Want to enjoy winning run, we will lose at some point: Sania

Hyderabad, Jan 31, 2016 (PTI)

Following her Australian Open triumph, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza today said it was an unreal feeling to win three Grand Slam titles in a row and she would try to maintain the winning streak with her swiss partner Martina Hingis.

"It’s an unreal feeling. We haven’t lost a match in a long time but also to win three grand slams in a row…it’s what really dreams are made of and I am really excited. It was a perfect way to start the year. We feel really happy. Three slams in a row who would have thought. I am taking a couple of days off before going to Fed Cup in Thailand," said Sania after her arrival here.

Reacting to another query, she said “Nothing is certain. We still have to go out there and give our best and try and play the best that we can. Fortunately we have been able to do this for so many months and the whole year has been incredible. But the last six months especially. So we are going to keep trying to do that. I think we all know, in sports everyone loses and at some point we are going to lose and until we lose we are going to try and enjoy this streak.

"I will leave for Delhi and then for Thailand for Fed Cup and then go to St Petersburg," she said. Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis were on Friday last crowned the Australian Open women’s doubles champions after they tamed the spirited Czech duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in straight sets for their 36th win in a row. It was their third consecutive Grand Slam title for Sania and Martina, having won the Wimbledon and US Open in 2015.

In an incredible feat, Sania and Martina have now extended their unbeaten run to 36 matches, winning eight titles in a row. They won five straight titles in 2015, starting from the US Open and before the Australian Open now.

Asked on her Padma Bhushan recognition, Sania said "I am very honoured and I hope I can be here in the country (to receive the award) and it would be amazing. I was here for the Khel Ratna and hopefully I can be here. It’s a great honour for me and I feel privileged." 

I can be my normal self in Australia: Kohli

Sydney, Jan 31, 2016 (PTI)

It wasn't easy to start with but star Indian batsman Virat Kohli today said he is now in love with Australia for not just being a happy hunting ground for him but also for the respect and admiration he is getting from both the rival players and the initially hostile fans.

Kohli was adjudged Player of the Twenty20 series, which India swept 3-0 here today. The flamboyant batsman, who scored 199 runs in the three games, remaining unbeaten all through, said being in Australia gives him sense of normalcy which is often hard to come given his star status in India.

"I love coming to this country, it has a really positive vibe. Most importantly, I can be myself here. I can be normal, I can walk around on the streets. That's something that I really love to do to discover myself rather than staying in a world which is sometimes full of highs and sometimes full of lows," Kohli told 'Star Sports' in a post-match interaction after India's seven-wicket win in the third game here today.

"Sometimes you need to get away from the game and realise who you are, know yourself and understand your mood. I get to do that in Australia, people appreciate the cricket that we have played," he added.

Kohli conceded his love affair with the country did not exactly start on a positive note. He had infamously shown his middle finger to a hostile crowd during the 2011-12 tour but things seem to have changed with the fans cheering him vociferously during the just-concluded series.

"They give you respect but they don't intrude in your private space. That's something that I adore about this country. It was tough early on when I came here. I have had confrontations but it has led to mutual respect," said the dashing right-hander.

Talking about his game, Kohli stated that he is focused on ensuring that his dot ball count remains as low as possible.

"I have been hitting the ball decently on this tour. In T20 cricket, one ball is an event and it is very important to capitalise on that. So, if you have a bunch of dot balls, it can turn the game around so I try and avoid those pressure situations. I make a conscious effort to keep the strike rotating," he said.

"I keep thinking about putting the bowler under pressure before he can get on top of me. After that, I can play to my strengths. 

I stick to the basics and improvise according to the situation," he said. Kohli was all praise for comeback-man Yuvraj Singh, who played a crucial cameo today to get India over the line in a 198-run chase.

"Yuvi got very few balls but when it mattered he made it count. That's how we need him, we need him confident because then we are in safe hands," he said. 

India now number one T20 side

Sydney, Jan 31, 2016, (PTI):

India today became the number one side in the ICC T20 rankings after whitewashing Australia in the three-match series here today.
India, who are also the number one in Tests, overtook the West Indies to reach the top sport in the shortest format. India have 120 rating points, two more than the Caribbean unit. Sri Lanka also have 118 rating points like the West Indies but they are third in the charts.

India have hit top form in the T20 format ahead of the World T20 to be held at home in March-April. They had famously won the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007.

England (117 rating points) are fourth in the rankings ahead of New Zealand (116), South Africa (115), Pakistan (113) and Australia (110). Afghanistan (80) and Scotland (66) round up the top-10.

Djokovic masters Murray for sixth Australian Open title

MELBOURNE, Jan 31, 2016, (Reuters);

Novak Djokovic crushed Andy Murray 6-1 7-5 7-6(3) on Sunday to match Roy Emerson's record of six Australian Open titles and leave the Briton heartbroken again at Melbourne Park.

The defending champion was at his ruthless best under the lights at Rod Laver Arena, mauling Murray in the baseline duels and closing out the match in two hours and 53 minutes.

Murray succumbed to his fifth loss in five Australian Open finals, and fourth against the Serbian world number one, who claimed his 11th grand slam title to match the totals of Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg.

Having fended off Murray in a marathon second set, Djokovic again had to put down some stiff Murray resistance in the third as the Scot hit back from an early break.

But having been dragged into a tiebreak, Djokovic raced 6-1 ahead and sealed the title on his third match point with an ace down the centre.

India beat Australia by 7 wickets, complete 3-0 rout

Sydney, Jan 31, 2016, (IANS):

India's top batting order put Shane Watson's unbeaten 86-ball 124 in the shade as they clinched the third and final match of their Twenty20 International (T20I) series by seven wickets to blank Australia 3-0 at the Sydney Cricket Ground here on Sunday.
Watson's superb maiden century powered Australia, batting first, to a handsome 197 for five. In reply, India rode on blistering batting from their top four batsmen -- Shikhar Dhawan (26 in nine deliveries), Rohit Sharma (52 in 38), Virat Kohli (50 in 36) and Suresh Raina (49 not out in 38) -- to overtake the target in the final over. 

With India needing 17 in the final over, Yuvraj Singh hit pacer Andrew Tye for a six and then a four off the first two deliveries to pave the way for the last-ball heroics by Raina.
Chasing the 198-run target, India got off to a flying start. They raced to 62 in the first five overs, thanks to a quickfire 26 off nine deliveries by Shikhar Dhawan -- who, after a dismal ODI outing, was getting into the groove in T20I. The left-handed opener plundered four fours and a six.

