With all the talk around the pitches and South Africas capitulation in the Test series last season, the failure of Indias frontline batsmen against spin didnt quite come under the scanner. Those were some of the toughest pitches to bat on, but if India continue with their strategy of playing on similar tracks, they cant always rely on Ravindra Jadeja and the tail to rescue them. Ajinkya Rahane, the only centurion in that home series, spoke of the need to bat better against the New Zealand spinners, who are a more formidable test than Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir and Dane Piedt.We dont take anyone lightly, Rahane said of the New Zealand spinners, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Mark Craig. While we respect them, our plan is to not let them settle down and dominate them.India began their training in Kanpur on Sunday before the first Test starting Thursday. After a surprise rain shower cut short their first training session, the Test squad had extended practice a couple of hours on either side of Rahanes press conference.New Zealands practice hasnt been ideal, partly because of the packed international calendar. Playing in the pre-season, New Zealand got just one three-day game to get some match time before embarking on what could become the toughest test in world cricket today. Even their practice match was played on a flat track in Delhi, far from what they will get in the Tests.On the second day of that match, Mumbai, the Ranji Trophy champions who were missing two of their best batsmen, raked up 400 runs. However, just like Siddhesh Lad, the Mumbai batsman who scored an effortless century against the New Zealanders, Rahane stayed away from trying to score any psychological points.When told of the New Zealand spinners performance in the warm-up, Rahane was quick to point out how Test matches have a different intensity altogether. Sometimes in practice matches, you are trying things, Rahane said. It is a different mindset. Tests mindset is entirely different. Their spinners are good, they have played with each other, and we will respect them.One of the reasons to respect the spinners will be that Rahane expects more turning tracks. Hopefully it [the Green Park pitch] will turn, he said. We all know wickets in India are helpful for spinners, and they will turn. That is our strength. It is important to play to our strengths. But as of now I am not sure how the wicket is going to be.Rahane also said it didnt matter how long it took to win as long as the wins kept arriving. We never go in thinking we have to win in three or four days, he said. We just want to win matches, doesnt matter if it is on the third day or the final session of the final day. That attitude matters.India last played a Test in Kanpur against Sri Lanka in 2009, where spinners accounted for 20 of the 30 wickets to fall, with the hosts winning in little under four days. Rahane will be hoping for a similar result no matter how much time it takes.We know we are playing 13 Test matches here [in India], Rahane said. The first Test will be crucial. This game will set the tone for the season. Yes we are playing ODIs as well but focussing on Tests first. The first Test of every series is crucial. You get that momentum from that. And I feel we all are ready for that.Jordan 11 For Sale NZ . LOUIS -- Rookie Tavon Austin has missed another day of practice, lessening the odds hell be ready for the St. Air Jordan 11 Sale NZ .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. http://www.cheapairjordan11nz.com/ . PAUL, Minn. Air Jordan 11 Retro NZ . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. Cheap Jordan 11 NZ . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football.TORONTO -- The San Diego Padres make the first trip in franchise history to Toronto on a homer-hitting roll.The Padres will be playing in a home-run friendly park, the Rogers Centre, against a team that also hits the long ball in the Blue Jays.The Padres had home runs from Alex Dickerson and Ryan Schimpf in the eighth inning Sunday to tie the game against Washington before scoring four in the ninth to beat the Nationals 10-6 in the rubber match of the three-game series.The Padres have homered in a club-record 22 consecutive games. It is the longest streak in the National League since the 2006 Atlanta Braves homered in 23 straight games.Schimpf, a former Blue Jays minor-leaguer, has bit nine homers in July, a club record for a month for a rookie.The Padres finish a 10-game trip with the three-game series in Toronto while the Blue Jays are in the midst of a nine-game homestand that ends next Sunday.Toronto held the Seattle Mariners to one hit Sunday to earn a 2-0 victory and avoid being swept in the three-game series. It came the day after the Mariners drubbed the Blue Jays 14-5.Thats the beauty of baseball, manager John Gibbons said. After what happened yesterday, you can turn around and throw a one-hit shutout. Today was also a game where guys were pitching out of necessity, because we were pretty beat up down in the bullpen.The Blue Jays could have Jose Bautista back in the lineup after the right fielder played his third game at Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. He has not played since June 16, when he injured his toe in Philadelphia.Winning two of three from the Nationals -- their first series win over Washington since 2011 -- provided some relief for the Padres, who opened the trip by losing four games to the St. Louis Cardinals.Weve been on the road for a little bit, and its definitely good to come here against a team like this and get two wins out of it,Schimpf told reporters in Washington.As the trade deadline approaches, there are rumors swirling around both teams. Toronto has been mentioned as one of the teams inquiring about two San Diego players, right-hander Andrew Cashner and outfielder Melvin Upton, Jr.dddddddddddd.Upton was given Sundays game off.I think theres a lot swirling around him right now, Padres manager Andy Green said. Just felt like the right time to put him down, let him have a day to rest. ... Theres, to my knowledge, nothing imminent at this moment, but we know what time of year this is and everything remains fluid.Upton is batting .150 (3-for-20) since the All-Star break.The Padres will start start right-hander Colin Rea (5-4, 5.01 ERA) on Monday against Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez (10-1, 2.87 ERA).Rea, 29, is coming off a loss at St. Louis on Wednesday when he allowed eight hits, three walks and four runs. The Padres are 10-7 in his starts this season. He has never faced the Blue Jays.Sanchez, 24, who appeared in the All-Star Game in San Diego, has not lost since April 22. He has never faced the Padres.He allowed six hits, no walks and one run while striking out five on Tuesday in a 5-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his first full season as a starter, the Blue Jays are trying to control Sanchezs innings, which could mean a move to the bullpen eventually.It would seem likely in that event that the Blue Jays would need to trade for a starter to take his place, which would be hard to do from a quality standpoint. Drew Hutchison, who is pitching at Triple-A Buffalo, is another option but he was dropped from the major league rotation late last season.You watch everything hes doing, you almost think (it would be) crazy to move him out of there, Gibbons said. Hes a young kid, he is strong. He is the guy, really, that I would view out of all the guys out there, hed hold up probably more than any of them. But you look at what has happened. Nobody knows if guys actually get injured because they protect guys and they still get injured. Nobody can really say. ' ' '