If Australia are to go where no Test team has gone before and win 17 games in a row, they’ll have to pull off the second-highest run chase in the history of the game. Set 413 to win the series in Perth, they finished the third day on a precarious 2 for 65, with Irfan Pathan’s splendid swing bowling once again accounting for both openers. No team has ever chased more than 369 to win a game on Australian soil, and even Don Bradman’s Invincibles didn’t have to score more than 404 at Headingley in 1948.When Australia made good use of occasionally overcast morning conditions to reduce India to 5 for 125, the game was very much in the balance. Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar had been packed off by Brett Lee, and Mitchell Johnson had just induced a waft from Sourav Ganguly. With the lead 243, India once again faced the prospect of an overseas fairytale becoming a nightmare.That it didn’t was due to a classy 79 from VVS Laxman and sterling contributions from the lower order. Pathan preceded his bowling heroics with an accomplished 46 as nightwatchman, and MS Dhoni showed remarkable restraint in compiling a doughty 38. The biggest irritation for Australia though was RP Singh, who smacked Andrew Symonds for six during the course of an entertaining 51-run partnership that stretched the lead beyond 400.Australia’s cause was also severely hampered by an appalling over-rate. Having bowled a dismal 22 overs in the morning, Ricky Ponting had no option but to turn to spin in the afternoon. Symonds and Michael Clarke bowled 21 overs between them in the middle session, with Lee being reintroduced just 20 minutes before tea.The respite from Lee and the relentlessly accurate Stuart Clark gave India freedom to exhale and build. Pathan had fallen to Clark soon after lunch, edging to slip, and he was magnificent right though, giving nothing away and constantly beating Dhoni’s swishes outside off stump. But once he went off, and the Clarke-Symonds combo took over, India cut loose. Laxman played a superb off-drive off Clarke, and after dawdling 41 balls for five, Dhoni’s patience finally snapped.He thumped Clarke over long-on for six, and then hit Symonds to the other side of the sightscreen. One ball whizzed past Clarke’s outstretched fingertips, and when Symonds speared one in, he jumped out to deposit it into the crowd at long-off.At the other end, Laxman was all elegance, clipping the ball through the leg side and driving beautifully. He reached his fifty from 97 balls, and Australia’s frustration mounted by the minute before Symonds offered some relief. Dhoni, who combined patience and impetuosity, miscued a paddle sweep behind to Gilchrist, and Anil Kumble lasted just four balls. But RP and Laxman carried on merrily for 17 overs, and by the time Clark and Lee returned to mop up, the target was an intimidating one.The morning session had been much more even, with quick scoring offset by the loss of four wickets. Lee’s pace and swing whipped out Dravid and Tendulkar, the cornerstones of the first innings, and it was left to Pathan to lead the side towards a competitive total.
Struck a painful blow on the shoulder by Lee early on, he left the bulk of the early scoring to Virender Sehwag, again in stand-and-deliver mood. Two flays through the off side off Clark left no one in any doubt about his intentions, but Lee should have had him soon after. Michael Hussey couldn’t hold on to a low chance at gully though, fumbling even at the second attempt.It wasn’t a costly miss though. Sehwag hadn’t added to his 43 when Clark summoned up a superb delivery that cut back to crash into the stumps via the pad. Sehwag had fallen to similar deliveries many times over the past two seasons, and Clark had clearly done his homework.Dravid struck one peachy off-drive, but then fenced at a Lee delivery that swung away at pace. The appeal from behind the stumps was spontaneous, and as Dravid trudged off disconsolate, the stadium rose to welcome Tendulkar back to the arena where he played his greatest Test innings (that 114 in 1992).Lee almost had him first ball, squared up by a superb delivery, but the edge streaked to the boundary. And though he did play the shot of the morning, a stunning drive straight past Lee, it was the bowler who had the last word, with pace and movement off the pitch trapping Tendulkar right in front.With Ganguly departing for a blob, flirting with a Johnson delivery that shaped away, it required something special to tilt the balance back India’s way. They got it too, from Pathan and Laxman. Pathan struck a couple of gorgeous shots down the ground and also drove through the covers beautifully when the bowlers overpitched. There were moments of good fortune too, an edge that flew through the slip cordon, and a vociferous leg-before appeal from Johnson that might have gone on to clip leg stump.At the other end, Laxman’s ability to work the ball away with those wonderfully supple wrists evoked a few oohs and aahs, but by the time tea had been taken, they were replaced by desperate chants of “Boring, boring”. A crowd that hadn’t seen Australia lose here since the days when the Caribbean still produced great fast bowlers was slowly soaking in the reality that yet another golden run might have come to a shuddering halt at Indian hands.
Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, has said that Shane Bond will play in the Super Eights match against Ireland in Guyana on Monday. Fleming believes that resting Bond while he is in excellent bowling form could have counter-productive effects.”He’ll [Bond] definitely play,” Fleming told NZPA. “It’s important we get two points against Ireland, we’ll pick our strongest side.” Bond was rested for the final group-stage match against Canada but played both the first two Super Eights matches against West Indies and Bangladesh. He has taken eight wickets in four matches in the World Cup at an economy-rate of 2.29.”I hope to play every game, I prepare myself to play every game,” said Bond. “I’ve sat out enough games through injury so I never like to be rested.”New Zealand’s strongest side against Ireland is unlikely to include Ross Taylor who was unable to run at full pace during a training session on Saturday. Taylor strained his hamstring during his half-century against Kenya in the group stages.Taylor had said that his chances of playing Ireland were 70-30 but Fleming was less optimistic.”Ross has been a little bit ginger in terms of his movement,” said Fleming. “If he’s not quite right we’ll probably be conservative but we’re pushing as hard as we can to get him right as quickly as possible. We want him back into cricket, back into the fold. He’s been out of cricket for a while if he misses this one.”New Zealand have three crunch games coming up against Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia and Fleming asserted that rotating the players and tinkering with the starting XI would be kept to a minimum.”It’s important there’s continuity of selection. I’ve been involved in World Cups where we’ve chopped and changed probably a little too much,” said Fleming. “I made a point at the start [of the tournament] with [coach] John [Bracewell] that my view was always going to be conservative. If you’ve got 11 or 12 guys doing well you keep that going as long as possible.”Fast bowler Michael Mason was ruled out of the Ireland match after sustaining a calf-strain against Bangladesh. Either Chris Martin or Mark Gillespie would take his spot in the starting XI on Monday.
ScorecardPlate Group Points TableA half-century from Nikhil Doru and his 76-run partnership with Ajay Jadeja lifted Rajasthan to a 156-run lead before Pankaj Singh rocked the Orissa top order to push them to 91 for 5 to propel Rajasthan to a commanding position by the end of the second day in Ranji Plate semi-final at Jaipur. Deepak Mangaraj removed both Doru and Jadeja enroute to his second five-wicket haul but by then the duo had powered their side to a position of strength.Lalit Modi, the President of Rajasthan Cricket Association, had pumped in lots of money to improve the infrastructure in Rajasthan cricket, also drafting in Ajay Jadeja to captain the side and it has paid dividends. Jadeja, who led the batting averages for Rajasthan this season with a run tally of 493 -that includes four fifties and a hundred- once again, came up with a vital contribution yesterday. Doru chose the right moment to chip in with his second fifty of this season and the duo stretched the first-innings lead.Pankaj Singh continued with his good first innings performance (4 for 26) with a three-wicket haul in the second to push Orissa on the back foot. Only S Sehgal put up a semblance of fight, facing 100 balls for his 34. Orissa, who led their group in the league stage with 18 points, are now looking down and almost out and barring a minor miracle Jadeja-led Rajasthan will head towards the final.
India have agreed to play an additional one-day international when they tour Pakistan early next year. They were scheduled to play five according to the original itinerary, but an extra match has been added as a response to Pakistan’s gesture of playing six one-dayers on their current tour.Both the boards had reached a settlement when the Test originally scheduled for Ahmedabad was shifted to Kolkata due to security reasons expressed by the Pakistan board, and Ahmedabad was instead granted a one-day international. “We’ve agreed to play the additional match under a reciprocal agreement according to which when India tours Pakistan early next year they’ll also play six one-day internationals along with three Tests,” a PCB official was quoted as saying in , a Pakistan daily.According to the ICC rules, teams generally charge a fee of over US$25,000 for playing an out-of-schedule one-dayer. However, the PCB has agreed to waive those charges. “We are not taking any fees for playing the sixth one-day international next month,” the PCB official said.