Watson got rid of Dhawan who edged to debuting wicket-keeper Cameron Bancroft.
However, the wicket didn't bring relief for the hosts as the in-form Virat Kohli joined Rohit Sharma in the middle and the duo scored at will.

They forged a 78-run stand for the second wicket when Rohit got out after scoring 52 off 38. The Mumbai right-hander was caught by Watson at midwicket off Cameron Boyce -- but not before putting India strongly on track -- at 124/2 in 12.3 overs.

Later, Kohli completed his 12th T20I fifty  -- third in the series -- but soon lost his wicket being bowled by Boyce with India needing 51 runs in 5.1 overs.

Thereafter, Raina kept India going with two back-to-back crucial fours in the 18th over, after which India were short of 22 runs in two overs.

In the penultimate over, Watson bowled brilliantly and gave away only five runs with Yuvraj struggling to hit big.

The veteran southpaw, however, made amends in the final over collecting 10 runs off the first two deliveries bowled by Tye. A bye off the third ball was followed by two consecutive doubles from Raina, who then hit a boundary as against the required two runs for the win.

For Australia, leg-spinner Boyce impressed with figures of 28-2 in four overs, while Man-of-the-Match Watson gave away 30 runs for a single wicket. 

Earlier, Watson, making his debut as captain in T20I, milked six sixes -- three off Ravindra Jadeja and two off Ashish Nehra -- and 10 fours during his maiden ton as the Indian bowlers conceded 117 runs in the final 10 overs.

It was also the first time that India gave away a hundred to an opposition batsman in the shortest format.

Trailing 0-2 in the series, Australia came up with the scratch opening pair of Watson and Usman Khawaja as regular batsmen David Warner, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith did not play either due to injury or because they were being rested for the forthcoming series against New Zealand.

The hosts didn't get a good start as in-form Khawaja was dismissed for 14 with the right-hander edging a Nehra delivery to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the third over.

However, experienced Watson, dropped from the One-Day International (ODI) series, showed why he is still a force to reckon with as he kept punishing the Indian bowlers.
He played a crucial role in a 50-run partnership with Shaun Marsh, who took his time.
Left-hander Marsh (9) had his stumps shattered when he went for a mistimed slog sweep off off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Marsh's wicket, with Australia at 69 for two in 7.4 overs, brought 'Big Show' Glenn Maxwell (6) but he was soon holed out at short cover to Suresh Raina off Yuvraj Singh's bowling.

Travis Head then joined Watson in the middle and provided the muscle. He despatched Yuvraj for a six and a four to boost his captain's faith as the partnership flourished, with Watson on a song.

Watson also benefitted from India's generosity. He was batting on 56 and on the second ball of the 12th over, he mishit a wide ball from Hardik Pandya towards Virat Kohli, who spilled the catch at deep cover. In the 14th over, skipper Dhoni failed to collect a throw from Pandya, failing to run Watson out as the batsman tried to complete his second run.

Watson made India pay as he hit two sixes off left-arm spinner Jadeja and one off Ashwin before completing his maiden hundred in 58 balls.

After the hundred, he again hit Jadeja for a six and one off Nehra as his team mustered a total of 197 for five.

Kohli got the Man-of-the-Series award for scoring 199 runs in three matches.

Watson blitzkrieg takes Australia to 197/5 vs India

Sydney, Jan 31, 2016, (PTI);

Stand-in captain Shane Watson pulverised a mediocre Indian bowling to smash an unbeaten 124 as Australia scored a commendable 197 for five in 20 overs in the inconsequential third T20 International, here today.
The seasoned all-rounder played only 71 balls hitting 10 fours and half a dozen of sixes carrying his bat through the innings after winning the toss.

Such was Watson's dominance that the next best score was 26 from Travis Head.
Indian bowlers who were impressive in the first two games were belted out of the park as Australian batsmen hit a total of 16 boundaries and seven sixes in their innings.
The hit pair of Ravichandran Ashwin (1/36) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/41) gave away 77 runs in their quota of eight overs together.

Watson and Khawaja (14) then opened the innings against Ashish Nehra (1-32) and Jasprit Bumrah (1-43), and got off to a blistering start.

The duo punished the Indian pacers, especially Watson was severe on the youngster taking his two overs for 26 runs. Nehra sent back Khawaja in the 3rd over, caught behind, but Watson continued his onslaught on the bowling in the company of Shaun Marsh (9) as the Australian 50-mark came up in the 6th over.

Jadeja and Yuvraj Singh (1-19) too came on to bowl but none of them could stop Watson mayhem. He put on 53 runs for the 2nd wicket with Marsh off only 27 balls, even as Ashwin bowled the left-hander in the 8th over.

It brought on a short passage of play as the spinners got on top, slowing the run-rate a bit. While Jadeja proved economical, Yuvraj had Glenn Maxwell (3) caught at covers in the 10th over, as Australia were placed at 80/3 at the half-way mark in the innings.

Watson then stepped on the accelerator, and in doing so brought up his fifty off 37 balls in the 11th over. Two overs later, he survived a life as Virat Kohli dropped him at deep cover off Hardik Pandya (0-24). He was unbeaten on 56 at that time.

He really made good use of that life, and put on 93 runs off 47 balls for the 4th wicket with Travis Head (26 runs, 19 balls, 1 four, 1 six. The duo bid their time early on, and opened up in the latter half of the innings as the run-rate for their partnership soared to 11.87. Jadeja finally bowled Head in the 17th over but the damage had already been done.

It was also in that same over that Watson scored his maiden T20I hundred, off 60 balls, surpassing his previous best of 81. With three overs remaining in the innings then, Australia were placed at 168/4 and the batsmen then further upped the ante.

29 runs came off those overs then, as Watson remained unbeaten while Chris Lynn (13) was dismissed in the final over of the innings, caught in the deep by Jadeja off Bumrah. Cameron Bancroft (0*) was the unbeaten batsman. 

Series already clinched, Indian women lose to Aus in 3rd T20I

Sydney, Jan 31, 2016, (PTI)

A historic series triumph already sealed, the Indian women's cricket team faltered in its quest for a clean-sweep as it went down by 15 runs to Australia in the third and final Twenty20 International following a spectacular batting collapse here today.

Chasing a victory target of 137, the Indians, who pocketed the series after winning the first two games, were comfortably placed at 94 for 3 in 13.3 overs before a middle- order collapse led them to end at 121 for 8 at the SCG.

