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With three days to go for the World Cup, Dr. Nitin Patel has been named as the physio of India’s national side, replacing Paul Close, who was appointed as the physio ahead of New Zealand’s tour of India late last year.Patel has worked with the Indian team since 2007 and, interestingly, Close had taken his place when he was sent to the National Cricket Academy. On both occasions, the BCCI failed to give clear reasons for the change, though one of the team insiders said that the players were unhappy with Close’s approach to treating injuries. India have endured several injuries in the recent past, with the list including key players Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir and Praveen Kumar, the last of whom will miss the World Cup.

It’s been a difficult summer for Mitchell Johnson but he is back on a happy hunting ground for the last home game ahead of the World Cup. Perth was the scene of his one match-winning bowling spell of the season, where he took six wickets in the first innings of the third Test and nine overall, to set up Australia’s 267-run series-levelling victory.That, though, came to look ever more anomalous as he took 2 for 134 at the MCG and claimed 4 for 168 at the SCG as England retained the Ashes then won the series with innings victories. Since then, Johnson has had a stop-start one-day campaign hindered by illness which forced him to miss three matches and in Sydney he took 1 for 43 from six overs while overall has conceded 5.76 per over.However, at the SCG Johnson also showed the other valuable skill he can bring to Australia’s one-day team after he was promoted to No. 4 at the behest of captain Michael Clarke and responded with 57 off 59 balls to help them chase down a record 334. Johnson was initially pushed up the order to clear the boundary but, although he struck two sixes, he showed the ability to build a proper innings.”The plan worked. Michael and Cameron [White] talked about it that night to keep the momentum going and get after Yardy,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t quite get after him as he bowled pretty well but I stayed out there and built a good partnership with Callum Ferguson then a little bit of a stand with Michael to get him going. I really enjoyed batting at No. 4 and hopefully I get more opportunities.”After the match Clarke said Johnson’s ability to attack the spinners could make his batting a valuable asset during the World Cup. Although Australia expect to have Ricky Ponting back in the top order and hope that Michael Hussey recovers from his hamstring injury to play a part Johnson is ready for a top-order role.”Michael and Ricky have spoken to me in the past about it, there have been games where I have been padded up in the past and looked to take on that roll,” he said. “I probably don’t look at it as a pinch-hitting role, but just go out there and be my aggressive self.”However, Johnson won’t be able to survive in the team on the back of runs alone – his job is to take wickets as part of a probable four-pronged pace attack on the subcontinent. He has always brought a wildcard element to the line-up, but with Shaun Tait always likely to prove expensive Johnson also needs to control the run rate for his captain.Despite his high economy in this series Johnson thinks he has enough time to sharpen his game before Australia’s opening World Cup match against Zimbabwe on February 21. “I got the ball to swing back which got [Matt] Prior out which is a pretty good sign for me,” he said. “I’ve worked hard with Troy [Cooley], I was probably five or six days behind with my bowling because of being ill so leading into the World Cup if I play this game and a couple more before it starts I think I’ll be right.”Johnson will be a major name in Australia’s Perth line-up, but overall it will be a much different team than is likely to face Zimbabwe in little more than two weeks after Clarke and Shane Watson were left in Sydney to rest, while Steve Smith picked up a hip injury. Smith joins Hussey, Ponting, Xavier Doherty and Nathan Hauritz on the current injury list at the end of a long home season.England, meanwhile, have been left with a second-string bowling attack but Johnson believes Australia’s problems have allowed them to show the strength and depth available. “There are bound to be injuries along the way, they’ve had a few disappointing injuries and so have we,” he said. “It’s not disconcerting, there are guys coming in that have played one-day cricket for Australia and done well for their states. We’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of back-up.”

