India's cracks were everywhere

Sri Lanka v India, 3rd Test, PSS, Colombo, 4th day

August 11, 2008

	Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were among the few bright spots for India in the series © AFP

India are regularly talked up as the team most likely to knock Australia off their perch but, on a day South Africa formally completed their seventh Test series win in eight, India's claim became that much more tenuous as they hurtled to their fifth defeat in their last 10 Tests against the strongest sides in the world [Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka]. The factors for losing this match, and the series, cover almost every aspect of India's cricket.

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" said Benjamin Franklin a couple of centuries ago, sage advice that the Indian cricket board blithely ignores time after time. Prior to the Boxing Day Test last year, India had just one warm-up game and barely a week of acclimatisation. It was little surprise, then, when Australia romped home by nine wickets at the MCG.

On arriving in Sri Lanka last month, the Indians again played just one practice match, and left the SSC after an innings-and-239-run thrashing. Why do they never learn? Why is the itinerary always adjusted to shoehorn in meaningless one-day series? The lack of preparation becomes especially acute when the stalwarts of your batting order are no longer part of the one-day side. As long as the priority is quantity [and revenue], the team will continue to have all the substance of a plank of plywood.

The batsmen started in wretched fashion at the SSC, and with the exception of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, there were few silver linings as the series progressed. India's batsmen made one hundred [Sehwag's monumental 201 in Galle] and seven half-centuries [four from the openers] in the series, and didn't cross 330 even once. Sri Lanka had four centuries at the SSC alone, and they comfortably outbatted India in the series decider.

Australia conceded first-innings leads in every Test back in 2004, but still prevailed because their batsmen stockpiled seven centuries and four 50s. Without someone to dig deep and bat like Darren Lehmann and Damien Martyn did on that tour, India simply didn't have a chance. First-day scores of 249 don't win you Test matches on placid pitches, as Anil Kumble was to admit later.

The bowlers were just as culpable though. Barring Harbhajan Singh, who took 16 wickets, no Indian bowler averaged less than 30. Harbhajan and Kumble took 24 wickets between them, two less than the remarkable Ajantha Mendis, whose off breaks, peculiar googlies and carrom balls dismissed VVS Laxman on five occasions, and Rahul Dravid four times. After his exertions against Pakistan and Australia, Kumble appears to be running on empty, and the series against Australia could well be a watershed as far as Indian spin is concerned.

The pace bowlers had their moments, but couldn't summon up the consistency or the venom to break open the series. While it's true that slow bowlers tend to be the game-breakers in Sri Lanka, two of the sides to win here this millennium have shown the value of pace and seam movement. When England triumphed in 2000-01, Darren Gough took 14 wickets at 19.57 and Andy Caddick nine at 25. Three seasons later, Australia were indebted to Shane Warne's 26 wickets, but just as crucial was the contribution from Michael Kasprowicz [12 wickets at 25.16] and Jason Gillespie [10 at 31.6].

Enough has been said about the fielding shambles. Having given his all during one-day tournaments of paramount importance in Bangladesh and Pakistan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to give this trivial Test series a miss. His replacements were shocking, both with gloves and bat. Prasanna Jayawardene, the most under-rated wicketkeeper in the world, was immaculate with the gloves and also contributed 107 runs with the bat, including a priceless 49 at the P Sara. Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel aggregated 50 over six innings, and seemed to fluff more chances than they took.

Muttiah Muralitharan finished with 21 wickets at 22.23, par for the course in a home series, and India tackled him as well as could have been expected. What will really rankle, though, was the abject surrender - Sehwag and Gambhir apart - against Mendis, the only other bowler of substance in a wafer-thin attack. Chaminda Vaas wasn't the force of old, while Dammika Prasad will bowl a lot better and go wicketless.

Mendis and Murali wheeled away for an astonishing 324 overs and, aside from the openers, no one managed to collar them even once. When it mattered, they would either come up with an unplayable delivery or one of the fielders would pull off a stunning catch. The half-chances that invariably slipped through Indian fingers inevitably stuck in Sri Lankan palms.

Ultimately though, it came down to a batting line-up that couldn't pull its weight. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly finished with fewer runs than Prasanna, and when two of your biggest wheels fall off in such fashion, even the mightiest juggernaut will only end up in a wayside ditch. Beaten, broken, and ambushed by a man who likes to flick the ball with his middle finger.

Tendulkar ruled out of ODI series

India in Sri Lanka 2008

August 11, 2008

	An elbow injury has forced Sachin Tendulkar out of the ODI series in Sri Lanka © AFP

Sachin Tendulkar will not play the five-ODI series in Sri Lanka after sustaining an injury to his left elbow during the third Test in Colombo. S Badrinath, the Tamil Nadu batsman, will be his replacement.

"I spoke to Sachin and the team physio [Nitin Patel] this morning and I can confirm that Tendulkar has been ruled out of action for two to three weeks," Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's chief administrative officer, told Cricinfo.

Tendulkar had jarred his elbow while attempting a catch in the 47th over of Sri Lanka's first innings on Saturday, and was quickly taken off. An MRI scan revealed a swelling, and Tendulkar didn't take the field for the rest of the innings. However, he did bat in India's second innings on Sunday, though two places below his customary No. 4 position. Tendulkar was out for 14, which still leaves him 77 short of surpassing Brian Lara as the leading run-getter in Tests.

After missing the Asia Cup in Pakistan due to a groin injury, Tendulkar had been named in the ODI squad for Sri Lanka as well as the Champions Trophy in Pakistan which takes place in September. His last one-day match was the second final of the Commonwealth Bank Series against Australia in Brisbane in March 2008.

Badrinath confirmed his call-up to the national team, and will leave for Sri Lanka on Wednesday. "Yes, I got a call to join the team for the Sri Lanka series and I'm leaving day after," he told Cricinfo.

The five-match series will be played from August 18-29.

'We did not play quality cricket' - Kumble

Sri Lanka v India, 3rd Test, PSS, Colombo, 4th day

August 11, 2008

	Anil Kumble: "I do not think there was enough contribution throughout the series from the middle order" © AFP

After surrendering the series to a clinical Sri Lankan outfit, India have to face up to and deal with the harsh truth that they only won one session of this game. Left to rummage through the remains of yet another overseas series squandered after a memorable comeback, Anil Kumble, India's captain, had few positives to pick out.

"We missed out on a good opportunity to beat Sri Lanka," Kumble said. "We did really well in Galle to come back and we did not capitalise on the winning of the toss here. You cannot lose five wickets in the first 40 overs of a Test. That happened to us quite regularly in this series, which is something we need to think about."

