DK,s Decent WORLD

Team Rankings - Test

2013-04-10T06:59:00.001+05:00

Rank	Team	Points	Rating
1	South Africa	4,601	128
2	England	5,137	114
3	India	4,714	112
4	Australia	5,191	110
5	Pakistan	3,444	104
6	Sri Lanka	3,574	92
7	West Indies	3,112	92
8	New Zealand	2,805	83
9	Bangladesh	20	1

Cricket Shedule March, April 2013

2013-03-26T00:34:00.001+05:00

March 2013
25 Mon	England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13 New Zealand v England at Auckland, 3rd Test - Day 4 Bangladesh in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2012/13 Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Hambantota, 2nd ODI
26 Tue	England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13 New Zealand v England at Auckland, 3rd Test - Day 5
27 Wed
28 Thu	Bangladesh in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2012/13 Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Pallekele, 3rd ODI
29 Fri
30 Sat
31 Sun	Bangladesh in Sri Lanka T20I Match, 2012/13 Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Pallekele, Only T20I

April 2013
01 Mon
02 Tue	Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Vadodara, 1st T20I
03 Wed
04 Thu	Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13 New Zealand Under-19s v Australia Under-19s at Lincoln, 1st Youth ODI Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Vadodara, 2nd T20I
05 Fri	Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Vadodara, 3rd T20I
06 Sat	Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13 New Zealand Under-19s v Australia Under-19s at Lincoln, 2nd Youth ODI
07 Sun
08 Mon	Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13 New Zealand Under-19s v Australia Under-19s at Lincoln, 3rd Youth ODI Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Ahmedabad, 1st ODI
09 Tue
10 Wed	Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Ahmedabad, 2nd ODI
11 Thu
12 Fri	Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Ahmedabad, 3rd ODI
13 Sat
14 Sun
15 Mon
16 Tue
17 Wed	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 1
18 Thu	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 2
19 Fri	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 3
20 Sat	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 4
21 Sun	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 5
22 Mon
23 Tue
24 Wed
25 Thu	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 1
26 Fri	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 2
27 Sat	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 3
28 Sun	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 4
29 Mon	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 5
30 Tue

Cricket Shedule March, April 2013

2013-03-26T00:31:00.001+05:00

March 2013
25 Mon	England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13 New Zealand v England at Auckland, 3rd Test - Day 4 Bangladesh in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2012/13 Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Hambantota, 2nd ODI
26 Tue	England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13 New Zealand v England at Auckland, 3rd Test - Day 5
27 Wed
28 Thu	Bangladesh in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2012/13 Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Pallekele, 3rd ODI
29 Fri
30 Sat
31 Sun	Bangladesh in Sri Lanka T20I Match, 2012/13 Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Pallekele, Only T20I
Top
April 2013
01 Mon
02 Tue	Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Vadodara, 1st T20I
03 Wed
04 Thu	Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13 New Zealand Under-19s v Australia Under-19s at Lincoln, 1st Youth ODI Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Vadodara, 2nd T20I
05 Fri	Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Vadodara, 3rd T20I
06 Sat	Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13 New Zealand Under-19s v Australia Under-19s at Lincoln, 2nd Youth ODI
07 Sun
08 Mon	Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13 New Zealand Under-19s v Australia Under-19s at Lincoln, 3rd Youth ODI Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Ahmedabad, 1st ODI
09 Tue
10 Wed	Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Ahmedabad, 2nd ODI
11 Thu
12 Fri	Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013 India Women v Bangladesh Women at Ahmedabad, 3rd ODI
13 Sat
14 Sun
15 Mon
16 Tue
17 Wed	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 1
18 Thu	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 2
19 Fri	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 3
20 Sat	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 4
21 Sun	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 1st Test - Day 5
22 Mon
23 Tue
24 Wed
25 Thu	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 1
26 Fri	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 2
27 Sat	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 3
28 Sun	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 4
29 Mon	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013 Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Harare, 2nd Test - Day 5
30 Tue

Australia tough out another spin test

2013-03-24T14:03:00.000+05:00

Australia 231 for 8 (Siddle 47*, Ashwin 4-40) v India

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

On a Feroz Shah Kotla track that had plenty of cracks even before the game began, there was variable bounce and movement for the quicks in the morning, and TV commentators were left wondering whether this match was being played at Headingley. After lunch, it was back to an all-too familiar sight this series: Australia's batsmen pinned by the turn and bounce of India's spinners.