The fourth season of the IPL is set to go ahead with 10 teams and 74 matches as originally planned. ESPNcricinfo has learnt the BCCI is not likely to move the Supreme Court after it lost High Court appeals against the stay orders granted to the termination of Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. The decision also means that the player auction should go ahead as previously scheduled on January 8 and 9.The news comes in three days after a division bench of the Bombay High Court dismissed the BCCI’s appeal against the court’s interim order staying the termination of the Punjab franchise. It is learnt that the BCCI didn’t want to make an “ego issue” out of the dispute by prolonging the legal fight against what the court called an “erroneous and flawed” decision to terminate the franchise.The BCCI’s acceptance of the court’s verdict seems to have ended an air of uncertainty around the player auction, and the tournament itself.In October the BCCI had expelled Punjab and Rajasthan, holding the franchises guilty for violating the franchise agreement on three counts, including changes of ownership that went unreported to the board. With the Kochi franchise also mired in an ownership wrangle, it had seemed then that the 2011 IPL would not have even eight teams, the number of teams that participated in the first three seasons. The dispute between Kochi’s owners, however, was settled and the franchise was cleared for the IPL earlier this month.The 2011 season will begin five days after the World Cup, which ends on April 2. The IPL’s governing council had originally announced the format for the season in September, and had also set down rules for player retention.

Ponting’s comings and goings
Ponting’s arrival at the crease was a thunderous moment. As he emerged from the pavilion for what could conceivably be his final Test innings at the MCG, he was greeted by a wall of boos which slowly but surely were drowned out by the most raucous of cheers. Where previously he had attempted to blast his way back to form, this time he took the attritional route, as he waited 15 deliveries for his first runs before doubling his tally with a thick inside-edge off James Anderson. On 5, he steered Chris Tremlett through gully to pass 100 runs for the series, but at no stage did he look remotely settled. The end, when it came, was poignant, as he inside-edged Tim Bresnan into his stumps, and departed the stage head bowed, a great champion laid low for what must be close to the final time.Hussey hustled
After his staggering feats of batsmanship in the first three Tests, which included a career-best 195, a matchwinning 116, and fifty-plus scores in each of his other three innings, Michael Hussey was due a failure or two. The trouble is, such is the paucity of Australia’s batting strength at present, his team could not afford for him to fail. Sure enough, after making 8 in the first innings, he didn’t even get off the mark this time around, as Bresnan buzzed around his off stump from his relentless and subtly swinging full length, and Ian Bell at short cover swooped to gather a tentative poke from the seventh ball of his stay. It was the moment of the match as far as England’s fielders were concerned, and from that moment on, no-one thought to doubt that the Ashes were in the bag.Fifties man
Shane Watson makes delightful half-centuries but just can’t go on. Since he was turned into an opener last year he has reached fifty 16 times in 34 innings, but only twice has he gone on to three figures. It happened again today as he moved relatively smoothly to 54 – his fourth half-century of the campaign – before running out of energy. Shortly after tea he padded up to Bresnan, who had been angling the ball in, and was lbw. He tried a referral, but was soon on his way, with Australia craving so much more.Pain in Australia’s side
Run-outs always hurt, but the damage is much greater when the victim is fighting to stay in the team. Phillip Hughes’ dismissal was particularly painful because it wasn’t his fault. Watson pushed Graeme Swann to the left of Jonathan Trott and set off, leaving Hughes in a futile sprint to reach his ground. He left with 23 as Australia lost an unnecessary wicketearly in their attempt to score the 415 needed to force England to bat again. “It’s a horrendous feeling to be involved in it,” Watson said in accepting the blame. “Especially for a young guy trying to show what he can do on the international stage.” Hughes, who has also posted 2, 12 and 16 since being recalled, now has to wait to learn whether he’ll be needed for Sydney.A novel proposal
The writing may have been on the wall for Australia’s cricketers, but midway through the afternoon session, it was also in the sky, as a lone microlight twisted and turned in the heavens above the Great Southern Stand, to spell out a message for one (presumably) lucky lady. Over the course of several minutes, a stream of white smoke belched out the message: “Marry … me … Kerri”, the final part of which was completed long after the first half had been blown away in the breeze. For what it is worth, the ABC commentator Kerry O’Keeffe politely declined the offer.Hilfenhaus strikes at last
Ben Hilfenhaus has done a lot of hard work in this series for not much reward, but he doubled his series tally with 2 for 83 from 37 overs. Hilfenhaus had managed only a wicket in each of his two previous Tests despite delivering 72 overs of economical swing bowling. So he was a relieved man when Graeme Swann edged a bouncer behind and Chris Tremlett was bowled by one tailing in. He would have been even happier if the wickets had come before England had reached 500.

