'Sachin was unhappy to bat at No. 4'

NEW DELHI: Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar was not too happy when he was asked by his then captain Sourav Ganguly to bat at number four in ODIs in 2002-03, according to a book.

Ganguly, who captained the recently-retired Tendulkar in 143 of the 341 international matches they played together, recalled that the Mumbaikar was brought back as opener during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

"You say, please, do it for a short while; of course you'll be back up, let's see how long it goes. Once he settled down to the idea and saw it work, it was fine. When things went a bit wobbly at the 2003 World Cup, he was back up straight away," Ganguly said.

In an article featured in ESPNcricinfo's new anthology 'Sachin Tendulkar: The Man Cricket Loved Back', Ganguly said that Tendulkar's record as captain was better than people made out to be.

"He led on some very tough tours - South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia - and it must be said he didn't lose eight in a row. This when he didn't have a very good team around him. The older players were fading and the newcomers were too raw."

"When it came to being Sachin's captain, it was about giving him due respect: treating him like a team-mate but also as the special player he was. He was central to the side doing well. He had to feel relaxed and comfortable."

Former teammates such as Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh also paid tributes to Tendulkar in the book.

Dravid, who made a record 6920 Test runs with Tendulkar, said, "One sure indicator that (Tendulkar) was in good touch was when he played the flick to the leg side. Cricket is a game where you naturally have more fielders on the off side, and especially in limited-overs cricket, bowlers like to bowl tight lines.

"(Tendulkar) would be on his toes, on top of the bounce, and would often beat midwicket to the fielder's right. Sometimes he even beat square leg to his right with that flick, not to the full ball but the ones pitched short of a length. That made you marvel from the other end."

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Bowlers toil hard against SL openers

NEW DELHI:India finally got a breakthrough when spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck to dismiss Sri Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne in the league match of Asia Cup at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, Bangladesh.

Scorecard

Kusal Perera led the Sri Lankan charge from the front slamming his third ODI fifty and continued to defy Indian bowling attack. Perera smashed three fours and two sixes during the course of his fifty.

Openers Thirimanne and Perera started off well to lay the foundation for Sri Lankan chase against India.

The duo had no problem negotiating Indian bowlers as they completed 50-run stand in the 10th over and went on to add 80 runs for the first wicket.

The luck was not going India's way when Ravindra Jadeja almost caught Kusal Perera at mid wicket but could not hold on to it when his elbows hit the ground.

Earlier, opener Shikhar Dhawan missed out on a century by six runs as spinner Ajantha Mendis returned to haunt India by restricting them to 264 for nine.

Sent into bat, Dhawan (94) and captain Virat Kohli (48) led India's recovery in a 97-run second-wicket partnership, before Mendis, more than three years after his mystery was decoded by the Indian batsmen, came back to trouble them with figures of 4/60 at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Mendis castled Kohli and Dhawan with his carrom ball while off-spinner Sachitra Senanayake scalped 3/41 as India's new-look middle order sorely missed Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Thanks to the duo's exploits, India slipped after being comfortably placed at 175 for two in the 36th over.

Ajinkya Rahane (22), Ambati Rayudu (18) and Dinesh Karthik (4) looked good but could not covert their starts, while Stuart Binny did not trouble the scorers after being out for a zero.

Having come into the limelight with his career-best 6/13 against India in Karachi in 2008, Mendis got a reality check after the currently out-of-favour Virender Sehwag unleashed his fury on him the next year.

But that was then and on this day Mendis, who was included in place of medium pacer Suranga Kamal, did not let the Lankans down.

The pitch behaved differently with the ball staying low right from the very first over. It was the perfect condition to test the openers who were in the middle of a prolonged lean patch.

Sharma, particularly, struggled against the odd ball as Sri Lanka, who were playing with three specialist spinners, brought on offie Senanayake in the sixth over.

Lanka seemed in perfect control, conceding only 37 runs in the first power play which also yielded Sharma's wicket.

After all his struggle, Sharma'a anxious stay finally came to an end when he got to out to a dubious decision. Umpire Nigel Llong ruled the batsman out despite being long way down the track.

The breakthrough incidentally turned around India's fortunes with last match centurion Kohli starting off with a boundary.

At the other end, Dhawan looked to have got his fluency back and Kohli's reassuring presence further calmed the left-hander's nerves.

Sri Lanka's pace attack lacked bite after skipper Angelo Mathews left the field midway into his third over with a niggle as the Lankans resorted to an all-spin attack with Mendis coming into bowl in the 16th over.

With Kohli in exquisite form and Dhawan back among runs, the duo looked in control of the proceedings.

Dhawan completed his half-century in 68 balls, the left-hander's first 50-plus score in nine matches. Kohli punished Chaturanaga de Silva before Dhawan joined the party with a boundary and a six against Perera, as India raced to 128/1 in 26 overs, when a smart decision to bring in Mendis from the pavilion end did the trick.

Mendis, who had a listless 4-0-22-0 in the first spell, bowled a carrom ball to castle the in-form Kohli, who fell two short of a half-century.

The prized scalp of Kohli broke India's back and the new- look middle order, without Dhoni, could never recover.

India took the batting power play early in the 33rd over but the inexperienced middle order in Rahane, Rayudu, Karthik and Binny failed to cash in.

Only 28 runs and Rahane's wicket in the batting powerplay was the beginning of India's downfall.

Mendis two wickets in one over, including that of Dhawan with another carrom ball, to deny the lefthander a century.

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Ashwin gives India a big breakthrough

NEW DELHI:India finally got a breakthrough when spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck to dismiss Sri Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne in the league match of Asia Cup at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, Bangladesh.

Scorecard

Kusal Perera led the Sri Lankan charge from the front slamming his third ODI fifty and continued to defy Indian bowling attack. Perera smashed three fours and two sixes during the course of his fifty.

Openers Thirimanne and Perera started off well to lay the foundation for Sri Lankan chase against India.

