Clarke relishes key Tendulkar wicket

suchithkc

Sydney, January  6 : Captain Michael Clarke on Friday savoured taking Sachin Tendulkar's prized wicket to send India tumbling to another heavy Test defeat and deny the tourists a first-ever series win in Australia.

Clarke also praised his bowlers for dismissing India's batting lineup on a flat Sydney wicket.

Clarke's dismissal of the "Little Master", in menacing form on 80, in the 79th over saw Test cricket's greatest runscorer again denied his 100th international century.

Tendulkar has been stranded on 99 Test and ODI centuries since scoring 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in March.

He was drawn forward to Clarke's part-time left-arm spin and got an outside edge to Mike Hussey at first slip, and with him went India's remote hopes of denying Australia victory.

The dismissal triggered a collapse of wickets to deliver Australia a crushing innings and 68-run victory inside four days in the 100th Sydney Test, after they won the four-match series' opening Test in Melbourne by 122 runs.

The wicket, Clarke's 14th Indian wicket in his career Test haul of 24, was the icing on the cake after the Australian skipper's unbeaten 329 in the first innings made him the undisputed man-of-the-match.

It was Clarke's first bowling stint in Tests this Australian summer season and came at a crucial point, with Tendulkar threatening to go on to post a huge score.

"It's a very nice wicket to have, that's for sure," Clarke said. "To be able to get such a great player out is a very handy wicket so I was stoked with that."

But Clarke warned that Tendulkar would again threaten to dominate Australia's bowlers in the remaining two Tests of the series in Perth and Adelaide.

"Sachin's been such a great player for so long, everyone goes through that period," he said. "Touch wood, it's nice that he's not made his 100th hundred in this series, but there's a long way to go."

"Never write off great players. As a team we have the greatest of respect for him and we know we need to execute our skills against him or he'll make lots of runs."

Clarke said he was not "writing off" India's misfiring batsmen, who have been dismissed for totals of 282, 169, 191 and 400.

"I think India's batting line-up is as strong as I've ever played against," he said.

"They have a lot of greats of the game, they've scored a lot of runs. I would never write off great players so we need to make sure we are at our best in Perth (next week)."

But he praised his bowlers for dismissing India's batting lineup on a flat Sydney wicket to take a grip on the Border-Gavaskar series.

"I think we have wicket-taking bowlers in our attack, we have guys who can get a breakthrough, that's probably one of the most pleasing things as a captain," he said.

"You can turn to any one of our bowlers to try and take a wicket, so that makes life easier for me."

"We're able to build up pressure at the moment, we're bowling a lot of dot balls, we're bowling maidens, we're restricting the batsmen and that's what's taking wickets."

Dhoni looks for India to level Test series

suchithkc

Sydney, January 6 : Defiant captain M.S. Dhoni said India were looking to level the series after another heavy Test loss Friday saw them relinquish all hope of a first-ever series triumph inAustralia.

Dhoni said he saw some positive signs out of the wreckage of the Sydney Test mauling.

The tourists crashed to an innings and 68-run loss in the second Test in Sydney following their 122-run drubbing in Melbourne.

India have two Tests remaining in Perth and Adelaide to save face as Michael Clarke'sAustralia team chase a 4-0 series whitewash.

"We have lost the chance of winning the series but still with two more Test matches to go we can level the series so that's what we're looking to do," Dhoni said.

Dhoni said his team never recovered from their abject 191 in the first innings after winning the toss and then conceding a massive 468-run innings deficit as Australia amassed 659 for four declared.

"We didn't put enough runs on the board. To win Test matches, of course taking 20 wickets is very important," he said.

"But also we need to give that cushion, having those extra runs on the board so that the bowlers can plan the opposition out."

Dhoni said he could see some positive signs out of the wreckage of the Sydney Test mauling.

"It is a bit of a worry but the good thing is in the second innings we saw the batsmen score runs," he said.

"It was not good enough to defend the Test match but what we have seen in the last couple of Test matches is everybody has scored at least a 50 which gives us an indication that we need to convert those 50s into big innings and put runs on the board."

