Monday, July 6, 2009 /
Aaamer and Younis put Pakistan in sight of win
A fiery mid-afternoon spell from Mohammad Aamerand stable stock bowling from Younis Khan (yes, Younis Khan) rattled Sri Lanka's second innings, setting themselves 168 to win the Galle Test, in which pace bowlers had taken 23 of the 32 wickets to fall. History was on Sri Lanka's side (no team has scored more than 6 runs in the fourth innings to win a Galle Test and, if achieved, 168 would be the third-highesttotal in fourth innings here), but the nature of the pitch and the contest was on Pakistan's. During the early stages of the hour- and-a-half that Pakistan batted, a record-making win seemed inevitable, but two quick wickets late in the day meant the fourth, and most likely the final day, won't be purely academic. While Aamer has been the revelation of this match, Younis' bowling proved to be the wild card yet again - after he had broken two vital partnerships in the first innings. Pakistan started the first two sessions on a high - Umar Gul taking a wicket in the first over of the day, and Aamer taking three post-lunch - but were thwarted for some time by two partnerships, both ended by Younis. Aamer's spell was the highlight, with swing both ways at good pace, and featuring the big wickets of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jaywardene. His third victim was Tharanga Paranavitana, the first-innings half-centurion, who fell for 49 this time. The action started late - after a 30-minute rain delay - but with immediate returns for Pakistan. Malinda Warnapura had a poor effort again, poking at the second delivery of the day, without moving his feet. Nightwatchman Rangana Herath, though, proceeded to frustrate them almost till lunch, playing and missing regularly as is the nightwatchman's wont. It didn't help that Gul lost his rhythm fairly early, bowling four no-balls in a three-over spell. Paranavitana cashed in on that blip, and punished every poor delivery wholesomely. Those three overs went for 22, and Sri Lanka were on their way. Younis put a stop on the flow of runs, through Abdur Rauf and himself. Both were unlucky that they didn't get Herath in the next nine overs. A plumb lbw off Rauf was missed by the umpire, and Younis kept beating him outside the off stump. With two overs to go for lunch, Younis went for the pads as opposed to the outside edge, and ended the frustrating 68-run stand. Sri Lanka went in to lunch with the score effectively on 20 for 2. Paranavitana, who had been kept off strike for most of the last hour had moved to 42 in only 50 deliveries. Post lunch, though, Aamer made the ball sing - and it wasn't music to the batsmen's ears. In the fourth over after the interval, Paranavitana got one that moved away from him and took the edge. Jayawardene, for the second time, got a good delivery, in Aamer's next over. The ball pitched in front of stumps, and moved away sharply, kissing the hanging bat on the way. In his next over, Sangakkara edged another swinging delivery, and 86 for 2 had become 101 for 5, a lead of just 51 runs. Thilan Samaraweera counterattacked, so did Tillakaratne Dilshan. A flurry of boundaries, mostly drives down the ground, eased the slip cordon, and brought a mid-off in. In no time the two added 37 runs, but the captain returned to put the lid on. He didn't get as much movement as in the first spell, but went for only two in his two overs. Then he changed ends, and in his second over of the new spell got Dilshan. It was not the best of shots, though, chasing a wide and full delivery and guiding it to second slip. For good measure Saeed Ajmal, who had Dilshan dropped off his bowling earlier, came back and got Samaraweera with a doosra. The eight-wicket partnership between Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara had added by 35, but a slash outside off just after tea ended Mathews' 27. A quick 20-run partnership between Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara carried the target past 150, but Ajmal made sure it didn't go too far. Salman Butt and Khurram Manzoor were conspicuously more watchful than they were in the first innings. Against the new and moving ball, they tried to play as few shots as possible, and kept Sri Lanka at a distance, also adding 36 in that period. At the end of the 11th over, an out-of-shape ball was changed, and the new ball got the breakthrough right away, with Manzoor edging Ajantha Mendis outside off. Younis the batsman failed where Younis the bowler succeeded, and got beaten by a sharp inswinger by Mathews. From 39 for 2, though, Butt and Mohammad Yousuf played out the nervous period till stumps. Butt, especially, wasn't bogged down, and a late-cut from Yousuf in the last over before bad light stopped play brought the target inside 100.
