England defeat India in World Cup

By Stephan Shemilt BBC Sport in Mumbai Captain Charlotte Edwards struck a brilliant century as England kick-started their World Cup campaign with a 32-run win over hosts India.

Edwards' 109 took the defending champions to 272-8 in Mumbai and also saw her become the highest run-scorer in women's one-day internationals.

India were then reduced to 29-3 by the pace of Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole and, despite an unbeaten hundred from Harmanpreet Kaur, the hosts could only close on 240-9.

With West Indies thrashing Sri Lanka in Sunday's other Group A game,  England know victory over the Windies on Tuesday will guarantee them a place in the Super Six stage.

"Katherine Brunt's been the key today, I just don't think many bowlers [in the women's game] have that extra pace in their armoury. A few years ago, you wouldn't have thought of bowling that many bouncers - the game is changing."

And an India win over Sri Lanka in the final round of group matches could create the right set of circumstances for England to carry the maximum four points through to the next round - rendering the shock opening defeat by minnows Sri Lanka meaningless.

In that game on Friday, England were far below their best, but here, led by Edwards, they outplayed the hosts despite the significant disadvantage of losing the toss.

As tall pace bowler Jhulan Goswami took advantage of the chance to bowl in the dewy, humid conditions to have Danielle Wyatt caught at slip, Edwards was watchful to negate the India attack's biggest threat.

Sarah Taylor, back in the side after a hamstring injury, was driving fluently as soon as she came to the crease but, when Edwards eventually found some rhythm with cuts to the boundary, she outscored her partner.

The Kent batter overtook Belinda Clark's previous world record of 4,484 runs when she moved from 53 to 57 by slapping the leg-spin of Reema Malhotra through the covers.

And, despite seeing Taylor run out by Amita Sharma's direct hit from mid-on to end a stand of 100, Edwards moved towards a century with sweeps and drives on both sides of the wicket.

Now in the company of the strong leg-side hitting of Lydia Greenway, Edwards reached her seventh ODI century by late-cutting Goswami for four.

After Greenway was held at mid-on off Goswami and the promoted pinch-hitting of Brunt added impetus in the powerplay, Edwards' stylish knock was ended through no fault of her own as she was left short by Arran Brindle's call for a single on the off side.

1) Charlotte Edwards (England) 4,901 runs

2) Belinda Clark (Australia) 4,844

3) Karen Rolton (Australia) 4,814

4) Mithali Raj (India) 4,499

5) Claire Taylor (England) 4,101

Brindle was also involved in the run out of Heather Knight but, with the help of Laura Marsh's innovation, she scampered England to a total far in excess of India's previous highest successful chase of 230.

It seemed as though the hosts would need a telling contribution from in-form opening pair Poonam Raut and Thirush Kamini or captain Mithali Raj, but all three fell cheaply.

First Brunt found swing back into Kamini to trap the left-hander lbw, then she tempted Raj to upper-cut to Shrubsole at third man. When Raut was leg before playing across Shrubsole, India were up against it.

Kaur and Karuna Jain managed to rebuild with a fourth-wicket partnership of 106 but, as the hosts fell further behind the pace, Jain was caught at point off Brindle for 56 when looking to accelerate.

Though England saw Shrubsole limp off the pitch, their improvement from the defeat by Sri Lanka was demonstrated by Knight's catch to dismiss Goswami. On Friday, England dropped three costly chances but now Knight spectacularly leapt high and right at mid-off to hold the chance off Marsh.

Kaur remained, the wicketkeeper launching the only two sixes of the match as she completed a maiden ODI century.

However, by this point, the task was already beyond India and three wickets in three balls - two to Brunt and one to Wyatt - emphasised that England's World Cup defence was back on track.

In the other Group A game, Stafanie Taylor smashed 171 from 137 balls as the Windies posted 368-8 against Sri Lanka  before bowling out their opponents for 159.

In Group B, Australia edged to a three-wicket victory over South Africa  while New Zealand beat Pakistan  by seven wickets - meaning both victors progress to the Super Six stage, while Pakistan and South Africa meet on Tuesday to decide that group's final qualifier.

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A certificate for holiness in India

3 February 2013 Last updated at 03:12 GMT By Narayan Bareth Gautameshwar Some attend the temple from sheer faith, but others come to wash away small and "petty" sins The Kumbh Mela festival may have been attracting millions this year - but at any given time India is being criss-crossed by hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims looking for an encounter with divinity.

At certain times of the year I too am one of those pilgrims and in my travels I have observed how temples have adapted to fit the changing spiritual demands of India's public.

New technologies have begun catching up with India's holiest shrines. The biggest have developed sophisticated websites and you can even book darshan (a blessing) online.

