Roebuck committed suicide, say police

Peter Roebuck was questioned in his room by police
about an alleged sexual assault - reports

Peter Roebuck fell to his death from his Cape Town hotel room while being questioned by police about an alleged sexual assault, it has been reported. A police statement said the circumstances surrounding Roebuck's suicide were being investigated.

Western Cape provincial police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk was quoted by Reuters as saying that "a cricket commentator committed suicide by jumping from the sixth floor of his hotel." He died on impact.

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Roebuck's employers, said he was questioned in his room at the Southern Sun Hotel by a Cape Town detective and a uniformed police officer from the sexual crimes unit from around 9 pm.

Roebuck, who the report said was agitated, asked a fellow cricket journalist for help. ''Can you come down to my room quickly? I've got a problem,'' he said. He asked for help to find a lawyer and for contact to be made with the students he helped to house in Pietermaritzburg, near Durban.

Minutes later, the Herald reported, Roebuck fell to his death from a window. It is believed only the uniformed officer was in the room. Paramedics rushed to the hotel but Roebuck was pronounced dead.

Police established a crime scene and took personal items from the room, including a laptop.

Colonel Vishnu Naidoo of the South African Police Services, told ESPNcricinfo that they suspect no foul play and that it was a suicide. He said there would be an inquest, after which the SAPS would make a statement; he said he expected that to be "next month".

In 2001 Roebuck received a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to common assault for caning three young South African cricketers he had been coaching. ''Obviously I misjudged the mood and that was my mistake and my responsibility, and I accept that,'' he'd said at the time.

We haven't tampered with the ball - Cook

Alastair Cook came out in defence of his bowlers at Heathrow

England's one-day captain Alastair Cook has rubbished claims by Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul that James Anderson and Stuart Broad were involved in ball tampering. Cook said if Gul did have any concerns he should have gone through the proper channels.

Gul hit the headlines after giving an interview in Karachi, where he suggested he had seen examples of ball tampering and mentioned seeing Anderson and Broad using various techniques. However, he later tried to step back from controversy by saying he was only talking about the England pair in relation to natural wear that develops on a ball by throwing it across the outfield.

"We certainly haven't tampered with the ball and if he did have any complaints he should have gone to the ICC over that," Cook said at Heathrow airport ahead of England's departure for their one-day series in India. "I think he has almost said himself that it has been a bit of a mountain out of a molehill."

In a statement to Pakpassion.net, where Gul's original comments first appeared, he clarified his remarks. "I was explaining that the ball gets scratched when it is thrown against the rough surface or hits the advertisement boards along the boundary rope. In this manner, I said, every bowler can be accused of doing it."

Gul made his earlier comments in an interview where he talked about the art of reverse swing and how various elements of ball tampering shouldn't be included with the laws. "Leave cricket with its traditional ways rather than making changes that would take all the charm out of it," he said.

The recent change to using a separate ball from either end during one-day internationals, which will be implemented for the first time when Bangladesh play West Indies, could impact the role of reverse swing during 50-over matches. Under the previous regulations the ball was changed after 34 overs and the period shortly before the switch was when the fast bowlers would sometimes start to get the ball to reverse. However, with neither ball having no more than 25 overs of wear it will be harder for the natural deterioration to take place.

Swann left stumped by England 'horror show'

Garey Mathurin put England under the cosh with 3 for 9 in four overs

England's captain, Graeme Swann, admitted that a "bit of pressure, a bit of inexperience and a bit of ineptitude all added up to a horror show", as an entirely unfancied West Indian team rallied round in defence of a below-par target of 114, and pulled off an impressive 25-run victory thanks to a Man-of-the-Match spell of 3 for 9 in four overs from the debutant left-arm spinner, Garey Mathurin.

Needing less than a run-a-ball from the outset, and with the memory of their ten-wicket cruise in the first Twenty20 on Friday night, England began their run-chase fully expecting to seal a 2-0 series win and conclude their international summer on another upbeat note. But Mathurin's nerveless spell, in his very first appearance in any form of cricket in England, choked their ambition from the Powerplay onwards, and left the lower-order with too much momentum to claw back.

"God works in mysterious ways," said Mathurin, a childhood friend of the captain, and fellow St Lucian, Darren Sammy. "Everybody has their turn and it's just that my turn came at the age of 28. The English people hadn't seen me before so I knew I could go out and get the job done. We have a good team unity going on and the cohesiveness just worked."

The result left Swann feeling a touch humbled at the end of what has been a remarkable season for England, but even after being bowled out for 88, he felt that his side had been "exceptional" in the first half of the contest, and believed they would probably learn more from this setback than could ever have been learnt in victory.

"For half the game we were exceptional and we put ourselves in a position where we should never ever lose a game of cricket," said Swann. "Let's face it, to not chase 113 in international cricket is unacceptable. West Indies bowled and fielded well, but not well enough to bowl a team out for 88. It was good fielding mixed with a bit of panic, and four run-outs is crazy chasing such a small total on such a big field."

After a short end-of-season break, England head off to the subcontinent next week to embark on a five-ODI tour of India, where their failure to deal with a turning surface will doubtless impact on the type of wickets they can expect to face when they arrive. Further down the line, England will be defending their World Twenty20 crown on the spin-friendly surfaces of Sri Lanka next year, and on this evidence, they need to work on their manipulation of the field as much as their boundary-clearing ability.

"For all the positives of Friday night, there were quite a few negatives that need to be ironed out of our game before we play on pretty similar tracks over the next 12 months," said Swann. "We are going to face spin in the first six overs again, and if we can take one good thing out of the way we batted, it's that it's completely unacceptable, and won't be allowed to happen again.

"It's a harsh environment in international cricket and you find out a few things about people when they are under the pump," he added. "Today, one or two guys didn't respond that well, but I'm sure, knowing this team as I do and the way they have trained, it's a mere blip. I wouldn't write off any of this XI who have played tonight, or indeed any of the 14 in the squad, because they are all superb cricketers."

In England's defence, their side was missing several of its most experienced campaigners, not least Eoin Morgan, whose deft use of the angles would have been ideal for keeping the run-rate moving. But Swann believed the chosen team should still have performed much, much better. "I'd love to find an excuse for them and say they're inexperienced, but they're not inexperienced in Twenty20 cricket," he said. "I'm not just blaming the top six, I'm blaming the 11 players with the bat because we were pretty appalling.

