Besides playing for and coaching New Zealand at cricket, Bob Cunis was a handy three-quarter at rugby.
Bob Cunis, the former New Zealand medium-pacer, has died aged 67 at his house in Northland. Cunis played 20 Tests between 1964 and 1972, taking 51 wickets at the average of 37, including one five-wicket haul, and was also a useful lower-order batsman. He went on to coach New Zealand between 1987 and 1990.
One of the highlights of Cunis' international career was his battling 96-run association with Mark Burgess for the ninth wicket in the second innings against Pakistan in the third Test in Dhaka in 1969. The partnership helped New Zealand save the match and sealed their first series win on foreign soil.
He was good enough to earn a place in the World XI side, containing the likes of Garry Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Sunil Gavaskar, and Zaheer Abbas, which toured Australia in 1971-72, but was plagued by knee injuries throughout his career.
Cunis, who had an unorthodox action which made it seem like he was bowling off the wrong foot, had a 16-year first-class career with Auckland and Northern Districts from 1960-61 to 1976-77. In 132 first-class matches, he took 386 wickets at 26.65, including 18 five-fors and two ten-wicket hauls. His best season was with Auckland in 1968-69, when he took 30 wickets at the astonishing average of 12.6 to take them to victory in the Plunkett Shield.
John Arlott, the famous BBC commentator and journalist, once described Cunis as being "neither one thing or another".
He was also a handy rugby three-quarter. His son Stephen was also a first-class cricketer and played for Canterbury between 1999 and 2005.
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Saturday, August 9, 2008
Former New Zealand bowler Bob Cunis dies aged 67
Amla sparkles on shortened day
Stuart Broad celebrates the wicket of Neil McKenzie.
Hashim Amla stroked his ninth Test fifty as South Africa reduced the deficit to just 12, on a shortened third day at The Oval. James Anderson and Steve Harmison were both guilty of bowling a little too wide, and runs flowed accordingly to leave the match fascinatingly poised as South Africa whittled away at the deficit. However, rain restricted play to 17.5 overs before play was abandoned at 4.55pm.
After a 30-minute drizzle delay, Harmison looked in good rhythm from the off but, though his pace was useful, his line was too wide to trouble Amla and Neil McKenzie who, time and again, left balls outside off stump. Playing well back in his crease and with soft hands, McKenzie angled deliveries out to point and gully and, when he came onto the front foot, drove elegantly through extra cover to bring up South Africa's fifty. Shortly afterwards, however, McKenzie was beaten for pace by Harmison, top-edging a pull but it scooted past Monty Panesar at fine-leg.
Amla, meanwhile, continued where he left off from last night and took advantage of Anderson's drifting deliveries into his leg-stump, flicking him with wristy power through square-leg. The next delivery, too, was pounced upon and sweetly timed past the lazy dive of Panesar at mid-on as runs began to flow and the deficit was decreasing steadily and surely.
McKenzie pulled Harmison for another powerful four through midwicket as Kevin Pietersen switched his field placings around, keen for a breakthrough. And after an hour's play, he turned to Stuart Broad for inspiration - and the decision immediately paid off. A testing, pacey over to McKenzie troubled the right-hander with good line on his off stump. After digging out a yorker and getting a thick inside-edge onto his pads, another inside-edge cannoned into his middle stump to give England a much-needed breakthrough.
Nevertheless, South Africa remained in a useful position, trailing by just 40 and Amla continued to look in excellent touch although he survived an inside edge on 58, as Tim Ambrose couldn't hold a tough catch to his left. An elegant punch through extra cover off the back foot, in Andrew Flintoff's first over of the day, brought up his aggressive fifty, and he followed the landmark with a canny nudge past gully for four more. Flintoff was audibly furious, reflecting his team's frustration at letting South Africa off the hook.
All eyes were on Jacques Kallis, who has struggled his way to 95 unconvincing runs in this series. It seems inconceivable that he will end his tour without a hundred, and if ever South Africa need him to fire, it was now. As more drizzle fell to prompt an early lunch, the deficit had been reduced to 12 as the match was left intriguingly poised, albeit at the mercy of continued rain. However, with six sessions left in the match and the forecast looking much better, there is still plenty of time for both sides to force victory.
Sri Lanka ride on Sangakkara ton in keen contest
Kumar Sangakkara's century gave Sri Lanka a slender lead on the second day.
It was good old-fashioned Test cricket on the second day - an examination of patience, will and concentration - and Kumar Sangakkara kept Sri Lanka's nose ahead with a patient century. After Chaminda Vaas and Sangakkara had frustrated India in the first session, the Indian spinners fought back in the middle, drying up the runs and getting important wickets as a result, but they were denied by a rock-solid Sangakkara, and to a lesser extent by the inconsistent umpiring when it came to reviews.
Sangakkara's hundred competed with the review decision that went Thilan Samaraweera's way as the talking point of the day. India had taken two wickets, those of Vaas and Mahela Jayawardene, for four runs to reduce Sri Lanka to 141 for 4, and should have made it three for 16 when Kumble's appeal for an lbw against Samaraweera was rejected. In live time, it seemed there might have been an inside edge before the ball hit pad, but the replays clearly showed the ball hit the pad first. The impact was 40% inside the mat - as it was with Rahul Dravid when he was given out yesterday - and the ball would have gone on to hit the middle stump three-fourths of the way up. For some reason, though, the original decision was upheld, which left the Indians irate. Sachin Tendulkar, who had injured his elbow earlier, even signalled "out" from the dressing room. Samaraweera was on 5, then, and went on to score 35, and more importantly, put together a 60-run partnership with Sangakkara at a crucial juncture.
Nothing should take away from Sangakkara, though, who curbed his stroke-playing instincts, realising that his wicket would have been critical. He made a dicey start in the morning with an uppish boundary past a diving Rohit Sharma at point, but was determined to make amends for his ordinary series till then. Before this Test, his average in 2008 was close to 24. Twice in the previous Tests, Zaheer Khan had caught him in the crease, making him play at legcutters. This time, though, Sangakkara consciously got on to the front foot, especially against Zaheer. Once he saw Zaheer off, there were no signs of struggle, and he was severe on anything loose.
A big chance arrived for India when Sangakkara, on 34 then, edged a faster one from Kumble, but Rahul Dravid failed to latch on to what would have been a spectacular slip catch. To rub salt in, Sangakkara came up with an exquisite cover-drive off Harbhajan in the next over.
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After lunch India came out determined to make runs hard to get. In the first session Sri Lanka had managed 100, while in the first 11 overs of the second they got only 23. Harbhajan kept bowling outside off, while Kumble - from round the stumps - got purchase from the pitch. Vaas, the night-watchman who took ownership of the house in the first session, was strangled: he survived two close calls in one Kumble over, and in Harbhajan's next, lobbed an easy catch to extra cover, falling two runs short of achieving the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets. Harbhajan then beat Jayawardene with an offbreak, and for once Jayawardene got the review call wrong. He was given out lbw and that's how it stayed.
That was when Sangakkara dug deeper, not falling for India's tactics, scoring 27 runs in the middle session. Bar one shot, he was a picture of discipline. Even that shot was perhaps a statement - I can hit those, but I don't want to. To a full, wide offbreak from Harbhajan - a similar one had been called wide earlier - Sangakkara went down on one knee and swept to midwicket for four. As he approached his 17th century, the Indians kept getting meaner on him. In moving from 76 to 99, he took 56 balls, and hit only one boundary.
India suffered injury setbacks through the day. VVS Laxman had twisted his ankle in fielding practice before the start of the play and didn't take the field. After tea Ishant Sharma became the third casualty when he tumbled during his follow-though, not for the first time in the series, hurt his hip, and had to go off the field. Still, the bowlers put up a brave show overall. The Harbhajan-Kumble duo worked well in the middle session, and Zaheer bowled a testing spell after tea, giving away 21 runs in eight overs and eventually getting Samaraweera out with a delivery that bounced and left the batsman.
Tillakaratne Dilshan, as usual, came out full of intent, and in partnership with Sangakkara started to break free. For 12 overs at one point towards stumps, Sri Lanka didn't score a boundary, getting only 27 runs, but once Dilshan cut loose things began to look ominous for India. But Kumble, unfortunate not to have got a wicket till then, struck at the right time with a topspinner. Dilshan asked for the review, but he had been caught plumb. Given the tendency of lower orders to collapse dramatically, and also that Sri Lanka have to bat last, it would be brave to say that Sri Lanka have a clear advantage.
ICC denies England on Champions Trophy stand-by
It is still unclear where Australia will be defending their Champions Trophy title.
The ICC has denied that England is being sounded out as an alternative venue for the Champions Trophy if Pakistan is deemed unsafe for the tournament.
It was reported that at least one Test ground had been approached as a potential venue, but an ICC spokesman told Cricinfo that was not the case. "England is not being lined up," he said. "Pakistan is the confirmed venue and our preparations are moving ahead on that basis.
"Members of the task team will head there this week to see for themselves the measures in place and we look forward to a great tournament with 15 matches involving the world's top eight teams in cricket's second major."
An ICC task force is set to arrive in Pakistan on Sunday (August 10) for a three-day visit, and Sri Lanka is understood to be the first stand-by venue if the tournament is moved, while South Africa is another possibility.
However, officials at Edgbaston have been asked by the ECB if they'd be interested in staging matches. "We were asked by Giles [Clarke, the ECB chairman] if we would be interested in hosting Champions Trophy games," Warwickshire chief executive, Colin Povey, told the Birmingham Post. "All we've said is that we would, in principle, be keen to do so. I understand a number of other Test match grounds have also been approached.
"There are some logistical issues. The ICC would probably require 'clean' grounds [free of ECB and Warwickshire advertising], but there is a window for the competition [in England] between September 12-26. We have a Championship match here from the 24th, but the final would probably be in London anyway."
Keith Bradshaw, MCC's chief executive, told Cricinfo he hadn't been officially approached about using Lord's but "would jump at the chance to stage the event if things came to that" and would be "100% interested if asked." Lord's hosts its last major game for the season on September 10, so there is a clear window in the latter part of the month. The Oval would be the other prime venue and along with Edgbaston hosted matches when the Champions Trophy was in England during 2004.
An ECB spokesman told Cricinfo that ICC asked the ECB to assess the availability of venues in case a move was required. "This was brought up by the ICC at their meeting in Dubai, " he said.
Even if the event does proceed in Pakistan player associations from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and England have all expressed deep concerns over the tournament. Player boycotts have not been ruled out and a number of sides could send second-string teams.
Giles in the spotlight for potential conflict of interest
Ashley Giles remains adamant that his role as England selector, and his job with Warwickshire, can dovetail happily.
The chairman of Gloucestershire, John Light, has lodged an official complaint with the ECB over Ashley Giles's dual role as England selector and Warwickshire's director of cricket.
Light's complaint surrounds Warwickshire's approach for Alex Gidman and Steve Kirby, which he described as "a hand grenade in our dressing room". Both players chose to stay at Gloucestershire, but Light has nevertheless filed a complaint against Giles who, he claims, has a "conflict of interest".
"Warwickshire quite properly bid for two of our players," Light told the Birmingham Post. "For us smaller clubs, retaining players can be a problem and I feel that Ashley Giles' dual role gives him an extra advantage. There is no question of Ashley behaving improperly. He's a splendid fellow and Warwickshire have acted totally above board.
"The thing is, when 'Grav' [David Graveney] was a selector, we asked him to become involved with Gloucestershire, but he declined because he thought he must remain neutral. I wrote to Hugh Morris at the start of last week and also raised the matter with [national selector] Geoff Miller and at the chairmen's meeting. I cannot put words in others' mouths, but I think it is fair to say it was accepted that I have a reasonable point."
Giles, however, remains adamant that the two roles can work in harmony - despite rumours of discontent rumbling around the county circuit over the aggressive approaches made by Warwickshire for high-profile players.
"As far as I am concerned it is far from a conflict of interests," Giles said. "All I am doing is working to make England cricket better. I have never said to a player that if they came to Warwickshire they would have a better chance of playing for England."
Atkins and Taylor set record in thrashing
Sarah Taylor works the ball away during her century.
Caroline Atkins and Sarah Taylor set a new world record for a partnership in women's ODIs as England inflicted another crushing 225-run defeat on South Africa at Lord's. England's openers added 268 in a commanding display with both registering centuries and South Africa were overwhelmed, sinking for 85 in their chase.
Atkins and Taylor put the visitors to the sword despite conditions that favoured the bowlers early on. Both went along at almost identical pace, Atkins the first to three figures off 117 balls and Taylor following shortly after off 118 deliveries. For Atkins it was her maiden ODI century in her 33rd match, while for Taylor it was the second and lifted her average over 40.
Chances were few and far between for the South Africa, but they did miss one opportunity to remove Taylor in the 21st over. The opening stand went past the previous record of 258, also an opening stand, set by Reshma Gandhi and Mithali Raj, for India against Ireland back in 1999. The fun was eventually ended when Atkins was bowled by Susan Benade, but England powered on to reach 310 for 3.
South Africa never had a prayer of reaching the target and collapsed in a heap against Katherine Brunt, who claimed a career-best 5 for 25 and was on a hat-trick early in the innings.
