England tour of India: Success on the subcontinent?

 
England congratulate Scott Borthwick England have won both of their warm-up games against a Hyderabad XI

England begin their winter programme on Friday with the first of five one-day internationals in India.

England dominated Mahendra Dhoni's side during the summer, winning the Test and one-day series as well as the solitary Twenty20 game, ensuring India returned home without registering an international victory on tour.

However, despite being robbed of the services of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan because of injury, the world champions will be a much tougher proposition on their home turf.

England will also be without some of their first-choice line-up, with Stuart Broad and Eoin Morgan both missing out with shoulder injuries, and James Anderson rested.

Former England captain Alec Stewart analyses how the tourists will have to adapt to the conditions in the subcontinent and where the series will be won and lost.
THE ENGLAND SQUAD AND THEIR PREPARATION

"I think this England squad covers all bases. In the batting they've got two solid players in Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott, and more adventurous players in the shape of Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen.

"Samit Patel, Scott Borthwick and Graeme Swann cover the spin options and they have the pace of Steven Finn, the canny bowling of Jade Dernbach and that's without mentioning Tim Bresnan.
ENGLAND'S TOUR OF INDIA
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* 14 Oct: 1st ODI (Hyderabad)
* 17 Oct: 2nd ODI (Delhi)
* 20 Oct: 3rd ODI (Mohali)
* 23 Oct: 4th ODI (Mumbai)
* 25 Oct: 5th ODI (Kolkata)
* 29 Oct: Twenty20 international (Kolkata)

"The selectors have half an eye on the 2015 World Cup but, like they've done with the Test side, they pick people who are good enough and ready to play, who they know will grow and develop on the international scene.

"To be able to rest James Anderson, not have the injured Stuart Broad and Eoin Morgan and still feel you're ready going in to the first game is a credit to their strength in depth.

"Every time England play, wherever they go, they take it seriously, whether it's a full international or a warm-up game. They've had a long time out there before the first game, and that's how it should be."
THE CONDITIONS

"It's going to be very different to what England are used to because they will play on pitches that are tailor-made to suit the home side. You will not see much grass on the pitches because India will want to play to their strengths, which are playing on slow, lower tracks.

"Swann will have a big part to play because he's a handful anywhere in the world, even against the very best players.

"England also have more big hitters in their squad from the side that fell in the World Cup quarter-finals, so the performances of Kieswetter, Pietersen and Jonny Bairstow could be important."
SELECTION

"Bairstow's hundred in the warm-up game on Tuesday has given Cook and Andy Flower the sort of headache you want when you are picking a team. It's nice to have tough decisions to make, wondering how you are going to fit 13 or 14 men into the 11 slots.
CAPTAIN COOK
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England have lost only two of 13 one-day internationals when Cook has been in charge, with the skipper contributing 623 runs at an average of 56.63

"With Samit Patel likely to bat at number seven as the second spin bowler, Bairstow is forcing Cook and Flower to choose between seven batsmen for six slots.

"Of the batsmen that have played both warm-up games, Pietersen has been the only one who has failed to contribute but he is a world-class cricketer and I would be very surprised if he does not play.

"To me, you should always do what the opposition would least like you to do, and India will be very happy if Pietersen doesn't play."
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM INDIA

"England outplayed India in the summer in all forms of the game, so India will want to show England and the rest of the cricket world that they are still a dominant force on home territory.
Test Match Special blog
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Adam Mountford,
BBC Test Match Special producer

I think you can safely say that the Indian public were hurt by what took place in England over the summer - and they are looking for revenge
Read more from Adam's blog

"India are a very proud nation and their fans will be expecting them to win.

"It's going to be hard work for England, especially for some of the newer players, because there will be situations with the crowd and the atmosphere that they have never experienced before.

"Most will say that India will start as favourites because they are at home, but I still have a good feeling about the way this England side is moving forward under Cook's captaincy."
THE VERDICT ON ENGLAND'S CHANCES

"When you play away from home it is all about how you adapt to the conditions and the better sides adapt more quickly.

"I'm expecting England to put in a good performance because they are a very confident group. The competition for places heading into 2015 is very good so everyone has a lot to play for both for now and the near future.

"You can not predict what will happen but I expect England will be very competitive."

Rugby World Cup 2011 semi-final: New Zealand 20-6 Australia

Nonu's early try put the All Blacks in the ascendancy

New Zealand moved a step closer to ending their 24-year World Cup wait as they overpowered arch-rivals Australia with a controlled semi-final display.

The Wallabies had beaten the All Blacks in the semis of both 2003 and 1991 but were rocked by a blistering start and never truly recovered.
An early try from Ma'a Nonu and six points from the misfiring boot of Piru Weepu gave the home side a 14-6 lead at the interval.
And with the All Blacks forwards in the supremacy and Australia's key men Quade Cooper and David Pocock unable to exert a decisive influence, two second-half penalties sent a capacity Kiwi crowd away into the Auckland night in delight.
New Zealand will now meet France in Sunday's final, and on the evidence of this weekend should start as hot favourites to win their first World Cup since 1987.

