Virender Sehwag pin hope on Ravichandran Ashwin

Virender Sehwag has hope that Ravichandran Ashwin, India's best cricketer in the Test series next to the West Indies, will carry on to present well and get more awards in future.

The BCCI had announced Ashwin's name for Dilip Sardesai Award after his series winning presentation next to the Windies.

Appreciating the Indian Cricket Board's choice to award Ashwin with Rs 5 lakh prize money, India's stand-in-skipper Sehwag said Ashwin was going in the right direction.

"It's truly good for him. I am truly happy for Ashwin because he has performed really well. It's good that his presentation is respected by the BCCI," said Sehwag.

"May he get more awards in future? When you get award from the government that's the biggest achievement. Getting a national award like Arjuna or Padma awards is the biggest achievement for a sportsperson.

"I hope in coming years he performs well. I am sure that Ashwin will get those also," he added.


Ashwin picked 22 wickets in his debut Test series, as well scoring a century in three matches against the West Indies and picked up two men of the match awards en route to being adjudge the player of the series.

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Sehwag told: Rotate pacers to stay away from injury

Dashing India opener Virender Sehwag believes the only way to keep away from injuries is to rotate the fast bowlers by giving them regular break.

"It's significant that the team administration ensures that they don't play too many matches. Fast bowlers are prone to injury and when they get wounded their pace goes," Sehwag said.

"Besides, when you are wounded, your rejoinder becomes very hard," he added.

Sehwag, who is look forward to the series against West Indies after getting better from shoulder damage, said any decision to have different teams for Tests and the shorter versions of the game lies completely with the selectors.

"A cricketer's enthusiasm is to play for the country. If somebody says he's tired, he can talk to the team management. Dhoni was not given rest on his asking for, because there were too many injuries in the team," he said.

The 33-year-old said he was very aggravated when he got injured and admit that he made an error by playing in England when he had not fully improved.

"I knew I was desired. I tried my best but I realized that I hurried my comeback in England. It was a complicated time in England for the whole team... so many injuries," he said.

The Delhi Daredevils skipper also discarded the insight that Indian players prefer IPL over playing Test matches and said this whole club over country debate was preposterous.

"Tell me one cricketer who has said that. It's a insight that the media and ex-cricketers have. Every youngster dreams of playing Tests. There is not a single Indian or for that matter international cricketer who has taken departure from Tests and ODIs to play IPL," he said.

"I played the World Cup with injuries, Sachin played when he had a cracked toe or other injuries. People are not aware of this," he said.

Sehwag said no one will be able to replace Sachin Tendulkar.

"Nobody will ever play for as long as Sachin has however good quality he may be. There can never be another Sachin," he said.

Sehwag felt Indian cricket is in safe hands with so many youngsters playing well.

The Delhi cricketer singled out Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma as the players who will carry Indian cricket forward.

"When the seniors retire, I have full faith in these gifted youngsters taking their place. There may be a problem for a year or two, but Indian cricket is in safe hands."

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Injured Gambhir probable to return home

With his indistinct vision deteriorating to improve, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir could be stuffing his bags to return home.

In what might be a big blow to the movement of the world champions in the approaching one-day series next to England, Gambhir looks set to undergo the same fate as Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag who either came or joined the Indian squad only to leave upset having contributed little to the team's cause.

India were whitewashed 4-0 in the Test series; lost their number one Test rankings and are in danger of suffering a similar incapacitating fate in the one-day series, starting with the first game in Chester-le-Street on September 3.

Gambhir had backpedalled to catch a pull by Kevin Pietersen at mid-on on the second day of the final Test at the Oval on August 19, but trip and fell on his head, a fall which resulted in blurred vision.

He didn't open either innings of the Oval Test and came in down the order, causal little by way of runs.

Since then, he has visit doctors and had MRI scans which have given him a clean bill of health. However, Gambhir is still far from well.

Gambhir's case is similar to the one suffer by South African fast bowler Dale Steyn during the Champions League T20 last year when he too fell on his head as he backpedalled to try and catch Michael Hussey in a semi-final clash between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Steyn's MRI scans also show little, but the pace man took 3-4 weeks to regain full fitness. With Gambhir potentially out for a similar length of time, he is also now a doubt for when England pay a return visit to India in early October.

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Gambhir approximately fit for ODI series

Gautam Gambhir's contribution in the ODI series next to England looks possible with the Indian opener likely to be fit for the five-match rubber. Team manager Shivlal Yadav definitely this on Wednesday.

