Samaraweera, Chandimal rescue Sri Lanka

DURBAN : Thilan Samaraweera and new cap Dinesh Chandimal shared a century partnership as Sri Lanka made a strong recovery on the first day of the second Test match at Kingsmead on Monday.

Sri Lanka finished the day on 289 for seven, with Samaraweera (86 not out) and Chandimal (58) adding 111 for the sixth wicket after Marchant de Lange, South Africa's new fast bowler, had ripped out three of Sri Lanka's leading batsmen.

De Lange took another wicket in the last over of the day when he had Thisara Perera caught at short leg to finish with four for 60 in his first day in Test cricket.

De Lange, 21, who received a late call-up after Vernon Philander was ruled out by a knee injury, had Sri Lanka in trouble at 162 for five on a good batting pitch after dismissing Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews.

But De Lange's efforts on a hot, humid day were stymied by Samaraweera and Chandimal.

Samaraweera made a bright start but scored only 23 runs between lunch and tea as he settled into an anchor role. He made his 86 runs off 218 balls with ten fours.

Samaraweera was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Imran Tahir when he was on 50 but gained a reprieve when Tahir was no-balled. He also survived a stumping chance to Mark Boucher off Tahir when he had 63.

Chandimal, 22, justified the decision of the tour selectors to pick him as wicketkeeper ahead of Kaushal Silva because of his superior batting skills.

Strong on the cut, he was not afraid to go for his shots in an 86-ball innings which included seven fours.

Chandimal was also handed a reprieve when De Lange failed to pull down a leaping catch at mid-on off Tahir when he had 25.

But the second new ball was Chandimal's undoing as he flashed wildly at a short, lifting delivery from Morne Morkel to be caught behind by Boucher.

Veteran Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene became the ninth batsman and first Sri Lankan to reach 10,000 runs in Test cricket when he opened his scoring with a single. The 34-year-old made 31 before he was bowled by Morkel.

The tall, strongly-built De Lange had opening batsman Paranavitana caught behind by Boucher for 12 with his 12th ball in Test cricket. He followed up two balls into his next over when Sangakkara was caught behind for nought.

In mid-afternoon De Lange ended a promising fifth-wicket stand of 45 between Samaraweera and Mathews when he held a sharp, right-handed return catch to dismiss Mathews for 30.

Before Philander's injury, De Lange was due to be released to play for the Titans franchise in a domestic first-class match.

De Lange was brought into the attack after six overs and immediately impressed with his ability to generate pace and lift.

He drew Paranavitana into a drive against a full length delivery after sending down several short balls, then forced Sangakkara into a hurried jab against a fast ball just outside his off stump.

Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan backed up his decision to bat first on an even-paced pitch with some aggressive strokes at the start of the innings but was forced to become more circumspect after losing his first two partners.

He made 47 off 69 balls with six fours before hitting a full toss from Tahir to Morkel at fine leg.

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Bangladesh to meet Pakistan in Asia Cup opener

DHAKA : Bangladesh will meet Pakistan in the opening match of the four-nation Asia Cup cricket tournament starting in Dhaka in March, an official said Monday.

The Sher-e-Bangla National stadium will host all the matches, including the inaugural tie on March 12 and the final on March 22, Asian Cricket Council chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq said.

"All teams including India and Pakistan have confirmed their participation," he told AFP.

India won the last edition of the tournament in Dambulla in Sri Lanka in June 2010.

Asia Cup schedule:
March 12: Bangladesh v Pakistan
March 13: India v Sri Lanka
March 15: Pakistan v Sri Lanka
March 16: India v Bangladesh
March 18: India v Pakistan
March 20: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh
March 22: Final
March 23: Reserve day
(AFP)

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Australia fight back against India in first Test

MELBOURNE : Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and paceman Peter Siddle mounted a superb fightback to rescue Australia after Zaheer Khan fired up India with a fierce afternoon spell on the opening day of the first Test on Monday.

Paceman Zaheer took two wickets in successive balls before spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made it three for the addition of nine runs as Australia's middle order folded to leave the hosts reeling on 214-6 at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground.