With a hundred more runs in the first innings, India could have changed the outcome of this match. However, their famed middle order failed again - twice. Dammika Prasad and Ajantha Mendis bowled with guile and accuracy to spell the death knell for India. Kumar Sangakkara's match-winning hundred boarded up the coffin, and Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan returned to hammer in the nails.

"For a new batsman to go in straight away and face two spinners is never easy," Kumble said. "People got starts, if they had converted it would have been a different story. I do not want to give excuses. Overall we did not play quality cricket to win the series."

This was also arguably the worst series for India's famed middle order. Sachin Tendulkar looked a shadow of himself in scratching 95 runs at 15.83 and Sourav Ganguly, who batted so brilliantly against South Africa at Ahmedabad and Kanpur in his last series, was a phantom in Sri Lanka, making 96 runs. Rahul Dravid's tentativeness at the crease this series has betrayed a tinge of insecurity, and VVS Laxman managed just two fifties, out five times to Mendis.

"It is not just one or two players [who we should blame]," Kumble said. "It is important that everyone contributes. I do not think there was enough contribution throughout the series from the middle order consistently. Even the lower order did not contribute consistently except one game here. That is obviously something that let us down."

Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma turned in match-winning performances in Galle but otherwise there was little to speak of in the bowling department. Except for Harbhajan, who took 16 wickets, no bowler averaged less than 30. Kumble, India's highest wicket-taker ever, had a series to forget. His eight wickets at 50.00 was his worst three-match series since India played Pakistan in 2006. "I take responsibility," he said, before quickly opting to take the clichéd route, "but the bowlers put their hearts in."

The saving grace of defeat is that it invariably brings lessons. As Kumble pointed out, India have a month and a half to think about what needs to be done before a four-Test series against Australia. "That's still a lot of time for us to reflect on what went wrong," Kumble said. India's time starts now.

Clinical Sri Lanka clinch series

Sri Lanka v India, 3rd Test, PSS, Colombo, 4th day

August 11, 2008

Sri Lanka 396 (Sangakkara 144) and 123 for 2 (Warnapura 54*, Jayawardene 50*) beat India 249 (Gambhir 72, Mendis 5-56) and 268 (Dravid 68, Laxman 61*) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Mahela Jayawardene steered Sri Lanka to their second consecutive home series win against India © AFP

Drip by drip, Sri Lanka made their way to a comprehensive series win, their first over India since 2001. On what turned out to be the final day of the series, Sri Lanka did not attack overtly, and kept their composure at crucial junctures - when Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman had a long partnership, and also when India struck with two early wickets after Sri Lanka came out in pursuit of 122.

A bowler short, a batsman limping, the No. 11 in no shape to bat, and only 14 runs ahead with half the team gone, India started the day as no-hopers, but they managed to give Sri Lanka a few nervous moments. Dravid and Laxman - who was nursing an ankle injury - provided resistance for about 90 minutes. Harbhajan Singh played a cameo to take the lead beyond 100, and then took a wicket in his first over.

Sri Lanka seemed in no hurry. They waited patiently, bowled in the right areas, and got the last five Indian wickets without much damage. It was Ajantha Mendis who broke the resistance, dismissing Dravid half an hour before lunch. And when Harbhajan, who hit five boundaries in his 26, looked to take India towards a sizeable lead, Chaminda Vaas, that epitome of discipline, struck in the first over he bowled after his three with the first new ball.

When India struck early, reducing them to 22 for 2, Sri Lanka didn't look to hit out, and waited instead for Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan to tire. Harbhajan, who opened the bowling in Ishant Sharma's absence, bowled Michael Vandort with an arm-ball; and Zaheer got Kumar Sangakkara soon after on the check-drive. Malinda Warnapura and Mahela Jayawardene weathered the storm, survived lbw shouts, and were content to add only 23 in 10.3 overs before tea.

The two went on to frustrate the Indian bowlers after tea, too. They never looked harried, kept rotating the strike, and by the time the Indians had frustrated themselves into exhausting their reviews, started to have some fun with sweeps - both orthodox and reverse. Soon the only point of interest was whether Jayawardene would get to a half-century as Warnapura had done earlier. Jayawardene was 46 and Sri Lanka three short of the win when he square-cut Sourav Ganguly for a four to end the match.

That India had a semblance of a chance when they began bowling was thanks to the partnership between Laxman and Dravid. Coming out of their bad patches, they took the first steps towards what briefly seemed to be an incredible comeback, before they were stopped. Nonetheless it was the best partnership between two of the Fab Four in this series. The two looked comfortable reading the spinners, nudging and flicking for singles at ease, and rotating the strike, capitalising on the fields set. Laxman, who had Gautam Gambhir running for him, was visibly in pain, limping away to square leg when he got singles.

	VVS Laxman scored a fighting 61 not out despite an injured ankle, but finally ran out of partners © AFP

Dravid and Laxman lasted as long as they did thanks in no small measure to Sri Lanka's strategy: for much of the time, they didn't employ conspicuously attacking fields, and gave away singles for free as they tried to prevent boundaries. As a result, despite the time consumed, India's lead never reached threatening proportions.

The day started with Dravid closing in on his first half-century of the series, which he brought up with a punched boundary off Mendis. He then settled down again, looking determined as he played the most confident innings by an Indian middle-order batsman in the series. Laxman at the other end received plenty of favours from Sri Lanka. When he was on 35, he edged Muttiah Muralitharan, but there was no slip. The field at that time had no slip and no silly point, and had a short mid-on, a short midwicket, a short square leg, and a backward square leg. In Murali's next over, Laxman was dropped by Thilan Samaraweera at short mid-on. After he got to his second half-century of the series, he was dropped by Malinda Warnapura at forward short leg.

In between those drops and missed chances, he hit Dammika Prasad for two delightful boundaries, but those were about the only quick runs India got from Sri Lanka, who stuck to their plan of not letting India run away with the game, testing their patience and resolve, knowing the wicket-taking delivery would come.

Come it did, courtesy Mendis, who, bowling from round the stumps, drew Dravid forward and got the ball to move enough to take the edge. Then Murali, who had started from over the stumps, came back round, and got Kumble lbw with an accurate offbreak. Mendis ended with 26 wickets, the best for a debutant in a three-match series, and Murali with 21.

Sri Lanka have now won 13 of their last 16 series at home, and have not lost to India at home since 1993. The way Mendis and Murali bowled through the series bodes well for the continuation of Sri Lanka's near-invincibility at home. It could signal the beginning of the end for the most feared middle order in world cricket.

