Sachin smashes 98th century !

What a beginning ! Sehwag slashes the first ball, Swann gets a finger to it and then it flies for four. Next ball gets the top of Sehwag's bat and it flies over the fielder's head. Next ball Sehag chips one and it goes over Anderson's head. Three chances which could have been taken.

Anderson swung the ball in the first over and Sehwag was lucky !

The first ball of the next over - Sehwag hits it through the covers for four ! Ajmal Shehzad is the bowler bowling at 83 mph ! He is generating fairly good pace, but is not known as a swing bowler like Anderson. The swing bowlers may get some help, as it was overcast conditions for the last two days.

Chawla is playing. India will take advantage of the English weakness against spin on spin tracks ! Swann will of course be dangerous. Yardy also will be dangerous, if the pitch takes spin, but then Indian batsmen play spin well !

We had said in our columns that time before 0250 is adverse. Now India is 33/0.

Sehwag looks confident and so does Sachin. Chawla will come at No 9. NO 7 is of course Y Pathan. No 8 will be Bajji.

Shehzad impressed with his pace, but there was not much swerve in his bowling. It was Anderson who moved the ball and he did impress with his ability to swing !

Sehwag is now out, caught Prior bowled Bresnan. India 46/1 off 8 overs !

India are now 132/1, with Sachin 53 no.

After Sehwag's exit, Gambhir came in and gave a solid stand to Sachin. Sachin ruined the figures of Swann, who went for 26 runs off 4 overs.

The No 3 is very important and Gambhir proved that today. With the loss of the first wicket, India would have in trouble if she had lost another. Gambhir saw to that it did not happen. He is on 41 no. The No 3 can change the game. If he gives a solid performance, the team will be redeemed.

Responsible batsmen win matches. Just see yesterday's game. Misbah and Y Khan, two of the most experienced Pak batsmen, played responsible cricket and guided their team to victory.

Sachin now has hit 2 sixes and 3 fours in his 59 no. Gambhir has hit 4 fours in his 44 no. India 144/1 off 26 overs.

We had earlier remarked in our columns that the Indian batsmen will silence Swann, who said he will silence the Indian crowd. Two mighty sixes by Sachin and Swann may as well forget this match ! 15 runs off that over ! And 41 runs off his 5 overs !

India were all out for 338, with 35 fours and seven sixes. This is a terrific display of batting, as Sachin hit 5 sixes and ten fours. Yuvraj hit a blistering 58 off 50 balls and Dhoni 31 off 25 balls !

Swann gave 59 off his 9 overs. The crowd silenced him !

Bresnan was the most successful of the English bowlers and took 5/48.

Now England have started weill and are 23/0.

This is Sachin's 47th hundred in ODIs. Now he is the leading scorer in the WC with 1944 runs ! He has now taken his tally to 98 international hundreds. Will he complete a century of centuries in this World Cup?

Yuvraj was sent at No 4, in order to keep the left hander - right hander combination going. Gambhir and Sachin were playing well, when Gambhir was out. Then again Yuvraj came in and when Sachin left, the Commander, Dhoni and Yuvraj took over. England bowled well in the death overs, restricting India to 338!