Pakistan recalls Shoaib Malik for Zimbabwe tour

Pakistan have recalled former captain and all-rounder Shoaib Malik to the squad for next month's tour of Zimbabwe, the PCB said on Sunday.Shoaib's inclusion comes after a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) integrity committee cleared him of any wrong doing last week after an investigation into his finances."Malik still has lots of cricket left in him and it is good to see him available to play for Pakistan again," head coach Waqar Younis told Reuters. Shoaib, 29, who has played 32 tests and 192 one-day internationals has not represented his country since a nine wicket loss in the second test against England in Birmingham a year ago.He captained Pakistan from 2007 to early 2009 before he was sacked after a home series loss to Sri LankaPakistan will play one Test, three One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches against Zimbabwe.

Read More

Shakib leads Bangladesh to face-saving win

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan led from the front with a fighting innings of 79 before picking up two wickets as Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by 93 runs to win the fifth and final ODI at Queens Sports Club on Sunday.


It was Bangladesh's second successive win, but Zimbabwe still claimed the series 3-2 to add to their victory in the one-off Test between the two nations.After being put in to bat, Bangladesh made 253 for six in their 50 overs before Zimbabwe, who lost captain Brendan Taylor for a duck in the second over, were skittled out for 160 with more than 11 overs to spare.Bangladesh had been 125 for five at one stage before Shakib, whose 79 came off 71 balls and featured five boundaries and a six, put on 109 for the sixth wicket with Mahmudullah who made 60.It was Shakib's 21st one-day century.Mahmudullah was undefeated at the end of the 50 overs with his runs coming off 67 deliveries with five boundaries and a six to match his captain in the big hitting.Mahmudullah went on to claim three wickets with his off-breaks for just 13 runs.Flamboyant opener Tamim Iqbal also confirmed his return to form with 45 but Mohammad Ashraful, brought back into the side, made only 15 while Imrul Kayes concluded a dismal tour with nine.The innings ended in worrying circumstances when Zimbabwe seamer Keegan Meth took a full blooded drive on the jaw when half-way down the wicket after bowling a high full toss.X-rays showed no fracture though he lost two teeth and another was chipped and his injury prevented him from batting.In Zimbabwe's reply, Taylor was caught behind for a duck off the first ball of the second over. It was his fourth failure after smashing a century in the first match.Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza dug deep and they put on 57 for the second wicket.But when they went, and the experienced Tatenda Taibu was lbw to Shakib, Zimbabwe were 73-4 and the game was effectively up.Malcolm Waller, after surviving a missed catch, went on to make a steady 51 off 78 balls, his second career ODI half century.But Elton Chigumbura, on whom so much rested, was caught for one and the Zimbabwe tail collapsed.Zimbabwe will face a tougher test next month when Pakistan arrive for one Test, three ODIs and two Twenty20s.

Read More

Ken Barrington inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Former England Test player Ken Barrington Former England batsman Ken Barrington was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in front of a large and appreciative international crowd during the tea interval of the fourth and final Test between England and India and The Oval, London today.The late Barrington's commemorative cap was received by two of his former England and Surrey team-mates John Edrich and Micky Stewart from ICC Director and the England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Giles Clarke for his induction into the Hall of Fame*, a joint initiative between the ICC and the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA).Barrington was born in 1930 and is regarded as one of England's most stylish batsmen, in addition to being an occasional and useful legbreak bowler. He passed away on 14 March 1981 Born in Reading, Barrington played for Surrey throughout his career as well as representing England 82 times in Test matches accumulating an average of 58.67, scoring 20 Test centuries in the process.Barrington amassed 6806 Test runs and in English Test batting circles his career Test average is only surpassed by Eddie Paynter and another ICC Cricket Hall of Famer, Herbert Sutcliffe.Barrington's 256 in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in 1964 is the highest post-World War II century for England against Australia and he twice made centuries in four successive Tests. He was the first England batsman to make a hundred on all six of England's then traditional Test grounds – Old Trafford, Edgbaston, Headingley, Lord's, Trent Bridge and his home ground of The Oval The statistics paint a clear picture of just how good Barrington was in his day. Between 1953 and 1968 he scored 31,714 first-class runs at an average of 45.63 with 76 centuries. He had an untimely heart-attack at 37 and was forced into early retirement from the game to then take over later in life as England assistant team manager. Barrington passed away in 1981 whilst on tour with the England team in Barbados.Edrich said: "It is a great honour to be receiving Ken's cap on his behalf. He was a fantastic team-mate and a great man and is thoroughly deserving of this award and recognition he is receiving today from the ICC and FICA."Stewart added: "It is a great pleasure and honour to receive this cap on behalf of Ken, one of England's greatest batsmen and my mate for 30 years."*ICC Cricket Hall of Fame – inductees as of 19 August 2011 (64):