The Indians scored just 27 runs from the last 6.3 overs and lost five wickets in the process to hand Australia a consolation win.

Opening batsman Vellaswamy Vanitha top-scored with a 25-ball 28, which was laced with three boundaries and a six, while Harmanpreet Kaur (24) was the next notable contributor as the Indians gathered runs at a brisk pace but at the same time, kept losing wickets.

The visiting side made a flying start by scoring 33 runs from 4.4 overs for the first wicket between Vanitha and captain Mithali Raj (12).

After two quick wickets, the Indians picked up the pace and were comfortably placed at 94 for 3 in the 14th over, needing roughly run-a-ball for a win at that stage.

But three quick wickets put paid to India's hopes as Kaur, Auja Patil (3) and player-of-the-series Jhulan Goswami (1) were dismissed in the space of 2.3 overs and for the addition of just 10 runs. 

In fact, India lost two wickets in the 16th over that ultimately made the difference in the match.

From a run-a-ball situation, India needed 27 from the last two overs and 23 from the final over. They could not accomplish the task though the Indians will return home with their head held high after their historic feat of winning their maiden series over mighty Australia.

For Australia, Ellyse Perry produced an all-round show to deny India a cleansweep. She hit an unbeaten 55 after Australia were put into bat before claiming 4/12 in the Indian run chase.
Pacer Goswami was economical in her four overs, giving away 21 runs in her four overs while Rajeshwari Gayakwad claimed two wickets for 36 runs. Medium pacer Deepti Sharma (1/19) was also impressive in her T20 debut.

Earlier, Australia posted 136/5 as Goswami's excellent bowling and visiting side's sharp work on the field again made life difficult for the hosts. 

A key partnership of 28 from the final 12 balls from Perry and Alex Blackwell (4 not out) added crucial late runs to take the hosts to a decent total.

It was a familiar tale for the Aussies at the toss; skipper Meg Lanning on the wrong end of the flip of the coin for the third time in a row as India captain Mithali Raj again sent the hosts in.
Alyssa Healy was shifted to the top of the order, switching positions with Grace Harris after the latter's twin ducks in the first two matches.

But Goswami ensured it was another disastrous start for the hosts, dismissing Healy with the very first ball of the match. It did not take long for Beth Mooney to find her groove, scoring two boundaries from the second over, and Lanning joined in the fun by striking two excellent sixes.

Australia then struggled to find someone to carry on with their innings, with first Lanning caught out in the deep on 26 before another promising start from Mooney ended with the opener on 34.

After scores of 19 and 4 in the opening two games, Ellyse Perry made another cautious start -- including some audacious reverse sweeps using the back of the bat -- before she and Harris struck two sixes in as many balls.

But the trend of the Southern Stars' batting this series continued. Just when they started to look threatening, India's sharp fielding proved their undoing, with a direct hit from Harmanpreet Kaur removing Harris for 9, leaving the Southern Stars 97/4 after 15.2 overs.

Some late hitting from Perry helped them to 136/5 at the end of their 20 overs, as the all-rounder finished unbeaten on 55 from 41 balls. She brought up the milestone with a six from the final ball of the innings.

Clarke set to return to first class cricket, IPL on his radar

Melbourne, Jan 31, 2016, (PTI)

 Former Australian Test captain Michael Clarke is set to return to first-class cricket six months after he announced international retirement and the lucrative India Premier League is on his radar, according to reports here.
The 34-year-old, who retired from international cricket following Australia's Ashes defeat last August, has also refused to rule out wearing the baggy green once more, insisting he was in good shape ahead of a grade cricket comeback.

Clarke is likely to make his return for grade team Western Suburbs against Randwick-Petersham in a Sydney club match on February 20-21.

"I'll start with playing this grade game for Western Suburbs and see if I miss it as much as I feel like I'm going to. If I do, the option is there to train the entire winter and then we'll see what happens," local media reported Clarke as having told 'News Corp'.

He said the game was "in my blood" and the prospect of playing in next year's Big Bash League, IPL or county cricket appealed to him.

"There's BBL next summer, I'd love to be a part of that, IPL, county cricket. There's possibly even Sheffield Shield cricket for NSW," he said.

He added: "All I know is, I'll never say never to anything."

Clarke hung up the boots after a tumultuous final 18 months as Test captain, during which time he struggled for form and fitness, fell out with Australian selectors and buried his close friend Phillip Hughes who died in a freak accident in November 2014.

However, he said the recent break from cricket has rekindled his love of the game and helped his troublesome back recover.

"I've still been training all the time. Training has always been such a big part of my life and I enjoy it, so my body is feeling amazing and my back feels outstanding."

Should his comeback to grade cricket be a success, Clarke could join the likes of England's Kevin Pietersen and South Africa's Jacques Kallis on the international Twenty20 circuit. 

Indians script history in Oz

January 30, 2016, Melbourne, PTI

Cricket : Men and women's teams register maiden bilateral series wins in Australia

India recorded their first ever bilateral series triumph on Australian soil as they clinched the Twenty20 rubber by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead with a comprehensive 27-run victory in the second match, riding on an all-round show here on Friday.

Put in to bat, India relied on brilliant innings by Rohit Sharma (60) and Virat Kohli (59), along with a useful 42 by opener Shikhar Dhawan, to post a competitive 184/3.

Defending the target, the Indian bowlers put up a fine effort to rip through Australia’s middle order and restrict the hosts to 157/8 in 20 overs.

The Indians thus took a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, which ends on Sunday in Sydney. 

This was India’s first ever bilateral series win Down Under. The Indians had earlier won a tri-series in 2007-08 and the Benson and Hedges World Championship in 1985.

The triumph is a remarkable turnaround for the Indians, who suffered a 1-4 debacle in the preceding ODI series.

In the day’s match as well, it was a turnaround of sorts by the bowlers, who withstood the early onslaught to make good recovery.

Chasing 185, Australia got off to a rollicking start as Shaun Marsh (23) paired up with skipper Aaron Finch (74, 48b, 8x4, 2x6) at the top.

India opened with Ashish Nehra (0/34) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/37), but instead of rotating the bowlers at the beginning like in Adelaide, the two were persisted with for the first six overs.

And they bled runs as the 50-mark came up for Australia in 31 balls. As soon as the power play got over though, Ravindra Jadeja (2/32) was brought into the attack and things started happening, though not in India’s favour. MS Dhoni missed a regulation stumping of Marsh, while at the other end Finch completed his 6th T20I fifty off just 27 balls, bringing it up with a six off R Ashwin (1/27).

