'I missed bowling during the first Test'

HYDERABAD: Shane Watson has realised he can never give up bowling completely in his career after watching his teammates getting butchered by the Indian batsmen during the first Test, which left the Australian all-rounder with a temptation to start rolling his arms over again.

Ravaged by injuries, Watson had commitment to playing only as a batsman on his comeback during the four-Test series, but with the Aussies struggling to contain the hosts, he is itching to bowl again.

"That was a time that reaffirmed to me that I do want to bowl," Watson was quoted as saying by a cricket website.

"That was a time where if I hadn't have made the decision not to bowl for this tour that I could have had some input on the game at a crucial time in the match. That to me was the first time over the last month since I came back that I missed bowling.

"The decision I made is more a longer-term decision to get some running and conditioning into my legs, so when I start bowling again, my body has more chance of handling it.

"I do appreciate the decision but it certainly reaffirmed to me that I'm never going to give up bowling. It excites me having some input on the game, especially when what I do could have an influence on a certain part of the game," he added.

However, Watson said he will stick to his plan of resuming bowling during the second half of the IPL so that he can contribute with the ball during Australia's Ashes tour of England in July and August.

"That thought (of bowling at a later stage during the India tour) has gone through my mind a few times but I suppose we do have to stay on course," said Watson, who has taken 12 wickets at 33.41 in his past six Tests in India.

"There were reasons why I made that decision -- to try and get my body conditioned enough to get back into bowling.

"I know I've needed two or three months just to be able to get some conditioning into my body, to then hopefully hold together for the next period of time once I get back bowling again."

"There is a big reason why I'm not bowling at the moment -- in between the Test matches to get some running into my legs to continue to build that resilience, so I can hopefully just stay together," Watson said.

He was forced to skip part of the Australian Test summer -- the Brisbane and Adelaide Tests against South Africa due to calf and hamstring injuries. Watson had bowled 47.4 overs during the Hobart Test against Sri Lanka and then struggled with his calf in the next Test.

He decided against bowling after consulting Cricket Australia's medical staff, personal physio, Viktor Popov and captain Michael Clarke, Watson said.

"I took a lot of information in at the time, especially through the summer having the same calf injury again and also the amount I bowled in Hobart, that was the most I've ever bowled in my career in four or five-day cricket," Watson said.

"I knew my body could handle it, it was more so backing up to handle it again. I had to get the right conditioning in my legs, things like running technique, doing all those things to give myself a better chance to hold together my body when I'm bowling.

"But I also need to be more careful in the future about the overs I do bowl. One, I have the chance to do it more consistently and have less chance of injury but also there were times when it affected my batting, more so in Test cricket over the last 12 to 18 months, especially when I was opening.

"There were a number of reasons why I made that decision, most importantly is trying to score some runs in Test cricket as well," he said.

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Would have traded 175 for win: Sachin

NEW DELHI: Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar says he would have "gladly traded" his knock of 175 against Australia in 2009 for an Indian victory even though he "certainly" rates it as one of the very best in his glorious ODI career.

Chasing 351 runs in the fifth of the seven-match ODI series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Tendulkar fell awfully close to pulling off an unlikely win with an incredible innings.

"It was certainly one of my best innings, but I would have gladly traded those 175 runs for a victory," Tendulkar said about the match which India lost by three runs.

He scored those runs off 141 balls and smashed 19 fours and four sixes. Tendulkar completed 17,000 runs in ODIs during the course of that innings.

"It was one of those days when nothing seemed to be out of place. I was able to execute my strokes well. Our middle order failed, but Suresh Raina batted fluently. We had a good partnership of 137. Suresh was caught behind at 299 in the 43rd over.

"Harbhajan Singh fell soon after, to make it 300/6, but I believed we were very much in control. It was a question of hanging in there, running well and ensuring that bad balls were dealt with harshly," he said.

"We were only 19 away when I tried to lift (Clint) McKay over short fine-leg, only to be caught by (Nathan) Hauritz. It was a huge disappointment. The lower order tried hard, but more wickets fell, and we fell short by three runs," Tendulkar wrote in a piece for BCCI's official website.

Tendulkar mentioned about the comparisons made between that knock and his back-to-back hundreds against the same opponent in Sharjah back in 1998.

"I have been asked on a few occasions to compare the 175 with the back-to-back hundreds against the same team at Sharjah in 1998. I don't think a comparison can be made. The expectations were way higher at the final stages of the tri-series in Sharjah," he said.

"The Hyderabad hundred was scored in the middle of a bilateral series, and hence the circumstances were very different, physically and even mentally."

The pressure was certainly their on that November evening as well as the series was tied at 2-2 going into the fifth ODI.

"The seven-match series against Australia was even when we took the field for the crucial fifth game at Hyderabad. The winner would take a 3-2 lead, and the loser would be under tremendous pressure before the last two matches," Tendulkar said.

The stadium in Uppal, which was back then a newly-built one, came in for praise from Tendulkar.

"I had pleasant memories of the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad. It was the venue where I had scored 186 against New Zealand in 1999-00. The new Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has a much better facility. The ground was well-maintained, and the arrangements excellent for players and spectators," Tendulkar said.

"Of course, we weren't thinking about all that when Australia went on the offensive after winning the toss and electing to bat. Openers Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh put on 145 at a run a ball, and the middle order continued with the attack. When they finished with 350/4, not many gave us a chance," he said.

Tendulkar almost chased the target on his own but, with just 19 runs short, he got out and the rest choked, falling short by three runs with two balls still to go.

"One of the good things about chasing a big total is that there is no ambiguity regarding the strategy you have to adopt. We knew we had to go for it from the outset and play strokes. I felt that I wasn't timing the ball well, and went in for a change of bat. I shifted to a brand new willow, and that changed things," he said.

"Australia had a decent bowling line-up comprising four pacemen in Ben Hilftenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Clint McKay and Shane Watson. Nathan Hauritz was their main spinner, with the likes of Adam Voges chipping in with his left-arm spin. Mike Hussey also sent down a few overs that evening."

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Force India give Sutil 2nd chance in F1

LONDON: Adrian Sutil sealed his Formula One comeback on Thursday with Force India announcing they had given the 30-year-old German racer a second chance as team mate to Britain's Paul Di Resta this season.

The Silverstone-based team said in a long-awaited statement that they had re-signed the driver dropped at the end of 2011 to make way for compatriot Nico Hulkenberg, who has since moved on to Sauber.

The season starts in Australia on March 17 and Sutil's appointment fills the last remaining vacancy on the starting grid.

"I'm delighted to be back in Formula One, especially with a team I know so well," Sutil said in a statement issued by the team. "I'm very happy and I want to thank Sahara Force India for giving me a second chance.

"Having been away from the sport, I'm even more determined to achieve my goals in Formula One. Things went really well at the Barcelona test last week and it almost feels as though I've never been away."

The announcement came as no surprise after Nicolas Todt, manager to Sutil's rival for the seat Jules Bianchi, said on Wednesday he had been told by the team that the Frenchman had lost out.

Second chances are rare in Formula One but money has always talked and it was no secret that commercial considerations played a part in Sutil's return.

The German seemed last year to have a mountain to climb to get back into the sport after being given an 18-month suspended jail sentence and fined 200,000 euros ($262,200) for grievous bodily harm following a Shanghai nightclub brawl in 2011.

Eric Lux, the then-chief executive of Renault F1 (now Lotus) team owners Genii Capital, needed stitches for a neck wound caused by a champagne glass in that fracas.

If an unadventurous choice for some, Sutil will be a known quantity for the mid-grid team - despite last week's Barcelona test being his first time in a Formula One car in more than a year - after racing for them from 2007 to 2011.

He and Di Resta were also team mates in 2011, when Sutil scored more points and finished ninth overall. The German's best result was fourth in the 2009 Italian Grand Prix, where he started on the front row.

"The decision over our driver line-up has not been an easy one and we have given it great consideration over the last few months," said team co-owner Vijay Mallya.

"It was a close call, but ultimately we felt that Adrian's experience and historic links to the team gave him the edge, and will provide us with the best possible chance of realising our ambitions for the coming season.

"If he can rediscover the exceptional form he showed in the second half of 2011, I'm confident that we can pick up where we left off at the end of 2012," added the Indian drinks tycoon.

Mallya said Bianchi, who is a Ferrari academy driver as well as being last year's Force India reserve, had impressed the team and they hoped to continue working with him to help him to get a future race seat.

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Bopanna, Bhupathi to clash in semifinals

DUBAI: Long time friends Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi set up the semifinal clash of the Dubai Tennis Championships against each other after winning quarterfinals with their respective partners, on Thursday.

Unseeded Bopanna and Ram hit seven aces and converted one of seven break point opportunities to beat Victor Hanescu and Lukas Rosol 4-6, 7-5, 10-4 in 79 minutes.

Later in the day, Bhupathi and Llodra also came from behind to oust the fourth seeded pair of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 in a fiercely fought match.

The first set was on serve till Bhupathi and Llodra were broken in the 10th game while serving to stay in the match.

However, they came back strong as they broke the rivals in the third game of the second set and then took a 3-1 lead.

The break stayed with them and Bhupathi served out the set in the 10th game to take the match into a Super Tie-breaker.

In the match tie-breaker also they rallied as they were down 0-2 but finally converted their third match point to clinch the issue.

The result means that at least one at least one Indian will compete for the title in the summit clash.

Somdev Devvarman had bowed out of the singles event after suffering defeat at the hands of world number seven Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.

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We feel safe in Hyderabad, says Warner

HYDERABAD: Australia's diminutive opener David Warner said he felt safe in the city despite heightened security measures after last week's twin bombings that left 15 dead and more than 100 injured.

Despite concerns, the Indian cricket board did not shift the second Test from Hyderabad and the city's police commissioner has assured unprecedented security levels.

The road that leads from the team hotel to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was completely sanitised. Some 2,000 security personnel - including five platoons of armed forces and more than 1,400 police - have been deployed at the stadium.

The security has acted as a balm for the Australian team.

"I feel totally safe any time I come to India, with the security that we've got and the stuff that's in place. I think they didn't really want anyone on the roads to and from the ground but that's virtually impossible with 10 million people living in Hyderabad," Warner was quoted as saying by the Australian media.

"The stuff that's going on out of our control is what it is. It's what happens sometimes in these places and you've just got to deal with it."

Warner is not a newcomer to India but he is on his first Test tour.

