India win Kotla Test, India lead the Series 1-0.

India defeated West Indies in the first Test of three-match series here at Ferozshah Kotla on Wednesday. India lead the series 1-0.
 India raced through the longish home stretch of 124 runs to register their first win in seven Tests. Anchoring the chase was Sachin Tendulkar, who overtook Rahul Dravid as the leading run-getter in chases, and rushing through it was VVS Laxman, who calmed any nerves there might have been after Dravid's wicket early in the day. Along the way Laxman crossed 1000 runs in chases, including an eighth score of fifty or more. This was also the third time since last summer that Laxman was in the middle at the successful completion of a 200-plus
Sachin Tendulkar's quest for a record 100th international ton continued, but India rode on his fluent 76 to script an admirable come-from-behind five-wicket victory over the West Indies with more than four sessions to spare on Wednesday
Chasing 276 for victory, VVS Laxman (58 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (0) were at the crease when India successfully completed the chase to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, on the fourth day of the match.

Off-spinner R Ashwin, who took match haul of nine for 128, including six in the second innings, also played a big role in India's triumph as he became only the third player to win the man-of-the-match award on debut.

Starting from his overnight score of 33, Tendulkar looked set to achieve the incredible feat of scoring his 100th international century till Devendra Bishoo spoilt his plan with a well-disguised googly, leaving over 10,000 spectators at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium stunned.


The champion batsman faced 148 deliveries and spent 201 minutes, 93 of them on Wednesday, during his stay at the crease. His knock was studded with 10 sweetly-timed hits to the fence.

Resuming at 152 for two and needing another 124 runs to win with eight wickets in hand, India lost Rahul Dravid (31) early on the fourth day.

But Tendulkar along with Laxman guided the hosts to 233 with a 71-run partnership before disaster struck some time before the lunch break.

India were just 43 runs away from achieving a hard-fought come-from-behind victory and take a 1-0 lead, when Tendulkar made his way back to the dressing room, much to the disappointment of the crowd.

But Laxman stood firm to guide the Indians with yet another half-century in the fourth innings of a match. He struck six boundaries and faced 105 balls.

This was the second best chase on Indian soil, equalling the one by the West Indies, incidentally at this very ground in 1987, when Vivian Richards stroked his way to a century to guide his team to victory.

The highest remains the 387 for four India scored against England in Chennai in 2008-09.
Tendulkar, who had completed 15,000 runs in this form of the game on Tuesday, kick-started the day on a positive note as he tucked Darren Sammy to the fine-leg boundary in the first over.
Chasing a target of 276, India reached the home on Day-4 with five wickets remaining.

Edwards gave the West Indies a glimmer of hope when he breached through the defence of Rahul Dravid with the one that jagged in a long way on landing, but Tendulkar was in his elements from the word go.
For India, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar topped the score with 76 runs. However, Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar missed the much awaited 100th International ton as he was dismissed by Bishoo for 76.

Before getting out Tendulkar smashed half-century to take India close to victory on Day-4 against West Indies. It was 8th fifty against West Indies and 62nd in Test cricket.

Tendulkar looked good for the monumental landmark as he hit boundaries at will and accumulated runs rapidly on Day 4 before young Bishoo got better of him. The master hit 10 boundaries in his 148-ball 76 knock.

Tendulkar also added quick 71-run partnership with VVS Laxman to lead the Indian run chase. The duo compiled runs rapidly as India went pass 200-run mark in the morning session of the fourth day quickly.

Tendulkar hit five boundaries to complete his 62nd Test fifty off 111 balls after India lost Rahul Dravid (31) early on Day 4.

Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag (55) and VVS Laxman (58 not out) gave vital contribution with the bat.

For West Indies, Darren Sammy claimed two wicket while Devendra Bishoo, Fidel Edwards and Samules scalps one batsman each.
West Indies pacer Fidel Edwards dismissed Rahul Dravid early on Day-4 of the first Test here at Ferozshah Kotla on Wednesday.

Dravid just added one run to his overnight total before bowled out on a brilliant yorker off Edwards.

The Kotla Test proved dream debut for R Ashwin. He took total nine wicket in the match, including maiden five-wicket haul. He was also adjudged 'Man of the Match'. He was the thirdman to get this award in debut match.

