Security at Dhoni's House beefed up after two Extortion Letters

Breaking News! Security has been beefed up at Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's house, after his family received two threatening letters, which demanded a ransom of Rs. 50 lakh (Rs. 5 million). The letter threatened to blow up his house if the extortion money is not paid.

The threatening letter was signed by gangster Taslim, who claimed to be a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Dhoni was provided Z category security after these threat letters. According to Ranchi Police, Taslim has a criminal background, but his whereabouts are not known. The police is investigating the matter.

Mohali Test ends in a Draw, India win Test Series 1-0

Breaking News! The second test match between India and England, ended in a draw. With this, India won the test series 1-0 and became the No. 2 team in ICC test rankings. Chasing a victory target of 403, England finished at 64/1, when both captains agreed to end the play. Strauss and Bell remained unbeaten on 21 and 24 respectively.

Gautam Gambhir, who made 179 and 97 in both innings, was declared "Man of the Match". Zaheer Khan was declared "Man of the Series". England team showed extraordinary courage and strength to return to India after Mumbai terror attacks and play a sporting series. It was a victory for the wonderful game of cricket.

India declare at 251/7, England need 403 to win Mohali Test

The Mohali Test is heading for a tame draw, as India delayed the declaration after a delayed start due to fog. India declared their second innings on 251/7. Gautam Gambhir, who made 179 in the first innings, fell short of another century in the second innings by just 3 runs. He made 97.

Yuvraj Singh made an explosive 86 off 93 balls with 6 boundaries and 4 sixes. Yuvraj was ran out by Ian Bell. Yuvraj and Gambhir added 150 runs for the sixth wicket. England now need 403 to win the match with little time left to declare the match as a draw. England were 31/1 when reports last came in.

Mohali Test heading towards Draw, India end Day 4 at 134/4

Bad light, bad weather and heavy fog - these factors played spoilsport in the second test match between India and England at Mohali. It seems like Mohali test will be ended in a tame draw, unless Dhoni makes a bold declaration and England try to chase it down. At the end of Day 4, India were 134/4 - a lead of 285 runs with 6 wickets in hand.

The final day of the test may witness some good cricket, if weather god helps. Otherwise, there won't be any results in the match and India will win the series 1-0. At stumps, Gambhir was batting on 44, while Yuvraj was batting on 39.

Unlike other Indian batsmen, who just played to save their wickets (but could not), Yuvraj was attacking and aggressive. He hit 39 off just 40 balls with 5 boundaries and one six. Sehwag and Laxman were ran out by English fielders, while Anderson and Broad shared 1 wicket each.

England bowled out for 302 in first innings, India make a shaky start

England team was bowled out for just 302 runs in their first innings of Mohali Test. Resuming from the overnight score of 282/6, England added just 20 runs to their total. The tailenders failed to show any resistance. India got a lead of 151-run first innings lead. The start of 4th day's play was delayed due to heavy fog.

For India, Harbhajan Singh claimed 4 wickets, while Zaheer finished with 3 wickets. Amit Mishra took 2 wickets. India began their second innings on a shaky note. Virender Sewhag, who scored 17 off 17 balls with 2 boundaries was run out by Ian Bell. Rahul, Dravid, who silenced his critics with a fine century in the first innings, fell for a duck. India were 36/2 with Gambhir on 18.

Pietersen hits Century, England end at 282/6 on Day 3

Two late strikes by Indian spinners in the last 10 minutes on Day 3, changed the course of Mohali Test. In reply to India's first innings total of 453, England finished at 282/6 at stumps on Day 3. Pietersen scored a magnificent century and was out for 144. Flintoff scored 62, while Cook contributed 50.

Pietersen and Flintoff added 149 runs for the fifth wicket, but could not hold themselves in the dying moments of Day 3. India will now want to claim the remaining wickets as soon as possible and then put pressure on England by scoring a faster pace in the second innings. For India, Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra took 2 wickets each. Ishant and Harbhajan shared 1 wicket each.

South Africa chase down 414 to win Perth Test against Australia

Breaking News! South African skipper Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers helped South Africa register a historic win over Australia at Perth, the ground where India had humbled Australia earlier this year. South Africa chased down 414 to win the test match - the second highest run chase in the test history. Earlier, West Indies had chased down 418 to win a test match against Australia.