Thereafter, Finch survived thrice. The bowlers continued to suffer and the only bright spark was when Hardik Pandya finally caught Marsh at long on.

It was also perhaps the turning point. The all-rounder removed Chris Lynn (2) in the next over, caught behind. Yuvraj Singh (1/7) had Glenn Maxwell (1) stumped in the 12th over, Dhoni not missing this time.

While the 100-mark came up for Australia, Shane Watson (15) looked like staying at the wicket and giving support to Finch, who continued hitting big as he was suffering from a hamstring problem.

The duo added 20 runs and were looking to calm things down. But Jadeja took a stunning reflex return catch off Watson in the 15th over.

And the match swung in India’s favour finally when Finch was run out off a superb throw from Jadeja.

score board
INDIA 
Rohit  (run out)    60
(47b, 5x4, 2x6)
Dhawan c Lynn b Maxwell    42
(32b, 3x4, 2x6)
Kohli (not out)    59
(33b, 7x4, 1x6)
Dhoni c Watson b Tye    14
(9b, 2x4)
Raina (not out)    0
Extras (LB-7, W-1, NB-1)    9
Total (For 3 wkts, 20 overs)    184
Fall of wickets: 1-97, 2-143, 3-181.
Bowling: Shane Watson 3-0-17-0, John Hastings 3-0-35-0, Scott Boland 4-0-30-0, James Faulkner 3-0-35-0, Andrew Tye 4-0-28-1, Nathan Lyon 1-0-15-0, Glenn Maxwell 2-0-17-1. 
AUSTRALIA
Finch (run out)    74
(48b, 8x4, 2x6)
Marsh c Pandya b Ashwin    23
(23b, 2x4)
Lynn c Dhoni b Pandya    2
(4b)
Maxwell st Dhoni b Yuvraj    1
(2b)
Watson c & b Jadeja    15
(11b, 2x4)
Wade (not out)    16
(15b, 1x6)
Faulkner st Dhoni b Jadeja    10
(7b, 1x6)
Hastings b Bumrah    4
(6b)
Tye b Bumrah    4
(4b, 1x4)
Extras (B-1, LB-2, W-5)    8
Total (for 8 wkts, 20 overs)    157
Fall of wickets: 1-94, 2-99, 3-101, 4-121, 5-124, 6-137, 7-152, 8-157.
Bowling: Ashish Nehra 4-0-34-0, Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-37-2, Ravindra Jadeja 4-0-32-2, R Ashwin 4-0-27-1, Hardik Pandya 2-0-17-1, Yuvraj Singh 2-0-7-1.

Indian women score 10-wkt win

January 30, 2016,Melbourne, PTI

The Indian women’s cricket team scripted history on Friday by clinching their maiden Twenty20 series win over three-time world champion Australia with a comprehensive 10-wicket triumph via Duckworth-Lewis method in the rain-truncated second game here.

With the win, the Indians thus established an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series which will wind up on January 31 in Sydney.

Opting to bowl after winning the toss, the Indians had their more fancied rivals on the mat in overcast conditions. India restricted Australia to 125 in the match which was reduced to 18-overs-a-side following rain interruption.

In reply, the Indian eves came out all guns blazing and were crucising along nicely before another round of showers forced the target to be revised to 66 in 10 overs.

Skipper Mithali Raj (37 n.o.) struck the winning runs as India overhauled the target in 9.1 overs.

In a throughly dominating performance from start to finish, India cornered Australia early on by reducing them to 33 for three in just the fifth overs of the match.

It took a 70-run fourth-wicket stand between Aussie skipper Meg lanning (49) and Jess Jonassen (27) to steady the rocking boat. Lanning’s innings was crucial in propelling Australia to 103 for three in the 14th over before disaster struck yet again for the hosts.
Once Lanning was run out by Harmanpreet Kaur, the wickets tumbled in a heap.

In reply, the Indian batters seemed in a hurry to wrap up the proceedings and raced to 52 for no loss in 7.5 overs before the heavens opened yet again.

Another round of recalculation followed and the target stood revised at 66 from 10 overs.
On resumption, Mithali, who smacked half a dozen fours in her 32-ball knock, and Smriti Mandhana (22 n.o.) took no time in sealing the issue to give the team a historic triumph.
The Australians also made the visitors’ job a tad easy by conceding 10 extras.

For records, it is the third time in 11 T20I matches that Indian eves have managed to beat Australia.

Brief scores: Australia: 125/8 in 18 overs (Meg Lanning 49, Jess Jonassen 27; Jhulan Goswami 2-16, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2-27) lt to India (target 66 in 10 overs via D/L method): 69/0 in 9.1 overs  (Mithali Raj 37 n.o.).  

Ton-up Fazal, pacers help India A clinch Deodhar Trophy in style

January 30, 2016, Kanpur, PTI

Riding on a patient century from opener Faiz Fazal and some fine performances from the pacers, India A lifted the Deodhar Trophy, after they demolished India B by 87 runs in the final here on Friday.
Batting first, India A scored a healthy 286 for seven in 50 overs, thanks to an opening stand of 162 between Fazal (100) and Test specialist Murali Vijay (69).

During the later part of the innings, another India discard Kedar Jadhav struck a quikfire 58 off 39 balls to prop up the score.

Fazal and Vijay batted for more than 31 overs during their partnership. The Vidarbha captain hit nine boundaries and three sixes — one each of Pawan Negi, Karn Sharma and Baba Aparajith. 

Vijay was more patient playing 91 balls for his 69, with three fours and equal number of sixes.

In reply, India B were all out for 199 in 40.4 overs with Krishna Das (2/32), Sreenath Aravind (2/43) and Shardul Thakur (2/47) sharing the bulk of the spoils. 

Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem (3/36) then polished off the tail with only all-rounder Stuart Binny scoring a respectable 60.

India B practically lost the match within the 15th over, as half their team was back in the hut for 54 runs.

Skipper Unmukt Chand (8), Mayank Agarwal (3), Shreyas Iyer (24), Bapa Aparajith (0) and Dinesh Karthik (12) were back due to some fine bowling by Krishna and Aravind, who accounted for four of the first five wickets.

Suryakumar Yadav (45) and Binny added 62 runs for the sixth wicket but that was never going to be enough in the long run. 

Sharma blasted three sixes in the end but that could not prevent his side from ending on the losing side.