England secure consolation victory

England v South Africa, 4th npower Test, The Oval, 5th day

August 11, 2008

England 316 and 198 for 4 (Cook 67, Strauss 58) beat South Africa 194 and 318 by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

	Andrew Flintoff completes the consolation win with a towering straight six © Getty Images

As fresh starts go this wasn't too shabby from England as they wrapped up a consolation six-wicket victory on the final day at The Oval. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook broke the back of the run chase with a positive opening stand of 123, before Makhaya Ntini and Paul Harris claimed two wickets apiece to take away a little of the gloss. But a week after England were plunged into uncertainty, Andrew Flintoff signed off the victory with a six to give Kevin Pietersen a winning start.

Given the week he has had, the stage appeared set for Pietersen to hit the winning runs until he edged a catch to short leg with 15 required. As captain of England, Pietersen will have to get used to his side giving him some stressful times, but the opening stand meant that, here at least, the late wobble didn't do any more than make victory appear less empathic. Tough challenges lie ahead for him, not least the forthcoming one-day series and tour of India, but he couldn't have done much more at the start of his reign.

Claiming victories after a series has gone was a speciality of England during the 1990s. While this success won't soften the blow of losing the series, it has boosted spirits after a trying couple of weeks when two captains resigned and the questions were being asked about the set-up. With a new leader to impress England were motivated - while South Africa couldn't quite summon one last push - and they produced some periods of vibrant cricket.

Whatever South Africa say, they weren't really up for this contest. They expended such huge amounts of physical and emotional energy at Edgbaston that they couldn't rouse themselves. Makhaya Ntini and, especially, Morne Morkel wasted the new ball and the openers had very little to play at. Strauss after a successful run against New Zealand was back under pressure and was given a life on 4, when he clipped Morkel firmly to Ashwell Prince at leg gully, only for the umpire to call a no-ball. It summed up Morkel's session.

The increase in momentum came from Cook who latched onto a couple of short balls from Ntini and also drove nicely down the ground, a sign that hours with Andy Flower in the nets are paying off. Cook made the most of attacking fields set by Graeme Smith with controlled edges down to third man, and both he and Strauss countered Paul Harris with intent. Despite some spin out of the footmarks they used their feet to disrupt his line and length, taking him through the leg side with confident whips.

Cook reached his fourth half-century of the series with a crunching back-foot drive off Jacques Kallis. After the sleepy opening 45 minutes 98 runs were added in the next 18 overs of the morning and they continued a similar vein after the break before South Africa made a breakthrough, Cook driving at wide ball from Ntini and edging to first slip. It was another opportunity to go begging for Cook and although he ends with a series average of 47 there is a sense of unfulfilment. However, without ever looking in top form he has continued to score runs, which is a testament to his strength of character.

Strauss slowly found more fluency, bring out a perfect on-drive, and went to his first half-century of the series from 95 balls. Ian Bell never settled during his short stay and he paid the price for moving across his stumps when Ntini bowled him behind his legs. An inconvenience became a wobble when, in the next over from Harris, Strauss got an inside edge to Smith at leg slip. Three wickets had gone for 24 and two new batsmen were at the crease.

However, any momentary concerns were settled as Paul Collingwood found the boundary and Pietersen's late departure for 12 was about the only thing that hasn't fitted with his script in the last week. South Africa have deservedly taken the series honours, but Pietersen's England have regained some pride.

Resurgent India level series

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Galle, 4th day

August 3, 2008

India 329 (Sehwag 201*, Gambhir 56, Mendis 6-117) and 269 (Gambhir 74, Sehwag 50, Mendis 4-92) beat Sri Lanka 292 (Jayawardene 86, Sangakkara 68, Warnapura 66, Harbhajan 6-102) and 136 (Samaraweera 67*, Ishant 3-20, Harbhajan 4-51) by 170 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Ishant Sharma started Sri Lanka's slide with early wickets, including that of the in-form Mahela Jayawardene © AFP

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.

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.

M.Vaughan steps down as captain

South Africa in England 2008

August 3, 2008

	Michael Vaughan has resigned as captain following defeat against South Africa © Getty Images

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.

Vaughan's captaincy timeline July 2003 - Named England captain for the second Test against South Africa at Lord's after Nasser Hussain steps down August 2003 - Secures first Test win as captain, by 70 runs at Trent Bridge August 2003 - England level the series against South Africa with a nine-wicket win at The Oval March 2004 - Leads England to their first series win in West Indies since 1967-68 May-August 2004 - England win all seven Tests in the summer against New Zealand and West Indies January 2005 - A draw at The Oval February 2006 - Breaks down with a knee injury at the start of tour of India. Doesn't play again for nearly a year May 2007 - Makes Test comeback with a century at Headingley against West Indies June 2007 - Resigns one-day captaincy August 2007 - Loses his first home series as captain, going down 1-0 to India March 2008 - Drops Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison after Hamilton defeat against New Zealand August 2008 - Resigns as Test captain following five-wicket loss against South Africa at Edgbaston

"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.

Smith leads South Africa to historic series victory

England v South Africa, 3rd npower Test, Edgbaston, 4th day

August 2, 2008

South Africa 314 for and 283 for 5 (Smith 154*, Boucher 45*) beat England 231 and 363 (Collingwood 135, Pietersen 94, Morkel 4-97) by five wickets
Scorecard
How they were out - England
How they were out - South Africa

	Graeme Smith cracks another boundary during his epic match-winning innings © Getty Images

Edgbaston has provided heartbreak for South Africa in the past, but nine years on from their lowest point in the 1999 World Cup they exorcised some ghosts by claiming their first series win in England since 1965. Graeme Smith produced a performance that will go down in South Africa sporting history with an unbeaten 154, one of the finest centuries in a run chase. The victory was clinched by a 112-run stand with Mark Boucher, after they claimed the extra half hour against a spent England attack.

It was a crowning moment for Smith, whose love-affair with Edgbaston continued following his 277 in 2003. On that tour he was a young and inexperienced captain and his team failed to build on twice leading the series. Smith didn't want this contest to go to a deciding match at The Oval. Not that the winning moment needed to be any sweeter, but the final boundary came off Kevin Pietersen.

The next-highest score was 45, but it was an equally valuable innings from Boucher, an ideal man to have at the other end. He came in at 171 for 5 and England's tails were once again up following Monty Panesar's removal of AB de Villiers, who'd added a vital 78 with Smith. But all the emotional and physical exertions caught up with them during a final session that extended beyond three hours. By the time the extra overs were claimed, England had just about given up hope of repeating their 2005 heroics. Lightening doesn't strike twice.

