Pakistan edge India in T20 opener

First Twenty20 International, Bangalore:

Pakistan 134-5 (19.4 overs) beat India 133-9 (20 overs) by five wickets

Pakistan recovered superbly to edge out India by five wickets in a thrilling first Twenty20 International.

Chasing India's modest 133-9 in Bangalore, the visitors recovered from 12-3 and appeared to be cruising to victory before a late wobble resulted in them needing 10 from the final over.

But Shoaib Malik (57 from 50 balls) clobbered a straight six to see Pakistan home with two balls to spare.

This is the first bilateral series between the countries for five years.

After bowling well to restrict India to a below-par total, Pakistan's chances of a first Twenty20 victory over their hosts appeared slim when debutant seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-9) ripped through their top order.

25 December, Bangalore: 1st T20 International 28 December (11:30 GMT), Ahmedabad: 2nd T20 International 30 December (03:30 GMT), Chennai: 1st ODI 3 January (06:30 GMT), Kolkata: 2nd ODI 6 January (06:30 GMT), Delhi: 3rd ODI But a fine 116-run partnership between Malik and his captain Mohammad Hafeez (61) put them firmly in control.

When Hafeez, whose 44-ball knock included a pair of sixes and six fours, fell with the score on 118-4, Pakistan were in the driving seat, needing 16 from 17 balls.

But some tight bowling added to Pakistani nerves, and they were left needing six from Ravindra Jadeja's final three deliveries.

Rather than playing conservatively, though, Malik slogged the slow left-armer down the ground to stun the majority of the otherwise noisy 36,000 home fans, who had earlier watched their batsmen fail to capitalise on an excellent start after being asked to bat first by Pakistan.

India put on 77 for the opening wicket, as Gautam Gambhir (43) and Ajinkya Rahane (42) appeared to be laying the foundations for a big total.

But not for the first time this winter, India suffered a major batting collapse, losing nine wickets for only 47 runs in the next 7.3 overs as Umar Gul (3-21) and Saeed Ajmal (2-25) did the main damage.

Pakistan's optimism did not last long though as Kumar dismissed Nasir Jamshed in his first over and then accounted for Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal in his second.

But Malik and Hafeez then steadied the ship before the former - who was fortunate to be reprieved when caught off a no-ball called because it was above shoulder height - went on to club the winning runs.

We are using archive pictures for this match because several photo agencies, including Getty Images, have been barred from the ground following a dispute with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, while other agencies have withdrawn their photographers in protest.

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India win first Twenty20 in Pune

First Twenty20 international, Pune:

1ndia 158-5 (17.5 overs) beat England 157-6 (20 overs) by five wickets

Yuvraj Singh starred with bat and ball as India won the first Twenty20 international against England in Pune by five wickets.

Having won the toss and inserted England, India restricted the tourists to 157-6 from their 20 overs.

Alex Hales hit 56 and Jos Buttler 33 but England's total was well below par. Yuvraj took 3-19 from his four overs.

In reply, Yuvraj top-scored for India with 38 as the hosts reached their target with 13 balls to spare.

England's bowling attack served up 10 wides and will have to be far more disciplined if they are to square the series in Mumbai on Saturday.

With regulars Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann and Steven Finn all rested after their exploits in the 2-1 Test series win and Stuart Broad injured, Eoin Morgan led an inexperienced England line-up.

Sept 2007, Durban: India won by 18 runs June 2009, Lord's: England won by three runs August 2011, Old Trafford: England won by six wickets October 2011, Kolkata: England won by six wickets September 2012, Colombo: India won by 90 runs December 2012, Pune: Hales got the tourists off to a flyer, hitting Ashok Dinda for two fours in the first over.

Michael Lumb was out for one in the fourth over, the left-hander missing with a slog-sweep and finding himself trapped plumb in front by Ravichandran Ashwin.

But Lumb's Nottinghamshire team-mate Hales got stuck into Ashwin and fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja, racing to 50 from only 26 balls.

Luke Wright joined in the fun, hitting three fours and one six in his 21-ball innings of 34 before mis-hitting Yuvraj to Ajinkya Rahane at long-off in the 11th over.

Wright's dismissal brought Morgan to the crease and India's bowlers managed to put the breaks on the new partnership.

And Hales, looking to break the shackles, was dismissed for 56 from 35 balls, playing all round a straight one from Yuvraj.

Morgan fell two balls later, skying Yuvraj to Rahane at long-on for five, and after an encouraging start England were suddenly wondering where the next boundary would come from.