South African successfully chased 414, by losing just 4 wickets and won the test by 6 wickets. Smith scored 108, while Villiers remained unbeaten on 106. Amla and Kallis contributed 53 and 57 respectively. Duminy remained unbeaten on 50.

Final Score:

Australia - 375 and 319
South Africa - 281 and 414/4

Mohali Test: England 57/2 at Lunch

Breaking News! Heavy fog delayed the third day's play in Mohali Test. When play began, England had just 12 over to bat before the lunch. England lost two quick wickets and were 1/2 at one stage. However, Kevin Pietersen and A Cook led the England fight back and prevented further damage. Pietersen was batting on 28, while Cook was on 25. England were 57/2 at lunch.

Last test's hero Andrew Strauss lasted for only three balls and became the victim of Zaheer Khan without opening his account. Ian Bell's stump was uprooted by pacer Ishant Sharma. India had scored 453 in the first innings.

Dhoni Temple to come up in Ranchi

Cricket fans in India hail Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a hero and certainly he deserves this. But, is it worth worshipping a professional sportsperson as a "GOD" and build temples for him? Isn't it ridiculous? By indulging in such sycophancy, we not only damage our culture, but also bring a bad name to the game of cricket and the nation.

What's more shocking is that "We the Dhoni Fans" Club people are raising funds to build a temple on Dhoni's name. They are in the process of building a huge temple in Ranchi for "Dhoni God" and place an idol inside the temple. What an irony! Have we gone mad to do or allow such acts during the time of economic slowdown?

The so-called fans want Dhoni to inaugurate this temple. Will Dhoni approve it? I doubt, given Dhoni's track record as a mature cricketer. He will definitely disapprove this and urge his fans to spend that valuable money in some charity work or donate to the victims of Mumbai terror attacks. The fans should not make a mockery of cricket, Dhoni and above all the state of Jharkhand.

(Content © Breaking News Online)

India bowled out for 453 in first innings of Mohali Test

Breaking News! India bowled out for 453 in the first innings of Mohali Test. Gambhir was the top scorer with 179, while Dravid scored 136. Yuvraj and Dhoni made 27 and 29 respectively. Harbhajan and Amit Mishra contributed 24 and 23 respectively. For England, Swann and Flintoff took 3 wickets each, while Panesar took 2 wickets.

Mohali Test: Swann strikes after Gambhir, Dravid spalsh

Breaking News! India slumped to 345/5 from 320/1, thanks to a late strike by Graeme Swann. Swann removed Gambhir, Dravid and Tendulkr in the span of a few overs to destroy Indian hope of putting up something in excess of 500 on this slow and turning wicket. Gambhir was the top scorer with 179, while Dravid made 136 - his 26th test century. Gambhir and Dravid added 314 runs for the second wicket.

Tendulkar scored just 11. VVS Laxman was the biggest disappointment, as he failed to open his account even after facing 24 balls. Flintoff took Laxman's wicket. For England, Swann has taken 3 wickets, while Broad and Flintoff have shared one wicket each.

Mohali Test: Gambhir hits Century, Dravid strikes Form...Finally

Breaking News! Bad light stopped play on Day 1 in the second test match between India and England at Mohali. India were sitting pretty at 179/1 at stumps. Gautam Gambhir yet again produced superb form and scored a century.

Gambhir is batting on 106. Rahul Dravid, who was under fire for his poor performance, struck form and is batting on 65. Play was possible only for 72 overs in the day. Broad was the lone wicket taker for England.

Mohali Test: India win Toss, elect to bat first

Breaking News! India won the toss and elected to bat in the second test match in Mohali. The hosts got the first shocker this morning, as Virender Sehwag was dismissed for a duck by Stuart Broad, who did not play in the first test.

India were 10/1 in 5 overs when reports last came in. Gambhir and Dravid were at the crease. England replaced Harmsion with Stuart Broad, while India made no changes to the playing XI.

Govt. says NO, India won't tour Pakistan

It's official now! The Union Government has directed the BCCI not to travel Pakistan due to the deteriorating relations between both countries after the Mumbai terror attacks. India was scheduled to play 3 test matches, 5 ODIs and a T20 match during the Pakistan tour. The tour was slated to begin in January 2009. Pakistan may look up to Sri Lanka to compensate for its loss.

BCCI Grade Contract: Dravid retained in Grade A, Badrinath in Grade B

Breaking News! The BCCI announced the annual grade contract for its players. VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have been elevated to Grade A, while Dravid was retained in Grade A despite his poor form. Ishant Sharma and Rohit Sharma moved to Grade B. But, S Badrinath's elevation to Grade B without any significant performance, raised an eyebrow.

In total, 37 players have been classified into Grades - A, B, C and D. Here's the complete list of players who received respective grades:

Grade A (Rs. 60 lakh per annum) - Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, Zaheer Khan, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.

Grade B (Rs. 4o lakh per annum) - RP Singh, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, S Badrinath and Irfan Pathan.

Grade C (Rs 25 lakh per annum) - Piyush Chawla, Wasim Jaffer, Yusuf Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra and S Sreesanth.

Grade D (Rs 15 lakh per annum) - Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Parthiv Patel, Manpreet Gony, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Ashok Dinda, Wriddhiman Saha, Chetanya Nanda, Murali Vijay, R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhiwan and Sudeep Tyagi.

BCCI announces Rs. 3 crore reward for Mumbai Heroes

The BCCI has announced a cash reward of Rs. 2 crore for the families of martyr security personnel including the police, NSG, RPF, Naval commandos and Firemen who lost their lives while fighting the terrorists in Mumbai. The BCCI also announced Rs. 1 crore for the security personnel including policemen, NSG and firemen who sustained injuries during the operation.

Sachin hits Century, as India win Chennai Test by 6 Wickets

Breaking News! India made history in Chennai, by chasing the highest-ever total in a test match on Indian soil. India successfully chased 387 runs to win the Chennai test and take a 1-0 lead in the two-test match series.

Earlier, no team had ever chased more than 300 runs in India to win a test match. Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar led from the front on Day 5, as he completed his 41st century in test cricket. Sachin remained unbeaten on 103.

Yuvraj Singh played a memorable innings and remained unbeaten on 85. Gambhir also contributed 66. India's historic run chase was set by Virender Sehwag, who massacred the England bowlers yesterday by scoring 83 off 68 balls. For England, Swann took 2 wickets, while Anderson and Flintoff took one wicket each.

The winning run came from Sachin's bat, as he hit a boundary off Swann to signal India's most famous test victory after 1975-76, when India chased 403 runs to win against West Indies in Port of Spain. India made 387/4 in 98.3 overs. This is the fourth highest run chase in the history of test cricket. Virender Sehwag was declared "Man of the Match" for his explosive century.

After hitting his 41st test century, Sachin saluted the brave hearts of Mumbai terror attacks and said "This 100 is for Mumbai". "This is a special victory for us and certainly one among my best innings", said Sachin Tendulkar.

Chennai Test: Sachin, Laxman keep India in Hunt

Breaking News! The first test match between India and England has reached an interesting stage and the match could go either way. Chasing a victory target of 387, India resumed at 133/1, but lost Dravid early. Dravid, whose days are numbered in the Indian team, failed yet again and scored just 4. He had scored 3 runs in the first innings.

Gautam Gambhir batted sensibly and completed his half century, but fell at 66. Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman are spearheading the Indian run chase with some sensible and classy batting. Sachin and Laxman are unbeaten at 27 anf 20 respectively.

India went to lunch on 213/3. The team still needs 174 more to win the match. If India win Chennai test, it will be recorded as the highest-ever run chase to win the test by any team on Indian soil.

Sehwag fires, as India smell Victory in Chennai Test

The fifth and final day of the first test match between India and England in Chennai, will witness a high-profile cricket, as both teams are aiming for an outright win. Chasing a victory target of 387, India began the proceedings on an explosive note, with Sehwag leading the way. Sehwag and Gambhir added 117 runs for the first wicket. Sehwag made 83 off 68 balls with 11 boundaries and 4 sixes.

At stumps, India reached 131/1, with Gambhir batting on 41 and Dravid batting on 2. Indian will need 256 more runs to win the test with 9 wickets in hand. The wicket is playing good except for some turns and bounces.

