Tendulkar not thinking 100th hundred

Sachin Tendulkar is one century away from reaching 100 international tons and has an opportunity to achieve that on a historic occasion at Lord's, where India and England will play the 2000th Test later this month. Tendulkar, who has 51 centuries in Tests and 48 in ODIs, however, said the landmark wasn't preoccupying his build-up to the game.

"I am not thinking of records," Tendulkar told theDaily Telegraph. "I am just thinking of enjoying this tour. The secret to any performance is not in chasing records. I think about, 'What is the best way to enjoy the game, and how can I enhance that enjoyment factor?'

"If I enhance the enjoyment then, naturally, the standard of play becomes higher. To me, that is more important. If I am playing well, things can happen. I don't need to go around chasing them. It is a process. You construct a solid foundation and build on it."

Tendulkar opted out of India's tour of the West Indies, where they won the ODI series 3-2 and the Tests 1-0. It was India's first international assignment after their World Cup win, of which Tendulkar was an integral part. "I was extremely delighted. It was something I had always dreamt about," Tendulkar said of India's triumph in his sixth World Cup. "You start playing cricket, and one day you walk away as part of a world champion team.

"I took up playing serious cricket because in 1983, we won the World Cup, and that was a big turning point in terms of considering cricket a full-time profession. That moment was a decisive one. I felt, 'I want to play for India one day'. It was a huge boost. From then I started working hard."

When asked of his plans for the future, Tendulkar said it was important he left behind a good legacy whenever he chose to leave the game. "For me, it's not about breaking records or creating new ones. It's about adding value to my team. Records will be set by me, they might be broken by someone else.

"They're not going to stay permanently. But the impression that I leave on people will last forever, I feel. The impression that I leave behind - to me that is important. If I can motivate the next young cricketers, that will be a big contribution."

In the end both teams said they are happy. From the outside it appeared West Indies should be a happier unit than India who never quite stamped their authority. They won the series but was that ever in doubt against this West Indies batting line-up? This series was about testing out the youth for India but barring Suresh Raina and Ishant Sharma, not many stood up.

And their decision to pull out of the chase on the final evening without really having a go at it was puzzling. And revealing. West Indies lost the ODI and the Test series but they slowly reached a point where they were fighting as a unit. The victory lap with thousands cheering them on at Dominica signalled that. The crowd recognised that the team had fought.

Sometimes the way the opposition views you at the end can give a fair idea about how the battle went. Here is Duncan Fletcher on West Indies: "I think they have improved all the time. I think Ottis Gibson is doing a great job. I have come here before with England and watched them in England and watching the way they just have put it together, they are definitely moving up. I wouldn't like to be another touring side and come out here and face them if this improvement continues. The bowlers did very well. The batters slowly got better and better as the series went. I was also impressed with how they put it together off the field. How they did the warm-ups. They acted as a team and they looked like a professional unit which is good to see."

Here is what Sammy said about India: "With 15 overs to go and 86 runs required, and considering the calibre of players they have like Dhoni and guys who could hit the ball, I thought they would give it a go being one up … I was surprised they shut the shop." India left you with that kind of strange taste in the mouth.

West Indies would have gained a lot from this tour. The bowlers impressed and the middle order is slowly beginning to take a solid shape. Marlon Samuels played an innings of substance in the second Test, Shivnarine Chanderpaul showed he has plenty to offer as a batsman, Darren Bravo showed glimpses of his talent, and Kirk Edwards came to the fore. The main worry will be the openers. Adrian Barath showed he has problems against the seaming delivery and he still hasn't found a stable partner. Sammy led the team with passion, bowled his heart out but as long as he doesn't contribute with the bat, the questions will continue. Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler, reckons he has done enough to continue in this team as a captain for another year till West Indies unearth another leader.

India's strengths are obvious. Ishant Sharma impressed and the bowlers were pretty good though by the end they were down and out physically. The batting was mixed. Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina did what the other was supposed to do. Many felt Raina would show weakness against the short ball and that Kohli would grab his opportunity. The reverse happened. M Vijay failed, S Badrinath never got a chance in the Tests after his poor performance in the ODIs, Abhinav Mukund showed grit and seized the opportunity.

The series started and ended with two vital dropped catches. If Sammy had caught Rahul Dravid in the first Test who knows what might have happened there? If Dravid had caught Chanderpaul in the final Test what could have been the result? Those turning points indicate how well-fought the games were. India usually always dominated because West Indies' batting was weaker but it wasn't a cakewalk by any means.