There’s a hole in the Indian batting order, and it’s at the top. Since Sunil Gavaskar’s retirement in 1986-87, 26 different players and 41 opening combinations have failed to yield the answer to the most contentious question facing Indian cricket: who will square up against the new ball in Australia. Plenty of openers have already paraded their ware, without distinction, it may be added, in the season openers. National selectors have lined up a few more for the two tour games against New Zealand. Wisden CricInfo caught up with two from the long list who are likely to get their first chance of the season.Akash Chopra, Delhi Chopra, 26, has been a mainstay of the Delhi Ranji team for the last five seasons, and an outstanding performer in India’s A tours to Sri Lanka and the West Indies. An injury kept him out of the Challenger Trophy, but now he gets two chances to display his talent before the first Test against New Zealand. Being picked for both the tour games against New Zealand is a pleasant surprise. I know the opener’s slot is still up for grabs. Now my priority will be to take it game by game. Over the years I have added a few shots under my belt. Naturally, I am a patient batsman and have the temperament to stick around for long at the wicket. But after adding a few more strokes, I have tried to increase the pace of my scoring and this helped me a lot during the India A tours of Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the last couple of seasons.If it was not for the injury (he tore the anterior cruciate ligament on his right knee while playing a game of football three weeks before Delhi’s semifinals against Tamil Nadu) I would have played the Challenger Trophy too. I had attended the camps at the NCA in Bangalore in the tune-up to the Challenger, and Andrew [Leipus] was a bit apprehensive about the total recovery from the injury and thought a couple of weeks more would heal it completely. At the NCA, Leipus and King put me on to additional two-and-a-half hour training to analyse my recovery. But more importantly, John Wright told me at the camp that he had been following my game and felt that I was almost there. It has strengthened my self belief.Interviewed by Nagraj GollapudiDeep Dasgupta, West Bengal Deep Dasgupta, 26, has been both saviour and villain in his eight-match Test career. Asked to open the batting when nobody else wanted the job in bouncy South Africa, his obduracy was instrumental in securing India a draw in the second Test. In his next Test, against England at Mohali, Dasgupta eked out a vital century on the first day. Obscuring that, however, has been some blatantly inept wicketkeeping performances, for which he has been shown no empathy. Now, the spotlight will be on him after more than a year which he spent honing, in particular, his work behind the stumps.Even though I didn’t get picked for the Challengers and Irani Trophy, this selection hasn’t come as a big surprise. I had heard some talk that I might get picked, and also read some newspaper reports which hinted it. Given the bouncy pitches in Australia, I got the feeling that they might be looking for a keeper who could bat. This game is a big opportunity for me.My last season was mixed. I perhaps didn’t perform as well with the bat as I could have, but I also got some very poor umpiring decisions. I think my keeping has definitely come along. I spent the summer in England, playing for Norwich Cricket Club, and standing up to swing bowlers in helpful conditions was good learning.Opening the batting in those conditions was also an experience. There are four openers (including myself) in this India A team, so I’m not sure where in the order I will bat. For Bengal last season, I batted both at the top and in the middle. I enjoy batting for long periods generally, and I’d be delighted to open for India again.Interviewed by Rahul Bhattacharya
Led by 19-year old opening batsman Arran Thompson, England Women completed an easy yet long drawn out six-wicket win against the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) XI at the Guru Nanak College Ground in Chennai. The lung-opener proved to be little more than a solid practice session out in the middle for the visitors. A low scoring affair on a slow wicket, the hosts managed just 137/9 in 50 overs, something that England knocked off in 46.1 overs.On winning the toss, WCAI XI skipper Sulakshana Naik elected to bat. Not soon after, she would have regretted the decision with her team struggling to put runs on the board. Gulshan, Sudharani and Arpita Patel made ducks while Reema Malhotra and Seema Bhomwick managed just 4 apiece. Opener Jaya Sharma held one end up with a spirited 30, the captain herself made 23 but it still appeared as though the end of the innings was nigh when the seventh wicket fell. With nothing to lose, Kamakshi (34) and Savita Nirala (11) threw the bat around with gay abandon, notching up a 33-run 8th wicket stand. On the back of this, the WCAI XI limped to 137/9 off 50 overs.Docked two overs for not bowling their overs in the allotted time, England needed to get going from the word go to ease the pressure. As it turned out, there was no pressure on the batsmen at any point, with the WCAI XI bowlers struggling to maintain a good line and length. Arran Thompson knuckled down to the task at hand and stroked her way to a patient unbeaten 65 (202 mins, 119 balls, 2 fours). Although run-outs accounted for two quick wickets in the middle of the innings, there were no hiccups in the England chase. Skipper Clare Connor was unbeaten on 13 when the match was completed.At the end of the day, it was not a match that generated tremendous excitement. Yet, the England women will be happy with the what they achieved – getting their tour off to a winning start.