Sri Lanka build towards strong position
Zaheer Khan removed Michael Vandort, but Sri Lanka had the better of the first session on the second day.
Chaminda Vaas was the itch India could not scratch, as their bowlers failed to make serious inroads on an overcast morning despite the presence of encouraging movement for the pace bowlers. To make matters worse for them, Kumar Sangakkara seemed to have played himself in by lunch. The proceedings were slow to begin with, but Sri Lanka looked to have taken control of the game by lunch.
Vaas, the night-watchman, took ownership of the house on the second morning. To the penultimate ball last night, Vaas had refused a single, to ensure he did his job of shielding the specialist batsman. But on the second morning it was clear who looked the better batsman of the two. Michael Vandort played and missed, got drawn into shots, and finally fell lbw to one that came in from Zaheer Khan. Vaas at the other end never committed, didn't play anything he didn't need to, and irked the bowlers with his peculiar style of letting the ball go.
He repeatedly hid the bat behind pad, and made a pretence of playing at the ball - way inside the line. The bowlers would glare, pitching it closer to him with every delivery, and then, when the ball got close enough, Vaas would either cover-drive or square-drive. Zaheer eventually tried to bounce him, but Vaas rocked back and pulled him, rolling his wrists on it, and hitting him to the backward-square-leg boundary. The next ball was a higher, better-directed bouncer, which Vaas mis-hit but managed to land in the vacant area in front of square. Ishant tried a bouncer as well, which was met with another hooked boundary, and that was the end of the short-ball business.
The spinners, too, failed to make any impression on Vaas: he took three boundaries off Harbhajan Singh, all too easy, and kept turning Anil Kumble round the corner for easy singles. By lunch he had settled in, and at 39 was 10 short of becoming only the seventh man to achieve the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets.
Sangakkara, who made a dicey start with an uppish boundary past a diving Rohit Sharma at point, seemed to be looking to make amends for his ordinary series. Twice previously, Zaheer had caught him in the crease, making him play at legcutters. This time, though, Sangakkara consciously kept getting on to the front foot, especially against Zaheer. Once he saw Zaheer off, there were no signs of struggle, and he was severe on anything loose.
A big chance arrived for India when Sangakkara, 34 then, edged a faster one from Kumble, but Rahul Dravid failed to latch on to what would have been a spectacular slip catch. To rub salt in, Sangakkara came up with an exquisite cover-drive off Harbhajan in the next over, overtaking Vaas' score. By lunch the two had added 72, with no real discomfort.
Friday, August 8, 2008
England in control after Pietersen hundred
Kevin Pietersen cracked his 14th Test hundred and first as England captain.
A superb, even 100 from Kevin Pietersen, his first century as England captain, provided the mainstay of England's 316 on the second day against South Africa at The Oval. Yet with England's brittle middle-order again struggling - Makhaya Ntini took five wickets for the first time in 17 Tests - it was left to none other than Steve Harmison and the tail to extend their lead from a thrifty fifty to a challenging 122. James Anderson then capped a solid day for England by removing Graeme Smith for a duck to put the hosts firmly on top.
In helpful bowling conditions, the momentum swung wildly throughout the day. After Pietersen fell for his hundred, soon followed by Tim Ambrose and Andrew Flintoff, the onus fell on Paul Collingwood to chivvy the tailenders. But he too fell to Jacques Kallis, who bowled a nagging line all day, as England slipped to a precarious 248 for 7. A collapse was on the cards, but Harmison - clearly relishing his return - cracked his highest first-class score, falling one short of a maiden fifty, to lift England's lead and alter the whole feeling of the day.
An enigma with the ball during his career, Harmison is pleasingly uncomplicated with the bat. He stood tall to Ntini, punching him elegantly off the back foot before smudging another four over midwicket. A couple of fortunate swipes off the struggling Morne Morkel further deflated South Africa before he unleashed an exquisite cut to beat his previous best of 42. At the other end, Anderson was his muted partner but blocked and nurdled his way to a 34-ball 13 in the pair's crowd-lifting ninth-wicket stand of 53. A fifty for Harmison on his comeback to the England side, perhaps? Sadly not, as Monty Panesar was ball-watching for what was a tight single, but Harmison had already done the damage.
And Anderson made good England's tail-wagging with a brilliant set-up to dismiss Smith. Much as he did to Kallis in the first innings, two outswingers gave the batsman a sighter before he bent back a killer inswinger, trapping Smith bang in front. Anderson and Harmison couldn't break Hashim Amla, however, who looked in fine touch with five crisp late-evening fours.
If it was a day for the bowlers, then more power to Pietersen's elbow for his hundred. Ian Bell, promoted to the No.3 position which he yearns to cement, fell to the fourth ball of the day, and although Alastair Cook hung around for 102 balls, his 39 lacked fluency and confidence. Rather inevitably, he fell to a loose slap outside off. Yet the predicament England found themselves in didn't affect Pietersen. Rather, it - and the added responsibility of the captaincy - seemed to spur him on. There was no discernible difference in his extravagant method at the crease, picking Ntini over midwicket with one-legged flair of Desmond Haynes and taking advantage of Smith's heavy off-side field - an odd oversight to a player so strong on the leg-side, from a captain usually so aware of players strengths. Pietersen's driving off Kallis - indeed all the seamers - down the ground was at its imperious best.
Nevertheless, he wasn't faultless and offered a chance on 52 when he top-edged Morkel into the deep, where Paul Harris was dozing. Ntini made a good effort to snaffle it, as he did again when Pietersen mis-hooked Andre Nel from around the wicket, but all the luck was falling England's way. Collingwood, meanwhile, was fed with leg-side gifts aplenty, working and nudging through midwicket with ease, but he was no less strong through the covers when given the chance. A fierce cut scorched through extra cover as England took the lead and South Africa struggled to maintain the run-rate.
Pietersen's 15th four was flicked from outside the off stump through midwicket to bring up his hundred - a trademark stroke from a man writing his own script - as the crowd honoured him with a long standing ovation. But two balls later, he nudged a wide teaser from Ntini straight to Kallis at third slip; captain or not, it seems unlikely he will ever change his batting style. Nor should he.
Collingwood forced his way to another fifty, on the back of his magnificent hundred at Edgbaston, and though England suffered a middle-order collapse of 5 for 44, South Africa's slight complacency allowed Harmison off the hook during his trailblazing hour of fun. The momentum slipped away from South Africa with each four, and though Amla played with pleasing freedom in an extended final session, England remained in control in Pietersen's first Test of his tenure.
Mendis and Prasad put Sri Lanka on top
Ajantha Mendis capitalised on Dammika Prasad's strikes before lunch.
Dammika Prasad's raw pace pulled India back after an explosive start, whereupon the spinners took charge of the game, as has been their wont over the course of the series. India's middle order failed again, as they fell from 51 for 0 in seven overs to 198 for 9, after which Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma frustrated Sri Lanka for one ball less than 20 overs - the longest partnership of the innings, and at 51 runs also the joint highest. Ishant followed up the good work with the bat to get Malinda Warnapura's wicket two overs before stumps.
Mahela Jayawardene made exceptional use of the review system, getting the wickets of Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid after challenging decisions. Gambhir had got off to his fifth start in five innings, and his third half-century in three, in characteristically aggressive fashion, but could only watch from the other end as his partners came and went, before he himself failed to convert his fifty into a big one.
Ajantha Mendis ended the frustrating last-wicket stand to finish with his second five-for, the fifth time he has taken at least four in five innings, but the real impact was caused by the debutant, Prasad.
Ever since Prasad was called up into the Sri Lanka squad after the first Test, his pace had been a talking point. And when he finally got the cap, that speed made the difference. He didn't bowl at 150kph, but he was quick enough to thwart any thoughts the batsmen might have had of dominating the bowlers. The difference he made was clear from Gambhir's contrasting approaches against Chaminda Vaas and Prasad. To Vaas he walked down the pitch, as he does in domestic cricket when facing lesser bowlers, nullifying any swing. When Vaas managed to beat him, he opened the face to run it towards third man. Vaas tried bouncing him out, but he managed to rock back and pull him for fours. But no such tactics were trotted out against Prasad, who took all three of his wickets - as opposed to buying them, which was what the Sri Lankan medium-pacers had done in the series till then.
After India chose to bat, both Gambhir and Sehwag outdid each other, hitting boundaries at will in the first half-hour. Prasad, fast and erratic to begin with, was handed a cruel baptism: Gambhir took a boundary off his first ball, Sehwag one off the first ball of his second over. After he managed to start his third over with a dot-ball, Prasad bowled a no-ball immediately after, which beat the keeper and went for four. The first ball of his fourth over was pummelled back to him and hit his left wrist viciously. After three minutes of treatment, he stunned Sehwag with one that held its line and took a faint edge through. The celebration - Prasad's eyes almost popping out of their sockets, Murali-like - spoke of how important the wicket was.
India had done enough damage by then, it seemed: they had reached 51 in 7.2 overs. In came Dravid, struggling to find form, struggling to keep the strike rotating. The scoring-rate came down, and even though Dravid looked comfortable defending, it allowed the bowlers to settle into a rhythm.
Prasad, in his second spell, came up with another special effort. He got one to swing in late, and beat Dravid's defence. Jayawardene challenged the not-out call that ensued, and replays showed that about 40% of the ball was inside the mat at the point of impact. As it would definitely have hit off and middle, and there was no inside edge, the point of impact was the only matter of contention, and the umpire was convinced enough to overturn his decision.
Mahela Jayawardene used the review system exceptionally again.
To make a good first session better, Prasad got Sachin Tendulkar, playing in his 150th Test, beating him with inward movement. Tendulkar, given out by Mark Benson, asked for a review, but the replay didn't show any conclusive evidence of an inside edge, which would have been the only reason to reverse the decision.
With two of the Fab Four gone, the spinners - especially Mendis - reinforced the vice grip they have had over the Indian middle order. Despite a quick start from Sourav Ganguly, who began with a boundary off Prasad and then lofted Muttiah Muralitharan over long-off, the middle order never really took charge of the game. Murali came back with a fastish offbreak that took Ganguly's edge even as he tried to hide bat behind pad.
Gambhir, meanwhile, seemed to be picking Mendis early, and looked to use his feet to him. He stepped out to hit a full toss from Mendis wide of mid-on to get to his sixth half-century. He then slowed down, which suggested he realised the need to get to at least a hundred, which he had last managed in 2004-05 against Bangladesh. But Mendis and Jayawardene teamed up again: Mendis beat Gambhir with an offbreak and Jayawardene opted for another challenge, after the proximity of the bat to the front pad and the ball had created enough doubt for the on-field umpire to rule in favour of the batsman. Replays suggested otherwise, and Sri Lanka had reduced India from 51 for 0 to 155 for 5 even before Murali and Mendis had really got going.
In the last over before tea, Mendis made sure India had squandered the advantage of winning the toss, by getting the last recognised batsman, VVS Laxman, with a legbreak. The rest, bar Zaheer and Ishant, were a mere formality. And the ease with which the last-wicket pair batted only made things look more threatening for India as they went out to field.
Fernando returns for India one-dayers
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Dilhara Fernando, the Sri Lankan fast bowler who has just recovered from a leg injury, has been retained in the one-day squad for the five-match series against India and the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Medium-pacer Farveez Maharoof returns for the Champions Trophy while Lasith Malinga remains on the sidelines.
Sri Lanka have named virtually the same squad which won the Asia Cup last month. The only absentee from that side is middle-order batsman Jehan Mubarak, who will be touring South Africa with the Sri Lanka A team.
For the Champions Trophy, Farveez Maharoof will replace Kaushalya Weeraratne if he (Maharoof) recovers fully from his side strain. Both Fernando and Maharoof had their fitness tested in a one-day practice match arranged among players drawn from the Sri Lanka A team and the development squad before the selectors finally made the decision to pick them.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Parthiv in as India choose to bat
Toss India chose to bat v Sri Lanka
The toss in the series so far has been crucial: neither team wants to bat last, neither wants the other to get the advantage of runs on the board first. So far, the teams winning the toss have won the matches, after having chosen to bat first. Keeping with the trend, India won the toss in the third Test and chose to bat on a pitch that should be at its best for batting on the first two days. The pitch was expected to offer slow turn from the third day on.
Both teams went in with a change each: India dropped Dinesh Karthik, who had looked sloppy behind the wickets and edgy in front with the exception of his last innings, which at 20 runs was too little too late.
Sri Lanka went in for the extra pace of Dammika Prasad, who will make his debut and replace Nuwan Kulasekara who has taken one wicket in the last two Tests.
Teams
India: 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Sourav Ganguly, 6 VVS Laxman, 7 Parthiv Patel (wk), 8 Anil Kumble (capt), 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ishant Sharma.
Sri Lanka: 1 Michael Vandort, 2 Malinda Warnapura, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Muttiah Muralitharan, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Dammika Prasad.
Riveting series awaits fitting finale
With a top-score of 44 between them in eight innings, there is plenty to be discussed.