Earlier, Chasing a target of 276 runs, Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid have put India on driving seat on the third day of first Test against West Indies here at Ferozshah Kotla.

On the fourth day, India just needs 124 runs to win with eight wickets in hand. India were 152/2 at stumps day-3 and Tendulkar and Dravid were at the middle.

After 4-0 defeat in England, India have sniffed first victory here in Kotla. It will be a double bonanza if India register victory along with Tendulkar's 100th international hundred. Tendulkar needs 67 runs to complete his 100th Test ton.
However, the first session of the day-4 will be crucial. Both the batsmen will have to play with patience in the first hour. The ball is keeping low and slow and overnight dew will help West Indies bowlers in the first session.

Earlier, R Ashwin claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to reduce visitors for 180 in the second innings. Once again, Gambhir and Sehwag provided good start to India. Though, Sehwag once again failed to consolidate on good start and fell prey to Devender Bishoo after scoring 55 runs.

But, world's two most experienced batsmen, Tendulkar and Dravid, didn't allow West Indies to give further jolt.

MahendraSingh Dhoni And Abhinav Bindra Call Him Lieutenant Colonel

India's cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Olympian gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra on Tuesday officially became honorary Lieutenant Colonels in the Territorial Army with the army chief, Gen. V.K. Singh, pipping their ranks on their shoulders.
India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra is hopeful of clinching another medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
President Pratibha Patil had approved the grant of honorary commissions to the two illustrious sportspersons on Sep 13 in recognition of their achievements in their respective sports.

Dhoni led India to victory in the cricket World Cup earlier this year and was instrumental in taking the team to the top spot in Test rankings for the first time last year. He had also led the team to victory in the inaugural T20 World championship in 2007.

Bindra won the only individual Olympic gold medal for India at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Along with the two sportsmen, the army also honoured Deepak Rao, a medical doctor by qualification but a martial arts specialist by choice, who got about 15,000 of the army troops trained in close quarter combat, with the rank of a Major.

While Dhoni and Deepak Rao were commissioned into the elite Para Regiment in the presence of the Colonel of the Regiment, Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, Bindra was welcomed into the Sikh Regiment by Lt. Gen. Sumer Singh, its Colonel of teh Regiment.

"I have got the maroon beret now, but I have to earn it," Dhoni said soon after, pointing out that becoming a member of the elite Parachute Regiment was not child's play and involved rigorous combat and airborne operations training.

"I will soon find time to go for my training, will meet with the soldiers on the borders and encourage youth to join the army," said Dhoni, who has earlier interacted with army personnel during visits to cantonments. He was asked by his wife Sakshi, how he would contribute to the army.

"Joining the Territorial Army and donning this uniform is a childhood dream come true for me," he added.
"I don't know what can be expected from me but I can only try and work very hard. I can only try and do my best, ensure that I put in my best efforts. Hopefully I can get the medal at the Olympic," said Bindra.
Bindra had clinched the London Olympic berth despite finishing a lowly eighth in the 10m air rifle event of the Shooting World Cup in Munich in June this year.

The ace marksman had won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics - a first for the country in the history of the Games in individual sport.

Bindra said that all the shooters who have qualified for the London Olympics are capable of winning medals.

"Shooters have done very well in the last few years for the country and won medals. All the shooters are capable of winning medals at the London Olympic," said the Khel Ratna and Arjuna awardee on the sidelines of a function on Tuesday.

A total of eight Indian shooters have qualified for the London event namely Gagan Narang, Hariom Singh, Sanjeev Rajput, Ronjan Sodhi, Annuraj Singh, Rahi Sarnoba, Vijay Kumar and Bindra.

Yuvraj, Ishant, Kohli promoted to Grade A by BCCI

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan retained their places in Grade A, which now has 12 players instead of nine.

The yearly contract amount which was decided here at a working committee meeting, was kept unchanged at Rs. one crore for Grade A, 50 lakh for Grade B and 25 lakh for Grade C.

The Cricket Board also increased the number of contracted players from previous year's 24 to 36 with the addition of 11 new players in Grade C.

Yuvraj, who was on Friday named in the Indian squad for the first Test against the West Indies after recovering from an injury, returned to the top tier after one year. He was demoted to Grade B last year.