The duo had no problem negotiating Indian bowlers as they completed 50-run stand in the 10th over and went on to add 80 runs for the first wicket.

The luck was not going India's way when Ravindra Jadeja almost caught Kusal Perera at mid wicket but could not hold on to it when his elbows hit the ground.

Earlier, opener Shikhar Dhawan missed out on a century by six runs as spinner Ajantha Mendis returned to haunt India by restricting them to 264 for nine.

Sent into bat, Dhawan (94) and captain Virat Kohli (48) led India's recovery in a 97-run second-wicket partnership, before Mendis, more than three years after his mystery was decoded by the Indian batsmen, came back to trouble them with figures of 4/60 at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Mendis castled Kohli and Dhawan with his carrom ball while off-spinner Sachitra Senanayake scalped 3/41 as India's new-look middle order sorely missed Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Thanks to the duo's exploits, India slipped after being comfortably placed at 175 for two in the 36th over.

Ajinkya Rahane (22), Ambati Rayudu (18) and Dinesh Karthik (4) looked good but could not covert their starts, while Stuart Binny did not trouble the scorers after being out for a zero.

Having come into the limelight with his career-best 6/13 against India in Karachi in 2008, Mendis got a reality check after the currently out-of-favour Virender Sehwag unleashed his fury on him the next year.

But that was then and on this day Mendis, who was included in place of medium pacer Suranga Kamal, did not let the Lankans down.

The pitch behaved differently with the ball staying low right from the very first over. It was the perfect condition to test the openers who were in the middle of a prolonged lean patch.

Sharma, particularly, struggled against the odd ball as Sri Lanka, who were playing with three specialist spinners, brought on offie Senanayake in the sixth over.

Lanka seemed in perfect control, conceding only 37 runs in the first power play which also yielded Sharma's wicket.

After all his struggle, Sharma'a anxious stay finally came to an end when he got to out to a dubious decision. Umpire Nigel Llong ruled the batsman out despite being long way down the track.

The breakthrough incidentally turned around India's fortunes with last match centurion Kohli starting off with a boundary.

At the other end, Dhawan looked to have got his fluency back and Kohli's reassuring presence further calmed the left-hander's nerves.

Sri Lanka's pace attack lacked bite after skipper Angelo Mathews left the field midway into his third over with a niggle as the Lankans resorted to an all-spin attack with Mendis coming into bowl in the 16th over.

With Kohli in exquisite form and Dhawan back among runs, the duo looked in control of the proceedings.

Dhawan completed his half-century in 68 balls, the left-hander's first 50-plus score in nine matches. Kohli punished Chaturanaga de Silva before Dhawan joined the party with a boundary and a six against Perera, as India raced to 128/1 in 26 overs, when a smart decision to bring in Mendis from the pavilion end did the trick.

Mendis, who had a listless 4-0-22-0 in the first spell, bowled a carrom ball to castle the in-form Kohli, who fell two short of a half-century.

The prized scalp of Kohli broke India's back and the new- look middle order, without Dhoni, could never recover.

India took the batting power play early in the 33rd over but the inexperienced middle order in Rahane, Rayudu, Karthik and Binny failed to cash in.

Only 28 runs and Rahane's wicket in the batting powerplay was the beginning of India's downfall.

Mendis two wickets in one over, including that of Dhawan with another carrom ball, to deny the lefthander a century.

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Ashwin scalps Perera to take 100th wicket

NEW DELHI:India finally got a breakthrough when spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck to dismiss Sri Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne in the league match of Asia Cup at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, Bangladesh.

Scorecard

Kusal Perera led the Sri Lankan charge from the front slamming his third ODI fifty and continued to defy Indian bowling attack. Perera smashed three fours and two sixes during the course of his fifty.

Openers Thirimanne and Perera started off well to lay the foundation for Sri Lankan chase against India.

The duo had no problem negotiating Indian bowlers as they completed 50-run stand in the 10th over and went on to add 80 runs for the first wicket.

The luck was not going India's way when Ravindra Jadeja almost caught Kusal Perera at mid wicket but could not hold on to it when his elbows hit the ground.

Earlier, opener Shikhar Dhawan missed out on a century by six runs as spinner Ajantha Mendis returned to haunt India by restricting them to 264 for nine.

Sent into bat, Dhawan (94) and captain Virat Kohli (48) led India's recovery in a 97-run second-wicket partnership, before Mendis, more than three years after his mystery was decoded by the Indian batsmen, came back to trouble them with figures of 4/60 at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Mendis castled Kohli and Dhawan with his carrom ball while off-spinner Sachitra Senanayake scalped 3/41 as India's new-look middle order sorely missed Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Thanks to the duo's exploits, India slipped after being comfortably placed at 175 for two in the 36th over.

Ajinkya Rahane (22), Ambati Rayudu (18) and Dinesh Karthik (4) looked good but could not covert their starts, while Stuart Binny did not trouble the scorers after being out for a zero.

Having come into the limelight with his career-best 6/13 against India in Karachi in 2008, Mendis got a reality check after the currently out-of-favour Virender Sehwag unleashed his fury on him the next year.

But that was then and on this day Mendis, who was included in place of medium pacer Suranga Kamal, did not let the Lankans down.

The pitch behaved differently with the ball staying low right from the very first over. It was the perfect condition to test the openers who were in the middle of a prolonged lean patch.

Sharma, particularly, struggled against the odd ball as Sri Lanka, who were playing with three specialist spinners, brought on offie Senanayake in the sixth over.

Lanka seemed in perfect control, conceding only 37 runs in the first power play which also yielded Sharma's wicket.

After all his struggle, Sharma'a anxious stay finally came to an end when he got to out to a dubious decision. Umpire Nigel Llong ruled the batsman out despite being long way down the track.

The breakthrough incidentally turned around India's fortunes with last match centurion Kohli starting off with a boundary.

At the other end, Dhawan looked to have got his fluency back and Kohli's reassuring presence further calmed the left-hander's nerves.