India were lifted out of the hole in the first Test by Raina and Harbhajan Singh; Dravid played the rescue act in the second innings; VVS Laxman was the saviour in the second Test. It was never easy. It was that kind of series. The pitches were tilted towards the bowlers and the groundsmen should be thanked for providing us with an enjoyable series.

India won but with this West Indies batting line-up, they would see the 1-0 margin as an opportunity lost.

India favourites in Dominica's Test debut

Big Picture

India are 1-0 up with one to play, and with better weather might have sealed the series in Barbados, but the scoreline obscures some worrying realities. In four innings they have not once reached 300, that despite inordinate contributions from the old firm of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid. India's IPL generation, with the notable exception of Suresh Raina, has stumbled in what is arguably the easiest overseas assignment a Test side can currently hope for. It is a cause for some concern, considering the inevitable change of guard the middle-order will go through in the next couple of years.

The story is inverted in the bowling department: the youngsters have pulled their weight, while the spearhead hasn't. Praveen Kumar has impressively transferred his seam mastery to the red ball; Ishant Sharma has banished the pain of two seasons of under-achievement, with a series of sparkling spells from which there should be no turning back. Harbhajan Singh, however, has slipped into a comfort zone - both for himself and the batsmen facing him. There is a chance he will not reach the 400-wicket milestone in the Caribbean, despite having needed only seven wickets to get there at the start of the series.

After the crushing disappointment in Jamaica, West Indies have plenty of positives to take out of Barbados. Fidel Edwards, on a comeback trail, is a work in progress, but there was enough evidence to suggest he is close to the finished product. Ravi Rampaul and Devendra Bishoo have stuck to the task, rarely allowing India's line-up to dictate terms. The problem for the hosts, though, lies in the batting and there were signs of improvement in Barbados. Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo - two players who exemplify the flamboyance of Caribbean batsmanship - showed they have the ability to grind out innings. It is a crucial step forward, given Ramnaresh Sarwan's alarming decline, Chris Gayle's continued absence and the drop in Shivnarine Chanderpaul's once-immense powers. Can Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath follow the example set by Bravo and Samuels? If the openers continue to wobble against the new ball, expect India to make it 2-0 without much strife.

Sangakkara slams 'corrupt' administration

Kumar Sangakkara has made an extraordinary, scathing attack on the "partisan cronies" at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) who have blighted the sport in his country and who led him to resign the captaincy after only two years in charge, following the World Cup final in April. Sangakkara was delivering the MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture at Lord's on Monday.

In an hour-long speech that earned him a standing ovation, Sangakkara charted the unique history of cricket in his country, and called on SLC to root out its corrupt practices and recognise the huge role the sport now needs to play in promoting reconciliation at the end of a 30-year civil war.

Sangakkara pinpointed the country's most powerful moment of national unity - the World Cup final victory over Australia in 1996 - as the moment the sport's administration changed "from a volunteer-led organisation run by well-meaning men of integrity into a multimillion-dollar organisation that has been in turmoil ever since".

His speech could fetch him serious repercussions but the board's only response so far has been to state that it is unable to comment given that the team is currently on tour in England.

Sri Lanka's ongoing tour of England has been dogged by controversy ever since Sanath Jayasuriya, now an MP with the ruling UPFA party, was recalled at the age of 41 to play in the one-off Twenty20 and the first ODI at The Oval, despite having been out of the side for nearly two years. Without mentioning names, Sangakkara voiced his concern at the direction the sport in his country is now heading.

"Players from within the team itself became involved in power games within the board," he said. "Officials elected to power in this way in turn manipulated player loyalty to achieve their own ends. At times board politics would spill over into the team causing rift, ill feeling and distrust.

"Accountability and transparency in administration and credibility of conduct were lost in a mad power struggle that would leave Sri Lankan cricket with no consistent and clear administration. Presidents and elected executive committees would come and go; government-picked interim committees would be appointed and dissolved."

Last week, Sri Lanka's sports ministry dissolved SLC's interim committee, following allegations of financial mismanagement that left the co-hosts of the recent World Cup with a US$ 69 million bill. That announcement followed the ICC meeting in Hong Kong, at which a directive was issued, stating that cricket boards had to be free of political interference by June 2013, or face the prospect of sanctions.

