Gautam Gambhir # 1 spot in Test Rankings

Gautam Gambhir has become the first Indian batsman in over four years to head the batting rankings in test matches.Yousuf, who had returned to the batting table last week in number-one position after his century in the first Test at Galle, scored only 10 and six in the second Test and, as such, he has dropped four places to fifth position. Pakistan captain Younus Khan was able retain his second position in the rankings but by conceding 12 points following scores of 0 and 82, he has fallen nine points behind Gambhir who has gone ahead of both the Pakistan batsmen without hitting a ball for the first time in his 25-Test in which he has scored 2,271 runs at an average of over 54.

Gambhir’s 847 points is relatively low for a number-one position in modern times as usually a batsman nearer to the 900-point mark goes to the top. The 27-year-old left-handed opener is the first India batsman after former captain Rahul Dravid to top the batting chart. Dravid had briefly become the number-one batsman after hitting centuries in each innings (110 and 135) of the Kolkata Test against Pakistan in March 2005. Dravid had first achieved the top batting ranking in January 1999 and has been number-one for 36 Tests between 1999 and 2005.

Sachin Tendulkar is the other India batsman in the last 15 years who has topped the batting chart. He first led the table in November 1994 while last time he occupied the number-one position was in August 2002 after the Leeds Test against England. Overall, Tendulkar has been the number-one batsman for 125 Tests between 1994 and 2002. The other India batsmen to have achieved number-one positions in their careers are: Gundappa Viswanath (seven matches in 1975), Sunil Gavaskar (46 matches between 1978-80) and Dilip Vengsarkar (17matches)

$4 million prize money for Champions Trophy

The prize money for the Champions Trophy has increased nearly four times, with US$4 million on offer for the tournament to be played from September 22 to October 5 in South Africa. The format has also been revamped, with only eight instead of ten teams participating. Centurion and Wanderers will host all 15 games between them.

The teams have been divided into two groups of four each and the top two from each will qualify for the semi-finals. India and Pakistan find themselves in the same group, along with Australia and West Indies. Group B includes South Africa, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The hosts will play Sri Lanka in the opening game in Centurion.

Haroon Lorgat, the chief executive of the ICC, said the significant increase in prize money was just the first in a series of innovations that the ICC would announce in the run-up to the Champions Trophy. He added, "We are extremely grateful to South Africa for stepping in to host the event after it was postponed last year because of security concerns in the original host country, Pakistan, and we are also grateful to our members for finding a slot for it in what is a busy year for the global game."

Flintoff ends England's 75-year wait

Andrew Flintoff broke England's 75-year Lord's curse with his first five-wicket haul since the Ashes-clinching Oval Test of 2005. It was, unquestionably, a performance that delivered England to a 1-0 series lead heading into Edgbaston. England’s Victory was sealed 17 minutes before lunch when Graeme Swann pegged back Johnson middle stump with the Australian total at 406. Though Austalia lost 5 wickets for 128, haddin and Clarke took the team towards a safer position. They stick on to the game with their terrible batting performance remains unbeaten throughout the day with a ton in clarke’s account and haddin with solid 80 runs at the end of the day 4.

But only a famous exit from Lord's would do for "Super Fred", and England's allrounder duly obliged with the wicket of Brad Haddin from his fourth ball of the day. Things have changed in the day 5, where Australian batsmen started losing their wickets soon after the match starts. Johnson's early exchanges inspired little confidence that he would be the man to steer Australia to an improbable victory. Johnson half-ducked, half-stabbed at his first delivery from Flintoff and edges off the bowling of Flintoff and Stuart Broad fell inches in front of the slips, and Johnson may well have found pavilion-bound had Flintoff not overstepped before wrapping him on the pads with a straight full-toss that struck in line. Thus the victory fell over England and now leading the series 1-0.

Chaminda Vaas to retire from Tests

Chaminda Vaas, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, has announced he will retire from Tests after the third match against Pakistan in Colombo starting Monday. He said he will continue to play one-dayers and Twenty20s till the 2011 World Cup. "I am officially retiring from Test cricket after the third Test against Pakistan, but will continue playing one-day and Twenty20 matches till the 2011 World Cup," he told.

In 110 Tests he has taken 354 wickets at 29.40 after making his debut against Pakistan in 1994 - the second-highest Sri Lankan wicket-taker - along with 400 one-day wickets. Vaas also has 3085 Test runs at 24.48, including a century. Though Chaminda Vaas is a great bowler and one of sri lanka's greatest fast bowlers but he cannot be called a legend. He does not have the quality to be called a legend in any form of the game. People like Richard Hadlee, Dennis Lillee, Anil Kumble and Muttaiah Muralitharan can be called legends but certainly not Chaminda Vaas. Anyway hats off to him. Well done Chaminda…