Sri Lanka's pace attack lacked bite after skipper Angelo Mathews left the field midway into his third over with a niggle as the Lankans resorted to an all-spin attack with Mendis coming into bowl in the 16th over.

With Kohli in exquisite form and Dhawan back among runs, the duo looked in control of the proceedings.

Dhawan completed his half-century in 68 balls, the left-hander's first 50-plus score in nine matches. Kohli punished Chaturanaga de Silva before Dhawan joined the party with a boundary and a six against Perera, as India raced to 128/1 in 26 overs, when a smart decision to bring in Mendis from the pavilion end did the trick.

Mendis, who had a listless 4-0-22-0 in the first spell, bowled a carrom ball to castle the in-form Kohli, who fell two short of a half-century.

The prized scalp of Kohli broke India's back and the new- look middle order, without Dhoni, could never recover.

India took the batting power play early in the 33rd over but the inexperienced middle order in Rahane, Rayudu, Karthik and Binny failed to cash in.

Only 28 runs and Rahane's wicket in the batting powerplay was the beginning of India's downfall.

Mendis two wickets in one over, including that of Dhawan with another carrom ball, to deny the lefthander a century.

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Asia Cup: Afghanistan lose Shahzad

NEW DELHI: Pacer Umar Gul gave Pakistan first breakthrough by sending back Mohammad Shahzad after a fiery start by Afghanistan in their chase of 249 in their Asia Cup match on Thursday.

Scorecard | Points Table

Gul struck on the final ball of the fifth over to get Shahzad (9) caught behind at the score of 32.

Earlier, young wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal hit a scintillating century and played the role of a saviour to perfection as he lifted Pakistan to a competitive 248 for eight.

Akmal smashed 102 off 89 balls after Afghanistan won the toss and reduced Pakistan to 117 for six inside 30 overs on a sluggish pitch at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Akmal reached his three-figure mark with a huge six in the penultimate ball of the innings.

The 23-year-old, who scored 74 off 72 against Sri Lanka in the last match, clobbered three sixes and seven boundaries while taking Pakistan to recovery from a precarious position.

Opener Ahmed Shehzad (50) contributed with a half-century and along with Sharjeel Khan got Pakistan off to a fine start, compiling 55 runs for the opening wicket before the former was scalped for 25 off 37 balls, including two fours and a six.

Next batsman Mohammad Hafeez (10) joined hands with Shehzad but the duo could only add 23 runs before Mirwais Ashraf sent Hafeez back to the pavilion.

Shehzad's departure triggered a mini collapse and from 89 for two, Pakistan slumped to 117 for six. They lost four wickets for mere 28 runs on the board.

The Asia Cup-debutants removed Sohaib Maqsood (13), skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (0) and allrounder Shahid Afridi (6) to put Pakistan in a spot of bother.

While leg-spinner Samiullah Shenwari cleaned up Shehzad, who hit seven fours in his half-century.

Misbah was unlucky to be run-out without facing a ball, and Afridi missed a slog only to find his off-stump uprooted by pacer Dawlat Zadran, sending the Afghanistan camp in jubilation.

But Akmal continued with his good form as he took Pakistan to a respectable total.

For the seventh wicket, Akmal added 60 runs with Anwar Ali (21 off 36 balls) to calm down nerves in the Pakistan dressing room and followed it with a 50-run stand with Umar Gul (15).

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Nooor Ali falls, Afghanistan two down

NEW DELHI: Saeed Ajmal struck in his first over to get rid of Noor Ali Zardan after his steady knock of 44, leaving Afghanistan two down for 65 in their chase of 249 in their Asia Cup match on Thursday.

Scorecard | Points Table

In the 19th over, Ali was trapped infront of the wickets while trying to play around his pads after his 63-ball stay.

Pacer Umar Gul gave Pakistan first breakthrough by sending back Mohammad Shahzad after a fiery start by Afghanistan.

Gul struck on the final ball of the fifth over to get Shahzad (9) caught behind at the score of 32.

Earlier, young wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal hit a scintillating century and played the role of a saviour to perfection as he lifted Pakistan to a competitive 248 for eight.

Akmal smashed 102 off 89 balls after Afghanistan won the toss and reduced Pakistan to 117 for six inside 30 overs on a sluggish pitch at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Akmal reached his three-figure mark with a huge six in the penultimate ball of the innings.

The 23-year-old, who scored 74 off 72 against Sri Lanka in the last match, clobbered three sixes and seven boundaries while taking Pakistan to recovery from a precarious position.

Opener Ahmed Shehzad (50) contributed with a half-century and along with Sharjeel Khan got Pakistan off to a fine start, compiling 55 runs for the opening wicket before the former was scalped for 25 off 37 balls, including two fours and a six.

Next batsman Mohammad Hafeez (10) joined hands with Shehzad but the duo could only add 23 runs before Mirwais Ashraf sent Hafeez back to the pavilion.

Shehzad's departure triggered a mini collapse and from 89 for two, Pakistan slumped to 117 for six. They lost four wickets for mere 28 runs on the board.

The Asia Cup-debutants removed Sohaib Maqsood (13), skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (0) and allrounder Shahid Afridi (6) to put Pakistan in a spot of bother.

While leg-spinner Samiullah Shenwari cleaned up Shehzad, who hit seven fours in his half-century.

Misbah was unlucky to be run-out without facing a ball, and Afridi missed a slog only to find his off-stump uprooted by pacer Dawlat Zadran, sending the Afghanistan camp in jubilation.

But Akmal continued with his good form as he took Pakistan to a respectable total.

For the seventh wicket, Akmal added 60 runs with Anwar Ali (21 off 36 balls) to calm down nerves in the Pakistan dressing room and followed it with a 50-run stand with Umar Gul (15).

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Steyn backs Morkel to make Oz suffer

CAPE TOWN: Dale Steyn, the world's number one Test bowler, says his team mate Morne Morkel will be the player to watch when South Africa play Australia in the series-deciding third Test starting at Newlands on Saturday.

