IPL not to blame for Aussie decline

espnstar.com columnist Suresh Menon in his latest piece has rubbished claims that the IPL has caused Australia's downfall.
Menon, while agreeing with the argument of two non IPL players in the team putting up the best show (Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson), said England should have been successful in India merely on the fact that none of their players appeared for the mega Twenty 20 event in India early last year.
"At least one newspaper has blamed the IPL for Australiaʼs loss, pointing out how the two men who didnʼt take part in the Twenty20 tournament in India - Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson - have been the most successful. A good argument, except that, by the same reckoning, England should have thumped India since not a single one of their players participated in the IPL."
Menon reasons the most important reason for the Aussie downfall is the retirement of some of their top cricketers in recent times.
"In sport, there is the fallacy of the single reason, when events usually require multiple explanations. The most important reason for Australiaʼs decline has been the simultaneous retirement of three of its all-time greats, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist. There are other reasons too - Ponting, for example, has said that while other countries learnt from Australia at their peak, Australia themselves refused to learn from other countries."
To read the entire column, click here.

Nomination time for prospective chairmen

The fortnight period for nominations for a new England and Wales Cricket Board chairman began on Monday.
Current incumbent Giles Clarke, who took up the position in September 2007, is understood to be keen on standing for a second term when his tenure comes to an end on March 31.
Candidates for the two-year role must be proposed by one and endorsed by two more from a group consisting of the 18 first-class counties and MCC.

Moores issue must wait for KP's return

English cricket's potentially-damaging rift at the top is unlikely to be resolved until Thursday at the earliest.
That is when captain Kevin Pietersen, whose working relationship with coach Peter Moores appears to have broken down just five months into the job, returns from holiday.
Separate talks between Hugh Morris, managing director England cricket, and Pietersen and Moores were ongoing on Monday - but the situation is likely to call for face-to-face meetings.
The England and Wales Cricket Board refuse to put a timescale on a resolution, but time is of the essence with the tour of the Caribbean just over a fortnight away.
Pietersen said on Sunday, in his newspaper column, that the situation was not healthy and that "everybody has to have the same aims and pull in the same direction for the sake of the England team".
Should the board side with Pietersen, as some eminent former players are predicting, it would arguably make him England's most powerful captain in history. No one has previously been able to dictate who should or should not coach the national team.
The current dynamic in running the national team is unworkable because of a clash of beliefs - and Pietersen had a veiled dig earlier this year when he said the players would be resting up more this winter and concentrating on cricket-specific practice.
Moores' successful stint at Sussex was due to a hard-work and fitness philosophy, ideally suited to the slog of 16 county championship matches in four months. In direct contrast to predecessor Duncan Fletcher, he is also big on player statistics.
But his record in 20 months as coach of England - four Test series defeats out of four against top-six opposition - has left his methods vulnerable to questioning

Clark targets return tour to SA

Australian pacer Stuart Clark is itching to make a comeback but said only doctors can tell when that will happen.
Clark was ruled out to play the ongoing Test series against South Africa after sustaining an elbow injury just ahead of the first Test in Perth.
"Things are going great. It's about four weeks since the operation. Everything is settling down and I should be able to get into some light work shortly.
"But, while I don't want to make any bold predictions, I'll hopefully be right to go on the trip to South Africa. Watching from the sidelines, you still hurt like all the other boys . . . You want to be out there," he said.
McGrath wants aggression from Aussie bowlers
Clark, however, said the plight of the world champions was not pushing his hasty return to the team for the return South African tour next month.
"I can't be pressured into anything. It really will be up to the medical staff as to when I come back," he was quoted as saying by 'Daily Telegraph'.
He also expressed hope that Australians will be back to their ruthless style of play.
"I see things turning around very quickly. It hasn't been the most ideal series, but at the same time, a couple of losses, as we saw with the Ashes in '05, is the start of something new. After those losses in the Ashes in '05, we won 16 straight Tests," he said.

Siddle puts Australia in command

A maiden five-wicket haul for paceman Peter Siddle saw Australia finish day three of the third Test on top.Siddle, who finished with impressive figures of five for 59, took just 22 deliveries to capture the final four wickets and restrict the Proteas to 327.
Boucher arrived at the crease with the Proteas in trouble at 166 for four, but put his head down to grind out a patient 265 minute-innings before Siddle sent his stumps sprawling to secure his first Test five-for.
The veteran Proteas gloveman shared in a 115-run partnership with Morne Morkel (40) to frustrate the home side before the Victorian changed the course of the match with his inspired spell.
Siddle goes on a rampage
Having captured Morkel, Siddle then removed Paul Harris (two) and Dale Steyn (six) in quick succession before capturing the free-swinging Boucher.
Australia openers Matthew Hayden (18) and Simon Katich (9) survived a nervous six-over period before stumps to progress to 33 without loss - a lead of 151.
JP Duminy (11) was the only batsman out in the afternoon session, given out lbw after playing back and being caught on the crease by Mitchell Johnson.
While Morkel rode his luck - playing and missing at a number of deliveries - Boucher also enjoyed some good fortune.
On 27 he played a ball from Nathan Hauritz onto his stumps only for the bails to stay rigid in their grooves.
No luck for Bollinger
Debutant paceman Doug Bollinger bowled without luck in search of his first Test wicket, having strong lbw appeals against Duminy and Morkel turned down by umpire Billy Bowden.
Before lunch Mitchell Johnson struck with the ball and in the field to leave South Africa in trouble.
Johnson shifted dangerman Jacques Kallis (37), caught at first slip by Hayden, then ran out AB de Villiers (11) with a brilliant piece of fielding.
Debutant Andrew McDonald chipped in with his first Test wicket - removing Hashim Amla (51) lbw - as the Proteas' strong overnight position of 125 for one quickly eroded.
The first session yielded just 51 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Hayden fading away
Kallis added one to his overnight tally before driving at Johnson and edging a comfortable catch to Hayden.
Amla passed the half-century mark but was then involved in an unnecessary run out with De Villiers.
Pushing a quick single to Johnson at mid on, Amla called for a run but watched in horror as De Villiers moved slowly out of his crease and was beaten by a direct hit at the wicket-keeper's end.
Aussies being tamed alright
McDonald, who had done an excellent job strangling the South African top order, then trapped Amla with one that nipped back to leave the Proteas in a deep hole at for four before Boucher and Morkel combined.
South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, whose side have already won the series 2-0, is unlikely to play any further part in the match after suffering a hand injury on day two.

Jaffer, Sachin put Mumbai in command

Tendulkar braved fever to hit 122 while captain Jaffer smashed 301 to help Mumbai to a mammoth 637 for six on the second day.
Tendulkar, who faced 166 balls in 178 minutes for his knock which was studded with nine fours and five huge sixes, retired perhaps not being able to withstand the heat in the middle due to running temperature in Chennai on the second day of their four-day Ranji Trophy cricket on Monday.
The batting maestro stitched a 226-run stand off 410 balls with Jaffer.
At close, Abhishek Nayar (29) and Ramesh Powar (8) were at the crease.
Highlights of Day 2
Jaffer amassed his second triple ton (301, 459b, 635m, 27x4) both against Saurashtra this season. After a fabulous innings of 635 minutes at the crease, Jaffer was out to a tired looking shot when he played Rakesh Dhruve towards on-side on the toss of the ball but gave a leading edge in offering a simple return catch.
Jaffer continued to be in his elements and in the company of Tendulkar, who showed aggression from the word go and kept the board ticking at a faster pace.
It was an emotional walk to the middle for Tendulkar, who opted to assist his state in their hunt for the 38th Ranji title.
Coming on to the crease at the fall of Ajinkya Rahane (85, 193b, 288m, 4x4, 2x6), Tendulkar enthralled the sparse crowd using his bat as a magical wand and the manner in which he chose the gaps for driving was immaculate.