Match facts
Friday August 8 - Tuesday August 12, 2008Start time 10.15am (0445GMT)
Big Picture
Sri Lanka v India has already made a strong claim to being called the Asian Ashes, as opposed to the contests between Pakistan and India who, over their last two series, produced some of the most unappetising Test cricket on pitches that didn't deserve any better. The matches in this series have been far more exciting than the victory margins seem to suggest. The first Test witnessed the coming together of two spinners who look set to form the most fearsome bowling duo since McGrath-Warne. Till as late as the final two sessions and a bit of a see-saw second Test, one team took a lead of some sort, only to be pulled back even before they could feel comfortable.Not for the first time did Sri Lanka lay claims to invincibility at home, only for India to come back from the dead in the next Test. That's raised the stakes for the third Test: India have not won a series in Sri Lanka since 1993, and Sri Lanka are looking for revenge for the 0-2 hammering they received when they last toured India. If the teams can continue from where they left off in Galle, we are in for some match.
Form guide (last 5 Tests)
Sri Lanka LWLWD (most recent first)India WLWLD
Watch out for
Muttiah Muralitharan: Murali is not used to not contributing, and one of the key factors in India's success in Galle was that he took only 5 for 200, three of which were tailenders' wickets, after the damage had been done. He will look to make amends.The Fab Four: Similarly, the famed Indian middle order is not used to failing so consistently. Between them they have managed one half-century in 16 innings. Their response will be interesting: will they master or be mastered?
Sehwag v Mendis: Two runaway stars of the series, both capable of turning a match around in a very short period. Without doubt Sehwag has been the best Indian batsman against Mendis, who has come across as a threat as big as Murali, if not bigger. Will they decide the series between them? Will Sehwag survive till Mendis comes on? If he does, will there be a repeat of Galle (76 in 83 balls) or the Asia Cup final (out second ball)?
Team news
Dinesh Karthik had done little behind the stumps in the first two Tests to inspire confidence in the bowlers and, with his captain among the bowlers to suffer, he may be axed in favour of Parthiv Patel, who last played a Test in October 2004. The rest of the line-up remains the same.India (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Sourav Ganguly, 6 VVS Laxman, 7 Parthiv Patel (wk), 8 Anil Kumble (capt), 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ishant Sharma.
Sri Lanka decided to stick on with Michael Vandort - 17 runs in three innings so far - but were not as kind to Nuwan Kulasekara, who has taken one wicket in the two Tests. They are yet to decide whether they to pick Thilan Thushara, the left-arm medium-pacer, or hand out a debut to Dammika Prasad, whose pace has been a talking point ever since he was added to the squad after the first Test.
Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Michael Vandort, 2 Malinda Warnapura, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Muttiah Muralitharan, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Thilan Thushara/Dammika Prasad.
Umpires: Mark Benson and Rudi Koertzen. Third umpire: Billy Doctrove
Pitch & conditions
The pitch is likely to be hard and bouncy, a welcome news for all parties involved: pace bowlers, spinners, and the batsmen. But if the conditions are pacer-friendly, India stand a better chance of exploiting them. Scattered thunderstorms are forecast for the five days of the Test, but that is expected in August in Sri Lanka. The thunderstorms in the first two Tests were not enough to rob us of a result, and the teams will be hoping for the same here.
Stats & Trivia
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Pietersen's tenure begins in style
Steve Harmison bowled Hashim Amla with a terrific yorker.
Steve Harmison and James Anderson inspired England with five wickets between them, as South Africa were dismissed for a disappointing 194 on the opening day at The Oval. With the series already tied up, there was a concern South Africa's focus might have swayed for this, the final Test, and so it appeared. But for a bold 39 from AB de Villiers, and 46 from an exhausted Graeme Smith, South Africa were a team hungover from their Edgbaston glory against a revitalised England under new leadership.
After rattling through South Africa, all Kevin Pietersen needed to cap an impressive first day's captaincy was a solid performance by his openers. He nearly got it, but for the loss of Andrew Strauss. During his comeback against New Zealand earlier in the year, he was patience personified. But South Africa have persisted on and around his off stump and repeatedly had him fishing meekly and edging into the slips. It happened again today as Makhaya Ntini angled one across him, leaving Alastair Cook and Ian Bell - promoted to No. 3 for the immediate future - to steady England.
Whether inspired by South Africa's complacency, or energised by the new Pietersen-led regime, England's bowlers were aggressive and menacing for the most part. Yet, in the morning session, they were left frustrated by a stodgy Smith and their own poor fielding. Indeed Smith should have been held off Harmison to the very first ball of the match, but it flew through Alastair Cook's hands at gully. Admittedly, he was a little close, but it was the first of three misses from Cook during a disappointing first session by England.
All changed after lunch. Hashim Amla took full toll of Stuart Broad's continued waywardness. Three fours were crashed through the covers, off front and back foot, as Broad's loopy half-volleys offered little threat whatsoever. Smith's career average briefly crept over 50 during his innings, but so too did Broad's with the ball. At 103 for 1 South Africa were in control - until, that is, Harmison returned.
James Anderson picked up three excellent wickets.
Smith survived a close shout for lbw against him but he couldn't resist hooking a well-directed bouncer straight to Anderson at fine-leg. It was the breakthrough England desperately needed and, the very next ball, Harmison cleaned up Amla with a 93mph yorker to rip out his middle stump. Harmison rarely dipped below 87mph throughout the day, and his line was immaculate to both left and right-hander. Jacques Kallis' miserable tour continued, beaten twice by two booming Anderson outswingers before the bowler foxed him with one that went the other way to bring up his 100th Test wicket. South Africa had lost 3 for 2 in eight deliveries and England were suddenly in control.
Flintoff struggled with his left boot - specifically, his big toenail - but this never prevented him bowling a consistent, deadly line and beating the bat time and again. Intriguingly, he became Pietersen's right-hand-man, too, the pair repeatedly discussing fielding positions while Flintoff appeared to be the bowlers' advisor in chief. Pietersen needs to form his own trusted council, and it remains to be seen which of the younger contingent - the likes of Bell and Cook - will be drafted into what Nasser Hussain once labelled the "management team". Pietersen's touchy-feely leadership style was also on rampant display, patting everyone on the back at every opportunity. His tenure will be judged on the success he brings the team - but it will not be dull viewing.
One of Flintoff's underlings, Anderson, continued to bend the ball at pace, and the pressurised position South Africa found themselves in told for Ashwell Prince who slapped him straight to Bell at point. An outswinger did for Mark Boucher as South Africa slipped to 132 for 6 and England had taken 5 for 29 in 10.3 exhilarating overs.
Broad's woes continued as de Villiers pummelled him for two creamy cover-driven fours; smacking him off the back foot before launching a four over the bowler's head. It was a blistering, counter-attacking innings against a young bowler whose confidence had utterly deserted him. Surprisingly, it was to Broad that Pietersen turned straight after tea, and the gamble - it can be called nothing less - paid off when Morne Morkel fended a lifter to Bell at short-leg. He was rewarded for his persistence with a second when Andre Nel edged him behind, but there is a great deal of work to be done to turn him into a world-class allrounder.
After Strauss's predictable demise, Cook and Bell put on 42 for the third wicket and never offered a chance. Bell looked in particularly elegant touch, and he will be only too aware of the need for a ton at his new No.3 position.
ICC re-thinking its rules on Twenty20 leagues - Lorgat
Haroon Lorgat: "We are now exploring whether we should have the championship in two venues - Karachi and Lahore".
The ICC has set up a committee to look at increasing its relevance in the proliferation of Twenty20 leagues and its role in managing such tournaments, Haroon Lorgat, its chief executive.It may even change existing rules to prevent its marginalisation, as national boards plan their own tournaments and collaborative ventures.
"The landscape has changed very quickly and we now need to re-look the regulations that were developed some years back," Lorgat said in an exclusive interview in Mumbai. "The Twenty20 concept really blossomed after the World Twenty20 in South Africa last year with other high-profile events following. The ICC has recognised that and put together this group to have a re-look at our regulations."
Lorgat agreed with Mahela Jayawardene's views that the number of Twenty20 tournaments needs to be controlled as it may adversely affect the Future Tours Program (FTP). "He (Jayawardene) is asking us as administrators to manage the amount of Twenty20 tournaments we put together. Everybody has recognised that it is such an attraction at the moment and we are beginning to say let's just be careful how much of a dosage we send out.
"Because it would impact on the FTP: there are only 12 months in the year or 52 weeks in the year... We have to be responsible in the way that we manage and allocate the number of Twenty20 games in relation to the amount of FTP and we've got to find the right balance."
The other immediate issue the ICC faces is the staging of next month's Champions Trophy in Pakistan; several teams have expressed security concerns and Lorgat said one way of tackling that could be to strike off Rawalpindi as a venue for the tournament. "One of the points we are mindful of that came out of previous visits by the security consultants was that there were no Asia Cup games held at Rawalpindi. As a result they were not able to assess or monitor any of the security requirements. Bearing that in mind we are now exploring whether it would enhance security and whether it would remove perceptions being created around security for the whole tournament because Rawalpindi was not part of the Asia Cup.
"We are now exploring whether we should have the championship in two venues - Karachi and Lahore - and we might make a decision to go in that direction," he said. "Our objective is to remove the discomfort or perceptions that any of the member countries or players may have." Players from Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa had earlier expressed reservations over the security situation in Pakistan.
An ICC-appointed task force is overseeing the security situation in Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy and will carry out its inspection on August 10 and 11. The tournament, featuring the top eight ODI teams, will be held from September 11-28.
Unchanged South Africa win toss and bat
Steve Harmison returns to add spice to England's attack.
South Africa won the toss and chose to bat against England
South Africa won the toss and chose to bat in the last match of the series. A dead rubber this might be, but with the appointment of a new England captain there is plenty of intrigue for the final Test of the summer against South Africa. And plenty of opportunity for England to avoid a humiliating 3-0 defeat, too, as they welcome back Steve Harmison and Stuart Broad in Kevin Pietersen's attacking lineup.
Only two Tests ago, Pietersen cracked a sublime 152 at Lord's, and the reaction of an admittedly partisan crowd gave indication that, perhaps, any lingering doubts about his loyalties were vanquished. The applause was warm and grateful. But even Pietersen couldn't have predicted that four weeks later he would be elevated to the captaincy, replacing England's greatest ever leader. The ego has landed: all change, please.
And if it is an indication of Pietersen's style of leadership, he has begun in bullish fashion by recalling Steve Harmison and Stuart Broad. Harmison was named in the Edgbaston squad but missed out, yet has gradually begun to look back to his venomous best for Durham. It will be his first Test since he and Matthew Hoggard - whose career looks to have hit the buffers for now - were axed in New Zealand. Broad, meanwhile, was dropped (or rested) for the Edgbaston Test with concerns over his fatigue. This didn't stop the England management sending him back to Nottinghamshire, however, yet Broad responded with seven wickets. It is his silky batting at No.8 that will have swayed Pietersen, however, as Broad offers vital balance.
Selections are rather more straightforward for South Africa. Dale Steyn's disappointing tour continues, and the tourists - 2-0 up in the series - are set to name an unchanged side from the victorious XI in Birmingham. The only question for South Africa, a team whose focus has a tendency to drift, is whether they can maintain their determination in nailing England when they're down. Pietersen's appointment will only swell their resolve in seeking a 3-0 triumph.
The message from Pietersen's troops is to entertain and, as Broad said yesterday, to "let our natural ability and flair take over". Regardless of how successful Pietersen's tenure turns out to be, it will not be dull.
Kohli gets surprise call-up
Virat Kohli has been included in India's squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs and the Champions Trophy.
Virat Kohli, who led India to victory in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, has earned a surprise call-up to the national squad for the ODIs against Sri Lanka as well as for the Champions Trophy. Mahendra Singh Dhoni returns to take charge of the team after pulling out of the ongoing Test series while Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan are back in the squad. Ishant Sharma has been rested for the Sri Lanka ODIs and will return for the Champions Trophy, with Parthiv Patel and Munaf Patel missing out.
Robin Uthappa, who has been in indifferent form, has been dropped along with Piyush Chawla and Yusuf Pathan. The selectors also decided against including Sreesanth, with Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, saying that he needed to "prove himself in domestic cricket."
It has been a steady rise for Kohli, who, after making his debut for Delhi in the 2006-07 season, came into national prominence during India's triumphant U-19 campaign in Malaysia. An attacking batsman in the mould of Virender Sehwag, Kohli finished the the tournament with 235 runs at 42.16. He then joined the Bangalore Royal Challengers for the Indian Premier League, but his performances were below-par. Kohli staked his claim for national selection by becoming the second-highest run-getter for the India in the recently concluded Emerging Players Tournament in Australia.
Zaheer is back after a nine-month absence; he last played for India during their home ODIs against Pakistan in November, while Tendulkar returns after he missed the Kitply Cup in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup to recover from a groin injury.
The first of the five ODIs against Sri Lanka will be held on August 18 in Dambulla.
Squad for Sri Lanka ODIs
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaher Khan, RP Singh, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha.
Squad for Champions Trophy
Same as above...
In: Ishant Sharma.