"The left-arm spinner, you can't argue with 3 for 9, but the three guys who got out to him will probably look at the shots they played and be pretty horrified," he added. "We allowed him to get exceptional figures and he did catch us on the hop. But I'd hope each batsman who got out will look at it and think 'I won't do that again'. We were still in the game at six-seven down at a run-a-ball, but of the wickets that fell, very few were caused by the ball deviating. It was poor shots and poor execution of those shots."

For Mathurin and his team-mates, however, the result was the ideal tonic for their defeat on Friday night, and went a long way towards answering their many critics - in the Caribbean and worldwide. "Yeah, we had a point to prove," said Mathurin. "England played really, really well on Friday, so we were playing for some pride, and then we were coming back hard at them. We knew we could do it. Hopefully this shows everyone the energy and enthusiasm we have got, and hopefully everyone sees what we can do."

Broad unlikely to play again this year

Stuart Broad suffered his season-ending injury
in the one-day series against India 

Stuart Broad has admitted that he is unlikely to play again this year as he recovers from the shoulder injury he picked up against India, although has been told he won't require surgery.

Broad had already been ruled out of the matches against West Indies and the return one-day series in India, but had been given some hope of playing in the Twenty20 at Kolkata at the end of October. Now, though, that appears unlikely and Broad's aim is the tour of UAE in January which includes three Tests, four ODIs and three Twenty20s.

"The shoulder is still quite sore. It's a two-month injury so I'm concentrating on making sure I am in the best possible shape for the games against Pakistan in January," Broad said at the PCA awards dinner where he was named England's ODI player of the year. "It's not 100% confirmed I'll not play in India but I'll only play if the rehab goes fantastically well.

"It's good news that I don't need surgery. There is always an extra risk with surgery so that would be a worry. It is a two-month recovery time though so I need to get that right and make sure it is completely over and I don't have any side effects with it."

Broad's injury means he loses out furthering his captaincy experience in the Twenty20s against West Indies and Graeme Swann will lead the side in his absence. Missing the match against India next month will leave him only four or five matches before England's title defence at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka next September.

However, the season has ended in a far more positive way for Broad than appeared likely at one stage when his Test place was under threat at the beginning of the series against India. He responded with a Man-of-the-Series display where he took 25 wickets in the 4-0 whitewash, along with vital runs at Lord's and Trent Bridge, to cement his place in the side.

"It was nice to repay the faith in the selectors, the coach and the captain," he said. "I managed to do that. Winning man of the series showed I can perform at the top level and that will give me a bit of confidence going into the future."

Pietersen rested for ODIs

Ben Stokes has been included in
England's ODI squad to face India

England have rested Kevin Pietersen for the upcoming ODI series India and called-up Durham allrounder Ben Stokes.

Pietersen, who was the highest scorer in the Test series against India, has been left out as part of the selectors' ongoing policy of 'managing player workloads'. While Pietersen has recovered his Test form in fine style, his one-day returns have been less productive - just two half-centuries since November 2008.

Geoff Miller, the England selector, emphasised, however, that Pietersen was being rested rather than dropped. "The decision to omit Kevin Pietersen from the one-day squad is in line with our policy of sensibly managing player workloads and will give the opportunity to another batsmen to test himself batting at number four."

Stokes is the only one of the three debutants from the one-off ODI against Ireland to have made the squad, with Ravi Bopara holding his place ahead of James Taylor and legspinner Scott Borthwick not selected either. Stokes was close to playing against Sri Lanka earlier in the summer but picked up a finger injury. He has had an excellent season for Durham in the CB40 with 357 runs at 51.00. Though he won't be fit to bowl, he offers England hard-hitting ability down the order.

While the remainder of the ODI squad is largely similar to the one that beat Sri Lanka 3-2 earlier in the summer, there are maiden Twenty20 call-ups for Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler and Nottinghamshire opener Alex Hales. Buttler has not actually had as productive a season as last year in Twenty20, but has showcased enough potential to step in for the injured Luke Wright.

Hales, meanwhile, replaced Michael Lumb from the team that lost to Sri Lanka in the one-off ODI. Ian Bell, who was a non-playing member of the squad from that game, has been dropped. Hales impressed in all forms of the game for Nottinghamshire this season and is the highest-scoring English player in the Friends Life t20 with 544 runs from 16 games. "The domestic Twenty20 competition went well for me and I'm pleased to have been recognised for scoring runs in a winning team," said Hales.

"England are the world's best Test team and the Twenty20 world champions so breaking into the setup at any level is a big deal and I'm extremely proud to have done so. I need to back my ability to play positively and score runs if I'm going to stay in contention for a place and that's my target going into Wednesday's game."

Miller, meanwhile, backed the squads blend of youth and experience to succeed. "Across both squads we believe we've selected an exciting blend of experienced international performers along with some exciting young players with a great deal of talent," he said in a statement. "We will need to play a high quality brand of limited overs cricket against the world champions India.

"We're very excited to have included some bright young players in the form of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, all of whom have proved themselves domestically and will now be looking to successfully take the step up to international level."

Twenty20 squad: Stuart Broad (capt), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Ben Stokes, Graeme Swann

ODI squad: Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Ben Stokes, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott

Sehwag and Ishant ruled out of ODIs

Ajinkya Rahane replaces Virender
Sehwag in the limited-overs squad 

Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma have been ruled out of the limited-overs leg of India's tour of England. Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane and Jharkhand fast bowler Varun Aaron will replace them. Sehwag had not fully recovered from the shoulder surgery he underwent after the IPL, and is also suffering from a ear problem, while Ishant sustained a ligament injury to his left ankle during the Edgbaston Test.

Rahane, a top-order batsman, has been a prolific run-getter on India's domestic circuit and had a successful tour of Australia with India Emerging Players just recently, with two centuries in three first-class games. He averages 67.72 in first-class cricket and 38.61 in List A games. Aaron was also part of that tour to Australia and has been known to regularly clock over 140kmph. In his most recent first-class appearance, he took 4 for 40 and 2 for 49 against the Australian Institute of Sport.

Sehwag joined the India Test squad prior to the third Test at Edgbaston and has hardly made any impact in the series. He got a king pair and was dismissed for 8 and 33 in the final Test at The Oval, where he appeared to experience some discomfort in his right shoulder on the field before being attended to by the physio. A BCCI source told ESPNcricinfo Sehwag's shoulder had not completely healed and that he'll return to India at the conclusion of the Test.