ALL BLACKS AT WORLD CUPS

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• 1987 - Champions
• 1991 - Lost in semi-finals
• 1995 - Lost in final
• 1999 - Lost in semi-finals
• 2003 - Lost in semi-finals
• 2007 - Lost in quarter-finals

The Wallabies were immediately on the back foot when Cooper put the kick-off directly into touch and then watched as Weepu drilled a low kick into the corner to pile on the pressure.
It was all New Zealand, Cory Jane and Israel Dagg both threatening with scything runs, and it was a burst through midfield from the impressive Dagg that brought an inevitable first score - Rocky Elsom was handed off, O'Connor unable to prevent a wonderful off-load as Nonu came up inside to power over in the corner.
Weepu missed the conversion and then a straightforward penalty after Pocock - ominously for Australia - was pinged for going off his feet.
A side-stepping run from Digby Ioane set up a penalty for James O'Connor on Australia's first foray into opposition territory but Cooper then spilled an up-and-under to cede possession again, Weepu making it 8-3 with a simple penalty but then missing an even easier one.
Aaron Cruden, third choice fly-half a fortnight ago, was orchestrating the attacks well and nailed a drop-goal from distance to dispel any fears that the occasion might be too much for him.
Australia lost tight-head prop Sekipe Kepu to injury but then finally began to get into the game. A series of drives from the forwards gave Cooper the opportunity to pop over a drop-goal, but a daft offside from Adam Ashley-Cooper allowed Weepu to extend the lead to 14-6 with a penalty from 40 metres just before the interval.
The Wallabies had missed 15 tackles in the first period, and they slipped further behind almost immediately as Pat McCabe held on in the tackle and Weepu stroked over his third penalty.
Neat footwork from their much-vaunted backs gave them good field possession but handling errors repeatedly took the wind from the green and gold sails.
Cooper was being booed and jeered with every unhappy touch, Pocock having nowhere near the same success against Richie McCaw at the breakdown as he had in the quarter-final win over the Springboks.
The All Blacks forwards' increasing dominance at the scrum gave Weepu a long-distance pot which fell short before Dagg sliced a drop-goal attempt horribly.
But the Wallabies' tight five were being mangled at every set piece. When another scrum collapsed under intense pressure, Weepu - back on as a blood replacement for Andy Ellis - made it 20-6.
Although replacement Sonny Bill Williams spent the last five minutes in the sin-bin for a shoulder charge on Cooper, the tired Wallabies could make no impact with the extra man.
As the final whistle sounded the home crowd celebrated by bellowing "Four more years!" in happy reference to Wallaby scrum-half George Gregan's famous taunt after that 2003 Wallaby win.
Just seven days and an under-performing French side now stand between the All Blacks and the ultimate rugby redemption.
New Zealand: Israel Dagg; Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Richard Kahui; Aaron Cruden, Piri Weepu; Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Sam Whitelock, Brad Thorn, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (capt), Kieran Read.
Replacements: Andrew Hore (for Mealamu, 64), Ben Franks (for O Franks, 80), Ali Williams (for Whitelock, 57), Victor Vito, Andy Ellis (for Weepu, 57, Weepu back on - blood - 69), Stephen Donald, Sonny Bill Williams (for Nonu, 72).
Yellow card: Williams (76)

AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 Group B Philippines vs Vietnam

A Tribute To The Azkals (Philippine National Football Team)

Spain to reign at Euro 2012

Can Spain become the first country to retain the European Championship?

With huge apologies to my wife, I have to confess I've never been that great at recognising beauty. Be it the Arts, a scenic view or even house decor, I just don't have the eye for it.

But it is a different matter when I get to see football played as it was by Spain at times during their final Euro 2012 qualifier against Scotland.
I say "at times" because, despite the 3-1 defeat, the Scots had a couple of spells of pressure when there might just have been evidence of slight vulnerability in the world champions, but more on that later.
Co-commentator Mark Lawrenson and I went to Alicante in the hope of describing a story of Scotland upsetting the odds to reach the qualifying play-offs but we always knew that the more likely task would be assessing Spain's progress since their 2010 World Cup win.
The conclusion we came to was that they have got even better - and must be favourites to go all the way in Poland and Ukraine next summer to become the first team to retain the European Championship.
They have qualified with a 100% record and have equalled a sequence set by great France and Netherlands teams of the past by winning their last 14 competitive internationals.