Despite a listless show in India's full tour of England this summer, which led to his axing from the home ODI series against England and the first Test squad against the West Indies, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh managed to retain his place in Grade A.

Young batsman Suresh Raina, who was dropped from the first Test squad against the West Indies, was also retained in the top tier.

Ishant Sharma was rewarded for his decent show on the England tour while Kohli also got the nod for his impressive show in the ODI series in England and at home though he flopped in the Test series in the West Indies.

Pacer Praveen Kumar and Pragyan Ojha retained their places in the five-player Grade B category while Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja were promoted from Grade C.

There was no change in the number of players in Grade B but Murali Vijay has been pushed down to Group C while paceman Ashish Nehra was not included among the contracted players.

S Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Rahul Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Abhimanyu Mithun and Vinay Kumar managed to hold their places in Grade C.

Ajinkya Rahane, Abhinav Mukund, Munaf Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Parthiv Patel, S Badrinath, Manoj Tiwary, Piyush Chawla, Dinesh Karthik, Jaydev Unadkat, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron were the other players in Grade C which has 19 players, an increase of 11 from last year.

Grade A: Rs. 1 Crore: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Ishant Sharma, Virat Kohli.

Grade B: Rs. 50 lakhs: Praveen Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja.

Grade C: Rs. 25 lakhs: S Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Cheteshwar Pujara, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vinay Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Abhinav Mukund, Munaf Patel, Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Parthiv Patel, S Badrinath, Manoj Tiwary, Piyush Chawla, Dinesh Karthik, Jaydev Unadkat, Umesh Yadav, Rahul Sharma, Varun Aaron.

Vettel wins inaugural Indian Grand Prix

World Champion Sebastian Vettel won the action-packed inaugural Indian Grand Prix with ease for his 11th triumph this season while home team Sahara Force India earned two points through Adrian Sutil's ninth-place finish here today.

Red Bull's Vettel led throughout for his 11th victory of the season, finishing some 8.4 seconds ahead of Button with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso third and Australian Mark Webber fourth.

Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher battled to fifth but McLaren's Lewis Hamilton came in seventh after yet another collision with his Ferrari bete noire, Felipe Massa.

"My pace was good up until the crash. After the crash, we struggled," said the 2008 champion.

But wire-to-wire Vettel was in a class of his own at the all-new Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi as he closed on Michael Schumacher's 2004 record of 13 wins in one year, with two races left this season.

"Yes boys! Yes, we did it," Vettel shouted over the team radio as he finished. "The first Indian Grand Prix. Fantastic challenge, we did it!"

In dry, 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) heat, India's debut Grand Prix got off to a furious start when Rubens Barrichello was hit on the first turn and three cars ended up off-track, before Jarno Trulli found himself on grass.
Vettel made no mistake from pole position but Button nipped past Webber and Alonso to go from fourth on the grid to second, cueing up an early dogfight with the Australian Red Bull driver.
As they duelled, Vettel opened up a lead of nearly five seconds and after the first set of stops, the young German emerged from the pit lane still at the head of the field.
The race began on a thrilling note as cars spun at the first corner itself with Lotus' Jarno Trulli skidding on to the grass just after Williams Rubens Barrichello and Suaber's K Kobayashi clashed.

In the first lap itself, Timo Glock and Barrichello were in the pit lane and Kobayashi was out of the race. While Barrichello managed to resume after the pit-stop, Glock's race ended soon after.

England end tour with win

There you have it, England's first win in India since 2006, and it's by six wickets. The early dismissals hurt India's effort, and they struggled to add any real impetus to the innings - especially once Raina was dismissed. England's reply had its nervy moments, but there was never the weight of runs to really set their hearts racing. Read all about today's game in Andrew Miller's bulletin.

"Liam, you believe it or not but I am really emotional about this. I WILL miss you. But I wish you the best of luck, wherever you are..." Thanks Anees, I'm a touch emotional too, to be honest. If any of you would like to follow whatever it is I do next (clue: wacky shenanigans) then feel free to find me on Twitter. As a special thank you to all of you who have made my time here special, here's a little treat: it's the story of how I got into cricket.