Out: Parthiv Patel, Munaf Patel
Champions League organisers explore date shift
The three founding partners of the Champions Twenty20 League - the BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) - are exploring the possibility of shifting their tournament to December following a request from the ICC given a clash of dates with the Champions Trophy, Cricinfo has learnt. The Twenty20 tournament is due to begin on September 29, the reserve day of the Champions Trophy final.
It's understood that the organizers are now looking at holding the tournament in India from December 2-11, between the India-England one-day series and Tests.
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An ICC press release, issued after the board held a teleconference on Wednesday to discuss the overlap, said the three members had offered to "explore, with the ICC's management, the scheduling of the tournament". The three members, it added, will report back to the governing body within seven days.
While the three boards stuck to their stand of last Wednesday - that the Champions Twenty20 League involves domestic teams and does not violate any ICC agreement - it is understood that they are also "aware of, and understand, the concerns" expressed by the ICC over its one-day showpiece being overshadowed.
"We have 10 clear days in December to host the Champions League, and there is a good chance of the event being held then," a senior official involved with the tournament told Cricinfo. "But we will actively pursue this possibility only if all other details, including logistics and players' availability, fall into place. Otherwise, we will stick to the dates that have already been announced because we are not legally bound in any manner to change them. Having said that, we understand the ICC's predicament. The ICC has signed a significant contract with ESPN-Star Sports (ESS) and the Champions Trophy is their first big tournament."
The official said that the ICC's request will be "looked into seriously" by the three boards especially given the broadcasters' concern that the Champions Twenty20 League would overshadow the Champions Trophy in terms of profile and advertising revenue.
"There is already a threat to the ICC Champions Trophy over the issue of players pulling out due to security concerns and we are not very keen to add to those worries," the official said.
The ICC's international schedule confirms that players from Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, who form a chunk of the eight teams for the Champions League, are free during the "window in December". However, it will still be a tight call - three international series, involving four of the countries sending teams to the Champions League, end on December 2 . South Africa will be most hard-pressed - they finish a Test series at home on that day, and ten days later begin a Test series against Australia in Perth.
The Champions Twenty 20 League comprises the Twenty20 domestic finalists from India, Australia and South Africa, Pakistan's winner Sialkot and England's champion Middlesex.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Dead rubber, new dawn
Kevin Pietersen gives Ravi Bopara a consolatory hug after the announcement of his first team.
Match facts
Thursday August 7 to Monday August 11, 2008Start time 11.00 (10.00GMT)
Big Picture
Rarely has a dead rubber created such a stir. The series may have been wrapped up at Edgbaston last week, but so too was the career of one of England's finest captains. As Michael Vaughan departs the stage in tears, into the fray steps none other than Kevin Pietersen, the bête noire of South African cricket, and the man that his former countrymen love to hate. Pietersen's presence alone adds a whole new level of excitement to a contest that might otherwise have been a victory procession for Graeme Smith's men. Their first series win in England for 43 years will feel all the sweeter if they are able to inflict on Pietersen the same sort of drubbing with which Vaughan was baptised in the role, five long years ago. Conversely, if Pietersen is able to rally his troops with the same up-and-at-em attitude that he brings to his own game, English optimism for the future may not be entirely unfounded.
Form guide
England LLDWWSouth Africa WWDLW
Watch out for...
Kevin Pietersen: Who else? The ego has landed in no uncertain terms. It will be fascinating to watch how he goes about his work this week. His entire captaincy career amounts to one comfortable beating in an ODI against New Zealand in June, and so many facets of his leadership remain to be seen - his approach to field placings, bowling changes and, perhaps most crucially, man-management. Also under the spotlight will be KP's own attitude with the bat. Will he dare a repeat of the punchy performance that carried England back into contention at Edgbaston, if it means risking a shot similar to the one that got him out. One thing is for sure, the team that he's selected is not one that's going to die in a hole wondering.
Graeme Smith: One year younger, but in captaincy terms, on another level of experience, the man that Pietersen once dismissed as a "muppet" is quietly plotting the most publicly humiliating of retorts. Smith's sublime 154 not out at Edgbaston has been virtually overlooked in the chaos of the past week, but one day it will be acknowledged as the performance of a man in utter command of his game, his team and the series situation. Smith is at the absolute zenith of his captaincy career, and with Australia looming in December this year, his focus is sure to remain unwavering. Five years ago, he sent Nasser Hussain packing from the England captaincy in almost identical circumstances ... and followed up with a crushing innings victory in Vaughan's first Test in charge. His share of that performance at Lord's was the small matter of 259 chanceless runs. When he pauses to reflect on the task ahead, that fact will loom large in Pietersen's thoughts.
Team news
England have announced two changes of personnel, but an entire overhaul in attitude. Michael Vaughan's absence briefly raised the prospect of a recall for Ravi Bopara, but Pietersen has preferred to place his faith in the remaining top five, and bring Stuart Broad to bulk out the tail and provide a fifth bowling option. Also returning is Steve Harmison - handed his chance by Ryan Sidebottom's back problem - who will be thrown the new ball for the first time since the Old Trafford Test against West Indies in June last year. Ian Bell, England's serial underachiever, is given the chance to sink or swim at No. 3, while Andrew Flintoff reverts to the No. 6 position from which he won the Ashes in 2005.England 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Andrew Strauss, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen (capt), 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Tim Ambrose (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Steve Harmison, 10 James Anderson, 11 Monty Panesar.
No such ground-breaking team news for South Africa. With Dale Steyn still unfit, they are all set to name an unchanged side, although Graeme Smith remains slightly troubled by the back injury that hindered his movement (though not noticeably) during the Edgbaston Test. "I've been working quite hard with the physio, and I'll just keep managing it until I get some rest," said Smith. "It's basically down to over-use, because we've had a lot of intense cricket since the Twenty20 World Cup [in September].
South Africa 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 AB de Villiers, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Andre Nel, 11 Makhaya Ntini.
Umpires: Steve Davis and Aleem Dar
Pitch and conditions
The Oval has not enjoyed the best of reputations in recent years, with the last three matches all finishing as high-scoring draws. Nevertheless, Bill Gordon, the groundsman, anticipates rather more pace in the deck that has been seen of late, and for the moment at least, there is still a decent covering of grass. That sort of news will doubtless suit Harmison, although Morne Morkel and his colleagues won't mind that sort of prognosis either.
Stats and Trivia
Share Twenty20 riches - Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene: "Everyone needs to get together and find one solution. That is, to have one big tournament where you get all the revenue and all cricket-playing countries to share that".
Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, feels the spread of Twenty20 cricket needs to be controlled to prevent it from "taking international cricket apart" and says the "big solution" is to have one consolidated tournament where all cricket-playing countries get to share the revenue.
Speaking to Cricinfo editor Sambit Bal in Colombo, Jayawardene observed that, with players and administrators across the world driven by money, the time had come to strike a balance and get the priorities right on developing the game's shortest format.
"At the end of the day everything is driven by money," Jayawardene said. "You have to be honest with yourself. That means the players, the administrators, everybody. As long as everyone is happy and gets to share that, I think that's the way forward. That's where everyone has to draw a compromise."
"You need to strike a balance because they cannot compete with each other on these issues," he said. "It is important that you sit down and everyone gets together and finds one big solution. That is, to have one big tournament where you get all the revenue and cricket-playing countries to share that."
Jayawardene did not agree with the suggestion that Twenty20 might become 'The Game' if money is the overriding factor, and reiterated the answer lies in consolidation and not in having "five individual tournaments".
"If you have one big tournament and the revenue is being shared, then everyone's happy," he said. "You won't need to play five individual tournaments. Then there's room for Test cricket and you can pump in money and develop the game and take it globally. That's where the compromise needs to be drawn and everyone gets together to find a solution."
Asked whether the BCCI, which runs the IPL and is a founding partner of the Champions Twenty20 League, should take the lead and let everyone share the pot, Jayawardene said, "That's difficult for me to say after one year of the IPL. I don't know how big the English Premier League (EPL) or the Stanford games are going to be, but somewhere you have to draw the line. You have people competing against each other and taking international cricket apart. It's important to understand where you need to draw that line."
Jayawardene, who has signed a three-year contract for US$475,000 per season with Kings XI Punjab, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, said the best way forward is for all those involved in promoting Twenty20 cricket to draw the line and arrive at a compromise.
"The times and ways of thinking are changing and you need to evolve around that. Twenty20 is good for the game as long as people keep control of things," Jayawardene said. "You can't have three or four Twenty20 international tournaments a year. You just can't have that. It has to be controlled. Tests are very important; one-day cricket is important. You can't think that everybody wants Twenty20 cricket. Everyone wants cricket, but they want different varieties and there is a demand for everything."
The Sri Lankan players are currently in negotiations with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) over rescheduling the country's 2009 England tour, which clashes with the second IPL season. Apart from Jayawardene, 12 Lankan cricketers have signed for various IPL franchises, including Kumar Sangakkara, the vice-captain, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.
Irfan and Uthappa under scrutiny
Irfan Pathan and his brother Yusuf could be competing for the same spot in the one-day squad.
Current form and fitness will be the key criteria for India's selectors when they meet in Mumbai on Thursday to pick the squads for the one-day series against Sri Lanka, which begins later this month, and September's Champions Trophy. The meeting will also discuss the return of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the one-day captain who pulled out of the Sri Lanka Test series, and Yuvraj Singh, who was left out.
Cricinfo learnt that the players under scrutiny include Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa. It's understood that indifferent form is the main reason why it could be touch-and-go for Irfan, who had also nursed an injury during the Asia Cup last month, and Uthappa, who has been a key figure in Dhoni's gameplan.
The selectors feel that Pathan's problem is his ineffective bowling on flat subcontinent pitches. He took only four wickets in three matches during the Kitply Cup in Bangladesh and, despite not being completely fit, played the Asia Cup in Pakistan where his three wickets cost 71 apiece. Pathan was subsequently omitted from the squad for the Sri Lanka Test series.
"Irfan is not being so influential and, in addition to his loss of pace, he is not even able to cut the ball and bowl well at death", one member of the selection panel said. It's a view which is shared by the other selectors too. If Irfan has any support it might come from Dhoni who has strong belief in the allrounder.
It's likely that Irfan will be competing against his brother Yusuf for a place in the squad. Yusuf made his ODI debut during the Kitply Cup and has played seven matches without a spectacular performance. His ability to score quickly and part-time offspin make him a direct competitor of Irfan.
Uthappa's case is equally weak, considering he's scored only one half-century in his last 20 innings. His loss is likely to work in favour of Suresh Raina, who was among the highest run-scorers in the Asia Cup. Raina made his comeback to the one-day squad for the CB Series in Australia but didn't play a game. He failed to make a significant score in the Kitply Cup but Dhoni's confidence in Raina paid off and he played a crucial part in India making the Asia Cup final.
The selectors are unlikely to make any drastic changes to the existing ODI squad unless forced to by injuries to players. It has also been learnt that Sreesanth's fitness report is not convincing and he continue his rehabilitation for a side strain.
Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan will also return to the squad. Tendulkar last ODI appearance was the CB Series final in Australia after which he played for the Mumbai Indians during the IPL before opting out of the Kitply and Asia Cups in order to recover from a groin injury. Zaheer, whose tour of Australia was cut short by a heel injury, has successfully recovered and is currently playing the Test series in Sri Lanka.
Considering the spinner-friendly pitches in Sri Lanka, the selectors are likely to consider Piyush Chawla as the third spinner in the squad in addition to Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha. However, Chawla is likely to miss out on Champions Trophy selection the squad will have only 14 members and Ojha's left-arm spin offers variety. The pace-attack will comprise Zaheer, Ishant Sharma, RP Singh and Praveen Kumar and the rest of the 15 will be made up by seven specialist batsmen.
Movie on Cronje's life complete
The role of Hansie Cronje will be played by South African actor Francois Rautenbach.
The filming of Hansie, based on the life of the late South African captain, has been completed by his brother Frans Cronje, who says he went through his "own King Commission" during the "incredibly tough" year of shooting. Frans told Cricinfo the movie, completed on Monday, will be released across Africa on September 24 with a possible international release to follow.
Frans said the film's DVD set will include a special documentary on Hansie and will feature interviews with his family, team-mates and friends including Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Peter Pollock, Andrew Hudson, Gary Kirsten and Kevin Pietersen.
Hansie, which was shot in South Africa, England and India, traces the cricketer's "internal journey from stardom to losing everything and then the journey to rebuilding his life". Cronje was a role model and a national hero till his involvement in the match-fixing scandal was exposed eight years ago. He was banned from the game subsequently and died in a plane crash in 2002.
One of the most poignant moments during the making of the movie, Frans said, was the scene when Hansie breaks down in tears after confessing his involvement with illegal bookmakers to the King Commission that was appointed to inquire into the match-fixing scandal of 2000.
"He was very emotional and my dad and I were crying with him," Frans said. "When we filmed this, it was like seeing the real event happen again. The acting in this scene was really magnificent. While filming, I just sat there with tears in my eyes. Fortunately, when I looked around me, I realised that everyone else on the sets were crying as well."