SL strengthen position on day three

Impressive half-centuries from Dilshan and Samaraweera helped put Sri Lanka in firmly in control against Bangladesh.
Impressive half-centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera helped put Sri Lanka firmly in control against Bangladesh on day three of the second Test in Chittagong.
The pair enjoyed an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 131 as the tourists reached 296 for four at stumps on day three of the second Test in Chittagong to take a commanding lead of 472.
Kumar Sangakkara also posted a patient 54 earlier in the day and Sri Lanka will now be confident of claiming a series whitewash after winning the opening Test by 107 runs in Dhaka last week.
Lanka start the burner
Having bowled out the home side for 208 on Sunday, the tourists resumed day three on 13 without loss in their second innings.
Prasanna Jayawardene and Malinda Warnapura took the total to 55 before both lost their wickets in the space of three deliveries.
Click here for the SCORECARD
Jayawardene went for 28 when he chipped a Mohammad Ashraful delivery to short midwicket, where Shakib Al Hasan dived forward to take a fairly easy catch.
Warnapura then joined him in the pavilion at the start of the next over when he was trapped lbw by Shahadat Hossain for 27.
Fruitful partnership
Sangakkara and skipper Mahela Jayawardene took their time to get going as they safely negotiated the remaining overs before lunch to take the tourists on to 95 for two at the interval.
The duo continued to stretch Sri Lanka's lead at the start of the middle session, building a third-wicket stand of 68 before Enamul Haque Jr broke the partnership with the dismissal of Mahela Jayawardene for 22 - Imrul Kayes taking the catch at short cover.
Sangakkara kept things going at the other end and passed his 28th Test fifty with a boundary off Haque Jr.
But he fell just four overs later when a delivery from Ashraful found its way onto his stumps.
Dilshan digs in
Samaraweera and first-innings centurion Dilshan then saw Sri Lanka through to tea before settling in for the duration of the final session.
Dilshan, in particular, appeared in a hurry to get runs on the board while Samaraweera showed more patience at the other end and seemed content to let his partner do the hard work.
Samaraweera was the first to bring up his fifty in the 75th over but Dilshan, who had rescued Sri Lanka with a stunning 162 in the opening innings, quickly followed with his half-century coming off just 70 balls.
Haque Jr and Hossain felt the full force of the partnership, conceding over 60 runs each, as the batsmen marched on towards the close of play.
Dilshan had reached 81 at stumps with Samaraweera on 72 to leave Bangladesh needing a small miracle if they are to claim something from the Test.

Double sided bats to make debut

For the first time in the history, both sides of a cricket bat will be used in Australian domestic T20 cricket.
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David Warner, the New South Wales batsman who has just signed up for the IPL, will use the bat against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday, January 6 and Victoria's Aiden Blizzard will test it against Western Australia at the MCG on Thursday, according to a press release,.
The double sided bat will provide the batsmen the option of using the back of their blade. Warner had a hit with the new-style bat in the SCG nets on Sunday and he said he didn't think it would significantly change the game.
"Generally when I'm playing the reverse I'm swapping hands, and now I don't really have to so it's going to be better. It gives you a couple of extra seconds," Warner told the Age. "If people think it's going to be an advantage to batsmen, I have to disagree.
"The person who is using the timber is in control, so I just see it as another shot for other people to try as well. Everyone is trying it these days, especially in Twenty20, so why not have the back of the bat flat as well? It makes it easier, but it's not a real advantage. You've still got to play the shot."
STAR Cricket, a dedicated 24 hour cricket channel, is bringing together both the Australian Domestic Twenty20 games which will witness double-sided bats being trialed for the first time. Watch history in the making at these times

Bangladesh stunned by Dilshan knock

An impressive knock from Tillakaratne Dilshan helped Sri Lanka get their innings back on track on day one of the second Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.
Dilshan smashed an unbeaten 95 from 81 balls as the tourists recovered from a precarious 75 for four to reach 229 for five at tea.
His fifth-wicket stand of 119 with Malinda Warnapura allowed Sri Lanka to gain the upper hand in the second session after Bangladesh had threatened to dominate with the ball.
The hosts enjoyed the better of the first morning and had reduced their opponents to 65 for three at lunch.
Mashrafe Mortaza struck with just the fourth ball of the match when the right-arm bowler got a delivery to move back into Prassana Jayawardene and the opener was trapped lbw first ball.
It then got better for both Bangladesh and Mortaza as he claimed the crucial scalp of Kumar Sangakkara in the third over when he played onto his own stumps with a thick inside edge to leave Sri Lanka seven for two.
Warnapura and skipper Mahela Jayawardene, playing in his 100th Test match, looked to repair the damage but it was slow going and the latter was dismissed for 11 when he edged slow left-armer Shakib Al Hasan to keeper Mushfiqur Rahim with the score on 39.
Warnapura and Thilan Samaraweera saw Sri Lanka through to the interval, but the latter lasted just 10 balls of the second session before he was bowled by Shahadat Hossain.
The tourists were beginning to look vulnerable but Dilshan's arrival at the crease quickly changed things. While Warnapura was pedestrian in reaching his fifty from 133 balls, Dilshan smashed eight fours and a six to bring up his half-century from just 37 deliveries.
Warnapura had hit 63 when he was trapped leg before by Ashraful, but Dilshan continued to punish the Bangladesh bowlers to reach tea just five runs short of the century mark. Chamara Kapugedera had also added a useful 26 by the interval while Mortaza was the pick of the home side's bowlers with two for 16.

Dilshan stars in Sri Lanka recovery

A commanding 162-run knock by Tillakaratne Dilshan allowed Sri Lanka to recover from a shaky start against Bangladesh and reach a healthy score at stumps on day one of the second Test.
Dilshan enjoyed century stands with Malinda Warnapura (63) and Chamara Kapugedera as the tourists hit back from a precarious 75 for four to post 371 for six at the close in Chittagong.
The right-hander was eventually bowled by Enamul Haque Jr shortly before the end of play, but Kapugedera was unbeaten on 93 and will be looking to add his own century to the scoreboard when the contest resumes on Sunday morning.
Things had looked very different for Sri Lanka earlier in the day when Bangladesh, who are 1-0 down in the two-Test series, reduced their opponents to 65 for three at lunch.
Mashrafe Mortaza was the pick of the Bangladesh attack, claiming two for 48 from 20 overs.