"Bopara is the new Waqar, Jadeja is the new Warne (not my analogies) AND Liam is quitting cricinfo. What is this world coming to?" We live in strange times, Sabeen.

"For God's sake Liam. You never published my comments. Please do it now." Oh alright, Anjul, there you go.

"Bad captaincy by Dhoni today, dissapointed. First of all, he persisted with Yusuf Pathan and he ended up giving away a very precious expensive over - offspin! 2 right-handers batting would have thought Manoj Tiwary would be a better option, Jadeja's figures says it all...P.S Let's actually have 1 match-related post published now, will miss you Liam! :( Thanks for such great comms at Cricinfo!" Still, Punit, a job well done by Dhoni during this tour as a whole. He was the man of the ODI series, after all.

"I'm pained that Liam is leaving. I can't read the whole commentary because the hotel internet is worse than a dial up. I don't comment on Cricinfo at all, but Liam deserves a goodbye. Thanks for making me giggle like a school girl." Any time, Ravikiran Dinakar.

By the way, I assure you we will have the match presentations and interviews in a moment!

Samit Patel is presented with a motorcycle for his all-round effport

"We were 15 runs short," says MS Dhoni. "It was the sort of wicket where you'd aim for 150 odd runs. We didn't get off to a good start. It was very slow, so it was very difficult. They used the slower ball very well. Ashwin played some shots, and that's why we reached 120 odd runs. No point thinking about the Australian series right now, what's important is the next few days off and then back for the Tests. It'll be a good series for the youngsters, especially the bowlers."

Kevin Pietersen is the Man of the Match for his half-century. "Tricky wicket," he says. "It's one of those wickets were the first six overs you've got to take a risk or two. Luckily i was dropped! It's a good place to come and play as a batter, but a lot of us underperformed. But believe me, we tried our hardest. We've got a lot of work to do technique-wise here in the subcontinent. But we'll continue to give our best and try to improve. We've tried really hard on this trip, although we came unstuck in the one-dayers."

"It's been a very tough month for us," admits Graeme Swann. "We've played some abjectly horrible cricket, but it came together today. Finn has been the shining star for us for the whole month, I brought him on today when I needed a wicket and he provided. We know that we played some poor cricket for five games, and one swallow doesn't make a summer."

india vs england t20 england beat india by 6 wickets‎

England defeat India by 6 wickets in the one-off T20 at Kolkata


Chasing India's 120, England achieve the target in 18.4 overs

Kevin Pietersen stars with 53 off 39 balls

Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli take a wicket each

Earlier, Suresh Raina top-scored with 39

Steven Finn claimed 3 wickets. Tim Bresnan and Ravi Bopara took 2 each

This is England's first win on the tour. They lost 5-0 in ODIs

Earlier, Steven Finn capped a personally outstanding tour with the superb figures of 3 for 22 in only his second Twenty20 international, as a chastised England team produced a spirited display in the field to limit India to an obtainable 120 for 9 in their one-off encounter at Kolkata. However, thanks inevitably to MS Dhoni, whose dismissal from the final ball of the innings was his first of the campaign, they scalped 25 runs from the final two overs to give themselves a fighting chance on a spin-friendly wicket.

In front of a raucous and expectant crowd, England began the match on a hiding to nothing, given how poorly they had fared in the one-day series. However, from the moment they claimed two wickets in the first eight deliveries of the match, they were the team dictating the pace of the innings. Suresh Raina, with 39 from 29 balls, was the most combative batsman on display, but Dhoni's 21 from 26 was the next highest score.

The star of England's performance was Finn. By trusting in the same virtues of line, length and pace that had earned him eight wickets in the ODIs, he claimed the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane with the fourth ball of the match, courtesy of an outstanding one-handed pluck in front of first slip from Craig Kieswetter, then later returned to remove two dangermen, Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, with consecutive deliveries.

He conceded three boundaries in his 24 deliveries, one to Virat Kohli when he overpitched in his first over, and two to Raina - a clean swipe for six, back down the ground, and a rare poor delivery on the pads when he returned to the attack to start the 12th over. The rest of the time, however, his rhythm and accuracy was unrelenting, and it was his key extraction of Raina, who cut loosely to backward point in Finn's third over that was the pivotal moment of the innings. One ball later, Jadeja chopped on for a golden duck, and at 74 for 6 with eight overs remaining, India's habitual acceleration was thwarted.
After electing to bat, skipper MS Dhoni's cameo at the end took India to a decent score of 120/9 against England on Saturday.

