Indian news round-up

The head of Muscat's Cricket Challenge, an off shoot of the Oman Cricket Club, Madhu Jasani said on Saturday that India and Pakistan are to play a 50-over-a-side day-night exibition match at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat on November 10.

Speaking to a Gulf newspaper in Dubai, Jasani said that the date of the match had been finalised so as to coincide with the Muscat Festival, which starts from October 16. He said that the former India batsman Sandeep Patil who is currently coaching the Kenya national side has been appointed as the co-ordinator for the match.

Oman Cricket Club was inducted as a non-Test playing member of the International Cricket Council and as an associate member of the Asian Cricket Council last week.

India's Sachin Tendulkar has been confirmed as the captain of the Asian XI which will take on the Rest of the World XI led by England captain Alec Stewart for the charity match at the Oval on July 29. The match has been organised by the former England Prime Minister and the President of the Surrey County Cricket Club John Major in an effort to collect funds for the Oval Trust.

Apart from Tendulkar, the Asia team also includes India stars Mohd Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Singh, Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble and is to be managed by the present Indian team coach Kapil Dev.

Asian XI: Sachin Tendulkar (Ind, capt), Mohammad Azharuddin (Ind), Ajay Jadeja (Ind), Anil Kumble (Ind), Venkatesh Prasad (Ind), Robin Singh (Ind), Javagal Srinath (Ind), Wasim Akram (Pak), Shoaib Akhtar (Pak), Moin Khan (Pak, wk), Saqlain Mushtaq (Pak), Saeed Anwar (Pak). Manager: Kapil Dev (Ind).

Rest of the World XI: Alec Stewart (Eng, capt and wk), Nasser Hussain (Eng), Alan Mullally (Eng), Graham Thorpe (Eng), Michael Slater (Aus), Shane Warne (Aus), Courtney Walsh (WI), Nathan Astle (NZ), Chris Cairns (NZ), Neil Johnson (Zim), Heath Streak (Zim). Manager: Keith Medlycott (Eng).

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly scored 36 runs off 77 balls as Lancashire collapsed for 172 on the second day in the PPP Healthcare County Championship Division One match against Derbyshire at Derby on Saturday.

In reply to Derbyshire's 307, Lancashire started their first innings disastrously losing former England captain Micheal Atherton for a duck. Then thanks to Ganguly they moved to 135, when he was adjudged leg before to Dominic Cork who finished with six for 41. This started a dramatic collapse as Cork ran through the rest of the side.

Meanwhile Indian leg spinner Anil Kumble went wicketless for the second day while conceeding 101 runs in his 35 overs as Surrey raced to 505 in their first innings against Leicestershire at Oakham School Ground thanks to a marathon unbeaten 295 by Alister Brown. Kumble could not do much with the bat either, scoring just 10 runs as Leicestershire collapsed to 134 for the loss of nine wickets at stumps.