Yuvraj wants to resurrect Test career

Yuvraj Singh scored a half-century in his last Test

Yuvraj Singh, the India batsman, has said this is the right time to focus on his Test career as he is finally injury-free after a three-month break following the broken finger he sustained in England. He has played just two competitive games since he was hit on the left index finger by Tim Bresnan during the Nottingham Test, and returns to the India squad for the home Test series against West Indies. Yuvraj, who has not enjoyed the same success in the longer format as he has in ODIs, said he wanted to rejuvenate his Test career.

"It's the right time to focus on my Test career," he told PTI. "I want to be remembered as a good batsman in the longer format of the game. I have always tried to give my best shot whenever on the field but unfortunately injury issues were there. In the upcoming series against West Indies and Australia, I want to score big and make a mark in the Test format. I want to restructure my Test career and I'll raise the bar this time."

The 35 Tests Yuvraj has featured in have been played over eight years. For a large part of his career, he was kept out of the Test side by a strong middle order that included Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Once Ganguly retired, he was given an extended run in the side but couldn't cement his place. He fell ill before the second Test in Sri Lanka in 2010, and a century from Suresh Raina on debut in that game meant Yuvraj was once again relegated to the sidelines. His Man-of-the-Series performance in the 2011 World Cup put him back in contention for a Test place, but an injury kept him out of the tour to the West Indies and his series in England was cut short by the finger injury.

Yuvraj said his Test career had been blighted by the number of injuries he has had but he still had time to change things. "My best years are yet to come. After a long injury layoff, I am fully fit and raring to go. My career has been marred by a lot of injury issues but I think it's on the right path now. After coming back from England, I trained hard. My body has taken a beating in the past year but there are no more injuries now."

The first Test between India and West Indies starts on November 6 in Delhi, and Yuvraj could be in a contest with Virat Kohli for a place in India's middle order.

Harbhajan dropped for first two ODIs

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh has been left out of India's squad for the first two ODIs against England on October 14 and 17. Karnataka medium-pacer S Aravind and Punjab legspinner Rahul Sharma have received their maiden international call-ups.

Squad: MS Dhoni (capt and wk), Gautam Gambhir, Parthiv Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, S Aravind, Rahul Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Praveen Kumar.

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

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

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."

Zaheer ruled out of series

Zaheer Khan, the India fast bowler, has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against England. He will return to India and will be replaced by left-arm seamer RP Singh. Zaheer picked up a hamstring injury during the first Test at Lord's, but the BCCI has now said he not only has a recurring hamstring problem but also a right ankle impingement that will require surgery, followed by a 14-16 week period of rehabilitation. He had been withdrawn from the squad for India's recent Test series in the West Indies due to a right ankle injury.

Zaheer's problems in this series began on the very first day of the series, when he pulled up midway through his 14th over in the first innings at Lord's. The team management indicated Zaheer could be ready to bowl in the second innings, but he was unable to do so and was ruled out of the second Test at Trent Bridge. There were expectations he would return for the Edgbaston Test but he only got through three overs in the Indians' warm-up match in Northampton, and has now been pulled out of the squad.

Since the first Test, Zaheer had been through light training sessions, and there had been indications from the India camp that he would take part at some stage in the series, which only grew stronger when he was named in the side for the tour game against Northamptonshire. However, he left the field after bowling just three overs.

India had also named Zaheer in the squad for the limited-over matches in England, but he will miss those as well, with RP Singh taking his place. RP Singh has not played for India since 2009, with his last Test coming during India's home series against South Africa in 2008. He was part of India's squad when they last toured England for a full series in 2007. India won the three-Test series 1-0, and RP Singh was the third-highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets at an average of 28.91, behind Anil Kumble and Zaheer.