Sehwag has also been experiencing hearing problems in his left ear after being exposed to a loud sound on July 24, according to the note sent by the National Cricket Academy physiotherapist Nitin Patel to the tour physio Ashish Kaushik when Sehwag joined the squad for the tour game in Northampton. "Mr. Sehwag suffered from labyrinthithis of the left ear on 24 July 2011," a BCCI release stated. "Although his condition has improved, he continues to experience headaches. An ENT specialist, who was consulted on the same, has said that he will take two more weeks to recover completely."

Ishant Sharma has had a busy Test series after taking over as India's spearhead in the absence of Zaheer Khan following the first day at Lord's. A board release said he responded well to treatment on his ligament "but will need to undergo a course of intensive rehabilitation and training to prevent recurrence of the pain in his left ankle."

India play one Twenty20 international and five ODIs against England after the Tests. The first ODI is scheduled for September 3.

Morgan named captain for Ireland match

Eoin Morgan will captain England with Alastair Cook
one of a number of senior players being rested 

Eoin Morgan will captain England for the first time in career when he faces his former countrymen, Ireland, in a one-off ODI in Dublin next week.

Morgan, who did not play in England's sensational World Cup defeat against Ireland in Bangalore due to injury, will lead a new-look 13-man squad including several up-and-coming members of the England Lions, after the selectors decided to rest a number of its senior players ahead of the five-match ODI series against India later this month,

Leicestershire's James Taylor, Yorkshire's Jonathan Bairstow and Durham's Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick all recently featured in the England Lions' ODI series win over Sri Lanka A. None of them has yet been selected in a senior international, but with Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, James Anderson and Stuart Broad among the key absentees, a draft of debutants can be expected in the fixture.

"The squad we're looking to take to Ireland involves a number of exciting young England players as we rest several players currently involved in the npower Test series against India," said the national selector, Geoff Miller.

"By resting several players that have played international cricket since the start of the summer the opportunity has arisen for a number of talented up and coming players to continue their development on the international stage. We know from previous encounters that Ireland are a tough ODI outfit and we'll be fielding a very strong England side that will need to play well.

"We're also presented with the opportunity to provide Eoin Morgan with further leadership experience and I know he is very much looking forward to assuming the captaincy and developing his leadership credentials while in charge of a young England squad."

One senior player who will making the trip is Jonathan Trott, who has recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained during the second Test at Trent Bridge, and is expected to be fit to play. His replacement in the third and fourth Tests, Ravi Bopara, also makes the trip, as do Steven Finn and Graham Onions, the two unused fast bowlers from the Oval Test squad.

Last week it was confirmed that Andy Flower, the team director, would also be missing the trip to Ireland. He will link up with the squad ahead of the Twenty20 international against India on August 31. In his absence, England's assistant coach Richard Halsall will take charge.

Morgan, who is England's official Twenty20 vice-captain, becomes the fourth England captain of the 2011 summer, following on from the Test skipper Andrew Strauss, the regular ODI captain Cook, and Stuart Broad, the Twenty20 captain.

It promises to be a tough baptism against an Ireland side who came uncomfortably close to winning their last bilateral fixture against England, at Belfast in 2009. That match, which took place in the immediate aftermath of the Ashes victory at The Oval, finished with England sneaking over the line by three runs, only after Morgan, fielding as a substitute at long-on, parried a Trent Johnston six back into play with one ball of the match remaining.

Squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonathan Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Scott Borthwick, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Graham Onions, Samit Patel, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes

Onions called up to England squad

Graham Onions has been called up to the England squad for the final Test against India at The Oval after Chris Tremlett was ruled out due to his back injury while concerns emerged over James Anderson.

Tremlett has failed to recover from the problems that ruled him out of the second and third Tests, meanwhile Anderson has experienced tightness in his right quadriceps since the victory at Edgbaston, on Sunday, which sealed the series and took England to No. 1 in the world. Steven Finn was already in the 13-man squad and now Onions will provide a further option for Andy Flower.

For Onions it is his first call-up to the full national side since leaving the tour of Bangladesh in March 2010 with a back injury that would subsequently be diagnosed as a stress fracture and put his career in doubt. He missed the whole of the 2010 season and towards the end of the summer had metal pins inserted in his back.

"Unfortunately Chris Tremlett has failed a fitness test and won't be available for selection for the fourth Test, despite showing strong signs of recovery over the past few days," Geoff Miller, the national selector, said. "Chris's absence in conjunction with what appears to be a minor injury concern with Jimmy Anderson has led to a call up for Graham Onions as precautionary bowling cover.

"We are hopeful that Jimmy will overcome this niggle by Thursday but more time is required before a decision on his availability can be made conclusively. Steven Finn is obviously in the squad and he is now joined by Graham Onions who has been in good form for Durham since returning from a back injury at the start of the season."

Onions has taken 39 wickets at 28.82 in nine Championship matches for Durham this season and played for England Lions against Sri Lanka at Derby in May. He only took three wickets in that match but bowled with good pace and has remained highly rated by the selectors throughout his injury lay-off.

In eight Tests Onions has taken 28 wickets at 31.03 including a best of 5 for 38 which came on debut against West Indies at Lord's. However, he is equally famous for two efforts with the bat when he survived the final overs against South Africa at Centurion and Cape Town. The Test at Newlands was his last because he was then dropped for the final match of the series at Johannesburg before injury struck in Bangladesh.

Onions has been preferred over Jade Dernbach, the Surrey fast bowler, who was named as cover for the Lord's Test against Sri Lanka earlier this season and has also made his one-day international debut. Whether he earns a recall to the XI will depend on whether Anderson, who has 18 wickets in the series including his four-wicket burst to remove the India top order on the fourth day at Edgbaston, is replaced with a like-for-like bowler should he not recover by Thursday.

Finn is the next pace bowler in line for a spot having played against Sri Lanka and has been a regular part of the squad, but Flower and Andrew Strauss may decide that with Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan able to trouble India with the short ball that Onions' fuller length is a better option.

Tremlett available but Trott still injured

Jonathan Trott has not recovered from the
shoulder injury he sustained at Trent Bridge

Jonathan Trott will not make it back in time for the fourth Test against India, so Ravi Bopara will have another opportunity in the England side at The Oval. England have named the same 13-man squad as they did for the Edgbaston Test, and Chris Tremlett is available for selection, leaving England with the dilemma of whether to replace the impressive Tim Bresnan.

"Jonathan Trott is making steady progress in his rehabilitation from his ongoing shoulder injury but he requires further treatment and won't be fit for the fourth and final Test match," Geoff Miller, the England national selector, said. "As such Ravi Bopara retains his place in the squad.