Yadav said Gambhir should be fine for next month's ODI series after his MRI scan did not show anything unpleasant.

He, however, said that the left-hander might not play in the perform game next to Sussex on Thursday.

Gambhir is critical to India's plans in the ODIs now that his guy opener Virender Sehwag has been totally ruled out for the five one-dayers and one-off Twenty20 match.

Gambhir suffer the concussion after he backpedalled at mid-on in a bid to catch a miscued pull off Kevin Petersen during the Oval Test. The chance was fluff when he fell back and hit his head on the ground with a thump.

Even though assumption over his ease of use has died down after the MRI scan, the left-hander did not come out to do with his colleagues today.

The present series has been one of hard luck for Gambhir. He was glaringly hit on his right prod while field at forward short leg during the first Test at Lord's last month.

He later had to miss the second Test at Trent Bridge. He did play the third Test at Edgbaston and scored 38 and 14 in the two innings.

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Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma are ruled out of ODIs

Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma have been ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series next to England.

Sehwag suffer from labyrinth this of the left ear in July. Although his condition has better, he continues to knowledge headaches. An ENT expert, who was consult on the same, has said that he will take two more weeks to get better completely.

Sehwag has made good development since the surgery on his right shoulder. He will be continuing treatment to build up his throwing and bowling fitness.

Meanwhile, Ishant Sharma sustained a tendon injury in his left ankle during the Birmingham Test of the ongoing series. He has respond well to treatment, but will need to undergo a course of intensive therapy and training to prevent reappearance of the pain in his left ankle.

The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ajinkya Rahane and Varun Aaron as the replacement of the two players in the team for the T20 International and ODI series. Both players will join the squad at the first.

The one-off T20 International will be played on 31 August and the first of five ODIs on third September.

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Swann set belongings to see on early wickets

Graeme Swann has already eliminate two of India's best hopes of avoid a 4-0 power series whitewash - and would have bag an even bigger wicket if his team-mates had been on the ball.

Swann was the bowler who to finish shifted Rahul Dravid, after more than seven hours of confrontation with an winning 146 in India's first-innings 300 and then just 13 more out of 129 for three at stumps on Day Four of the fourth Test at The Oval.

He doubles up with the off-spinner's favourite mode of discharge, bowling Virender Sehwag through the gate.

But Sachin Tendulkar survive on 34 - when he would have gone stumped had England had the presence of mind to demand - and will therefore stand in their way again tomorrow, in what force yet prove to be the Little Master's last Test innings in this country.

"What can I say? I'm at the bowler's end, so I can't see," Swann protest. "They've only got about 12 pairs of eyes round the stumps.

"It's not precisely the brains belief who field round there, so it's no revelation nobody picked up on it." Nearest of all was the man who took off the bails, with Tendulkar's foot off the floor.

"I am a bit astonished Matty Prior didn't, because he appeals for everything," added Swann, who however had plenty to smile about.

On a wearing pitch, he previously has five wickets in the match - and could easily be the key to the ending as India try to bat out three sessions, still 162 runs short of making England bat again.

"I look forward to it, having to play a big part in a possible victory for England - that's always thrilling," said Swann.

"It's going to be a hard day, make no bones about that. We've got seven more wickets, and we need to get them fairly sharpish so we don't end up in a circumstance where we might have to bat again.

"We need to crack on in the morning in the same vein we ended tonight, because I thought we bowled actually well in that last session."

He is already pleased to have prized out Dravid, who long-established tonight that he did feel a thin edge on his bat-pad removal from office achieved via DRS.
"The way he's batted this summer has just been outstanding," Swann said of his adversary.

"It is very fulfilling first of all to get him out tonight. His was the one wicket we were in fact gunning for tonight because he approved his bat in the first innings, and has got a hundred in every Test match (of the summer) more or less."
As for Sehwag's exit, Swann said: "Bowling people all the way through the gate only happens three or four times a year, if you're lucky.

"It's always one to savour, especially when it's a player of his repute and standing. "When it comes out of your hand, you know it's in the right place. But when you actually see it go through the gap, it's an amazing feeling.

"I'd previously had one go over the top of leg-stump and I'd said to Straussy 'it's just not my day'. "He said 'stop being so gloomy, Swann'. So good on him."
Swann made it clear too that there will be no slacking tomorrow from the world's number one team, with another victory to push for.

"After five days of cricket, if you're just going to turn up happy with the draw then you're not going to last long in this rule.

