The tourists were well-served by batsmen Suresh Raina (76), skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (71) and teenager Virat Kohli (54) before off-spinner Harbhajan Singh bagged three wickets, including that of Jayasuriya.

Left-handed opener Jayasuriya posed the main threat to India, giving a magnificent display of power-hitting to smash two sixes and eight fours in his 52-ball 60.

Indian seamer Munaf Patel removed Malinda Warnapura for no score and out-of-form Kumar Sangakkara (six) in three overs to send the hosts struggling at 38/2, but was punished by Jayasuriya who pulled the bowler for two sixes.

The tourists heaved a sigh of relief when Harbhajan dismissed Jayasuriya with his third delivery, with Raina taking a sharp one-handed catch at first slip. India virtually made sure of the win when skipper Mahela Jayawardene was run out going for a risky single. Jayawardene, who made 94 in the last match, could contribute only 16 this time to leave his team in trouble at 106/4. Sri Lanka were yet again let down by batting as only lower-order batsman Thilan Thushara could offer resistance after Jayasuriya's dismissal. Thushara, who also bagged five wickets, cracked a 29-ball 40 with two sixes. Raina and Dhoni earlier added 143 for the fourth wicket as India reached a competitive total despite a late collapse.

The tourists were all set for the late onslaught when they made 215/3 in 40 overs, but the dismissals of well-set Raina and Dhoni in quick succession affected their chances of posting a big total.

India lost seven wickets for 34 runs in the last nine overs, with left-arm seamer Thushara finishing with 5-47 for his maiden five-wicket haul. The 19-year-old Kohli put India on the right track with a maiden fifty after his captain won a fourth consecutive toss of the series, adding 44 for the opening wicket with Gautam Gambhir (17).

Sri Lanka struck back with three wickets in the space of 37 runs to reduce India to 81/3 before running into Raina and Dhoni, who batted sensibly against pace and spin to complete their second successive half-centuries.

Sri Lanka’s left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas became the fourth bowler in One-Day Internationals to complete 400 wickets when he had Yuvraj Singh caught by Jayawardene at short mid-wicket for no score. Retired Pakistani pace duo Wasim Akram (502) and Waqar Younis (416), and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan (479) are also in the 400-club.

Kohli had been batting confidently before inside-edging a Thushara delivery on to his stumps. He hit seven fours in his 66-ball knock. (AFP)

"No name in cricket conjures up such widespread awe and respect as that of Sir Donald Bradman," ICC president David Morgan said.

Morgan said Bradman’s name is synonimous to cricket and added that it is just the way soccer has Pele, cricket has Bradman. "Even people with just a passing knowledge of the game or in countries where he never played will invariably recognise the name Bradman as a byword for brilliance," he said.

Australians payed tribute to their beloved son with skipper Ricky Ponting delivering the Bradman oration in Sydney. (UNI)

Vaas had Yuvraj caught by Mahela Jayawardene at short mid wicket in his seventh over of the innings. He lifted his head to the skies and raised his arms as his team mates rushed to congratulate him.

Vaas, playing in his 322nd ODI became the fourth bowler in one-day international history to achieve the feat, after Pakistan fast bowlers Wasim Akram (502 wickets) and Waqar Younis (416) and Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Murali-tharan (478). (Reuters)

Ahmedabad: Former India captain and Indian Cricket League (ICL) Chairman Kapil Dev today urged the premier Indian Cricket body BCCI not to consider it (ICL) as a rebel body and should not treat it as an untouchable baby of the Indian cricket.

Talking to mediapersons here, Kapil Dev commented, "BCCI must change its mind set in accepting ICL, as we (ICL) aim to promote cricket in India. It should not give us a treatment of an untouchable baby of Indian Cricket."

"The ICL is a thought which gives a chance to every budding cricketer coming from states like Jharkhand. We want to promote the accessiblity of cricketers from undeveloped areas to International arena," he added.

