Dilshan acclaims Sri Lanka's historic triumph

Sri Lanka captain Tillekeratne Dilshan acclaimed "one of the great wins" after his side completed an historic 208-run victory over South Africa on the fourth day of the second Test at Kingsmead on Thursday.

There were wild scenes of celebration on the pitch when Rangana Herath bowled Marchant de Lange in fading light with only nine balls remaining in the day. The team reserves and management ran on to the field to join their triumphant teammates.

Dilshan promised the celebrations would continue when the team got back to their hotel. "I said before the game that if we can play our brand of cricket we can beat any team. We beat one of the best teams in the world. It's a fantastic feeling and great for the Sri Lankan fans. I'm really proud of my team."

It was Sri Lanka's first win in South Africa on four Test tours and their first win of a previously bleak 2011. It was also the team's first win under Dilshan's captaincy and levelled the three-match series.

Dilshan said the win was one of Sri Lanka's best wins outside of their own country. Asked whether it compared with a famous win over England at the Oval in 1998, he said: "Definitely. It is one of the great wins of Sri Lankan cricket."

The captain said the players would celebrate on Thursday night - "maybe all night" - before heading to Cape Town for the decisive third Test starting on Tuesday. Set to make 450 to win, South Africa were bowled out for 241. Left-arm spinner Herath took five for 79 and had match figures of nine for 128. He was named man of the match.

South African captain Graeme Smith admitted: "We were outplayed from the start." He said the team's poor batting in the first innings, which was followed by another top order failure in the second innings, was the biggest reason for their defeat. Smith said the Sri Lankans had adapted better to the Kingsmead pitch.

"It was a little bit slower. Reverse swing and spin played a role and they handled the surface better than us throughout the game." Sri Lanka seemed set for an early victory when South Africa lost five wickets between lunch and tea to be reeling at 133 for six shortly before the interval. The collapse included a second duck in the match for Jacques Kallis - his first 'pair' in 149 Tests.

But AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn denied the tourists for more than two hours as they put together a seventh wicket partnership of 99 which threatened to take the match into a fifth day.

De Villiers atoned for a reckless shot which cost him his wicket in the first innings with a solid 69, while Steyn again showed up some of his top order teammates, following up his first innings 29 not out with a fighting 43.

Sri Lanka were forced to take the second new ball but with the light fading rapidly the fast bowlers sent down only three overs before Dilshan returned to spin. Herath trapped De Villiers leg before wicket and the last three wickets fell rapidly.

Morne Morkel hit five runs before he was also lbw after missing a wild slog against Dilshan off the last ball of an over and Steyn fell to Herath off the next delivery, to be followed two balls later by De Lange.

Smith said his team had not been over-confident after winning the first Test in Centurion by an innings and 81 runs. "The way we prepared was excellent. Our training sessions were competitive and the guys really prepared well. We just didn't get it together at all during the game."

The South African captain said he was confident that his team could bounce back to clinch the series at Newlands, a ground where they had a good record. "We've been here before. Cape Town is a ground that we've played well at. All of us are hurting and we've got to bounce back. The only way to do that is by playing better cricket and winning."

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We are tentative starters: Dhoni

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni conceded they are 'tentative starters' on a tour and praised the Australian bowlers after their 122-run loss in first Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here Thursday.

'Bowlers brought us back in to the game but we couldn't bat well. We were short by 50-odd runs in the first innings. The main difference was their lower order scored some runs in both the innings. If we had got them earlier, we would have had 50-60 runs less to chase,' Dhoni said after the match.

India, chasing a 292-run target, were bowled out for 169 in the second innings on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test for their eighth defeat on the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).


India let Australia make 240 in their second innings from the overnight total of 179 for eight with veteran Michael Hussey scoring a gritty 89 on a difficult wicket.

India had let the hosts off the hook even in their first innings where they managed 333 after being reduced to 214 for six. The bowlers got India back into the match by delivering in both the innings but the fame batting line-up failed to live up to the expectations.

Dhoni said he was not worried by the failure of an experienced line-up and expressed confidence on bouncing back in the second Test in Sydney starting January 3.

'We are known to be tentative starters, I think in the next game we will be better.'

The skipper also praised the Australian bowlers for their match-winning effort.

'You have to give credit to the Australia bowlers for the way they bowled. They kept a nagging line and bowled in the right areas,' he added.

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Australia add quick Ryan Harris to squad for India test

Australia brought Ryan Harris into their squad for the second test against India on Friday, adding a fourth pace option a day after bowling their way to victory in the opening match against the tourists.

The injury-prone Harris joins James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus in the 12-man party for the second match in the four-test series, which starts on Tuesday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Pattinson, playing in only his third test, edged Siddle and Hilfenhaus to Man of the Match honours in Melbourne after all three played key roles with both bat and ball in the 122-run victory.

All four playing at the SCG would be quite a statement as it is a ground that has traditionally favoured spin-bowling, but skipper Michael Clarke said on Thursday that omitting Nathan Lyon might be a gamble the hosts were prepared to take.

Uncapped all rounder Dan Christian and paceman Mitchell Starc were included in a 13-man squad for the first test but made way for 32-year-old Harris, who has been struggling with a hip injury.

"I've seen Ryan bowl in the nets over the last few days and he looks pretty good," captain Michael Clarke said on Thursday.

"That's probably one of the bonuses we've got at the moment, our attack is bowling really well, and we have guys like Ryan on the mend and not too far from being fully fit. I think it is a good problem to have."

When fully fit, Harris is a formidable bowler and would be a welcome addition to the trio who got plenty of pace and movement off the pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

While Australia's bowling attack looked in rude health at the MCG, the batting line-up again showed a fragility that has become all too familiar this year.

The top order remained intact despite some disappointing performances, perhaps because opening batsman and all rounder Shane Watson was still not available for selection.

Watson, Australia's Player of the Year for the last two seasons, sustained an injury in South Africa last month and missed both the series against New Zealand and the Boxing Day test.

"Shane has not fully recovered from his right calf injury and is therefore not available for the Sydney test," team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a team statement.