When it seemed India was going well, England took three quick wickets in the form of Tiwary, Raina and Jadeja.

The partnership between Raina and Tiwary was building on when Samit Patel broke the stand by removing Tiwary. Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja fell in quick succession to put India on a defensive mode.
After electing to bat, skipper MS Dhoni's cameo at the end took India to a decent score of 120/9 against England on Saturday.

When it seemed India was going well, England took three quick wickets in the form of Tiwary, Raina and Jadeja.

The partnership between Raina and Tiwary was building on when Samit Patel broke the stand by removing Tiwary. Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja fell in quick succession to put India on a defensive mode.

Before that, in-form Virat Kohli while trying to give impetus went for a big shot off Tim Bresnan and played straight into the hands of Alex Hales.

After electing to bat, India were put on backfoot by England as they dismissed the openers early and choked the hosts for runs.
Before that, in-form Virat Kohli while trying to give impetus went for a big shot off Tim Bresnan and played straight into the hands of Alex Hales.

After electing to bat, India were put on backfoot by England as they dismissed the openers early and choked the hosts for runs.

First to fall was Ajinkya Rahane when he edged one to the wicketkeeper, who dived to his right to take a brilliant catch. Robin Uthappa got a chance to open for India but failed to impress.

Lady GaGa Will Perform best in india

The Indian capital is set to get a taste of F1 glitz and glamour this weekend as India hosts its first Formula One Grand Prix, with parties and events featuring global A-listers organised in New Delhi.
The "Born This Way" singer, who appeared as her male alter ego during MTV's Video Music Awards in August, will perform for the first time in India in front of guests invited by the club co-owner and Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal.

Earlier this year, in an interview with Indian chat show host Simi Garewal, Lady Gaga said she would like to soak up the local culture by taking an Indian cooking class.

Also making their debut in India is heavy metal band Metallica as part of F1 Rocks, which adds an extra dash of glamour by inviting top bands to perform at some of the races.

The cheapest ticket to attend the inaugural Indian Grand Prix at the new Buddh International Circuit is 2,500 rupees (about $50). That is a bit expensive for most Indians, but affordable for the country's growing middle class and its expanding disposal incomes.

But for the after-parties that are open to all, including one that will feature a DJ set by British eighties star Boy George, locals will have to fork out at least 15,000 rupees (around $300) -- a month's salary in some Delhi households.

Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Kahn and Hrithik Roshan are expected to be in attendance and could be joined by Hollywood big-wigs. Local media reports said Tom Cruise had been invited.
As BIC readies to witness history, the Indians would be going all out to cheer their own team, Force India. And, star cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is no exception to it.
t a press conference held in New Delhi earlier today, the 25-year-old Grammy-winning singer said that she was looking forward to seeing more of India, "I am extremely grateful to the people for welcoming me here," she said. "The sights in India are beautiful but most beautiful are the people. I can't wait to come back here and see more of my fans."

Wearing orange and green highlights in her hair, Gaga seemed really excited about her performance. "I am going to perform some of my collaborations with Indian DJs. My outfit is going to be a hybrid of my vision and the Indian vision. I have modernised it a bit. There will be some surprises. I am very excited for you to see my show."
"It's an incredible feeling. Being a motor sport fan, I always wanted GP to take place in India and wonderful for all the Indians who actually go there and witness F1 race. I am rooting for Force India. First comes India, then the rest. I have, as a driver, always liked Michael Schumacher, but when India is participating, it's India first," Tendulkar said in a TV interview.
At the luxury 60-acre (25-ha) resort near the track where celebrities and F1 drivers like Michael Schumacher will be staying, last-minute preparations were being made to ensure quirky requests are met, including one from Formula One management headed by Bernie Ecclestone to have elephants available for guests to ride.

With around 100,000 fans set to pack the stands, the atmosphere should be electric at the $400 million circuit just outside Delhi.