"Obviously it's not ideal to come here in these situations and seeing people being injured and killed is disappointing and very sad but, in hindsight, I don't think they had another venue to play at," Warner told Sky Sports Radio.

"We're here to play cricket, that's our job and we've just got to get on with it."

More than 60 CCTV cameras have been installed at vehicle check points in the city and mobile phones, bags, banners and cameras have been banned inside the stadium.

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Arthur admits difficult selection dilemma

HYDERABAD: Australian cricket coach Mickey Arthur conceded that his team made a mistake by not going in with two spinners in the lost opening Test against India but it remains a "difficult" selection dilemma for the second match as well due to the pacers' decent performance.

"That's going to be the million dollar question," Arthur said when asked whether the Aussies would go for a two-pronged spin attack in the Test starting on March 2.

"It's easy in hindsight having a look at how the wicket ended up, you probably would have liked two spinners on there, however, our quicks took most wickets. We didn't get a massive return from spin in this game. I thought James Pattinson was outstanding, so it's a difficult dilemma," he explained.

Arthur said the visiting side, which lost by eight wickets in the first Test, is not sure about the bowling attack for the second Test.

"Looking at the way it ended up probably two spinners (would have been good) but our quicks were the most likely out there, so I am not sure which way really," he said.

Xavier Doherty is the second spin option for the Australians if they decide to go for more than one slow bowlers.

"I think on wickets like this balls turning into you are just as effective, because you've actually got to play," Arthur was quoted as saying.

"You can't leave balls alone. Balls coming into the bat on wickets that have crumbled are almost as tough to play. Ideally you want both, and I did a lot of looking at the England series and they used Panesar a lot," he explained.

Arthur said the opening Test was a massive learning experience for the team's only full-time spinner Nathan Lyon, conceded 244 runs for four wickets.

"I think he has learnt from this game that you have got to be really consistent in conditions like this in order to put the batsmen under any sort of pressure, but I think he will grow and he will learn from this game," Arthur said.

"It will be interesting to see how he pulls up after this Test match and in terms of information and preparation and everything he worked extremely hard coming into this Test match. Only he knows how he will approach things if he plays in the next Test match and how that is going to go."

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Hayden feels a tiger resides inside Sachin

NEW DELHI: A tiger resides inside the "little" frame of Sachin Tendulkar, feels former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden, who saw it when he started playing against the Indian veteran.

"I probably first heard Sachin's name in the early '90s. The one thing that always stuck in my mind about Sachin was that his size never ever matched his status," Hayden wrote in a book 'Sachin -- Cricketer of the Century' by Vimal Kumar, which will hit the stands in the first week of March.

"He was an incredibly slight man for someone who was such a huge brand within the game. It wasn't until I really played against him that I understood that there was a tiger that lay within him: he was a very competitive little man," he said.

Hayden also recalled an interesting incident from the 2008 Test series in India.

"My favourite Sachin moment was at the Mohali Test where he broke the world record for the most number of Test runs. There was so much excitement around the ground that the fireworks actually stopped play for the better part of 20 minutes, whilst the smoke cleared away," he recalled.

Writing in the same book, former Australian coach John Buchanan compared Tendulkar with Australian great Ricky Ponting, who happened to be a contemporary of the Indian.

"Statistically, Tendulkar has a better record than Ricky Ponting. If Tendulkar is far more orthodox, far more classical and technical, Ricky is a little more unorthodox," he explained.

Buchanan, however, felt it was difficult to choose between Tendulkar and Ponting.

"Sachin definitely is a better player of spin bowling, more so on the challenging and spin-friendly wickets of the sub-continent," he said.

"I would have loved to see Ricky's domination over spinners in the same way as Sachin's, and vice versa, the Master's audacity on the front foot like the Tasmanian's against the best fast bowlers.

"Only if these two qualities were exchanged in their respective games could either of them have bettered Sir Bradman's Test average," he added.

Buchanan praised Tendulkar's mental toughness. "Sachin has an exceptional ability to relax and can switch on and switch off with ease without any fuss. To get away from cricket and can come back recharged year after year for decades has been really marvellous. The Master has been the greatest exponents of doing that."

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India move to 4th spot in Test rankings

DUBAI: India moved up a rung to fourth in the ICC Test rankings for teams replacing Pakistan, while veteran Sachin Tendulkar jumped three places to be 17th in the batsmen's chart announced on Wednesday.

Rankings: Team | Allrounders | Bowlers | Batsmen

Among the bowlers, off-spinner R Ashwin was rewarded for his match haul of 12 for 198 in the first Test as he rose to a career-best 11th.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni charged up 15 places to 21st courtesy his maiden double hundred at Chennai.

Other centurion of the Chennai Test Virat Kohli has gained 10 places and is now on a career-best 25th position.

South Africa consolidated their position on the top of the Test rankings after a thumping victory over Pakistan in the third and the final Test at Centurion.

There was no other change in the top 10 of the bowlers' table, which is headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn followed by his teammate Vernon Philander.

Hashim Amla continued to lead the Test batsmen chart followed by Australian skipper Michael Clarke.

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Messi failing Barca when they need him

MADRID: Lionel Messi has rarely been accused of failing to deliver in big games, having scored in two European Cup finals, but after subdued performances against AC Milan and Real Madrid, questions are being asked.

The four-times World Player of the Year and leading scorer in one of the greatest club teams of all time, was a shadow of his usual self at the San Siro in a Champions League last-16 first leg last week, when Barcelona slumped to a 2-0 defeat.

The same happened again at the Nou Camp on Tuesday, when Cristiano Ronaldo, the player with whom he is always compared, scored twice in a 3-1 second-leg victory to guide Real into the King's Cup final, 4-2 on aggregate.

Portugal's Ronaldo has shaken off accusations that he went missing when the going got tough, and in scoring against Barca he passed Messi's record to become the first player to score in six straight 'Clasicos' away from home.

"It is about the team, not about whether Messi is better or worse," Barca and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta told a news conference on Wednesday, defending his team mate.

"We have scored a lot of goals, and so has he in particular. It is just in these two key games we have lacked accuracy and composure. When the team doesn't work well, it is everyone's responsibility."

Messi, who plays almost every game, has resembled the forlorn figure he was with Argentina a couple of years ago when criticised for failing to perform on the international stage.

He shrugged off suggestions he was tired on the weekend telling, Barca TV: "I am used to playing a lot of games now, and I prefer it this way. I feel better if I don't rest."

Top Scorer

Barca and Messi can hardly be accused of decline, as they top La Liga with a 12-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid, 16 points ahead of champions Real in third.

Messi is La Liga's top scorer with 38 goals, netting more goals himself than 16 other teams have individually tallied up in the 20-team league. However, he and his team have struggled when confronted with tightly-organised defences of late.

They miss coach Tito Vilanova, who succeeded Pep Guardiola at the end of last season.

He has been absent since the turn of the year after needing a second round of surgery following an operation to remove a tumour from his saliva glands in November 2011.

Although his assistant Jordi Roura is in constant contact, there is little doubt that Vilanova's tactical knowledge has been missed in games at a time of the season when coaches really earn their money.

Barca have become too reliant on Messi's goals, with fellow forwards Alexis Sanchez, David Villa and Pedro contributing only 12 between them in the league.

By successfully placing Messi in a straightjacket, Milan and Real have stifled Barca, crowding them out and cutting the supply lines from Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets, and their game plan has become too predictable.

A lack of movement up front has left them looking flat and short of ideas, while their leaky defence has now conceded in 12 consecutive matches.

"Madrid destroyed Barca in every facet of the game, with an indisputable and overwhelming victory," sports daily Marca wrote on Wednesday.

"Few teams in history have demonstrated more conviction in a particular style of play (than Barca) but it became clear they lacked confidence in their style of football. Barca played with the ball but didn't play football."

Milan visit the Nou Camp for their Champions League last 16 second leg on March 12 and Iniesta said Barca did not need a complete overhaul of their way of playing.

"We need to get back to the ABC of football, because this is what has helped to make us the team we are," he said.

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Adrian Sutil gets nod over Bianchi: Agent

PARIS: Force India has chosen Adrian Sutil as one of its main drivers for the new Formula One season over Jules Bianchi, the French rookie's agent said on Wednesday, signalling a return for the German after a 12-month absence.

Nicolas Todt, whose father Jean is the head of world motorsport's governing body the FIA, confirmed the appointment but said he did not know whether British-based Force India would retain Bianchi as a reserve in 2013.

Sutil, 30, drove for Spyker then Force India from 2007 to 2011. He competed in 90 grands prix and achieved a best fourth-place finish at the Italian GP in Monza in 2009.

But he lost his place last season after a conviction for assaulting the co-owner of the Lotus team, Eric Lux, in a Shanghai bar after the 2011 Chinese GP.

Bianchi, 23, was reserve driver for Force India last year and in early February recorded the third best overall time during testing at Jerez in Spain, despite only completing about 50 laps on the final day.

Germany's Nico Hulkenberg drove alongside Scotland's Paul di Resta last season. Hulkenberg has since left for Sauber but di Resta has been retained.

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Sports ministry clears Azlan Shah trip

NEW DELHI: The sports ministry on Tuesday overruled the Sports Authority of India's decision not to clear Indian men hockey team's trip to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup with a stern warning to Hockey India (HI) not to overshoot its budget in future.

The sports ministry's decision came minutes after HI withdrew the team from the 22nd edition of the tournament after the SAI refused to pick the airfare tab for the tournament to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia March 9-17.

Sports secretary Pradip Kumar Deb said that the ministry has cleared the trip after the case was forwarded by SAI, which had refused to sanction the trip citing budget issues.

"We have an annual budget of Rs 5.94 crores for Hockey India, but they crossed it and we have already spent Rs 11.27 crores. So SAI didn't clear the case and forwarded it to us. I have cleared the trip since Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is a top tournament and the team will get good exposure," said Deb.

"But we have warned HI that in future they should not cross the budget," he added.

HI said SAI has made it clear that the men's team will play the tournament at no cost to government.

"Hockey India has been forced to withdraw its participation from the tournament. Government has always covered the airfare of the team for this tournament till date," HI said in a statement.

India are five-time champions in the tournament. They finished third in the last edition in 2012 and were joint winners in 2010 with South Korea. They were winners in 2009 as well.

The tournament will provide India the much needed exposure of playing against higher-ranked teams like Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Korea.

Earlier this month, HI selectors and government observer had announced the team that would be led by Danish Mujtaba. The team is undergoing training here with the prior sanction of the SAI.

