Tendulkar's chase for 100th ton reaches Feroz Shah Kotla

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar's chase for 100th ton in the international cricket will be back in focus when India take on an inexperienced West Indies in the first encounter of the three-Test series beginning here tomorrow.
   Tendulkar- The God of cricket- has been stuck on 99 tons since the ODI World Cup when he hit two centuries against England and South Africa and fans expect him to reach the milestone at the
Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
   He missed the milestone by a whisker when he was trapped in front by Tim Bresnan nine runs short of the elusive landmark during the fifth day of the fourth and final Test against England at the Oval earlier this year.
   However, for Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the focus will be on banishing the memories of the team's shambolic tour of England.
   The men-in-blue were whitewashed 4-0 in one of their worst ever overseas performances, where they could not win a single international match.  
   The injury-ravaged team struggled against the fast bowlers, and as a result, lost their No.1 ranking in Tests.
   "We will let him (Tendulkar) get the century and then we will speak about it. Hopefully, he gets it in this (the first) game and we will speak about it on the fifth day," Dhoni told reporters.
   "It's a milestone Tendulkar will achieve, whether in this game, the next game or some other game. It's bound to happen.   
   "So rather than discussing too much ahead of the milestone coming in, what we are doing is we said 'okay, let him get the ton and then we'll talk about it'. We are thinking about how we
need to prepare for the series," said he.   
   "We want to be the best in the world but it's not something that belongs to you. You have to maintain it, you have to keep doing well.    
   "We did not do too well in England and that's why we are not the number one team right now. Again it becomes a process and to reach to the top of the world, you have to follow the process."   
   This series will give the Indian players a chance to prepare for the tough upcoming tour of Australia.
   But it will not be a cakewalk for the hosts as the visitors are coming off a series win in Bangladesh.
   India will once again be able to call on the services of regular openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, and the middle order will look stronger with Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh also returning
from injuries.   
   Ace cricketer Rahul 'The Wall' Dravid, who has already notched four centuries this year, is expected to continue with his rich vein of form and provide stability to the middle-order.
   BOWLING
   Both the pace and slow-ball departments look inexperienced in the Indian side with medium-pacer Zaheer Khan still recovering from ankle surgery and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh dropped,
   Rookies Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron both impressed with their ability to generate pace and provide breakthroughs in India's 5-0 whitewash of England in the recently-concluded ODI series recently, while Ishant Sharma re-emerged as a genuine strike bowler, picking up 22 wickets in three Tests in the West Indies earlier this year.
   Whereas, spinner Pragyan Ojha has played Test cricket before, but ODI specialist Ravichandran Ashwin and a leg-spinner Rahul Sharma are rank newcomers.
   Meanwhile, the tourists can derive positives from their series victory in Bangladesh.  
   In the second and final Test in Dhaka, Kirk Edwards scored a century in the first innings and 86 in the second, Darren Bravo almost reached within the breathing space of maiden double century
and promising leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo claimed a first five-wicket haul.
   West Indies coach Ottis Gibson said the team is high on confidence after that win and are suitably warmed-up to subcontinental conditions.
   "Over the last six to 12 months our fast bowlers, Ravi Rampaul, Fidel Edwards, Kemar Roach and Darren Sammy have done well and won us matches," Gibson said. "We know that India obviously will be heavy on spin but we believe in the quality of our fast bowlers."
   "We have Fidel bowling quick at the moment and we hope we can cause some problems to the formidable Indian batting line-up.
   "We believe that we have the quality to back ourselves. We know that the ball doesn't swing very long. You need to have added skills and we pay a lot of attention to that. We are skilled enough to
reverse it and get wickets as well," he added.   
   Skipper Darren Sammy also promised a "fearless" display in the series, which he labelled his team's biggest challenge to date.   
   Barring Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels, none of the 13 other West Indies cricketers have played a test match in India and Sammy seemed fully aware of the task ahead.   
   "This is the biggest series for most of the guys here. Playing cricket in India is indescribable. The way cricket is held here, it's like religion. This by far is the biggest test for us, for me as the captain as well," said Sammy.
   PITCH
   This is just as big a test for Feroz Shah Kotla.
   This is only the third first-class match, and the first Test Delhi is hosting after the abandonment of an ODI in 2009-10.
   The re-laid pitch has been slow, low and lifeless for List A cricket.
   In one of the two first-class games, it retained its Ranji reputation of early life when Gujarat were bowled out for 71 on the first morning, but neither of the matches produced a result. It is
hoped that the new Kotla will break away from the trend, especially considering November mornings are smoggy here, which could lead to loss of some play.
         