"Chris Tremlett is available for selection following continued treatment for his back injury and he and Steven Finn are included in a broader 13-man squad for the last Test match of the summer."

Trott sustained a shoulder injury while fielding on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test, and, though he batted at No. 7 in England's second innings there, missed the third Test. Bopara was hopeful of securing the No. 6 spot for England this summer after choosing county cricket over the IPL, but the selectors favoured Eoin Morgan for the series against Sri Lanka and India. Bopara was handed a chance through Trott's injury but did not make the most of it at Edgbaston, where Morgan scored a century.

There is little at stake for England in the final Test as they have already sewn up both the series and the No. 1 ranking.

England squad Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Steven Finn, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett

England reach number one with emphatic win

James Anderson did the early damage for
England as he removed key batsmen in his first spell

It had been inevitable for much of the previous three days but England officially became the No. 1 Test team in the world shortly after 3pm, ending India's stay at the top with one of their most crushing victories, by an innings and 242 runs. The fourth day didn't even last until tea as the visitors were dispatched for 244 after James Anderson ripped the top off the batting before Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad chipped in.

In theory India had the line-up to at least make England toil for victory, but in reality they have looked a beaten side throughout this match. When Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid fell within the first four overs of the day it was clear Sunday wouldn't be required although at least India went down swinging as Praveen Kumar clubbed 40 off 18 balls - momentarily looking on course for the fastest Test half-century - and MS Dhoni continued his return to form with an unbeaten 74.

Yet all it did was delay the inevitable and when Sreesanth fended at Tim Bresnan, Kevin Pietersen held the catch at gully and England went top of the pile. Although the tables weren't introduced until 2003 back-dating shows it's the first time they have been No. 1 since 1979 although that was when West Indies had been severely depleted due to the Packer-era.

India, meanwhile, lose their title after a stint of 21 months and will have to dig very deep to try and salvage pride at The Oval. If they lose the series 4-0 they will be down to third. Sachin Tendulkar was the only one of the top six to really show the hunger for a fight and had moved to 40 when Dhoni drove towards Swann, who got his right hand to the ball, deflecting it into the stumps with Tendulkar's bat on the line. While it's always a tough way to fall, Tendulkar had backed up a long way which leaves the chance of such a dismissal. Regardless, though, Tendulkar wouldn't have saved the match for India because of the damage inflicted in the first hour.

Anderson didn't wait long to make an impression; he found Gautam Gambhir's outside edge with his first ball of the day and the catch was taken by Swann at second slip. Gambhir has shown the ability to occupy the crease in the past - he cited his 436-ball innings at Napier as how India could save this game - but with him removed early the pressure was squarely on Dravid and, of course, Tendulkar. Dravid, though, did not last long but his dismissal appeared to throw up a bizarre set of circumstances.

When he played forward to Anderson's outswinger, the noise suggested a clear outside edge and Simon Taufel gave the decision. However, subsequent replays showed that the sound didn't quite match the pictures and it appeared Dravid's shoelace may have flicked the bottom of his bat. Dravid could have reviewed but didn't take the option and whether there would have been enough clear evidence to overturn the decision will never be known.

India were 40 for 3 and sinking fast. Tendulkar gave momentary relief with a couple of sweet drives, but VVS Laxman was given a tough time by England's fast bowlers. Anderson's swing and Broad's extra bounce kept him on nought for 16 balls before Anderson produced another fine delivery to take the outside edge.

Broad, meanwhile, tried to take advantage of Tendulkar's problems with the sightscreen behind the bowler's arm. In a similar manner to Andrew Flintoff against Jacques Kallis in 2008, Tendulkar was having trouble picking up deliveries from a set of dark windows and Broad probed away with a series of very full balls which he tried to squeeze under Tendulkar's bat.

Tendulkar, though, responded with a fighting effort although a few of his drives came with a hint of frustration - even anger? - at India's position. The wait for the 100th hundred carries on until at least The Oval and there is a growing sense that it isn't meant to happen in this series.

Before Swann's literal hand in Tendulkar's scalp, he'd been brought on to target Suresh Raina and it was an absorbing, if brief, battle. Raina should have gone for 1, but Andrew Strauss couldn't hold a low chance at gully as Swann tried to add to his lean tally of two wickets in the series. Raina didn't hold back, crunching a straight drive past Swann's right hand, then driving over cover, but Swann had the final say when he gained an lbw decision from Steve Davis.

Raina wasn't happy, and even signalled for a review having forgotten they can't be used for lbws, but replays confirmed Davis was spot on with the ball hitting middle and leg. The fact Raina even considered the DRS showed his frazzled mindset. Swann claimed his second shortly after lunch when Amit Mishra was well caught at mid-off but his figures then suffered at the hands of Praveen with one over costing 21.

The fifty stand between Praveen and Dhoni was raised in 28 balls of free swinging to ensure no record defeat for India. The fun ended when Broad was recalled and immediately had Praveen, whose right thumb had been given a battering, caught at cover. Dhoni continued to show the fight that has been so lacking from India, but it had long since become a forlorn effort. His team has had their time at the top, for the time being at least, and now that's England's honour. The next challenge is to stay there.

Tremlett ruled out of third Test

Chris Tremlett has been ruled out of the third against India at Edgbaston having failed to recover from the back injury that forced him to miss the previous match at Trent Bridge.

He had been included in the 13-man squad for Wednesday's Test but wasn't able to train on Monday or Tuesday, so there was no chance of him being considered. An ECB update added he "will receive ongoing treatment ahead of the fourth Test".

Tremlett initially suffered a hamstring injury towards the end of the Lord's Test and then went down with a back spasm during training the day before the Trent Bridge match started. With the final Test starting at The Oval after only a three day gap, it remains doubtful whether Tremlett will play any further part in this series.

Andrew Strauss said: "It's sad for Chris that he has a bulging disc in his back and that should clear up sooner or later, but this Test has come too soon."

It means that Tim Bresnan will retain his place for Edgbaston after a superb all-round performance last week where he scored 90 and claimed a career-best 5 for 48 in the second innings. Steven Finn is also part of the squad but is unlikely to be considered given the success of the current unit in securing a 2-0 series lead.

"One of the great things is people have come in and performed," Strauss said. "Tim got his chance because Chris, who had done brilliantly, was injured and he took it with both hands. Ravi Bopara is coming in for this game and he's got the chance to do something similar."