"He will continue his rehabilitation and hopefully be available for one of the remaining test matches."

Australia, who have never lost a test series against India on home soil, also play matches in Perth and Adelaide after the Sydney test.

Squad - Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, Ed Cowan, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ryan Harris, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon.

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Sehwag could make the difference: Whatmore

In Dav Whatmore's view, the India vs Australia series begins evenly.

"The way I see it, it's going to be a contest between India's vastly experienced batting line-up and a resurgent Australian attack," Whatmore, who played for Australia and has coached Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, told The Telegraph.

Speaking on Sunday, on the eve of the series, Whatmore added: "That both Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma are ready to play is great for India, but it's a four-Test affair and they've got to stay fit throughout."

What about Australia's inexperience at the top of the order?

"I've factored in that Ed Cowan is making his debut and that David Warner and Shaun Marsh have only played five Tests between them... However, don't forget that they've been brought up on pitches in Australia and home advantage does count," Whatmore responded.

Whatmore insisted that Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey must not be written off.

And, who could make the difference?

"For India, it may well be Virender Sehwag... He's so destructive... For Australia, potentially, it's James Pattinson... He's had a terrific start to his Test career," Whatmore replied.

Asked if he regretted not playing Pattinson during IPL-IV, Whatmore, who coaches the Kolkata Knight Riders, said: "No... At that point, he was 'competing' with Brett Lee and Brett played... Of course, the way he has developed is so pleasing."

What was his message to Sachin Tendulkar, who has been on 99 International hundreds for nine months?

Grinning, Whatmore answered: "Don't focus on the outcome... The more you do that, the harder it will be... Instead, focus on the things that have worked for 22 years... Don't worry about the 100th hundred, it's going to come."

That was a good note to end the one-on-one.

Whatmore, who is on vacation, will be present at the MCG on Boxing Day.

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With a bit of luck, we can stop Tendulkar: Haddin

Australian vice-captain Brad Haddin on Sunday said Sachin Tendulkar's much-awaited 100th international century is not a concern for his team, which only needs a "bit of luck" to stop him from reaching the milestone in the Test series, starting Monday.

"It's exciting, the prospect of him scoring his 100th hundred for the fans and everyone involved in the game. But we haven't discussed anything about his hundred, and with a bit of luck, we can stop him... We don't want to give him the opportunity to get there," said Haddin.

Haddin was confident Australia has the attack to rip apart the experienced Indian batting line-up. "We've picked an XI that we think is confident to rip through this Indian side. If you look at the way James (Pattinson) and more importantly the way Peter Siddle has fed off these young guys," he said.

"He has been outstanding in the last couple of Tests. He hasn't got the five-fors that the other guys have but this is the best I've seen Peter Siddle bowl in Test cricket."

"He has really taken the guys like James under his wing. We've got three quicks who are raring to go who can get that radar up around 140 or 145 (km/hour)," he added.

The Australian wicket-keeper is equally excited about young off-spinner Nathan Lyon and his prospects for the series.

"Nathan is a work in progress. He's getting better in every Test. We've got to be patient and in the next few years, we'll see a real quality spinner."

"He has the temperament to handle pressure situations. He doesn't seem to get too flustered whether he's bowling or not bowling. The tempo of his game is very good."

Haddin doesn't want to speculate a great deal on the fitness of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma for the Test but says his side has identified areas where they could pressurise the Indians.

"Once they take the field they seem to roll out all right. We know where their strengths are but we also know there are areas we can get the game moving forward and develop the game as quick as we like," he said.

Haddin hoped the weight of history, of not having won a series in Australia for the last 64 years, would bog down the visitors.

"I hope so. It's definitely a different place to play cricket for the Indians. But it's not as foreign anymore. It's like Australia going to India. We are pretty much used to the conditions now because you spend so much time there."

"They've got some great players and I know especially our bowlers are looking forward to having a crack at them," he said.

Haddin said Cricket Australia's three-day batting camp at the MCG ahead of the Boxing Day Test against India was as much about mental preparation as any technical issues.

"From my point of view it's not the swinging ball, it's just making sure my mindset is just playing at the tempo I play at," Haddin said.

"Don't try to take the game forward too quick and just react to the game."

 

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My grandfather has been a massive inspiration, reveals Warner

David Warner revealed that his paternal grandfather has been a massive inspiration behind his success.

Warner said he was even inspired by the manner of his grandfather's death.

When the left-hander reached his maiden Test century in Hobart he looked skywards as he vaulted in the air in triumph.

His motivation was to mark the influence on his career of his paternal grandfather, Frank Warner, who died about 12 years ago.

"My grandfather was a massive inspiration for me when he passed away when I was 13 or 14," Warner was quoted as saying in the Herald.

"It took a lot of courage for me to say, 'Right, I’m going to put all my eggs in one basket and try and keep aspiring to play cricket for my country.' It brought a tear to my eye when I hugged (batting partner) Brad (Haddin) when I got my hundred — I think he saw the emotion in my face as well. My parents did as well."

"I know my old man had a tear in his eye, especially when I looked up to the heavens. He (grandfather) is always going to keep inspiring me to play to my potential."

His grandfather began by watching every match Warner's older brother Steve played, and he maintained that approach for David.

Warner said he was even inspired by the manner of his grandfather's death, after a massive stroke in his mid 80s.

"When you get to know someone (that closely) it's like losing a parent. For the 13 years of my life before he passed away he kept saying to me, 'You've got to keep striving for your baggy green'," Warner said.

"We turned off his life support and he went two weeks without life support. We were starting to teach him how to read and write and point at things, because he lost a lot of his speech and couldn't really move."

"One day I just heard him yell out my name. It was a massive sigh of relief because he got a second chance at living. Unfortunately he passed away but I've always stuck by what he's said to me — and I'm doing that at the moment."

"To look back and see where I am today, I couldn't be any more proud of myself. My family is over the moon."

"Mum and dad put a lot of time and effort in when I was young, then spent a lot of money on me purchasing cricket bats and stuff like that. I owe them a lot."

