Dernbach gets Dhoni, Raina stands firm

MOHALI: A rejuvenated India clinched the one-day series against England as the hosts rode on the batting heroics of Suresh Raina (89 not out) and Rohit Sharma (83) to fashion a comfortable five-wicket victory in the penultimate game and take an unassailable 3-1 lead on Wednesday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The Indians first restricted the visitors to 257 for seven and then overcame some anxious moments before overhauling the target with 15 balls to spare in a floodlit contest played in cold conditions at the PCA stadium.

Though the hosts had the game in control after putting England into bat, they conceded as many as 100 runs in the last ten overs with unheralded Joe Root (57 not out off 45 balls) and Kevin Pietersen (76) providing the late sparks with some lusty hits.

Captain Alastair Cook was another notable performer with a knock of 76.

But the Indians held their nerve during the run chase and it was ultimately Raina who guided the team home.

It was a creditable series victory for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men who had come under fire for indifferent performances in recent times, which saw the team lose a Test series to England and an ODI series defeat against arch rivals Pakistan at home.

It was Rohit Sharma, rated as highly talented but one who has seldom delivered, who turned the spotlight on himself as he grabbed with both hands an unexpected opportunity to feature in the playing eleven as an opener in place of Ajinkya Rahane.

Sharma proved his class with some delightful shots to lay the foundation for the chase and his show will enhance his chances of cementing a place in the ODI team.

Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs by taking three off Jade Dernbach to trigger off scenes of wild celebrations in the galleries and the Indian dressing room where the players hugged each other.

The two teams will now move to the picturesque town of Dharamsala for the last and final match on Sunday, though it has now been rendered inconsequential.

India lost opener Gautam Gambhir early but the left- hander, who has been out of form for quite a while, was distinctly unlucky to have been adjudged caught behind by umpire Steve Davis as replays suggested that there was no edge.

Gambhir tried to poke at an outside-the-offstump delivery off Tim Bresnan and the English fielders appealed for a caught behind which was upheld by the umpire. Gambhir was shocked and was seen shaking his head while walking to the pavilion.

The hosts could have been in more trouble had Pietersen not spilled a difficult catch of Sharma when he was on 12, with Bresnan being the bowler.

Sharma and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a 52-run partnership for the second before James Tredwell struck for his team in his very first over by evicting Kohli for 26.

It was a tossed up delivery and Kohli drove it straight to the bowler for a simple return catch.

Local hero Yuvraj, who joined the action after Kohli's dismissal, did not survive long as he fell prey to Tredwell, who trapped him leg before as he went for a pre-meditated sweep shot.

Sharma notched up his 13th ODI half century and celebrated the moment by spanking Tredwell for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries.

Sharma, who came into the team in place of an out-of-form Rahane, found an able ally in Raina who scored at a brisk race to put the pressure back on the visitors. The pair scored 50 runs off just 37 balls.

Just when they seemed to be going great guns, Steve Finn provided the breakthrough by sending back Sharma with a ball that dipped in sharply, trapping the batsman leg before wicket. Sharma's 83 came off 93 balls and contained 11 boundaries and a six.

Raina was lucky to get a reprieve when he was caught by Cook in the slip but Davis signalled a dead ball as the bowler Finn had knocked the stumps over on his delivery stride, much to the relief of a near-capacity crowd.

Earlier, put into bat, England lost three wickets in quick succession in the middle of the innings after a reasonably good start, but the young Root unleashed a stunning counter attack to steer the total past the 250 mark, which looked doubtful at one stage.

Root, who clobbered eight boundaries and a six during his 45-ball blitzkrieg, and Pietersen were largely responsible for England's recovery.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3/39 while Ishant Sharma 2/47 and R Ashwin 2/63 were the other wicket takers.

England's opening pair put on 37 runs for the first wicket before Ishant provided the breakthrough by evicting Bell, who perished to a rash stroke.

Bell decided to step out against Ishant but could not get to the pitch of the ball and Kumar pulled off a brilliant diving catch at the third man region.

Pietersen, who joined the action after Bell's dismissal, started off watchfully and took some time to get off the mark.