The pressing concern for Strauss though, even more than injuries, is England's tendency to slip up when a big victory is in sight. Whether the Ashes loss in Headingley 2009, or again in Perth over the winter, England have had trouble wrapping up a series in the past. This time, though, Strauss thinks England will learn from the experience.

"I certainly thought we learnt from lessons of Headingley in '09 because I think we started looking at the outcome of the game rather than starting well," he said. "Since then we've been keen to keep everyone's feet on the ground whether winning or losing. This is one of those circumstances.

"There is no point looking too far ahead. The rankings are not at the forefront of our minds right at the moment. What is at the forefront of our minds is starting this Test match well and hopefully getting into a position to win it at the end of this week."

Despite the measured talk from the captain himself, the groundswell of opinion since Trent Bridge is that Strauss's England side are one of the best in the country's recent history. Andrew Flintoff was one who insisted the current side are better than the 2004-05 vintage that Flintoff featured in. Strauss, however, rejected the idea.

"Comparisons are odious and not all that helpful," he said. "When you are involved in a side, it makes no difference whether people say if the side is as good as another side or not. It makes no difference to your preparation for a Test match at all. It's not something I spend any time thinking about because if I did, I would subconsciously taking my eyes off what's important for us as a side."

Bopara fills in for injured Trott

Essex's Ravi Bopara has been recalled to England's squad for the third Test against India at Edgbaston, starting on Wednesday, after Jonathan Trott failed to recover full fitness after landing heavily on his shoulder while fielding during last week's Trent Bridge Test.

Bopara, who played the last of his ten Tests against Australia in August 2009, was reportedly unlucky to miss out on selection against Sri Lanka earlier this season, after Eoin Morgan's 192 for the England Lions tipped the balance in his favour. He has been given his opportunity this time around, however, despite a strong challenge from the uncapped Leicestershire batsman, James Taylor, who made 98 for the Lions against Sri Lanka A at Scarborough on Friday.

"We have seen some very pleasing performances during the first two npower Test matches," said the national selector, Geoff Miller. "But there is still plenty more to do in this series and the squad and management will be determined to carry the momentum from recent weeks through to the remaining two Tests and push for a comprehensive series victory.

Also included in the 13-man squad is the Middlesex seamer, Steven Finn, who came in as cover on the eve of the Trent Bridge Test after Chris Tremlett succumbed to a back spasm. Though Tremlett is also retained in the squad, his replacement, Tim Bresnan, performed superbly in his absence, making a free-flowing 90 in England's second innings, and sealing the 319-run victory with career-best figures of 5 for 48.

"Ravi Bopara comes in for Jonathan Trott who is continuing his rehabilitation from his shoulder injury," confirmed Miller. "Chris Tremlett is recovering well from the back spasms that ruled him out of the second Test and although we are expecting him to be fully fit ahead of Wednesday we felt it was prudent to include an extra seam bowler at this stage meaning Steven Finn comes into the squad."

Bopara made just 25 and 19 in the England Lions game this week, but confirmed his current form with an impressive 178 for Essex against Leicestershire last week. If England persist with six batsmen, he is likely to slot into the middle order, while Ian Bell is Trott's probable replacement at No. 3 following his superb 159 in the second innings at Trent Bridge. Bopara had a mixed time at No. 3 in his last spell in the Test side. He made 143 against West Indies at Chester-le-Street, but then managed just 105 runs in seven innings in the Ashes.

England are currently riding high in the series, leading 2-0 with two Tests to come, and one more victory will guarantee they succeed India as the No. 1 team in Test cricket.

Squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn.

Vaseline cannot affect Hot Spot

The company behind Hot Spot, BBG Sports, has said the application of Vaseline to the edge of a bat has no discernible effect on the technology. A batsman would have to apply a whole centimetre of Vaseline to the edge of a bat for it to have any effect, the company told ESPNcricinfo.

 

 

A controversy over the system erupted when Michael Vaughan, the former England captain and now commentator, sent out a tweet that suggested India batsman VVS Laxman may have applied Vaseline to the edge of his bat, which helped him escape a caught-behind appeal on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test. England were convinced Laxman had nicked a James Anderson delivery, and though Snicko showed there was a noise as ball passed bat, Hot Spot did not show any deflection. Stuart Broad admitted to checking Laxman's bat and said he found nothing. Broad also said the England players were not convinced Hot Spot picked up faint edges

 

 

BBG Sports decided to undertake tests to see whether the cameras used for Hot Spot could be tricked by the use of artificial substances on the edge of the bat. They have now released a statement saying: "We have done testing over the past two days in our office and can conclude that putting Vaseline on the side of a cricket bat has no discernible effect on our Hot Spot system. Maybe if you were able to apply 10 millimetres [one centimetre] of Vaseline on the side of the bat it would make a difference but we believe that this would be near impossible to achieve."

 

 

Warren Brennan, the owner of Hot Spot, had previously said the device's accuracy was around 90-95% and could be impacted by factors like bright sunshine and the speed of the bat in the shot. He had also suggested at the time that there was a chance a substance like Vaseline could restrict the friction of the ball hitting the bat and therefore reduce the effectiveness of Hot Spot, but after conducting tests BBG have found that it would take too much Vaseline to have that effect.

 

 

The company will also conduct tests to see if stickers on the edge of a bat can possibly dull the heat created by a nick and thereby reduce its presence on the Hot Spot cameras. The technology providers however said their observations during the Trent Bridge Test were that Hot Spot did register contact with the bats that had stickers on them.

 

 

Hot Spot has been made a mandatory piece of technology for the DRS system following the ICC's meetings in Hong Kong last month, where it was also decided to make Hawk-Eye optional. The infra-red cameras have been especially effective at deciding bat-pad catches and whether a batsman has been hit pad first in an lbw appeal, although in the England-India series the DRS is not being used for any leg-before decisions.

 

 

There have been a number of occasions when Hot Spot has proved inconclusive in caught-behind decisions. During the last Ashes, Kevin Pietersen survived in Melbourne, which incensed Ricky Ponting, while in Sydney Ian Bell survived an appeal which Snicko - which isn't used with the DRS - later suggested was out.

Hot Spot to undergo testing





England were sure they had VSS

The company behind Hot Spot will undertake tests to see whether the cameras can be tricked by the use of artificial substances on the edge of the bat. There is a belief among players that Vaseline can reduce the chances of a thin nick showing up, although it has only ever been rumoured that such tactics are used.

