India need to sweat the small stuff

India needs an enquiry into the defeat, not an inquisition, and it is not a difficult enquiry to conduct. Many journalists and former cricketers have done it already, and while some are admittedly more thoughtful than others, certain truths have emerged.

However, the basis of a successful enquiry is intent and subsequent action; and Indian cricket has traditionally been good at neither. Action assumes accountability, and that is a dreadful word for many.

I have often said that you become what you choose to become. Should there be a BCCI enquiry, it must begin with a fundamental question: what do we seek to be? If the idea is to be a profitable entity, the BCCI already is. If, however, the idea is to be the best cricket team in the world, then you must have the people and the structure that can take you there. Otherwise India will flirt with No. 1 but never own that position.

Traditionally Indian cricket has placed skill on a pedestal and attitude by the wayside. That seems to me to be the subcontinental way of doing things - even Bangladesh exhibit it. And so our part of the world tends to throw up people who can do some brilliant things but don't care too much about doing the smaller, more routine things. We are a batting country, then maybe a bowling country, and hardly, if ever, a fielding or fitness-driven one. You see, the newspapers and television channels don't report on fielding and fitness, and in any case those two aren't switches that can be flicked on for results. Attitude then becomes an individual pursuit not an institutional trait. A Dravid or a Tendulkar or a Kumble are products of individual values, and so they are willing to do the small things that allow them to become great.

In England, the team who did the small things better won. When you spend time on the small things, you are actually practising excellence. At key moments in the series India were a bowler or a batsman short, not because a truck had knocked them over but because they weren't fit. And it didn't matter to those selecting them that the players weren't fit. Both at Lord's and in Nottingham, India had the opportunity to win but didn't have a bowler when it mattered. Zaheer Khan shouldn't have been on the tour; his shape was a testament to that. Neither should Virender Sehwag or RP Singh have been on it.

The new England make some things non-negotiable, as the old Australia and the old West Indies did. Fitness is one of those. As an Indian player told me, fitness isn't about being able to get onto the park but about coming back after tea to bowl a solid six-over spell. To do that you must be strong and in rhythm, and to be strong and in rhythm you have to have trained and played.

In days gone by, English cricket sent players burdened by county workload to play Test matches. Predictably they didn't last, they weren't strong enough. But when Stuart Broad was bowling poorly against Sri Lanka he was sent off to play a four-day game for Nottinghamshire and told he had to bowl a lot and bowl a certain way. Instead of bowling short, as he was doing, he had to pitch it up and swing it. Knowledge alone wasn't enough, he had to bowl enough balls, which he did for his county. By the time he came to Lord's he was ready with a change in style. England could do that because they manage his workload. When Chris Tremlett had a niggle, he was left out, because England didn't want to be down to three bowlers. Somebody was taking tough decisions.

Indeed, England's renaissance is built around identifying a problem and doing what it takes to rectify it. They had fitness issues; now they have a state-of-the-art academy at Loughborough that monitors cricketers and requires them to submit themselves to tests at regular intervals. They have a fast-bowling coach with the power to summon bowlers from the pavilion if they aren't warming up before the start of play. And they chose not to pick their best spin-bowling allrounder, Samit Patel, because he disregarded instructions and wasn't fit enough. These messages travel.

India can do it too but not in the cozy democracy that exists today. If India's cricket establishment asks itself hard questions, and accepts the answers, India's climb back to the top could be quicker and their stay there more permanent. 

Exclusive Article By Saad Mahmood (Cricket Laffandar)

Contact: rated_billy@live.com

England hunt whitewash, India need pride

Match Facts

August 18-22, The Oval
Start time 11.00 (1000GMT)

The Big Picture

England celebrated reaching No. 1 in the world with a good night in Birmingham on Sunday but it was soon back to the day job and, four days later, they already face the first test of their new status. The 'dead rubber syndrome' is always a risk when a team has scaled such heights to secure a major goal and Andrew Strauss will be desperate that nothing takes the gloss off the achievements of the last month.

In truth it will take a lot to remove the after-glow of three commanding performances, but this England team are never satisfied. They'll see this final Test at The Oval as a chance to lay down another marker with a show of hunger and desire. Even the great Australian sides under Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh had issues with keeping intensity high when a series was decided. England benefited with a number of one-off Test victories and won't want to offer India a similar opportunity.