That may seem a tailor-made surface for bowling first, but Australia's stand-in captain Shane Watson, taking over from an injured Michael Clarke, decided to bat knowing that the track will become even more difficult to score on as the match progresses. India could have shot out Australia for under 200, but for the resistance provided by Steven Smith, whose Test crediblity increased for the second match in succession, and Peter Siddle, who put away the mindless swipes usually associated with tailenders, to reach a career-best 47, and defy India for three hours.

Much of the threat in the first session had come from Ishant Sharma, who dismissed David Warner for a duck, and had Hughes bowled for an enterprising 45. The spinners took over after lunch, as the ball began to rip, and the numbers of appeal ratcheted up. Cowan had played his typical unflashy innings, intent on preserving his wicket in the testing conditions, before he became the third Australian top-order batsman to be bowled round the legs by R Ashwin in the series, while attempting a sweep.

That wicket opened the doors to a collapse, and from a healthy 106 for 2, Australia tumbled to 136 for 7. The middle order for this Test - Hughes, Watson, Smith, Matthew Wade and Glenn Maxwell - is the weakest Australia have fielded in decades, and they were unable to cope with the accuracy of the spinners, and the ball darting around. The questions over whether Watson deserves a permanent place in the side will only grow after another failure - he was stumped off Ravindra Jadeja, who continued to torment Australia's captain this series.

maidens bowled by R Ashwin (17) is the joint-highest for India (since 1990) in an innings (overs bowled between 30 and 35). The record is 22 maiden overs by Zimbabwe's Malcolm Jarvis against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo in 1994.

The number of balls faced during the eighth and ninth wicket stands (264) is the fourth-highest in an innings for Australia. Three of the top four such efforts have come against India.

Peter Siddle's 47 is his highest Test score surpassing his previous best of 43 against England in Sydney in 2011. It is also the third-highest score by an Australia No. 9 batsman against India.

Ravindra Jadeja has now dismissed the Australian captain in six out of seven innings. He got Michael Clarke out five times and Shane Watson once.

For the eighth time since the start of 2010 (second in this series), none of the top eight Australian batsmen passed fifty. On only one of those eight occasions (Sydney 2010 against Pakistan) did Australia manage to win the game.

-->

A fit-again Matthew Wade, reclaiming the wicketkeeping gloves from Brad Haddin, was unlucky to be dismissed bat-pad when there was no bat involved. That brought together two players who the Australian public hardly rate as Test players, Smith and Maxwell. Both began with confident straight hits for six, but Maxwell threw it away with an against-the-turn lofted hit that only went as far as mid-on.

Smith was at the non-striker's end for the most memorable dismissal of the innings, of Mitchell Johnson who was playing his first game of the series. An Ashwin carrom ball cannoned into off stump after Johnson shouldered arms. India were celebrating, but Johnson had no idea he was bowled, thinking perhaps that MS Dhoni had broken the stumps after collecting the ball. What is usually the most direct form of dismissal in cricket needed the umpire to intervene to send the batsman on his way.

With Australia losing seven wickets midway through the day, it was expected that Ashwin and Jadeja would wrap things up soon after. Smith, though, showed more of the composure that helped him so much in Mohali, knuckling down after that initial six - his next boundary came 65 deliveries later - content to block, and confident using his feet. He and Siddle had defied India for more than an hour and a half before Smith fell to a sharp catch by debutant Ajinkya Rahane at short leg.

Siddle survived plenty of close lbw calls, and had to face some unplayable deliveries, somehow managing to hang in, not trying anything extravagant, and succeeding in frustrating India's bowlers. Even after Smith's dismissal, the no-frills batting from Siddle and James Pattinson kept out India, and ensured Australia weren't bowled out on the first day.

Australia had been more flamboyant in the morning, chiefly due to Hughes, who less than a week ago was set to go down as the new benchmark for bumbling batting after a torturous time against spin. He continued to play with the confidence gleaned from his battling 69 in Mohali. He was helped by some wayward bowling from the quicks early on, thumping three fours in a Bhuvneshwar Kumar over.