The experienced duo of Cook and Pietersen kept the scoreboard moving with gentle nudges and pushes and did not take too many risks as they steered England past 100.

The duo stitched 95 runs for the second wicket before off spinner Ashwin came to the hosts' rescue by dismissing Cook in what appeared to be a dubious decision by Sudhir Asnani.

Cook was wrapped on the pad while trying to play forward but the ball appeared to have pitched outside the leg stump line. Cook slammed 13 boundaries during his knock which came off 106 balls.

The departure of Cook triggered off a collapse of sorts as Eoin Morgan (3) and Samit Patel (1) perished in quick succession as England slipped from a comfortable 132 for one to 142 for four.

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Rohit Sharma falls after a fiery knock

MOHALI: A rejuvenated India clinched the one-day series against England as the hosts rode on the batting heroics of Suresh Raina (89 not out) and Rohit Sharma (83) to fashion a comfortable five-wicket victory in the penultimate game and take an unassailable 3-1 lead on Wednesday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The Indians first restricted the visitors to 257 for seven and then overcame some anxious moments before overhauling the target with 15 balls to spare in a floodlit contest played in cold conditions at the PCA stadium.

Though the hosts had the game in control after putting England into bat, they conceded as many as 100 runs in the last ten overs with unheralded Joe Root (57 not out off 45 balls) and Kevin Pietersen (76) providing the late sparks with some lusty hits.

Captain Alastair Cook was another notable performer with a knock of 76.

But the Indians held their nerve during the run chase and it was ultimately Raina who guided the team home.

It was a creditable series victory for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men who had come under fire for indifferent performances in recent times, which saw the team lose a Test series to England and an ODI series defeat against arch rivals Pakistan at home.

It was Rohit Sharma, rated as highly talented but one who has seldom delivered, who turned the spotlight on himself as he grabbed with both hands an unexpected opportunity to feature in the playing eleven as an opener in place of Ajinkya Rahane.

Sharma proved his class with some delightful shots to lay the foundation for the chase and his show will enhance his chances of cementing a place in the ODI team.

Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs by taking three off Jade Dernbach to trigger off scenes of wild celebrations in the galleries and the Indian dressing room where the players hugged each other.

The two teams will now move to the picturesque town of Dharamsala for the last and final match on Sunday, though it has now been rendered inconsequential.

India lost opener Gautam Gambhir early but the left- hander, who has been out of form for quite a while, was distinctly unlucky to have been adjudged caught behind by umpire Steve Davis as replays suggested that there was no edge.

Gambhir tried to poke at an outside-the-offstump delivery off Tim Bresnan and the English fielders appealed for a caught behind which was upheld by the umpire. Gambhir was shocked and was seen shaking his head while walking to the pavilion.

The hosts could have been in more trouble had Pietersen not spilled a difficult catch of Sharma when he was on 12, with Bresnan being the bowler.

Sharma and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a 52-run partnership for the second before James Tredwell struck for his team in his very first over by evicting Kohli for 26.

It was a tossed up delivery and Kohli drove it straight to the bowler for a simple return catch.

Local hero Yuvraj, who joined the action after Kohli's dismissal, did not survive long as he fell prey to Tredwell, who trapped him leg before as he went for a pre-meditated sweep shot.

Sharma notched up his 13th ODI half century and celebrated the moment by spanking Tredwell for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries.

Sharma, who came into the team in place of an out-of-form Rahane, found an able ally in Raina who scored at a brisk race to put the pressure back on the visitors. The pair scored 50 runs off just 37 balls.

Just when they seemed to be going great guns, Steve Finn provided the breakthrough by sending back Sharma with a ball that dipped in sharply, trapping the batsman leg before wicket. Sharma's 83 came off 93 balls and contained 11 boundaries and a six.

Raina was lucky to get a reprieve when he was caught by Cook in the slip but Davis signalled a dead ball as the bowler Finn had knocked the stumps over on his delivery stride, much to the relief of a near-capacity crowd.

Earlier, put into bat, England lost three wickets in quick succession in the middle of the innings after a reasonably good start, but the young Root unleashed a stunning counter attack to steer the total past the 250 mark, which looked doubtful at one stage.