Brief scores: India A: 286/7 (Faiz Fazal 100, Murali Vijay 69, Kedar Jadhav 58 n.o.; Dhawal Kulkarni 2-31, Nathu Singh 2-58) bt India B: 199 all out in 40.4 overs (Stuart Binny 60, Suryakumar Yadav 45, Karn Sharma 28; Shahbaz Nadeem 3-36, Krishna Das 2-32, Srinath Arvind 2-43, Shardul Thakur 2-47). 

No stopping Sania-Hingis

January 30, 2016, Melbourne, PTI

Tennis Australian Open : Indo-Swiss pair win third consecutive major after triumphing Down Under

 In a perfect climax to their stupendous run, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis were crowned the Australian Open women’s doubles champions after taming the spirited Czech duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in straight sets, here on Friday.

The top seeds fought past seventh seeds Hlavackova and Hradecka 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the women’s doubles final that lasted one hour and 45 minutes.

It was their third consecutive Grand Slam title for Sania and Hingis, having won the Wimbledon and US Open in the 2015 season.

In an incredible feat, Sania and Hingis have now extended their unbeaten run to 36 matches, winning eight titles in a row. They won five straight titles in 2015, starting from the US Open and before the Australian Open title on Friday they had won Brisbane and Sydney events. It was Sania’s second title at the Australian Open, having won the mixed doubles in 2009 with Mahesh Bhupathi.

However, later in the day, Sania fell in the mixed doubles semifinals with Croatian partner Ivan Dodig. The top seeds lost 5-7, 6-7(4) to fifth seeds Elena Vesnina and Bruno Soares.
The women’s doubles final though was not a stroll in the park for the world number one team with the Czechs putting up a great fight in the opening set. The match was littered with breaks with the two teams struggling to hold serve throughout.

Hlavackova was excellent from the baseline and Hradecka was terrific at the net, playing some breathtaking shots and winners. The top seeds though had enough resources in their kitty to blunt the challenge of the Czech girls.

"I would like to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us. For me Australian Open is special, it's like home. I have special memories here. We had an incredible one year. Martina is an amazing champion and an amazing person, so it is a privilege for me to play with her," Sania said.

"We know how good you are (Czech team). We lost to you at Roland Garros (2011). Hopefully we will have more finals to fight for," she added..

In the opening set, the two pairs could manage to hold serve only twice each as it was full of breaks. Hradecka ran frantically to her left from the net and smashed one volley past Sania off Hingis’s return and then the Swiss served two consecutive double faults to hand the Czechs an early break. 

Hingis, however, held her serve in the 11th game and the top seeds led 6-5, this time not allowing the Czechs to convert break opportunities.

Eventually the Czecks too held and it boiled down to a tiebreak in which the top seeds trampled their opponents, losing just one point, to pocket the opening set.

In the second, the top seeds broke Hradecka in the very first game and never looked back after that. 

Though Hingis was broken in the sixth game but the favourites broke back for a 5-2 lead. There was more drama as Hingis was broken in the eight while serving for the match and they squandered three match points in the ninth game on Hradecka’s serve. Sania and Martina finally closed the championship in their favour on the fourth chance. 

Serena all set to get even with the great Graf

January 30, 2016, Melbourne, Reuters

 Serena Williams is on course to match Steffi Graf's major haul in the Australian Open on Saturday, but the German seventh seed Angelique Kerber will be hoping she can prevent the American from emulating her idol while carving her own piece of history.

The 34-year-old world number one is a raging hot favourite to beat the first-time finalist on Rod Laver Arena, a victory that would move the American to 22 Grand Slam singles titles, the same as Graf and a record for the Open era.

Australia's Margaret Court holds the overall record with 24.
Williams had the opportunity to join Graf last year at the US Open, victory at which would have also given her a calendar year Grand Slam, the first since Graf in 1988.

Italy's Roberta Vinci, however, knocked out the world number one in the semifinals, which also ended the American's year.

That loss in New York has obviously resonated in her preparations for Melbourne Park, where she has appeared completely focussed since a testing first round clash with Italy's Camila Giorgi.

She has not dropped a set at all and conceded just 17 games since the Giorgi clash and battered the five-times Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 in the quarterfinals and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4 in the semifinals.

"I would say this is probably the best slam I've played in a year, and I've won a lot in a year," Williams told reporters on Friday. "Even if I don't win, I really can take away that I've been really consistent and I want to continue that."

Williams and Kerber have met six times, with the American winning five, though Kerber's 6-4 6-4 victory in Cincinnati in 2012 was one she would not forget.

"I thought she played unbelievable in that match," Williams said. "I think from then on out I've been really focused that she's someone that I, and everyone, has to take very seriously."

Kerber will enter her first Grand Slam final with immense confidence, believing a 'nothing to lose' attitude had got her this far.

It was that attitude that helped her overturn a 2-5 second set deficit in her quarterfinal against Victoria Azarenka and gave her a first win over the Belarusian in their seventh match.

"'Nothing to lose' means I can go out there and try to play like I'm playing, without pressure," the 28-year-old said. "I think most will say, 'okay, Serena will win'. But I don't have so much pressure like she has. I know I can lose the match. That's why I'm going out there to try to win it."

Kerber's confidence comes from four years of consistent play, in which she has consolidated a top-10 ranking, won seven tournaments and made the WTA Finals three times.

Nesto clinches Sprinters Trial Stakes

January 30, 2016, Bengaluru, DHNS

Bengaluru race results 

Nesto, trained by Prasanna Kumar and ridden by Imran Khan, emerged winner in the 1200-metre Sprinters Trial Stakes (Grade III), the feature event of the races held here at the Bangalore Turf Club on Friday. 

1. Virajpet Plate (Div II) 1100M: Calico King (M/s M Sridhar & MC Ponnappa) TS Jodha 1; Mistress Of Spice (Imran Chisty) 2; Harley Quinn (Chetan Kalay) 3; Lightning Strikes (Ryan Marshall) 4; WB: Nse, 1/2, 1-3/4L; T: 1:09.02; Tote: Rs 24w, Rs 13, Rs 18, Rs 133; TB: S Inayathulla; Fav: Calico King; Fc: Rs 151; Q: Rs 78; Shp: Rs 64; Tri: Rs 3418 and Rs 1139; Exp: Rs 8230 and Rs 5643.