Smith wore a steely determination throughout his innings as he steadily lost partners and had to be at his very best to combat a wearing surface, which offered particular assistance to Panesar from the footmarks. His century wasn't without its moments of fortune, but batsmen deserve a dose of luck in the final innings of a Test. To highlight the difficulty of chasing runs at Edgbaston, the previous best successful pursuit was 208 and Smith's hundred, which came off 177 balls, was also the first fourth-innings century at Edgbaston.

He played positively from the outset, but without being reckless, and his main moments of concern came against Panesar. On 74 he padded up to a delivery that ripped out of the footmarks and, although replays showed it hitting middle, Aleem Dar would have been guessing to give it. Then, on 79, he had a clear let-off when Tim Ambrose's lob to the stumps wasn't collected by Ian Bell after Smith and de Villiers hesitated over a single.

With Smith on 85, he gloved Panesar to Ambrose but England's appeal was muted and Dar not interested. The margin between success and failure was evident next ball when his slog-sweep landed inches short of a diving Andrew Strauss at deep midwicket. However, after reaching his century progress to 150 came without major alarm, but the spark and fight had gone from England.

Smart stats South Africa's first Test win at Edgbaston sealed their first series triumph in England since 1965. South Africa's 283 for 5 is the highest fourth-innings total at Edgbaston, and their fourth-highest successful chase in Tests. South Africa are only the third team - after West Indies and Australia - to win a Test at Edgbaston. West Indies have won four times and Australia thrice. Teams losing the toss have won nine out of the last 14 Tests which have ended decisively at this venue. Graeme Smith's 154 not out was the first century in the fourth innings at Edgbaston. Smith has now scored 523 runs in four innings at Edgbaston, the most for a visiting batsman at the venue. During his innings, Smith became the fourth to score 5000 Test runs while playing as captain. His unbeaten 154 was also the second-best score by a South African in the fourth innings of a Test. Mark Boucher's 45 not out was his top score in a successful chase: his four fifties in the fourth innings had all come in defeats. The unbroken 112-run stand between Boucher and Smith was the third-highest fourth-innings partnership at Edgbaston.

Amid all the praise for Smith, Boucher's role shouldn't be forgotten. He was the last barrier before the tail was exposed. But he is one of South Africa's streetfighters and nudged, nurdled and chivvied his way through the target. Boucher was one of two survivors from the 1999 World Cup side - alongside Jacques Kallis - and has witnessed more than his fair share of victories go begging at the last. This one didn't get away.

England's bowlers just couldn't make the potentially decisive sixth breakthrough. Their cause wasn't aided with Ryan Sidebottom again lacking rhythm and sending down just 10 overs, while Anderson, surprisingly, bowled only 13. Inevitably, Flintoff began to show signs of tiredness as did Panesar when he started to drop short.

Smith's outward calmness was not always replicated by his team-mates or the dressing room, and at one stage the atmosphere began decidedly heated with Flintoff's yorkers from the Pavilion End again providing the spark. He made the breakthrough in his fourth over when Neil McKenzie failed to sight a full delivery, getting struck on the boot in front of off stump as he turned away. McKenzie wore a rueful smile as he walked off, but the anger was brewing in the South African dressing room. It almost boiled over eight overs later when a screaming, low full toss thudded into the top of Kallis's leg as he, too, turned away for cover. Steve Davis made the correct decision, but Kallis was almost apoplectic, a feeling matched by Mickey Arthur on the balcony.

Life was no easier at the other end as Panesar started to find some bite and turn, both off the pitch and out of the rough. He ripped a couple past Hashim Amla's outside edge before firing in an arm-ball, trapping him in front of leg stump. The ball was also reverse-swinging and Anderson produced a good one to remove Ashwell Prince. South Africa were four down with less than 100 on board, but their captain couldn't be shifted and produced his finest performance when it mattered most. It's mission accomplished.

Murali and Mendis maul India

Sri Lanka v India, 1st Test, SSC, Colombo, 4th day

July 26, 2008

Sri Lanka 600 for 6 dec (Jayawardene 136, Dilshan 125*, Warnapura 115, Samaraweera 127) beat India 223 (Laxman 56, Murali 5-84, Mendis 4-72) and 138 (Gambhir 43, Murali 6-26, Mendis 4-60) by an innings and 239 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Muttiah Muralitharan took his 21st ten-wicket haul in Tests © AFP

In a match dominated by not one but two spin wizards, Sri Lanka completely destroyed the Indian batting line-up twice over to script their best win at home. India started the fourth day needing 242 runs to avoid the follow-on but, with 77 minutes to go to stumps, they had slumped to their third-worst Test defeat ever with an abject collapse against Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.

Murali and Mendis, assisted by the ever-alert close-in cordon, did not loosen the vice-like grip they had had over the batsmen from the moment the ball was thrown to Mendis in the 10th over of India's first innings. With Mendis keeping the batsmen on a leash - his only two bad deliveries were the full tosses in his first two overs - and leaving the batsmen mesmerised, it was Murali who smiled his way to two five-fors and his 21st ten-wicket haul, which was also his fourth at the SSC.

There was no respite for the batsmen from either end as 19 wickets fell to the spin pair, who bowled 87.5 overs out of the 117.5 that India faced in the match. Murali was always likely to be a threat, but Mendis showed that his six-wicket haul against India in the Asia Cup final was not a one-off. His bowling action is almost as intriguing as the kind of deliveries he bowls: in his final stride, the index finger of his left hand points upwards, as if giving the batsman out. On the basis of this performance, that action is completely justified as one of the most anticipated debuts of recent times turned out to be the best for a Sri Lankan.

The Indian batsmen had struggled in the first innings, but the second was a greater embarrassment as Murali and Mendis nailed the batsmen with similar deliveries to the ones that had done them in in the first innings. With India trailing by 377 in the first innings, the follow-on decision was a no-brainer. The new-ball bowlers were fresh: they bowled only 16 overs in the innings, with Murali and Mendis bowling 49 successive overs in tandem. In the second innings, the fast bowlers had even less work to do: Jayawardene summoned his spinners after five overs and the move worked immediately. Murali accounted for Sehwag in a controversial manner, with what was the last ball before lunch. Sehwag shouldered arms to one that pitched barely on leg stump and straightened. Umpire Mark Benson turned down the appeal, but changed his mind after what seemed like errors from the Virtual Eye and third umpire Rudi Koertzen.

The next session sealed the game for Sri Lanka, as India lost five wickets. Perhaps hoping for a repeat of Kolkata 2001, India sent Laxman, the first-innings half-centurion, at No. 3. He hit three beautiful boundaries off the medium-pacers, before Mendis had his number. This time it was the quicker googly which baffled him. Laxman didn't have a clue about which way it would spin, and was trapped plumb in front.