If Indian batsmen handle the England bowling attack with some sort of caution, then there is no reason why India can't win this match. The onus is now on Indian batsmen - Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Yuvraj and Dhoni. Sehwag has done his job, by putting India on the track to victory.

India need 387 to win Chennai Test, Sehwag sets Chennai on Fire

Breaking News! Nost spinners, but pacers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma brought India back into game in the Chennai test. Andrew Staruss and Paul Collingwood added 214 runs for the 5th wicket, but other batsmen failed to make any impact.

Both Strauss and Collingwood scored 108 each. Matthew Prior made 33. For India, Zaheer and Ishant took 3 wickets each, while Amit Mishra, Yuvraj and Harbhajan shared 1 wicket each. England declared their second innings on 311/9.

Chasing a victory target of 387, Virender Sehwag started the Indian innings on an explosive note, but hitting boundaries and sixes from the very beginning. India were 80/0 in 12 overs, when reports last came in. Sehwag was batting on 61, while Gambhir was on 17. Sehwag has already hit 9 boundaries and 3 sixes.

Chennai Test: Andrew Strauss hits Centuries in both innings

Breaking News! England is in command in the Chennai test, as Andrew Strauss hit another century against India. Strauss, who had scored a century in the first innings, repeated the same performance in the second innings too. Strauss joined Sri Lankan Duleep Mendis to hit Centuries in both innings in Chennai.

From 43/3, England now reached 234/3. Strauss is batting on 100, while Collingwood is batting on 85. England now has a lead of 309 runs with 7 wickets in hand. The game is gradually slipping away from India's grip.

Chennai Test Day 3: England in Command, as Strauss leads the Way

Breaking News! Andrew Strauss, who hit a century in the first innings to help England reach a respectable total in the first innings, yet again proved to be India's tormentor, as England is now placed in a comfortable position in the first test match in Chennai. At close of third day's play, England recovered from 43/3 to end at 172/3.

The Indian bowling completely failed in the post-tea session, allowing England batsmen to take lead. Strauss was batting on 73, while Collingwood remained unbeaten on 60. Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra and Yuvraj Singh took one wicket each. England now has a lead of 247 runs with 7 wickets in hand.

Chennai Test: India bowled out for 241

Breaking News! India bowled out for 241 in the first innings, in reply to England's first innings total 316, giving a crucial 75-run lead to England. Dhoni was the top scorer with 53, while Harbhajan made 40 with 7 boundaries. Flintoff and Panesar took 3 wickets each, while Swann took 2 wickets. Harmison and Anderson bagged one wicket each.

Champions League T20 cancelled

It's official! The much-awaited Champions League T20 2008, is cancelled now. The BCCI has finally decided to cancel the championship, because of the prevalent conditions in the country. In total, 8 teams including two from India, two from Australia, two from South Africa and one each from England and Pakistan were scheduled to take part in Champions League T20.

The Champions League T20 was initially scheduled to be held on December 3, but was postponed after the terror attacks in Mumbai. The situation is still not conducive for a tournament featuring teams from foreign countries, as players from Australia and others have expressed their concerns about visiting India at this moment. The BCCI had no option but to cancel the tournament.

Chennai Test: India end Day 2 at 155/6 in reply to England's 316

Indian batsmen failed to live up to expectations while facing the spin bowling of debutant Swann and experienced Paneshar. None of the Indian top order batsmen proved to be a match to England's bowling attack and India finished at 155/6 at close in reply to England's first innings total 316.

Sachin Tendulkar was the top scorer with 37, while Laxman contributed 24. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 23, while Harbhajan Singh was batting on 13 off 6 balls. Rahul Dravid, who has become a liability for Team India, yet again fell cheaply. He scored just 3 runs. Yuvraj Singh, who was seen as a replacement for Sourav Ganguly, could score only 14. For England, Swann took 2 wickets, while Harmison, Anderson, Panesar and Flintoff took 1 wicket each.

Chennai Test (India vs Eng): England bowled out for 316 in First Innings

Matthew Prior helped England to surpass 300, as England bowled out for 316 in the first innings on Day 2 of Chennai test. Prior remained unbeaten on 53. Flintoff was out for 19, without adding anything to his overnight score. Anderson scored 19. For India, Harbhajan and Amit Mishra took 3 wickets each. Zaheer Khan took 2 wickets, while Yuvraj and Ishant got 1 wicket each.

