Mahela Jayawardene scored a superb unbeaten 167 and Michael Vandort made 138 as Sri Lanka reached 379 for four at close of play on the third day of the second test on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka, who resumed the day on 105 for two, overhauled England's first innings total of 351 all out for a 28-run lead.
Jayawardene's innings, his 20th test hundred, spanned 367 deliveries and included 13 boundaries and one straight six.
The innings carried the 30-year-old past 7,000 runs to make him the highest run scorer in Sri Lanka's test history.
The record was previously held by the now retired Sanath Jayasuriya, who finished with a career tally of 6,973 runs.
"I am very honoured to go past Sanath who was such a great ambassador for us," Jayawardene told reporters.
"But milestones are not as important as us winning this game and my focus is on that right now.
"We hope to bat for another two sessions tomorrow and build up

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Pakistan to go for a win: Lawson

India may have managed to take an upper hand in the third and final Test but Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson made it clear that his wards would be game for a chase on the final day on Wednesday.
India have already taken an overall lead of 220 runs with eight wickets in hand but an unfazed Lawson said Pakistan, trailing 0-1 in the series, would go for a win even if they are set a 300-plus target.
"We need eight wickets tomorrow and our job will be to get those eight wickets as quickly as possible. If India set a target, then we will go after it," Lawson told reporters.
"If they set us a target like 320 off 68 overs or so then we will go after it," said the former Australian speedster.

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Indian batsmen vs Aussie bowlers to decide series: Jayawardene

The match-up between Australia's bowling attack and India's star-studded batting line-up will decide the fate of the upcoming Test series Down Under, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene has said.

After the retirement of legends Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, the Aussie bowling has a new look to it. But the attack led by Brett Lee passed its first test as the hosts registered a 2-0 win over the Lankans in the series which ended in Hobart yesterday.

Jayawardene predicted the Indian batsmen, too, will not find it easy.

"The Indians have always competed well against the Australians. Their strength would be their batting, and that is an area they will definitely bank on," the right-hander said.

"This Australian attack will be a tough challenge for the top seven Indian batsmen. That's where I think the series will be won or lost," he added.

Anil Kumble's side start their three-Test series against arch rivals Pakistan in Delhi on Thursday after which they will make the trip to take on Ricky Ponting's men in their own backyard.

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Yuvraj should have been in the Test team: Kapil Dev

Surprised by the selectors' decision to leave Yuvraj Singh out of the team for the first two Tests against Pakistan, former India captain Kapil Dev on Wednesday said it was unfair to omit the "world's best" left-hander from the side.

"It is surprising to see Yuvraj is not there for the first Test match. The way he is playing his cricket presently makes one thing clear in everyone's mind that he is the best left-handed batsman in the world presently," Kapil said.

"In his absence, others who have been given a chance will have to play with extra responsibility as his absence means all who are present in the squad are better than him," he added.

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Ashutosh brings first National title in family

By winning the national title, Ashutosh Singh carried forward the family tradition of excellence on the tennis court but his latest feat is something which nobody in the clan had achieved before.

"It means a lot emotionally. It brought happiness for my coaches, trainers but i think, it came as a relief to my family as it was one title that no one in my family had won.

"My father was in the Davis Cup squad, my uncles won international tournaments, my sister was Junior National Champion and also in the Fed Cup team but no one had won a senior national title, so this title brought relief," Ashutosh Singh told reporters.

Son of Balram Singh, who was coach of the Indian team in the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing where Leander Paes won a bronze medal, Ashutosh said he could see relief in his father's eyes when he won the title at the DLTA complex.

"He did not say much when he heard that i have won, but I could see his eyes, there was a relief. He was waiting for this for a long time.

When asked why it took so long to bag the title, the 25-year-old Ashutosh said, "Yes, I took my own time to settle in the sport. Despite the fact that my father was a coach I could not train under him."

The newly crowned champion said financial constraints were also a big factor in his slow improvement. "I did not play many tournaments as we hardly had money to spend on both education and tennis. So I have always waited for my own prize money to participate in foreign tournaments to get exposure."

Asutosh, who has been given a wild card to play a challenger event here next month, is now keen to carry his good form into international tournaments to get ATP points.

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Heartbreak for Hamilton as Raikkonen wins in China

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen turned the Formula One title battle into a three-way fight to the last race in Brazil on Sunday with victory in China after championship leader Lewis Hamilton skidded out.

Hamilton's double world champion team mate and closest title rival Fernando Alonso finished second with Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa third.