Sachin Tendulkar was a tad unfortunate when he missed a sweep outside the leg stump, the ball catching the back of the bat and lobbing to leg slip. Tendulkar stood his ground, and it needed a review to send him on his way. Gambhir was drawn forward for the second time in two innings and beaten in flight before Prasanna Jayawardene completed an exceptional stumping.

Just before tea, Murali and Mendis worked their magic again in successive overs. Sourav Ganguly hadn't looked comfortable against Murali and edged to second slip. Mendis then made Rahul Dravid revisit the first-innings horror when a quick carrom-ball legbreak just missed off stump. The next ball, a googly, had Dravid playing in front of his pad. The inside edge lobbed to short leg and, though the appeal was turned down, the review came into play again, making Dravid the third Indian batsman to perish in that manner. The rest was just a formality, which Murali and Mendis finished in style, Mendis taking the last two in the same over.

The first half of the day was slightly better only than what transpired later. Muralitharan completed his 64th five-for with Harbhajan Singh's wicket, but it was Mendis who inflicted major damage. Even Laxman had trouble picking him, the carrom ball being his main tormentor. Laxman was let off in the second over of the day, as an outside edge off Mendis bisected the keeper and Mahela Jayawardene at slip. The other batsmen were even more clueless. Anil Kumble and Zaheer were trapped by Mendis' top spinners. Harbhajan played for a Murali doosra, but got an offspinner, which resulted in an easy bat-pad catch.

Smart stats The victory margin - an innings and 239 runs - is Sri Lanka's biggest at home. For India, on the other hand, it was their third-heaviest defeat, and easily their worst against Sri Lanka. Their previous worst was on their last trip to the SSC, in 2001, when they lost by an innings and 77 runs. Ajantha Mendis's match figures of 8 for 132 is the best by a Sri Lankan debutant. It's only the third time spinners have taken 19 wickets against India, and the first in 39 years. Sachin Tendulkar has fallen to Murali seven times in 13 Tests. No other bowler has dismissed him as often. Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie have got him out six times each. Murali has won 19 Man-of-the-Match awards, which is second only to Jacques Kallis' 20.

Despite having only the tailenders for company, Laxman didn't farm the strike, twice allowing his partners to take a single off the last ball of the over. Harbhajan fell in the over that followed, while Zaheer survived. When Ishant Sharma joined him, Laxman finally took more of the strike and continued to do so until he was fairly confident in Ishant's ability. Laxman had himself grown in confidence, reading Mendis better and employing the wristy flick. Despite the odd leading edge, he continued to attack. But Mendis, having bowled an unbroken 27-over spell, returned from Murali's end to get his man. He first beat him with a 95kph legbreak, angling in and then breaking it away, before squaring him up with a googly, ending his 158-minute stay at the crease. Dravid and Laxman foxed in each innings of his first Test - as dream debuts go, there can't be many better than this.

Through the first two-and-a-half days of the match, the pitch seemed a shirtfront and a draw seemed the most likely result, especially given the inclement weather at the start. The magic of two outstanding spinners meant the game didn't go into the fifth day. Sri Lanka last lost a Test at home in April 2006, against Pakistan in Kandy. With Murali and Mendis so frighteningly effective in tandem, it's hard to imagine an overseas team defeating this double threat any time soon.

Review will eradicate obvious errors

Review of umpiring decisions

'Review will eradicate obvious errors' - Richardson

July 23, 2008

	Richardson: 'Should we have a system where the umpire is given an opportunity to review his own decision and make a final decision himself? That would be preferable.' © AFP

Terming the new umpire referral system a 'review process' as opposed to a challenge process, Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager, was confident it would work well on a long-term basis with plenty of room for improvement. He said most umpires were in favour of this system and the real purpose is to eradicate obvious mistakes.

"Our policy in the decision-making process has always been to keep an open mind," he said. "You will recall in Sri Lanka in the 2002 Champions Trophy when we first started experimenting with technology and it continued until the Super Series in 2005, during which we allowed umpires to initiate a consultation on decisions. That didn't work because the umpires didn't refer decisions they should have. And then when they discovered that they could have made mistakes they became over cautious.

"It was actually just wasting time. They were double-checking themselves and this lead to a loss of confidence of the players in the umpires. We realised it doesn't work.

"A lot of people will say reviews are contradictory to the spirit of the game and that players are challenging the umpires, but the way we look at it is - what is better or worse for the game? Umpires make mistakes and are accused of cheating, Steve Bucknor's effigies are being burnt, teams threaten to fly home from a country, boards criticise umpires. Should we have a system where the umpire is given an opportunity to review his own decision and make a final decision himself? That would be preferable."

Richardson, who was present in the South African Test side when the first third-umpire referral was made in 1992-93, was firm that the ICC was not paying the television channels for the use of this technology, but rather saw it as a piggyback process. "The very first step in this process was to approach Ten Sports (the main broadcasters) and ask if they were willing to help us. They were keen to do so and we are very grateful to them. The broadcasters, like it or not, have been guilty in the past of showing up the umpires. All we ask them to do is continue to do so, but help us instead of being negative."

The ICC normally appoints three neutral Elite Panel umpires for a series. For this contest, instead of one umpire rotating and taking a break, he will act as the official third umpire. This, according to Richardson, was the way it would be going forward and there may even be the case of recalling some more experienced umpires to be specialist television umpires. But that, he affirmed, would be based on how the players felt about the situation.

Richardson on Steve Bucknor's removal from the Perth Test in January "There were calls for Steve to be fired permanently and we have resisted that. He's a good umpire and he's had a long career. The reason for taking him out was because of the hype which made it impossible for him to stand in that Test. He was on a hiding to nothing. The slightest error would have been blown out of proportion. To make it easier on him and his colleagues in that Test, we decided to rest him and so diffuse the situation."

Over the last few days the ICC has worked with the company that provides the ball-tracking device. Cameras have been placed in correct positions around the SSC and both parties have confirmed the accuracy of the results. Camera use will differ from series to series but there are minimum specifications, clarified Richardson.

The company being used to provide the ball tracking is not Hawk-Eye, as generally employed, but one called Virtual Eye. They are similar to Hawk-Eye, said Richardson, but the ICC would only use the actual path of the ball until it hits the batsman. "It will then stop, and we won't use the predictive element because the suppliers of that technology will say that it's a bit of a computer guess.

"The trickiest part is going to be for the batsman," said Richardson. "As far as caught-behinds and bat-pads are concerned I have no doubt that every batsman, if he is honest with himself, will know he's got the finest edge. But I can understand as a batsman that you are uncertain as to whether the ball pitched on leg stump or slightly outside. It might be tricky and we may find a circumstance that you get back into the dressing room and your coach has spoken to you for not challenging the decision or asking for it to be reviewed. We must not forget what the real object of this system is - to eradicate obvious mistakes."