Everyone was waiting for the first spinner to come on, both to see how much the ball would rip, and to see how Hughes would cope. Ashwin, India's most successful bowler in the series, came on in the ninth over and Hughes promptly struck him for two boundaries through midwicket to gallop to 29 off 23 deliveries.

The quick scoring came, though there were puffs of dust coming off the pitch when the new-ball bowlers were on. Ishant sent down a grubber early on that zipped through at ankle height. In the 21st over he bowled a snorter that sprang up from short of a length to thud into Hughes' helmet. Hughes grinned ruefully, amazed at how much that delivery lifted, and two balls later his aggressive innings came to an end, as he tentatively poked at an Ishant delivery that crashed into the stumps.

Australia will be content with how the first and third session went, but their soft middle order was exposed once more, and left them on the back foot after the first day.

Five Firsts: Yasir Arafat - A big wicket first up

2013-03-24T06:41:00.000+05:00

First idol

As a kid in Pakistan there were so many heroes to choose from. As an allrounder, Imran Khan was my idol - he was such a special player. When it came to bowling, Waqar Younis was incredible. There was Wasim Akram too, another one that was magnificent.

First big cricket match I played in

I still remember it pretty well, actually. I was playing for my club team in Pakistan and I must have been about 11 or 12. I didn't do too badly, either. I got two wickets and scored 37 runs.

First tour away from Pakistan

I came over to England for the Lombard Under-15 Challenge Cup in 1996. It was my first experience of different conditions and it was a tour I'll never forget. Our team was pretty special at the time, and we had a number of players who went on to represent Pakistan. Taufeeq Umar, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik were all playing. We got to the final and played at Lord's against India, which was a special moment. Unfortunately we lost.

First international cap

It came against Sri Lanka in Karachi . I still treasure the cap. The moment I stepped out on to the pitch was amazing. You dream about playing for your country and it's hard to find words to describe it. I remember I got Sanath Jayasuriya out, which was incredible. He's like a superhero in Sri Lanka. It wasn't a bad first wicket to take in international cricket.

First hat-trick

My first hat-trick was against Faisalabad for Rawalpindi in 2004 - and it came over the course of two innings. I got two wickets in the first innings and I had to wait and wait until we finished batting again. I got Mohammad Hafeez out with my first ball in the second innings. I ended up taking five wickets in six balls.

NZ edge ahead after bowlers' day

2013-03-23T22:45:00.001+05:00

England 50 for 2 (Boult 2-26) trail New Zealand 443 (Fulton 136, Williamson 91, Finn 6-125) by 393 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

England still have a slim chance to win the Auckland Test, and with it the series, but they will have to set new records if they are to do so. Never before have England won a Test after seeing a side they have inserted score more than 409 .

It may provide some encouragement for them that the team they beat on that occasion, at Leeds in 2004, was also New Zealand but, with three days of this series to go, it is surely the hosts who would be more disappointed to settle for a draw, especially after taking two England wickets before the close and with Kevin Pietersen's series over because of knee trouble. Their combative qualities have been apparent throughout.

New Zealand's position of authority was ground out in uncompromising fashion, with Peter Fulton's unbeauteous hundred, the longest in terms of balls faced by a New Zealand batsman against England, lingering long in the memory. Fulton became one of six wickets for Steven Finn, who equalled his Test-best bowling return with 6 for 125, but even he had limited cause for celebration as late-order wickets fell his way after two arduous days in the field.

If ever the doubters required an example of the virtues of the Decision Review System (DRS), they received it on the second day. With the series level at 0-0 and the game poised delicately, umpire Paul Reiffel gave New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum out to the second ball he faced.

Quite why he gave McCullum out remains unclear: it might have lbw and it could have been caught behind. But the batsman immediately utilised the DRS and replays showed that he should not be dismissed on either account. He was reprieved and went on to contribute a fluent 38 that took the game just a little further out of the reach of England. Had DRS not been in use, New Zealand would have been 297 for 5 and England would have felt themselves right back in the game.

The incident was not atypical of the day as a whole. Each time that England thought they had clawed their way back into the game, New Zealand produced a little extra to regain the initiative. England could be justifiably proud of claiming the last nine New Zealand wickets to fall on the second day for a cost of another 193 runs but, by the close, New Zealand were still the side in the stronger position.

longest innings by a New Zealand batsman since April 2006, when Stephen Fleming played 423 balls for his 262.