Warwickshire kept up their bid for promotion from Division 2 of the NationalLeague by defeating Derbyshire by 45 runs on their own ground. They did sowith a comparatively modest total of 150-8 in 45 overs of struggle on a slowpitch in which their hosts were bowled out with 25 balls over.Dougie Brown ripped through the batting with three wickets in nine balls – Michael Di Venuto, one of his victims, is usually an aggressive batsman but took 17 overs over his 15 runs.Batting first Warwickshire, themselves, were in trouble against Kevin Dean,returning from a three-week lay-off with a groin injury,who dismissed threebatsmen in the first six overs. Dominic Ostler (27) and Brown (24) stemmedthe decline. The lowly total assumed a different aspect when Ed Giddinsbowled Luke Sutton with only three runs to Derbyshire’s credit.Dominic Cook was missed at first slip and slammed into the bowling of Welch until to be bowled by Giddins. Di Venuto and Steve Stubbings (21 from 52 balls) could not shake the grip the bowlers had secured. Off-spinner Simon Lacey, hurt in practice, was added to Derbyshire’s long list of injuries.
Rajasthan Royals legspinner Pravin Tambe, who has also played for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, has participated in a private T20 tournament in the USA alongside Mohammad Ashraful, who is currently serving a five-year ban imposed on him by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for his role in fixing during the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League.The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), the governing body for cricket for Tambe’s state team in India, said the player had not sought permission to participate in the tournament and it was unaware of his involvement. When contacted for a response, Tambe said he had been unaware that it was an official tournament and that he did not know of Ashraful’s involvement in it until he took the field for a game.Apart from Tambe, Bangladesh internationals Elias Sunny and Nadif Chowdhury, who are contracted first-class cricketers with the BCB, and other Bangladeshi players also played with Ashraful in a T20 tournament in the USA. The BCB, also unaware of their participation, said no permission had been requested and that it would conduct an inquiry into the matter.An ICC spokesperson said he would revert once he had more information, when asked whether the players had violated any code of conduct by playing alongside or against a banned player. Officials from the BCB and MCA also responded in a similar manner.The website of Laurel Hill Cricket, a T20 tournament in New Jersey, mentions Tambe and Royal Challengers Bangalore bowler Harshal Patel as attractions in the competition, though Patel has not participated in any of the games and has actually been playing a tournament in India during this time.Tambe, however, played with Ashraful for South Gujarat CC Jrs against Bulls on July 27. As Tambe does not have a BCCI contract, he had to obtain clearances from the MCA, but the association’s joint-secretary Dr PV Shetty confirmed Tambe had not sought a no-objection certificate. The BCCI did not reply to an email asking for a comment.Tambe told ESPNcricinfo that he had been in New York between July 23 and 31 to visit friends but had no idea that the cricket he was playing was a competitive tournament or that his name had featured on Laurel Hill Cricket website.”I had no idea it was an official tournament,” he said. “I had just gone there to visit my friends in the US for a week of holidays and I was enjoying. I did not even have a kit with me.”Tambe said he played a match for Holmdel CC on July 26 and his friends on the team said they were going to play a practice game the next day. He went along to play on July 27 and said that only when entering the field did he take notice of Ashraful’s presence.”I was told it was a practice match. When I went to the ground I realised it was Twenty20 match,” Tambe said. “Till I went into the ground and stood at my fielding position I had no clue that he [Ashraful] was also playing. Even my friends did not know. They were told that some other friend had got him.”When asked why he did not pull out from the match as soon as he spotted Ashraful, Tambe said he found himself in a helpless position. “I did not know he was also playing. And I just went there to play a simple game