Sreesanth gives India total control

India v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Kanpur, 3rd day

The Indians keep a moment's silence before the start of play



Pragyan Ojha celebrates his maiden Test wicket

Sreesanth thanks the powers that be for a five-for in his comeback Test

Sreesanth had Prasanna Jayawardene caught-behind for 39

Indian cricket's prodigal son Sreesanth returned in style with a five-for to leave Sri Lanka staring at defeat in the second Test in Kanpur. Sri Lanka were forced to follow on after tea and were tottering in the second innings, still 356 runs adrift with only six wickets standing. For nine successive overs in the first session, and for seven on the trot in the second, Sreesanth ran in hard, hit the deck and found life in a slow pitch. He led the way in the second innings too, removing Tillakaratne Dilshan with a leg cutter, before Sri Lanka started to disintegrate against spin.

Mahela Jayawardene and Prasanna Jayawardene offered some resistance with a 60-run partnership in the first innings but Sri Lanka threatened to implode without much fight in the second. Tharanga Paranavitana was trapped by an arm-ball from Virender Sehwag and Kumar Sangakkara chopped a topspinner from Harbhajan on to the stumps. However, the decisive moment of the collapse, and something that perfectly caught the mindset of the visitors, was the run-out of the first-innings top scorer Mahela. Sangakkara had pushed the ball to the right of the straightish midwicket and called for a suicidal run, but Mahela had no chance to beat the throw from Yuvraj Singh. Perhaps, the fact that they had lost nine wickets in just over two sessions and yielded the biggest lead to India, had sapped all the fight out of them. They can't blame the pitch, for it hadn't disintegrated, but Sreesanth was on a mission to prove a point on his comeback.

Green Park was where Sreesanth played his last Test 19 months ago before he disappeared from the sports pages and became an occasional feature on Page 3. Today, he stormed back, lifting India with spells that read 9-2-28-3 in the first session and 7-2-18-2 in the second. His bowling was sublime through the day but the high point of his redemptive journey was the delivery that gave him his fifth wicket, a peach that cut away from the middle stump line to take out the off stump of the clueless Rangana Herath. The celebration was muted: a folding of palms in prayer and gratitude, the right hand raised to accept the high-fives from his team-mates and the face slowly creasing into a smile. It wasn't dramatic, it wasn't the usual Sreesanth theatrics that make him perhaps the most complex cricketer in this side. Today, those signature self-exhortations at the top of the run-up were rarely seen, as was any special celebration after a wicket.

It was all about the bowling. If he troubled the batsmen with seam movement in the morning, he found some reverse swing post-lunch with the old ball and continued to harass the batsmen. He got the big breakthrough of the second session when he terminated the fighting partnership between the two Jayawardenes. Prasanna had taken an aggressive route, slog sweeping and driving the spinners and, though he faced Zaheer Khan, he didn't have to play Sreesanth till he reached 35. Sreesanth probed Prasanna with 11 testing deliveries that included leg cutters, inswingers and a lovely inswinging yorker but Prasanna stood firm. However, Prasanna chased the 12th, a short and wide one, and got a thin nick through to the keeper.

That was a recurring theme. Sreesanth would severely test the batsmen with a cluster of good deliveries and would invariably pick up a wicket with one slightly wide from the stumps. His pace wasn't frightening (135 kmph was the average), there were no fiery bouncers and he didn't swing it around corners, but what he did was land each ball on a probing line and length, and cut it either way just enough to test the batsmen. He had his share of luck too - two batsmen played on off the inside edge - and Sri Lanka's batsmen didn't tailor their techniques to the demands of the pitch.

Instead of playing as close to the body as possible on a pitch with variable bounce, the batsmen erred by playing away. Tharanga Paranavitana was set up by a bouncer that crashed into his shoulder before he pushed at one cutting away from him. Sangakkara, who faced 24 deliveries from Zaheer Khan today, fell in the first over he faced off Sreesanth. Sangakkara played out three straight deliveries but was lured into a cover drive by a full and wide one, and ended up dragging it on to his stumps. Thilan Samaraweera was the next to go, pushing hard and early at a length delivery cutting away from him.