It's difficult to see India bouncing back to save face over the next five days. They have been so far off the pace that this is a series they'll want to consign to history as quickly as possible. That, though, will be easier said than done with the fall-out well under way back at home and serious questions being asked of the team. Some of those questions are more sensible than others, but a number of players will be heading back with damaged reputations.

The much-vaunted batting line-up have one more chance to live up to their billing having not reached 300 in the series. The wait goes on for Sachin Tendulkar's 100th hundred, while Gautam Gambhir has disappointed and VVS Laxman hasn't made the most of some decent form. Then there's the challenge of taking 20 wickets. The pace bowlers have all had their moments but, collectively, have not been able to sustain pressure on England.

Praveen Kumar has been a tireless workhorse and Ishant Sharma has kept running in, but they have suffered from not having an economical spinner to tie up an end. If Oval history is anything to go by they could be in for more hard toil.

Form guide

(Most recent first)

England WWWDD
India LLLDD

Watch out for...

It's been a mark of how dominant England's quick bowlers have been that Graeme Swann has been able to get away with his least productive Test series. He bowled nicely at Lord's but conditions haven't been in his favour and he struggled after being hit on the left hand at Trent Bridge, and it would complete the series perfectly if he could play a key role here. It would also quieten talk that he has a weakness against batsmen who attack him - like Mike Hussey did during the Ashes - and with a winter of cricket in the Middle East and subcontinent England will want their premier spinner at the top of his game again.

Sachin Tendulkar has been given a standing ovation every time he has walked to the crease and on most occasions when he's walked back. The problem has been that on none of those occasions as he had a hundred to his name. Even taking into account Tendulkar's lack of match practice before this series - not so much preparation time as he spent hours training at Lord's - and the strength of England's attack a top-score of 56 is still a major surprise. Credit for that goes mainly to the bowlers, especially James Anderson and Stuart Broad, but as India crumbled in the second innings at Edgbaston Tendulkar eased to 40 before being run-out backing up. The series needs a Tendulkar special.

Team news

With Jonathan Trott and Chris Tremlett again ruled out the only question mark surrounds James Anderson's fitness. He came through a net session on Wednesday and the talk was positive from the England camp. Steven Finn and Graham Onions remain on standby should he be ruled out. Ravi Bopara, meanwhile, keeps his spot at No. 6 but pressure is growing on him to secure a place on the winter tour.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson

Praveen Kumar took a nasty blow on the thumb at Edgbaston and India were unsure about his fitness during training on Wednesday although he bowled a lengthy spell. RP Singh, who impressed on the 2007 tour, could come into the line-up, and he might play even if Praveen is fit with Sreesanth under pressure. A twin-spin attack including Pragyan Ojha is an outside chance, but Ojha could also pressure Amit Mishra. Meanwhile, Suresh Raina has been sorted out by the England bowlers but may retain his place ahead of Virat Kohli.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 MS Dhoni (c) (wk), 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Praveen Kumar/RP Singh, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Sreesanth

Pitch and conditions

A typical Oval pitch is expected (not the crumbling-type surface produced for the 2009 Ashes) which should mean a chance for the batsmen to dominate, something only England's have done so far in this series. There is a chance of some rain on Thursday but the weather is due to clear up after that until a chance of showers later in the weekend.

Stats and trivia

• Sachin Tendulkar is in danger of enduring one of the worst series in his career. Currently, his average of 26.50 is his fourth lowest in series of three or more Tests.
• Even if England win this Test and take the series 4-0 they will lose their No. 1 ranking if South Africa win all their five Tests against Australia and Sri Lanka before Christmas
• Tim Bresnan is aiming to make it 10 Test victories from 10 matches played

For a full stats preview click here

Quotes

"We're desperate to finish the summer on a high. The work ethic over the last couple of days has been good and encouraging and I'd be very disappointed if we took our foot off the gas."
Andrew Strauss knows that it's hard work that has brought England this far, and will push his team to end the Test series on a triumphant note

"We will stick to our game plan and hopefully it'll reflect in our performance. This is a sport, we go through tough times. It's challenges that make life interesting."
MS Dhoni remains typically philosophical ahead of the final match of what has been a very challenging tour for India
 
Exclusive  Match Stats by Saad Mahmood Ali (Cricket Laffandar)

Malik, Kaneria meet PCB integrity committee again

Shoaib Malik's and Danish Kaneria's long drawn-out battle to gain clearance from the PCB continued on Monday when they appeared before its integrity committee again. A spokesman for the PCB said the decision on whether the two players - who last played for Pakistan during the England tour last year - can play for the national team is still pending.