Steyn tore through the Australian batting on Sunday to drive his side to a 231-run second-test win in Port Elizabeth that levelled the series at 1-1.

But on a Newlands wicket that is likely to be quicker with greater bounce, he believes Morkel may well be the most effective of the South African pace attack.

"I thought Morne bowled extremely well on a flat wicket in Port Elizabeth and did the business. It was a different Morne from what we have seen," Steyn told reporters on Thursday.

"He was bowling up at 150 kilometres per hour, bouncing the batsmen and when you are in the field watching that, it lifts everybody. Morne was the guy who really started things off for us in that first innings and he didn't get the credit he deserved."

Steyn has been the spearhead of the South African attack during their rise to number one in test cricket. Often regarded as angry and aggressive, he says he is misunderstood.

"It's focused aggression, I have to be in that state of mind to put in those kinds of spells," Steyn says.

"If I am thinking about teddy bears when I come in to bowl I'll serve up half-volleys for the batsmen to smash.

"I feel like I have to be ready for a fight. It's a bit embarrassing when I watch it on the news afterwards, but it helps my country get results and that is the most important thing."

Steyn would not be drawn into the furore started by Australia opener David Warner, who said his team believed AB de Villiers was using his wicketkeeper gloves to tamper with the ball, helping South Africa's fast bowlers to find reverse swing.

"I haven't followed the story much, to be honest, but a lot of us play cricket in India where you learn to bowl with different skills. It would be a lot better if people were rather talking about how well you execute your skills."

The 30-year-old is looking forward to returning to Newlands, where South Africa have lost one of their last 16 tests and where many of the team, Steyn included, play their provincial cricket.

"You get great crowds, it's an amazing place to play cricket. We know how to play here, a lot of the guys from the Cape Cobras play in this national side.

"Vernon (Philander) is the king of Newlands and his experience of bowling here is a great help."

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Noor Ali falls, Afghanistan two down

NEW DELHI: Saeed Ajmal struck in his first over to get rid of Noor Ali Zardan after his steady knock of 44, leaving Afghanistan two down for 65 in their chase of 249 in their Asia Cup match on Thursday.

Scorecard | Points Table

In the 19th over, Ali was trapped infront of the wickets while trying to play around his pads after his 63-ball stay.

Pacer Umar Gul gave Pakistan first breakthrough by sending back Mohammad Shahzad after a fiery start by Afghanistan.

Gul struck on the final ball of the fifth over to get Shahzad (9) caught behind at the score of 32.

Earlier, young wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal hit a scintillating century and played the role of a saviour to perfection as he lifted Pakistan to a competitive 248 for eight.

Akmal smashed 102 off 89 balls after Afghanistan won the toss and reduced Pakistan to 117 for six inside 30 overs on a sluggish pitch at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Akmal reached his three-figure mark with a huge six in the penultimate ball of the innings.

The 23-year-old, who scored 74 off 72 against Sri Lanka in the last match, clobbered three sixes and seven boundaries while taking Pakistan to recovery from a precarious position.

Opener Ahmed Shehzad (50) contributed with a half-century and along with Sharjeel Khan got Pakistan off to a fine start, compiling 55 runs for the opening wicket before the former was scalped for 25 off 37 balls, including two fours and a six.

Next batsman Mohammad Hafeez (10) joined hands with Shehzad but the duo could only add 23 runs before Mirwais Ashraf sent Hafeez back to the pavilion.

Shehzad's departure triggered a mini collapse and from 89 for two, Pakistan slumped to 117 for six. They lost four wickets for mere 28 runs on the board.

The Asia Cup-debutants removed Sohaib Maqsood (13), skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (0) and allrounder Shahid Afridi (6) to put Pakistan in a spot of bother.

While leg-spinner Samiullah Shenwari cleaned up Shehzad, who hit seven fours in his half-century.

Misbah was unlucky to be run-out without facing a ball, and Afridi missed a slog only to find his off-stump uprooted by pacer Dawlat Zadran, sending the Afghanistan camp in jubilation.

But Akmal continued with his good form as he took Pakistan to a respectable total.

For the seventh wicket, Akmal added 60 runs with Anwar Ali (21 off 36 balls) to calm down nerves in the Pakistan dressing room and followed it with a 50-run stand with Umar Gul (15).

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Rahim powers B'desh to 279/7 vs India

FATULLAH: Chasing a solid 280-run target, openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma gave India a cautious start in their Asia Cup match against Bangladesh in Fatullah.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

Earlier, skipper Mushfiqur Rahim led from the front with a sparkling ton while young opener Anamul Haque impressed with a half-century as Bangladesh overcame early hiccups to post 279/7.

Mushfiqur, who smashed 117 off 113 balls, was grounded after being hit on his ribs by a nasty beamer by Varun Aaron, but the diminutive captain showed enough resilience to complete his second ODI century, a first for Bangladesh against India since Alok Kapali's ton in the 2008 Asia Cup.

The 25-year-old started his innings patiently with Anamul going freely at the other end, but after the opener's dismissal, the skipper came into his own, hitting two sixes and seven fours.

The duo was involved in a 133-run third wicket partnership that came after Bangladesh were reduced to 49/2 in the 13th over.

Despite the big partnership though, the lower order failed to fire against a side that boasts of a strong batting line-up.

Mohammad Shami was the pick of Indian bowlers, scalping 4/50 from his quota while it was a flop show for Aaron, who gave away 74 runs before being barred after 7.5 overs for two waist high deliveries, with one of them hitting Mushfiqur.

A less than seven thousand crowd in a 17,000 capacity stadium in Narayangonj district in the southern suburbs of Dhaka did not exactly give it a home-like feel for Bangladesh, as India opted for a run-chase.

A disciplined Shami, who made the first breakthrough in the form of Shamsur Rahman (7) and Ashwin's first-ball wicket after a brilliant stumping by Karthik, reduced the hosts to 49/2 in the 13th over and for a moment it seemed like Bangladesh were playing away from home with the stadium not even half-filled.

