Struggling World Cup finalists meet again

Just over 10 months have passed since thatWankhede night, last April. Within that period, the fates of the two teams that brought the best out of each other in that memorable World Cup final have nose-dived in bizarre style. India have been mercilessly stripped of their No. 1 Test ranking, the sunset on their golden generation of batsmen hastened by eight successive away drubbings. But their one-day outfit still holds promise, with the energy of fresh legs and the power of broad bats, for the moment at least, masking the worry of poor techniques on quick pitches.

Sri Lanka have had it worse. Finishing second-best in two successive World Cup finals is a tragedy in itself, but even that pales in comparison to what has transpired since. They have endured series after wretched series, home and away, against Australia, Pakistan and South Africa, with no silverware to show for their efforts except in the Twenty20 format. Their players haven't been paid by a board that is now bankrupt. Battered on the field and off it, Sri Lanka are already under their third captain since the World Cup. Mahela Jayawardene led them in the 2008 edition of the CB series, and his reluctant return to the musical chair gives rise to the uneasy feeling that Sri Lanka haven't progressed in four seasons.

Both teams are desperate for the familiarity of better times, and their first encounter since Wankhede will provide them just that. No two sides have played each other more often in ODI history, especially in recent years - 34 of their 129 clashes came between 2008 and 2010. This series kicks off another glut of games between these thick foes, with the Asia Cup and a bilateral series in Sri Lanka to follow in quick succession. Establishing early supremacy in Australia could prove integral in determining which side heals better in the coming months.

Form guide

India LWWLW (Most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWLLL

In the spotlight

MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag haven't played together in an ODI since the World Cup final, though they have individually featured in 11 and four games, respectively. When Sehwag's been fit, Dhoni has been rested. When Sehwag was expected to play, he was 'rested' in the first game of this series. Murmurs of dressing-room disagreements between India's captain and vice-captain mean their internal dynamics will be scrutinised when they take the field in Perth. Signs are that Sehwag will play - you normally don't 'rest' a batsman who smashed the highest score in ODI history in his last outing.

India wouldn't have forgotten Thisara Perera who thumped them to all corners of Mumbai in the end overs of the World Cup final. It wasn't the first time Perera showcased his big-hitting skills through the leg side, and it wasn't the last. More recently, he cracked five sixes in an unbeaten 69 off 44 balls to help Sri Lanka chase 300 against South Africa. His late-swinging yorkers could make him effective at the back-end of Sri Lanka's bowling innings too.

Team news

India won the last edition of the CB series by playing to the conditions, as opposed to their traditional strengths. Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Sreesanth, all played big roles with the new ball, while spin was relegated to a support role. MS Dhoni went the other way on Sunday, and the move backfired when India's three inexperienced spinners came unstuck in a rain-reduced game. The Perth track will be more amenable to pace, and Dhoni will consider bringing in Pathan for Ravindra Jadeja, whose 2.4 overs leaked 41 runs against Australia. Sehwag is expected to play, with Gautam Gambhir making way at the top of the order. Zaheer Khan or Umesh Yadav could be in line for a call-up too, since India could do with an extra yard of pace.

India: (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Irfan Pathan/Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Vinay Kumar, 10 & 11 Praveen Kumar/Umesh Yadav/Zaheer Khan

Injury kept Jayawardene out of the latter stages of the ODI-leg of the South Africa tour. He will resurface in the middle order on Wednesday. On form, Angelo Mathews should make way, but the axe is likely to fall on Lahiru Thirimanne who hit a match-winning 69 in the final ODI in South Africa.

Sri Lanka: (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Chanaka Welegedara/Dhammika Prasad

Pitch and conditions

The WACA strip was zippy in the Test match, and is expected to behave similarly, but it would require bowlers with real pace to make that count. The conditions in Perth are dry and hot, meaning the pitch has cracks to go with its green tinge. The teams will have an interesting time zeroing in on their bowling units.

YUVRAJ SINGH DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER

YUVRAJ SINGH has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the United States. A tumour on his lung was diagnosed as non-malignant late last year, but his physiotherapist has now confirmed that it is cancerous. Dr Jatin Chaudhary said it was "100% curable" and that Yuvraj would be "fit to be back on the field" in May.

"It is a rare tumour and is cancerous but it has been detected in stage 1 itself (Stage 0 refers to cancer that is just beginning, while stages 1 to 4 are progressively more advanced cancers)," Chaudhary, also an accupuncture specialist, told PTI.

