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India won the decider

India have been masterful while chasing in ODIs this year, and against a moderate total and a mediocre West Shikhar Dhawan hit his fifth ODI hundred of his magical year and the struggling Yuvraj Singh hit his first ODI half-century in 11 innings as India cruised to their sixth successive one-day series win of the year.
Indies attack, they ambled to victory in the series-deciding third ODI in Kanpur.

Scorecard: http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-west-indies-2013-14/engine/match/676533.html

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• Virat Kohli was Ravi Rampaul's 100th ODI wicket. Rampaul was playing his 80th match, making him the sixth fastest to the landmark among West Indies bowlers. Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop, who took 61 matches, are the fastest.
• Shikhar Dhawan hit the fifth ODI hundred of his career and all of them have come in 2013. He leads the list of batsmen with most centuries in international cricket this year.
• The West Indies batsmen made eight fifty-plus scores in this series, the most they have hit in any three-ODI series.
• The 129-run partnership between Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh was the highest for the third wicket at this venue, beating the 105 added by Chetan Sharma and Navjot Sidhu against England in 1989.
• Darren Bravo scored his third half-century of the series and became the first West Indies batsman since Ramnaresh Sarwan in 2011 (also against India) to hit three or more fifty-plus scores in an ODI series.
• India achieved the highest successful run chase at Green Park, Kanpur, beating the 256 they chased against England in 1989.
• The series victory was India's sixth in a row in ODIs, equalling their longest sequence of series wins before this, starting with the bilateral series in Sri Lanka in 2008 and ending with the Compaq Cup tri-series in 2009.

Chokers choked again! SA loose by Solitary run

With the help of Junaid Khan in final over, Pakistan won the second ODI.

Junaid has taken Pakistan to a famous victory in its limited-overs history as a superb last over from Junaid Khan ensured the visitors just held on to a 1-run victory. It wouldn't have been amiss if, just a few overs back, you thought South Africa were cruising to victory, especially when Amla and AB were going great guns. But those late wickets, and needless from AB and Amla, hurt them in a big way. Pakistan are lucky to escape with victory when you consider how poorly they had bowled in patches, and were let down in the field by their fielders. This has been a match for the ages, and with that Pakistan, crucially, wrap up the series as they take an unassailable 2-0 lead with just one rubber to go.

Ahmed Shehzad's third ODI century and the 124-run stand he had with Sohaib Maqsood for the third wicket set Pakistan up to challenge for their first ever bilateral series win over South Africa. Umar Akmal, who was involved in Shehzad being run out, provided the late flourish, as Pakistan scored 82 in the final ten overs of a shortened game, despite Dale Steyn taking career-best figures.

For Score card: http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-pakistan-2013-14/engine/match/685733.html

Razzaq robbed of passport, valuables

Pakistan allrounder Abdul Razzaq was robbed of his passport, and large quantities of gold and cash by

burglars who broke into his house early this morning, the player said. Razzaq resides in the upmarket Defense Housing Society in Lahore.

According to the FIR lodged with the police, Razzaq claimed to have lost 38 ounces of gold, $12,000 and documents. He said the incident took place around 5.00 am, when the occupants of the house were asleep. "It's unfortunate," Razzaq told reporters. "I am not sure who did this but it's the responsibility of the police to find out." Police said they suspected the thieves had inside information of the details of the house. 

Razzaq was at home only because he had returned from Pakistan's ongoing tour of South Africa with a hamstring injury. Earlier this month, he had made a comeback to Pakistan's Twenty20 team after a gap of one year, against South Africa in the UAE.

Question was whether I wanted to come back - Zaheer

India fast bowler Zaheer Khan's inclusion in the Test squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa marked

the end of his year-long exile from the team. But for Zaheer, the primary question had been whether he wanted to go through the arduous process of trying to make a comeback, rather than how to go about it.

"Last year, I sat down and I was thinking about exactly how to get back. Firstly, if I wanted to make a comeback, that was the biggest question for me," Zaheer said on the sidelines of Mumbai's training session ahead of their Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha on Thursday. "When the answer was yes, I chalked out the strategy that was exactly needed and I did everything to make sure I was there. Obviously, the physical aspect was the big thing and I had to tackle that. And then in consultation with a lot of trainers and physios, I chalked out a plan and so far it has worked." 

Zaheer's latest comeback to the Test squad is different from his previous ones. Seldom has he been dropped on form during a long international career that began in 2000. However, his poor performances against England at home in December last year and his lack of match-fitness resulted in him being axed from the team. 

