Indian news round-up

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar who scored his 29th ODI century against West Indies in the Coca Cola Cup trianguler series in Harare on Wednesday, said as a batsman he would like to carry on the good work. "I'd like to go on and on. It was good to score the 29th hundred but I'd like to score more runs," Tendulkar said after winning the man-of-the-match award for the third time in four matches in the tournament.

Tendulkar's 122 not out was the best by an Indian against West Indies in one-day internationals eclipsing Navjot Singh Sidhu's 114 at Vizag in 1994-95. "We have won four and now we should make it five," he said looking ahead to Saturday's final.

Skipper Saurav Ganguly continued to lavish praise on the showing of the bowlers but said the batsmen could have done a little better. "They (bowlers) have done a fantastic job. It was a good effort to restrict them to 229 on a good batting wicket," he said. Looking ahead to the final, Ganguly said "We hope to fire on all cylinders".

Indian Sports Minister Uma Bharti said on Wednesday she would not oppose the revival of cricket ties with Pakistan but demanded a reciprocal gesture from that country regarding hockey.

"If cricket figures in the proposed talks with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf during his visit later this month and it was felt it was necessary to revive cricket ties to boost relations (between the two countries), I would not oppose it," Bharti told reporters in Lucknow.

"But if we revive cricket ties, Pakistan should initiate revival of hockey ties as a goodwill gesture and request the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to change the dates of the Champions Trophy that clash with the Afro-Asian Games being hosted by India," she added. As Pakistan is hosting the Champions Trophy, it should request the FIH to change the dates so that its team could participate in the Afro-Asian Games, she said.

Former Indian all rounder Karsan Ghavri will coach the Bengal Ranji team for the 2001-2002 season. "The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya offered me the job a few months ago and I agreed," Ghavri who played 39 Tests told PTI in Mumbai on Thursday.

"In fact, he (Dalmiya) first spoke to me a year ago but I was not too keen at that time and left it at that. When he spoke to me recently I agreed," Ghavri, now 50, added.

Ghavri, who takes over the post from former Bengal Ranji player Palash Nandy, represented India from 1974 to 1981. He scored 913 runs and took 109 wickets. He also played in the 1975 and 1979 World Cup competitions. Ghavri was also the coach of the Mumbai team which won the Ranji Trophy in 1993-94 under the captaincy of Ravi Shastri.