of cricket with my close friends. I told my friends and the organisers I would not like to play in any other game after the incident.”Tambe said that because he was not aware of it being an official tournament he did not ask the MCA for permission. He also said he had not been paid for his participation in the Laurel Hill Cricket tournament. At present, Tambe is in the UK playing for Rainford Cricket Club in the first division of the Liverpool District Cricket competition. He said he had been playing for Rainford for more than a decade and has the necessary clearances from the MCA to do so.While Tambe teaming up with Ashraful appears limited to one T20 match, Bangladesh cricketers Sunny, Chowdhury and Shaker Ahmed played several games with the banned cricketer, in tournaments in New Jersey and Michigan. Former Bangladesh international Tapash Baisya also played with Ashraful for a team called Bangladesh Tigers XI in a tournament that ended on August 2.In July, nine current and former Bangladesh cricketers took part in an unofficial indoor tournament in which Ashraful also played. The BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said the board would look into the matter because of the frequency of such events. “We have to look into the board’s guidelines exactly and then comment on it,” Chowdhury said. “Since it is happening frequently, we will look closely… We have to see the board’s anti-corruption rules and procedures before we can say anything about it.”When Ashraful was originally banned for eight years – it was later reduced to five with two years suspended – in June 2014, Justice Khademul Islam, the convener of the probe committee, had said: “He will not be able to take part in any authorised cricketing activities anywhere in the world.”Chowdhury said the ban on Ashraful was in tournaments under the jurisdiction of recognised cricket bodies. “The tournament or match you are referring is outside our jurisdiction,” he said. “Number two, the players within our first-class contract who have participated in an unauthorised cricket event without board’s permission, or without NOC, will be addressed in accordance with the board’s policy.”It won’t be right to comment whether it is disapproved cricket or not. What we understand is that this is not official cricket. Whether this is a neighborhood tournament, we have to find out.”Some of the other players who participated in the Michigan and Laurel Hill Cricket tournaments were Farveez Maharoof (Sri Lanka), Xavier Marshall (West Indies) and John Campbell (Jamaica); Fahad Babar, Akeem Dodson, Jasdeep Singh, Durale Forrest, George Adams and Muhammad Ghous (USA), Rizwan Cheema, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Navneet Dhaliwal, Satsimranjit Singh Dhindsa and Saad Bin Zafar (Canada).
To coin a classic phrase, Manchester United have made their top-four challenge a mountain out of a molehill.
The Red Devils are a far cry from the side that dominated so fiercely under the tutelage of a certain Sir Alex Ferguson but one particular signing could help steer them along the right path again.
What’s the word?
Man United have long been in the market for a holding midfield player and it would appear that won’t change heading into the summer.
That’s the word of transfer guru Fabriano Romano who commented on their transfer plans this summer.
Speaking to Hammers Chat, the Italian reporter said:
“He is top of the list for Man United since a long time. Man Utd dream of Declan Rice, they consider him the perfect player for their approach for the new season. Man United will sign a defensive midfield and Declan Rice is the player they want.”
Rice heading to United?
Acquiring the West Ham titan this summer would be a monumental sign of intent from the Red Devils.
First of all, it’s evidently clear that Ralf Rangnick’s midfield is not the greatest when it comes to complete overall quality. Secondly, with Paul Pogba seemingly destined to leave, bringing in Rice makes total sense.
The Irons gem could be freed from the shackles of the bubbles that surround the London Stadium in 2022 to offer whoever the new manager is at Old Trafford talents that very few reign more supreme in throughout the continent.
For instance, as per FB Ref, the England international ranks in the top 30% for every single passing metric barring key passes, expected assists and progressive passes.