"Doctors had to decide whether to continue medication or go for chemotherapy but since parts of the tumour are just above the artery of his heart, there was a danger that while running it could burst. But it is 100% curable.

"The doctors decided that he would have to undergo chemotherapy and he travelled to the US on January 26. End of March, he would undergo a CT scan and should recover by then."

Yuvraj hasn't played competitive cricket since the Tests against West Indies last November, when news of his tumour became public. He had originally hoped to make a comeback in the tri-series in Australia, but last month it was announced that he would not be fit in time for the IPL, which begins in April. "Thankfully no surgery is required, he is already a lot better than what he was and can't wait to be back on the cricket field.

"Once he is done with chemo in March, his rehabilitation would be complete by April end and he would be perfectly fit to play in May."

A Man-of-the-Series performance in India's World Cup win in 2011 has been sandwiched by two forgettable years for Yuvraj. He battled with form and fitness in 2010, losing his place in the side. After the World Cup, several injuries curtailed his appearances for India, before the detection of the tumour forced his current absence from cricket.

IPL AUCTION MILLIONS FOR JADEJA,JAYAWARDANE AND VINAY KUMAR

ia allrounder Ravindra Jadeja fetched the highest bid in the IPL 2012 auction, being signed up by Chennai Super Kings for more than $2m after they beat Deccan Chargers in a secret tiebreaker. Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene went to Delhi Daredevils for $1.4m and India medium-pacer Vinay Kumar to Royal Challengers Bangalore for $1m. The auction was held under a cloud of controversy following the breaking news, an hour before its scheduled start, that Sahara was pulling out of its Pune franchise.

Two other big buys on the day came from Kolkata Knight Riders: Brendon McCullum for $900,000 and the relatively low-profile West Indies offspinner, Sunil Narine, for $700,000.

Once again England players weren't in demand. Most West Indies players also missed out as they have Test series with Australia and England clashing with the IPL season. With their availability for the IPL restricted due to the home series against West Indies in May, none of them attracted a bid. VVS Laxman, with a base price of $400,000 and originally an icon player when the IPL launched in 2008, also went unsold.

Among the most active franchises on the day was Mumbai Indians. They strengthened their bowling line-up by signing up the IPL's highest all-time wicket-taker, RP Singh ($600,000), and three overseas allrounders: Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera ($650,000), Australia's Mitchell Johnson ($300,000) and South Africa's Robin Peterson ($100,000). Mumbai also made one of the smartest buys of the day, by hiring experienced Twenty20 specialist Herschelle Gibbs for a paltry $50,000.

The Rajasthan Royals also made five signings but, unlike Mumbai, they didn't splash the cash. Their most expensive purchases were Australia's Brad Hodge ($475,000) and India fast bowler Sreesanth ($400,000). They made three low-cost buys: $180,000 for left-arm spinner Brad Hogg - who turns 41 on Monday and had received an unlikelyinternational recall for the Twenty20s against India, following his good run in the Big Bash League - and $50,000 apiece for Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal and Trinidad & Tobago allrounder Kevon Cooper, whose medium pace proved hard to hit at the Champions League T20 last year.

Another West Indies allrounder, Andre Russell, who impressed last year with his combination of fast bowling, big hitting, sharp fielding and made-for-IPL bling, was picked up by Delhi Daredevils for $450,000.

Two players whose international days are behind them, Muttiah Muralitharan ($220,000 to Royal Challengers) and former Pakistan allrounder Azhar Mahmood ($200,000 to Kings XI Punjab) also earned contracts.

INDIA FINALLY MANAGE A WIN OVERSEAS

India finally broke through for their first win of the tour thanks to a dazzling display in the field. Ravindra Jadeja provided the spark - and did no harm to his chances in Saturday's IPL auction - with a pair of run-outs as Australia's batsmen were constricted by intense pressure from the fielders, and were dismissed in the 20th over for 131.

That was always going to be hard to defend and so it proved, India reaching the target with two balls to spare and eight wickets in hand to draw the series 1-1. They began the chase needing only a fraction above six an over and as a result spent much of their innings in cruise control, Gautam Gambhir able to amble along at less than a run a ball without ever letting the pressure build.