"Both Malik and Kaneria appeared before the committee but the committee has taken no decision," Nadeem Sawrar, a PCB spokesman, told AFP.

Malik, Kaneria and Kamran Akmal appeared before the integrity committee in January before the selection of Pakistan's World Cup squad, and while Kamran was included Kaneria and Malik were not cleared for selection.

Kaneria was questioned by police in England last year, in relation to an investigation believed to centre around a Pro40 Essex win against Durham and spot-betting on wides and no-balls during the match, but was not charged. He has since produced a letter from his former county Essex clearing him of wrongdoing, but the PCB was not satisfied with it, and Kaneria has taken the PCB to court over his non-clearance.

Malik, meanwhile, received a boost when he was named as a reserve player in Pakistan's squad for their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, but Mohsin Khan, the chief selector, said it was subject to his clearance from the board. Malik has reportedly not been able to satisfy the integrity committee about the legitimacy of a sum of money in his bank account. He, however, said he has given the committee all the information needed.

"I have given to the committee whatever I was asked to submit and it's up to them to clear me," Malik said. "If I am included in the team, then I am sure I will give a good performance as I believe I have a lot to offer to Pakistan cricket." 

Shoaib Malik says he has given the integrity committee all it asked for © AFP

Series on the line for struggling Sri Lanka

Match facts

August 16, Hambantota
Start time 14:30 (9:00 GMT, 19:00 EST)

Big Picture

The series is less than a week old, but it will be decided by Tuesday night if Australia continue their winning form after comfortably taking the first two matches. The eight-wicket victory in Hambantota on Sunday was almost a carbon copy of the opening win in Pallekele: Sri Lanka won the toss and batted poorly, failing to see out their overs, and then couldn't build any pressure on Australia in the chase. They must find their batting mojo if they are to keep the series alive heading in to the Colombo, where the final two matches will be played.

Sri Lanka's problem has been finding the right tempo. In the opening game, they went too hard and in the second match they were too cautious. Perhaps it will be third time lucky. Kumar Sangakkara looked solid in making a half-century on Sunday but he needs support from the three other key members of the top order: the openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga, and the No. 4 Mahela Jayawardene. Maybe when Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga and company have a decent target to defend they can impart some pressure on Australia's batsmen.

For the visitors, all has gone swimmingly, apart from Brad Haddin's struggle for form at the top of the order. Wickets have come from Doug Bollinger, Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee, and the spinners have done their job of keeping things tight. Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have all been in the runs, and overall the side has been much more switched on than Sri Lanka. The question is, how will they fare if Sri Lanka find their spark?

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLWLL
Australia WWWWW

In the spotlight

A couple of former captains, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara, have already posted half-centuries in this series, but Sri Lanka need some runs from another ex-skipper. Mahela Jayawardene hasn't looked at his best in the first two games, flashing at a wide ball from Mitchell Johnson and edging behind in the first, and top-edged a sweep in the second. But he is a class act, and it was only a few months ago that he scored a century in a World Cup final. A strong innings from Jayawardene would go a long way to getting Sri Lanka back into the series.

Everything has gone right for Michael Clarke so far in this series. In fact, ever since he took over the captaincy full time. He's led Australia to five wins from five games and his leadership in the field has been confident and well thought-out. The initial signs are positive for the post-Ponting era. Most importantly, he has been scoring runs and now has a pair of half-centuries in Sri Lanka to add to his 101 in Bangladesh in his first match in charge. As a steady presence in the middle order, he'll be an important player throughout the rest of the tour.

Team news

Suraj Randiv made way for Rangana Herath in the second match, but Herath had no impact with the ball and could be back on the sidelines for the third game. The batting is Sri Lanka's major concern, so they need to decide whether to stick with the existing line-up or bring in Chamara Silva, perhaps at the expense of Dinesh Chandimal or Jeevan Mendis.

Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Dinesh Chandimal / Chamara Silva, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Lasith Malinga.