Kapil Dev was in the city to sign an agreement with Ahmedabad Municipal Cororation for utilising its Sardar Patel Stadium for ICL Championship-2009 and for the next 10 years while in return it (ICL) will upgrade the stadium at a cost of Rs 4 crore.

Fomenting his displeasure over BCCI's decision to bar ICL cricketers from selection in national side as well as for the first-class cricket, Kapil Devil questioned, "Are we living in an era of Gulami (pre-independence), when some cricketers are Goras (Britishers/White) and others are untouchable Indians?"

He also said, "Personal differences should be put aside and responsibilities to promote cricket and benefitting cricketers should be jointly considered and pursued."

"We all are working for cricket and cricketers and nobody is a rebel. We all are Indians and should be treated at par," Kapil claimed.

When asked, Kapil Dev opined that the 20-20 cricket, also known as blitz Cricket, would not kill the charms of Test match (TM) as in past it survived the threat posed by the One-day cricket.

"Similar doubts were also raised in late 70s and 80s when ODIs were introduced and promoted on a large scale, but TM survived" he said.

"In fact, the fast form of cricket has changed the mind set of players and people to go for results rather than just playing the timid cricket. (UNI)

MUMBAI: Bangalore may have lost the chance to host the 2008 ATP tennis tournament next month because of security concerns expressed by its promoters, but the first cricket Test between India and Australia is expected to go ahead as scheduled in the Garden City in October. "There's no change in the tour itinerary. Bangalore is to host the opening Test from October 9-13 after the Australians start the tour with a four-day warm-up tie against a select India XI at Hyderabad from October 2-5," Cricket Board sources said on Wednesday. The Australians are set to land in India on September 29. The second, third and fourth Tests of the rubber are to be played at Mohali (Oct 17-21), Delhi (Oct 29-Nov 2) and Nagpur (Nov 6-10). Asked about the big gap between the second and third Test, the sources said that this will be utilised by the visitors to give a break to their players. (PTI)

NEW YORK: Marat Safin and Dinara Safina celebrated a family day at the US Open as the Russian brother and sister each posted first-round wins on a busy programme for siblings at the National Tennis Center.

Former champion Safin beat American Vince Spadea 3-6 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-4 and sixth-seeded Safina, silver medallist at the Olympics and winner of two titles this hardcourt season, eliminated American Kristie Ahn 6-3 6-4.

Safina has come of age this year with a trip to the French Open final and tournament wins in Los Angeles and at the Canadian Open. She is a serious contender to follow in her brother’s footsteps by taking her first grand slam crown here.

"I think this would be my dream come true,'' the 22-year-old Safina said yesterday. ''This would be the most amazing thing that can happen.''

Besides the Russians, other siblings in singles action yesterday included the victorious Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, and sisters Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine, who met with mixed results.

Fourth-seeded Serena Williams, the 1999 and 2002 winner, spoiled the Bondarenko family fun by ousting Kateryna 6-1 6-4. Seventh seed Venus Williams, champion in 2000 and 2001, joined her in the second round with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Australian Samantha Stosur.

Alona Bondarenko, ranked 31st in the world, made sure the day would end on a high for her clan after she beat American wildcard Jamea Jackson 2-6 6-3 6-2 in her first-round match.

The flood of family activity at Flushing Meadows meshed perfectly with a nostalgic exhibit in the US Open Gallery at Louis Armstrong Stadium called "Home Court," which traced the relationship of tennis and family across generations of tennis greats.

Safina said she learned many lessons from her older brother, who beat Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open final. "I would behave like a baby and the crying and all this," she recalled. ''He hated it. He was always, like, 'Come on. You have to grow up in your mind. You cannot behave like this.’ "When he plays his best, I would take everything that he has: his power, fighting spirit." (Reuters)

"His physical problems are unlikely to disturb his fitness programme and we expect him to make a full recovery for both the Monza test and next week’s Belgian GP," said team chief executive Martin Whitmarsh.

