2nd Test England vs India at Mohali – Dec 19-23, 2008

(09:30 local, 04:00 GMT)

Yuvraj Singh hit his second successive century and then scalped four key wickets as India maintained their strangle hold over England by winning the second ODI on Monday by 54 runs.

The Indians rode on Yuvraj’s brilliant 118 to post a competitive 292 for nine and then bundled out England for 238 in 47 overs to take a decisive 2-0 lead in the seven-match series

England biggest worry now is how to stop Yuvraj, Superb innings by Yuvraj which i have seen. All the best to Yuvi to score another 5 ODI hundreds and build a new world record.

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Match scheduled to begin Nov 20, 2008 (03:30 GMT). Use Comments to discuss about the Match.

India were 161 for five, leading Sri Lanka by 14 runs, at the close of the third day of the deciding third Test on Sunday.

Sri Lanka grabbed control of the game as they dominated all three sessions, building a healthy 147-run lead as they extended their first innings to 396 and then making deep inroads into the top order. Rahul Dravid provided the only glimmer of hope for the tourists, looking solid on 46 not out. He was batting with the injured VVS Laxman on 17 at the close. India started their second innings confidently as Virender Sehwag (34) and Gautam Gambhir (26) added a run-a-ball, 62-run opening stand.

Spinner Ajantha Mendis claimed 5-56 to help Sri Lanka bowl India out for 249 on the first day of the third Test on Friday.

India hit back with an early wicket, as Ishant Sharma bowled Malinda Warnapura (8), before Sri Lanka closed on 14 for one with Michael Vandort on three and nightwatchman Chaminda Vaas on nought.

Mendis extended his wicket tally in his first series to 23 as India failed to take any advantage from winning the toss on a good batting pitch.

However, the early damage was done by debutant pace bowler Dammika Prasad, who recovered from a nervous start with the new ball to dismiss Virender Sehwag (21), Rahul Dravid (10) and Sachin Tendulkar (six) in the first session.

Match scheduled to begin at 10:15 local time (04:45 GMT).

India have decided to drop wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik for the series deciding third and final Test Match against the Sri Lankans that starts on Friday at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo.

Karthik, whose glove work and batting have been poor in the series, will be replaced by Parthiv Patel (23), who plays his 20th Test Match for his country.

Similarly the Sri Lankans also will make just one change with medium-pacer Nuwan Kulasekara replaced by either left-armer Thilan Tushara Mirando or the uncapped Dhammika Prasad, a decision they have left for the morning of the Test Match.

Give a big hand to India team to take the revenge on Srilanka

India lost three second-innings wickets in the evening session but will feel they hold the upper hand having established a 237-run lead over Sri Lanka by stumps on the third day of the second Test in Galle.

Bad light brought a premature close to play on Saturday with the tourists 200 for four, having cut through the Sri Lanka tail in the morning session to establish a 37-run first-innings advantage.

Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman – both yet to get off the mark – will look to build on India’s cushion on Sunday morning after finding themselves at the crease thanks to the late departures of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

Malinda Warnapura, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera all hit centuries as Sri Lanka took a stranglehold on the first Test against India.

Warnapura made 115, Jayawardene struck a fine 136 and Thilan Samaraweera was not out on 111 as the Sri Lankans closed the second day on 422 for four.Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma picked up a wicket each, but they were few and far between as the hosts piled on the runs. India’s bowlers struggled throughout for consistent line and length and rarely put the opposition under any pressure.

It was not the first time the umpire referral system, being trialled in this series, was used.

India asked for a review of a lbw decision during the morning session, making it the first time the system was put to use. Harbhajan struck Warnapura on the pads with a delivery that pitched on middle stump and seemed to be going down leg. The appeal was turned down by referee Mark Benson, with Warnapura on 86, but Kumble challenged the decision and the umpire referred it to third umpire Rudi Koertzen, who endorsed Benson’s not out ruling.

Another leg before decision against Dilshan was referred to Koertzen, who again ruled in favour of the batsman after watching replays.

That means India have only one challenge left, while Sri Lanka have all three intact.

Virender Sehwag blasted a quickfire unbeaten 128 as India started with a dramatic collapse which saw the visitors losing four wickets in the span of 20 balls on a rain-truncated opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

The flashy Sehwag serrated up his 15th Test century but India, who were cruising along comfortably at 167 for no loss, lost four wickets in quick succession to reach 214 for four when play was called off early because of bad light.

The complexion of the game changed unexpectedly after play resumed following a rain interruption as paceman Chaminda Vaas and ‘mystery’ spinner Ajantha Mendis ripped through the top order to help the islanders claw back brilliantly.

While Sehwag played with characteristic flair, the quick dismissals of opener Gautam Gambhir (56), Rahul Dravid (2), Sachin Tendulkar (5) and Sourav Ganguly (0) has dented India’s hopes of posting a big first innings total on what appeared to be a good batting strip at the Galle International stadium.

2nd Test India vs Sri Lanka at Galle – Jul 31-Aug 4, 2008
Match scheduled to begin at 10:15 local time (04:45 GMT).

Sri Lanka squad

(captain)DPMD Jayawardene, TM Dilshan, (wicketkeeper)HAPW Jayawardene, CK Kapugedera, KMDN Kulasekara, BAW Mendis, M Muralitharan, KTGD Prasad, TT Samaraweera, KC Sangakkara, LPC Silva, T Thushara, WPUJC Vaas, MG Vandort, BSM Warnapura

India squad

(captain)A Kumble, R Dravid, G Gambhir, SC Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, (wicketkeeper)KD Karthik, Z Khan, VVS Laxman, PP Ojha, MM Patel, (wicketkeeper)PA Patel, V Sehwag, I Sharma, RG Sharma, RP Singh, SR Tendulkar

Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis shook the SSC pitch out of its slumber after the Sri Lankan batsmen given them a mountain of runs as a cushion, and the new-ball bowlers had done their bit in taking the shine off the ball. Once the spinners came on, the batsmen were either mesmerised or stunned — both, in rapid succession, in the case of Rahul Dravid — and when bad light stopped play on the third day, India were 242 adrift of the follow-on with only four wickets left.

Lets see how india will play today