sportz 1st

Divas Champion Beth Phoenix vs. Tamina Snuka

2012-02-15T07:53:00.001-08:00

A new threat to dominant Divas Champion Beth Phoenix has emerged, in the form of the ultra-intense challenger Tamina Snuka. Can "The Warrior Princess" dethrone The Glamazon when the two clash for the title at WWE Elimination Chamber?

Having plowed through the Divas division since winning the "Butterfly Championship" at WWE Hell in a Cell last October, Phoenix recently declared to WWE.com that she was bored with her lack of competition. In no uncertain terms, she stated that there are no legitimate contenders to her title and plans on being Divas Champion forever.

However, Tamina has apparently taken issue with The Glamazon’s bold pronouncements. The daughter of WWE Hall of Famer "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka has proven herself a tough and animalistic opponent, one that Beth has yet to best one-on-one in the squared circle – though the two dangerous Divas have certainly seen what the other can do in through tag team showdowns.

The fuse to their explosive pay-per-view showdown was lit on the Feb. 10 edition of SmackDown. After defeating an agile Alicia Fox, Phoenix prepared to inflict further harm on her conquered adversary. However, The Fabulous Firebird's assault was interrupted when Tamina’s music hit the speakers and the tenacious second-generation Diva stormed the ring.

Rather than attacking each other, their eyes locked in an intense stare down – each wearing a hint of a smile that seemed to indicate that they both welcomed the other's challenge. Whether it was a sign of mutual respect, enmity or amusement, that shared look foreshadowed a looming bout between the pair.

Beth Phoenix might have spoken too soon when she declared that there were no worthy rivals left for her in the Divas division. Tamina will bring not only her impressive size, strength and speed to the ring, but also a proven and impactful weapon – her father’s earth-shattering splash off the top rope.

When the powerhouse Divas Champion faces her most feral foe will she be able to continue her dominant run on top? Find out when WWE Elimination Chamber airs live on pay-per-view Sunday, Feb. 19, starting at 8 ET / 5 PT.

Kiss and hell for Zack Ryder

2012-02-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

On the eve of Valentine's Day, heartbreak befell the WWE Universe with the return of HBK himself, Shawn Michaels, not to mention the Monday night makeout session (and vile act by Kane) that left a lovelorn Zack Ryder crushed.

It's the (Valentine's) day after Raw. Let's see what you thought ...

Kiss and hell for Zack Ryder

Like a syrupy spit-swap between two lead Disney characters, John Cena and Eve fell into each other's arms after Cena helped the former Divas Champion escape Kane's snare, then they made out. Hard.

Poor Zack, as the WWE Universe so aptly tweeted. In his wheelchair and neckbrace, Ryder watched the whole romantic scene unfold while his heart and bouquet of roses withered on the spot. It only got worse for Long Island Iced-Z, who was first given the "just friends" line by his coveted lady, then sped off the entrance ramp by the demonic masked man in the same hour. There are stuffed bears and Mylar balloons waiting for Zack this Valentine's Day, but they'll be reading "Get Well Soon" rather than "I Love You."

(Super)Showstopper returns

It's starting to look a lot like WrestleMania. As the year's biggest spectacle draws closer at just 40 days and counting, "Mr. WrestleMania" himself, Shawn Michaels, stopped the (Super)show on Monday night. The Heartbreak Kid wasted no time stirring controversy, confronting his BFF, Triple H, about his refusal to face The Phenom at WrestleMania. Just one year after Michaels met Triple H with a supportive embrace following The Cerebral Assassin's loss to The Phenom at WrestleMania (as seen in HBK's exclusive eBook), HBK yet again encouraged his time-tested friend.

The banter between two longtime "Kliq" buddies subsided with pointed words about The Game's supposed cowardice and HBK's dual losses to The Undertaker just years ago. True, Triple H might be looking more corporate than he did in 1999, but a "coward"? That's up for debate amongst the WWE Universe.

Undertaker gets a haircut?

Driven to depths of obsession never before seen, The Undertaker continued to stalk Triple H in a second vignette. But this time, amid the newspaper clippings were strands of The Phenom's stark black hair. Shockingly, the Game-obsessed Deadman used a straight razor to cut the locks that have fallen beneath the brim of his hat for decades. A macabre metamorphosis seemed to take place on Monday night in front of WWE fans' eyes – imagery none will soon forget, Triple H included.

Calm Dhoni delivers nerve-shredding tie

2012-02-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka 236 for 9 (Chandimal 81, Jayawardene 43, Vinay 3-46, Ashwin 2-30) tied with India 236 for 9 (Gambhir 91, Dhoni 58*, Thisara 2-45)

Once again, it came down to MS Dhoni's skills in the death, and he got India to within a run of victory

The best death-overs bowler in the game went up against the best finisher in the business with four to defend off the last ball. It was only fair that neither Lasith Malinga nor MS Dhoni ended up on the losing side of that contest. Malinga's wide full-length ball would have hoodwinked most batsmen who would have been setting themselves up for the swing to the leg side. Not the fleet-footed Dhoni, though, who calmly stretched across and carved high over the covers even as he teetered on one foot. The ball didn't have the strength to beat Sachithra Senanayake on the boundary, but Dhoni and last-man Umesh Yadav bounded through for three runs to tie a nerve-wracking classic at the Adelaide Oval.

The beauty of the ODI format shone throughout the duration of the chase, with the best minds in the game feeling the pressure of a close finish. India were coasting on the back of another polished effort from Gautam Gambhir, whose faultless 91 showed he has moved on well from his Test-match woes. Dhoni had added 60 runs with Gambhir off 12.5 overs, leaving India needing 59 off 58. At that stage, Dhoni made the first decisive error, when he sold Gambhir dear after calling him for a single. Gambhir was caught short by a direct hit from Nuwan Kulasekara, and his fall gave Sri Lanka an opening; Dhoni would later say it cost India victory.

The wicket was followed by a 28-ball phase that yielded only 13 runs for the loss of Ravindra Jadeja's wicket. Sri Lanka's seamers bowled out of their skins, backed by enterprising field placements from Mahela Jayawardene that cut off the singles. With two overs of Malinga left, Dhoni went after Thisara Perera in the 46th, dumping him for a huge six down the ground, before R Ashwin skimmed another four over the covers. Malinga returned after a quiet over from Kulasekara, with India needing 28 off 18. Mistakes began to sprout from every corner now.

Malinga got Ashwin to sky a slower ball, and Kumar Sangakkara called for, and clanged the chance as he ran towards point. Ashwin continued blundering against the slower ball, heaving and missing one, before chipping straight to cover. With 24 needed off 12, Jayawardene turned to Angelo Mathews who trotted in from round the stumps to cut Dhoni's swinging angle. Mathews lost the plot against Irfan Pathan, though, delivering a high no-ball that Irfan deposited over square leg for six. Irfan was run out next ball, sacrificing his wicket after failing to get a slower ball away. India needed a boundary, and Mathews obliged with another full toss that Dhoni swiped through midwicket to reach 50. Nine was needed off the last over, from Malinga.

In the previous game, Dhoni chose to take the game to the very end. This time, he was forced to do so by Malinga's unhittable lengths. While he bowled impeccably, Malinga's fielding was ordinary, and he missed a couple of returns that would have yielded run outs in the last over. A couple off the first ball was followed by three singles before Vinay sacrificed his wicket to give Dhoni strike for the final ball. One could argue that Malinga should have gone full and straight, but the counter-argument would be that even a fractional error in length would have allowed Dhoni a free swing over the short square boundary. As it transpired, Malinga went wide, Dhoni went high and there was poetic justice in the denouement.

Sri Lanka were left ruing a collapse in their batting Powerplay, that left them at least 20 runs short. They stumbled from a heady 168 for 3 in 35 overs, losing 18 for 3 in the Powerplay, including the two set batsmen - Dinesh Chandimal and Jayawardene - who had added 94 runs without a fuss. The complexion of the game changed so drastically in that block, that Ashwin bowled with two slips in the 40th over.

Until then, Chandimal ran the show with admirable poise, imposing himself with a series of pulls and whips through the leg side, imparted with a flourish that was once the trademark of Marvan Atapattu. In his company, Jayawardene shrugged away the poor form that had dogged him since the South Africa tour, as Sri Lanka recovered from their sluggish start.

India made three crucial early strikes, which meant they were only one wicket away from the lower order even during the Chandimal-Jayawardene association. Vinay Kumar preyed on Upul Tharanga's unending troubles outside the off stump, before Irfan celebrated his return to the venue where he made his international debut in 2003 with pleasing swing, and the wicket of Tillakaratne Dilshan. Ashwin then worked over Sangakkara with spin and variety to peg Sri Lanka back. Chandimal and Jayawardene fought hard to revive the innings, but India were the happier side after 50 overs.

Gambhir took charge of the chase with assurance, and it will be interesting if India will continue their rotation policy and bench him for the next game. Sachin Tendulkar's rustiness, too, suggested the break from Sunday's game didn't do him much good. Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma all perished after scoring 15 runs apiece, as Sri Lanka made timely dents. Suresh Raina's failure meant India were wobbling at 122 for 4 in the 28th over. But they had just the right man coming in at that stage.

It wasn't just the players that erred on the tense night. Umpire Nigel Llong's miscounting meant Malinga only bowled five balls in the 30th over. India will believe they would have got the winning run off the ball that was missed. Sri Lanka will believe they could have got the tenth Indian wicket off it. How perfect then, that we will never know how it could have ended.

