India win 2nd odi

india beat england by 127 runs

England thrash India to become No. 1 in Tests

Birmingham: India were thumping their chest when they climbed onto the No. 1 Test ranking. Everyone, including the BCCI and the players, made merry riding on the success they tasted during the period. And then came the World Cup-winning campaign, which took their confidence, or overconfidence depending upon how we see it, to another level. But it all came to cipher when they lost all, their No. 1 spot 

Ind-Aus : Watson ton helps Aus reach 224/5

Mohali: Shane Watson made the most of two dropped catches to score a century as Australia posted 224-5 in their first innings at stumps on the opening day of the first Test against India on Friday.

The Australian opener, let off on nought and 37, made an unbeaten 101 for his second Test hundred to help his side recover from an early blow with a 141-run stand for the second wicket with skipper Ricky Ponting (71).

Watson, who cracked a century in each innings of a practice game before the Test, completed his hundred in the final session when he turned off-spinner Harbhajan Singh to deep square-leg for two runs.

He has so far cracked eight fours in his 279-ball knock. Tim Paine was the other not-out batsman on one.

India did not allow Australia to seize the initiative despite Watson's hundred as left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan grabbed three big wickets, including two in the final session.

The fast bowler trapped Michael Hussey leg-before and then bowled Marcus North for duck. Hussey faced 76 balls for his 17 runs.

Australia, who scored 101 runs in the morning after electing to bat on a pitch lacking pace and bounce, could manage only 45 in the last session. Even Watson could add only 26 to his tea score of 75.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha kept a tidy line and length, conceding 39 runs in 31 overs.

Australia were comfortably placed at 154-1 before slipping to 222-5, losing well-set Ponting, vice-captain Michael Clarke (14), Hussey and North.

Ponting, averaging just 20.85 in 12 Tests in India before this match, looked set to play a big knock before he was run out by Suresh Raina's direct-hit at the striker's end from mid-wicket.

Words were exchanged between Zaheer and Ponting after the Australian skipper's dismissal. Ponting hit 10 fours in his 124-ball knock.

The Australian captain produced some delightful strokes during his stay at the crease, driving Ojha through the covers to reach his half-century and then square-driving and flicking Zaheer for two fours.

India were left a bowler short in the afternoon when paceman Ishant Sharma departed the field during his eighth over with a leg injury.

Zaheer, returning to the Test squad after missing the recent Test series in Sri Lanka due to injury, was unlucky not to dismiss Watson with his second delivery as Virender Sehwag dropped a catch at gully.

The fast bowler did not have to wait long for his first success, trapping Simon Katich (six) leg-before in his third over.

India introduced spin after 10 overs on a slow track, but Ojha and Harbhajan could not break the Ponting-Watson stand in the morning.

Watson was lucky to survive on 37 when wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to hold on to an edge off Ojha.

He played some handsome shots, straight-driving Sharma and then pulling Zaheer for two fours. He then struck two successive fours off Sharma before the paceman left the field.

Harbhajan, a doubtful starter on Thursday due to a leg injury, was declared fit in the morning.

The second and final Test starts in Bangalore on October 9.

Chennai to face Warriors in final

Johannesburg: After the grueling play of 16 days where batsmen bludgeoned the ball from outset, bowlers disturbed timbers on numerous occasions and tactical brilliance by skippers dumbfounded many, the ball is set to roll for the last time. And finally the two juggernauts have got the credence to provide the befitting end to this extravaganza.

In Sunday’s final, the Super Kings from Chennai will lock horns with the Warriors of South Africa and, not just a big cheque will be waiting for the winner, but players from both the sides will also be itching to lift the glittering Champions League Twenty20 trophy for the first time.

Both teams compete each other neck and neck in every department of the game. On one hand, Warriors have Davy Jacobs – their skipper – who has put opposition bowlers to the sword throughout the tournament. The other side has Suresh Raina, whose onslaughts, especially against the Royal Challengers Bangalore would have won the hearts of many supporters not just back home but all round the world.

Jacobs’s 252 runs have made him the most successful batsman in the tournament so far, while the batting display by Murali Vijay (236 runs in five matches) and Suresh Raina (201 runs in as many matches) has also helped them earn spots in the list of top four run-getter of the event.