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament is an A-Grade tournament sanctioned by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

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We were 'outplayed' by India, says Clarke

CHENNAI: Australian captain Michael Clarke on Tuesday conceded that it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni's double century that turned out to be a game-changer as they were completely outplayed by India in the first Test.

"They outplayed us. Mahendra Singh Dhoni certainly led the charge and I thought Virat Kohli was outstanding as well with his hundred. But it certainly was Dhoni, who changed the game," a dejected Australian captain told mediapersons at the post-match conference.

Clarke admitted that Dhoni's innings had the most impact on the match, but did not forget to praise off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 12 Aussie wickets to pave the way for India's victory.

"It (Dhoni's innings) certainly had an impact on the game. Dhoni contributed a lot to India's success in this Test match. But like I said, Kohli made a fantastic hundred. Ashwin got seven wickets in the first innings and five in the second. Those were three very good performances. We were completely outplayed," Clarke added.

Clarke's assessment about his team's defeat was that they did not attack enough in the weak areas of the Indians.

"I think there are areas in both teams you need to focus on. There are weak areas in the Indian team we did not attack enough. If we had got 150 or 200 on the board (for them to chase), we might have been able to expose or at least see how they played on a deteriorating wicket. A lot of credit has to go to India."

He refused to commit whether Australia would go into the second Test with a second specialist spinner.

"We've got the same options we had before this Test. We need to assess conditions once we get to Hyderabad. Australian spin took three wickets in first innings while fast bowlers took a lot more," said Clarke.

"That does not mean to say we got it right by playing three fast bowlers and a medium-pace all-rounder. We need to look at conditions again and work out what we think is the best XI."

Clarke however didn't have any harsh words for the Chennai strip which deteriorated a lot on the fourth day.

"I think the wicket played better than it looked, to be honest. Both first innings, the wicket was pretty good for batting. The second innings, it did deteriorate. It spun and bounced a lot more. The bounce was inconsistent."

"I like to see a result in Test cricket, and the fact that the game went five days says to me that it's a pretty good Test match wicket," Clarke, in fact had some good words for the Chepauk strip.

At the same time, he admitted that Australia didn't bat well in the second innings.

"It's not just about selection. It's about how you perform. I don't think we bowled well enough in our first innings and we certainly didn't bat well enough in our second innings."

The Australian captain has been one of the better players of spin bowling but he feels that as a team they need to execute their skills in a much better fashion as they would have to face a lot of Indian tweakers.

"You're going to face both if you're playing against India. They've got two right-arm off-spinners along with Jadeja and Ojha. I think you have to find a way against the ball spinning in both directions. I think it's more personal preference. We have just got to find a way to execute our skills better, with bat and ball."

"For me, I don't think it matters too much. I got out to a ball spinning away in the first innings, and to one spinning back in the second innings (laughs). I'd like it to go dead straight. That would be nice."

Will this batting performance warrant a change in the batting order, he gave a terse reply, "I don't know how moving up the order guarantees any more runs. No matter where you bat, the guys in the top seven need to make sure we're scoring the majority of the runs."

He was full of praise for debutant all-rounder Moises Henriques, who scored two half centuries in the match and also gave a hint that he might be used as a third seamer.

"If we don't have a third fast bowler, Moises can certainly don that role. I think it's very exciting the way he's started. He's been a very talented player for a long time, and it's nice to see that potential come to the forefront in his first Test match."

The skipper gave a tongue-in-cheek reply when someone asked about bringing in a few more spinners.

"Bring more spinners to India? Bring the whole country in soon! Warney's (Shane Warney) is in town. We'll see, if he's available!" he commented on a lighter vein.

"We have spinning options with Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell. We'll assess what the pitch is like and then make that decision."

Clarke defended the field that was set for off-spinner Nathan Lyon who was hammered for 215 runs.

"The plan was to try and take wickets. The most important thing is to have fielders in catching positions. But if everyone's in saving a single, it's much easier to hit boundaries. You want to take wickets, but you also want to give Nathan a little protection as well. That's why we had the fields we had."

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India withdraw from Azlan Shah Cup

NEW DELHI: Five-time champions India were on Tuesday forced to withdraw from next month's prestigious Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament after the Sports Authority of India refused to bear the travel expenditure of the national team.

According to reliable source in Hockey India, SAI DG Gopal Krishan has refused to clear the airfare of the team, citing inflated budget.

"We have withdrawn the national team from the Azlan Shah Cup after the government refused to bear the to and fro airfares stating that we have exceeded the budget," a reliable source said on conditions of anonymity.

"It is an unfortunate incident as it is the SAI who has given us the go-ahead to hold the national camp for this tournament here. And now they are saying no.

"It is demoralising for the players. The government just had to bear the airfares as all other expenditures, including lodging and food during the tournament were supposed to be taken care by the local organisers," he said.

On part of SAI, a senior official informed that the proposal submitted by the Hockey India was overshooting the specific budget earmarked for the tour.

"We can't provide the airfares as we have certain limits that we can't exceed," the official said in defence.

India, who won the Azlan Shah Cup five times (1985, 1991, 1995, 2009, 2010), were the bronze medallist in the last edition of tournament.

Keeping in mind the FIH Junior World Cup to be held in the country later this year, India had opted to field a young, new-look squad under Danish Mujataba for this year's Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia from March 9 to 17.

Apart from India, the other participating nations in this year's Azlan Shah Cup are arch-rivals Pakistan, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand and hosts Malaysia.

Incidentally, the government's sudden move to derail the national hockey team's trip to Malaysia came a day after HI accused the security staffs of SAI-controlled Major Dhyan Chand Stadium of abusing its officials.

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Need to give more time to Sehwag: Dhoni

CHENNAI: Virender Sehwag's patchy form continued but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni still believes that the senior opener should be given more time to get back to form as he is a match-winner.

Asked about the performance of Sehwag, who played in the Test wearing spectacles, Dhoni said, "I think we just need to give him more time. Well, that's how he bats. About Viru pa, I've said this plenty of times before, when he scores runs, he looks a fantastic player and when he doesn't, you can question the shot he played or the way he played."

"He's someone who's always played with that sort of flair. At times, we get very critical about him. We all know he is someone who can change the course of the game, he's an attacking player. So let's go forward with that kind of an attitude," he said.

Sehwag had scores of 2 and 19 in the first Test which concluded here today.

He said Sehwag was unfortunate to get out in the first innings.

"This wicket, there was not much pace. First innings, he was unfortunate because he middle the ball, yet it came back and fell on the stump. In the second innings, there was not much pace for him to play freely," Dhoni said at the press-conference after India beat Australia by eight wickets in the first Test here.

The Indian captain also made it clear that Murali Vijay, who scored 10 and six in the two innings, will continue at the opening slot.

"If you look at just the statistics of opening batsmen you may say that he (Vijay) is not good enough. But at the same time you need to give them a fair amount of time. Let's hope for the best. Vijay has played this game, let's continue with him and give him some time and the comfort of saying that he's wanted over here," Dhoni said.

Asked if the team could go for four spinners in the Tests to follow, Dhoni said,"Four or five can be an option but you have to be sure that the wicket will turn. On the very first day, most of us assumed that it (Chepauk) would be a turning track, it would have plenty for the spinners. But we saw it was a decent wicket.

"Yes, there was a bit of turn on offer for the spinners, but overall it was quite a good wicket. That's why you want to be prepared for a situation like you think something may happen, but it actually goes the other way around.

"Also, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is someone who can add a bit. We all know the importance of batting deep because it really frustrates the opposition bowling. I think we went with the right combination.

"Three spinners itself is a lot. If you have an extra fourth spinner, then it becomes very difficult to answer why the fourth one bowled only a small number of overs. You can't make three or four spinners bowl the exactly same number of overs. You don't see the number of overs bowled by them and then make a bowling change. Who looks effective, according to that you make the change."

On Ojha being left out for the first Test here, Dhoni said, "There are lots of questions. It's not always good to be predictable. As I said, you look at the batting line-up, there were lots of left-handers in their side.

"As I said, it's considered that the away-going spinners is quite difficult to face consistently. Also, the fact that the away going spinner, can keep it slightly tight so that you don't leak too many runs. So we had the perfect combination of two off-spinners and one left-armer."

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Dhoni has become more assertive: Sunny

CHENNAI: Former skipper Sunil Gavaskar said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become more assertive and added that the faith shown on him by the Board and the selectors will spur him to do better.

"If the captain has the confidence of the board and the selectors, it gives him confidence to employ tactics on the field. It's a huge plus. Now that he is doing so well, it will give him even more confidence," Gavaskar said.

Dhoni stroked a maiden counter-attacking double hundred to lead India to a comfortable eight wicket victory over Australia in the first cricket Test.

"He has changed a bit from the England series. He is more assertive. Towards the end of England series in Nagpur, he was trying to be more assertive, showing displeasure at the lack of efforts by the players and we have seen that in Chennai as well," Gavaskar told a news channel.

The legendary opener also tried to reason what Dhoni meant when he said that he never dreamt about representing India.

"He (Dhoni) came from a place where cricket was not the number one sport. That might have given him a thought that he would not play for India," Gavaskar reasoned.

Gavaskar felt that being a bit detached from the game has also helped him remain a "secure person".

"He is a very secure person within himself. He is a very confident man. If tomorrow, he wasn't playing cricket, I dont think he would be regretting anything. He would say I had my time and I enjoyed it. If you have such kind of an attitude, you tend to put on less pressure," he said.

Gavaskar feels that the Australians have the potential to stage a comeback after their loss in the opening Test just like the English team did in the Test series played two months back.

"They (Australians) can make a comeback. Just like England skipper Alastair Cook batted so well in the first Test in Ahmedabad, similarly Michael Clarke has scored well in both the innings here. Moises Henriques has also played very well. They have got two players who have scored runs. Others are also good."

Gavaskar is of the opinion that Hyderabad track won't be a rank turner like the one in Chennai.

"I dont think Hyderabad wicket will take as much turn as it did in Chennai. There will be some turn but not the amount of it along with the bounce that we saw in Chennai," he said.

Gavaskar heaped praises on Henriques for his back to back half century knocks on debut.

"The way Moises Henriques batted, there in lies the clue for the Australian batsmen. He played the ball very late and used soft hands. He stretched right forward to defend the ball. There was a method in the way he batted," he said.

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Fencers to play under foreign banner

NEW DELHI: Left to themselves to find the resources to participate in next month's Asian Junior and Cadet Championships in Thailand, the Indian fencers finally managed to raise funds and will now take part in the event under Fencing Confederation of Asia (FCA) banner.