The other scene that will touch people's emotions is one where Peter Pollock, the former South Africa allrounder, talks to Hansie after the King Commission. "Peter was instrumental in helping Hansie to begin the process of rebuilding his life," Frans said.
The movie has been produced by Global Creative Studios, a Cape Town-based production venture headed by Frans, who has won an Italian award for his earlier movie Faith Like Potatoes.
The filming went through a tough phase last year, he said, when an American firm that promised advance funding pulled out of the deal. "It was incredibly tough. In a sense, it felt like I went through my own 'King Commission' at a stage. Especially the last week in November last year, when we heard that the funding was not there, was difficult. Fortunately, some very capable businessmen got involved. Without their assistance, it would have been almost impossible. The fact the movie has been successfully completed has helped a lot."
South African actor Francois Rautenbach will play Hansie in the movie. Frans said he decided not to use cricketers as actors as the "movie is primarily a drama". He was assisted in filming the cricket action by Gordon Parsons, his brother-in-law, and former county player.
"We decided to use actors to play the parts of Hansie's team-mates like Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes," Frans said. "As the movie is primarily a drama, it was important that we have experienced actors. To ensure that the cricket action was done well, we cast younger cricket players from a few different academies in South Africa and India. I was on the sets to ensure that the cricket sequences look real."
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has given their "official endorsement and support" for the movie after Joubert Strydom, then convener of selectors, read the screenplay "to ensure that the story is told with integrity".
"The International Cricket Council (ICC) were happy for us to continue, knowing that the CSA endorsed it," Frans said. "I think they were happy to see that we did not choose to try and uncover any more match-fixing dirt. Rather, we chose to tell the story of Hansie's internal journey."
Champions League organisers explore date shift
The three founding partners of the Champions Twenty20 League - the BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) - are exploring the possibility of shifting their tournament to December following a request from the ICC given a clash of dates with the Champions Trophy, Cricinfo has learnt. The Twenty20 tournament is due to begin on September 29, the reserve day of the Champions Trophy final.
It's understood that the organizers are now looking at holding the tournament in India from December 2-11, between the India-England one-day series and Tests.
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An ICC press release, issued after the board held a teleconference on Wednesday to discuss the overlap, said the three members had offered to "explore, with the ICC's management, the scheduling of the tournament". The three members, it added, will report back to the governing body within seven days.
While the three boards stuck to their stand of last Wednesday - that the Champions Twenty20 League involves domestic teams and does not violate any ICC agreement - it is understood that they are also "aware of, and understand, the concerns" expressed by the ICC over its one-day showpiece being overshadowed.
"We have 10 clear days in December to host the Champions League, and there is a good chance of the event being held then," a senior official involved with the tournament told Cricinfo. "But we will actively pursue this possibility only if all other details, including logistics and players' availability, fall into place. Otherwise, we will stick to the dates that have already been announced because we are not legally bound in any manner to change them. Having said that, we understand the ICC's predicament. The ICC has signed a significant contract with ESPN-Star Sports (ESS) and the Champions Trophy is their first big tournament."
The official said that the ICC's request will be "looked into seriously" by the three boards especially given the broadcasters' concern that the Champions Twenty20 League would overshadow the Champions Trophy in terms of profile and advertising revenue.
"There is already a threat to the ICC Champions Trophy over the issue of players pulling out due to security concerns and we are not very keen to add to those worries," the official said.
The ICC's international schedule confirms that players from Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, who form a chunk of the eight teams for the Champions League, are free during the "window in December". However, it will still be a tight call - three international series, involving four of the countries sending teams to the Champions League, end on December 2 . South Africa will be most hard-pressed - they finish a Test series at home on that day, and ten days later begin a Test series against Australia in Perth.
The Champions Twenty 20 League comprises the Twenty20 domestic finalists from India, Australia and South Africa, Pakistan's winner Sialkot and England's champion Middlesex.
Twenty20 is 'perfect fit' for Olympics - Watson
Shane Watson: "Everybody who plays elite sport dreams of gold".
The allrounder Shane Watson would be 39 if Twenty20 completed an astonishing rise to Olympic status by 2020, but he is still excited by the outside prospect of taking part. "As a cricketer it would be great to think you could achieve an Olympic gold medal in your career," he said. "Everybody who plays elite sport dreams of Olympic gold."
Watson's credentials in cricket's shortest format are outstanding - he was the player of the tournament in the inaugural Indian Premier League and is a brutal hitter and economical bowler. He has stepped into line with a large group of current and former stars who support Adam Gilchrist's Games proposal, including Steve Waugh, Stephen Fleming and Sourav Ganguly.
"This brand of cricket is a perfect fit for the Olympic schedule," Watson said. He received a taste of what the Games meant when Sir Steve Redgrave, the five-time Olympic gold medallist, spoke to the Australian team during its successful campaign at the 2007 World Cup.
"Everyone wants to be part of the Olympic Games," he said. "I think we should continue to explore this."
While Mitchell Johnson, Watson's former Queensland team-mate, said it would be "pretty cool" to play at the Olympics, he told AAP Tests remained the "ultimate". "You ask all the other guys and they'll say the same thing," he said.
"Test match cricket is what they want to play. Hopefully it can stay like that and Twenty20 not take over, but I'm pretty confident Test match cricket is staying strong."
Upton takes over Kirsten's role
Paddy Upton has said that the team isn't losing sleep over the toss.
Paddy Upton, India's conditioning coach, has taken over the responsibilities from head coach Gary Kirsten, who flew back to South Africa yesterday evening to be with his ailing mother. In Kirsten's absence, Upton wasn't worried about having to delegate responsibilities to the Indian team, instead stressing to make sure the basics are all in place for a must-win game for India.
"Each person knows their role," he said during India's practice session at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium. "It's a case of just doing what we've always been doing and doing that well."
Kirsten's hands-on role, especially working on fielding drills with seniors such as VVS Laxman or the two wicketkeepers, Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel, was obvious all series. Today that responsibility was shared between Upton and fielding coach Robin Singh, but Upton was comfortable being more conservative.
"There are guys out there who have captained India," he said. "For me it's just a case of coordinating the expertise which is already in the team. Gary would give his expert input and receive input from the players, and even though he's not here, there are other experts."
India already have two specialist coaches, Venkatesh Prasad (bowling) and Robin, plus Upton in the support staff, and the Indian board isn't rushing anybody as cover for Kirtsen.
"The key is to prepare for every single possibility," Upton said. "Every game is critical in Test cricket. We know its 1-1 and we know how important it is. The players don't need too many reminders. Whether we win or lose the toss, our preparation is the same. We focus around what needs to happen to win. We're happy to take the consideration of the toss out of the picture."
It was a pretty hot day, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, but not something India's players are unaccustomed to. Anil Kumble mentioned in Galle that players were allowed to leave training once they felt they had done enough, and Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly were no different. They practiced earlier in the morning and left to freshen up while the rest of the team stayed on till early afternoon.
Parthiv had long batting and wicketkeeping stints but Upton said the choice of which wicketkeeper plays the final Test was not a decision he would be a part of. Sachin Tendulkar had the longest batting session, first receiving throw downs from Robin, virtually all of which were well timed, and then moved over to the nets, adjacent to Rohit Sharma's. Tendulkar, who needs 96 runs to overhaul Brian Lara's record of 11,953 runs in Tests, looked in a decent groove, though he was troubled a couple times by Prasad.
Which brings us to the nature of the pitch. One glance at it revealed how hard it was, even under a green tinge. There was plenty of grass on the track, but even Geoffrey Boycott would have found it very difficult to force a key in there. Shoaib Akhtar, Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn have all rattled teams here in recent years, and there looks to be some encouragement for the quicks, especially India's opening pairing of Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan.
It is a different game and different pitch from the last two matches but as Upton said, India's strategy was the same - go in and win.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Waugh joins Olympic Twenty20 push
Steve Waugh said the 1998 Commonwealth Games was the "time of my life".
Steve Waugh, who led Australia to a Commonwealth Games silver medal, is part of a growing group of current and former players who have supported Adam Gilchrist's push for Twenty20 to be part of the 2020 Olympics. Gilchrist raised the idea on Monday and since then a series of big names, including Kumar Sangakkara, Sourav Ganguly and Stephen Fleming, have climbed on board.
Waugh, a mentor of the Australian Olympic team in Beijing, said the idea was "definitely worth pursuing". "If you want to globalise the game then you have to look at including countries like China and the United States, and getting cricket into the Olympics will fast-track that move," Waugh told the Press Association.
In 1998 Waugh captained Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and said it was the "time of my life". "Winning the silver medal was one of the highlights of my career," he said. And he believes Twenty20 will become a "worldwide phenomenon" over the next few years.
"The Olympic Games would provide the perfect platform to showcase the game to a larger audience, drawing in new fans and helping drive cricket development in emerging cricket countries," Sangakkara wrote in the Times of India. "The snowball effect this could be enormous. 2020 may seem like a long way away but we need to start the process now.
"From a player's perspective, the privilege of competing at an Olympic Games would undoubtedly be a highlight of your career."
The proposal has also received backing from Fleming, Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh. While Fleming and Gilchrist have retired from internationals, they are both involved in the Indian Premier League and see huge potential in the Twenty20 format.
"The Olympics would be the greatest vehicle to spread the game worldwide and it would be a logical fit," Fleming said in the Australian. Ganguly also took a global view of the possible development.
"It will help the players to be part of a worldwide movement," he said in the Deccan Chronicle. "Cricket is an exciting sport and should definitely be part of the Olympics."
Laxman said representing India at an Olympics would be a "great honour" while Yuvraj felt it was an excellent initiative. "Should cricket make it to the Olympics," he said, "it would be significant, especially to our country where the game is most loved."
Gilchrist said his proposal was a "call to arms for the game's administrators" and James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive, is excited by it. "When you think of the Olympics, you also think of the big nations like the US, Russia and now China," Sutherland told the paper. "Those regions are clearly potential growth opportunities for cricket and we see Twenty20 at the Olympics as a superb vehicle."
For cricket to be included in 2020 it would need to be approved by the International Olympic Committee in 2013. The game received Olympic "recognition status" last year, but it faces a battle with other sports, such as golf, karate and baseball, to become part of the programme.
Clarke attacks BBC as Sky extend deal
The excitement gets to Giles Clarke at the announcement of the new Sky TV deal.
The ECB has announced a four-year extension to its existing television contract with BSkyB and Channel Five in a deal worth around £300 million (US$600 million).
The current contract expires at the end of next summer, and the new agreement will keep all live home English cricket at Sky until the end of 2013. Channel Five retains the rights to show highlights shortly after the close of each day's play.
"We held extensive talks with all broadcasters and were determined to be as flexible as possible in terms of our packaging and scheduling to allow the maximum number of bids for cricket from all areas of the broadcast industry," ECB chairman Giles Clarke said. "The ECB recognise and are grateful for Sky Sports' loyalty to the sport - both at home and when the England team tour overseas.'
It had been expected that BBC and Channel 4 might submit rival bids, but in the event neither showed interest. Channel 4 were aggrieved at losing out in 2005 and the company is in a less robust position that it was four years ago.
The BBC's decision to stay out of the process left Sky effectively unchallenged. When BSkyB was awarded the contract at the end of 2005, the ECB, with Clarke at the forefront of negotiations, was lambasted in many quarters for not keeping broadcasts on terrestrial television, but it is likely to get a much easier ride this time because of the lack of interest from mainstream broadcasters.
Instead, Clarke trained his guns on the BBC for their lack of interest. "Now is the time for a real debate on the future of public sector sports broadcasting, which I know is under consideration and under review," he said. "All these people interested in cricket buy TV licences, and surely they should have a right to expect that the public sector broadcasters mount bids for the nation's summer sport, as they do in the case of one of them for 12 other sports?"
An ECB spokesman suggested that the BBC's lack of interest stemmed directly from their re-acquisition of the rights to Formula One motor racing, which requires a commitment of 16 weeks a year. "Just how many people play Formula One?" said Clarke. "If the BBC is to remain part of this it must answer to the millions of cricket fans in England and Wales how it prioritises its investment in sports rights."
The BBC, however, hit back with indignation at Clarke's comments. "We've always said any bid for live Test cricket was subject to value for money and fitting into scheduling," said a spokesman, "In our view neither of these criteria were met. We have consistently argued that not having cricket as a listed event puts it out of the reach of all terrestrial broadcasters. That's the ECB's choice and they are entitled to it, but it's absurd to blame the BBC for this outcome."
At the weekend, Scyld Berry, the editor of Wisden, wrote in the Daily Telegraph: "Children in far more than half the households in this country will grow up without ever having seen [Andrew] Flintoff, or any other England cricketer, perform live. (And so uncool is it to watch highlights that fewer than a million watch those on [Channel 5]). How can any sport prosper when its role-models perform in purdah? No doubt the ECB will blame the BBC for not making a substantial bid. But the game's authorities should negotiate the best bid, not the biggest."
The new Sky deal will include the Stanford quadrangular Twenty20 tournament in England as well as the EPL when it starts in 2010.
At the same time Five have agreed a deal for a highlights package to be screened at 7.15-8pm. There will also be, for the first time, Welsh language television coverage of five matches involving Glamorgan on S4C with five matches plus the Welsh Village Cup.