But Haddin (21) and Siddle (34) rode their luck and survived a raft of appeals to add an unbeaten 63 for the seventh wicket, guiding the hosts to 277-6 at the end of the first day of the four-Test series.

Zaheer's fiery afternoon spell ignited the Indian attack after debutant Ed Cowan and captain Michael Clarke had threatened to get on top of the tourists, but it is just as
likely to re-open debate about the use of the decision review system (DRS).

Mike Hussey's dismissal, caught behind for a golden duck off Zaheer, left the number six furious and television replays appeared to show the ball missing his glove on the way through to India skipper MS Dhoni.

But with the tourists having thumbed down the use of the replay technology before the series, Hussey had no recourse to appeal against umpire Marais Erasmus's decision and trudged off cursing.

Erasmus later turned down a raft of appeals, one off Zaheer's bowling that appeared to trap Haddin plum in front in the final overs.

Amid the drama, Haddin and Siddle stood firm to frustrate the bowlers as shadows crept across the ground.

Resuming on 170-3 after the tea interval, Clarke and Cowan added a brisk 45 for the fourth wicket before Dhoni threw the ball back to Zaheer, who had struggled for rhythm in his first Test after a four-month injury layoff.

The 33-year-old found his line in devastating fashion in the 12th over after tea, beating Clarke with a sizzling rising delivery that faded away wide from off-stump, then having him chop onto his stumps for 31 with the next ball that cut back in.

Zaheer then fired a scintillating bouncer that had Hussey leaping at his crease before the ball thudded into Dhoni's gloves as Indian fans roared.

After a big appeal, umpire Erasmus raised his finger amid the din, leaving Hussey shaking his head in disbelief.

Haddin flicked a single off his pads to deny Zaheer a hat-trick and briefly quell the tumult, but spinner Ashwin kept the momentum rolling by dismissing Cowan for 68 three overs later.

Ashwin coaxed Cowan into playing a poorly timed cut-shot that served only to nick a feathered catch to Dhoni.

Australia, whose batsmen were called into a boot camp after suffering demoralising collapses in recent Tests against New Zealand and South Africa, had lost three wickets for nine runs.

After Clarke won the toss and opted to bat, Cowan displayed impressive composure on his Test debut as the 29-year-old posted his half-century and built a 113-run stand with former captain Ricky Ponting after lunch.

Replacing the axed Phillip Hughes as opener after enjoying career-best form in the domestic competition, Cowan and Ponting pushed Australia to 159 before tea to steady the ship after the hosts had wobbled to lunch on 68-2.

Desperate to score his first century in nearly two years, Ponting was out for 62, poking at a stinging Umesh Yadav delivery that bounced savagely and glanced the bat before giving VVS Laxman a simple catch in the slips.

Ponting's wicket was Yadav's third and just rewards after he repeatedly troubled the former captain with his pace and varying bounce on a green-tinged wicket that offered something for both batsmen and bowlers.

The 37-year-old Ponting survived a few false strokes and raised his half-century with an unsightly slog that pushed the ball square into a gap, prompting fans to give the
under-pressure batsman a standing ovation.

Cowan scratched out only 14 runs by lunch, but opened up after the break and lofted a short ball over gully for four, one of seven boundaries in his 177-ball innings.

Yadav earlier dismissed Shaun Marsh for a duck, the number three spooning a simple catch to Virat Kohli at gully, shortly before ending David Warner's innings after a quickfire 37.

Twenty20 specialist Warner blasted four boundaries and a six but was out first ball after a short rain delay in the morning when he miscued a hook shot to be caught behind by Dhoni. (Reuters)

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Yadav halts Australia's charge in first test

MELBOURNE : India paceman Umesh Yadav dismissed Shaun Marsh for a duck shortly after taking the wicket of belligerent opener David Warner to slow Australia's charge in the opening session of the first test in Melbourne on Monday.

With the green-tinged wicket offering swing and varying bounce in overcast conditions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 24-year-old hounded opener Ed Cowan and number four Ricky Ponting until rain brought up lunch early.