Mumbai favourites in Ranji semis

Mumbai will start as favourites against Saurashtra in the four-day Ranji Trophy semi-final match starting Sunday.
Mumbai, the best performer in the Super League so far, will be on a high having registered more wins than any other team.
Moreover, the presence of Tendulkar and Zaheer, who returned to the side after Mumbai's title triumph in 2006-07, will undoubtedly inspire youngsters like Ajinkya Rahane and Dhawal Kulkarni to put up their best show alongside their role models.
Mumbai coach Pravin Amre also hoped that the duo's presence in the dressing room will act a motivating factor for the young guns of the team.
"It will be a boost for our youngsters, who have already done well. The presence of Sachin and Zaheer will be highly motivating as the players will be expecting to do well along with them," he said.
On the batting front Mumbai have a solid opening duo in Rahane and captain Wasim Jaffer, who so far are the highest run getters in the tournament with 976 and 873 runs respectively from eight matches.
Rahane, who has been sensational for the former champions, accounted for four centuries with 201 as his best, while experienced Jaffer scored three hundreds with a highest knock of 256.
The middle order also looks rock solid and Tendulkar's return will only make it stronger which already has the likes of Rohit Sharma, Sahil Kukreja, Amol Mazundar, Abhishek Nayar in its rank.
Meanwhile, Zaheer, who picked up nine wickets in the 2006-07 Ranji final against Bengal, will add impetus to the Mumbai pace battery which saw the emergence of a new kid in the block this season in right-arm pacer Kulkarni. Kulkarni, who shot to limelight during the inaugural Indian Premier League, has claimed 34 wickets from seven of the eight matches so far including two five-wicket hauls in the last four innings.
Besides Zaheer's experience will also be handy for the likes of veteran Ajit Agarkar who had been on and off the playing eleven this season.
The spin department too has teeth in experienced Sairaj Bahatule and offie Ramesh Powar, who scalped 27 victims this year.
However, the only thing that might worry Jaffer and Co is their poor showing against Saurashtra during the league stages where they had to play out of their skin to save the match after following on.
Meanwhile, Saurashtra, who made it to the Ranji semi-finals for the second year in a row, are pumped up after their stirring fightback against Karnataka in the quarter-finals.
Young Cheteshwar Pujara, who has drawn comparisons with Rahul Dravid for his ability to play long innings, starred in the victory with a patient 112 to see his side through.
Pujara has accumulated 867 runs with four centuries and an unbeaten 302 to be placed third in the list of most run getters in the tournament and Saurashtra will be relying heavily on him to once again deliver the goods.
Apart from Pujara, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is another stand out performer for Saurashtra this season. He chipped in with both bat and ball at crucial junctures to help his team's cause.
Jadeja has scored 729 runs from 12 innings, including unbeaten 232, and captured 39 wickets so far this season and coach Debu Mitra has no doubt about his youngsters coming to the party one more time. "We have the talent to perform. Pujara, Jadeja, Jaydev Shah, Sandeep Jobanpatra are all good players and if they keep on performing, they will surely play Test cricket and we will also win our first Ranji title," Mitra had said.
Young Saurashtra team showed great grit and determination to make it to the last four stage, considering the fact that they started their Ranji campaign with a drubbing at the hands of Gujarat.
Apart from Pujara and Jadeja, Saurashtra also have the likes of captain Jaydev Shah, Chirag Pathak, Bhhushan Chouhan and Sitanshu Kotak in their middle order.
However, their bowling looks a little shaky but if provided with solid total on the board, the likes Balakrishna Jadeja, Kamlesh Makvana and Jobanputra can turn the tide in their favour on a given day.
Squad: Mumbai: Wasim Jaffer (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Ajinkya Rahane, Sahil Kukreja, Amol Muzumdar, Rohit Sharma, Ajit Agarkar, Vinayak Samant (wk), Sairaj Bahutule, Ramesh Powar, Zaheer Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni, Abhishek Nayar, Usman Malvi and Ankit Chavan; Pravin Amre (coach).
Saurashtra : Jaydev Shah (capt), Bhushan Chouhan, Chirag Pathak, Sitanshu Kotak, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Sagar Jogiyani (wk), Rakesh Dhruv, Sandeep Jobanputra, Kamlesh Makvana, Balkrishna Jadeja, M A Dodia, Sheldon Jackson, Sandip Maniar, Patrik Mehta, Jayesh Odedra, Saurya Sanandiya and Kanaiya Vaghela.

India, Lanka in talks over tour

India is exploring the possibility of playing a one-day series against SL to compensate for the cancelled tour of Pakistan.
The BCCI officials have already started discussions with Sri Lankan authorities on the proposed series which could be held in mid-February.
The BCCI has incurred a loss of Rs 120 crore because of cancellation of two ODIs against England and the tour to Pakistan in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai and is keen to recover some of the losses.
"We are discussing the possibility of playing a short series against Sri Lanka. We are working on an itinerary which will be acceptable to both the Boards", a top BCCI official said.
"So far we have got a good response from Sri Lankan officials and we are hopeful that the series will materialise", he said.
With Sri Lanka having already confirmed a tour of Pakistan to fill in for India's cancelled trip, the series may take place immediately after the islanders return from their tour of Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge has also confirmed that he was discussing the series with the BCCI.
"We are about 60 per cent certain that we could arrange a series for the Sri Lanka team with India shortly. We have had successful discussions with the Indian Cricket Board and at the moment we are finalising the schedule," Lokuge told the 'Daily Mirror'.
Lokuge also made it clear that playing a series against India did not mean that Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan had been thrown into jeopardy. "We are confirming the cricket tour to Pakistan, there is no change in it," he said.
However, Sri Lanka have sought a shorter tour, which will help them accommodate the series against India. SLC had initially agreed to tour Pakistan -- following India's pullout -- from January 20 for three Tests and fives ODIs.
They now want a shortened tour of two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 game from February 15. The new dates would, however, clash with Pakistan's tour to Bangladesh beginning March 3.

Aussies set 350 mark against Proteas

Simon Katich called on his side to at least make it past the 350-run mark after they closed the first day on 267 for six.
Australia opener Simon Katich called on his side to at least make it past the 350-run mark after they closed the first day of the third Test on 267 for six.
Michael Clarke (73) and Mitchell Johnson (17) will pick up the fight tomorrow on a SCG pitch already showing signs of wear and tear.
Katich, who made a breezy 47, claimed honours were even following the first day after the hosts hauled themselves back from a potentially disastrous 162 for five.
"I felt we fought back really well in the last session," he said.
Cracks starting to open up
"South Africa had their noses in front but that (75-run) partnership between Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin (has us) in a position to get around 350 tomorrow and put some pressure on them.
"If we can get a few more partnerships in the morning and push on towards 350 then runs on the board at the SCG are always vital.
"It looks like it's quite a dry wicket and this one will deteriorate differently to the Melbourne wicket, so hopefully that gives us a bit of an advantage in the next few days.
"There are some cracks starting to open up and it generally does get lower and slower as the days go on here."
South Africa's assistant coach Vinnie Barnes believes the Proteas enjoy the upper-hand going into the second day.
"Our noses in front"
But he admits the visitors will need a large first-innings total to avoid being set a big run chase late in the match.
"We have our noses in front. If we can get them out for less than 300 that would be wonderful but we've got to be realistic and if we can get anything under 350 that would be good for us," Barnes said.
"There are a few cracks and there were a few before the game and the weather's going to get better and the cracks are going to widen.
"It's very, very important to get a big, big total on the board in your first innings to take a bit of pressure off your second innings.
"The wicket does get a bit slower and lower and the spinners come into play in the last few days.
"It's not a wicket you want to be chasing too much on."