Australia's line-up has worked well in the first two matches, and there is no reason to make any changes while the series remains alive. Steven Smith hasn't batted and has barely been required to bowl, but the Australians like his versatility and the energy he brings in the field, so he is expected retain his position.

Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 David Hussey, 7 Steven Smith, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pitch and conditions

The Hambantota pitch was slow and low, and didn't have much grass on it, and was described by Clarke as a good wicket for batting. The players will be hoping the wind has died down by Tuesday, after Sunday's match was played in extremely breezy conditions.

Stats and trivia

• Mahela Jayawardene will become the seventh man to play 350 one-day internationals
• Australia have now won 23 of the 29 ODIs they have played under Michael Clarke's captaincy
• So far in the series, Sri Lanka have lost 20 wickets, while Australia have lost five

Quotes

"We have to work on the batting ... work hard, come back strong."
Tillakaratne Dilshan knows exactly where Sri Lanka's problem lies.

"There's still a long way to go but these first two games have been very impressive both with the ball and with the bat."
Michael Clarke has been pleased with how Australia have started the series.

Australia's one-day record under Michael Clarke is very strong © Associated Press

 Exclusive Match facts by Saad Mahmood

Cook's epic sets up victory push

As in Brisbane nine months ago this was a day for the record books with Alastair Cook to the fore. However, the landmark of a triple hundred eluded him when he fell for 294 as England built up a monumental lead of 486 at Edgbaston. Cook and Eoin Morgan, who made his second Test hundred, added 222 for the fourth wicket on another day of complete England dominance before they were given the perfect finish by removing Virender Sehwag for a king pair.

Most of the day became filled with various milestones for Cook and by tea he was in the top 10 of all-time scores for England, within touching distance of joining his mentor, Graham Gooch, in the 300-club. But, trying to drive through the off side - a rare show of aggression during a display of remorseless accumulation - he picked out deep point and, instead, joined another select band of those who reached the 290s.

That list includes Sehwag - who, of course, also has triple hundreds - but in this match he hasn't been able to score a single run. Cook's dismissal prompted the declaration and Sehwag was back in the pavilion to the second ball of the innings when he played a booming drive at James Anderson which flew to first slip. England could also have removed Gautam Gambhir before the close when Graeme Swann had an lbw turned down that was hitting middle and leg. Swann will have a big say on Saturday.

Sehwag clearly wasn't ready for this Test, physically or mentally, but even for someone so renowned for shelving the coaching manual his shot-selection didn't given him much of a chance. Cook's method of batting could not be more removed from Sehwag. He has expanded his game in recent months, but in Test cricket still enjoys playing at his own pace. Cook scored seven boundaries during the day and cheers that greeted his later fours may have included a hint of irony about them. Yet even those who wished for something a touch more flamboyant can't help but marvel at Cook's powers of concentration and remorselessness. There was an era when England cried out for batsmen who could score huge totals and now they have a top-order full of them, with Cook leading the way.

        Before lunch he registered his double hundred from 378 balls and soon moved past his previous best of 235 at Brisbane in November. And the milestones kept on coming. When he went to 247 it gave him the second-highest score by an England batsman against India, with only Gooch ahead of him with 333, and Cook's 250 - which came from 485 balls - was the first such score for England since that 1990 epic by Gooch.

Alongside Cook's personal landmarks it was also a day for England to set some high points with the final total their third-highest and their best in non-timeless Tests. England's progress wasn't always scintillating but they were content to grind India down with two days still available. The innings was also halted twice for poor light, the first occasion when the floodlights couldn't be turned on due to a power failure at the ground.


As they had yesterday, England wanted to wear down the bowlers for later acceleration and that came as Tim Bresnan played some shots during a crisp half-century in a 97-run stand alongside Cook. It was a slightly improved display from the Indians as there were a few more dives in the outfield while bowlers put in some hard yards.

The main partnership, and the one that built on the previous day's gains, was between Cook and Morgan. With a deep-set field more akin to the middle overs of a one-day game it was a perfect situation for Morgan to help himself to a Test hundred. He had to be watchful against Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma, but was given plenty of spin to milk around.

His century arrived from 188 balls and he was soon using his feet to loft Suresh Raina down the ground. Morgan, though, hadn't wasted the two lives he was given on the second day and following two scores in the 70s this season it will have settled any debate about his position in the line-up for the foreseeable future. If he'd stayed in the middle England's rate would have increased, but attempting an inside-out drive he picked out Sehwag at cover - fortunately, given the standard of India's catching, he didn't have to move far to hold on.

