Aishwarya’s latest still from ‘Endhiran’

The much awaited movie ‘Endhiran’ aka ‘Robot’ starring south superstar Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Rai will be released simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and other languages. This multi crore project is directed by Shankar and music is by AR Rahman.

This project promises to be the first of its kind in terms of CG (Computer Graphics), Special effects and Stunt Sequences. Top Notch technicians from Hollywood are being roped in for this movie making this project truly global.

Check out the latest still from the movie which reminds us of the same getup adopted by Aishwarya in her debut movie “Jeans” during “Kahene ko Saat Ajube” song near Piramid. How do you like Ash in this look? Let us know…

Sania blames injury for exit

India's Sania Mirza blamed a lack of match practice after being eliminated in the first round of the French Open here on Tuesday.

The world number 95 is trying to regain form after an injury-plagued 2008, but looked short of sharpness in a rain-hit 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) defeat to Kazakhstan's Galina Voskoboeva.

"It was tough conditions to play in, going on the court and then going off, and it was windy," said Mirza.

"I haven't had too much practice as well because I injured my wrist again after (the) Madrid (Open) and had to head back home and get that treated. And it's not one of my favourite surfaces to play on!

"But I take nothing away from her. She played really well, she served really well and I think that was the difference."

Mirza held to love in an emphatic opening service game before the heavens opened, forcing the players off with the score 1-1.

The 22-year-old surrendered her serve in the first game after the rain delay and spurned two chances to break back in game six, letting another two break points slip by at 4-3 down as Voskoboeva, 24, closed out the set.

The players exchanged breaks twice in the second set before Russia-born Voskoboeva, the world number 81, took advantage of her opponent's misfiring serve to clinch victory in the tie-break, sealing her win with an ace.

Voskoboeva will play Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in round two.

Mirza became the first female Indian player to earn in excess of one million US dollars in 2008, despite a season disrupted by a recurring wrist injury that caused her to miss last year's French Open.

Her Australian Open mixed doubles success in Melbourne this year, with partner Mahesh Bhupathi, made her the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam title.

"The amount of people who came up to us and said congratulations - those kind of things are really small things, but they really mean a lot," Mirza said.

"A stranger walks up to you and says 'I'm so happy', because you won a tennis match. You bring smiles to people's faces.

"It's great support, because there's a lot of Indians out there trying to support you, but there's also a lot of pressure.

"That's the way it is though. They expect me to win every match I play, but I think I'm used to it now."

OTHER FIRST RD RESULTS
Women
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x7) bt Claire Feuerstein (FRA) 6-1, 6-4

Jelena Jankovic (SRB x5) bt Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 6-2, 6-3

Petra Martic (CRO) bt Mara Santangelo (ITA) 6-4, 6-2

Melinda Czink (HUN) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Sybille Bammer (AUT x28) bt Nathalie Dechy (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/1)

Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-1, 2-6, 8-6

Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN x24) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x10) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 4-6, 7-5, 6-1

Men
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x5) bt Michael Llodra (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1

Marc Gicquel (FRA) bt Rainer Schuttler (GER x27) 6-0, 6-0, 6-4

Daniel Gimeno (ESP) bt Evgeny Korolev (RUS) 6-4 abandon

Victor Crivoi (ROM) bt Simon Greul (GER) 6-1, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2

Novak Djokovic (SRB x4) bt Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 6-3, 3-1 abandon

Andreas Beck (GER) bt Ivan Navarro (ESP) 7-6 (11/9), 6-4, 6-1

Gael Monfils (FRA x11) bt Bobby Reynolds (USA) 6-2, 6-3, 6-1

India clear favourites: Manjrekar

Former Test player Sanjay Manjrekar put his money on defending champions India but pace great Wasim Akram reckons Pakistan, mostly bereft of international cricket, would be hungry for success in next month's ICC World Twenty20 in England.

Manjrekar had no doubt that Mahendra Singh Dhoni would lead the most formidable squad to try and defend the title they won in 2007 even though he was candid enough to admit it doesn't necessarily mean they would win the title again.

"India certainly look the strongest team on paper, even though that does not mean they would win the title again," Manjrekar said.

Reminded that India could not defend the ODI World Cup title which they had won in 1983 under Kapil Dev, Manjrekar said Dhoni's men were a much stronger unit and stood better chance to lift the trophy again.

"Soon after the 1983 World Cup, West Indies toured India and hammered us. Unlike them, Dhoni's team is strong enough to defend their title," Manjrekar said in a programme in which ESPN-Star Sports announced that the Twenty20 World Cup would be viewed in 216 countries across the globe.

Manjrekar felt this Indian team is stronger than the side that won the inaugural tournament in 2007 and dismissed notion they would be bogged down by the pressure of defending the title.

Juve seal Diego signing

Juventus announced on Tuesday the signing of Brazilian playmaker Diego from Werder Bremen for a fee of 24.5 million euros.

The 24-year-old has signed a deal until June 2014 having spent three years in Germany after joining the club from Portugal's Porto.

Diego's last match for Werder will be in the German Cup final against Bayer Leverkusen this weekend.

Over three seasons he played 84 league matches for Werder, scoring 38 goals and he has appeared for his country 15 times.

He has been bought to replace Czech veteran Pavel Nedved who is retiring at the end of the season.

Diego's fee will be paid over three seasons with an extra 2.5 million to be added on depending on his success with the Italians.

Serie A giants Juve are in the process of rebuilding having been relegated to Serie B in 2006 due to their role in a match-fixing scandal and administrative delegate Jean Claude Blanc said the Brazilian was an important part of that process.

"Due to his technical characteristics Diego is a fundamental part of the rebuilding of our team," he said.

"We've always said that we want to build a team of young players and talented ones and Diego exudes both qualities.

"Despite his age of 24 years he's a player of great experience with having already played at the highest level for seven years."

Diego started his career at Pele's old club Santos where as a teenager he formed a formidable attacking partnership with Robinho, now of Manchester City.

He moved to then Champions League holders Porto in 2004 as a replacement for the Barcelona-bound Deco.

However, his Porto experience soon turned sour as he found himself out of favour with Dutch coach Co Ariaanse and he signed for Bremen two years later for six million euros.

He won league titles with Santos in 2002 and Porto in 2006 as well as two Copa America titles with Brazil in 2004 and 2007.

UEFA Champions League Messi praises C'Ron

Barcelona star Lionel Messi will have the chance to watch Cristiano Ronaldo at close quarters on Wednesday after admitting the Manchester United winger is the one player he would pay to see in action.

Along with Ronaldo, Argentina forward Messi is widely regarded as one of the top two or three players in the world, and the duo will be the centre of attention in Wednesday's Champions League final in Rome.

But it is the Portuguese playmaker's flamboyant skills that most excite Messi when he sits down to watch a match on television.

"Manchester United have quality everywhere," Messi told the Daily Mail. "So many good players. But if I had to pick one out it would be Ronaldo. He is a player I would pay to watch.

"He and I are very different players but he is unbelievable, very special, and it will not be easy to stop him.

"But we must not pay all attention to him and forget about Berbatov, Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

"Manchester United have players all over the pitch who can punish you in the same way we have."

Messi also reaffirmed his loyalty to Barcelona and insisted he wants to remain with the club for the rest of his career.

The 21-year-old has been linked with a move to arch-rivals Real Madrid, but he has no intention of leaving Camp Nou.

"I have said so many times that I am so happy at Barcelona, and I have no desire to ever leave," he said.

"I owe them so much. I want to repay them for the rest of my career. I am loyal to Barcelona.

"The doctors at home in Argentina told my parents I would never grow past 4ft 5in.

"The medical bills were very high. My father took on other jobs but even then it was not enough for the other bills.

"Nobody else was prepared to take a chance on me apart from Barcelona and if it was not for them I would not even be a professional football player."

Akhtar barred from T20 meet

Shoaib Akhtar has been barred from playing in the national Twenty20 tournament by the Pakistan board after they had him replaced in the World Twenty20 squad because he was suffering from a skin infection.

Shoaib had been named captain of the Islamabad Leopards squad two days after he was cut from the Pakistan team. A PCB official, however, said the board had informed the Islamabad Cricket Association (ICA) that Shoaib would be violating his central contract if he played for them despite medical advice advising 10 to 12 days' rest.

"The [Pakistan] board has sent us the medical report and a copy of the central contract, which states that a player playing against medical advice can be fined," Shakil Shaikh, president of the ICA, told Dawn.

Shoaib was initially a part of Pakistan's 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 but he missed the training camp in Bhurban because of a skin infection and was advised 10 days rest by a three-member medical panel appointed by the PCB. The panel's decision prompted the board to replace Akhtar with medium-pacer Rao Iftikhar Anjum.

Prior, Shah lift Eng

Matt Prior's one-day international best of 87 was the highlight of England's record total against the West Indies of 328 for seven at Edgbaston here on Tuesday.