German MotoGP 250cc result

1. Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Gilera 27:11.034

2. Alex Debon (Spain) Aprilia 27:11.513

3. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Aprilia 27:11.562

4. Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan) Honda 27:11.900

5. Hector Barbera (Spain) Aprilia 27:12.294

6. Hector Faubel (Spain) Honda 27:17.006

7. Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 27:19.755

8. Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Aprilia 27:19.796

9. Raffaele De Rosa (Italy) Honda 27:30.210

10. Roberto Locatelli (Italy) Gilera 27:38.984

11. Alex Baldolini (Italy) Aprilia 27:40.635

12. Lukas Pesek (Czech Republic) Aprilia 27:49.333

13. Shoya Tomizawa (Japan) Honda 28:02.974

14. Jules Cluzel (France) Aprilia 28:03.953

15. Bastien Chesaux (Switzerland) Honda 28:17.820

Worst Media Blooper

Times Of India shamelessly published a news saying Vinod Kambli in a TV interview said Sachin let him down when he could have helped him to make a comeback to the Indian team.This made a huge headlines and worst reality show is that no one even confirmed the news and this is shameful from a national media because the truth is it was a and Vinod Kambli was asked some questions and he was connected to lie detector and the lie detector showed that he answered negatively for those questions asked by the particular reporter.Now this is ridiculous.Because the lie detector narco analysis is just to frighten criminals but they have not cracked a single case including the Abdul Karim Telgi stamp paper scam.So its just a gimmick and if this finds a place in national newspaper I am afraid there is no need for media.

There can't be a humble person than Kambli and he has every right to file a defamation suit against all people who shamelessly tarnished him and trying to create ripples between one of the natural pairs in Indian cricketing history.Forget all these is this the way you treat a national icon like Sachin by accusing a friend as a traitor.

Tata Sports tries to rope in Ganguly

Tata Sports Club is trying to rope in Sourav Ganguly for the BCCI’s inaugural Corporate tournament in the first week of September. The former India captain is an employee of Tata Tea and should he be free of commitments, he may turn out for the Bombay House team after many years. Ganguly is expected to get back to the team management in a few days.

“We are talking to him to ascertain his availability. We have many current and past players, mainly in Mumbai and Jamshedpur. Dilip Vengsarkar and Milind Rege are also with the Tata Group and we will give shape to the team,” said Prakash Puranik, Cricket Secretary and Joint Secretary, Tata Sports Club.

The BCCI has estimated an expenditure of around Rs. 5 crore for the tournament. Though the Sahara group has offered to be the title sponsor, the BCCI may conduct the competition using its resources. The running costs of the tournament, except the travel expenses of the teams, will be borne by the BCCI.

ICC launched 2011 World Cup with fanfare

World Cup 2011 is hosted in the sub continent. They launched here with all the fanfare by the ICC.The sound and laser show that showcased the key moments of all the previous World Cups was a breathtaking affair. Pawar the chairman of the World Cup Organising Committee said that the tickets price are at affordable prices. The Mumbai Wankhede Stadium would host the final match of the World Cup. He added, "The Indian board has decided to keep the rates of the tickets low to encourage the student community. We don`t want to make too much money out of gates. This has come after what we saw in the West Indies (during the 2007 World Cup)," He also said that Pakistan, which would not hold any matches, would continue to be part of the organizational set-up. He added, "I`m upset that a major partner Pakistan is not organising a match due to unfortunate circumstances. They will be very much part of the organising committee and would help organize the World Cup in a dignified manner,". Zakir Khan the PCB cricket operation manager also took part in the ceremony.

Beckham and Donovan make peace

David Beckham and Landon Donovan have ended their recent dispute as the England star Beckham resumed training at his US club Los Angeles Galaxy. Donovan recently accused Beckham of a lacking team spirit in a book. Beckham named the statements unprofessional on the week. Beckham, 34, said that the problems were resolved during a meeting of the two players in the presence of coach Bruce Arena. He said the meeting went "very well" but did not give more details. Donovan said he regretted "the way that I went about this process and I also regret some of the things I said."

Beckham joined the Galaxy on a five-year contract from Real Madrid. The BBC quoted him as saying that he aimed to fulfil the deal, but there is also the possibility that he will return to Milan next year - or even to the Premier League where he played for Manchester United 1995-2003. "Never say never. I would definitely consider it. When I left (for Madrid) my heart was in Manchester - I couldn't see myself playing against United. Now I wouldn't rule it out," Beckham said. Beckham is England's most-capped player with 112 appearances. He aims to make the squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, for which England are all but qualified. (dpa)

Flintoff to retire from Test cricket

Andrew Flintoff has announced that he will retire from Test cricket at the end of this Ashes summer. He will be available for Twenty20 and ODI cricket and is expected to be fit for second Test against Australia. Flintoff has missed 25 of England's last 48 Tests through a variety of injuries, suffered another fitness scare on the eve of the Lord's Test.

"It's not something I have just thought of overnight, it's something that's been on my mind for a while regarding this series," said Flintoff. Also he added "I've had four ankle operations and knee surgery, so my body is telling me things, and I'm actually starting to listen. I can't just play games here and there while waiting to be fit. For my own sanity, and for my family's, I've got to draw a line under it. I've been going through two years of rehab in the past four, which is not ideal."

Since the 2005 Ashes, he has averaged 28.25 with the bat and 34.68 with the ball in 23 Tests (both figures down on his overall Test record of 31.69 and 32.51), and he has not managed a century or five wickets in an innings in any series since then. In the 25 matches that Flintoff has missed since 2005, England have won 12, drawn 10 and lost on only three occasions. In the 23 matches in which he has been present, those numbers are almost exactly reversed - won 3, drawn 7, lost 13.