England in India

England have lost three World Cup finals, and one of those unfortunate reverses came in 1987 at Eden Gardens, Calcutta.

And it is at the same noisy cauldron of cricketing passion - expect around 90,000 fans to be packed into the stadium on Saturday - that England begin their one-day series against India.

Five more matches will follow, but it is a safe bet that none of the later encounters will have anything like the crowd size that Eden Gardens usually throws up. Certainly, nowhere else will be as noisy.

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England coach Duncan Fletcher faces an anxious wait to see if Marcus Trescothick will be fit for Saturday's one-day international against India. Trescothick is the latest victim of the stomach bug which has affected numerous other members of the tour party.

The Somerset left-hander was unable to bat during England's comprehensive victory over a sub-standard Bengal Cricket Association line-up on Thursday.

He contracted the illness shortly after keeping wickets for 18 overs of their innings, and was immediately sent back to England's hotel.

Triangular in Australia

South Australia captain Darren Lehmann could be drafted into Australia's ailing one-day squad after smashing 143 against New South Wales on Friday.

Lehmann's century pointedly served as a reminder to Australia's selectors that this member of their 1999 World Cup-winning side is in superb form. The left-hander, who is also Yorkshire's captain next season, hit 22 fours and one six in his 130- ball effort.

Australia have lost their opening three matches in the one-day series against South Africa and New Zealand and are in danger of missing the finals for only the third time since they started hosting these series in 1979-80.

Pakistan in Bangladesh

Bangladesh lost the second Test against Pakistan by an innings and 169 runs as pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis took four wickets apiece.

The second session on day three saw five wickets fall - three for paceman Shoaib and two for off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

That made things 147 for eight, and Bangladesh were never likely to continue things much longer in the final session of day three.

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Former Pakistan player captain and coach Javed Miandad has accused Bangladesh of not trying hard enough, while questioning their right to retain Test status.

Bangladesh lost the second Test against Pakistan in Chittagong by an innings and 169 runs on Friday with two days to spare, their 10th loss in 11 matches. Nine of the defeats have come within four days.

"They have to give more creditable performances at Test level or the ICC will soon come under pressure to review its decision to give them Test status," said Javed.

"Every team has taken time to settle down and prove its worth after gaining Test status but the Bangladesh team, I am afraid, have not taken their Test status seriously.

Miscellaneous

The West Indies suffered another major injury blow ahead of the trip to Sharjah where they will play two Tests and three one-dayers against Pakistan.

Guyana's Ramnaresh Sarwan, one of their leading batting hopes, has strained a back muscle and will not be available for selection. The 21-year-old right-hander has got his Test average close to 40 after a good showing on the recent tour of Sri Lanka.

The West Indies lost the series 3-0 but were it not for Sarwan and Brian Lara's batting they would have been even more embarrassed.

A possible replacement for Sarwan is Sherwin Campbell, a former West Indies vice-captain, though Campbell is a natural opener whereas Sarwan is a middle order batsman.

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Veteran batsman Aravinda de Silva may be given a chance to revive his Test career in England later this year.

The 36-year-old, the star of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup triumph, has been included in a training squad for a one-day tournament in Sharjah in April and the tour to England which follows. De Silva has scored almost 6,000 runs in 89 Test appearances, including 19 centuries, but has not played since last year's home series against England.

The team has achieved unprecedented success in his absence and is currently on an eight-Test winning streak, having recently beaten both West Indies and Zimbabwe 3-0.

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