"After 1996 the cricket board has been controlled and administered by a handful of well-meaning individuals either personally or by proxy, rotated in and out, depending on appointment or election," Sangakkara said. "Unfortunately to consolidate and perpetuate their power, they opened the door of the administration to partisan cronies that would lead to corruption and wanton waste of cricket board finances and resources.

"It was and still is confusing. Accusations of vote buying and rigging, player interference due to lobbying from each side and even violence at the AGMs, including the brandishing of weapons and ugly fist fights, have characterised cricket board elections for as long as I can remember.

"We have to aspire to better administration. The administration needs to adopt the same values enshrined by the team over the years: integrity, transparency, commitment and discipline.

"Unless the administration is capable of becoming more professional, forward-thinking and transparent then we risk alienating the common man. Indeed, this is already happening. Loyal fans are becoming increasingly disillusioned. This is very dangerous because it is not the administrators or players that sustain the game - it is the cricket-loving public. It is their passion that powers cricket and if they turn their backs on cricket then the whole system will come crashing down."

Crucially for the future of Sri Lanka, that public consists of supporters from both sides of the bloody civil war that was finally concluded last year. However, as has been seen by the numerous Tamil protestors who have made their presence known during the current Test and ODI series, there is a danger that the current state of the sport will breed disenchantment rather than foster unity.

"Cricket played a crucial role during the dark days of Sri Lanka's civil war, a period of enormous suffering for all communities," Sangakkara said. "But the conduct and performance of the team will have even greater importance as we enter a crucial period of reconciliation and recovery, an exciting period where all Sri Lankans aspire to peace and unity.

"It is also an exciting period for cricket where the reintegration of isolated communities in the north and east opens up new talent pools. The Spirit of Cricket can and should remain a guiding force for good within society, providing entertain and fun, but also a shining example to all of how we all should approach our lives."

Government to intervene in Gayle-WICB standoff

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government have decided to intervene in the West Indies Players Association's (WIPA) ongoing dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over the future of former captain Chris Gayle. The move comes on the heels of Gayle's public and emotionalstatement against the board over his continued exclusion from the team, including a request for government intervention.

CARICOM chairman Dr. Denzil Douglas said the heads of government had agreed to resurrect the prime-ministerial sub-committee on cricket to try to work out a solution. "Today we had to take certain decisions with regards to the impasse that seems to be ongoing between the regional players association and the WICB," Douglas told the CMC Sports Wire. "We believe that West Indies cricket has not been one of the vehicles of which the Caribbean man today can be proud of moving himself upwards."

CARICOM's announcement came after Guyana president Bharat Jagdeo's scathing criticism of the board in reaction to Gayle's statement. "It comes back to who owns West Indian cricket," Jagdeo said. "The board thinks it owns West Indian cricket, my belief is that it belongs to all of us, the people of this region.

"[In] many countries, when you have failures consistently, the board goes because sometimes it is the problem. Here it does not seem as if this is going to happen.

"Gayle is being treated unfairly by the WICB. You can't not tell him anything; he needs to earn too, and then you have a tour coming and when he goes off, he gets another contract then you're concerned that he has left the region."

Jagdeo also claimed the board was following its own agenda against some of the players, and was highly critical of coach Gibson's interference with senior cricketers.

"This can't be right. Something is wrong," Jagdeo said. "It is all about pettiness and the culture of going with people who are compliant and I think we need to change a lot of these people. We need to have term limits there too. We need to have serious term limits on these boards."

The Gayle-WICB standoff was sparked off when coach Ottis Gibson criticised the senior batsmen following the team's quarter-final exit at the World Cup. Gayle was subsequently ignored for the Pakistan series, along with fellow seniors Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Gayle travelled to India to participate in the Indian Premier League - where he was the player of the tournament - leaving the WICB disappointed since they were under the impression he was undergoing rehabilitation.

Gayle reacted by slamming the board in a radio interview with KLAS Sports, saying he had been left with no option but to sign an IPL contract since the WICB had disrespected and mistreated him by not checking with him over his fitness before announcing the squad. He was consequently left out of the squad for the India games as well, and a heated meeting with the board - also attended by WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine - did little to improve matters, prompting Gayle's impassioned release that stated he was going to seek options outside the West Indies to further his cricketing career.

Some of the toughest pitches I've faced' - Dravid

Rahul Dravid has described India's Test series against West Indies as a tough learning experience for the younger batsmen and he hopes it will hold them in good stead for the future. India have not posted 300-plus in any of the four innings so far, but they lead the three-Test series 1-0 heading in to the final match.