However, what Rice makes up for in a lack of forwardness with his passing, he certainly makes up for when driving with the ball instead.
The West Ham bulldozer ranks in the top 6% in Europe’s top leagues for progressive carries per 90 (7.01) and in the top 2% for both total carrying distance and progressive carry distance per 90 (178.76).
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Also ranking in the top 5% in Europe for interceptions per 90 (2.76) and the best 5% again for a percentage of aerial duels won (65.3%) per 90 minutes, it’s clear to see that Rice would offer a great deal to United particularly when it comes to dribbling and doing the dirty work.
If a deal is there to be done, they simply have to swoop. It’s a deal, considering his qualities, that would leave supporters absolutely elated.
AND in other news, “Bad news..” – Fabrizio Romano update is worrying for Manchester United…
Australian lounge rooms are about to lose a piece of furniture with the staging of the final tri-series. For 29 years the tournament has been central to the country’s summer sport-watching, but over the past decade the concept faded, was patched up, and finally wore beyond repair. In 2008-09 the CB Series will be replaced by two head-to-head contests and Australia, India and Sri Lanka are the ideal teams to farewell the once revolutionary concept.The world champions, the World Cup finalists and the side that pushed Australia over four Tests during the past month will all fight for the piece of history. This was how it was meant to be in the beginning, when the big names dominated Kerry Packer’s idea, but as the event evolved the contests became one-sided, the tournaments were more drawn out and the winners were usually Australia. Only three times since 1993-94 have Australia not been successful, including last year against England.There may be danger lurking again. While India are fourth and Sri Lanka sixth on the ICC rankings, they are teams that have the star quality to threaten Australia. Sanath Jayasuriya often lifts mountains when Ricky Ponting’s men are in the way – although his tour has started in pain with a cut jaw against Tasmania – and Kumar Sangakkara performed outstandingly during the Test tour here in November. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag have similar successful attitudes when coming up against men in green.Both squads are also regenerating and the influx of youth will lift both the fielding and collective energy of the units, which are crucial aspects when trying to challenge Australia at home. The tournament opens with Australia facing India at the Gabba on Sunday in a re-match of Friday’s one-sided Twenty20 affair in Melbourne. Australia took the game in the 12th over and they want to build on the win.”At the Twenty20 it was a good start,” Ponting, who missed the match, said. “We wanted to set the tone for the entire tour there.”Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the India leader, tried to show he was not bothered by the size of the defeat. “It should be taken as a practice game,” he said. “If you think too much about the things that have happened I don’t think you will gain anything from it.”Australia have fitness worries over Ponting (lower back) and Matthew Hayden (right thigh) while India will be without Yuvraj Singh, who should be desperate to show his limited-overs class after his problems in the Test series. However, rain could be the biggest problem for all three teams – India play Sri Lanka here on Tuesday – and the forecast is for more wet weather throughout the week.Packs of fast bowlers might be the best options on a pitch that spent much of Saturday under the covers, but Australia will wait until Sunday morning to name their squad. Adam Voges is on standby for Ponting and Hayden while Ashley Noffke has come in for Stuart Clark, who remains in Sydney for personal reasons. Once calls have been made on the two injured players, Ponting will decide whether to go with an all-pace attack on a greenish pitch or use Brad Hogg, the specialist spinner.India’s problem is shoe-horning a bunch of young enthusiastic talent. They have brought a modern team to Australia and the selectors have shown that all-round skills are preferable to age. Ponting was surprised Sourav Ganguly missed the squad, but at some point hard-won reputations have to make way for regenerating teams.Despite the 2-1 series loss, India showed Australia have become less dominant in the Test arena and the hosts are intent on holding their edge in the one-day format. Ponting also wants to make up for the defeat to England last season.”For the first time in a long time we didn’t win the series,” he said. “We’ve got a bit of a repayment to do there.” Australia have one last chance to make the tri-series a pleasant memory rather than something that has provided lasting discomfort.Australia (probable) 1 Adam Gilchrist, 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Brad Haddin, 8 James Hopes, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Mitchell Johnson.India (probable) 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Robin Uthappa, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt, wk), 7 Suresh Raina, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Sreesanth, 11 Ishant Sharma.