India can win Women's T20 World Cup: Mithali

CANTERBURY: Indian women's cricket captain Mithali Raj on Tuesday said that her side would look to emulate their male counterparts by winning the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in Sri Lanka in September-October.

"It would be great to win the ICC Women's World Twenty20, the closest we have got to the title is the semifinal stage and we know we have the ability to go further," she said before the India-England Twenty20 International match.

"The fact the tournament is being played in Sri Lanka will help us immensely as the sub-continent conditions are ones that we know and do well in as a team," she said.

Mithali said it would be great to take some ICC silverware home to mirror the trophies won by the men.

"Of course we would love to win the ICC Women's World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012, and make the whole of India proud.

"The men won the tournament in 2007 and then won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 so hopefully this time around it will be both the India women and men bringing home the ICC World Twenty20 trophies," she said while posing in front of men's and women's Twenty20 World Cup trophies along with England captain Charlotte Edwards.

Edwards led the England women's team to victory in 2009 and said she wanted to reclaim the trophy the side failed to retain in the West Indies in 2010.

"We had a disappointing tournament in 2010 in the Caribbean and this year is about rectifying that and claiming back the trophy we won in front of our home supporters in 2009," Edwards, the 32-year-old top-order batter, said.

"We've got a new look side that has been working hard over the last year to ensure we've got a good amount of match practice and we're ready for Sri Lanka later this year. We want to be in that final on October 7 in Colombo and ultimately lifting the trophy once again."

Both the men's and women's competitions would be held simultaneously in Sri Lanka. The men's competition will be staged in Hambantota, Pallekelle and Colombo. The women's group stages will be held in Galle.

Sachin Tendulkar greatest batsman to have played cricket: Dennis Lillee

" He (Sachin)is the greatest player and batsman to have ever played. He just amazes me on many counts, his eye for the game, hunger for the game and continued success," said Dennis Lillee. (TOI Photo)

CHENNAI: Australian fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has described Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest batsman to have ever played cricket while admiring the iconic Indian's hunger for the game despite achieving unparalleled success.

"Sachin is a very humble man. He is the greatest player and batsman to have ever played. He just amazes me on many counts, his eye for the game, hunger for the game and continued success," said the 62-year-old Lillee, who bids adieu to the MRF Pace Foundation after 25 years of service.

Lillee felt a bit embarrassed now in the thought that he had rejected Tendukar's ambition to become a fast bowler in the late 1980s but said he did the game of cricket a "big favour" by doing so.

"I actually feel very embarrassed because I rejected him as a fast bowler," Lillee said recalling his first meeting with Tendulkar when the batsman came to the MRF Pace Foundation with an ambition to become a fast bowler.

"I think I did him and the game of cricket a favour. I am just joking, but I will never forget (the incident)," he said.

Lillee, then the MRF Pace Foundation's coaching director, advised a young Tendulkar to focus on his batting instead of bowling.

"When he came back a year later he was just 15 years or so. I was there behind the nets. The first ball Sachin faced he hit it behind the bowler for a four. Sachin flicked the next ball for a four as well. The bowlers were not able to get Sachin and he was hitting them out of the park," said Lillee.

"When he was still batting with about 48 runs or so from 12 balls, I asked (the then head coach) TA Sekar who is this boy. Sekar laughed and replied you should know him, he is the boy whom you rejected when he wanted to become a fast bowler," he added.

Lillee said it was his fortune to have spotted Tendulkar before he made his foray into international cricket.

"I was fortunate enough to see him before he made it to Test cricket and lucky enough to recognise him as the world's best," he said.

Asked about the fast bowling talents he witnessed during his stint at the MRF Foundation, Lillee rated Zaheer Khan as the best, just ahead of cricketer-turned-match referee Javagal Srinath.

"To me number one is Zaheer Khan and number two is Srinath. As for Venkatesh Prasad I had always thought that he is going to be a Test player," he said.

"Irfan (Pathan), R P Singh and S Sreesanth were promising but sometimes I used to be disappointed with Munaf (Patel). Munaf is one bowler who used to bowl at 150 plus but someone had suggested him to slow down. To me he had some natural gifts. Not many people are bestowed with such attributes."

Lillee also said that he was never on the same page with the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).

The Australian said that he loves to do things his way and that might be a reason why the BCCI never utilised his knowledge in the best possible manner.

"It was disappointing for me personally. Got to remember that I have the same relationship with the Cricket Australia too. I do not do anything unless I do them my way. I do not want other people pushing things on me," Lillee insisted.

Coca Cola to invest about Rs 28,000 crore in India by 2020

Coca-Cola today said it, along with its partners, will invest $5 billion (about Rs 28,000 crore) in India by 2020.

NEW DELHI: Beverages giant Coca-Cola on Tuesday said it, along with its partners, will invest about Rs 28,000 crore ($5 billion) in India by 2020 on various activities, including setting up of new bottling plants.

This investment is higher by $3 billion from the previous announcement made in November 2011 for a period of five years to enhance its operations in India.

"Coca Cola will invest $5 billion in India between now and 2020. This investment in India is a part of $30 billion globally planned by the company. India aims to be among top five countries in Coca Cola's markets. It is at present number seven," chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent told reporters here.

69% of India gets deficient rains, monsoon to miss Delhi date

Data released by the weather office today, 69% of the country has received deficient or scanty rains in terms of percentage of area of the country covered by rains.

NEW DELHI: Nearly two-thirds of the country have received deficient or scanty rains this season as monsoon appeared set to miss its date with Delhi.