It meant Ravi Bopara, on his return to Test cricket, came in at 596 for 4 with little to gain and, almost inevitably having watched the 69-over stand that preceded him, he didn't manage a long stay. He opened his account with a back-cut to third man but was trapped lbw by Amit Mishra when a delivery straightened and would have hit middle. It was due recognition for Mishra who had bowled with more verve and found considerable turn, although that was probably of more interest to Swann.

Mishra claimed his third success when Matt Prior top-edged a sweep that was well caught by Sachin Tendulkar who made good ground running from deep square leg. Wickets, though, were irrelevant; it was just a matter of Cook's progress and how many England wanted to lead by.

Bresnan provided useful impetus just as things were threatening to stall and his stay included a mighty six over midwicket off Ishant. Cook would have dearly wanted those six runs for himself, but it was about the only thing that didn't quite go to script. India have a huge challenge to even take this match to the final day.

Taylor ton puts hosts in charge

Tea Zimbabwe 291 for 5 dec (Taylor 105*, Ervine 35*) & 370 lead Bangladesh 287 by 374 runs

Zimbabwe batted themselves into a commanding position after two sessions of patient, hard work, and declared at tea. The fifth-wicket pair of Brendan Taylor and Tatenda Taibu negotiated a morning session that was, at times, barren before Taylor and Craig Ervine upped the ante against a Bangladesh attack determined to slow the game down in an effort to minimise the damage.

On the whole, the Bangladesh bowlers lacked penetration and presented almost no threat to the batsmen. Although Rubel Hossain started off generating good pace and the spinners worked to squeeze Zimbabwe with attacking field settings, they were unable to make any breakthroughs in the first session. The new ball also didn't provide Bangladesh with a tool to attack and it was in fact Zimbabwe's batsmen who were the more aggressive once it was introduced. Once again, Bangladesh simply allowed far too many scoring shots and have ended up leaving themselves a massive task with the bat.

Hossain looked dangerous when he started the day's play, especially when he was able to bowl full and move the ball in. After five overs without creating the early breakthrough Bangladesh needed though, Shakib al Hasan took him off, replacing him with Abdur Razzak. With spin from both ends, Tatenda Taibu was allowed to become the architect of Zimbabwe's strike rotation.

His confidence against spin and footwork that would make a ballerina proud, helped Taibu boss the Bangladesh bowlers and score all around the wicket, sweeping and driving with equal distinction. He brought up a feisty half-century with a typical jig down the track and single to mid off. Taylor, whose feet have never been quite as good as Taibu's, played a watchful knock from the other side, maintaining the cautious approach he had employed in the first innings.

With the left-arm spinners losing motivation, runs came easily for the Zimbabwe batsmen who threaded the ball through the gaps and ran well between the wickets, in addition to punishing anything wayward that came their way. Shakib bowled a particularly poor line later in his ten-over spell, veering too much on the leg side, and after conceding five boundaries in three overs took himself off and brought Mahmudullah on.

Together with Razzak, he squeezed the batsmen who managed to score just nine runs in the ten overs before lunch. Taylor and Taibu could have succumbed to frustration in that period but played a strong defensive game to take Zimbabwe into the break in a commanding position.

The second session started in a similarly cautious fashion, with Bangladesh ambling to their fielding positions and moving around the park slowly, trying to kill off any momentum in the match. They bowled just 12 overs in the first hour after lunch, compared to the 17.3 they managed in the first hour of the morning session.

Shafiul Islam was used for the first time in the day and bowled a line wide of off stump, while varying his lengths. Taylor picked him well and reached his fifty off Shafiul, after working him to long leg. Five slow overs were completed before Taibu decided it was time to accelerate and in his first attempt at taking Shafiul on, with a smashing drive, was caught at deep extra cover. Taibu perished in the cause but Taylor and Craig Ervine were able to grow the lead, as they upped the run-rate and took the fight to the bowlers.

They took three overs to get their eye in and then Taylor drove Shafiul through midwicket to take the lead past 300. Ervine had the freedom to play his shots and exacted a magnificent pull off Mahmudullah over midwicket and a sublime drive through the covers. The pair took on the fielders, putting pressure on them as they ran quickly and with self assurance.