A four through the covers by Samit Patel in the 15th over released some pressure but Yuvraj continued to strangle the innings, finishing with 3-19 from his four overs.

Buttler clubbed Ashwin for a pair of sixes in the 18th over but Patel fell off the first ball of the 19th, hitting Dinda to Rahane at long-off.

Tim Bresnan fell from his first delivery, chipping Dinda to Virat Kohli at long-on, before James Tredwell joined Buttler in the middle.

Buttler hit two successive sixes in the final over, bowled by Parvinder Awana, including a perfectly-executed scoop shot, and the late salvo carried England past the 150 mark.

However, England's score appeared to be 15-20 runs below par on a sound batting pitch.

Defending an eminently makeable target, England made a poor start, Jade Dernbach serving up three wides in the first over of India's innings.

The errant Dernbach went for 21 in his first two overs before Surrey team-mate Stuart Meaker brought some discipline to England's attack.

But it was Tim Bresnan who made the breakthrough when Hales caught Gambhir on the deep square-leg boundary for 16.

Kohli should have gone first ball only for Meaker to shell a regulation catch at short long-leg, but Rahane fell two balls later for 19, spooning a slower ball bouncer from Bresnan to Patel at long-on.

However, Yuvraj hit left-arm spinner Danny Briggs for 18 off his first over, including two sixes, as the pendulum swung firmly back in India's direction.

Yuvraj made a dashing 38 from 21 balls before he was dismissed by Wright in the 10th over, holing out to Meaker at deep square-leg.

Morgan perhaps should have run out Kohli after he was sent back by Suresh Raina but Kohli was gone for 21 in the 12th over, dragging Meaker on.

Morgan definitely should have run out Mahendra Dhoni in the 13th over but dragged his throw well wide when he had far more time than he realised.

It was third time lucky for Morgan when he executed a smart run-out of Raina for 26 but it was too little, too late for England, Dhoni leading India home in the 18th over.

We are using archive pictures for this series because several photo agencies, including Getty Images, have been barred from the ground following a dispute with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, while other agencies have withdrawn their photographers in protest.

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India rape protest policeman dies

25 December 2012 Last updated at 04:15 GMT Demonstrators defied a ban to protest against the gang rape A policeman who was injured during violent protests over the gang rape of a woman in the Indian capital Delhi has died in hospital.

Subhash Chand Tomar, 46, was injured in clashes at the weekend in which more than 100 people, including at least 60 officers, were injured.

The rape, which happened on a bus, has left the woman in a critical condition and caused outrage in India.

Indian PM Manmohan Singh has appealed for calm in the city.

Mr Singh said his government would "make all possible efforts to ensure security and safety to all women".

The victim continues to be on life support and in a critical condition in a city hospital, doctors say.

Six people, including the bus driver, have already been arrested in connection with the incident.

Mr Tomar, a constable with the city police, was injured during the protests at India Gate in the heart of the capital on Sunday.

Violence erupted as demonstrators tried to break through police barricades to march on President Pranab Mukherjee's palace.

Mr Tomar suffered a heart attack and had been on life support in hospital, where he died early on Tuesday.

The authorities have kept roads and metro stations shut since Monday to stop protesters, leading to massive traffic jams.

The government has tried to halt the rising anger by announcing a series of measures intended to make Delhi safer for women.

These include more police night patrols, checks on bus drivers and their assistants and the banning of buses with tinted windows or curtains.

Two policemen have also been suspended in connection with the incident, which happened on 16 December.

But the protesters say the government's pledge to seek life sentences for the attackers is not enough - many are calling for the death penalty.

The 23-year-old victim and her friend had been to watch a film when they boarded the bus in the Munirka area intending to travel to Dwarka in south-west Delhi.

Police said she was raped for nearly an hour, both she and her companion were beaten with iron rods and thrown out of the moving bus into a Delhi street.

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India win equal to Ashes - Cook

England captain Alastair Cook says he thinks the first series win in India in 27 years is "on a par with the Ashes".

Centuries from Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell secured a draw in the fourth Test in Nagpur and a 2-1 win in the series.

Cook said the 2010-11 Ashes victory, England's first down under in 24 years, "meant a huge amount", but he added: "I think this is on a par with it.

Cook delights in 'special' victory

"In that dressing room, knowing what we had achieved, it was a special place and will live long in my memory."

England's success was all the more impressive given their terrible start to the series. A nine-wicket thrashing in the opening Test led to gloomy forecasts of a 4-0 series whitewash.