Together with Owais Shah, who made an entertaining 75, wicketkeeper Prior put on 149 in 126 balls for the third wicket as England surpassed their previous ODI best against the West Indies of 306 for five at The Oval in 1995.

It was further proof, after their six-wicket win at Bristol on Sunday, that England could function effectively without injured stars Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen.

England captain Andrew Strauss (52) and Ravi Bopara (49) gave the hosts a solid start after West Indies captain Chris Gayle won the toss and chose to field in a match the tourists had to win to end the series all square at 1-1.

But first change Fidel Edwards, in his first over of the series, almost took a wicket when Strauss on 16, cut to backward point where Kieron Pollard, diving forward, failed to hold the difficult, low chance.

England's fifty came up in 62 balls and Bopara continued to find the boundary with some superb square-cuts and drives in a spell of four fours in nine balls faced.

But Bopara was one short of his fifty when, after pushing forward with an angled bat against Dwayne Bravo, the ball struck his pad before rolling onto his stumps.

Bopara's runs had come off 54 balls with seven fours and England were now 81 for one off 15 overs.

England captain Strauss though did get to fifty, off 65 balls with seven fours, but his next ball saw him stumped by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin off giant left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn.

Strauss's Middlesex colleague Shah forced the pace by hammering Edwards so hard for four through mid-wicket that Ramnaresh Sarwan had to go off injured, after getting a hand to the bal.

Shah completed a run-a-ball fifty in flamboyant fashion with a wristily pulled six off Bravo, that also brought up a century partnership with Prior.

England's batting powerplay yielded 55 runs in five overs.

Shah then made the most of a free-hit to launch Jerome Taylor for six only to hole out next ball with England 289 fir five in the 46th over.

Paul Collingwood, on his 33rd birthday, took England past 300 with a four off Taylor before next ball striking the paceman for six.

ICC World Twenty20 England 09 T20 test for Ricky

Ricky Ponting flies to England on Wednesday as one of Australia's most accomplished Test and one-day players, but his reputation in the Twenty20 set-up is less certain. While Ponting is about to join previous heroes such as Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Don Bradman as players to have gone on four Ashes tours, his high standing as a modern batting master does not guarantee success in the game's shortest form.

Australia are carrying a relatively old, yet inexperienced, team to the World Twenty20 and when Ponting leads his men against West Indies on June 6 he will be playing only his 16th international. Often when this sort of engagement arrives Ponting takes a rest and his wild talents are much better suited to the longer styles. Seeing him attempt slogs so early in an innings is unfair on his style, although he is not a tortoise, scoring his 376 career runs at a strike-rate of 131.

Even Ponting, an undoubted great in the other environments, struggles when rating his performance in the freshest genre. "Batting where I do in the top order of Twenty20 cricket, it can sometimes be a bit difficult," he said during the team's pre-tour camp on the Sunshine Coast. "Obviously the earlier you get in the better chance you've got of making a big score but you're expected to play in a certain way. Top-order batsmen are always going to have their ups and downs in that sort of game."

Ponting has not passed 38 in his previous four Twenty20 matches and knows his record. "The past couple of games I've played have been very poor," he said. "In the two games in South Africa I made 1 in each. It's not great form going into a World Cup."

Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist showed in the IPL that age was no barrier in 40-over affairs and while Ponting is only 34, it's possible that he will not be embracing all three formats when the next Twenty20 World Cup is held in 2010. Australia's selectors have grown used to chopping older players from the one-day side if they are not going to be around for the next global tournament, but Ponting would not be drawn on when he would shave Twenty20 from his schedule.

He rejoined the Australia squad on Sunday after missing the series against Pakistan to rest and is fresh and excited ahead of the five-month trip to England. The World Twenty20 acts as a two-week warm-up for the Ashes in July, when Ponting will walk out hoping his developing Test squad can retain the urn after a side full of established personnel dominated England in 2006-07.

Ponting, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich and Brett Lee are only men in the current set-up who have played a Test in England and there is a strong desire to prepare the younger team members for the experience. "I'm embarking on my fourth Ashes tour, so I've been around the block," Ponting said. "It will be important to me to get to the younger guys to talk about what to expect when we arrive."

The first stages of the preparation started on Sunday when most of the Twenty20 squad members, who depart on Wednesday, and national contract holders arrived in Coolum. There are a few missing faces with Andrew Symonds and Cameron White still in South Africa after their IPL commitments while Michael Hussey joined his team-mates on Monday night. Hussey crossed the Indian Ocean twice in the past week after making himself available for Chennai's semi-final, but he was not considered good enough to be picked and returned home.

Shane Watson, who must prove his fitness from a groin injury over the next month to make the Ashes tour, had a light work on Monday and Ponting said he should be available to bowl during the Twenty20 tournament. However, Ponting said what happened over the next month would not guarantee spots for the Ashes. "I don't think you can take much out of Twenty20 form ahead of Test matches," he said. "We've got two tour games and that will be the best chance to get a look at the guys who will play in the Tests. We'll start thinking of the Ashes make-up in the tour games."

Yanks and more: Game 46: Yankees at Rangers

Yanks and more: Game 46: Yankees at Rangers

Cyclone death toll rises to 94

Death toll from Cyclone Aila rose to 94 following recovery of more bodies from different cyclone-battered coastal districts in Bangladesh.

Of them, 23 were killed in Satkhira, 20 in Khulna, 18 in Noakhali, nine in Barisal, six in Patuakhali, five each in Laxmipur and Bhola, three in Narshindi, two each in Bagerhat and Chapainawabganj, and other one in Natore during and after the cyclone.

The cyclone Aila that hit the country’s coastal belt yesterday claimed 23 lives in Satkhira, according to unofficial reports.

District administration however put the initial death figure at 17 in the morning.

According to unofficial sources, at least 18 people were killed in the cyclone Aila in Hatiya and adjacent areas of the Noakhali district.

But the officer-in-charge of Hatiya Police Station confirmed only seven deaths in, adding four names to earlier figure.

He identified the latest victims as an infant and Rabi Das, 5, at Char Bashar; Sajib, 5, at Bandar Tila of Nijhum Dwip, and Ambia, 55, at Boyar Char.

Unofficial sources identified the deceased as Rahela Begum, 26, and Nazma, 10, of Nijhum Dwip, Pantu, 15, Riyad, 7, Shafi, 6, Nafis, 27, Badsha, 3, Saleha Begum, 60, Sumita Roy, 25, and Mamata, 4, of Char Bashar, Rajib, 24, and Arif, 17, of Boyar Char, Farzana, 26, Jahir, 16, Sabbir, 15, Saju, 3, and an unidentified adolescent boy of Caring Char, and Maleka Khatun, 60, at Chairman Ghat shelter home.

In Laxmipur, the death toll from cyclone rose to five.

Of them, four were killed in house collapse in Ramgati upazila during the storm and one was washed away in Sadar upazila, according to the deputy commissioner's control room source.

The dead were identified as Amena Begum, 48, wife of Ayub Ali, and Shahida Begum, 11, of Chargazaria village, Russell, 13, and his brother Henju, 7, of Teliarchar village in Ramgati upazila and Shafiq, 35, of Shakchar village in Sadar upazila.

In Patuakhali, death toll rose to six today with four more deaths in separate places.

The deceased were identified as Razzaq, 55, of Baufal upazila, Mojijunnesa, 55, and Surjo Banu, 50, of Golachipa upazila and a nine-year-old girl Doli Rani of Dashmina upazila.

Local sources said Razzaq died of stroke when he reached at a shelter centre at Dhalia in Baufal upazila at 7:30pm yesterday.

The bodies of the two women and the girl, who drowned in floodwater on Monday, were recovered this morning.

A body was recovered today in Bhola raising the death toll of the district from the cyclone to five, reports our Barisal correspondent.

The deceased was identified as Idris Ali, 55.

Barguna DC Swapan Kumar Sarkar told The Daily Star this morning that a rescue team of naval forces started journey for the affected areas.

According to official sources, eight more bodies were recovered today in Mehendiganj upazila in Barisal bringing the district's death toll to nine.

Of the deceased, Setara Begum, 55, Abdul Latif, 60, and Julia, 4, were identified.

In Bagerhat, bodies of two women, who were washed away by the tidal surge when cyclone ‘Aila’ lashed the district yesterday, were recovered today.

The deceased were identified as Jahanara Begum, 80, of Tulatola of Morelganj upazila and Chandra Banu, 60, of Dakkhin Chathalbari of Shoronkhola upazila.

Besides, Over 2,000 thatched houses of low-lying areas in Sadar, Morelganj, Mongla, Rampal, Shoronkhola and Kachua upazilas of the district were inundated due to tidal surge of up to 5-6 feet above normal astronomical tide.

Four people were killed in Narsingdi as a boat, carrying them, capsized in Meghna river during the havoc of the cyclone.

In Chapainawabganj, a couple were killed in a rain-induced wall collapse in Nachole upazila.

The victims were identified as Fazlur Rahman, 51, and his wife Marzina Begum, 40, of Hatathpara village in the upazila, our Chapainawabganj correspondent reports.