Taylor came into his own as the session drew to a close, with a few classic drives. He reached his century with a sweep to backward square leg. As soon as it was hit, his arms were in the air and the group of fans who were chanting "one more, one more" for the two balls he faced on 99, applauded their captain's efforts with delight. 

Top order puts Zimbabwe in command

Zimbabwe's top four ensured that their return to Test cricket was impressive as they achieved a balance between aggression and caution. Hamilton Masakadza scored a fluent, unbeaten 88 after debutant Tino Mawoyo and Vusi Sibanda had put on a century first-wicket stand and laid a solid base for the rest to build on.


Bangladesh's bowlers were inconsistent throughout the day, struggled with their lines and lengths and gave the batsmen the luxury of choosing which deliveries to leave and which to play. As a unit, they posed little threat to the batsmen, with the seam bowlers and the left-arm spinners failing to be penetrative and losing motivation as a result.


Mawoyo had a few nerves at the start, which were exposed when he was almost run out in a moment of impulsion; but he settled soon after and showed remarkable poise and patience in his innings. His first runs came with a classy upper cut and a pair of delicious drives. Sibanda took a little longer to settle in but once he did, and was able to put his drive on display, he was almost unstoppable. The Zimbabwe openers were helped by the fact that Bangladesh's seamers failed to exploit the movement on offer early on.


Shafiul Islam bowled with discipline up front and maintained a challenging length but his new-ball partner Robiul Islam was often too short. The only wicket-taker of the innings, Rubel Hossain, got some movement but was unable to use it to claim any scalps, his two strikes coming from wayward shots rather than attacking bowling.


Bangladesh turned to spin in the 13th over with Shakib bringing himself on and getting a surprising amount of turn. Zimbabwe were wary of the threat of left-arm spin and handled him with caution, being careful not to go forward too much. They smothered the spin of both Shakib and Abdur Razzak and in so doing crafted a base from which to push on. By the time lunch was approaching, they had offered the bowlers no chances and only a lapse in concentration caused Mawoyo to chase a short and wide ball. When he was caught at deep backward point, he ended a partnership that, in some ways, mirrored the century first-wicket stand of Kevin Arnott and Grant Flower in Zimbabwe's first Test in 1992, the main difference being that Arnott and Flower took much longer to reach the hundred mark.


Bangladesh showed more intent after lunch, with two edges off the bat of Sibanda going the way of second slip, one put down and the other not carrying. They bowled with a little more zip for the first half an hour but as the Zimbabwe batsman got comfortable the bowlers were demoralised. Sibanda's driving was moving into fifth gear and Masakadza's strong defence and positive attack presented a combination that was too formidable for Bangladesh. The visitors finally captured another wicket midway through the second session when Sibanda hung his bat out to a short ball and got an edge through to Mushfiqur Rahim.


Masakadza was unruffled, illustrating why he is regarded as one of Zimbabwe's most-improved players. His innings was defined by his drives but he pulled with confidence and also worked the ball well on the leg side. With the ultra-cautious Brendan Taylor at the other end, Masakadza had the freedom to play his shots, which he did not abuse.


In his first innings as captain, Taylor was watchful. He slipped up only once, when he slashed hard and was almost caught behind but for the most part he was sedate and happy to play a supporting role. He and Masakadza did a fine job of accumulating runs by taking singles, helped by the poor effort from Bangladesh in the field.

Zimbabwe 264 for 2 (Masakadza 88*, Taylor 40* Hossain 2-58) v Bangladesh
Although the point region was well covered, and when the ball was hit there it usually found the fielder, runs were leaked in almost every other part of the field. Misfields were commonplace and as the shadows got longer general disinterest seemed to creep in. Balls that should have been chased with more eagerness were merely ambled after and ones that could have been saved were allowed to go through.


Bangladesh took the second new ball as soon as it was on offer but with conditions not as favourable as they were in the morning, they could hardly hope to make use of it. Shafiul had a confident shout for lbw against Taylor in his first over with the new ball but it was given not out. Replays showed that it could have gone over the stumps or down leg. Robiul was again inaccurate and all but wasted the new cherry as the Bangladesh bowlers dragged themselves through the final minutes of play, perhaps weighed down by the many things they will have to work on before the second day.