Mendis spins Sri Lanka to title triumph

India v Sri Lanka, Asia Cup final, Karachi

Mendis spins Sri Lanka to title triumph

July 6, 2008

Sri Lanka 273 (Jayasuriya 125, Dilshan 56, Ishant 3-52) beat India 173 (Sehwag 60, Mendis 6-13) by 100 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Yuvraj Singh was one of Ajantha Mendis' six victims © AFP

Eight years ago, in Sharjah, Sanath Jayasuriya scored a magnificent 189 before Sri Lanka's bowlers sent India tumbling to 54 all out, and a humiliating 245-run defeat. At Karachi's National Stadium, Jayasuriya, now 39, smashed another superb century before Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner still classed as a slow-medium bowler, bamboozled a highly rated batting line-up to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13.

Virender Sehwag's blistering early onslaught was rendered irrelevant as Sri Lanka stormed to a 100-run victory, retaining the Asia Cup and extending India's miserable record in tournament finals.

With Sehwag hammering an exhilarating 60 from just 35 balls, India had romped to 76 from just nine overs. Muttiah Muralitharan prefers not to bowl during the Powerplays, and it was to Mendis, who the Indians had never faced before, that Mahela Jayawardene turned as he sought to staunch the flow of runs.

Even he couldn't have predicted the impact that Mendis would have. Like a combine harvester scything through a field of corn, Mendis sliced through a line-up that has quite a reputation when it comes to playing spin. Sehwag charged his second delivery and watched helplessly as it drifted away from him. Kumar Sangakkara did the rest. Two balls later, Yuvraj Singh was utterly befuddled by one that skidded on. Suddenly, 274 appeared a long way away.

That Sri Lanka got anywhere near that was down to a man who refuses to bow to Father Time. India picked up four wickets in the first 12 overs, with Ishant claiming three of them, but Jayasuriya's 114-ball 125, and a 131-run partnership with Tillakaratne Dilshan utterly changed the complexion of the game.

It's perhaps no coincidence that India haven't won the Asia Cup since Jayasuriya became a regular at the top of the Sri Lankan order, and his mastery over the opposition was best revealed in the 16th over, bowled by RP Singh. RP had managed to escape relatively unscathed in his opening spell, conceding 24 from five overs, but when he returned, Jayasuriya took to him like a bull that had been riled by the matador's cape.

Sixes on either side of the sightscreen were followed by two wallops over cover, and after a one-ball lull, he pulled one over midwicket for six more. With Dilshan then taking three successive fours off Irfan Pathan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had no option but to turn to spin, with Pragyan Ojha and Sehwag managing to have something of a fire-extinguishing effect.

India had started poorly, with RP conceding two boundaries to fine leg in the opening over, but a mix-up between two experienced hands gave them the opening they so desperately needed. Jayasuriya tapped one to short mid-off, and Sangakkara had already hared halfway down the pitch before he realised the striker had no interest in a single. Suresh Raina's underarm flick was the ultimate punishment.

	Ajantha Mendis got a career-best 6 for 13 © AFP

But with two maiden overs bowled in the first five, India wrested back a measure of control, despite Jayasuriya's sporadic bursts of aggression. With the pressure building, it was Ishant who struck, as Jayawardene slapped one straight to Rohit at point. No bother for Jayasuriya though. A swivel pull sent an Ishant delivery for six, and Pathan's introduction was greeted with three fours in the over.

The problem was at the other end, where Ishant was wreaking havoc with the extra bounce he extracted from a comatose pitch. Bounce and a hint of lateral movement had Chamara Kapugedera playing one off the leading edge to point, and two balls later, the other Chamara - Silva - inside-edged one back on to the stumps.

Jayasuriya's version of consolidation involved a pull for six off Ishant and a slice of luck as a as a miscue off Pathan evaded RP, who ran around in circles and failed to get his hands to the ball. Dilshan contributed only four to the first 50 the pair added, from 30 balls, but he did his part, turning the strike over to allow Jayasuriya to inflict maximum damage.

With Sehwag and Ojha - Rohit contributed three tidy overs too - taking the pace off the ball, it was a different story. With the field spread, the boundaries dried up and the runs came mainly in singles. India missed a couple of run-out opportunities and Dhoni put down a sharp chance offered by Dilshan when he was on 37, but the helter-skelter pace of the Powerplay overs soon gave way to relative calm.

Eventually, the lack of action got to Jayasuriya and a flat slog-sweep off Sehwag only found Ishant at deep midwicket. After that, Sri Lanka lost their way. Dilshan eased to 50 from 68 balls, but when Pathan returned to bowl round the wicket, he popped a catch to Dhoni. Vaas, back in the fray after missing the last game, square-drove Ishant for the first four in more than 20 overs, but was castled by RP soon after.

Nuwan Kulasekara flailed the bat to finish with an unbeaten 29, but a target of 274 was expected to be well within reach for an Indian side that had included seven specialist batsmen. But after his extraordinary first over, Mendis soon set about making a mockery of the predictions.

Raina had been fortunate to survive a vociferous leg-before shout before he decided to play the worst shot of the evening, an ugly pull to a delivery that pitched on middle stump. Rohit soon followed, struck on the back pad by one that deviated away a touch, and by the time Jayawardene decided to take him out of the attack, Mendis had stunning figures of 4 for 8.

No one including the umpires knew quite what to expect, and the batsmen appeared unsure whether to play him as a slow bowler or a medium-pace one. That indecision was to prove fatal, especially against the carrom ball that was being propelled by a flick of the middle finger. As eye-catching was his accuracy. There was no width for the batsmen to work with, and hardly a loose delivery. Only Dhoni, who played the ball as late as he possibly could, showed any signs of coming to grips with him.

	Sanath Jayasuriya is unstoppable even at 39 © AFP

With Mendis casting such a spell, Murali's introduction went almost unnoticed, but with him in parsimonious mood, the tourniquet was tightening around India. Robin Uthappa and Dhoni added 38 in attritional fashion before Murali struck from round the wicket. Uthappa missed a flick, and the appeal from the bowler was just a formality.

Jayawardene waited a while longer and then brought back Mendis for the 30th over. India somehow survived that, but the game was up in his next. Pathan's attempt to flick through the leg side ended up at slip, and RP walked off bemused after one deviated away to take off stump. He should have had the hat-trick too, only Simon Taufel was as perplexed by a ball that pitched in line as Ojha was.