"We need to keep it really simple and score big hundreds and we need to get wickets."

India scored more than 300 for the first time in an away Test since The Oval Test against England last August with 400 but it was still nowhere near enough to make Australia bat a second time in the one-sided Sydney Test.

"In patches we have done well. We have got the opposition out," he said.

"In the last innings we have seen we can score 400-odd runs. We need to get everything together."

"We need to do well as a bowling unit and we need to bat well as a betting unit and come off good fielding performances. We need to get it all together."

Dhoni denied that his decorated batsmen were now too old for Test cricket.

"Not really. With age comes plenty of experience. They're the best that we have got as of now," he said.

"Hopefully it will get better and we'll score more runs in the coming two Test matches."

Dhoni said no blame for India's below-par performances should be attached to team coach Duncan Fletcher.

"What we need to do is not just blame one individual. As a team we need to perform. It's very important to hunt in packs rather than individuals," he said of the former England team coach.

Anuj Bidve's body brought back to India

suchithkc

Mumbai, Jan 7 : Slain Indian student Anuj Bidve's body was brought back to India Saturday by his family members for performing his last rites, a family source said.

The distraught parents of Anuj returned with his body to Mumbaifrom where they have since left for Pune.

It has not yet been finalized where the funeral will be held later Saturday in Pune, the family source added.

Anuj, 23, an engineering student in Britain, was shot dead Dec 26 in Salford city, in Greater Manchester, while walking with a friend.

Earlier this week, a team of British police visited the family in Pune and met them twice.

Later, Anuj's parents left for Britain to collect his body.

Phase out seniors - Laxman first, say former players

suchithkc

MUMBAI  - VVS Laxman should be the first veteran head to roll in a batting revamp if Indiaare to

Will Laxman be the first to go?

secure their future in test cricket, several former players have said in the wake of a second crushing defeat in Australia.

India, who surrendered their world number one test status during a disastrous tour of Englandlast year, slumped to their sixth successive loss in overseas test matches with the innings defeat in Sydney on Friday.

The 4-0 drubbing in England, coupled with the first and second test defeats in Melbourne and Sydney, have seriously dented the pride of the world's most vaunted batting line-up.

Senior batsmen like 38-year-old Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (38) and Laxman (37) have traditionally been India's strength but they have failed to live up to their reputation and calls for infusing more young blood have been gaining ground.

"We can't always think short-term. We need to start building a team as well," former India openerAnshuman Gaekwad told Reuters. "Sachin still has the class, Rahul is very hard working but I am not sure how long Laxman will be able to continue."

Australia, are also going through a tricky transition period after a golden generation of cricketers that included Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist retired one after another.

They have slipped to fourth in the test rankings after dominating world cricket for over a decade.

Many in India worry that their team is going down the same road due to a lack of replacements waiting in the wings.

Gaekwad, who played 40 tests for India, said middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma should be handed his debut in Perth and selectors should give struggling batsman Virat Kohli more chances to find his feet.

"It's not that Virat is not batting well. He's just getting out. But all the others are also struggling. If you drop him now, it will dampen his confidence," Gaekwad said.

"You can't phase out all the three seniors at a time. You have to do that gradually. The youngsters will learn only in the company of the seniors."

That view is supported by former selection committee head Kiran More.

"I would play both Virat and Rohit in Perth. You should let Virat play, he should be given more chances. If you drop him now, he will not enjoy his cricket anymore," More said by telephone.

The 23-year-old Kohli, a regular in India's limited-overs side, has scored 234 runs in six career test matches including a paltry 43 runs in his last four innings in Australia.

He was dropped from the squad for England after a poor test series in West Indies last year and was also pulled up during the Sydney test for losing his cool on the field.

Sharma, 24, is widely considered a talented middle-order batsman and has played 72 one-dayers for India with two centuries. He was Player of the Series in the ODI series against West Indies at home and bailed India out on numerous occasions during the 4-1 win.

