Tendulkar sits out India decider

One-day international, Vishakhapatnam: India v Sri Lanka
Match starts at 0330 GMT on Saturday
Live Scores-4th ODI India VS Srilanka will be available here.

India are taking no chances ahead of next month's World Cup

India will rest star batsman Sachin Tendulkar for Saturday's fourth and final one-dayer against Sri Lanka.

Tendulkar suffered from a stiff back in Wednesday's series-levelling win and sits out the Vishakhapatnam decider.

"It's not very serious. The prudent thing to do is to give him a break," India captain Rahul Dravid said.

Seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and spinner Anil Kumble are also rested but paceman Irfan Pathan has recovered from a shoulder problem and could play.

Sri Lanka have no injury problems ahead of both teams' final competitive game before they fly out to the Caribbean.

"Both teams are going into the game to win the series," skipper Mahela Jayawardene said. "We can't emphasise the World Cup too much."

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India (from): Dravid (capt), Ganguly, Uthappa, Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni, Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, Patel, Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Karthik.

Sri Lanka (from): Jayawardene (capt), Jayasuriya, Tharanga, Sangakkara, Atapattu, Arnold, Dilshan, Maharoof, Chandana, Silva, Bandara, Malinga, Fernando, Zoysa, Kulasekara.

Dravid landmark as India take win

One-day international, Goa: India 233-5 bt Sri Lanka 230-8 by five wickets

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Dravid became the sixth player to score 10,000 ODI runs

Rahul Dravid played a captain's innings as India levelled the series against Sri Lanka at 1-1 with a five-wicket victory in the third ODI in Goa.

Dravid scored 66, in the process becoming the sixth player in history to score more than 10,000 ODI runs.

He put on 133 with Mahendra Dhoni, who ended unbeaten on 67, before being unluckily run out backing up with four runs required for victory.

Earlier Zaheer Khan took 5-42 as Sri Lanka were restricted to 230-8.

Russel Arnold top-scored with an unbeaten 66 from number seven after none of the Sri Lankan top six reached fifty.

Zaheer' claimed his career-best figures in one-day internationals, although two of his victims received debatable lbw decisions.

Dravid, who went to his fifty off 68 balls, reached 10,000 runs when a single off Sanath Jayasuriya took him to 22.

He joins team-mates Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq, West Indian Brian Lara and Jayasuriya in the 10,000-run club.

Tendulkar leads the way with 14,783 runs.

Zaheer wickets restrict tourists

One-day international, Goa: India v Sri Lanka 230-8

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Zaheer Khan is warming up nicely for the upcoming World Cup

Seamer Zaheer Khan took wickets at the start and end of Sri Lanka's innings as the tourists made 230-8 in Goa in the third one-day international.

Russel Arnold battled away to finish on 66 not out from number seven after none of the top six had reached fifty.

Zaheer's 5-42 were his best figures in one-day internationals, and he bowled intelligently but two of his victims received debatable lbw decisions.

They included the talented left-hander Upul Tharanga, who made just one.

Sri Lanka's score looked 20 runs under par and Indian will expect to claim the victory to draw level in the four-match series.

Live Scores-3rd ODI India Vs Srilanka

14-02-2007 at Goa

India beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat

Sri Lanka Innings 230 for 8 (50.0 overs)

India Innings 233 for 5 (46.3 overs)

Sri Lanka Innings

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
W U Tharanga	lbw	b Z Khan	1	9	0	0
S T Jayasuriya	c S C Ganguly	b Z Khan	2	7	0	0
D P M D Jayawardene	lbw	b Harbhajan Singh	30	59	3	0
K C Sangakkara		b Z Khan	0	4	0	0
M S Atapattu	c S R Tendulkar	b M M Patel	42	61	6	0
T M Dilshan	c M S Dhoni	b Harbhajan Singh	42	54	5	0
R P Arnold	not out		66	83	7	0
M F Maharoof	c A B Agarkar	b Z Khan	14	12	1	0
C M Bandara	lbw	b Z Khan	2	7	0	0
K M D N Kulasekara	not out		9	8	1	0
Extras		4nb 11w 4b 3lb	22
Total		for 8	230	(50.0 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Z Khan 10.0 0 42 5 A B Agarkar 10.0 2 40 0 M M Patel 10.0 2 41 1 Harbhajan Singh 10.0 0 37 2 S R Tendulkar 4.0 0 33 0 V Sehwag 6.0 0 30 0