Windies battle back to edge NZ

A superb bowling effort and a fine rearguard action by Sarwan and Ramdin helped the WI secure a five-wicket win in NZ.
Click here for scorecard With the match reduced to 28 overs per side after a four-hour rain delay in Christchurch, the Windies were set a target of 158 after they kept the Black Caps to 152 for eight in their innings.
The West Indies looked dead and buried at 110 for five in the 23rd over but a quickfire 28 from 18 deliveries by Ramdin and 67 off 65 from Sarwan saw the tourists win to go 1-0 up in the five-match series.
Earlier, two Tests were drawn and a win apeice in the two-match Twenty20 series, New Zealand were on top in the first one-day international before rain brought an early end to the match.
It was the final three overs which proved costly for the home side after they had done well to keep the tourists in check for most of their innings.
Stats from Christchurch
Ramdin stepped up a gear and his boundary off Tim Southee in the 26th over gave West Indies a glimmer of hope before he dispatched Jeetan Patel for successive fours the next over to put his side within touching distance of victory.
Once again Chris Gayle was a key man for the tourists. Not only did he win the toss and choose to insert New Zealand, his 47-run partnership with Sarwan also provided the early impetus for the West Indies victory.
But just when the tall left-hander was looking set for a big score, Black Caps counterpart Daniel Vettori struck and Gayle was bowled out for 36.
Sarwan, who hit three fours on his way to a 55-ball 50, was left to carry the innings but runs began drying up as Vettori, Jacob Oram and Patel turned the screws before it all fell apart at the end for the New Zealanders.
The Windies steal the show
Gayle's decision to bowl first seemed like an inspired choice when Fidel Edwards struck an early blow to get the coveted wicket of Brendon McCullum for one in just the third over.
Edwards (three for 26) and Jerome Taylor (two for 26) varied their pace well, while Nikita Miller (two for 26), who replaced fellow spinner Sulieman Benn for the one-dayers, ensured the boundaries remained at a premium for the New Zealanders who never really got going.
Opener Jesse Ryder top-scored for the hosts with a 43-ball 32 that was split by the rain delay and Grant Elliott added a quickfire 30 off 27 balls to get New Zealand past the 150-run mark as wickets tumbled regularly once play resumed.
Only 6.5 overs were possible before the rain, hail and thunderstorm came and when play was suspended New Zealand were 26 for one.
Sarwan earns Gayle praise
Ryder had reached 20, thanks to a boundary and a couple of sixes, and Jamie How was on four.
When the players returned to the field the West Indies bowlers were quickly into their stride, never allowing the New Zealand batsmen to settle.
Boundaries were few and far between and partnerships limited.
Ryder departed in the 12th over when he was caught by Sewnarine Chattergoon trying to heave another one over the rope.
After that wickets fell regularly and New Zealand slumped from 59 for two to be 87 for five as How fell (27) and Ross Taylor (13) and Daniel Flynn (four) came and went.
Oram and Vettori both perished in Edwards penultimate over, Oram to a great diving catch by Chattergoon, to leave New Zealand 115 for seven and it was left to Elliott to steer New Zealand beyond the 150 mark.
The West Indies reply got off to a steady start before Southee removed Chattergoon for six.
Gayle and Sarwan then got things back on track only for the skipper to be deceived by a quicker ball from Vettori and from then on the required run rate steadily crept up.
But when Ramdin joined Sarwan at the crease there was a noticeable change in attitude and the pair attacked hard to get their team across the line.

Proteas edge Aussies on day one

South Africa took the opening honours in the third Test, leaving Australia on 267 for six following an absorbing first day's play.
The hosts will resume day two with Michael Clarke (73) and the clean-hitting Mitchell Johnson (17) continuing the challenge of pushing their side past 300.
Only Clarke, who made his first Test half-century at the Sydney venue, offered any real resistance as four batsmen perished after reaching 30 on a pitch containing no obvious venom.
The Australia vice-captain, who was dropped on 12 and 69, has been at the crease for 235 minutes, stroking nine fours in a patient knock.
Click here for scorecard
Clarke and Brad Haddin (38) put on 75 for the sixth wicket and looked to have done enough to ensure Australia would end the opening day in reasonable shape.
But the introduction of the second new ball brought about the downfall of Haddin, who played around a Dale Steyn delivery to be bowled minutes before stumps.
Steyn was the pick of the Proteas' bowlers, finishing with two for 71 from 21 overs.
The Pup sizzles again
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first under overcast skies before a healthy crowd of 37,901, but the home side lost Simon Katich (47) and Ricky Ponting (zero) during a tense first session.
Katich looked in good touch in racing to 47 from 52 balls before pushing forward at a Jacques Kallis delivery and edging a catch to AB de Villiers at second slip.
Dejected figure
One run later Ponting was on his way for a first-ball duck. Morne Morkel got a ball to seam back, catching the inside edge of the Australia skipper's bat and presenting wicketkeeper Mark Boucher with the catch.
Matthew Hayden, fighting to save his Test career, made his way cautiously to 31 before chasing a wide delivery from Steyn and dragging the ball onto his stumps.
Stats from the SCG
The Queenslander cut a dejected figure as his made his way off the ground, the big first-day crowd giving him a rousing send-off in the knowledge he may have batted at international level for the last time.
Hayden's dismissal left Australia shaky at 109 for three. With the score on 130, Michael Hussey - who had fought hard to get to 30 - edged Paul Harris to Kallis at slip and was on his way back to the pavilion.
Helmet dislodged
Harris celebrated the wicket wildly but appeared to twist a knee after leaping through the air in delight.
While he was off the field receiving attention, Andrew McDonald arrived at the crease for his debut innings and was immediately struck on the body by a 142km/h thunderbolt from Morkel.
He was lucky to survive beyond five after his helmet was dislodged and almost crashed back on his stumps while attempting to dodge a Morkel bouncer.
McDonald moved to 15 before he was caught behind off Makhaya Ntini with Haddin the last man out for the day.
Australia, who are 2-0 down in the three-Test series after defeats in Perth and Melbourne, are looking to avoid their first home series whitewash loss in 122 years.

ICC okay with day-night Tests

The International Cricket Council gave a thumbs up to the concept of day-night Tests provided a suitable ball is developed.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said a proposal for holding a day-night Test has been received from Cricket Australia and the governing body was giving it a serious thought.
"The lack of crowd attendance at many grounds around the globe is a cause for concern. And in that is the possibility of exploring day-night cricket because there is no doubt James Sutherland has put that on the table," Lorgat said at a press conference here to mark the centenary year of the ICC.
Lorgat said if some teething problems like a suitable ball are sorted out, then day-night Tests would be a concept worth trying to bring back the fans to Test cricket.
"We all know the technical difficulties on that. If that's an answer to ensuring the status it has because it's a better time proposition, then I would be in favour of it," he said.
CA has been toying with the idea of day-night Tests and has even trialled fluorescent balls in domestic competitions to push through the concept.

Three Indians in ICC Hall of Fame

Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Bishan Singh Bedi figured among the 55 former players named in the ICC's Hall of Fame.
Launching the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame here, Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said the initiative, in association with Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA), would provide the chance for the game to recognise its greatest achievers.
"Given a key theme of the ICC's centenary year is celebrating the game's heritage then the foundation of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame is an entirely logical step," he said.
"It will provide a means of recognising the historical contribution of past players, officials and even institutions in making cricket what it is today, a great sport with a great spirit," he added.
Gavaskar said he was "humbled" to be named along with Sir Donald Bradman and Sir Garfield Sobers.
"To be recognised by the premier authority in the game, the ICC, and that, too, in its centenary year, is an honour indeed.
"It is a privilege and I am overwhelmed and humbled to be included in such august company as Sir Donald Bradman and the one and only Sir Garry Sobers," he said in a statement.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh became the first Hall of Famer to receive his commemorative cap from ICC President David Morgan.
"I'm deeply honoured to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Being recognised in this way is humbling, especially when I look at the names of the players in this list and think about those who will join it in the years to come," Marsh said.