Not everything went Sreesanth's way though. He produced an edge from his best delivery but it didn't get him a wicket. Jayawardene, on zero, pushed at one that cut away late and got an edge but neither MS Dhoni nor Sachin Tendulkar at first slip went for the catch. It was the wicketkeeper's catch. Jayawardene got another reprieve on 25 when he edged a late cut off Harbhajan to first slip where Rahul Dravid couldn't hold on to a sharp chance. The same thing happened in the second innings too but it didn't matter on either occasion as Mahela couldn't carry on for long.

It was not a completely solo show by Sreesanth, though, as the debutant Pragyan Ojha kept things tight, allowing Dhoni the luxury to attack from the other end. Ojha also got the big wicket of the first innings when he beat the top scorer Mahela in the flight and produced a mishit to mid-on. Ojha also hastened the end of the Sri Lankan innings post-tea by trapping Muttiah Muralitharan in front but it was Sreesanth, who was undoubtedly, the star today.

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Green Park desparate to give life to the series...

Groundsmen roll the pitch, ahead of the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. Photo: K.R. Deepak

After the run riot at Motera, the series faces a challenge at the Green Park Stadium here. The bowlers need to be in with a chance for the match to keep the spectators engaged. This said, the surface here for the Test against South Africa in 2008 was rather heavily loaded in favour of the spinners.

India needed to square the series and an under-prepared pitch that turned square from day one suited the home team’s purpose.

But then, Kanpur as a Test venue came under the scanner after the Test and the host association had to answer questions aplenty after South Africa submitted a rather strong report on that Test.

Daljit’s assurance

“You will not have a repeat of that kind of a pitch. I had a good look at the surface for the match,” assures Daljit Singh, who heads the country’s wicket and grounds panel.

These are not the easiest of days for Daljit. Following the criticism of the pitch for the first Test, the surfaces for the rest of the series will be under a microscope. But then, the committee has loads of time to prepare a proper Test match wicket.

Short-sighted solutions for immediate needs eventually hurt the game’s cause and diminish the value of individual performances. This series screams for a sporting wicket at Kanpur.

There are indications that the authorities here are not taking a chance with the pitch. Although a fresh wicket has been laid at this venue, the second Test would be played on an adjacent pitch, holding no devils, where matches have been staged earlier.

Fitness worries

The nature of the surface is not the only concern for the Sri Lankans though. The side has a few fitness issues to resolve as well.

Key batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan — who hurt his nose in a freak accident after the first Test — trained here on Sunday with a bandage wrapped around the injured area. The dashing opener is expected to be fine for Tuesday’s Test.

However, with the pacy Dammika Prasad virtually out of the match with a hamstring pull, the visitors will have to look for a new ball partner for the impressive Chanaka Welegedara. Fast bowler Dilhara Fernando, who has replaced the injured Thilan Thushara in the squad, can bowl with pace and thrust. However, Fernando has run into serious no-balling problems in the past. Nuwan Kulasekara, slower but more accurate bowler, offers the side greater consistency.

Light factor

The weather at this time of the year in these parts could also influence the course of the Test. The mornings could be foggy and this might delay the start of the play in the first session. And the sun sets quickly in winter, cutting into play in the last session.

As Daljit confided, “If we are unlucky with the weather, we could lose around eight hours of play in the Test.” Eight hours is more than a day’s play.

Given the likely weather, it is imperative that we have a pitch where the bowlers are in with a shout. Otherwise, we could so easily have another draw in the series.

It would not suit India’s interest to leave everything to the last Test. The pitch at the Brabourne Stadium for the final match is expected to be a result-oriented one which suggests the Sri Lankans would have a fair chance. A single Test could decide the series.

The Sri Lankans did put the Indians under pressure in the first Test, both on the first morning and on the final day before Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman ensured a draw.

The saviour

Scripting escape acts is not always possible. For instance, India, 32 for four on the first morning at Motera, could so easily have been 100 for seven had the technically and temperamentally sound Rahul Dravid not proved a road-block. The Indian recovery was essentially scripted around Dravid.

Had India been dismissed for around 200 in the first innings, there might have been no comebacks...even on the dead Motera wickets. From the hot and dusty Ahmedabad, to the hustle and bustle of a busy Kanpur in winter...the cricket caravan moves on.

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world champion Michael Schumacher to come back?

