The big question is who should England play if Simon Jones does not recover for the 5th test. Does England include Chris Tremlett, inexperienced yet promising? He is the logical next in succession in the squad. But a debut in the moest crucial test for England is years will be a huge gamble.

Collingwood? I dont think so as bowlers win test matches and going for him is not an option from any angle.

What about bringing back some old war horses? Caddick is injured. He is not an option either.

So I ask the question. Not why Darren Gough but why not Darren Gough. Yes he has retired from test cricket but I dont think he will refuse a request for a come back for the crucial test.

Gough has been England’s best strike bowler since Bob Willis and Ian Botham writes cricinfo. And its not that Gough is now old and thus cannot match up to international standard. He is still active as a one day international and despite recent ordinary performances in the tri series involving Australia and Bangladesh and the Natwest Challenge, has shown he still has it in him.

Certainly a better option than raw Tremlett. Gough’s performance in the one day series in South Africa is a point in case:

England in South Africa, 2004/05 [Series]
SA 6 58.1 241 11 3/52 2/14 21.90 4.14 31.7 0 0

One day and test cricket are different ball games but that certainly indicates Gough has not lost it all yet.

Sania Mirza will face fairly unknown Italian Maria Elenea Camerin in round 2 of the US Open. Mirza had a rugged start in round 1 with loads of unforced errors. Compared to that, Camerin surprised one and all by defeating 21 seed Danira Safina in round 1.

Camerin is an even match for Mirza. She is currently ranked a lowly 81 but has been as high as 41 finishing 2004 at 43. However, she has never been past round 2 in a grandslam in 13 appearences. Mirza has already bettered that in her first year at the highest level.

But Camerin is slightly more experienced at the age of 23 having been in the top 120 or near about since 2001. Mirza kept her cool against a much more experienced player in round 1.

It is an even matchup and Mirza would not mind facing Camerin instead of Safina.

The side was a shadow of its former self last season. They were displaced from the traditional big 4 of english football. This early season has been worst than ever in their history. So a boost was definitely needed. The signing of Michael Owen, a scoop considering Owen first wanted to go there on loan may be one of the crucial turning points in the history of Newcastle.

In Shearer and Owen they have former England pairing. Shearer is on the way to retirement but Owen is still very young and has a lot ahead of him. Will Owen decide to stay more than a year? Who knows. You can never say in football.

After winning versus Washington, Sania Mirza has become the first Indian woman to reach round two of the US Open. She is also the first who will break into the top 40 in the rankings.

At 18, Mirza has a lot of tennis ahead of her.

I will be happy if she can reach the top 10 in 2 years.

Kudos and congratulations.

First things first. Congrats to England on the victory. Well played and they have showed without a shadow of a doubt what a quality side they are.

Second thing.

The series is not over. Whether England claim back the Ashes or not, no one will deny what a quality side they are. However, to gain appreciation as the best side in the world, a distinct possibility England face, the road is still a long one.

Firstly they have to win back the Ashes. A draw series will mean they would have to wait till the next Ashes in Australia to hope to get the title of the best side in the world. If they do get back the Ashes, they then have to have draws/victories in India and Pakistan. After that there is a fair possibility they will be called the best side in the world.

Exciting times ahead for world cricket.

In a big surprise, Barca failed to score versus newly promoted Alaves. I am worried. Barcelona is one side which showed last season it could score a lot of goals. Bonano, the former Barca player jept out of his skin to avoid Barcelona a win.

I hope this is just a hitch start and not a sign of things to come.

When he have the facility to conclusively state out or not out, we should use it.

Hawk eye and other inconclusive technologies should not be used but if the fans and people sitting in the media boxes and dressing rooms can see a decision being made is clearly wrong on tv (like inside edge given out lbw), it brings the game to unnecessary disrepute.

The day saw some brilliant cricket. But we remember the error decisions most. It would not have happened 40 years ago to this extent as the cameras would not have been that conclusive and the media was not as strong and communication not as fast.

With the news coming in that Clijsters is likely to retire at the end of 2007 aged 24-25, the feeling that some thing is wrong with the way tennis is played at the highest level cannot stop from surfacing. Martina Hingis retired at a very young age and tennis lost one of its most dedicated, gifted players.

Yevgnevy Kafelnikov, who played more than any one on the tour, got the label of a player who was playing for money and not for the pasison of the game. Sport is a dramatisation of life. If it is made mechanical by having tournaments 48-52 weeks a year, 3 tournaments a week, the quality and uniqueness of tournaments is bound to be minimised.

Player burnouts will also invariably happen. Chris Evert needed time off from tennis in a day and age when tennis was not played so much. The modern demands of the sport, the travelling, the pressure of spending time away from family is some thing we cannot augur. No other professional sport demands such a tough routine.

I hope things change.

Ponting has been found wanting of ideas. First in the match versus Bangladesh and then on several other ocassions.

Today, the field placings were poor giving the english too many easy runs.

After the Ashes, I think its time for a change of leadership. Warne back as captain and a one day come back? He has a good cricket mind. If the Australians do not find it uncomfortable that his personal life is not a great example, then why not?

Or maybe Gilchrist. It is too early for Clarke to step into the helm.

I dont know but Ponting is not satsifactory as captain at the moment.

First McGrath is injured. He feels there are some voodoo charms behind the most imperfect of timings for his injuries. Then England bat like champions on a flat pitch after being 5 down courtesy of superb batting by Flintoff and Jones and captaincy lacking in innovation by Ponting - giving the English easy runs.

The pitch is flat. So you would expect the Aussies to target a score of atleast 400 if not go for a 600. They are 5 down at the end of the day. The batting form is woeful and the English bowling is unrelenting.

Maybe the English tabloids should apologise to the fans for their over reaction on their home team after the first test. Maybe the Aussie tabloids should learn from this and not create their own over reactions. Bleak chances of either of those happening.

The weather forecast says bleak chances of rain. Meanwhile in another cricket match, India and New Zealand play one of the strangest matches in one day cricket history. First the kiwis collapse but manage a total of around 220. Then India collapse, stage a recovery with 8 wicket down, only to lose the 9th and 10th before some thing dramatic could happen.

Cricket is a funny game.