Some offer e-darshans, where people can downloading the blessing.

But there is one remote and unique temple - a virtually undiscovered spiritual centre in the striking border wilderness between the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan - where you can get a written certificate for holiness.

Gautameshwar is a pilgrim centre where you can submerge yourself in holy waters, wash away your sins and get a certificate to prove you are cleansed.

Priest Jagdish Sharma says the temple is important for those who need to prove they are cleansed

All Hindus believe that a dip in holy waters washes away sin and many from across the country travel to pilgrim towns like Haridwar and Pushkar to take the holy dip.

But this is not simply about piety. Here it is also about holding together the fabric of local tribal communities.

People ostracised in their own villages come here to take a dip and then they can take back the certificate to prove themselves free of sin. It is possible to get a certificate in other places to prove you have partaken in certain prayers or taken a holy dip - but this appears to be quite an unusual kind of document.

Lush district

As one travels along the snaking road that leads to the temple, shopkeepers outside approach beseeching visitors to buy offerings like coconuts and sweets. When I was there, people were lining up to offer prayers.

It is a "centuries old tradition" and thousands of devotees come to offer prayers and get rid of their sins, says officiating priest Jagdish Sharma. Since 1947 six priests who serve at the temple have kept records of all the certificates issued.

This centre - dedicated to Lord Shiva - is especially popular with the tribal population in this lush district close to the Aravali mountain range and the picturesque Malwa Plateau - it has been described as "the Haridwar for tribals".

The site has a water tank called the Mandakini Kund, where people take a bath to purify their body and soul.

The legend here goes that a sage named Gautam was blamed for the death of an animal and cursed as a result of that.

"Gautam came here and prayed to the gods. So the River Ganges appeared here in Mandakini's form - a tributary of Ganga. He took a holy bath and found he was free from the curse. Ever since then people have been coming here to wash away their sins," Jagdish Sharma said when relating the rest of the story.

"When we do our agricultural work, intentionally or unintentionally we kill insects, birds and squirrels which is a sin. So we do penance here," farmer Gajendra Singh says as he plunges into the water.

A certificate even includes an address to tribal elders stating the recipient has taken the waters

Mr Singh came from a village in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh and told me he used to visit every year.

"It is our duty to offer prayer here and wash our sin." He said that after taking the waters, he felt a deep sense of relaxation.

'Sin' cleansed

It may seem like a peculiarity for the observer who would associate such an experience with the transcendental but for the people in this region, the certificate is of great importance - almost like a character reference.

Some communities want people to show proof they have been cleansed of any sin, like killing a cow. "So this certificate serves that purpose," priest Jagdish Sharma told me.

So I asked the head priest if I'd get a certificate if I took the waters too. He agreed and charged me 15 rupees for issuing the certificate.

I made a half-hearted attempt at a bath - roaming between the soul of a pilgrim and the mind of a journalist. But it was amazing to watch the scene while being part of the ritual. It will stay with me even though there is little need for me prove anything with it.

Talking with the priest Jagdish Sharma, it became clear that the need for a certificate was about issuing provable moral legitimacy to people's lives.

The pilgrim centre is particularly popular with tribal communities in the area

"Farmers and tribal people [have] come here for centuries," Mr Sharma said.

He said that if one of these people had committed a "sin", people from their local community would ask them to go to Gautameshwar and wash away the sin but also bring some proof that they actually made the visit.

He said that while some people do attend the temple from sheer faith, many come to wash away petty things. Some would simply be ostracised by their community if they did not bring back a certificate to show they had come.

Indeed the certificate also includes an address to community chiefs and village elders that the recipient of this "holiness" has indeed been freed from his sins so he can once again be embraced by the community.

From disputes over who gets to fix up ancient temples to holy centres dedicated to rats, where the many thousands of rats swarming the holy site are seen as an integral part of the mother goddess, Indians are still hungry for the sacred - but modern life is catching up.

Many wonder how long the unique legitimacy of a dip at the Gautameshwar holy centre will last and how long the priests will continue issuing the certificates.

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India rape accused not guilty plea

2 February 2013 Last updated at 12:07 GMT There is significant support in India for the death penalty for rapists Five men have pleaded not guilty to the rape and murder of a female student in a Delhi bus in December, one of the men's lawyers has said.

The men signed statements to say they were innocent after being formally charged in a fast-track court.

The court will begin hearing evidence from witnesses on Tuesday.

The brutal gang-rape caused outrage across the country, sparking nationwide protests and calls for the death penalty for rapists.

A sixth suspect is to be tried in a juvenile court.

Prosecutors are expected to call three witnesses at the start of the trial.

They say they have strong evidence against the five, including DNA and phone records.

