Marsh warns Australia not to drop Waughs
SYDNEY, Oct 20 (Reuters): Rodney Marsh has warned Australia's selectors not to drop the Waugh twins Steve and Mark before the Ashes series with England, saying it could give the tourists a massive psychological advantage.
The former Australian test wicket keeper, now working as the director of the English Cricket Academy, said Australia would be flirting with disaster if they dropped their two most experienced campaigners.
"I'm sure England would love to think that neither of them were in the side," Marsh told the Sunday Telegraph.
"If ever England wanted a psychological advantage, you would hand it to them on a plate if you left out the two Waughs." Australia have beaten England in the last seven Ashes series and are strong favourites to make it eight in a row when the series begins in Brisbane on November 7.
The Waughs have been the cornerstone of Australia's recent domination of the Ashes, but are under pressure to retain their places in the team.
The pair, now 37, were dropped from the Australian limited-overs team earlier this year and have struggled to make runs in the current test series against Pakistan.
But Marsh, who retired in 1984 along with Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell, said the Waughs deserved to be kept in the side.
He said both would know the right time to retire.
"They have been fantastic contributors for Australia, so I would think they'll know the time," he said.
Saurav advocates technology use to adjuge LBWs CHENNAI, Oct 20 (UNI): India's captain Saurav Ganguly today urged for the use of technology by umpires to decide leg before decisions too.
"It's probably time for technology to take over.
It is not easy with the umpires anymore.
They are under pressure sometimes," Saurav said at the post match press conference in which he hailed his team's eight wicket victory in the second test saying "I think we played very well as a team once again." Saurav also pointed out that the introduction of technology to adjudge leg before decisions in the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka last month "worked very well".
The Indian captain, who is now just one more win away from equalling Mohd Azharuddin's record of 14 wins as captain, advocated switching over to technology to decide leg before decisions when asked about his seemingly dubious dismissal once more in the first innings of the Chennai test.
"Yes, I have been having a few poor dismissals of late.
It happens in test cricket," Saurav said.
Sourav says injured Zaheer will be rested CHENNAI, Oct 20 (UNI): Indian captain Sourav Ganguly today announced that left arm medium pacer Zaheer Khan, one of the architects of India's commanding eight wicket win over West Indies in the second test here, would be rested for the third test for nursing an injury.
"Zaheer would be rested from the third test match at Kolkatta against the current home series against the West Indies," the Indian captain said at the post match press conference after India wrapped up the three test series going up 2-0 in the second test against the West Indies here.
Sourav said Zaheer needs to be rested and recoup before the tour to New Zealand and then the 2003 world cup.
"Yes, a fast bowler like Zaheer has to work very hard," he added.
Asked about Zaheer's senior new ball partner Javagal Srinath, Saurav firmly said the fast bowler would not be rested as he was getting better after his comeback.
Sourav hailed the performance of the young wicketkeeper 17-year-old Parthiv Patel especially in the Chennai test.
"Parthiv's wicket-keeping has been outstanding and he is turning out to be pretty handy with the bat," Sourav said adding that wicketkeeper had to fully realise the potential he had.
Saying that no player in the team could take his place for granted, Sourav added it would still be very difficult for a player like SS Das to find a place in the XI.
The Indian captain also hailed off spinner Harbhajan Singh as a match winner.
"In the last five to six games Harbhajan has been a emerging as a match winner," Sourav noted.
Santosh Trophy Bengal open campaign thrashing Rajasthan IMPHAL, Oct 20 (UNI): Favourites Bengal opened the 58th National Football championship for Santosh Trophy packing off Rajasthan 7-0 in Group I in a rain-Fed Polo ground here today.
It was a heady beginning for striker Deependu Biswas striking four times (15th, 40th, 73rd, 76th minute) in the inaugural match, with Amar Pyne netting a brace (42nd and 51st minute) and Sandip Das finding the back of the net once (37th minute).
With this defeat Rajasthan was eliminated from the championship as they had earlier gone down to Jammu and Kashmir 4-0 in the first encounter.
Mohammedan sporting striker Deependu was unlucky not to get a hattrick as his shot hit the crosspiece before going out, in the fag end of the match.
The play began 52 minutes behind schedule despite some protest from Bengal as heavy rain since yesterday had waterlogged major parts of the Polo ground.
No decent soccer could be up for exhibition with the ball floating in ankle deep water in patches.
Former India international Deependu opened scoring for Bengal in the 15th minute.
He booted home after he being fed with a floater from Amar Pyne.
Pyne was unlucky not to get a goal as his shot was prevented from goalline by Rajasthan defender Bhawa Lal after custodian Sunil Bari was left high and dry.
Leftout Sandip Das gave Bengal the second goal in the 37th minute after Debjit Ghosh lobbed a long ranger from midfield.
Before this Bengal medio Chandan Das and Ghosh were shown yellow cards by refree Yaima Singh of Manipur.
As Chandan was flashed yellow card for rough tackling, debjit entered into an argument with the refree earning his wrath.
Before the breather Bengal further bolstered their tally pumping in two more goals through Deependu and Pyne.
The 29 times winner Bengal who had not played finals in Santosh Trophy since 1998-99, scored three more after the lemonbreak to grind their weak opponents.
Pyne got his second goal five minutes after the halftime sending a left footer from an acute angle that deflected of a Rajasthan defender before bulging the back of the net.
Biswas added two more goals late in the match erasing any further hope of a Rajasthan comeback.