Fulton's innings is the longest by a New Zealand opener against England (in terms of balls faced). The previous-best was John Wright's 343-ball 119 in 1986. It's also the joint second-highest score by a New Zealand opener against England - the best is Hamish Rutherford's 171 in the first Test of the same series.

New Zealand's openers have together averaged 60.37 in this series, which is their eighth best , and their second best against England.

The 181-run stand between Fulton and Kane Williamson is the second-highest for the second wicket for New Zealand against England.

Since 2000, this is the third-highest total that England have conceded in the first innings after inserting the opposition.

-->

If England are to fight their way back into the game, they will have to do so with inexperienced players. Three men in England's top-order - Nick Compton, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow - came into this match with just 14 Tests between them and the lower-order lack the all-round skill of Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan due to injury. Most pertinently they are missing the magic of Pietersen. With him, miracles have not been uncommon. Without him, an England player may have to produce the innings of his life.

England dominated the morning session. Bowling with more discipline than the previous day, they conceded just 62 runs and, having been looking down the barrel of a huge total when New Zealand reached stumps on the first day on 250 for 1, reduced New Zealand to a less daunting 297 for 4 by lunch.

Batting was not straightforward in that first session. James Anderson, gaining just a little swing, found the edge of Kane Williamson's perfectly reasonable - if not fully committed - forward defensive stroke with a beauty that moved away just enough in the fifth over of the day, and England's ploy of plugging away outside Fulton's off stump - an area of obvious weakness for him - resulted in the game drifting towards a stalemate. Fulton's policy of blocking on off stump and picking up runs when the bowlers stray on to his legs can work well if bowlers perform as loosely as they did on the first day. But against better quality bowling, it looks desperately limited. Resuming on his overnight score of 124, Fulton faced 69 deliveries in about 140 minutes in the morning and scored just 12 runs.

Perhaps Fulton scorelessness contributed to Ross Taylor's demise. While Taylor drove his seventh delivery, from Stuart Broad, for a flowing four through extra cover, he looked increasingly frustrated by his side's lack of progress. He utilised the short boundary to flick Monty Panesar for 10 in two deliveries - a six followed by a four - over midwicket but, attempting to flick another ball onto the leg side a couple of deliveries later, was beaten by one that held its own and gifted a leading edge back to the bowler.

If the ball that accounted for Fulton was unimpressive - a thigh-high delivery heading down the leg side from Finn - the catch was exceptional. Matt Prior, leaping to his left, clung on to a superb one-handed chance that Fulton must have thought was heading to the boundary as he glanced it fine.

While McCullum and Dean Brownlie added 68 runs for the fifth wicket, England again thought they had struck back when McCullum was dismissed. With McCullum batting with a freedom that none of his top-order colleagues could match, England captain Alastair Cook turned to Trott as a last resort. The medium pacer responded with a teasing over that might have dismissed McCullum twice already before he was drawn into a drive at a wide ball that swung away gently, took the outside edge and was superbly caught by Prior standing up to the stumps.

England celebrated like men who knew they had caught a life line. But even then New Zealand were not finished. Tim Southee plundered 44 in 33 balls, pulling Stuart Broad for successive sixes and thrashed four fours - two drives, a cut and a pull - off Steven Finn as the bowler struggled with his length and the seventh-wicket partnership added 51 more runs.

Finn, who took the last four wickets in the space of 14 balls, finished with six wickets but would accept that he was somewhat flattered by his haul. Twice he benefitted from catches down the legside, with Watling falling in similar fashion to Fulton, and he also profited from the tailenders' attempts to thrash quick runs. It was Finn's first five-wicket haul in Test cricket since the first Ashes Test in Brisbane in November 2010 and his first in first-class cricket since a Division Two County Championship match against Kent in August 2011.

While New Zealand's total of 443 was more than respectable, it was not, perhaps, the daunting score that had looked possible when they reached stumps on the first day on 250 for 1.