Concerns about the effectiveness of Hot Spot came to the fore when VVS Laxman survived a caught-behind appeal on the second day at Trent Bridge. England were convinced there was an edge but Laxman was equally convinced he hadn't hit it. The third umpire said there was a noise but it wasn't clear from where. Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, sparked controversy by tweeting the suggestion of Vaseline and Stuart Broad was later asked and admitted checking the edge of Laxman's bat but finding nothing.

Warren Brennan, the owner of Hot Spot, has previously said the device's accuracy is around 90-95% and can be impacted by such things as bright sunshine and the speed of the bat in the shot. He now says that it is possible that a substance like Vaseline could reduce the technology's effectiveness and tests will be conducted to try to find conclusive results.

Tendulkar hits the middle,
as shown on Hot Spot

"I would imagine that Vaseline would restrict the friction of the ball hitting the bat so if you reduce the friction you are going to reduce the Hot Spot," Brennan told ESPNcricinfo. "That is pure and simple physics. From what I can remember, quite often the outside of the bat has a layer of some sort of coating.

"Now if you put extra layers on the bat that might do the same thing. As long as it is a harder type of surface then you will get the Hot Spot. But if it is a soft, absorbant type of material then that will probably reduce the friction. It might take us a week or even longer to test all possibilities."

The other theory is that bat stickers on the edge of a blade can also help reduce the chances of a Hot Spot showing up - by showing one, long heat signature down the side of the bat - but Brennan said it is likely to work the opposite way and actually increase the visibility of individual marks.

"What I noticed last week when I was at Lord's was these stickers down the side of certain players' bats," he said. "When I looked at it through the cameras it actually looked like a Hot Spot, four or five little white spots. That was quite unusual so it must have be some sort of logo or the sticker. Through the infra-red I could see those spots.

"I just don't know why a manufacturer would put it on the side of the bat that would make it look like a Hot Spot. I had this conversation with the ICC less than a month ago and told them that we are noticing some of these stickers tend to reflect heat a bit like a mirror. The ICC said if that is the case they might have to look changing the regulations so that the side of the bat does not have any advertising, no stickers and no logos. But that is still a work in progress."

There have been a number of occasions when Hot Spot has proved inconclusive in caught-behind decisions. During the Ashes Kevin Pietersen survived at Melbourne, which incensed Ricky Ponting, while at Sydney Ian Bell survived an appeal which Snicko - which isn't used with the DRS - later suggested was out.

Hot Spot has been made a mandatory piece of technology for the DRS system following the ICC's meetings in Hong Kong last month, where it was also decided to make Hawk-Eye optional. The infra-red cameras have shown themselves to be especially effective at proving bat-pad catches and whether a batsman has been hit pad first in an lbw appeal, although in this series DRS is not being used for any leg-before decisions.

Anderson leads dominant England to big win

England 474 for 8 dec (Pietersen 202*, Trott 71, Praveen 5-106) and 269 for 6 dec (Prior 103*, Broad 74*, Ishant 4-59) beat India 286 (Dravid 103*, Broad 4-37, Tremlett 3-80) and 261 (Raina 78, Laxman 56, Anderson 5-65, Broad 3-57) by 196 runs 

England's bowlers fought through dogged batting, the absence of DRS for lbws and some sloppy catching to avoid a repeat of Lord's 2007 - when India saved the Test - and completed a comprehensive win 28.3 overs before the scheduled close of a gruelling final-day scrap.

India's four big hopes survived 93, 113, 56 and 68 deliveries, which meant England had to work for wickets and also that they never let those batsmen feel they were in. James Anderson took out Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar, although it could be argued that he struck the knockout blows after Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett had softened the batsmen up.

Although there were two dropped catches and two controversial not-out lbw decisions, it all went down in a manner suggesting England had scripted it thus. They wouldn't have budgeted for the strongest resistance to come from Suresh Raina, who proved he belonged with a fighting 78, but by the final session Anderson was in red-hot form. He completed his 11th five-for by breaking through that final piece of Indian fight with a beautiful inswinger from round the stumps. Initially Anderson had fed off the immense pressure created by Tremlett and Broad, and Graeme Swann contributed by accounting for one of the best players of spin today, Gautam Gambhir.

It was just as well that England finished India off and avoided what would have become a major controversy had India hung on with one wicket in hand. The dreaded scenario of disagreement between Hawk-Eye and the umpire occurred twice in potentially crucial circumstances. Broad had comprehensive cases for lbw against Tendulkar and Raina, and would have successfully challenged the original not-out decisions had DRS been available for lbws. Those two decisions cost England a potentially decisive 15.4 overs.

Smart stats England have improved on their excellent record at Lord's in recent Tests. In 23 Tests between 1984 and 1999, they won four and lost 11 out of 23 Tests. In 24 Tests since 2000, they have won 13 and lost just three. India suffered their 11th defeat in 16 Tests at Lord's. The 11 defeats is the most at a particular venue for India. James Anderson dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for the sixth time in five Tests. In 223 balls, Anderson has conceded 114 runs and picked up Tendulkar six times. Anderson's five-wicket haul is his 11th in Tests and 3rd at Lord's. His previous five-wicket haul at Lord's also came against India in 2007. Stuart Broad's match figures of 7 for 94 are his best in Tests surpassing his previous best of 6 for 87 against South Africa in Durban in 2009. Rahul Dravid, in the course of his 36, surpassed Brian Lara to become the highest run-getter in the fourth innings in Tests. Tendulkar's strike-rate of 17.64 is fourth on the list of lowest strike-rates for a score between 10 and 49 in Tests since 2000. Kevin Pietersen's seventh match award puts him joint-third on the list of England players with the most match awards in Tests. Compiled by Madhusudan Ramakrishnan

Broad would have wondered what more he needed to do to get a wicket. He had two catches dropped off him in the first innings, and in today's morning session, after Anderson had drawn Dravid into a rare loose shot outside off, he regularly beat Laxman's bat in a five-over spell, often proving to be too good to take the edge.

While Andrew Strauss's catching at slip and his defensive in-and-out fields in the first session could be argued against, his bowling changes worked like a charm. About 20 minutes before lunch he brought on Anderson, who began with a long hop that Laxman pulled straight to short midwicket.

Laxman's dismissal brought together India's walking wounded, Gambhir and Tendulkar. They hung in bravely, Gambhir for 56 balls with a painful elbow and Tendulkar for 68 with a viral infection. Whatever the debate around DRS be, the umpires had a great match, and it was evident in Gambhir's lbw, in the over after Laxman's dismissal. The Swann arm ball had hit the pad a microsecond before it hit the bat. Asad Rauf sent Gambhir on his way.