On an afternoon of delight for Ferrari and heartbreak for Hamilton, who had hoped to become Formula One's first rookie champion with one race to spare, the Briton's overall lead was trimmed to four points over a delighted Alonso.

"I'm disappointed for the team, the battle goes on to Brazil," said Hamilton, besieged by reporters on his return to the paddock.

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Anand leads despite draw against Gelfand

World's numero uno chess player Viswanathan Anand took a pause as he played a very short draw against Israeli Grand Master Boris Gelfand and kept his half a point lead intact in the World Chess Championships here.

In the eighth round yesterday, Gelfand, with white may have entertained some thoughts of upsetting the Indian Grand Master, but there was chance in the Catalan opening, which was soon neutralised by Anand, who has undoubtedly become the sentimental favourite of Mexican chess fans.

In this short 20 moves game, Anand decided to get out of the cramped position (13th move) and to play freely, but he quickly realised that it was not right time as Gelfand kept on developing the pieces and got a small advantage.

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Bhupathi available for Beijing Olympics

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India vs. Pakistan: The countdown begins now

Will India's earlier victory over Pakistan be enough to give us the psychological edge and will we be able to sustain our current form? These are all questions that we will be asking during the countdown to what has to be one of the most anticipated matches of cricketing history.

"India-Pakistan, a dream come true final. The whole world is going to be watching," said Yuvraj.

Yuvraj Singh is echoing the sentiments of a billion Indians. And it's not just him, but the rest of team India too, which will know just how big an opportunity this is for them.

Every member of this young side stands the chance of returning home with a World Cup medal, something even the big three of Indian cricket can't boast of.

And it's the newfound attitude of the unit that has given them that chance.

The sheer fearlessness with which they have adapted to a little known format of the game as well as foreign conditions is what has made their triumphs even sweeter.

The reassuring thing is that looking ahead to the final the thinking has not changed

"Durban also was unfamiliar to us when we landed here. This format of the game was also unfamiliar to us. So it' about the capabilities of the individual how quickly they can adapt. Of course we have played a game over there, the wicket is quite different from here.

"So, it's about the adaptability and when we are practicing over there we will assess the situation and I think guys who are playing at this level are mature enough to adapt themselves to the needs of the game," said M S Dhoni, Captain, Indian Twenty20 team.

Adapting to the conditions in Johannesburg is going to be critical for the Indians, especially since their opponents in the final are a side that is peaking at the right time and can also boast of vanquishing the mighty Aussies earlier in the tournament.

Their cakewalk of a semi-final against the Kiwis further underlined the threat of their present form, epitomised by players like Umar Gul, Imran Nazir and Misbah Ul Haq.

"I can't predict the winner, because both teams are playing with a high level of skill and then Indian batting can be so dangerous," said Adam Gilchrist, Captain, Australian Twenty20 team.

So whether it's a blue shirt that claims the trophy on Monday or a green, what is assured is instant cult status for the champion team and a chance to be immortalised in the annals of cricketing history.

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Zaheer, Kumble, Yuvraj in ICC awards list

Only three Indian men have found it to the preliminary list of candidates in the running for the International Cricket Council's annual individual awards for 2007 and significantly, captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly do not find a place in it.

Re-invigorated left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan, veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble and left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh are the trio of Indian players who have been nominated for the individual awards by a five-member ICC panel headed by cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, it was announced here today.

Zaheer and Kumble have been nominated for the 'Test Player of the Year' award along with 19 others while Yuvraj finds a berth in the 19-strong list of nominees for the 'ODI Player of the Year' award released today by the ICC.

Two other Indians, Rumeli Dhar and Jhulan Goswami, are in the running for the 'Women's Cricketer of the Year' prize.

No other Indian cricketer finds a place in the other three eligible categories - Emerging Player, Cricketer of the Year and Captain of the Year - while Australian World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka's skipper Mahela Jayawardene have been nominated in four categories.

"The first list would be pruned down by September 4 before the winners are announced at the ICC's awards' function at Johannesburg on September 10, the eve of the ICC World Twenty20 Cup," Speed told a media conference here today.

The period for which the performances of various players have been taken into consideration for nominations was August 9, 2006 to August 8, 2007, Speed said.

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David Beckham: Every move in my career has been about the game

If David Beckham proves as foot perfect on Major League Soccer pitches as he was on his introduction to the media and around 3,000 Los Angeles Galaxy fans at the Home Depot Center on Friday, the claims that his arrival will bring a seminal change in the way the game is perceived here may yet prove to be more than empty hype. Even the Los Angeles Times sports columnist who declared himself bored with Beckham before his plane had touched down at Los Angeles International Airport could not have failed to have been charmed

After more than a decade of celebrity, Beckham can work a room as consummately as a Capitol Hill spin doctor and for his first day as a Galaxy player, he even dressed like one, abandoning his normal grunge look for an immaculate grey suit and silk white tie. Fred Astaire reborn.

