's final been contested by players so lowly-ranked. Williams, ranked 31 after an injury-hit year of little activity, was awarded the 23rd seeding on the strength of her previous record here, while Bartoli was seeded 18th.
Williams collected £700,000 for her one hour and 30 minutes victory, the first year of equal pay for men and women at Wimbledon, but her delight at the end showed that the money meant little to this millionairess whose prospects of another title here had been largely discounted.

Venus had proved, and how, that she is still a grand slam contender, despite having arrived at Wimbledon with just seven tournaments this year and one victory, at Memphis in February.
The 22-year-old Bartoli's high moment had come in the semi-finals on Friday evening, when her rocketing ground strokes pole-axed the world number one and top seed, Justine Henin. Today those were less effective because of Venus's longer reach and speed around the court.
The way the Centre Court crowd got behind Bartoli was clear indication that they feared a one-sided contest. That this did not happen was due to a combination of Bartoli's dogged determination to give no ground to such famous opposition and to the fact that Venus had one of her less accurate days.

She certainly started impressively enough, breaking Bartoli in the second game thanks to a double-fault from the Frenchwoman. That was elevated to 3-0 before the fightback began, although Venus had a point for a 4-0 lead (on another double-fault).

Then Bartoli settled, buoyed by the crowd's support, stretching Williams from side to side with her flat, raking groundstrokes from her double-fisted grip.

She broke Williams when Venus sent a wild forehand sailing over the baseline and then levelled the match at 3-3, courtesy of two more poor Williams backhands. Could this become another thriller, like the Henin match?

As it turned out, no. Bartoli, gallantly though she played, always looked the inferior performer against such classy opposition and when her fifth double-fault of the match presented Venus with two set points Bartoli was able to fight off only one of them before Williams stroked away a sweet backhand volley. The set had lasted 45 minutes.

The second set followed a similar course, with Williams breaking serve in the second game and going 3-0 up, at which Bartoli took time out for treatment to her left foot. Williams then also asked for treatment to her left leg, leading to a stoppage in all of 11 minutes.

When play resumed, Bartoli won the first game to love but that was effectively the end of her resistance. Venus sailed through the next three games, ending with a thunderous serve.
Bartoli, clearly delighted with having reached this stage of the tournament, congratulated Williams, calling her "the best player on grass in the world." Today she proved that.

Murali spins Lanka to a series win ...

Muttiah Muralitharan became the second bowler after Shane Warne to take 700 wickets as Sri Lanka walloped Bangladesh by an innings and 193 runs on Saturday to sweep the series 3-0.The off-spinner claimed six wickets in each innings as the tourists, trailing by 369 runs, were shot out for 176 just before tea on the fourth day of the third and final Test here.

Ruthless lankans won all three Tests by innings margins to record their 10th successive victory over Bangladesh in as many matches.Muralitharan signalled the win by having last man Syed Rasel caught in the deep for his 700th wicket, leaving him only nine scapls away from surpassing the retired Australian Warne's world record tally of 708.The prolific 35-year-old could overtake Warne when Sri Lanka tour Australia for two Test matches in Brisbane and Hobart in November.Muralitharan has now claimed 10 wickets or more in a Test match 20 times, giving him an astonishing 76 victims in nine Tests against Bangladesh.

was Bangladesh's 43rd defeat in 49 matches since they gained Test status in 2000 with five draws and a lone win against fellow-strugglers Zimbabwe.Bangladesh, who were 123-2 soon after lunch, lost their last eight wickets for 53 runs as they crashed to their seventh innnings defeat in 10 matches against Sri Lanka.Left-hander Shahriar Nafees top-scored for Bangladesh with 64 but found little support at the other end when the Sri Lankans turned on the screws in the field.

21-year-old Nafees, a surprise omission from Bangladesh's one-day squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, answered the selectors with nine boundaries in his third Test half-century. Bangladesh began their second knock at the start of the day after Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene declared at the overnight score of 500-4, leaving Kumar Sangakkara unbeaten on 222.Nafees and Javed Omar put on 47 for the first wicket, missing by one run their best opening stand in the series of 48 in the second Test.Omar made 22 with the help of four boundaries when he edged fast bowler Lasith Malinga to Sangakkara at first slip.Former captain Habibul Bashar helped Nafees put on 51 for the second wicket but could not break the poor streak that saw him aggregate just 54 runs in the previous five innings of the series.

Basher, Bangladesh's most experienced Test batsman, made 15 when he stepped out to loft Muralitharan out of the ground, missed the line and was bowled.Nafees added seven runs to his lunch score of 57 when he was beaten in flight by Muralitharan and edged a simple catch to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips.Bangladesh captain Ashraful, his team's main batting hope, plodded for an hour to score 19 when he played back to Muralitharan and was trapped leg-before.Left-arm seamer Sujeewa De Silva removed Mushfiqur Rahim and Rajin Saleh in successive overs as Bangladesh slipped from 123-2 to 142-6.Muralitharan then claimed three of the last four wickets as Sri Lanka won the rain-hit Test with more than a day to spare.