Dhoni had watched it all from the other end, defending stoutly and striking the odd four when he could. But once he inside-edged Chaminda Vaas to the keeper, the Sri Lankan dressing room readied for the celebrations. When Kulasekara cleaned up Ishant with 63 balls still to be bowled, they could begin in earnest. The combination of the six-hitting veteran and the six-wicket carrom-ball spinner had been far too much for India to handle.

Zimbabwe pull out of World Twenty20

Future of Zimbabwe cricket

Zimbabwe pull out of World Twenty20

July 4, 2008

	Presenting a united front: Peter Chingoka smiles for the camera after a fraught ICC annual conference © Getty Images

After weeks of backroom manoeuvring and two days of boardroom negotiations, the Zimbabwe issue was resolved with a compromise that sees them pulling out of the 2009 World Twenty20 in England yet retaining their Full Member status with access to full funding from the ICC.

Zimbabwe, whose decision to pull out from the World Twenty20 cleared the roadblock for the competition to be staged in England, will receive its full participation fee for the tournament. The scenario prompted Ray Mali, whose term as ICC president ended today, to call it a "win-win solution".

"We have decided to pull out in the larger interests of the game," Peter Chingoka, the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket, told Cricinfo. "We have been informed that the British government may not grant visas to our players, and that situation may prevail during the Twenty20 World Cup. We don't want to be gatecrashers; we will attend only those weddings to which we are invited."

Friday morning's meeting of the ICC executive board, which spilled over into an unscheduled third day, lasted barely 20 minutes and wound up with sighs of relief, smiles all around and a group photo session that featured Mali's successor David Morgan shaking hands warmly with Sharad Pawar, head of the Indian board and the ICC's president-elect.

The morning's session was brief only because the principal players had been working through the night on an agreement that would avert a feared split within the ICC with England and South Africa ranged against India and other Asian countries over the propriety of Zimbabwe's status as Full Member.

In the end, India is believed to have played a key role in the compromise, especially in convincing Zimbabwe that the issue was not about membership of the ICC but about getting back into world cricket.

"We have consulted and exchanged notes with everybody, including our Indian friends, last night," Chingoka said. "We are now looking forward to more tours and international cricket with our Asian friends, especially India."

2009 World Twenty20 Zimbabwe's place in the World Twenty20 may now be given to an Associate, thus bringing up the number of Associates who will take part in the tournament to three, a senior ICC official confirmed. Colin Gibson, the ECB spokesperson, told Cricinfo that tickets for the tournament "have almost entirely been sold out". "We are looking at an approximate revenue of somewhere between US$ 20-25 million already. The only matches for which tickets are still left are the two double-headers involving Zimbabwe," Gibson said. Samir Inamdar, the chairman of the ICC's Affiliates and Associates, said that it has been agreed upon that an extra associate would be invited for the tournament, instead of Zimbabwe. "The third associate will come through the qualifiers in August this year. I have had a conversation with Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, who has agreed that it is logical to replace Zimbabwe with an associate," Inamdar told Cricinfo.

Mali, it is learnt, also played his part last night in allaying Zimbabwean fears over their future. "Ray Mali, Dave Richardson, Haroon Lorgat and I decided on an adjournment yesterday to take the discussions forward. Mali took the lead (in resolving the issue)," Morgan said, before admitting "there were a number of private meetings after the adjournment."

Morgan said the issue of Zimbabwe's membership was never discussed at the board meeting, which "unanimously" accepted the country's "voluntary proposal" to pull out of the World Twenty20. There were different views on the issue during the hectic discussions, he acknowledged, but dismissed talk of the ICC being divided as a "mistake".

"It was a collective decision and I was a part of that decision," Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, confirmed to Cricinfo.

Zimbabwe's re-integration into mainstream cricket, and possibly the FTP, will be overseen by a three-member ICC sub-committee headed by Julian Hunte, the president of the West Indies Cricket Board, and including Arjuna Ranatunga, the president of Sri Lanka Cricket, and an ICC official yet to be confirmed. Hunte and Ranatunga are ICC board members and were part of the official discussions over Zimbabwe here in Dubai.

The sub-committee will advise the ICC board on all matters relating to Zimbabwe cricket; specific terms of reference for its operation have not yet been finalised but it's believed that it will report back to the ICC board in November.

The only window of uncertainty now is the one month that Chingoka has been given to get his board's approval for the arrangement, including the pullout from the World Twenty20. Chingoka calls the shots in ZC so this effectively gives him time to reassess his position, especially if he develops any second thoughts over the compromise.

West Indies v Australia, 4th ODI, St Kitts

Brutal Gayle guides strong chase

July 4, 2008

25 overs West Indies 140 for 2 (Gayle 64*, Sarwan 63) need another 143 runs to beat Australia 282 for 8 (Symonds 87, D Hussey 50)
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

	Andrew Symonds top scored with 87 at better than a run a ball © AFP

Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan led the most positive batting display West Indies have produced in the series as they chased 283 for victory in St Kitts. At the halfway mark West Indies needed a further 143 as they had reached 140 for 2 with Gayle on 64 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 1.

Sarwan had just departed for 63, caught behind when Brett Lee returned for a second spell after West Indies' captain and vice-captain gave Australia's stand-in leader Michael Clarke some major headaches. Gayle's half-century came from 45 deliveries and featured some powerful strikes, including a ferocious six over long on from a Lee half-volley.

Gayle also took a particular liking to James Hopes, whom he clubbed flat and straight for six before clipping him for four through the leg side in an over that cost 14. Sarwan's half-century was slightly more restrained - it came from 69 balls - but he too enjoyed the short boundaries of Warner Park.

Sarwan pounded the part-time offspinner David Hussey straight over his head for six that left the debutant with a double-figure economy rate at the 25-over mark. Sarwan had started superbly with his first two deliveries driven straight and through cover four boundaries off Lee.

Sarwan was out there in the first over after West Indies lost Xavier Marshall to get their chase off to the worst possible start. Marshall could not get bat on a fast, straight ball from Lee and was lbw to leave the score at 1 for 1 before the recovery from Gayle and Sarwan.

50 overs Australia 282 for 8 (Symonds 87, D Hussey 50) v West Indies

A well paced 87 from Andrew Symonds guided Australia to a reasonable total of 282 for 8 after their top-order batsmen struggled to build any momentum having been sent in. Warner Park is a small ground with a lightning fast outfield so West Indies know their chase is gettable, but they will be frustrated to have let Australia off the hook after the visitors were 129 for 4.

