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The absence of world number one Rafael Nadal has taken the shine off the Davis Cup final and left Argentina as firm favourites to beat Spain and win the trophy for the first time.

Unbeaten at home for 10 years, Argentina now have higher-ranked players in their favour as well as the playing surface and a partisan crowd.

Nadal pulled out last week after failing to recover from tendonitis in his right knee and blamed his injury on an overloaded tennis calendar.

His withdrawal produced mixed feelings in the home camp.

“I regret that he’s not coming, because all the Argentines wanted to see him, but it’s also right to say that all Argentines want us to be Davis Cup champions,” said Argentina captain Alberto Mancini.

“In that sense, it’s good news because our chances have got better.”

Argentina, taking part in their third final and at home for the first time, have chosen to stage the game on an indoor surface at the Islas Malvinas arena in the resort of Mar del Plata.

Their usual venue is the larger Parque Roca in Buenos Aires but the clay surface is also preferred by the Spaniards.

The choice of venue turned into a political battle with several other cities hoping to stage the prestigious event and politicians jumping on the bandwagon.

Despite Nadal’s absence, it has been almost impossible for the general public to buy tickets at the 11,000 capacity arena with only 300 sold at the venue and another 1,500 over the Internet.

The rest have gone to members of the Argentina Tennis Association (AAT) and sponsors.

Although Mar del Plata is a major resort, hotels have doubled their prices and many said they were sold out two months ago.

David Nalbandian, Argentina’s most experienced player, publicly criticised the decision to prefer Mar del Plata over his native Cordoba.

Argentina’s challenge will be led by Juan Martin del Potro who has enjoyed a meteoric rise this year, winning four ATP titles in a row on his way into the top ten.

Ranked ninth, he also won the fifth and decisive rubber in the semi-final against Russia, destroying Igor Andreev in straight sets.

Nalbandian is two places below in the rankings.

David Ferrer, ranked 12, will lead the Spanish challenge as they attempt to add to their wins in 2000 and 2004.

“It’s disappointing Nadal cannot be with us but we shouldn’t talk about him any more from now on,” said Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario.

Marcel Granollers, ranked 56th in the world, has taken Nadal’s place.

Shane Watson has tipped Andrew Symonds for the first Test against New Zealand that begins Thursday, though it can scuttle his chances to be in the side.

The two all-rounders are included in Australia’s 13 man-squad but it won’t come as a surprise if Symonds makes the cut at the expense of Watson for the first Test at Gabba.

‘If Roy gets a spot, he bloody deserves it, he’s been a great player for a number of years,’ Watson was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph. ‘I wouldn’t feel hard done by, no way. I’m still only 27, so I know I’ve got a lot of really good cricket in front of me,’ Watson said.

‘Roy definitely deserves an opportunity whenever he’s ready to go. He’s performed so well in some tough times for Australia and you can’t take that away from him.’

Watson, who came at place of Symonds after the Darwin fiasco gave some fine performances in the recently concluded tour of India. So it would be harsh if he has to sit out the first Test. But Watson says he is taking things in his stride.

‘What happened to Roy on the Darwin tour gave me another opportunity to have a crack at Test cricket, so that’s the roundabouts of professional sport,’ Watson said. ‘I used to worry about a lot when I was younger and probably put too much pressure on myself.’

‘Now I’m just enjoying every minute of playing. Hopefully I get another opportunity. Whether it’s now or in a couple of years, who knows? I know when I get another opportunity I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.’

Incidentally, in 2006-07 Ashes series, Symonds was only handed his chance because Watson, who had originally been selected, struggled with persistent hamstring injuries.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been asked by the Ranchi District Arms Magistrate to produce a character certificate for getting a license to keep a 9mm pistol.

The Magistrate recently wrote to Dhoni that he should furnish a `Swachchhata Praman Patra` (character certificate) if he wished to procure the weapon in view of the increasing criminal activities in Jharkhand, police said today.

The certificate could be obtained from SP (Special Branch), SP (Vigilance) and SP (CID), said the letter, in the first official communication after the cricketer applied for the weapon in September.

Annoyed over the requirement of `character certificate` from their hero, a group of Dhoni fans tonight demonstrated at the Elbert Ekka Chowk.

Dhoni enjoys `Z` category security and has a non-prohibited gun license.

Australian bowlers tried every trick in the book to script a twist in the tale but India’s middle order batsmen did not flinch as the third Test, which will now be remembered as captain Anil Kumble’s swansong, ended in a drab draw in New Delhi on Sunday.Only an extraordinary batting collapse could have forced a result in this highly predictable Test but the blatantly batsman-biased track had only turn for the spinners and hardly anything else.

Taking 20 wickets, a pre-requisite for winning a Test match, proved a task beyond the hapless bowlers from either side who could only watch in dismay as the first two innings alone yielded nearly 1200 runs with just 17 wickets tumbling.