According to data released by the weather office today, 69% of the country has received deficient or scanty rains in terms of percentage of area of the country covered by rains.

Weather scientists said they did not expect the south-west monsoon to make any significant advances towards the north and Delhi was likely to miss its June 29 date with seasonal rains.

They, however, said that next week could see good rains as some weather systems appeared to be organising in the West Arabian Sea.

The scientists said that first half of July was expected to see some good spells of monsoon.

This season the monsoon had a delayed onset over Kerala which got first seasonal showers on June 5 and made sputtering progress towards the north before being stopped in the tracks by atmospheric storm 'Talim' last week.

The monsoonal flows were yet to pick up steam but eastern and northeastern parts have been getting regular showers due to favourable weather conditions ranging from sub-Himalayan West Bengal to North Bay of Bengal.

IMD data showed one per cent area of the country - Sikkim and adjoining parts - getting excess rains, and 30% area receiving normal rains.

It showed 33% of the country — parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka - getting deficient rains and another 36% receiving scanty rains. Almost the entire northwest region, Gujarat and Kutch, Rayalseema and Tamil Nadu have got scanty rains.

I want to come back and play for India: Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj back in NCA, eyes T20 World Cup

BANGALORE: Eying a return to international cricket at the World Twenty20 to be held in Sri Lanka this September, cricketer Yuvraj Singh kick-started his fitness drills at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore on Monday.

Yuvraj is not in a rush but hopes to regain 100 percent fitness before resuming to cricket. "I will be in NCA for a while now. I want to come back and play for India, that's my goal. It's not very easy on the body. I have gone through a lot and my body has gone through lot of shock. People are expecting me to come back very quickly, but I don't want to rush. I will have to take my time and come back 100% fit," said the left-hander who single-handedly smashed six sixes in one over off England's Stuart Broad at the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007.

Yuvraj said his body was regaining strength as his rehabilitation progressed. "Feeling good. My body will become stronger stage by stage. Twenty20 world cup is my target. Hopefully I can be ready little before that," said India's World Cup hero, who is recovering after undergoing treatment for cancer in the United States.

In an attempt to impress the national selectors, Yuvraj will be eying pre-season domestic cricket tournaments in the southern states to prove himself. "I have to see the schedule. May be in August, I should play a few tournaments down South. I am not sure about the dates so I have to check," said the 30-year-old who has not appeared in any form of the game since last November when he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

The Shafi Darashah Trophy in Bangalore, Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Chennai and Moin ud Dowla Gold Cup in Hyderabad are the three tournaments scheduled to be played in the next three months.

Could Stephen Hawking speak again? Device to 'hack' into his brain

Hawking has been working with scientists at Stanford University who are developing iBrain - a tool which picks up brain waves and communicates them via a computer.

LONDON: Scientists are working with Stephen Hawking to test a groundbreaking device to allow them to 'hack' into the brain of the world-famous British physicist, who has been unable to speak for the last 30 years.

70-year-old Hawking has been working with scientists at Stanford University of the US who are developing iBrain - a tool which picks up brain waves and communicates them via a computer, the Daily Mail reported.

Hawking has been unable to speak for the last 30 years due to the motor neurone disease which is ravaging his body and weakening his muscles.

He currently uses a computer to communicate with a robot-like voice, but is losing the ability as his condition is worsening by the day.

Hawking was fitted with a black headband which has a series of neurotransmitters inside it and was told to think about scrunching his right hand into a ball.

He was able to create a pattern which the researchers hope they can one day convert into letters, words and sentences, the report said.

The iBrain has been developed by Philip Low, a professor at the university.

It is about the size of a matchbox and is very light so does not weigh down Hawking's head.

Professor Low said he hopes that it will be able to monitor him in real time, regardless of what he is doing.

"We'd like to find a way to bypass his body, pretty much hack his brain. This is very exciting for us because it allows us to have a window into the brain," Low said.

"We're building technology that will allow humanity to have access to the human brain for the first time.

"The emergence of such biomarkers opens the possibility to link intended movements to a library of words and convert them into speech, thus providing motor neurone sufferers with communication tools more dependent on the brain than on the body," he said.

Low will unveil his latest findings next month at a conference in Cambridge, and Hawking may demonstrate the technology.

It could also be used to treat sleep disorders and possibly help to quickly diagnose autism, the

Mumbai 3 injured during Salman Khan's film shoot in Bandra

MUMBAI: Three unit members of the film Dabangg 2 were injured during the shooting of an action sequence at Bandra's Mehboob Studio on Saturday evening.

Actor Salman Khan, who was not shooting but was present on the sets, immediately picked up the injured and drove them to hospital. The actor, after admitting the injured, came out and told mediapersons, "Everything is fine. It is just that it took us time to reach the hospital because of a traffic jam between Mehboob Studio and Lilavati Hospital."

Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) general secretary Dinesh Chaturvedi, who visited the set after the incident, said, "A car jump was being filmed when the accident happened. The car was supposed to jump and land at a distance of 50 feet. Instead it went further and landed in front of the still photographer Ajay Thakur who has been seriously injured. Two other fighters Rupesh Mantri and Sudesh Kumar were also injured."

A source from the unit said, "All the injured persons are conscious and recuperating well and there is not much of a worry."

Chaturvedi said, "We are touched by Salman's gesture of taking the injured to hospital. Such acts do not happen in our industry. I have been told that Salman will be taking care of all medical expenses of the injured and will also pay compensation. A hospital spokesperson said three technicians were admitted to Lilavati Hospital's sixth floor ICU. Their condition is stable but they will be under observation for 72 hours under the care of Dr Abdul Ansari.