Dhoni missed his top spot, Sehwag rises in ICC ODI rankings

Dubai: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost his number one spot, but opening batsman Virender Sehwag gained eight places to go back to the top-10 at eighth in the ICC ODI rankings issued on Sunday. India held on to the second spot in the team rankings in spite of losing the tri-series final to Sri Lanka last night.
Sri Lanka, sixth before the series, are just at the back of India, and in front of South Africa, who drop to fourth, when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
New Zealand drop to sixth from fourth as Australia, at the top, and England, in fifth spot, stay unchanged. In person rankings, Tillakaratne Dilshan broke into the top five of the batting chart. Dilshan's match-winning attempt of 110 in the final against India last night was sufficient to earn him a three-place boost in the rankings and he now sits in fourth position, level with Hashim Amla of South Africa.
Amla's team-mate AB de Villiers has benefited from Dhoni's slip with the 26-year-old from Pretoria taking over at the top of the rankings. The other main mover upwards in the top 10 is Sehwag, who was confirmed Man-of-the-Series in Sri Lanka.
The hard-hitting opener was the series' top-scorer with 268 at an average of 67 and that attempt has moved him up eight places on the rankings to eighth place. Sachin Tendulkar, who was rested as of the tri-series, lost four places and now sits in 10th position.
A player loses half a per cent of his ranking for every ODI he misses. In the list for bowlers, India pacer Praveen Kumar has gained five places to smash into the top 10 for the first time in his career.The 23-year-old took nine wickets in the Sri Lanka tri-series at an usual of 23.66 and now sits in 10th position in the ranking, level with Pakistan's Shahid Afridi.

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Sehwag takes solution Sri Lanka scalps

Third Test, Colombo (P Sara Oval):Virender Sehwag took two wickets early to put Sri Lanka under force in their second innings as India look for level the series in the third Test.
After India were dismissed for 436, Sri Lankan opener Tharanga Paranavitana could only make 16 before stitching Sehwag to wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni. Murali Vijay snared a catch from Tillakaratne Dilshan (13) off Sehwag (109), who had top-scored for India.
The tests have a 1-0 series lead after a 10-wicket win in the first Test.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA 425 & 45-2 

INDIA          436

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Lewis Hamilton thrilled by five-way battle for F1 title

 

Lewis Hamilton says he is keyed up by the intense competition for the Formula 1 drivers' championship - with five men in conflict to win the title.

The top five drivers are divided by 20 points going into the summer break with Red Bull's Mark Webber in top spot after he won the Hungarian Grand Prix.
McLaren's Hamilton told his website: "We'll take up again as if it's the start of the year, with everything to play for.
"None of the top three teams are really behind on points. That's thrilling!"
With seven races to go, Hamilton has 157 points, four points behind Webber, even as Webber's team-mate Sebastein Vettel is third on 151 points, McLaren's Jenson Button is fourth on 147 and Ferrari's fifth-placed driver Fernando Alonso is on 141 points.

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shining Sehwag leads Indian response

Third Test,P Sara Oval: Virender Sehwag led an violent Indian response to Sri Lanka's demanding score on a competitive pitch on the second day at the P Sara Oval. Thilan Samaraweera let down India's quest for early wickets with an certain century amid testing spells from Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha, but Sehwag's counter-attack, with some luck, helped the visitors even things out. The signs were encouraging for Sri Lanka at the start of the Indian innings with the seamers finding sway while their opponents had produced virtually none. Lasith Malinga targeted the blockhole and hurled a couple of sharp bouncers, while Chanaka Welegedara got the ball to flit in. But the helpful conditions did not produce the restlessness Sri Lanka would have hoped from the Indian openers, as Sehwag settled in with three consecutive boundaries - through point, mid-on and over midwicket - off Welegedera, who had dismissed him twice in the Galle Test.

First Innings:

Sri Lanka 425 (Samaraweera 137, Sangakkara 75)

India 180 for 2 (Sehwag 97*, Tendulkar 40*)

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Cricket: Tendulkar rest to break record

Sachin Tendulkar is set to become the most capped test cricketer while India plays Sri Lanka in the third and final match.
The 37-year-old batting huge, who is the most creative run getter in both tests and one-day internationals and who has the most number of centuries in both versions, will exceed former Australia captain Steve Waugh when he plays his 169th test.
"It has been a very long journey. The 169th test. I still remember the first test match that I played against Pakistan," Tendulkar said today. "Very happy that I have had the freedom of such a long journey at international level and this was my dream. To play for India was my dream and getting to play 169 test matches is unbelievable."

TEST APPEARANCES - ALL TIME LEADERS

168 - Sachin Tendulkar (India)
168 - Steve Waugh (Australia)
156 - Allan Border (Australia)
146 - Ricky Ponting (Australia)
145 - Shane Warne (Australia)
141 - Rahul Dravid (India)
140 - Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
134 - Mark Boucher (South Africa)

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Andrew Flintoff lined out for rest of the spell by Lancashire

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff leftovers hopeful of making his long-awaited comeback from injury but has not set himself a timescale after his domestic season was ended in advance without him playing a match.
The 32-year-old has not played since the the final Ashes Test nearly a year ago, after which he underwent two operations on his right knee and his comeback for Lancashire 2nd XI this week was aborted as a defensive measure.
His province have ruled him out for the remainder of the domestic season - which in reality is only six weeks - in order for him to continue treatment work.This latest delay also rules him out of next month's Twenty20 Champions Trophy in South Africa where he was due to play for Chennai Super Kings.

