We don’t deserve to lose the series: Flintoff

MUMBAI, Mar 16: Stand-in England skipper Andrew Flintoff today said that his team, sans a few key players, including regular skipper Michael Vaughan, did not deserve to lose the series to India who have taken a 1-0 lead ahead of the third and final Test starting here on March 18.

"We want to win the Mumbai Test. It would be a massive achievement if we could beat the Indian team. In the last two Tests we have shown signs of it. We just need to get our act together over all five days," the all-rounder told a press conference here.

"We have done well on the whole except for one session in the second Test (at Mohali which England lost by nine wickets). I don’t think at this stage we deserve to lose the series. We hope to square it," said the 28-year-old Lancashire player, the visitors’ most impressive batsman with two half centuries (70 and 51) at Mohali.

But England’s chances of squaring the series might have already suffered a major blow with the shin trouble developed by their pace bowler Steve Harmison during the Mohali Test in which he bowled only four overs when India were chasing the target.

"Harmy has a sore right shin and has gone for an X-Ray. The investigations are on. At this stage he has not been ruled out of the Test. We have to wait till tomorrow to see his condition," Flintoff said.

The tall paceman whose forte is his steepling bounce on even featherbeds looked an extremely doubtful starter for the series decider.

But Flintoff also admitted that his team’s batsmen needed to do more with at least one batsman getting a big 100 rather than be satisfied with scores of 60s or 70s in order to put up a big first innings score and put India under pressure.

"We need to do more. To compete with India we need to put up a big first innings score. We need a big hundred from someone. We have got a few 60s and 70s and it will be very good if one of our batsmen makes a big 100," the England all-rounder, who also took four first innings wickets in Mohali, said.

Flintoff ruefully agreed that England needed to try and dismiss his counterpart Rahul Dravid, who is in tremendous form in the series, cheaply.

"He’s nicknamed ‘The Wall’. It is very difficult to get him out once he is set. He’s a great example of how to bat in the sub-continent. He goes on and on. He’s a fine player," Flintoff said in Dravid’s praise.

Asked whether the team would go into the match with two spinners, Flintoff said it was an option that England had, but a final decision would have to be taken only tomorrow after another look at the Wankhede Stadium pitch.

"It’s an option we have, but will have to wait and see how the pitch is tomorrow. It was damp today with all the watering, but looked to be a traditional Mumbai wicket that would aid spin," he said.

Flintoff disagreed when asked if Sachin Tendulkar had become a lesser batsman in his team’s eyes than before.

"He’s got 30-odd Test hundreds and lots of runs. I don’t see him as a lesser batsman than before. We are wary of him," the all-rounder said. (PTI)

BCCI files FIR against Dalmiya

MUMBAI, Mar 16: The cricket board today filed a FIR against former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya for misappropriation of funds during the 1996 World Cup.

The BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, accompanied by another board official, came to the marine drive police station late in the afternoon to file the FIR.

The two BCCI officials spent a few minutes at the police station but it was still not known whether all the formalities related to the FIR were completed.

Shah did not speak to waiting reporters but a top BCCI source confirmed that a FIR against Dalmiya would be filed.

The new BCCI regime headed by Sharad Pawar had recently accused Dalmiya of swindling BCCI money during the 1996 World Cup and had also pointed out certain irregularities in the Pilcom account.

The Pilcom (Pakistan-India-Lanka Committee) was formed to conduct the 1996 World Cup which was held in the sub-continent. (PTI)