As he left the dais at the end of the official presentation, the suit was showered in ticker tape in Galaxy's new blue, gold and white colours, changed, along with the club badge, in his honour. But he had picked it clean by the time he reached the press conference, where he treated the most trivial questions such as, "Were you worried about doing this on Friday the 13th?" as though he had been asked about splitting the atom.

Ever the PR man, he switched between the terms "soccer" and "football" depending on whether it was an American or an Englishman asking the question, which is about as bilingual as he gets. And had there been any babies in the room, none would have gone unkissed.

We have known for some time, of course, that Beckham the celebrity can fill TV time, sell shirts, perfume and maybe a little snake oil. But can Beckham the player sell his sport to a nation that generally finds it about as absorbing and comprehensible as a five-day cricket Test?

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Manavjit fails to make the final

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England lose bronze medal match

India survived a scare to pip a resurgent England 4-3 and bag the bronze medal in the Champions Challenge hockey tournament for men on Sunday.

The weakness of faltering at the death again haunted India, who nearly blew away a 4-0 lead before clinching their back-to-back bronze.

Tushar Khandekar (3rd, 6th), Sandeep Singh (14th) and Roshan Minz (22nd) did the early damage before easing off.

England, known for fighting from the trenches, hit back through Rob Moore (34th), James Tindall (54th) and Simon Mantell (63rd).

Incidentally, India had beaten England by the same scoreline when the teams had met in the league stage.

England, who applied pressure to rattle the Indians towards the end, paid dearly for the horrific lapses in deep defence in the first half.

With the sun out in all its glory for the first time in the competition, the Indians, at the start, showcased their skills and team work that was missing in the round robin stage. But they flattered to deceive in the second session by conceding three goals.

Scoring four goals by the 22nd minute, India looked to have effectively sealed the game in their favour against a side that simply could not pick itself up from the bullets fired at it.

It was only when the Indians, who had won the league encounter 4-3, relaxed a bit that England got the chance to make a few moves.

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Changing coaches not a solution for Sania

So, the super sensational Sania Mirza bowed out of the Wimbledon for yet another loss in the second round for what has been a disappointing year so far.

She wasn’t expected also to win every single time she takes to the court, especially coming from a long injury layoff. But a 6-2 6-2 scoreline against an opponent (Nadia Petrova) whom she had taken out the last time around two years back only highlighted the divide between her and the top 10 or 15 players.

With Mirza showing no signs of discomfort of her knee injury, the scoreline was surprising, feels Nirupama Sanjeev nee Vaidyanathan.

“The competition at that level and, especially on grass, is always difficult and more so because she is recovering from an injury.

“She needs just 5-6 months to get back in the grove after a long layoff like the one she has had. But I was surprised by the way she lost; the scoreline was disappointing,” says the former Asian and National champion.

The first Indian to score a first round win at a Grand Slam (1998 Australian Open), Nirupama has been following Sania’s career closely even though she is based in California and does commentary occasionally besides coaching youngsters. “It’s not that she is lax or anything wrong with her game. But this is going to be a very tough year. She has had an injury when she is fighting to defend points and preserve her ranking with all sorts of pressure from the world.”

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I will do justice as ICC Chief after 3 years: Pawar

The BCCI president, Sharad Pawar, today said he was the one to suggest England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman David Morgan's name to take over as ICC Chief next year as he had commitments back home to take care of in the next three years.

"The meeting was held in good spirits. I suggested David should take over because as a senior person he had been contributing a lot," Pawar said.

Pawar has been named vice-president of the sport's world governing body from 2008-10 during which he would also be the ICC President-elect for his sting from 2010-12.

"Due to my own commitments in India in whatever job I'm handling, I will be able to do justice (as ICC chief) only after three years when Parliament elections are over. Then I can spare more time," said Pawar, who is also the Union Agriculture Minister.

"Also the World Cup is being held in Asia during that time," he added.

Pawar pledged his full support to the International Cricket Council after being named its President from 2010-12.

"I am grateful to the ICC members for having the confidence in me to take on the responsibility of high office within the ICC," Pawar said after attending the ICC Executive Board's two-day meeting at the Oval here.

"I am happy to pledge my full support to the ICC as we move forward together at an exciting time for cricket," he added.

England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman David Morgan, who will take over from acting ICC President Ray Mali in 2008, said he would like to discharge responsibilities ECB President before stepping down.

"My immediate priority over the next few weeks is to complete unfinished work with the England and Wales Cricket Board...Thereafter, my priority will be to support the current President Ray Mali for the remainder of his term in office.

"I am hugely grateful to Ray because it was one year ago that as President of Cricket South Africa he made the first approach to me to become a candidate for the role of ICC President.

"I have appreciated his support throughout this whole process and look forward to following him for the benefit of world cricket when the time comes."

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Sania Mirza cruises into Wimbledon second round

Sania Mirza beat Russian Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets to reach the second round of women`s singles in Wimbledon tennis championship here on Tuesday.

The Indian needed less than an hour to trounce her rival 6-0, 6-3.

Sania now faces a tough task in the second round where the Hyderabadi is pitted against another Russian, 11th seed Nadia Petrova.

Petrova thrashed unseeded American Vania King 6-0, 6-1 in her first round match.

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Sachin Tendulkar falls short of a hundred

Captain Rahul Dravid believes Sachin Tendulkar's valiant 99 in the first ODI against South Africa is only the start of a successful tour of the UK for the veteran batsman.

"Sachin (Tendulkar) probably realises like everyone else that this is probably the last time he will be touring the UK. He is very keen to have a good tour of England," Dravid said after India's four-wicket loss on Tuesday.

Tendulkar was run out on 99 in India's 242 for eight, which the South Africans overhauled without much discomfort with the help of captain Jacques Kallis' unbeaten 91.

Apart from Tendulkar and Dravid, who made 74 during the duo's 158-run stand for the third wicket, Piyush Chawla was the other key performer for India.

The 18-year-old leg-spinner picked 3-47, his third three-wicket haul in as many matches after his 3-37 against Bangladesh last month and 3-29 against Ireland on Saturday.

"This time around, he (Chawla) bowled against some experienced players and gave a good account of himself," Dravid said while praising his rookie bowler.

"The conditions were not perfect for spin bowling. It was difficult to grip the ball because it was really cold."

"He has done a great job. The more he can bowl in these conditions the better he will be for the experience," Dravid said.

He also said that the team would have to make do with a depleted bowling line up for the second match on Friday after three of their pacers became victims of a virus.

"Ishant Sharma and Ranadeb Bose will join us on Thursday, so we should have some cover in the pace bowling department. But, again, they would be joining us after a long flight and to rush them into the game straightaway is not on," he said.

"Both Sreesanth and (Ajit) Agarkar are quite bad. But Mahendra Dhoni (vice-captain) should be okay for the next game although with flu you never know.

"It's going to be a tricky decision for us."

Looking back on the match, Dravid was happy to see his players show a lot of character.

At the same time he felt it was frustrating not to finish on the winning side in a close game.

"There were aspects of our game that were quite heartening, not least the fact that lot of guys in the eleven were not hundred percent fit but they came out and fought hard."

"There were some good performances with the bat and with the ball. It was a close game and it would have been nice to win," Dravid said.

"It's a little frustrating in the end. I thought we played some good cricket right through the game but unfortunately we couldn't pip them at the post.

"I thought Kallis' innings was really good. He controlled the innings very well. His wicket was crucial in the context of the game.

"If we had got him with even 30-40 runs to go, we had a great chance. Although we got wickets at regular intervals we couldn't get Kallis and that cost us dearly."

Dravid thought his team could have done well to get a few more runs on the board in the last 10 overs.

"In the morning, the conditions helped the seamers. We had to rebuild after losing two early wickets. We had to fight hard and we did well to get to about 180 in 40 overs.

"With eight wickets in hand, we would have liked to add a few more than the 60 runs we got on the board, maybe 10-15 more runs in the slog was par for the score.

"But some of the shots carried straight to the fielders and they also bowled well in death overs."

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Carlos is Bagan coach, Satyajit is deputy

India’s atar striker Baichung Bhutia will lead Mohun Bagan in the upcoming football season.

Bhutia signed his allegiance to the club for the second consecutive season here on Monday.

He will have midfielder Dharamjit Singh as his deputy. The club also announced the name of Brazilian Carols Roberto Silva as the new coach for the season.

Carlos, who had coached East Bengal last year, will arrive later this month and the team will start preparing for the domestic season from July 1.

Sania back in singles top-50, slips in doubles chart

Sania Mirza's second-round exit at last week's DFS classic saw her slip four places to 46th in the singles chart of the WTA rankings issued today.

Sania, who will now be seen in action at the USD 175,000 Ordina Open in Holland, has 540 ranking points.

The 20-year-old will open her campaign at the Tier III grass court event against Italian Francesca Schiavone.

The Indian ace has also slipped a rung to 42nd in the doubles chart with 976 points.

In the ATP charts, a hat-trick of ITF futures titles saw Prakash Amritraj jump 66 places to 498th in the latest rankings.

In doubles, Leander Paes has improved his standings by one place to be ninth this week with 4000 points. Paes and his Czech partner Martin Damm lost in the semifinals of Gerry Webber Open in Germany last week.

Mahesh Bhupathi, meanwhile, remained static at 20th with 1815 points. Bhupathi had a disappointing week, bowing out in the second round of the men's doubles event at the Stella Artois Championship.

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Does Team India Really Need A Cricket Coach?

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah has said the Board will continue with its policy of not advertising for the post of the Indian coach.

Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, he said, "We have always worked through references. We have our sources. The problem with advertising is that there could be plenty of unsuitable candidates applying for the job. We don't want that to happen. There will be no change in the process. This was the method with which we picked John Wright and Greg Chappell as India coaches."

Asked whether the Board had consumed too much time and come with too few names in its bid to appoint the Indian coach before the tours of Ireland and England, he replied, "The Indian team toured Bangladesh and the Board was in touch with a couple of candidates. Things did not work out."

Queried on the reason for the rejection of Dav Whatmore's canditature when he seemed certain to take over as the India coach, Mr. Shah revealed, "Yes, he was in the reckoning, but the inputs we had from some people did not go in his favour."

Mr. Shah added: "the names of the candidates chosen for presentations are not the only names discussed during the meetings. We might have debated on several more names and found them unsuitable or unavailable." Coaches, he argued, could not be brought off the shelves.

`No pressure'

On the issues of graded contracts for the cricketers and coach selection, he denied that the BCCI was giving in to pressure from the senior cricketers. "Let me make it clear, we are not at war with the players. The Board and the players are part of the same family. We have had discussions with the players, and if they make pertinent points we would certainly listen to them. This does not mean the Board will accept everything the players put forward. If there is consensus, it would be good for everybody."

He said there would be more discussions with the players on the question of endorsements.

Mr. Shah disagreed with the view that India should have selected a 17-member squad for the Test series in England to groom youngsters. "We have settled on the right number," he said.

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Follow Aus example while managing transition: Ponting to India

The secret of Australia's continued success on the cricket field lay in the fact that the players treated themselves as the second best team in the world, captain Ricky Ponting said on Thursday.

When preparing for a match or a tournament, the team considered itself the number two team, which needed to get better, Ponting said.

According to the two-time World Cup winning skipper, "We must never be happy with what we have achieved and try as hard as anybody else."

The Australian team did not set itself any targets when it went out on the field as they did not want to put any restrictions on themselves regarding the total.

"We never restrict ourselves because when you put restrictions on yourself, you cannot achieve great things," the Tasmanian said.

The trials and tribulations in Indian cricket did not escape Ponting's attention.

"I don't really know....India is playing under a lot of mental pressure. We must learn how to cope with it."

The respect Ponting had for Sachin Tendulkar also came through, as the Mumbai batsman was described as one of the all-time greats.

"He is the best batsman I have seen and I am trying to be as good as him."

Ponting was speaking at a function announcing a scheme through which every run that he will score in One-Day Internationals throughout the year will help get underprivileged children to school.

The initiative was aimed at strengthening primary education and making a contribution to society, Ponting who shared his cricketing tips with 80 children at an NGO, said.

The Australian skipper said he hoped to score a lot of runs to ensure that underprivileged children get a decent education.

"As a youngster, I was given several opportunities and I never took anyone for granted and I am sure these kids would do the same," he said.

Giving a feedback on his interaction with Indian kids in the past two days, he said "There is no doubt that when I go back, I will remember their smiling faces."

Ponting said he had never seen children enjoy cricket as much as they did in India.

In Australia, he and his wife were involved in charity causes related to cancer patients.

Answering some of the questions put up by the children, Ponting said batting was a tougher proposition than bowling.

"I think it is easier to be a bowler, because one mistake by a batsman and his game is over."

He also played with the kids and had them in peals of laughter when he said, "I think some of you were very quick for me."

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Eight failed dope tests in Guwahati

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India posts a facile win over New Zealand

India blanked New Zealand 5-0 in a Group `B' encounter in the Sudirman Cup Division Three competition in Glasgow, Scotland.