The Indian fencers have been disallowed to take part in the March 2-11 Asian event under the national flag following India's ban by International Olympic Committee in December last. International Fencing Federation (FIE) had suspended Fencing Association of India (FAI) soon after the IOC decision.

The fencers were, however, allowed to take part in the Asian event under the foreign banner.

Despite that, the participation of Indian fencers was in doubt as government funding was not forthcoming as they would not represent the country. The national federation also lacks resources as it is not getting government funds after the sport had been relegated to the 'other' category.

But far from being disappointed, the fencers searched relentlessly for individual sponsors and with some money from their own pocket they have culled in the required amount to take part in the event.

FAI Secretary Sanjay Pradhan said that he has sent the entries to the event organisers after the fencers have informed him that they have collected enough resources.

"The organisers as a special case has given us extension of deadline to send the entries as they know our predicament. We have told the fencers that the FAI has no money and they have to arrange money for themselves. Now they have informed us that they have the funds now," Pradhan said.

Kerala-based fencing coach Sagar Suresh Lagu confirmed that his wards have raised funds from individual sources and from own pocket and they are taking part in the Asian event.

"Eleven Kerala fencers were to take part in the event and out of that eight are from SAI Centre Kannur under my charge. Six of my wards -- all girls -- have raised funds from local individual sources and with money from their own pockets they have got enough money for the Asian event," said Sagar, adding that each fencer would require Rs 80,000 to 85,000 to take part in the event.

"We have written to SAI and Kerala government also but we have got any response. Perhaps it could be because the fencers are not representing the country. We are still trying for the remaining fencers. But those who have got the money are taking part," he said.

Even in normal times, the fencers have been given help on case by case basis as the Fencing Association of India does not get government grant now.

"SAI had provided us the fund in 2010 and 2011 in an Asian event and Commonwealth event where my wards had done exceedingly well by winning medals. This time we are not getting anything," Sagar said.

He said the fencers would be leaving the country on February 28.

The six girls who have raised money individually and are set to take part in the Asian event are Bhavani Devi (sabre), Stefitha Chalil (epee), Neha Khare (sabre), Radhika Awati (foil), Aswathy Raj (epee) and S G Aarcha (foil), all in junior category.

Pradhan, on the other hand, said that the International Fencing Federation has assured that FAI's suspension would be lifted soon but that can happen only by a decision of its Executive Committee and its meeting is coming up only in April.

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Aus survive to reach 232/9 at stumps

CHENNAI: India inched closer towards a comprehensive victory in the first Test against Australia but debutant Moises Henriques delayed the inevitable with a fighting undefeated 75 on a difficult track to take the match into the fifth and final day.

Scorecard | Match In Pics

Henriques followed up his first innings half century with another gutsy effort as he added 57 runs for the final wicket with no. 11 Nathan Lyon (8 batting) to prevent India from wrapping up the match with a day to spare.

The duo consumed 18.1 overs to not only frustrate the hosts but also snatch a lead of 40 runs after Ravichandran Ashwin's second five-wicket haul helped India decimate the Aussie top and middle-order.

Ashwin grabbed five for 90 and his current match haul of 12 wickets helped India reduce Australia to 175 for nine before Henriques-Lyon provided some rearguard action to ensure that the game went into the final day.

With pitch providing right kind of assistance for the spinners, senior-off spinner Harbhajan Singh also put up a much improved performance in the second innings scalping the important wickets of David Warner and Matthew Wade.

The duo was ably complemented by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who also helped the team with important breakthroughs.

The highlight of India's performance was skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's magnificent 224 which enabled the home team to post a mammoth 572 in their first innings, thereby ensuring a lead of 192 runs.

The likes of Ed Cowan (32), Michael Clarke (31) and David Warner (23) tried their best but it was a near-impossible task to play a game of survival on a pitch that was deteriorating with the passage of every over.

Batting more than five sessions to save the Test match was a Herculean task but Shane Watson and Cowan showed intent during the first session.

Ashwin struck with the last ball before lunch. He invited Watson to play forwarded but ball took off the surface to hit the shoulder of his bat as Sehwag took the catch. However the post lunch session spelt doom for the visitors as they lost four top-order batsmen during the session.

Henriques faced 124 balls hitting six fours and two huge sixes -- one each off Ashwin and Harbhajan. The Portuguese born all-rounder used his feet well against the spinner and also defended well when it mattered.

It was extremely frustrating final hour for the Indians as a desperate Dhoni in his bid to complete formalities finally brought Ishant Sharma in the 76th over of the innings but the pacer failed to break the partnership.

Earlier on, the troika of Ashwin, Harbhajan and Jadeja took full advantage of a crumbling pitch as the hosts reduced the Aussies to 128 for five at tea.

The spinners exploited the deteriorating conditions as they polished the Australian top-half in the post-lunch session as India looked to go for the kill.

Starting the post-lunch session at 34 for one, the Aussie batsmen found it difficult to play a surviving game on a pitch where there were enough footmarks on both sides for the spinners to trouble the batsmen.

Whenever the delivery landed on the rough, there was vicious turn on offer and also the variable bounce made life even more difficult.

Ed Cowan (32), who was trying to graft his way having played 97 balls, was finally adjudged leg before when an Ashwin delivery straightened after pitching and the left-hander wasn't entirely committed to the front foot.

Although the batsman didn't look too happy, television replays suggested that the ball would have hit middle stump.

Phillip Hughes's nightmare ended in three balls as he got a delivery from Jadeja that nastily jumped onto him after hitting one of the spots. The ball ballooned off his gloves and Sehwag took the easiest of catches at slip.

Harbhajan, who had an indifferent first innings, bowled far better in the second essay. He was slower through the air and was also getting the required drift.

David Warner, who curbed his natural instincts to score a patient 23 off 61 balls, got a drifter from Harbhajan and was caught plumbed in front of the wicket.

Buoyed by the success, Harbhajan got his second wicket as he cleaned up Matthew Wade (8), who went for a wild sweep while completely missing the line of the delivery.

The final session also started on a bright note when Ashwin got one to turn sharply as Clarke was trapped on the backfoot with a ball keeping low.

With the departure of Australian captain, there were some premature celebrations in the stands.

While Henriques looked confident at one end, Peter Siddle was bowled by Jadeja to make it seven down.

However James Pattinson (11, 26 balls) provided some resistance which also helped Henriques to score a few runs in the process.

Finally, left-hander Pattinson became Ashwin's fourth victim in the second innings as he edged one to Sehwag in the slips. The senior opener took a judged catch low onto his left.

Mitchell Starc hit a couple of boundaries but didn't show intent to stay back for a long period as he tried to loft Ashwin to give an easy catch to Tendulkar in the long-on region.

Once Starc was gone, Australia still needed 17 runs to avoid the follow-on but Henriques and Lyon fought well to live for another day.

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Akram steps down from KKR post

NEW DELHI: Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram on Monday stepped down from the post of mentor and bowling coach of IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders citing personal reasons.

Akram has been an integral part of the team for the past three seasons and also been a part of the core team along with chief coach Trevor Bayliss and captain Gautam Gambhir that helped in devising the strategy for the champion side.

According to team management, Akram has expressed his desire to spend more time with his family as his two sons Taimur and Akbar are barely in their teens.

Akram has been leaving out of suitcase for a number of years now due to his increased media commitments as well as the hectic travelling and camps related to Indian Premier League.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore in a media release issued by the franchise stated: "Wasim Akram will be badly missed. He is a legend and a great motivator to have around the team. However, we fully appreciate the reason why he will be unavailable. We hope to work with him in future."

Meanwhile, Indian team's fielding coach Trevor Penney, who has earlier worked with the now defunct Deccan Chargers will be joining KKR as their fielding coach.

In another minor development, Joy Bhattacharjya, the team director for the previous five seasons will now be seen in the role of an advisor (content development and management).

Adrian Le Roux, Andrew Leipus and Vijay Dahiya will however remain in the support staff.

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'Credit to down Aus goes to everyone'

CHENNAI: The Australian by nature play aggressive cricket and the credit to humble them goes to the whole team, India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said on Monday.

Australia are on the verge of losing the series-opener as they have a mere 40-run lead with just one wicket in hand, going into the last day of the match.

Asked to compare the batting of England, who defeated India in the last home series, and Australians, Jadeja said the tourists play with much positively.

"Australian have this ego...they try to play more positive. If they have played three, four overs maiden, they show aggression, so that they don't come under pressure. But this wicket has been turning through the match, and we've bowled well... Aswhin has bowled well, Bhajju pa has bowled well. Everyone has played his role," Jadeja said.

Ashwin took five wickets in the second innings and Harbhajan Singh scalped two.

"Now, we've got to take their last wicket quickly and the runs that are left to score, 50-55 or whatever, get them," Jadeja, who took two wickets, said.

The young player gave a thumbs up to the pitch at the MA Chidamabram stadium, saying it still has something for fast bowlers despite favouring spinners.

"It's a good wicket. In Indian conditions, there are such wickets. In Test cricket, you win only if you get 20 wickets. And the centre of the wicket is not damaged, so it's good for fast bowlers. Whatever wear and tear has happened, it's happened due to the footmarks of the bowlers, and it's at the ends of the wicket. I think it's a good wicket for Test cricket," Jadeja said.

"There is turn in the wicket, everyone knows that, everyone can see that. But sometimes, there's more turn than usual, which you don't really need. Mainly, we'll have to bowl in the right areas."

Asked how he would be like to known, a batting or bowling all-rounder, Jadeja said he does not care much about the tag and just want to score runs and take wickets.

"As you said, I had two triple centuries in the Ranji season, and obviously for my state team I bat at No. 4 for six years. I came into the Ranji Trophy team as a batsman. I don't think about what I should consider myself. I only think that I should play for India, and score runs and take wickets. If I do only one of the two, my image of an all-rounder won't be there. So I have to make improvements in both departments," he said.

Talking about his batting and dismissal, Jadeja said since he was not getting runs, desperation was there.

"Every time you play for India, pressure is there. I played 45 balls, I was set, so there was that time of 15-20 minutes, I should have got runs more easily. But was a bit nervous, because the shots I was playing, I was not getting the runs... So at that time, I left that ball and it hit the stumps. I should have played more carefully at that time. Can't say there was pressure, but I wasn't getting runs, so I was looking for runs."

He also said that he needs to add more variety to his bowling to be successful in Test cricket.

