Scorecard and ball-by-ball details 5th day Bulletin – Ntini’s 13 wickets rout West Indies Commentary – Lara’s Saturday of brilliant sunshine Stats- Ntini rules against the Windies4th day Bulletin – Sarwan and Bravo keep West Indies afloat Quotes – Sarwan: ‘We need another 100 runs’ Big Picture – Death knell for Nel Big Picture – Sarwan takes a tumble3rd day Bulletin Smith hundred puts sloppy West Indies on the back foot Big Picture – Digicel delight2nd day Bulletin – Smith leads South Africa’s reply Quotes – ‘I’m sure we can bowl them out again’ – Nel Big Picture – High five1st day Bulletin – Brilliant Lara stands alone Quotes – Lara targets double-hundred at home Big Picture – A hug for LaraPreview West Indies back to full strength
After their short and soggy one-day international series against Sri Lanka, England now turn their attention to the three-Test series, starting at Galle on December 2.However, after the last two ODIs were wiped out by the bad weather, Duncan Fletcher has warned that the squad are under-prepared for the Tests. And with only one three-day match against a Sri Lanka Cricket President’s XI on Wednesday before the first Test, Fletcher is understandably concerned about England’s lack of match practice.”We want the Test-playing guys to get a good three-day game and the practice in, so there is concern that the rain could leave us a little unprepared,” said Fletcher. “Our plan for this week’s game was going to be to leave out Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, but because of the weather Michael now wants to reconsider that.”The specialist Test players – Nasser Hussain, Graham Thorpe, Mark Butcher, Geraint Jones, Matthew Hoggard and Robert Croft – arrived in Sri Lanka three days ago and have been practising on their own. All apart from Jones are expected to play in the warm-up match, with Croft, in particular, eager to prove his worth and fight Ashley Giles and Gareth Batty for a place in the Test side.”He has come out here and joined the squad with the other spinners,” Fletcher said, “obviously the other two have got the inside rail at the moment and we will have to make an assessment after the three-day game.”The good news for England is that James Anderson is now walking without crutches and there is a slim possibility he may now be in contention for Galle.
Under siege batsman Michael Slater hopes to finally “clear the air” tomorrow and resume his high-profile comeback after the Australian Cricket Board today denied a weekend incident had put his $200,000 contract in jeopardy.The sacked Test and NSW opener today issued an apology for his fiery outburst at the media at a Sydney grade match on Saturday.Slater said he was in a state of “shock and disappointment” at the time but it did not excuse his behaviour.Playing his first innings since being axed from the NSW team, the 74-Test veteran hurled his helmet and swore at reporters and photographers after being forced to retire hurt when cut over the eye by a rising delivery when on 12.Despite a newspaper report today stating the incident had put his six-figure contract in jeopardy, ACB public affairs general manager Brendan McClements said that was “just not right”.”If there was any disciplinary action taken, the first issue really lies with NSW cricket,” he said.”Any suggestion that Michael’s contract is in jeopardy is just not right.”NSW Cricket chief executive David Gilbert said he spoke with the ACB today and ruled out any further action on Slater except for a press conference at the SCG tomorrow which he hoped would finally “clear the air once and for all”.”I have spoken to the ACB this morning. There was no official report lodged by the umpires, nor was there anything from the media in terms of threats of physical abuse or verbal abuse,” he said.”I think there has been a lot of licence used in terms of facts about Saturday.”But Michael has apologised for his actions on Saturday and will front a press conference tomorrow to clear the air once and for all on Michael Slater the cricketer who … wants to be given a chance to get his career back on track.”Once those questions have been answered and Michael’s able to put his side of events over we can all get on with our respective jobs.”Gilbert said he empathised with Slater who was “hurting like hell” and denied the weekend incident would hamper the opener’s comeback.”I have spoken to Michael today, he certainly regrets what happened on Saturday,” he said.”But I think Michael has certainly been pursued quite unfairly over the last few weeks by some sections of the media.”Gilbert said Slater needed space as he attempted to break back into the Test team.”About eight months ago Michael Slater was opening the batting for Australia and here is on Saturday opening the batting for his club,” he said.”At the end of the day I’m certain he would love to be in South Africa with the Australian team or in Perth with his NSW teammates [playing a Pura Cup game].”The facts are he’s not, he’s hurting like hell, he’s desperate to get back into the team and then all of a sudden he gets cleaned up – it just goes from bad to worse.”What’s been disappointing about all this is that some people for some reason are trying to kick him while he is down.”I think at times like this you’ve got to get behind people.”If this is the way we seize on our people once they show a sign of weakness it’s a pretty sad state of affairs.”Gilbert also slammed a newspaper report quoting an unnamed senior Blues official who allegedly said: “Slater is a loose cannon and has lost the plot totally”.”I’ve not been able to track the source of that quote. Needless to say I think it was a totally inappropriate comment to make and something I can’t believe someone involved in NSW cricket would make,” he said.