"It's been tough for the batsmen," Dravid said. "It's not been easy for young batsmen to come in and face the new ball on these tracks. I have played four tours here and this has been some of the toughest tracks I have faced. Guys will learn a lot from this experience. It will hold them in good stead. As I was telling some of them they probably might not play on these kinds of tracks."

The likes of Virat Kohli and M Vijay haven't really come to the terms with the pitches and neither man has made 50 runs for the whole series. Vijay battled hard for nearly two hours in the first innings of the Test and Kohli fought hard in the second innings but neither converted their starts. Abhinav Mukund made 48 in the second innings but couldn't carry on. Dravid felt that the within the context of the series, India's batting had held up well.

"It's been a tough, hard series from the batsmen's perspective," he said. "The tracks have been slightly tilted towards bowlers, which is good. The West Indies'

Sangakkara slams corrupt administration By ESPN New's Feed

In an extraordinary address at the MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture at Lord's, Kumar Sangakkara has launched a scathing attack on the "partisan cronies" at Sri Lanka Cricket who blight the sport in his country, and who led him to resign the captaincy after only two years in charge, in the wake of the World Cup final in April.

In an hour-long speech that earned him a standing ovation, Sangakkara charted the unique history of cricket in his country, and called on Sri Lanka Cricket to root out its corrupt practices, and recognise the huge role that the sport now needs to play in promoting reconciliation at the end of a 30-year civil war.

Sangakkara pinpointed the country's most powerful moment of national unity - the World Cup final victory over Australia in 1996 - as the moment that the sport's administration changed "from a volunteer-led organisation run by well-meaning men of integrity into a multimillion-dollar organisation that has been in turmoil ever since."

The current tour of England has been dogged by controversy ever since Sanath Jayasuriya, now an MP with the ruling UPFA party, was recalled at the age of 41 to play in the one-off Twenty20 and the first ODI at The Oval, despite having been out of the side for nearly two years. Without naming names, Sangakkara voiced his concern at the direction the sport in his country is now heading.

"Players from within the team itself became involved in power games within the

Sarwan dropped for final Test

Ramnaresh Sarwan, the West Indies batsman, has been dropped for the third and final Test against India in Dominica. Kieran Powell, a 21-year-old batsman from Leeward Islands, has been named as his replacement.

Sarwan, 31, has struggled since his return to the Test squad after nearly one-and-a-half years for the series against Pakistan in May. He managed only 54 runs in four innings against Pakistan, and his form nosedived further in the series against India, in which he scored only 29 runs over the first two Tests. Sarwan seemed to have been informed of his axing soon after the second Test in Barbados ended in a draw. An hour after bad light ensured a draw, Sarwan tweeted: "Wishing the guys all the best in Dominica! Miami here I come."

Clyde Butts, chairman of the selection committee, expected Sarwan to make a strong comeback. "Ramnaresh is having a difficult time and it is best for him to make way and allow a player in better form to contribute to the team totals," he said. "We have no doubt about Ramnaresh's class as a batsman, he has proven himself countless times in the past and we are certain that he will return stronger in the near future."

Sarwan's replacement, Powell, played two one-dayers for West Indies in 2009, when the entire first-choice team pulled out of a home series against Bangladesh and the Champions Trophy in South Africa due to a contract dispute. He was among the first batch of players to train at the Sagicor High Performance Centre after it was established in 2010. He has played 23 first-class matches since his debut in 2008 and averages 38.91.

Chandimal century seals crushing victory By ESPN New's Feed

Sri Lanka 249 for 4 (Chandimal 105*, Jayawardene 79) beat England 246 for 7 (Cook 119, Pietersen 41) by six wickets

As South Africa's former coach, Mickey Arthur, once put it: "Mother cricket has a funny habit of biting you in the bum if you mess with it". Sri Lanka's 21-year-old matchwinner, Dinesh Chandimal, was clearly oblivious to those words of wisdom, as he and his fifth-wicket partner, Angelo Mathews, gave England a brief glimmer of an unexpected reprieve, before completing a crushing victory in the third ODI at Lord's.

In the end, victory was sealed with six wickets and ten balls to spare, but Chandimal's quest for a maiden Lord's century - which he sealed with a cathartic six over long-on in the 48th over, after Mathews had played out a maiden at the other end - left more than a few anxious faces up on the dressing-room balcony.