Mercedes play down Schumacher speculation

2009-11-21 22:36:13 Last Updated: 2009-11-21 22:42:40

London: Mercedes have played down, without completely dismissing, media speculation that seven times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher could come out of retirement as Jenson Button's replacement. "It's clear that there will always be speculation as long as one cockpit is still free," said a spokesman for the German car maker, who have taken over world champions Brawn, on Saturday. "And some speculations are nothing but dreams which will not come true." Britain's newly crowned world champion Button has signed for McLaren where he will have the number one on his car as team mate to 2008 champion and compatriot Lewis Hamilton next season. Brawn, who will compete as Mercedes in 2010, have yet to name their driver line-up although Germany's Nico Rosberg is sure to be one of them. Former F1 team owner turned television pundit Eddie Jordan stoked the speculation when he told BBC radio that he was sure Schumacher, who will be 41 in January, was in the frame to replace Button. "The possibility is being actively pursued and I believe it is going to happen," said the Irishman, who gave Schumacher his Formula One debut in 1991. "It started with a meeting between Michael, Ross Brawn and Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix," he added. "At the moment, it is not possible for Michael to drive for Mercedes because he has a consultancy contract with Ferrari. But I understand he was due to meet Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo with a view to being released. "I also believe Ross and Michael have spoken in recent times and that Michael likes the idea of driving a Mercedes run by Ross. It's a mouth-watering idea." Brawn guided Schumacher to all his seven titles as technical director and master strategist at Benetton and then with Ferrari. Schumacher also drove for the Mercedes sports car team before breaking into Formula One. More Formula 1 News Schumacher was willing to make a temporary comeback this year after Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa suffered serious head injuries but the German had to abandon that plan due to his own neck injury. That injury, sustained while racing a motorcycle, should be far less of a problem by the time the next Formula One season starts in March. The former champion agreed a new three-year contract as a Ferrari advisor only last September, with a source at the Italian team denying any knowledge of a Mercedes approach. Schumacher's spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment, although the BBC quoted her as saying it was "highly unlikely but never say never." Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone made clear where he stood on a Schumacher comeback: "It would be fabulous for the sport," he told the Daily Mail.

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The Green Park Stadium

History

The Green Park Stadium is named after Madam Green who used practice Horse-Riding here in 1940's

India's first Test win over Australia in December 1959 was at the Green Park ground. It was also the first match to be played on a turf wicket here.[1]. Fff-spinner Jasubhai Patel's 14 wickets were instrumental in ensuring India's win.

In 1958/9 Subhash Gupte took nine West Indian wickets in an inning for 102 runs, and had Lance Gibbs - the only batsman he missed - dropped by wicket keeper Naren Tamhane.

Since 1957 India has lost only twice at Kanpur, to the West Indies on both occasions. When Subhash Gupte’s dream spell was overshadowed by Wes Hall’s 10 wickets in 1958 and later when India’s 1983 world cup euphoria was cut short by Malcolm Marshall’s fearsome bowling.

Ends

The ends are known as the Mill Pavilion End and the Hostel End. These are named after the Elgin Mill and Dav College which are close to the stadium.

Pitch

The pitch at Green Park has traditionally assisted the spinners and there have been some great performances by the likes of Jasubhai Patel and Subhash Gupte etc.

Future of the stadium

The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association is talking to the UP Government to buy this stadium on a lease of 15 – 15 years each for the future expansion of this stadium and to improve its ability to host International matches of all formats including the IPL.Green Park Cricket Stadium is going to host a test match against Sri Lanka on November 24/2009.

Cricket World Cup

This stadium has hosted One Day International (ODI) matches when India hosted the Cricket World Cup.

i. 1987 Cricket World Cup

ii. 1996 Cricket World Cup

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Tendulkar rises, Gambhir slips in ICC Test rankings

Dubai: Riding on his match-saving hundred against Sri Lanka in the opening Test, senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar rose a rung to joint 15th but opener Gautam Gambhir slipped one place to third in the latest ICC Rankings issued on Sunday. Tendulkar shares the 15th spot with dashing England batsman Kevin Pietersen. Among other Indians, Rahul Dravid has jumped five places to sit just outside the top 20 in 21st position, while India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has leaped three places to 30th spot. Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, who scored a double hundred in the drawn match, achieved the number one ranking for the first time in his career. The 32-year-old scored a masterly 275 - his sixth double-century in 108 Tests - to leapfrog team-mate Kumar Sangakkara and Gambhir. Sachin completes 30,000 runs in international cricket Jayawardene, who during his mammoth knock became only the ninth batsman to complete 9,000 Test runs, is just 17 points short of becoming only the 25th batsman overall to reach the 900-point mark which, in ranking terms, is the benchmark for top batsmen. Among the Test bowlers, Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who took 2-189 in the first Test, has slipped one place to sixth in the latest rankings. The gap between number-one ranked Dale Steyn of South Africa and Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan's has opened from 20 points to 31 points. The ICC Test Championship table is currently led by Australia with India ranked third. Coverage: India Vs Sri Lanka Pakistan sits in sixth position on 84 ratings points with New Zealand four points behind in seventh place and the West Indies in eighth-position on 76 ratings points.