Another one person was reportedly killed in Natore as ‘Aila’ lashed the district yesterday.

Related News

• Satkhira struck badly - Print
• 18 killed as Cyclone Aila lashes coast - Print
• Aila forces to postpone HSC exams in 9 upazilas - Online

Gilly bats for Simmo

Victorious Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist said Monday he was surprised star all-rounder Andrew Symonds was not in the Australia Ashes squad.

Reflecting on his team's six-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League final Sunday, Gilchrist said Symonds had been a key player, not least when he took the wickets of Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli with successive balls to halt what seemed a Bangalore cruise to the title.

"He'd be in my team," said Gilchrist, who gave Symonds a glowing testimonial at odds with the player's "bad boy" reputation that cost him a place in the Australian squad against South Africa last season.

"Ever since I've played with Andrew Symonds he's been a real team man," said Gilchrist.

"You saw a glimpse of that last year when he only played four games - the respect he had from the Indian players and international players alike. He became an instant favourite in the squad.

"He's a great personality and a wonderful talent on the cricket field who can turn matches."

Gilchrist also had words of praise for VVS Laxman, the Indian Test star who was deposed as Deccan captain after the team finished bottom of the log last season.

"Although we made changes in the coaches and the captain, everyone in the squad bought into it, including VVS. He went through a lot emotionally. The captaincy was taken away from him and he only played five games, then the selectors decided we didn't need him."

Gilchrist said Laxman had remained a good team man despite being dropped.

"He continued to contribute around the group with his experience and his vast knowledge. He wants to learn to be a better Twenty20 player. That's a wonderful example to young players to see a player at his age wanting to evolve into a better player."

According to Gilchrist, Laxman worked with the team's coaches to improve his 20-over skills.

"It's not just the young kids who are learning all the time, it applies to all of us. VVS epitomises what this franchise is all about."

Gilchrist said the team's turnaround had been due to several factors, including emphasising to the players to "make sure every ball is the most important thing in their life at that moment".

Adding strike bowlers had provided back-up for RP Singh, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, with first West Indian Fidel Edwards, then Australian Ryan Harris contributing to the bowling firepower.

Gilchrist said the team's owners had played a role by agreeing to his requests for some changes in personnel.

"The main one was [coach] Darren Lehmann, who has a wonderful cricket brain."

He also brought Australian fielding coach Mike Young and fitness trainer Steve Smith on board.

Gilchrist, who has retired from cricket except the IPL, said he looking forward to watching the World Twenty20 in England next month.

"The players who have been here for the IPL will have an advantage - as long as they get a chance to freshen up and have some time off before playing in another tournament.

Barclays English Premier League Mascherano wants Tevez

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has told his Argentina team-mate Carlos Tevez to join him at Anfield.

Tevez looks set to leave Manchester United in the close-season after the Premier League champions failed to meet the 32 million pounds transfer fee being demanded by the group of investors who own the forward's economic rights.

Reports in England claim Liverpool are leading the race to sign Tevez and Reds midfielder Mascherano is desperate for the deal to go through.

Argentina captain Mascherano plays alongside Tevez at international level and also had a brief spell with the forward at West Ham in the 2006-07 season, so he knows how much the striker would help Liverpool's bid to dethrone United next season.

Mascherano said: "It would be great to have Carlos here with me, I know how good he is.

"But I don't really know what the situation is, it is certainly a difficult one.

"I don't know exactly what is happening. The only thing I can say is that he is a great player and a great person."

Mascherano will get the chance to persuade Tevez to move to Liverpool Tevez next month when Argentina have two World Cup qualifiers against Columbia and Ecuador.

He said: "I will be with Carlos in the national team shortly, and we know we have to win important games and if we can get six points from our next two matches we will be closer to the World Cup."

Whether they can end up at Anfield together next season is a question for Benitez and Liverpool's American owners.

But it is believed that Tevez does not want to move from his Cheshire home and intends staying in the Premier League if he does eventually leave Manchester United.

Mascherano admits Liverpool's failure to win the title despite losing only two matches was a massive frustration.

He said: "We wanted to win the league and we were very close, but we accept that Manchester United did very well also.

"It is difficult to take, because if you look at the table and you see Liverpool with 86 points, that's enough to win the league in many previous seasons.

"Previous champions have had less points than we had this season. But we have to improve, and we will be ready for next season after what has been a good campaign and better than the last four or five seasons beforehand.

"It is not easy knowing you have really good players and you finish only second, it is difficult to understand.

"We will have to see what happens now. We have the squad to compete in the league, but maybe if some new players came to improve the team it would be great for us next season. It does not need improving too much, maybe a little bit.

"We need to improve at home. We dropped a lot of points at home because we didn't have that experience to finish the games, but next season we will have the experience and maybe it will be better for us.

"You can see against the top sides we almost beat all of them. But at home we dropped a lot of points against Hull, Manchester City and Fulham.

"Winning those points could have won us the league."

Cannavaro bids farewell

Fabio Cannavaro took his leave of Real Madrid's fans on a losing note on Sunday but insisted he had enjoyed his time in Spain.

The Italian World Cup winning skipper was substituted 10 minutes into the second half of the 1-3 loss to Mallorca, the club's final home game of the season.

The fans gave him a solid round of applause which drew thanks afterwards from the player.

"I have had three fantastic seasons, it has been an incredible experience winning two leagues and being in the Real Madrid dressing room," Cannavaro said.

"I have always tried to be professional and give everything, I think the fans appreciate that and it was amazing to hear them chanting my name at the end.

"It was sad to finish my time at the club losing but after the defeat by Barcelona it has been very difficult for us to bounce back.

"The loss to Barcelona has definitely been the lowest point of my time here."

The 35-year-old world player of the year in 2006 following Italy's World Cup triumph in Germany has re-signed for Juventus for next season

Real began with plenty of possession but they lacked movement from Raul Gonzalez and Klass Huntelaar in attack.

They did get the breakthrough though when Gonzalo Higuain headed home after 20 minutes but Juan Arango equalised minutes later against the run of play.

Cleber Santana scored a superb goal, beating four players before clipping the ball into the top corner and then the victory was confirmed with another fine strike by Alhassane Keita.

England want series Final ODI against Windies today

England's momentum shows no sign of slowing after their impressive six-wicket win at Bristol Sunday and now their aim is to wrap up the three-match one-day series in style at Edgbaston on Tuesday before moving onto the ICC World Twenty20.

What will be even more pleasing for the management was that England won that second game at Bristol convincingly without Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.

The bowling was impressive throughout, led by James Anderson and Stuart Broad, with Paul Collingwood nipping in with three key wickets. Andrew Strauss had a superb day in the field, too, when he introduced Graeme Swann against a charging Chris Gayle and the move paid off when Gayle missed a wild swing.

As good as England were, though, West Indies were awful. Their shot selection was woeful, the running poor and the general application gave a further impression of a team that isn't bothered. The decision to rest Fidel Edwards was also strange on one of the quickest pitches of the season so far. If Gayle can turn on the style in Birmingham they could yet level the series, but don't bet on it.

Graeme Swann is having a great time of things at the moment and has the wood over a number of West Indies batsmen. When his first ball at Bristol was planted over long-on by Gayle, Swann didn't panic and removed the West Indies captain next ball. Gayle is unlikely to hold back if faced with Swann again, so this duel could have a second chapter in the final game. Strauss certainly won't be afraid of throwing Swann the ball.

The one West Indies player who can hold their head high is Dwayne Bravo after he made an attractive half-century and bowled with heart. But as hard as he tried he couldn't rouse his teammates out of their slumber. Without a doubt, his return strengthens the team, but he needs much more support than was shown on Sunday.

TEAMS
ENGLAND (probable): Andrew Strauss (captain), Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Tim Bresnan, James Anderson.

WEST INDIES (probable): Chris Gayle (captain), Lendl Simmons, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn, Fidel Edwards.

Indian Premier League A Gilchrist glory

In the context of his overall career an Indian Premier League (IPL) title may not be the pinnacle, but Adam Gilchrist's contribution to Deccan Chargers' 2009 triumph will make this a truly special achievement.

During an international career that spanned almost 12 years the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman won three World Cups, three Ashes series and set many more records as an integral cog of the all-conquering Australian Test machine.

When he retired from international duty early last year he was widely heralded as the greatest wicketkeeper-batsman of all time, having revolutionised the role with explosive batting and exemplary glovework.

More than 12 months on, Gilchrist has reminded the world of his incredible talent, and added another string to his bow by exhibiting remarkable leadership qualities in turning the Chargers from chumps to champs.

Deccan finished bottom of the IPL table in 2008 after a miserable campaign in which they won just two of 14 matches, and little more was expected of them in the competition's second edition.

"We certainly felt at the start of the tournament that we were coming in as one of the least favoured teams," Gilchrist admitted after the Chargers beat Bangalore in the final Sunday.