Fall of wicket 5 S T Jayasuriya 5 W U Tharanga 6 K C Sangakkara 82 M S Atapattu 91 D P M D Jayawardene 180 T M Dilshan 196 M F Maharoof 204 C M Bandara

India Innings

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
S C Ganguly	lbw	b C M Bandara	48	72	6	0
V Sehwag	c T M Dilshan	b C R D Fernando	12	9	3	0
S R Tendulkar		b K M D N Kulasekara	1	8	0	0
Yuvraj Singh	c K M D N Kulasekara	b C R D Fernando	21	31	4	0
R Dravid	run out		66	81	4	1
M S Dhoni	not out		67	75	4	0
K D Karthik	not out		4	6	1	0
Extras		3nb 10w 1lb	14
Total		for 5	233	(46.3 ovs)

Bowler O M R W M F Maharoof 8.0 0 47 0 C R D Fernando 10.0 1 43 2 K M D N Kulasekara 8.3 0 46 1 C M Bandara 10.0 0 46 1 S T Jayasuriya 7.0 0 34 0 T M Dilshan 3.0 0 16 0

Fall of wicket 20 V Sehwag 35 S R Tendulkar 83 Yuvraj Singh 94 S C Ganguly 227 R Dravid

Umpires: A M Saheba, S J A Taufel
India: V Sehwag, S C Ganguly, R Dravid, S R Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, M S Dhoni, K D Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, A B Agarkar, Z Khan, M M Patel
Sri Lanka: S T Jayasuriya, W U Tharanga, D P M D Jayawardene, M S Atapattu, K C Sangakkara, R P Arnold, T M Dilshan, M F Maharoof, C M Bandara, K M D N Kulasekara, C R D Fernando

Rain ruins Calcutta one-day clash

One-day international, Calcutta: India v Sri Lanka 102-3 (18.2 overs)
Match abandoned, rain

Only 18.2 overs were possible before torrential rain forced the opening one-day international between India and Sri Lanka in Calcutta to be abandoned.

The tourists reached 102-3, with Sanath Jayasuriya making an unbeaten 63.

Groundstaff tried for several hours to clear surface water at Eden Gardens but umpires Simon Taufel and Suresh Shastri ruled conditions were not good enough.

The teams now move on to Rajkot, where the second game of the four-match series will take place on Sunday.

It was a blow to a crowd of almost 90,000 that were treated to a typical innings from Jayasuriya.

With little movement on offer for the bowlers in the opening overs, the veteran left-hander and Upul Tharanga had plenty of opportunities to get on to the front foot against Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan.

There is a World Cup coming up and nobody wants to get injured Umpire Suresh Shastri

But Tharanga played on trying to pull a Patel delivery which wasn't short enough and skipper Mahela Jayawardene mis-timed a drive off his fourth ball to Rahul Dravid at mid-on.

Jayasuriya was ruthless with anything short or too full, cutting and pulling with real authority as he collected 13 boundaries.

Soon after Kumar Sangakkara was caught behind trying to cut an innocuous Shanthakumaran Sreesanth delivery the heavens opened.

Taufel said: "There were a lot of muddy areas which caused concerns for the fielding side. The wicket was quite good but the run-ups were muddy.

"It's a wonderful and knowledgeable crowd. I've never seen so many people stay around for so long and be so patient in the expectation of seeing some cricket."

Shastri added: "There is a World Cup coming up and nobody wants to get injured."

India field in Calcutta one-dayer

One-day international, Calcutta: India v Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have lost only eight out of 30 ODIs under Jayawardene

India captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and put Sri Lanka into bat in the first game of the one-day series in Calcutta.