Root, who clobbered eight boundaries and a six during his 45-ball blitzkrieg, and Pietersen were largely responsible for England's recovery.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3/39 while Ishant Sharma 2/47 and R Ashwin 2/63 were the other wicket takers.

England's opening pair put on 37 runs for the first wicket before Ishant provided the breakthrough by evicting Bell, who perished to a rash stroke.

Bell decided to step out against Ishant but could not get to the pitch of the ball and Kumar pulled off a brilliant diving catch at the third man region.

Pietersen, who joined the action after Bell's dismissal, started off watchfully and took some time to get off the mark.

The experienced duo of Cook and Pietersen kept the scoreboard moving with gentle nudges and pushes and did not take too many risks as they steered England past 100.

The duo stitched 95 runs for the second wicket before off spinner Ashwin came to the hosts' rescue by dismissing Cook in what appeared to be a dubious decision by Sudhir Asnani.

Cook was wrapped on the pad while trying to play forward but the ball appeared to have pitched outside the leg stump line. Cook slammed 13 boundaries during his knock which came off 106 balls.

The departure of Cook triggered off a collapse of sorts as Eoin Morgan (3) and Samit Patel (1) perished in quick succession as England slipped from a comfortable 132 for one to 142 for four.

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'Delhi to play 2 home matches in Raipur'

MUMBAI: Delhi Daredevils will play two of their home matches in IPL 6, to be held in April-May, at Raipur while Rajkot and Ahmedabad have been shortlisted as alternative venues for Jaipur to host the home matches of Rajasthan Royals.

"Delhi Daredevils had requested for Raipur, so we have given two matches to Raipur. Chhattisgarh Cricket Association was also very keen to host IPL matches, so we have given to them," said IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla after a meeting of the T20 League's Governing Council on Wednesday.

With the ongoing differences between Rajasthan Cricket Association and the state's sports council threatening to derail IPL 6 matches being held at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur, the BCCI is looking to host them at alternative venues in Ahmedabad and Rajkot.

"Similarly, we are trying to find a solution about Jaipur, because there are certain problems, certain issues, between the state association and government departments. So we are working on alternative venues also. The catchment area is Gujarat, so we are looking at Rajkot and Ahmedabad as alternative venues," he said.

"Meanwhile, we will be talking to Rajasthan Cricket Association, whether they can host IPL matches there or not and how many matches can they host. We will be finding out all these things and then take a decision in 3-4 days on Jaipur," Shukla added.

The IPL chairman also said that the differences existing between Sahara Group and the Maharashtra Cricket Association over dues to be paid to the latter by the former over the construction of the new cricket stadium at Balewadi in Pune were yet to be brought to the Board's notice.

"Right now, it is strictly among themselves. Nothing has been brought on the platter of BCCI. So we didn't discuss that matter. Unless state association complains to us or franchisee comes to BCCI, we can't unnecessarily poke our nose into it," Shukla said.

Sahara had moved the Bombay High Court against Maharashtra Cricket Association for "wrongful termination of agreements" regarding various rights in respect of Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in Pune and it had got an interim relief against MCA's move to cover the name of the stadium.

Sahara claimed it had fulfilled its part of obligations on the agreements signed with MCA regarding the construction, naming and building of a club adjacent to the stadium.

MCA terminated the agreement on the ground of default in payments and covered the name of the stadium with black cloth which led to the company filing a petition in the High Court.

Later, Sahara sources said that the group decided not to use the name Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium for the said arena anymore and shall be proposing a new alternative name, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the naming rights agreement executed between the parties.

Asked about reports saying Sahara Group, which owns Pune Warriors team in the IPL, had not yet paid the full amount of the franchise fee instalment due to the BCCI, Shukla insisted the matter would be sorted out.

"That is being sorted out. That is not a problem," he said.

Shukla was non-committal about Pakistan players' participation in IPL 6.

"We haven't discussed with franchisees as yet. No discussion has taken place," he said.

"We want to develop different venues, because number of state associations want IPL to be hosted in their respective states. Because there are fans all over and they want IPL to be played, since it is a very popular tournament," Shukla explained about DD hosting some IPL games at Raipur.