"Yes, absolutely. As I play more matches, I'll learn more. From players, from seeing different wickets. I'll discuss with my teammates, coaches, to add variations to my game. It depends on what sort of wicket is there, how it's behaving," he said.

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India take outright lead in ODI ranking

DUBAI: Team India took an outright lead on top of the one-day table following England's 2-1 victory in the three-match series against New Zealand, which saw them lose two ratings points in the latest ICC ODI Championship ranking on Monday.

ODI Rankings: Team | Batting | Bowling | All-Rounder

England, however, retained their number two spot and now lead third-ranked Australia by just one ratings point and fourth-ranked South Africa by five ratings points with just 100 days to go to the start of ICC Champions Trophy.

With India and Australia not scheduled to play any ODIs before the April cut-off date of ICC ODI Championship Table, South Africa are the only side that can push India and England down the order when they take on Pakistan in a five-match series from 10 March.

The only way South Africa can leapfrog England and add another $75,000 to their account is by beating Pakistan 4-1 or better. If South Africa win 4-1, then the Proteas will join England on 117 ratings points but will be ranked above Alastair Cook's side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

If South Africa make a clean sweep of the ODI series, then they will jump three places to claim top spot from India, which, in turn will mean they will win $175,000 as well as the ODI shield. These two are presented to the side that tops the ODI table at the 1 April cut-off date.

The batting table is still headed by South Africa's Hashim Amla, followed by his captain AB de Villiers in second place and India's Virat Kohli and his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni retaining the third and fourth place respectively. Suresh Raina has lost one place to be at the 12th spot.

In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, R Ashwin has improved one spot to share the 13th spot with two others, while Ravindra Jadeja is still at the number nine position of the table, which is still headed by Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal.

The ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders is still headed by Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez, with Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan in second place, Shane Watson of Australia in third, Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews and Jadeja in fourth and fifth place respectively.

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Dhoni's double ton takes India to 515/8

NEW DELHI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave an exhibition of blistering strokeplay to hit a career-best undefeated 206 while Virat Kohli cracked 107 as India rode on their captain's batting brilliance to gain control of the first cricket Test against Australia by taking a substantial 135-run first innings lead on Sunday.

Scorecard | Match In Pics

Dhoni produced a stunning counter-attacking knock to notch up his maiden double hundred, his sixth Test century overall, while Kohli recorded his fourth in longer format as the hosts reached a commanding 515 for eight at close, on an eventful third day's play.

The Indian captain set the M A Chidambaram stadium ablaze with his amazing strokeplay as he smashed 22 boundaries and five sixes during his 243-ball assault much to the delight of a sizeable Sunday crowd which cheered the Indians as they went about consolidating their position in the match.

Dhoni, who was agonisingly run out for 99 against England in India last Test in Nagpur, changed the complexion of the game with his aggressive batting after the hosts lost Sachin Tendulkar (81) early in the morning session. Tendulkar, who gave glimpses of his vintage form yesterday, could add just ten runs to his tally.

The Indians found the going a little tough in the pre-lunch session as the runs dried up but the second new ball ball saw the game slipping away from the Australians as both Dhoni and Kohli attacked the bowlers with an array of shots on both sides of the wicket.

The duo added 128 runs for the fifth wicket before off-spinner Nathan Lyon provided the breakthrough for the visitors with India still 56 runs short of Australia's first innings total.

Kohli paid the price for a lapse in concentration as he tried to lift a delivery from Nathan Lyon over mid-on but could not get the desired elevation and Mitchell Starc latched on to a good catch. Kohli clobbered 15 boundaries and a six during his 206-ball knock.

Dhoni then took centrestage and virtually single handedly took India to a position of strength with a superb batting display in hot and humid conditions.

After Kohli's dismissal, India lost another three wickets in periodic intervals as Ravindra Jadeja (16), Ravichandran Ashwin (3) and Harbhajan Singh (11) were back in the pavilion.

However Bhuvneshwar Kumar (15 batting) complemented his skipper really well as they put on a record 109 runs for ninth wicket partnership against Australia.

There were times when Dhoni shielded Bhuvneshwar from the Aussie attack as he refused singles on a number of occasions.

The humidity took its toll but the skipper never gave in. Whenever the Aussies tried to keep him quiet, he responded with a typical big hit either straight or towards the deep mid-wicket range.

The 31-year-old Dhoni recorded the highest score by an Indian wicket keeper, eclipsing Budhi Kundaran previous best of 192 scored against England in 1964 at Madras Corporation Stadium.

Dhoni also surpassed 4000 Test runs during his game-changing knock.

With couple of days left in the match, India will look to increase their lead as much as possible and then try to push for victory by bundling out out the Aussies cheaply in the second innings as the track is expected to deteriorate gradually.

With rough being created by the bowler's footmarks on both sides of the track, the Indian team would expect both in-form Ashwin and senior pro Harbhajan to make best use of the conditions so that India doesn't have to bat last on this track. Even if they come out to bat, they would expect the target to be less than 50 runs which will mean that batsmen won't be under any kind of pressure.

Ideally, Dhoni would be expecting that Bhuvneshwar provides him with the same kind of support tomorrow which will enable him to take the lead closer to 200 runs.

The launchpad of this furious assault certainly was the 128-run fifth wicket partenrship with Kohli as India went into tea at a relatively comfortable score of 371 for six.

While Australia were hoping that the second new ball will help them make some decisive inroads into the Indian lower middle-order, Dhoni thought otherwise.

The new ball was taken in the 83rd over and in the next seven overs, Dhoni-Kohli duo had smashed the Aussie bowlers to the cleaners to score 54 runs.

If Kohli was ready to wait for the loose deliveries, Dhoni was even hitting the full-pitched deliveries over the bowler's head.

With a bottom-handed grip and powerful wrists, the Jharkhand dasher generated enormous power behind each of his shots with minimal backlift as the ball flew to all corners of the ground.

Kohli completed his century when he clipped a full inswinging delivery from James Pattinson to the square leg fence. The celebration was very unlike Kohli as there was a satisfying smile and no aggressive gesture as one normally associates with the Delhi lad.

Although, Kohli was out for 107, all-rounder Jadeja hung around for a while before shouldering arms to a delivery from Pattinson that knocked his off-stump back.

At the break, Dhoni was holding fort with R Ashwin (3) giving him company.

Dhoni completed his century off 119 balls by hitting Siddle over fine leg for a boundary.

While his first 100 came off 119 balls, his second hundred was a touch faster as he took another 112 balls to reach the landmark.

Among the Australian bowlers, Pattinson was certainly the best as he got four for 89 from his 26 overs but Siddle and Starc will be disappointed on not being able to get breakthroughs despite bowling 47 overs between them.

While left-arm pacer Starc wasn't able to hit the right length consistently, Siddle atleast managed to keep things tight. Nathan Lyon (3/182 in 40 overs) predictably bowled the most number of overs but was clobbered consistently by Dhoni.

Australian captain Clarke will certainly feel that he played a spinner short in this match.

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Yogeshwar seethes over IOC's decision

CHANDIGARH: Yogeshwar Dutt, Indian Olympic grappler and 2012 Olympics bronze medallist, has strongly objected to the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to exclude the sport from the 2020 event.

Indian Olympic wrestlers and winners have termed the decision as a great issue of concern for the future of the sport and showed their bitterness over the matter with strong remarks.

"The decision of banning wrestling matters a lot not only for me but for all wrestlers around the world. Nothing matters to us more than wrestling. If there is no wrestling then even Olympics is not there for us", said Dutt.

Dutt added that he would return his Olympic medals if the decision of IOC is not altered.

"If wrestling is banned from Olympics, then we will return the trophies we secured. There was a wrestler from Phulkariya who did the same. What's the use of keeping these trophies if wrestling is banned from the Olympics. We received the accolades for wrestling and what will we do with them if the sport is banned", said Dutt.

Wrestling is often quoted as "part of Indian sporting folklore".

This ancient sport has helped the country's grapplers to make a mark and bring India on the global sporting map.

India has won two medals in wrestling at the Olympic 2012 Sushil Kumar won the silver whilst Yogeshwar Dutt won the bronze.

The Indian Government termed the IOC decision "most unfortunate and shocking".

The authorities plan to raise the issue with the IOC, hoping that the sport could find its way back as a core Olympic discipline.

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Ashwin fined for pad with more logos

CHENNAI: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was on Sunday fined 10 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct relating to clothing and equipment while batting on the third day of the opening Test against Australia.

Ashwin, who was the star Indian bowler in the Australian innings on Saturday when he grabbed a career-best 7-103, was imposed the sanction for wearing a batting pad, which had more manufacturers' logos than permitted under ICC rules, when he batted on the third day.

He was found to have breached Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which relates to "breach of the ICC's Clothing and Equipment Regulations during an International Match".

"The player exceeded the permitted number of manufacturers' logos when he walked onto the field with four logos on the straps of his batting pads," a statement from the ICC said.

Ashwin accepted the Level 1 charge and the sanction proposed by Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.

The charge against Ashwin was brought by on-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Kumar Dharmasena and third umpire Vineet Kulkarni.

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I can become No. 1 again, says Federer

DUBAI: Roger Federer bristled a little when it was suggested to him that his days as world number one might be at an end because of his reduced schedule, and only a few seconds were needed for him to knock that idea back.

The 31-year-old top-ranking record-holder is only planning to play 14 tournaments this year, even dropping his home town tournament in Basel and the Miami tournament which has sometimes been described as the biggest outside the four Grand Slams.

Federer, who is now world number two, is already more than 4000 ranking points behind the leader Novak Djokovic, whose total is 40 percent more than the Swiss legend.

This means that the chances of the sport's greatest legend adding to his record total of 302 weeks at the top would appear to be significantly reduced.

But Federer immediately contested that. "It's definitely realistic if I'm playing great, but I need to play absolutely great," he said, before expressing his doubts.

"I can play great, but will I be allowed to? Time will tell. My big focus is on making sure that every tournament I enter I am perfectly prepared. I am hopeful I will get enough matches but if not my schedule can be changed.

"I need to make sure I have enough time off, so that when 2014 comes I am in a position with options which I almost wasn't this year to a degree."

This is a reference to the options which will be open to him in 10 months time according to ATP Tour rules. These reduce a player's mandatory commitments to Masters events by one tournament for each of the following milestones - 600 career matches, 12 years' service, and 31 years of age.

But because Federer will have achieved all three, he will be able to skip as many as he wishes without penalty.

