McGrath's prediction of a 5-0 whitewash by Australia

PERTH: Test great Glenn McGrath has hailed Australia's rediscovery of "bit of mongrel" in the Ashes series and said they were starting to resemble the top teams of the past.

Australia are 2-0 up in the five-match series against England and could take an unbeatable lead if they win the Perth Test starting Friday after humbling the tourists in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Since meekly losing the Ashes in England earlier this year, Australia's performances have been defined by fierce fast bowling, dogged batting and a more aggressive attitude.

McGrath said it was good to see. "Australia play best when they've got a bit of mongrel about them, when they play hard out in the middle, when they don't give an inch, when they play an aggressive brand of cricket," he said in a column for a betting website.

"It's something that has been missing for a little while and they're back there now. They are a team I'd be proud to be a part of."

McGrath, who took 563 Test wickets at 21.64, credited pacer Mitchell Johnson for "injecting Australia's psyche with a bit of confidence".

"What he must do is not get carried away and still execute his plans, but there is no reason that Mitch, alongside Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle, can't keep doing that," said McGrath.

"I've been saying for the last few months that Mitch was going to have a huge impact on this series, so I'm not surprised by the way he's played. I'm backing him again to have a big match in Perth.

"He had the English batsman jumping about on what was supposed to be a fairly docile track at Adelaide so I can't wait to see him on the speed gun at the WACA."

Ahead of the series, McGrath predicted a 5-0 whitewash of England and he is standing by his call.

"England continued to look like a rabbit in the headlights at Adelaide and I can't see a way back

De Villiers now heads both the Test and ODI batting tables

DUBAI: Star batsman Virat Kohli lost his top position to AB de Villiers while most of his teammates, barring skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also slipped in the latest ICC one-day rankings issued after the 0-2 series loss to South Africa.


India, in fact, dropped two ratings points but held on to the top spot with 120 ratings points despite the 0-2 loss in the three-match series, while South Africa continued to be in fifth place with 110 ratings points, with a gain of three points.

Dhoni remained static at sixth but Shikhar Dhawan was down a rung to 10th, while Rohit Sharma found himself 18th after losing three spots. Suresh Raina, who was 19th in the previous list, is now out of top 20 and is currently placed at 23rd.

In the bowling charts, Ravindra Jadeja was pushed to the 7th spot, a loss of four positions, while Ravichandran Ashwin ended up 17th after slipping three rungs.

For South Africa, leading the way is de Villiers, who had started the series in second spot behind India's Virat Kohli, trailing by 17 ratings points on the rankings for ODI batsmen.

But now de Villiers at 872 has not only regained the number-one rank, he has also opened up a 13 ratings points lead over Kohli.

De Villiers, who scored 189 runs in three completed innings during the series, was the second highest run-getter on either side with a top score of 109 in the final match.

De Villiers, who was named in both the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year in 2013, now heads both the Test and ODI batting tables. De Villiers had also been shortlisted for the LG People's Choice Award this year.

De Villiers is the third batsman from South Africa after Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla to head the Test and ODI batting tables at the same time, and the ninth player overall. Amla achieved the distinction in February this year when he topped the charts after the Johannesburg Test against Pakistan.

Amla, on the other hand, has moved up a place to third in the batting list.

Meanwhile, South Africa's Quinton de Kock has made the biggest gain in the latest rankings following his three successive hundreds in the series, jumping 61 places to a career-best 14th with a best-ever 672 ratings points.

De Kock became only the fifth batsman in history to score three successive ODI hundreds, to thereby end as the highest run-getter in the series with 342 runs.

Outside the top 20, the batsmen to move up include JP Duminy in 24th (up by three), David Miller in 45th (up by 12) and Ravindra Jadeja in 71st (up by one).

Meanwhile, South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has continued his upward move in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. Steyn has moved up three positions to second after claiming six wickets in the two ODIs that he played.

Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal continues to be number-one ranked on the rankings for ODI bowlers.