The only time a hint of worry might have entered the Indian camp was when five dot balls came towards the end of the chase, and George Bailey had all his fielders in the ring in the final over with one run required. But Gambhir found a gap at midwicket to strike a boundary off Clint McKay and finished on 56 from 60 balls, with MS Dhoni also unbeaten on 21.

Virender Sehwag provided some excitement with one enormous six back over the head of the bowler Xavier Doherty but it was the only one in India's innings. They didn't need any more. Sehwag was caught at cover off a Brad Hogg full toss for 23 and Virat Kohli, who made a quick 31, was brilliantly caught when Matthew Wade dived to his right off the bowling of Mitchell Marsh, but they were Australia's only two moments to celebrate in the field.

Australia needed to build more pressure and while their work with the ball and in the field was not bad, it lacked the zip shown by their India counterparts. Four Australia batsmen were run out and another was stumped, the younger men brought in for the limited-overs games providing the energy that India lacked in the Tests.

It all started with Jadeja, who got rid of two of David Hussey's partners with run-outs and then picked up the wicket of Hussey off his own bowling. The big wicket was that of Aaron Finch, who was sent in alongside David Warner at the top of the order and showed his power with six fours, five of which were through the off side.

Finch launched drives and cuts at anything wide of off and at one stage he had aggregated more than 100 Twenty20 international runs without being dismissed, but that changed quickly. Finch was caught short when Hussey pushed into the off side and tried for a single that wasn't there, Jadeja's throw getting rid of Finch for 36 from 23 balls.

The captain George Bailey departed soon afterwards when he overcommitted as Hussey steered the ball to backward point, where Jadeja collected and threw to the bowler's end with Bailey (3) a long way short. Jadeja then induced a leading edge off Hussey, who made 24 from 29 balls, and that wicket left Australia in trouble at 5 for 93.

The fine work kept coming from India. Mitchell Marsh was stumped off Rahul Sharma, Dhoni collecting the ball close to the stumps and with no give in his gloves, he hardly had to move to whip the bails off and find Marsh just out of his ground. That was followed by what was effectively a knockout blow for Australia, when Matthew Wade was run out for 32 off 29 balls.

Wade had slog-swept a six and after his outstanding innings on Wednesday, he seemed like the man who might carry Australia to a competitive score. But he pushed to cover and took off only to be turned back by Brett Lee, and Rohit Sharma's direct hit had Wade short despite his full-length dive.

Australia were dismissed with two balls to spare, when Doherty was run out thanks to sharp work from Suresh Raina. They had lost 4 for 10 since the start of the 19th over.

Australia's innings had got off to a poor start with the early loss of David Warner, who was caught at deep midwicket for 8 when he skied a ball off Praveen Kumar. Shaun Marsh's miserable summer continued with a second-ball duck, his limp prod outside off resulting in an edge to first slip, where Sehwag parried the ball up to Dhoni to give Praveen his second wicket.

It was an excellent way for India to begin, and they didn't let the advantage slip. Now the question is whether they can carry some of this spark into the one-day series.

IPL AUCTION JADEJA LIKELY TO BE PRIME ATTRACTION

One hundred and fourty players from 11 countries will go under the hammer on Saturday in the 2012 IPL auction in Bangalore, but the vast majority of them are likely to go home empty handed. While the franchises having been allowed to spend an additional $2 million, and had their squad sizes increased from 30 to 33, no more than 30 players are likely to be bought, and that number could be closer to 20, franchise officials said. Having had a season to evaluate their teams and pinpoint their weaknesses, this auction is about shopping smart, not shopping in bulk.

"Teams will be looking to fill in the gaps that they have identified," a franchise official told ESPNcricinfo.

One player that won't lack for suitors though, is India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja. His ability as an allrounder, coupled with his excellent fielding, makes him the most attractive player in the auction. Bought for US$950,000 by Kochi Tuskers Kerala last year, Jadeja is expected to go for over a $1 million and could potentially end up in a tie-breaker situation, with two or more franchises bidding the maximum of $2 million for his services. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are believed to be the front runners to land his services, with interest from the Pune Warriors as well, though their purse is down to US$1.6 million after they retained Sourav Ganguly.

The Kochi franchise was terminated by the BCCI last September for breaching its terms of agreement. The board encashed the team's bank guarantee worth Rs 156 crores (US$ 30.39 million) and decided to include their players in the IPL auction.