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Galle 2nd Test: Sangakkara & Paranavitana take SL as control

Captain Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga Paranavitana struck their second successive centuries as Sri Lanka took firm control of the second cricket Test against India in Colombo on Monday. Sangakkara (130 not out) notched up his 23rd Test century while Paranavitana (100) scored his second ton as the Lankan batsmen piled up the agony on a listless India by reaching a commanding 312 for two at close on the opening day.

The Indians, who desperately need to win the match to level the three-match series and retain their number one position, put up a rather pathetic bowling display to allow the hosts to get off to a flying start. Mahela Jayawardene (13) was giving Sangakkara company at stumps as the hosts dominated on a very good batting track at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.

Electing to bat, the two Lankan openers Tillakaratne Dilshan (54) and Paranavitana provided a rollicking start to the innings, capitalising on some wayward and insipid bowling by the Indians.The depleted Indian bowling attack, badly missing the services of pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, just did not ball in the right areas to pose much problems for the hosts who scored at a brisk pace right through the day.

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muralitharan made unbeatable history

GALLE: One of the best but most hot spinners of his generation, Sri Lankan veteran Muttiah Muralitharan bid an emotional goodbye to his 18-year-old Test career on Thursday with an extraordinary tally of 800 wickets.

The 38-year-old bowler got the wonderful send off by guiding the Lankans to a 10-wicket victory over India in a match where he firmly etched his name in the pages of cricketing history by taking the required eight wickets to reach the 800-wicket mark.

Carrier Statistics:

• ODI Debut: vs India, On Aug 12, 1993
• Last ODI played: vs India, On Jun 24, 2010 at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Sri Lanka
• Test Debut: vs Australia, On Aug 28, 1992 at
• Last Test played: vs India, On Dec 2, 2009 at
• T20 Debut: vs New Zealand, On Dec 22, 2006 at
• Last T20 played: vs West Indies, On May 7, 2010 at Kensington Oval, West Indies
• Last IPL played: vs Mumbai Indians, On Apr 22, 2010 M at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, India

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India look up to Dhoni, Laxman to save the match

Galle 1st test,Day 4: India were faced with a scary task of saving the first Test after spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan scalped six wickets in his last match to put Sri Lanka within sniffing space of a victory on Wednesday. Muralitharan claimed of 5/63 in the first innings and extra another wicket in the second to be just two short of the 800-mark as India were skittled out for 276 in their first innings in reply to the home team's total of 520/8 declared. Asked to follow on, the Indians were stressed at 181/5 at close on an exciting last but one day, still needing 63 runs to avoid the shame of an innings beat.

The visitors lost Gautam Gambhir (0) and first innings centurion Virender Sehwag (31) early on but the practiced duo of Rahul Dravid (44) and Sachin Tendulkar (84) steadied the innings to some amount with a 119-run partnership. India are hopeful that skipper MS Dhoni and VVS Laxman would bat long sufficient and heavens would do them a favour by opening up at the final day to save the first Test. The Opener Virender Sehwag, only Indian to score a century in this Test so far, said both Dhoni and Laxman can still spoil Sri Lanka's party. India, who finished the day at 181 for five, are still trailing by 63 runs and need to live three sessions tomorrow to save the opening match of the three-Test series.

SL: 520/8 in 124 ov
Ind: 276/10 in 65 ov & 181/5 in 59.3 ov

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Overnight rains delays second day's start at Galle

An overnight rain delayed to start of the second day first cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka here today. Heavy rains lashed Galle last night and made the entire ground outfield wet, which was more than enough for a delayed start for the second day.Even though there were no rains in the morning, wet outfield forced the covers to stay on at the Galle Stadium and according to the curator Jayananda Warnaweera, play can begin only after lunch. The opening day's play on Sunday was also delayed by 30 minutes due to wet ground.

The opening day's play in which only 68 overs were bowled, Sri Lanka were in a comfortable position at 256/2 with Tharanga Paranavitana unbeaten on 110 and Captain Kumar Sangakkara (103. In India bowlers anle to taken Abhimanyu Mithun (1/41) and Virender Sehwag (1/23) managing wickets.

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Salman Butt named as a new Pakistan Test captain

Salman Butt has been named Pakistan's new Test captain for the remaining 4 Test matches against England after Shahid Afridi ruled himself out for the Headingley game citing a side strain. Afridi said, I worked out in the gym in the morning and I don't feel comfortable at all and I will not play the next Test. Salman Butt will take over as Pakistan captain after Shahid Afridi's retirement from Test cricket.Kamran Akmal will be selected a new vice captain. Afridi announced his decision on Friday, after Pakistan's 150-run loss to Australia at Lord's.

He will be lead the side in the second Test against Australia in Leeds and the following four Tests against England.

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