No fear for Bopara ahead of Test return
Ravi Bopara: ready to dogfight for England.
Right at this precise moment, Michael Vaughan is probably not putting too much thought to his Test comeback, but if he is, then the identity of his successor in England's middle-order might give him a grain of comfort. Back in December last year, Ravi Bopara made his debut in Sri Lanka, and was dropped after a frazzled return of 42 runs in three matches, including ducks in each of his last three appearances. He's now preparing for his comeback at The Oval on Thursday, as Vaughan steps aside with a series tally of 40 runs from same number of games.
Since that disappointment, however, Bopara has reinvigorated his credentials in a prolific year for Essex. He has made 976 runs at 51.36 in first-class cricket, including three centuries, and is averaging over 100 in the limited-overs game. "It's fantastic to be called back into the Test side," he said "It is something obviously I had a goal for, I aimed for, and I worked hard towards it in the latter part of the winter. I knew what I needed to work on and I went for it. It is nice to be called back to this arena again."
"This summer has been very good for me in all forms of cricket," he said. "It has all been pretty prolific compared to the rest of my years. The biggest change for me this season is I have been in fearless mode, I have just been going out to play in the way I want to play, and I've not thought too much about the game. I know people say 'think about what you are doing' but I haven't done too much thinking, to be honest. I have just played the ball, and if it's there to hit, hit it, if it's not, don't."
That sort of an attitude carried Bopara to the World Cup in the Caribbean in March and April last year, where he was one of England's few successes in a disappointing campaign. By the time his Test debut came around, however, the tension of his elevation had got to him, and he was unable to reproduce such free-flowing form.
"The challenge for me is to continue it with an England shirt on," said Bopara. "The thing that all good Test players do is take what they do for their counties and replicate it on the international stage. That is what I am going to do if I get a chance to play Test cricket again for England. I am going to go out and do what I do for Essex, nothing different, it's the same ball game, just different players."
"I don't have many regrets about Sri Lanka, to be fair, because it happened all so quickly," he said. "I didn't actually go out and change the way I played, but the Sri Lankans were too good for me. It just didn't go the way I imagined it to go, and that was because of good pieces of bowling sometimes, and other times my own error. But it is important to move on quickly. If you hang on to it too long you find yourself in a hole and dig yourself deeper and deeper. You just have to assess what you need to do, pick out the little points and go and do them. Don't look back, just move forward."
To that end, the current climate couldn't be better for a young player seeking to make his mark in the international game. The series is gone, but there's a new captain in situ, and a chance to make a fresh impression. "For me it is a fantastic opportunity," said Bopara. "We know the series is over, but we still have pride to play for and if I play it will give me the chance to put something on the board, and go into the winter with something positive under my belt."
As for Kevin Pietersen's new role, though he has been cautiously welcomed in some quarters, Bopara has been an instant convert to his style. "He's the new captain and he's already rubbed off on me," he said. "You learn off guys like that and I have been lucky to have had very positive people around me. Mr Gooch has been with me for a very long time, and I have been around in this England changing room with the likes of KP next to me. He's a good mate of mine and we talk a lot."
"I am going to go out and play for Kev," said Bopara. "He has a tough job on his hands, because we all know the England captaincy is not an easy job. I want to do well for Kev and do well for England, so that is all I am thinking about. The vibe in the dressing room is very positive and very honest. Kev has been around a lot of good captains, to learn off them. We know he is a positive bloke and that he likes to play his cricket positively, so that's a nice thing to be part of."
A positive approach is certainly something that Bopara intends to take to his second coming in Test cricket. "When you go through lows you come out a different person," he said. "You become a more positive person, I wouldn't say careless person, but a more fearless person because you've been there.
"It's just like if you let a dog roam on the streets eventually they become fearless, you know? They are out on the streets, they know the streets, and you become fearless because you have been through so many downs. That is how I feel right now. I am not saying I have been through a lot of low stuff, but I feel as if this time I just don't fear this."
Gibbs included in South Africa's ODI squad
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South Africa have named a 15-man squad for the one-off Twenty20 international and five-match ODI series against England. Herschelle Gibbs, who had expressed doubts over his international career after being left out of the Test squad, has been included, as has Dale Steyn, who was ruled out of the final two Tests against England with a broken thumb.
"The squad is made up of the players who have done well for us over the past year and we have every confidence they will regain the No. 1 ranking from Australia," Joubert Strydom, the convenor of selectors, said. "The only player no longer part of the mix is Charl Langeveldt, who is no longer available." Langeveldt, who had opted out of the tour of India earlier this year following his controversial selection ahead of Andre Nel, joined Derbyshire on a two-year Kolpak contract.
"We have included Hashim Amla as the 15th player in the squad because of the heavy workload that Graeme Smith has had to carry and the injuries he has suffered recently," Strydom said. "Hashim played in our most recent ODI series against Bangladesh and he will provide the cover in the opening batting area."
The selection of an additional player, Strydom said, was "more than justified" given that there were nine limited-overs games, including the warm-up matches.
Smith had suffered a back injury while batting in the tour game against Bangladesh A. However, he played the subsequent Test at Edgbaston, leading South Africa to a five-wicket win with an unbeaten 154.
Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini, who had been rested for the Bangladesh ODIs, return to the squad, in place of Alviro Petersen and Charl Langeveldt.
Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa's chief executive, congratulated the team on their triumph in the Test series and looked forward to further success on the tour. "The Proteas' first Test series win in England since unity in 1991 is a fantastic achievement and one that has made the whole country immensely proud," Majola said. "We hope now that Graeme Smith and his players can finish off the Test series at The Oval with another high-quality performance before turning their attention to Twenty20 and ODI cricket."
The Oval Test starts on August 7. South Africa then play three warm-up matches before the Twenty20 international on August 20.
ICC board to discuss Champions Twenty20 dates
The ICC board will discuss on Wednesday the potential impact of the Champions Twenty20 League, which is being held from September 29 to October 8, on the ICC Champions Trophy that ends in Lahore on September 28.
The ICC's directors, Cricinfo has learnt, are expected to discuss over a teleconference whether the inaugural Twenty20 event would devalue their showpiece one-day tournament, especially since the league starts on the reserve day of the Champions Trophy final.
It's understood that representatives from BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA), the founding partners of the Champions Twenty20 League, will reiterate that their tournament does not involve national teams and so does not devalue the Champions Trophy "in any manner". They are expected to point to the tournament's 'domestic' label, which bypasses the ICC guideline that bars any international competition from taking place within seven days of an ICC event.
The ICC had last week indicated, in an email sent to its member boards, its displeasure over the staging of the Champions League immediately after the Champions Trophy. The governing body was acting on a letter it had received from ESPN-Star Sports, its official broadcaster, which had expressed concern over whether the Twenty20 tournament would devalue the one-day tournament. A day later, James Sutherland, the chief executive of CA, said in Mumbai that "the critical thing that needs to be understood [about the Champions League] is that it is a domestic competition, an invitational event, involving best teams from various continents and that distinguishes it quite significantly from international events and ICC events."
The ICC teleconference on Wednesday is expected to the "clear the air" over the issue, officials from the BCCI and CSA told Cricinfo.
"All our directors are committed to the principle of the primacy of ICC events and every one of them wants the ICC Champions Trophy to be a successful, premium-quality tournament," an ICC spokesperson said. "On that basis the directors will consider whether and if so, how, the proposed Champions League will impact on that desired outcome, given its proposed start date of September 29, the reserve day of the ICC Champions Trophy final."
Officials from the BCCI and CSA said they were sure that they would be able to "convince the board" about the Champions Twenty20 League during the teleconference.
"Of course, we are sure that we can convince the board that the Champions League will not affect the Champions Trophy in any way. It is a competition that involves domestic teams, and we are convinced that it does not impact or devalue the ICC Champions Trophy in any way," a CSA official said. "India, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan are of the same view in this matter," Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said.
The eight-team, 10-day Champions Twenty 20League comprises the Twenty20 domestic finalists from India, Australia and South Africa, Pakistan's winner Sialkot and England's champion Middlesex. The tournament ends on October 8, a day before the first Test between India and Australia is scheduled to start in Bangalore.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Pietersen confirmed as England captain
Kevin Pietersen: "Not going to be a wimp" as England captain.
Kevin Pietersen has been swiftly appointed as Michael Vaughan's successor as Test captain, while also taking the one-day leadership after Paul Collingwood handed in his notice yesterday following Vaughan's departure. Pietersen, one of the few members guaranteed to be a key player of both teams in the next few years, was the favourite to take on the joint role and his appointment was confirmed by the ECB at Lord's today. He will lead out the side for the fourth Test against South Africa this week and promised to lead on gut instinct but ask for advice, after making a decision he described as "very, very emotional".
Vaughan's resignation on Sunday brought to an end a five-year tenure as the most successful England Test captain with 26 wins. Pietersen takes over with just one ODI as captain under his belt, having led the side against New Zealand at Lord's in June when Collingwood was serving a four-ODI suspension. Andrew Flintoff had taken the reins when Vaughan was injured for England's last Ashes campaign, the ill-fated 5-0 walloping by Australia in 2006-07.
Pietersen said: "I am very thrilled and excited to have been given the opportunity to captain England. It's a huge honour for me and a terrific challenge for me at this stage of my international career."
When asked if his batting would be affected by the responsibility of captaincy, he said: "Time will tell, we will have to wait and see. I hope not. I hope it won't restrict the way I play. I play the way that I play and it's a way that I've been successful so far in my career and it's something that I want to keep really high level." Geoff Miller, the ECB's national selector, added that though this had been considered it was a "very very short discussion."
Pietersen admitted that when he qualified for England in 2004 he had no idea he would one day play international cricket for them, nor that he would one day lead them. "I couldn't envisage playing for England. Everything just happened so quickly."
He said that replacing Vaughan was a big task. "They are huge boots that I've got to fill but I will do my best. What a great leader, what a great man. I have learned a great deal about leadership from playing under both Michael and Paul and fully appreciate the level of responsibility that comes with the job of captaining your country.
"My immediate priority will be this week's fourth Test and I will be devoting all my energies to ensuring that the team is properly prepared and plays to its full potential starting on Thursday. It's a great honour, a great privilege and something which has turned my life around in the last 24 hours. "
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Miller said: "In choosing a new captain, we were keen to identify a player who could lead the team in all three forms of cricket and bring fresh enthusiasm and ideas to the role of captain. Kevin is a world-class player who will command the respect of the dressing room and I am sure that he will be looking to lead from the front and work closely with both the players and the coaching staff to bring England success in the future.
"I would like to thank both Michael and Paul for their outstanding contributions to the leadership of the Test and the one-day teams. I am delighted that they will both continue to make themselves available for selection as players."
Miller gave Pietersen his full backing: "We're looking for a fresh approach. He will take us forward in an exciting manner. I'm sure he will take us forward."
The biggest hint about how Pietersen is going to approach the leadership came when he compared it to his general attitude. "I'm not going to be a wimp and say I'm not going to do it," he said. "I'm going to accept this challenge and give it a go like I give everything a go."
Ravi Bopara has been brought in to take Vaughan's spot as batsman for the fourth Test at The Oval, a dead rubber which begins on Thursday. Vaughan has chosen to take a break from cricket and with South Africa already having sealed the series, it will be a good opportunity for Bopara - who has three Tests to his name - to try to shine.
The selectors also named a 15-man squad for one-day series and Twenty20 against South Africa which includes the uncapped Nottinghamshire batsman Samit Patel and a recall for the Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Test squad Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen (capt), Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Tim Ambrose (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar.
One-day squad Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen (capt), Owais Shah, Ian Bell, Samit Patel, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Chris Tremlett, Luke Wright.
Pietersen is the right man for the job
Kevin Pietersen: England's new leader.
The king is dead, long live the king. Kevin Pietersen's deck-clearing appointment as England's new captain, across all forms of the game, is a bold and welcome statement of intent from an England selection panel that, only two matches ago, stood accused of gross prevarication. Doubts are sure to remain about the wisdom of appointing a man whose first and only experience of leadership came in the final ODI against New Zealand in June, and who - when it suits the public imagination - is all too easily cast as an interloper. But make no mistake, Pietersen the best candidate for the job, and in fact the only one.
Like a city whizkid or a great captain of industry, Pietersen is ambitious for ambition's sake, which does not sit easily with those who misconstrue his motives. Englishmen in particular, with their ingrained love of the underdog, find it hard to accept those who aren't content merely to bumble along in life and settle for second-best. And yet, the basic premise of sport is the quest to be the best, a challenge that Pietersen has embraced as if he were Roger Federer or Tiger Woods. He has no interest in being anything less than the greatest player who has ever lived, but unlike so many wannabes who mouth off and then vanish, he has consistently shown the talent, chutzpah and audacity to back up his promises with deeds.
Of course, none of that automatically marks him out as captaincy material, for there is a selfishness that comes with the pursuit of excellence, which is a criticism that has been levelled at Pietersen ever since he turned his back on South Africa as a teenager and made the great trek north to Nottinghamshire where he began his assault on the England team. His days at Trent Bridge ended in acrimony in 2005, when his bags were flung out of the dressing-room window by his irate captain, Jason Gallian, and the nickname of "Ego", with which the South Africans have taunted him throughout this series, is clearly not a misplaced sobriquet.