On Friday, India's cabinet approved most of the recommendations of a commission set up to review sex crime laws after the case came to light.

Widespread anger

The 23-year-old woman, who cannot be named in India for legal reasons, was attacked after boarding a bus in south Delhi with a male friend.

Police said the assailants beat both of them, and then raped the woman. She suffered massive internal injuries and died nearly two weeks later.

The deadly attack triggered widespread anger about the treatment of women in India.

A commission under ex-chief justice JS Verma was appointed to examine the country's laws on sex crimes, issuing its report on 23 January.

Ministers approved many of the recommendations on Friday, paving the way for raising the penalty for gang rape to life.

But they went beyond the panel's recommendations and suggested the death sentence in rape cases where the victim dies or slips into a coma.

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Sporting dreams in India

14 November 2012 Last updated at 06:59 GMT By Hasit Shah BBC News The English Premier League is a big draw among Indian sport fans It surprises many people that despite its cricketing success, a country of 1.2 billion can fail to win a single gold medal at the London Olympics, or that its national football team is ranked only 169th in the world.

But India's huge, youthful population, its growing economy and increasing access to media are attracting major global sports organisations keen to invest in the passion and potential on offer.

The popularity of football in India took Steve Bellis by surprise. He works with Liverpool FC in its overseas development programmes, and travels to the country up to 10 times a year.

"When I first went to India, I thought it was going to be all cricket," he says. "But I saw kids playing football everywhere - on fields, in the street, on the beach in Mumbai.

"The sport is emerging here and it's a huge market."

For Indian football fans the biggest draw is England's Premier League, widely available on TV.

Liverpool is just one of the clubs trying to establish a presence in India. Rival Manchester United has opened a small chain of stores in major Indian cities and has even appointed an Indian to its board of directors.

Mr Bellis believes in a patient, long-term approach in India. He does not think there is easy money to be made, nor does he want to try.

"Many clubs open what they call academies", he says.

"In reality they're soccer schools that coach kids whose parents can afford to pay. It's not based on ability.

"We want to use the profits from our schools to fund a proper football academy for the best young players, and also a college for sports professionals."

There are sound economic reasons for putting in development money. If more children play, the greater the overall interest in the sport.

Teaching young Indians about marketing, sports medicine and other important aspects of the industry could also eventually reap rewards for overseas investors.

Despite experiencing the frustrations of doing business in India, such as transport and bureaucracy, Mr Bellis sees opportunities.

"It's a huge advantage if you can find the right partners, like we have," he says. "India is full of talented, smart people and there is a real 'can do' attitude."

'Players become fans'

Akash Jain, a 37-year-old from Detroit, manages the National Basketball Association's business affairs in India.

He is one of many Indian-American "returning" to a country their parents left many years ago.

"It's rewarding to play a key role in the development of a sport I love, in a country I have a strong personal connection with," he says.

America's National Basketball Association is trying to build a following in India

Mr Jain says he enjoys Mumbai, and plans to stay for the next few years.

The NBA is the only global sports league to have committed to a permanent base in India. "You have to be here to do business here," he says.

They recently signed a major broadcasting deal, giving the sport more exposure. Fans in India will be able to watch around 100 live games a season, as well as programmes about basketball.

But for Mr Jain, it's not just about TV viewers.

"The game of basketball is at the core of the NBA's global vision," he tells me. "We encourage participation, and believe players are likely to become fans.

"There are five million people playing basketball regularly in India and we have seen a 50% rise in participation in NBA grassroots programmes over the last two years, involving 1,000 teams across the country."

Although basketball is a simple game, like football its tactical intricacies are best understood by those who play.

The numbers Mr Jain mentions may create the kind of knowledgeable, passionate fans every sport needs in order to make money.

Besides, as he points out: "Basketball is perfectly suited to India. Beyond a ball, a hoop and a couple of players, you don't need much equipment and you can play in dense urban spaces."

No easy business

While big football clubs and major global leagues like the NBA are sending people to India, Indians who have worked and studied abroad are also coming back to get involved in the growing sports industry.

Vivek Sethia, 32, is a Delhi-born graduate of Cornell University who spent three years working for a leading consultancy in New York.

Vivek Sethia with tennis champion Maria Sharapova

He had always been a sports fan, and was a junior roller-skating champion in India. Competing in a minority sport with little funding inspired him to get involved in sports development.

"When it comes to developing and promoting sport in India, I'm a purist. If I had millions to invest, I'd put the money in myself."

Instead he uses the business skills acquired from an Ivy League education to advise other investors. They get a return, the sport gets funding.

Sport is not an easy business in which to make money. Almost all big football clubs struggle to make profits.

India in turn presents many complex challenges. The long-term, developmental strategy advocated by the likes of Liverpool and the NBA might be the only way.

