'Indians weren't really interested in Test cricket' - Greg Chappell

India "weren't interested in Check cricket" on their tour to Australia, & that "Test cricket is hard for them". Chappell was speaking at a promotional event for his book, Fierce Focus, at Adelaide Writers Week. It was an interaction filled with endearing anecdotes about his playing days until a member of the audience - which might have been close to 200-strong - asked him about India's apparent disinterest in Check cricket, & the way it might adversely affect Check cricket overall, thinking about how the BCCI controls cricket today.
"It was obvious from the beginning of the tour that the Indians weren't interested in Check cricket," Chappell said. "After the Australians showed that they were going to be a formidable foe, I was disappointed with the Indians. & having worked with lots of of them & having been in the dressing room with them, Check cricket was hard for most of them. They can only make lots of money playing 20-over cricket. Fifty-over cricket they can kind of put up with.

Sehwag left out of India squad for South Africa T20

Sehwag & Zaheer Khan have been rested for the Asia Cup, which starts on March 11, & will stay out of the squad for the one-off Twenty20, which will be played a week after the Asia Cup final. The squad is  identical to the Asia Cup squad, with Robin Uthappa's inclusion in lieu of Sachin Tendulkar, who has played Twenty20 international, in 2006, the only change. Uthappa played the Twenty20 match in the work of England's tour of India in October last year, his first international match for years.

Clarke Suffering from hamstring injury

Michael Clarke's left hamstring injury is believed to be serious to rule him out of the whole limited--overs portion of Australia's looming West Indies tour. They is therefore set to miss Thursday's third final against Sri Lanka.
After leading his side to an eight-wicket defeat in the second triangular series final in Adelaide, Clarke said they was not sure of the extent of the strain that affected him in the work of his century in the afternoon. They took the field in the evening as the Sri Lankans drew level.
This scenario would leave the vice-captain Shane Watson to lead Australia in the West Indies for the early part of the tour, with Clarke's arrival possibly delayed to permit him time to recuperate at home.

Kohli's elevation shouldn't dispirit Gambhir - Rahul Dravid

"He [Kohli] has had a great tour of Australia. They has completed amazingly well in the Tests & in the ODIs. The selectors have given him a small bit of reward," Dravid said in Mumbai, at an event organised by his IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals. "Having said that, Virat is the first to recognise that they has got to establish himself to go a step further. I think they know from the past that by being the vice-captain, you are not going to be the next captain. [And so] I feel people like Gautam should not feel left out. But at the moment Dhoni is doing a lovely job, so you need not look anywhere else."

Emphatic Sri Lanka level finals

Sri Lanka 2 for 274 (Dilshan 106, Jayawardene 80) beat Australia 6 for 271 (Clarke 117, Warner 100) by eight wickets




Dilshan alternated between the brazen & the cheeky, crashing ten fours & also being struck on the helmet when he tried his patented Dil-scoop. The captain Jayawardene was more cultured, but outpaced his partner in a princely innings that would have ended in the second over if not for a Clint McKay no-ball.
Mahela Jayawardene & Tillakaratne Dilshan took full toll of a wayward Australia as Sri Lanka forced a third triangular series final in Adelaide. Chasing 272, the visitors galloped to the target with five.4 overs to spare, benefiting greatly from a rollicking start when the first overs reaped 30 runs.

Sehwag rested, Tendulkar picked for Asia Cup

Virender Sehwag has been rested from India's one-day squad for next month's Asia Cup, with Virat Kohli taking over as vice-captain. Sachin Tendulkar has been picked for the event, while allrounder Yusuf Pathan and Bengal speedy bowler Ashok Dinda make comebacks. Speedy bowlers Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav have been rested.
Kohli's elevation to vice-captaincy comes after his sustained run of success in one-day cricket. They was the highest run-getter in the format in 2011,