South Africa name unchanged side

South Africa have resisted the temptation to rush Ashwell Prince back into their starting XI for the third Test against Australia.
Prince was ruled out of the Perth Test last month with a damaged thumb.
He also missed the historic victory at the MCG and selectors have kept faith with Prince's replacement JP Duminy, who has made the most of his opportunities in the opening two Tests of the series, hitting a match-defining 166 in Melbourne having already made a half-century in Perth.
Skipper Graeme Smith confirmed his deputy is still suffering the effects of the injury that kept him out of the opening two Tests.
"Ashwell wasn't considered on Thursday," said Smith. "In his training he still had quite a bit of pain in his thumb, so we've gone in with the same team."
Smith also confirmed he will play in Sydney despite a troublesome elbow injury.
"Obviously it's getting worse and worse the more you use it and the more you play," he added.
"I just feel that I can hopefully push it out one more game. It's been such a terrific year and series that I would like to finish it on a high with the boys and hopefully play some good cricket in the next five days and then do whatever I can to make sure that I'm strong and ready for the home series."
Meanwhile, New South Wales pace bowler Doug Bollinger and Victoria all-rounder Andrew McDonald have been drafted into the Australia side.
Bollinger edged out Ben Hilfenhaus to replace Brett Lee, while McDonald comes in at the expense of injured all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

The new Indian order has arrived

Here is a look that changed the way India would play cricket for the years to come, with a bunch of young, spunky charges. By Rajarshi Gupta
When India came back with the Commonwealth Bank Series triumph in the March of 2008, the bells had started to ring. MS Dhoni had led a team of young and energetic men, hungry for success to tame the devils (Australia) in their inferno (Down Under).
Now. The team had no Sourav Ganguly (over 10,000 runs in ODI's), no Rahul Dravid (over 10,000 runs in ODI's) and no Anil Kumble (over 300 wickets in ODI's).
The only one from the Legendary Four, Sachin Tendulkar blasted 399 runs from 10 games, still short behind leading run getter and young gun Gautam Gambhir (440 runs from his 10 games).
The moment of truth had arrived. The transition from the old order to the new era had begun.
India start their journey to glory
Suresh Raina, Gambhir, Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh had started to make ripples in the arena. Virender Sehwag, kept out of the team for the better part of 2007 came back with a bang to announce his intentions and let the world know how it feels to watch a tornado on the field.
Such was the aura and the power of Raina in the STAR Cricket Asia Cup that Ganguly and Dravid were no longer being missed. Gambhir and Sehwag tore attacks apart with a ferocity that struck fear across the globe. The legend of Tendulkar and Ganguly had been revisited.
Ishant's magic spell in Perth
Yuvraj Singh, left in the cold after his poor run with the bat, came back with a bang, scoring two successive tons in the first two ODI's against England.
The biggest and perhaps the most significant phases of transition came during India's sensational surge during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
A young leg-spinner from Haryana, Amit Mishra suddenly found himself walking into the field with his maiden Test cap after then skipper Kumble missed out with an injury. And boy, did Mishra grab his chances or what! A fifer on debut and Mishy was all set to take over the reins from a fading star.
And finally it all happend in Delhi, when at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Kumble injured his finger, trying to get rid of Matthew Hayden. By the end of the drawn Test, India had a newn Test captain. Dhoni was now completely in charge. And as he had done in Mohali, the wicketkeeper batsman plotted another Aussie rot, winning the series 2-0. New India had firmly set foot.
Moments to cherish from 2008
With two of India's legends gone from the scene, the young turks let lose some steam. The world was watching and India were on a roll.
The dice has been thrown. The country's path for the coming years has been paved. 2009 will herald the era of the Magicians in Blue.

SA need Sydney win to top ICC rankings

South Africa will reclaim the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings only if it manages a 3-0 whitewash against Australia.
On the other hand, although the series is already lost, a draw would be enough for Australia to extend its stay at the top of the ICC chart.
Australia has held the top spot since August 2001 when the current ranking was introduced and has been number one for all but eight months out of the last 13 years when South Africa led the championship table for three months in late 1999 and for five months in 2001.
If South Africa win in Sydney, it will put both the teams level on 123 ratings points but Smith's side will be placed higher by a fraction of a point.
However, all the talk of South Africa regaining the number-one spot for the first time in almost seven-and-a-half years will go out of the window if Australia wins or even draws the Sydney Test.
If Australia wins, it will retain the number one spot on 126 points while South Africa will be second on 121 ratings points. A draw, meanwhile, will keep Australia ahead of South Africa on 124 ratings points but the difference will be reduced to just two points as compared to the pre-series gap of 13 points.

Rain washes out 1st WI versus NZ ODI

Bad weather has forced the one-day international between New Zealand and the West Indies to be abandoned in Queenstown.
Only 35.4 overs were possible before rain brought an early end to proceedings shortly before 3pm local time with the West Indies on 129 for five.
Rain had been a feature from the very start with the players called off the ground after the opening over, then again in the 14th before play was suspended for a third and final time midway through the 36th over.
Xavier Marshall was unbeaten on 29 and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin was on three when play was called off.
Ramnaresh Sarwan top scored with 38 for the tourists who were inserted in overcast conditions after New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and opted to bowl first.
The West Indies struggled from the start in the miserable weather with boundaries at a premium for the usually flamboyant Chris Gayle.
The West Indies skipper finally perished to a poor caught behind decision when on 25 to leave the tourists on 42 for two and it was left to Sarwan and Marshall to push the score beyond the 100-run mark.
But when Sarwan was caught behind by Brendon McCullum after he bottom edged a Vettori delivery, it sparked a West Indies collapse as they slumped from 102 for three to 129 for five when play was abandoned.
Tim Southee was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with figures of two for 33 off 7.4 overs, while Vettori was his usual miserly self with one for 26 off eight overs.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was absent from the West Indies line-up because of a hand injury.
The next one-dayer is in Christchurch on Saturday.

Johnson relishing challenge

In-form paceman Mitchell Johnson has welcomed the challenge of spearheading one of the most inexperienced attacks in recent history as Australia look to avoid a series whitewash in the third Test against South Africa in Sydney.
With four frontline players unavailable through injury, Johnson will partner Victorian rookie Peter Siddle, the uncapped Andrew McDonald, three-Test spinner Nathan Hauritz and either Doug Bollinger or Ben Hilfenhaus - both yet to play a Test.
"It's going to be a challenge for me and something I'm looking forward to," Johnson said. "That's probably my job in the team - to try to help these young blokes through this next little period."
He added: "That's something I've got to step up and do now.
"I still think we're a very strong side even though we've got a lot of young guys in the team.
"Dougie Bollinger, Andrew McDonald, Ben Hilfenhaus, they are going to come into the side with a lot of bubble."
The Proteas are 2-0 up after comprehensive victories in Perth and Melbourne and have vowed to keep the heat on their besieged hosts in Sydney and become the first side in 122 years to complete a home series whitewash against Australia.
If they do they will officially take over as the world's number one Test nation - a prospect that does not sit easily with Johnson.
"Everyone's keeping positive; we've still got one game to go and hopefully we'll get a win and not be beaten three-nil," he said.
"It's a pretty big deal. Australia has been the number one side for a very long side."

Prince urges Proteas to push for sweep

Ashwell Prince has warned Australia that South Africa will be going for a clean sweep when the two teams meet in the third Test in Sydney.
The Proteas vice-captain has only given himself a 60% chance of playing in the Test due to a thumb injury which has kept him out of the series so far.
"Momentum is important and we certainly don't want to give it back to them." Prince said.
"We have just come off a tour of England where we led 2-0 and were then a bit disappointing in the final Test,
"We don't want to make the same mistakes and this third Test is obviously important for the rest of the summer. We still have three Tests to play against them at home and to win this (third) Test will obviously keep the momentum with us."
He added: "We have come a long way as a team," Prince said.
"We have won in most countries in the last year to 18 months. The only place we didn't win was India where we came away with a draw.
"The guys are very confident of their own ability and very proud of what they have achieved and we are looking forward to build on that and go from strength to strength.
"The captain has already said that Australia set the standard over a decade and obviously we don't want to dip after winning one series. We want to sustain that level of performance for a long period of time."