2. Charmudi Plate 1400M: Red Admiral (Babu Krishna Kishore) Chetan Kalay 1; Private Party (A Ramu) 2; Emancipation (S John) 3; Mister Grey (Imran Chisty) 4; WB: 3/4, 2, 2-1/2L; T: 1:28.19; Tote: Rs 157w, Rs 39, Rs 19, Rs 18p; TB: Narayana Gowda; Fav: Bolts Colt; Fc: Rs 1871; Q: Rs 789; Shp: Rs 54; Tri: Rs 3243 and Rs 1251; Exp: Rs 18901 and Rs 12150. 

3. Virajpet Plate (Div I) 1100M: Arvak (M/s Rajan Aggarwal & Gautam Agarwal) PS Chouhan 1; Carolina (P Trevor) 2; Side Winder (S John) 3; Times Time (Ryan Marshall) 4; WB: 4-1/4, Hd, Nse; T: 1:8.50; Tote: Rs 45w, Rs 15, Rs 23, Rs 11p; TB: DR Byramji; Fav: Side Winder; Fc: Rs 205; Q: Rs 134; Shp: Rs 62; Tri: Rs 350 and Rs 91; Exp: Rs 1357 and Rs 654. 

4. Cordon Bleu Plate (Div II) 1200M: Everest (M/S PS Ranganathan & KR Choudary) Nazerul Alam 1; Candice (J Paswan) 2; Equal Terms (Vinod Shinde) 3; Brown Panther (Imran Chisty) 4; WB: 3-1/2, 1, Nse; T: 1:15.30; Tote: Rs 119w, Rs 31, Rs 19, Rs 60p; TB: Neil Darashah; Fav: Hero Worship; Fc: Rs 630; Q: Rs 414; Shp: Rs 52; Tri: Rs 7319 and Rs 4182; Exp: Rs 70655 (C/o) and Rs 15140. 

5. Vibrant Plate 2000M: Stormont (Utd Rac & Btk Breeders Ltd) P Trevor 1; Sharpshooter (Suraj Narredu) 2; Saptajit (S John) 3; Red Cedar (Vivek) 4; WB: 1, 1-1/4, 1-12L; T: 2:9.97; Tote: Rs 27w, Rs 12, Rs 20, Rs 15p; TB: SS Attaollahi; Fav: Stormont; Fc: Rs 27w, Rs 12, Rs 20, Rs 15p; Tri: Rs 138 and Rs 44; Exp: Rs 869 and Rs 686.

6. Hampi Plate (Div I) 1200M: Albertino (Mohd Javeed Ghatala, Ian D'cruz, Vikram Singh & Asha Lata) Surya P 1; Dream Star (Rayan Ahmed) 2; Capitalize (A Imran Khan) 3; Good Fruit (Imran Chisty) 4; WB: Snk, 1-3/4, Nse; T: 1:14.28; Tote: Rs 84w, Rs 28, Rs 40, Rs 27p; TB: I Ghatala; Fav: Sheer Elation; Fc: Rs 1036; Q: Rs 1041; Shp: Rs 137; Tri: Rs 9292 and Rs 1707; Exp: Rs 37808 and Rs 32406.

7. Sprinters Trial Stakes (Grade III) 1200M: Nesto (MR Stud Farms Private Limited rep by N Chandrashekar Rai & Manjri Horse Breed Farm P Lt rep by Pallon Shapoor Mistry) A Imran Khan 1; Smile Stone (Suraj Narredu) 2; Pentagram (PS Chouhan) 3; Chul Chul Pandy (A Qureshi) 4; WB: 1-1/2, 3, 1-3/4L; T: 1:12.51; Tote: Rs 48w, Rs 18, Rs 19, Rs 23p; TB: Prasanna Kumar; Fav: Shivalik Star; Fc: Rs 446; Q: Rs 172; Shp: Rs 57; Tri: Rs 2421 and Rs 559; Exp: Rs 12313 and Rs 42217.

8. Smt Saraswati Sajnani Memorial Trophy 1600M: Frizbee (S Pathy) Suraj Narredu 1; Lozen (PS Chouhan) 2; Bonfire (A Imran Khan) 3; Hapticstar (Chetan Kalay) 4; WB: 3/4, 3-1/4, 3/4L; T: 1:38.92; Tote: Rs 39w, Rs 18, Rs 16, Rs 26p; TB: I Ghatala; Fav: Lozen; Fc: Rs 94; Q: Rs 45; Shp: Rs 38; Tri: Rs 303 and Rs 169; Exp: Rs 1625 and Rs 696.

9. Cordon Bleu Plate (Div I) 1200M: Scorching Vulcan (GS Reddy) S John 1; Aguante (PS Chouhan) 2; Carducci (AR Pradeep) 3; Blitzschnelle (Rayan Ahmed) 4; WB: 1, 5-3/4, 3/4L; T: 1:13.86; Tote: Rs 132w, Rs 28, Rs 12, Rs 121p; TB: Sharat Kumar; Fav: Aguante; Fc: Rs 268; Q: Rs 100; Shp: Rs 47; Tri: Rs 28576 (C/o) and Rs 12246; Exp: Rs 112812 (C/o).

10. Hampi Plate (Div II) 1200M: Hillsboro (Shanti Devi) Rayan Ahmed 1; Soviet Union (Chetan Kalay) 2; Hackett (A Ramu) 3; Why Should I (G Sai Vamshi) 4; WB: 3-3/4, Nse, 3/4L; T: 1:14.65; Tote: Rs 263w, Rs 36, Rs 16, Rs 71p; TB: Samar Singh; Fav: Soviet Union; Fc: Rs 2828; Q: Rs 581; Shp: Rs 42; Tri: Rs 30117 (C/o) and Rs 6453; Exp: Rs 106682 and Rs 4572. 

Jackpot: Rs 533122 (1). Runner-up: Rs 4663 (49). 
I Treble: Rs 1532 (8). II Treble: Rs 1056 (14). III Treble: Rs 4721 (7). 

Ayonika nails Oly quota

Pragya Tiwari, January 30, 2016, New Delhi, DHNS

After enduring a miserable 2015, Ayonika Paul made a strong comeback on Friday by clinching a silver medal in the women’s 10M air rifle in the Asian Olympic Qualifying shooting competition at the Dr Karni Singh Range. 

The medal fetched India their 11th quota place for Rio Olympic Games.
India’s Pooja Ghatkar had led in the final but wobbled at the end to settle for a bronze medal. Iran’s Najmeh Khedmati grabbed the gold medal after battling past Ghatkar and Paul in the 20-shot final. She won beating Paul in a shoot-off.