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Haddin says he will react to game's tempo in India-Oz Boxing Day Test

Australian wicket-keeper Brad Haddin has said he will react to the game's tempo rather than just concentrating on playing the swinging ball during the Boxing Day Test, which began today.

"From my point of view it's not the swinging ball, it's just making sure my mindset is just playing at the tempo I play at. Don't try to take the game forward too quick and just react to the game," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Haddin, as saying.

Haddin's knock of 80 helped Australia win the Brisbane Test against New Zealand but he came under the scanner after scoring five and fifteen in the Hobart Test.

He, however, said his side is looking forward to winning the game.

"We're going to be trying to take the game forward and win cricket games. You'll see over the next five days whether it has all paid off. The most important thing for us is to make sure we've done all the work and now it's just about playing. Freeing your head, having no other thoughts in your head but just playing cricket," Haddin said.

He admitted Cricket Australia's three-day batting camp at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was helpful because it focussed on both mental preparation and technical issues of the sport.

Haddin has scored 2171 Test runs at 36.18, including three centuries.

 

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Out of favour Oz batsman Katich backs Cowan as worthy successor

Out of favour Australian batsman Simon Katich has backed his New South Wales team-mate as his worthy successor.

"Ed Cowan is definitely ready for Test cricket. He's made a lot of runs this year, he deserves his chance, and he's got a big future ahead of him," The Age quoted Katich, as saying.

His statement comes after he was axed from the Cricket Australia (CA)'s list of 25 contracted players for the 2011-12 period.

Katich said he does not have any grudges against selectors over the move despite averaging over 50 after making a comeback to the Australian Test squad in 2007.

"I've spoken about my international career recently, a lot has happened in the past five months, but I understand the selectors are probably going in a different direction," Katich said.

"I'm fortunate that in the last few years I got back in the Test team. I've got to look at it positively. I've played 56 Tests instead of being stuck on 23 so I will always be grateful for that," he added.

"There are lots of people worse off than me in the world. As much as it was disappointing to know that I probably wouldn't play Test cricket again, I've dealt with that, and I'll play cricket for whoever wants me for as long as I can," Katich said. 

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Ponting's wake-up call & Zaheer's jaffa

The wake-up call

After the rain break, Umesh Yadav overcame a sloppy start and turned the game around in two overs, dismissing Warner and Shaun Marsh. Out came Ponting, going through the longest rut of his career. The second ball he faced from Umesh was too quick for him.

As he shaped for a pull, the ball hit his forearm and crashed into his helmet. He had the presence of mind to kick the ball away from the stumps. In the 1999 series, when Javagal Srinath struck him in the face, an angry young Ponting yelled at him to go back and bowl. This time, a mellow veteran took the blow quietly and got down to repairing the innings. 

The jaffa

Mike Hussey now has three ducks in his last three outings in all forms: a first-baller in the Hobart Test, a six-baller in the Big Bash and a first-baller today. Zaheer Khan bowled him a near-unplayable bouncer that was shaping away and looked like it hit the glove on its way to MS Dhoni. Marais Erasmus upheld India’s huge appeal but replays showed the ball had made no contact with the batsman. 

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India review block sees early controversy

India's rejection of the decision review system in their Australian series provoked its first controversy Monday as the home side lost late wickets on the opening day of the first Test. The Australians stumbled from 205 for three with three wickets tumbling in 18 balls to finish the day at 277 for six with Brad Haddin on 21 and Peter Siddle not out 34.

But the first day of the four-Test series before a 70,068 Boxing Day crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was marred by the contentious dismissal of senior batsman Michael Hussey.

Hussey fell for his third Test golden duck in eight innings and was disgusted to be given out after replays appeared to show the delivery from Zaheer Khan had brushed his sleeve and not his bat.

Hussey was prevented from referring the umpire's verdict to the video umpire as the Indian cricket board has refused to use the Decision Review System in the series over concerns about the accuracy of electronic aids. It could prove a career-ending dismissal for Hussey, whose future in the Australian team is increasingly under threat amid a run of low scores.

Debutant opener Ed Cowan anchored the Australian innings with a stoic 68 in almost five hours and the best part of 68 overs after skipper Michael Clarke had won the toss.

Australia were in a strong position before paceman Zaheer Khan, playing in his first Test match since July, removed Clarke and Hussey with consecutive deliveries. Cowan went three overs later ending a 294-minute vigil when he feathered a catch behind off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Left-hander Cowan, who replaced chancy opener Phillip Hughes for his first Test match, protected his wicket with steely patience and a willingness to leave the ball in his 177-ball knock.

Clarke looked in good touch before he attempted to cut Zaheer only to play on to his stumps for 31, while Hussey went next ball adjudged to have got an edge to wicketkeeper MS Dhoni.

Ricky Ponting scored his 59th Test half-century and 10th against India before he fell to Umesh Yadav, finding V.V.S. Laxman at second slip for 62 in the only wicket to fall in the middle session. Yet again the former Australian captain failed to go on to claim his century and it is now 33 innings and almost two years since his last Test hundred.

Ponting put on 113 runs with Cowan for the third wicket to steady the Australian innings after the first two wickets fell on 46. Yadav claimed the first three wickets of the innings to finish with three for 96 off 20 overs.

Opener David Warner, who scored an unbeaten 123 in this month's Test against New Zealand, clouted a six in his typically breezy 37 off 49 balls. A brief rain delay in the morning session brought about Warner's downfall first ball after the resumption when he attempted to hook Yadav only to dolly a catch to Dhoni in the 14th over.

Shaun Marsh's Test return only lasted six balls before he edged Yadav to Virat Kohli in the gully for a duck. India are bidding to win their first series in Australia in 64 years and hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after winning the last two series at home.

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Bresnan, No.1 Test side England's lucky charm

Tim Bresnan, who was once dismissed as a chubby lad, has rapidly gained credence as an authentic international all-rounder and lucky charm for England, as his team has now won all 10 Tests he has played.

Ten Test matches, 10 wins, a batting average of 46.43, a bowling average of 23.61 - makes him a genuine all rounder.

Only Adam Gilchrist, whose first 15 matches all brought victory for Australia, had a better start.