Former test cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar also wants Sharma in the team but in place of Laxman, despite the stylish right-hander scoring a half-century in India's second innings in Sydney.

Laxman, who has always performed well against Australia, has not been in the best of form since India's tour of England.

"I would still drop VVS and get Rohit in for next test. Makes long-term sense. Give Virat one more test ... just to be sure he does not belong here," he wrote on his twitter page.

"VVS averages 20 in last 12 overseas innings ... Even if he gets a good score in next test it will not serve India long...

"Also if Virat, before the tour, was India's next big thing ... Should he not get more than two tests on his first stint in Australia?"

Amarinder's brother quits Congress, joins Akali Dal

suchithkc

Chandigarh, Jan 7 :Upset over being denied a Congress ticket for the Jan 30 state assembly polls, Malwinder Singh, the younger brother of Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh, Saturday quit the party and joined the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal.

Malwinder Singh, who openly opposed the Congress allotting a poll ticket for the Samana assembly seat to Amarinder Singh's sonRaninder Singh, was welcomed into the Akali Dal fold by its presidentSukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the deputy chief minister.

'The (Congress) party has done great injustice to me despite my working for the party interests,' Malwinder Singh, who like his brother belongs to the erstwhile Patiala royal family, said here.

Malwinder, who has never contested an election before, is the president of the Chandigarh Golf Club.

Sukhbir Badal said that Malwinder's joining the Akali Dal would strengthen the party further.

He added that Malwinder's joining the Akali Dal was like a 'nuclear bomb'.

'This reflects one thing, that old and loyal workers were not having any say in the affairs of theCongress party as reputed leaders were treated worse than beggars during the last few days prior to distribution of tickets. Money bag and sycophancy culture is totally prevalent in the Congress,' Badal said.

Both Badal and Malwinder said that no decision had been taken on whether the latter will be fielded in the polls.

Earlier, Malwinder had threatened to contest from Samana as an independent, but also said he was keeping his options open.

He also said that his elder brother (Amarinder) could not be blamed for his not getting the Congress ticket.

'I don't think that he (Amarinder) had a role in this. My 'bhabhi' (sister-in-law) is the one responsible for this situation. I had spoken to her last week but she was adamant on getting the Congress ticket for Raninder,' an upset Malwinder Singh said.

Malwinder also blamed Gulchain Singh Charak, who is in charge of the Congress affairs in Punjab, for the denial of the poll ticket to him.

'This man (Charak) has no standing in Jammu from where he comes and has no political understanding (of Punjab). He contested an election in Jammu once and even lost his security deposit. Such people have been put in charge of Congress affairs in Punjab,' he said.

The Congress is facing rebels at some three dozen of the 117 assembly seats in the state.

Congress free to quit alliance: Mamata Banerjee

suchithkc

Kolkata: Trinamul Congress today openly declared turf war in Bengal with the Congress, when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dared the Congress to quit the alliance.

The Trinamul chief alleged that the Congress was maligning her party because it had opposed FDI in retail and petrol price hike.

PTI quoted Mamata Banerjee saying, "If Congress feels they can go with CPI-M, they can do it. (The) Door is open for them. If Congress works with CPI-M, they will not get Trinamool Congress. TC can go it alone."

She accused the Congress of spreading false propaganda against theTrinamul Congress on the issue of assault on the principal of Raigunj University college.

The Congress-TMC ties have been under strain in the past month after party chief Mamata Banerjee blocked the government's decision to allow 51 percent foreign equity in multi brand retail and took a stand against the Lokpal bill in the Rajya Sabha saying some of its provisions were against federal autonomy on the issue of Lokayukta in states.

The differences between the Congress and the TMC, which have an alliance in West Bengal, became pronounced with her recent decision to rename a community hall in Kolkata, named in the memory of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, after popular Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.

Mamata Banerjee has also accused the Congress of colluding with the Marxists, with the Trinamool leadership asking the Congress to quit the state government and seek re-election from their respective constituencies. 