Cowan compiled a watchful 14 in his test debut, with former captain Ponting grafting 15 to push Australia to 68-2 at the break.

Michael Clarke won the toss and sent Australia in to bat but the decision almost backfired spectacularly when a jumpy Warner survived an inside edge off paceman Ishant Sharma that whistled over the bails and beat wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the way to the boundary.

Warner, a Twenty20 specialist who scored an unbeaten century against New Zealand in the second test, was soon on the front foot, however, blasting four boundaries and a six off the Indian pacemen.

Warner and Cowan attacked Yadav with abandon, plundering him for 16 runs in the 12th over, but the rookie paceman hit back two overs later when he tempted Warner into a rash hook shot that popped the ball up for an easy catch to captain Dhoni.

Yadav then had Marsh out for a six-ball duck in his next over, coaxing the number three forward with a fuller, wider delivery.

Marsh drove half-heartedly straight down the throat of Virat Kohli at gully, to leave Australia reeling at 46-2 and the large Indian contingent in the crowd roaring in the stands.

Ponting, battling poor form and needing runs to stay in the side, was immediately under pressure, and was softened up in his second ball off Yadav when he miscued a pull and had the ball crashing into the grill of his helmet.

The 37-year-old recovered, however, belting a defiant pull shot behind square for four off Zaheer Khan before he and Cowan watchfully saw out the remaining overs.

India named Khan and Ishant Sharma in the team after the pair brushed off injury concerns, with three-test offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin also selected.

Captain Dhoni had earlier welcomed being given the chance to bowl, saying he felt the wicket would likely hold reward for the attacking side. (Reuters)

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PCB invites Whatmore to coach team

KARACHI : Pakistan's cricket board Sunday said it has invited former World Cup winning Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore to finalise his appointment as head coach of the national team, an official said.

Pakistan cricket team is without a full time coach since former paceman Waqar Younis left the post in September citing health problems.

"We are in the process of finalising the appointment and in this regard are in discussions with Whatmore," Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed told local media on Sunday.

Whatmore is expected to reach Pakistan in second week of January, he added.

Former opening batsman Mohsin Khan has been serving as interim coach and was retained for Pakistan's series next month against England in the United Arab Emirates.

The 57-year-old Whatmore, who played for Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, is regarded as one of the most successful coaches in international cricket, having guided Sri Lanka to the World Cup title in 1996.

He subsequently enjoyed a successful coaching spell with Bangladesh and is currently in charge of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. (AFP)

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Pakistan confidence high ahead of England series: Mohsin

KARACHI : Test series wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have whetted Pakistan's appetite for success and they are capable of beating world number one Test side England next month, coach Mohsin Khan said.

However, interim coach Mohsin, who was retained after guiding his team to series victories over the sub-continent teams, said that England would pose a far bigger challenge for Pakistan.

"England is the number one Test team in the world and their recent performances have been outstanding," Mohsin told Reuters on Saturday.

"We are expecting a very tough contest and the good thing is our players are already talking about the series and its significance to Pakistan cricket."

"It is true that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are not as strong a challenge as England will be. But the good thing is that our team has developed a taste for success and every player is contributing in some way so we can win.".

Pakistan will play three Tests, four one-dayers and three Twenty20 matches against England in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, starting next month.

Mohsin, who was the chief selector until he was appointed coach last September, denied that the hosts will have any advantage from the low and slow pitches in the Gulf nation.

"England is a thorough professional side and has been stable under the guidance of (coach) Andy Flower and (captain) Andrew Strauss so what will matter is how you play session by session," Mohsin said. "Conditions will be same for both sides."

Mohsin, who played 48 Test matches for his country, denied that Pakistan will rely heavily on their spinners during the three-Test series.

"We are fortunate to be blessed with both quality pacers and spinners so we are not going to rely on anyone in particular," the 56-year old said.

"Our recent mantra has been to focus and plan things on a match-to-match basis and we will continue with that against England as well."

The Pakistani selectors are due to name the test squad for the series on Monday. Pakistan are playing "home" series in the Gulf region due to security concerns in their own country. (Reuters)

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