Mike Hussey conjured up what could prove a match-winning knock as Northamptonshire recovered from a bad attack of the jitters against Lancashire at Wantage Road.The Australian left-hander passed the half-century mark for the fourth time in succession in Championship cricket at Northampton, and went on to make 82 in four hours with 11 fours.His patient innings rescued Northants from trouble at 79-4 just after lunch to 194 all out, despite the best efforts of Glen Chapple whose 5-60 haul gave him 22 wickets for the season to date.Needing 302 for victory, Lancashire lost Ryan Driver in deteriorating light and closed on 18-1 with first-innings centurion Mark Chilton and John Crawley set to resume on the final morning.Peter Martin did his best to drag Lancashire back into the match with a fine all-round performance. He smashed 38 of the visitors’ last 40 runs, boosting them to 291 all out after Chilton had gone for 104, adding only two more runs to his overnight total.Then Martin roared in with the new ball to remove Mal Loye and Jeff Cook with successive deliveries, and with Russell Warren and Alec Swann also departing cheaply Northants were just 186 ahead with four top-order men out.But Hussey and Tony Penberthy (24) added 66 in a crucial fifth-wicket stand, and although Chapple blew away the tail with ease Lancashire were left facing a difficult target on a pitch unlikely to get any easier to bat on.
James Pearce admits it is hard to see where starts will come Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s way for Liverpool between now and the end of the season.
The Lowdown: Ox visibly frustrated at Forest
The Reds edged their way past Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, with Diogo Jota’s goal earning them a 1-0 win and a place in the semi-finals.
One player who struggled to make an impact at the City Ground was Oxlade-Chamberlain, who wasted an opportunity to shine in the middle of the park, completing zero of his four cross attempts and winning just one duel in the entire match (Sofascore).
The 28-year-old was visibly frustrated when he was substituted by Jurgen Klopp in the second half, reportedly shouting about his lack of chances to get up to speed.
The Latest: Pearce unsure over playing time
Writing in a Q&A for The Athletic on Sunday, Pearce admitted it is hard to see where Oxlade-Chamberlain will play a key role for Liverpool in their quest for an unprecedented quadruple:
“Ox struggled and yeah it’s tough to see where his next start comes from given the players ahead of him.”
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The Verdict: Time to leave Liverpool
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Liverpool career has been more good than bad, with the midfielder his side’s fourth-top goalscorer in the Premier League title-winning season, but he is an increasingly peripheral figure who has so often struggled with injuries, missing 63 total games with two separate major knee injuries.
For that reason, and with his current deal running out in 2023, it makes sense to move him on this summer, with the club running out of time to receive a respectable fee for his services.
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Oxlade-Chamberlain earns £125,000 per week currently and those wages can go towards a younger signing who is viewed as a long-term option at Anfield.
In other news, Liverpool are interested in signing one attacking player this summer. Read more here.
Pakistan Under-19s 256 for 3 (Umar Akmal 84) beat England Under-19s 252 for 5 (Godleman 118*) by seven wickets ScorecardA fine unbeaten 118 from Billy Godleman was not enough to secure a consolation win for England’s youngsters, as they bowed out of their triangular tournament in Sri Lanka with a seven-wicket defeat against Pakistan.Despite the result, it was a much-improved display from England following a limp performance against Sri Lanka on Monday. They easily posted their highest score in their four matches in the tournament, with Godleman anchoring the innings with a superb 152-ball innings.He struck seven fours in the innings, and received sound support from James Taylor in a 42-run opening stand, as well as the captain Alex Wakely (39) and Tom Westley, who rounded off the innings with a brisk unbeaten 33 from 28 balls.But Pakistan’s openers, Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad, proved unstoppable in response. They added 149 for the first wicket inside the first 20 overs to break the back of the run-chase, before Umar Amin eased them to victory with an unbeaten 68 from 76 balls.
