Engineer urges India to bring back pride

Former India Test player, Farokh Engineer, has said it's vital the tourists bring back their and the nation's pride when they effort to stay away from a Test whitewash at The Oval.

India, who came into this series as the world's top-ranked Test team, are 3-0 down in a four-match competition after a trio of more and more large defeat, most recently last week's mammoth innings and 242 run turn around at Edgbaston that saw England replace them at number one in the ICC's Test Championship table.

Engineer, one of the best wicketkeeper/batsman of his era, said India had been wedged cold by Andrew Strauss's men.

"India underestimate England, they were under-prepared," he told AFP in an interview after training school children at an MCC Spirit of Cricket and Street Chance plan in Brixton, near The Oval, in South London, on Wednesday.

"England has played far better than everyone predictable them - although the true test will come when they play on subcontinent wickets," added Engineer, who appear in 46 Tests for India from 1961 to 1975.

"But they've outplayed India in every section: captaincy, bowling, batting fielding, even wicket keeping," an appreciative Engineer, also a mainstay of English country side Lancashire for much of the 1970s, said.

"It has been a shock to the system; this India side has never been so badly hammer by any team before.

"So let this is an eye-opener," insist Engineer ahead of Thursday's start of the fourth Test.

"They've got to play for arrogance, because Indians are very proud of their cricketing heritage and it's hurt the average Indian big-time that India have perform so miserably on this tour."

It is nearly precisely 40 years ago since The Oval staged one of India's most triumphs, with Engineer playing a leading role.

On August 24 1971 India strike England by four wickets, a victory that gave them a first Test win on English soil and the three-match series 1-0 after two draws. Engineer, well-known as both a dynamic batsman and agile keeper, top-scored in India's first innings with 59.

He then guide India to the brink of conquest with 28 not out before Abid Ali hit the winning runs in a match where leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekar took six for 38 in England's meagre second innings 101.

"I remember like it happen yesterday," the now 73-year-old Engineer, who has made his home in England, said. "Chandra was a polio victim who made his imperfection into a great benefit, the way he turned the ball viciously."

Engineer; recall the final stages, added: "Abid Ali came in, with about four runs to win and there was only Venkat, Bishan Bedi and Chandrasekhar left - and none of them knew which side of the bat to hold.

"I told Abid 'don't lose your head'. So what does he do first ball? I think it was Derek Underwood bowling, he charged down the wicket, and Alan Knott miss the stumping - and Knotty was a great 'keeper

"Next over I take a single, I don't know why. Abid Ali was back on strike and I consideration 'I hope he doesn't do anything daft'.

"But Abid, being Abid Ali, exciting down the wicket again, got an edge that went over the slips for four and we won the game. Abid was approved in by the crowd and he loved it.

"After the match, the relax of the team went back to India for a ticker tape welcome but I had to play the next day for Lancashire."As I went out to bat at Old Trafford, I got a standing ovation.

"I thought, 'there's amazing wrongs somewhere, I've just shafted England the day before and the English people, these Lancastrians, not the Indians, are giving me a standing ovation'. "It brings a tear to my eye, such was the sporting nature of the British public, and it was brilliant to see that, he said.

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Chandimal and Herath drop

Sri Lanka has dropped talented batsman Dinesh Chandimal, allrounder Thisara Perera and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath from the squad for the final two one-dayers against Australia, who led the series 2-1. Seekkuge Prasanna, the 26-year-old legspinner, has been called up and has to fly reverse from England, where he was on behalf of Sri Lanka A.

The other major news was that vice-captain Angelo Mathews, who miss the third ODI due to an injury is fit for the residual matches. "He should be alright for the rest of the series," Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said. "He could have even played on Tuesday, but we didn't want to take a risk. If great had happen he would have been ruled out for two months. He has got three more days to get well from the injury. Angelo is a key member of our side and when he goes out it's a big loss."

Chandimal, 21, had made an winning century at Lord's and 54 in the decide game of the ODI series against England last month, but suffer a string of failures since, managing only 41 in four innings.

Perera played only one ODI since his hard-hitting cameo in the World Cup final, with the role of the third fast bowler to be filled by Mathews, Suranga Lakmal or Shaminda Eranga, who made an impact on first appearance in the third ODI on Tuesday. Herath has also had only one ODI since the World Cup, with the appearance of legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis and the spin pair of Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv warning his opportunities.

Herath's place in the squad was taken by Prasanna, who hit the headlines on Sunday with a six-wicket haul against England A. Prasanna plays for the Sri Lanka Army, impress in their youth ranks before making his domestic one-day debut in 2006. He built up an outstanding List a record over the past five years, taking 73 wickets at 18.38 in 45 matches.

Squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Chamara Silva, Nuwan Kulasekera, Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga, Seekkuge Prasanna, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Suraj Randiv

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England chase whitewash, India need arrogance

England celebrated accomplishment No. 1 in the world with a good night in Birmingham on Sunday but it was soon backing to the day job and, four days later, they previously face the first test of their new status. The 'dead rubber syndrome' is always a risk when a team has scaled such heights to secure a major goal and Andrew Strauss will be anxious that nothing takes the gloss off the achievement of the last month.

In truth it will take a lot to remove the after-glow of three commanding performance, but this England team is never satisfied. They'll see this final Test at The Oval as a chance to lay down one more markers with a show of hunger and desire. Even the great Australian sides under Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh had issue with keeping strength high when a series was decided. England benefit with a number of one-off Test victories and won't want to offer India a similar opportunity.

It's difficult to see India lively back to save face over the next five days. They have been so far off the pace that this is a series they'll want to relegate to history as quickly as likely. That, although, will be easier said than done with the fall-out well under way back at home and serious questions being asked of the team. Some of those questions are more sensible than others, but a number of players will be heading back with damaged reputation.

The much-vaunted batting line-up has one more chance to live up to their billing having not reached 300 in the series. The wait goes on for Sachin Tendulkar's 100th hundred, while Gautam Gambhir has dissatisfied and VVS Laxman hasn't made the most of some decent form. Then there's the challenge of taking 20 wickets. The pace bowlers have all had their moments but, collectively, have not been able to maintain pressure on England.

Praveen Kumar has been a tireless workhorse and Ishant Sharma has kept running in, but they have suffered from not having an inexpensive spinner to tie up an end. If Oval history is anything to go by they could be in for more hard toil.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 MS Dhoni (c) (wk), 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Praveen Kumar/RP Singh, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Sreesanth

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'England have to aim for ODI preeminence

As England cherish their dominance to the top of Test cricket, former captain Michael Vaughan said the next challenge will be to rule the one-day rankings.

"We also desire to see them become the world's number-one team in one-day cricket too. That is the next challenge," Vaughan said.

"We haven't won a World Cup yet and I think that will be Andy Flower's next goal," the cricketer was quoted as saying by the 'London Evening Standard'.

He said the country should celebrate England's climb to the top of ICC Test rankings but reiterate that the team should now set up a strong hold at the position.

The 36-year-old, who played his last Test in 2008, said "number one in the world is amazing we should all celebrate but the main thing now is to stay there."

"I actually think this team now has got a great opportunity to go on and dominate Test cricket for a number of years," he added.

Vaughan also lavish praise on Alastair Cook, who, he believes is intended for a place among the game's greats.

"I don't want to put him under too much force but he is going to get over 10,000 Test runs with over 35 Test match hundreds (a feat that no other English man has achieved so far)," the former batsman said.

"He will most likely be captain when Andrew Strauss relinquishes it in a few years' time and he has got a wonderful career ahead.

"He is the type of player you want, very strong-minded, he grinds out every run. At times it is not pretty but, look at the end result, he is a run-scorer," Vaughan added.

Cook, who struggle during the early half of the continuing series, rediscovered his lost touch with a career-best 294 during the Edgbaston Test.

The ton was Cook’s 19th Test hundred and seventh since his place was deems to be under threat 12 months ago.

The 26-year-old has played 71 Tests so far and is now only three hundreds behind England's record Test centurions Geoff Boycott, Colin Cowdrey and Wally Hammond.

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Dhoni : Batsmen want to come good performance

"We've faced many good sides like South Africa and Australia. So I would keep my judgement (if this is the best side). But England are a very good side, they have four bowlers who are really good and very settled. They also bat deep," Dhoni said.

Dhoni said it was important that his team kept its perspective and looked at the future rather than press on the panic button.

"A few things in cricket are beyond control. We made the most of whatever resources we had. It's important to look at the future, not to panic. We've been outplayed, whatever the reasons might be, but we need to look into the bright future we have," he said.

He would not commit if pacer Praveen Kumar has recovered from the right thumb injury he suffered during the Edgbaston Test.

Praveen, meanwhile, turned up at the nets and bowled alongside Ishant Sharma on Wednesday; raising hopes of the Indian team that he may be available for the final test.

R P Singh and Munaf Patel came on to bowl late and did not go flat out. Significantly, Sreesanth wasn't seen or bowled at the nets. But as usual, there was no word from the team management.

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