"The sports industry in India doesn't offer returns as big as, say, the property market," says Mr Sethia.

"Anyone investing here has to have a genuine interest in sport - they wouldn't do it if it were just about money."

We want to hear from you. You can contact BBC journalists @HasitShah and @Rajiniv on Twitter, where you can also join the conversation and share your thoughts using the hashtag #bbcindiandream.

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Why India loves an electrician

7 November 2012 Last updated at 00:44 GMT By Anu Anand BBC News, Delhi The electrician is a regular visitor to Anu's flat Many Indians seem to be proud of their ability to deal with inefficiency - but how long can a country that projects itself as a global powerhouse continue to put up with a situation where anything that can go wrong, usually does?

It has been two years since my family and I moved to India full-time and, when I look around the boxy, expensive flat we rent and reflect on how I have spent my time here, inevitably I feel a bit tired.

On the bright side, I have managed to produce a second child, work and have some amazing adventures - but I also see many lost hours spent endlessly repairing things.

I have lost count of how many electrical sockets have melted. For the past month, strange electrical fluctuations in our sitting room have turned it into a discotheque. We have even had light bulbs explode above our heads.

No wonder my electrician has become my best friend, visiting us on average twice a week.

All too often, while we are all getting ready for school and work, the water supply to the bathroom suddenly disappears, leaving everyone in mid-wash or with a mouth full of toothpaste.

It is yet another one of those maddening Delhi dilemmas. Why is there water cascading off the roof from an overflowing storage tank but no water in the taps?

Our landlord, as unflappable as ever, had a novel suggestion this time. He recommended we thump the taps, so while my husband and I went upstairs to try this, my three-year-old son ran for a pee into the marble-clad bathroom whose door opens directly onto the shower floor.

His foot flew out from under him and he landed with an audible thump, dazed and shivering, before yowling for nearly 20 minutes in genuine agony.

Not the "thump" my helpful landlord had in mind, I thought, furious, as I checked for signs of concussion.

My son survived but I often wonder how long I am going to.

As I write, my toilet flush is malfunctioning for the umpteenth time. A new metal cake-stand I bought yesterday does not fit together and, as I inflate a pack of party balloons for my children, I am finding every other one has a hole in it.

That is not to mention the broken pavements or the dogs that roam freely in terrifying packs from nightfall.

I know, I know - India is an emerging power and a poor one at that. A few dodgy party balloons or stray dogs do not matter. But chronic inefficiency has a profound social and economic effect.

Yes, there are now malls and fancy cars here but the people in them - India's upper classes - routinely fall ill from unclean food, dirty water and mosquito-borne diseases.

Continue reading the main story Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers from around the worldBroadcast on Radio 4 and BBC World ServiceLike them, I too have hired an army of domestic staff to help keep the problems at bay but I cannot shake the view that, if the roads, power, water, hospitals and courts worked, we could all get on with more important things.

Curiously, like my landlord, many Indians seem almost proud of being able to deal with constant inefficiency. Some have even suggested that this is an asset, and encourages creative problem-solving.

But increasingly that suggestion is laughed at, especially by entrepreneurs in this burgeoning economy who are trying to create jobs while fighting death by 1,000 cuts.

Some wiring could do with detangling in Kolkata

One internet entrepreneur described how his business survived a difficult start-up and predatory monopolies, only to fail when raw sewage began seeping into his offices. Rather than being compensated, he was sued for being late with the rent.

An American who manufactures luxury furniture said an £11,000 ($17,000) fine appeared one day because he denied free furniture to a tax official.

But the most unique story of how India can confound came from a French contractor.

Rush-hour in Delhi may not be the most efficient time to paint traffic lights

He described how the site of a new multi-million-dollar construction project was suddenly overrun by a low-caste tribe claiming rights to the land.

After panicked consultations, he was informed that the police would prove useless and the courts would only tie him up in knots.

The solution, he was told, was to hire a rival tribe to drive the intruders away. Bizarrely, this worked but, as he pointed out, it hardly sends a business-friendly message.

Nowhere I have lived has proven more fertile ground than India for Sod's (or Murphy's) Law - the axiom that anything that can go wrong will go wrong - than India. So what explains this epic inefficiency?

My economics professor had an answer - India, he told me, has long had an economy based on digging holes and filling holes.

Things go wrong by design, so that a multitude of middlemen can earn a living by fixing them.

That was OK - charming even - when renting a flat here cost £300 ($480) a month and there was not a vast young, jobless population.

But today, India is expensive even for the poorest and it continues to project itself to foreign investors as a global power house, albeit one with a fluctuating current.

Which means there is at least a long and prosperous career ahead for my local electrician.

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