Sydney Barnes, Ken Barrington, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Joel Garner, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Clarrie Grimmett, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O'Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Herbert Sutcliffe, Fred Trueman, Victor Trumper, Derek Underwood, Courtney Walsh, Steve Waugh, Wasim Akram, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.

Four new inductees will be announced in September ahead of the LG ICC Awards 2011.

Read More

Rambaldo leads Netherlands to European success

Helmien Rambaldo led the Netherlands to their first European Women's Championship, making an unbeaten 106 as her side achieved a comprehensive 94-run victory over Scotland in the final game of the tournament.It was Rambaldo's first international century, and it enabled the Dutch to reach a daunting 246 for three. Dropped at slip off Kathryn White before she had scored, she proceeded to bat throughout the innings, and faced a total of 132 deliveries, hitting five boundaries She was given great support by Carolien Salomons, who shared in a second-wicket partnership of 151 and contributed a solid 100-ball 71 before she was run out by a direct hit from point by Leigh Kasperek, who threw down the stumps at the non-striker's end as the Dutch batsmen attempted a quick single.A further run-out, this time by Samantha Haggo removed Esther Lanser, but then Carlijn de Groot helped Rambaldo add another 50 in the closing overs, the Dutch skipper reaching her century shortly before the end of the innings. White was the most economical of the Scottish attack, conceding 23 from her eight overs.The Dutch had set a target which always seemed likely to be beyond the Scottish batsmen, although Catherine Smaill and Fiona Urquhart gave them their best start of the week with an opening stand of 34.But then Lanser removed both openers, and although Kari Anderson and Kasperek added 75 for the third wicket, accurate Dutch bowling and defensive fields ensured that it took them 23 overs to do so. That meant that the Scots were steadily falling behind the required run rate.It was Evelien Gerrits, brought into the side for this final game, who broke the stalemate by bowling Anderson for a 72-ball 36, and when she added the scalp of the dangerous White in her next over it was the start of a rapid Scottish decline.Haggo batted positively but too briefly for 13, and then Kasperek, on 40, was a little unfortunate to see the ball roll into her stumps from a full-length delivery from Esther de Lange. Both wickets had fallen on 140, and there had been no addition to the score when Charlotte Bascombe fell to Laura Brouwers.113 for two had become 140 for seven, and worse was to follow for Scotland: Sahar Aslam was run out attempting an ambitious third run off a no ball  the Scots' tenth run-out in four matches – and almost immediately Priyanaz Chatterji became the eleventh.Abbi Aitken and Lorna Jack added eight for the last wicket, but then Jolet Hartenhof bowled the latter to finish the match and start the Dutch celebrations at their second European title of the week. Lanser finished with two for 28 from ten overs, and Gerrits with two for 24 from nine.Brief scores from today's matches:

Kampong CC: Netherlands 246-3, 50 overs (H Rambaldo 106*, C Salomons 71)

Scotland 152, 48.5 overs (L Kasparek 40, K Anderson 36) Netherlands won by 94 runs ICC European Women's Championship table

Read More

Despite Dravid brilliance, England on brink of whitewash

Rahul Dravid scored his 35th ton in the first innings

England finally saw off Rahul Dravid as they closed in on a 4-0 series rout of India at The Oval here on Sunday.

Dravid batted for more than seven hours in the fourth Test before England finally found a way to break 'The Wall'.

But India, following-on, were 129 for three at the close of the fourth day, still 162 runs behind England's first innings 591 for six declared built upon Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175.

Sachin Tendulkar, bidding for an unprecedented 100th international century, was 35 not out and nightwatchman Amit Mishra eight not out.

England though needed just seven more wickets on Monday's final day to complete a 4-0 clean sweep for the first time since a home whitewash of the West Indies in 2004.

India resumed Sunday in the desperate position of 103 for five.

Dravid was 57 not out and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni five not out.

But Dhoni, who never looked settled, was out for 17 when he pushed tentatively at a James Anderson outswinger and was caught behind.

Dravid, responsible for all three India centuries this series, sped through the 90s with three fours in four balls from off-spinner Graeme Swann, a sweep and a late cut preceding his elegant advance down the pitch to create a half-volley he clipped through mid-wicket A late cut two off Tim Bresnan then saw Dravid to his hundred.

Dravid's century was the second time this series he'd made a hundred while opening in the absence of regular opener Gautam Gambhir.

He had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord's.

Dravid's 35th Test century took him in front of hero Sunil Gavaskar's mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia's Ricky Ponting (39).

India started the second session on 218 for six, with Dravid 109 not out and Mishra, who'd driven Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, 38 not out.

However, Mishra added just five more runs before he was brilliantly caught by a diving Bell at an unusually positioned short backward square leg off a pull against Bresnan.

The new ball did for Gambhir, who'd suffered concussion while fielding on Friday, when he fended at Stuart Broad and was caught by Pietersen at gully.

Bresnan struck twice in three balls as India were bowled out for 300 -- the first time they'd made the score this series.

Dravid had contributed nearly 50 percent thanks to a masterful 146 not out in 266 balls with 20 fours.

He was only the third Indian after Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag to carry his bat in a Test innings but India were still 92 adrift of avoiding the follow-on.

The selfless Dravid kept his pads on but his resistance ended controversially when, on 13, he turned Swann to Alastair Cook at short leg.

Umpire Rod Tucker said not out but England asked for a review and Tucker's fellow Australian Steve Davis gave Dravid out, although replays indicated the ball may have gone to Cook straight off the pad.

The India great, in what could be his last Test in England, walked off to a standing ovation from a capacity 23,500 crowd.

Sehwag made a typically dashing 33 before he was bowled between bat and pad by Swann -- a classic off-spinner's dismissal.

And England had one more wicket before stumps when VVS Laxman, who has had a wretched series, was bowled for 24 by a superb Anderson delivery that angled in and uprooted his off-stump.

Read More

Cook vaults into third position after career-best knock

Alastair Cook slammed 294 in the third Test

Opener Alastair Cook has vaulted into a career-best third position in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after a man of the match performance in the Edgbaston Test which turned out to be the cornerstone of England's victory by an innings and 242 runs over India in the third Test which finished on Saturday.

Cook, who has been nominated for the Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year awards at the LG ICC Awards 2011, has claimed third position after rocketing eight places following a masterly 294 that came after 772 minutes of occupancy of the crease during which he received 545 balls off which 33 were converted into fours.

Cook took a jump of eight places after he was awarded 92 ratings points for a mammoth knock which not only gave him a career-best rating to date of 836 but has also put him just two ratings points behind Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara who currently occupies second position.

If Cook displays the same form he showed at Edgbaston in the fourth and last Test of the series, then he is all set to finish the series in second position. The 26-year-old left-hander had entered the series in fifth position but had slipped to 11th place after failures in the Lord's and Trent Bridge Tests in which he scored 12, 1, 2 and 5.

Cook is not the only England batsman who has moved in the right direction. Kevin Pietersen has gained two places and is now in 13th position after a score of 63, captain Andrew Strauss has earned one position and is now in 34th spot after a knock of 87 and Eoin Morgan has climbed 12 places to 52nd position after scoring his second Test century.

The news is not as encouraging for India's batsmen who, except for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, have slipped in the latest rankings which were released on Sunday morning.

Dhoni has moved up four places and is now in 36th position after scores of 77 and 74 not out while Sachin Tendulkar is in fourth position (down by one place), VVS Laxman in 12th (down by three places), Rahul Dravid in 14th (down by three places), Virender Sehwag in 17th (down by seven places) and Gautam Gambhir in 30th (down by three places).

Tim Bresnan is the biggest mover in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers. The 26-year-old from Yorkshire has broken into the top 20 for the first time in his career after he jumped nine places to claim 16th position following figures of 4-62 and 1-19.

Stuart Broad, who had match figures of 6-81, has also moved up two places to fifth position where he has been joined by team-mate Graeme Swann who has slipped one place after managing only two wickets in the Test which was dominated by the fast bowlers and Cook.

James Anderson has strengthened his second position after he broke into the 800-point mark for the first time in his career after figures of 2-69 and 4-85.

The 29-year-old Lancastrian earned 13 ratings points for his Edgbaston efforts which means he now trails number-one ranked Dale Steyn of South Africa by 96 ratings points and leads third-ranked Morne Morkel by 52 ratings points.

Broad and Bresnan have also achieved career-best rankings in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders which are led by South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

Broad has swapped places with Daniel Vettori while Bresnan has jumped four places to ninth position after he backed up his bowling figures of 5-81 with a breezy knock of 53 not out. His batting performance also earned him a career best ranking of 65th in the batting rankings. .

The Reliance ICC Player Rankings will now be updated after the fourth and last Test between England and India which starts at The Oval from Thursday.

Read More

India follow-on despite Dravid ton

 LONDON: Rahul Dravid's third century of the series could not prevent India following-on in the fourth and final Test at The Oval here on Sunday as England went in search of a whitewash.

Dravid carried his bat for a superb 146 not out in an India first innings total of 300 -- the first time this series the tourists had reached the benchmark score.

But that still left them 92 shy of avoiding the follow-on.

Although not an opener by preference, Dravid kept his pads on to be seven not out at tea on the fourth day.

The dashing Virender Sehwag, who'd previously managed just eight runs in eight balls this series, including a king pair in the third Test at Edgbaston, was 16 not out.

India still needed a further 266 runs to make England bat again after the hosts made 591 for six declared in a first innings featuring Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175.

India started the second session on 218 for six, with Dravid 109 not out and Amit Mishra, who'd driven off-spinner Graeme Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, 38 not out.

However, Mishra added just five more runs before he was brilliantly caught by a diving Bell at an unusually positioned short backward square leg off a pull shot against a looping Tim Bresnan delivery.

Dravid thrashed part-time spinner Pietersen for four and it was no surprise England took the new ball as soon as they could, with India 253 for seven off 80 overs.

It led to a breakthrough when left-hander Gautam Gambhir, normally an opener but batting down the order after suffering concussion while fielding on Friday, fended at Stuart Broad and was caught in the gully by Pietersen.

RP Singh thrashed his way to 25 featuring five fours before he was well-held by third slip James Anderson off Bresnan to leave India 300 for nine.

And two balls later India were all out when Shanthakumaran Sreesanth exited for nought when he drove at Bresnan, who took three for 54, and was caught at short extra-cover by Eoin Morgan.

Dravid -- the only India batsman to score a century this series -- was undefeated after six hours and 19 minutes at the crease, having faced 266 balls with 20 fours.

He was only the third Indian after Sunil Gavaskar and Sehwag to carry his bat in a Test innings.

Dravid's hundred was the second time this series he made a century while opening in the absence of Gambhir.

He had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord's.

Dravid's 35th Test century took him one in front of childhood hero Gavaskar's mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind India team-mate Sachin Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia's Ricky Ponting (39).

Read More

Dravid’s fighting ton keeps England at bay

 LONDON: Rahul Dravid's third century of the series kept England at bay as the hosts went in search of a 4-0 whitewash at The Oval.

India were 218 for six in reply to England's first innings 591 for six declared, still a deficit of 373 runs and 174 shy of avoiding the follow-on, at lunch on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test here on Sunday.

But at least Dravid, renowned for his concentration, was at the crease on 109 not out.

And this innings he at last found found a useful ally in Amit Mishra (38 not out), who drove off-spinner Graeme Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, in a seventh-wicket stand so far worth 81.

Dravid's hundred was all the more impressive as for the second time this series Dravid had made a hundred while opening, a position, he says he does not like, in the absence of Gautam Gambhir.

Left-hander Gambhir had been unable to bat in his usual position after suffering concussion while falling in a failed attempt to catch Kevin Pietersen on Friday.

Dravid, remarkably the only century-maker in a powerful India batting line-up this series, had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord's.

His 35th Test century took him one in front of childhood hero and India great Sunil Gavaskar's mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind team-mate Sachin Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia's Ricky Ponting (39).

Dravid's one moment of concern Sunday came when he was nearly run-out on 61 by Pietersen after a mix-up with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

India resumed in the desperate position of 103 for five after a top-order collapse against James Anderson and Swann.

Dravid wad 57 not out and Dhoni five not out.

Dhoni, who never looked settled, was out for 17 when he pushed tentatively at an Anderson outswinger and was caught behind to leave India 137 for six.

Dravid sped through the 90s with three fours in four Swann balls, a sweep and a late cut preceding his elegant advance down the pitch to create a half-volley he clipped through mid-wicket.

A late cut two off Tim Bresnan took Dravid to a 168-ball century in three-and-three-quarter hours with 15 fours.

Read More

Bell hits double ton as England pile on runs against India

 LONDON: Ian Bell completed a maiden Test double century as England continued to pile on the runs against India in the series finale at The Oval here on Saturday.

Bell's 235 was the cornerstone of England's 591 for six at lunch on the third day of the fourth Test.

England, already 3-0 up and looking to complete a whitewash in this four-match series, lost three wickets in the session but that did them little damage, with the rain that fell at lunch more of a concern.

Ravi Bopara, in for the injured Jonathan Trott, was 44 not out after managing just seven in England's innings and 242-run win at Edgbaston last week that saw then replace India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table.

Matt Prior was unbeaten on 18.

Three India bowlers have conceded more than 100 runs each, with leg-spinner Amit Mishra (none for 170 off 38 overs) the most expensive.

England resumed on their overnight score of 457 for three.

Bell was 181 not out after sharing an England record stand against India of 350 with Kevin Pietersen (175).

James Anderson, bizarrely sent in as a nightwatchman, was three not out.

Bell played one of the best shots of his innings early Saturday when he on-drove paceman Ishant Sharma down the ground in classic fashion.

Anderson added a few boundaries too before he was caught by second slip Venkatsai Laxman off seamer Shanthakumaran Sreessanth for 13.

Sreesanth struck again when he had Eoin Morgan, caught behind by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

But England were still well-placed at 487 for five.

Bell, whose previous Test-best was 199 against South Africa at Lord's in 2008, went to his double century with a glanced four down to fine leg off Sreesanth.

But the 29-year-old Warwickshire's fifth Test century of the year came to an end when he was lbw to spinner Suresh Raina after missing a sweep.

That set the seal on a sublime innings of nearly eight-and-a-half hours where Bell faced 364 balls with 23 fours and two straight sixes off successive balls from Mishra.

It also meant Bell had become the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year, with 950 runs at an average of 118.75 and, emphasising England's recent success, led team-mates Alastair Cook (927) and Pietersen (731) at the top of that table.

Read More

Waqar Younis resigns as national team coach

 LAHORE: Waqar Younis has resigned as the coach of the Pakistan cricket team, Geo News reported. During a news conference, Younis said Pakistan's upcoming tour of Zimbabwe would be his last as coach and that the Pakistan Cricket Board had accepted his resignation.

Citing medical reasons as the main factor behind his decision to resign, Younis said he did not have any differences with anyone.

Younis was appointed coach on March 3, 2010. He was Pakistan's coach during the controversial tour of England during which cricketers Mohammed Aamir, Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif were found to be involved in spot-fixing.

Read More

Bell, Pietersen plunder tons against India

 Updated at: 2340 PST,  Friday, August 19, 2011
 LONDON: Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen both scored hundreds to leave England in a position of utter dominance against India on the second day of the fourth and final Test at The Oval here on Friday.

England were 457 for three at stumps, with Bell 181 not out after Pietersen fell for 175.

It left England, whose run-fest delighted the bulk of a 23,500 capacity crowd, well-placed to complete a 4-0 series whitewash after replacing India as the world's best Test side with a crushing innings and 242 run victory at Edgbaston last week.

Bell and Pietersen put on exactly 350, surpassing England's previous best partnership against India, also for the third wicket, of 308 shared by Graham Gooch, the team's current batting coach, and Allan Lamb at Lord's in 1990.