For this and other reasons Federer also insists he can extend his all-time record of 17 Grand Slam tournament titles.

"I strongly believe I have more Slams in me," he said. "Which Slam do I favour - does Wimbledon over-weigh the rest? Maybe, but looking back there have been amazing moments with each Slam.

"It depends how long I play. But I don't want to be depending on that. I am trying to be smart with my schedule. I am practising more.

"Your prime is 23 to 27 or 28 so for me it's very challenging - and exciting. I need to make the right decisions. I have family and not many guys have that."

Federer was even more adamant that retirement was not close. "I want to give myself the best chance to play as long as I can. Maybe then it will become clear that it is time to stop. You know things change very quickly, and you have to be ready and open about it.

"But I would like to give myself the chance to play for many years to come. I am happy with the way my body is. I am healthy and happy to be playing. And as for the number one ranking and Grand Slams are still really important to me.

"If I feel confident and am enjoying it i hope to play for a long time. I think I am playing excellent tennis. Some win Grand Slams at 16 and others at 34. It depends how you see things.

"The over-30 guys are extremely consistent. I think I can play good tennis not playing so much."

Federer's realism was shown by his reaction to Rafael Nadal's predicament as he tries to return to his former eminence after injuries and many months out of the game.

Not only did Federer show sympathy for Nadal but emphasised that others had something to learn from him.

"It's not only him who needs to be careful but all of us," Federer emphasised. "How much travelling can you do? How much training? How much sleep does the body need? How much time away from the game do you need? Everyone is different.

"At the end of the day the body and the mind can only take so much.

Federer's new time-and-energy economy will mean that he takes fully seven weeks off between next months Master Series in Indian Wells and the clay court season in May. he has played on three matches since the Australian Open four weeks ago.

A test of the effectiveness of this will begin at the Dubai Open on Monday when he plays a first round against Malek Jaziri, the world number 130 from Tunisia.

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'Indians showed how to bat on this pitch'

CHENNAI: After being hammered around the park on Sunday, Australian wicket-keeper Matthew Wade said Indian batsmen showed them how to bat on such a pitch which is deteriorating fast but still has lot of runs in it.

India scored 333 runs on day three of the first Test with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni scoring a majestic double century and young Virat Kohli a patient century.

"Dhoni played brilliantly and it was unbelievable. Most of the younger players are in the sub-continent for the first time and we can learn a lot from the way the Indian batsmen played today. It is a learning curve," Wade told reporters after day's play.

"If we can take anything about the day today the last part of the innings and the partnership, there are runs in the pitch. I know that for sure. Of course the pitch will deteriorate and we expected it. We came here ten days before the Test and the pitch looked to be getting final finishes and we knew what is there for us," he added.

Wade said their performance on Monday will have bearing on the outcome of the series-opener.

"If there is anything for us in this Test, it is coming tomorrow and getting those two wickets. If we take some quick wickets and bat on as long as we can, is important for us in the whole series. It is about how we back ourselves tomorrow as a team," he said.

Wade said they never though that they will have easy time in India and such a fight was anticipated by them.

"It is tough to play in the subcontinent. We were lucky to get Sachin wicket. MS played beautifully. I know we have some tough days. Hopefully we do not have more tough ones.

"Individually we got to be ready for the remaining two days, especially the bowlers. We are fully soaked on the series and we know it is tough."

Wade said they were not troubled by heat and the rotating the fast bowlers quickly was captain's decision.

"Not at all. We are going to back our quick bowlers and Nathan. They have proven performances for Australia in the past in Test cricket. I think there is enough there for the quicks and for spinners as well. Reverse swing is hard to face in any condition and swing. That is the reason they are selected and hundred per cent we back our bowlers. We can bounce back when we come back in the innings," he asserted.

Wade also downplayed the argument he had with Harbhajan when the Indian spinner was batting.

"No, there was no row. I think he got hit on the pads and he said he was outside the line. There was nothing much and we moved on. There was definitely not a spite or anything like that. It was couple of ways of cricketing matter," he said.

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Saina seeded second at All England

NEW DELHI: World No. 2 Saina Nehwal is seeded second behind Olympic champion Li Xuerui in the women's singles at the All England Badminton Championships, starting in Birmingham March 5.

Saina's best performance at the Premier Super Series tournament came in 2010 when she reached the semifinals. The Hyderabadi will have adequate rest before reaching Birmingham as she is skipping the German Open Grand Prix Gold, beginning February 26.

No other Indian has been seeded, though PV Sindhu (women's singles), Ajay Jayaram and Parupalli Kashyap in the men's singles are in the main draw.

Jwala Gutta will be making a comeback after a six-month sabbatical following the London Olympics. Jwala will play mixed doubles with her long-term partner V Diju while in the women's doubles she and controversial Mumbai girl Prajakta Sawant are in the qualifiers.

Ashwini Ponnappa, who had paired up with Jwala to win the World Championships bronze and the Commonwealth Games gold, is playing with Pradnya Gadre and she is playing the mixed doubles with Tarun Kona.

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I got out at the wrong time, says Pujara

CHENNAI: Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on Saturday said he got out at the "wrong time" after doing all the hard work on the second day of the first cricket Test against Australia.

India finished the day at 182 for three in reply to Australia's first-innings total 380 all out, and Pujara, who was dismissed for 44, felt the hosts were in a comfortable position.

"I was set and things were going smoothly for us. But unfortunately, I got out at the wrong time. Still we are in a good position. I am happy about it and I have also contributed at the right time," Pujara said.

About his dismissal, Pujara said he was "surprised". Pujara was joined by Sachin Tendulkar, who remained unbeaten on 71 at stumps, at a crucial juncture as India had lost their openers with just 11 runs on the board.

The two added 93 runs for third wicket to steer India to safety.

"Sachin, when he got to bat, he was on the mark facing the first ball itself and hit three boundaries in the first over itself. So, he was looking positive. I have not seen him in such a kind of positive mindset. It was really pleasure watching him," the 26-year-old right-hander told reporters.

Tendulkar showed glimpses of his vintage form with a fluent half-century as India recovered from the two early jolts to match evenly poised at the M A Chidambaram Stadium.

"It was very important for us to make a partnership and it was really crucial. During the partnership we were talking about how the ball was moving and at times reverse swinging. Such communication was really important when we were batting."

The odd bounce, according to Pujara, was not a big problem for the Indians.

"I do not think so. At times you get extra bounce and at times it kept low. But we are used to it and so it was not a big problem for us.

"As for my losing the wicket, it kept very low and I was late on the ball. I think I could not sight the ball after it pitched, I was a bit late," he said.

Coming back to Tendulkar's knock, Pujara said, "I think I have seen him bat in the nets and the way he was timing the ball was different. I have seen him even in the England series in the nets.

"Unfortunately, he did not get runs in the England series. The way he was batting at the nets there was nothing wrong. He was timing the ball well and even in the camp at Bangalore before we came here, his batting was a pleasure to watch.

Pujara, as expected, picked James Pattinson as the best bowler he has faced on Saturday.

"So far I think Pattinson was the best. They were getting reverse swing but we were prepared for it. We knew that their strength is fast bowling. They will be relying on fast bowlers.

"In Indian conditions there was not so much swing movements so what they were trying was to get the ball old as early as possible to get the reverse swing."

Asked if he was surprised by the bowling of Australian quickies, Pujara said, "As I said before I lost the ball half way and that was the reason I lost my wicket. Otherwise, on the Indian wickets, there was not much of pace for the bowlers because of the wicket condition."

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Mahi Racing aims pole finish in 1st race

PHILIP ISLAND (Australia): India's first World Superbike team, Mahi Racing made a strong start to its World Supersport Championship campaign with its riders - Kenan Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret - claiming second and third spots respectively on the starting grid for Sunday's inaugural race of the season.

Both the riders of Mahi Racing, which made its debut in the World Supersport Championship last year, are strong contenders to take the chequered flag on Sunday.

Three-time champion Sofuoglu cut about half a second from his yesterday's best lap timing to take second position clocking 1:33.157s, while Foret bettered his timing by almost a second to clock 1:33.721s.

Foret had suffered some technical problems and was down to the 12th spot after the first qualifying. But the Frenchman made a strong comeback today and faced no problem in climbing up the grid.

After the race a much-relieved Foret said, "The competitive approach that we show as a team helps us to better our timing every time we are out there. Hopefully, both me and Kenan can better our performance and aim for a pole finish tomorrow."

In today's qualifying session, the pole went to Sam Lowes of Yakhnich Motorsports Yamaha, who had clocked 1:32.545s in yesterday's qualifying session, and the new track record was enough for him to take the pole position on the starting grid.

However, the riders of Mahi Racing are confident of turning the table on Lowes on Sunday.

"We were solid throughout the qualifying session and the bike (Kawasaki ZX-6R) performed fantastically over the two days," said Sofuoglu.

Chairman and Managing Director of the Mahi Racing, Arun Pandey expressed happiness over the performance of his team and said they were looking forward to their first race day.

"We have done extremely well in the first official testing and also in the qualifying. Now we are looking forward to the race and I am sure we would be in contention for the podium finish tomorrow," he said.

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Wanted to bounce out Sachin: Pattinson

CHENNAI: Young Australian pacer James Pattinson on Saturday said that he tried to attack Sachin Tendulkar with a barrage of bouncers but with the veteran Indian batsman picking him early, he had to change the plan on the second day of the first cricket Test.

Tendulkar, who showed glimpses of his vintage form in his knock of 71 on the second day, hit two glorious fours off the first two balls he faced from Pattinson and clobbered another majestic boundary off the fourth ball.

Asked about the treatment meted out to him by Tendulkar, the 22-year-old Australian said the initial onslaught from the senior Indian player forced him to change his plan.

"My early plan to Sachin was to try and bounce a little more. Changed that plan in last minute. It was a mistake there. I think I should have gone with the first plan. Sachin is a fantastic player and it looked like he had a lot of time out there compared to other batters," Pattinson said after at the press conference after second day's play.

"It's quite a daunting task bowling to him and looking at him he was at his class today and batted fantastically. When I bowl to him and other players, he picks the ball quite early and places it quite easily. Hopefully we will be successful tomorrow. His wicket is always prize scalp." he said.

Pattinson said the ball was reversing quite early, not swinging conventionally and that played a part in his decision to drop the plan of attacking the Indian top order with bouncers.