"Formula One is finally coming to India," said media worker Dalariti Nongpiur, 28, who paid 6,500 rupees for a ticket. "To actually hear that sound, to feel the heat of the track. I can't believe that it's actually going to happen and I'm all excited about it."
F1 raceto be an Indian fare all the way‎. hyderabad couple selected F1 through airtel luckey draw.
Fans are soaking up the buzz and local media has gone into overdrive this week with wall-to-wall F1 coverage.
Lady GaGa Will Perform best in india.she says the best perform in india after all events .
"I'm looking forward to seeing the whole thing, the extravaganza," said Hasan Malik, 27, who is flying in from Mumbai to attend.

But not everyone is as enthusiastic and many of Delhi's 16.8 million

Indian Grand Prix: Hamilton fastest in opening practice

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in Friday's opening practice for the inaugural Formula One Indian Grand Prix, edging out the two Red Bull drivers.



amilton's time of 1 minute, 26.836 seconds around the Buddh International circuit was half a second quicker than world champion Sebastian Vettel, with Mark Webber close up in third.
Rock group Metallica and pop star Lady Gaga are among those booked to perform during the weekend as India welcomes Formula One for the first time at the $400 million Buddh International Circuit on the periphery of the Indian capital.

Organizers are hoping the event runs smoothly to justify the huge costs in a country with a poor gross domestic product per capita of only $1,477.

But as India looks to bury the bad memories of the organizational chaos at last year's Commonwealth Games, there have been hitches already at the Grand Prix, including frequent power failures and the suspension of Friday's first practice session because of a dog on the track.

Ticket sales, however, have been encouraging despite the cost of $50, which is beyond many people's means in India.

"People here are fanatic, crazy about racing," McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton told reporters ahead of the event. "You'd think they are more enthusiastic about cricket, but honestly I feel they are as enthusiastic about car racing."
Fernando Alonso suffered a power-drive failure in his Ferrari and was the major casualty of the opening session, although many drivers ran off the track as they struggled for grip on the dusty circuit and tested the limits as they familiarized themselves with the layout.

Embattled Blackburn boss eyes Cup run

Under-fire Blackburn manager Steve Kean believes his club are capable of mounting a successful League Cup run after they downed Newcastle to reach the quarter-finals.

The Rovers boss, who has faced mounting calls to resign this season with Rovers rooted to the bottom of the Premier League standings, insists his team is capable of going all the way to Wembley.

"Why not - and I said that to the players before the game," Kean said after watching his side down Newcastle 4-3 in extra time.

"There's teams that have fancied it in the competition in years gone by and prospered and we fancy it. It also creates competition for places in the team in the league and we will give it a good go."

"We hope we get a nice draw now but we showed we wanted to get a victory in this match and would not let anything affect us."

Blackburn will need to defy the odds to reach Wembley with the final knockout rounds of the competition promising to be one of the most competitive in years.

The big five of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all remain in the competition with Rovers, with Championship sides Crystal Palace and Cardiff completing the last eight.

The draw for the quarter-finals takes place on Saturday.

Top of the world Wozniacki crashes out

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark waves to her supporters as she leaves after being defeated by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic during their WTA Championships match
who celebrated becoming year-end world number one for the second successive year on Wednesday, marked the occasion by crashing out of the WTA Championships on Thursday.

Although the 21-year-old Dane has topped the rankings for fully 64 weeks, she was so outplayed by Petra Kvitova, the Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic, that she looked anything but the best player in the world.

Indeed there were moments when Wozniacki was so out of sorts during a 6-4, 6-2 defeat that the crowd began to applaud her out of sympathy.

Twice she called her father-coach Piotr on to court and once she asked for the trainer, who appeared to take her blood pressure, and the setback left Wozniacki with only one victory in her three group matches.

Kvitova's win ensured she qualifies for the semifinals after two matches, and that both Vera Zvonareva, the Russian who beat Wozniacki on Wednesday, and Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, would finish above the top ranked player.

It made an incongruous follow-up to the presentation made to her for becoming year-end number one after Maria Sharapova withdrew with a damaged ankle the evening before.

Wozniacki's dominance of the rankings was described as "a huge personal achievement" by Stacey Allaster, the chief executive of the WTA, with her name being linked to a group of only seven women -- including Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf -- who have finished consecutive seasons as number one.
It was doing this which notably inspired Amelie Mauresmo, the now retired French favourite, to winning two Grand Slam titles within a few months of capturing the WTA Championships title in Los Angeles in 2005.