Having protected their 1-0 lead in the four-match series, earned courtesy their crushing 320-run triumph in Mohali, India now move to Nagpur for the last match of the series sans Kumble, who decided to quit after playing his final Test at his happy hunting ground.

Peyton Manning sat in with the Tennessee Titans‘ defensive line meeting Wednesday. Not in person, but as a life-size decal stuck on the wall.

The Titans know only too well that getting to the two-time MVP is never easy. They’ve sacked him only 11 times in 13 games against the Indianapolis Colts, but that remains the top goal defensively as the Titans prepare to play their AFC South rival on Monday night.

“I’m just looking at getting after Peyton,” defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth said. “That’s our whole key: just to get him off his spot, to hit him as many times as we can, just to rattle him. That’s our whole goal. I know as a defensive front, you go in our room you see that Fathead of Peyton on our wall, so that’s what we’re looking for.”

Getting to Manning has been challenging for Tennessee over the years. The Titans went through four straight games in 2005 and 2006 without sacking Manning even once. Even as they became a playoff team last season, they still only sacked Manning twice, although a big hit by Kyle Vanden Bosch on Manning led to Cortland Finnegan’s first career interception.

This season, the Titans have 18 sacks that have them ranked sixth in the NFL. Haynesworth already has matched his career high with six through the first six games, and sacking Manning could be a big step toward the Titans improving the best start in franchise history to 7-0 and seizing control of the division.

Protecting Manning is the Colts’ main goal, something that has been tougher for Indianapolis (3-3) with two rookies starting at guard the past three games: Mike Pollak and Jamey Richard. Manning has been sacked nine times through the first three games. Green Bay didn’t sack Manning in last week’s 34-14 win, but returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

Defensive end Jevon Kearse said the Colts, who had Wednesday off, have a scheme for Manning to get rid of the ball quickly.

“He’s a smart guy back there when he has a football in his hands. He gets rid of the ball on time,” Kearse said.

Kearse hasn’t had a chance to chase Manning since 2003, when he was last with the Titans. He missed the Colts’ game while with Philadelphia in 2006 because of a knee injury, but he did sack Manning’s brother, Eli, five times in two games combined in 2005 and 2006. Kearse has only 1 1/2 sacks and nine quarterback pressures since re-signing with Tennessee this offseason.

He can’t wait for Monday night’s bright lights.

“They say freaks come out at night,” the defensive end nicknamed the Freak said. “I’m waiting to have my one big breakout game.”

The Titans aren’t buying into talk that Manning isn’t quite himself after needing two surgeries on his left knee, procedures that kept him out of the preseason. Manning still is completing 60.7 percent of his passes even though he has only one more touchdown pass (eight) than interceptions (seven).

“You don’t see any evidence of any problems with his lower body,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.

“He’s setting up, he’s scrambling, runs for a first downs if need be. He’s throwing with accuracy. They’ve played several games that they very well could have won, so the record’s misleading, and I think the buzz out there is misleading. He always shows up big in big games like this so we’ll get him at his best.”

The Australian media sees Zaheer Khan’s confrontation with Matthew Hayden in the Mohali Test as not in the ’spirit’ Indian captain Anil Kumble talked of during the summer’s controversial series Down Under.

In a scathing attack on the Australian team after the Sydney Test, Kumble said ‘only one team played in the spirit of the game’ after the home team’s controversial victory which saw questionable umpiring decisions.

Zaheer’s on-field behaviour in the Mohali Test, which India won by a record 320 runs was unwarranted, according to The Australian.

The fast bowler charged towards Hayden after the opener was dismissed in Australia’s second innings and had an animated chat. Zaheer was later fined 80 per cent of his match fee.

‘India made a mockery of captain Kumble’s claim about playing in the spirit of game, with bowler Khan fined for abusing Matthew Hayden after he was dismissed,’ the report said.

‘When India lost a tight second Test in Sydney last January, Kumble created uproar when he claimed that only one team was playing in the spirit of the game. He was not talking about the Australians.’

The report said the Mohali incident reinforces India’s standing as the worst behaved team in the world over the past decade.

‘While Indian cricketers often claim to be the aggrieved victim, India has had almost 50 separate International Cricket Council guilty verdicts against it over the past 10 years. This compares with Australia’s 30 or so.’

Indian paceman Zaheer Khan was today fined 80 per cent of his match fee for violating the ICC Code of Conduct by running towards Australian opener Matthew Hayden and shouting at him after his dismissal on the fourth day of the second cricket Test here. Zaheer was found guilty of Level 2 charge under clause C1 of the ICC Code of Conduct which states that players “shall at all times conduct play within the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws of Cricket.