Clarke aims to keep hold over India

2012-02-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

Xavier Doherty has become an important player in Australia's one-day side, according to the captain Michael Clarke

February 12, Adelaide
Start time 1350 (0320 GMT)

Big Picture

The triangular series roadshow rolls into Adelaide on Sunday, when Australia and India meet for the second time. Already Australia have jumped clear on top of the table thanks to victories in their first two games, while India are on the board having beaten Sri Lanka in Perth. Not that either team was thatconvincing against Sri Lanka at the WACA; Australia's batsmen struggled and India made hard work of a chase that should not have been too tricky. Adelaide Oval should provide the bats men with more comfort.

Australia have taken the opportunity to rest Michael Hussey, which should mean Peter Forrest will makes his debut at a venue he has enjoyed, at least in the longer format - he has two first-class centuries and an average of 65.14 at Adelaide Oval. Mitchell Marsh could provide some excitement if he is included. The captain Michael Clarke said after Friday's victory that while it was hard to change a winning side, it was also important to give opportunities to players, so Marsh and Forrest will both be firmly in the mix.

India are still searching for their first win over a Clarke-led side on this tour, their only victory over Australia having come in a Twenty20. The short turnaround for the hosts, who were due to arrive in Adelaide the night before the game, could work in India's favour.

Form guide

Australia WWWLW (Most recent first)
India WLWWL

In the spotlight

The WACA is not known as a spinner's pitch but Xavier Doherty certainly enjoyed bowling there on Friday night. He turned the ball, at times immensely, and picked up 2 for 24 from his ten overs. "He was outstanding once again," Michael Clarke said after the game. "He continues to be a very good consistent performer for us. He can bowl in the Powerplay, he's spinning the ball, I think he's an important player for us and he's continuing to do a good job."

Like Doherty, R Ashwin enjoyed bowling at the WACA against Sri Lanka, where he took 3 for 32. Adelaide Oval should also offer some assistance for the slow bowlers, although they must be careful not to drop short, given the small boundaries square of the wicket.

Team news

Australia will rest Michael Hussey, who was to remain in Perth, and Ben Hilfenhaus has also been released from the squad. Mitchell Marsh will join the group after playing in Western Australia's Sheffield Shield match during the week, although it's unlikely he and Daniel Christian will both play. Hussey's absence means Peter Forrest is almost a certainty to make his debut.

Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 David Hussey, 6 Peter Forrest, 7 Daniel Christian/Mitchell Marsh, 8 Ryan Harris, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Clint McKay.

India's rotation policy has meant changes in the top order, but a team spokesman said the policy was not rigid and the primary aim was to qualify for the finals. That could mean an unchanged outfit after their success against Sri Lanka.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Vinay Kumar, 10 Praveen Kumar, 11 Zaheer Khan.

Pitch and conditions

The Adelaide Oval surface is always good for batting. That said, Victoria batted first in a Ryobi Cup match there last week and were bowled out for 123. The forecast for Sunday is for a partly cloudy day with a top of 26C.

Stats and trivia

Australia and India have met in four ODIs at Adelaide Oval, all of which have been won by Australia
Australia's attack is so inexperienced at this level that their leading ODI wicket-taker is Michael Clarke with 53

Quotes

"The feeling in the group is really good. We're showing that we know how to win games of cricket, which is good and means guys are confident."
Michael Clarke

Australia overcome spirited Mathews

2012-02-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

Australia 231 (Clarke 57, Mathews 2-37) beat Sri Lanka 226 (Mathews 64, Doherty 2-24) by 5 runs

Michael Clarke was Man of the Match for scoring 57 and taking a wicket and a catch

Angelo Mathews narrowly failed to deliver victory to Sri Lanka at the WACA, where Australia held on by five runs in a thrilling finish. Sri Lanka needed 18 from the final over bowled by Mitchell Starc, and Mathews gave them every chance by pulling the first ball for four and driving the next delivery over long-off for six, before a pair of singles left the visitors needing six from two balls.

But Mathews skied the next delivery to long-on, where Daniel Christian held his nerve to take the catch, ensuring Australia remained unbeaten in the Commonwealth Bank Series. And while Australia did, for the most part, bowl and field well, they could consider themselves fortunate to have escaped with victory after posting what appeared a sub-par total, of 231, with Michael Clarke (57) the only man to score a half-century.

Sri Lanka were on track in the chase before a middle-order collapse left too much to Mathews and the tail. That Mathews nearly got them home was remarkable, as was his 46-run tenth-wicket stand with Dhammika Prasad, but his dismissal for 64 should at least mean the rest of the batting order is held accountable for a disappointing effort that undid the fine work of the bowlers.

The Australia bowlers were also impressive. Xavier Doherty was the standout with a miserly 2 for 24 from his ten overs but there were other positives from the hosts in the field. Starc hooped the new ball and claimed an early wicket, Christian picked up two victims to add to his handy 33 with the bat, Clint McKay completed a terrific run-out from side-on and Matthew Wade enhanced his reputation with a stumping and a wonderful diving catch.

Despite the early loss of Upul Tharanga, who edged a Starc outswinger to Clarke at slip in the fourth over, Sri Lanka seemed to have the chase in control as Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal all looked comfortable at the crease. It was a Sri Lankan error - and a great throw from McKay - that led to Sangakkara's dismissal for 22 when he pushed into the leg side and took off for a single.

But both he and his partner Dilshan hesitated after a few steps, and the stop-start confusion resulted in Sangakkara trying to return to his crease only to be beaten by a side-on direct hit from the bowler McKay, who had collected the ball from short midwicket. As he walked off, Sangakkara directed a glare towards Dilshan, knowing that if their 50-run stand had continued a while longer, Sri Lanka would have been in a terrific position.

Instead, Dilshan's scoring-rate slowed - he had struck three searing boundaries through the off side early in his innings - and on 40 from 56 deliveries he was caught behind off Ryan Harris when the ball tickled the inside edge. Another straightforward catch to Wade followed when Mahela Jayawardene tried to steer Christian to third man but succeeded only in feathering behind.

In the next over Doherty struck the first of his two blows. The WACA is not known as a spinner's paradise but Doherty extracted severe turn in to the left-hander Lahiru Thirimanne, who saw the ball pitch outside off and sneak between bat and pad to take the leg stump. Impressed by what he saw from Doherty, Clarke decided to bowl some left-arm spin himself and broke through with his first ball when, from around the wicket, he skidded one on and struck Chandimal in front for 37.

That was followed by an excellent catch from Wade, who dived to his right in front of first slip to snare Nuwan Kulasekara off the bowling of Christian. At 7 for 143, Sri Lanka's hopes seemed to have disappeared, a feeling that was only enforced further when Doherty turned a ball past the outside edge of an advancing Sachithra Senanayake, who was stumped by Wade, and when Lasith Malinga edged behind off McKay.

At that stage, Sri Lanka still needed 52 runs, and through Mathews and Prasad they nearly got there. At the change of innings they deserved to be favourites. Jaywardene had sent Australia in, and while it was an unexpected decision it proved not a bad one as Sri Lanka's sharp fielding helped restrict Australia to 231.

Clarke (57) had assistance from Christian during the only half-century partnership of the innings but when the offspinner Sachithra Senanayake broke that stand in the 40th over Australia faced the prospect of not batting out their time. Christian was stumped for 33 when he failed to pick the straighter delivery and Clarke fell in the following over.

He was the victim of an excellent catch by the opposing captain, Jayawardene, who moved low to his right to snaffle the chance at midwicket off the bowling of Angelo Mathews. Clarke had not found it easy to keep the scoring-rate up and had struck only four boundaries in his 88-ball stay, but until that moment he had at least provided an anchor for the innings

Some useful late runs came from McKay and Starc, and Sri Lanka would ultimately rue the 39 runs added by the last two pairs. McKay had survived an edge behind on 15 when Sangakkara didn't cleanly pouch a low ball, and it was a rare miss for Sri Lanka in what was generally an impressive fielding effort.

Several Australia batsmen fell to fine catches: David Hussey's leading edge off Malinga was collected at cover by Thirimanne, who had to dive forward and to his left, and Clarke was snapped up by a quick-moving Jayawardene at midwicket off the bowling of Mathews. But the best was Kulasekara's return catch to get rid of Michael Hussey for 23. He pushed at a fuller ball from Kulasekara, who dived to his right to take a wonderful one-handed catch.

Kulasekara had also been the man who gave Sri Lanka their positive start, when he picked up a wicket in the fourth over, when Wade prodded outside off and edged behind for 1. Wade was the quiet partner in the opening stand as David Warner played a few shots that encouraged the Perth crowd to think a repeat of his blazing Test hundred at the venue might be in the making.

His lofted six off over long-on against Malinga was the standout stroke, but on 34 from 28 deliveries he played on to Mathews, who got a ball to straighten just enough. It was the first of several good things Mathew did in the match. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, they needed one more.

Settled hosts meet hesitant visitors

2012-02-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

Match facts

February 10, Perth
Start time 1220 (0420 GMT)

Angelo Mathews is critical to Sri Lanka's chances of a first ODI win over Australia in Perth

Big Picture

An Australian side in the pinkest of form meet Sri Lankan opponents with plenty of improve upon following a first-up loss to India in a mediocre match that was also at the WACA ground. While the tourists will benefit from having played a match at the ground, a series of starts with the bat, some middling bowling and hesitance in the field - from the newly-appointed captain Mahela Jayawardene's field placements as much as his men's occasionally indifferent attacks on the ball - must be rectified if they are to get close to the hosts.

Michael Clarke's major concern as captain appears to be who to rotate out of the side to hand a debut to the adopted Queenslander Peter Forrest. None of David Warner, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey or his brother David will want to sit out, and the desire for a varied bowling attack would appear to keep Daniel Christian safe as the allrounder. The bowling attack functioned smoothly against India at the MCG despite losing Brett Lee, and Mitchell Starc in particular will look forward to another match in Perth after his strong Test showing at the ground.