The other two South Africa bowlers inside the top 10 are Lonwabo Tsotsobe in eighth (up by two) and Morne Morkel in ninth.

Meanwhile, Ryan McLaren has entered the top 20 of the bowling ranking for the first time, as he moved up two places to sit in 20th.

Outside the top 20, the bowlers to advance up the rankings include Mohammed Shami in 43rd (up by seven) and Ishant Sharma in 51st (up by 16).

India win Women's Kabaddi World Cup 2013

JALANDHAR: India clinched the women's Kabaddi World Cup championship for the third time in a row, defeating debutant New Zealand 49-21 in the summit clash played at Guru Gobind Singh sports complex on Thursday.

The Indian eves led their New Zealand counterparts for most part of the match and held out a strong challenge by the visitors in the second half, on course to a resounding win.

The Indian team took home a first-place prize of Rs one crore.

Anu Rani was adjudged the best stopper while Ram Bateri was declared the best raider. Both received a Maruti Alto car each.

Ronaldo sets goalscoring record

  Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score nine goals in the group stage of the champions league as Real Madrid finished their campaign with a win at chilly Copenhagen.

Real, who finished top of Group B after five wins and a draw, took the lead through Luka Modric who curled the ball into the top-right corner.
Ronaldo scored his record goal when he latched on to Pepe's ball to fire in.
He should have added another but had his penalty saved by Johan Wiland.
Ronaldo was making his return to the side after three games out through injury and suspension, while £85m-signing Gareth Bale also started after he had missed Saturday's 0-0 draw away to minnows Olimpic Xativa in the Copa del Ray because of illness.

Real went close on three other occasions. France striker Karim Benzema's low drive was well saved by Wiland before the goalkeeper pushed Ronaldo's effort around the post.

And late in the game, Bale failed to score his 10th goal of the season when he missed from three yards out.
Portugal forward Ronaldo, 28, passed a record jointly held by Ruud van Nistelrooy(2004-05), Filippo Inzaghi and Hernan Crespo (both 2002-03). Paris St-Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic also equalled the record this season but sat out matchday six.

Lineup, Bookings (3) & Substitutions (6)

FC Copenhagen

• 21 Wiland
• 02 Jacobsen
• 03 Bengtsson
• 06 Claudemir
• 05 Mellberg
• 17 Sigurdsson
• 19 Gislason
• 08 Delaney Booked
• 18 Jørgensen (Bolaños - 9' )
• 09 Vetokele
• 24 Toutouh (Remmer - 77' )

Substitutes

• 04 Stadsgaard
• 11 Santin
• 16 Kristensen
• 23 Pourie
• 25 Remmer
• 30 Bolaños (Remmer - 77' )
• 31 Busk Jensen

Real Madrid

• 01 Casillas
• 17 Arbeloa
• 12 Marcelo Booked
• 19 Modric (Casemiro - 83' )
• 03 Pepe
• 18 Nacho
• 11 Bale
• 14 Alonso Booked (Illarramendi - 77' )
• 09 Benzema
• 23 Isco (Di María - 67' )
• 07 Ronaldo

Substitutes

• 15 Carvajal
• 16 Casemiro
• 20 Jesé
• 21 Morata
• 22 Di María
• 24 Illarramendi
• 25 López

Ref: Dr. Felix Brych

Match Stats

Real Madrid

Shots

10 15

On target

1 10

Corners

4 8

Fouls

21 11

IOC clears Indian athletes to compete in Sochi

LAUSANNE: Indian athletes have been cleared to compete in the Winter Games in Sochi after the country complied with the IOC's ethics rules and avoided becoming the first country expelled from the Olympics in more than 40 years.

Still to be determined is whether the few Indian athletes who have qualified for Sochi compete for their country or under the Olympic flag.

The International Olympic Committee gave a reprieve to India's suspended national Olympic body on Tuesday after a long impasse that had threatened to lead to the expulsion of the world's second most populous nation.