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On the evidence of what I saw against Scotland, I won't be putting any money on Spain losing to England at Wembley

I could quote a number of other statistics that tell you just how nigh-on unbeatable they seem at the moment but only by watching them live do you really see how good a squad of footballers Spain currently possess.
Against Scotland the team was supposedly "under strength".
Iker Casillas, Raul Albiol, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Juan Mata and Fernando Torres were among those who did not get a game, either through injury or because coach Vicente Del Bosque chose to leave them out. No matter; the passing was as metronomic and mesmerising as ever, and all who played impressed.
At left-back, Valencia's Jordi Alba had an excellent debut. Assured in defence and quick to join in every attack, he looks a much better bet than either World Cup-winner Joan Capdevila or Real Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa, who would much prefer to play on the right. Liverpool's in-form Jose Enrique can't even get a look in.
In midfield, Sergio Busquets was missing Alonso, his regular holding partner, but found Santi Cazorla to be equally adept alongside him. The versatile midfielder, who has just joined wealthy Malaga, also offers a bigger goal threat than Alonso when he gets the chance to push forward, which against Scotland happened regularly.

SPAIN'S RECORD WINNING RUN IN COMPETITIVE GAMES

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• beat Scotland 3-1 (h)
• beat Czech Republic 2-0 (a)
• beat Liechtenstein 6-0 (h)
• beat Lithuania 3-1 (a)
• beat Czech Republic 2-1 (h)
• beat Scotland 3-2 (a)
• beat Lithuania 3-1 (h)
• beat Liechtenstein 4-0 (a)
• beat Netherlands 1-0 (neutral)
• beat Germany 1-0 (neutral)
• beat Paraguay 1-0 (neutral)
• beat Portugal 1-0 (neutral)
• beat Chile 2-1 (neutral)
• beat Honduras 2-0 (neutral)

Pedro was lively down both flanks, David Villa waited patiently for his inevitable goal, Xavi was just Xavi and played wherever he wanted, and the overall star of the show was a player who did not even get on in the World Cup final - David Silva.
Superb for Manchester City last season, Silva has gone up a level to be the golden boy for club and country since the summer. His two goals were brilliantly worked, with the first finishing off a sequence of 41 Spanish passes.
The fact that he played as the main forward with the country's record goalscorer Villa on the left shows just how fluid the team system is. When a recognised striker is needed through the middle, Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente has got the fans' vote ahead of Chelsea's Torres to be first off the bench.
So on to that slight vulnerability. When I asked Lawro during the game who could beat Spain next summer he replied, "maybe only themselves".
When a team is that good there is bound to be a confidence that borders on arrogance and just occasionally they can overdo it. No two in the squad strut more than defenders Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique and, once or twice, they had to rely on their speed of recovery to prevent chances for Steven Naismith and Craig Mackail-Smith.
If Rangers's Naismith can cut in from the left on Ramos's blind side and Brighton's finest forward can badger Pique into looking ruffled, then maybe there is something for Europe's leading strikers to clutch at?
The next assessment comes against England on 12 November. The three games Spain have lost since being crowned the best team in the world have all been away friendlies (in Argentina, Portugal and Italy) but, on the evidence of what I saw at the Jose Rico Perez Stadium, I won't be putting any money on them losing at Wembley.
Would I bet on any team beating them next summer? Well, I've still got a strong feeling for Germany - but then I've never been that great at recognising beauty.

sports and drugs No firm deal in place for HGH test Read more.

Two key congressman emerged from an hour-long meeting with the NFL and players union and announced a deal to begin blood-testing players for human growth hormone. Minutes later, union officials would commit only to testing when a fair and safe system is in place - what they've been saying all along.
After Friday's high-profile mix of sports and politics, HGH testing in pro football didn't seem closer to reality.
"We're not guaranteeing any outcomes except there was an agreement to begin testing immediately," Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told reporters after the meeting. "The other aspects of what you do with the tests will be resolved over the next many weeks."
Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the committee, said he felt the two sides benefited from being called in. "Because I think they had their own disputes, and it seemed like they just could not move quite past a certain point," he said.
He stressed that the lawmakers wanted action now: "Not get there next year - we were clear that the ball has to move down the field immediately."
But the NFL Players Association didn't seem inclined to move off its previous position: That it wants questions answered before moving ahead with a blood-testing program.
"We believe that we have to report back to our players, make sure that the protocol and the testing protocols are safe," union spokesman George Atallah said.
The latest collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players includes a provision to begin testing players for HGH - contingent on the union agreeing to the testing methods. The NFLPA has asked for more scientific data to prove the most popular test is reliable.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, who attended the meeting, said the union has a responsibility to players to make sure the test is accurate, so "we can look them in the eye and say this is a safe and fair process."
If the issue isn't resolved shortly, both sides can expect a quick return visit to Capitol Hill. Issa said he wants another meeting in 30 days to review progress.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saw things the way the lawmakers did, saying that Issa was clear he wanted testing to begin within the next two weeks.