In a low-scoring thriller Mashonaland Eagles held their nerve to secure a place in the Stanic Bank 20 final with a one-wicket victory against Matabeleland Tuskers. Their last-wicket pair of Ray Price and Doug Hondo came together with six still required, despite the target being just 71, and edged their side home with nine balls to spare.The Eagles bowlers had done their job by skittling Tuskers for 70, but it soon became clear the chase wasn’t going to be easy. Keegan Meth and Chris Mpofu took two wickets apiece as the Eagles fell to 11 for 4 in the fifth over and between them their eight overs cost 18 runs. Ryan ten Doeschate held the innings together with 26 off 47 balls – more 50-over than 20-over pace – but when he fell 13 and Greg Lamb followed for a duck it was a nerve-jangling conclusion.Hondo and Andrew Hall earlier shared six wickets and none of the Eagles bowlers conceded more than 17 in their spells. Sharp fielding also contributed three run outs while Neil Carter, who normally scores at more than a run-a-ball, top-scored with 25 off 33 balls but Tuskers’ paltry total almost proved enough.Lou Vincent and Vusi Sibanda combined in a commanding partnership of 139 in 16 overs to guide Mid West Rhinos into the final with an eight-wicket victory against Southern Rocks. The third-wicket pair ensured the early loss of both openers didn’t become a major problem as they knocked off the 152-run target with ease. Sibanda cracked five sixes in his 60 while Vincent cleared the ropes twice as he hit an unbeaten 75 off 55 balls.Tatenda Taibu, the Rocks captain, enabled his team to post a decent total with a controlled 57 as the rest of the top order failed to shine. Wickets fell steadily with Brendan Taylor’s part-time offspin proving particularly effective as he claimed 2 for 17 in four overs. Steve Tikolo provided some late impetus with a brisk 27, but in the end the total wasn’t anywhere near being a challenge.

Scorecard
New Zealand A had the better of the first day of the third unofficial Test against Zimbabwe A at the Country Club ground in Harare, dismissing the hosts for 186 as seamer Chris Martin picked up figures of 4 for 41. The Zimbabweans did not fold completely, however, Trevor Garwe striking twice before the close to reduce the visitors to 79 for 3 at the close.After captain James Franklin won the toss and opted to field, Martin – a veteran of 56 Tests with 206 international wickets to his name – and his new-ball partner Graeme Aldridge soon had the Zimbabweans in trouble. Aldridge removed former Zimbabwe Under-19 captain Tino Mawoyo for single figures, and Martin got past left-hander Friday Kasteni in the very next over.Brent Arnel, who made his Test debut against Australia earlier this year, then removed the out-of-sorts Vusi Sibanda for a six-ball duck and bowled opener Steve Marillier for 22 as Zimbabwe A slipped to 37 for 4. Regis Chakabva and Malcolm Waller, who top-scored with 29, lead a brief rearguard in adding 48 for the fifth wicket before Martin returned to remove Chakabva for 27.Waller soon followed him to the pavilion, bowled by Martin, and as wickets continued to tumble Zimbabwe collapsed to 145 for 9. Taurai Muzarabani and Mike Chinouya leant a sheen of respectability to the score with a fighting 10th wicket stand, Muzarabani slamming two sixes and three fours in a 24-ball 27 but the introduction of Jeetan Patel’s offspin brought an immediate end to the innings as he had Muzarabani caught by Tim McIntosh with his very first ball.It seemed as though New Zealand would then take complete control of the game as McIntosh and Peter Ingram eased the opening stand past fifty, but shortly before the close Zimbabwe struck back as both were removed in consecutive overs with the score on 57. Seamer Garwe then bowled Martin Guptill for 1 to reduce New Zealand to 65 for 3. Jamie How and Dean Brownlie held firm to deny Zimbabwe any further breakthroughs, and will be at the forefront of New Zealand’s push for a first-innings lead tomorrow.