The move came two days after the Indian Olympic Association amended its constitution to bar any officials charged with a crime from running for election, as demanded by the IOC.

"We think that is a major step in the right direction," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "We are now looking forward to the implementation of the new rules by transparent and open and democratic elections in the Indian Olympic Association."'

Had India not fallen into line by Tuesday, it risked becoming the first country kicked out of the Olympic movement since South Africa was expelled in 1970 for its apartheid policies.

The Indian body was suspended by the IOC last December after electing secretary-general Lalit Bhanot, who spent 10 months in jail on corruption charges related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Bach said the IOA remains suspended pending the holding of elections under the new constitution.

Although the new elections will not take place until Feb. 9, two days after the start of the Sochi Olympics, Bach said the IOC has "taken precautions for the athletes and made sure the athletes will not suffer from this procedure."

In that case, Bach said, Indians would compete as "independent athletes" under the Olympic flag, with no Indian flag or symbols allowed at the venues or opening ceremony.

If the elections can take place before the Sochi Olympics and satisfy the IOC demands, the suspension would be lifted and the athletes could compete with their national flag and anthem.

India is likely to send a three-member team to Sochi, led by luger Shiva Keshavan, who will be participating in his fifth Winter Olympics. Keshavan, who set a continental record at the Asia Cup in Nagano, Japan, last December, is hoping to become the first Indian to win a medal at a Winter Games.

India can also send one male and one female Alpine skier to the games.

England are not scared of firebrand pacer Mitchell Johnson - Andy Flower

PERTH: Coach Andy Flower insists England are not scared of firebrand pacer Mitchell Johnson and that the team's dismal record in Perth will have no bearing on the outcome of the pivotal third Ashes Test.

Johnson terrorised the England batsmen in Brisbane and Adelaide, taking his side to the brink of reclaiming the Ashes after three consecutive series defeats.

And the left-arm quick, who has taken 17 wickets with his 150 kilometre-an-hour (93 miles-an-hour) deliveries, has been tipped to bowl even faster on his home ground, the WACA, in the match starting on Friday.

Despite a dressing room full of bruised and battered batsmen, Flower rejected claims that the players were afraid of Johnson, saying they were used to pace at the top level of the game.

"One thing I would say about playing fast bowling is that our batsmen have to display the combination of skill and determination to bat long periods against it," he said.

"Because if we do expose our lower order, they will struggle against that sort of pace. So the responsibility lies with the batsmen in that regard."

England have a dismal record in Perth, where their only win in 12 attempts came in 1978 but must find a way to halt the Australian juggernaut, for whom a victory would give them an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

Flower is undaunted by his side's previous struggles at the WACA but he is hoping captain Alastair Cook wins the toss the team is able to bat first and post a big score on the board.

"I think past glories mean nothing in this context," Flower said on the England and Wales Cricket Board website.

"We've got a big challenge to stop the momentum of the opposition and to get ahead in the game. We had Australia 130 for six in Brisbane, but since then they've been ahead in both games."

England's second-innings 312 at Adelaide was the first time they have passed 200 in the series, with a number of batsmen, including Cook, struggling for form and Flower challenged his players to be more selective with their strokes.

"The challenge at Perth will be to assess those conditions accurately and have clarity on the risk/reward that you always have to judge when you're batting," he said.

While Adelaide offered a pitch suitable for spinners, with Monty Panesar selected alongside Graeme Swann, Perth is more of a fast-bowlers track and Flower suggested there would be changes.

"We have taken some serious hits but we do have a squad full of people who are determined to turn the ship around, and that's what we must do," he said. "We'll assess those conditions and see who will best be able to help us take 20 wickets."

Middle order not performing to potential,MS Dhoni

DURBAN: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni says an under-performing middle order was one of the main reasons for his team's pathetic show against South Africa, where the home fast bowlers have ruled the roost.

After being reduced to 34/4, India were bowled out for 146 in 35.1 overs, chasing 281 runs in the second one-dayer. No batsman crossed the 40-run mark.

"In the last few series our middle order, to some extent, was a bit of a bother. In this series we lost the top three quite early and our middle order was exposed. So if you assess, then that's maybe why we haven't been able to perform to our potential," he said.

Dhoni said he was surprised that Indian batsmen could not take advantage of a flat track.

"The wicket was on the flatter side and there wasn't much for the fast bowlers in it, so I am disappointed with the batting. The kind of shots we played, well, few of them were on. But the shot execution was not great to some extent, as they went to the fielders," he said.

Dhoni though expressed his pleasure about the bowlers' performance.

"Compared to the last game, our bowling did a fantastic job especially in the middle orders. Spinners bowled well and so did the fast bowlers when they came back on, in the latter stages of the South African innings. I am happy with the bowlers' performance because 280 runs on this pitch was a decent score."

South Africa were put into bat by Dhoni and while his bowlers eventually finished on top, early on they were once again defied by Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla, with the opening duo putting up 194 runs for the first wicket and smacking a hundred each in doing so.

"They have done really well for South Africa. They did so in the last series as well (versus Pakistan). The way they were batting in the first 20 overs, I thought this may be another 300-plus run chase but we came back into the game.

Dhoni said South Africa have good combination in both batting and bowling and that has played a major role in their continuing success.

"In both matches in this series so far, they have done well and given a really good start, but in this game we were able to get to the middle order to some extent because they were not able to score 300-plus runs. At the moment, South Africa have the right kind of bowlers and the right batsmen."

To counter them, Dhoni had deployed spinners as early as the 11th over, and brought on Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli as well. This turned out to be a ploy in the end, as he was able to use his bowling attack more effectively in the later stages of the South African innings.

"The wicket was slowing a bit. So, using the part-timers gives me a few more overs of specialist bowlers a bit later on," said the skipper, explaining his move.

"It seemed at that time that the batsmen were not really looking for the big strokes and I thought I can get a few overs off the part timers and then look to attack with the spinners. Or use the pace bowlers, if the pacers go for runs."

"To some extent I didn't need them (spinners) in the last few overs because fast bowlers did well apart from the couple of overs that went for runs. So, overall as a bowling unit I think we bowled well," he added.

Standing apart from the bowling unit, and indeed the entire team, was Mohammad Shami. He took 3 for 48 here at Durban, to go along with 3 for 68 in the first ODI. And Dhoni deemed him the one big positive of the tour so far.

"He bowls with the seam upright and he bowls the right line and length. Even today (Sunday) when there was a bit of reverse swing he bowled the right length, and that's something very crucial. I think he has adapted very well. And the more he is playing the better he is getting, so that's a big positive for us," said the skipper.

While the bowling may have worked on this day, owing to a slower pitch than in Johannesburg, it cannot be denied that 281 was a gettable target.

Even so, Dhoni looked to defend his batsmen and said that team India will be looking to 'continue playing their best XI' in the third ODI at Centurion on Wednesday, rather than experiment or give other squad members a chance in the dead encounter.

"When we travel outside India, people talk about short bowling because in the subcontinent we are not used to that kind of bowling. So what we have seen is that sometimes you play a few shots and it pays off, then the opposition has to think where they need to bowl.

"This is what happens in the Champions Trophy. At other times, you play those big shots and end up losing wickets. It is a part and parcel of the cricket and we will have to accept it," he opined.

The Men in Blue may have won in England back in the summer, but it will quickly become a distant memory if the tour continues to go this way. Yet, Dhoni sounded confident that this ODI series is a 'one-off contest' and there is much to learn ahead.

"You win a few and you lose a few. What's important is that you keep learning. The bowlers learnt from the first game and bowled better in this game. As a batting unit also, we need to learn quite a few things and keep going onto the field," he signed off.