With experienced Michael Hussey at the top, Chennai’s middle order is packed with free flowing S Badrinath, young Anirudha Srikkanth and exceptional MS Dhoni, who is capable of giving his side a big flourish at the end with the help of big-hitting Albie Morkel.

Just like Chennai, Ashwell Prince gives the solidarity to the Warriors side, followed by dynamic Colin Ingram. Justin Kreusch, with his all-round abilities, has done the trick for his captain, while we all are aware of the fighting spirit of Mark Boucher and Johan Botha.

Botha, is equally a tough nut to crack when it comes to scoring off his well disguised spinning deliveries. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who had a brilliant semi-final game against the South Australia Redbacks and Juan Theron, who has been exceptional with his line and length both upfront and in death overs, complete the Warriors’ line-up which is well capable of making its opposition bite the dust on a given day.

For Chennai, just like batters, their bowlers are also ruling the list of most wicket takers in the competition, with off-spinner R Ashwin is leading the chart with 11 wickets in five matches, followed by the magician Muttiah Muralitharan with 9 wickets in as many games.

Doug Bollinger, too, has troubled many with the spongy bounce he generates from the wicket. The Australian pacer is also the fourth highest wicket taker in the event.

So, with everything is settled equally between the two sides, it would be a battle of nerves and the team that holds it for a longer duration will come victorious at the end.

Raina takes Chennai to Final

Durban: Ever since Dale Steyn walked off the field without bowling a ball, events unfolded in Chennai's way. It started from Suresh Raina murdering bowlers and continued into the Bangalore innings that never gained momentum and eventually folded up for 123/9 to concede a comprehensive 52-run win.

After water from the heavens turned the Twenty20 affair into a 17-over showdown, it was fours (5) and sixes (6) from Suresh Raina's bat that stormed the Kingsmead as the big-match player butchered Bangalore bowlers, punishing them for 94 runs in 48 balls.

Bangalore were always behind the eight ball chasing a revised target of 176 as per the D/L method. Rahul Dravid got a golden ball duck, which triggered a procession of Bangalore batsmen that continued until the fall of last wicket.

Only Manish Pandey (52 off 44) put up some fight against a Chennai attack that showed teeth right from the first ball. Both Doug Bollinger (3 for 27) and Albie Morkel (1 for 13) were unplayable and took full advantage of a freshened-up pitch under overcast skies.

The middle and lower order of Bangalore tried to use the long handle but were doing that in a losing cause and in that endeavour became victim to Muralitharan (2 for 38), R Ashwin (1 for 32) and L Balaji (1 for 13).

The turn of events started in the Chennai innings when Steyn hurt himself after the rain delay while taking a catch to dismiss Michael Hussey (6). The premium fast bowler hit his head and back badly on the ground, which left him dizzy and not in a state to bowl a single ball.

Bangalore became a bowler short and that too of the quality of Steyn who could run through an opposition with his sheer pace.

From that point on, it was exclusively a Suresh Raina show. The southpaw feasted on Bangalore bowlers who had no answers to Raina's prolific stroke play. Watching Raina go berserk, Bangalore almost resigned to the fact that they would be chasing a mammoth total and looked like waiting for their turn with the bat.

Murali Vijay was the other notable contributor in the Chennai's 174-run effort, scoring 41 off 32 balls in an 81-run second-wicket partnership with Suresh Raina.

Chennai will now face the winner of second semifinal between South Australia Redbacks and Warriors to be played on Saturday.

South Indian battle in South Africa

The Champions League Twenty20 may not have the massive following that its more glamorous sibling, the IPL, has but it is clear the players consider it an important tournament. Several incidents highlighted how desperate they are to win it: the dejection on Virat Kohli's face as he sat on his haunches mid-pitch in Durban after a revelatory innings which nearly pulled off a heist against Mumbai Indians; and the ever-smiling Muttiah Muralitharan's broadside at S Badrinath for a less-than-perfect piece of fielding when Warriors were threatening to dump Chennai Super Kings out of the competition.

Perhaps the people happiest with the results over the two days will be the organisers, with two of the IPL teams making it through to the semi-finals and one of them guaranteed a place in the final, ensuring a higher number of eye-balls than if non-Indian teams had qualified.