Sri Lanka's rebuild after another change of cricket administration, captain and coach requires solid results to bolster confidence and create belief. Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal might have added to it had one gone on from a start to punch out a substantial innings against India, but as it was their series of starts allowed India the luxury of a chase where the required run rate was never stretched. Lasith Malinga can also produce the spark required, but may require more aggressive fields from his captain.

Form guide

Australia WWLWL (Most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWWLL

In the spotlight

Mitchell Starc first made an impression as an international bowler against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in the third ODI played in late 2010. Now armed with the knowledge imparted by Wasim Akram, Starc has added consistency and later swing to his repertoire, and at the WACA ground he has a chance to push still further to retain his place once the likes of James Pattinson and Peter Siddle come under consideration for the second half of the series.

Angelo Mathews was a match-winner for Sri Lanka on their last visit down under, salvaging a game at the MCG that really should have been lost by a fair margin. He produced a quietly impressive display against India, cracking 33 unbeaten late innings runs then fetching 2 for 31 with the ball. As the man most likely to succeed Jayawardene as captain, Mathews will want to make a similar or greater impact against Australia, whose players grew to respect his batting on last year's tour of Sri Lanka.

Team news

Having flagged the inclusion of Peter Forrest for his debut, the Australian selectors must still decide who to leave out for him. David Hussey or Daniel Christian appear the most likely to make way, although the national selector John Inverarity suggested when naming the squad that senior batsmen like Ponting and Michael Hussey might be rested at times. Ben Hilfenhaus is in the squad as Brett Lee's replacement but the bowling attack should be unchanged.

Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 David Hussey/Peter Forrest 7 Daniel Christian, 8 Ryan Harris, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Clint McKay.

Rangana Herath may be in line for a recall to the Sri Lanka XI on a Perth surface that offered some turn in the India match. He may come in at the expense of Lahiru Thirimanne, who seemed surplus to requirements batting at No. 8 and not bowling.

Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Lahiru Thirimanne/Rangana Herath, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Dhammika Prasad.

Pitch and conditions

The surface for the India v Sri Lanka match provided Perth's habitual bounce and pace but also appreciable spin, offering something to bowlers of all speeds and varieties. Expect something similar for this game.

Stats and trivia

Sri Lanka have never beaten Australia in eight ODIs played between the teams in Perth, and have won only two of 16 matches overall at the WACA ground, the last in 1996
Should he debut for Australia, Peter Forrest will be the first Queensland-based batting debutant chosen for the Australia ODI team since Jimmy Maher in 1998 - Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson and James Hopes have played as allrounders.

Quotes

"Our plan was always to start well, and then through the middle give some development opportunities to some players and then pick our best team again. But results along the way determine that."
Mickey Arthur on Australia's triangular series strategy.

Jayawardene eyeing finisher's role at Daredevils

2012-02-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

Mahela Jayawardene has played for two IPL teams prior to joining the Delhi Daredevils

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, has said he will complement the big-hitting batsmen at his new IPL franchise, the Delhi Daredevils, and will try to play the role of a finisher. Jayawardene was one of 16 players from the terminated Kochi IPL franchise up for auction yesterday in Bangalore, and was bought by the Daredevils for US$1.4 million, making him the second-most expensive player on the day after Ravindra Jadeja. He said he was looking forward to playing with the likes of Virender Sehwag, David Warner and the newly acquired Kevin Pietersen.

"I will leave those guys to do the big hitting and do what I know best: control the innings and finish off games, if I can," Jayawardene told ESPNcricinfo. "Wherever they want me to bat is fine. I will try and find a role in the team."

The Daredevils struggled to make runs consistently last season, missing out on the playoffs for the first time, but Jayawardene said he was pleased to be part of a franchise with a consistent record. "Obviously, after what happened with Kochi, you hope that someone will pick you up and you get to play in the IPL. Delhi has had four good seasons. It will be good to be part of that."

The scrapping of the Kochi team means the Daredevils will be Jayawardene's third franchise in five years, but he said he was looking forward to the challenge of getting "used to how they do things and understand how they want to play". Describing the IPL season as a "rollercoaster", Jayawardene said the key to a successful season was getting everyone in the squad on the same page and chasing the same goals.

"You have to have a very positive mind to go through these five or six weeks of cricket. It is very arduous. How you manage losing as a team is very important. How you come back and win two games to get the momentum back ... it is a roller coaster. You have to enjoy it. There is no other way of doing it."

The demand for Jayawardene's services is proof that it is not just the thumpers that earn the big bucks in Twenty20 cricket. It helps that he is one of only three batsmen - Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum are the other two - to have scored a hundred in Tests, ODIs, Twenty20 internationals and IPL games. According to him, the shortest version of the game requires both technical and mental adjustments. "You need to find what your strengths are and any areas in which you can improve. Everything happens so quickly. You have to adjust accordingly and make decisions with a clear mind. Everything you do is not going to be the right thing, but if you have a clear mind and make the adjustments you will do well."

One of the attributes of the IPL is that it gives players from different countries a chance to be on the same team and Jayawardene believes this has had a positive effect on international cricket. "We [the players] understand each other off the field, how we are as team-mates. You have that mutual respect for each other. It has definitely helped to have a better understanding of teams and individual players."

WWE Raw SuperShow results: Who is "The Best in the World?"

2012-02-08T15:49:00.000-08:00

OKLAHOMA CITY – WWE COO Triple H gave his answer to The Undertaker's WrestleMania XXVIII challenge, and The Deadman responded. Chris Jericho earned the right to be the final entrant into Raw's Elimination Chamber Match and John Laurinaitis announced that WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will be on Raw SuperShow next week!

The menacing Kane terrorized Eve
Continuing his quest make John Cena embrace hate, Raw SuperShow ended with The Big Red Monster cornering Eve backstage. Kane told her that he fears for the safety of anyone who gets in the way of his quest to make Cena embrace the hate.

Chris Jericho def. WWE Champion CM Punk, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, The Miz & Dolph Ziggler
The stakes were certainly high in Raw SuperShow’s main event - the winner would be the final entrant into Raw’s Elimination Chamber Match at WWE Elimination Chamber. That prospect was enough to fuel each Superstar involved in the Six Pack Challenge as the winner would be able to conserve the most energy inside the unforgiving structure.

Before the contest on Raw SuperShow turned into a free-for-all, Truth, Kingston, Miz and Ziggler all focused their attention on Jericho, no doubt retaliating for the first-ever Undisputed Champion’s comments earlier in the evening. The WWE Champion waited, grabbed Miz and tried to take the early victory. From this point on, the match became every Superstar for himself as the battle raged in and out of the ring. However, with Miz outside the ring, R-Truth attempted to hit a somersault dive over the ropes but The Awesome One moved out of the way. This resulted in a very hard landing for Truth, and WWE doctors determined that Truth was unable to continue in the match.

As the battle raged, none of the Superstars were able to maintain any momentum or an advantage for very long. This only kept the WWE Universe in Oklahoma City on the edge of their seats, no doubt making them envious of their counterparts in Milwaukee who will witness these Superstars battle inside the Elimination Chamber in two weeks. After tossing Chris Jericho from the ring, CM Punk seemed to have a clear path to victory when he caught Ziggler with the GTS. With the ring cleared, CM Punk pinned The Show Off but Jericho pulled the WWE Champion out of the ring, tossed him over the announce table and stole the victory!

John Laurinaitis announced John Cena vs. Kane in an Ambulance Match at WWE Elimination Chamber. He also announced that Shawn Michaels will be on Raw SuperShow next week!

Kelly Kelly, Eve, Alicia Fox and Tamina def. Beth Phoenix, Natalya and The Bella Twins
Divas Champion Beth Phoenix believes there are no Divas that can compete on her level. In a Eight-Diva Tag Team Match on Raw SuperShow, it seemed that The Glamazon did not want to bother battling any of the Divas on the opposing team. She aggressively tagged in Brie Bella who took issue with the Divas Champion being so assertive. The argument that broke out allowed Tamina to gain the upper hand in the contest and secure the victory with a Superfly Splash. From outside the ring, The Glamazon watched Tamina with great interest, perhaps seeing a new and formidable opponent.

The Great Khali & Randy Orton def. Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes & Wade Barrett
It certainly seemed like a peculiar pairing, but The Great Khali and Randy Orton teamed up on Raw SuperShow and dominated the contest early. However, the teamwork between The Viper and The Punjabi Playboy was definitely uneasy as both Superstars aggressively tagged each other in. This allowed Rhodes and Barrett to gain an advantage over WWE’s Apex Predator. Each competitor seemed poised to outdo each other, as all four ring warriors will battle inside SmackDown’s Elimination Chamber. As Orton seemed to have the victory well within his grasp, The Punjabi Playboy once again tagged himself in to finish off the Intercontinental Champion with a huge chop. The Viper was not pleased about Khali stealing the victory and confronted the giant. WWE’s Apex Predator ducked a huge chop and took down The Punjabi Superstar with a huge RKO.

WWE Champion CM Punk confronted Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho finally spoke his mind on Raw SuperShow. WWE’s first-ever Undisputed Champion delivered a bold statement and message to the WWE Universe and all the Superstars and Divas, that they are all “Jericho wannabes.” Jericho explained that he did everything before everyone else, that he was the trendsetter in WWE. He then set his sights on WWE Champion CM Punk, claiming that he, not Punk, was “the best in the world.”