But England's hopes of overhauling the total suffered an early blow when Cook, attempting a nudge to fine leg, became the third man on the day to be caught down the legside and Trott, falling to the off side and attempting to play a straight ball from the impressive Trent Boult through square leg, fell leg before. To compound the error, Trott squandered a DRS referral more in hope than expectation. Compton and Bell saw England to stumps without further loss, but a great deal more will be required from them on the third day if England are to leave New Zealand with a Test series victory.

India scrap to lead despite Lyon five

2013-03-23T22:40:00.000+05:00

India 266 for 8 (Vijay 58, Pujara 52, Lyon 5-94) lead Australia 262 (Siddle 51, Ashwin 5-57) by 4 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Loosened up, aggressive, focused and familiar enough with the conditions, Australia are ready to give India a fright at home. The only trouble for the tourists is that the strongest demonstration of their readiness for the task has arrived with the Test series in its death throes. The captain, Michael Clarke, has already flown home.

Defending a middling 262 on a Delhi pitch that was always less than trustworthy, the stand-in leader Shane Watson marshalled his men handily as India slipped to 266 for 8 by the close. He benefited from a fine display by Nathan Lyon, who spun the ball sharply and landed it with greater consistency than he had managed all series. Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson also contributed useful spells, while in the field the tourists were generally alert and often combative.

Fired initially by the refusal of a very adjacent lbw appeal by Lyon against Sachin Tendulkar, the Australians became decidedly feisty during MS Dhoni's evening stay. Having earlier given Virat Kohli a send-off from the team huddle, David Warner took exception when Dhoni ran down the middle of the pitch while taking a run, moving the umpires to ask Watson to calm his opening batsman down.

All this had the hollow ring of a team fighting back well after the final bell had been rung, but there was consolation to be had for Lyon and Watson, both having endured particularly difficult tours. Certainly the decision to leave Lyon out of the Hyderabad match now appears to be the single most baffling piece of selection for the tour. Australia's least effective portfolio was the over rate, which slinked along at little more than 12 overs an hour.

India stuttered mainly because their batsmen did not go on from starts for the first time all series. Cheteshwar Pujara, M Vijay, Tendulkar, Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja all made starts but none went any further than 58, which was the sort of problem much more familiar to Australia over the preceding three Tests.

haul in Tests and his first against India. His previous two five-fors came against Sri Lanka (on debut) and West Indies.

Lyon's bowling performance is the joint-sixth best by a visiting spinner in Delhi and the third-best by an Australian spinner at the venue after Ashley Mallett and Richie Benaud.

The 108-run stand between M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara is the fifth century partnership of the series for India, It is also the second century stand between the two batsmen after the 370 they added in Hyderabad.

Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed leg before for the 61st time in Tests. Graham Gooch is a distant second on the list of batsmen with most lbw dismissals (50).

Pragyan Ojha became the 18th Indian bowler to pass the 100-wicket mark in Tests. Among the five left-arm spinners who have 100-plus wickets, Ojha has the best strike rate but the third-best average.

R Ashwin's 5 for 57 is his ninth five-wicket haul in just 16 Tests. It is also his second-best bowling performance against Australia after the 7 for 103 in Chennai earlier in the series.

-->

Australia had commenced with the unfortunate news that Maxwell was still at the team hotel due to stomach trouble, but harboured hopes of stretching the total beyond 300. Siddle's half-century was a just reward for his defiance, but he was not to venture much further, playing inside the line to R Ashwin and losing off stump. Pattinson was last out, a thin edge granting Pragyan Ojha his 100th wicket in Tests.

The Australians had their fourth different new ball pairing of the series, Johnson and Pattinson charging in at the hosts, and after a few promising early deliveries Watson was witness to the familiar sight of Indian batsmen collecting facile runs. Pujara was beaten between bat and pad by one Pattinson delivery that pranced back at him while disturbing the surface, but his response to the next ball, a serene back foot drive, typified the confidence with which the openers played.

If Johnson's off cutter appeared likely to be the cause of some discomfort on the dry, turning pitch, his early use of it was characterised by runs given up via the gloves of Matthew Wade rather than any wickets. It was somewhat surprising that Lyon's entry was delayed until 19 overs had been bowled, more so when he immediately had the ball turning and bouncing while finding his best rhythm of the tour.