Australia’s bowlers had been wary of VVS Laxman, despite his bad back, going into the fifth day at Mohali, Ricky Ponting has said. Laxman overcame his injury to play another nerveless innings against his favourite opposition and shepherd the tail to victory.”Just having some dinner last night with a few guys I was sitting with, I really felt that [we should beware] the wounded player [Laxman], and batting down the order I felt he would make a big contribution today,” Ponting said. “I was trying to make sure that we weren’t thinking they were going to be a batsman down again in the second innings and get too carried away.”Laxman batted at No. 10 in the first innings and sat out the fourth morning as Australia set India a target. He could not bat at his usual No. 6 position on the fourth evening as India’s chase ran into rough weather. The Indian team said he would bat on the last day if required, and he walked out at the fall of the nightwatchman Zaheer Khan. Laxman stood tall as India lost wickets and guided the tail to victory.”Even with that [bad back] today he showed what sort of class player he is,” Ponting said. “He has been a bit of a thorn in our side there’s no doubt about that, I guess him and Sachin [Tendulkar] would be the two who’ve done the most damage over the years, a couple of guys who’ve played a lot against us and have got good records against us. I hope his back’s pretty sore for next week as well and he can’t play.”Things went against Australia through the fifth day. Doug Bollinger, who had joined the team late after the Champions League, was forced off the field with an abdominal strain in the middle of a very good spell. Then, with India’s last pair requiring six runs to win the game, Pragyan Ojha survived a close lbw shout and Steven Smith missed a direct hit that could have ended the match, but ended up conceding four overthrows.”That’s what we expect from our guys, we expect that when there’s a half chance there that they’ll want to take it. There’s no blame at all towards Smith for having a shot at the stumps, if that was me I would have done exactly the same thing.”It probably doesn’t help,” Ponting said of Bollinger’s hurried preparation for the game after the Champions League. “But he had been bowling, and that was one positive for Doug, that he had been playing competitive cricket. He probably hasn’t been bowling the amount of overs in the Champions Leauge that some of the others have had coming over here, but he has been playing and arrived a couple of days before the game.”I thought his spell today was probably the best he’s bowled during the game, so disappointing for him to go down at the end there. I went to grab his hat off him for the start of his next over and he said he felt some pain in one of his abdominals, and being a fast bowler and having that sort of injury I just sent him off the ground straight away.”The match was marred by some questionable umpiring decisions. Michael Hussey and Gautam Gambhir got rough calls on the fourth day, while Ishant Sharma was sent on his way today with the game in the balance, before the lbw appeal against Ojha. After a match of such close margins, Ponting reaffirmed his faith in the UDRS, the use of which had been refused by India at the start of this series.”I’m a big supporter of the UDRS, I actually queried the ICC before the series started about the reason why we weren’t using the system,” Ponting said. “One thing I know about the system so far is that you definitely get more correct decisions in a game of cricket than you do without it, we understand how difficult a job it is for the umpires out there. There’s no doubt, take this Test match alone, with the use of the system here I think we would’ve have a lot more right decisions in the game.”