I went from hero to zero - Afridi

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has claimed that he was not part of the selection meetings for the final two one-dayers against West Indies in May earlier this year, despite being captain. A series of sharp comments made to the Pakistani media over the past couple of days seems to dispel any possibility of a reconciliation - speculation about which increased following the death of his father last month - with the cricket establishment.

On his return from the Caribbean, Afridi hinted at differences with coach Waqar Younis that sparked off a controversy leading to Afridi's removal as limited-overs captain and a legal battle with the Pakistan board.

Waqar's tour report of that series confirmed Afridi had walked out of a meeting over differences relating to selection. Pakistan lost the final two ODIs and PCB chief Ijaz Butt defended the decision to remove Afridi saying he wasn't "captaincy material" in an interview last month.

"I did not take part in the selection meeting on the eve of the last two matches," Afridi told reporters in Karachi on Monday. "The team was selected by coach Waqar Younis and Intikhab Alam and I had no input in the selection of the playing eleven.

"Everybody knows through the manager's report that I wasn't involved in selection because I walked away from the meeting. The chairman's comments were really disappointing because the remarks he made don't suit his stature. I was a hero for them after the World Cup and suddenly I became zero."

Afridi said his dispute with the PCB, which ended when he agreed to plead guilty of misconduct and paid a fine of 4.5 million rupees in exchange for permission to play domestic Twenty20 cricket in England, affected the team's momentum. "I made many plans for the team," Afridi said. "Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez and myself were involved in devising many strategies but it was ruined because of what happened afterwards."

Afridi, who retired "conditionally" from international cricket after his removal as captain, said he would not go back on his decision as long as the present regime of the PCB remained in power. "I cannot play with people who conspired against me and worked against the team, they have their personal interests paramount to them and they are only damaging the team.

"I have always maintained that playing for Pakistan is my priority, I would always prefer representing my country over any offer from anywhere in the world," he said.

Injured Yuvraj and Harbhajan out of Test series

Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh have been ruled out of the rest of the England Test series following injuries sustained during the second Test at Trent Bridge. A board statement said they would be out of action for four and three weeks, respectively - the final Test starts on August 18. Virat Kohli and Pragyan Ojha have been called up as their respective replacements ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston.

Yuvraj fractured his left index finger on the fourth day at Trent Bridge while facing up to a bouncer from Tim Bresnan, and the injury is expected to take four weeks to heal. Bresnan banged in Yuvraj's eleventh delivery short of a length, and it climbed fast towards the batsman's neck but the ball hit him on the index finger of the left hand and Yuvraj threw the bat away immediately, wincing in pain. He continued batting, until he was dismissed by another disconcerting bouncer from Bresnan, and later went to a hospital in neighbouring Derby. Based on the scans a decision was taken to consult a specialist in London.

Harbhajan has a Grade I abdominal muscle strain, which limited his role as a bowler in the Test match to just 13.4 overs, increasing the workload on India's seam attack. He's also been in poor form, managing only two wickets in the first two Tests.

Ojha, who was set to join Surrey for the County Championship and the CB40 one-day competition, will now instead join the Indian side. Kohli was dropped from the Test side following patchy performances on his debut Test series in the West Indies, but Yuvraj's injury gives him a second opportunity.

Harbhajan's absence will allow Ojha to tussle with legspinner Amit Mishra, who was in the original squad, for the spinner's slot in Birmingham, unless India decide to play a four-seamer attack provided Zaheer Khan is fit. An all-pace attack, however, will be weighed against India's current problems with maintaining a proper over-rate.

The injury means that Harbhajan will have to wait until later in the year to play his 100th Test. He is currently on 98 and would have reached the landmark at The Oval, the venue of the final Test of the series.

India are also waiting to see what sort of fitness and form Virender Sehwag is in. He missed the first two Tests while recovering from shoulder surgery and, having landed in London on Wednesday, is expected to join the team in time for the tour game in Northamptonshire.

It is not yet clear whether Zaheer, who suffered a hamstring injury during the Lord's Test after bowling only 13.3 overs and missed Trent Bridge, will be fit to play at Edgbaston. Gautam Gambhir - another player who missed out at Trent Bridge following an injury picked up in the first Test - is also fit to play.

India play a two-day tour game against Northamptonshire on August 5 and 6, ahead of the third Test from August 10. India trail 0-2 in the four-match series.