Hundred for Ratra as Indians enjoy conditions in Derby Parthiv Patel may have captured the attention of the media, but Ajay Ratra demonstrated that he is fighting to get his Test place back with an innings of 101 not out for the Indians in their tour match at Derby. Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh all got into the forties as the tourists reached an imposing total of 445 for seven declared - enjoying the batting practice afforded by a second string Derbyshire attack and some equally friendly conditions. Ratra took 206 balls and hit 14 fours in his hundred. The county side then made a steady start to their reply. Steve Stubbings and Rawait Khan put on 131 for the opening partnership before Stubbings was bowled by Harbhajan Singh for 66. Dominic Hewson fell to Kumble for 66 as well, and then Kumble picked up another wicket before the close leaving Derbyshire on 228 for three - still 217 behind. Khan is not out 77.

Rattled Hussain resorts to mind games Losing the second Test at Headingley, English captain Nasser Hussain has started to lay the psychological groundwork ahead of the decided at the Oval. "India will be under pressure," he suggested. "They will be desperate to win. They have to make history in that last game. I'm sure they'll have some butterflies." But Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly smiled away the comments. "We are under pressure to win away and we are under pressure to win at home," he said with a smile. "Pressure is good." England's main problems lay in the bowling department, and Hussain acknowledged as much. "The ball was swinging around, and we haven't got our length right," he said. "When they tried to go full, they got floaty and bowled leg side." "Something like this was always going to happen," continued Hussain. "India are a fine, fine side. They were going to click at some stage and they clicked here. Whatever we do first up at The Oval will be the key. We have got to dent their confidence." Ganguly meanwhile is looking to his star batsman to dazzle in the next Test. "We can look forward to another lift next week, when 29-year-old Sachin Tendulkar plays his 100th Test match," wrote Ganguly in his newspaper column. "I expect to see supporters coming from miles around to salute his landmark, which has never been reached at such a young age." The Indian captain also recognised that spin could be their best weapon on a pitch that has been favourable to spinners in the recent past. "The Oval is something of a home from home for visiting spinners...which must be encouraging news for our two twirlers, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh."

Flintoff to miss fourth Test and ICC Trophy Whoever is bowling short around the wicket to Sachin Tendulkar at the Oval next week, it won't be Andrew Flintoff. The burly England all-rounder - who, to much criticism, played the third Test with a hernia - is undergoing an operation, confirmed the ECB Medical Team yesterday. The operation will force him out of approximately four weeks of cricket, making him unavailable for the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka as well. He is, however, expected to be fit for England's Ashes tour of Australia this winter. "I managed to get through the game and I bowled my overs, but I would be lying if I said it wasn't painful," said Flintoff of the Leeds Test. "The Ashes is the main thing now - that's the big one. I want to have the hernia sorted out sooner rather than later so I'm 100% okay for Australia."

Where did England's bowlers go wrong at Leeds? Find out in "Stat Fact." Click Here The Oval stage is all set for Sachin Tendulkar, says Sourav Ganguly. Read the Indian captain's entire column. Get all your cricketing questions answered. Just "Ask Philip." Click Here