Batsman Gautam Gambhir was named India's top international cricketer for the 2008-2009 season and awarded the Polly Umrigar Trophy at an Indian cricket board function Sunday. Left-handed opener Gambhir, who is also ICC's Test Cricketer of the Year, scored 1269 runs with five centuries in eight Tests during the award period Oct. 1, 2008 to Sept. 30, 2009 and was consistent in the shorter formats of the game. West Indies takes lead Powered by a gritty and unbeaten century (155) by skipper Chris Gayle, West Indies took 296 runs lead in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval Monday. At stumps, West Indies was on 284-8 with Gayle unbeaten in company of Rampaul. However, other than Chanderpaul and Nash other batsmen failed to lend support to Gayle. West Indies lost the first Test tamely. Scores: West Indies 451 and 284-8 (Gayle 155*, Chanderpaul 27, Nash 24, Bravo 22, Johnson 4-85, Bollinger 2-36). Australia 439. Murali to miss T20s Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan may miss Sri Lanka's two Twenty20 Internationals against India next week due to a finger injury on his bowling hand. The world record holder for most wickets in Test and one-day cricket told reporters he suffered the injury while playing soccer following the second day's play of the third Test. India won the final Test on Sunday by an innings and 24 runs to clinch the three-match series 2-0 and secure the top spot in the test rankings for the first time. “It will take a few days to recover,” he told reporters. “I am not sure whether I will be fit for the Twenty20s, but I should be okay for the one-dayers.” The two Twenty20 matches will be played Wednesday in Nagpur and Saturday in Mohali.The one-day series starts on Dec. 15.