It was Symonds and the debutant David Hussey who steadied Australia with an excellent 127-run partnership that ensured they would bat out their full allotment and allowed them to chase quick runs in the dying overs. Symonds fell short of his century when he slammed Fidel Edwards straight to mid off but his 78-ball innings had already provided plenty of entertainment.

He started sensibly and was happy to knock about singles and twos but when he began to lift his tempo there was trouble for the West Indies bowlers. Symonds lofted the debutant spinner Nikita Miller over long on for six - Symonds' 100th in ODIs - and sent an even bigger six straight down the ground off Daren Powell.

Symonds also showed off his version of the reverse sweep, an unconventional take on an already unusual stroke. When Miller pitched the ball on his pads, Symonds shaped as if to play a normal sweep, then ran the ball off the back of his bat down to the third-man boundary. It was nowhere near as gobsmacking as Kevin Pietersen's switch-hitting but it was innovative all the same.

After Symonds departed a few more wickets slowed Australia's run-rate, with James Hopes skying a catch to midwicket for a golden duck. Luke Ronchi, batting for the first time in an ODI, might have thought he had stumbled into a game of backyard cricket with a rule that batsmen cannot be out first delivery. His first ball was a free-hit after Edwards over-stepped the previous ball and Ronchi made use of the chance, driving a catch to Chris Gayle at cover and scampering through for a single.

Hussey also enjoyed his first one-day international innings and posted 50 from 51 deliveries before skying a catch to deep midwicket. Hussey initially nudged quick ones and twos before displaying his talents with a pair of sixes, one slogged over midwicket off Dwayne Bravo and another driven viciously over long off from Powell.

Edwards and his colleagues fought back well in the late overs, restricting Australia to 26 runs from the final four overs, a good result given that the previous over from Powell went for 19. Still, West Indies knew they could have kept the total even lower after Australia's top four all failed to capitalise on their starts. Clarke, captaining in an ODI for the first time in the absence of Ricky Ponting, looked like he would lead from the front until he was trapped lbw for 36 to give Miller his first international wicket.

Clarke and Michael Hussey (37) had put together a handy 60-run stand that ended when Hussey pulled Darren Sammy to deep midwicket. It gave West Indies their first moment of joy since some excellent new-ball bowling from Powell, who removed both the openers. Shane Watson started positively and had 20 from 22 deliveries when he got a corker from Powell, who nipped the ball back to collect the inside edge on the way through to Denesh Ramdin.

Shaun Marsh (16) fell to an even better ball as Powell pitched it on the stumps and jagged it away from the left-hander, who tried to clip through leg and got a thin edge behind. By the close, Powell's figures had ballooned to 2 for 66 and it was up to West Indies' batsmen to take advantage of the small boundaries.

Pakistan v Bangladesh, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi

Pakistan thrash sorry Bangladesh

July 4, 2008

Pakistan 116 for 0 (Butt 56*, Jamshed 52*) beat Bangladesh 115 (Rauf 3-24) by ten wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Abdur Rauf's picked up three top-order wickets as Bangladesh were bowled out for 115 © AFP

A clinical performance from Pakistan saw them coast to a ten-wicket win over Bangladesh in the inconsequential final Super Four match of the Asia Cup. In a refreshing change at the National Stadium in Karachi, the bowlers dominated the proceedings in the first session but for Bangladesh it was the same old story as their innings folded at 115 all out - the tournament's lowest total.

On a pitch offering sideways movement and extra bounce, Abdur Rauf sliced through the top order with three wickets and Iftikhar Anjum bowled an astonishing six maidens - equalling the record for a Pakistani - to put the hosts on course. Half-centuries from openers Nasir Jamshed and Salman Butt helped complete the formalities with more than 30 overs to spare.

The plethora of big scores that have been easily chased down hasn't dissuaded captains from choosing to bat first, and Mohammad Ashraful continued the trend. While Sohail Tanvir extracted significant lateral movement from the pitch initially, it was Rauf who got the early wickets.

On one of the cooler days of the tournament, on a difficult pitch, Bangladesh's batsmen compounded their troubles with some ill-advised shots. Opener Nazimuddin attempted to pull a short delivery in the second over from outside off and only managed to top-edge it to Shoaib Malik at cover.

Ashraful and Tamim Iqbal didn't bring out their strokes except when the bowlers erred, but their steady approach lifted Bangladesh to 41 for 2. Ashraful hadn't connected with an attempted hook in the ninth over but got hold of a short one from Rauf in the next to launch it over the midwicket boundary. Rauf's next ball was a fast bowler's classic reply: a snorter aimed at the body which forced Ashraful to give Misbah-ul-Haq a catch at point.

Raqibul Hasan has shown a heartening and - for a Bangladesh batsman - rare ability to stick it out in the middle but this time he went for an ambitious hook first ball off Tanvir to hole out at short fine leg.

With Bangladesh at a dicey 49 for 3, Rauf came up with the best over of the match. The first ball was a sharp bouncer which Tamim fended to slip, and Alok Kapali barely survived the next five torrid deliveries - a couple of well-directed bouncers, and a mixture of incoming and away-going deliveries.

Iftikhar Anjum followed the Rauf formula of throwing in a surprise bouncer while also testing the batsmen against the deliveries which seamed off a length. Kapali struck three boundaries in Anjum's first over but he was undone by the extra lift in the pitch as well. It was a superb comeback by Anjum, conceding only seven runs in his last nine overs and beating the bat on umpteen occasions. He finished with figures of 10-6-20-2 and was unlucky to not get more wickets.

Saeed Ajmal backed up the good work of the fast bowlers, picking up two late-order wickets off his doosra, which the batsmen struggled to pick as Bangladesh folded in the 39th over.

The flimsy total wasn't going to be much of a challenge for a Pakistan batting line-up that convincingly chased down 309 against India on Wednesday. Jamshed provided the early momentum, repeatedly carting the bowlers in the arc between long-on and midwicket as Pakistan went into the dinner break at 23 for no loss.

Shahadat Hossain extracted the same bounce which aided the Pakistan bowlers, and troubled both openers in the first over after the resumption but there were few alarms after that. Pakistan scored a boundary in virtually every over with a series of off drives off Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat.

There was a brief lull after spin was introduced at both ends before Butt carved Abdur Razzak through extra cover in the eighteenth over. That opened the floodgates as Jamshed pummelled Mahmudullah over long-on for six and brought up his fifty with a swept four to midwicket. Butt also completed his fifty with three sweeps to the boundary off Razzak before an authoritative cut put Bangladesh out of their misery.

Bangladesh are still without a win against challenging opposition since last year's World Cup and the poor showing at the Asia Cup isn't the sort of preparation they'd want ahead of a tough tour of Australia.