"We'll be rotating up tomorrow 100% dedicated to try to win this game. If anyone aired those sort of views in the changing room, they'd be shot down - and rightly so.

"We need to try to get the wickets early - a help if we could get three or four before lunch, and particularly get rid of Tendulkar. We don't want him sticking around too long."

Dravid is not giving up hope that his team-mates can come good with some delayed and telling disobedience tomorrow - and refuses to blame them for India's ills.
"It will be mixed feelings (if India loses)," he said.

"I guess there will definitely be a sense of satisfaction at the way I played, and I'm still hoping that we will be able to draw this Test match.

"Sachin is unmoving batting and is looking good - so who knows? "Evidently when you get a hundred and don't end up winning the Test match it doesn't feel nice all the time.

"The guys have tried, practiced hard ... but clearly this time we haven't clicked as a unit, which has been sad. "It's not trying, because no one is going out there not to try and succeed.

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India's batting sadness continue in 3rd Test

England 84 for 0 (Strauss 52*, Cook 27*) trail India 224 (Dhoni 77, Broad 4-53, Bresnan 4-62) by 140 runs

India arrived in England this summer as the world's top-ranked Test side and with high hope for their much-vaunted batting order but none has clicked so far.

Hampered by injury to Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, although, they have together failed to deliver, failing to even reach 300 or bat out 100 overs in any of their first five innings. Here, Press involvement Sport's Tom White looks at the travails of the frequently stellar line-up.

Team totals
The first two Tests both saw touring captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni win the toss and invite England to bat first, and India were left to respond to a strong England total of 474 for eight declared at Lord's but a mere 221 at Trent Bridge. It made little difference to their approach, though, as they were bowled out for 286 in 95.5 overs in the first Test and 288 in 91.1 at Nottingham. Second-innings totals of 261 and 158 left them 2-0 down and the pattern continued today as they were dismissed for 224 at Edgbaston despite Dhoni's counter-attack.

Averages
The traditional mark of 40 as a target average for a top Test player has long been seen as outdated - yet Rahul Dravid aside, the Indians have failed to even muster that mark. Dravid has made the only two Indian centuries of the series en route to an average of 71 from his five innings, with Yuvraj Singh's 35 the next best.
VVS Laxman has impressed in flashes and averages almost 31 and Gambhir, hampered in the second innings at Lord's by an elbow injury which then ruled him out of the second Test, has three times failed to build on starts and averages 25.
Only Tim Bresnan's drop saved Abhinav Mukund from being dismissed by the first ball of each innings in Nottingham and he averages 16, while Sehwag's return in his place today also brought a golden duck.

Tendulkar (23.80) is still waiting for his landmark innings after scores of 34, 12, 16, 56 and one, while Suresh Raina's 78 in the second innings at Lord's could only lift his average to 19 and Dhoni, similarly, is down at 25.20 even after today's 77.

Innings
Dravid's 117 at Trent Bridge and 103 not out at Lord's stand in isolation among a slew of mediocre scores by India batsmen, with only six other half-centuries.
Mukund made 49 in the first innings at Lord's before Laxman (56) and Raina, with that 78, emerged with some credit from the second.

Dravid could look to Laxman (54) and Yuvraj (62) for much-needed support during his Trent Bridge marathon and Tendulkar battled to 56 in the second innings, which also saw spinner Harbhajan Singh blast a defiant 46 from 44 balls. Dhoni played a lone hand today.

England can boast Kevin Pietersen's 202 at Lord's, further hundreds for Ian Bell (159) and Matt Prior (103no) and eight half-centuries shared among six players, including bowlers Bresnan and Stuart Broad.

Partnerships
Six times in two Tests England's batsmen have produced century partnerships. India's only such effort was Dravid and Yuvraj's 128 in the first innings at Trent Bridge, which came on the back of 93 between Dravid and Laxman. Their highest partnership outside of that series-high innings of 288 is today's 84 between Dhoni and tail-ender Praveen Kumar.

Lower-order runs
England's last four batsmen were rarely needed at Lord's, seeing the hosts from 390 for six to 474 for eight declared in their only outing, but added 133 of a first-innings total of 221 at Trent Bridge and another 205 in a huge second innings.

That gives England 422 runs for 10 "lower-order" wickets, or an average of 42.20. India's equivalent is 324 runs for 20 wickets - 46 and 36 at Lord's, a paltry 15 and a Harbhajan-boosted 103 at Trent Bridge and 124 around Dhoni today - giving an average of 16.20.

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