Pakistan, Sri Lanka revive one-day rivalry

DUBAI : Pakistan and Sri Lanka open their rivalrly in limited overs cricket as the five-match one-day series which begins here from Friday promises fierce competition from two talented sides.Pakistan won the preceding three-Test series 1-0, but their captain Misbah-ul Haq feared a strong comeback from the Sri Lankans, who are number two in the world to their opponent's sixth in ICC (International Cricket Council) rankings.Sri Lanka also finished runners-up to India in this year's World Cup, where Pakistan were the losing semi-finalists.Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the group stages of the 2011 World Cup and that's why Misbah feels both teams will start on an even keel.Sri Lanka are a very good one-day side, so we know we face good competition but we are focused and I believe it's a 50-50 game because if they reached the final of the World Cup, we were semi-finalists," said Misbah. The 37-year-old Misbah was appointed captain for all three formats of the game in June this year after Shahid Afridi retired in protest over being sacked as one-day captain.Afridi, who with 21 dismissals was the joint-leading wicket taker in the World Cup with India's Zaheer Khan, returns to the squad after reversing his retirement decision earlier this month.Misbah hoped Afridi's return will boost Pakistan."Afridi is a very good allrounder and whenever he plays he is a threat for the opponents," said Misbah of Afridi who holds the record of the fastest one-day hundred, made off 37 balls against Sri Lanka in 1997.But the 31-year allrounder will be under pressure to perform in both batting and bowling after a poor one-day series against the West Indies in May, following which he fell out with then coach Waqar Younis.Sri Lanka will also be boosted by the return of their sling-action paceman Lasith Malinga who earlier this year retired from Test cricket, but still poses big threats in limited over matches with his lethal yorkers.Lasith gives us good bowling support at the top and that is why we have a decent one-day team and had a good one-day series against Australia at home two months ago," said Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan.But Dilshan has no series wins as captain, both in Tests and one-day, since taking over from Kumar Sangakkara in May this year.The 35-year-old opener still believes his team carry some positives from the Test series.We can carry the positives from the Tests, our bowling is really experienced with Lasith and Dilhara (Fernando), both have played well and our batting is strong, so we have a good chance," said Dilshan.he remaining matches will be played in Dubai (November 14 and 18), Sharjah (November 20) and Abu Dhabi (November 23). The sides will also play a Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi on November 25

Read More

India beat West Indies in first Test

NEW DELHI : India posted a five-wicket victory over the West Indies on the fourth day of the opening Test in New Delhi on Wednesday to gain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Sachin Tendulkar (76) and Venkatsai Laxman (61 not out) scored half-centuries as India comfortably achieved the 276-run target to win the match with a day to spare.The second Test starts at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 14 West Indies 304 and 180; India 209 and 279-5.

Read More

Second-ranked South Africa under pressure from India and Australia

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal and Misbah-ul-Haq achieve career-best rankings; Jacques Kallis just three points ahead of Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in batting tableChance for Steyn to become the 20th bowler ever to break the 900-point mark thresholdSouth Africa finds itself in a must-win situation in the much-awaited two-Test series against Australia, starting in Cape Town on Wednesday, if it wants to retain its number-two position in the Reliance ICC Test Championship table.South Africa trails top-ranked England by seven ratings points but leads third-ranked India, which is presently involved in a three-Test series against the West Indies, by just one rating point. Australia is sitting on 104 ratings points, five ahead of Sri Lanka whose lead against Pakistan was trimmed to just one ratings point after it lost the three-Test 1-0.The tight situation right at the top of the table means South Africa's failure to win the series against Australia will mean it will slip in the Championship table.A 1-0 series loss will leave South Africa on 112 ratings points while in case of a 2-0 series defeat the Proteas will join Australia on 110 ratings points but will be ranked above Michael Clarke's side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.Graeme Smith's side, in contrast, can reduce the gap with England to just three ratings points if it wins both the Tests. South Africa's victory by a 1-0 margin will ensure it stay ahead of India irrespective of how India's series against the West Indies pans out.The maximum India can rise from its series against the West Indies is to 119 ratings points which it can only achieve if it wins all the three Tests. A 2-0 series win will put it on 118 ratings points while a 1-0 or 2-1 series win will keep it on 117 ratings points.To find out exactly how South Africa-Australia and India-West Indies series will affect the Championship table, please click here. The Test Championship table, unlike the ODI Championship table, is updated only after the end of the series.Meanwhile, in the Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings, which were updated on Tuesday morning after the conclusion of the Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka , Pakistan's spin magician Saeed Ajmal and captain Misbah-ul-Haq have achived career-best rankings while Kumar Sangakkara is now breathing down Jacques Kallis' neck.Saeed, who took 7-182 in the third Test, has climbed six places to occupy 10th position on the bowlers' chart. Saeed, who won the player of the series award, had started the series in 23rd position and has gained 13 places after managing 18 wickets in the series.Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul and Sri Lanka's fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara have also headed in the right direction. Umar, who had figures of 3-76 and 2-44, has returned to the top 20 in 17th position after climbing four places while Welegedara has been rewarded for his six wickets in the match with a rise of five places which has put him in 41st position.In the batting table, Kallis will have to perform in the Cape Town Test otherwise Sangakkara will claim the number-one position. The Sri Lanka left-hander, who shared the man of the series award with Saeed, earned 26 ratings points for his scores of 144 and 51 in Sharjah which has left him just three ratings points behind the elegant South Africa batsman.Misbah has become his country's highest-ranked batsman. His scores of 89 and nine not out have helped him jump four places and puts him one position ahead of Younus Khan in 13th spot.Apart from Kallis, South Africa boasts AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith inside the top 20 while Australia has only Mike Hussey sitting inside the top 20 in sixth position.Batsmen aiming for upward movements include Clarke (22nd), Shane Watson (26th), Ashwell Prince (31st), Ricky Ponting (32nd), Brad Haddin (38th), Mark Boucher (45th), Phil Hughes (50th), JP Duminy (92nd) and Usman Khawaja (111th).Dale Styen of South Africa leads the bowling table by a distance. He is 88 ratings points ahead of England's Graeme Swann but has the incentive of becoming only the 20th bowler in the history of the game to break the 900-point mark barrier. If he manages to gain the required one rating point, then he will become only the second South Africa bowler after Shaun Pollock to achieve the rare distinction.Steyn's team-mate Morne Morkel is in fourth position but trails third-ranked James Anderson of England by just four ratings points while Mitchell Johnson is Australia's highest-ranked bowler in ninth position and Peter Siddle is in 14th spot

Read More

Afridi leaves for Dubai to join ODI series

DUBAI : Recalled Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi on Tuesday departed for Dubai to join One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka.While talking to media at Karachi airport, Afridi showed confidence to hit his turbulent past six months for a big six, saying he wants to perform for the country and his fans.The 31-year-old all-rounder was recalled in Pakistan squad for the five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka, starting in Dubai with the first game on Friday. Both teams will also play a Twenty20 international in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan won the three-Test series 1-0 on Monday.The popular hard-hitting batsman, who holds the world record of scoring the fastest one-day century -- off 37 balls made against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1997 said he is set to put aside all his problems.I think its all about cricket, its time to play and I don't want to involve myself in any other thing other than cricket, said Afridi.

Read More

Ashwin, Tendulkar boost India victory hopes

NEW DELHI : Debutant Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed six wickets and Sachin Tendulkar completed 15,000 Test runs to boost India's hopes of winning the opening Test against the West Indies on Tuesday.Tendulkar was unbeaten on 33 as India reached 152-2 in their second innings at stumps on the third day after being set a challenging 276-run target to win the match on a low, slow pitch.India now need 124 more runs to win the match with eight wickets in hand.Tendulkar, needing just one more century to score an unprecedented 100 international hundreds, completed 15,000 runs during his unbeaten 87-ball knock when he took a single off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.The master batsman, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, looked at the sky and raised his bat before being congratulated by team-mate Rahul Dravid (30 not out) and the West Indies players.The West Indies were bowled out for 180 in their second innings, with off-spinner Ashwin bagging 6-47.Ashwin, who took 3-81 in the first innings, finished the match with 9-128, the second-best match haul by an Indian debutant after leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani's 16-136 against the West Indies at Chennai in 1988.India got off to a brisk start as Virender Sehwag (55) and Gautam Gambhir (22) added 51 runs in 9.5 overs for the opening wicket before both were dismissed in the last session when looking well set.Gambhir fell leg-before to part-time off-spinner Marlon Samuels, but Sehwag continued to dominate the West Indies attack with aggressive shots before playing seamer Darren Sammy's delivery on to his stumps.Sehwag, dropped on 12 when paceman Ravi Rampaul failed to hold on to a return catch, hit two sixes and five fours in his run-a-ball knock.The West Indies were earlier reeling at 84-7 before managing to set a challenging target as they added 96 runs for their last three wickets, thanks to veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) and skipper Sammy (42).Chanderpaul, who cracked an impressive century in the first innings, and Sammy both counter-attacked to add 40 useful runs for the eighth wicket before falling to Ashwin in the space of six overs.Chanderpaul was trapped leg-before after hitting seven fours in his 58-ball knock while Sammy was bowled off a delivery that kept low.Sammy played some attractive shots during his 37-ball knock, once smashing fast bowler Ishant Sharma for a straight six.The Indian bowlers called the shots in the morning session when they captured five wickets for 88 runs after the West Indies had resumed at 21-2, with Ashwin and debutant seamer Umesh Yadav (2-36) doing the maximum damage.Ashwin trapped Darren Bravo leg-before for 12 runs and then bowled Samuels for no score in the same over.Sharma was the first to strike when he had nightwatchman Fidel Edwards (one) caught behind before Yadav dismissed Kirk Edwards (33) and wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh (seven).The tourists had gained a 95-run lead when they bowled India out for 209 in their first innings on Monday after posting 304

Read More

India's Tendulkar hits 15,000th Test run

NEW DELHI : Sachin Tendulkar of India on Tuesday became the first batsman in history to score 15,000 Test runs even as he moved towards his 100th international century.Tendulkar, 38, achieved the feat when he reached 28 on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi.Tendulkar was unbeaten on 33 and Rahul Dravid was on 30 as India, set a victory target of 276, reached 152-2 by stumps.The Mumbai batsman, playing his 182nd Test match, already holds the world record for most runs and centuries in both Test and one-day cricket.Tendulkar needs one more three-figure knock to become the first batsman to score 100 international hundreds. He has 51 Test and 48 one-day centuries so far.

Read More