It was also England's seventh largest stand for any wicket in all Tests.

But the pair were eventually separated when Pietersen, dropped on 102, fell to a fine return chance by part-time spinner Suresh Raina.

Pietersen's nearly four hour innings featured 27 fours.

England, with the score on 447 for three, then bizarrely sent in nightwatchman James Anderson, three not out at stumps.

Bell had batted for nearly seven hours, striking two sixes and 17 fours.

Both Bell and Pietersen scored their second century of the series Friday, with Bell having made 159 in a 319-run second Test win at Trent Bridge and Pietersen 202 not out in a 196-run first Test victory at Lord's.

Bell's hundred was his fifth in 11 Test innings and 16th in all.

Pietersen's 19th Test century took him level with team-mates Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook and left him just three shy of the England record of 22 shared by Walter Hammond, Colin Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott.

With Bell batting in classic fashion and Pietersen's innings featuring several unorthodox shots, the pair made the most of ideal, sunny batting conditions on a typically good Oval pitch.

India's attack were unable to sustain the improvement that saw openers Cook and England captain Strauss dismissed in Friday's morning session.

Ishant Sharma needed just five balls to make it 75 for one when he had Cook caught at first slip by Virender Sehwag off a good length ball as England failed to add to their overnight score following a first day where rain meant there was no play after lunch.

Cook, who made a career-best 294 at Edgbaston, was out for 34.

Strauss managed just two runs in an hour Friday against disciplined bowling before, chasing a wide half-volley from seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, he was caught behind by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 40.

But England really took a toll of India's attack after lunch.

Bell started a sequence of four boundaries in five balls with the aid of a rare misfield by Sachin Tendulkar at deep square leg.

He later struck two cover-driven fours off successive balls, the second on the up, from seamer Sreesanth -- who embarrassingly tried to verbally intimidate Pietersen.

And in what is now a trademark stroke, Bell then late cut Rudra Pratap Singh, a replacement for injured medium-pacer Praveen Kumar -- one of India's few successes this tour.

India took the new ball but it made no difference and Pietersen, 98 not out at tea, went to his hundred off the first ball after the break when he pulled a Sharma long-hop for four

But next ball, trying to repeat the stroke, he got a top-edge only for Gautam Gambhir, running back at mid-on, to drop the two-handed chance.

It was tough on Sharma, who had decent figures of one for 81 in 27 overs at the close.

Bell straight-drove two sixes in as many balls from Amit Mishra and the leg-spinner's 29 wicketless overs thus far had cost 129 runs.

Read More

Bell, Pietersen leave England well placed against India

Updated at: 2250 PST,  Friday, August 19, 2011  LONDON: Ian Bell's purple patch continued with an unbeaten century against India that left England well placed on 296 for two at tea on the second day of the fourth and final Test at The Oval here on Friday. Bell was 114 not out and Kevin Pietersen not far off his 19th Test century on 98 not out. England's third-wicket pair had so far added 199 following a session where the hosts did not lose a wicket. It was just what England, who replaced India as the world's top Test side after their innings-and-242-run victory at Edgbaston last week, wanted as they pursued a 4-0 series whitewash. India had produced a much improved bowling performance to remove England openers Alastair Cook and skipper Andrew Strauss before lunch and leave the home side on 126 for two, with Bell 29 not out and Pietersen unbeaten on 18. But in near ideal batting conditions, the England duo upped the run-rate. Pietersen was the initial aggressor hitting two fours in an over then, Bell started a sequence of four boundaries in five balls. Bell completed his fifth century in 11 Test innings this year and 16th in all when he forced part-time spinner Suresh Raina off the back foot for his 12th four in 181 balls. India took the new ball in the last over before tea but it made no difference. Earlier, Ishant Sharma needed just five balls to reduce England to 75 for one when he had Cook caught at first slip by Virender Sehwag off a good length ball as the hosts failed to add to their overnight score following a first day where rain meant there was no play after lunch. Cook, who made a career-best 294 at Edgbaston, was out for 34. Strauss, Cook's fellow left-hander, struggled as India's bowlers performed with much greater discipline than on Thursday. But it was in chasing a wide-half volley from Sreesanth that he was caught behind by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 40.

Read More