"Of course there was doubt," said Cook, 27, who was named man of the series after scoring three hundreds and 562 runs in the four-match series. "There is always doubt, especially halfway through day two [of the first Test] when we were getting rolled.

"I was surprised at the level we managed to achieve so soon after Ahmedabad. I was talking [there] about playing to our potential, but I was surprised we managed to do it straight away and put all those doubts to bed and prove it to ourselves."

He added: "We didn't handle the Ahmedabad wicket well but the others were all very different and we adapted well. The bowlers have been brilliant and our batters have contributed big runs.

"There were handshakes, hugs, embraces and slaps on the back all around in the England dressing room. They have worked so hard in this series. What odds were there on us witnessing that? It's quite remarkable. They have done it the hard way, through outstanding leadership on and off the pitch."

"Everyone in the squad can be very proud, especially after Ahmedabad and that heavy defeat. The guys who played a couple of games all made a difference and the amount of effort the guys have put in for me, I can't ask any more.

One of the "guys" who was drafted into the side was Monty Panesar, and the Sussex-man took 17 wickets in the final three Tests  as he dovetailed to devastating effect with fellow spinner Graeme Swann.

"Clearly we got it wrong in Ahmedabad in not playing Monty, but when we put it right he has been outstanding," Cook admitted.

"What was it, 50 overs for 80 yesterday? He's a captain's dream. You just throw him the ball and you know he's going to be there or thereabouts."

James Anderson, who was awarded the man of the match award after taking 4-81 in India's first innings, was described as the difference between the two sides by India captain Mahendra Dhoni.

The 30-year-old fast bowler took 12 wickets in the series and played a key part in England's success, alongside the spinners who normally prosper on the sub-continent.

1984-85: India 1-2 England (5 Tests)

1992-93: India 3-0 England (3 Tests)

2001-02: India 1-0 England (3 Tests)

2005-06: India 1-1 England (3 Tests)

2008-09: India 1-0 England (2 Tests)

2012: India 1-2 England (4 Tests)

"When we come over here, people think that spinners are going to get all the wickets but we knew that the seamers had a job to do," Anderson said.

"I've bowled better than I have before. Reverse-swing has been a key part of us doing well.

"We've really practised it in the nets and in the games leading up to the series. I think we executed our plans really well."

Listen to match highlights and Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott's analysis of the day's play on the Test Match Special podcast.

We are using archive pictures for this Test because several photo agencies, including Getty Images, have been barred from the ground following a dispute with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, while other agencies have withdrawn their photographers in protest.

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India unveils measures after rape

19 December 2012 Last updated at 08:01 GMT Protests have been held in Delhi over the attack, which has caused outrage The Indian government has announced a series of measures to make the capital safer for women after Sunday night's gang rape of a 23-year-old student.

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said there would be more police night patrols, and all bus drivers and their assistants would be subject to checks.

There has been outrage in India after the student and a male friend were attacked on a bus.

The woman remains in a critical condition, doctors say.

Four people, including the bus driver, have been arrested. Police say they are looking for two more people.

On Tuesday night, the chief of the ruling Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, visited the hospital where the student is fighting for her life.

Ms Gandhi later said that the "strictest possible measures" should be taken to prevent such incidents.

Mr Shinde was forced by angry MPs in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, to make a statement for the second time in as many days on Wednesday morning.

"Private buses, when not in use, must be parked with their owners and the photo identification of the driver and staff of every bus would have to be displayed, and the police would enforce this," he said.

The bus which was used for Sunday night's crime had dark tinted glass. Mr Shinde said "buses with dark windows and curtains would be impounded".

Earlier in the day, Mr Shinde held a meeting with the top officials of the Delhi police.

Protests continue

Meanwhile, protests have continued for the second day in Delhi, with many accusing the government of not doing enough to stop crimes against women.

Women MPs from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a demonstration outside parliament while hundreds of activists and students shouted slogans outside the Delhi police headquarters.

Police used water canons to disperse a large group of protesters outside Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's home.

The police were also criticised by the Delhi High Court, which asked them to give a report on the incident in two days.

"How did the bus cross five police check points without anybody stopping it?" the judges asked. "Those responsible have to be punished," they warned.

The incident has caused outrage across the country and lawmakers from all parties have expressed their horror.

Angry MPs have demanded the death penalty for the rapists, and protests and candlelight vigils have been held in the capital.

The woman and her friend boarded the bus in Munirka area and were on their way to Dwarka in south-west Delhi.

They were returning after watching a film in a shopping centre in south Delhi, police said.

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