Kevin Pietersen, who missed England’s CB Series triumph in Australia after flying home to nurse a broken rib, is impressed with the quiet resolve being shown by his team-mates since their arrival in the Caribbean, and believes they are ready to make a big impression on the World Cup.”There is a definite difference around the squad,” said Pietersen. “To win a trophy abroad, especially against Australia and come back after a few weeks off and get the batteries recharged is great. You can just tell the difference here at the hotel. The boys have smiles on their faces, there’s a different feel.”There is a lot more joking around and messing about and a lot more positives,” added Pietersen, who admitted how depressing the atmosphere had been for much of the Ashes tour. “There weren’t too many positives when I was out there nine or 10 weeks into the trip and we kept getting hammered all the time, so it was totally different.”Pietersen’s rib injury was sustained when he advanced down the track to a Glenn McGrath short ball and missed out on an attempted pull shot. But, he added, he didn’t mind one jot to have missed out on the glory, even though he felt he had been in just the sort of form to make a big impression on the competition.”I know how difficult the winter was, it was as hard as anything I’ve experienced,” he admitted. “I didn’t get a victory at all and I was out there for two-and-a-bit months and didn’t see a victory once. To see the boys win, it didn’t matter whether I was there or not, was brilliant. The break might have done me good, but I’d have preferred to have been in Australia.”England have an intriguing rematch lined up against Australia in St Vincent tomorrow, their final warm-up match before their first competitive fixture gets underway against New Zealand on March 16. And Pietersen believes that the absence of such key performers as Brett Lee and Matthew Hayden will undermine Australia’s preparations.”We had our vulnerable times when we didn’t have Vaughan, Trescothick, Flintoff last year and we don’t have Simon Jones,” said Pietersen. “That’s when we got a lot of stick and we weren’t as competitive as we were the previous year. I think a team does become vulnerable when they lose big players. They still have great players in their side, but hopefully they will be vulnerable when we play them.”
John Buchanan, the Australia coach, says he will retire after next year’s World Cup in the West Indies.”That’s what Cricket Australia and I have agreed to at this point,” he told . “If Cricket Australia felt as though I was still needed, I’d consider that. But basically I’m contracted till the end of the World Cup. I think that will be a good time to quit.”Buchanan, 52, took over the coach’s role from Geoff Marsh after the 1999 World Cup and guided Australia to another title in 2003. He said that his decision to quit after the 2007 World Cup would provide Cricket Australia enough time to look for a replacement. “There will be a small break after the World Cup and that will be a reasonably appropriate time to hand over the mantle,” Buchanan said. “We should be in a reasonable shape. I’m sure we will be, whether we’ve won the World Cup or not.”Buchanan slammed the media’s negative image of coaches, saying that it was incorrect to see them as being of little use. “From certain sections of the media, past players and commentators, I think there’s a total lack of understanding of what the coach does,” he said. “A lot of their comments… I tend not to worry about them, because they are comments coming from ignorance.”Buchanan likened the coach’s role to that of the head of a family. “There’s guidance, there’s counselling, there’s discipline, there’s sitting down and being a best mate, there’s sitting down and giving a good kick in the pants. There’s planning about how the family is going to go forward. The family grows, the family changes, you have to deal with that. We work and play together so we do operate more like a family,” he said.
Until recently, history in these matches tilted towards Pakistan. India, to start with, had only two series victories to Pakistan’s four. Javed Mianded still tops the batting charts. Kapil Dev, though he leads Imran Khan by five in the wickets tally, played six more Tests and averages six more runs per wicket. In many ways, the encounter – the really tough fight – rarely ever happened. Purely in terms of victory and defeat, the closest margins of voctory have been by 12, 16 and 46 runs. And Pakistan won all three.
Victor
Margin
Venue
Series
Pakistan
12 runs
Madras
1998-99
Pakistan
16 runs
Bangalore
1986-87
Pakistan
46 runs
Calcutta
1998-99
Then things took an interesting turn. A more aggressive India visited Pakistan and won for the first time in 12 presidential terms. Walls had crumbled by then, an empire had fallen; 12 terms is a time in politics, as well as cricket. That brings us to this series, where Pakistan’s pace attack, a feature of India’s nightmares in past years, is scant but eager, and India’s batting is on the upswing after a bare season, except for a spurt of runs against Bangladesh.
Player
Matches
Wkts
Avge
S/R
5/10w
Shoaib Akhtar
4
19
26.78
38.30
5/0
Mohammad Sami
3
9
44.66
67.6
0/0
Danish Kaneria
5
30
30.66
57.3
3/1
Abdul Razzaq
4
8
46.87
90.5
1/0
Shoaib Malik
3
1
126
216
0/0
Naved-ul-Hasan
2
6
45
70.8
0/0
Player
Matches
Runs
Avge
Avge – Bang series
50/100
Virender Sehwag
8
584
48.66
51.73
2/2
Gautam Gambhir
5
307
43.85
26.60
1/1
Yuvraj Singh
2
47
15.66
N/A
0/0
Rahul Dravid
8
508
50.80
43.50
3/1
Sachin Tendulkar
6
409
58.42
20.83
1/1
Sourav Ganguly
6
315
45.00
31.20
3/0
VVS Laxman
8
211
19.18
18.88
1/0
Mohammad Kaif
3
153
30.60
N/A
2/0
Only one name from the present stands among the 20 best in these encounters. The ten most prolific batsmen still read like a list of recollections, but among the bowlers is Anil Kumble, whose ten wickets at the Feroz Shah Kotla in 1999 accelerated his rise to the league of prolific wicket-takers. This absence of modern names is due to the low frequency of series. Since Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly made their debut in 1996, they have played Pakistan only twice. Over a similar period, from 1978 to 1987, the teams met in six series.