"I must be a lucky charm, I guess. I feel very lucky to be part of this Test side; sometimes you have to pinch yourself about how lucky. It's quite easy to come into a team that's doing well, everyone firing on all cylinders, momentum behind you," said Bresnan, reflecting on being part of the team of the year. 

Bresnan, being one of the Ashes heroes and a member of the side which became number one in the Test world last summer, is still not the first name on the England team sheet. 

England's bowling resources are plentiful and a combination in which Bresnan does not feature (say Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steve Finn or Chris Tremlett and Graeme Swann) is possible to imagine, The Independent reports. 

England was winning the matches in which he appeared.

"I was surprised to be selected for Australia. I thought I had hauled myself into contention, but that was it. To get picked I had to force my case in the nets and then I got an opportunity at Melbourne and feel as though I took it," he said.

In winning all of his first 10 Test matches, Tim Bresnan broke the previous England record, set by Andrew Strauss with eight.

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Series against India biggest test for Clarke as skipper

Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who has had a good start as the team leader, faces his biggest test during Test series against India. 

Australia has chosen to tackle India in the Boxing Day Test without an all- rounder, which means the team would rely on its formidable batting line-up.

Clarke successfully led the Australian side, which beat Sri Lanka, and drew the series against South Africa and New Zealand.

Clarke's achievements are praiseworthy especially when his team has, at times, collapsed during the course of the game, only to make a stunning comeback, the Herald Sun reports.

Australian cricket fans had never expected the team to return from Sri Lanka and South Africa without dropping a series, but Clarke has embarked on his captaincy stint with great conviction, and devised a strategy of having a different competent bowler during each session of the Test to take on the opponents, the paper said.

He is a part of the selection panel that chose this team so there is no indication that he is dissatisfied with the squad hand-picked for the series.

Clarke's side would certainly feel that they have hit a bull's eye if they succeed in wrapping up India's top order but it would be only the first shot of the month- long battle, the paper added. 

Australia's bowling attack would be instrumental in helping the team clinch victory against India.

But Australia's defeat in the series would be attributed to playing injured or fatigued fast bowlers for too long, the paper said.

It will not be surprising if no fast bowler from either side plays all four Tests in the month -long-series, which certainly requires greater degree of fitness than Twenty 20 or One day international format of the game, it concluded.

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Sri Lanka will 'definitely fight back' in Boxing Day Test: De Villiers

South Africa should not take Sri Lanka lightly during the Kingsmead Test, Proteas batsman AB de Villiers has said.

His statement comes in the wake of Sri Lanka still smarting from itsnnings and 81 run defeat in the first Test at the Centurion inohannesburg.

De Villiers pointed out that the Sri Lankan side includes world-classlayers like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who canhallenge South Africa in the second Test.

"I think they will definitely fight back. They have world-classlayers and they won't go down without a fight. We will be up forhat," De Villiers said.

He said South Africa, which has lost its past three Tests atingsmead, would try to make amends.

"We haven't been playing good cricket here (Kingsmead) of late. We want to turn that around and win a few games here, and win this Test match. It's something that we have talked about," De Villiers said.

South African batsman Ashwell Prince blamed complacency for their defeat in their last three Tests at Kingsmead.

"We've had a few opportunities in the last few series to put them away and for some reason or other we haven't been able to do that. 

Perhaps there has been a bit of complacency when we have been in good positions," Prince said.

"But we have another opportunity and hopefully we can kill it offefore we go to Newlands," he added. 

 

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Indian batsman Dravid rejects comparison with Sehwag

Veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid has rejected comparisons with opening batsman Virender Sehwag.

"I'm never going to be a [Virender] Sehwag. That's not me, but when I'm playing well and things are flowing for me, my scoring rate does improve. I feel in good position, I feel balanced, I am able to get fully forward, get fully back. I create more opportunities to score runs," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Dravid, as saying.

"Then when I struggle, I can get into my shell and get really tight. Part of my nature is to fight through things. A lot of guys will hit their way out of trouble but my defence mechanism, my fallback, is to fight through the difficult times," he added.

Dravid, who has scored five centuries this year, said he was inspired by Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar who made a comeback after undergoing a slump in his career.

"He went through a tough period and he came out of that. That was an inspiration to me. Being in the same dressing room as him, he was having a golden run while I was going through one of my worst times," Dravid said.

Recalling the 2003 Test series against Australia, Dravid said he believed that he was playing his last Test match and described it as his tough time.

"As much as you try to remain calm on the outside and try to not let it affect you, or the people around you or the team, you are always very conscious that you're playing a team game. But in the quiet of your room, it is tough," Dravid said. 

Especially if you have been someone who has contributed a lot for your team over the years, then to get the feeling that the team is carrying you is something that is not easy to get used to ... It was a difficult period for me," he said.

 

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Pak cricket team needs 'planner' rather than coach: Miandad

Pakistan's former captain Javed Miandad has said the country's cricket team needs a "planner" rather than a coach. 

"I don't think there is a role for a coach in cricket but you can say a team needs a planner. Someone who can plan out strategies for each match and provide feedback to the players and motivate them," The Daily Times quoted Miandad, as saying.

Miandad, who has served as the national team coach thrice, said the team did not require specialist coaches.

"I believe that in cricket it is eventually up to the player who performs or delivers. No matter how much you coach or advise a player but once he is out there in the middle, it is entirely up to him how he responds and performs," he said.

Miandad said the players did not deserve to be playing international cricket if they require coaches at this level. 

"At this level, what can you coach a player! But yes, if you have a planner, he can define a clear role for players and for every match," he said. 

Miandad pointed out that only those players have been successful who have put their own efforts into their game and learnt from their mistakes. 

He also criticized Pakistan Cricket Board officials, who had no experience in the game. 

"The new chairman, Zaka Ashraf, appears to be taking the right decisions and his reliance on former players is a good sign rather than on officials with no experience of cricket," he said.

 

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India may find Australian conditions difficult: Warner

Explosive Australian opener David Warner feels that India's inability to adapt to conditions overseas and their mental frailty can be exposed in the Boxing Day Test here.