Squads:  
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant
Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli, Varun Aaron, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Sharma.  

West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran
Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford.

Vettel wins first Indian GP, Sutil finishes 9th

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix at the spanking new Buddh International Circuit here today.
The world champion (1:30'35.002) made it 11 victories in 2011 after once again appearing completely in control.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati presented the winning trophy to the 24-year-old German.
McLaren's Jenson Button (1:30'43.435) was 8.4sec behind in second, while Fernando Alonso (1:30'59.303) took third for Ferrari.
Leading every lap in the contest, Vettel waited until the 59th and final lap to set the fastest lap time of 1'27.249, winning in emphatic style.
The German also set a record for the most laps led in a single season by any driver, leapfrogging Britain's 1992 champion Nigel Mansell in the statisticians' lists.   
"Yes boys, we did it," shouted Vettel after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar brought down the chequered flag. "New track, new challenge."
He now has 374 points with two races remaining, Button 240, Alonso 227 and Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber (1:31'00.531)-- who finished fourth after starting on the front row -- 221.   
The German has 11 wins this season, and victories in the final two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi would equal Schumacher's record of 13 wins.
Vettel and his team are not letting up despite already having clinched the drivers' and constructors' championships.
FORCE INDIA
Sahara Force India's Adrain Sutil, who started the race from eighth position, finished at 9th and his fellow driver Paul di Resta finished at 13th position.
"It was quite a good race and I think we can be happy with the two points today.
"In the early laps I struggled with the rear of the car, with a bit of oversteer, and could not hold off the Toro Rossos who were a bit quicker today," Sutil said.
"But in the second and third stint the car balance improved and I was able to keep the Sauber (Perez) behind me in the closing laps. We were also fortunate that Buemi retired, which gave me another position. I think ninth was probably the maximum today and I hope Vijay will have a smile on his face tonight."
Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance.
"Today's Indian Grand Prix was a great event. We targeted points and that's exactly what we delivered with Adrian's excellent drive to ninth," said he.
"As for Paul, he performed well, but we went very aggressive with the strategy to cover the chance of a safety car.
"In the end it didn't work out, but we needed to cover our bases. These two points are important for our championship battle and I am delighted that Sahara Force India will go down in the record books for scoring points in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix."
India's Narain Karthikeyan, who drives for Hispania Racing, started at the 23rd position, finished at 17th position.
He was benefited by the collision of four cars at the rear end going into turn one. Karthikeyan gain another few places momentarily but fell back later to equal his performance at Monaco and Canada.
COLLISION
The race saw yet another collision between McLaren's 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa, their sixth on-track clash of the season.
Massa was given a pit drive-through penalty before later breaking his front suspension and retiring from the race.
British comedy actor Rowan Atkinson, 'Mr Bean', was watching the race as a guest of the McLaren team and his anguished expression was there for all to see as the arch-rivals came together once again
on turn five of lap 23.
Over the radio Hamilton said: "He turned in on me. He didn't give me any space."
A total of five retirements took place in the race.
MINUTE'S SILENCE    
Before the race, all drivers and top team personnel plus Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone observed a moment of silence on the grid to mark the deaths of IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon
and MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli this month.
Vettel paid tribute to Wheldon and MotoGP Simoncelli, both killed in races over the past two weeks.
"To be honest with you, it is a little bit of a mixed emotion," said Vettel.
"On the one hand I am very happy, very proud to be the first winner, but on the other hand looking back at last weekend we lost two of our mates. I didn't know Dan but obviously he is a
big name in motorsport."
As promised the circuit delivered excellent overtaking opportunities and remained competitive throughout the required 60 laps.