Other India internationals, such as Vinay Kumar and Parthiv Patel, are also in demand, given their availability and the lack of restrictions on playing India players.

At the other end of the spectrum lies VVS Laxman, who might struggle to attract bids with a base price of $400,000 as he is not seen as a Twenty20 player. He only played three of Kochi's 14 games last season. However, one franchise official thought Laxman could be worth buying if he was willing to serve as a mentor for the team.

Among the foreign players, Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, and Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand opener, are thought to be the most in demand. The duo was Kochi's leading scorers last season. Jayawardene is not expected to command the $1.3 million that Kochi paid, but the BCCI has said it will honour any difference between the new contracts for former Kochi players and their old ones.

Muttiah Muralitharan, the retired Sri Lanka offspinner who has been playing in New Zealand's domestic Twenty20 competition, is considered more of a gamble. He played only five out of 14 games for Kochi last season, and one official said he would be surprised if Muralitharan "went for a lot". Last year Kochi bought him for $1.1 million.

Chris Gayle, the West Indies opener, would have been the biggest draw had he been included in the auction, but Royal Challengers Bangalore managed to retain his services for $550,000 ($100,000 less than he was paid last season). Given his multiple match-winning innings in 2011, had he been in available, he probably would have commanded the maximum $2 million contract. His deal with Royal Challengers also allowed the franchise to have $1.45 million to spend in the auction.

In general, the foreign players are riskier bets because the IPL only allows teams to field four in their playing XIs. "Many good players are just sitting on the bench [already]," another franchise official said. "What's the point of having more good players sitting on the bench?"

Another consideration franchises must take into account is the availability of players. The IPL season overlaps with a number of international tours featuring England, Australia and West Indies, so franchises might chose to mix and match players who are available at different times. The likes of Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Ian Bell could draw interest because the England players are available in April but not in May, while the Australia players will join the IPL only after their tour of the West Indies ends on April 27. Anderson, who is not currently part of England's Twenty20 plans, has said he is hopeful a good stint in the IPL could lead to a recall to the national side.

Those West Indies players who are not fixtures in all the formats for the national side, such as allrounder Andre Russell, are also expected to attract interest. Russell was one of the better performers for West Indies in last year's one-day series in India, and it was his crucial partnership with captain Darren Sammy that clinched their only victory of the tour in the third ODI in Ahmedabad. Kevin O'Brien, the Ireland international who made the fastest century in a World Cup to shock England last year, might also find an IPL home.

Among the more intriguing options are the 40-year-old former Australia spinners, Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill, who are available for the first time. Both men came out of retirement to play in the Big Bash League and their performances in that tournament convinced them to test the IPL waters. The pair has the advantage of not being tied down by international commitments and at a base price of $100,000 each, could be good value. The crucial factor will be how teams think they will perform in Indian conditions, a franchise official said.

The limited number of India players in the auction - eight in total - guarantees that a number of foreign players will find a home. Those who do will receive a two-year contract (the second year is optional). Most of them though, will have to wait until the next auction and try again.

IPL NEWS 107 FOREIGNERS COULD GO UNSOLD

BANGALORE: A little over a year ago, 10Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises doled out a cool $62.8 million among them to buy a total of 82 foreigners and 45 Indian players at the 2011 auction. The numbers are excluding retained players. The auction set for Saturday in Bangalore pales in comparison, what with a total purse of only $16.94 million left with the nine teams that will take part in IPL 5. 

Yet, with such limited purses ($2 million per team minus any money spent on re-signing players like Sourav Ganguly and Chris Gayle), the competition will only get stiffer, and expectations are it will make for an exciting auction. Of the 144 players who have put themselves in the fray at prices ranging from $400,000 to $20,000, a mere eight are Indian. Seven of them are from the defunct Kochi Tuskers team. 

That leaves 136 foreigners vying for 29 spots, with each team allowed a maximum of 11 foreigners - up from the earlier 10 - following a rule revamp after Kochi were shown the door. The rule change, of course, was necessitated because in the 2011 auction, Kochi were one of the first teams to sign up the 10 foreigners allowed then, and now these players must be accommodated elsewhere. 

The rule of a maximum of four foreigners in the playing XI, though, remains. This means as many as 107 foreigners will not be sold in the auction. 

There are a number of big names in that foreign players' list, including the standout names likeGraeme Swann, James Anderson, Brendon McCullum and Mahela Jayawardene. All of them may not find takers. 

