Seventh white-wash for India

This was the 7th time that India suffered a white-wash.

Nothing went right for India in the series against England and apart from losing their No. 1 spot to the Englishmen, the Dhoni-led side also slipped to third in the ICC Test rankings following the 0-4 drubbing.ICC Test rankings - 22nd August 2011 

Position	Team	Matches	Points	Rating
1	England	37	4634	125
2	South Africa	21	2469	118
3	India	37	4336	117
4	Sri Lanka	23	2486	108
5	Australia	27	2692	100
6	Pakistan	23	2132	93
7	West Indies	23	2039	89
8	New Zealand	19	1485	78
9	Bangladesh	12	94	8

Flower likens India rout to Ashes triumph

Andy Flower says win over India was like last Ashes triumph

England coach Andy Flower compared England's whitewash of India to their home Ashes triumph of two years ago as The Oval again provided the setting for the team's joyful celebrations. 

ICC praise 'clinical' England after India sweep

Lorgat saluted England after presenting Strauss with the mace for becoming the world's top Test side

International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat saluted a "clinical" England after presenting captain Andrew Strauss with the global governing body's mace for the world's top Test side following the hosts' 4-0 rout of India. 

Malinga sets hat-trick record as Sri Lanka win

Lasith Malinga took a record third hat-trick as Sri Lanka secured a consolation four-wicket victory over Australia in the fifth and final one-day international on Monday. 

Malinga removed Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings and Xavier Doherty to become the first bowler to take three hat-tricks in one-dayers as Sri Lanka dismissed Australia for 211 before achieving the target with three overs to spare. Paceman James Pattinson and left-arm spinner Doherty bagged two wickets each for Australia, who clinched the series 3-2. 

Malinga unaware of his record feat

Lasith Malinga was unaware he had become the first player to take three one-day international hat-tricks until after the match against Australia on Monday. 

Malinga, nicknamed "Slinger Malinga" due to his distinctive round-arm action, ripped out Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings and Xavier Doherty in an explosive burst which set up Sri Lanka's four-wicket victory in the fifth match of the series. 

English cricket set to rule: press

England is set to dominate Test cricket after climbing to the top of the world rankings with a 4-0 whitewash of India, who face a long road back from the "embarrassing" loss, British newspapers said Tuesday. 

"India simply weren't up for the fight," Steve James wrote in The Daily Telegraph. "England have embarrassed them. There are insufficient superlatives to describe their performance in this series." 

Arthur eyes Australia cricket coach job

Former South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said Tuesday he would be interested in coaching Australia's national cricket side if he was offered the role. 

Arthur, who guided the Proteas to the top ranking in Test and one-day cricket last decade, has two years left to run on his contract with Western Australia and said he was enjoying his time in the state. 

Quick thrills hurt ageing India in Tests

Ageing superstars, a shallow back-up pool and the national addiction to instant cricket have left India facing a depressing outlook at the Test level following their 4-0 drubbing by England. 

It was the tourists' heaviest series defeat in two decades, dethroning India from the top of the Test rankings and relegating them to number three behind England and South Africa. 

But there may be worse to come, gloomy pundits argue. 

Will the BCCI learn from India's debacle?

Even before India's tour of West Indies, and Sri Lanka's tour of England ended, the hype for the supposedly marquee series between India and England gained momentum. After all, the Number One Test team was taking on the Number Three team in the 2000th Test match at the home of cricket. Fans, former players and bookies came up with various predictions about how the series would end, and though they were varied, most of them expected a closely fought contest. Little did they know that over the next few weeks, the world number one would not only go on to abjectly surrender their title, but also suffer a humiliating whitewash - their first in more than a decade. 

Australia gear for spin test in Sri Lanka

Australia captain Michael Clarke believes fending off the challenge posed by Sri Lanka's spinners will be the key to winning the three-Test series starting next week. 

The series, which opens at a traditionally spin-friendly venue in Galle on August 31, will be Clarke's first as Test captain since taking over from Ricky Ponting after the World Cup. Clarke said a 3-2 success in the one-day series against the hosts would stand his side in good stead going into the Test matches. 

BCCI blasted in India after English whitewash

Infuriated by India's humiliating 4-0 series defeat in England, the local media lashed out at the cricket board on Tuesday, accusing the governing body of pursuing riches instead of developing the test team. 