But the young Anamul turned it around with his array of strokes in a sensible third-wicket partnership with Mushfiqur as the duo got past their individual half centuries.
Some mindless bowling by India's third pacer Aaron, who chose raw pace over disciplined length, did not help the side's cause as Anamul danced down the track to smash the bowler over long-on for two sixes.

Aaron was bowling well past the 140kph mark but his length was easily picked by up the promising 21-year-old.

The listless India pacer conceded 39 runs from his first spell of five overs.

To add to the woes, Aaron was barred from bowling from the fifth ball of his eighth over after a second waist-high beamer that floored the Bangla skipper after hitting on his left side ribs.

Aaron leaked 74 from 7.5 overs in two spells, which incidentally was the second highest conceded by a bowler against Bangladesh after UAE's Khurram Khan (78).

The only bright spot in Aaron's bowling is that he denied the impressive Anamul a second International century after the Bangla batsman played on.

The innings then belonged to Mushfiqur, who showed resolute spirit despite being hit badly to complete the milestone century for Bangladesh.

Earlier, a lovely display of line and length bowling by Shami greeted the hosts, and the first one hour was a testing time for both the openers.

Persisting with an off-stump line, Shami found some outside edges that went in the vacant slip region as the Bangla duo looked tentative to start with.

Shami got the desired result when his short ball was mistimed by Shamsur to be taken by the bowler.

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India off to slow start in chase of 280

NEW DELHI: Chasing 280, India faced a major setback as they lost Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in consecutive overs during their Asia Cup match against Bangladesh.

Scorecard | Match in Pics | Points Table

Shikhar (28) was the first scalp when Abdur Razzak was successful in catching him plumb soon after he and Rohit Sharma helped India cross the 50-run mark in the 12th over.

In the very next over, ​Ziaur Rahman got the better of Rohit's (21) stumps.

Shikhar and Rohit gave India a cautious start after Mushfiqur Rahim led from the front earlier with a sparkling century to propel Bangladesh to 279/7.

Mushfiqur, who smashed 117 off 113 balls, was grounded after being hit on his ribs by a nasty beamer by Varun Aaron, but the diminutive captain showed enough resilience to complete his second ODI century, a first for Bangladesh against India since Alok Kapali's ton in the 2008 Asia Cup.

The 25-year-old started his innings patiently with Anamul going freely at the other end, but after the opener's dismissal, the skipper came into his own, hitting two sixes and seven fours.

The duo was involved in a 133-run third wicket partnership that came after Bangladesh were reduced to 49/2 in the 13th over.

Despite the big partnership though, the lower order failed to fire against a side that boasts of a strong batting line-up.

Mohammad Shami was the pick of Indian bowlers, scalping 4/50 from his quota while it was a flop show for Aaron, who gave away 74 runs before being barred after 7.5 overs for two waist high deliveries, with one of them hitting Mushfiqur.

A less than seven thousand crowd in a 17,000 capacity stadium in Narayangonj district in the southern suburbs of Dhaka did not exactly give it a home-like feel for Bangladesh, as India opted for a run-chase.

A disciplined Shami, who made the first breakthrough in the form of Shamsur Rahman (7) and Ashwin's first-ball wicket after a brilliant stumping by Karthik, reduced the hosts to 49/2 in the 13th over and for a moment it seemed like Bangladesh were playing away from home with the stadium not even half-filled.

But the young Anamul turned it around with his array of strokes in a sensible third-wicket partnership with Mushfiqur as the duo got past their individual half centuries.
Some mindless bowling by India's third pacer Aaron, who chose raw pace over disciplined length, did not help the side's cause as Anamul danced down the track to smash the bowler over long-on for two sixes.

Aaron was bowling well past the 140kph mark but his length was easily picked by up the promising 21-year-old.

The listless India pacer conceded 39 runs from his first spell of five overs.

To add to the woes, Aaron was barred from bowling from the fifth ball of his eighth over after a second waist-high beamer that floored the Bangla skipper after hitting on his left side ribs.

Aaron leaked 74 from 7.5 overs in two spells, which incidentally was the second highest conceded by a bowler against Bangladesh after UAE's Khurram Khan (78).

The only bright spot in Aaron's bowling is that he denied the impressive Anamul a second International century after the Bangla batsman played on.

The innings then belonged to Mushfiqur, who showed resolute spirit despite being hit badly to complete the milestone century for Bangladesh.

Earlier, a lovely display of line and length bowling by Shami greeted the hosts, and the first one hour was a testing time for both the openers.

Persisting with an off-stump line, Shami found some outside edges that went in the vacant slip region as the Bangla duo looked tentative to start with.

Shami got the desired result when his short ball was mistimed by Shamsur to be taken by the bowler.

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India lose openers after cautious start

NEW DELHI: Chasing 280, India faced a major setback as they lost Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in consecutive overs during their Asia Cup match against Bangladesh.

Scorecard | Match in Pics | Points Table

Shikhar (28) was the first scalp when Abdur Razzak was successful in catching him plumb soon after he and Rohit Sharma helped India cross the 50-run mark in the 12th over.

In the very next over, ​Ziaur Rahman got the better of Rohit's (21) stumps.

Shikhar and Rohit gave India a cautious start after Mushfiqur Rahim led from the front earlier with a sparkling century to propel Bangladesh to 279/7.

Mushfiqur, who smashed 117 off 113 balls, was grounded after being hit on his ribs by a nasty beamer by Varun Aaron, but the diminutive captain showed enough resilience to complete his second ODI century, a first for Bangladesh against India since Alok Kapali's ton in the 2008 Asia Cup.

The 25-year-old started his innings patiently with Anamul going freely at the other end, but after the opener's dismissal, the skipper came into his own, hitting two sixes and seven fours.

The duo was involved in a 133-run third wicket partnership that came after Bangladesh were reduced to 49/2 in the 13th over.

Despite the big partnership though, the lower order failed to fire against a side that boasts of a strong batting line-up.