The mixed doubles pair of Aparna Balan and V. Diju went past Daniel Shirley and Renee Flavell 21-14, 21-18.

Saina Nehwal carved out a 21-13, 21-12 win over Michelle Chan in just 25 minutes in the women's singles tie, while Anup Sridhar got the better of John Moody 21-7, 21-13 in men's singles.

The men's doubles combination of Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas bounced back in style after losing the first game to win 17-21, 21-15, 21-16 against Chan and Moody.

In women's doubles tie, Saina and Aparna managed a 21-18, 16-21, 21-14 win over Rachel Hindley and Renee Flavell.

India has won both its matches so far, the first one coming against Finland, and will play Scotland in its last Group tie on Thursday.

The match will decide the group topper who will then play promotion play-off against the winner of Division 3 Group A.

Meanwhile, Indonesia rested Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat but still managed to defeat Hong Kong 4-1 in a final Division 1 Group B match to reach the semifinals.

Former World champion Candra Wijaya was one of the heroes on his comeback to the international team.

He partnered Yulianto Alvent to a battling 18-21, 21-14, 21-10 men's doubles victory over Albertus Susanto Njoto and Yohan Hadikusumo Wiratama that clinched the overall victory.

China charged on in defence of its title on Tuesday by brushing England aside 5-0. The victory put the Chinese into Saturday's semifinals.

The results: Division 1 Group A: Malaysia bt Thailand 3-2; China bt England 5-0; Group B:

Indonesia 4 bt Hong Kong 1.

Division 2 Group B: Japan 4 bt Russia 1; Poland 3 bt Netherlands 2.

Division 3 Group B: India bt New Zealand 5-0 (Aparna Balan & V. Diju bt Daniel Shirley & Renee Flavell 21-14, 21-18; Saina Nehwal bt Michelle Chan 21-13, 21-12; Anup Sridhar bt John Moody 21-7, 21-13; Rupesh Kumar & Sanave Thomas bt Chan & Moody 17-21, 21-15, 21-16; Saina & Aparna bt Rachel Hindley & Renee Flavell 21-18, 16-21, 21-14).

Division 6 Group A: Slovakia 4 bt Latvia 1; Group B: Belarus 3 bt Iceland 2. — Agencies

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India to hold Formula One race in 2009

India's chances of holding a Formula One Grand Prix got further boost today with Bernie Ecclestone, chief promoter of the event, provisionally allotting a race to be held in October 2009.

The venue, like many other details, was yet to be decided but Delhi has been touted as the host city.

The race, officially termed 'Formula 1 Grand Prix of India', is to be promoted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and subject to the IOA entering into a final contract with Formula One Administration (FOA) by September 30 this year.

Under the terms of contract, specified by Ecclestone, Chief Executive Officer of Formula One Group, in his letter to IOA president Suresh Kalmadi, the IOA has to take the responsibility for entire financing of promotion and conduct of the race.

The race would also be subject to condition that proper land for building the track is identified by the IOA in consultation with FOA, and a favourable feasibility report is given by the latter's partner Tilke Associates.

Ecclestone's letter implies that the proposal to host a street race around the India Gate, advertised with much fanfare by Kalmadi's Parliamentary colleague Vijay Mallya a month ago, has been shot down. (Agencies)

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5,000 athletes from 100 armies to take part in Military Games

Around 5,000 athletes from armies of over 100 countries are likely to compete in the fourth Military World Games being held here from Oct 14 to 21.

This is the first time that India is hosting the Military Games, the second biggest sporting event in the world after Olympics.

Lt. Gen Aditya Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command, told a news conference Monday that 73 countries, 3,181 athletes and 1,552 delegates and officials have so far confirmed their participation in the event. The motto of the sporting event is 'friendship through sport'.

He said the number of participating athletes is likely to reach 5,000 while the number of countries could cross 100.

The Military Games will have 16 events - military pentathlon, shooting, military firing, parachuting, football, hand ball, volley ball, track and field, swimming, sailing, triathlon, judo, boxing, wrestling, hockey and kabbadi. Polo would be conducted as the exhibition game declaring the beginning of the mega event.

Singh said except for three all other events form part of major sports.

'Military pentathlon comprising five exercises, including running, firing, swimming and throwing grenades, military firing and parachuting are special events for the military,' he said.

The world Judo champion Sophie Mondiere, S. Valios (parachuting), S. Bibard (shooting 300 m), European champions Stamislavs Olijars (110 m hurdles), Henri Hakkinen (shooting), Christina Bengstssan (shooting) and Olympics medal winners in different events will be among star athletes participating in the event.