After being injured for most of IPL 2013, Zaheer travelled to France for a strenuous fitness stint with trainer Tim Exeter. He followed that up by training with former India trainer Adrian le Roux in Bloemfontein, before returning home and putting in a big performance for the India A team in the two unofficial Tests against West Indies A. Zaheer said that it was those games, particularly the one in Hubli, that helped him regain his confidence. 

"It's been a slow progress right from Shimoga. When I went to Shimoga, I knew that I need some overs under my belt," he said. "I didn't want anything to happen suddenly. I was kind of progressing slowly but surely," Zaheer said. "As I bowled a few overs in that particular game, slowly things started picking up. I've always believed in match practice being the best practice. The spell that I bowled in Hubli towards the end of the game gave me a lot of confidence and from then I just picked it up." 

Zaheer also played three Ranji matches, including one against a strong Delhi batting unit, to try out different variations and prove his fitness to the selectors. "It was more to do with getting in that zone as far as matches are concerned. Once I had overs under my belt I was comfortable being on the field. 

"I was feeling that the recovery in between the spells was spot on. I was able to recover between the spells and come next day. So those were the things I was looking at. As far as Test matches are concerned, not only do you have to put in the effort on day one, but the important thing is you have to come back the following day and make sure you are there from ball one." 

Zaheer's stint in France also made him want to start a fitness centre in India on the lines of Exeter's set-up. "I have planned to start something so that lot of people get benefited. I had the privilege to go abroad, I could afford to go and do those things. But I feel in India you need a set-up like that in terms of physiotherapy and fitness, so hopefully instead of giving you a lowdown, I can give you the real thing." 

His immediate goal, however, is to excel on the field and mentor India's young seamers. "That comes naturally for me. If I can help someone, I don't hesitate to go up to him and say what I feel. Being a bowler in the subcontinent is not an easy task. It's about just backing yourself and believing that. That thought process is very important when playing in the subcontinent." 

Zaheer said he was looking forward to the upcoming series in South Africa, where he has fond memories. On India's previous tour there, Zaheer returned to the team after a groin strain and contributed to a Test victory in Durban. 

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/693535.html

Warne sells Melbourne mansion for $13.7 million, may move to UK

Australian spin legend Shane Warne has sold his sprawling Melbourne home for around Aus$15 million (US$13.7 million) and if reports to be trusted he may move to UK.

Warne has been looking to sell the Victorian Italianate mansion, Kilkerran, for more than a year, the Sydney Morning Herald said, so he could be closer to UK-based model and actress partner Liz Hurley.

The trophy five-bedroom Melbourne home had an asking price of Aus$15 million and sold within the past two weeks, the reports said. Agent Jonathan Dixon confirmed the sale but not the price.

Warne bought the house for around Aus$8.55 million in 2009 as a family home with wife Simone and their three children before the couple split in 2010.

Warne and Hurley went through a rough patch in September with widespread reports that their affair was over, but the pair are now believed to be back together.

Jonathan Trott left Ashes Tour due to Stress related illness

Jonathan Trott, the England batsman, has left the Ashes tour with a stress-related illness that he has been

coping with for several years and will not return for the remainder of the series.

"I don't feel it is right that I'm playing knowing I'm not 100% and I cannot currently operate at the level I have reached in the past," Trott said in a statement. "My priority now is to take a break from cricket to focus on my recovery." 

Under the management of Duncan Fletcher and more recently Flower, England have cultivated a highly professional, motivated and taut team environment that has reaped some outstanding on-field results, including the retention of the Ashes through three consecutive series, temporary ownership of the world No. 1 Test ranking and victory in the 2010 World T20 in the Caribbean. 

However, some might suggest it has taken a toll on cricketers at times across the era, despite a large backroom staff covering many areas of a cricketer's physical and mental well-being. 

Trott is the third England cricketer to depart a tour with a stress-related illness in recent years. The opener Marcus Trescothick left the 2005-06 India tour and the 2006-07 Ashes tour of Australia before the first Test in Brisbane, while the left-arm spinner Michael Yardy flew home from the 2011 World Cup. Neither cricketer has played for England again.

Zak is back! Zaheer returns to India Test squad

Zaheer Khan has been recalled to the India Test squad for the forthcoming tour of South Africa. Zaheer is

one of five fast bowlers for the two-Test series, and the only newcomer to the 17-member squad is the batsman Ambati Rayudu. However, there was no place for the opener Gautam Gambhir, who scored a century for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy days before the selection meeting. It is learnt that the team management didn't want Gambhir in the squad.

The tour gets underway with the first of three ODIs starting December 5, followed by the two Tests.

Test squad: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Ambati Rayudu, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha 

ODI squad: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ambati Rayudu, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra