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Indian bowlers would find it more difficult than the batsmen to make the switch from the longest to the shortest format of the game, according to Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“It’s (switch) difficult. But if you see we had been scoring at five-an-over in the last Test we played (at Mumbai). I don’t think it would be too difficult for some of the batsmen, especially Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir,” Dhoni said ahead of the first Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka.

“They actually bat in the same way. Just that they are a bit over-aggressive in T20 format, you can say,” he said

Though the bowlers need to roll their arm for only four overs, an enormous effort is involved to do so in the T20 format as the batsmen would go after them from ball one, especially on Indian pitches, he said.

“Most of our players are positive players, looking for strokes and runs. I don’t think you need to change your game too much. Of course a few others need to change according to the requirements.”

“Considering we are playing in India, it would be a bit different for the bowlers, as the batsmen would go after them from the very first ball. It looks to be a small game, just four overs, but the amount of effort that’s needed, that’s what it is all about” he explained.

Dhoni said his team will look to win both the T20 matches.

“We will try our best, it’s a very different format. We have to be up to the mark in everything. It’s important to be right on target. We will try and win both the two T20 games (against Lanka),” he said.

The second match is at Mohali on December 12.

Dhoni hoped to keep it a 100 per cent win record for India at this new venue after having won the Test against Australia last year and again the ODI against the same opponents two months ago.

“We hope to have a 100 per cent strike rate at Nagpur. It will be good for Nagpur and India,” he quipped.

Dhoni felt the wicket looked to be good for stroke playing but also cautioned the quick manner in which things fall apart for a batting side when they are on the look-out for quick runs in T20 games.

“Looks like a good track. It’s a late evening start. We may see dew come into effect. But by the time dew comes in the game may be over. It won’t be that big a factor.”

“Overall it will be good for batting, but in T20 its very tough to predict. All of a sudden you look to go aggressive and lose quite a few wickets at quick intervals and you are not able to get big runs”, he pointed out.

Dhoni said that the two newcomers in the Indian team, Ashok Dinda of Bengal and R Ashwin of Tamil Nadu are bound to benefit by having a close look at what an international game is about by sharing the dressing room.

The spate of low scores at the Feroz Shah Kotla continued on Monday with the Cape Cobras collapsing in their chase of 115 to lose by 30 runs, in the bargain posting the tournament’s lowest total. The good news for them, though, was that they finished second in League B and will play their semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago in Hyderabad, avoiding the dodgy Kotla pitch. There was good news for Delhi Daredevils, too – they were already out of the tournament but ended on a high and gave their fans something to cheer.

With the pitch behaving as expected – the ball coming on slowly and the bounce uneven – bowlers from both teams stuck to a plan similar to that adopted by other teams here. While pace helped Cobras restrict Delhi’s batsmen, the home team relied on their spinners to turn the tide and pick up the big wickets – Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy and Justin Ontong. Gautam Gambhir, aware of the tricky pitch, opted to open the bowling with Tillakaratne Dilshan and the turn was evident in his second delivery as he trapped Gibbs in front to one that shot in from outside off. Duminy, charged with the responsibility of guiding the innings after Henry Davids’ departure, was castled by Amit Mishra to one that kept extremely low, and Ontong was bowled through the gate, deceived by Dilshan’s flight.

Strangely enough, though, the flow of each innings was altered by run-outs that prevented a par score on this track. Dinesh Karthik’s attacking 23 was ended by an all-too-familiar blunder by his partner Owais Shah, while Henry Davids’ dismissal off a direct hit from Pradeep Sangwan at short third man – after putting on an aggressive 27 with Duminy – proved decisive in getting Delhi back in the game.

Meanwhile, Dirk Nannes went about his job with typical efficiency; having uprooted Andrew Puttick’s off stump in his second over, he delivered immediately on return for his second spell. Ryan Canning was bowled while attempting a pull and Claude Henderson failed to dig one out of the blockhole. At 78 for 8, there was only one result possible and Yogesh Nagar made swift work of the tail.

Delhi’s score was boosted by Shah, who made amends for Karthik’s dismissal with some aggression at the death. He broke a 10-over boundary drought with a six over long-on off Ontong, and helped snatch 35 off the last four overs to give his bowlers something of a target.

Karthik had launched a counter-attack after the Cobras seamers – who kept a tight line and offered little width – had reined in Delhi by dismissing the openers. After seeing off three overs amid the pressure of a declining run-rate, he stepped up to dispatch Kleinveldt for three consecutive fours. Each delivery varied in length but Karthik adapted brilliantly; a short one was pulled over midwicket, a good-length delivery was driven on the up and a slower ball bowled full was clattered over extra cover. His dismissal pegged back Delhi further, but Shah’s surge towards the end of the innings took them to what turned out to be a match-winning total.

While the Hyderabad semi-final between T&T and Cobras promises to be a high-scoring one, the two Australian teams, Victoria and New South Wales, will be wary of what is likely to be on offer in Delhi, with the pitch spoiling a game designed for big hits.

Blow for India as injury rules Yuvraj Singh out of Champions Trophy

• Vice-captain breaks finger in fielding practice
• Joins Sehwag and Gambhir on India’s casulty list

India have been dealt a blow after it was confirmed that their vice-captain Yuvraj Singh has had to withdraw from the Champions Trophy after breaking a finger during fielding practice on Wednesday.

He will be out for six weeks because of the injury to his right hand, and will be replaced in the squad by Virat Kohli.

Yuvraj is the third Indian players to have sustained an injury in the run-up to India’s participation in the Champions Trophy – which begins against Pakistan on Saturday – following the withdrawal of Virender Sehwag [shoulder] and fellow opener Gautam Gambhir [groin].

Gambhir did not play in the practice match against New Zealand, while Sehwag did not make the trip to South Africa.

Virender Sehwags outburst against the Delhi District & Cricket Association (DDCA) has not only split the cricket body down the middle, it has also created a huge divide between the players and the administrators .
On Tuesday, several senior Delhi cricketers, including his Team India opening partner Gautam Gambhir, came out in solidarity with Viru, saying that his threat to leave Delhi for Haryana over nepotism in selection procedure was justified.
Yes, DDCA needs to be more transparent. They need to clean up the system and I am with Sehwag on this issue, Gambhir told TOI on Tuesday. Delhi pacers Ashish Nehra and Ishant Sharma have also reportedly supported Sehwag. They made it clear that they would not hesitate to shift base to other states if things did not improve in Delhi and transparency in the selection process was not brought in.
Several members of the Delhi Ranji team agreed with Sehwags stand against DDCAs selection policies. We are all okay with what he has done. I think everyone agrees with Sehwags point of view, a senior Delhi cricketer who did not wish to be named said.
And are they willing to join Viru if he finally decides to quit If need be, yes, said the cricketer . Sehwag, meanwhile, was not willing to back out despite the sports committees rigid stance that it was willing to give an NOC to Sehwag if he so wished. More (players) will come out (in support), Sehwag told reporters in Bangalore, where he is undergoing a training-cum-rehab programme at the National Cricket Academy.
Meanwhile, DDCA vice-president and chairman of the Delhi selection committee Chetan Chauhan conceded once again on Tuesday that there were certain problems in team selection at all levels, which needed to be addressed. However, he insisted that Sehwag needs to sit with us before talking any decision .
Misunderstanding happens everywhere, but if we can sit and talk and solve the issue, it will be good for Delhi cricket. We want Sehwag to play for Delhi and we will try our best to keep him here. There is no doubt about it, Chauhan said.
Delhi has a lot of influential people who do put some pressure on selectors to choose their wards. There are problems which need to be sorted out, he said. Chauhan also pointed out that all was not wrong with the DDCAs selection policy. We have four cricketers from Delhi who play for India. We have the best cricket structure in the country, he points.

After two years, Rahul Dravid is back in Indias Oneday team. The selectors wanted him back for the Champions Trophy in South Africa, so did the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) mandarins . Even if there was a hint of opposition from the team management , by 1 pm on Sunday it was evident that Dravid would once again take guard for India in ODIs.
If BCCIs backing was one of the reasons, the non-availability of Virender Sehwag for the Sri Lanka tri-series and the Champions Trophy also paved the way for the exskippers comeback. Even if there was a whiff of a chance of Sehwag getting fit for the Champions Trophy, the selectors made it clear that they would go for the same squad for both the Sri Lanka tri-series and the Champions Trophy.
There was a grey area about Sehwags fitness for the Champions Trophy and no one was inclined to take a chance, a well-placed source pointed out, adding that the basic idea was to ensure that the team didnt go to South Africa underprepared.
It was middle-order solidity the selectors were looking for and Dravid fitted the bill perfectly. Even though Rohit Sharmas name came up for some serious consideration (courtesy Dhoni), Srikkanth & Co felt that the Mumbai batsman was woefully out of form.
Our batting looked suspect during the T20 World Cup and the West Indies series. So we thought Dravid was the right man to add some spunk to the lineup, especially on the fast and bouncy tracks of South Africa, the source said, adding there were India A trips coming up to enable Rohit to rediscover form.
But wasnt Dravids recall a retrogade step Its a matter of horses-forcourses when it comes to a tournament like the Champions Trophy and we have done precisely that, a selector said, echoing chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanths words that this is the best team we could have sent .
But one selection that raised a few eyebrows was that of Amit Mishra ahead of Pragyan Ojha. Even though he had made his ODI debut way back in 2003, the leggie is considered more of a Test bowler. However, the selection committee insisted that Mishra was brilliant in the Emerging Players tournament in Australia and that he should get his chance in ODIs. Not that they are too displeased with Ojha, but the five wise men felt that the wrist-spinners experience would come in handy.
With Zaheer (Khan) and (Virender ) Sehwag not there, were short of two genuine matchwinners. Basically, we were looking at more impact players , the selector added. Mishra, along with Harbhajan Singh, will be the two spinners while RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra and Praveen Kumar fill the pacers slot.
Its understood that Munaf Patels name was also discussed, but Praveen got the nod because of his fielder.
Abhishek Nayar is the only allrounder in the squad while wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik will be considered as the third opener in case of a crisis. He did the job successfully in the West Indies and is a multi-utility cricketer, a selector added.

SQUAD:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wicketkepper ), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir , Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh (vice-capt ), Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Amit Mishra, Dinesh Karthik, Praveen Kumar, Abhishek Nayar.

Gautam Gambhir’s stay at the top of the ICC Test batsmen ranking lasted just 10 days as Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara grabbed the
coveted position from the Indian opener on Saturday.

Gambhir had replaced Pakistani run-machine Mohammad Yousuf as the number one Test batsmen on July 15 but Sangakkara’s match-saving 130 run innings in the third Test against Pakistan propelled him to the top.

By virtue of his performance in the third and final Test against Pakistan, the 31-year-old Sri Lankan wicket-keeper gained two places to secure the number one position with 862 points while Gambhir followed him with 847 points.

Apart from Gambhir, no other Indian finds a place in the top-10 chart and the next in the list is Sachin Tendulakar, who dropped a place to find himself in the 15th spot.

Among Indian bowlers, Harbhajan Singh has dropped a spot to the sixth while Zaheer Khan gained one rung to be ninth.

South African Dale Steyn leads the bowlers chart, followed by Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson.

Meanwhile, there was no change in the top-five of the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with South African Jacques Kallis still leading the pack, followed by Johnson and New Zealand captain Daniel

The 30-member Indian pre-squad for the Champions Trophy has been announced and there have been a couple of surprises in the same. Rahul Dravid, who has not played a single ODI since October 2007 makes a reappearance while all-rounder Irfan Pathan is conspicuous by his absence.

Dravid had been out of the selection radar ever since the former chief selector, Dilip Vengsarkar had dropped him from the ODI squad in 2007 after he had had a rather low-scoring series against the Aussies.

Also in the squad is the presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Suresh Raina, and Munaf Patel, all of whom had been left out of the team to West Indies due to various reasons.