Cover all statues of Mayawati, BSP symbol: Quraishi

suchithkc

Lucknow, Jan 7 :Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi Saturday ordered that all statues of Chief Minister Mayawati and herBahujan Samaj Party poll symbol, the elephant, in the state should be covered till assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are over.

The CEC, addressing a press conference here, said the statues in Lucknow, Noida and other places should be covered so that they are not visible till the seven-phased polls -- from Feb 4 to 28 -- are over.

Swamy submits documents against Chidambaram

suchithkc

New Delhi: Seeking to make Home Minister P. Chidambaram a party to the 2G spectrum case, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy Saturday submitted the certified copies of documents and concluded his arguments. 

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge O.P. Saini, after hearing Swamy's plea for prosecution of Chidambaram in the 2G case, listed the matter for Jan 21 for final arguments.

"This evidence reveals the connivance, collusion and consent of the then finance minister Chidambaram in the decision taken by the then telecom minister A. Raja on the matter of fixing prices of spectrum licences and the matter of permitting companies who received licences," Swamy said.

Chidambaram was the finance minister in the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government when the spectrum saga began.

Swamy sought to make Chidambaram a party in the case, saying the decision on spectrum pricing was taken in 2008 jointly by him and Raja, who has been lodged in the Tihar Jail here since Feb 2. He alleged that Chidambaram and Raja were equally guilty of recommending spectrum prices based on 2001 rates.

Swamy had earlier submitted three documents for seeking the prosecution of Chidambaram. These included evidence extracted from a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report and other sources, and sought some time to bring more documents related to the scam.

Raja is among the 14 people, including corporate honchos, who have been arrested in the scam. Kanimozhi, a DMK Rajya Sabha MP and daughter of former Tamil Nadu chief minister K. Karunanidhi, was also arrested in connection with the case.

Swamy submits documents against Chidambaram

suchithkc

New Delhi: Seeking to make Home Minister P. Chidambaram a party to the 2G spectrum case, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy Saturday submitted the certified copies of documents and concluded his arguments. 

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge O.P. Saini, after hearing Swamy's plea for prosecution of Chidambaram in the 2G case, listed the matter for Jan 21 for final arguments.

"This evidence reveals the connivance, collusion and consent of the then finance minister Chidambaram in the decision taken by the then telecom minister A. Raja on the matter of fixing prices of spectrum licences and the matter of permitting companies who received licences," Swamy said.

Chidambaram was the finance minister in the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government when the spectrum saga began.

Swamy sought to make Chidambaram a party in the case, saying the decision on spectrum pricing was taken in 2008 jointly by him and Raja, who has been lodged in the Tihar Jail here since Feb 2. He alleged that Chidambaram and Raja were equally guilty of recommending spectrum prices based on 2001 rates.

Swamy had earlier submitted three documents for seeking the prosecution of Chidambaram. These included evidence extracted from a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report and other sources, and sought some time to bring more documents related to the scam.

Raja is among the 14 people, including corporate honchos, who have been arrested in the scam. Kanimozhi, a DMK Rajya Sabha MP and daughter of former Tamil Nadu chief minister K. Karunanidhi, was also arrested in connection with the case.

Now, Harley Davidson bikes in India at slashed prices

suchithkc

New Delhi, Jan 5 : American motorcycle giant Harley Davidson Thursday launched two locally assembled models of FXDB Street Bob and FXDC Super Glide Custom at the 11th edition of the Auto Expo here, saying it was expanding its completely knocked down (CKD) production here.

The two bikes were earlier offered as Completely Built-up (CBU) imports which will now be assembled at Harley Davidson's Bawal plant in Haryana. The company has also slashed the price of the bikes.

While Street Bob will be available for Rs.9.95 lakh against the earlier price of Rs.13.95 lakh, Super Glide Customs will be sold at Rs.11.5 lakh against the earlier price of Rs.15.45 lakh.

'This is the first time, bike riders across the country will be able to lay their hands on a 1600cc bike for under Rs.10 lakh,' said Anoop Prakash, managing director, Harley Davidson.

