England hold nerve to inflict more misery on India

London, (AFP): England inflicted more misery on India as Craig Kieswetter's quick-fire 51 inspired a three-wicket win over the beleaguered tourists in the third one-day international at The Oval on Friday.

Thanks to Kieswetter's big hitting and a nerveless 40 from Ravi Bopara, England reached their Duckworth-Lewis target of 218 in 43 overs with seven balls to spare and now have an unassailable 2-0 lead with two games in play in the five-match series.

While Alastair Cook's team can move about India into fourth place in the one-day world rankings by winning the last two matches at Lord's and Cardiff, MS Dhoni's side would simply settle for leaving the country with at least one victory to their name.

The injury-hit Indians were defeated 4-0 in the Test series, lost the lone Twenty20 international and have been beaten in two of three 50-over matches, with the other rained off. It took just four balls for James Anderson to give England the perfect start after Cook put the world champions in as Ajinkya Rahane edged to Jonathan Trott at first slip.

India needed Rahul Dravid to steady the ship but the 38-year-old's aging legs let him down as he was brilliantly run out by Anderson in the sixth over after rashly attempting a quick single.

Anderson soon added Parthiv Patel to his list of scalps and India's struggles continued when Virat Kohli became the fourth man to go, caught behind off Anderson with the score on 25.

Suresh Raina fell when he mistimed a wild slog off Broad, edging to wicketkeeper Kieswetter to put India deep in trouble at 58-5. But, to the relief of the massed ranks of Indian supporters, Dhoni made his 39th one-day 50 in 69 balls and, aided by some overly defensive field settings from Cook, he was able to rebuild India's

Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni put on 112 before the skipper skied a mistimed drive to Cook off Tim Bresnan. Despite that blow, a 59-run partnership between Jadeja, who finished with 79 from 89 balls, and Ravichandran Ashwin ensured India made a respectable score.

But England openers Cook and Kieswetter, who hit three big sixes, took the hosts past 50 without loss by the ninth over. Munaf Patel broke the partnership when he trapped Cook lbw for 23 with the score on 60. Kieswetter brought up his 50 in 41 balls, yet he perished moments later as Jadeja found some spin to knock out his middle stump.

India's spinners suddenly posed a serious threat and England were reduced to 89-3 after Ashwin bowled Trott. The hosts added six more runs before rain stopped play for an hour, leaving England with a new Duckworth-Lewis target of 218.

Ian Bell didn't help England's cause when he was run out for 23 by Dhoni after he started for a single and turned back too late. Youngster Ben Stokes showed his lack of experience as he bowled round his legs by Ashwin and were England wobbling at 138-5.

Fortunately for England, Bresnan and Bopara - staking his claim for a permanent place in the team with 40 in 41 balls - turned the tide with a crucial 60-run stand for the sixth wicket. Jadeja returned to dismiss Bresnan and Ashwin bowled Bopara, but Stuart Board and Graeme Swann were able to see England home.

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9/11 transformed South Asia geopolitics

When the architects of 9/11 were traced to shadowy caves in Afghanistan, the US sent thousands of troops to smoke them out and topple the Taliban regime and arm-twisted Pakistan into cooperating in the "war on terror", fuelling events that brought New Delhi and Washington closer strategically and transformed the geopolitics of South Asia.

The US-led coalition ousted the Taliban regime and installed a moderate Pashtun leader in Kabul. But little did Washington realize the military operation would drain the US exchequer even a decade later: trillions of dollars have been spent in the war without any apparent end.

Post 9/11, the contours of South Asian geopolitics were re-mapped.

Pakistan, which had slipped in the strategic calculus of the US after the Soviets quit Afghanistan, bounced back in the reckoning but with its image tarred as the epicentre of global terrorism and incalculable costs to its society and economy.

Knowing Pakistan's influence over the erstwhile Mullah Omar regime and the ISI-military combine's leverage with the jehad machine, Washington had no choice but to declare Islamabad its "major non-Nato ally" and "a frontline state" in the war against terror.

Pakistan cashed in on US desperation to nail the 9/11 architects and got at least $15 billion in counter-terror and military assistance from the US over the next decade.

"Pakistan used 9/11 to milk the US and get huge funds in the garb of operations against militants but failed to track top Al Qaeda operatives and kept on hoodwinking Washington," Satish Chandra, former deputy national security adviser of India, told IANS.

For India, 9/11 vindicated what it had said all along and provided it an opportunity to scale up its diplomatic offensive to get the world to look at Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism, albeit with mixed results.

"Earlier, it was their terrorism (international) versus our terrorism (Pakistan). The American establishment has come to see through Pakistan's policy of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds," former foreign secretary Lalit Mansingh said.

He added that the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai - widely seen as a shade of 9/11 - brought New Delhi and Washington closer.

But the most important long-term consequence of 9/11 was the path-breaking transformation of India-US relationship. Its crowning moment was the landmark 2008 nuclear deal.