He followed up the tour of England with 13 wickets on India's tour of Australia in 2007-08, but then went wicketless in India's two home Tests against South Africa. His form in ODIs also took a dip; he took three wickets in ten bowling innings from August 2008 to when he was dropped in September 2009, and went for more than six runs an over in eight of those innings. His recent figures in domestic cricket don't make great reading either. In the last two Ranji Trophy seasons he has averaged 31.55, and has been behind several other seamers in the wicket-taking charts. One format in which he has excelled though has been the Twenty20 format; he is the leading wicket-taker in IPLs.

India have now lost three players from their original squad; Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were withdrawn after sustaining a stomach and finger injury respectively during the Trent Bridge Test. Zaheer's injury though has been the biggest setback for the visitors. Even as he was hobbling off at Lord's, predictions for the series started to swing dramatically in England's favour. His absence from the next two Tests leaves India with an inexperienced bowling attack, with the 22-year-old Ishant Sharma the most-capped of all the bowlers left in the Test squad.

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.

Dravid announces limited overs retirement

Rahul Dravid has announced his retirement from international limited-overs cricket following the England series. In his announcement, which came hours after he was handed a shock recall to the one-day side for that tour, he said he wanted to retire from the shorter forms and concentrate on Test cricket.

Dravid, 38, is the seventh highest run-getter in ODIs, with 10,765 runs in 339 matches, averaging just under 40. He hasn't been a regular in the Indian one-day side since late 2007 - a couple of months after he reached his career-high ICC ranking of No. 5 - though he made a brief comeback during the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa. He admitted he hadn't expected a recall for the upcoming England series.

"Since I had not been picked for one-day cricket for the last two years, I was obviously a little surprised," he said after India's tour match against Northamptonshire. "To be honest, because I had not been picked, I had not informed the selectors or the board of my desire to solely focus on Test cricket.

"At the end of this one-day series, I would like to announce my retirement from one-day and Twenty20 cricket and concentrate only on Test cricket. I am committed, as always to give my best to India in this one-day series and obviously the Test series that follows.

"In the short term I am committed because now I have been picked for the series, but in the long term I think it is best for me and Indian cricket that I focus on Test cricket."

Dravid recently became the second highest run-getter in Tests, and has had a resurgence in form over the past couple of months, scoring three centuries in five Tests to end a relatively lean run in the last few years.

When he started his international career in 1996, he was seen as a batsman more suited to the longer form but he soon adapted to the challenges of one-day cricket. Among the highlights of his ODI career was the 1999 World Cup, where he was the top scorer and put on the then largest partnership in a one-dayer, 318 with Sourav Ganguly. Six months later he bettered that with a 331-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar that is still the biggest in the format.

As in his Test career, he routinely fitted into roles the team needed him to, notably in the 2003 World Cup, where in order to accommodate an extra batsman in the side, he took over the wicketkeeping duties. One of the lows of his career was the 2007 World Cup, when under his leadership, India crashed out in the first round.

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."

Dravid returns to where it all began

Lord's operates on the same characteristics that have defined Rahul Dravid's career: discipline, order, balance, elegance, simplicity and respect

Rahul Dravid may as well confess he feels at home at Lord's. The ground operates on the same characteristics that have defined Dravid's career: discipline, order, balance, elegance, simplicity and respect.

He is an honorary MCC member and part of the MCC's world cricket committee and has been making an annual visit to NW8 since 2008. He intimately knows the walls and the portraits in the pavilion that houses the committee room and the famous Long Room.

So when Dravid says Lord's is a "very special" place for him, believe it. The respect is mutual. Dravid, who will become the first active member of the world cricket committee to play a Test at Lord's on Thursday, was even allowed today to enter the inner sanctum of the pavilion in the Indian team's bright blue tracksuit.

In the past, this would have been an unpardonable act at the 115-year-old MCC, long known for its insular and closed attitude; a place where you cannot enter without wearing a jacket and tie. It was an exceptional allowance granted to Dravid.

"It always brings back some special memories. I think this place is personally very special for me," Dravid said, when asked about his relationship with Lord's, the ground of his debut. The ground where he fell five runs short of a maiden century in his very first innings. He has only got 215 runs in the three matches he has played, but his hunger that was there on June 20, 1996 hasn't diminished one bit. The appetite for runs is still the same.