As Jericho continued to present his case, The Voice of the Voiceless made his way to the ring, itching to use his pipe-bomb. However, as Punk stood face to face with Jericho, he dropped the microphone and proudly held the WWE Championship high in the air. The Straight Edge Superstar turned his back, giving Jericho a chance to attack. When Jericho did not attack, CM Punk left the ring and returned to the locker room.

Sheamus def. David Otunga
David Otunga made his way to the ring to express his support for John Laurinaitis to remain Raw's Interin General Manager. As a result, WWE COO Triple H announced that Otunga would have a match at that very moment. His opponent was the winner of the 2012 Royal Rumble Match, Sheamus. Otunga was clearly unprepared for the contest and was forced to compete in his business casual attire, but The Celtic Warrior was ready to unleash his fury. While WWE's resident lawyer did build a small amount of momentum, The Celtic Warrior dismissed the case with a powerful Brogue Kick and sentenced Otunga to defeat.

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards informs John Cena that the Cenation leader will be the honorary starter of the Daytona 500.

Big Show def. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan
The intense rivalry between Big Show and World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan spilled over to WWE Raw SuperShow. The rivalry became heated after The World's Largest Athlete inadvertently trampled Bryan's girlfriend, AJ, during a battle on SmackDown. With a neck brace helping her ease the pain, AJ made her way to the ring to support the World Champion on Raw SuperShow.

Using his agility and athleticism, Bryan took an early advantage, but Big Show's sheer size quickly shifted momentum in his favor. As the melee spilled to the outside of the ring, there were a number of close calls involving AJ potentially being injured. As The World's Largest Athlete charged Bryan, the World Champion ducked out of the way and AJ was nearly trampled again. This prompted Daniel Bryan to grab his girlfriend and retreat from ringside. As a result, Big Show was declared the winner by count-out,

Triple H answered The Undertaker’s Challenge
Before WWE COO Triple H addressed the situation involving The Undertaker, he informed the WWE Universe that Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ fate as Interim Raw General Manager would be decided by the Board of Directors later.

When The Game turned his attention to The Deadman, he acknowledged that The Phenom’s return to Raw SuperShow last week was indeed to challenge Triple H to a rematch at WrestleMania XXVIII. The Cerebral Assassin spoke of his respect for everything that The Undertaker has done in his career. However, The Game also claimed that last week when The Phenom returned, he did not feel intimidated by The Undertaker. WWE's COO played two videos, one that highlighted the dominant force that The Deadman has represented in WWE, and another that captured the aftermath of their epic struggle at WrestleMania XXVII, when The Phenom had to be carried out on a stretcher. Triple H turned down The Undertaker's challenge, and claimed he had too much respect for The Deadman and saying "it's over."

Before The Game could leave the ring, a video played showing The Undertaker in a room watching clips from the physical battle at The Show of Shows last year in Atlanta. The Phenom's message for Triple H was clear, give The Deadman another epic WrestleMania match, and have one more chance to end The Streak and further cement the legend of The Game.

Main event announced
Raw SuperShow kicked off with the announcement of the evening’s main event. Raw Elimination Chamber participants; CM Punk, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho would square off in a Six Pack Challenge to determine whose Elimination Chamber pod would be the last to open at the pay-per-view event.

SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match

2012-02-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

At WWE Elimination Chamber, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan will defend his title against five other Superstars in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match. With a chance to headline WrestleMania at stake, Bryan will be challenged inside the massive structure by Randy Orton, Wade Barrett, Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes, Big Show and The Great Khali.

The World Heavyweight Champion will truly have the odds stacked against him once again when he steps into the Elimination Chamber on Feb. 19. Each Superstar participating will draw a number from one to six. The competitors who pick one and two will start off the match, while the other combatants will be locked in individual pods, waiting to enter the melee at regularly scheduled intervals. Superstars will be eliminated if they are pinned or submit. The last competitor standing will walk into WrestleMania the World Heavyweight Champion.

Bryan has never been inside the Elimination Chamber. However, the champion has managed to escape every predicament he’s found himself in in recent months. At the Royal Rumble, Bryan was trapped inside a steel cage with Big Show and Mark Henry. The World Heavyweight Champion wriggled free from the grip of The World’s Largest Athlete and escaped, still in possession of the title. Unfortunately for him, there is no escaping the Elimination Chamber. Can the crafty champion still find a way to retain his title?

Randy Orton is the most experienced Superstar in this match, having already been a part of four Elimination Chamber Matches. The Viper has yet to win one, but is extra hungry for gold after returning from injury and settling his score with Wade Barrett, who will also be locked in the Chamber.

The Barrett Barrage is tailor made for this type of showdown. Barrett holds the ideal combination of ruthless nature, English tenacity and unbridled ambition. Having never won a World Title, the Elimination Chamber could be the perfect opportunity for him to finally rise above.

SmackDown’s Elimination Chamber Match features not one, but two giants. The presence of Big Show and The Great Khali will make winning a tall task for anyone in their path. The World’s Largest Athlete will be looking to get his hands on Bryan, who ended his most recent World Title reign in a mere 90 seconds and has not let him forget it since. Khali, a replacement for the suspended Mark Henry, has his eyes set on becoming a two-time World Heavyweight Champion and will try to demolish anyone brave enough to attempt stopping him.

Cody Rhodes may have the most to gain in this match. The Intercontinental Champion has made it known that he intends on simultaneously adding the World Heavyweight Championship to his trophy case. This may be his best chance to accomplish that goal, though he is also competing in his first Elimination Chamber Match.

With the World Heavyweight Championship hanging in the balance, these WWE Superstars are sure to put it all on the line in this career-altering bout. The Road to WrestleMania runs through Elimination Chamber, live on pay-per-view, Feb. 19 at 8 ET / 5 PT.

Yuvraj Singh diagnosed with cancer

2012-02-06T10:42:00.001-08:00

Sportsmen who came back from cancer

Lance Armstrong The American cyclist was diagnosed with Stage 3 testicular cancer in 1996, but he recovered to go on to win the sport's most prestigious race, the Tour de France, an unprecedented seven times
Mario Lemieux One of the greatest ice hockey players, Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at the height of his powers in 1993. He returned after radiation treatment and remained prolific for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Simon O'Donnell Soon after he helped Australia win the 1987 cricket World Cup, a lump on his rib was found to be cancerous. He underwent chemotherapy and made a strong comeback to international cricket in 1988-89
Dave Callaghan The South Africa allrounder was treated for cancer in 1991, but returned to full health and earned a place in the national squad in the next year. He played 29 ODIs in his South Africa career before retiring from cricket in 2003.
Eric Abidal A tumour was detected on this France and Barcelona defender's liver in March 2011. He underwent surgery and two months later played the entire duration of Barcelona's masterclass in the Champions League final.

Yuvraj Singh has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the US. A member of Yuvraj's medical team, Dr Nitesh Rohatgi, informed ESPNcricinfo that Yuvraj's condition is called "mediastinal seminoma," a germ-cell tumour located between his two lungs. The condition, Rohatgi said, is neither lung cancer nor a tumour that had spread into the lungs. Mediastinal seminoma is a rare tumour which forms less than 1% of cancers on the whole.

Rohatgi, a senior medical oncologist at a Delhi hospital, said: "We are very lucky to know that this is a seminoma variety of germ-cell tumour which are mostly curable with therapy and moreover would be unlikely to cause any detriment to Yuvraj's career in the long term."

On Wednesday Yuvraj will begin the third of his nine weeks of chemotherapy in the USA. "In the first few days Yuvi may not feel very good," Rohatgi said, "he may feel nauseous, but starting this week he will be on the mend and may even do a bit of training as he improves, under the guidance of a specialist physiotherapist from the BCCI."

The chemotherapy has been planned, Rohatgi said, with the aim of ensuring Yuvraj can return to full fitness and readiness for cricket. He said Yuvraj should be able to start active training in about ten weeks. "If I was asked: will Yuvraj Singh the person be cured, I will say very likely yes. If you ask: will we see the return of Yuvraj Singh the cricketer, I would say most likely yes and he will return with the same fervour that he had when he left. In all likelihood, he should be on the field on May 1."

Rohatgi said Yuvraj's family had been reluctant to divulge his whereabouts because, "it is important Yuvi has time to himself to focus on his recovery. He has been reading; he has read Lance Armstrong's books, he is playing video games, he is committed to his therapy and recovery."

Yuvraj's doctors in the USA, working in collaboration with his team in India, were confident of his recovery. Rohatgi said that in their vast experience with sportsmen with a similar condition they have had many positive outcomes and even seen athletes return to the field. Germ-cell tumours are found to be more common in young people and in athletes.

Rohatgi denied that there had been a wrong diagnosis by an Indian hospital, as was reported, or that Yuvraj's chemotherapy dose was reduced following Ayurvedic treatment. "The diagnosis that was given in India," he said, "was precise and reconfirmed by doctors in the USA without needing a repeat biopsy. It had helped to get the chemotherapy started almost immediately." The doctor said Ayurveda had not influenced Yuvraj's present treatment and that it was "wrong" to send out a message that Ayurvedic treatment cures cancer or can effectively supplement chemotherapy.

Yuvraj has not played competitive cricket since the Tests against West Indies last November, when news of his tumour became public. He had originally hoped to make a comeback in the tri-series in Australia, but last month it was announced that he would not be fit in time for the IPL, which begins in April.

Once Streak-obsessed, Triple H shrugs off Phenom

2012-02-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

After a nearly year-long absence, The Undertaker made his ethereal return to WWE this past week, and by all appearances, Triple H wants nothing to do with it.

With his WrestleMania Streak dangling at 19-0, The Phenom’s reappearance on Raw SuperShow prompts many questions, though “Why?” isn’t necessarily one of them. As The Undertaker glared resolutely at the WrestleMania XXVIII sign Monday night, there was no mistaking his message to Triple H, the Superstar who last year came closer than anyone in history to snapping the venerable Streak.

