Sachin Tendulkar to play 200th Test at home ground

India legend Sachin Tendulkar has got his wish to play his 200th and final Test at his home ground in Mumbai. The 40-year-old former captain announced his decision to retire from all forms of cricket last week. Tendulkar in numbers Test matches (198) He has scored 15,837 runs at an average of 53.86, hitting 51 tons and 67 half centuries. His top score was an unbeaten 248 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in December 2004 One-day internationals (463) He has scored 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23. He has scored 49 centuries (highest score 200) and 96 fifties Twenty20 internationals He only made one international appearance in the shortest form of the game, scoring 12 from 15 balls against South Africa in December 2006 Tendulkar's full career statistics (Cricinfo) The Wankhede Stadium, where he made his first class debut in 1988, will host the second match of the two-Test series against West Indies from 14 November. His mother, who has never seen her son play an international match during his 24-year career, is expected to attend. Tendulkar is the highest scorer in both Tests and one-day internationals, with 15,837 runs in 198 Tests and 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs. He made his international debut aged 16 in November 1989 and last year became the only batsman in the history of the game to score 100 international centuries. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) squeezed the home series into the schedule to allow Tendulkar to retire in front of his home fans. The first time Tendulkar played at the Wankhede, he became, at the age of 15, the youngest Indian to score a century on his first-class debut. In his last Test against the West Indies at the ground, Ravi Rampaul denied him a century by dismissing him for 94. Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the opening match of the series from 6-10 November.

Former England paceman Harmison retires

LONDON: Stephen Harmison, the former England paceman who has failed to make a single fist-class appearance in Durham's title-winning year, announced his retirement on Sunday. The 34-year-old, who took 226 Test wickets for his country, told regional newspaper Sunday Sun that he had "known for a while" that he would be calling it a day at the end of the 2013 season. Harmison's retirement follows on from that of Matthew Hoggard last month, meaning all four of England's feared pace attack from the 2005 Ashes have now called time on their careers to some extent. Simon Jones is to remain as a Twenty20 specialist, while Andrew Flintoff retired in 2010. It was while in an England shirt and specifically while bowling with the likes of Flintoff and Hoggard that Harmison made his name. His brilliant seven for 12 in the West Indies in 2004 marked him out as one of the most feared fast bowlers on the planet, and he carried his form through to England's memorable win over Australia a year later. Harmison made his Durham debut in 1996 and has been a one-county man short of a loan spell with Yorkshire when his body had started to fail him. While Harmison is proud of his work with Durham, the wider cricketing community will associate him with one of England's golden periods, during which he reached the top of the Test bowling rankings. (AFP)

T&T beat Chennai, through to semis

Trinidad and Tobago achieved their first objective as they bowled out Chennai Super Kings for 118 in 19.4 overs after putting them in to bat. In response, they chased down the target in 15.1 overs. The Caribbean side will now face Mumbai Indians in the second semifinal here Saturday while CSK take on Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur Friday. Openers Lendl Simmons (63) and Evin Lewis (38) gave a solid start to their chase, striking a 79-run partnership. After the in-form Lewis was caught in front of the stumps by part time bowler Suresh Raina, Simmons continued his onslaught. The right hand bat Simmons anchored the innings with his 41-ball knock which included five fours and four sixes while Darren Bravo (11 not out) saw the team home. There was not much to talk about the Super Kings' bowling as only Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin managed to clinch a wicket each. Earlier, the Super Kings batsmen were really not in their elements as they collapsed for a measly 118 with only three of their batsman getting into double figures. It was more of dismal batting from the two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions than a good bowling performance of T&T, which led to the result. Only opener Murali Vijay (27), skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (25) and Raina (38) showed some potential in the otherwise drab batting show by the 2010 CLT20 champions. Pacers Ravi Rampaul and Lendl Simmons clinched two wickets each as all-rounder Rayad Emrit took three with his medium pace. Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 118 all out in 19.4 overs (Suresh Raina 38, Murali Vijay 27, Mahendra Singh Dhoni 25; Rayad Emrit 3/21, Lendl Simmons 2/10, Ravi Rampaul 2/31) lost to Trinidad and Tobago 119/2 in 15.1 overs (Lendl Simmons 63, Evin Lewis 38, Darren Bravo 11 not out; Suresh Raina 1/16, Ravichandran Ashwin 1/24).