"I really encouraged our team to try to play everything down and fly under the radar if you like, because we were happy with that, without having any expectations on us."

Indian fans will remember Gilchrist leading Australia to their first Test series win on Indian soil in 35 years as stand-in skipper for the injured Ricky Ponting back in 2004.

Having also served as vice-captain for a large part of his international career Gilchrist is clearly a natural leader, and his overwhelming success in his first full season as Deccan captain proved it.

Under his tutelage the Chargers raced out of the blocks, winning their first four matches before holding their nerve in the knock-out rounds to become the Twenty20 competition's second champions.

"The first thing I said at the start of our first meeting was, 'Guys, we're all in it together'," he reflected.

"That was my first line of our first team meeting and yeah, we're all going to enjoy this [victory] together."

As much as his leadership, Gilchrist's powerful hitting at the top of the order was crucial to Deccan's charge as he hammered 495 runs, the second highest tally in the tournament.

Reviving memories of the 2007 World Cup final when he single-handedly destroyed Sri Lanka in Barbados, the veteran blitzed an incredible 85 off just 35 deliveries Friday to dump much-fancied Delhi Daredevils out of the five-week Twenty20 extravaganza.

But perhaps most astonishing has been how sharp his wicketkeeping remains, an attribute that turned the final on its head when he brilliantly stumped Virat Kohli off the bowling of Andrew Symonds to take Deccan's second wicket in two balls.

Bought for 700,000 dollars in the IPL auction last year Gilchrist has been worth every cent, and while this may not equal the experience of winning World Cups the veteran is forced to admit that he's loved every moment.

"This is the only cricket I play now, so given what we went through last year, this is just a really tremendous effort from the whole franchise to turn it around. It's just been a great experience."

Nadal, Safina sail

Rafael Nadal, bidding for an historic fifth successive French Open title, swept into the second round on Monday while women's top seed Dinara Safina engineered a brutal centre court humiliation.

Top seed and world number one Nadal, sporting a bright pink shirt, saw off plucky Brazilian qualifier Marcos Daniel 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 to take his Roland Garros career record to 29 wins in 29 matches.

He will now face either Igor Kunitsyn or Teimuraz Gabashvili, both Russians, for a place in the last 32.

World number two Federer, the runner-up to Nadal in the last three finals, faces Spain's Alberto Martin later on Monday with the Swiss beginning his 11th attempt to win an elusive French Open title and complete a career Grand Slam.

Women's world number one Safina handed out a 6-0, 6-0 mauling to Anne Keothavong as the Russian's howitzer hitting ruthlessly exposed the Briton's glaring weaknesses.

Safina, the 2008 runner-up and bidding to win a maiden Grand Slam title, will face compatriot Vitalia Diatchenko, a qualifier, for a place in the last 32.

Keothavong, the world number 48, had come into the tournament buoyed by her performance in Warsaw last week where she became the first British woman in 26 years to make the semi-finals of a WTA claycourt event.

But her sun-blessed Roland Garros debut turned into a nightmare as Safina showed no mercy, racing to victory in just over an hour on the back of three breaks of serve in each set.

The 25-year-old Keothavong had the minor satisfaction of saving four match points before the world number one secured victory with another pinpoint, down-the-line forehand.

It was one of 16 winners for Safina compared to just two for the hapless Briton.

"I'm not going to go away and slit my wrists," said Keothavong.

"You have to find a way to laugh about it. What else is there to do? I'm sure there will be jokes about it, but I can take it."

Safina said it was hard to feel sympathy for her opponent.

"When we shook hands, she said: 'At least you could have given me one game'," revealed the Russian.

Also making progress were third seed Venus Williams, the 2002 runner-up, who saw off Amercian compatriot Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

China's Zheng Jie, the 15th seed and Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn kept Asian interest alive, but Japanese 33-year-old Ai Sugiyama, playing in her 15th Roland Garros, went out 6-3, 6-2 to France's Aravane Rezai.

Maria Sharapova is due to make her first Grand Slam appearance since Wimbledon last year when she tackles Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus.

Elsewhere, in the men's first round, Russian 10th seed Nikolay Davydenko, twice a semi-finalist, eased past Austria's Stefan Koubek 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 with compatriot Mikhail Youzhny also advancing with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-1, 6-4 win over Luxembourg's Gilles Muller.

Maldini bids San Siro bye

Paolo Maldini's final match in front of the San Siro crowd ended in disappointment as AS Roma stunned AC Milan 3-2 on Sunday.

Maldini was making his last appearance in the red and black Milan shirt in front of his home fans but Francesco Totti's late free-kick pooped the party for the 40-year-old veteran, who made his debut for the club in 1985 as a 16-year-old.

And despite Massimo Ambrosini's brace in the final quarter of an hour, Roma snatched a vital three points that secured them a place in next season's Europa League.

The result didn't do anything, though, to stop Milan's fans paying homage to a player who has graced the San Siro pitch for 24 years.

No-one left the building as Maldini performed a lap of honour to rousing applause, although a small minority spoiled the atmosphere by chanting slogans against Maldini.

Even so, coach Carlo Ancelotti, who may too leave Milan at the end of the season, said it did nothing to detract from the generally generous reception the club captain received.

"A small minority protested against certain things he did. It was a drop in an ocean full of affection and passion, hence insignificant," he said before deflection talk of his own future.

"Today there's no reason to talk about that because we're still playing (there's one more match to play).

"We have a week to prepare well. Hence we will talk about all this after Florence (Milan's last game is away to Fiorentina)."

The hosts had the first clear chance of the game just before the half hour mark as Pato was sent clean through down the inside left channel. He opened up his body and brought the ball back onto his right foot to try to curl the ball around Roma goalkeeper Artur but the Brazilian got the slightest touch to deflect it wide.

That save proved crucial seven minutes later as Norway full-back John Arne Riise lashed home a vicious shot after David Pizarro rolled a free-kick into his path.

Roma should have gone into the break two up but Montenegro forward Mirko Vucinic wasted a glorious opportunity in the last minute, rushing his volleyed shot from 17 yards after Riise's deflected effort dropped over into his path.

Milan upped their tempo after the break with substitutes Clarence Seedorf and Ronaldinho bringing them some much-needed energy and invention.

On 68 minutes Kaka forced Artur into a fingertip save and then moments later Ronaldinho produced some magic on the left before teeing up Ambrosini but the midfielder couldn't get any power behind his header.

But soon after that the game exploded into life with Ambrosini to the fore.

On 75 minutes Artur saved Filippo Inzaghi's shot from Kaka's cross and Ambrosini swept home the loose ball.

But just five minutes later Roma were back in front as Jeremy Menez twisted and turned in the area before shooting across Dida into the far corner.

That lead lasted only a minute as Ambrosini was left unmarked at the back post to turn home Kaka's cross.

Yet back came Roma again and they took the lead for the third time when captain Francesco Totti thumped home a free-kick with five minutes to play.

In other games champions Inter Milan were beaten 2-1 at Cagliari while Juventus won for the first time in eight matches, 3-0 at Siena to jump above Milan into second.

Lecce will join already-relegated Reggina in Serie B next season after Martin Jorgensen's last minute equaliser for Fiorentina earnt them a 1-1 draw at Lecce.

Chievo secured their survival with a 0-0 draw against Bologna, who will have to wait until next weekend to see if they stay up.

Either they or Torino, who were beaten 3-2 at home to Genoa, will go down and they are level on 34 points.

Maria hungry for success

Maria Sharapova said she was gunning for Grand Slam glory again after making her comeback from a nine-month injury lay-off with a first-round victory at the WTA Warsaw Open on Monday.

The 22-year-old former world number one was taken to three sets by Italy's Tathiana Garbin before eventually prevailing 6-1, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 and said she was delighted to be back in action.

"In these nine months, the only thing that I've accomplished is a good pasta carbonara," she joked.

"At the end of the day, that's not my specialty. My specialty is to go out and compete in Grand Slams."

The Russian has slipped to a world ranking of 126 after being laid low by an injury to her right shoulder and she admitted that the road to recovery had not been easy.

"Right now I've been not playing for nine months, so everything is a test," she said. "Every single day is a test, especially after you have surgery."

Sharapova appeared to be cruising to a comfortable victory when serving for the match at 5-3 up in the second set, but a nervy service game enabled her opponent to get back into the match.

The three-time major-winner, though, said her errors had nothing to do with her problematic shoulder.

"I think it was definitely me trying to finish the match off and being a bit more nervous in that second set," she said.

"It's a whole different ball game when you haven't been there in a while and it throws you off a little bit.

"There you are after nine months, you have an opportunity to win your first match back so you start thinking of everything that has gone on and how you've planned to use the present time."

Sharapova, who has titles at Wimbledon (2004), the US Open (2006) and the Australian Open (2008) under her belt, revealed that the time off had made her feel like a returning veteran.

"I feel like I'm 30," she said. "It's definitely strange.

"I feel like I've been around for so many years and you come back after nine months and you're eating dry pasta without sauce and you're thinking: 'Oh, is this what I came back for?' But then you go out on the court and it's like: 'This is what I came back for!'"

