Sydney, Nov. 15 : Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting, team coach Tim Nielsen and the cricket selectors ignored the basics of the game, and that is why they lost the series to India in India two nil, claims former player and noted commentator Peter Roebuck.

Responding to Ponting’s criticism of his write-ups during the series, Roebuck said that Ponting’s leadership was questionable and his field settings were contrived, but added that the pitches were also partly to blame for the final result.

Sydney, Nov. 15 : The recently concluded four-Test series between India and Australia, which India won two nil, would have been described by Australian cricketing legend Sir Donald Bradman as “Bloody Good Test Cricket”.

Shanghai, Nov. 15 : Britain’s Andy Murray has said that his triumph over Swiss Roger Federer in the quarter-finals of the Masters’ Cup here is as good as winning the title.

Murray who beat Federer 4-6 7-6 7-5 in a minute over three hours, now marches into the semi-finals of the Masters Cup.

Having beaten the Swiss superstar for the third time this year Murray was quoted by The Sun as saying: “It was a great match, probably one of the best I’ve ever been involved in. A win against Federer in a match like that is similar to winning the Masters Cup itself.”

“Psychologically, a win like that is going to be huge for me next time I play him — especially in big matches,” he added.

Melbourne, Nov. 15 : The Australian cricket team is on the lookout for a full-time travelling sports psychologist to prevent players from breaking down mentally.

According to the Courier Mail, South Africa and India both have "mental coaches" but Australia engage the services of a sports shrink only occasionally.

Australia''s arduous schedule in the next 12 months means there will almost certainly be combustible mental issues to counter.

Former Australian coach John Buchanan is behind a push for a more extended team support network, including a sports psychologist, and the Australian Cricketers'' Association is developing a blueprint to examine the issue.

London, Nov. 15 : Former England football star Paul `Gazza’ Gascoigne flew back to Britain yesterday and hit a local pub after his lover Sally Mulholland spurned his offer of marriage at her home in Portugal.

But after she refused to marry him the distraught alcoholic packed his bags and flew straight back to Britain, reports The Daily Star.

Gazza, 41, phoned his family close to tears after she told him it was “too soon” for them to tie the knot, having just divorced her Portuguese husband Jose Ramos, 44.

He had appeared to be winning his battle with the bottle since falling for teetotal Sally, 43, but now family and friends fear he could go back to his old boozy ways.

Shanghai  - Roger Federer said he remains convinced he was flirting with a tennis miracle in a fighting defeat against Andy Murray at the Masters Cup, which ended his season.

Failing to reach the semi-finals for the first time in seven appearances at the year-end tournament meant the Swiss player had to swallow a bitter defeat as he saved seven match points before losing to Murray for the third time in four 2008 meetings.