CUTTACK, India (AFP) – Virender Sehwag hammered a quickfire 91 to power India to an emphatic six-wicket victory over England in the fifth one-day international here on Wednesday.

The aggressive opener hit one six and 15 fours in a 73-ball knock – his fourth half-century in five matches – as India surpassed England’s total of 270-4 with 6.2 overs to spare for a 5-0 lead in the seven-match series.

Sehwag also upstaged England skipper Kevin Pietersen, who smashed a superb 111 not out for his seventh one-day hundred to help his team post a competitive total in the day-night match.

“I thought 270 was very competitive. It was a bit of a nightmare dealing with the dew in the evening. But they won the toss and decided to field first,” said Pietersen.

“We have been outplayed again by Sehwag. He is such a great player and it was a great knock. It was tough for the bowlers.”

Sachin Tendulkar (50) and Sehwag helped India seize the initiative by putting on 136 for the opening wicket off just 19.5 overs, both scoring freely.

Man-of-the-match Sehwag dominated the England attack with attractive strokeplay, once hitting three fours and a six in an over from off-spinner Graeme Swann.

India were under pressure for a brief period when they slipped to 156-3, but Suresh Raina (53 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (50) ensured victory with a 94-run stand for the fourth wicket.

England Paceman Steve Harmison provided the breakthrough when he removed Tendulkar, who was bowled while attempting to drive. The Indian batsman hit six fours in his 57-ball knock.

Ravi Bopara held a return catch to dismiss in-form Yuvraj Singh (six) and then fast bowler Stuart Broad trapped Sehwag leg-before.

“The asking rate was quite down (even after losing three wickets). The light was low and it was difficult to sight the ball. It was moist and losing colour, but once you are set you can rotate the strike,” said Dhoni.

“We did not get the best of starts from the new-ball bowlers but in the middle overs the spinners did the job. In the end, our bowlers did a splendid job as they restricted England to 270 when they looked like getting 300.”

Pietersen earlier led from the front with a solid 128-ball knock, containing one six and 10 fours. He added 89 for the third wicket with Paul Collingwood (40) and 112 for the unfinished fifth wicket with Owais Shah (66 not out).

Shah struck nine fours in his 57-ball innings for a second successive half-century as England scored 74 runs in the last 10 overs.

England raced to 68 in the opening 10 overs after being put in to bat, but lost openers Bopara (24) and Alastair Cook (11) to left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan.

The run-rate declined after off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and part-time spinner Yuvraj were pressed into the attack as the tourists could manage only 37 in the next 10 overs.

Yuvraj conceded 38 runs in his 10 overs and Harbhajan 47 in 10.

The sixth one-dayer is in Guwahati on Saturday.

Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j6LjXxJEYRVa-nk2i5EFmA5nLD5Q

KARACHI, Nov 25 (Reuters) – The Pakistan Cricket Board has ruled out Rawalpindi as a venue for next year’s India’s test tour because of building work, PCB chairman Ejaz Butt told reporters after meeting the Indian high commissioner.

“The construction work will not be completed before the Indian tour so we will be shifting the test and one-day international to some other venue,” Butt said on Tuesday after talks with commissioner Satya Tal in Islamabad.

Rawalpindi was also dropped as a venue for the Champions Trophy this year because of the construction work, although the International Cricket Council (ICC) later said its security consultants had issues with the ground.

India are due to arrive in Pakistan on Jan. 4 but there are doubts over whether the tour will take place because of India’s concerns over the security situation.

Butt said his meeting with Tal aimed to remove concerns about the security arrangements.

“I have briefed the Indian high commissioner about the steps we are taking for the tour to be held successfully. He will report back to his government,” Butt said.

The Indian cricket board has said it would only tour if its government gives security clearance.

Butt is due to visit India early next month to meet BCCI officials to discuss the tour arrangements and convince them to go ahead with a series of three tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match from Jan. 13 to Feb. 19.

Source:http://uk.reuters.com/article/cricketNews/idUKLP22809720081125

NEW DELHI: Cricket board of India allegedly wants the opportunity test match against England to start a day later than planned so that its skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni can play in the Champions League Twenty20 last if his domestic team qualifies.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked England if it would agree to opening the Ahmadabad test match on Dec. 12 rather than Dec. 11, Andrew Walpole, the English team’s media director said Monday.