And yet, despite the naked ambition, Pietersen has a self-awareness and diplomacy that only become apparent when you observe him at close quarters. The England captaincy is not something for which he has actively canvassed - in fact, this time last year he pulled himself out of the race for the one-day leadership, correctly ascertaining that he was not ready for such a role. Recognition has made him a more patient person, and a more likeable man too. The acclaim that greeted his century against South Africa at Lord's in last month's first Test was a heartfelt endorsement from a public that took its time to be convinced, but is now ready to embrace him as one of their own.
"I ummed and ah-ed last year, when I was asked whether I wanted the one-day captaincy," said Pietersen, "but my gut instinct wasn't right. Now I'm more of a rounded figure as a player, and I've got a lot more support from the lads. That's one of the most exciting things, all the text messages and phone calls from senior players in the squad who basically said: 'We're right behind you, we support you. Give it your best shot.' Once you've got the support of the lads around you, there's nothing more you can ask for."
Pietersen's brand of diplomacy, as with his cricket, extends beyond words and into deeds. Contrary to all the expectations when he arrived in the England side, with a badger-streak through his hair and bling dripping off every limb, he is the model professional. Nobody trains harder in the side, nor thinks more deeply about their game, and although it is easy to be sniffy about the pop-star wife and the appearances in Hello! magazine, when has Pietersen ever erred from the straight and narrow in his off-the-field life? His marriage seems as solid as can exist in celebrity circles - in fact, he said his wife, Jessica, was the first person he consulted when offered the captaincy - and he hasn't been seen the worse for wear in public since the Ashes party in 2005, when sobriety would have been a crime against team-bonding. He was certainly nowhere near the Fredalo scandal that scuttled England's World Cup campaign last year.
In some circles, such standoffishness would undermine his credentials, but the England captain cannot afford to be too wrapped up in the dynamics of the dressing room. "We really want to like him," was how one senior player described the team's relationship with Pietersen last year, a comment that suggested admiration if not an outright acceptance. But chumminess with his charges ultimately caused Michael Vaughan's downfall, after his misplaced comments about team unity in the Headingley Test, while Vaughan himself dismissed Andrew Flintoff's leadership credentials way back in 2005, correctly ascertaining that his matey nature would prevent him from laying down the law when it mattered. All the best leaders need a hint of the bastard about them. Vaughan had it, Nasser Hussain had it. Pietersen, one suspects, will produce it in spades when required.
The intelligence that went into Pietersen's Edgbaston onslaught augurs well for his captaincy.
Talking of Vaughan, Pietersen's appointment is a fitting tribute to England's outgoing captain, whose influence on the squad over the past five years was so great, only the biggest boots in the team would be sufficient to justify the sacrifice he has made. When Vaughan left the field during the Edgbaston Test, it was Andrew Strauss who was left calling the shots, and no doubt he would have made an adequate replacement. But that would have been no more than a continuation of the stop-gap culture that has beset English cricket since Vaughan first succumbed to the knee injury that wrecked the continuity of his Ashes team.
Flintoff was a no-go, none of the other viable candidates - Strauss, Paul Collingwood and Alastair Cook - could guarantee their places in all forms of the game, and as Geoff Miller reiterated today, one of his primary aims upon accepting the role of national selector at the start of the year was to find a captain to draw all three facets of English cricket together. "We're looking for a fresh approach," said Miller, "and I'm sure he will take us forward in an exciting manner."
There's little doubt about that - although perhaps the biggest concern that surrounds Pietersen's appointment is the effect it could have on his own expansive game. The criticism that came his way after he holed out to mid-on for 94 at Edgbaston would have increased ten-fold had he already been captain, and yet, to drive Pietersen into his shell and deny him the right to play on instinct would be to halve the effect of his performances.
"I hope it won't restrict the way I play, and I think it would be silly to start thinking that it will," he said. "I play the way that I play, and it's a way I've been successful so far in my career. It is exactly the way you need to play against South Africa, and exactly the way you need to play against Australia. You've got to be positive and aggressive, so hopefully it won't affect my batting."
The main point about Pietersen's aggression, however, is the intelligence with which he backs it up. So the shot that got him out at Edgbaston was an error, but what preceded it was breathless, brilliant, and meticulously planned. As Mike Atherton wrote in the Times last week, the justification that Pietersen gave for his audacious reverse-swept six off Muttiah Muralitharan on the same ground two summers ago was almost as impressive as the planning and execution that went into the stroke.
"To understand that shot you need to know that I had just come down the wicket to Murali three times; I had hit him over mid-off for four, through mid-off for four and then I had cut the doosra for four. Murali moved his mid-off and mid-on back and put men at deep square leg and cow corner. All my options had been blocked."
Pietersen may be a rookie leader, but he's been well schooled under Vaughan at Test level, and Shane Warne at Hampshire. If he puts that same inventiveness into his field placings and bowling changes, England will be impressively served in the coming years.
There will be those who doubt the wisdom of handing the captaincy to the best player in the side, and it's true that both Flintoff and Ian Botham were overwhelmed by the responsibility. But such an approach has rarely let the Australians down, and let's not forget that the last man to be appointed as England's full-time captain was none other than Vaughan, who was the No. 1-rated batsman in the world when he succeeded Nasser Hussain in 2003. Admittedly Vaughan's personal returns took a dip with the responsibility, but the handsome pay-off was six series wins in a row. At their current low ebb, England would gladly settle for a trade-off of that magnitude.
For all the positive signs, Pietersen's appointment will still be viewed in some quarters as a gamble. His media savvy and marketability are a boon for the English game, but those who look for historical parallels will doubtless fear that he is about to do what another South African-born captain, Tony Greig, did to the game in 1977. It is widely known how actively Pietersen has agitated for an IPL-shaped window to be created in England's schedule, and it was also noticeable how quickly he ducked the issue today.
And yet, the circumstances are somewhat different these days. Greig threw in his lot with World Series Cricket because the pay for international cricketers in his day was desultory. Pietersen, on the other hand, will not be wanting for remuneration in his new role. In this challenging era of attractions outside the Test arena, the ECB are expedient to indulge KP's ego, and give him the biggest job which he can ever attain. If he's half the man he's led us to believe he is, he is sure to rise to the honour with pride. His quest for greatness demands it.
England appoint their new captain
Ireland inch past Kenya into final
Andre Botha struck three times for Ireland.
Ireland 72 for 4 beat Kenya 67 (Botha 3-20) by 4 wickets
This was another match of inexplicably abject batting with a close finish, as Ireland struggled to exceed Kenya's 67 all out before winning with just five balls and four wickets in hand. The pitch cannot be blamed entirely for match after match of low scores and struggling batsmen and Monday's track was reported as fine, with a little extra grass which gave the bowlers a little seam movement. There was a little swing, but nothing excessive.
For some reason, the Associates' batsmen, inexperienced in this type of cricket, seem to have established a mental block about it, and it shows.
Ireland won the toss on a morning with pleasant intermittent sun and put Kenya in. The first over was a stereotypical Twenty20 over: Maurice Ouma hit a daring two to a misfield and a powerful four before slashing a catch to third man, before Kennedy Otieno edged a ball past the keeper and ran two while third man made a brilliant save. Eight for one in the over.
In the next over Nehemiah Odhiambo was lbw to Kevin O'Brien for 1, and Kenya were at the crossroads as Steve Tikolo walked in. He began cautiously, but then lost Otieno, who sent up a huge skyer off O'Brien that was caught at fine leg; 15 for 3. Alex Obanda (1) holed out to a brilliant running catch by Kyle McCallan at long-on; 27 for 4. The disasters continued, as Tikolo walked into a ball from Andre Botha to be lbw for 13 off 26 balls. After 10 overs, the score was 48 for 5 and another low-scoring encounter was virtually assured.
Worse was to come for the beleaguered Kenyans, as Alex Cusack bowled out two batsmen in the same over; 48 for 7. Any hopes of a significant recovery lay with Thomas Odoyo, but he swung and was bowled by Botha for 10, after adding 9 with Tony Suji. Botha then bowled Peter Ongondo first ball, another loose drive, but Tony Suji and Hiren Varaiya managed to add 10 - a major partnership in this tournament - to take the total to 67 before it came to a close with a run-out, 16 balls short of 20 overs.
Again, as in all but the first match so far, the bowling has been generally good, untested as it had been by so much abysmal batting. Botha took 3 for 20, but the initial damage was done by Connell and O'Brien up front, taking two each, as did Cusack.
Ireland's batsmen were determined not to throw their wickets away, but safe fast scoring was not easy. Two overs with only two wides to show from them is not easy to handle in this type of cricket, though, and William Porterfield, in the third over, dabbed at a ball from Odoyo outside off stump and was caught in the slips.
New batsman Niall O'Brien finally recorded the first run from the bat off the 15th delivery of the innings, only for Gary Wilson to attempt a pull and sky the ball, to be superbly caught by Tony Suji running back. Despite their initial caution, Ireland were 3 for 2.
Botha, taking advantage where he could of loose balls, slowly started to take charge, aided by the more defensive O'Brien. Ongondo remarkably conceded just seven runs in his four overs, although he did bowl a number of deliveries wide of off stump which the Irish batsmen in their caution allowed to pass.
After nine overs, the score was a mere 23 for 2, but then 12 runs off the tenth over, but Suji, relieved the pressure - even if there was a big contribution from a wide that passed the keeper for four. Botha fell for 22 in the 12th over, however, bowled as he drove at a flighted ball for Jimmy Kamande; 41 for 3. One run later, Andy White swung a catch to long leg, followed by Cusack skying a ball into the covers, and Ireland were faltering again.
Runs again dried up, with the O'Brien brothers together, but the stand was broken when Niall took a swing and edged an easy catch into the slips for 11 off 30 balls; 49 for 6 in the 16th over.
The 17th over, bowled again by the luckless Suji, was crucial, and nine runs came from it, all but one to Kevin O'Brien, who was now determined to take personal responsibility in the situation. This was the turning-point, and he and Trent Johnson kept things ticking over until, with the first ball of the final over, O'Brien hit Suji back over his head for the winning four.
There were two economical wickets each for Odoyo, Kamande and Ragheb Aga, while the unfortunate Suji went for 26 off three overs and a ball. Ireland thus go through to tomorrow's final, but their top-order batting will not have given them confidence.
Ireland v Kenya, World Twenty20 Qualifiers semi-final, BelfastNetherlands set up final encounter
Ryan ten Doeschate picked up the Man of the Match award for Netherlands.
Netherlands 110 for 5 beat Scotland 107 for 8 by 5 wickets
Netherlands earned themselves a place in the tournament final with a fine five-wicket victory over Scotland, with two full overs to spare. After a good start by their opponents, they fought back to restrict them severely, and then overcame a couple of sticky moments with the bat to reach the target in good time.
Netherlands won the toss and decided to bowl first, a trend that is taking over at this low-scoring tournament. Scotland's openers, however, made a mockery of the dismal starts achieved by most sides in recent matches, as Ryan Watson took Kyle Coetzer in first with him, and the pair quickly launched themselves into the type of opening partnership that is more to be expected in this type of cricket. It was mostly good clean hitting, with Coetzer lofting a six over long-on off Mudassar Bakhari in the third over.
After 10 overs, the score was 50 without loss, but five runs later Watson swung across the line and was bowled by Peter Borren for 22, off 27 balls. Coetzer and Navdeep Poonia then concentrated mainly on singles, which came off most balls, but the search for yet another led to the run-out of Coetzer for 40 (44 balls, 2 sixes and 4 fours).
Colin Smith quickly followed, holing out at long-on, but Pooniah and Gavin Hamilton settled for a sober partnership of accumulation with few extravagant strokes, aiming perhaps for a total of about 120, considering how difficult teams have found chasing smaller targets this tournament.
With two overs left, the total was 98 for 3, but then Hamilton, aiming at extravagance virtually for the first time, holed out on the leg side.
It takes so little to send a team on the slippery slope of disaster, and in quick succession Neil McCallum was caught at extra cover, also off Ryan ten Doeschate, and Poonia run out for 25. In moments the score had become 99 for 6. The final over saw Richie Berrington and Gordon Drummond run out and John Blain almost caught on the boundary off the final ball. The total was 107 for 8.
It is easy to say Scotland lost their way after such a good start, but by the weird standards of this particular tournament, even to reach 100 is quite an achievement. ten Doeschate, with 3 for 23, was the most successful bowler, but the most economical was the opener Edgar Schiferli, who conceded only 18 runs, bowling mostly during the dominant opening partnership.
Netherlands quickly lost Darron Reekers, caught at mid-on off a miscued pull. Twenty-nine runs came up in the first four overs without much more fuss from either side, the batsmen concentrating on frequent singles with only occasional slogs. At 50, in the ninth over, Tim de Grooth was caught at the wicket off Berrington for 24, and at the ten-over mark the score was 56 for 2.