The 50-over world champions arrived in England as the top-ranked side in test cricket but their consistent poor displays, coupled with a spate of injuries to key players, led to India's first series whitewash in 11 years. 

England can rule for 5-6 years: Botham

I can't see England getting moved for at least five or six years, maybe eight: Ian Botham.

Legendary all-rounder Ian Botham has hailed England's ruthless 4-0 Test series thrashing of India and has predicted that Andrew Strauss' men can remain as the world's numero uno team for at least five years. 

Botham said a few key players like captain Strauss and his predecessor Kevin Pietersen may hang up their boots in the coming three-four years but the core of the current crop will stay longer and they can dominate the world. 

Aaqib Javed tipped to replace Waqar

Former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed, who was removed as assistant coach of the national team for the tour of Zimbabwe, is being tipped as a strong candidate to fill in the head coach's post left vacant by the sudden resignation of Waqar Younis. 

Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board said that although the deliberations on who will succeed Waqar is yet to start, Aaqib's name is being promoted by a strong lobby within the PCB. 

Observations: 4th Test and series

England completed a 4-0 whitewash at The Oval this week, a result that nobody could have predicted when the Indians arrived on English soil. Of course many expected the hosts to win the series - they are a superb side after all - but for the victory to be so convincing was simply incredible. 

Former cricketers slam Team India

Former cricketers on Tuesday slammed the Indian team's "abject surrender" to England in their Test series whitewash, saying tough decisions are needed to improve performance and the fitness of the team. 

The former cricketers said it was time to infuse new talents in the team and groom them properly while also stressing on the need to monitor the fitness of the players in the light of frequent breakdowns. 

Sachin slips, Dravid soars in ICC rankings

Almost all the top Indian batsmen save Rahul Dravid slipped in the latest Reliance ICC Test Rankings for batsman released on Tuesday. 

The shoddy performance of their batsmen in the just-concluded Test series affected their individual rankings with Sachin Tendulkar dropping a spot to fifth place. 

I'm happy with our effort: Dhoni

Even when you are not winning you are putting the same kind of effort in: Dhoni.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not want to condemn his side for yet another heavy defeat at the hands of England which led to the home team's rousing 4-0 victory. 

Although disappointed by India's effort, Dhoni said: "I'm very satisfied with the amount of effort that was put in by the side. Winning and not winning are two different things, but even when you are not winning you are putting the same kind of effort in; that's what is the most important thing." 

We like to finish the summer unbeaten: Strauss

Andrew Strauss feels that England should be aiming to finish the summer on a high note by remaining unbeaten in the ODI series also. 

"It's an opportunity to take on the World Cup winners. There's plenty to be excited about. We are very keen to finish the summer again being unbeaten," said the England captain Andrew Strauss after his side handed out a 4-0 whitewash to the Indians. 

SWANN SONG AT THE END

Before this Test started, England had ticked all but one box in their comprehensive domination of India. All the batsmen had got runs at various points, each pace bowler had outstanding figures and each one had bowled at least one superb spell and each member of the team - whether of the playing eleven or in the reserves - had displayed the intensity and hunger to make England a champion side. 

THE WALL STANDS TALL

He has always been the man all of India turns to when the going gets tough, but nowhere has it stood out more than in the current series. With most of the Indian team embarrassed on the field, Rahul Dravid emerged as the lone bright spot with batting of the highest class. 

England keep Sachin quiet with off-side ploy

A mathematician's plan and modern technology have helped England keep Sachin Tendulkar's bat quiet in the ongoing Test series against the Indian team, a report claimed. 

England has relied on drawing Tendulkar outside his off-stump in the early part of his innings rather than let him get his runs on the onside and this ploy is the result of a computer simulator plan, created by team analyst Nathan Leamon. 

Pakistan denies cricket rifts led Younis to quit

Pakistan's cricket board was Sunday forced to deny reports of rifts within the country's cricketing establishment, insisting that coach Waqar Younis had resigned for purely medical reasons. 

Waqar, 39, said Saturday he would step down over medical concerns after Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe this month, but the troubled national team has also been riven by in-fighting and corruption scandals. 

Shakib leads Bangladesh to face-saving win

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan led from the front with a fighting innings of 79 before picking up two wickets as Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by 93 runs to win the fifth and final ODI at Queens Sports Club on Sunday. 

It was Bangladesh's second successive win, but Zimbabwe still claimed the series 3-2 to add to their victory in the one-off Test between the two nations. 

Hayden impressed by 'dominant' Bell

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has praised Ian Bell, saying the England batsman was now "dominating" Test cricket. 

Bell made a Test-best 235 in the ongoing fourth and final Test against India at The Oval in south London. 

It was his fifth Test hundred this year and saw him replace England colleague Alastair Cook as the leading Test run-scorer in 2011 -- Bell now has 950 runs to Cook's 927 and England's Kevin Pietersen is third with 731. 

England on brink of India whitewash

India started the second session on 218 for six, with Dravid 109 not out and Mishra, who'd driven Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, 38 not out. 

However, Mishra added just five more runs before he was brilliantly caught by a diving Bell at an unusually positioned short backward square leg off a pull against Bresnan. 

Bresnan struck twice in three balls as India were bowled out for 300 -- the first time they'd made the score this series. 

India show spirit, but England on verge

England are on the verge of completing a 4-0 whitewash over India, and sending the visitors crashing down to third in the ICC Test Rankings. Despite playing one of their best days of cricket in the series, India still face a monumental test on the final day to save the game. England battled hard in the field, and did well to take three wickets in the evening session to restrict India to 129-3. 

Rahul Dravid was India's star performer, carrying his bat though the innings, even as the tourists were forced to follow on at the Oval, with the rest of the Indian team nowhere near matching Dravid's class and application. 

The Dravid vs England saga

Rahul Dravid has shouldered the burden of 

the batting manfully throughout the series.

He had done it all. He had been the world's best batsman for a significant period. He had been the principal architect in correcting the impression that once the Indian team got their passports stamped, they didn't know how to compete, let alone win. He had scored over 10,000 runs at a single batting position (Number 3) in Test cricket.

Sehwag, Ishant to miss ODI series

Sehwag has failed to fully recover from the shoulder surgery and is likely to miss the ODI series

We will miss Waqar: Misbah

Lauding Waqar Younis for playing a key role in helping the Pakistan cricket team deal with difficult times, captain Misbah-ul Haq said the outgoing cricket coach would be missed badly by the side. 

"Waqar has done a good job with the team and played an essential role in this transitional and difficult period for Pakistan cricket. Obviously the team will feel his absence and there will be a void in the side," Misbah told reporters here. 

Dravid concedes he had edged the ball

Rahul Dravid on Sunday conceded that he might have been legitimately given out in India's second innings though it was not clear from the snickometer footage whether the third umpire's decision was right or not on the fourth day of the final cricket Test against England here. 

He was ruled not out by the field umpire but given out for 13 after the referral by England though the snickometer apparently showed that there was no contact of the ball with bat before it landed into Alastair Cook's hands. Dravid, however, said after fourth day's play that he had a feeling that there was a faint edge. 

I needed to change my game for India: Broad

England's player of the series Stuart Broad has admitted that he was forced to re-think his game plan on the eve of the four match test series against India. 

Broad's place had come under pressure before start the series with the Nottinghamshire seamer failing to pick up a five wicket haul since the 2009 Ashes series. 

I knew my chance would come: Rahane

He has been in the reckoning for the past couple of years and Ajinkya Rahane was not surprised that he was called up to replace Virender Sehwag in the Indian squad for the upcoming ODI series in England. 

"I can't express my feelings in words. I got a call from BCCI office in Chennai informing me about my selection. I always knew that my chance would come sooner or later as I had been performing consistently at the domestic level," Rahane said from Mumbai. 

Boon set for his debut as ICC match referee

David Boon will make his debut as a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees when he travels to Zimbabwe early next week to officiate in the series between Zimbabwe and Pakistan. 

Boon, who played 107 Tests and 181 ODIs for Australia, replaced compatriot Alan Hurst in the elite panel who retired on 9 July after the fifth and last ODI between England and Sri Lanka in Manchester after joining the panel in April 2004. 

Ian Chappell criticises CA for Argus review

Ian Chappell, former captain and brother of sacked selector Greg, launched a scathing attack on Cricket Australia for depending on a review to sort out the problems within the system rather finding a solution on its own. 

Eleven teams announce CLT20 squads

The squads for the soon to commence multi-starrer tournament, Champions League T20 have been announced. 

Australian stars Doug Bollinger, Brett Lee and Brad Haddin have chosen their IPL franchises ahead of their home side, New South Wales. South African franchisee, Warriors have lost two of their biggest stars with Jacques Kallis and Davy Jacobs electing to play for t...

Dravid has to keep playing for India's sake: Hussain

Impressed with Rahul Dravid's gritty batting against England in a disastrous tour for India, former England captain Nasser Hussain said the senior batsman has shown some of his own teammates what it takes to be an international cricketer. 

Lauding Dravid, who scored three hundreds even as his team crumbled in the Test series against England, Hussain said the right-hander has shown exceptional mental strength.

Dravid: India's fixed deposit

Dravid's unbeaten century at The Oval on Sunday -- the 35th of his Test career -- made him the second highest centurion for India behind Sachin Tendulkar (51), and fourth in the world behind Jacques Kallis (40) and Ricky Ponting (39). It was an effort that stood out for its defiance, resilience and determination. While his teammates were reduced to mugs with the bat, Dravid stood like a giant in the midst of ruins. He is not a regular opener but still managed to carry the bat. The knock helped India record their highest total in the series. Whether it will help India save the Test is a difficult question. 

We will miss Waqar: Misbah

Lauding Waqar Younis for playing a key role in helping the Pakistan cricket team deal with difficult times, captain Misbah-ul Haq said the outgoing cricket coach would be missed badly by the side. 

"Waqar has done a good job with the team and played an essential role in this transitional and difficult period for Pakistan cricket. Obviously the team will feel his absence and there will be a void in the side," Misbah told reporters here. 

Misbah said the resignation of Waqar was a surprise for the team. 

"He has played a big role in easing the new players into the team. Whoever replaces him will have a good precedent to work with," he said. 

Tendulkar's wicket is the key: Swann

England off-spinner Graeme Swann said he was looking forward to playing a big part in his team's push for a 4-0 whitewash of India on the final day of the fourth and final cricket Test at The Oval. 

"I look forward to it, having to play a big part in a potential victory for England. It's going to be a hard day, make no bones about that. We've got seven more wickets to take and we need to get them fairly sharpish so we don't end up in a situation where we might have to bat again," Swann said at the post-match press conference after fourth day's play. 

England complete India Test whitewash

England beat India by an innings and eight runs to win the fourth Test on the fifth and final day at The Oval here on Monday and so complete a 4-0 whitewash in the four-match series. 

India, following-on, needed 291 to make England bat again. 

But having been 262 for three, they lost their last seven wickets for 21 runs including Sachin Tendulkar for 91 as the 'Little Master' fell short of an unprecedented 100th international hundred. 

Laxman falls, India in deep trouble

Laxman made a scratchy 24 to help India rebuild after the loss of the openers before Anderson cleaned him up with a beauty. India were in deep trouble at 119/3.

Doherty, Marsh star as Australia clinch series

Xavier Doherty and Brett Lee took four wickets apiece as Australia defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in the fourth one-dayer on Saturday to gain an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. 

Left-arm spinner Doherty, who was named man of the match, finished with a career-best 4-28 and paceman Lee with 4-15 as Australia dismissed Sri Lanka for 132 before achieving the modest target with 22 overs to spare. 

Opener Shaun Marsh (70) was Australia's batting star as he put on 97 for the third wicket with skipper Michael Clarke (38 not out) after paceman Lasith Malinga removed Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting in the same over. 

Debutant leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna dismissed Marsh and the Hussey brothers, Michael and David, in the space of four deliveries, but Australia needed just 10 runs to win with five wickets in hand at that stage. 

AUS-SL match report

Sri Lanka have dropped promising young batsman Dinesh Chandimal, Rangana Herath and Thisara Perera from the squad for the final two ODIs against Australia. 

Seekkuge Prasanna, the 26 year old leg-spinner currently in action for Sri Lanka A in England has been called up to join the national squad. The other positive news was that vice captain and all-rounder Angelo Mathews who has been declared fit for the final two matches. 

Bangladesh canter to comfortable win

The B'desh bowlers kept picking regular wickets as they romped home to an emphatic 93 run win. Mahmudullah got 3 wickets.