For the franchises, most of whom have astute cricketing brains working for them, have been quietly doing their homework on some of the lesser names, especially those who have caught the eye in tournaments such as the Champions League T20 and the Big Bash. Talent scouts have been busy travelling, looking out for a talented performer they can acquire cheaply. 

The off-field games have already begun. 

DAVID WARNER'S SWITCH HIT SPARKS RUMOURS

MELBOURNE: Explosive Australian batsman David Warner's sensational 100m switch hit for a six in the first Twenty20 International against India in Sydney has reignited debate over the legality of the shot. 

Former Australia Test captain Mark Taylor, who is a member of the ICC cricket committee that advises on rules, argued for four years that the stroke should be outlawed and he still feels it was unfair to the bowlers. 

"Unfortunately I have lost the battle at ICC level. I know people see it from a marketing point of view as an attractive skill and for a bloke like Davey Warner to hit a ball right-handed 100m is wonderful. 

"But I think it is unfair. I don't think it is right for a batsman to change his stance. It's unfair to the bowlers. It's important to maintain the balance between bat and ball and this gives the batsman an unfair advantage," Taylor was quoted as saying by 'The Australian'. 

But former Test bowler Damien Fleming is among those who like the entertainment value of the shot that has the potential to revolutionise the sport. 

"You have to allow it, it is fantastic. Let the bowlers bowl with either hand, let it open up. I love these new skills that are coming into the game and if the batsman is taking a risk, well the bowler still has a good advantage," he said. 

Another former Australian fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz said he has no issues with switch-hit but believes the rules need to be tinkered to give the bowler the upper hand. 

"He's more than welcome to do that, but on two conditions. One: the ball cannot be deemed to be pitching outside leg stump for an lbw," he said. 

"And the second one is, the benefit of the doubt should then go to the bowler. If the batsman decides to switch hit, the umpire should drop the outside leg rule and the benefit of the doubt should then go in favour of the bowler, not the batsman. If that happens, they're more than welcome to do it," Kasprowicz said. 

Warner defended himself in a series of tweets. "In my mind I think it's OK to do so because we get out we are out, the bowler gets hit and he still has five deliveries," he said. 

England's Kevin Pietersen was the first to play the shot back in 2008 against New Zealand, but Warner has now taken over the mantle as the king of the stroke, hitting some mammoth sixes for NSW in the Twenty20 Champions League last year and again against India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday.

MATCH PREVIEW INDIA vs AUSTRALIA T20I

A change of formats seems to have not helped India, who struggled in the first Twenty20 at Stadium Australia on Wednesday night. Again it was a case of the top order failing to give the side a good start, and the batting will need to improve if they are to avoid a 2-0 defeat. Australia's new-look outfit, which has more of a Twenty20 specialist feel than any side they have previously fielded, displayed enthusiasm and talent, and they worked well together under the captain, George Bailey. The second and final Twenty20 at the MCG gives Bailey an opportunity to secure a series win in his first series as Australia's leader.

Australia relied heavily on spin in Sydney, and it was a ploy that slowed India's scoring to the point that they were unable to fight their way back into the chase. The MCG might offer a little more for the fast men, and it also offers the chance for an enormous crowd after a Sydney record of 59,659 turned out for the first game. A Friday night game in Melbourne means people can wander down to Jolimont after work and take in the action, and far more will be expected at this match than at the first ODI that follows on Sunday, also at the MCG.

Form guide

Australia WLWLL (Most recent first)
India LLLWW

In the spotlight

Matthew Wade could hardly have timed his Man-of-the-Match performance better. At a time when an out-of-form Brad Haddin has been told to rest by Cricket Australia, Wade has the Twenty20s and at least the first three ODIs to push his case for greater honours. He played some fine shots in his 72 from 43 balls in Sydney, and will be looking to build on that with another strong display on Friday.

It is hard not to feel for Rohit Sharma, who toured for a month with the Test squad without getting an opportunity, and then fell for a golden duck when he was given a chance in the first Twenty20. If anyone could use rust as an excuse, it was him. It will be interesting to see how he responds should he be given another opportunity.

Team news

Selectors are generally reluctant to change a winning side, but with so few matches before the World Twenty20 later this year, they are also keen to see as many players in action as possible. Aaron Finch did not play the first game and could come in at his home ground, as may Clint McKay. Shaun Marsh is a known quantity and the selectors may prefer to leave him on the sidelines and give Travis Birt another chance. It is, of course, all conjecture: the selectors might aim for a strong 2-0 series win by choosing the same XI.

Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Travis Birt, 4 David Hussey, 5 George Bailey (capt), 6 Aaron Finch, 7 Mitchell Marsh, 8 Daniel Christian, 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Brett Lee, 11 Clint McKay.

Who knows what India's selectors will do after the loss in Sydney. Irfan Pathan looms as one potential inclusion, perhaps for Ravindra Jadeja, but with such a big squad, anything is possible. Given the MCG's long boundaries, they are likely to persist with two spinners.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Rahul Sharma.

Pitch and conditions

The drop-in pitches at the MCG are not renowned for pace, but the local batsman David Hussey expects "a very good batting wicket, a fast wicket". The forecast for Melbourne is a sunny day with a high temperature of 27C.

Stats and trivia

• Matthew Wade has played three Twenty20s for Australia and already has a Man-of-the-Match award, but is yet to take a catch behind the stumps - mainly because none have come his way.
• Should India lose at the MCG it will equal their longest losing streak in Twenty20 internationals - four.

Quotes

"I thought the Indians came out and fielded and bowled particularly well early. I just thought our bowling and fielding trumped theirs."
David Hussey on Wednesday's win

IPL NEWS KEVIN O 'BRIEN TO GET AN IPL TICKET

After Kevin O'Brien returned home from the 2011 World Cup, a tournament that featured his heroic 50-ball hundred (the fastest in World Cup history) that shocked England on a balmy evening in Bangalore, one of the first calls he received was from the Cricket Ireland bosses. They wanted to let him know that one of the IPL teams, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, had asked if O'Brien could be signed up as a reserve player. "Unfortunately, since I was not part of the initial auction last year, I could not sign up. That was a little disappointing," O'Brien told ESPNcricinfo. This year, when the IPL opened the window for players to register on the auction list, he did not think twice.

What makes O'Brien's case unique is that among the144 names on the final list, he is one of only three players representing the Associate countries at the auction. His elder brother, Niall, and Tom Cooper, who plays for Netherlands, are the other Associate players in the auction that will be held on February 4 in Bangalore.

"That last year's performance against England would be hopefully high up on the mind of the bidders come Saturday," O'Brien said of what he hoped for at the auction. That that knock would not be looked upon as a freak innings was made certain by O'Brien: he was signed up by Gloucestershire soon after the World Cup and, last June, playing in the Friends Life t20 match against Middlesex in Uxbridge, O'Brien slammed a 44-ball century, the fastest in domestic Twenty20.

The few thousands who were present on the day were in for a double treat. O'Brien had walked in to open with former New Zealand batsman Hamish Marshall (who now represents Ireland) and built a record opening partnership of 192 runs, with both batsmen scoring centuries. "It was a great day for me. I was opening the batting and I really enjoyed it," O'Brien said. "So now I can not only open, but also play down in the middle order. It is good to have two strings to the bow."

His 113 against England had instantly turned O'Brien, 27, into a national hero. The man from Dublin, who plays for the local Railway Union Cricket Club, became a symbol of pride. A week after returning from the World Cup, O'Brien was dropping his mother off at work when he realised just how popular he had become. "I had a hood on and the [car's] windows were up," O'Brien said. We were at a traffic signal. Suddenly I noticed a cab driver jump out of his car, tap on my window and congratulate me on my performance."

Now, O'Brien felt, he could use that popularity to attract more fans for the IPL in Ireland, if he is bought by any of the nine franchises. "If either myself or Niall were to be bought at the auction, it will certainly raise the profile of the game in Ireland. The public will surely have a huge interest in the IPL, if one of us is playing in it."

Cricket, O'Brien said, has been getting bigger in the country since 2007, when Ireland beat Pakistan in the World Cup. Last year's victory over England has raised the popularity levels of the sport even further. "A lot more people are talking about cricket on the streets," he said. "A lot more people are coming to our games."

In the four previous IPL seasons, there had been only one player from the Associates to play in the IPL: Ryan ten Doeschate, who plays for Netherlands. Despite not having played regularly with the top-bracket teams, O'Brian felt that all three Associate players in the reckoning this year had played enough competitive cricket to stand up to anyone on the international stage. "Niall has been playing county cricket for twelve years now; Tom Cooper plays first-class cricket in Australia; I have played country cricket for Gloucestershire and previously with Nottinghamshire. So we all have got experience."