Despite the buzz reverberating through Kansas City’s Sprint Center Monday, The Game wasted no time in dismissing the elephant in the room. With a look of resignation across his face, Triple H patted The Phenom on the shoulder and exited the ring without incident. As Raw SuperShow came to a close, The Undertaker gazed up again – this time, almost wistfully – to the WrestleMania sign.

The scene was markedly different than the last time these two gladiators were in the same arena, at WrestleMania XXVII. Seared into the WWE Universe’s collective memory is the image of a drained Undertaker crumpling to the floor after his fierce No Holds Barred duel with The Game.

Although that dramatic contest left The Streak unadulterated, Triple H accomplished a remarkable feat that night, making The Phenom appear, at least before some eyes throughout the WWE Universe, very much human. Even though he lost, Triple H still managed to limp back to the locker room under his own power. The prevailing Undertaker, on the other hand, was carted away from the ring by WWE officials – an indelible sight that some feared would serve as an unceremonious end note to The Deadman’s legacy.

Now almost a year removed from that chaos, The Undertaker is back, and he has The Game in his crosshairs. Yet, Triple H shows no interest in renewing their rivalry. What gives?

It was with supreme determination that Triple H sought to end The Streak last year. Considered by most as the last frontier for The Game to conquer, a WrestleMania win over The Undertaker would certainly cement The King of Kings’ place among the immortals. Having come within inches of that achievement, Triple H’s seeming refusal to accept a rematch this year is somewhat perplexing.

After all, to dance with The Deadman on The Grandest Stage of All is an opportunity that’s equally prestigious as it is perilous. The Undertaker has reached a point in his career where WrestleMania is practically the only venue that befits a legend of his status. To be pinpointed as his opponent is both an honor and a hazard.

“Quite frankly, I don’t know that The Undertaker’s whole career revolves around anything more than this one day,” Jim Ross told WWE cameras last year, ahead of the intense WrestleMania XXVII showdown.

With The Undertaker’s perfect WrestleMania record on the line and his days seemingly numbered, to what do we owe Triple H’s reluctance?

Perhaps Triple H, now that he’s added the title of WWE COO, has made the conscious decision to devote his full attention to business matters. Already engulfed in a political war with Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis, The Game would assuredly have to clear his corporate calendar if he were to entertain the thought of another dangerous encounter with The Deadman.

Or maybe The Cerebral Assassin, as fearless as he is, simply wants to wash his hands of The Undertaker and The Streak. Last year’s brutal affair unquestionably changed the course of each Superstar’s life, and one would be hard-pressed to argue that a rematch would be anything less than career-shortening. Since last April, Triple H has spent precious little time competing in the ring, while The Undertaker’s whereabouts prior to last Monday are completely unknown. These facts underscore the physical and emotional toll that last year’s match took on both Superstars.

By blowing off The Undertaker the way he did Monday night, Triple H’s reaction may be interpreted yet another way – as empathetic. The Streak has clearly become the stuff of legend, and in his desire to defend it, The Undertaker has exhibited an unparalleled willingness to risk life and limb. Perhaps Triple H recognizes in The Phenom a self-destructive obsession to carry on The Streak ad infinitum – an obsession that the war-scarred Game refuses to indulge.

Whatever the reason for his dismissive response, Triple H was not eager to discuss the matter further when approached by WWE.com cameras Monday night.

Leading into this Monday’s Raw SuperShow in Oklahoma City, Okla., the major question now is in regard to The Undertaker’s next move. Whether he’s looking to avenge last year’s beating or simply test his Streak against the Superstar with the most potential to break it, The Undertaker has singled out The Game, and The Game has shrugged off his challenge. Should repercussions be expected?

Wade sets up 65-run win for Australia

2012-02-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

Australia 5 for 216 (Wade 67, D Hussey 61*, Vinay Kumar 3-21) beat India 151 (Kohli 31, McKay 4-20) by 65 runs by D/L method

David Hussey made a valuable 61 not out from 30 balls

Australia's mix of youth and experience worked to great effect at the MCG, where the debutant Matthew Wade scored an impressive half-century to set up a 65-run victory over India. The selectors had consciously chosen a squad that blended fresh faces with veterans and while Wade top-scored, David Hussey's brisk fifty, a fast 45 from Michael Hussey and a pair of blinding catches from Ricky Ponting were key factors in the win.

The rain-affected clash was reduced to 32 overs a side. Australia pushed their score up to 5 for 216 after a shaky start and the total remained unchanged under Duckworth-Lewis, but it was the sort of target India should have felt was achievable. But two early wickets to Mitchell Starc, followed by a pair of strikes in Clint McKay's first over left India expecting too much of MS Dhoni and the lower order.

In the end, India were dismissed for 151 in the 30th over in the first match of the Commonwealth Bank Series. The last wicket came when Praveen Kumar pulled to long-on to give McKay figures of 4 for 20 after he also had Ravindra Jadeja caught in the deep. Xavier Doherty had picked up Rahul Sharma and Dhoni, who holed out to long-off for 29.

But the highlight in the late stages was Daniel Christian's run-out of R Ashwin, his sliding work in the deep followed by a well-directed throw as the batsmen attempted a third. It was an indication of they way Australia outfielded India, who gave away overthrows and lacked the sharpness they displayed in Friday's T20. It also continued a good debut for Christian, who had also had Suresh Raina caught for 4.

Things didn't start well for India, who had rested Virender Sehwag. In the second over of the chase Sachin Tendulkar, on 2, chased a ball angled across him from Starc and drove in the direction of point, where Ponting dived low and to his right to take a wonderful catch. Starc added a second wicket in his next over when Gautam Gambhir, surprised by extra bounce, edged behind for 5.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma combined for a 51-run stand that featured some classy shots, including a drive from Rohit off Ryan Harris that nearly cleared the cover boundary. But McKay's twin strikes ended any realistic hope India had. He had Kohli for 31, another super catch from Ponting at point as a fierce cut flew straight towards his face, and Rohit (21) edged behind two balls later.

From there, it was all Australia. It didn't look like being that way when they trudged off in the rain at 2 for 35 after 11 overs, having been sent in by Dhoni. Despite a few false starts from the groundstaff trying to remove the covers it turned into a long delay as the showers kept returning. And the rain came at the wrong time for Australia, after Wade had just launched Praveen over long-on for six and then cut him for four more.

Although it took Wade a little while to get set again after the resumption, he soon found his touch and showed he is comfortable at this level. Brad Haddin has been rested for the first three games but it would take a brave selection panel to dump Wade later in the series. He brought up his half-century with a short single dropped into the leg side off his 55th delivery and eventually played on when he tried to pull Rahul's quicker legspinner.

His 67 left him sixth on the list of highest scores by an Australian ODI debutant, behind Phil Jaques, Shaun Marsh, Kepler Wessels, Mark Cosgrove and Michael Slater. And his 73-run stand with Michael Hussey came at better than eight an over, the latter the aggressor having been promoted to No.5. Michael Hussey was in fine touch, sweeping boundaries both square and fine, and he raced to 45 from 32 balls before he pulled Vinay Kumar to deep square leg.

Fortunately for Australia, David Hussey scored even quicker than his brother, a pulled six off R Ashwin and a searing drive through extra cover for four off Vinay among his highlights. He also helped Australia take 19 off the final over as confusion spread on the field; the rain delay meant only two bowlers could bowl seven overs, and Rahul began the over without the umpires realising that he would be the third.

He was allowed to bowl two balls before the mistake was noticed, and Jadeja continued the over to poor effect for India. David Hussey brought up his half-century from his 28th delivery with a six over midwicket off Jadeja, and struck another six from the final ball, a free-hit thanks to Jadeja's no-ball from the previous delivery. David Hussey finished on 61 from 30 balls and Christian was on 17.

It was a strong finish from Australia after their shaky start. A day after he was bought for $1 million by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL auction, Vinay showed his limited-overs talent by getting rid of David Warner and Ponting early. Warner had been tied down and he tried to thump Vinay out of the ground, but the angle from around the wicket allowed the ball to sneak in through the gate to bowl Warner for 6 from 14 balls.

Vinay followed up with Ponting who was caught at cover trying to crunch a drive through the gap for 2 from 12 deliveries. After the rain delay the Australians soon lost Michael Clarke, who skied a catch to deep midwicket off the bowling of Rohit for 10 from 21, and at that stage India were in charge with Australia at 3 for 49.

But through their mix of youth - Wade, Christian, Starc - and experience - the Hussey brothers and Ponting - Australia regained control. John Inverarity's panel could hardly have hoped for better.

Top 10 Bodybuilders in The World

2012-02-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

01. Sergio Oliva

Sergio Olivia was born on July 4, 1941 in Cuba. He won titles of 1965 Junior Mr. America – AAU, Most Muscular, 1966 Mr. World – IFBB, Overall Winner, 1966 Mr Universe – IFBB Winnera and 1985 Olympia – IFBB, 8th etc. His height is 5 feet 9 inches and has got a 20 inch arm.

Bodybuilding is a form to modify your body involving muscles hypertrophy. Let us get to list of top 10 bodybuilders in the world who are best known for their fabulous body, if you are looking for an inspiration. 09 more Bodybuilders after the break..

02. Arnold Schwarzenegger

He is an Austrian-American professional bodybuilder, born on July 30, 1947. Arnold was the 38th governor of California and was succeeded by Jerry Brown.

03. Dorian Yates

Dorian Ytes was born on April 19, 1962 in Staffordshire, England and is known for his thickness. He won 6 Mr. Olympia titles successively. His height is 5 feet 10 inches and has got a huge arm of 20 inches.