Harley-Davidson India has announced the addition of the Fat Boy Special model to its portfolio in India.

 

Bookings for the motorcycles at new prices begin Thursday across all the seven dealership units in India, including the recently launched showroom in Chennai.

The company also said it plans to expand its operations in Kolkata, Kochi and Jaipur.

'As we expand our CKD portfolio in India, we would continue to adopt and invest in strategies that make our products and ownership experience accessible to more enthusiasts and customers,' said Prakash.

Harley Davidson India was set up in August 2009 and it commenced its CKD assembly operations January 2011 and has been assembling three bikes of the Sportster family - the Superlow, Iron 883 and Forty-Eight - of its total line-up of 15 models.

Currently over 1,000 Harley Davidson bikes are on the Indian roads.

Salman, SRK named most profitable actors

suchithkc

Mumbai, Jan 7 : Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan have been named the most profitable actors of the Hindi film industry in India and abroad respectively by ETC Bollywood Business Awards.

Actress Kareena Kapoor, who featured in 'Bodyguard' and 'RA.One' in 2011 opposite the two actors, has been titled the most profitable actor in the female category.

'Receiving an award wherein you are being adjudged considering the economic quotient as a cornerstone for mapping the success gives you a sense of pride. I've always maintained that commercial success is as important as the critical success of a movie. A commercially successful movie pays evidence to the fact that viewers loved watching your movie,' Kareena said in a press statement.

Salman's 'Bodyguard', the Hindi remake of the Malayalam film by the same name, was titled the top grosser of the year. The film's director Siddique, walked away with the most profitable director's trophy.

SRK's mega-budget dream project 'RA.One' was recognised as the best marketed film of the year and also bagged an award under the highest single day collection category.

'Now I can safely say 'har mulk ki public mujhe dhoondti hai'. 'RA.One', Bollywood's most expensive movie, was my dream project. It feels great that my long cherished dream has been applauded and acknowledged,' said Shah Rukh.

'Allah has been very kind to me and helped me to entertain my audiences and it is quite literally my audiences' love that has fetched me these awards. Inshallah! I'll continue to entertain my audiences and make it to this award in years to come,' he added.

Other films like 'Pyaar Ka Panchnaama', 'The Dirty Picture', 'Don 2:The King Is Back' and 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol' bagged awards for being the most successful small budget Film, ETC Box Office surprise of the year, most popular first look of a film and most successful foreign film respectively.

The ETC Bollywood Business Awards will be aired Monday.

'Nanban' for the French

suchithkc

As we're nearing Pongal, the excitement among eager fans has become multi-fold. The latest is that, 'Nanban' will be the first ever Tamil film which will be released with French subtitles in France!

The film releases big on January 12 and the booking start from January 8, four days prior to the release. The makers are hopeful of seeing a huge opening for this Pongal release and trade gurus are confident it will thanks to the star value, promising crew and a long festive weekend.

It is also said that since the film was certified by the censor board during the end of December 2011, the film will qualify for 2011 awards and not 2012.

The official remake of Bollywood blockbuster, '3 Idiots', 'Nanban', stars Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth and Ileana in the lead roles with music by Harris Jayaraj. It is indefinitely one of the most awaited and promising films of 2012.

Kamal guards 'Viswaroopam' from 'outsiders'

suchithkc

The thorough professional in Kamal Haasan needs no introduction to anyone. As much as his films spell class and splendor, they also spell uniqueness and Kamal is keener than ever in bringing forth his next, 'Viswaroopam', as his best film in his career with a plot that is sure to surprise audience and those in tinsel town as well.

It was earlier rumoured that Sameera Reddy will be the lead lady in the film; and of course a number of names were buzzed about for the heroine slot right from Sonakshi, Vidya Balan to Andrea.

But an inside source tells us that Sameera was finalized for 'Viswaroopam', (after Sonakshi opted out due to date issues), but when she gave away some technical information about the cameras used in the film to outsiders Kamal immediately sought replacement and that's how Pooja Kumar landed in this role!