Some of the other players include Abhishek Nayar, M Vijay, S Badrinath, Ashish Nehra, and Ravindra Jadeja, who were also a part of the team to the West Indies, and some others like R Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh.

Irfan Pathan’s bad run of form means that he will need to get back his swing that he seemed to have lost after the initial burst which had seen him become only the second Indian to bag a hat-trick in a test match.

S.Sreesanth also loses out due to his troublesome back which has seen him being out of the squad ever since the previous year’s IPL.

30-member squad: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, M Vijay, Amit Mishra, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, S Badrinath, Ashish Nehra, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh.

The last one year has been all about Gautam Gambhir proving everyone wrong. TOI checks the rise and rise of the gutsy Indian opener, after the early bumps…

THE EARLY YEARS

From the time he made his Test debut, at Mumbai against Australia in 2004, Gambhir didnt look like he could translate his domestic highs on the international stage. He was in and out of the squad until the Lankan tour last July. 2004-July 2008: 14 Tests, Runs: 692, Avg: 32.95, 100s: 1 July 2008-April 2009: 11 Tests, Runs: 1579, Avg: 75.19, 100s: 5

IN SRI LANKA, JULY 2008

3 Tests, 6 innings, 310 runs, 3 50s, HS: 74, Avg: 51.66

IMPACT ON THE SERIES:

Along with Sehwag , Gambhir was the only batsman to come out with flying colours. Both were in cracking form, but couldnt help India from losing the series 1-2 . Gambhir finally showed he belonged at this level.

QUALITY OF THE ATTACK:

Spin twins Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, destroyed India. Except Sehwag and Gambhir no batsman was able to handle the duo, particularly Mendis, whose unpredictabilty left Indias Fab Four in a spin.

AGAINST AUSTRALIA AT HOME, OCT-NOV 2008

3 Tests, 6 innings, 463 runs, 1 50, 2 100s, HS: 206, Avg: 77.16

IMPACT ON THE SERIES:

This series saw Gambhir coming into his own. The Australians struggled to get the Delhi left-handers number throughout their Indian sojourn. Strokes flowed freely from the 27-year-olds blade, with a 206 at Delhi being the standout knock. Gambhirs batting display was a factor in India pocketing the home series 2-0 .

QUALITY OF THE ATTACK:

The Aussies had a more-than-decent pace attack in Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson and Peter Siddle. Cameron White and off-spinner Jason Krejza manned the spin department. Though Krejza enjoyed a dream debut at Nagpur, taking 12 wickets, he didnt have to bowl to Gambhir!

AGAINST ENGLAND AT HOME, DECEMBER 2008

2 Tests, 4 innings, 361 runs, 2 50s, 1 100s, HS: 179, Avg: 90.25

IMPACT ON THE SERIES:

If his 67 in Indias fabulous fourth-innings chase at Chennai was valuable, the second Test saw Gambhir conjure up scores of 179 and 97 in a drawn affair. India won 1-0 and once again Gambhir had essayed a central role.

QUALITY OF THE ATTACK:

Slightly better than the Aussies. Pacer Steve Harmison flopped, but Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson were difficult to negotiate . The spin attack was respectable, with Monty Pa n e s a r and Graeme Swann not that easy to get away.

IN NEW ZEALAND, MARCH-APRIL 2009

3 Tests, 6 innings, 445 runs, 1 50, 2 100s, HS: 167, Avg: 89

IMPACT ON THE SERIES:

Cynics may have predicted his end on the seaming wickets and cold conditions of New Zealand, but the Delhi lad pleasantly surprised everyone. It was perhaps one of the finest performances by an Indian outside the subcontinent. The most amazing effort came at Napier, a solid 137 in 643 minutes, that saved the Test. This was followed by a free-flowing 167 at Wellington. The Gambhir Wagon wheel was thus complete.

QUALITY OF THE ATTACK:

The only bowler who could have caused any concern was New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, but the slow left-armer was dealt with easily. The rest of the pack Tim Southee, Chris Martin, James Franklin and Ian OBrien was anything but lethal.