Sharapova, though, rubbished suggestions that her extended lay-off might have dulled some of her appetite for the game.

"I don't think I've done enough," she said. "I feel I can accomplish a lot more. I may be 22 years old but I'm not done. I have many things to do and many things to accomplish and I'm a girl on a mission."

Barclays English Premier League Black Cats struggling

Sunderland's struggle to avoid relegation will go down to the wire after lax defending contributed to a 3-1 loss at Portsmouth's Fratton Park here on Monday.

The Black Cats' needed all three points from this visit to the south coast but their Premier League fate will now be determined by Chelsea's visit next Sunday.

Sunderland were left just two points clear of the drop zone with a win against Chelsea seeing them safe while anything else and their future will be decided by results elsewhere.

Ricky Sbragia's strugglers remain a point better off than Hull, who host Manchester United, and two ahead of local rivals Newcastle.

Portsmouth had already ensured their topflight status last weekend.

Both sides hit the post in a goalless and largely lifeless first half.

Sunderland were lucky to escape when the woodwork diverted Peter Crouch's close range header in the fourth minute, while the visitors were groaning when Kenwyne Jones' glancing header hit Asmir Begovic's right-hand post approaching the break.

Begovic, replacing the injured David James, was having his first start for Portsmouth, and the lanky Yugoslavian-born Canadian made his mark when producing a double save to deny efforts from Steed Malbranque in the 14th minute.

Then after almost 12 and a half hours without either side scoring a goal, first Sunderland and then Portsmouth put an end to that miserable statistic as a dreary encounter suddenly caught fire.

Jones had the Sunderland fans dreaming of another season in the Premier League when he half-volleyed Calum Davenport's cross from the right past Begovic in the 58th minute.

But Portsmouth were back on level terms seconds later when Nigerian John Utaka held off a Black Cats defender to rifle past Marton Fulop, although it was not without controversy as the referee had blown his whistle for a penalty before the ball crossed the line.

Poor defending by Anton Ferdinand who failed to secure Begovic's long punt down field left Utaka in a one-on-one with Fulop with Phil Bardsley's attempt to prevent the inevitable resulting in an own goal.

With 20 minutes on the clock Begovic denied Grant Leadbitter's low 30 yard drive and the Canadian keeper did well shortly after to keep out Jones' determined volley.

Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia introduced Djibril Cisse for Teemu Tainio in a last ditch bid to find the all important equaliser, the Frenchman quickly followed on the pitch by Daryl Murphy for Leadbitter.

But it was Portsmouth who had the last word, killing off the game and possibly Sunderland's tenure in the Premier League when on-loan Armand Traore drilled a shot into Fulop's far corner.

Sbragia, reflecting on the second goal, told Setanta Sports: "We knew in the second half they'd push on to us and close us down. but we got off to a good start. Kenwyne scored and from then on we should have been a bit more confident and bossed the game.

"We kept the lead for two minutes, and that's not acceptable. The second goal was a bad mistake by Anton. He switched off. I would imagine he should have just put his foot through it and helped it on.

"From then on I thought we played reasonably well. We left ourselves open late on - we were obviously trying to go for the equaliser."

ICC World Twenty20 Their T20 with media

Given their reticence, it is uncommon for any of the national cricketers to speak with the reporters so when the entire national cricket team turned up to face the media yesterday, it yielded interesting results for both parties.

The occasion was the ICC World Twenty20 for which the Bangladesh team will take off for London on May 23, and a few of the team members are new to the national fold and absolutely raw when it comes to facing the media. Remarkably, even the more experienced ones find talking to the media troublesome but then there are a few who talk openly and eloquently enough to sound reasonable.

To the surprise of many, the introverted Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim delighted the journalists with their wise replies. The two BKSP lads have come a long way from the days when they were said to be difficult with the media. "We have specific goals for the team like starting well and how to finish an innings but if we can't fulfil them, we will think differently," said the world's No. 1 ODI all-rounder. Mushfiqur was bold enough to suggest that he wasn't happy with the practice in Dhaka but reminded everyone that their first match opponents should remember the Tigers. "India are a big team and probably the favourites but for what happened in 2007 [World Cup in West Indies], they will keep us on mind," said the baby-faced wicketkeeper.

Among the new boys, Mohammad Mithun seemed confident enough but for Shamsur Rahman and Rubel Hossain, it was nothing short of an ordeal. The same goes for some of the older boys in the group who bank on obvious lines even when pressed with a difficult question. They would merely mention their targets, an obvious question, and fend off the harder ones with some difficulty. 'I will try to do well' is a favourite for this shy lot while some simply inform what they are, a batting or bowling all-rounder.

This sort is a nightmare for the journalists who always stay in the lookout for stories with unique angles. Yesterday it was all going downhill until Tamim Iqbal, Shahadat Hossain and to some extent Nayeem Islam came to the rescue.

"Look, if I bowl at the same pace Yusuf Pathan will send me out of the ground. But not me, he will dispatch my ball!" quipped the easy-going Shahadat who informed that he himself couldn't hit the ball a long way.

Tamim's little quip in third person could be taken as a slight sense of arrogance but it's quickly covered by his witty persona. "Nobody knew Tamim, but Tamim also didn't know Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma," jibed the left-hander when asked about the loss of his surprise factor.

But before the likes of Tamim, Shahadat, Shakib and Mushfiqur got to the dais, their teammate Nayeem Islam turned heads with his icy counter when asked about concerns with his strike-rate. Nayeem's outburst stunned many who know him as a quiet chap.

Coach Jamie Siddons however believed that some of the new boys find it difficult to cope with the pressures of media and officials when they play at home. "I think they are in some pressure when they play at home with the media around but look how Tamim (Iqbal) and Shakib (Al Hasan) have managed everything," said Siddons.

Siddons targets India

ICC World Twenty20

Bangladesh national cricket team have tar-getted beating India in their first match of the ICC World Twenty20s in England and are all set to depart amidst some modest but important concerns from coach Jamie Siddons.

Siddons's biggest worry is the lack of international exposure that the Tigers have had ahead of the tournament and he believes that it is a worrying factor as the players have not faced quality bowling attacks in the recent past.

"Definitely it's a cause for concern for us since we haven't faced world-class opponents for some time now. The boys have played plenty of domestic cricket here and in Chittagong, but they haven't faced good fast bowlers and the practice matches we have played are good but not really world-class," said Siddons.

Bangladesh team will fly out for London on May 23. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have scheduled a seven-day training camp at Wormsley, which includes three unofficial practice matches against New Zealand on May 26, Netherlands on May 28 (Canterbury) and against Scotland on May 29.

Captain Mohammad Ashraful and vice-captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza will join the squad in Wormsley a day after the team arrives in England as they would first travel from South Africa to Dhaka and then catch a flight to London on May 24.

Bangladesh's official practice matches are against Australia on June 1 and Sri Lanka on June 4 at Trent Bridge.

Bangladesh have been pitted in Group A along with defending champions India and ICC associate member Ireland in the second version of the ICC World Twenty20s which will begin on June 5. Ashraful's men face India on June 6 and Ireland on June 8 at Trent Bridge.

Siddons is happy with his schedule of practice matches but felt that it would have been better if the side were pitted against more quality bowling line-ups.

"I hope the five practice matches will help us recover all that we have missed but again, we are facing the likes of Scotland who also don't have fast bowlers to push us. So I hope we pick up the pace sooner so that we are ready for the challenge ahead," added the coach.

Siddons did not just point out India as an early kill but also explained that reaching the second round and living up to the Tiger's name of giant killers were equally important.

"Anyone can win in a Twenty20 game and anyone can get knocked over. But we are hoping to beat India in our first game and we are not too worried about our second game against Ireland. Realistically we want to get to the Super Eights and once we are there we want to be the giant killers that people think we are. But we don't want any games to be a fluke; I'd rather want them to be genuine victories for us. It's bit of a cliché but we are trying to beat India first, that's our main target," said Siddons.

On the issue of whether captain Ashraful and his deputy Mashrafe have missed out on some valuable preparation ahead of the competition, the coach kept his fingers crossed and considered the practice matches will be good enough for them to turn in some good performances.

"I pushed for Mash (Mashrafe Bin Mortaza) and Ash (Mohammad Ashraful) to join the squad early as it's important to gel together as a team. It's a big sacrifice on their part as they are going to come here and just a day later they will fly out to England.

"They are not getting the match practice they need at the moment so its important for them to join us for the practice games in England. If they have some success they will be ready. Ashraful holds the key for us to win games as he is the number three batter and it's important for him to fire early on if we want to win games," added the Australian.

The rookies in the team Shamsur Rahman and Mohammad Mithun look forward to making the playing eleven in their debut season but the shaven-headed coach thinks they need to work on a few things before they can sustain their careers at the international stage.