Yuvraj Singh (back), Irfan Pathan (shoulder) and Ajir Agarkar (fever) were ruled out for the home side.

But recalled opener Virender Sehwag will come in at three and paceman Munaf Patel is back after an ankle problem.

Sri Lanka, whose star bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan are being rested at home, named a strong batting line-up for the first of four games.
The match is currently delayed due to rain!

Live Scores-1st ODI India VS Srilanka

08-02-2007 at Kolkata

In Play

India won the toss and decided to field

Sri Lanka Innings 98 for 3 (17.4 overs)

Sri Lanka Innings

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
W U Tharanga		b M M Patel	14	19	3	0
S T Jayasuriya	not out		63	59	13	0
D P M D Jayawardene	c R Dravid	b M M Patel	0	4	0	0
K C Sangakkara	c M S Dhoni	b S Sreesanth	12	19	2	0
M S Atapattu	not out		1	5	0	0
Extras		6w 2lb	8
Total		for 3	98	(17.4 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Z Khan 5.0 0 32 0 M M Patel 7.0 1 25 2 S Sreesanth 4.0 0 32 1 Harbhajan Singh 1.4 0 7 0

Fall of wicket 34 W U Tharanga 44 D P M D Jayawardene 96 K C Sangakkara

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Umpires: S L Shastri, S J A Taufel
India: A R Uthappa, S C Ganguly, R Dravid, S R Tendulkar, V Sehwag, M S Dhoni, K D Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, S Sreesanth, M M Patel
Sri Lanka: W U Tharanga, S T Jayasuriya, D P M D Jayawardene, K C Sangakkara, M S Atapattu, T M Dilshan, R P Arnold, C M Bandara, M F Maharoof, D N T Zoysa, S L Malinga

1st ODI-India VS Srilanka-Sri Lanka ready for India battle

One-day international, Calcutta: India v Sri Lanka
Match starts on Thursday at 0430 GMT

Sri Lanka open the one-day series in India on Thursday promising the hosts a tougher battle than in October 2005.

The tourists were hammered 6-1 then and have rested star bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan for this trip.

But skipper Mahela Jayawardene said: "A lot has changed since the last tour - we've proved ourselves as a team.

"We are now performing consistently, we have grown up as a team and have put a lot of results together. Coming back here completes the whole cycle."

Sri Lanka face a team which beat West Indies 3-1 in their recent one-day series.

India have recalled batsman Virender Sehwag, who was dropped for those games following a poor run of form in South Africa.

Skipper Rahul Dravid said: "Sehwag is a very important player, he can make a huge contribution, and I'm looking forward to seeing him play in this series.

"The smile is back on his face, he now needs to get some runs. The confidence of scoring runs is an important thing."

Sehwag will not open in Calcutta, however, with Dravid confirming the places of Robin Uthappa and Sourav Ganguly at the top of the order.

Sourav Ganguly
I know I don't have a good record at Eden Gardens and I want to make amends

Sourav Ganguly

Paceman Munaf Patel is also back in contention after missing most of the South Africa tour and the Windies series with an ankle injury.

But there are concerns over seamers Ajit Agarkar (fever) and Irfan Pathan (shoulder), and all-rounder Yuvraj Singh (back).

Uncapped Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary has been drafted into the squad as cover.

A crowd of 88,000 is expected at Eden Gardens, with local favourite Ganguly desperate to improve on his modest achievements in international cricket at the venue.

Former skipper Ganguly, 34, has a top score of only 65 from his 12 Test and three ODI innings there.

But the left-hander made 179 runs in three games against the Windies, and hopes he and his team-mates can continue that kind of form.

"I know I don't have a good record at Eden Gardens and I want to make amends," he said.

"If I can get a century it will be great. It is my dream to score a hundred at the Eden.

"More than that, though, it is important for the team to win this series. We played well against the West Indies and it's important to keep the momentum going."

