Indian news round-up

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya said on Wednesday that spectators will not be allowed to carry water bottles into the Eden Gardens in Kolkata during the second Test to be played there from Mar 11-15. The decision was taken to avert bottle-throwing incidents by unruly crowds and to make sure that there is no repeat of any untoward incident which has brought disrepute to the venue. Dalmiya also said that adequate drinking water facilities would be arranged inside the stadium for the spectators.

Dalmiya also met the State Chief Minister and the City Police Commissioner on Wednesday to discuss security arrangements for the match and said that a large number of policemen will be deployed on all the playing days. The Asian Test Championship match between India and Pakistan in 1999 was completed before empty galleries after police cleared the stands following incidents of bottle-throwing by a section of the crowd.

The Australian team trainer Jock Campbell told reporters during a promotional function in New Delhi on Wednesday that Australian wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist has regained full fitness and would play in the second Test at Kolkata. Campbell said "Gilchrist who missed the tour match here against the Board President's XI due to a hip injury has completely recovered" and added that the team was in the best shape to take on the Indians.

The Australian media manager Brian Murgatroyd said "The match against the Board XI was an opportunity to maintain our overall fitness level." Murgatroyd said he would not predict the outcome of the series saying "just because we won the first Test in three days, it doesn't mean that the match was not hard fought." He added "Sachin is in form and there are quality players like Ganguly and Dravid who are good fighters." He also said that the three are capable of changing the course of a match.

Talking to reporters during the function, Australian left-hander Justin Langer said "Winning sixteen matches on the trot does not put any unnecessary pressure on the team. In fact it only decreases the pressure for us to perform better." The others who were at the function were Adam Gilchrist, Colin Miller, Ricky Ponting, Glenn Mcgrath, Michael Slater, Michael Kasprowicz and Damien Martyn.

The two member BCCI pitch committee Dhiraj Parsanna and Kasturi Rangan expressed satisfaction after inspecting the Eden Gardens turf on Wednesday. The two spent nearly an hour at the ground and had a chat with the curator Prabir Mukherjee. They also spoke to the CAB officials. Eden Gardens is the venue for the second Test between India and Australia to be played from March 11-15.

"They have expressed satisfaction. They were very happy with the pitch prepared for the second Test", CAB joint secretary, Debdas Banerjee told PTI in Kolkata. The two members will now inspect the track at the MA Chidambaran stadium in Chennai where the third and final Test is scheduled to be held from March 18.

Former Indian captain Md Azharuddin, banned for life by the BCCI has in a petition sought the documents relating to the appointment of BCCI enquiry commissioner K Madhavan. In a writ petition in a city civil court in Hyderabad on Wednesday, T Jagdeesh, the counsel for Azhar filed the fresh writ in the court before the second Chief Judge J Shyamsundar Rao, who asked the BCCI to file a counter affidavit on March 20. The counsel said a copy of the documents should be made available to him to proceed with the arguments.

Azhar's counsel said that as the appointment of Madhavan is the subject matter of the suit, the relevant documents should be made available to him to proceed further. The judge restrained from giving any direction as sought by the counsel but asked the BCCI to file a counter affidavit in this regard on March 20. Azhar had earlier in his petition had challenged the appointment of Madhavan as the enquiry commissioner, saying "it was illegal and arbitrary."