Warne rues absence of Aussie flair

Spin legend Shane Warne has singled out Australia's bowlers as the key concern after their long reign as the world's best was all but ended by defeat to South Africa in Melbourne.
The Aussies crashed to a nine-wicket loss at the MCG on Tuesday to concede their first ever home series defeat since 1992/93. The series defeat follows hot on the heels of their 2-0 loss in India, and defeat in the final Test of the series in Sydney next week would see them relinquish top spot in the ICC rankings to the Proteas.
Warne said: "After Australia's two losses to South Africa, I reckon our bowlers need to have more imagination and flair."
In his playing days, Warne owned arguably the greatest variation of deliveries world cricket has ever seen and he now believes the current bowlers must be creative.
He added: "They especially need this when tackling the tail and when the wickets are flat. I have concerns about Australia's ability to take 20 wickets.
"The bowlers can't just bowl line and length all day and hope batsmen lose patience, chase one and nick it to the wicketkeeper or slip.
"They need to be able to bowl a hostile spell, as Merv Hughes and Glenn McGrath did."
Warne, 39, admitted the Australians had been outplayed by South Africa in the series so far, but insists they can rediscover their past glories despite concerns the current team is in decline.
He said: "The Aussies have tried and given everything but have been outplayed in the big moments. That has been the difference.
"There is no disgrace in losing like in 2005 when England was the best team and deserved to win. It is the same this summer. South Africa deserved to win because it was the best side."

Lanka request new tour revision

Lanka's tour of Pakistan has run into more problems with SLC now insisting on a shortened tour and a delay of three weeks.
Sri Lanka agreed to tour Pakistan after India refused to travel for a series scheduled to start in mid-January, due to the Mumbai terror attacks.
The Pakistan Cricket Board had originally proposed three Tests, three one-day internationals and a twenty20 international, but Sri Lanka's interim committee chief Arjuna Ranatunga, who had agreed to the tour, wanted the itinerary revised to three Tests and five one-dayers.
The tour was in jeopardy after Ranatunga was sacked and the interim committee dissolved but the tour was granted approval by the Sri Lanka government.
However Sri Lanka Cricket want another revision in the itinerary and have proposed two Tests, three one-day games and a twenty20 international.
Sri Lanka were due to arrive in Pakistan immediately after their ongoing tour of Bangladesh but now want the tour to Pakistan pushed back to mid-February in order to give the players a break.
"The situation is tricky now, because if we go by Sri Lanka's revised itinerary then this series clashes with our confirmed tour of Bangladesh scheduled from March 3," said Saleem Altaf, PCB's chief operating officer.
Pakistan are scheduled to play five one-day internationals in Bangladesh and Altaf said the PCB was trying to rework the dates for that series in order to accommodate Sri Lanka.
"We would now have to tour Bangladesh from mid-March, instead of March 3, if we are to host the Sri Lankans," Altaf said.
"I am hopeful the Bangladesh board will cooperate with us, but it all depends on their FTP commitments," he said.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's players have voiced concerns over security for the Pakistan tour.
"The players have sought certain clarifications regarding the security arrangements to be placed in Pakistan", said Graeme Labrooy, the president of the Sri Lanka Cricketers' Association.
"The players have been assured top class security in Pakistan, but they still want the term 'top class' to be defined properly," he added.

Sporting Legends: Anil Kumble

espnstar.com concludes our 'Sporting Legends 2008' series with a tribute to India's former Test captain - Anil Kumble.
By Rajarshi Gupta
Success has never eluded Anil Kumble, a master of leg spin and a wily old fox, who mesmerised batting attacks with impunity.
When Jumbo finally decided to call it a day on a lazy Sunday afternoon, towards the end of the third Test against Australia, enough had been written against the best Indian bowler of his generation, the man who took over 600 Test wickets and nabbed over 300 unsuspecting victims in ODI's.
The Delhi Test was an irony of a champion, who was trying to catch up with old memories and bury the unpleasant shocks of the recent days, when he would be splattered for runs without wickets for entire sessions and days.
The Feroz Shah Kotla was where he rattled Pakistan with a blistering 10 for 74 to lead India to a blazing win in the second Test of the series back in 1999.
The times had changed. Harbhajan Singh had started to create ripples and a young leggie, Amit Mishra, had grabbed his chances with both hands when his moment came.
Kumble was perhaps India's best match-winner in home conditions, destroying batsmen and rupturing their confidence. Such was the aura and fear the man inflicted, opposition teams came with their intent of negotiating a threat that would pulverise their batsmen.
The lion has now decided to go back to his den. The call of the wild would no more be heard, when Jumbo set his teeth deep and the close in fielders sent out blood curdling celebratory hooplas, coming back as India did on so many occasions from the dead.
Kumble's legacy has long been respected and adored, folklores created and history re-written. The downhill journey began this year. Injuries and a scary loss of form sent shudders around the country. The mystery has been finally cracked. The year that was, was in no way a reflection of a struggle for form and character. Teams started to take a toll on Jumbo with neatly placed strategies and impeccable plots.
The giant had been exposed. The years of battle, seasons of rugged wars and the warrior knew his time was up. As captain, he led from the front and played his cricket with dignity and certain poise and calm that did not go down well with young India.
He held his own and stood up for the team and his young comrade when Bhajji was accused of inflicting racial taunts on Andrew Symonds Down Under. He sent out a war cry and his men responded, crushing Australia in Perth, marking the rise of new champions.
Kumble would always be remembered for his resilience and the charisma, albeit silent, that brought about the spirit old world charmers would be proud of.

Malik likely to remain Pak skipper

Shoaib Malik's tenure as Pakistan captain expires today, but the PCB is likely to retain him for another year.
With no suitable replacement in sight and his fine performances with the national as well as domestic team in the last couple of matches this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board is expected to retain Malik as the skipper Malik took up the top job from Inzamam-ul Haq after Pakistan's disastrous outing in the 2007 World Cup with the PCB preferring to ignore senior players like Mohammad Yousuf, who defected to the rebel Indian Cricket League, Shahid Afridi and even Shoaib Akhtar while appointing him.
However, Malik faced severe criticism from all quarters since taking up the job and even Yousuf held the all-rounder responsible for his jump to the ICL.
"Let Malik stay on as captain for year"
But Malik, who has shown gradual improvement as captain and also upped his own performances, has admitted he is trying to improve his communication skills with the players.
Bad blood
To add to that, Malik also has the backing of coach Intikhab Alam who insisted that he should be given the responsibility for both Test and one-day cricket after chief selector Abdul Qadir suggested having different teams and captains for the two formats of the game.
However, the captaincy issue has already generated plenty of bad blood with Malik accusing some sections of media and former players from Karachi of running a campaign against him.
During the recent Pentangular Cup One-Day tournament held in Karachi and even before that, on some occasions, Malik remarked informally he was unhappy with the way some media persons and former players from Karachi had targeted him and his captaincy.
Pro-Malik camp
Few times, Malik even avoided talking to some Karachi based media persons who he feels are against him because he is from Punjab. This has unfortunately led to a pro-Malik camp made up of the media corps of Lahore and some former players from Punjab and officials in the PCB openly insisting they would not allow Malik to be stripped of the captaincy because of the campaign.
"The result is that no one is willing to sensibly review Malik's captaincy results from a purely cricketing point of view but have turned it into a Punjab-Karachi rivalry issue," one former player said.
A member of the Punjab team that recently won the Pentangular Cup under Malik's captaincy disclosed that he had never seen the allrounder so pumped up to do well in a domestic tournament.
"It was as if he wanted to prove a point by winning the tournament in Karachi," he added.
Different provinces
The Karachi-Lahore rivalry or Karachi-Punjab rivalry has always existed in Pakistan cricket but never been mentioned loudly but apparently in Malik's case things have been different.
"There should be no such feeling because the Pakistan team is made up of players from different provinces and cities and Malik represents Pakistan not Punjab," former Test captain Rashid Latif said.
He said during is playing days he never really encountered any such problems while playing domestic cricket or for the national team.
"I don't know why this feeling has cropped up. The rivalry has always been there but it has only led to healthy competition," he said.

