England ready for India tour after venue change

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has put an end to the speculations over England cricket team's returning to India for the two-Test series as it has agreed to send the team to India for the Test series.

The first Test that was to be played in Ahmedabad from 11 to 15 December has been shifted at Chennai, while Mohali will now be hosting the second Test starting from 19 to 23 December.

The three-day tour match has been called off.However, ECB will be sending their security consultant for discussions with the Authorities in India before final clearance is given for the Tour.

Unrepentant Gambhir slams abusive Aussies

New Delhi: Gautam Gambhir had to sit out the Nagpur Test against Australia in the fourth Test in Nagpur for elbowing Shane Watson, but the India opener said he was provoked by the all-rounder and had no regrets for what he had done.

"No gentleman can hear things that Aussies were saying in Delhi. If what I did was wrong, then even sledging should be stopped, it has no place in the game," said the left-hander.

"They were sledging from all corners, they sledged at me in Bangalore, Mohali and then in Delhi. I could have taken (their sledging) only to a point but they tend to get personal which is just not on," he added.

"I agree that I shouldn't have crossed a certain line but people should take the holistic view rather than blaming just me for the episode. Frankly, I don't regret the Watson episode," he said.

Gambhir, who scord Test in Delhi and a hundred before that in Mohali, said Australians never liked their opposition giving a tough fight to them.

"They don't like when the opposition reacts the way we did. Australians were never expecting that we will come hard at them and that's why they reacted the way they did."

The Delhi batsman, who emerged the highest run-getter in the four-match Test series with 463 runs, said he was unhappy for being ignored for the Man of the Series Award, which was bagged by Ishant Sharma.

"I have never been that lucky, may be I need to get 400! I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt. I take comfort in the fact that the team won the series and I am really happy for Ishant who bowled his heart out in the series," Gambhir told ESPN

The opener though said he would never shed his aggressive image despite the recent tiff with the Australians.

"I like to be aggressive, I am a fighter who plays for his team, his country and will do everything to restore that pride and never you'd see me taking a backward step."

And reacting to Shahid Afridi's comment that the ban on playing Nagpur Test would hlep the India opener learn lessons, Gambhir said, "It is a joke coming from Afridi, actually, he should concentrate on his own game rather than telling me what to do. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at others, I can't take Afridi seriously."

On criticism against him for getting out in the 60s and 70s, Gambhir said, "Frankly, it doesn't really bother me what critics say as long as I help my team and my country win series after series and tournaments after tournaments."

"VVS Laxman told me in Sri Lanka that my biggest challenge will be playing against Australia and I need to pass that test. I met him in Nagpur and asked him if did clear that test, he told me, 'you have not only passed the test but passed it with a distinction.'

I don't think I need any more approvals from anyone," said Gambhir

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Former India captain Ganguly bids farewell in style

Saurav Ganguly signed off from test cricket in style on Monday by captaining a victorious India side in the latter stages of his farewell match. Ganguly, 36, who is the second person only to make a century in his first test and a duck in his last, was asked by new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to lead the team towards the end of their 172-run win over Australia.

India took the series 2-0 to clinch their first win over the world number one side since they were captained by Ganguly in 2001. I was already switched off, so he (Dhoni) woke me up, Ganguly joked.

I didn t know what was happening for the first six-seven balls but luckily they were nine down. Then after three overs, I told him that it is his job and not mine.

It has been a fantastic journey, if anybody would have told me when I started that I would go through all this I would not have believed him. But God has been really kind that I have gone through this for 13 years and finished off on a win for Indian cricket.

It has been satisfying. To get a hundred in my first test as a player, to captain in nearly 50 test matches, 49 to be precise, and building a team and building players which has taken Indian cricket team forward.

Ganguly scored 7,212 runs in 113 tests with 16 hundreds at an average of 42.17 and 11,363 runs in 311 one-day internationals with 22 centuries. He said Dhoni was the right man to take India forward after India handed Australia their first series defeat since the 2005 Ashes series in England.

Dhoni led in both the tests which India won after Anil Kumble missed the second match at Mohali due to injury and retired after the third. He has done fantastically well and I know he has the abilities to take Indian cricket forward, Ganguly said.

Captaincy is a spark and it is not just preparation. It is not that you have got to be a good player and do a lot of homework.

It is spark on the field which MS has. He has got that extra bit of luck which you require in captaincy.
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