Warner spoke of the vast disparity in the way the Indians play at home and away.

'We think they automatically know they're going to win series in India because the wickets turn and it is all in their favour. And it is probably similar when they come out here, we think on the bouncy wickets they might not be able to adapt,' Warner told ESPN.

'You look at their line-up and you can think 'oh how are we going to get these guys out.' But we know when they're in Australia, the wickets are different, and we think their mental approach is a bit different to what it is when they're in India.'

Warner said India have a strong batting line-up whereas Australia's was a cause for concern during the recent series in South Africa and at home against New Zealand. But he was confident their batsmen would fire in the series.

'They're one of the best line-ups in the world, and capable of scoring big runs on the wickets we're producing here. We've got to be spot on with our line and length with our quicks, and when we're batting we need to put on as many runs as we can... I reckon we're in for a good series.'

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Test of Australia rookies against Indian greats

Australia may have an inexperienced batting top three but they are in form ahead of the opening Boxing Day Test against India, Australian vice-captain Brad Haddin said on Sunday.

Australia's top three in the batting order -- David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh -- have just five Tests between them in one of Australia's most unfamiliar combinations in more than three decades.

Warner has played just two Test matches but comes to the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a last start unbeaten 123 against New Zealand, while three-Test Marsh crunched 99 off 52 balls in domestic Twenty20 just days ago.

Debutant Cowan earned selection on the strength of his 109 for a Chairman's XI against India this week along with three first-class centuries this season.

While the Australian team is in transition, India's top five batsmen -- Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman -- boast a combined tally of 610 Tests.

In the first of four Tests for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy it is India's experience against Australia's untried potential.

Wicketkeeper Haddin, who will be an important member of the Australian batting lineup at number seven, said it was time for the home team to stand up and meet the Indian challenge head on.

"You talk about our inexperienced top three, I think we've got a very in-form top three," Haddin told reporters on Sunday.

"And if we're going to do any good in this series it's going to be from one to seven with the bat. We've all got to perform.

"We've got to make sure we've got our game heads on and ready to go."

Coach Mickey Arthur arranged a batting camp this week and Haddin said the three-day get-together was to clear the batsmen's minds.

"Freeing your head, having no other thoughts in your head but just playing cricket," Haddin said.
"You'll see over the next five days whether it has all paid off."

Australia are also conceding huge amounts of big-match experience with the ball to India, with two of the four frontline bowlers, James Pattinson and offspinner Nathan Lyon, in their first year of Test cricket.

"We've picked an 11 that we think is confident to rip through this Indian side," Haddin said.

"They've got some great players and I know especially our bowlers are looking forward to having a crack at them."

Pattinson, just 21, has taken 14 wickets in his two Tests against New Zealand, while Lyon has 22 wickets from his seven Tests at 24.59.

Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman have indicated they will go after Lyon to dent his confidence.

"We're just hoping that we score some runs off him, try to put pressure on him," India skipper MS Dhoni said.

"The kind of experience we have got, that will really help us in executing our plans."

Australian captain Michael Clarke said Lyon will have to be managed carefully during the series, but he regards him as a potential weapon against a team who are traditionally adept at playing spin bowling.

"We've got to make sure we bowl Nathan at the right times, set the right fields to give him a little bit of protection and then attack when it's time to attack," Clarke said.

Tendulkar could score his 100th century in Tests and one-day internationals during the four-Test series.

He has been anchored on 99 hundreds since March and Dhoni said Tendulkar was putting aside the speculation and pressure linked to his impending achievement.

"He's someone who keeps it really simple," Dhoni said. "He will get it at some point in time, whether it's this series or the next series.

"I don't think there's any added pressure on him.

"A hundred hundreds in international cricket, it's something really big. The whole of cricket, all over the world, people will really cherish the moment when he gets his hundredth done."

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Hussey or Ponting could make way for Christian: Clarke

Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, who have played 224 Tests between them, are probably safe for the Boxing Day Test against India, which commences from December 26, although one of them will be vulnerable to the axe if both Shaun Marsh and Dan Christian are picked.

Both Ponting and Mike Hussey have held their places in the 13-man squad for the series, but Marsh's quest to return to the top order and all-rounder Dan Christian's push to break into the top six will continue to fuel debate about the positions of the two veterans as the Border-Gavaskar series unfolds, reports the Daily Telegraph. 

Ponting has played the last two Boxing Day Tests under severe physical adversity, having been struck on the elbow by West Indies quick Kemar Roach in Perth leading into the Melbourne Test against Pakistan the summer before last, and taking a broken finger into last summer's Ashes fixture. 

The Chairman of the National Selection Panel (NSP), John Inverarity, has indicated that Ed Cowan and David Warner would open the batting in the first Test, with Marsh and Christian fighting for the other batting position.

Skipper Michael Clarke said that if Christian is chosen in the eleven, either Ponting or Hussey would be out of the squad.

"If everybody is fit, we will work out if the all-rounder is the best option. If it is, then a batter will have to miss, because I see Dan as a No. 6 batter who can do that bowling for us as well," said Clarke.

Coach Mickey Arthur has this week talked up the benefits of a fifth bowling option and declined to guarantee the positions of Ponting and Hussey.

"Like Mickey said, there's no guarantees for any player," Clarke said, adding that: "We need to come out and perform against India in this first Test. As a batsman you have to score runs, as a bowler you have to take wickets."

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Swami Army to target Ponting during Boxing Day Test

The Swami Army, which is India's version of England's Barmy Army, will be out in full force at the MCG for the Australia-India Test series opener on Boxing Day and have set their sights on Ricky Ponting.

The 1400 or so members of the Swami Army will swamp Melbourne in the coming days in support of Sachin Tendulkar, and the rest of the Indian Test cricket team.

Although the group was formed seven years ago, it has only been this year that it has become fully established, creating a website, uniform, and calling on the thousands of Indian expats across Australia and the world to support their former home team.

One of the group's founders, Sumit Grover, said the main aim was to attract more cricket tragics to Test matches, having a bit of fun along the way. 

"As a Test cricket fan I get a little disappointed when we don't see sell-out matches. We hope to change that a bit," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.

