Indian news round-up

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) JY Lele has confirmed India's participation in the one-day cricket series against Pakistan in Toronto in September. India and Pakistan are scheduled to play five matches from September 9 to 17 at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling club.

Speaking to a Gulf newspaper, Lele said ``we will be going for the Toronto tournament. We have informed the organisers of our participation.'' The conformation comes in the wake of doubts over India's participation after the BCCI pulled out of three one day tournaments last month. The Toronto series will also mark the beginning of the 2000-2001 season for the Indian team.

Last year, India did not play against Pakistan in Toronto in view of the Kargil crisis. Instead the two teams played three matches each against West Indies.

Former Indian opening batsman and Member of Parliament Chetan Chauhan has been summoned by a Delhi court on charges of alleged harassment of his wife for dowry.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shail Jain issued the summons to Chauhan, after a chargecheet was filed by the Malviya Nagar police. She ordered that Chauhan appear before the court on July 12, the next date of hearing of the case.

Chauhan has been chargesheeted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 498 (A) (Harassment for Dowry), 406 (Criminal Breach of Trust) and 506 (Criminal Intimidation). Police had filed the chargesheet in March this year, four years after it registered the case following a complaint filed by Chauhan's wife Anita Chauhan.

Anurag Thakur was unanimously elected President of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in place of Raghubir Singh, at the general body meeting held at Hamirpur on Sunday.

Anurag is the elder son of Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister of the State. After his election, the general body authorised him to nominate other office-bearers of the Association.

Anurag said that the nomination of the office-bearers would be made after consulting all the members by next week and the Association would try its best to provide turf wickets in all districts of the State.

Indian captain Saurav Ganguly (97) and former England captain Mike Atherton (70) laid the foundation for Lancashire's 68-run victory over Essex in their NatWest Trophy fourth round match at Old Trafford on Wednesday with a 163 run opening stand in 39 overs.

Opting to bat, Lacashire openers Atherton and Ganguly thrashed the Essex bowling to all parts of the ground. Ganguly hit four sixes and six boundaries before falling three runs short of what could have been his second century in the competition. Then Andrew Flintoff thrashed the already demoralised bowlers for a further 43 off just 29 balls.

Meanwhile Indian middle order batsman Rahul Dravid managed to score just 22 runs as Kent were shot out for 121 against Glamorgan at Canterbury. Leg spinner Anil Kumble had a rather sedate day at the office bowling ten overs for 33 while picking up the wicket of Christopher Taylor as Leicestershire fell short of the target of 211 runs by just 10 runs.