FC Barcelona now on lookout to find next big thing from India

They have produced superstars like Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Carles Puyol, and Andres Iniesta. But now FC Barcelona are on the prowl to find the next big thing from India.
The European and Spanish champions today announced an ambitious talent scouting project in India scheduled in January next year.
The project will be kicked off with a week-long camp in the National Capital Region for youngsters in the 6-14 age group. The camp will be open to all interested children on a first-come-first-served basis.
The youngsters will be guided by a team of four to five coaches from FC Barcelona who will also train Indian coaches so that the method of training and style of play of the famous club is imparted to kids in India.
Xevi Marce, Director of FCBEscola, the feeder school to the club’s world famous youth academy La Masia, admitted that he was impressed by the Indian kids who had traveled to Spain for a training stint.
However, he asserted that the Catalunian club cannot promise to produce the next Lionel Messi from India, but would rather focus on giving talented Indian kids the opportunity to develop into world class players.
“We are very impressed by what we have seen so far, but we have not come to search for talent over here. We want to train children and develop them to the highest level they can go,” Xevi told reporters here.
“We are offering world-class training under the same successful methodology that has produced leading football stars like Pique and Victor Valdes. But we cannot promise to deliver the next Messi.
First, we will study and understand your country. We will promote social projects and values. We will see how the project happens. We don’t promise anything since we don’t know from where any player will come up.” “For all the programmes we will do, we will bring coaches from Barcelona and share our knowledge with your Indian kids and coaches so that they can continue the camps. The training camp will serve as a major stepping stone for the participants to move to higher training. It will provide youth access to highest level of football training and development,” he added.
The representative of the Heritage School Gurgaon, a partner in the project, Manit Jain, said in the first year they would aim to train 10,000 students in the NCR and then think of expanding in other regions of the country.
“We are going step by step. Our aim is to train 10,000 students in the first year in Gurgaon and NCR. Next year, we are aiming to expand in all the other metros and the third year we will spread to all A-class cities,” Jain said.
“We are going to ensure that every child with talent in this country will get the right opportunity. It is a serious challenge and we are working out the best possible strategy right now.”

Is Greater Noida ready for F1 race? Not even close

Strewn construction waste, heaps of trash, minimal workforce, coarse sand, dug-up areas... concrete and huge pipes lying unattended.
   All like an echo from a haunted history -- self-explanatory a sorry tale of unpreparedness for an event which is supposed to bring international glory to the country, but whose shoddy and slothful
preparations now could turn out to be an embarrassment for the nation.
   Though the countdown to the start of Indian Grand Prix at Buddh International Circuit has already begun, work outside the circuit is still far from being over.
   Construction of roads leading to the venue is way behind schedule and the delays are causing anxiety among officials concerned and the locals, who do not want the image of the grand spectacle to take a beating.
   The inaugural Indian Formula 1 race will take place at the Buddh International Circuit being built by Jaypee Group at an estimated cost of approximately 215 million dollar.
   The mega sports spectacle will scripts a new chapter in the history of Indian motor Sports.
   The circuit is roughly 5.14 kilometres and was designed by F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke. The track is spread in an area of 875 acres.
   It was a moment of whoops of delight for all the motor-sport enthusiasts in the country when it was announced in 2009 that India will host its Formula 1 race in 2011.
   Since then, everybody has been awaiting the day when these Formula 1 cars blast past them. But with just few days remaining for the gala event to begin, the air has been thick with apprehensions regarding the completion of the work in time.   
   The scene outside the circuit may relate a different picture, but the FIA, the governing body of world motor sport, recently expressed satisfaction with the most construction work at the
circuit.
   An FIA statement reads: "The WMSC received positive reports on the on-going situation in the preparation of the Indian Grand Prix from the Indian representative of the WMSC and the Formula One Commercial Rights Holder (Bernie Ecclestone)."
   The event is to witness the participation of big names of the sports as well as foreigners, who will come flocking to the National Capital Region before it starts.
   Three nearby hotels report almost 100 per cent occupancy at the time of the event and expecting to laugh all the way to the bank. India is expecting to rake in a huge amount of foreign exchange
during the extravaganza.
   Defending champion Sebastian Vettel, who in all probability, will be crowned double world champion by then, there will a bunch of former winners that include: Fernando Alonso (2005, 06 champion), Jenson Button (2009 champion), Lewis Hamilton (2008 champion) and of
course seven time world champion Michael Schumacher whose presence is sure to be felt even though he is not the force that he once was.
   Top all that up with the fact that there will be a couple of Indian drivers in Narain Karthikeyan (Hispania) and Karun Chandhok (Lotus) and an Indian Formula One outfit in Force India; one wonders whether there could have been a better setting for a maiden Grand Prix in a calendar year.
   There is still no confirmation about the fact that Chandhok will race for Team Lotus since he has raced for them just once this season when he replaced regular driver Jarno Trulli for the German
GP; Chandhok, however, has not raced for them since then even though team principal Tony Fernandes has said he would like the Indian to participate in his home race.
   Apart from anything else, the Indian GP will be more of an educational experience for racing enthusiasts in the country and if anything more comes out of it then it should be treated as nothing
more than a welcome bonus.

Rajpath turns FI race track

Red Bull Racing Formula One car today zipped down the capital's Rajpath ahead of the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida from October 28.
   As many as 60,000 fans cheered on Red Bull Racing's driver Daniel Ricciardo as he powered his F1 car down the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India.
   With Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate serving as backdrops on either side, this historic moment signaled the last lap of Red Bull's activities in the lead up to the 2011 Indian Formula One GP.
   Red Bull Racing fans, Formula One enthusiasts and other onlookers thronged the streets to catch a glimpse of the Red Bull Racing Formula One car which fired down the stretch, clocking speeds of
over 300kph.
   Keeping up with the Formula One car were the Ghost Ryderz - India's top professional stunt bike group. Impressing crowds with a mix of jaw dropping wheelies and stoppies, the Ghost Ryderz set
Rajpath on fire, defining precision on two wheels.
   Not to be left out, some of the best drivers in India took to the tarmac in Renault Koleos' balancing acceleration and braking to the tee. That resulted in perfect synchronised formations with of
course, screeching tyres and the smell of burnt rubber.
   "It was a proud moment for me to be the first Formula 1 driver to race down the iconic Rajpath," said Daniel.
   "Today's drive was truly exhilarating especially with the legions of cheering fans who lined up the road. I’ve never seen anything like this before but I’m sure that Red Bull has set millions of
pulses racing as India waits for the lights to turn green at the Grand Prix later this month."
   With Red Bull Racing gearing up for the first ever India Grand Prix, the world champions thrilled fans who now wait to hear the sound of Sebastian Vettel's and Mark Webber's RB7s screaming down

the track.

Devendro gives India winning start in Baku

Debutant L Devendro Singh (49kg) marked the beginning of his senior international career with a resounding
victory in his opening bout at the 2011 AIBA World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
   Devendro upstaged Asylbek Nazaraliev of Kyrgyzstan to make his place in the round of 32 and
give the Indian campaign at the championships a winning start.
   The rookie boxer was a surprise pick in the Indian team beating the likes of Asian Championship silver-medallists Amandeep Singh and Thokchom Nanao Singh in the light fly weight selection trials, that
were held at NIS Patiala last month.
   On the first day of this momentous championship, the nimble footed Manipur lad displayed why exactly, did he make the cut.
   Up against Asylbek, a bronze medal winner at the 2011 Asian Confederation Boxing Championships, the 19-year-old exhibited tremendous skill. After the opening three minutes of play the scores
were knotted at 4 all.
   But with the beginning of the second round Devendro took the game away from the Kyrgyz boxer, with the help of some exquisite combinations and a nifty footwork. In the end, he went to secure his place in the next round of the championship with a 14:8 victory. In the round of 32, he will take on Joselito Velazquez of Mexico on Ocotber 3.
   Second day of the championship will feature two seasoned Indian pugilists take to ring. First up is 2010 Commonwealth gold medallist Suranjoy Singh in the flyweight division.
   He will lock horns with Zsolt Dobradi of Hungary. Former Commonwealth games gold medallist Akhil Kumar will also open his world championship campaign in the bantam weight division; he will
take on Filip Barak in a keenly awaited contest.

Beef, brawn all set to awe Mumbai

The Financial nerve centre of the country has a two-day tryst with beef, brawn and ripping muscles, starting
September 24.
   The World's musclemen with tearing biceps and triceps and women with professional figures will come calling as Mumbai is primed to host the two-day first International Professional-level fitness
exposition titled ‘Sheru Classic’.
   The event includes Professional Body Building Championship for men and Professional Figure Championship for women.
   Jay Cutler (IFBB professional bodybuilder being current and four times Mr Olympia winner), Phil Heath (2010 Mr Olympia, 2nd place), Branch Warren (2010 Mr Olympia, third place), Kai Greene (Arnold
Classic, 2010), Dennis Wolf, Nicole Wilkins (2011 IFBB Figure International) and Erin Stern (2010 Olympia Figure Champion) will be the star athletes participating in this year's competition.
   Sheru Classic Chairman Sheru Aangrish said, "I want to personally thank the biggies of the body building arena around the globe who are taking pains to come down to India for my event; Especially, Jay
Cutler who has, along with other major athletes, already tweeted about his arrival here."
   "The Sheru Classic will be one of the 18 big professional body building events in the world, which are recognised by International Federation of Body Builders (IFBB) and the winners of the men's and
the women's events will get a direct entry into the Mr Olympia and Ms Olympia events that happen in Las Vegas.
   "There is a substantial buzz about the event in US and Europe and many companies have already started approaching me for sponsorships for Sheru Classic. I am proud that being an Indian, my initiative to
place India on the World Map of Fitness, is taking the desired shape. I look for all the support I can get!," said Aangrish, who has been involved in body building for more than 14 years and has won Mr India and British Championship titles.
   The expo and the pre-judging rounds of the Sheru Classic will take place on September 24 at Taj Land's End and the finale will be at Mehboob Studio.

...When Ambrose wanted to beat daylights out of Steve Waugh

Giving an insight into the deep recesses of his heart when he aggressively accosted Steve Waugh during a Test rubber between the West Indies and Australia 16 years ago, former spearhead Curtly Ambrose said he wanted to bash up the ex-Aussie skipper to pulp.
   Going down memory lane, Ambrose recalled Waugh said something to him that he took affront to, and at first, he thought he should ignore it, but in the heat of the moment, he decided to give back as good as he had received.
   "I am not one of those guys who really got into any confrontations with cricketers. My stare does a lot for me, I always believed that I prefer to let the ball do all the talking for me. The incident with Steve Waugh... I always respected him highly and it was the heat of the moment really," said Ambrose.
   "There was very fierce competition between Australia and the West Indies. We were down 0-1 in the series, there was a bit of pressure and we were on the brink of losing our number one tag. He just said
something to me that I didn't like. I thought he should have shown me a little more respect.
   "My impression was to let it go but then thinking about it I said no. I decided to retaliate a bit. In that heat of the moment I really wanted to physically beat him. But the fine thing is it happened on the day, for a brief moment, and ended there. Nothing else was said after that," he added.
   In the 1995 series, after scoring 65 not out in the drawn second Test at Antigua, Waugh sent the Caribbean pacemen scurrying on a green pitch at Trinidad suited to their hostile bowling during the Third Test.
   In the first innings, he scored an unbeaten 63 of Australia's 128 and had a mid-pitch confrontation with Ambrose.
   After Waugh had evaded a bouncer from Ambrose, the pair exchanged glares. The former Australian skipper swore and told the legendary  pacer to return to his bowling mark.
   Ambrose had to be physically dragged away by his captain Richie Richardson.