"Some franchises also requested that they wanted to host a few matches in other venues," he added.

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Raina leads Indian chase with quick 50

MOHALI: A rejuvenated India clinched the one-day series against England as the hosts rode on the batting heroics of Suresh Raina (89 not out) and Rohit Sharma (83) to fashion a comfortable five-wicket victory in the penultimate game and take an unassailable 3-1 lead on Wednesday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The Indians first restricted the visitors to 257 for seven and then overcame some anxious moments before overhauling the target with 15 balls to spare in a floodlit contest played in cold conditions at the PCA stadium.

Though the hosts had the game in control after putting England into bat, they conceded as many as 100 runs in the last ten overs with unheralded Joe Root (57 not out off 45 balls) and Kevin Pietersen (76) providing the late sparks with some lusty hits.

Captain Alastair Cook was another notable performer with a knock of 76.

But the Indians held their nerve during the run chase and it was ultimately Raina who guided the team home.

It was a creditable series victory for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men who had come under fire for indifferent performances in recent times, which saw the team lose a Test series to England and an ODI series defeat against arch rivals Pakistan at home.

It was Rohit Sharma, rated as highly talented but one who has seldom delivered, who turned the spotlight on himself as he grabbed with both hands an unexpected opportunity to feature in the playing eleven as an opener in place of Ajinkya Rahane.

Sharma proved his class with some delightful shots to lay the foundation for the chase and his show will enhance his chances of cementing a place in the ODI team.

Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs by taking three off Jade Dernbach to trigger off scenes of wild celebrations in the galleries and the Indian dressing room where the players hugged each other.

The two teams will now move to the picturesque town of Dharamsala for the last and final match on Sunday, though it has now been rendered inconsequential.

India lost opener Gautam Gambhir early but the left- hander, who has been out of form for quite a while, was distinctly unlucky to have been adjudged caught behind by umpire Steve Davis as replays suggested that there was no edge.

Gambhir tried to poke at an outside-the-offstump delivery off Tim Bresnan and the English fielders appealed for a caught behind which was upheld by the umpire. Gambhir was shocked and was seen shaking his head while walking to the pavilion.

The hosts could have been in more trouble had Pietersen not spilled a difficult catch of Sharma when he was on 12, with Bresnan being the bowler.

Sharma and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a 52-run partnership for the second before James Tredwell struck for his team in his very first over by evicting Kohli for 26.

It was a tossed up delivery and Kohli drove it straight to the bowler for a simple return catch.

Local hero Yuvraj, who joined the action after Kohli's dismissal, did not survive long as he fell prey to Tredwell, who trapped him leg before as he went for a pre-meditated sweep shot.

Sharma notched up his 13th ODI half century and celebrated the moment by spanking Tredwell for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries.

Sharma, who came into the team in place of an out-of-form Rahane, found an able ally in Raina who scored at a brisk race to put the pressure back on the visitors. The pair scored 50 runs off just 37 balls.

Just when they seemed to be going great guns, Steve Finn provided the breakthrough by sending back Sharma with a ball that dipped in sharply, trapping the batsman leg before wicket. Sharma's 83 came off 93 balls and contained 11 boundaries and a six.

Raina was lucky to get a reprieve when he was caught by Cook in the slip but Davis signalled a dead ball as the bowler Finn had knocked the stumps over on his delivery stride, much to the relief of a near-capacity crowd.

Earlier, put into bat, England lost three wickets in quick succession in the middle of the innings after a reasonably good start, but the young Root unleashed a stunning counter attack to steer the total past the 250 mark, which looked doubtful at one stage.

Root, who clobbered eight boundaries and a six during his 45-ball blitzkrieg, and Pietersen were largely responsible for England's recovery.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3/39 while Ishant Sharma 2/47 and R Ashwin 2/63 were the other wicket takers.

England's opening pair put on 37 runs for the first wicket before Ishant provided the breakthrough by evicting Bell, who perished to a rash stroke.

Bell decided to step out against Ishant but could not get to the pitch of the ball and Kumar pulled off a brilliant diving catch at the third man region.