Mathews and Chandimal seemed oblivious to all the gesticulations from on high, and perhaps they had a point - despite the artificial drama, this was one-day cricket at its most one-sided. After choosing to bat first, England's 246 for 7 always seemed at least 40 runs below par, despite a determined 119 from 143 balls from England's captain, Alastair Cook, a player whose one-day credentials remain under severe scrutiny - not least from his No. 1 critic, Mike Atherton, whose post-match interview for Sky was noticeably terse after his recent denunciation of Cook as a "plodder".

Being a realist, Cook will himself know he still has plenty to prove. His guts and determination were not in question in this performance, but aside from another broken promise of an innings from Kevin Pietersen, no-one in the

England eye quick recovery By ESPN New's Feed

It has taken just two matches for Alastair Cook to experience the full spectrum of emotions England one-day captains are routinely subjected to. A near-perfect performance at The Oval was followed by a shoddy one at Headingley, where Sri Lanka outgunned the home side in every department. It seems difficult to remember - especially after their World Cup showing - that England were actually making significant progress as an ODI side last year. After their Champions Trophy eureka-moment in autumn 2009, when they decided to shelve the caution that left them out of step with the modern game, they won five series in a row.

Though Cook is looking for a similar consistency, the brazen approach that underpinned England's success then won't always deliver. At The Oval, once rain

West Indies hang on for a grim draw By ESPN New's Feed

India 201 (Laxman 85, Raina 53, Rampaul 3-38, Bishoo 3-46, Edwards 3-56) and 269 for 6 decl. (Laxman 87, Dravid 55, Edwards 5-76) drew with West Indies 190 (Samuels 78*, Ishant 6-55) and 202 for 7 (Bravo 73, Baugh 46*, Ishant 4-53)

Close to 128 overs of play lost to the elements, Barbados still managed to produce a dramatic draw. On the final day, India made a bold declaration to bring the Test to life, and Darren Bravo sucked the life right out of it with an innings of application and resolve. India set West Indies 281 to get in 83 overs, Ishant Sharma helped them take early wickets, but Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Carlton Baugh thwarted India for 322 deliveries between them.

There were two twists in the final session. An ordinary lbw call against Chanderpaul, followed by Marlon Samuels' wicket, would surely have sparked controversy had West Indies lost the match. With a maximum of 36 overs remaining, Bravo and Baugh put up further resistance. Baugh attacked too. At one point the target came down to 102 off 19.3 overs, and he kept India honest with the odd blow after that.

Harper withdraws from Dominica Test By ESPN New's Feed

Umpire Daryl Harper has withdrawn from the third Test between the West Indies and India in Dominica that begins from July 6. Harper will be replaced in what was to be his final outing as a member of the elite panel by Richard Kettleborough .

He decided to step down "in the wake of some unfair criticism," according to ICC general manager Dave Richardson. Harper had been removed from the elite panel in May along with Asoka de Silva. His decisions in the recent Kingston Test had also attracted some criticism with MS Dhoni saying that "if the correct decisions were made, the game would have finished much earlier and I would have been in the hotel by now."

Richardson, though, defended Harper's decision-making record. "The reality of the situation is that Daryl's statistics show his correct decision percentage in Tests involving India is 96 per cent, which is considerably higher than the international average for top-level umpires.

"We have every faith in Daryl to finish the series and while we regret his decision we do respect it. The real shame is it deprives him of the opportunity to sign off as a Test match umpire in a manner befitting someone who has served the game so well since making his international debut back in 1994."

Harper stood in 95 Tests, 174 ODIs and 10 T20Is, making his international ODI debut in 1994 at Perth and his Test debut in November 1998.

Solid India rule out defeat, set for victory push By ESPN New's Feed

India 201 and 229 for 3 (Laxman 72*, Dravid 55) lead West Indies 190 by 240 runs

India batted West Indies out of the game through a cautious second-innings effort on the fourth day. Only 90 minutes were lost to rain, a vast improvement on the previous two days, but scoring remained difficult on a difficult track with ample bounce and seam movement. West Indies were thwarted by two rookies - Abhinav Mukund and Virat Kohli - and two veterans - Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. At some time during the Dravid-Laxman association, the hosts resigned themselves to waiting for a declaration.

The declaration wasn't quite on India's mind on the fourth day; they needed to make sure they got into a position of safety first. Looking at just the scorecard, it might be easy to criticise India's pace - 206 runs added in 83.2 overs - but on the lively pitch that must have also retained moisture, under overcast skies, with low bounce creeping in, and on a heavy outfield, they couldn't quite afford to be casual.