Mohammad Shami was the pick of Indian bowlers, scalping 4/50 from his quota while it was a flop show for Aaron, who gave away 74 runs before being barred after 7.5 overs for two waist high deliveries, with one of them hitting Mushfiqur.

A less than seven thousand crowd in a 17,000 capacity stadium in Narayangonj district in the southern suburbs of Dhaka did not exactly give it a home-like feel for Bangladesh, as India opted for a run-chase.

A disciplined Shami, who made the first breakthrough in the form of Shamsur Rahman (7) and Ashwin's first-ball wicket after a brilliant stumping by Karthik, reduced the hosts to 49/2 in the 13th over and for a moment it seemed like Bangladesh were playing away from home with the stadium not even half-filled.

But the young Anamul turned it around with his array of strokes in a sensible third-wicket partnership with Mushfiqur as the duo got past their individual half centuries.
Some mindless bowling by India's third pacer Aaron, who chose raw pace over disciplined length, did not help the side's cause as Anamul danced down the track to smash the bowler over long-on for two sixes.

Aaron was bowling well past the 140kph mark but his length was easily picked by up the promising 21-year-old.

The listless India pacer conceded 39 runs from his first spell of five overs.

To add to the woes, Aaron was barred from bowling from the fifth ball of his eighth over after a second waist-high beamer that floored the Bangla skipper after hitting on his left side ribs.

Aaron leaked 74 from 7.5 overs in two spells, which incidentally was the second highest conceded by a bowler against Bangladesh after UAE's Khurram Khan (78).

The only bright spot in Aaron's bowling is that he denied the impressive Anamul a second International century after the Bangla batsman played on.

The innings then belonged to Mushfiqur, who showed resolute spirit despite being hit badly to complete the milestone century for Bangladesh.

Earlier, a lovely display of line and length bowling by Shami greeted the hosts, and the first one hour was a testing time for both the openers.

Persisting with an off-stump line, Shami found some outside edges that went in the vacant slip region as the Bangla duo looked tentative to start with.

Shami got the desired result when his short ball was mistimed by Shamsur to be taken by the bowler.

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Virat Kohli's fifty resurrects run-chase

NEW DELHI: A sparkling half-century by skipper Virat Kohli revived India's run-chase after suffering early blows in their Asia Cup match against Bangladesh in Fatullah.

Scorecard | Match in Pics | Points Table

Kohli, who reached his 31st ODI half-century with the help of 6 smashing boundaries and a single six, also put up a stable 50-plus run partnership for the third wicket with Ajinkya Rahane.

Chasing a solid 280-run target, India earlier faced a major setback as they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in consecutive overs.

Shikhar (28) was the first scalp when Abdur Razzak was successful in catching him plumb soon after he and Rohit Sharma helped India cross the 50-run mark in the 12th over.

In the very next over, ​Ziaur Rahman got the better of Rohit's (21) stumps.

Shikhar and Rohit gave India a cautious start after Mushfiqur Rahim led from the front earlier with a sparkling century to propel Bangladesh to 279/7.

Mushfiqur, who smashed 117 off 113 balls, was grounded after being hit on his ribs by a nasty beamer by Varun Aaron, but the diminutive captain showed enough resilience to complete his second ODI century, a first for Bangladesh against India since Alok Kapali's ton in the 2008 Asia Cup.

The 25-year-old started his innings patiently with Anamul going freely at the other end, but after the opener's dismissal, the skipper came into his own, hitting two sixes and seven fours.

The duo was involved in a 133-run third wicket partnership that came after Bangladesh were reduced to 49/2 in the 13th over.

Despite the big partnership though, the lower order failed to fire against a side that boasts of a strong batting line-up.

Mohammad Shami was the pick of Indian bowlers, scalping 4/50 from his quota while it was a flop show for Aaron, who gave away 74 runs before being barred after 7.5 overs for two waist high deliveries, with one of them hitting Mushfiqur.

A less than seven thousand crowd in a 17,000 capacity stadium in Narayangonj district in the southern suburbs of Dhaka did not exactly give it a home-like feel for Bangladesh, as India opted for a run-chase.

A disciplined Shami, who made the first breakthrough in the form of Shamsur Rahman (7) and Ashwin's first-ball wicket after a brilliant stumping by Karthik, reduced the hosts to 49/2 in the 13th over and for a moment it seemed like Bangladesh were playing away from home with the stadium not even half-filled.

But the young Anamul turned it around with his array of strokes in a sensible third-wicket partnership with Mushfiqur as the duo got past their individual half centuries.
Some mindless bowling by India's third pacer Aaron, who chose raw pace over disciplined length, did not help the side's cause as Anamul danced down the track to smash the bowler over long-on for two sixes.

Aaron was bowling well past the 140kph mark but his length was easily picked by up the promising 21-year-old.

The listless India pacer conceded 39 runs from his first spell of five overs.

To add to the woes, Aaron was barred from bowling from the fifth ball of his eighth over after a second waist-high beamer that floored the Bangla skipper after hitting on his left side ribs.

Aaron leaked 74 from 7.5 overs in two spells, which incidentally was the second highest conceded by a bowler against Bangladesh after UAE's Khurram Khan (78).

The only bright spot in Aaron's bowling is that he denied the impressive Anamul a second International century after the Bangla batsman played on.

The innings then belonged to Mushfiqur, who showed resolute spirit despite being hit badly to complete the milestone century for Bangladesh.

Earlier, a lovely display of line and length bowling by Shami greeted the hosts, and the first one hour was a testing time for both the openers.

Persisting with an off-stump line, Shami found some outside edges that went in the vacant slip region as the Bangla duo looked tentative to start with.

Shami got the desired result when his short ball was mistimed by Shamsur to be taken by the bowler.

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India look for revival before Test series

WHANGAREI (New Zealand): Hammered in the ODIs, the Indian team would look to make a fresh start in its so far disappointing tour of New Zealand when it takes on the hosts in a two-day practice game on Sunday to build up for the two-match Test series.