From the injured man the burden transferred to the ill man, Tendulkar, who began positively but went into a shell after lunch. That Raina looked more comfortable than Tendulkar during their 17.4-over partnership told a story. While Tendulkar was solid in defence, he let the bowlers bowl to a perfect rhythm, and the odd one was bound to be too good.

After surviving that Broad shout, Tendulkar played 40 balls for one run. Once again Anderson came back and struck immediately. He had Tendulkar dropped by Strauss, but produced an inswinger similar to Broad's two balls later, and Tendulkar was plumb. This was the sixth time in the match that an Englishman had taken a wicket in the first over of a new spell.

In the lead-up to tea, with England easing the pressure as they built up to the new ball, Raina and MS Dhoni gave India hope. Raina showed character in how he avoided bouncers and reached a half-century that will only do him good. With the new ball, though, England were back on course. The ball started jagging around again, and a shaken-up Dhoni finally edged an outswinger from Tremlett.

A cold, ruthless demolition of the tail followed. Harbhajan Singh refused to back away, but England worked him over with precise short deliveries. Praveen Kumar didn't stand much of a chance. Raina got a gem from Anderson, coming in from round the stumps, then leaving him, and taking the edge. Broad deservedly ended the match with a plumb lbw; the last four had fallen for 18 runs.

Scenes of elation followed for the home side and the biggest Monday crowd at Lord's. England will feel relief too at having finished off the job, and not only because they righted what happened in 2007. Had India drawn this, they would have had positives to look at; now they have injured bodies and a series deficit.

Team's job will be stop Sachin from scoring 100th ton: Strauss

London: England captain Andrew Strauss today admitted that his team would be doing everything to stop Sachin Tendulkar from scoring his 100th international century in the Lord's Test, starting on Thursday.

"I'm sure Sachin would like to get it here and it's our job not to let him do so. If it's a distraction for him, it's great for us," said Strauss.

The skipper also said that he considered Tendulkar a key to India's plans. "He's been an outstanding ambassador for the game. The statistics speak for itself. You don't have to rush out with platitudes and superlatives. It's all there - the longevity, the consistency. He is one of the greatest ever and as ambassador of the game there is no one better," said Strauss.

Insisting that his team would adopt a cautious approach against Team India, Strauss said, "They are world's No. 1 team. You don't become number one unless you do well away from home. That's the greatest improvement they have shown over the last 2-3 years. They are now far more consistent away from home."

"We understand it would not be easy. They are going to be a very strong opposition. But we are prepared for the challenge and ready to overcome it."

The 34-year-old left-handed batsman termed his side as a far better unit than the one which lost to India in 2007. "We've improved since 2007. A few players have done very well. (Jonathan) Trott is there, (James) Anderson has become better and (Graeme) Swann has had a dramatic impact," said Strauss.

"We've done better than possibly any other side in the world as we have won seven of the last eight series we played. But we are not finished yet. We could become number one. But for us the ultimate goal is to be acknowledged by everyone as number one. And that's our long-term goal," he added.

India's bowling attack will be spearheaded by Zaheer Khan and Strauss said his side wouldn't make a determined effort to dismantle him.

"With Zaheer or anyone else, it's pretty simple - watch the bad ball and hit it. He's very good but there is no reason to complicate things," said the captain.

Meanwhile, England have Stuart Broad in their ranks, who could be termed as "enforcer" and whose steep bounce is expected to pose a threat to the Indians.

"Broad has a very good bouncer, which can make life very difficult for the batsmen. But he is not the enforcer all the time. There would be spells when he would go short but majority-wise, he is no different to others," Strauss said.

Disappointed that a watered-down version of Decision Review System (DRS) would be used in the series, Strauss explained, "All I can say is that DRS worked very well for us in the last 12-18 months. We've got more decisions right and we are now used to it."

"We can't use it in this series, it's a half-way kind of a situation and not an ideal one. But that's the situation we're now faced with. We can't be overtly concerned with it for it would be unhelpful."

Broad says he's fit to lead England

Bristol: Stuart Broad, England's new Twenty20 captain, had a second injury scare ahead of Saturday's match against Sri Lanka in Bristol but insisted he would be fit to lead the team for the first time.

Stuart Broad, England's new Twenty20 captain, had a second injury scare ahead of Saturday's match against Sri Lanka in Bristol but insisted he would be fit to lead the team for the first time. © AFP

Broad suffered a bruised heel during the drawn third Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl concluded earlier this week, leading to concerns over whether he would be able to take up the reins in his first match as Paul Collingwood's replacement as skipper. Indeed the injury led England to announce Eoin Morgan as vice-captain of the Twenty20 side.
But Broad, having overcome his heel problem, suffered an awkward looking tumble during fielding practice on Friday, falling over a medicine ball while taking a catch.
He received treatment on his ankle but said afterwards he was fit.
"It's fine, but it was a bit frustrating tripping over a medicine ball," he said.
"It seems to have pulled up quite well so it's not a concern and I'm really excited about the opportunity of captaining tomorrow (Saturday).
"I didn't see the medicine ball as I was looking up at the catch. It was a bit of a shock to hit the deck like I did but a little bit of taping will hold it together and I'm just looking forward to getting on the park."
Broad will be the second of three England captains in as many matches now that Test skipper Andrew Strauss no longer plays limited overs cricket and with Alastair Cook leading the team for the five one-day internationals (ODIs) against Sri Lanka that follow the Twenty20 fixtures.
England have recalled World Twenty20 winning opening duo Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter after the pair's loss of form, while Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel is back after doing enough to convince team management he is tackling his fitness problems.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Broad, who has no previous senior leadership experience, has been identified as the man to lead England in the defence of their Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka next year.
It's an honour captaining the side for the first time but we don't have a huge amount of T20 cricket before the next World Cup and we have to make the most of it," Broad said.
"It's obviously a very proud moment to lead your country for the first time but more importantly I'm very proud to lead the guys in this changing room," added Broad, the son of former England opener turned match referee Chris Broad.
"We have a very exciting team and we cover all areas."
AFP

Anderson gets England recall for Sri Lanka Test

London: James Anderson is set for an England return after being named Sunday in a 12-man squad for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl starting on Thursday, June 16.