Chennai have the bragging rights after winning this year's IPL, but Royal Challengers Bangalore can have something to boast about if they upstage MS Dhoni's men on Friday. The two sides have already met in the semi-final of a tournament in South Africa - in the 2009 IPL, when Bangalore eased to a six-wicket victory.

Both have had stop-start league phases, but they will take heart from the fact that their best seasons in the IPL also came after campaigns that started off poorly. Both possess formidable batting line-ups, and their main difference lies in the nature of their bowling attack - Chennai's have plenty of spinners, while Bangalore rely heavily on quick bowlers.

The two sides also missed key South African allrounders in their final league matches - Jacques Kallis is out of the tournament with a neck injury, while Albie Morkel has been out for two matches due to an illness. Kallis' absence has upset Bangalore's balance, and Chennai will have even more of an advantage if Morkel recovers from his illness in time.

The overall head-to-head record - Bangalore winning four to Chennai's three - shows how competitive the rivalry between the two sides has been. Friday's semi-final promises to live up to that.

Team news

Chennai packed their bowling with spinners for their match against Warriors in Port Elizabeth, but that strategy might not work in Durban where the track has been less helpful for the slow bowlers. That means they might consider picking one of either L Balaji or Joginder Sharma in place of Shadab Jakati.

Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Michael Hussey, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 S Badrinath, 5 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 6 S Anirudha, 7 Albie Morkel / Justin Kemp, 8 Doug Bollinger, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 L Balaji/ Joginder Sharma.

Bangalore are unlikely to make too many changes to their line-up that beat Lions on Tuesday. One drawback is that their only recognised spinner is Anil Kumble. They do have Cameron White in the line-up, who once played as a specialist Test legspinner, but he has bowled only one over in Twenty20s in his previous 37 matches.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: (probable) 1 Manish Pandey, 2 Rahul Dravid, 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Cameron White, 6 Virat Kohli, 7 Dillon du Preez, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Anil Kumble (capt), 11 R Vinay Kumar

Watch out for ...

Ross Taylor was a part of three teams which qualified for the Champions League, but he hasn't yet shown the form that has made him such a coveted Twenty20 player. The semi-final presents a chance for the world's leading six-hitter in Twenty20s to make the impact expected of him.

Another big-name player who has had a quiet tournament so far is Dhoni. A late onslaught against Warriors showed glimpses of what he is capable of, but Chennai will be hoping for more from their captain on Friday.

Key contests

Murali v Bangalore middle-order The constricting spin of Murali, bowling from around the stumps and choking the batsman for room, has been effective all tournament. Bangalore, though, possess a bunch of lethal hitters in the middle-order who could prove hard to contain.

Kumars v Chennai openers M Vijay and Michael Hussey have provided Chennai with solid starts in both the matches they have opened together, giving the likes of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni the license to go for the big hits. Vinay Kumar and Praveen Kumar could face a stern test.

England Vs Pakistan, 5th ODI

England - 256/6 (50 overs)

Eoin Morgan - 107(101)

Andrew Strauss - 25(35)

Pakistan - 135 all out (37 overs)

Kamran Akmal - 41

Yousuf - 20

England won by 121 runs, clinch the series 3-2.

Strauss: I am happy with my batting, I have been aggressive in my batting and I am happy to win the series. It has been a crazy series and I am happy that it ended on a winning note. we played well as a team and this has been our toughest series. We can't wait for the Ashes and this summer has helped us prepare for the big series ahead.

Strauss is the Man of the Series

Morgan is the Man of the Match: I am really glad to finish the summer with a bang, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the teammates have been supportive. The seamers and Swann bowled well for us today.

Afridi: I want to congratulate the English team, we played well as a team as we were rocked by the fixing controversy. I am disappointed, but we have improved a lot, I was not happy with our batting, but our bowlers did a fantastic job and Swann bowled really well today. We clicked as a team and I am happy about it, we have plenty of youngsters in our team and next time we will do better.

A win for England and it is as comprehensive as it can get. Chasing 257 to win the match and the series, Pakistan folded up for 135. Hafeez and Kamran Akmal started the chase in an aggressive manner, but once their stand was broken England took the upper hand. Swann like always struck in his first over and Broad also supported him well with 3 wickets. They were 63 for no loss, but crumbled like nine pins and surrendered meekly to England. With this win, England clinch the 5-match ODI series 3-2. Stay tuned for the presentation...