That batting wouldn't be easy was clear from the first 10 minutes or so, when Ravi Rampaul removed M Vijay with a late outswinger. Another low score wasn't a great result for Vijay a day before selection for the England tour.

Ishant takes two on half-day By ESPN New's Feed

West Indies 98 for 5 (Ishant 3-31) trail India 201 by 103 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Regular showers and fading light allowed only 25.3 overs on the second day in Bridgetown, but there was enough time for Ishant Sharma to extend his domination of Ramnaresh Sarwan, and for Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to show discipline and prevent an impressive Praveen Kumar from inflicting even more telling blows. Ishant also removed the nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo before taking Sarwan out for a third time in 24 deliveries in this series.

Early-morning showers meant there was moisture in the pitch; the ball was only 12-overs old, and the bowlers fresh. It was always going to be a tough first session - shortened by 45 minutes - and it showed in how Ishant had both Sarwan and Bishoo edging through, and just over, a catching cordon that could have been more alert.

nderson stars 110 V/S Sri lanka

England 229 for 8 (Kieswetter 61, Morgan 45) beat Sri Lanka 121 (Anderson 4-18, Swann 3-18) by 110 runs 

Alastair Cook's personal contribution may have been modest in the extreme, but he will not care a jot about that, after England's new era of ODI cricket was launched with a crushing 110-run victory over Sri Lanka at The Oval. James Anderson was the hero with a spell of three wickets in his first 17 balls, and 4 for 18 all told, as the same opponents who brought England's World Cup campaign to a humiliating conclusion in Colombo three months ago were themselves rolled aside for 121 in a rain-affected encounter.

Honours even after 13 wickets on first day By ESPN New's Feed

West Indies 30 for 3 (Ishant 1-8, Praveen 1-15, Mithun 1-7) trail India 201 (Laxman 85, Raina 53, Rampaul 3-38, Bishoo 3-46, Edwards 3-56) by 171 runs

The first day of the first Test nearly replayed itself on the first day of the second Test, albeit on a much truer and bouncier pitch. Ravi Rampaul ran through the top order again, with figures of 8-5-4-3 at lunch. Suresh Raina was again involved in a middle-session comeback, only this time the dominating partner in that partnership was the soothing VVS Laxman. It would have been too much to keep him from runs on difficult tracks for the third time in a row. Once again West Indies roared back in the final session through Devendra Bishoo's big wickets and Fidel Edward's sharp pace. To add more to an eventful day, Indian bowlers got rid of the openers for next to nothing in the last hour.

There was a lot of pace, a lot of bounce, bouncers, yorkers, some turn, there were lovely wristy flicks and whips, there were cover-drives. It went 38 for 4 to 155 for 4 to 201 all out, and then 30 for 3. You'll have trouble fitting in more twists and action in one day of cricket.

This was without doubt the closest pitch to what West Indies would have desired. True and high bounce, some moisture, and they won the toss and asked India to face the music. Rampaul's tune wasn't quite music for India, though. For the fourth time out of seven this season, he began an innings with a wicket in his first over. Abhinav Mukund was the unlucky one this one, falling to one that jumped off a length and took the shoulder of his bat. It could be argued that he could have left it alone on line.

A victory for both ICC and BCCI - BY ESPN news Feed

The decision to make a modified DRS mandatory across Tests and ODIs is being considered a victory by both sides. The BCCI was quick to emphasise that they had not changed their stance on the DRS and the ICC was confident it had won over the last and strongest opponent of the review system in its previous form.

At the end of a day that contained several meetings at the annual conference in Hong Kong, ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat had only one comment to make. "This is only the end of day two of what is a Test match," he told ESPNcricinfo as he left a cocktail party held for all the delegates.

The DRS decision had not been brought to a vote during the morning session of the chief executives' committee meeting. Later in the afternoon, the word "unanimous" was quickly and repeatedly used to explain how smoothly all the differences had been resolved.

The discussions over the DRS and the FTP were expected to begin on the first day of the ICC's conference, along with the cricket committee's other recommendations concerning playing conditions. ESPNcricinfo learned that they were deferred to the second day because there were said to be fairly frosty exchanges during the meeting. Members were given the impression by the BCCI's statements that there was a possibility that the FTP's final design could be linked to their opinions on how the DRS recommendation was handled at the meeting. Some officials strongly implied this was the case, though others like Gerald Majola, the Cricket South Africa chief executive, dismissed it outright.

