Yuvraj to lead BCCI President's XI against Australia

Yuvraj Singh, who was overlooked for the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy, will captain the Board President's XI in a four-day warm-up match against the Australians in Hyderabad, starting October 2. The squad also includes fast bowler Sreesanth, who missed the tour of Sri Lanka because of injury, and opener Wasim Jaffer, who lost his place in Test side to Gautam Gambhir. Aakash Chopra, not selected for India A's matches against Australia A, makes a comeback.

This move could mean Yuvraj's return to the Test fold. Since 2006, he has played 13 Tests - four in the last two years - and has averaged 29.42 with two centuries.

Jaffer, Ashok Dinda and Pragyan Ojha also make their way towards national reckoning since they are part of Irani Trophy and Board President's squads. Apart from Ojha, Saurashtra bowler Rakesh Dhurv is the other left-arm spinner in the squad. Dhurv took 23 wickets at 21.56 from eight Ranji Trophy games last season.

Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan will lead the bowling attack along with Manpreet Gony and Pankaj Singh.

Meanwhile Dinesh Karthik has fallen off the national radar by neither making it to the Board President's squad nor the India A squad for the two Tests against New Zealand. Wriddhiman Saha, the Bengal wicketkeeper, has made the cut instead. Suresh Raina will lead the India A side now that S Badrinath has been called up to the Rest of India squad as a replacement for Sachin Tendulkar. Jaydev Shah, the Saurashtra captain, has been picked as Raina's deputy after a successful series in Israel.

Board President's squad : Yuvraj Singh (capt), S Badrinath, Wasim Jaffer, Aakash Chopra, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Parthiv Patel (wk), Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla, Pragyan Ojha, Pankaj Singh, Manpreet Gony, Yogesh Takawale, Rakesh Dhurv.

India A : Suresh Raina (capt) Jaydev Shah, M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Sahil Kukreja, Cheteshwar Pujara, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha, Ashok Dinda, Dhawal Kulkarni, Sudeep Tyagi, Amit Mishra, Pradeep Sangwan, Mohnish Parmar.
Source: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com

Tendulkar says Australia now India's major rivals

Batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar said that India's rivalry with Australia was now even more intense than with long-time arch-enemy Pakistan.

Ahead of Australia's four-Test tour to India, which opens on October 9 in Bangalore, Tendulkar said he expected a fiercely competitive series between two teams who have battled for superiority over recent years.

"I think it (India v Australia) has become bigger largely because of the competitiveness," Tendulkar said.

"All the series between us from 2001 onwards have been very keenly fought and have been very close ones."

In the ill-tempered 2007-2008 series in Australia, India lost the first two Tests but recorded a prized victory over the home team in the third Test in Perth.

"We have gone to Australia and beaten them," Tendulkar stressed.

"We have been able to surprise the Australian team and that's what the Australian public likes: competition and high standards of play. They love to see challenges and competitiveness.

"The fan following for the India-Australia series has definitely increased as compared to say 15 years ago," he added.

The "little master", now aged 35, is closing in on Brian Lara's record for the most runs ever scored in a Test career, but said statistics were not his priority.

"I don't think much about records. I want to enjoy my game. If players focus on their performance, records automatically fall into place," said Tendulkar, speaking to reporters in New Delhi.

"I focus on playing the game well. If it (the record) comes in doing so I will be happy," added the ace batsman, who is only 76 runs short of overtaking Lara's mark of 11,953 runs.

India's last tour of Australia was marked by personal insults between teams, and allegations of racial abuse and bad sportsmanship.

But Tendulkar said he did not expect a repeat of such problems during the upcoming series.

"Talking on behalf of the Indian team, I can say we will play hard but fair and I feel the Australians also will do so," he said.
Source: http://afp.google.com