In fact, Khedmati leapt into the lead only after Ghatkar shot a disappointing 8.8 to slip from the top to third place and bowed out with final tally of 184.5. 

Paul shot to the lead with a 10.7 but a 9.9 tied her score at 205.9 with Khedmati who hit a combination of 9.4 and 10.4 in the final attempt. It forced a tie-breaking shoot-off for the first place where Paul once again shot a 9.9, while Khedmati marked a 10.1 to win the first medal for her country.

Even though there were two quota places up for grabs, India were eligible only for one as Apurvi Chandela had already collected one during last year's World Cup. The second one went to Republic of Korea's Lee Eunseo who finished fourth.

Ecstatic

Paul, who had won the silver medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was all smiles. “The last two shots are still ringing in my mind. I am happ`y to have won the quota but disappointed on losing out on the gold,” she said.

The 23-year-old, who had won bronze at the Asian Air Gun Championship in September, had endured a tough 2015. Her roping in former Indian shooter Suma Shirur in September turned it around for her. Shirur, a joint world record holder in 10M air rifle, recalled how they helped Paul develop a “lazer-beam focus.”  

“Earlier she was like a torch,” laughed Shirur. “She is really talented but was lost. She just needed to be shown the right direction. It has taken a lot of talking from me and working on her technique, on developing connect between the body and mind. Her last two shots today weren’t her best, so yes there is still work to do. But it was a good performance.”

India's Omkar Singh missed out the ticket to Rio after finishing fourth in the 50M pistol. He shot 556 in the qualifying and 147 in the final. Japan pocketed the gold through their 2010 World Champion Tomoyuki Matsuda. North Korean shooters Kim Song Guk and Kim Jong Su clinched the silver and bronze medals and with it the two Olympic quota places on offer.

Naisha, Gogoi rally claim top honours

January 30, 2016, Bengaluru, DHNS

 Top seed Naisha Srivastav of Karnataka and Udit Gogoi of Assam claimed the girls’ and boys’ singles titles respectively in the KTPPA’s Yonex AITA under-12 Super Series Tennis Championship, which concluded at the Energy Tennis Centre courts here on Friday. 

Naisha came from behind to beat fourth seed Thanushita Reddy of Telangana 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the girls’ singles final while Gogoi, after a shaky start, rallied to beat the second seed Akarsh Gaonkar of Karnataka 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.

Results (All finals): Boys: Singles: Udit Gogoi (Asm) bt Akarsh Gaonkar (Kar) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. Doubles: Vishesh Jain Patel (Guj)/ Akarsh Gaonkar (Kar) bt Anmay Yogesh Devraj/ Udit Gogoi (Asm) 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3).

Girls: Singles: Naisha Srivastav (Kar) bt Thanushita Reddy (Tel) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Doubles: Hetvee Chaudhry/ Vidhi Jani (Guj) bt Naisha Srivastav (Kar)/ Sanjana Sirimala (Tel) 6-7 (2), 6-4, 10-7.

Ton-up Vijaykumar guides UVCE to win

January 30, 2016, Bengaluru, DHNS

 Vijaykumar struck a century as UVCE Cricket Club recorded a massive 231-run win over Sir MVIT Cricket Club in the KSCA Group I, Division V league-cum-knockout tournament for the JB Mallaradhya Shield here.

Batting first, UVCE CC rode on Vijaykumar’s unbeaten 189, which was backed well by a Arun Kumar’s (54) half-century, to post a mammoth total of 349/9 in 50 overs. Kartik (3/58) and Krishna (3/47) claimed three wickets each for MVIT CC.

In reply, MVIT CC were bundled out for a paltry 118 runs in 28 overs. For UVCE CC, Vijaykumar (3/28) again came to the fore, this time with the ball, as he claimed three wickets while Nutan claimed 3/7.

In another match, Anish’s century powered Sirur Park Sports Club to a thumping 125-run victory over Seshadripuram Day Junior College. 

Batting first, Sirur Park SC scored 277 for six in 50 overs. In response, Seshadripuram were bundled out for 152 in 32.5 overs.

Brief scores: UVCE Cricket Club: 349/9 in 50 overs (Sudhir 32, Vijaykumar 189 n.o., Arunkumar 54; Kartik 3-58, Krishna 3-47) bt Sir MVIT CC: 118 all out in 28 overs (Anurag 26; Vijaykumar 3-28, Nutan 3-7).

Kapali CC: 189/9 in 50 overs (Suresh CS 38, Ramesh P 50 n.o.; Mohamed Ishthiaque 2-25, Badal Kumar 3-55) lt to Palar Sports Club: 192/5 in 39.1 overs (Ajay Byanna 55 n.o., Rajesh Nair 53).

Sirur Park SC: 277/6 in 50 overs (Anish 137, Arvind 50; Naveen 2-60) bt Seshadripuram Day Junior College: 152 all out in 32.5 overs (Sunil 48, Rajshekar 31; Ashish 4-24).

SSK CC: 233 all out in 46.2 overs (Gangadhar HP 76, Saptagiri Khoday 29; Shashank R 4-26) bt Government Science College: 155 all out in 27.4 overs (Sachin 40, Vijay N 28; Rajesh M 3-29, Sagar Kalburgi 5-44).

SJP CC: 99 all out in 18 overs (Prasanna Kumar D 65; Nasim 4-51, Shan 3-28, Amar 3-10) lt to Caravan CC: 102/4 in 16.4 overs (Mohan 3-24).

Blue Diamond Cricketers: 304 all out in 49.5 overs (Ravi Chandra 35, Vishnu Prasad 80, Manoj R 43, Yogesh 26; Harsha G 2-40, Rohan Krishna 2-37) bt Canarese Cricket Club: 106 all out in 31.3 overs (Preetham 50, Harsha 25; Venkatesh 5-16, Adam 3-21).

RC College: 196 all out in 46.2 overs (Abhay 82, Shashi 36; Aditya S 4-31, Shantharaju G 2-27, Shashank A 3-35) lt to Coles Cricket Club: 197/2 in 28.4 overs (Kiran HR 53, Harshith 61 n.o., Yashas GL 46 n.o.).

Victory Cricket Club: 130 all out in 35 overs (Vinay Kumar 34, Prathwik 32; Satish S 2-23, Paritosh Das 5-17, Kaverappa PB 2-5) lt to Malleswaram Sports Club: 131/2 in 36 overs (Nithin S 70 n.o.).