O'Brien, who was recently appointed the vice-captain of the Ireland team, decided to skip the Bangladesh Premier League [BPL], even if there was healthy interest in him from the franchises. In fact, Niall was signed by Khulna Royal Bengal for US $80,000. "Unfortunately it [the BPL] clashes with the 2015 World Cup qualifying matches in Kenya, and then qualifiers for the World Twenty20 in March," O'Brien said. "Hopefully I will be there next year. My contract with Cricket Ireland comes first and everything else next."

As far as the franchises' interest in him goes, O'Brien could remain optimistic. "He is a good pick. A value for money one, in the way ten Doeschate was for Kolkata Knight Riders," a franchise official said. ten Doeschate, the 2011 ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year (he picked up the award three times in the last four years) was bought by Knight Riders for $150,000, after having his base price set at $50,000.

"Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of players with his [O'Brien'] type of skills. [But] There is no doubt he is a quality player," said a coach from another franchise. "He and his brother are good players and franchises will definitely consider them during the bidding." Asked if O'Brien had catapulted himself into the minds of the potential bidders solely on the back of his match-winning performance against England, the coach did not agree. "He is a good hitter of the ball and we have seen it for a while now," he said.

Small wonder then, the O'Brien brothers have planned to spend this weekend together, waiting to see whether either or both of them have earned their IPL ticket. "Niall is coming over on the weekend and we are going to follow the auction on the internet," O'Brien said. "It is going to be a nervous morning."

MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI TO QUIT TEST CAPTAINCY

I just said my statement. The best thing about statements is, you can assume it the way you want to."

That was MS Dhoni's response when told how his statement that he might have to give up Test cricketat the end of 2013 if he is to captain India to their World Cup defence was seen by many as a general disinterest in Test cricket.

"Maybe by 2013 I'll have to," Dhoni said. "It is two years away, and the kind of cricket we are playing - IPL, 45 days; Champions League; and back-to-back series; lots of games. We have to see where we last. It's not a calendar year where you get a lot of rest, and you get away with small niggles during that rest period."

Dhoni then sought to clarify his thought process. "I said end of 2013," he said. "Now it's the start of 2012, 2013 is two years. I don't know whether I will be alive in two years. That's a long time. What I said was, by the end of 2013, I will have to see whether I can play the World Cup. It wasn't about one format, it was about cricket. I can't play till 2014 and say I am not fit enough to survive till the next World Cup. And you'll have a player coming in who has played just 25 games."

When pointedly asked if he was as interested in Tests as he was in other formats, and whether Test cricket was as important in his mind, Dhoni's response was emphatic. "Of course. Test cricket is the real cricket." However, he went on to say he wasn't running down the other formats either.

"Every form of cricket has its own challenges," Dhoni said. "You have the Test format, the longer version. You have ODI cricket where you can see glimpses of Test cricket and Twenty20s, especially with two balls getting used. And all of a sudden a team loses three or four wickets, and you go and do the consolidating job and then go on with the slog. And then there is the shortest format where you lose five wickets, you go in and the longest consolidating period you get is one over and you start hitting again. All of them are very interesting, and as long as I am able to, I will play all the three formats."

Dhoni was then asked where he felt he was on his Test journey. "I am still on my way. I have not reached any place," he said, suggesting there might finally be something in a Dhoni press conference that might reveal his inner feelings, before going on to show it was just a tease. "If I remember, the thing I said was 2013, which is two years from now on. I don't know if you will be covering cricket or not. I don't know if I will be playing cricket or not. That's a long time."

	"Now it's the start of 2012. 2013 is two years. I don't know whether I will be alive in two years"

That's the thing with Dhoni. You never know. If you haven't been to a match, you won't be able to tell from Dhoni's face if he has won it or lost it. There is a sense of detachment, whether real or rehearsed, that has worked for Dhoni, ridding him of the pressures Indian captaincy brings. It has consumed the best of them, even the best tactical captain India has had, Rahul Dravid.