The group has already succeeding in its goal, having sold out a 1400-seat section of the MCG. 

One of the chants will be an ode to Tendulkar, sung to the tune of Waltzing Matilda, to spur on the champion batsman to make his 100th international century.

"He should score his 100th century sometime during the series. But we are hoping he can make it on Boxing Day. It will be a great start to the series," Grover said.

Grover said the Swamis were determined to match the Australians when it comes to good-spirited heckling.

"The Barmy Army is the benchmark of any sporting group in the world. But there are 1.2 billion of us, so we should have no trouble getting the numbers and making a bit of noise," he said.

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England skipper Strauss eyeing two more Ashes victories

England skipper Andrew Strauss is aiming to win two more Ashes series against Australia.

He would become the first England post-war captain if his team wins the Ashes series four times consecutively under his leadership.

England had won the ashes in 2009 and 2011 under Strauss' captaincy, and he wants to lead England against Australia for the 2013 Ashes series. 

"Playing in back-to-back Ashes tours would be a realistic goal. But I'm not going to say that is definitely what is going to happen. There's a lot of cricket to be played. We will see where we are in 12 months, then another 12 months and go from there," The Mirror quoted Strauss, as saying.

Strauss, who has made 89 Test appearances, is excited to take on future challenges. 

"I'm still excited about the challenges ahead. As long as I'm motivated and playing well and feel there is still space in the side for me, then I want to continue. If I take it one series at a time then hopefully I will be playing well enough to keep going for a while yet," he added. 

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'Tendulkar greater than Bradman'

India's batting great Sachin Tendulkar and not Australian legend Don Bradman is the greatest Test batsman who ever lived, a Gold Coast academic says.

Griffith University researcher Nicholas Rohde said he can prove with statistics that Tendulkar is the greatest. Rohde, however, admitted that if he could go back in time, he would prefer to watch Bradman every time.

Rohde said that by applying economic principles to batting performance, he has been able to rank players back through time.

'People are welcome to disagree and there would be other statistical ways of looking at it which would give you different results,' The Daily Telegraph quoted Rohde as saying.

Rohde said his obsession with cricket led him to the idea of coming up with a ranking system, even if it did mean trying to marry sport with economics.

'I don't see it as entirely trivial, but it isn't an indisputable result either; it's somewhere in the middle. My feeling is that devotion to Don Bradman probably robbed India of a national icon a little bit. And if you wanted my personal opinion on who was the better of the two, Bradman or Tendulkar, I would say that it was perhaps too close to call,' he said.

As a part of his calculation, Rohde took the total number of runs a batsman has scored in his entire career, and subtracted the number of runs that an average player of the same era would have scored if they'd played the same number of innings. He constantly updates the figures and calculates new ranking tables.

'Bradman has been number one until recently, but Tendulkar for the time being is just a little tiny bit ahead. No ranking system is definitive and people are always free to disagree, although I do feel it's a fairly sensible and intuitive way to rank the players,' he said.

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Heavyweight Warne immortalised in bronze at MCG

Shane Warne cuts a svelte figure these days but his time as a more rotund player were recalled when a bronze statue of the spin-bowling great was unveiled at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.

The 42-year-old made a much-publicised return to cricket after a short retirement at the MCG last weekend in Australia's revamped domestic Twenty20 competition.

But it was the 708 test wickets - he grabbed his 700th at the MCG - that earned Warne a place alongside 10 other Australian sporting greats outside the most famous sporting venue in his home city.

"It's 300 kilos that statue, it's pretty lifelike for when I played," Warne joked to reporters after the unveiling.

"It's a great honour, it's a bit weird seeing yourself up there but I'm very proud."

Despite having retired from the test arena for nearly four years, Warne remains one of his country's most popular cricketers and his return was a huge boon to the new "Big Bash" series.

After a quiet first match, he showed he could still produce some magic on the pitch in his second outing for the Melbourne Stars against the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on Tuesday.

Fitted with a microphone by the TV broadcaster when bowling to Brendon McCullum, Warne said he thought the New Zealander would sweep the next delivery and that he "might try to slide one in there... fast".

He duly bowled the batsmen around his legs with the ball hitting the off-stump, leaving McCullum lauding the Australian's "genius".

"He's still got it. He's the oracle isn't he? He's a genius," he said. "I was just trying to pay the respect by looking to play a fine lap shot to get off strike and attack the other guys.

"He's just too good, I got beaten to the punch by the world's greatest player, there's no harm in that."

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Pak climbs to fifth position in ICC Test rankings

Pakistan is now ranked fifth in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test table after climbing up one position following their 2-0 win over Bangladesh.

This is the Pakistan's best rank since March 2009.


Pakistan earned one rating point after winning the two-Test series, which had put them at par with Sri Lanka on 99 ratings points.

Pakistan, however, edged past Sri Lanka after the ratings were calculated beyond the decimal point, The Daily Times reports.

Pakistan is trailing Australia by four ratings points, and can overtake it only if India wins the upcoming Test series against the latter by 4-0.

England lead Pakistan by 26 ratings points ahead of the Test series in Dubai beginning from 17 January onwards.

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Unlucky Khawaja failed to grab his chance: Waugh

Former opener Mark Waugh believes that Usman Khawaja was punished for a poor showing in Australia's last Test, against New Zealand in Hobart.

Khawaja and Phillip Hughes were left out as Shaun Marsh and the uncapped Ed Cowan were included in the 13-man squad for the first Test against India.

Khawaja responded to his axing with an unbeaten 56 in the tour match against the Indians in Canberra.

Khawaja's axing was somewhat of a shock after he showed promising signs in his six Tests to date.

Waugh said while he had been impressed by Khawaja, one half-century from 11 Test innings wasn't quite enough to demand selection for the series against India.

"I actually feel a bit sorry for Khawaja because he's actually looked pretty good, apart from last Test," Waugh told foxsports.com.au.

"Every other innings before that he's looked like a very capable player and I think he's a very good player. Having said that he just hasn't made the scores as yet. He didn't really take the opportunity by the scruff of the neck.