Bengaluru look to bounce back

January 30, 2016,Kolkata, PTI

Football I-League : Chhetri-led side faces East Bengal today

East Bengal will have a chance to climb to the top spot when they face current leaders Bengaluru FC in a round five clash of the I-league football at the Vidyasagar Krirangan at Barasat on Friday.

With the former champions Bengaluru FC’s three-match winning run halted in a 0-2 defeat to Mumbai FC, East Bengal, who are separated from the leaders by just one point, will have a golden opportunity to go atop the table.

East Bengal returned to winning ways against newcomers DSK Shivajians but they were not convincing enough in their 1-0 win in the last round.

Their South Korean star forward Do Dong Hyun still struggled to get back into his elements as they relied heavily on the seasoned Nigerian pro Ranty Martins to put them ahead.

Ranty is once again expected to be in the thick of the things along with Sikkim youngster Bikash Jairu who has impressed one and all with his clinical passing skills from the left-flank. There are also a few injury concerns for East Bengal as coach Biswajit Bhattacharya, Robert Lalthlamuana, Soumik Dey and Harmanjot Singh Khabra are doubtful for the clash.

However, their attacking midfielder Cavin Lobo is fit and will be available for selection while Dempo recruit Narayan Das may come in place of Dey.

Oozing confidence ahead of the crucial fixture, Bhattacharya said: “We saw their loss to Mumbai they have exposed the chinks in their defence and we’re confident of bagging three points.”

“I think it’s going to be a very crucial match for us as we cannot afford to lose points. It will push us back in the table. A win against Bengaluru FC will give a big boost to our title aspiration.” The Blues will bank on their forward duo of CK Vineeth and Kim Sing Yong and it remains to be seen how Bello Rasaq helm the East Bengal defence together.

As for Bengaluru, their captain Sunil Chhetri looked tired and had to be substituted after the break against Mumbai FC.

Bengaluru’s defence in John Johnson and Curtis Osano too earned criticism in their defeat to Mumbai and the Ashley Westwood side will be under pressure to live up to their reputation. 

India to aim for Aussie whitewash in Sydney T20

Sydney, Jan 30, 2016, (PTI)

The series already in their pocket, India would aim for a clean sweep against the hosts and end the tour of Australia on a high when the two teams clash in the third and final Twenty20 international here tomorrow.

India had lost the ODI series 1-4 but bounced back in style to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20 series with comprehensive wins in Adelaide and Melbourne.

It was at the Sydney Cricket Ground that the Men in Blue scripted their turnaround on this trip, with Manish Pandey playing a match-winning hand with his maiden ODI hundred.

Giving the youngsters a chance has been the key feature of this tour for the Indian team, and the progress of the likes of Gurkeerat Mann, Rishi Dhawan and Barinder Sran will be a big positive as the team looks to build on for the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2019 ODI World Cup.

Keeping on with the same theme, in the present context of the T20I series and the upcoming World T20, the arrival of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya also bodes well for the team's plans.

When the selectors will sit to pick the World T20 squad, both Bumrah and Pandya will be in serious contenders, having impressed one all with their performance.

Their presence in the eleven has allowed MS Dhoni a multitude of bowling options. Bumrah has only had the one off game in three, and that too largely due to the persistence of the skipper to not bowl spinners within the first six overs in the last match.

In the previous games, he has bowled well in the death too, a plus point for India in T20 cricket. Pandya has bowled consistently at good speeds and his presence provides additional cover for the pacers.

This is where the roles played by Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina get amplified to a large extent. Post the Melbourne win, Dhoni discussed in fine detail that even one over bowled by the part-timers - good or bad - takes a load off the bowling attack.

And when it increases to two overs like the ones bowled by Yuvraj on Friday, it is just an added bonus in the scheme of things.

The duo's presence has added a tighter balance to the playing squad, and India have looked well suited to the T20 format, especially in comparison to their opponents. It is a reversed scenario from the ODIs where Australia just steam-rolled India in all departments, until the final match. As such, India will be keen to continue their run of form and give the same eleven another run-in before the tour ends.

Dhoni said as much in the post-match press conference at the MCG, underlining that the word ‘experimentation’ doesn’t have much use in the Indian dressing room.

He added that they would rather play different individuals in different situations, but the current situation doesn’t allow room for any such maneuvering.

In that light, it is expected that India will go in with the same batting line-up as the first two T20Is. But the big question remains – will Yuvraj or Pandya get a hit in the middle.

Yuvraj's credentials with the ball are already proven, but it is his form with the bat that would be worrying the team management. While the top-order is in scintillating form, and Dhoni has assigned the big-hitting duties onto himself, time could run out before Yuvraj’s run-scoring ability can be re-ascertained.

Counting the Sydney T20I and the Sri Lanka series at home, it leaves at best four matches to figure out this conundrum as the Asia Cup squad is expected to be the same as the one for the 2016 World T20. While the time frame is an uncertain one, there is also the question if Yuvraj is India’s best option in that middle-order slot.

Ajinkya Rahane (slowly regaining fitness, but expected not to play again) and Pandey could be the other options, but the left-hander edges them out on his spin bowling alone.
And indeed, spin will be the keyword in the sub-continental conditions for the World T20, and as such the team management will perhaps concentrate more on who ought to be the third-choice spin option.

Harbhajan Singh is waiting in the wings, while there could also be a case to give Umesh Yadav a game as Ashish Nehra has been expensive in both the matches, and hasn’t exerted the control he has shown in the recent IPL seasons.

Even so, when the team departs from Sydney on Monday, irrespective of the result of the game, they will be content.

Meanwhile, the same cannot be said of Australia, who seem to be more keen on the New Zealand tour than the World T20 at present. It was indeed astonishing that they sent ahead their key players – David Warner and Steve Smith – before the second T20I while the home series was still alive.

Perhaps it makes more sense to have done so now, as the series is lost, and Matthew Wade, John Hastings and Kane Richardson have also left for the neighbouring island.

It means more changes to the hosts’ line-up for the final T20I. With Aaron Finch ruled out owing to a hurt hamstring, Shane Watson will lead the side and Usman Khawaja has been drafted into the squad for this final match.

Cameron Bancroft will don the gloves in place of Mathew Wade, but otherwise, it is fairly impossible to predict the look for Australia’s playing eleven for Sunday.

Teams (From):
Australia: Shane Watson (captain), Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Cameron Boyce, James Faulkner, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Tait, Andrew Tye.

India: MS Dhoni (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Hardik Pandya, Gurkeerat Mann, Rishi Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Umesh Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane.
Match starts at: 2.08pm IST.