James Anderson believes that his final-day showing at The Oval, in which he produced a fast and threatening display under cloudless skies and with a 25-over old ball, will help to convince the doubters that he has what it takes to succeed in adverse conditions in Australia this winter. Although England went on to lose the match by four wickets, Anderson’s tenacity in defending a meagre target of 148 was particularly timely as the team’s thoughts begin to turn to the Ashes in November.Anderson, 28, has been the pick of England’s bowlers this summer, claiming 29 wickets in five Tests against Bangladesh and Pakistan, including a career-best haul of 11 for 71 in the first Test against Pakistan at Trent Bridge last month. But whereas his prodigious ability to make the ball swing has been assisted by overcast conditions for much of the summer, it wasn’t until the sun came out at The Oval that he was forced to rely on his less celebrated traits of stamina and accuracy. In tandem with Graeme Swann, England made Pakistan battle for every run as they stretched a seemingly routine run-chase well into the afternoon session.”There was a period there when they were on 16 to win for quite a few overs, and we all believed we could cause an upset,” Anderson told Cricinfo’s Switch Hit podcast. “Unfortunately it didn’t happen for us, but we gave it everything we could that day, and to be honest we probably didn’t have enough runs to defend. But I’m delighted with the way it’s gone for me this summer. I’ve made use of some helpful conditions along the way, but also when the ball hasn’t been swinging, like at The Oval, I’ve still done quite well.”Andrew Strauss’s tactics in that final innings came under some fire as Anderson was initially asked to bowl in the channel outside off stump to stymie Pakistan’s flow of runs. But a magnificent outswinging yorker to the well-set Mohammad Yousuf signalled a change of emphasis, and also highlighted Anderson’s greater reliability as an attacking bowler who can also be trusted to keep a cap on the scoring rate – as demonstrated by a current series economy rate of 2.30, the lowest of any of the specialist quick bowlers on either side.Anderson attributes that greater reliability to two factors – an increased sense of responsibility within the bowling unit, a process that began back at Wellington in March 2008 when he took over from Matthew Hoggard as the leader of England’s attack, and a return to the idiosyncratic, but undeniably effective, bowling action that served him so well as a rookie swing bowler at the start of his international career, but which was more or less coached out of him during his years in the wilderness between 2004 and 2006.”Keeping the ball pitched up, and obviously straight, is a basic of bowling, but it’s obviously a key thing for anyone who plays cricket,” said Anderson. “I’m really trying to get rid of any free scoring shots for the batsman, especially that one four-ball in an over, and in the last few years, certainly since Peter Moores took over the job of England coach, he instilled a lot of confidence in me and gave me some extra responsibility.”Since I suffered a stress fracture in 2006, I went back to near enough the action I started with as a 16 year old,” he added. “I think from then, I’ve gone on from strength to strength. My bowling’s improved, and is continually improving, and I’ve started to become a bit more consistent which is what I’ve been searching for for a number of years, and which every bowler strives for. I’m just really enjoying playing at the moment, I feel pretty confident with it, and the main thing for me at the minute is staying fit, keeping strong and bowling well.”The doubts will continue to linger, however, until Anderson produces a similarly reliable display in Australia this winter, a country in which he claimed five wickets at a costly 82.60 in the 2006-07 Ashes. Under the guidance of their new bowling coach, David Saker, whose greatest emphasis is on tactics rather than techniques, England have already begun practising with a Kookaburra ball to attune themselves mentally to the task that awaits them this winter, but Anderson is adamant that the challenge should not be overstated.”I’ve bowled six balls this summer with a Kookaburra, just to see how it held up in English conditions, nothing more than that,” he said. “We’ve gone to plenty other countries in the past and won using the Kookaburra so it’s not a big deal, and not something we’re going to worry about. I’ve bowled well in plenty of games where the ball hasn’t swung – it’s just a matter of doing it on a consistent basis to prove to people that I can do it. I know I can do it, but I’ve just got to become consistent.”James Anderson works with ASICS Smarter Cricket. For expert coaching videos visit www.asics.co.uk/cricket