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Mahela: We can press for win

Mahela Jayawardene said his side can now utilise the advantage and press for a win in the first Test against India in Ahmedabad.

"Things can happen on fourth and fifth days. They (India) are under pressure and that can create opportunities. The deterioration will be there and we have to see how we can take advantage," Jayawardene said after scoring a classy unbeaten 204 in over eight hours on the third day.

"We have handled the wicket pretty well. If we can build a good lead we can create opportunities. We have to bowl in the right areas especially the spinners and if these things happen we can definitely create more opportunities," he said.

The former skipper was also a relieved man as he brought up his first triple figure Test score in India.

"For me a hundred is a hundred. Given the situation and playing against India in India, that's high up in my effort.

"But thing is I have played only three Tests in India before this. I had a couple of fifties in last tour and I was disappointed. I was determined to get my first hundred here. I am happy, team situation is also very good," he said after guiding Sri Lanka to 591 for 5, a first innings lead of 165.

"We had a very realistic plan of beating India. It is one of our goals and everything was set up. We were disappointed to let India get away after the excellent start we had on the first day. But they did bat well. Rahul in particular and MS (Dhoni)," the 32-year batsman said.

Jayawardene said the attacking century by opener Tillakaratne Dilshan and the efforts of himself, Thilan Samaraweera (70) and Prasanna Jayawardene (84 not out) have set up the game nicely for them.

"Dilshan batted superbly giving us the momentum. He took on the two (Indian) spinners and we kept on going with the same momentum. Thilan and I enjoyed a very good partnership (138 runs for fourth wicket) and Prasanna hung around with me (in adding a record 216 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket)," he said.

On when his team would apply a declaration on Thursday, he said the team management would prefer to set a target and try to achieve the goal.

"We will see how it goes. Kumar and team management will have to decide on that. We set a few goals today and achieved them. We should set same target tomorrow and have to achieve them," he said.

He praised young Prasanna Jayawardene for playing a superb supporting role to help Sri Lanka grind the Indian attack down.

"Prasanna batted well. He has the ability, but it's just applying yourself out there that's important. That's been his problem. He's got lot of talent. But he showed what he's capable of today. It's all about handling different situations and scoring in different conditions and I thought Prasanna did that today," he said.

Asked about his own splendid form in the past few years, Jayawardene said he has learned to build an innings by finding out his strengths and weaknesses.

"With captaincy came bit more responsibility. But after playing for so many years I have realised what my strengths and weaknesses are and how to manage and build the innings.

"Even before that I was doing right things, but making too many mistakes. Once you get to a stage, you realise how to pace your innings and how to attack and how to play on different surfaces," he said.

Jayawardene has no complaint over India's negative tactics of bowling round the wicket to a defensive field, saying the home team were trying to stem the flow of runs.

"They were trying to not to give us not much of a bigger lead today. You can even pick up wickets in that manner. We didn't play too many shots and we played the way we wanted to and waited for the bad balls and once they switched back again we managed to get more runs. Teams use different tactics and you have to adjust accordingly," he said.

On Muttiah Muralitharan's condition after he picked up a stomach bug on Wednesday, Jayawardene said the off-spinner was feeling fine.

"He's fine. He was speaking a lot in the dressing room, which means he's OK," he said.

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Indian Cricket Grounds for srilanka series 09

Sardar Patel Stadium

Motera,
Ahmedabad, India

Gujarat Cricket Association, Sardar Patel Stadium, Near Sports Club of Gujarat Ltd, Navarangpura, Ahmedabad - 380014 (Phone: 079 - 26443787/26565391)

Also or formerly known as Gujarat Stadium
Established 1982
Capacity 48,000
Floodlights Yes
End names Adani Pavilion End, GMDC End
Home team Gujarat
Curator Bagira Thakur
Current local time 19:53, Wed Nov 11, 2009 (UTC +0530)

Profile

Built on the banks of the Sabarmati river on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, the Sardar Patel Stadium is an imposing structure which can accommodate about 48,000 spectators. The stadium was built on a 50-acre land donated by the state government, and took only nine months for its completion.

