Aaron, Rahane replace Ishant, Sehwag in ODIs

 India's new pace sensation Varun Aaron and promising batsman Ajinkya Rahane will reinforce India's limited-overs squad in England after Ishant Sharma and Virender Sehwag were ruled out on Monday.

After amassing a mere 41 runs in four Test innings, which included a king pair, Indian opener Sehwag will now miss the one-off Twenty20 clash as well as the one day international (ODI) series against England.

It is understood that Sehwag has not completely recovered from the shoulder surgery he underwent immediately after the IPL in May.

Sehwag had a quiet word with the two on-tour national selectors - Narendra Hirwani and Surendra Bhave - and the team management; and the decision was then conveyed to the BCCI top brass.

In addition to the shoulder injury, Sehwag has also been suffering from hearing problems in his left ear, after being exposed to a loud sound on July 24, according to the note sent by the National Cricket Academy physiotherapist Nitin Patel to the tour physio Ashish Kaushik when the opener joined the squad for the tour match in Northampton.

Meanwhile, Ishant, who sustained a ligament injury in his left ankle during the Birmingham Test, has also been ruled out.

Aaron has been knocking on Team India's door every since he burst onto the scene in the Indian Premier League, More recently, the 21-year-old took 25 wickets from 11 first-class matches and confirmed his potential when he ended up the top wicket-taker (10 in four games) in the Emerging Players Meet in Australia.

Rahane has been one of the busiest player in the domestic cricket. He too gave a good account of himself in the Emerging Players Meet by being the top-scorer with 311 runs in four matches, including two centuries at an average of 67.72. He has played 48 first-class matches and scored 4673 runs at an average of 67.72.

Australia claim series in style

Australia took an unbeatable 3-1 lead in their one-day series against Sri Lanka with a convincing five-wicket victory in Colombo on Saturday.

Inspired by four-wicket hauls from both Xavier Doherty and Brett Lee, Australia rolled the hosts for just 132 and easily reached the victory target for the loss of five wickets and with 22 overs to spare.

Lee and Doug Bollinger (1-28 off seven) got Australia's day off to a fine start by dismissing openers Tillakaratne Dilshan (12) and Upul Tharanga (8) inside the first 10 overs.

But a solid 71-run stand from Kumar Sangakkara (31) and Mahela Jayawardene (53) appeared to settle the home side, before Doherty sparked a remarkable collapse by the home team.

The Tasmanian spinner picked up the wickets of Sangakkara and Chamara Silva (0) in the 26th over, eventually grabbing career-best ODI figures of 4-26 off 10 overs.

When Lee, 4-15 off 6.4 overs, cleaned up the tail and ended the innings Sri Lanka had lost their final eight batsmen for just 37 runs.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga (2-18 off seven) gave the home team some hope by removing Shane Watson (12) and Ricky Ponting (0) in the same over but Shaun Marsh's well-made 70 and Michael Clarke's 38no steadied the ship with a 97-run stand for the third wicket.

Sri Lanka leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna (3-32 off six) provided some late joy for the home fans by claiming three wickets in four balls, dismissing Marsh and then Michael and David Hussey (both 0).

But that mini-collapse came too late to cause any real concerns for Australia who coasted to victory in the next over.

The series concludes with a fifth and final match at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday.

A three-Test series begins in Galle on August 31.

Cricket: Australia set for Sri Lanka spin assault

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka, Aug 9, 2011 - - Australia are gearing up for a Sri Lankan spin assault when the two teams clash in a five-match one-day series starting in Pallekele on Wednesday.

Tillakaratne Dilshan's home side hope to carry the momentum into the one-day matches after winning both Twenty20 internationals against Australia at the same venue over the past three days.

Australia's uneasiness at facing spin was exposed on Monday when unorthodox slow bowler Ajantha Mendis grabbed 6-16, the best figures ever in international Twenty20 cricket, to fashion his team's remarkable win.

The tourists, chasing Sri Lanka's 157-9, were cruising at 71-0 on the back of Shane Watson's attacking half-century before nine wickets fell for 78 runs.

Dilshan said the Twenty20 wins will give his side the advantage in the one-dayers and the three Test matches that follow.

"It is good to make a winning start against a strong side like Australia and I am sure we can carry the momentum into the one-dayers," said Dilshan, who struck an unbeaten century in the first match.

"The one-dayers will be a lot tougher, but I am confident we will do well."

Cameron White, Australia's Twenty20 captain, who will return home this week because he is not part of either the one-day or Test squads, said a spin assault awaited the tourists.

"It's going to be the same during the one-day series," said White.

"It'll be hard and tough work for the batsmen against the spinners.

"It's no secret. It's just going to be about who can come out on top at the end of the series."

Australia will be bolstered by the return of captain Michael Clarke and senior pros Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey who have considerable experience when it comes to facing spin bowlers.

White said he hoped their experience will help Australia, the world's top-ranked one-day team, tackle Mendis and the other spinners better.

"These seniors have seen a lot of Mendis in the past which is a definite advantage," he said.

"The more you play such bowlers, the easier it becomes to face them."

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, included sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga and opening batsman Upul Tharanga in the 16-man squad announced on Tuesday.

Malinga missed the Twenty20 games due to a back injury, while Tharanga has served out a three-month suspension on dope-related charges.

Australia (from): Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Steven Smith, John Hastings, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, James Pattinson, Doug Bollinger.

Sri Lanka (from): Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeevan Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera, Upul Tharanga, Suranga Lakmal, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Chamara Silva, Shaminda Eranga.