"So I feel sorry for him, but you've got to make the most of his opportunities and he hasn't done that. He's got a great future, there's no doubt about that. He'll be back bigger and better pretty shortly," he said.

Waugh believes the decision to dump Khawaja and retain Ponting and Hussey for such a crucial series came down to experience.

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ICC should make call on Decision Review System: Clarke

Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has said that it is time for the International Cricket Council to make a call on the Decision Review System (DRS) after India objected to its use in the forthcoming series. 

"I am not bothered either way. I would just like to see a broad decision made for every team. I would like to see it in Test cricket and one-day cricket, or in one or the other, or not used at all. I find it a little bit inconsistent," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Clarke, as saying

Clarke said he was happy to abide by the on-field umpires' decisions. 

"At the end of the day, the umpires will do their best to make the right decision," he said.

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Oz selectors want nation's best batsmen to be bowlers as well

The Chairman of the National Selection Panel (NSP), John Inverarity, has called on the nation's best batsmen to work on their bowling skills in a bid to give the Test team greater flexibility down the track.

With all-rounder Shane Watson currently sidelined, veterans Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting have been called upon in recent times to provide bowling backup to the four specialist bowlers.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Inverarity now wants batsman of the future to become even more competent with the ball.

"I think all of us on the selection panel hold the view that it is very desirable to have some of your six best batsmen as decent bowlers," he said.

"You look back at some of the Australian teams when Steve Waugh was amongst the best batsmen, but also a very handy bowler. All rounders are like gold and also batsmen who are very competent bowlers - Greg Chappell, Doug Walters, Greg Blewett and here in WA Tom Moody was a prime example," he added.

"It does make a huge difference if a couple of your batsmen are good bowlers. We've talked to the national talent managers in each state and we'll certainly be emphasising that," Inverarity said.

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Things not going my way in last few innings: Hussey

Australia's veteran batsman Mike Hussey says he is in a good frame of mind and is doing his best to prove his critics wrong during the forthcoming four-match Test series against India starting with the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Three months ago, Hussey was in a great form hitting 463 runs at an average of 92.6 against Sri Lanka. But he has performed badly against South Africa and New Zealand scoring 83 runs at an average of 11.86.

The 36-year-old's poor run continued Sunday night when he made a duck in Perth Scorchers' 31-run loss to Hobart Hurricanes in Big Bash Twenty20.

'I haven't really taken much notice of the external stuff at all to be honest. I haven't really read a newspaper, haven't really turned the TV on since we lost the Test match down in Hobart,' Hussey was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

'I pretty much just tried to get away from it for a week, or for a few days anyway. I still feel like I'm in a good frame of mind. I still feel like I'm hitting the ball well in the nets. But that's the way batting goes. You're going to get times when things go well for you and you've got to cash in, like what I was able to do over in Sri Lanka.

'And then there's going to be times when things don't quite go your way and unfortunately the last few innings that's what it's been like for me,' he said.

Hussey also said that fellow batsman Shaun Marsh, who injured his back last month, would take part in this week's three-day batting camp in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test.

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Bowling will be India's weak link: Warne

Australia's spin legend Shane Warne feels that bowling will be India's weak link in the four-Test series starting in Melbourne on Boxing Day.

Warne said injuries to frontline pacers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma will doom India.

'England just beat them four-nil. They have got some wonderful batting and all that sort of stuff but I think their bowling is a bit weak,' Warne was quoted as saying by Herald Sun.

'And if Zaheer Khan or Ishant Sharma goes down with injury then it should be a good time for the Australian batters,' he said.

Warne said the packed international schedule was to blame for many injuries.

'The bottom line is that they have to play too much cricket - there is too much expected of an international cricketer. And we are playing two Test series to cram everything in. It is ridiculous. To me that is not right. Let the players recover, so they can be the best players they can be,' he said.

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Tendulkar's personal practice assistant keeps him busy

The man who is keeping India's batting great Sachin Tendulkar busy at the nets has no credentials to warrant being part of the tour. But Tendulkar has made sure that D.V.G.I. Raghavindraa was part of the touring party.

The 27-year-old Raghavindraa, an employee with Bangalore's National Cricket Academy (NCA), has never played a first-class match but is playing a key role in India's quest to win their first Test series on Australian soil.

Raghavindraa's throw-down skills have benefitted not only Tendulkar but Rahul Dravid as well. Instead of facing bowlers at the nets, Tendulkar kept himself busy with the throw-downs from Raghavindraa at the Manuka Oval.

Raghavindraa helped Tendulkar prepare for the barrage of outswingers he is likely to receive from young gun James Pattinson.

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PCB retains Mohsin Khan as interim cricket coach ahead of England series

Mohsin Khan will continue as interim Pakistan cricket coach for Test and One-Day International series against England in the United Arab Emirates.

"There will be no change in the team management or national selection committee for the England series. We will look at hiring a fulltime coach after the series," The News quoted Pakistan Cricket Board chairperson Zaka Ashraf, as saying. ohsin had been PCB chief selector before he took over as interim coach after head coach Waqar Younis tendered his resignation citing personal reasons.

The PCB also confirmed that Dav Whatmore was the frontrunner for the head coach post.

Ashraf also said Pakistan would resume hosting international matches from next year onwards.

"We have officially invited the Bangladesh board to send its team. They will be sending a security delegation next month to inspect the security arrangements and conditions in Pakistan," Ashraf said. 

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Vernon did not require any extra prodding: Smith

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith has said that pacer Vernon Philander was self-motivated and did not require any extra pushing from his captain.

Philander was named Man of the Match on Saturday for his 10 wickets in the opening Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

"Vernon understands his own skills which makes my job easier. The wickets had some good juice in them so it was about Vern not changing too much and to keep working on those skills. So for me it's just about him keeping it simple and the motivation is there," Smith said.

He said every player hoped for a start like that in international cricket and it was there to be enjoyed but warned of a challenge it gave to a player.

"I think he's played enough cricket and had enough ups and downs in his career to know it's not always going to be easy. There will be different surfaces around the world that will challenge him. I would love him to keep on bowling as he is, but I think he knows there are tougher times around the corner," Smith said.