However, it is a far from welcome location for touring sides and was described by Scyld Berry in 2006 as "without doubt the most unpopular venue on the whole international cricket circuit. The stadium has been run down for years, the state of Gujarat is 'dry', the city is as polluted as they come, the river Sabarmati an open drain."

Also known as the Motera, after the place where it is located, the venue hosted its first Test in November 1983 and has been witness to some memorable Indian feats - Sunil Gavaskar got to his 10,000 Test runs here, against Pakistan in 1986-87, and seven years later, Kapil Dev nailed his 432nd victim to go past Richard Hadlee as Test cricket's leading wicket-taker. The pitch here used to aid bowlers - three of the first four Tests produced results - but of late the track has played slow and low, aiding neither the bowlers nor the strokeplayers. As a result, draws have become the norm.

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Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan recalled for Tests

Temperamental fast bowler Sreesanth has been given another chance to resurrect his stop-start career, after being selected in India's 15-man squad for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka. Weeks after being given a "final warning" for his poor on-field behaviour, Sreesanth is now a candidate to share the new ball with Zaheer Khan, who has recovered from his shoulder injury.

Sreesanth last played for India in 2008, and had his share of injuries and criticism over attitude in equal measure. During the time he spent out of the Indian team, Sreesanth played 10 first-class games for 28 wickets, including one five-wicket haul for Warwickshire, and 23 overs for no wickets against Andhra in his latest Ranji Trophy match. Clearly his selection is a gamble on promise over form. It is a big - bordering on generous - decision made by the selectors, and an equally big chance for Sreesanth to wash away all the criticism against him.

Zaheer made an expected comeback, having recovered from the injury he sustained during the IPL, and having featured in Twenty20 matches during the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament and a Ranji Trophy fixture. He has not missed a Test, but has not played limited-overs cricket for India since the ICC World Twenty20 in June.

The selectors also recalled Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner, and S Badrinath. His Tamil Nadu team-mate M Vijay retained his place as reserve batsman. Ojha, yet to make his Test debut, toured Sri Lanka in 2008, but lost his place to Amit Mishra, who made a strong debut against Australia in Mohali in 2008-09. Vijay, an opener, was handed a debut in Nagpur against Australia after Gautam Gambhir was banned for one Test. Badrinath has yet to play a Test.

There was no place for Ashish Nehra, who has done well after making his ODI return, or Munaf Patel, as India opted for three spinners. There was no reserve wicketkeeper named.

The decision to pick 15 players, and that too an extra batsman, raised questions about the selection. Usually for a home series, only 14 players are picked. And with the middle order set in stone, neither Vijay nor Badrinath has a realistic chance of starting in Ahmedabad. Now both of them will miss important Ranji Trophy matches, when only one was needed as injury cover, unless someone is sent back to domestic cricket on the morning of the Ahmedabad Test.

The selection also left the bowling unbalanced. MS Dhoni is not a fan of playing only two pace bowlers unless the pitch is extremely spin-friendly, and the selectors have given him only three fast bowlers to choose from. Zaheer Khan is coming back from injury, Ishant Sharma is in poor form, and Sreesanth is a completely unpredictable character. One bowling back-up would have been of more value than two batting back-ups. And what about Munaf? He has lost his Test place on the basis of 13 overs bowled in two ODIs against Australia, one of them on a flat Hyderabad pitch.

India squad: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, M Vijay, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra.

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Cyclone alert could affect Mumbai's cricket schedule

A cyclone forming over the Arabian Sea near Mumbai and continuous heavy rains in the city over the past 24 hours have threatened the seventh and final ODI between India and Australia, scheduled to be held there on Wednesday. Cyclone Phyan is expected to hit the coast later on Wednesday and, though Mumbai is not expected to be in its direct path, weather conditions in the city have already deteriorated.

The city municipal corporation has sent out a public SMS advising citizens to stay indoors and extended to 5 p.m. the cyclone warning it issued yesterday.