Wozniacki herself called it "a dream come true", but it would arguably have been as big a boost for her to win the WTA Championships, a bigger title then any she has yet won..

Rather like Mauresmo then, Wozniacki has conspicuously failed to win a Grand Slam.

Here she has looked like a physically gifted player, with excellent movement, tactical sense, and consistency, but without a cutting edge or a weapon to drag her out of trouble.

It may precisely be this hard-working style which, after almost 80 matches in a year, has contributed to the worn-out batteries which seemed evident in this flat performance.

"I tried my best, but my body didn't want to do the things I asked it today," Wozniacki said. "What I told my brain didn't go to my body.

India moves to third rank in ICC ODI rankings

India whitewash England

 Kolkata, (AFP): World champions India brushed aside England by 95 runs in the fifth and final one-day international in Kolkata on Tuesday to sweep the series 5-0.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 75 off 69 balls to power India to 271-8 after the hosts were sent in to bat by England captain Alastair Cook at the Eden Gardens
India's adored cricketers put on an awesome display of power to whitewash England 5-0 in the one-day series at home - a mighty achievement that was played out in front of rows of empty seats.

India's adored cricketers put on an awesome display of power to whitewash England 5-0 in the one-day series at home -- a mighty achievement that was played out in front of rows of empty seats.

For a country famed for its love of cricket, the sparse crowds were a shocking revelation that has sparked a debate about how the sport treats both its fans and its stars.

High ticket prices and too many tournaments are seen as two prime suspects behind the sad sight of Indian heroes such as Mahendra Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina competing against a backdrop of plastic seats
For a country famed for its love of cricket, the sparse crowds were a shocking revelation that has sparked a debate about how the sport treats both its fans and its stars.

High ticket prices and too many tournaments are seen as two prime suspects behind the sad sight of Indian heroes such as Mahendra Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina competing against a backdrop of plastic seats.
In the final fixture on Tuesday, the iconic Eden Gardens venue in Kolkata echoed to the sound of bat on ball instead of being a seething cauldron of passion, as could once be guaranteed by loyal and excitable followers.

Decent - though far from sell-out - crowds attended earlier games in Hyderabad and New Delhi, but Mohali was less than half-full to witness India take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

"It is a clear sign of fatigue," popular television commentator and sports analyst Harsha Bhogle said.

"People need to get excited about a contest, but with one series following another the sense of excitement and anticipation is not there."

India won the World Cup final at the Wankhede on April 2, triggering a nationwide party, before the players headed straight into the Indian Premier League (IPL), then a tour of the West Indies, before going to England.

The Indians were thrashed 4-0 in the Test series in England, losing their number one ranking, and were blown away 3-0 in the one-dayers.

"They call this one the 'payback' series but it is nothing compared to India's World Cup win," Amrit Mathur, chief operating officer of the IPL team Delhi Daredevils, said.

"It is difficult to get easily excited about a game so soon after that high. People won't pay to watch any game."

Mathur pointed out the absence of injured top players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh. "It matters... these players pull in the crowds," he said.

Much attention on television and in newspapers has focused instead on India's inaugural Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday, though cricket's dominance of the sporting scene in India does not seem under long-term threat.

Even so the poor turnout has amazed and disappointed Indian cricket experts, who had come to expect every one-day international at home against top-class competition to sell out rapidly.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which has become hugely wealthy and influential due to the country's passion for the sport, admits there have been problems but it denies that fans have overdosed on action.

"We got good crowds for the first two games in Hyderabad and New Delhi, so it can't be that people are tired of watching," BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said.

"Of course the low turnout at some matches has surprised me. We usually get full houses for one-day games. The Diwali (festival) period could be one of the main reasons."



Basic consumer care is also a widely-ignored cause for concern.

Spectators are forced to wait for hours to pass through security checks, then have all food and water taken off them, and are not given a numbered seat.

After six or seven hours at a game, even the keenest fans find their enthusiasm tested when thirst and hunger strike and inadequate concession stalls run out of supplies.