Player
Matches
Wkts
Avge
S/R
5/10w
Kapil Dev
29
99
30.12
60.04
7/1
Imran Khan
23
94
24.04
54.02
6/2
Wasim Akram
12
45
28.87
65.07
2/0
Fazal Mahmood
14
44
24.55
82.61
4/1
Mahmood Hussain
14
39
33.15
79.64
2/0
Anil Kumble
6
37
22.70
44.54
3/1
Who rises above themselves in these games packed with hopes and tensions? Who falls? Chandu Borde’s average rose by more than double. Zaheer Abbas’s rise signalled the end of India’s spin quartet, for his plunder reached its apogee in 1978-79, when he accumulated 583 runs at 194.33. His average jumped from 44.8 to 87. Sachin Tendulkar’s average, on the other hand, falls by 17.44 in India-Pakistan contests.
Player
Career avge
Avge in India-Pak games
Difference
Chandu Borde
35.59
82.50
46.91
Zaheer Abbas
44.80
87.00
42.20
Anshuman Gaekwad
30.08
64.43
34.35
Sachin Tendulkar
57.44
40.00
-17.44
VVS Laxman
43.13
26.20
-16.93
Inzamam-ul-Haq
48.97
34.67
-14.30
Both teams have their own favourite mode of dismissing the opponents. India’s has been to let the fast bowlers do a bit and throw the spinners at ’em, while Pakistan, gifted with as many legendary pacemen as India has spinners, chose to use spinners in between. For India, using spinners to the hilt was a good idea: compared to the first innings, they gave away 17 runs fewer for every wicket in the second innings. Pakistan, on the other hand, have tended to press on with fast bowlers regardless of the innings.
Pace/spin (P/S) overs bowled
P/S wkts
P/S avg
P/S strike rate
1st innings
2709/3586
232/197
34.98/43.05
70.06/109.22
2nd innings
832/1418
73/113
35.26/27.22
68.38/75.29
Pace/spin (P/S) overs bowled
P/S wkts
P/S avg
P/S strike rate
1st innings
3787/1910
328/120
30.70/42.68
69.27/95.50
2nd innings
1493/1042
117/69
34.63/36.96
76.56/90.61
So it is unsurprising then that Pakistan’s fast bowlers have dismissed top orders and tailenders more frequently than their spinners. But India’s main weapon, the ubiquitous spinner, has been less successful dismissing Pakistan’s top order than the fast men.
Saturday’s match will be the 14th one-day international at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad. Like at Bangalore, India have an enviable record here, winning five matches and losing just one (one match was washed out). New Zealand haven’t had as much to celebrate: just one win – against Zimbabwe in a 1987 World Cup match remembered more for Dave Houghton’s exploits than for anything New Zealand did – and two defeats, against Sri Lanka and India.
There’s been plenty of talk about conditions not being equal for both teams in many matches in the TVS Cup, but past record suggests that the team batting first will have as much chance as the team chasing: in 12 decisive matches here, the team batting first has won six and lost as many, while the win-loss record for the team winning the toss is 6-6 too. Playing under lights doesn’t seem to make a difference either: in six day-night games, the team batting first has won three and lost three. However, India have never lost a match here after calling correctly at the toss, winning three times, while one match was rained out.
If Saturday’s match is anything like the previous clash between India and New Zealand here, then the crowd at the Lal Bahadur Stadium will have plenty to cheer. In that match, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid pulverised New Zealand, adding a world record 331 for the second wicket as India amassed 376, and won by a whopping 174 runs. Tendulkar made an undefeated 186 while Dravid got 153. Neither has bettered that performance in an ODI.
An Indian victory will not only take them into the final, it will also preserve their record in triangular tournaments at home: in six previous competitions, they have always made it to the final, and have gone to win lift the title four times.
Stephen Fleming’s abdominal strain means that Chris Cairns will lead New Zealand, and while that may seem a huge bonus for the Indians, Cairns has a 100 percent record as captain. In his only ODI in that role, New Zealand achieved a splendid victory against Australia in a VB Series match in 2001-02. Cairns made a vital 31 in New Zealand’s 235, and then took the crucial wicket of Michael Bevan, as Australia folded for 212.