The century stand arrived soon after Lyon's introduction, via the unedifying sight of Johnson throwing airily beyond Wade for four overthrows. Having fended off several off breaks that spun back dangerously, Pujara played for turn to a ball tossed up with more over spin and had his off stump tilted back. Lyon went around the wicket to Kohli and celebrated raucously when he pinned the batsman in front with a ball very similar to that with which he could easily have also dismissed Tendulkar.

On resumption after tea Siddle gave up 10 runs to suggest India might zip clear, but he made amends with a swift bouncer that surprised Vijay and resulted in a simple chance to Wade off the glove. Ajinkya Rahane's first Test innings was nervy and brief, ending with a Lyon off break gloved straight to leg slip, and Dhoni had barely begun his customary counterattack when Tendulkar was again pinned in front by Lyon, and this time given out.

Dhoni's stay did not extend far beyond his exchange with Warner, a half-hearted pull shot picking out Watson at a square midwicket, and Jadeja failed to offer a shot to a delivery that appeared bound to flick off stump. It had been bowled by Maxwell, recovered from his bout of gastro.

India inched ahead, but Watson remained eager for wickets. Following a brief rest, Watson swung Lyon around to the other end for the final over, and he completed the day's Australian rehabilitation by pinning Ashwin for his deserved fifth. If only it wasn't the fourth Test.

Pakistan chase rare series win in SA

2013-03-23T22:37:00.000+05:00

Sunday could well be Benoni's biggest day since Charlize Theron won the Oscar. International cricket seldom reaches Johannesburg's East Rand and when it does, it is unlikely to be this meaningful. For both South Africa and Pakistan, its Benoni or bust in their last outing before the Champions Trophy and they will have a sell-out crowd to do that in front of.

The series has got steadily more competitive as it has progressed, so the 8,500-odd people can expect a fiery affair especially because there is more than just a trophy on the line for both teams. Reputation tends to mean more than silverware in bilateral ODI series anyway.

For South Africa, it is a chance to give their home fans a format to cheer them in that is not Test cricket and to prove to them they have developed as a limited-overs unit. After winning all five longest form fixtures, South Africa's Twenty20 and ODI squads did not follow suit. They are in transition but even a phase of change cannot go on without some reward.

Sporadically, South Africa have had it. They blew Pakistan away in Bloemfontein and defended stoically at the Wanderers. But consistently, they have not. When forced into situations from which they have to respond unconventionally, they struggle - an indication that the evolution into a complete unit is still, as Gary Kirsten would put it, in process.

For Pakistan, the picture may not be that big. They are more likely to be focused on the immediate goal of leaving this tour with enough to be able to call it a success. Misbah-ul-Haq indicated at the very beginning that he expected the Test phase to be difficult but the limited-overs contests to be the area in which Pakistan could push South Africa and even topple them over.

So far, they have. They've exposed the hosts' obvious weaknesses and demonstrated some of their own major strengths. They will want one more big effort to underline those and there would be no better place to that than in the decider.

Form guide (Most recent first)

South Africa: LWLWW

Pakistan: WLWLL

In the Spotlight:

Instead of one player, it will be South Africa's collective mental strength under scrutiny as they find themselves in a must-win situation. Understandably, it is not a major tournament knockout game and it may have absolutely no bearing on one, but is still a test of character more than it is one of skill and if South Africa have lacked in either department, it is the first. The team will have to take responsibility as a whole and watching how they work together in trying to win the series will be more important than any individual brilliance.

Similarly, Pakistan's big match temperament will be challenged. Twice, they have needed to come back in the rubber and twice they have. Both times, they've got the bit between their teeth early. If that happens again, they are likely to run away with it. If it doesn't, they will have to be up to clambering their way out of trouble. Shahid Afridi showed how to do it at the Wanderers but it may take more than one firework to light up the contest.

Team news:

Graeme Smith's ankle injury means that Quinton de Kock will appear for the first time in the series in the position he prefers. Morne Morkel has been declared fit to play and could come in place of Dale Steyn if Steyn's shoulder is still acting up after he hurt it in the field.

South Africa: (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (capt, wk), 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Ryan McLaren 8 Robin Peterson 9 Dale Steyn/Morne Morkel, 10 Rory Kleinveldt, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Imran Farhat's successful recall means Nasir Jamshed will miss out again. The only batting place up for debate is Younis Khan's. Pakistan may look to bring in Asad Shafiq in place of the underperforming Younis. If Umar Gul is available, he may replace Wahab Riaz but the rest of the bowing will remain unchanged.