04. Ronnie Coleman

Ronnie Coleman was born on May 13, 1964 at Louisiana. He has a extremely large arm and a perfect back muscle. He has a behemoth structure and more than 270 pounds.

05. Bill Pearl

Bill Pearl a stunning American bodybuilder, born on October 31, 1930. He was the first professional bodybuilder. Overall, he had a real huge size.

06. Reg Park

Reg Park a multitalented person was a businessman, actor and a bodybuilder at the same time, born on June 7, 1928 in West Yorkshire, England. He had 6 feet 1 inch height and behemoth arm of 20 inches.

07. Steve Reeves

Steve Reeves, great bodybuilder was born on January 21, 1926 in Montana, USA. He was also a admirable actor. He had a slender waist, broad shoulders and a thin hip and 6 feet 1 inch of height.

08. John Grimek

John Grimek was born on June 17, 1910 in New Jersey. He embodied United States in weightlifting at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. He passed away on November, 1998 at the age of 88.

09. Flex Wheeler

Flex Wheeler was born on August 23, 1965 in California, United States. His original name is Kenneth Wheeler. He determined to become a professional bodybuilder when he was a police officer and after that he left his job. He won the first award at the NPC Mr. California Championships in 1989. Wheeler had an immense back and 17 inch arms and he was 5 feet 8 inches of height.

10. Franco Columbu

Franco Columbu an Italian actor aside from being a fabulous bodybuilder. He was born on August 17, 1941 and is. His has a standard height of 5 feet 5 inches. He prevailed to the title of Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981. He tried to win in the World’s Strongest Man competition as well however was not able to win the title.

Sheamus won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match

2012-02-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

ST. LOUIS — WWE fans are going to see a fight at this year’s WrestleMania.

Using his brute strength to triumph over 29 other Superstars, the mighty Sheamus was victorious in the Royal Rumble Match, dumping Chris Jericho to earn a World Title opportunity against a champion of his choosing at WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1.

It was a grueling battle for the powerhouse who drew No. 22. Entering before a sold-out crowd that had already witnessed Ricardo Rodriguez rolling to the ring in an ’85 Datsun, Kofi Kingston walking on his hands to avoid elimination and Michael Cole jumping over the top rope to escape the wrath of Kharma, The Celtic Warrior immediately made his presence felt by launching Kingston out of the ring.

From there, the Rumble became a demolition derby of battered bodies and unpredictable arrivals. Booker T, Jerry “The King” Lawler and Michael Cole all left the broadcast booth at one point to try their luck in the bout, but were quickly sent back to their announce table with damaged egos. Old school fan favorites like Mick Foley, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Road Dogg returned to rousing ovations — only to be chucked from the squared circle by dangerous upstarts like Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett. Big Show, twice a runner-up in the Rumble, made a huge impact from the 30 spot, tossing Jack Swagger, Rhodes, The Miz and Ziggler in rapid succession.

When the Royal Rumble Match came down to the all-important final four, it was Big Show, Sheamus, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton left standing in the ring. Quickly, though, the 30-man melee was left to two Superstars as The Viper heaved The World’s Largest Athlete only to be immediately eliminated by Jericho.

WWE fans, knowing they would see a first time Royal Rumble Match winner tonight, began to shake the Scottrade Center as Y2J and The Great White waged a dramatic battle for supremacy. When Jericho sent Sheamus over the top rope, the big man hung on and came right back. When The Celtic Warrior dismissed his opponent, Jericho would find a way to return.

The back-and-forth brawl pushed both men to their physical limit before the nefarious Superstar made the mistake of going for his patened Codebreaker. Snatching Jericho in midair, Sheamus deposited the man who promised “the end of the world” over the top rope and then blasted him with The Brogue Kick to make sure he was gone for good.

It was an important victory for the SmackDown Superstar. A year ago, The Celtic Warrior’s WrestleMania XXVI bout against Daniel Bryan was bumped from the card at the last minute. This year, he’ll be competing for a World Title. Don’t expect The Great White to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

Full list of Royal Rumble Match participants and eliminations

Entry Number
Name
Eliminated
Eliminated By
Time
1
The Miz
Alex Riley, R-Truth
Big Show
45:39
2
Alex Riley

The Miz
1:15
3
R-Truth

The Miz
4:57
4
Cody Rhodes
Mick Foley, Santino Marella, Jerry “The King” Lawler, The Great Khali, Booker T, Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Big Show
41:55
5
Justin Gabriel

Ricardo Rodriguez and Mick Foley
6:12
6
Primo

Mick Foley
1:57
7
Mick Foley
Justin Gabriel, Primo, Epico
Cody Rhodes
6:34
8
Ricardo Rodriguez
Justin Gabriel
Santino Marella
2:19
9
Santino Marella
Ricardo Rodriguez
Cody Rhodes
2:31
10
Epico

Mick Foley
0:11
11
Kofi Kingston

Sheamus
17:55
12
Jerry “The King” Lawler
Michael Cole
Cody Rhodes
:43
13
Ezekiel Jackson

The Great Khali
3:46
14
Jinder Mahal

The Great Khali
1:17
15
The Great Khali
Ezekiel Jackson, Jinder Mahal
Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler
7:29
16
Hunico

Kharma
9:00
17
Booker T
Michael Cole
Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler
4:40
18
Dolph Ziggler
The Great Khali, Booker T, Kharma
Big Show
19:46
19
Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Cody Rhodes
0:56
20
Michael Cole

Jerry “The King” Lawler and Booker T
1:23
21
Kharma
Hunico
Dolph Ziggler
1:00
22
Sheamus
Kofi Kingston, Chris Jericho
Winner
22:21
23
Road Dogg Jesse James

Wade Barrett
4:55
24
Jey Uso

RandyOrton
7:03
25
Jack Swagger

Big Show and Sheamus
7:59
26
Wade Barrett
Road Dogg Jesse James
Randy Orton
3:55
27
David Otunga

Chris Jericho
3:15
28
Randy Orton
Jey Uso, Wade Barrett, The Big Show
Chris Jericho
5:46
29
Chris Jericho
David Otunga, Randy Orton
Sheamus
11:34
30
The Big Show
Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger
Randy Orton
1:51
Total Rumble Time- 54 minutes and 55 seconds

WWE Raw SuperShow results: The Undertaker returned with his sights set on Triple H!

2012-02-03T02:24:00.000-08:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With the Road to WrestleMania officially underway, Undertaker wasted no time making his intentions known – he has sights set on Triple H and The Grandest Stage of Them All. The stunning return left the status of John Laurinaitis' role as Interim Raw General Manager in question.

The Undertaker interrupted John Laurinaitis’ performance review to confront Triple H
As John Laurinaitis gave himself high job ratings, WWE COO Triple H came out to call the Interim GM a spineless backstabber. After making him sweat out what his fate would be – including hinting at a Gauntlet Match and joining the legendary Kiss My Ass Club – The Game said he was going “to do what needs to be done.” But just as it sounded as if Triple H were going to wish Laurinaitis well in his future endeavors, The Undertaker’s ominous gong sounded, announcing his dark presence.

As The Phenom made his way to the ring in front of a shocked WWE Universe, Triple H stood equally as stunned. As the two sized each other up, The Phenom signaled for Triple H’s demise, while focusing his dark gaze on the WrestleMania XXVIII banner high over head. After some intense moments with no words spoken, The Gamed patted Undertaker on the shoulder and walked out of the ring.

Following the dramatic stare down, what is going through Triple H's mind? Why did he walk away? Is John Laurinaitis fired? Sound off now at WWE InterAction.

WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix def. Eve in a Divas Championship Match
After WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix quickly dispatched of Eve with the Glam Slam, Kane appeared on the arena screen to recall how he injured Zack Ryder at Royal Rumble . Calling out Cena for not embracing hate, The Big Red Monster said Ryder’s injuries could have been avoided. Looking toward WrestleMania, Kane declared “Until Cena truly embraces the hate, he can’t beat me and he can’t beat The Rock.”

With Eve focused on the arena screen, Kane stunned everyone and appeared at ringside. As he stalked Eve in the ring, the leader of the Cenation rushed in to confront The Big Red Monster. Full of emotion, Cena brutally attacked Kane, smashing him with the steel rings steps three times. But as he prepared to hit the Attitude Adjustment on the announce table, The Devil’s Favorite Demon managed to escape and flee into the WWE Universe.

Kofi Kingston def. The Miz
Despite The Miz’s respectable performance lasting the longest in the Royal Rumble Match , he could not find a way to overcome the high-flying Kofi Kingston who stunned The Awesome One with Trouble in Paradise.

World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan def. WWE Champion CM Punk by Disqualification
In a highly competitive bout, two of WWE’s best went toe-to-toe in their first one-on-one match in WWE. But before either Superstar could put the other away, Chris Jericho charged in and pulled Daniel Bryan from the ring, causing the match to end in a disqualification. With Bryan down and Punk vulnerable after the hard-fought match, Jericho blasted the Straightedge Superstar with the Codebreaker.

Brodus Clay def. Tyler Reks
Continuing to spread the funk in WWE, Brodus Clay downed Tyler Reks with a series of hard-hitting moves. Afterward, The Funkasaurus celebrated his victory by dancing with Naomi and Cameron.

Randy Orton def. Dolph Ziggler
Earlier today, Dolph Ziggler confronted John Laurinaitis about last night’s WWE Championship Match at Royal Rumble and demanded a rematch . Following up on a solid effort in the Royal Rumble Match, Randy Orton returned to action for the first time in six weeks, as the Superstar who put him out of commission, Wade Barrett, watched from a skybox. With a blistering offense, The Viper took it to Ziggler and defeated him with an RKO.