Kevin Pietersen has, as expected, been dropped by England for the first time in his career and will play out the rest of the season while on loan with Surrey, after the selectors announced two squads of 12 and 14 players respectively for the two-Twenty20 and five-ODI NatWest Series against Pakistan that gets underway at Cardiff on Sunday.Craig Kieswetter, the Man of the Match in the World Twenty20 final in Barbados back in May, has also been dropped from the 50-over squad following a loss of form during the mid-season internationals against Australia and Bangladesh. He has retained his place for the T20s, but his wicketkeeping role has been passed over to Surrey’s Steven Davies, who takes the role in both formats ahead of the Test incumbent, Matt Prior.Pietersen, who has fallen out with his county Hampshire after announcing his intention to leave at the end of the season, will play for Surrey until the end of the season, following a loan agreement between Hampshire and Surrey at the request of the England Team management and the ECB. He will play his first match for Surrey on Wednesday, a CB40 fixture against Worcestershire at The Oval, although he was not amused at the decision as he prematurely revealed in a rant on the social networking site, Twitter:”Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too. Its a f**k up!!,” Pietersen posted on his account kevinpp24, before deleting it minutes later, but not before it had been picked up by several users and circulated around the internet.Several hours later, his official, ECB-sanctioned, reaction was more measured: “While I’m naturally disappointed to have been omitted from the England squad I fully understand the reasons why and will be doing everything I can to get back into the England team,” he said.”I have no issue with the selectors omitting me from the limited-overs squads and my sole focus now is working on my game ahead of an exciting winter. I would also like to add my huge thanks to Surrey for giving me this opportunity and I hope I can repay them with some runs.”Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “Kevin Pietersen has been omitted from both squads as we feel that his game would be best served by getting as much cricket under his belt as possible before a long and challenging winter.”The remainder of the county season is an ideal opportunity to do just that and we thank Surrey for enabling Kevin the chance to play and we thank both Surrey and Hampshire for facilitating the loan period for the remainder of the county season.”Kevin has proved on numerous occasions that he is a world class player and we know he’ll benefit from getting more time in the middle to work on his batting and get his game back to the level he has shown throughout his career.”Steven Davies has had an excellent year for Surrey this season and has earned his chance to take on the role as wicketkeeper in England’s limited overs set up. As ever the wicketkeeper’s role is a fiercely contested position in the England team and we’ve no doubt Craig Kieswetter will continue to press for the chance to reclaim his place in the England ODI squad.”England’s 50-over captain, Andrew Strauss, will line up for Middlesex’s CB40 fixture against Derbyshire on Saturday, September 4, before joining up with England’s one-day squad on Wednesday ahead of the first ODI at Chester-le-Street two days’ later.While Ajmal Shahzad has been selected in the NatWest Series squad he will be available to play for Yorkshire throughout the campaign when deemed suitable by the England management.Ryan Sidebottom will play the first half only of Nottinghamshire’s County Championship match against Durham from Tuesday before joining the England Twenty20 squad on Thursday in Cardiff, while Kieswetter will play in Somerset ‘s 50-over tour match against Pakistan at Taunton on Thursday.Meanwhile Ian Bell will also make his return from a foot injury with Warwickshire in their CB40 match against Nottinghamshire on Saturday, September 4.Twenty20 squad Paul Collingwood (capt), James Anderson,Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Steven Davies, Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy.One-day squad Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Steven Davies, Eoin Morgan, Ajmal Shahzad,Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy.

Zulqarnain Haider has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against England with a fractured finger. The blow was originally sustained in training before the second Test against Australia and was then aggravated when Stuart Broad hurled the ball at him in his follow through at Edgbaston last week.The throw from the bowler Broad, which was unnecessary as Haider was not taking off for a run, struck the batsman and lost Broad 50% of his match fee. But it has proved even more costly for Haider, who was otherwise a certainty to retain his place for the Oval Test starting this Wednesday, after he scored 88 in the second innings at Edgbaston.On the eve of the two-day tour game in Worcester, Haider complained of pain and X-rays revealed there was a minor fracture. “We are preparing to send him back in a few days,” Shafqat Rana, Pakistan’s associate manager on the tour told Cricinfo.However, Imran Farhat attempted to play down any bad blood between the sides over the Broad incident. “I am not sure what happened, he [Haider] had a problem with it. But he is still with us and is doing practice sessions and wearing the keeping gloves,” Farhat said.”He hit on the same finger and the pain was getting worse. When he got swelling he went for an x-ray and it was a hairline fracture. We are not sure if it was because of Stuart Broad, I am not blaming him.”Haider attended the team’s training at The Oval on Monday but did not participate in any drills. His injury means that for the second time this year Kamran Akmal will return to the Test side just one match after being axed, having been dropped for the Hobart Test against Australia and reinstated for Pakistan’s next Test, at Lord’s in July.Akmal dropped several chances in the first Test against England and seemed certain to be facing an extended period out of the side after Haider’s success on debut. With Pakistan no requesting a replacement player his return is confirmed.