The Military World Games will be held under the aegis of international military sports council or Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) in French. Armed forces of 127 countries are members of CIMS, based in the Belgian capital Brussels,

The games were first held in Rome in 1995, marking the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II and the ratification of the UN Charter. The second Military World Games were held in Zagreb, Croatia (August 1999) and the third again in Italy (December 2003).

'The games, which are being held for the first time outside Europe, will showcase the fact that militaries all over the world do not always fight but work for peace,' said Singh.

He was confident that the infrastructure, including the games village, would be ready for the event by August end.

The army commander said the Military World Games were of high standards and pointed out that 25 percent of the medal winners went on to win medals in the Olympics.

'In terms of size and participation the games are next only to the Olympics. They are far bigger than the Commonwealth and Asian Games,' he said

'The games will make Hyderabad proud. It will not only showcase Indian Air Force, Army and Navy but also showcase Hyderabad to the world,' he said, and pointed out that the city successfully hosted the 2002 National Games and the 2003 Afro Asian Games.

Elaborate security arrangements would be made for the event, he said. 'Since mischief makers and subversive elements want to take advantage of such events to create trouble, it will be a high alert period with security checking at different points and restriction on traffic in few places. We will be working closely with police and other government agencies,' he said.

The Great Indian Bison commonly known as 'Gaur' nicknamed Bravo is the mascot of the games. The 54 Infantry Division of the Indian Army, which is located here, has the bison as its formation sign.

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Borde named India boss after Ford snub

The veteran, who turns 73 next month, was given charge of Rahul Dravid's side a day after South African Graham Ford turned down India's offer to coach the team.

Borde, a top-order batsman and widely respected as a shrewd student of the game, played the last of his 55 tests in 1969 and captained India in one match.

He later served as chief selector from 1999-2002, but was currently leading a retired life at his home in the western city of Pune.

Borde will manage the Indian team for the five one-dayers against Ireland, South Africa and Pakistan in Belfast and Glasgow between June 23 and July 3 and the subsequent full tour of England.

He will be assisted by bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh during the three-month tour.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will continue their search for a fulltime coach after Ford's refusal to take up the $300 000-a-year job.

"Borde will manage the team in England as we look for a coach," said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah after a board meeting in New Delhi.

Ford, a former South African coach, said on Monday he preferred to continue as director of cricket with English county Kent after being offered the India job on Saturday.

PERMANENT COACH

India are seeking a permanent coach to succeed former Australian captain Greg Chappell, who quit in April after India's first-round exit from the World Cup.

Former captain-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri, who served as interim coach for last month's tour of Bangladesh, declined to continue citing media commitments.

Ford's snub has shaken the BCCI, a rich and powerful player on the world stage with ambitions of making their current president Sharad Pawar the International Cricket Council chief in 2008.

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was on the seven-member coach selection panel that picked Ford, admitted: "We are back to square one and that is a fact of life."

The BCCI are unlikely to go back to former England spinner and current Middlesex director John Emburey, who was also interviewed on Saturday and rejected.

The panel, headed by Pawar and also including Shastri and another ex-captain Srinivas Venkataraghavan, had earlier spurned former Sri Lanka and Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore, who was keen to take up the job.

The BCCI's apparently ham-fisted search for a coach has drawn flak from the sport's leading website Cricinfo.

"By not advertising for the post or sending out feelers as soon as Chappell left for Australia, the board seriously overestimated their own hand," Cricinfo wrote.

"The promise of a big fat payday may lure those more mercenary but a top-level coach requires all sorts of assurances before taking up a job of such magnitude.

"Will they find a new coach before India's test series against England begins?

"For a start, do they even know where to look? This is an embarrassment that the BCCI have brought upon themselves."

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Curtain set to go up on Afro-Asia Cup tournament

Bangalore: It was supposed to be a tournament rich with a liberal coating of `star dust'. However, with a slew of withdrawals ranging from Sachin Tendulkar to Shoaib Akhtar and a last-minute change in the official telecaster — from Nimbus to ESPN — the Afro-Asia Cup tournament has lost a bit of sheen.

And as the Chinnaswamy Stadium geared up for the inaugural set of Twenty20 matches on Tuesday besides the ODI between Asia XI and Africa XI on Wednesday, the pitch and the skies were also issues of speculation.

New pitch

The pitch has been re-laid under instructions from experts at the New Zealand Turf Institute in Auckland. And the Twenty20 match between the Asian women's XI and African women's XI on Tuesday will be the first match to be played on the centre-square after its two-month reconstruction process.