Dhoni has fought it by not acknowledging it, but over the last 12 months, especially after India won the World Cup, you wonder if he has been too detached when India needed a more involved leader to oversee the transition to the next phase. In Australia, loss after loss brought the same combination, same strategy, same faces, same answers. You didn't get a feeling somebody was taking charge. You didn't see Dhoni change his tactics on the field. You can't blame the thinkers for thinking he didn't care. Dhoni, though, will tell you only he knows how much he cares. However, people who wanted to see a sign didn't get to see one.

Then there was intrigue off the field. There were reports of Virender Sehwag wanting the captaincy, and that he was not very appreciative of Dhoni's work. Not to forget that Sehwag can't be very appreciative of his own work, either as batsman or captain at this stage. Sehwag, of course, denied all that. Now that the series is gone, though, rumour mills are abuzz again. Dhoni's captaincy in Tests away from subcontinent is bound to come under scrutiny.

When asked where he saw himself vis-à-vis the captaincy issue, Dhoni said: "It's an added role and responsibility for me. It's not a position that belongs to anyone. That responsibility was given to me three-and-a-half years back. I have been trying to do well, get along with the team, perform well wherever we play.

"It's just a position I hold. It's something I'll always look to do well [as long as] I am in the job. It's not something I want to hold on to or stick on to. If there's a better replacement, it's a very open thing. He can come in. At the end of the day you want India to perform. If there is someone who can do a better job, then it's a place that should be given to him. It's not something you have to cling on to."

When asked if, given his workload, he had enough left to go on and lead India's attempt at rebuilding from the defeats, Dhoni said: "It's not an individual who decides whether he is good enough or not. It's others who decide if you are good enough or not. When it comes to effort, I am still giving my 100%."

To paraphrase Dhoni himself, the beauty of statements is, they are open to interpretations. As are the last two. Is he resigned to losing his Test captaincy? Is he so detached he won't fight if it is taken away? Will he not be desperate to correct the lasting memory of his captaincy - back-to-back whitewashes? Or - and this is interesting - is he daring the powers to find a man better suited to the job because there isn't anybody in sight at the moment?

IPL NEWS PUNE WARRIORS RETAIN SOURAV GANGULY

 THE FORMER INDIAN SKIPPER have been added to the Pune Warriors coaching staff ahead of the fifth season of the IPL. Donald will be the team's bowling coach, while Ganguly will play a dual role as player and mentor. The Warriors will be without a head coach - Geoff Marsh left to coach Sri Lanka - and Donald and Ganguly will join Paddy Upton, the mental and conditioning coach, and Praveen Amre, the batting coach.

Ganguly, who joined the Warriors midway through last season as a replacement for Ashish Nehra, has been retained by the franchise for $400,000. That leaves the Warriors with $1.6 million to spend in the February 4 auction.

Donald, who is the South Africa bowling coach, will be available during the IPL, since South Africa do not have any international cricket in April and May. The Warriors are keen to get Donald to come to India to conduct a bowling camp with their bowlers before South Africa leave for their tour of New Zealand on February 9. The camp will have to be held sometime between January 23, when South Africa's home series against Sri Lanka ends, and February 4, when the Duleep Trophy starts.

The Warriors had a poor first season in the IPL in 2011, finishing second last in the table. Ganguly, who went unsold in the initial auction, was unable to make an impact after joining the Warriors, with a highest score of 32 in four innings, but sees his role expanded this year. The $400,000 paid to retain Ganguly was the same as his base price in the 2011 auction.

IPL NEWS Yuvraj Singh ruled out of IPL

YUVRAJ SINGH the India batsman, could be ruled out of cricket for as many as six months due to the ongoing treatment of his non-malignant lung tumour. This means he will at least miss the Asia Cup and the IPL, where he captained the Pune Warriors last year.

The last time Yuvraj played competitive cricket was the Tests against West Indies last November, and he was originally hoping to return as early as next month's ODI tri-series in Australia.

According to PTI, quoting an unnamed source from the IPL, Yuvraj is currently overseas. He has travelled to the United States in order to undergo "advanced treatment" for the tumour following which there will be a period of recuperation expected to take several months as well. This means he would not be available to play in the IPL, which starts on April 4. The unnamed IPL source said it could take up to "six months" for Yuvraj to return to cricket.

It has been a nightmare run for Yuvraj since his Man-of-the-Series performance in India's World Cup victory last year. An injury kept him out of the tour of the West Indies and his contribution to India's tour of England was cut short by a finger injury sustained during the Nottingham Test. He returned for the home Tests against West Indies, and was left out of the side for the third Test, in November.