Chennai Test: Strauss hits Century, England 229/5 on Day 1

Breaking News! England had the advantage till one hour after lunch. But later, they lost it. At the end of Day 1, the result was not so good for England, as they lost opener Strauss just before a few overs. Strauss hit a magnificent century and was out for 123. Strauss and Cook added 118 runs for the first wicket. Cook scored 52.

Other England batsmen failed out live up to expectations. Bell scored 17, while Pietersen and Collingwood remained unbeaten on 4 and 9 respectively. At close, England were 229/5. Flintoff remained unbeaten on 18. For India, Zaheer and Harbhajan took 2 wickets each. Amit Mishra took one wicket.

Chennai Test (India vs Eng): England win Toss, elect to bat

Breaking News! Amid unprecedented security arrangements, the first test match between India and England commenced in Chennai this morning. England won the toss and elected to bat first. England were 5/0 when reports last received.

England is playing with two spinners - Monty Panesar and GP Swann. India has Amit Mishra and Yuvraj Singh in the playing XI. Yuvraj returned to the test team after a long time.

Indian Team: V Sehwag, G Gambhir, R Dravid, SR Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, A Mishra and I Sharma.

England Team: AN Cook, AJ Strauss, IR Bell, KP Pietersen, A Flintoff, PD Collingwood, MJ Prior, GP Swann, SJ Harmison, JM Anderson and MS Panesar.

England to play in Mohali

It's official. England has agreed to play in Mohali. The second test match between India and England will be held from Dec 19 - 23. The decision was taken after ECB security adviser Reg Dickason reviewed the security arrangements in Mohali. England will play the first test match in Chennai, which will begin from Thursday.

England Team to donate 50% of match fee to Mumbai Terror Victims

In a rare gesture, which is widely appreciated among the millions of Indians, the England cricket team has decided to donate the 50% of their match fee to the victims of recent terror attacks in Mumbai. It was announced by Alistair Cook, the leading England player. The England players will donate the 50% of their match fee in Chennai Test.

England's cricket team arrives in Chennai

Putting all speculations into rest, the England cricket team arrived in Chennai to play a two-test match series against India. The team arrived here amid tight security arrangements. The players arrived in two batches from Abu Dhabi. Later, they were taken to the Taj Connemara Hotel . Heavy security arrangements have been made inside the hotel. The BCCI has booked the entire floor of the hotel where the players are staying.

The England team will undergo a training session at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in the morning, while the Indian team will have their nets in the afternoon. The players are completely inaccessible to media due to tight security arrangements. The first test match between India and England will be held in Chennai from Dec 11 - 15.

ECB confirms that England will play test series in India

Breaking News! The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that England's cricket team will travel to India to play in the two-test match series, which will begin on Dec 11. The green signal from the ECB came after its Security Adviser Reg Dickason declared India safe for the England players.

According to ECB, England will send a full-strength team to India. Currently, the team is camping in Abu Dhabi. The England players will fly to Chennai in two batches. Although Reg Dickason has given a clean chit to Chennai, he is yet to visit Mohali. The decision on Mohali will be taken in a day or two.

Yuvraj recalled to Test Squad, Vijay, Badrinath get Selectors' Nod

Breaking News! The Indian selectors have announced a 15-member squad for the forthcoming test series against England. Yuvraj Singh made a comeback to team to fill the vacuum created after Sourav Ganguly's retirement. M Vijay and S Badrinath got selectors' nod, but RP Singh was dropped from the test team.

The first test match between India and England will be played at Chennai fro Dec 11 - 15. The second test match will be played at Mohali from Dec 19 - 23.

Indian Test Team:

MS Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag (VC), Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, S Badrinath, M Vijay, Yuvraj Singh, Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha.

England confirms Tour of India, Test Venues shifted to Chennai and Mohali

Breaking News! The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that England's cricket team would tour India for a two-test match series. England will send its regular team, not any second string team. The venues of test matches have been shifted to Chennai and Mohali instead of Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

The first test match will be held in Chennai from Dec 11 - 15, while the second test match will be played in Mohali from Dec 19 - 23. The three-day warm-up match has been called off. The ECB will send its security consultant to oversee the security arrangements.