Pietersen, who joined the action after Bell's dismissal, started off watchfully and took some time to get off the mark.

The experienced duo of Cook and Pietersen kept the scoreboard moving with gentle nudges and pushes and did not take too many risks as they steered England past 100.

The duo stitched 95 runs for the second wicket before off spinner Ashwin came to the hosts' rescue by dismissing Cook in what appeared to be a dubious decision by Sudhir Asnani.

Cook was wrapped on the pad while trying to play forward but the ball appeared to have pitched outside the leg stump line. Cook slammed 13 boundaries during his knock which came off 106 balls.

The departure of Cook triggered off a collapse of sorts as Eoin Morgan (3) and Samit Patel (1) perished in quick succession as England slipped from a comfortable 132 for one to 142 for four.

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India beat Eng by 5 wickets to win series

MOHALI: A rejuvenated India clinched the one-day series against England as the hosts rode on the batting heroics of Suresh Raina (89 not out) and Rohit Sharma (83) to fashion a comfortable five-wicket victory in the penultimate game and take an unassailable 3-1 lead on Wednesday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The Indians first restricted the visitors to 257 for seven and then overcame some anxious moments before overhauling the target with 15 balls to spare in a floodlit contest played in cold conditions at the PCA stadium.

Though the hosts had the game in control after putting England into bat, they conceded as many as 100 runs in the last ten overs with unheralded Joe Root (57 not out off 45 balls) and Kevin Pietersen (76) providing the late sparks with some lusty hits.

Captain Alastair Cook was another notable performer with a knock of 76.

But the Indians held their nerve during the run chase and it was ultimately Raina who guided the team home.

It was a creditable series victory for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men who had come under fire for indifferent performances in recent times, which saw the team lose a Test series to England and an ODI series defeat against arch rivals Pakistan at home.

It was Rohit Sharma, rated as highly talented but one who has seldom delivered, who turned the spotlight on himself as he grabbed with both hands an unexpected opportunity to feature in the playing eleven as an opener in place of Ajinkya Rahane.

Sharma proved his class with some delightful shots to lay the foundation for the chase and his show will enhance his chances of cementing a place in the ODI team.

Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs by taking three off Jade Dernbach to trigger off scenes of wild celebrations in the galleries and the Indian dressing room where the players hugged each other.

The two teams will now move to the picturesque town of Dharamsala for the last and final match on Sunday, though it has now been rendered inconsequential.

India lost opener Gautam Gambhir early but the left- hander, who has been out of form for quite a while, was distinctly unlucky to have been adjudged caught behind by umpire Steve Davis as replays suggested that there was no edge.

Gambhir tried to poke at an outside-the-offstump delivery off Tim Bresnan and the English fielders appealed for a caught behind which was upheld by the umpire. Gambhir was shocked and was seen shaking his head while walking to the pavilion.

The hosts could have been in more trouble had Pietersen not spilled a difficult catch of Sharma when he was on 12, with Bresnan being the bowler.

Sharma and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a 52-run partnership for the second before James Tredwell struck for his team in his very first over by evicting Kohli for 26.

It was a tossed up delivery and Kohli drove it straight to the bowler for a simple return catch.

Local hero Yuvraj, who joined the action after Kohli's dismissal, did not survive long as he fell prey to Tredwell, who trapped him leg before as he went for a pre-meditated sweep shot.

Sharma notched up his 13th ODI half century and celebrated the moment by spanking Tredwell for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries.

Sharma, who came into the team in place of an out-of-form Rahane, found an able ally in Raina who scored at a brisk race to put the pressure back on the visitors. The pair scored 50 runs off just 37 balls.

Just when they seemed to be going great guns, Steve Finn provided the breakthrough by sending back Sharma with a ball that dipped in sharply, trapping the batsman leg before wicket. Sharma's 83 came off 93 balls and contained 11 boundaries and a six.

Raina was lucky to get a reprieve when he was caught by Cook in the slip but Davis signalled a dead ball as the bowler Finn had knocked the stumps over on his delivery stride, much to the relief of a near-capacity crowd.