Whitmarsh gave further insight into just how close the 23-year-old Briton came to missing Sunday's European Grand Prix at the new Valencia street circuit.

"At 8 a m on Saturday, I received a phone call from the team’s doctor, Aki Hintsa, telling me that Lewis was in some difficulties," he told the McLaren website (www.mclaren.com). "He’d woken up with a severe migraine and with his neck in spasm.

"Aki treated Lewis but, when he arrived at the circuit on Saturday morning, he could barely move his neck at all, so things looked very severe.

"As a precaution, we readied (reserve driver) Pedro (de la Rosa) to take over but, despite delaying his start to Saturday practice, Lewis was able to continue with his full race programme."

Hamilton qualified on the front row for the race and finished second behind Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, extending his overall lead to six points with six races remaining.

Hamilton will test at Monza, the Italian Grand Prix circuit, this week before doing a demonstration run on Sunday around the Brands Hatch circuit in southern England during a DTM (German touring car championship) event.

He then heads to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. (Reuters)

"I am working now on a structure which I can be directly involved with for the development of other shooters and athletes. I will actually try and groom people for the future. I am in the process of starting off with a shooting plan," he said.

"I will give more details on that when I have finalised the plan and things are a bit more concrete," he said.

The ace marksman, who has won the prize money over Rs 5 crore while rewards are still pouring on, said he would also use a portion of his winner's purse for the development of the Olympic sports in the country.

"I have not planned how to use it but I will certainly spend a portion of it on the development of Olympic Sports in the country," said Abhinav.

Abhinav knows his Olympic gold medal is precious than any amount of yellow metal in the possession of other Indians and wants to be heard when his views count.

He also wants to "actually go out there" for the greater good of Indian sports.

"I want to use this time now when people are willing to listen to my opinion for the greater good of Indian sport and actually go out there and make a difference," said the ace marksman, who won the honour in 10 meter air rifle event at Beijing earlier this month.

"I would like to give back to not only shooting but also to the whole Indian sport movement. I would like to offer my help to all who seek it and also like to be available to other shooters so that I can share my experience with them," Abhinav said.

The 25-year-old Chandigarh shooter said India’s feat of three Olympic medals -- one gold and two bronze -- in the 2008 Games was especially phenomenal as it came without any sporting infrastructure. "For the usual comment about how India underperforms... it is very simple... we don’t have any sport structure whatsoever... so the fact that we are even winning a couple of medals is phenomenal... it is time we all join hands and try and change this acceptance of mediocrity. (PTI)

LONDON: The world’s top women golfers will be required to speak English from 2009 under new rules introduced by the LPGA Tour.

"We’re focussing on the fact that we’re in the sports entertainment business and we have to interact with fans and sponsors," LPGA deputy commissioner Libba Galloway told the USA Today website (www.usatoday.com).

"This is not meant to be punitive in any way. There are very few players who don’t speak English.

"We don’t think suspensions will happen but if they do we’re not going to say, ‘Boom, go home and try again next year’," she added. "We’ll work with them on identifying areas for improvement."

There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the United States-based LPGA Tour, including 45 from South Korea alone.

Mexican Lorena Ochoa tops the LPGA’s 2008 money list with Taiwan’s Yani Tseng fourth and young South Korean Park Inbee ranked fifth.

The golfweek.com website said the South Korean players were told at a mandatory meeting on August 20 at the Safeway Classic that from 2009 all players who have been on the Tour for two years must pass an oral English test.

Galloway said the "measurement time" would be at the end of 2009 and players who fell short would be provided with resources such as tutoring. Leading Korean golfer Pak Se-ri supported the stance. "We agree we should speak some English," she told Golf Week. "We play so good overall. When you win, you should give your speech in English. "Mostly what comes out is nerves. Totally different language in front of camera. You’re excited and not thinking in English," she added. (Reuters)