"I haven't seen too much of the two new boys although we have been working with them. They have got issues as most of the guys who have gone through our system have had like backlift and stuff but I am not toying too much with them and just letting them play their instinctive game.

"But for them to be long term players a few changes need to be made and then there's the added pressure of facing the media and meet the board members and cameras in their faces; its all so nerve wracking. We just need to give them some time and they will be okay," said Siddons.

Bangalore stay afloat

Jacques Kallis struck an unbeaten 58 and took a key wicket as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat leaders Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets Tuesday to stay in the Indian Premier League title hunt.

The big South African batted throughout the 19-over Bangalore innings as they reached 135-3 in reply to 134-7 in 20 overs from Delhi, who are sure to finish first with one round of group fixtures left.

But below them the stage is set for a thrilling climax to the round-robin phase of the Twenty20 extravaganza on Wednesday and Thursday with five franchises chasing three semifinals places.

Chennai Super Kings have 15 points, Deccan Chargers, Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab 14 each and defending champions Rajasthan Royals 13 with double-headers to come in Durban and Centurion.

While many in the team dug-outs at the Wanderers used blankets to fend off the autumn chill, a good crowd turned up at one of the homes of South African cricket and were treated to a tense struggle until the final few overs.

Winning skipper and India legend Anil Kumble claimed he is not even checking the standings traffic-jam, but concentrating on masterminding another win when they face Deccan Thursday.

"I'm taking this tournament one game at a time and not looking at the table. All I'm thinking about is how to win the next match which would guarantee us a place in the semifinals."

Kallis said his role was critical: "In big games senior players must come through and I knew that someone had to stay at the crease for the innings. After a run of four losses, the hunger for success is back in the team."

Delhi captain Virender Sehwag offered no excuses after only their fourth loss in 13 outings: "Perhaps the boys were a little relaxed knowing that we were through, but there is nothing for us to worry about."

SCORES IN BRIEF
DELHI DAREDEVILS: 134 for 7 in 20 overs (Karthik 31, De Villiers 28, Gambhir 27, Nagar 20; Praveen 3-30, Kumble 2-24)
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: 135 for 3 in 19 overs (Kallis 58 not out, Dravid 38, Taylor 25; Nagar 2-20)
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 7 wickets.
Man-of-the-match: Jacques Kallis.

LEGA Calcio Inter celebrate in style

Inter Milan celebrated their fourth straight Serie A title in style as they cruised to an easy 3-0 win over Siena at the San Siro on Sunday.

The scudetto crown, won in coach Jose Mourinho's first season in charge of the nerazzurri, was wrapped up on Saturday when AC Milan lost 2-1 at Udinese but that didn't dampen the party atmosphere in the San Siro.

Inter began by playing champagne football with tricks and flicks the order of the day until the side started to knuckle down and play the type of game that has brought them success this season.

"It was important to win, there wouldn't have been much point to our party if we hadn't won," said Mourinho.

"This was a serious match, we weren't kidding around. Our strength is that we always play very seriously. Even today I got angry."

Inter opened the scoring with their first real chance on 44 minutes after Siena goalkeeper Gianluca Curci beat out Mario Balotelli's free-kick and Dejan Stankovic's reaction, but he could do nothing about Esteban Cambiasso's second follow-up.

It was a fitting goal for Inter's defensive midfield lynchpin who has been a vital cog this season.

Just seven minutes after the break the game was over as a meaningful contest as Balotelli beat the offside trap, rounded Curci and rolled the ball into the net with the outside of his boot.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic added the third with his 22nd league goal of his most prolific of five seasons in Italy, shooting through Curci's legs on 76 minutes.

That even allowed Mourinho to give reserve goalkeeper Paolo Orlandoni a run out before the party began.

Meanwhile, under-fire Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri's job slipped further from his grasp after a 2-2 home draw against Atalanta to take their winless streak to seven matches.

Third placed Juve now hold a single point advantage over Fiorentina in fourth and risk missing out on automatic qualification to the Champions League group stages next season.

Only the top three in Italy earn that honour while the fourth placed finisher must negotiate two qualifying rounds to make it to the group stages.

Fiorentina's 1-0 home win over Sampdoria was their sixth win in seven matches and during that period they have made up 12 points on Juve.

This result, in a match played in front of an empty Stadio Olimpico as punishment for racist chants aimed at Balotelli last month, may prove a fatal blow to Ranieri's future in Turin.

Things started badly as Luca Cigarini gave Atalanta a second-minute lead before Juve replied through Vincenzo Iaquinta and Cristiano Zanetti's spectacular long range volley.

But a minute before the break, Maximiliano Pellegrino scored to earn the mid-table visitors a point.

Fiorentina's victory means they are almost assured of Champions League football for the second year in a row after Genoa were held to a 2-2 home draw by Chievo.

La Viola lead fifth-placed Genoa by five points with two games left but with just a point separating them from Juve, they will have their eyes on a top three place.

At the bottom, Sergio Volpi scored a crucial injury time winner as Bologna beat Lecce 2-1 at home to boost their survival hopes and virtually condemn their visitors to Serie B.

Lecce are now bottom and five points from safety following Torino's 2-1 win at Napoli.

Second bottom Reggina beat Cagliari 2-1, but remain four points behind Torino.

The final relegation position looks likely to be between Bologna and Torino, who are separated by one point. Torino are ahead but Bologna have the better head to head record.

IPL Veeru targets runs

After leading the Delhi Daredevils on a smooth ride to the semifinals, Virender Sehwag has set his sights on regaining his form with the bat.

Delhi have been at or near the top of the table for most of the tournament, but it has been a disappointing run for Sehwag. He has only managed 109 runs at 15.57 and struggled to an eight-ball 2 in the victory over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.

"We did not get to a good start as I and Gautam (Gambhir) got out early. But AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan batted really well to take us to 150," Sehwag was quoted as saying by PTI after the match. "Now I want to get among runs before the semifinals. That would be great for the team."

de Villiers and Dilshan have been the backbone of Delhi's batting, rescuing the side from poor starts in several games. It was their 87-run partnership for the third wicket that revived Delhi after Munaf Patel had struck twice in an over to remove Gambhir and Sehwag.

In the penultimate over Munaf leaked 25 runs, the second most expensive of the tournament, which helped Delhi reach 150. Shane Warne, the Rajasthan captain, defended Munaf, who had been the hero in his side's thrilling win over Mumbai on Thursday. "Munaf bowled fantastic in the match against Mumbai. [Being hit for runs] can happen in Twenty20 cricket, it's part and parcel of the game."

He was more critical of the fielding effort and the lack of consistency in the batting. "We did not hold a few catches," he said. "But I thought if we got to a good start we would chase down 150. We did not do that and that has been happening all through the tournament."

Rajasthan now have to win their final league game against Kolkata Knight Riders to stay in contention for a place in the semifinals.

Kolkata stop the rot

Australasians Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge were the heroes as Kolkata Knight Riders shocked Chennai Super Kings Monday in an Indian Premier League thriller.

Skipper McCullum from New Zealand struck 81 runs and Australian Hodge an undefeated 71 as Kolkata scored a single off the last ball at Centurion Park and triumphed by seven wickets.

It was only the second win in 13 outings for the bottom team in the Twenty20 extravaganza while a Chennai side lacking injured star batsman Matthew Hayden suffered their fifth loss of the group phase which finishes Thursday.

Suresh Raina top scored for Chennai with 52 as they made 188-3 in 20 overs on a cold, late autumn evening at the Test venue halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

McCullum was quickly into his stride as Kolkata chased a daunting total, reaching a half century during the sixth over before being bowled by Shadab Jakati with his side on 124-2 after 13 overs.

But Hodge carried the fight to Chennai and after going into the final over needing six runs to win, it came down the final ball which wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha scrambled for a single to avoid a super-over climax.

"Winning was far more important than my contribution," said modest man of the match Hodge. "We have tried so hard in the IPL only to finish on the wrong side of results."

McCullum added: "I would not wish the last four weeks on my worst enemy, but the boys kept lifting themselves off the floor and tonight we got over the line. Now we must enjoy ourselves."

Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said: "We got a lot of runs only for our opponents to bat brilliantly. Now we face the same situation as last year of needing a win from our final match to clinch a semifinals place."

Kolkata face defending champions Rajasthan Royals and Chennai meet Kings XI Punjab Wednesday in a Durban double-header.

Anderson abases WI

England clinch series 2-0

James Anderson took nine wickets in a Test for only the second time in his career as England crushed the West Indies by an innings and 83 runs to win the second Test at the Riverside here on Monday.

Victory, in their last Test before the start of July's Ashes campaign, meant England took the two-match series 2-0 after a thumping 10-wicket win at Lord's and saw them regain the Wisden Trophy they'd lost in the Caribbean this year.

The West Indies, following on, were bowled out for 176 in their second innings, having made 310 first time around after England had piled up 569 for six declared in a match where the whole of Friday's second day was washed out.

"We came back to England after the West Indies tour keen to make amends for what went on over there," England captain Andrew Strauss told Sky Sports.