"The ball was reversing quite early and never swinging conventionally. I tried some stuff like that it worked well. I wanted to challenge Sehwag but went little bit wide and again changed the plan half way through. Being young you seem to make mistakes and perhaps you learn to better your plans," he said.

At stumps on Saturday, India were 182 for three in reply to Australia's 380 all out, and Pattinson said that Sunday will be crucial day and his side would look to grab two home side wickets early on.

"If we get two wickets, we will be close to 200 runs in front. Two wickets tomorrow is big case for us," said Pattinson who returned with figures of three for 25 runs from the six overs he bowled on Saturday.

Asked if he was under-bowled by his captain as he was allowed only three overs in his first spell, Pattinson said, "I am returning after injury lay off. I think Mitchell (Starc) was bowling fantastic and good swings. With two right handers playing, I don't think there's any difference whether I bowled fourth over. Hopefully, save few things for tomorrow.

"As for wicket for pace bowlers, I think there is enough there. If you try bang the wicket and try putting some pace there is enough there for bouncers and there is little bit of reverse as the ball was quite soft, which does not help us."

Asked if he was able to create some psychological pressure on Indian batters, Pattinson said, "I do not think so, since they are world class team. I love the challenge while bowling to Sehwag and Tendulkar. I love challenges and playing against some good players. Look, I am lucky to have had some success today against India.

Pattinson said on such wickets length of delivery was crucial to put the batsmen in two minds whether to come forward or go back foot.

"Yesterday when Ashwin claimed the wickets of Watson and Warner, the ball kept low even in spinners' standard. Even today, in Sehwag's wicket, the ball hurried on a little bit and the one that Pujara got out. I think it is about lengths. Ashwin bowled a fantastic length yesterday.

"Going about a couple of days here it is massive about the lengths that you bowl. The best way to go about it in this pitch is that you put the batsmen in two minds whether to come in front or go back to combat. That is the best way about it," Pattinson said.

Asked if right-arm off-spinner Nathan Lyon was the weak link in the Australian team, Pattinson said, "Probably the field that we set was quite defensive. We know the Indians would like to score fours. I think he bowled quite well. Probably, he went the odd ball for fours. I think it was quite a good day and we made inroads.

"One thing is that if you get wickets, it can happen quite fast. He bowled really well and probably, if he had Sachin out for him, it would have gone either way. The LBW decision. It is first day on the tour and he will better with each day on."

On Starc's bowling, he said, "He is a fantastic bowler and plan is to hit stumps and go for LBW decisions. And from round the wicket, he had more such chances. He was fantastic going away with the right hander coming in. That is his main strength and he is doing that," said Pattinson.

"Whether he would come over the wicket and it would have changed, I am not sure. Clarke is a fantastic captain and he has done right so far whatever he has done. Hopefully, it will be nice to clean up the tail."

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AIBA allows Indian boxers to participate

NEW DELHI: The International Boxing Federation (AIBA) has decided to allow Indian boxers to participate in competitions approved by it under its flag, reversing the world body's earlier decision to bar them in the aftermath of the country's ban by the IOC.

In a letter to the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation, the AIBA said that its Executive Committee has decided to allow participation of Indian boxers in international events despite the continuation of suspension of the IABF.

The AIBA, however, made it clear that no official will be allowed to accompany the boxers in any international competition.

"This letter is to inform you that despite the ongoing suspension of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation, the AIBA EC Bureau took the decision on February 22, 2013 to exceptionally allow Indian boxers and coaches only (no official whatsoever permitted) to participate in AIBA Competitions (approved events) under the AIBA flag," the AIBA said.

"This means that your National Federation may register boxers and coaches only to the ASBC Youth Boxing Championships due to take place from May 10-16, 2013 in Subic Bay, Philippines, and to future AIBA Competitions," the letter, written by AIBA Executive Director Ho Kim, said.

"Please note that you will be requested to provide a proof that the coaches registered are certified coaches," it said.

The development comes after India's IOC member Randhir Singh personally spoke to AIBA President Ching-Kuo Wu and followed it up with a letter, stating that the Indian boxers should not suffer due to IOC's ban on India.

In India's sporting history, the country's athlete had never participated in any competition under the flag of an international entity.

The AIBA chief also wrote a letter to Randhir informing him of the world body's decision to allow Indian boxers' participation in international events under the AIBA flag.

"I am pleased to inform you that the AIBA EC Bureau took the decision on February 22, 2013 to allow Indian boxers and coaches only (thus no officials) to participate to the ABSC Youth Boxing Championships due to take place from May 10-16, 2013 in Subic Bay, Philippines, and to future AIBA Competitions," Wu wrote in the letter.

"However, the team will of course have to compete under the AIBA flag due to the ongoing suspension of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation. The AIBA HQs Office will duly inform the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation and ASBC so that registration procedures may proceed."

IABF vice-president Brig P K Muralidharan Raja welcomed the decision of the AIBA and said it would be relief to the country's boxers.

"This is the best thing to have happened to us in the last few weeks. At least the boxers will not suffer because of the ongoing scenario," Muralidharan Raja said.

The AIBA suspended the IABF in December last year for "possible manipulation" of its elections, in the wake of a wider Olympic ban imposed on India by International Olympic Committee.

The AIBA had barred the Indian boxers from participation in international competitions.

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Clarke's unbeaten ton takes Aus to 316/7

CHENNAI: Captain Michael Clarke led from the front with a sparkling unbeaten century under pressure as Australia recovered from a precarious position to post a respectable 316 for seven on the opening day of the first Test against India on Friday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

Clarke brought up his 23rd Test century off the second last ball of the day hitting left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja towards long-off to remain unbeaten on 103 on a day which saw an engrossing battle between the bat and the ball.

Clarke negated all the good work done by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (6/88) who took all but one among seven wickets that fell on the day at the Chepauk.

Clarke was well-complemented by debutant Moises Henriques (68) as the pair added 147 runs for the sixth wicket after Ashwin's terrific post-lunch spell saw the visitors being reduced to 153 for five.

The Tamil Nadu offie finally broke the partnership by dismissing the impressive Henriques, trapping him leg-before much to the relief of his teammates.

Ashwin, who took his sixth five-wicket haul in Test matches ended with fantastic figures of six for 88 in 30 overs but should consider himself unlucky being robbed off Clarke's wicket due to the absence of Decision Review System (DRS).

The Australian captain was batting on 39 when he offered a simple bat-pad catch to Cheteshwar Pujara at forward short-leg but umpire Kumar Dharmasena turned down the vociferous appeal from the Indians.

The television replays clearly indicated that the ball had hit Clarke's bat before flying off to the close-in fielder. The rival skipper took advantage of the situation and did not look back as he took his team to a position of safety with other Indian bowlers looking pedestrian.

A lot was expected of Harbhajan Singh playing his 100th Test match but the experienced off-spinner went off the boil after the first few overs giving away 71 runs in 19 overs.

Debutant Bhuvneshwar Kumar's performance also left a lot to be desired. With a pace of about 130 kmph, he could hardly pose much problems for Clarke and Henriques.

It was a commendable show by Clarke and Henriques, who were positive to begin with and didn't look like getting bogged down by the bald turner that was on offer.

In all three sessions, the Australian batsmen maintained a decent run-rate despite losing wickets at regular intervals.

Opting the bat first, David Warner showed decisive footwork during the first couple of hours as he attacked the Indian spinners Harbhajan and Ashwin. Ed Cowan also looked confident although both the openers got a reprieve in the first hour.

Cowan charged down the track and Dhoni missed a stumping chance while Warner's catch was dropped by Virender Sehwag at the first slip. The bowler on both occasions was Ashwin.

However, the burly home boy had the last laugh against left-hander Cowan (29), who confidently charged down the track to loft Ashwin. The ball turned and bounced as Dhoni whipped the bails off in a flash.

Phil Hughes (6) didn't look comfortable at all during his brief stay and dragged a wide short delivery from Ashwin onto the stumps.

Warner however continued to attack as he completed his 50 off 77 balls with five fours in company of Shane Watson (28).

The duo put on 54 runs for the third wicket as Australia went into lunch at 126 for two.

The first hour in the post-lunch session turned out to be very productive for India as Ashwin dismissed Watson, Warner and Matthew Wade in quick succession as the visitors suffered a mid-innings collapse.

Both Watson and Warner were leg before trying to play deliveries that were skidding and were caught on the backfoot. Warner made 59 off 93 balls with the help of six fours.

But it was skipper Clarke, who responded to the crisis situation as he batted with a lot of authority. His footwork was assured and he decided to wait for the loose deliveries hitting as many as 11 fours and a six.

He drove well and also played the cut shot perfectly. The six off Ashwin over long-on was majestic as it brought up his half century. Clarke also completed 7000 Test runs on the day, when he reached a personal score of 11.

A lot of credit should also be given to Henriques, who showed maturity playing second fiddle to Clarke. He faced 132 deliveries and hit five boundaries in the process. He also ran well between the wickets and proved to be the ideal foil for someone like Clarke, who found the gaps with ease.

Any total in excess of 350 could prove to be challenging for the Indians as the ball is getting roughed up quickly on a bone dry surface.

With three potent quicks in the opposition ranks and two of them being exponents of reverse swing, the Indians will have to be at their best when they get a chance to bat on Saturday.

For the Indian bowlers, Ashwin's performance was the only silver lining as he bowled in excellent areas throughout the day. Had he got a bit of more support from the other end, India might have been able to dismiss Aussies for a far lesser score.

While Harbhajan was again guilty of bowling flat, Jadeja didn't have any variation in his bowling. The Saurashtra all-rounder did get a wicket in the end bowling Mitchell Starc through the gate but by then the visitors had reached a position of safety.

There was little cheer for the opening bowlers too as Bhuvneshwar and Ishant Sharma gave 94 runs in 22 overs bowled between them. Especially, it wasn't a pretty sight to find Dhoni standing upto the stumps to a new ball bowler in the fifth over of the day.

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I'm no quitter, says defiant Wenger

LONDON: Arsene Wenger insists he has no intention of quitting Arsenal despite growing criticism of the Gunners' boss after the worst season of his 17-year reign in north London.

Wenger has been under fire from fans and pundits for much of the season, but the last week has been a new low for the Frenchman as his side crashed out of the FA Cup against Championship club Blackburn and then slumped to a 3-1 home defeat to Bayern Munich that left their Champions League hopes in tatters.

Barring a miracle comeback against Bayern in the second leg, Arsenal will have gone eight years without a trophy at the end of this season and many fans believe the time has come for Wenger to go.