Philander's 5/53 in the first innings and 5/49 in the second made him the first South African to take four five-wicket hauls in his first three Test matches and only the fourth bowler in history to achieve the feat, Sport24 reports.

Rodney Hogg for Australia, who debuted against England in 1978, took five five-wicket hauls while Thomas Richardson (England in 1893) and Charles Turner (Australia in 1887) both took four. 

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Donald's big brotherly advice helping South Africa bowlers

Allan Donald is like the big, elder brother for the South African bowlers and his advice to Vernon Philander, going through a purple patch, and Morne Morkel, in the midst of a slump, is certainly getting results for them.

As one of the greatest fast bowlers the game has seen, Donald, who took 330 wickets in 72 Tests at 22.25, said: "I'm not here to teach them how to bowl. It's all about the attitude towards the skill, I'm not doing anything technical. It all starts at training and the culture we're building as an attack."

He said Philander's incredible success - he is just the second bowler in over a century to take four five-wicket hauls in his first three Tests (Australia's Rodney Hogg being the last to do it in 1978/79), did not surprise him because the 26-year-old worked extremely hard on his game in the three years he was outside the national squad.

"I'm not surprised, he went away and really learnt his game. He understands his role and Vernon's a wonderful, classy bowler. Conditions have played their part, but he still had to execute those skills," Sport24 reports quoted Donald, as saying.

Morkel's performance at Centurion was probably the most disappointing aspect of the innings win, but Donald said the lanky fast bowler just needed more game time.

"I put myself in Morne's shoes and I was also a rhythm and confidence bowler, I needed to bowl a lot. Morne's the same, he just needs to get some confidence and then he'll be back all the way," he said.

"I think he's just one spell away. The last day at Centurion was really good, we wanted him to have a long spell after lunch after we tinkered on a few things after the first innings," Donald said. 

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Clock ticking for Ponting, says Australia coach Arthur

Ricky Ponting's international future could be in doubt if he fails to make runs, regardless of the former captain's standing in the game, Australia coach Mickey Arthur has said.

Australia play the first of a four-test series against India in Melbourne on December 26 and the debate over the out-of-form batsman's place has polarised the nation.

Many former players and pundits have demanded the 37-year-old step down or be pensioned off, while others have cited Ponting's imperious record as reason enough to allow him to decide the manner of his own exit.

South African Arthur said Ponting, the game's most successful captain and third most prolific run scorer in tests, could not rest on his reputation or his value as a mentor to Australia's next generation.

"I don't think anyone's guaranteed a start," Arthur told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Groundon Tuesday when asked if Ponting would be retained for the Boxing Day test.

"Ricky Ponting is really vital to where we want to take this team. We are really hoping that he finds his form and hopefully that form is just around the corner.

"I've backed Ricky Ponting in, like I've backed Mike Hussey in for a period of time because I think they're crucial to the development of the side.

"For our young batters, to bat with guys like that is fantastic, but, again, they need to keep giving us ammunition, they need to keep giving us performances.

"Nobody's guaranteed a start, nobody's got a privilege to play in the Australian cricket team. They've got to be producing the goods and giving us ammunition to play."

Arthur, a member of Australia's five-man selection panel along with captain Michael Clarke, will meet with the other selectors later on Tuesday to decide Ponting's immediate fate.

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Boucher sets world record by scoring half ton, six dismissals in innings for second time

South African cricketer Mark Boucher has set the world record by becoming the only wicketkeeper to score a Test match half-century and effect six dismissals in an innings for the second time.

He achieved the feat during South Africa's first Test match against Sri Lanka in Centurion, Sport 24 reports.

He had earlier accomplished the feat against Pakistan in 1998 in his fourth Test match.

South African cricketer Denis Lindsay, England player Matt Prior and Indian wicket-keeper MS Dhoni have also achieved this feat.

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Swann's book 'not clever' says Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen has labelled Graeme Swann's recent autobiography as "not a clever book" after his England team-mate went into print to criticise him as "not a natural leader".

Pietersen, in an interview with the BBC, insisted he had a good relationship with Swann and that the fall-out from the off-spinner's book would have no bearing on England's team spirit ahead of their upcoming series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

"Things are absolutely fine," said Pietersen. "It was Swanny, Swanny likes to talk. It's not a clever book in the middle of your career, but it's not affecting anything that's going on in the team for sure.

"The team spirit we've got at the moment... a book won't change anything like that," Pietersen added.

"When we go to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in a couple of weeks time, the team will be as united as ever and that's not going to change for one second because of a book," star batsman Pietersen insisted.

Pietersen was briefly England's captain across all formats but resigned in January 2009 after questioning the credentials of then coach Peter Moores, who was sacked from his post.

Their exits paved the way for the successful alliance between current Test captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower that this year took England, who won the Ashes 3-1 in Australia and then, at home, whitewashed India 4-0, to the top of the world Test rankings.

But their one-day form has been far less impressive, with England struggling to get into the knockout stages of this year's World Cup in Asia before being well beaten by eventual finalists Sri Lanka. And in October a one-day series in India saw England thrashed 5-0 by the 50-over world champions.

Pietersen said England's inability, in contrast to the Test team, to find a settled one-day side was behind the Twenty20 world champions struggles in the 50-over format.

"We've used so many players, whether it be through injury or rest. I've played seven years of one-day cricket for England, and it's round about 35 players that we've used. To get that consistency and roles in the team can be quite hard," he explained.

"Things didn't go according to plan in India two months ago but we have made great strides in one-day cricket, certainly here (in England). The World Cup was a tough one because it came at end of that long Australian trip. It is (England's one-day record) something we are focused on improving."

Swann, writing in his Sun newspaper column in October, played down talk of a rift with the South Africa-born Pietersen. "People have claimed my observation that KP is not a natural leader and should not have captained England has caused dressing-room divisions and a breakdown in team spirit.

"Well, anybody who thinks that does not know this England team," Swann said. "The reason we lost the one-day series 5-0 to India is because we've been outplayed in conditions which suit the home team."

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