” Zaheer pleaded guilty in the hearing, conducted by match referee Chris Broad, and also attended by all four umpires and India coach Gary Kirsten. The fast bowler has the right to appeal within 24 hours of the decision.

The incident that led to the charge being laid took place after the fall of the first wicket in Australia’s second innings yesterday. After Hayden was dismissed by Harbhajan Singh, Khan ran from his fielding position towards the outgoing batsman.

He then circled the batsman and shouted at him in an aggressive manner before returning to his team-mates. “Clearly, this sort of behaviour is not acceptable at any level of cricket — it showed a lack of respect for the player who had been dismissed,” said Broad, a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.

If the FIFA World Cup 2006 could go carbon neutral, why can’t the cash-rich Indian Premier League - the Twenty-20 fiesta that’s now one season old - be accountable for the environmental damage it contributes to is a question that has led two students to chalk out a detailed roadmap for a green IPL.

Their report, ‘A Roadmap to Climate Neutrality’, could help IPL go carbon neutral ‘at a cost lower than the value of the IPL winner’s trophy’, according to 20-something Abhijit Parashar and Abhishek Mittal, students respectively of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai.

Parashar says: “While watching IPL last year, we thought that a cash rich event like the IPL that is causing emissions could very well cover the damage it was causing to the environment. It was then that we started thinking on the lines of FIFA 2006 which had gone carbon neutral and started working on our research.”

The research takes into account both direct emissions (like the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from players’ flights) and indirect emission components (like GHG emissions from the energy consumed by the millions of TV sets used by home spectators) and then suggests offset mechanisms and their economic viability. The report even found acclaim at the 14th annual International Sustainable Research Development Conference at New Delhi last month.

Parashar is also the founder of Delta Climate, an organization that has launched the ‘Green IIT’ Initiative to make all IITs “socially responsible and learning organisations for the pursuit of campus sustainability”.

“We have approached the IPL with our research hoping that they think about our methodology for its future events. However, we have not received any response from them yet,” says Mittal, a fourth year electrical engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IITB). A carbon neutral event is one that does not add any GHG emissions to the atmosphere over and above normal emission levels. Mittal says the IPL can go carbon neutral by buying carbon credits from European markets or by funding green projects like wind farms.

The duo had even sent a questionnaire to the IPL, hoping to get information like stadium capacities, etc. However, when they did not elicit any response, they decided to carry out the analysis with ‘appropriate assumptions’ based on information available on the IPL website, media reports and some other Internet sources.

Events that have gone carbon neutral include World Summit on Sustainable Development, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the 2005 United Nations Commonwealth Conference, etc.

The research states that the total amount of the GHG emissions (Infrastructure, transport without flights, flights, hotel, catering, waste) caused by IPL’s direct component was 10,980.44 tonnes and that that the cost of making the IPL carbon neutral would be Rs 1.26 crore or US $ 0.315 million, a fraction of the overall event outlay of over US $ 1 billion.

Further, it states that with the costs that the IPL has incurred in auctioning players (for instance, Mahendra Singh Dhoni of the Chennai Super Kings team was auctioned for US $ 1.5 million) and taking into account the $ 1.2 million as prize money, offsetting its emissions should not pose a financial challenge. According to Mittal, for conferences, sports events, festivals, concerts etc., turning carbon neutral is simple enough, involving only some “changing of one’s habit patterns”.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting said Thursday that the drawn Bangalore Test against India had left a bad taste in his mouth despite his maiden century on Indian soil.

Looking forward to making the most at the second Test match that begins at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here Friday, Ponting said that his team was more focussed on the game rather than the off-field controversies.

‘Our job is to focus on the game and executing skills on the ground,’ Ponting said when asked about the war of words between both sides and the criticism of the Indian players by the Australian media.

Ponting said that fast bowler Peter Siddle will make his debut in place of an injured Stuart Clarke.

‘Peter is up for the challenge. He is a good explorer of reverse swing. I am sure he will find his rhythm,’ Ponting said.

The Australian captain said that the Mohali pitch had more bounce and pace compared to other wickets in India.

Asked about the Indian spinners not doing too well in the Bangalore Test, Ponting said: ‘That (lack of form) is not so. But our team has thought about it and has worked out how to play the spinners.’

‘We had a good confident start (in Bangalore). One game does not decide the series,’ Ponting said.

He praised the Indian fast bowlers for using the reverse swing effectively in Bangalore.

Ponting went on to add that former Indian coach Greg Chappell was of help to understand the Indian conditions.

‘His influence has been terrific because he has been such a great player. He also has good knowledge about the Indian players,’ Ponting said.

About Sachin Tendulkar becoming the highest run scorer in test cricket in this match, Ponting joked: ‘I hope he doesn’t get there in this game.’

On a more serious note, he said: ‘If he happens to break the record, it will be great. All my Australian team mates will go to congratulate him.’