Earlier, put into bat, England lost three wickets in quick succession in the middle of the innings after a reasonably good start, but the young Root unleashed a stunning counter attack to steer the total past the 250 mark, which looked doubtful at one stage.

Root, who clobbered eight boundaries and a six during his 45-ball blitzkrieg, and Pietersen were largely responsible for England's recovery.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3/39 while Ishant Sharma 2/47 and R Ashwin 2/63 were the other wicket takers.

England's opening pair put on 37 runs for the first wicket before Ishant provided the breakthrough by evicting Bell, who perished to a rash stroke.

Bell decided to step out against Ishant but could not get to the pitch of the ball and Kumar pulled off a brilliant diving catch at the third man region.

Pietersen, who joined the action after Bell's dismissal, started off watchfully and took some time to get off the mark.

The experienced duo of Cook and Pietersen kept the scoreboard moving with gentle nudges and pushes and did not take too many risks as they steered England past 100.

The duo stitched 95 runs for the second wicket before off spinner Ashwin came to the hosts' rescue by dismissing Cook in what appeared to be a dubious decision by Sudhir Asnani.

Cook was wrapped on the pad while trying to play forward but the ball appeared to have pitched outside the leg stump line. Cook slammed 13 boundaries during his knock which came off 106 balls.

The departure of Cook triggered off a collapse of sorts as Eoin Morgan (3) and Samit Patel (1) perished in quick succession as England slipped from a comfortable 132 for one to 142 for four.

The visitors could have suffered another jolt on the same score but Kohli dropped a catch at first slip off Root when he had not even opened his account with Ishant being the unlucky bowler.

Morgan was out when Yuvraj took a well-judged catch as he attempted to chip the ball over mid-on off Ashwin.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja, who was India's bowling hero in the last two matches, then got into the act by accounting for Patel who offered a simple return catch.

Pietersen and the young Root ensured that there were further setback as both played with a positive frame of mind and counter-attacked the Indian bowlers.

Root was the more aggressive of the two initially as he smashed a few boundaries before Pietersen also joined him with a flurry of strokes. They completed their 50-run stand in just 46 balls.

Pietersen completed his 24th ODI half century by guiding a Raina delivery to the third man boundary, before opening up to play some glorious shots on both sides of the wicket.

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Mahesh-Nadia in mixed doubles quarters

MELBOURNE: Veteran Mahesh Bhupathi entered the mixed doubles quarterfinals with partner Nadia Petrova of Russia after coming back from a set down to register a 3-6 6-2 10-5 win over Katarina Srebotnik of Slovakia and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

The fifth seeded Indo-Russian pair suffered a scare in the first set before they got their act together to win the next two and dump their unseeded opponents in the second round match that lasted 64 minutes.

Bhupathi and Petrova hit 34 winners as compared to only 16 by their rivals. Besides, they also managed to convert three out of six break points they faced, while saved three off five to pocket the match.

In the quarterfinal encounter, Bhupathi may face Leander, if he along with his Russian partner Elena Vesnina, win the second round match against the Australian pair of Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden.

Earlier, other Indians in Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza had already moved into the last eight stage of the mixed doubles event with their respective partners.

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Saina aiming for No. 1 ranking this year

MUMBAI: Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal, who became the world number 2 last week after a gap of two years, on Tuesday said she is aiming for the top slot this year.

"I am working hard and performances are coming. Now that I am number 2, I will definitely reach number 1," Saina told reporters on the sidelines of Samsung Galaxy Grand event launch.

"There are so many tournaments this year. Almost 15-20 tournaments. The goal is to perform well in all the events and do well in the World Championships, which is important. World number 1 is also my aim, so hopefully I will achieve it. Let's see," she added.

Asked how she keeps herself motivated, the Olympic bronze medallist said, "It's a difficult job to do. Chinese are really tough to play against. The number one is also Chinese, with almost 12,000 points more than me. It is not easy to become world number one. I will try to do it. Nothing is impossible.

"I have made many things possible, so I hope I can make this also possible. The amount of hard work which I put in my game is really important. Motivation comes from winning, and that is what keeps me going," she said.