"It is as good as winning World Cup"

Beating the Australians in their own backyard is as good as lifting the World Cup, says South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis.
"It is up there with winning the World Cup, if not better. What better place do you want to do it? I have had some individual high moments here but ... This takes the cake, having won a Test match here," Kallis was quoted as saying by 'The Australian'.
South Africa has sealed the three-match series after winning the first two Tests in Perth and here, humbling the Aussies at home for the first time in 16 years.
Kallis, who scored two half centuries in the opening Perth Test, said playing and winning Down Under is one of the toughest challenges that a cricketer can imagine.
"All the younger generation, I don't think they appreciate just how tough a place Australia is to tour," he said.

Sri Lanka repel Bangladesh charge

Bangladesh gave Lanka a scare but a late collapse denied them a shot at the most unlikely of Test victories.
Having been set a daunting target of 521 by the tourists, Bangladesh - led by Mohammad Ashraful's outstanding century - briefly looked capable of making a fight of it as they reached lunch on day five at 373 for six.
But after Shakib Al Hasan went four runs shy of his own ton, Sri Lanka swept up the Bangladesh tail at a cost of just 10 runs to wrap up victory in this first of two Tests by 107 runs.
Last night, skipper Mohammad Ashraful and Shakib Al Hasan put on 74 before stumps and continued in the same vein this morning, adding another 38 before Ashraful was finally removed.
Ashraful sizzles Dhaka
The 24-year-old lofted a Chaminda Vaas delivery over mid-off for four to reach his century but perished for 101 in Vaas' next over when he was caught low on the pad by a ball headed for middle and leg stump.
Milestone in sight
But Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim continued to frustrate the Sri Lankan attack, adding another 81 runs to take Bangladesh to the interval without further loss and put them within 148 runs of their target.
After the break, Shakib continued to close on what would have been his first Test century, but with the milestone in sight he sent an inside edge on to the stumps chasing a full delivery from Dammika Prasad.
That left the hosts on 403 for seven but running out of capable batsmen, and Sri Lanka pounced to take full advantage.
Mashrafe Mortaza scored only two runs before he was caught behind by Prasanna Jayawardene off Prasad.
Stats from Dhaka
Mushfiqur Rahim had managed his fourth Test 50 but, perhaps feeling the pressure as he ran out of partners, he attempted an ambitious shot through midwicket off Muttiah Muralitharan and sent the ball straight into the hands of Tillakaratne Dilshan to depart for 61.
The Bangladesh innings then came to an end when Mahbubul Alam was run out having scored two, leaving the scoreless Shahadat Hossain as the last man standing.
Muralitharan, who did most of the damage yesterday, took four second-innings wickets at a cost of 141 runs, while Prasad returned figures of three for 105.
Bangladesh have only one previous Test victory, a 226-run win against Zimbabwe in Chittagong in January 2005.
Click here for the scorecard

Sri Lanka held up by Bangla

Sri Lanka were poised for victory in the first Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur despite meeting unexpected resistance.
Having set the home side an improbable 521 to win, Sri Lanka had high hopes of finishing off a Bangladesh side which made just 178 in their first innings.But bolstered by skipper Mohammad Ashraful's stubborn 70 not out, the hosts closed day four on 254 for five - 267 shy of their target.Master spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was the pick of the Sri Lanka attack, claiming three for 85.He could not get the better of Ashraful, though, after he came to the crease with his side wobbling on 124 for three.
Ashraful plays a fluent knockThe 24-year-old reached his eighth Test half-century and was undefeated at stumps after facing 153 balls and hitting 11 fours.Although his was the largest contribution, nearly all the Bangladesh batsmen chipped in.
Tamim sizzles tooOpener Tamim Iqbal made 47, Junaid Siddique 37, Raqibul Hasan 24 and Mehrab Hossain Jr 23.Ashraful also received useful support from Shakib Al Hasan (34no), with the pair having put on an unbroken 74 for the sixth wicket.Earlier, Mahela Jayawardene hit a magnificent 166 as Sri Lanka added 114 runs to their overnight score before declaring on 405 for six.
Click here for the SCORECARD

Rafiq added to England Under-19 squad

Azeem Rafiq has been added to the England Under-19 squad for next month's tour of South Africa after the Yorkshire spinner successfully applied to become a British citizen.
The off-spinner and the rest of the 16-man squad will arrive in Cape Town on January 6.
They are scheduled to play five one-day internationals, two Twenty20 games and one Test against their South African counterparts.
Rafiq, 17, was thrust into the spotlight this summer after his inclusion in Yorkshire's Twenty20 Cup match with Nottinghamshire caused the Tykes to be ejected from the competition.
Despite captaining England at under-15 and under-16 level, Rafiq did not hold a British passport at the time and had therefore to be classed as an overseas player.
As Yorkshire had failed to de-register Rana Naved-ul-Hasan as their overseas player, the England and Wales Cricket Board cancelled Yorkshire's quarter-final with Durham and awarded their place in the competition to Glamorgan.
John Abrahams, England Under-19 manager, said he was happy to finally have Rafiq available to play for England.
He said: "Azeem is a talented cricketer who has already shown great potential. We're delighted he's now eligible to join the England Under-19 squad and believe the experience of touring in South Africa will help him continue his development as a cricketer."
Rafiq signed a three-year professional contract at Headingley in October after a series of impressive performances for Yorkshire's second XI and academy, whom he recently captained to success in the Academy ARCH Trophy in Dubai.

Hayden named in Australia squad

Out-of-form opener Matthew Hayden has retained his place in the Australia squad for the third Test against South Africa in Sydney.
Australian selectors have named a 13-man party that includes NSW paceman Doug Bollinger and Victorian all-rounder Andrew McDonald for the final match of the series which starts on Saturday.
They have been called up as replacements for injured pair Brett Lee (foot) and Shane Watson, who has stress fractures in his lower back.

Sri Lanka held up by Bangladesh

Sri Lanka were poised for victory in the first Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur despite meeting unexpected resistance on Tuesday.
Having set the home side an improbable 521 to win, Sri Lanka had high hopes of finishing off a Bangladesh side which made just 178 in their first innings.
But bolstered by skipper Mohammad Ashraful's stubborn 70 not out, the hosts closed day four on 254 for five - 267 shy of their target.
Master spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was the pick of the Sri Lanka attack, claiming three for 85.
He could not get the better of Ashraful, though, after he came to the crease with his side wobbling on 124 for three.
The 24-year-old reached his eighth Test half-century and was undefeated at stumps after facing 153 balls and hitting 11 fours.
Although his was the largest contribution, nearly all the Bangladesh batsmen chipped in.
Opener Tamim Iqbal made 47, Junaid Siddique 37, Raqibul Hasan 24 and Mehrab Hossain Jr 23.
Ashraful also received useful support from Shakib Al Hasan (34no), with the pair having put on an unbroken 74 for the sixth wicket.
Earlier, Mahela Jayawardene hit a magnificent 166 as Sri Lanka added 114 runs to their overnight score before declaring on 405 for six.