"We knew the conditions would help us a little more over here, but we played well and it bodes pretty well," he said after his side had won this series inside eight days' playing time.

"You have to savour your Test match victories and we are delighted but we realise we have further to go as a side."

Anderson added: "I'm delighted with how it's going. It swung around today luckily and I'm glad we could finish them off quite quickly."

West Indies captain Chris Gayle, whose side now face England in a three-match one-day series starting at Headingley on Thursday, said: "We are very disappointed with the way it worked out in difficult conditions for us but I guess it's a great way to start the summer for England.

"We found the conditions very tough but we also played poor cricket so we can't have any excuses."

West Indies were 167 for eight at lunch on having lost five wickets in the day's first session after resuming on 115 for three.

And after the break the match lasted just three overs.

Star batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul fell for 46 when he edged man-of-the-match Anderson through to Paul Collingwood, who took his first Test catch as a wicket-keeper having taken the gloves on Sunday after Matt Prior sustained a finger injury.

And Tim Bresnan, who before lunch had taken his first two wickets in Tests, ended the match when he had Fidel Edwards caught at fine leg by substitute fielder Karl Turner, who was appearing in front of his home crowd.

Anderson, who took four for 38 in this innings, had match figures of nine for 125 - his second-best in Tests after his nine for 98 against New Zealand at Trent Bridge last year.

Bresnan had an innings return of three for 45 in 14 overs.

West Indies, who resumed Monday on 115 for three, lost five wickets in the first session.

Anderson, the only other bowler used alongside Bresnan on Monday, added three more wickets before lunch to his first innings haul of five for 87, including left-hander Suliemann Benn whom he bowled for nought off the final ball before lunch.

After a pair of rain breaks saw nearly half an hour lost, the West Indies lost three wickets for five runs in 15 balls with Bresnan, in his second Test, taking two for none in three balls.

Lendl Simmons was out for 10 when he guided Anderson straight to substitute fielder Scott Borthwick at point to leave the West Indies 141 for four.

And they had added just one run when seamer Bresnan, who'd seen some chances missed off his bowling, took his first Test wicket with Nash clipping him straight to square leg where Durham's Borthwick took his second catch.

Bresnan, who along with Graham Onions made his Test debut at Lord's, then reduced West Indies to 146 for six.

Denesh Ramdin, who made a first innings fifty, exited for nought when he edged a genuine outswinger from the 24-year-old Yorkshireman to Anderson at third slip before Anderson himself bowled Jerome Taylor.

England had been in charge here from the start with opener Alastair Cook's Test-best 160 the centrepiece of their total.

Ravi Bopara, who made 108 and helped Cook add 213 for the second wicket, was named man of the series after he made a Test-best 143 at Lord's.

Bloggers are like my extended family: Amitabh Bachchan

He calls them his extended family, shares his day-to-day life with them and is now looking forward to see the faces of those who regularly visit his blog. Superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who completed a year of blogging April 17, doesn't want to tag his online friends who enrich his life as "faceless".

" 'Faceless' is a harsh term. I refer to them as my 'extended family'. They confide in me. They show affection and concern. They get upset at times and reprimand me... they miss me when I am not there on time. Are not all these wonderfully domesticated attributes?

"And now Big Adda (the website that hosts his blog) is developing software and my readers will be able to put up their photographs on the blog against their name. So they shall no longer be 'faceless'," the Big B told IANS in an interview.

Excerpts from the interview:

Blogging seems to have become a leading interest in your life. When and how did you develop an interest in it?
It is not a leading interest, but I can safely say blogging seeks my involvement every day. I had heard of the concept but had no idea what it was and what it entailed. I heard of Aamir (Khan) having one and during a discussion with Big Adda (team), who were designing my website, I enquired about it. They happily put the whole concept together - within days trained me on some essentials ... and I made a soft beginning. It has been most enlightening since.

Did it occur to you that you may not have the time to pursue blogging seriously?
No. That didn't bother me. What worried me was my absence from it, once having started it... To me, it is a wonderful medium to be able to connect with my fans and well-wishers.

What is it about blogging that you like best?
The ability to convey individually and personally my feelings to the reader, secure in the thought that it shall reach them without any corruption.

You are an extremely private person. And yet you seem happy sharing your day-to-day activities with your bloggers' community. How and why did that happen?
I think this is a completely erroneous notion in the minds of those that form opinions on me. Every day of my life for the last 40 years I have been going in front of the camera and exposing every possible emotion or attitude that I possess. Actors are indeed as transparent as they can possibly be when in front of the lens. You come to know how they speak, how they laugh, how they cry, how they dance and run and emote and.... What more would you want to know about them to declassify them from privacy?

How close do you feel to these faceless friends who visit you regularly on the blog?
'Faceless' is a harsh term. I refer to them as my 'extended family'. They confide in me. They show affection and concern. They get upset at times and reprimand me. They share their dreams and ambitions with me... they miss me when I am not there on time. Are not all these wonderfully domesticated attributes? And now Big Adda is developing software and my readers will be able to put up their photographs on the blog against their names. So they shall no longer be 'faceless'.

You've certainly enriched their lives by your presence. How have your blogging buddies enriched your life?
Brilliant question! And one that I am so happy to answer. They enrich my life by their honesty and frankness. By pulling me out of my closet at times and showing me a mirror. By critically analysing events and moments. By educating me on my faults.

How much time do you devote to blogging? Is it now a mandatory part of your daily life?
I blog whenever I get the time. Sometimes I convey rapidly, most of the time not. But I do convey every day...And may I have the strength to continue in this fashion.

Do you feel liberated of the need to put your thoughts and voice across on the media?
Yes, I do. Liberated to give my expression as opposed to that which is perceived. Liberated to contradict a mischievous accusation. Liberated to be able to inform in the correctness of things... Liberated to share a private moment with those that understand and show sympathy... And finally, liberated to stand up to 'wretched' puerile kindergarten rhymed opinion makers and be able to exercise the constitutional right of every living Indian; the freedom of my expression.

Finally, has blogging freed you of the inhibitions regarding your privacy? Are you now more inclined to write an autobiography?
I'm incapable of writing an autobiography.

Nadal on a roll

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet for the third time in as many Masters events on Saturday after the duo swept to straight-sets quarterfinal wins in Madrid on Friday.

World number one Nadal surprisingly trailed 0-4 in the second set against Spanish rival Fernando Verdasco, the seventh seed, but the king of clay stormed back for a 6-4, 7-5 win in a shade under two hours.

Third seed Djokovic, fighting to claw back his number three ranking from Scot Andy Murray, will again face Nadal on clay after losing to the Spaniard in the finals at Monte Carlo and Rome over the past month.

The Serbian reached his fourth consecutive Masters semifinal with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Croatian wild card Ivan Ljubicic.

Nadal said he was happy to have avoided a third set.

"I thought at that moment (when he trailed 0-4) that I had to play a bit better and get more confidence for a possible third set," said Nadal. "I played really bad at that moment."

Murray's hopes of celebrating his 22nd birthday with a victory were dashed by Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro who beat the Scot 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 in a late-night match-up.

Del Potro, who had lost all three of his previous meetings with Murray, came back from 2-5 in the first set to claim victory on a fourth match point in the ninth game of the second.

The Argentine now tackles Roger Federer who was made to work before overcoming Andy Roddick 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, his 18th career win over his old American rival.

Nadal has now won 32nd consecutive matches on clay, a run stretching back to May last year when he lost to compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round in Rome.

The world number one stands 18-0 on clay this year with Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome trophies already claimed.

Since 2005, Nadal has compiled a remarkable 149-4 match record on clay, a run which includes four successive French Open titles.

After surrendering his 4-0 second set lead, Verdasco then saved two match points in the 10th game before Nadal eventually claimed victory with a concluding break on the first of three more match points.

Federer last lost to Roddick in Miami last year, a result which ended an 11-match winning streak. But the American has now lost three times in 2009 to the Swiss.

From a total of 20 career meetings, Federer has prevailed 18 times.

"I should have won in straights, but that's what happens sometimes when you play Andy. I bounced back in the third and played well," said Federer, still in search of his first trophy of 2009.

"I came up with some nice points. Those make me happy. I'm pleased with how I played."

Roddick was not unhappy with his first few days on clay after missing six weeks of the season to get married to US swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker.

"I got into two pretty tough matches here," said the former world number one, who has always had troubles on clay.

"Coming back after six weeks off on probably my least favourite surface could be worse.

"All in all, it was pretty good preparation and hopefully it can get better too. I have definitely felt worse going into the French Open before."

AFC President's Cup Qualifiers 2009 Abahani stay alive

Abahani put in a good performance against formidable Ashgabat Football Club but still failed break the stalemate as the all-important last Group B match of the AFC President's Cup ended in a goalless draw at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

The outcome however was good enough for the Turkmenistan side to enter into the last four as they became group champions by virtue of better goal difference. The result also leaves Abahani with a bright chance to make their semifinal berth as a best runners-up team.