A PTI report said the DY Patil Stadium, the venue of Wednesday's game, was a pool of water. However, the teams are expected to reach the ground by 2 p.m. and the match has a cut-off time of 5 p.m. - if there's no play by then, it will be called off.

Two other top-level matches in the city have already been affected; the first day's play of Sri Lanka's tour game against the Board President's XI has been washed out and the Ranji game between Mumbai and Orissa is yet to see a ball being bowled into the second day.

India's match-eve practice session was also called off on Tuesday, though the Australians managed theirs in the morning.

The Indian Metereological Department issued an alert for the coastal regions of south Gujarat and north Maharashtra. Weather scientists have been tracking a deep depression formed in the south east and adjoining central Arabian Sea, which was last moving in the northwest direction and to hit south Gujarat.

"The system is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and move in a northerly direction for some more time and then north-northeastwards and cross south Gujarat and north Maharashtra coast between Mahuva and Dahanu by early hours of November 12," the alert issued by the IMD said.

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CARS OF THE SPORT STARS

The first time golfer Michelle Wie ever drove a car, she took a Hummer up a 60-degree ramp, rocked it over some felled logs and punched it through a mud flat--all with her parents sitting in the back seat.

'My parents were freaking out; they thought they were going to die. I loved it!' laughs Wie, who has earned more than $1.29 million since she turned pro in 2005, at the age of 17. Since then, the self-proclaimed car fanatic has acquired some considerably smoother rides. When she's attending classes at Stanford University, she drives a black-on-black BMW X5; at home in Florida, she buys groceries--her favorite non-golf pastime--in a diamond-white Mercedes-Benz GL550.


FOOTBALL STAR TOM BRADY AND HIS AUDI S5

Wie is not alone in her love of cars; it seems to come with the territory of being a pro athlete. Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez owns six, including a Bentley Continental and Mercedes S63 AMG. He parks four at his home in Florida and the other two in the Dominican Republic.

Professional sports lends itself to a love of cars. After all, what's one to do with ample downtime in the off-season and a generous salary? While not every pro athlete owns a flashy ride--Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones drives a Ford F-150--one could argue that, in general, their cars tend to augment these celebrities' already-established reputation.

Just look at Lebron James. His customized Ferrari F430 Spider is indeed fit for a king.

Part Pleasure, Part Business


Seven-figure partnerships--sponsorships and endorsement deals between car companies and celebrity athletes--also contribute the car-sports connection. To wit: Tennis star Maria Sharapova landed a multi-year $2.16 million endorsement deal with Land Rover in 2006, and Tiger Woods earned a reported $7.57 million to represent Buick (though the deal was severed in 2008 due to cost-cutting at General Motors.

Professional sports generated $2.3 billion last year, according to Street & Smith's Sports Group. Sports advertising alone is a $29 billion industry, media broadcast rights bring in an additional $7.5 billion, and spectators spend more than $28 billion each year on tickets, concessions and parking.

Still, there's a powerful emotional element as well, one that extends from the on-the-field action all the way to the vehicles parked in the athletes' driveways.

'Sports is not only the physical games themselves and people watching those games, but it's also all of the Monday-morning quarterbacking, the conversations through the week,' says Audi CMO Scott Keogh (Audi just became the official sponsor of the New York Yankees). 'Everyone can identify with it, whether they play a marginal amount of sports or whether their father played sports. That cultural thing resonates with cars as well.'

In other words, cars help athletes establish an image with fans, potential sponsors and teammates. One of the first things Atlanta Braves pitcher Kenshin Kawakami did when he moved from Japan was buy a black Maserati Grand Turismo S. He already owned a Lamborghini Murcielago, but he needed something more understated for driving in the U.S. The Maserati costs $146,130 the Lambo costs $236,968 more.

'My favorite thing about the car is how it looks, how it's really luxurious but not too flashy,' Kawakami says. 'It's got a really refined, elegant look.'


SOCCER STAR CRISTIANO RONALDO. BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT SPEED

Rising Star, Same Car

Tom Brady, on the other hand, probably wouldn't make such a change. He drives a $55.18 Audi S5, which has an athletically smooth styling that echoes the quarterback's agile prowess on the field.