/
Dravid among Champions Trophy probable
Rahul Dravid is the surprise inclusion among India's probables for the ICC Champions Trophy in September this year. The selectors picked a longlist of 30 players for the tournament, to be held in South Africa, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. Dravid played his last ODI in October 2007 against Australia in Nagpur, where he managed seven runs. He averages 39.49 from 333 games with a strike-rate of 71.22 and is the third Indian to accumulate more than 10,000 runs in ODIs. His inclusion follows the recent struggles of Indian batsmen against short-pitched bowling, brutally shown up in the ICC World Twenty20 where Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan were troubled by bouncers from the West Indian and England fast bowlers. The problem continued in the subsequent ODI series in the West Indies. Dravid played a key role in the success of Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL's second season, scoring 271 runs at a strike-rate of 115.81 as the team finished runners-up in the tournament held in South Africa. The 16 members of the team touring the West Indies were also included, as are the regulars who missed that due to injury and fatigue concerns - Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zaheer and Suresh Raina. Among the players who failed to make the cut are medium-pacers Irfan Pathan and Sreesanth. Irfan's last ODI was against Sri Lanka in February, while a back injury has troubled Sreesanth for more than a year since the inaugural IPL. Probables: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, M Vijay, Amit Mishra, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, S Badrinath, Ashish Nehra, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh.Rahul Dravid's inclusion follows recent struggles of the Indian batsmen against short-pitched bowling
/
Lee ruled out of first two Test
Alex Brown and Peter English July 6, 2009 Australia's Ashes preparations have been thrown into disarray with their most senior paceman, Brett Lee, ruled out of the opening two Tests, at Cardiff and Lord's, with a left side strain, Cricinfo has learned. Lee was absent from Australia's training session at Sophia Gardens on Monday after being sent to London for scans, and is understood to be gutted at the news. He was Australia's best bowler in the tour match against England Lions in Worcester, claiming 6 for 76 in the first innings and displaying a mastery of reverse-swing, but it is felt he tried too hard to prove himself in that match, having missed Australia's last four Tests against South Africa. Prior to the injury, Lee seemed certain to partner Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle in Australia's pace attack in Cardiff, with Stuart Clark and Nathan Hauritz duelling for the final bowling position, but those plans are now destined for the shredder. "He has a sore left rib, but we won't know the extent of it until the scans are back," an Australian team spokesman said. "We're in a holding pattern until then." Lee, Australia's most senior bowler with 310 wickets from 76 Tests, only recently returned to action after undergoing foot and ankle surgery following the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. The tour matches against Sussex and England Lions were his first outings outside of Twenty20 competition this year, and his display in Worcester last week had prompted many to feel that he was nearing peak form. "I have not trained for 25 weeks to sit on the sidelines," Lee said last week, but it is looking the most likely scenario. If a replacement is required Doug Bollinger, the left-armer from New South Wales, is next in line after touring South Africa earlier in the year and making his Test debut in January. The loss of Lee will prove a withering blow to the tourists' hopes of retaining the Ashes, and prompt a major revision of Australia's selection and planning policies entering the Cardiff Test. If, as was expected, Australia were preparing to enter the match with an all-pace attack, Ben Hilfenhaus would appear the least disruptive option. He combined successfully with Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle in South Africa earlier this year, but was unconvincing in the tour match against Sussex. Kevin Pietersen resisted the temptation of indulging in a spot of pre-Ashes schadenfreud by expressing sadness for Lee. "It's a huge, huge loss for Australia," Pietersen said. "Who knows with the Australian team? It could be cat and mouse... [but] it's sad for [Lee] if it's true. We keep in touch and are pretty good mates." "He's a fantastic competitor and an amazing bowler," said Pietersen. "We've all seen how he's bowled in the last couple of games. He's a huge, huge, huge player for Australia. There's his experience in the dressing room and also the intimidation he has on batsmen around the world, because he's the fastest bowler in the world. "He's got that intimidation factor, so it's a huge loss if he doesn't play. But Australia are the world champions and favourites, so we know we've got a fierce competition coming up." Michael Clarke, Lee's Australian team-mate, expressed sympathy for his colleague, and still hoped the injury would prove less severe than feared. "Right now we'll just wait and see and hope the scans come back clear," he said. "He's worked really hard over the last 12 months to get back. "I only found out this morning that he was having the scans," Clarke added, "so it came as a bit of a surprise to me. The most important thing is to get Brett as fit as possible."Brett Lee felt discomfort in his chest following his seven wickets against the England Lions in Worcester
News : Lee swings into XI for Cardiff
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 /