WWE Champion CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan announced
With his job in jeopardy, Interim Raw General Manager & EVP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis started off Raw SuperShow fully confident that he would keep his job by the end of the night. Then, after calling attention to the big Raw Elimination Chamber Match on Feb. 19, the GM announced WWE Champion CM Punk and World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan would collide later tonight.

After the GM’s announcements, Punk led the WWE Universe in singing “Nah Nah Nah Hey Hey Hey Goodbye.” Next, after Punk and the GM traded verbal barbs, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan emerged to tout his accomplishment at the 25th anniversary of Royal Rumble. Then after the two champions mixed heated words, the 2012 Royal Rumble Match winner Sheamus came out to remind them that he earned the right to be in the main event of WrestleMania – where he boldly proclaimed he will become the WWE or World Heavyweight Champion.

New-look New Zealand ease to win

2012-02-03T01:25:00.002-08:00

New Zealand 248 (Guptill 70, Shingi Masakadza 4-46) beat Zimbabwe 158 (Taylor 58) by 90 runs

Martin Guptill's brisk 70 earned him the Man-of-the-Match award

Brendan Taylor's 58 was the only resistance the New Zealand bowlers faced, as they bowled Zimbabwe out cheaply to secure a 90-run win in the first one-dayer in Dunedin. Pace and bounce were the visiting batsmen's bane once more, with the New Zealand seamers sharing four of the top seven scalps between them. But Zimbabwe's own bowlers had enjoyed those same conditions, having dismissed New Zealand for a spluttering 248 in the 49th over.

Taylor had spent two months playing in the HRV Cup prior to his side's arrival, and the experience clearly showed, as only he mastered the hosts' steady seam on a lively, green-tinged track. With three batsmen perishing in 6.1 overs, in what seemed a continuation of Zimbabwe's rolling collapse in Napier, Taylor counter-punched with a volley of calculated straight boundaries, while Tatenda Taibu groped his way past early jitters to help erect a 52-run partnership.

The pair first averted another top-order collapse before Taylor began hauling in a rapidly rising run-rate, with boundaries to the leg side and some hurried running. Taibu perished attempting aggression, but Taylor found the rope when he looked for it, hitting debutant Andrew Ellis for two successive leg-side boundaries to close in on a 25th ODI half-century, which he completed in 59 balls.

Zimbabwe's hopes of successive one-day wins over New Zealand effectively ended with Taylor, who holed out to long-off to leave his side at 97 for 5 in the 26th over. Taylor had hit Rob Nicol out of the University Oval off the previous delivery, but the bowler's bravery in flighting the ball once more brought him his first scalp, and all but secured the result.

Malcolm Waller had struck a match-winning unbeaten 99 in the sides' last encounter, in Bulawayo. But rarely seemed comfortable here, and though the tail added late runs and entertainment after his demise, New Zealand simply stayed patient to close out the Zimbabwe innings at 158.

Zimbabwe had repeatedly threatened to derail New Zealand in their innings, but managed only to contain them. The hosts' innings never found fluency following the loss of two early wickets, with regular blows thwarting hopes of a commanding total. But Zimbabwe never closed in for the kill, with inconsistent bowling allowing New Zealand's inexperienced batting order to lurch their side to an underwhelming, but competitive total in spurts.

Martin Guptill's 66-ball 70 at the top of the order was the only notable score for the hosts, as he and Kane Williamson rescued New Zealand who threatened a familiar collapse at 4 for 2. Opener Rob Nicol was undone by a Meth's outswinger on zero, before Brendon McCullum padded up to a Kyle Jarvis indipper three deliveries later, with the ball shown to be clipping the top of off stump on review.

Zimbabwe should have had Guptill soon after too, had they been more patient. Having been stifled by early movement, Guptill lashed out at Meth with a lofted drive over mid-on and Tatenda Taibu saw enough cause in the batsman's first boundary to move up to the stumps. He regretted his decision the very next delivery, when he spilt an edge he would have comfortably pouched in his regular position. A chance that would have restricted New Zealand further and perhaps changed the match's outlook.

Placement and sharp running was the hallmark of Guptill's association with Kane Williamson, as the pair put on 88 to rebuild, then consolidate after early losses. Both men eased runs through the leg side as the Zimbabwe seamers strayed straight too often - perhaps spurred by early success to look for big swing. Guptill's fifty came from 44 deliveries as he punctuated singles and twos with regular boundary blows, particularly to the off side.

None of his team-mates though, could convert starts into innings of substance. Five of New Zealand's middle-order batsmen failed to reach fifty having made more than 15 in not unfriendly conditions. Promising partnerships were crimped just as they sought to wrest the advantage, with an occasionally lively pitch and canny limited-overs bowling from Zimbabwe hauling the hosts back at regular intervals.

Shingi Masakadza bagged 4 for 46 from his 9.3 overs, while Elton Chigumbura was also effective through the middle overs, taking 2 for 46. Both bowlers bowled a consistent off stump line and found slight movement on occasion, as well as uncomfortable bounce and carry to prevent the hosts' batsmen from settling.

Nathan McCullum and Ellis put on 57 at almost a run a ball to reverse a wicket-induced mini stagnation towards the end of New Zealand's innings. But though Zimbabwe dismissed them and the tail without much ado, their batsmen failed once more and New Zealand take the early lead in the three-match series.

Matthew Wade fifty sets up Australia win

2012-02-01T20:12:00.001-08:00

Australia 4 for 171 (Wade 72, Hussey 42) beat India 6 for 140 (Dhoni 48*, Hussey 2-4) by 31 runs

Matthew Wade did his cause no harm with an innings of poise, power and some invention

A punishing 72 from Matthew Wade and telling cameos with bat and ball from David Hussey delivered a 31-run victory for Australia over India in the first Twenty20 international at Stadium Australia in Sydney, which hosted events during the Olympics in 2000.

Watched by a crowd of 59,659, the largest ever for a cricket match in Sydney, Australia's new Twenty20 captain George Bailey enjoyed the winner's plaudits in his first match, just as Dave Gregory had done in the very first Test in 1877 when he was the last Australian to make his debut as captain.

His ingenuity in the field rather contrasted with India's captain, MS Dhoni. In the penultimate over, with the target well out of reach, Dhoni's bat flew from his hands as he attempted to make a defiant swing at Brett Lee. The tour has gone the same way, and it did not improve in the format of the IPL.

At the start of what amounts to a five-match Twenty20 and ODI audition for a more permanent berth behind the stumps in place of Brad Haddin, Wade did his cause no harm with an innings of poise, power and some invention after Dhoni sent the hosts in to bat.

Wade and Hussey pushed Australia to 4 for 171, a steep target on a tacky pitch, before Bailey employed a trio of spinners to devastating effect. Hussey took the figures with 2 for 4 from his two overs, but the recalled 40-year-old Brad Hogg and the Twenty20 debutant Xavier Doherty also helped to sink India's chase after they had made a promising start to be 1 for 47 in the sixth over.

If the chase was to succeed, India's pursuit likely required a sizeable score from Virender Sehwag. He managed one cut that skimmed to the backward point boundary, but the early swing gained by Lee was enough to draw an edge from a bat angled towards mid-on, and Hussey held the sharp chance at slip.

Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli prospered for a time, lifting the visitors to 1 for 47 in the sixth over. Bailey had brought on the spin of Doherty and Hussey to constrict the rate, and the latter made the vital break by coaxing Gambhir to drive to cover.

Next over brought Hogg's introduction and he found enough tweak and variation to cause doubts in the minds of the batsmen, despite their education by spin. Kohli tried to swing him out of the stadium, but found less of the middle of the bat than the toe, and was well held by Warner at long on.

India were now slipping badly, and Hussey added to their disquiet by finding a biting off break that bowled Rohit Sharma off his pads for a golden duck. As the reserve Test batsman on tour, Rohit had waited a long time for that one delivery.

Christian nipped out Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, all the while supported by Bailey's bright field placements and busy advice from mid-off or cover. Dhoni and Ashwin formed the most notable partnership of the innings, but it served only to decrease the margin of another defeat on tour for the visitors.

Warner had a new opening partner in Wade, and together they set about making a swift start against an opening attack comprising R Ashwin's spin and the swing of Praveen Kumar - much missed during the Test series.

As he had done in Adelaide, Ashwin kept Warner quiet to begin with, the first over going for only two runs. Wade's first boundary was a streaky edge off Praveen, and nine from the first 12 balls was a halting start.

But Warner found his range in the third, starting with an outrageous "switch punch" that sailed over wide long off, or long on depending on one's perspective. He followed up by driving a full toss to the point boundary then swinging another six over Ashwin's head.

The innings now had momentum, but Warner gave it up by miscuing Vinay Kumar and skying a catch to Raina, running back from extra cover. Warner left unhappily, but his replacement Birt was capable of hitting almost as hard. He found his stride by lofting Vinay over long off, without much apparent effort, but also played out a few dots before he drew blood from the hands of Rahul Sharma with a fearfully struck drive that was technically a dropped return catch.

Birt eventually perished to Ashwin, picking out Raina at cover, but his exit appeared to rouse Wade. To that point he had played neatly for 36 from 25 balls, but his next 34 were thrashed from only 14. Twice he cleared the fence, and each blow added intrigue to his battle with Haddin for the Australia wicketkeeper's spot.

A brief rain delay did not reduce Australia's allocation, but it did change the game's rhythm, and Wade was out to his second ball faced on resumption, bowled when trying to cut Raina off the stumps. Hussey and Bailey struggled initially to find the boundary, but Hussey connected with one clean blow in the final over to help the hosts past 170, a total that proved to be well beyond India.

