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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.

Sachin Tendulkar and Vangipurappu Laxman struck half centuries as India continued to torment Sri Lanka in the third and final test on Friday after Virender Sehwag fell seven runs short of a record-breaking third triple century.

Sehwag resumed on his overnight score of 284 but was caught and bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan for 293, before Tendulkar (53) and Laxman (62) helped India carve out a commanding first innings lead of 236 by tea on the third day.

Sri Lanka struck back by claiming four wickets after lunch before skipper Mahendra Dhoni (21) and Zaheer Khan (3) guided India to 629 for seven in their pursuit of a victory that would secure their spot at the top of the test rankings.
Starting the day on 443-1 in reply to Sri Lanka’s first-innings 393, India lost Sehwag in the fourth over, much to the disappointment of an expectant and packed Brabourne Stadium.

Left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara struck in his first over of the day when he had overnight batsman Rahul Dravid caught behind for 74 to briefly raise Sri Lankan hopes of a revival.
However, Laxman, who hit eight fours, and Tendulkar shared in a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket to pile on the agony before Nuwan Kulasekara broke the stand after lunch when Tendulkar played on to the stumps.

Muralitharan, playing in his last overseas test, had Laxman caught at mid-on before Rangana Herath forced a chancy Yuvraj Singh to be caught at mid off for 23.
Muralitharan then bowled Harbhajan Singh, who bottom edged a reserve sweep onto the stumps, for one before Dhoni and Zaheer guided the hosts to the break.

Sehwag, only the third batsman to score two triple centuries after Australia’s Don Bradman and West Indian Brian Lara, had shared in double century stands with opener Murali Vijay (87) and Dravid on the second day to put India in command.
India hold a 1-0 after they won the second test by an innings and 144 runs. The first test ended in a draw.

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.

Virender Sehwags attack on Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has once again exposed the infighting within the sports body with officials speaking in different voices.
A senior, powerful functionary in the DDCA told, Sehwags cousin (Mayank Tehlan) was not in form so was dropped. Sehwag wants him back but to accommodate him, well have to drop either Shikhar Dhawan or Virat Kohli (both middle-order batsmen with India aspirations) and we cant do that.
Reacting to the allegation, Sehwag told TOI from Bangalore, This (charge) is totally false. I have never asked anyone to pick any of my brothers or cousins in any team. Just ask Chetan Chauhan because he was the chairman of the selection committee if Viru has ever asked for any of his cousins to be selected.
Chauhan, also the vice-president of the executive committee and a former India opener, backed Sehwags claims, saying , It is a wake-up call for Delhi cricket and I am glad Sehwag has made a bold move by speaking out against corruption.
TOI has learnt that Sehwag did talk with Jaitley on Monday and the conversation was understood to be cordial. According to sources, Jaitley didnt precipitate matters and appealed for calm. Jaitley , in fact, was of the view that he had been trying to reconstitute the various selection committees for three years and it was high time Delhi cricket acquired a clean image.
The sports committee, though, reacted aggressively to Sehwags claims, accusing the batsman of pushing his own agendas instead during selection meetings. A member of the committee told TOI: Sehwags pressure tactics will not work here. He has been playing for Delhi for 11 years and now he chooses to speak out Everyone knows he was upset at a family relation being dropped from the Ranji team.
Sports secretary Sunil Dev said: Since when is it Sehwags job to select teams The sons of some sports committee members have been playing for years, and some of them are talented. Why speak up now It is just an empty threat. He is welcome to take a no-objection certificate anytime and go to Haryana.
Jaitley, it is understood, is tentatively slated to meet Sehwag and executive committee members on Aug 27 to discuss the issue. There is no way we can let Sehwag go to Haryana. Everyone know what has been happening, how the selectors feel, and how some quota slots in the junior or senior teams are always earmarked for sons of powerful people, an official said, adding: The sports committees wings need to be clipped. It is a monster which has gone out of control. Most of their sons who are playing in agegroup or Ranji teams dont deserve to be there at all.
The sports committee has for long been under attack from both within and outside the organization for blatant disregard of norms. Sehwag isnt the first to consider moving out, either: A slew of players have left the state in the past after being disillusioned with the selection system. Some notable ex-players hired as coaches or managers too quit after being hemmed in by the demands of powerful elements. Sadly, though, the DDCA continues to remain a cesspool of vested interests. 

The icon status of Indias most cher ished cricketers will soon come to an end. From 2010 onwards, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh, who enjoyed this special status the inaugural two seasons, will be like any oth er player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) In the original plan itself, icon status was only for two years. That time IPL was a new concept and we wanted to build a strong base for teams. But it is not mandatory to keep these players after the next season, IPL commis sioner Lalit Modi said here on Tuesday. They can be traded or other teams can bid for them in the fresh auctions after the 2010 season. They will not be icon players anymore, he added.
Abolishing the icons tag would mean that these players no more stand to earn 15% more than the highest-earning player from his fran chise. The fees will be at the discretion of the franchise. This was among the many decisions taken during the IPL governing council meet ing held in Mumbai on Tuesday.
It also decided to add four new venues the IPL tournament, Nagpur, Ahmedabad Dharamsala and Vishakapatnam, which will act as home venues for Mumbai Indians, Team Jaipur, Kings XI and Team Hyderabad re spectively. The franchisees can decide the num ber of matches at these venues. IPL season will be played from March 12-April 25, for which the schedule has already been charted out.
The opening match will be between Team Hyderabad and Knight Riders in Hyderabad while the total number of matches has been increased from 59 to 60, to include a third place play-off after the two semifinals. The schedule has been prepared eight months in advance to help franchisees and sponsors get ready in time for the event, Modi said.
The IPL has also brought a change in strategy (time-out ) breaks that were introduced in 2009. Instead of a seven-and-half minute break per innings (which equals to 15 minutes per game), there will now be two twoand-half minute breaks per innings (equaling to 10 minutes per game). The first break will be called by the bowling captain between the sixth and the tenth over while second by the batsman at the crease between the 11th and 15th over.The IPL has also decided to tweak the NOC rule a bit to deal with players not signing their board contracts in time and missing out on FTP commitments.