Curator Narayan Raju promised a pitch with life and bounce though there are apprehensions over how the fresh pitch will shape up. The weather too has come into focus as it rained heavily on Sunday night and the monsoon has set in.

Casting these doubts and general spectator indifference aside, the second edition of the Afro-Asia Cup is aimed at garnering funds for promoting cricket at the grassroot level in emerging nations in Asia and Africa. The inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2005 ended in a 1-1 draw with one match being washed out.

"The tournament is about generating funds for promoting cricket and I appreciate the commitment shown to this cause by the players who have arrived here. Yes may be we could have avoided the withdrawals," said Roger Binny, a Development Officer with the Asian Cricket Council.

It is not often that women's cricket gets the needed spotlight and by scheduling the Twenty20 match between the Asian and African women's teams with its added status of being the tournament opener, the eves have reasons to cheer.

Coloured clothing, the buzz of live television coverage and hopefully fans cheering lustily from the stands are added incentives for Mithali Raj's Asian XI to put their best foot forward against the African eves.

Tuesday's second Twenty20 match will pit an Asian XI led by Shoaib Malik against an African XI that has the Morkels — Albie and Morne — and big-hitter Loots Bosman as its prime players.

Malik has maverick Shahid Afridi to blitz the turf along with Mohammed Ashraful, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzak, Mashrafe Mortaza and Sreesanth.

Big match

The big match on Wednesday with its official ODI tag should witness a keen tussle as the Asian XI led by Mahela Jayawardene and pepped up by the presence of veterans Sanath Jayasuriya, Sourav Ganguly besides Mohammad Yousuf and Yuvraj Singh, will take on an African XI led by Steve Tikolo and bolstered by the South African presence of Mark Boucher, Andrew Hall, Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock, who will play purely as a batsman.

The Afro-Asia bandwagon will move to Chennai after Wednesday for the final set of two ODIs on June 9 and 10.

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Duleep Trophy after Ranji ties

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Santosh Trophy returns to J&K after 30 years

Jammu- A major Indian Foortball sporting competition is all set to return to Jammu and Kashmir after nearly three decades amid a decline in insurgency, related official said.The 62 National Santosh Trophy, a popular national event will be held on July 10 after 30 years. The trophy being held for the first time after 1978. The match will be played in different grounds in Srinagar and Jammu.

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India declare 1st innings at 387 for 8

India lost two quick wickets before declaring their first innings on 387 for 8 on Day 4 of the first Test against Bangladesh, at the Chittagong Divisional stadium, in Chittagong, on Monday.

Zaheer Khan (0) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36) were out before captain Rahul Dravid was forced to declare the innings following the unavailability of overnight batsman Anil Kumble, who is down with fever.

Zaheer fell in the first over of the day, caught behind off pacer Shahadat Hossain.

Dhoni was the last batsman to be dismissed, caught at point off Mashrafe Mortaza, who finished with 4 for 97.

It all went according to plan for Bangladesh, as the visitors lost two wickets for the addition of three runs before declaring their innings.

They will now hope to get some useful batting practice in the remaining two days.

India innings:

Finally the match resumed after a full day's play was lost because of rain. Thanks to the hard work put in by the groundstaff since Sunday afternoon, after the rain stopped, play could start on time.

Strangely, India decided to continue batting on the fourth morning. Maybe they wanted Mahendra Singh Dhoni to play a few shots, just dent the Bangladeshis' confidence a bit and then declare after 10 overs or so.

But it was Bangladesh who struck the first blow.

Strangely, Anil Kumble did not walk in to bat with Dhoni as India resumed on 384 for 6.

Shahadat Hossain struck with the third delivery of the day when got Zaheer Khan caught behind for 0.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that Kumble did not come out to bat as he was indisposed, though there was no official word on that.

In fact, team media manager Surendra Bhave preferred not to answer any calls even after repeated attempts, something in sharp contrast to Bangladesh media manager Rabeed Imam, who is always available in the press box.

Dhoni also did not last long, falling in the next over and India were forced to declare the innings at 387 for 8, in 98.5 overs.

He tried to cut Mashrafe Mortaza, but could only hit the ball straight to Javed Omar at point after scoring 36.

On a pitch that had nothing for the bowlers, Mortaza finished with a haul of 4 for 97 and proved why is regarded as one of the world's top bowlers.

Hossain also bowled with lot of heart, taking 3 for 76.

The Indian bowlers now face the tough task of having to battle it out on a slow wicket against the Bangladesh batsmen, who are quite adept in such conditions. If Kumble is unavailable, the task becomes even tougher.

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Ban on Buddhia's marathon padayatra