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India (from): Dravid (capt), Tendulkar, Sehwag, Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, Ganguly, Karthik, Dhoni, Pathan, Agarkar, Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, Patel, Tiwary.

Sri Lanka (from): Jayawardene (capt), Jayasuriya, Tharanga, Atapattu, Sangakkara, Arnold, Dilshan, Maharoof, Chandana, Bandara, Fernando, Kulasekara, Malinga, Silva, Zoysa.

Sri Lanka look for India success

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene has backed his side to rise to the challenge in their forthcoming one-day series in India.

They were thrashed 6-1 when they toured there in November 2005 but Jayawardene expects a more even contest this time.

"We've got to beat India in India. It's been long overdue," he said.

"Last time the result was a big disappointment for all of us. But things have changed, personnel have changed and the confidence is back."

The four-match series starts in Calcutta (Kolkata) next Thursday and is the last chance for both sides to assess fringe candidates for World Cup selection.

Sri Lanka have left star bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas at home to ensure they are fully rested before they head for the Caribbean, where they will meet India again in the first round group stage.

Leg-spinners Upul Chandana and Malinga Bandara are probably vying for one place in the World Cup squad, while left-arm seamer Nuwan Zoysa has been given another chance.

They drew 2-2 in their most recent series in New Zealand, having achieved a notable 5-0 whitewash in England last summer.

"One area this team has done really well in the recent past is to compete away from home," Jayawardene commented.

"Although we are not taking our full side [to India], we believe this team can win matches for us. I am confident the players we are taking will be able to do the job for us."

Looking ahead to the World Cup, he added: "There are one or two places we need to confirm. I would say we've got an idea of about 90% of people we want to take to the West Indies.

"We'll have to take into account things like form, experience, players who can handle pressure, players who can fit into combinations that we want and who can contribute to the team."

Sehwag back for Sri Lanka series

India have recalled Virender Sehwag for their final World Cup warm-up series against Sri Lanka.

The 28-year-old was short of runs on India's last tour to South Africa and was overlooked for the recent one-day series against West Indies.

But both he and pace bowler Munaf Patel have been named in a 15-man squad for the first two games against Sri Lanka.

Batsmen Gautham Gambhir and Suresh Raina have been left out, along with off-spinner Ramesh Powar.

Explaining Sehwag's recall, chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar said: "He was out of form and needed a break, now he's back."

But having opened in 133 of his 163 one-day appearances, Sehwag is now set for a new role batting in the middle order.

"We'd want Sehwag to bat in the middle order in the next couple of matches, but he's not ruled out as an opener for the future," Vengsarkar added.

At his best, he is one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket and has scored more than 4,750 runs in limited overs internationals, including seven centuries and 24 fifties - but his last one-day century came in April 2005.

In South Africa, he only managed 29 runs in three games and fared little better in the Test series which followed, averaging only 14.83.

Since then, he has been working a personal batting coach AN Sharma to try and iron out the flaws which cost him his wicket so cheaply and sapped his confidence.

"I suggested to him to watch his old footage so that he does not repeat his mistakes," Sharma told the Press Trust of India.

"In South Africa, he was getting out while trying to slice the ball but now he has stopped playing that way.

"I also advised Sehwag that he should not forget playing his natural game under the pressure to score runs."

The four-match series against Sri Lanka begins in Calcutta (Kolkata) on Thursday.

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India squad: Rahul Dravid (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni (wk), Robin Uthappa, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Virender Sehwag, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

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Sri Lanka in India 2007(Live Scores will be Available Here)
February

8 1st ODI, Pune

112nd ODI, Rajkot

14 3rd ODI, Goa

17 4th ODI, Visakhapatnam

Sri Lanka in India ODI Series, 2006/07

Here is the schedule of the 4-ODI series between Srilanka Vs India.

Thu 8 1st ODI - Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Sun 11 2nd ODI - Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot
Wed 14 3rd ODI - Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Margao
Sat 17 4th ODI - ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam

It is to inform you that the Live Scores of all the India Vs Srilanka matches will be avaiable here.
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