Team India gear up for series whitewash

England travel to Eden Gardens on Tuesday, the vast stadium in Kolkata best described as cricket's answer to the Coliseum, where they face a rampant India side in the fifth and final game of their one day series. India won the first four matches in comprehensive style, and look well on their way to securing a series whitewash. If England are to prevent this humiliation they must dig deeper than ever, not only battling against the opposite eleven, but also against the vast crowd who will be willing them to fail.
Having come nowhere near beating the Indians in the four matches thus far, the England players who seem to running out of ideas, will have one final crack at the world champions, in an effort to end the tour with a victory to their name.
India start the match as favourites to win, and can be backed to do so at best odds of 4/7 (bet £7 to make £4 profit) with Stan James. England, on the other hand, can be backed at 6/4 with Ladbrokes.

Before arriving in India last month England had enjoyed an almost perfect year: they had retained the ashes in Australia, beaten Sri Lanka and India at home in successive test series, and overtaken India at the top of the world test-match rankings. England had even beaten India in their one day series at home – a format of the game that England have not excelled at historically. When Alastair Cook's side flew to the subcontinent, therefore, they were a group brimming with confidence and optimism. Four consecutive defeats at the hands of MS Dhoni's team, however, have demonstrated in uncomfortably blunt terms that England still have a great many improvements to make.

England have let themselves down in all areas of the game, but first and foremost they have underperformed drastically with the bat. Alastair Cook's team have posted a total of more than 250 runs only once in their four matches so far, looking consistently ordinary in the face of an Indian attack that doesn't even include their top bowlers (Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan are sidelined through injury). England must improve on Tuesday if they are to salvage anything from this series, and Andy Flower will look to his top batsmen in particular to raise their game.

Kohli Can Match Tendulkar's Feats To Some Extent: Rhodes

Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes feels that India's middle-order batsman Virat Kohli has the ability to match the extraordinary feats of iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar to some extent.

"Kohli is only 22 but he has already shown his potential with the bat. He has shown that he can be a superstar," Rhodes told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of his new range of nutritional supplements under ESN (Evolution Sports Nutrition).

"His conversion rate from fifties to hundreds in ODIs is amazing. Once he gets a fifty, he is a difficult batsman to dismiss. With regards to the stats and the number of runs scored, he has shown that he can compete with the records of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar in the long run.

"Kohli is expected to play a big role in India's success in the future. He is a fine cricketer and a fine athlete. He is a complete all-rounder," he added.

Kohli has scored 2,496 runs in 66 ODIs at an average of 45.38 with the help of seven centuries and 16 fifties.

The 42-year-old Rhodes also believed that Kohli although does not have an impressive record in Tests, having scored only 76 runs in five innings, had it in him to become a successful player in the longer version of the game too.

"The right-handed batsman has been consistent in IPL, T20s and ODIs because he plays good cricketing shots," said Rhodes.

"He plays shots all-round the park. From the team point of view, he has shown maturity. He finishes games for India and does not throw his wicket away. That's what Test cricket is all about," he added.

Rhodes, who scored 2,532 and 5,935 runs in 50 Tests and 245 ODIs respectively, felt it would be an uphill task for England, who have lost the first two one-dayers against India in the ongoing five-match series, to bounce back.

"England are a team that have come off a convincing win (over India) in their home. But being 0-2 down is always a dangerous position to be in, especially when you are playing against a quality side. England have shown that they are very good but beating India in India is a tough ask," Rhodes said.

"We all know its pretty tough to play in India. England had played pretty well recently but India have bounced back. They are the world champions. No team would like to go to England and fail to win even a game there, especially if they are the world champions. India have given England a lesson in cricket in the last two games," he added.

The South African came out in support of veteran off- spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been dropped from the national team, saying that he has a lot to offer to the Indian team.

"Bhajji has always been a fighter and he has been known for it throughout his career. I have been dropped in my career. There are two things you can do in that situation - either sulk and say that's it I'm not going to participate or you can get back to the field. That's what he did for Mumbai Indians in the Champions League," said Rhodes, who is the fielding coach of IPL franchisee Mumbai Indians, the team in which Harbhajan plays.

"He could have said Sachin is not here, I've been dropped from the Indian team so what's the point, but he led (Mumbai Indians) from the front. That's shows the kind of guy he is. He is a real team man. He has got a lot to contribute to the India team."