“A move toward has been made by the Indian board, but no decision has been taken so far,” Walpole was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India.

Walpole indicate that the England and Wales Cricket Board was not likely to believe the request because it would leave only two days between the first and second test matches, PTI reported.

The second and final test is planned for Dec. 19-23 in Mumbai.

England and India are concerned in a seven-match limited-overs series, which will be following by a three-day warmup match and the two tests.

Dhoni is captain of Chennai Super Kings, which will be amongst the two Indian teams participating in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 occasion that also features regional teams from Australia, South Africa and Pakistan.

If the Super Kings arrive at the final, to be played Dec. 10 in the southern city of Chennai, it would be hard for Dhoni to reach Ahmadabad in time for the first test the next morning.

Source :http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/17/sports/CRI-India-England-Test-Timing.php

Wednesday Nov 12, 2008
Mark Geenty

SYDNEY – New Zealand are treat tomorrow’s four-dayer against New South Wales as a cricket test match as they try to duplicate India’s blueprint for rattling the Australians.
The tourists tonight established a shadow test team to face the reigning Sheffield Shield champions, with a four-pronged pace hit of Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Iain O’Brien and Tim Southee.
Captain Daniel Vettori will move up to No 7 in the batting order in the deficiency of the injured Jacob Oram (back), while allrounder Grant Elliott and paceman Mark Gillespie carry the snacks.
Senior paceman Martin said it was significant they stamped their mark on NSW, without a swag of internationals like Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Brad Haddin, Simon Katich, Phil Jaques and Nathan Bracken.
“It’s the No 1 priority since there’s no way we can hit that first test running without really preparing like this is a test match,” Martin said.
“We’re going into it that way, there’s a certain anxiety and worry at training to prepare for it.”
The match at a spin-friendly SCG is necessary for New Zealand’s buildup for Thursday’s first test in Brisbane, coming off a short tour of Bangladesh where most of the next test was lost to rain.
Australia at home home last night after a 0-2 series loss in India and Martin said pacemen Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan had set the bar high for the New Zealand pacemen.
“I saw some unbelievable deliveries bowled. The level that Sharma and Zaheer were bowling at is something we need to look at ourselves.
“No matter how good you are, those balls get good company out and that sort of pressure is something we’re all expecting to put on the Australians.”
Martin was unsurprised by captain Ricky Ponting’s confident statement that his side would bounce back to win all five home tests alongside New Zealand and South Africa.
It was the normal welcome for all touring teams from a deservedly confident home side, Martin said.
“They’ll definitely have a few points to show. I don’t know if they should keep analysis their newspapers because they’ve been all over them, and they’ll know in their own camp they just have to work a bit harder and get the ball back on the road.”
New Zealand, ranked seventh in the world to Australia’s one, will be clear underdog for the two-test series.
Martin was part of the heavy 0-2 defeat here in 2004 and was confident that wouldn’t be frequent.

“We’re always undersold and we do shock good team every now and then. Under Dan (Vettori) and John (Bracewell) we’ve really got a bit more self-belief this time. We know we’ve got the firepower, it’s a matter of stringing it together on a more day to day basis, which is essentially what Australia does.”
Martin hoped for a long bowl and put himself “through the pain barrier” at the SCG to prove his health after a month on the sidelines. He was fit and certain of being on track for Brisbane.
NSW will unveil 17-year-old, 2m-tall paceman Josh Hazlewood from Bendemeer, populace 300, in a side with an average age of 22. Hazlewood has already been labelled “the new Glenn McGrath” and admit he barely recognised any of the New Zealand batsmen, except Ross Taylor.
Also there is prolific 19-year-old batsman Phillip Hughes, tip as a test opener-in-waiting.
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Jamie How, Aaron Redmond, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Flynn, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Iain O’Brien, Chris Martin.
New South Wales (from): Dominic Thornely (captain), Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Peter Forrest, Steven Smith, Moises Henriques, Daniel Smith, Grant Lambert, Beau Casson, Nathan Hauritz, Burt Cockley, Josh Hazlewood.

- NZPA

Source :http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10542707