Trust the BCCI to remain silent just when you want it to speak up. The boards silence on crucial matters and its unprofessional handling of injury-related issues has again been highlighted by Zaheer Khans surgery in South Africa.
Zaheer injured his shoulder during the IPL, yet was selected for the World T20 in England. There was no subsequent update on the injury status. The tournament at best only aggravated the players problems and he was dropped for the four-match One-day series in the West Indies. Why was better care not taken to help Zaheer, the most crucial cog in Indias bowling wheel
Ever since the left-arm seamer fell on his shoulder playing for the Mumbai Indians in a game against Royal Challengers in May, the board has been silent. When we receive an update, well inform the media, is the usual line parroted by board officials. Well, heres the update: The bowlers shoulder has been operated upon and he is expected to be out of competitive cricket for the rest of 2009. Yet, there was no official word till late on Thursday night.
BCCIs official physiotherapist Nitin Patel had been monitoring Zaheer all the while and theres no word from him either. It is learnt that the physiotherapist has been asked to maintain silence on the issue till the BCCI deems it perfect to release the news. Even Mumbai Indians officials have no clue about Zaheers surgery!
TOI has repeatedly highlighted BCCIs unwillingness to hire world-class physiotherapists and trainers despite no shortage of finances. Recently, TOI had also pointed out how the Indian team doesnt have a full-time fitness trainer in their ranks following South African Greg Kings resignation in early 2008.
Creating mystery over injuries and maintaining secrecy is nothing new for the BCCI. They had kept everyone in the dark over the status of Virender Sehwags shoulder injury during the World T20 in England in June, leading to heated exchanges between skipper MS Dhoni and the media . Sehwag later underwent surgery in England.

Once, an enraptured Don Bradman found Sachin Tendulkars batting style closest to his own. Now, Tendulkar himself has praised Virender Sehwag, saying the fluent, attacking Delhi opener reminded him of himself. In an interview, Tendulkar, asked if any contemporary batsmans style resembled his own, said: I would say Virender Sehwag comes closest to my style.
Tendulkar also hit back at controversial coach John Buchanan, who had said before Indias tour to Australia in 2007-08 that the batsmans footwork early on had become sluggish, making him susceptible to the short ball. It is only his opinion. If I couldnt handle short deliveries, then I wouldnt still be scoring runs. Maybe he needs to change his opinion. There must be something very wrong with all the bowlers around the world that they have allowed me to score so many runs, Tendulkar told Wisden.
In the interview, Tendulkar also reveals that he was not satisfied with his batting accomplishments and wanted to score 15,000 Test runs, apart from seeing India lift the 2011 World Cup. I am not pleased yet with what I have done, Tendulkar said. Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me and would come and catch me if I didnt . I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement, but that is not the only aim. The other one is to win the World Cup in 2011 .
He also dismissed speculation that Test cricket had lost its sheen. There is no way Test cricket is dying. T20 is the dessert. Who wants to eat only desserts
He also said money should not be the prime motivation. I started playing cricket at six with a tennis ball not because I wanted to be a millionaire but because I loved cricket. I worry about runs, not contracts.

Having decided to support its players on the World Anti-Doping Agencys contentious whereabouts clause, the BCCI has now told the ICC that any negotiations on the issue would be between ICC and WADA, and not with BCCI. Indias top cricketers have refused to accept the international clause requiring sportspersons to disclose their whereabouts in advance.
Board president Shashank Manohar refused to be drawn into stating whether India was once again gearing up for a clash with the sports parent body. However, as much as Manohar sought to bring peaceful negotiations to the table, it remains clear that BCCI is treading a path which no other member board of ICC was openly willing to take.
It is not just the Indian players who are apprehensive about WADAs out-of-competition testing clause. Players from other countries too felt equally insecure before signing up. However , it is only the Indian cricketers who have openly spoken about the subject.
We believe the clause with regard to whereabouts of cricketers is unreasonable for three reasons. First, some (Indian) cricketers have security cover, and when you have such cover, you cannot disclose your whereabouts to a third person. Second, the privacy of individuals cannot be invaded. Third, the Indian constitution guarantees every citizen his privacy, Manohar said after BCCIs working committee meeting on Sunday where five senior cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were present along with ICC officials.
Manohar subsequently also provided a solution to the deadlock in the meeting, certainly the players point of view, when he added: We can appreciate players being tested even when they are not playing. But if ICC or WADA want to test the players, they can inform the board which will get the players at the required location within 24 hours. This is our suggestion.
A couple of things Manohar said might not find many takers in the international sporting community. He referred to some Indian cricketers having security cover because of which their whereabouts were difficult to divulge. But the biggest names in world sport, like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Lance Armstrong, too have agreed to the same WADA norms. They have done so despite being as apprehensive about it as Indias superstar cricketers.