Sure, he also drives a rare $123,587 R8, which matches his celebrity status as the MVP of two Super Bowls (winner of three) and husband of Gisele Bündchen, the highest-paid model in the world. But even though Brady currently has an endorsement deal with the German automaker, he owned Audi vehicles long before Audi approached him. It's a match made in heaven, Keogh says.

'He's very successful, he's very passionate,' he says. 'Most importantly, from a driving image, he's just not your central casting star and all the negative baggage that sort of comes along with that.'

Wie, on the other hand, doesn't have a partnership with an automaker; she drives the Benz and Beemer because she loves them. For those automakers--and Wie's fans--that might be worth more than a formal endorsement anyway.

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Jennie Finch Baseball player 2

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Jennie Finch Baseball player

Jennie Finch has done something that a normal American has most likely never done, she has struck out multiple Major League Baseball players. While most likely more well-known for her statuesque figure and bleach blonde hair, she throws serious heat, often reaching over 70 mph in fast pitch softball (that's the equivalent of over 100 mph in baseball). The sad fact is that millions of girls around the world will never be able to see what an incredible athlete Jennie Finch is, softball has been removed as an official Olympic sport for at least the next two Olympic games.

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Top Ten: Hottest Woman Athletes

This is simple, I am just gonna put a name and have the picture be my explanation. Honorable mentions are- Caroline Doty (Future smokeshow), Anna Kournikova (who no longer plays tennis)  and Erin Andrews, who isn’t an athlete, but is the best looking sideline reporter of all time.

10. Jennie Finch, Team USA softball pitcher
9. Logan Tom, Team USA Volleyball

8. Sue Bird, WNBA player

7. Lauren Jackson, WNBA Player

6. Gina Carano, MMA Fighter

5. Heather Mitts, Team USA Soccer

4. Brittany Jackson, former Tenn. college bball player

2. Natalie Gulbis, Golfer

1. Maria Sharapova, Tennis

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the Hottest Wives/Girlfriends of Pro Athletes.

good radio sexies, the Hottest Wives/Girlfriends of Pro Athletes.

10. Trisha Grablander - Fiancee of NASCAR Driver #07 Casey Mears

They had a baby together last fall, and they plan to marry after this season. Proof that she puts out.

9. Meghan Allen - Girlfriend of New Jersey Nets Guard Devin Harris

Meghan appeared on Fear Factor and was featured twice in Playboy (once before she got her twins and again after).

8. Aléka Kamilá- Wife of New Orleans Hornets Forward Peja Stojakovic

Sexy in that 80's supermodel sorta way

7. Pilar Sanders- Wife of Former Dallas Cowboy Deion Sanders

Total MILF and funny in their "Prime Time Love" reality show.

6. Kim Kardashian- Girlfriend of New Orleans Saints Running Back Reggie Bush

Knocked down a couple notches due to Ray Jay sex tape.

5. Ingrid Vandebosch- Wife of NASCAR Driver #24 Jeff Gordon

Bonus points for owning her own lingerie line

4. Brandi Garnett - Wife of Boston Celtics Power Forward Kevin Garnett

She makes 7' look good.

3. Elin Nordegren- Wife of PGA Champion Tiger Woods

Would be higher on the list, but she shot out a baby 2 weeks ago.

2. Kendra Wilkinson- Fiancee of Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Hank Baskett

Her love of sports makes her a perfect candidate!

1. Nicole Scherzinger- Girlfriend of Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton

A celebrity in her own right as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls.

Honorable Mentions:

Carmella Garcia- Wife of Former Tampa Bay Bucs QB Jeff Garcia

Would be #1, but she's currently smuggling a monkey and therefore ineligible for this year's list.

Jennie Finch - Wife of Texas Rangers Pitcher Casey Daigle

You gotta respect a girl who can pitch better than her husband.

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Player ratings: India vs Australia

Here is a look at how India and Australia's players performed at the fifth ODI in Hyderabad, which the hosts lost by a whisker by just 3 runs

India

Sachin Tendulkar – 10

The Little Master did not put a foot wrong though India lost by three runs. He went past 17,000 runs and then played like the genius he has been for 20 years. His 175 runs almost got India home.

Virender Sehwag- 5

Sehwag was once again turning the heat on the Aussies till he perished. A few more overs of Sehwag in the middle and India would have been comfortably home but like always, the marauder tried.

Gautam Gambhir- 4

The southpaw suddenly looks out of form and his was a vital wicket for the Australians. He could have done more.