In fact Bengal custodian Prasanta Dora was not tested because of some sound defending from Hossain Mustafi, Surya Bikash Chakraborty, Anupam Sarkar and Debkumar Sasmal.
Leftout Mehtab Hossain was also shown yellow card for rushing into the goalie in a bid to score at fag end.
Bengal could have won by ten goals if some of the goal bound balls did not stop due to water logging.
Assistant coach Sisir Ghosh expressed happiness over the performance of the players despite unplayable condition of the ground.
The win of Bengal was the second biggest after Manipur pumped eight goals past Himachal Pradesh.
Bengal will take one Jammu and Kashmir in the next match.
The match between Punjab and Madhya Pradesh in Group III, Bihar vs Andhra Pradesh in Group V have been postponed for the day owing to water logging in eastern sporting union ground and Thau ground respectively.
India wrap up Exide series, beat Windies in second test CHENNAI, Oct 20 (UNI): India outplayed the West Indies again emerging victors by eight wickets chasing a small target of 81 runs in 42 minutes after lunch in the second test match at the MA Chidambaram stadium here today.
Vice captain Rahul Dravid (6 off 11 balls) and Sachin Tendulkar (16 off 20 balls) remained unbeaten as India reached the target in 21.1 overs.
Windies captain Carl Hooper claimed both the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sanjay Bangar in India's second innings conceding 32 runs.
The Indians played 13.1 overs after lunch before going 2-0 up in the three test series.
Opening the second innings after restricting the West Indies to 229, with Sanjay Bangar and Virendra Sehwag, who is celebrating his 24th birthday, India went to lunch at 28 without loss, 53 runs behind.
But after lunch Sehwag opened out hitting the Hooper for a six and two fours in the 13th over of the innings.
However, the West Indies skiper drew him out and had him stumped by Ridley Jacobs for 33.
Sehwag's knock came of 33 balls in 53 minutes and included two sixes and three hits to the fence.
Another consolation wicket came in the form of Bangar when Hooper, leading the down and out Caribbeans, had him caught at the lone slip by Chris Gayle for 20 (69 balls, 65 minutes, one four).
Bangar and Sehwag put on 50 runs for the first wicket in 13 overs.
The Indian vice captain and little master Sachin Tendulkar then batted on with the near full stadium reverbrating to the beat of drums of joy and shouting "we want a sixer", as Sachin heralded India's victory, square cutting the Windies debutant off spinner Gareth Breese for three runs and walked down to shake hands with the members of the visiting team.
Earlier, riding on off spinner Harbhajan Singh's star turn, including a three wicket burst in one over in his 4-79 haul, and a hostile spell by left arm medium pacer Zaheer Khan (3-23), India restricted the West Indies to 229 after the fourth day's play began at 0900 hrs under flood lights due to an overcast sky.
Overnight batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan (78, 303 minutes, 214 balls, 2 sixes, 4 fours) was the lone West Indian to put up some resistance.
However, his wicket triggered the Windies collapse.
The Caribbeans lost six wickets in the space of 7.5 overss, failing to build over their good showing by stumps on the third day.
They progressed from the overnight score of 186 for 4 to 208 for 4 before surrendering meekly.
Harbhajan who had a match haul of seven for 135 was adjuged the man of the match.
SCOREBOARD West Indies (first innings): 167 India (first innings): 316 West Indies (second innings): 229 India (second innings) : Sanjay Bangar c Gayle b Hooper 20, Virender Sehwag st Jacobs b Hooper 33, Rahul Dravid not out 6, Sachin Tendulkar not out 16 Extras: (NB-3, LB-3) 6 Total: 81 for one in 21.1 overs Fall of wickets : 1-50, 2-61 Bowling: Mervyn Dillon : 5-1-10-0, Pedro Collins : 2-0-7-0, Garethe Breese : 5.1-0-27-0, Jermaine Lawson: 2-0-2-0, Carl Hooper : 7-1-32-2.
Dungarpur flays Pak manager for remarks on India Sharjah, Oct 20 (NNN) : A former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Raj Singh Dungarpur, has hit out at the Pakistan team manager Brig (retd) Khawaja Nasir for his irresponsible comments on India's refusal to play against Pakistan.
"I don't even know who this manager is.
You keep on changing your officials and players so frequently.
But his comments were out of line and unwarranted.
They have not helped in any way in convincing the Indian government to allow restoration of cricket ties," Singh told a Pakistani newspaper.
Brig Nasir had said here the other day that Indians were afraid of playing against Pakistan for the fear of losing, a statement which also earned him a rebuke from the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman, Lt General Tauqir Zia.
"I can bet you a million rupees that if India and Pakistan play now we will win two out of three matches since we have a more settled team now," Singh said.
He expressed confidence that with the Indian and Pakistan governments reducing troops on the border, cricket relations between the two countries could be restored soon.
"This is a positive development but I firmly believe this issue needs to be decided at the government level and the two Boards are helpless to do anything," he added.
Dungarpur said the induction of a new sports minister in the Indian government was also a positive sign as he was more moderate than his predecessor Uma Bharti who had a hard line on relations with Pakistan.
"Verma comes from Indore which has produced many successful Indian cricketers and I think he is more cricket oriented than the previous sports minister," Singh said.
He felt that India and Pakistan needed to resume their cricket ties with matches in their own countries in the Golden Jubilee Test celebrations of Pakistan.
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