The ODI series was a thorough disaster for the visitors, who lost their number one ranking in the course of the 0-4 thrashing.

And Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men would be aiming to put that behind them when they begin the Test leg of the tour here. The Test series starts February 6.

It is a quiet town, much like Napier where the ODI leg started two weeks ago.

The tour started without much fan-fare allowing the Indian team nearly five days of practice, and while they made good use of the facilities provided there, it didn't really show up on the field in the ensuing contests.

Whangarei is similarly quiet and perhaps the team could do with some introspection, away from the spotlight. It is a parallel reflection from the South African tour previously, wherein the Indian team had also lost the ODI series, riddled with short bowling and inadequate application from both batsmen and bowlers.

The big difference is that their practice game on that tour was washed out due to unseasonal rains and wet outfield. Here, on the other hand, the bright sun is out and the visitors should enjoy two good days of cricket.

Despite missing out on practice in South Africa, the team showed enough resilience to bounce back from their ODI series loss and perform well in the two-Test series, albeit losing it 1-0 as well on the last day of the trip.

They can take heart from that performance and hope to find some solutions to the many problems that dogged them on their overseas journeys recently.

At the same time, they need to be mindful of the different requirements of the longer format and the adjustments they need to make.

The squad stays nearly similar barring the departure of four players, Suresh Raina, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra and Varun Aaron.

At the same time they will be reinforced by the presence of Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay, Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav and Wriddhiman Saha. The blue flannels will be replaced by the white ones and after some restructuring the Indian team shall bear a Test look again.

During the ODI series, Dhoni had spoken about the "need to reflect on the game whilst away from it", and it remains to be seen if any Test regulars will spend time on the sidelines in this match.

Test-regulars Vijay, Pujara and Zaheer will be keen to get their business underway, while Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma need some runs under their belts.

Ambati Rayudu could play if Virat Kohli is one of the batsmen to be rested. Meanwhile, the captain himself could do with some as well, although that is a highly unlikely scenario.

Mohammed Shami has been the beast of burden among the quicker bowlers, and he too could do with time away. There could be a two-way toss-up between Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav, or both could play with Ishwar Pandey still sitting out, depending upon the combination the team management wants to go ahead with.

Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin will be in contention for that one spin-slot. While the former has been miles ahead with bat and ball, the latter's batting ability cannot be neglected.

It remains to be seen if both of them are included in this playing eleven -- or twelve -- considering such games do allow for this provision to be made.

It will also be interesting to see what the Indian team can get out of this game, with 100 overs bowled each day, given the short turn-around between the ODI series and this practice match.

From the home team's point of view, Peter Fulton and Hamish Rutherford were earlier part of this New Zealand XI squad to get a taste of the Indian bowling line-up ahead of the Test series.

They have been released since, as the two batsmen opted to go and play for their domestic teams in the ongoing Plunket Shield.

George Worker and Robbie O'Donnell have been inducted into the squad. It is interesting to note that this squad consists of three Under-19 New Zealand players -- O'Donnell, Tim Seifert and Shawn Hicks -- who will shortly be on their way to the junior World Cup in Dubai later this month.

Teams (from):

India: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Ishwar Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha.

New Zealand XI: Anton Devcich (c), George Worker, Robbie O'Donnell, Jono Hickey, Tim Seifert (wk), Henry Walsh, Jono Boult, Roald Badenhorst, Iain McPeake, Ili Tugaga, Tipene Friday, Shawn Hicks.

Match starts at: 3am IST.

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'India deserves lion's share of revenue'

MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards has come out in strong support of the BCCI receiving a lion's share of world cricket revenue, saying that India deserves a fair compensation for contributing 80 per cent of the revenue by "hiring out" its team.

Talking about the new revenue distribution model in the controversial ICC revamp plan that would see the BCCI receiving the lion's share, Edwards said people should understand that India will get just 20 per cent of ICC revenue despite contributing 80 per cent of it.

"I think what we have negotiated is more than fair. They (India) are contributing towards 80 per cent of the money and they're taking about 20 per cent for hiring their team for the ICC. They are hiring their team out and people need to understand that is worthy of compensation," he said.

"The reality is everybody -- 106 nations -- gets more money in the new deal. Nobody is going backwards assuming we get the right number when we go to tender, and guess what, if it ends up the same number we've had for the last eight years, India don't get any more money than anyone else. It's not as if we have deserted the rest of them. We want world cricket to thrive, not go backwards," he was quoted as saying in the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

Edwards describes the controversial governance revamp of the ICC proposed by India, England and Australia -- which has also got the backing of the CA Board of Directors -- as "critical for the future of the game".

"These reforms are absolutely critical for the future of the game and I don't just mean Test cricket. We have to get to a point where everybody wants to be part of this and see the game improve. My focus has always been the game, not the money," he said.

"Change is very important. I have worked very hard to make sure we have protected a lot of important things and if people just concentrate on the fact that India get more of the money and Australia gets marginally more than South Africa, and South Africa gets marginally more than Pakistan and New Zealand gets a bit more than Zimbabwe, then so be it," he added.

The newspaper report also said that CA played the role of a broker in trying to heal the rift between India and South Africa which is opposing the ICC revamp plan.

Australia, which is about to embark on a three-Test series against the number one Proteas, have opened talks with Cricket South Africa about tours beyond the next five years, the report said.

It also talked about the scope for an 11th country to play Test cricket, with the winner of the Intercontinental Cup between the top eight Associates possibly playing the lowest-ranked Test country for the right to play Tests.

Meanwhile, a write-up in 'The Australian' mocked at the controversial revamp plan of the ICC proposed by the 'Big Three', saying the world body should now be re-named IAWS (I Agree With Srini).

"Farewell, then, International Cricket Council, we hardly knew you. And we can hardly claim to mourn when we spent most of our time undermining, flouting and bitching about you. For the new experimental trilateralism that will succeed the old trainwreck multilateralism, a new name is surely necessary," the write-up said.