India start their journey to glory

espnstar.com continues to look at the Indian sporting highs of the year and pays tribute to the heroes who made news.By Rajarshi Gupta
India stormed the world at the dawn of 2008. A young captain with a young team showed who would call the shots for the rest of the year.
MS Dhoni, marshalled his resources like seasoned general and battled hard to salvage pride in the Commonwealth Bank Series Down Under. The Men in Blue dominated Sri Lanka, the third team in the fray and made them look like the Emerald Islanders had just been invited to make up the numbers.
Click here for winning images from the CB Series
The Indian machine had begun to chug. Yes, there were early stutters and stops. It took a team running high on the new age spirit to run the Aussies down their own backyard and in some style!
By the time, Sachin Tendulkar smashed a ton and splendid 91 in the first two finals, India had laid their hands on the CB Series and had won five of the 10 matches, losing three. Two games were washed out.
Gautam Gambhir led the run carnage, rattling off 440 runs from 10 matches at an average of 55.00 with two tons and a fifty.
Sachin Tendulkar, easily the most senior player on show was not too far behind as well. He blasted 399 runs from 10 games and punctuated those with a ton and a couple of fities.
Sachin's dizzying new heights
The bowlers were, however, the surprise package. Sri Lanka and Australia came up with heavy ammunition in their batting might. That did not deter Ishant Sharma from sneaking out 14 wickets from nine matches at an average of a shade over 20.
The biggest sensation was yet to make a mark though. Praveen Kumar came, saw and conquered with his expansive swing and lethal movement off the pitch. His guile and unsuppressed energy with the new ball helped him prize out 11 wickets from the last four games India played.
These were the performances that set the tone for India for the rest of the year. Gambhir went on to end 2008 as only the third Indian batsman (after Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar) to score more than 1,000 runs in both Tests and ODI's in the same year.
Tendulkar's innings in the finals still sets up to the edge of our seats in polite drawing room discussions on the Blue fervour in Australia this year.
The magic rubbed on and it refused to go away. That was when it all started to change.
Ishant's magic spell in Perth
Ishant Sharma is today the deadliest strike force Dhoni has at his desposal and if his Man-of-the-Series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home last month is anything to go by, Indian cricket is firmly on the highway to glory

Steyn: We are not chokers

Dale Steyn feels if South Africa continue to play with the same zeal they would soon get rid of the 'chokers' tag.
The pacer was the architect of South Africa's historic win over Australia.
"I just feel so relieved or privileged I am not sure exactly how I feel to be part of a team that has come down here and been successful," said Steyn, who scalped 10 wickets besides scoring a half century in the second Test here which the Proteas won by nine wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
"This side is a young side with its De Villiers, Duminy, Amlas and Morkels who are mostly playing their first Test matches here and they are going to carry on playing Test cricket for a long time.
Chokers? Who?
"We don't have that kind of history that word chokers keeps on coming up and if we can start our careers like this and take it forward, we can start a new generation of cricket and South African cricketers. I am very proud to be part of a side that has achieved something special," he added Steyn feels the Proteas have a lethal attack with a great captain at the helm of affairs.
"I feel we have a great attack with a lot of maturity about it represented by Makhaya and Jacques, then you get the other three of us and we seem to be learning all the time. And we are also supported by a

Smith hails Proteas win

Graeme Smith hailed his team's historic series triumph over Australia as 'the greatest moment in South African cricket'.
The Proteas capped off a remarkable 2008 by inflicting Australia's first series defeat at home in 16 years with a crushing nine-wicket victory at the MCG, handing them an unassailable 2-0 lead heading into the final Test in Sydney. Should they claim victory there, they will take over Australia's mantle as the number one Test nation in the ICC rankings.
"It's got to be the best," he said. "It's got to be the most incredible season South African cricket has ever had, particularly with the results that we've had. I don't think anyone would argue with that."
He added: "Obviously things have changed a little bit now. It's a real honour for us to sit here knowing we are the first team in 16 years to come and be victorious on these shores.
"The balance of power is evening out in world cricket.
"Credit to Australia, they've dominated world cricket for a decade now and they obviously enjoyed their time. It doesn't mean that they're going to be beaten in future tours or are going to be easy to beat.
"I think the balance is going to be evened out a little bit more now. Maybe other teams are moving into other eras, who knows?"
South Africa have won 11 of 15 Test matches in 2008 - which included a series win in England and a draw in India - and suffered just two losses.
Smith is also the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year with 1,656 runs - the third highest in a calendar year behind Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf and West Indies great Viv Richards.

Perth spell has been a life-turner’

‘Ishant Sharma tells Mobile ESPN’s Aman Kapoor in an exclusive interview how a fierce spell in Perth changed his career.
The year 2008 marked a remarkable run for Indian cricket and a lanky new fast bowler was born. Ishant Sharma had Ricky Ponting clueless about the position of his off-stump during India's tour Down Under. Sharma, his hair whirling in the Perth breeze, made Punter his humbled bunny. That in-swinger that bowled Ponting must have made sleep hard to come for the Aussie skipper several times in the days that followed.
WACA changed my career
Ishant confessed the magical spell at the WACA was the turning point in his career. "The spell I bowled to Ponting at Perth was a life-turner for me. It put me on the world map. It feels great to force a batsman of Ponting's stature on his toes. The Test series shot me into prominence."
Ishant has shown in the last few series he can move the ball both ways. Even the best of batsmen who can see them coming have been left bewildered. So how is he mastering the art of reverse swing?
"I have been working hard with Zaheer (Khan). We keep having chats and discussions on the field and off it about action, about seam positioning, and of course how to reverse-swing. We have used it well in the last couple of series. If the opposition's three frontline pacers are taking fewer wickets than men and Zaheer combined, I guess the results are showing."
Zak a great motivation
And how has it been bowling alongside a veteran pro like Zaheer?
"Zaheer has been very influential not just for me but for the entire team. Though he was hit by injuries, he came back strong and more focused. He has literally become an expert in the art of reverse-swing. He is very clear in his plans against every batsman. We talk about where to bowl to a batsman and most of the time it works out well."
Ian Chappell recently asserted that the Australian monopoly at the top was now fading, but Ishant refuses to let go off modesty.
"We're not really thinking about it. We just want to play good cricket. We have plans for different oppositions we face. As long as the plans are executed properly, ranking will take care of itself."
Team India lives up to its reputation
India are now a team brimming with options, and in a batsman-centric sport, Ishant has carved a niche for him.
On his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership, the speedster had this to say: "He knows his job. One does not feel under pressure when he is on the field. He talks to me like a friend and does not like to impose his ideas. The team gels well with Dhoni."
Signing off with an effortless "happy new year to you," Ishant walks tall, and we hope he can wreak more havoc on Kiwi wickets when India travel Down Under in March, 2009.
Sehwag hails Ishant

"We will come back to rule the world"

Ricky Ponting said it would take a few years before Australia returns as the same ruthless force which ruled world cricket.
Virtually admitting that the days of their absolute domination is over, the Australia captain said his team would be back to the form that ruled world cricket with an iron fist.
"We've had an amazing run as a team . We have dominated world cricket for a long period of time," Ponting said after his side went down to South Africa in the second Test here today.
Former skippers back Ponting
"I'm still very positive and very sure that with some of these younger guys coming on that in a few years time we can get back up there and be dominating world cricket once again.
"It's going to take a little while, there is no doubt about that. You can not expect young guys to come in and have sustain success. The young guys are the ones who generally lack consistency," Ponting said.
"The gap between our best cricket and our worst cricket has been too big and we have to make that smaller if we want to win the next Test and if we want to stay in that top group of Test-playing nations," added Ponting.
The feeling is new but not pleasant
Ponting admitted it was a strange feeling for some of the players who have been used to wins only but felt there was no reason to press the panic button yet.
"A lot of players in the team aren't accustomed to losing Test matches let alone Test series. We've all got to remain upbeat. There's no time for panic or as (chief selector) Andrew Hilditch said, chop and change," Ponting said.