The FTP agreement, which has been sent up to the ICC's executive board for approval, is vital for all Members as television rights are sold based on the itineraries drawn up in advance. The presence of India in the schedule brings the largest chunk of member boards' earnings. It is important to note that seven of the ten Full Member nations (excluding Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India) will draft new television deals in the next 12 months. Any freeze in relations with India reflecting in the FTP would have a direct bearing on the value of those broadcasting agreements.

When the meetings resumed on Monday the common opinion was that, while everyone agreed on the necessity of the DRS, it would be advisable to opt only for the technologies that everyone agreed with. This led to the ball-tracking technology being removed and the infra-red camera being included in the list of mandatory requirements for the DRS.

The BCCI's acceptance of the DRS is particularly ironic. The suggestion of a review system for umpiring decisions was first brought to the ICC's attention, an official said, "about six to eight years ago," by Duncan Fletcher - then coaching England but now working with the Indian team. In his first press conference as India coach, Fletcher's comment on the DRS was cut short by the BCCI secretary N Srinivasan with the statement, "Mr. Fletcher doesn't know BCCI's stance on DRS". It has now changed. Or perhaps it has been allowed to stay the same.

Australia appoint Rixon as fielding coach By ESPN News Feed

Australia's off-season coaching appointments have been completed with Steve Rixon, the former wicketkeeper, named as the new fielding coach. Rixon joins the new bowling coach Craig McDermott and the assistant Justin Langer as the panel that will help the head coach Tim Nielsen as Australia aim to climb their way back up the Test rankings.

Rixon, 57, has replaced Mike Young, the former baseballer who spent the best part of a decade working with the Australia team. A gloveman who played 13 Tests and six one-day internationals for Australia, Rixon has also had a lengthy coaching career, in charge of New South Wales and New Zealand during the 1990s before a second stint with New South Wales; in total he steered the Blues to four Sheffield Shield titles.

It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Rixon, though, and a two-year appointment with Surrey ended unsuccessfully. He also joined the now-defunct Indian Cricket League, before finding a job as an assistant to Stephen Fleming with the two-time champions the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, and he helped them win the Champions League in 2010.

Badrinath's last chance at redemption

It's easy to like Yusuf Pathan. It's easy to grow to like Badrinath. Yusuf can thrill you with his big hits; he appeals with his primal spirit and gives you instant gratification. Badrinath, with his years of hard toil in domestic cricket, can make you sympathetic to his cause. However, both are guilty of throwing away the great opportunity presented to them in the ongoing ODI series in the West Indies. Especially Badrinath, who is yet to prove that he belongs on the international stage.

Rohit Sharma outdoes Andre Russell's heroics

India 228 for 7 (Rohit 86*, Harbhajan 41) beat West Indies 225 for 8 (Russell 92*, Simmons 45, Mishra 3-28, Munaf 3-60) by three wickets

Rohit Sharma produced his best international innings since his big-stage arrival in Australia three years ago to help India chase down 226 from 92 for 6. Harbhajan Singh supported him with a seventh-wicket partnership full of sensible cricket and worth 88 runs. Rohit stayed unbeaten on 86 to outdo a similar effort from Andre Russell who blasted 92 off 64 to give West Indies a defendable target after they had been 96 for 7. With the result, India took an unassailable 3-0 lead. West Indies last won an ODI series against a Test-playing nation in April 2008.


Without doubt this was the best of India's tour so far. A day when West Indies showed remarkable fight after getting off to the worst start of the series. A day when Amit Mishra mesmerised them with old-fashioned legspin full of turn, drift, bounce, straighter ones and googlies. A day when two tails wagged to provide uncertainty and drama. A day when a young talent announced himself well and proper on the international stage. A day when a young talent who has fumbled with mediocrity played a comeback innings well and proper.

Pakistan mull Zimbabwe as host for SL series

Pakistan are considering Zimbabwe as a potential 'host' for the home series against Sri Lanka later this year.

The two sides are due to play a full Test and limited-overs series in October, scheduled in the FTP officially as a 'home' series for Pakistan. The PCB intensified efforts to find a venue for the series over the last few months and Sri Lanka itself is an option that has been considered, one Sri Lanka is probably happiest with. In 2009-10, Pakistan played a 'home' series against New Zealand in New Zealand, though financially the trip wasn't a success.