Yuvraj Singh- 4

A lot depended on how Yuvi shaped up during the course of India’s chase. However, once he flopped, India were again under pressure despite Tendulkar blazing from all guns.

MS Dhoni- 4

The skipper has been in brilliant form through the series but could not get his act right tonight. He was rather unfortunate to perish to a brilliant catch from Adam Voges.

Suresh Raina- 8

Raina was at his brutal best and showed a mature head on his shoulders in a partnership with Sachin Tendulkar, which almost got India home.

Ravindra Jadeja- 3

Jadeja made a criminal mistake, going for a non existent single. The southpaw did his part scoring some quick runs but a silly run out cost India the match after a sublime knock from Tendulkar.

Harbhajan Singh- 6

Bhajji’s 44 runs off 10 overs was brilliant in the context of the game, where almost 700 runs were scored by both sides. He went for a duck but at the end of the day, Bhajji played his role as a bowler alright.

Ashish Nehra – 3

Nehra was a huge disappointment in Hyderabad, giving away 79 runs in his quota of overs. The left arm seamer just did not get it right and was hammered all round the park by gleeful Australian batsmen.

Praveen Kumar- 4

68 runs and two wickets in nine overs may not make for very poor reading in a high scoring match but PK looked out of sorts. He tried to win it for India with the bat but could not make his ground.

Munaf Patel- 3

Called in to replace the out of form Ishant Sharma, Patel was smacked for 73 runs in nine overs. And yes, he went wicketless too.

Australia

Shane Watson- 8

What an all-rounder he is turning out to be for Australia. A breathtaking 93 coupled with three important wickets at a crucial stage meant the visitors were always in the game despite the Tendulkar onslaught.

Shaun Marsh- 9

A maiden ODI hundred under pressure propelled the Aussies to the eventual 350 for four. The southpaw batted like a man possessed and rotated the strike cleverly.

Ricky Ponting- 7

The captain was once again in sublime touch, notching up 45 runs and guiding Marsh during the course of the innings. Punter also rallied around his men, who held their nerves to finally stop the Indian charge by three runs.

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Cameron White- 7

White struck yet another fifty in the series and it was he, along with Michael Hussey, who put the hosts under the hammer at the end of the innings.

Michael Hussey- 6

He could not score more than 31 only because he did not get enough overs to bat. However, Hussey scored at more than a run a ball and stitched up a valuable partnership with White.

Adam Voges -5

Voges did not bat and went for 19 runs in his three overs but he stood out with a sensational catch to dismiss the dangerous MS Dhoni.

Graham Manou -4

The wicketkeeper did not get a chance to bat but was pretty decent behind the stumps.

Nathan Hauritz – 4

The off-spinner went for 43 runs in his five overs and lacked any sting and bite on a terrific batting track.

Doug Bollinger- 4

Like all bowlers, Bollinger found the going tough in Hyderabad but pulled things back for the visitors in the closing stages.

Super Selector: Start building your team for the India-Oz series

Ben Hilfenhaus- 4

He had a tough time too and was only able to fill in the numbers as a new ball bowler in the absence of Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson.

Clint McKay- 6

The debutant medium pacer was outstanding with his 59 for three in 10 overs. Mckay bowled cleverly and stayed calm though he was brought on to bowl in the batting power play.

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Sexiest sports stars 3

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, U.S.A., beach volleyball, celebrate sweet victory at the Olympics. The May-Walsh partnership is the most world's most successful.

Marie-Jose Perec, France, track star. After a troubled career the gold-winning Olympian retired and looked forward to a career in tourism on Guadaloupe. Marie-Jose Perec could have run away with the gold in the women's 400-meter race in the Sydney Olympics. Instead, she just ran away. Reuters reported that the French track star fled the country, claiming that someone had threatened her at her hotel. Apart from Perec's assertion, there's no proof that such an encounter took place. This is one of a line of weird happenings in Perec's athletics career.

Above, Amy Acuff, U.S.A., high jump. Below, Merlene Ottey, Jamaica and Slovenia, veteran sprinter.


Kim Gevaert, Belgium, retired sprinter, Olympian and European champion.


SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Jennie Finch, softball. Finch had a 2 - 0 win-loss record in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, striking out 13 batters in eight innings while giving up only one hit, one walk and no runs. Her pitching helped lead the American team to the gold medal.

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