James Anderson is set for an England return after being named in a 12-man squad for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl starting on June 16. © AFP

England's premier strike bowler, who missed the drawn second Test at Lord's with a side strain, replaced the uncapped Jade Dernbach, who was drafted into the squad in his absence. Officials had wanted the 28-year-old Anderson to prove his fitness playing for Lancashire in a Twenty20 match against Worcestershire later Sunday. But that fixture was washed-out without a ball being bowled.
It left England having to assess Anderson's fitness on the basis of pre-Test training sessions alone.
However, England national selector Geoff Miller, speaking before the county match was abandoned, said: "Side strains can be particularly troublesome for bowlers but given Jimmy's injury was a grade one strain and therefore a low grade injury, he is expected to be fit for selection.
"We obviously wouldn't include Jimmy in the squad if the medical staff weren't confident of his fitness," the former England off-spinner added.
England's four-man attack struggled for accuracy without Anderson at Lord's.
Either Steven Finn, who took the swing specialist's place in England's XI at Lord's, or the under-performing Stuart Broad would appear to be in line to make way if Anderson plays in what will be the first Test ever staged at the home ground of southern county Hampshire.
"He (Anderson) bowled extremely well (in the first Test) at Cardiff and is a fine, top-class bowler," Miller told BBC Radio Five.
"You always miss quality bowlers.
"But it is not just about one individual -- it's about a squad of bowlers and people coming into the side for injuries.
"That is what we are all about - strength in depth."
Miller added Anderson had skills distinct from those possessed by the trio of 6ft 4in plus seamers -- Chris Tremlett, Finn and Broad -- selected at Lord's.
"Jimmy (can make it) pitch up and swing," he said.
"The others are tall bouncing bowlers and you are always looking for options because conditions alter and change and sometimes you need that difference."
Broad has taken six wickets at an expensive 48 runs apiece in four innings so far this series but Miller said a return to form was "just around the corner" for a fast-medium bowler who is proving himself to be a highly adept lower-order batsman as well.
And that would appear to indicate Finn is the more likely of the pair to make way for Anderson, even though he took four first innings wickets at Lord's.
Meanwhile Miller was encouraged by the way in which Kevin Pietersen showed a return to form with his second innings 72 at 'the home of cricket'.
"Kevin Pietersen is a top-quality player -- we know that.
"He has had a tough time. He's had a bad run.
"He knows he can score runs internationally and has again just proved that."
England lead this series 1-0 after an innings and 14-run win at Cardiff.
England squad:
Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wkt), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson, Steven Finn

AFP

Jack Russell predicts no lasting pane for Prior

London: Jack Russell has insisted he had a far worse temper than current England wicket-keeper Matt Prior who has found himself in an unwanted spotlight as a result of a window-breaking incident at Lord's.

Former England wicketkeeper Jack Russell was dismissive about Matt Prior's window breaking episode. © AFP

England head to the Rose Bowl for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka starting on Thursday with a 1-0 lead in the series after an innings victory in Cardiff and a drawn second Test at Lord's. Prior made a hundred in the first innings at Lord's but that was all but overshadowed when, on the final day, he broke a dressing room window with a bat after he was run out for four.
The Sussex stumper insisted he did not throw anything in anger but rather the window broke after a freak accident when he put his bat next to a nearby ledge in the dressing room.
A female spectator sat below in the Lord's Pavilion suffered a cut to her ankle from the resulting falling glass.
Prior, who apologised to her, was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
But former England keeper Russell said he didn't expect the incident to be playing on Prior's mind at the Rose Bowl, the home of southern county Hampshire.
"I don't think a pane of glass will knock England off course. It definitely won't knock Matt Prior off course," Russell said.
"Matt is too strong a character and the set-up is too sensible. He will just forget about it.
"It was fortunate that no-one got (seriously) injured but we have all done worse than that," said Russell, speaking on Monday at Lord's.
"We have all smashed our cricket case up or bashed our kit about," added Russell, now a professional artist who has painted a picture on a canvas of cricket bats as part of his contribution to National Cricket Day.
"Some players were never like that. Graham Gooch (the former England captain and now the team's batting coach) used to come in and lay his bat down and that would be it.
"But when I was playing I was like a kettle boiling in that time between losing my wicket and getting to the dressing room.
"The volcano would just build and build and build. The lads just used to clear away and give me a minute because I was angry."
AFP

India's UDRS opposition stumps Tremlett

London: England fast bowler Chris Tremlett cannot understand why India are so vehemently opposed to cricket's Decision Review System (DRS).

Chris Tremlett cannot understand why India are so vehemently opposed to cricket's Decision Review System (DRS). © AFP

DRS, which allows teams to make two incorrect challenges to an on-field umpire's decision before all their referrals for that innings are used up, has broadly been accepted by most of cricket's leading nations and was in use at the recent World Cup in the subcontinent, which India won. However, India have been opposed to the system almost from the moment of its inception in 2009 and, despite International Cricket Council (ICC) calls for it to be used in all major matches, are adamant they want no part of it in England.
As both teams have, in effect, to agree to its use that means it won't feature in the four-Test series starting next month that forms the centrepiece of India's upcoming tour of England.
The system is currently being used in the ongoing England-Sri Lanka Test series that concludes with the third Test at the Rose Bowl starting Thursday.
Tremlett, who has benefited from the system, said the ICC should insist on its use in all Tests.
"I am a fan of the system. If the technology is there it should be used," Tremlett said.
"Who knows why they (India) don't want it involved?
"There have been a few decisions that have been rightly overturned and as a bowler you want those decisions given out. It's a fair way of doing things. I'm fully in agreement with it.
"It's something that we like to use and it should be used in every Test if the technology is there and it's a shame that they don't want DRS involved in the India series."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have questioned the accuracy of the technology involved but Tremlett said: "It is very accurate. Sometimes there is a lot of noise around a Test match and an umpire might not hear a fine nick so it's an important thing to have.
"It has been a successful thing over the last six months."
Victory at the Rose Bowl, where Surrey paceman Tremlett made his name for Hampshire before crossing the border at the start of last season, would take England into joint-second with South Africa in an ICC Test ranking table currently topped by India.
Tremlett, who played a key role in England's Ashes-winning series in Australia with 17 wickets in three Tests, said: "There's no reason why we can't win that series against India. This side is going from strength to strength and we're on a good winning streak at the moment.
"I'm fully confident that we can beat any side," added Tremlett, whose four second innings wicket set up England's first Test victory against Sri Lanka that left them 1-0 up with one to play against the tourists after a draw at Lord's.
"We had success against Australia but the next step is to beat the number one side in the world. If we can beat them convincingly then we will deserve to be number one."
AFP