"Perhaps IAWS: I Agree With Srini. Because there's surely going to be an ongoing competition about who can say that in meetings first."

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Kohli inches closer to top spot in ODIs

DUBAI: Virat Kohli's individual brilliance during India's disastrous show in the lost ODI series against New Zealand has helped the young batsman inch closer to the top spot in the latest ICC rankings issued on Saturday.

ICC Rankings: Teams | Batsmen | Bowlers | Allrounders

India were drubbed 0-4 in the series which concluded on Friday but Kohli, placed second in the rankings right now, stood out by contributing 291 runs in the five-match affair.

That performance fetched him 11 ratings points in the ICC list, taking his overall tally to 870, just two points behind number-one ranked AB de Villiers.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the next best-placed Indian batsman at sixth in the list, followed by Shikhar Dhawan, who slipped a rung to 11th after an indifferent outing against New Zealand.

In the bowling charts, Ravindra Jadeja is the highest-placed Indian at ninth spot, which is a loss of three positions.

Meanwhile, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson have made impressive gains in the rankings for batsmen.

Taylor, named Player of the Match in the final ODI at Wellington on Friday, jumped six places to return to the top 10, and now sits in 10th place. Taylor was the second highest run-getter in the series with 343 runs from five matches.

Williamson ended as the highest run-getter in the series with 361 runs, and risen 20 places to a best-ever ranking of 11th with 688 ratings points, only 25 ratings points behind Taylor. Williamson shares the 11th position with Dhawan.

The latest rankings update also takes into account Australia's 4-1 series win over England. As a result, Australia batsman George Bailey is now up a place to a third, just 14 ratings points behind Kohli and 16 behind de Villiers.

Meanwhile, England batsman Eoin Morgan has jumped four places to 13th even as New Zealand's Martin Guptill returned to the top 20, moving up five places to 19th.

Outside the top 20, the batsmen to move up include Ian Bell in 23rd (up by three), Glenn Maxwell in 32nd (up by nine), Corey Anderson in 34th (up by 51), David Warner in 40th (up by 17), James Faulkner in 50th (up by 15), Jesse Ryder in 52nd (up by three), Shaun Marsh in 64th (up by 17), and Ravindra Jadeja (up by eight) and Aaron Finch (up by 35) in joint 65th.

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Kiwis promise more short-pitched test

WHANGAREI (New Zealand): The Indian batting frailties against short-pitched bowling stood exposed in the ODI series and New Zealand coach Mike Hesson on Saturday said the Kiwis will continue with the tactic even in the upcoming Test series starting February 6.

The Kiwi bowlers sent down some short stuff, aided by the longer square boundaries, as the Indian batsmen fell to their habit of compulsive pulling in the five-match ODI series which the hosts won 4-0.

Hesson said the tactic would be re-used in the two-match Test series.

"Yes, if conditions allow, then absolutely, we will deploy it," agreed Hesson.

"It is the ability to push guys back and then bowl their natural length, the ability to do that and obviously presenting the seam so that we can find the outside edge. That is the sort of formula that we have had for a while," he said.

"I think we showed that at the Basin Reserve the last time we played, and the way we forced the West Indies back and got them out, that is something that we will look to continue against India as well," he added.

As India prepare to start the Test leg of their tour with a two-day tour game here, Hesson said the Black Caps certainly have a spring in their step post the ODI triumph.

"There is definitely some confidence within the group that we can compete with these guys and India are a good side. But we know it is a different format. We will have a few new faces but we will certainly take some confidence into the series after the ODI series win," said Hesson.

"Even in our wildest dreams we didn't think we would win 4-0 against such a quality side. It all went very well as planned but you need quality players to have executed those plans. Players understanding their roles and training for those roles specifically and going out under pressure and being able to execute those plans was the key to our success," he added.

India were soundly out-classed in all departments throughout the series, while tying one game in Auckland. The Men in Blue are yet to win a game on the tour.

"Even after the tie, we played pretty well. You have to give credit to the way R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja played that day. But we never felt there was a shift in momentum and we always felt we were playing pretty good cricket," he explained.

"Then, we backed it up in Hamilton on a tough wicket for us against a sub-continent side and that was exceptional. Some people considered it to be a dead rubber (the last game in Wellington) but we certainly didn't. We prepared well for it and were focused today," said the happy coach after the white-wash.

Even so, India will be hoping for a chance as they have reinforcements coming in, as Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay, Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav and Wriddhiman Saha join the squad.

It was a turning point for them in South Africa earlier and Hesson is wary of the threat these new players pose in the longer format.

"Zaheer and Pujara are extremely well performed players. Pujara especially, in the last couple of years when we played against him while we were in India a year, a year-and-a-half ago. He was in his infancy then.

"Today, he looks a high quality player and obviously his record suggests that. Zaheer obviously has been out for a while but he is quite a crafty character especially in conditions that suit him. So it will be a challenge for us," he said.

The Kiwi batsmen were hardly troubled by the Indian bowlers in the ODIs but Hesson said he respected the visiting attack.

"We have had a good look at the Indian seam attack in the ODIs. Clearly the conditions will be a little different, especially in the first innings of the Tests. The Indian seamers are good bowlers, especially if there is a little bit in the wicket.

"We have got to prepare accordingly, and obviously it will be a change in format so we need to make that shift quickly. Our openers in the Tests are coming off some domestic form, so hopefully they can set the tone for us," said Hesson.

New Zealand have had a fantastic year in international cricket, except perhaps the tour of Bangladesh, and now pose a great threat to India.

"In Bangladesh, we had a different group of players. The Sri Lanka tour afterwards was really important for us as we introduced a number of new guys there, who did well. We won our first game in a long, long time and that we did with a lot of inexperienced guys.

"Some of them are playing today, some aren't. But some are sort of pushing underneath, and when we got our full squad back we just saw how good we can be," he signed off, referring to the 4-0 whitewash as a marker for the upcoming Tests.

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