Bokari, having scored most of his 9 runs off the edge, was caught at slip, but Eric Szwarczynski and ten Doeschate batted steadily, largely in singles, to take the score to 81, when the former had a rush of blood, trying a big hit to leg, only to have the resulting skyer caught by the keeper, having made 30. He was soon followed by Daan van Bunge, caught at slip without scoring. At 83 for 5, was another serious collapse taking place?
Borren, with two successive fours off Drummond, soon put paid to such nonsense. The end came quickly now, as ten Doeschate swung Majid Haq for six over square leg, and next ball followed it with a reverse-swept four to take Netherlands into the final. Eighteen runs came off that over - the sort of over that is more commonly expected in this type of cricket but so rarely seen at this tournament.
ten Doeschate was unbeaten with 24 off 18 balls, while Borren had 16 off 12. Blain and Berrington had two wickets each.
Netherlands v Scotland, World Twenty20 Qualifiers semi-final, Belfast
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Gilchrist dreams of Twenty20 at the Olympics
Adam Gilchrist has high hopes for the game over the next 12 years.
Adam Gilchrist is leading a player push for Twenty20 to be included in the 2020 Olympics, believing it is an essential step in securing the game's global future. With the start of the Beijing event less than a week away, Gilchrist says the cricket "pipedream" is a "potential reality" following the success of the new format and the Indian Premier League.
"It doesn't matter where the 2020 Olympic Games are held, but many of us who've experienced international Twenty20 cricket and the IPL are convinced that cricket should bid to become an Olympic sport in time for the Games," Gilchrist wrote in the Deccan Herald. Cricket was part of the 1900 Olympics before being cut, but last year it gained "recognition status" from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for two years.
"We have a responsibility to grow our game in new territories and amongst the women of the world," Gilchrist wrote. "I believe the Olympic Games is the vehicle the sport should use to aggressively sell the message of our sport to all 202 competing Olympic nations, so our sport is strong and robust in countries where it is currently played, and exciting and ground-breaking in countries who haven't yet caught the 'cricket-bug'."
To receive "programme status" at the 2020 Olympics, cricket would need to be approved by the IOC at a meeting seven years before the event. Twenty-six sports are part of the Beijing schedule and there are currently two vacancies for future Games. Golf, karate, baseball, softball, rugby sevens and roller sports are among the disciplines currently competing for the right to be involved in 2016.
Gilchrist believes it is time to start serious lobbying. "Between 2009 and 2013 cricket would promote itself to the IOC as a prospective sport and, if we get it right, cricket will be invited to the Olympic party in 2020," he said.
Each Full Member cricket board has been asked by the ICC to have two national men and women players complete Olympic questionnaires. The responses in Australia have been favourable and Gilchrist, a key performer in the IPL, has also sounded out excited colleagues from Australia, South Africa and England.
Gilchrist experienced the surge of interest in Twenty20 during his time with the Deccan Chargers earlier this year and is convinced the IPL revolution has "changed cricket forever". Now he wants the BCCI's officials to work with the ICC to help take it to the Olympics.
"They would be investing in the future of the sport because by having a men's and women's competition at the Olympic Games many more countries would be drawn to cricket," he said. "It wouldn't surprise me if countries like the USA, China, Italy, France and Japan become competitive very quickly in Twenty20, especially in women's Twenty20. I believe that in time the success of cricket at the Olympic Games will lead to more Test-playing nations, something that the sport will need in the coming century."
Gilchrist feels the aim is realistic. "The Olympic movement knows it needs to increase its presence in the Asian subcontinent as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh contribute nearly 22% of the world's population. In theory, this is a win-win for the Olympic movement and the ICC and its members."
India collected only a silver medal in Athens in 2004 while Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh failed to finish in the top three of any event. Cricket would dramatically increase each of the nations' chances of reaching the podium while lifting interest in the subcontinent.
Next year's Twenty20 World Championship in England will be held over 16 days, one day shorter than the Olympic programme. Supporters of cricket's push believe the length of the tournament - and its high-energy matches - is another valid reason for its inclusion.
Ishant inspires India to series-levelling win
Ishant Sharma started Sri Lanka's slide with early wickets, including that of the in-form Mahela Jayawardene.
On a pitch and in a series where the fast bowlers have only been making up the numbers, a hostile and quick Ishant Sharma helped India seal an incredible comeback after they had slumped to their third-worst defeat ever in the first Test.
In the first session of the day, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis had made sure India didn't take their lead into the realms of the impregnable, but with Ishant bowling the way he did, the target of 307 stayed secure. Ishant got good support from Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh; the latter finished with his fifth ten-wicket haul.
Sri Lanka were attacked from a quarter they would have least expected hostilities from, and after having done well playing catch-up throughout the match, they finally fell short. The match was much closer than the 170-run margin indicated.
Ishant was accurate, he hit the bat hard, gave Dinesh Karthik some more difficulties behind the wicket, and most importantly, kept producing his special delivery repeatedly: the one that holds its line after having pitched on a length.
Ishant began with a wicket with the third ball he bowled, sending down a perfect right-armer's ball to a left-hander, pitching it around leg and moving it away, making Malinda Warnapura play and edge. Zaheer, in the next over, produced a legcutter for Sangakkara similar to the one he did in the first Test, with similar results. And in his next over, Ishant got the biggest wicket of them all for India - Mahela Jayawardene, who looked to counterattack and cut straight to gully, where Rahul Dravid held on to a sharp chance. Dravid was exuberant at having taken the catch - he had dropped Michael Vandort in the first over, and had also been pushed out of the cordon.
Ishant and Zaheer then tightened the screws. Ishant, in particular, seemed to be bowling on a different pitch from the one that had been on display on the four previous days. At one point, the preceding 12.3 overs had cost India 11 runs and featured two huge lbw shouts, one catch off a no-ball, and most importantly, robust fast bowling. Harbhajan took advantage of that period, and trapped Vandort with an arm-ball in his first over.
But there was one final twist left in the match, and Ishant it was who pulled India out of a threatening situation. Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan had put together a swift 76-run stand, pulling Sri Lanka out of the shell they had played themselves into. Dilshan, in particular, hustled the bowling, briefly changing the texture of the game.
Ishant came up with a special over after tea, bowling at high pace, extracting extra bounce, and getting the ball to hold its line. After having beaten Dilshan twice, he finally got him to edge one, and it was all downhill for Sri Lanka after that.
Harbhajan took control of the situation then; both lower orders have, on this pitch, been hard pressed against quality spin bowling. Samaraweera, who scored a resolute half-century, could not do much about what happened at the other end. The last five wickets fell for 23 runs, Harbhajan taking three of them. When he got Mendis, he completed his ten-for, and a successful redemption after his recent misadventures.
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Mendis, incidentally, had finished his first ten-wicket haul by taking Harbhajan's wicket earlier in the day. That was the end of a collapse in which India lost their last five for 17 runs. India had started the day tentatively, but the overnight batsmen - VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly - kept the runs coming. They hadn't yet played themselves in when Mendis nailed Laxman with another one of his special carrom balls - pitching within the stumps, breaking rapidly, and heading for off stump. Laxman's pad intervened, but the umpire had no hesitation in sending him on his way.
Karthik came out aggressive, stepping out and hitting both Mendis and Murali for sixes, and also pulling out a reverse-sweep. He might even have had a hand in suggesting to Ganguly that he ask for a review when Ganguly was given lbw to one that seemed to be missing off stump. But just when it looked like the two might get too many, too fast, Murali pulled them back. Karthik, going for a third six, was beaten in the flight and caught in the deep. Ganguly was suckered out of the crease by a flighted, fiercely dipping delivery, and Prasanna Jayawardene's quickness with the stumping made the dismissal look more even more comprehensive.
The rest contributed enough only for the so-called psychological advantage: when Karthik got out, India's lead was 292; they finished on 306. Ishant, though, rendered the tussle in the first session superfluous.
That India came into the fourth day still alive had all to do with a near-solo effort by Virender Sehwag, who reached his fifth double-century in the first innings, and for the first time in his career scored a fifty in a match in which he had also scored a century. India, out of habit perhaps, managed to waste a fiery start from Sehwag, but he had done enough, as was proved when India went on to win only the third Test in which he had scored a century.
Vaughan steps down as captain
Michael Vaughan has resigned as captain following defeat against South Africa.
Michael Vaughan has resigned as England captain following the series defeat against South Africa, which was sealed by the five-wicket loss at Edgbaston on Saturday.
The decision was announced during a hastily arranged press conference at Loughborough even though yesterday evening Vaughan said he "would let the dust" settle on the defeat.
Paul Collingwood has also stood down as one-day captain, meaning that England will announce a new captain for both forms of the game on Monday. The frontrunner is Kevin Pietersen, who is a fixture in both teams. Collingwood is currently serving a four-match suspension for a slow over-rate.
An emotional Vaughan said he felt the time was right to go and will take some time out of the game and won't play in the final Test at The Oval, though he remains available for selection for future England contests.
"It's the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but also the easiest," said Vaughan. "I put my heart and soul into the job but if I kept on going my career could have come to an abrupt end. I think this decision will prolong my career.
"I thought it might be time to go in New Zealand, where my body was working well but my mind was not working well. I will always cherish the support I've had, but this is a weight off my shoulders.
"I had every ambition to lead the England team to the next Ashes Series but as England captain I feel I've run out of steam," he added. "I believe that the best thing for the team is to embark on a new direction under a new captain.
"I also believe the best thing for me is to try and get back to being best batsmen I can be. I'll still have all the experience and knowledge to pass on and I hope to be a valuable player for both my county and the England team.
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"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans who have always been so supportive and have provided a huge inspiration to me as captain. A captain is only as good as his teams and I've been fortunate enough to captain some terrific players and great blokes."
It brings an end to Vaughan's 51-match run as captain, four games short of becoming England's long-serving leader, although his 26 victories makes him, statistically, the most successful captain.
"He's led from the front and always led with integrity and honesty. He's been the best possible ambassador for the England cricket team," said managing director Hugh Morris.
However, the pressure on Vaughan has been growing in recent months despite back-to-back series victories against New Zealand. The series loss to South Africa is England's third in five series, dating back to the 1-0 reversal against India last summer. They then lost by the same margin in Sri Lanka before losing the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. Vaughan led a shake-up of the team by dropping Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison and England hit back to take the series, but the performances were not convincing.
Adding to the stress on Vaughan has been his own lack of runs. He has made 40 in five innings against South Africa, consistently being troubled by the pace bowlers, and his last ten Test have produced just one century and an average of 22.
He took on the role against South Africa in 2003, following Nasser Hussain's resignation which also came after an Edgbaston Test. His first Test in charge, at Lord's, was a thumping innings defeat, but he subsequently secured victories at Trent Bridge and The Oval as England shared the series.
The defeats in the past two weeks at Headingley and Edgbaston were the first time he has lost back-to-back Tests and a hallmark of his reign as captain was how England could bounce back from defeats. His finest moment was the 2005 Ashes victory, although he was also at the helm for historic away successes against West Indies in 2004 and South Africa in 2005.
Collingwood ends one-day captaincy
Paul Collingwood's time as one-day has not always been easy and without controversy.
Paul Collingwood's time as England one-day captain has come to end on the same day as Michael Vaughan's Test reign. He said he'd stepped down after feeling the captaincy was affecting his performances.
It means England will have new leaders in both forms of the game when the selectors make their announcement at Lord's on Monday. Collingwood took on the role last year against West Indies, after Vaughan resigned the one-day job, and his initial results were promising with series victories against India at home and Sri Lanka away.
However, England had a poor World Twenty20 and have suffered back-to-back series defeats against New Zealand. Collingwood also became embroiled in controversy against New Zealand when he insisted on appealing for Grant Elliott's run out at The Oval after he'd been knocked to the ground by Ryan Sidebottom. He later admitted his error, but following the match picked up a four-game suspension for a slow over-rate. Kevin Pietersen took over for the final ODI against New Zealand and is now favourite to become the new full-time captain, as well as lead in Tests.
"I've made the decision to step down as England's one-day captain as I want to give myself the best chance to perform for England and enjoy my cricket," Collingwood said. "Whilst I am humbled to have been given the opportunity to captain England's one-day side, I feel the captaincy diminished my ability to perform for England across all forms of the game. I feel the England captaincy impacted on my ability to enjoy my cricket and contribute to the team."
Collingwood returned to form in the Test arena with his 135 in the second innings at Edgbaston after being on the brink of losing his place. "I've always enjoyed representing my country at the highest level," he said, "and it has always been my ambition to play cricket, across all forms of the game, but I've found the extra workload of the captaincy to be very difficult.
"The last thing I want is for the captaincy to impact my performance and that of the team's which is why I've arrived at this decision after a huge amount of consideration. I will continue to make myself available to England for all forms of cricket and look forward to playing a significant role in England's future success."
Hugh Morris, managing director of England cricket, said: "Paul feels this is the best decision in terms of benefiting the England team and his contribution to the team, across all forms of the game.
"We are extremely grateful for the way in which Paul has led the England one-day side since his appointment last year. The team has made real progress under his leadership and he will continue to be a valuable member of the England set-up."
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