Pakistan: (probable) 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Kamran Akmal (wkt), 4 Younis Khan/Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Saeed Ajmal 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Mohammed Irfan

Pitch and conditions:

Known to be as lifeless as the town around it can sometimes seem, the Benoni pitch will not be expected to do anything too special. It should be sluggish, a few will keep low and it will be hard work for batsmen and bowlers alike. A typical late summer's day with warm temperatures is forecast but there is a chance of an afternoon thundershower.

Stats and Trivia:

* Victory for Pakistan would give them their first win in a bilateral series over South Africa

* Willowmoore Park is best known for two things: it was the first ground in the country to have floodlights and it was the venue of Dennis Compton's 300 in a first-class match in 1948-49

Quotes:

"It's two great teams and it was bound to happen that the results would go up and down like a rollercoaster."

David Miller is not surprised that the series is deadlocked going into the final match

"Whenever you come to different conditions, you struggle and not sure when you're starting a series, what you can do in these sorts of surfaces, but after winning two games and levelling the series 2-2 and after seeing different players perform, we are a bit sure and you grow your confidence."

Misbah-ul-Haq

Afghans sign up to Pakistan support

2013-03-23T07:54:00.000+05:00

Afghanistan have received a boost after a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the development of Afghanistan cricket ahead of the 2015 World Cup.

The PCB will provide technical and professional support, including game-education programmes, coaching courses, skill and performance analysis, and basic umpiring and curator courses. High performance camps for emerging players will also be organised. The PCB-regulated National Cricket Academy (NCA) will help in improving technical, tactical, mental and physical skills, and will host lectures on doping, anti-corruption and various codes of conduct. The finance for the project will be decided later, with the NCA-related activities likely to be subsidised.

The Sharjah Cricket Stadium has served as Afghanistan's base since 2010, after they were forced to shift out of their country due to lack of infrastructure. But Pakistan's cricketing history, expertise and the opportunities for exposure to regular competitive cricket will polish their cricketers more than in the UAE, and this has brought ACB to accept Pakistan's helping hand.

"The PCB has always supported and helped the ACB with regards to cricket development there since the 1990s," PCB chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad, said. "With the PCB's continued support, Afghanistan has the potential to go places. This would be good not just in terms of spreading the game in Afghanistan but promoting peace and harmony there by bringing the people closer."

Afghanistan became a member of the ICC in 2001 and qualified for World Cricket League (WCL) Division One in 2009 to attain one-day international status. They recently made their third trip to Pakistan in the last two years, having lost a one-day series 3-0 to a second-string Pakistan side in May 2011. They followed this up by participating in a domestic Twenty20 competition in Karachi.

Noor Muhammad, ACB CEO, acknowledged PCB's support. "The MoU that we have just signed shall take Afghanistan's cricket development on a fast track," he said. "Our cricketers, coaches and umpires shall be able to make use of PCB's excellent facilities and various education programmes. Our boys will get the opportunity to hone their skills in high-calibre competitions.

"I am indeed obliged to the PCB for this kind and voluminous support," Noor said. "Actually it is Pakistan's support that has seen Afghanistan cricket make rapid strides among affiliate nations, taking it to the verge of an enhanced status to associate member."

DK,s Decent WORLD

Team Rankings - Test

Cricket Shedule March, April 2013

March 2013

England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2012/13

England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh in Sri Lanka T20I Match, 2012/13

April 2013

Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013

Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013

Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013

Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13

Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013

Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013

Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Cricket Shedule March, April 2013

March 2013

England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2012/13

England in New Zealand Test Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh in Sri Lanka T20I Match, 2012/13

April 2013

Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013

Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013

Bangladesh Women in India T20I Series, 2013

Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13

Australia Under-19s in New Zealand Youth ODI Series, 2012/13

Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013

Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013

Bangladesh Women in India ODI Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series, 2013

Australia tough out another spin test

Five Firsts: Yasir Arafat - A big wicket first up

NZ edge ahead after bowlers' day

India scrap to lead despite Lyon five

Pakistan chase rare series win in SA

Afghans sign up to Pakistan support