After creating history last year by winning the bronze medal at the London Olympics, Nehwal said she is carrying the momentum this year too.

"It was a fantastic year. Won almost five tournaments. Won the Olympic bronze medal for the first time in Indian badminton history. It was such a wonderful year, it gave me lot of motivation to do well for this year as well. It has started well, performed well in the two tournaments," she said.

Setting her sight on the All England Open Badminton Championships starting on March 5, the 22-year-old said she will train for a month for the tourney.

"There are lot more tournaments this year. The All England and World Championships which I am looking forward to. The important thing is the time of practice, which I didn't get so much. I have been playing too many tournaments. Now I have a proper one month break, and hopefully will do well in the All England," she said.

Parupalli Kashyap also features in the top 10 of men's single, and Nehwal said the sport is improving in the country.

"Indian badminton is coming up well. We have two top 10 players from India and (P V) Sindhu is number 16 now. So it is good that we are improving," she said.

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Djokovic beats Berdych to reach semis

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic bounced back from a marathon five-setter just 48 hours earlier as he skated into the Australian Open semifinals with a comfortable win over Tomas Berdych on Tuesday.

Profile: Novak Djokovic

The Serbian world number one, chasing a hat-trick of Australian crowns, showed no ill-effects of his torrid five-hour dogfight with Stanislas Wawrinka as he beat the Czech fifth seed, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in 2hr 31min.

Djokovic now faces a semifinal on Thursday against Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, who beat countryman Nicolas Almagro in five sets earlier Tuesday.

Most interest centred on how Djokovic would recover after his epic fourth-round match with Wawrinka, but he dispelled fears by easily claiming the opening set for the loss of one game in 29 minutes.

Berdych broke the Serb in the opening game and went on to level the match by taking the second set, but it was all Djokovic in the closing two sets.

Djokovic finished with six breaks of the strong Berdych service and hit 47 winners with just 25 unforced errors, while the Czech conceded 43 errors.

"It was a great performance. I was hoping to have a shorter match, whoever won tonight, as long as it didn't go over five hours," he joked.

"It was always going to be tough against Tomas. He's an established top-10 player for the last five or six years and he has a big game, big serve. If he's on he can win against anybody.

"I was aware of his qualities and I came out and played my best tennis and I'm really happy with my performance."

Djokovic revealed that he didn't get to sleep until 5:00 am after his last marathon night match and he had accelerated his recovery by taking ice baths.

"It takes a lot of time after a match like that, it's so physically exhausting and demanding along with mentally and emotionally, so you try to do everything that night to recover," he said.

"We did a great job because tonight I felt ready and fit."

It was Djokovic's 12th win over Berdych in 13 meetings with the Czech's only win coming on grass in the semi-finals of 2010 Wimbledon.

The victory clinched Djokovic's 11th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal and he is 9-5 in matches against Ferrer.

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Prolonged form slump annoying: Kohli

MOHALI: India's star batsman Virat Kohli on Wednesday said that his prolonged form slump was a bit "annoying", but staying calm and patient helped him overcome the lean phase, which is part and parcel in the career of international cricketers.

Kohli marked his return to form with an unbeaten 77 in the last one-dayer in Ranchi against England after a string of low scores which had become a matter of concern for the team.

"I wasn't feeling the same as others might have about my form, to be honest. No one can keep scoring consistently for a period of 16 months. It's always a balance in international cricket. There will be a phase when you don't score in four-five games," Kohli said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the fourth ODI on Wednesday.

"It was a bit annoying for me as I was not getting out making too many mistakes. I got a few good balls in the last series and made a few mistakes in this series. But, I was pretty calm at that point of time. You just got to be composed. You just know that it is going to happen at some point or the other (return to form)," he said.

India are leading the five-match ODI series against England 2-1 and will look to settle the issue by taking an unassailable lead at the PCA stadium on Wednesday.

The right-hander pointed out that working hard regularly in the nets and staying calm and patient was the only mantra which had helped him tide over the lean phase.

"When you get frustrated, you tend to increase that lean phase which you are going through. You've got to be positive, which I am glad that I was and was able to come out with that knock in the last game," he said.