No point saying nothing is wrong - Bell

2012-01-31T16:19:00.001-08:00

Ian Bell: "We need to improve [in Asian conditions]. That might not happen by the next Test but we have Sri Lanka coming up and India, so we have to talk about it now."

If the first step to recovery is the acceptance of a problem, then England might just have embarked on the road to rehabilitation.

England arrived in the UAE as the No.1 ranked Test side and with a glowing reputation. Two Test defeats later, however, and England's flaws have been revealed. England may remain, officially, the best ranked Test side, but the title has a hollow ring at present.

It leaves England at a crossroads. Overcome their issues with Asian conditions and, in particular, high-quality spin bowling, and this period may yet come to be remembered as little more than a blip. Fail to overcome the spin threat and they will slide down the rankings. How they respond to that challenge may well define the legacy of this side.

The impressive thing, from an England perspective, is the lack of denial. The team held a meeting before training on Tuesday - an echo of events of early 2009 when they were humbled in Jamaica - where they accepted that it was time to face facts: they have a significant challenge and their currents methods are not working.

It was a point made eloquently by Ian Bell. In many ways, Bell's problems in this series are a microcosm of the side's issues. He arrived in the UAE with an excellent reputation, on the back of a wonderful year but has, to date, looked all at sea against Saeed Ajmal, in particular. Bell is averaging just nine and has been dismissed by Ajmal's doosra three times in four innings.

"There is no point saying we were great the last two years and nothing is wrong," Bell said. "We all know we haven't played good enough cricket here and we would be stupid just to carry on what we're doing.

"There's no point in looking back and saying how great we were against Australia or how great we were against India. It is about now and the next challenges. We have a lot of cricket in the subcontinent and we have to get better; individually and as a unit. We can't keep looking back and patting ourselves on the back - that's all gone."

Bell was the man dropped after that humiliating reverse in Jamaica, but feels there are few parallels between that situation and England's current problems. Instead he hopes that England's success over the last couple of years should give them the confidence to face this new obstacle and insists that the side are relishing the challenge.

"It was the right decision to drop me," Bell said. "I hadn't scored runs for a while. It's a different scenario now. I've played consistently well now for two years and we've had two bad Test matches. So, I'm looking to put in a good performance in this next Test. I don't think I've lost my confidence that's for sure. I can look back on some good things over the last two years.

"The final piece of this England team is to win in the subcontinent. There's no doubt we're not doing things quite right and that we're going to have to get better. It's exciting, as well. We've been given a real whack here and it's nice to know in Test cricket that there are still challenges for us.

"My preparation has been good. We knew what we were going to come up against. I knew I would be starting, in most innings, against spin," he added. "I still feel I'm hitting the ball nicely. I just haven't been able to get past that initial hard stage of batting - that first 20-ball period. That's the danger time, you need to work hard to get to the period where it becomes a bit easier and you can begin to pick the different deliveries. In three of my innings, I've been knocked over quite early.

"All credit to Pakistan. They have played very well. They have bowled particularly well at new batsmen. They've bowled at a good pace; it's really quick spin. You have to work hard. Batting in the subcontinent you have to get through those first 20-25 deliveries, then things seem to come that little bit easier. So far I haven't really got through that so I'll be desperate to work hard to stay in there and survive, then go on to get some runs. I'd love to use my feet to the spinners, but I've not been in there long enough to do that."

Bell is realistic enough to know that there is little time for England's batsmen to learn. The third Test begins on Friday and, barely a week after the conclusion of this tour, England will face similar challenges in Sri Lanka. He makes no promises of success, only assurances of hard work and good intent.

"We all sat down and spoke about what we have done and the mistakes we've made," Bell said. "And about how we want to get better. We are all desperate - as a group - in wanting to win Tests in the subcontinent. We can achieve that. It is the last thing that we need to do - we need to start scoring runs in the subcontinent. If we can do that we can start moving forward again.

"We need to improve. That might not happen by the next Test but we have Sri Lanka coming up and India, so we have to talk about it now. We have to be honest. There is no point putting it off until Sri Lanka or India because we might make the same mistakes again."

A chance for India to start over

2012-01-31T00:07:00.000-08:00

Match facts

February 1, Stadium Australia, Sydney
Start time 1935 (0835 GMT)

It's nearly four years since Brad Hogg last played for Australia - also against India

Big Picture

Nobody is more desperate to move on from the last six weeks than India's cricketers. Here is their perfect opportunity to do so. The first T20 not only pits two very different sides against each other, compared to those that played in the Tests, it also takes India and Australia to an entirely new venue for international cricket: Stadium Australia. The stadium, at Homebush in Sydney's west, was built for the 2000 Olympics and has a far greater capacity than the SCG. It will become the 19th ground in the country to host international cricket.

Appropriately enough it will host a new-look Australia team under the captaincy of debutant George Bailey. The 40-year-old spinner Brad Hogg will make his comeback after a vintage campaign from him in the Big Bash League, while the fast bowler James Faulkner could be in line for his debut. David Warner and Shaun Marsh are the only men in the squad who took part in the Tests against India.

The visitors have more of a crossover from the Test series, but there has still been plenty of new blood injected into the group. A 17-strong party has assembled for the T20s and the triangular one-day series that follows, including relatively inexperienced men like Rahul Sharma and Manoj Tiwary, but who will get the nod for the first match remains a mystery. Both sides are also hoping to use the series to narrow down their list of potential players for the World T20, to be held in Sri Lanka in September.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Australia LWLLW
India LLWWW

In the spotlight

Who else but George Bailey? Not since Dave Gregory in the very first Test match has a man made his international debut for Australia as captain. And with plenty of attention having been paid to Bailey's record in the shortest format, he will be hoping to show what he can offer at No.5, while also marshalling his troops in the field.

India always appear a more dynamic outfit when Suresh Raina is present, and he will provide spark not only in the batting line-up but also in the field. Spark is precisely what India need to rediscover after their Test slump.

Team news

Australia have named a 14-man squad and as the selectors cast an eye to the World Twenty20 they are likely to give each player an opportunity in at least one of these two games. Shaun Marsh is in the group despite having been dropped from the upcoming ODIs, and this could be a chance for him to free his mind and play naturally. Daniel Christian and Mitchell Marsh could be battling for one spot, while Xavier Doherty and Hogg are the two slow-bowling options. The selectors will probably want to see what the uncapped Faulkner can deliver, while Clint McKay is also in the squad.

Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Aaron Finch, 4 David Hussey, 5 George Bailey (capt), 6 Travis Birt, 7 Mitchell Marsh / Daniel Christian, 8 Matthew Wade (wk), 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Brett Lee, 11 James Faulkner.

India have a big group to choose from, and the make-up of their attack is not yet clear. Ravindra Jadeja and Irfan Pathan might be competing for the same spot, and the extra spinner could be desirable if the drop-in pitch proves slow.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja / Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Umesh Yadav.

Pitch and conditions

As a new international venue, it will be interesting to see what the Stadium Australia pitch offers. The former Adelaide Oval curator Les Burdett has been brought in to prepare surface. Like most drop-in pitches, it is unlikely to have much in the way of pace and bounce.

Stats and trivia

At 40, Hogg will be the third-oldest man to play a T20 international. He played two T20s for Australia back in 2006 and 2007, but didn't take a wicket.
Australia and India have met in four T20s for two wins each - the first two went India's way and Australia won the second two

Entry Number	Name	Eliminated	Eliminated By	Time
1	The Miz	Alex Riley, R-Truth	Big Show	45:39
2	Alex Riley		The Miz	1:15
3	R-Truth		The Miz	4:57
4	Cody Rhodes	Mick Foley, Santino Marella, Jerry “The King” Lawler, The Great Khali, Booker T, Hacksaw Jim Duggan	Big Show	41:55
5	Justin Gabriel		Ricardo Rodriguez and Mick Foley	6:12
6	Primo		Mick Foley	1:57
7	Mick Foley	Justin Gabriel, Primo, Epico	Cody Rhodes	6:34
8	Ricardo Rodriguez	Justin Gabriel	Santino Marella	2:19
9	Santino Marella	Ricardo Rodriguez	Cody Rhodes	2:31
10	Epico		Mick Foley	0:11
11	Kofi Kingston		Sheamus	17:55
12	Jerry “The King” Lawler	Michael Cole	Cody Rhodes	:43
13	Ezekiel Jackson		The Great Khali	3:46
14	Jinder Mahal		The Great Khali	1:17
15	The Great Khali	Ezekiel Jackson, Jinder Mahal	Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler	7:29
16	Hunico		Kharma	9:00
17	Booker T	Michael Cole	Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler	4:40
18	Dolph Ziggler	The Great Khali, Booker T, Kharma	Big Show	19:46
19	Hacksaw Jim Duggan		Cody Rhodes	0:56
20	Michael Cole		Jerry “The King” Lawler and Booker T	1:23
21	Kharma	Hunico	Dolph Ziggler	1:00
22	Sheamus	Kofi Kingston, Chris Jericho	Winner	22:21
23	Road Dogg Jesse James		Wade Barrett	4:55
24	Jey Uso		RandyOrton	7:03
25	Jack Swagger		Big Show and Sheamus	7:59
26	Wade Barrett	Road Dogg Jesse James	Randy Orton	3:55
27	David Otunga		Chris Jericho	3:15
28	Randy Orton	Jey Uso, Wade Barrett, The Big Show	Chris Jericho	5:46
29	Chris Jericho	David Otunga, Randy Orton	Sheamus	11:34
30	The Big Show	Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger	Randy Orton	1:51