But the popular Dhanmondi outfit have to wait until June 14 to know their fate when the group matches will be completed.

The central Asian side came into the match on the back of a 5-1 mauling of Sri Lanka Army but were nowhere near as imposing against the hosts as Abahani's defensive strategy worked brilliantly.

Rather the B.League champions dominated the proceedings for most of the time but lacked finishers to put the result at bed. Ghanaian Awudu Ibrahim was under constant marking but still managed to show his class on a number of occasions but national striker Emily was off-colour for the second consecutive game.

On the other hand Abahani wrongly tried to beat the opponents in the air but failed as the Ashgabat defense was marshaled by their tall goalkeeper Harchik who foiled the local side's attempts.

Emily got the first chance in the fifth minute but the young striker played a feeble shot to the opponents goalie after receiving the ball from Ibrahim.

Zahed Parvez and captain Nazrul foiled a further two chances.

But it was substitute striker Shahajuddin Tipu who was close to becoming a hero for the successive second match but his shot in the injury time came back from the side bar to frustrate the local crowd at the big bowl.

Everybody however was surprised by the Abahani's think-tank decision to bring in Tipu with only three minutes to go but coach Amalesh Sen defended his decision by saying that the team played according to their plan. "We set a plan with three central defenders and two wing-back after watching Ashgabat match against Sri Lanka Army. I am happy that the team played according to our plan but I must say we created opportunities but failed to capitalise on it," said the veteran coach.

"Actually we lost an opportunity against Sri Lanka Army because we could even have scored five/six goals against them and in that case today's draw could have been helpful for us," he added.

On the other hand Ashgabat coach Grigoryants Boris admitted that Abahani played better football but expressed his satisfaction over the outcome.

"We had a target not to lose the match and we achieved it. I am really happy with the result. Ibrahim played brilliantly but he lacked partner," said Boris.

YELLOW CARDS: Faisal (Bangladesh), Rustam and Dovlet (Ashgabat)
TEAMS
ABAHANI: Biplob, Nazrul, Sujan, Mamun, Pranotosh, Emily, Parvez (Tipu), Siraji (Obaidur) (Abul), Yussif, Faisal and Ibrahim.
ASHGABAT: Harchik, Ilyas, Ahmed, Aleksey, Arif, Serdar (Aziz), Guvanch, Rustam, Parahat, Amanov (Dayanch) and Dovlet (Merdan).
Referee: Mohammad Mousa Khalaf Abu Loum (Jordan).

Barclays English Premier League Red Devils in heaven

Manchester United clinched their third successive Premier League title on Saturday after a 0-0 draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side were well below their best in a surprisingly subdued encounter but the point was all they needed to end Liverpool's challenge and win the English title for the 18th time - equalling the record set by the Anfield club in 1990.

United, who also have the Champions League final against Barcelona on May 27 to look forward to, have now won the Premier League 11 times in 17 seasons and will become the first English top-flight team to lift the title in four successive campaigns if they add another crown next season.

Arsenal arrived at Old Trafford resigned to finishing outside the top three for the third time in four seasons and without any silverware since winning the FA Cup in 2005.

They started the penultimate league game of the season 18 points behind the leaders after an inconsistent season in which they had reached the Champions League semifinal only to lose 4-1 on aggregate to United.

Yet Arsene Wenger's side were clearly intent on spoiling the party as they subjected a nervous United to several anxious moments during a goalless first half.

Robin van Persie, who was totally unmarked and eight yards out, spurned a glorious chance to put the visitors into the lead when he headed Sami Nasri's 13th minute cross over the bar when it would have been easier to score.

It was an incredible let off for United and they almost made the visitors pay four minutes later, Wayne Rooney heading Michael Carrick's inch-perfect cross narrowly wide.

This was anything but a vintage performance from a United team which has dominated the Premier League during the second half of the season.

Despite being cheered on by Jamaica's Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt, the hosts found it hard to make the running.

There were more signs of nerves when Nemanja Vidic and Edwin van der Sar got in one another's way while trying to defend a free-kick before a header by the dangerous van Persie was saved by van der Sar in the closing moments of the first half.

Arsenal continued to chip away at the United defence after the break, young full-back Kieran Gibbs rifling a 58th minute effort into the side netting after a patient build up involving Barcary Sagna and Andrey Arshavin.

United responded through Cristiano Ronaldo but United's 26-goal leading scorer fired woefully over the bar after good work by Carlos Tevez.

That was Tevez's last action. Moments later the Argentina international was substituted to the displeasure of United fans who jeered the decision.

Tevez, whose two-year loan expires in the summer, had hardly set the game alight yet United continued to struggle without the South American.

Ronaldo went close with a trademark dipping free-kick before van der Sar came to United's rescue with a stunning late save in a dramatic finish.

The United keeper gets the slightest of touches on a fierce shot from Cesc Fabregas before it hammered the outside of the post. It was a huge wake up call for United but within five minutes the party was underway.

Referee Mike Dean's final whistle saw a grey suited Ferguson rush on to the pitch to congratulate his players. "Are you watching Merseyside" bellowed from the stands after Liverpool's hopes of catching United finally vanished.

Indian Premier League Hayden dashes Mumbai hopes

Matthew Hayden made a controlled half-century as Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in the Indian Premier League at St George's Park here on Saturday.

The defeat virtually ended Mumbai's chances of reaching the semifinals. With only one match left, against the top-of-the-log Delhi Daredevils, they are stuck in seventh place.

Hayden made 60 not out off 57 balls, pacing his innings superbly as Chennai chased down a moderate Mumbai total of 147-5, winning with five balls to spare.

Chennai entrenched themselves in second place in the eight-team competition.

Jean-Paul Duminy was mainly responsible for Mumbai reaching their total. The South African left-hander made 62, his fifth half-century of the tournament, off 54 balls.

It was a familiar tale for Mumbai, with Duminy holding the innings together after the team's stars, Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar, were dismissed.

Jayasuriya threatened to play a major innings, hitting 30 off 17 balls, before top-edging a catch to point. Tendulkar made 11 before he was caught at deep mid-wicket.

Duminy and Abhishek Nayar (33 not out) put on 65 for the fourth wicket before Duminy was run out, backing up too far, in the final over.

Hayden was unusually cautious at the start of Chennai's innings. At the mid-innings break he had scored only 15 off 28 balls in a total of 56-2.

Chennai looked in a trouble when Subramaniam Badrinath was out in the 11th over but Hayden, partnered by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, lifted his scoring rate as Chennai won comfortably in the end.

Hayden reached his fifth half-century of the campaign with a huge six off Harbhajan Singh which sailed out of the ground beyond mid-wicket.

SCORES IN BRIEF
MUMBAI INDIANS: 147-5 in 20 overs (Duminy 62, Nayar 33 not out, Jayasuriya 30, Tendulkar 11).
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS: 151-3 in 19.1 overs (Hayden 60 not out, Dhoni 23 not out, Badrinath 22, Raina 20)
Result: Chennai Super Kings won by seven wickets.
Man-of-the-match: Matthew Hayden.

Indian Premier League Mashrafe's losing debut

Deccan Chargers climbed one place to third in the Indian Premier League table after a thrilling six-wicket win over struggling Kolkata Knight Riders at Wanderers on Saturday.

Kolkata made 160-5 after they lost the toss and were sent in to bat and Deccan reached 166-4 off the last ball of their 20 overs, handing bottom team Kolkata their 10th loss of the tournament.

Deccan captain Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs combined in a 68-run opening partnership as the Chargers took another step closer to the semifinals.

Gilchrist thumped Mashrafe Bin Mortaza for successive sixes in the second over and eventually got a top edge to deep square leg trying to sweep Brad Hodge.

But his 43 off 31 deliveries got Deccan off to a speedy start in their run chase.

Gibbs was the next to go, contributing 28 off 34, and Tirumalsetti Suman followed with 31 from 24.

Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds added a cameo 18 off 13 balls, and Rohit Sharma, who hit an unbeaten 32 from 13 balls and smashed Mortaza for six off the last ball to win the game, guided them home.

Earlier, Kolkata opening batsman Sourav Ganguly had shared 55 runs with Brad Hodge for the second wicket.

Ganguly made 33 off 41 balls before being removed by Ishant Sharma in the 15th over and Hodge was dismissed three overs later after contributing 48 from 41 deliveries.

Following their departures, David Hussey smashed 43 runs off only 17 balls with two fours and four sixes.

Ryan Harris led the Deccan attack, bagging the scalps of McCullum and Hodge for a 2-20 return.

SCORES IN BRIEF
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS: 160-5 in 20 overs (Hodge 48, Hussey 43, Ganguly 33, McCullum 20; Harris 2-20).
DECCAN CHARGERS: 166-4 in 20 overs (Gilchrist 43, Sharma 32 not out, Suman 31, Gibbs 28, Symonds 18)
Result: Deccan Chargers won by six wickets.
Man-of-the-match: Rohit Sharma.