India may be on the brink of a series win, but Kohli felt that they cannot afford to be complacent as England have got good players who can "change the game anytime".

"They have got good players in the side who can change the game at any time. Even the guys coming in have been impressive," he said.

Kohli felt that the Indians had played better cricket in the last two one-dayers enabling them to take the lead in the series, but at the same time he knew that they will have to play well to beat the visitors.

"There are two more games to go, we will have to play consistently to beat them," he said.

He said that while the bowlers had done well in the one-dayers, the batting unit has done well only in the previous two matches.

"Hopefully, we will try to maintain that and do it consistently. It is essential that batting unit fires consistently as bowlers have done well in all the three matches and effort will be that batting complements that," he said.

The Delhi dasher felt that batting at number three slot suited him.

"I think batting at number three has been working fine for me. I wouldn't know too much about lower order because I played a few games when I was new. This position (No 3) I like the pressure situation and I like to finish things as well, it gives me sort of right platform to do the job for the team. It suits me well. I think No 3 is the position that works best for me," he said.

Asked about a few of the top English players back home, Kohli felt that it was a personal choice for them.

"We were ready to play the full Test team that played here. It was upto the English team to rest the players," he said.

Kohli was full of praise for young England batsman Joe Root and said he has a bright future ahead of him.

"From what I have seen him bat in Nagpur in the first game he played, he seems to be a guy who has got the temperament to absorb the pressure and sort of work it out and get through that situation."

"He (Root) has a bright future ahead of him. That really counts in international game. It is not mere technique or the sort of foot movement you have. 70 per cent, it is about temperament. I think he has got it in him and I wish all the best for him in his career," said Kohli.

"From what we all have observed ... James Tredwell (spinner) is another guy who has done well in the bowling department."

On why England had failed to put up a good performance in the one-dayers so far after winning the Test series, Kohli felt that Indian bowlers were able to create good pressure on their batsmen and forced them to make errors.

"But if you consistently put pressure on the batsmen and if the wicket is a bit slow and it turns and you have to play shots, it gets a bit difficult. It's been a combination of our bowlers bogging them down and English batsmen playing a few bad shots," he said.

On the Mohali track, he said the pitch always offered something for the bowlers.

"It's always been a lively wicket. It's always been a wicket with hard surface and a bit of grass in it. Always helps the bowler a bit and with two new balls coming it's going to be a bit challenging for the top order.

It is that sort of wicket where you need to get your eye in and then you can play shots at will. It's going to help the bowler early on and first 10 overs are going to be crucial."

On Yuvraj playing at his home ground, he said, "He (Yuvraj) is very glad to be here. Obviously M S Dhoni was very happy playing first game in Ranchi. Obviously, everyone gets excited playing at his home town, hope he puts up a good show on his home ground.

"This game is really important, we have to step up and treat it like that ... We have to gear ourselves up. This game becomes all the more important.

"We have to treat every game like that. (like it is the last game). When you lose the first game, you've got to go out there and play your best cricket," he added.

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Dhoni hit on thumb during net session

MOHALI: India survived an injury scare ahead of the penultimate one-dayer against England with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni being hit on the thumb yet again during the team's practice session on Tuesday.

Dhoni was hit on the thumb after a delivery from Manpreet Gony rose awkwardly, leaving him in pain for a brief period.

He was attended by the team physio and gave up the batting session for a while. While the English players had their practice session in the morning, the Indians started their nets in the afternoon.

After taking the hit from a pace bowler, Dhoni was down on his knees and looked in considerable pain.

Team physio immediately rushed to the scene and later on the coach too arrived to check on Dhoni. The skipper could be seen shaking his right hand in a desperate attempt to relieve himself off the pain.

However, Dhoni then decided to take on the spinners and continued nets for another 10 minutes. The team management said that Dhoni was "okay" and there was nothing serious.

Local liaison officer, Vicky Banga said that Dhoni was okay and he had left for team hotel after the incident. He even signed a few autographs for the fans before leaving the stadium.

Incidentally, Dhoni had taken a hit in similar fashion during the practice session in his homeground in Ranchi on the eve of the last one-dayer.

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