Sri Lanka show fight to secure draw

England 486 (Prior 126, Cook 96, Morgan 79) and 335 for 7 dec (Cook 106, Pietersen 72, Trott 58, Bell 57*) drew with Sri Lanka 479 (Dilshan 193, Finn 4-108) and 127 for 3 (Paranavitana 44)

This time there was no post-tea demolition job as Sri Lanka kept themselves alive in the series by surviving the final afternoon at Lord's fairly comfortably by reaching 127 for 3. Andrew Strauss's declaration left a notional target of 343 in 58 overs after Alastair Cook hit his 18th Test hundred, but England could have been more aggressive and they never really looked like hustling through Sri Lanka again.

Room for improvement for both teams

The first ODI epitomised everything that is going wrong with West Indies cricket. It began with the openers: in Chris Gayle's absence, the uncalled-for timidity from Lendl Simmons and Kirk Edwards ended up giving credence to Sunil Gavaskar's comparison of Munaf Patel to Glenn McGrath. Once the spinners came on, the middle order shut shop. Nothing captured West Indies' woes more succinctly than the number 169 - their dot-ball count on Monday.

India Brizzling Win

Rohit helps India prevail in battle of attrition

Rohit and Raina (80 runs patnership)

India 217 for 6 (Rohit 68*, Dhawan 51) beat West Indies 214 for 9 (Sarwan 56, Samuels 55, Harbhajan 3-32) by four wickets

In a contest of ordinary batting line-ups, India had the extra bit of quality to successfully chase an under-par West Indies total. West Indies seemed to lack enterprise and skill to handle India's bowling, but their bowlers and fielders were spirited in the defence, dragging India down. The top order faltered after a quick start, but Rohit Sharma and captain Suresh Raina steadied India from 104 for 4.

England build solid advantage after bowlers improve

England 486 and 149 for 2 (Cook 61*, Pietersen 15*) lead Sri Lanka 479 (Dilshan 193, Paranavitana 65, Finn 4-108) by 156 runs/

Once again the fourth day of a Test ended with the likeliest result being a draw, but after events in Cardiff last week that can't be taken for granted as England closed with a lead of 156 at Lord's. They gained a narrow first-innings advantage by bowling Sri Lanka out for 479, in a steadily improving display, then recovered from the early loss of Andrew Strauss for a duck with Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott added 117 for the second wicket.

After half of the third day was lost to the weather more overs disappeared on a damp morning, but the Test progressed at a decent pace with the bowlers finally having a say for the first time since the opening exchanges. Sri Lanka lost their last seven wickets for 85 and their game plan had to change from putting pressure on England with a big lead to trying to give themselves a chance of a final-day run chase. However, while Strauss watched his bowlers rip out the visitors in 24 overs in Cardiff he won't be putting too much on the line here by dangling the carrot.

Pakistan eyes legal action over ICC rule change

The PCB and ICC could be on a collision course again in a high-stakes case that potentially involves Pakistan's suspension from cricket's governing body. The Pakistan board has sent a legal notice to the ICC raising questions - and threatening legal action - about a proposed amendment to the ICC's constitution, which would allow the governing body to suspend a member in case of government interference in the running of a national cricket board.


Ironically the amendment - which also requires that a member board's executive body include elected officials - is said by some accounts to have been proposed at an ICC executive board meeting in February by the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt himself. What is clear is that he didn't object to the matter at the time.


The PCB is one of the boards directly affected by the amendment. Its constitution states that the President of the country - invariably but not always a political figure - is the Patron of the board and the sole authority in hiring or firing the chairman. Nor are elections of any kind held. A number of members of the governing board - the executive body - are appointed by the chairman and all must be approved by the President. This, the PCB argues in its legal notice, could result in its suspension, even permanent expulsion, for the changes are tantamount to asking the board to throw the Patron out of the constitution.

Dilshan shines but rain dampens day

Sri Lanka 372 for 3 (Dilshan 193, Paranavitana 65) trail England 486 by 114 runs

Tillakaratne Dilshan fell seven runs short of Sri Lanka's first double century at Lord's before rain wiped out the second half of the third day to leave the visitors 372 for 3, 114 behind England's total. Kumar Sangakkara was the other wicket to fall but Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene added 82 for the third wicket against an England attack that remained inconsistent.

Dilshan started the morning on 127 and took a few overs to play himself in before collecting his first boundary of the day through gully, although England allowed him some easy release shots by having fielders on the rope. The imminent arrival of the new ball brought extra aggression from Dilshan as he took consecutive boundaries off Graeme Swann, reaching his 150 off 192 balls, then passed his previous best of 168, made against Bangladesh, with a pull off Stuart Broad.