Birdies further add that a digital team uploaded a couple of on location snaps on networking sites and so they were sent out of the team immediately!

'Viswaroopam' that has been shot at extensive locales is taking shape at a fast pace and nearly 50 per cent of the film has been wrapped already. The film is co-produced by Rajkamal International and PVP Cinema. 'Viswaroopam' is a biggie that boasts off a huge budget of about 120 crore rupees and a lil' birdie tells us that the production house has already shelled about 40 crore plus on the film's progress so far.

It looks like Kamal sure has a visual treat in store for the all of us...

Top 10 foods that can help you lose weight

suchithkc

Foods to fill you up

How full did you feel after your last meal? Did you get a sense of sustained satisfaction or did you find that hunger pangs got you reaching for a snack just a little while later? The good news is there are certain food stuffs that have qualities that rate high on the immediate satisfaction scale (or satiety index) so, they make you feel fuller quicker, and keep you feeling that way a little while longer too.

The key with this is to eat things that make you feel full — and feel full on fewer calories — then you eat less, particularly in between meals. So, to help you to do just that here's our six best foods to keep you feeling fuller for longer ...

Porridge

Porridge oats have a very low G.I., meaning that the carbohydrate is released into your bloodstream slowly and therefore will sustain your energy levels and help prevent those 11am food cravings.
Porridge is also a great full-up-feel food due to its consistency; it's been found that wetter and creamier foods switch on satisfaction signals and so improve satiety. What's more, studies show that a bowl of porridge can lower cholesterol. So all up, porridge makes the perfect breakfast that will see you satisfied to lunch.

Popcorn

If you are looking for a mindless munch to satisfy that hand-to-mouth craving then popcorn is one of the best snacking options available. First off, popcorn has the benefit of being a wholegrain food which means it contains more filling fiber than many other snack alternatives. Secondly it fills you up due to its volume — a 25g (0.9oz) serving of popcorn will fill a much bigger bowl compared the same weight in chips — plus there's less fat too. Make sure you don't go for the butter, oil, toffee or salt varieties though; plain, air-popped popcorn seasoned with a smidge of KN pepper can give you a great fill-up snack fix.

Apples

Apples are a great food to keep hunger at bay due the fact that they are full of fiber. Studies have also suggested that they can make a good pre-meal snack; research has shown that eating an apple 20 minutes prior to a eating a meal reduced the amount of food that was consumed at that meal. So, including an apple for your daily snack will not only contribute to one of your daily recommended fruit or veggie portions (you should be aiming for at least five a day) but the fiber will fill up your stomach and should keep those hunger pangs at bay.

Oranges

Oranges are another super-fruit when it comes to the satiety index and are almost twice as filling as bananas for the same amount of calories. This is thought to be down to the fluid content, fluid content plays a big part when it comes to helping you feel full. Oranges are 86 per cent water, and research shows that foods with high water content can help to improve our satiety because it increases the portion size without adding calories. Choose a whole orange rather than orange juice; it contains more fiber which also helps achieve that 'I'm full' feeling.

Eggs

Okay eggs aren't as low in calories compared to some of the other food we've mentioned so far, but due to the fact that they are great source of protein they definitely deserve a mention in this stop-hunger food list. You see, foods high in protein will keep you full longer. Plus eggs have other benefits too; they contain all the essential amino acids in the exact proportions required by the body for optimum growth and maintenance of lean, metabolically active muscle tissue. Keep intake in check though — one a day is a good rule.

Soup

Starting a meal with a hearty soup is a great fill-up strategy and there's plenty of good research that suggests eating soup before a meal improves satiety, so you eat less and take in fewer calories as a result. You need to be careful on your soup selection though, best case scenario is a homemade soup so you have control over the ingredients and you can even include other stop-hunger foods to the soup as well (for example potatoes, lentils or beans). If you do need to go for a premade soup of the packet or canned variety, make sure you check out the nutritional information — particularly quantities of salt, calories and fat.