"To start your Test career, at this venue 15 years ago was indeed very special for me. And coming back here, in some strange way you always feel at home. You feel that this is the place for cricket. This is the place that truly understands cricket, and history and tradition of the game," said Dravid, who along with Tendulkar, is the only member of the current team to play at Lord's in the 1990s.

Our first experience at anything, regardless of the outcome, invariably becomes the inerasable reference point of our lives. For Dravid, the third day of the second Test 15 years ago is that point. "It meant a lot to me. I had played five years of first-class cricket to break into the Indian team. I'd scored a lot of runs in domestic cricket and got an opportunity to come on the tour of England."

"At the start to series I wouldn't have given myself very good odds to even play with the kind of team that we had," he said. "There were a few injuries and I was lucky to get the opportunity and I knew that probably it would be the only one. Otherwise I would have to go back to domestic cricket and start the cycle all over again, scoring runs. But in India everyone scores a lot of runs in domestic cricket and sometimes it is very tough to break in. I had waited five years so I knew the significance and importance of it. So I was lucky. It was great for me, it meant so much. I never expected it to lead to anything. I never expected to be here 15 years later talking about it. Absolutely not."

Usually a reticent gent, and a bit stiff in front of the media, it was interesting to see Dravid open up about his insecurity as a youngster. But it is a nice example for today's youth like Abhinav Mukund and Suresh Raina in this squad and Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma and Murali Vijay back in India.. Most of them are on the same wobbling platform that Dravid stood on in 1996.

"I remember when I was 50 not out at the end of the day and I was walking back to the hotel with [Javagal] Srinath and I knew somehow that this was probably a very significant innings. I knew I had some more breathing space, I got a few more Test matches at least. It gave me a lot of confidence scoring 95 here and 80 at Trent Bridge. It gave me a lot of confidence for me as a player and as a person, too.

Win against India at home bigger than Ashes: Strauss

London: England Test captain Andrew Strauss has said that beating reigning world champions India at home is a much bigger achievement than winning the Ashes.

Andrew Strauss has said that beating reigning world champions India at home is a much bigger achievement than winning the Ashes. © AFP

Strauss, who led England to back-to-back Ashes victories, said winning against top teams like India and South Africa is the next level of development for them as a cricketing nation.
"Increasingly for us, although we will always value the Ashes, it is important to look beyond, at India and South Africa, to look to defeat these guys consistently, too, home and away," he said.
"I've never beaten India in a Test series and if we want to be the best side in the world we've got to start by doing that. I'd say to win in India would be bigger than winning the Ashes in Australia because the conditions are even more foreign," Strauss told Daily Mail.
India is scheduled to tour England later this year for a full series.
Strauss said its high time England should concentrate on other challenges than the Ashes.
"Winning out there (in India) seemed a very difficult thing to do because we had all grown up with England being demolished in Australia, but there are plenty of other challenges. We can't just dwell on that one. It's over," he insisted.
He also said that Australia are no longer the potent force in world cricket.
"Australia's aura of invincibility has been taken away. They're back in the pack now, like everyone else, losing some, scrapping to win others and now different sides are trying to create their own aura -- India, South Africa, ourselves," Strauss added.
Although he stepped down as England ODI captain after the World Cup, Strauss said he still has plenty of years left as a cricketer.
"The captaincy can definitely wear you down and if I was still playing One-day cricket it could wear me down quicker."
"I don't know how far away that time would have been but the landscape can change very quickly. Michael Vaughan looked very much in control one minute, the next he had lost form and retired; Paul Collingwood was playing the best cricket of his life 12 months ago and now he's gone, too," he said.
"So I can't say I will be captain next time we go to Australia. All I'll say is I have a lot of cricket ahead of me. I am in good shape physically, I feel fresh and motivated and I really like the idea of pushing this Test side forward," the left-handed opener added.