"The big change is in the India-US relationship. Under President Bill Clinton, we were talking about counter-terror cooperation. 9/11 changed all that and brought more substance to counter-terror cooperation," said Mansingh, a former envoy to the US.

"In a sense, following 9/11, the US decided to de-hyphenate its relations with India from that of Pakistan," said Mansingh.

George Bush, the then US president, famously underlined this shift when he said that India and Pakistan were "two different nations with two different histories".

Building upon the Bush legacy, President Barack Obama declared the India-US relationship to be the defining partnership of the 21st century.

Another major consequence of 9/11 was India's return to Afghanistan as a key stakeholder -- in its reconstruction.

The topping of the Taliban regime, which New Delhi was ranged against, helped India to re-establish its footprints in a country Pakistan regards its strategic backyard.

On the flip side, India's re-entry into Afghanistan, with over $1.5 billion in aid, has become a new theatre of rivalry with Pakistan.

For other countries in the region, like Sri Lanka, 9/11 meant greater global support in handling the Tamil Tigers, who were eventually crushed in 2009.

Ten years after 9/11, South Asia has woken up to the need for greater trans-national cooperation to combat terror. Despite many terror attacks and a bruising global recession, India is seen as an emerging power with one the fastest growing economies.

Pakistan is in a relative terminal mess.

According to Shahid Javed Burki, Pakistan's former finance minister, the country has had to face "overwhelmingly negative consequences" after 9/11.

Around 15,000 Pakistanis have died in terror attacks. Home-grown militia Tehrik-e-Taliban has even targeted the military in Rawlapindi. Islamabad's duplicity in the war on terror was exposed when 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces in its territory.

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Star Wars: Kareena Kapoor vs. Priyanka Chopra

The No.1's who were never to be - that, in hindsight, has been the Bollywood career status of Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Both arrived with fanfare, got more than a fair share of opportunities to shine through, and despite their occasionally success struts on national glory ramp, they still don't count as serious, can-take-it-all-on actresses.

The reason is simple and obvious: They are star material not the stuff that great actresses are made of. Or not. You can debate.

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This is going to be a rebirth of sorts for me - Harbhajan Singh

Indian off spinner, Harbhajan Singh said in an interview with Mid-Day that he has recovered from the abdominal strain that saw him miss the 3rd and 4th Test and the limited overs leg of the England tour. Harbhajan had to return home and was at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore where he underwent rehabilitation.

Harbhajan said he has worked hard at his fitness at the NCA and will be fully fit and available for selection for the Champions league and the series against England and West Indies, which will follow the multi-starrer T20 tournament.

"I am 100% fit and raring to go for all the cricket ahead. I have worked really hard at the NCA. I am looking forward to the Champions League T20, and also the coming home series (against England and West Indies)," the 31 year old said.

Harbhajan's form has taken a tremendous dip, and the off spinner has only managed 13 wickets in his last 5 Tests, which came against West Indies and England.

The Mumbai Indians player said he struck by the injury at the wrong time.

"Obviously, the injury came at the wrong time. But, I don't think about the timing - it's always bad - whether it was in a home series or away series. An injury is an injury. There was lot of sadness to come back home soon."

He added that he is optimistic about returning to form.

"I have never felt this good about my bowling. This is going to be a rebirth of sorts for me. I am going to get my rhythm back. I am honest to myself and know that I have a lot more to contribute for the country. This is a new beginning. I still have four or five years of cricket left in me."

Harbhajan's return to fitness will be big boost for Mumbai, who may have to do without their skipper Sachin Tendulkar as he is suffering from a toe injury and Rohit Sharma(finger injury). Harbhajan has been one of Mumbai's main bowlers and was retained ahead of IPL 4 along with Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollard and Tendulkar.

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Rahane vows to do his best

Talented Ajinkya Rahane has captured everyone's imagination with his confident batting in the ODIs but unlike his expressive batting, he is a man of few words.

"I would try to do my best in the remaining three ODIs and hopefully India can win," stated Rahane, adding he has no fitness worries ahead of the game.

Rahane sprained his ankle during the second ODI at Southampton but, the young right-hander is ready to open again for India in the day-night game on Friday.

The Mumbai opener made 40 and 54 in the first two ODIs and looks undeterred by the reputation of England bowlers who scythed the famous Indian batting line-up in Tests.

"I had done no preparations before coming here. Initially, I was nervous. But I learnt as I went along. Everyone in the dressing room was good enough to boost me. Seniors such as Sachin and Dhoni asked me to play as I am used to without worrying too much about the opposition and conditions."

Rahane has a formidable first-class record, averaging 67 with the bat. In the four years that he has been around in domestic cricket, he credits former Mumbai coach Praveen Amre a lot for his style of batting, something that has attracted a lot of praise from former players like, Sanjay Manjrekar.

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