But the 63-year-old, whose team have been reduced to a desperate scrap to finish in the Premier League's top four, says he is not about to walk away from the current difficulties because his desire to do the job burns as bright as ever.

Asked at press conference on Friday if he had considered his position this week, Wenger said: "Never. Not one second. I don't think that spark has anything to do with your age.

"It is just that's how you are and you're motivated by how much you want to win and how much you are a winner.

"If I go out now and play one against one with you, you will see I will beat you and at least if I don't manage to beat you, I will want to beat you. That will not change as long as I can move."

Wenger believes there needs to be a sense of perspective around what is regarded as achievement at the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal having continued to qualify for the Champions League despite testing financial circumstances.

"We live in a world of emotion, of excess, and it is down to people who have responsibilities to put that into perspective and keep solid and keep guiding the club in the right way," said Wenger, whose side face struggling Aston Villa on Saturday.

"My responsibility is to keep the guidelines and guide the team and the club in what I feel is the right way.

"What is important for me is to focus on the next game and try to give my best, like all the players."

Arsenal's regular board meeting on Thursday was attended by majority shareholder Stan Kroenke, who also watched Tuesday's Bayern game.

Wenger, though, insisted it was very much a case of business as usual rather than an inquest into the team's problems.

"The meeting speaks about many things. Commercial, ticket prices, long term plans. I make my report as well on the technical side, so it was the usual thing," Wenger said.

"Of course we had no euphoria because we have gone through a disappointment on Tuesday night but apart from that we are responsible people who know what it is to fight."

With so much criticism from outside the club threatening to destabilise his squad, Wenger called on the fans and players to show a unified front.

"What we need is to be united and strong, and not to be destabilised by people who have strong opinions after one game," Wenger said.

"I believe what is important is that the club always goes with the guidelines we have and do not change direction every time we lose a big game, that would lead to a disaster.

"A bad period for a club is also a good opportunity to show how united and strong you are. We have a good history of that at Arsenal."

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Sachin, Viru back squash's Olympic bid

CHENNAI: Cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh are backing inclusion of squash in the Olympic programme for the 2020 Summer Games.

Ahead of the first Test against Australia, the three Indian cricketers posted their picture on Twitter holding a banner that read: "I back squash, would you?"

Their support for the racket sport comes a week after tennis icon Roger Federer endorsed squash's debut in the 2020 Games.

"I started with a wooden racquet in squash," Federer had said after meeting women's world No.1 squash player Nicol David in Rotterdam.

"It's a wonderful sport. I think squash deserves to be in the Olympics, they run a great tour with great personalities. I'd be very happy for them personally. I used to play every Sunday with my dad."

India's top squash player Dipika Pallikal welcomed the support of top sportspersons.

"It is such an honour to have got the support from such incredible athletes. It surely says that are sport definitely deserves to be up there with all the other sports competing at the Olympics," said Dipika.

Squash is fighting against wrestling, softball, baseball, karate, sport climbing, wakeboarding, wushu and rollersports for that one spot in 2020. An International Olympic Committee meeting has been scheduled in St. Petersburg to decide on the matter.

The full IOC session will ratify the changes in the Olympic programme during their meeting Buenos Aires in September.

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Somdev, Yuki may return for Davis Cup

NEW DELHI: Top singles players Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri are likely to return to the Indian Davis Cup team as the national selectors meet to pick the squad for the tie against Indonesia on Saturday.

In the absence of 11 top players, India had lost the Asia/Oceania Group I first round tie against South Korea 1-4 earlier this month.

The players ended their rebellion for the time being and made themselves available for the Indonesia tie after AITA agreed to improve the playing conditions and gave all the offers in writing.

The selection committee is unlikely to overlook Somdev although he is fifth-highest ranked Indian player at 354.

Somdev had beaten world number 39 Benoit Paire of France in an ongoing ATP event in France.

Yuki is highest-ranked Indian player in singles at 257 so he is likely to return to the squad. He has not lived up to expectations after a sparkling career in junior circuit but he is one player, who is considered India's future in singles along with Somdev.

Yuki had won both his singles in the relegation play-off tie against New Zealand in September 2012 in Chandigarh.

For the doubles, the selection committee will stick with Leander Paes but it would be interesting to see if Purav Raja is retained.

Raja had supported Paes well in the tie against Korea, as the two registered the only victory for India.

It is highly unlikely that the Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna would be recalled to the side. They were axed from the side on disciplinary ground and handed two-year bans although the court had issued a stay order on the punishment.

It is likely that selectors may opt for fresh legs, bringing in Vishnu Vardhan, who had partnered Paes at the London Olympics.

Both Vishnu and Raja would be contenders for the doubles rubber.

It will be also interesting to see if the selectors keep VM Ranjeet and Vijayant Malik, who featured in the Korea tie, at least in the reserves, even though better-ranked players such as Sanam Singh (297), Sriram Balaji (314) and Saketh Myneni (390) are now available.

The AITA has decided to persist with non playing captain S P Misra, even though the players have demanded his replacement. The Korea tie was supposed to be Misra's farewell tie but the federation looks in no mood to replace him.

The players, while making themselves available, had raised this issue and wanted to be kept in the loop on Misra's possible replacement.

It remains to be seen whether AITA appoints a new captain or continues with the veteran.

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'Need to pack them off within 30 runs'

CHENNAI: India's man of the moment Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Michael Clarke's sureshot dismissal could have reduced Australia's score by atleast 70 runs but they need to pack off the visitors within another 30 runs at the start of the second day.

"I think we need to pack them off within another 20-30 runs but we could have reduced their score by 60-70 runs if he'd ( Michael Clarke) been given out. But it does happen, it's part of the game," Ashwin told mediapersons about Australian captain being given not out on 39 when TV replays showed that it was a bat-pad catch to forward short-leg fielder.

Ashwin was forthright in stating that he appealed as he was fully confident that Clarke had hit the ball.

"It was clear to me that he hit the ball and that's why we all went up to appeal. At the end of the day, it does happen. And Kumar Dharamasena is himself an off-spinner... We thought he'd give a few dismissals to me, to look at the lighter side," the burly off-spinner, who had figures of 6 for 88 said.

He did admit that the thought of emulating Anil Kumble's feat of getting 10 wickets did cross his mind.

"I'd be lying if I said no! Because the way things were going since the morning, the way the ball was coming out of my hand, I thought OK, actually it's a real possibility here. But in between, I had an injury on my finger and I had to go off the field. That took the momentum out a bit. Henriques and Clarke got in and they batted beautifully after that."

The 26-year-old however snapped back when someone asked him about his dip in form against England.

"See, I honestly think I didn't have a bad series against England. So if that was your opinion, yes you're supposed to have your opinion and I won't barge in on that, but I bowled exactly the same as I bowled against England, but yes today the wickets were coming."

Ashwin feels that people who are sitting outside have a penchant for judging a bowler's form based on the number of wickets he has taken.

"Yes, it does happen. Everyone sitting a distance away tend to say that the wickets column should say something, they say you bowled beautifully. On another day, they end up saying you didn't bowl that well even if you did. So I've got into a mindset where I actually have to put that behind my mind and go about doing what I do best."

The offie denied having done anything different from what he bowled during the series against England.

"I would say no, apart from touching up a few things with my coach, I didn't anything at all. I think I varied my pace at different points on the day. I've got to say this, today's spell is dedicated to my coach Sunil Subramaniam because he identified a small thing and we worked on it for five-six sessions in between the Corporate Trophy and this series."

"The credit goes to him (Subramanium) because it's very easy to spot a mistake, but that mistake's root cause could be somewhere else. But to exactly nail that and to get me out of that is what he did and all credit goes to him. It was about body position and nothing else."

Also Alastair Cook's form was a factor during the last Test series.

"That's the beauty of this game. Suddenly, if someone gets on a roll... the way Cook batted against us, he took the momentum away from us. That was probably the difference between the two teams, how you start the series, how you end up plugging things... He was in superb form."

According to Ashwin, the pitch was a deceptive one as it didn't turn as much as they thought it would.

"The pitch looked very dirty, to be very honest. After the first 5-10 overs, it looked dirty and we thought it was going to spin like a top. You come out and you think it's going to spin a lot. But it actually didn't spin at all, to be honest. I think it's going to get slow, and hopefully Starc would create some rough for the second innings."

He was sceptical about answering a query as to why other Indian spinners (Harbhajan and Jadeja) weren't as successful as he was.

"See... if I say something, I don't know what's going to be played up! To be very honest, Jadeja bowled very well and he was hitting the mark and we were conceding a few runs on both sides of the wicket here and there, which does happen at Chepauk."

"See, when I come out to this ground, I feel the air talks to me, every person sitting in the stands talks to me, and I feel really comfortable. I know this ground like the back of my hand. There are certain things... that have gone wrong for me and I've learnt from them... you tend to leak runs on both side of the wicket because of the bounce."

Initially, he didn't bowl a lot of deliveries to Clarke and when asked about the reason for it, he said, "No, I think he wanted to keep me fresh at different times of the day, bowl shorter spells. I think I'd bowled 20 overs already in the day, it made sense. I could return fresher when I came back into the attack."

Ashwin discounted the theory that reverse swing could come into effect.

"What I know is that at Chepauk, reverse swing isn't a big factor for the simple reason that it bounces, and it's not like you hit the pad often you get leg befores. They do have four quality seamers, we'll have to wait and watch."

Ashwin went on the defensive when the question of dropping Pragyan Ojha popped up.

"I wish I could answer that. I would have answered that if I knew what the reason is. But the fact that they had a lot of left-handers, we had to play two off-spinners. Even if I were the captain, I would have done the same thing."

The player also differed on the opinion that Indian bowlers didn't attack Clarke a lot during the early part of the innings.

"We had just one fielder on the deep on off-side, when he (Clarke) was batting for the first 50 balls and I don't think you can attack more. After a point of time, you need to be sensible rather than challenge the conditions."

Playing his first Test match at the Chepauk was a big occasion for Ashwin.

"I've played a plenty of IPL games here, 3-4 ODI games too and international Twenty20 too. But all that comes nowhere close to Test matches. For the last two days, I couldn't connect with what was happening. I was in complete awe, smiling all through the last couple of days. The ground looked picturesque. I've never seen Chepauk greener than this, I've never seen Chepauk more beautiful than this. Just had a wonderful day today."

"I was very happy to be part of this Test match and I was actually telling myself that even if this had to be my last Test match, it will be the happiest day of my life," he signed off.

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