Close of play Australia A 57 for 3 (Clarke 22*, Hodge 11*) and 311 for 5 dec lead Indians 245 (Patel 49, Chopra 46, Tendulkar 36, Nicholson 4-25) by 123 runs
Scorecard

The second day of the three-day match wasn’t one for batsmen, with the Australian bowlers restricting the Indian total to 245, and the Indians striking back with three quick wickets, as Australia A ended the evening session at 57 for 3.Superb bowling performances by Matthew Nicholson and Shaun Tait gave Australia A a 66-run lead over the Indians, who threw away their wickets and wasted a chance to bat themselves into form, inadvertently making the game a competitive one.It became even more so when Lakshmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan dismissed Chris Rogers, Michael Hussey, and Martin Love – all of whom made fifties in the first innings – in quick succession.Tait lived up to his reputation of being a bowler with mean pace, as he regularly beat the bat, making the batsmen’s stay an unenjoyable one. Though Deep Dasgupta (21) started the day with a degree of caution, he couldn’t bring his bat down soon enough on an inswinger by Tait that struck him on the pads (51 for 2).The dismissal brought Sachin Tendulkar to the wicket. Gone were the nerves of the previous Tests, as was the hesitation. There was complete authority in his strokeplay, as he cut, pulled and flicked the ball off his legs for boundaries. Damien Wright, whose first five overs cost him two runs, found his fifth going for 12, with Tendulkar dispatching the first two balls of the over to the square-leg fence, and then cover-driving the next to the fence.Paul Rofe, who was impressive in his recent first-class matches, bowled a delivery two feet outside off stump, destined for the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Tendulkar intercepted it, and with a twirl of the wrists, pulled it to midwicket. And then came the dismissal. A well-directed bouncer by Wright was hooked straight to fine leg, where Tait took a well-judged catch(104 for 3).

All along, Chopra stood firm, growing in stature and assurance, playing with a discipline the Indians lacked for a large part of the game. Boundaries were taken when offered. Otherwise, he was content to play dead-bat shots. Sehwag (30) came out and toyed with the bowling, cutting a Tait delivery over slips for four, and then lofting another to the cover boundary. But the adrenaline rush led to his dismissal, and he edged an intended back-foot punch off Tait to the keeper (139 for 4). Sourav Ganguly came in, and with him came the inevitable rising ball angled across off stump by Nicholson. On cue, Ganguly played it straight to gully (149 for 5).The next over, Chopra (46) took off for a run off a misfield, and a brilliant off-balance throw from Michael Hussey hit the stumps, with the batsman short of the white line (150 for 6). Balaji’s batting hopes lasted all of 10 balls, for Tait delivered a toe-crushing inswinger to trap him in front (162 for 7).Patel and Murali Kartik came together and played it safe, nudging the ball around for runs. The introduction of Cameron White to the attack changed that. Bowling quick, flat legbreaks, White was cover-driven and swept for boundaries, Patel displaying a tenacity and inventiveness that was sorely absent in his more experienced colleagues. He was poised to take the Indians close to the Australia A total, when Kartik (26) was run out taking a sharp single.Patel departed one short of a half-century in the next over, attempting a drive off Nicholson, which instead went to Martin Love at first slip (233 for 9). Soon after, Nicholson dismissed Irfan Pathan (11), picking up his fourth wicket in the process.And just when it seemed that the second day too belonged to the Australians, a delivery by Balaji was edged by Rogers to slip (5 for 1). Hussey (7) was next to go, cutting a delivery too close to his body straight to Tendulkar at first slip, giving Pathan his second wicket of the match.Love (11) continued his first innings form with a flowing cover-drive to open his account, but in a moment of indecision, he moved neither front, nor back, and was bowled by a straight ball from Balaji (28 for 3).

ScorecardVictoria virtually assured itself a place in the Pura Cup final with a crushing 197-run victory over South Australia in Adelaide. Allan Wise took a five-for as South Australia collapsed to 156 all out, having started the final day on 2 for 75.South Australia’s hopes of salvaging something from the game rested with Greg Blewett and Darren Lehmann, but they were able to add only 14 this morning before Wise got Blewett to edge one through to Darren Berry. And Mark Cosgrove lasted just 13 balls before going the same route, as South Australia slipped to 4 for 99.Graham Manou (0) and Michael Miller (7) didn’t trouble the scorers unduly, and when Lehmann fell for 45, the fat lady could begin to clear her throat. Within eight overs, it was all over.Berry, the Victoria captain, admitted that the death of David Hookes had left scars on the players, but added that his team would use to inspire them to greater heights. “What he would want us to do is continue in the fashion that he was leading us, with positive cricket, and that’s what we’ve done all season.”So without dedicating it to David, quietly each and every member of this side knows what we want to achieve.”Lehmann was bitterly disappointed by the defeat, which all but ended South Australia’s hopes of making the final. “It’s just very disappointing the way we’re playing,” he said. “I make no bones about it, we’ve been disappointing for the last few games … we’ve played reasonably well in the one-day set-up but very poorly in the last few Shield games. So we’ve certainly got some work to do, and you know we’ve certainly got to look to the future probably now.”Victoria will most likely face either Tasmania or Queensland in the final next month.

The New Zealand and South Africa cricket teams, in the midst of a one-day series, have donated bats and shirts for auction to raise money for victims of the recent storms and floods that lashed the southern and central North Island and the northern areas of the South Island.Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, hoped the contribution would make a difference.”We often see the devastation caused by storms and floods from afar,” Smith said, “but being so close to the worst affected areas makes us realize just how quickly lives can be seriously disrupted and we hope that in making this donation we can make a difference to those people whose lives have been severely affected.”New Zealand Cricket announced that ticket prices for the third one-day at Wellington would be slashed, and a certain amount donated for every adult ticket sold.

Phil Jaques is unlikely to play for Northamptonshire this season after they decided to abandon their bid to have him classified as an English-qualified player.Jaques, who was born in Australia but has a British passport, scored more than1400 runs in all competitions last summer, but jeopardised his England-qualified status by turning out for New South Wales in Australia this winter, which effectively re-classified him as an overseas player in the eyes of the ECB.Northants considered challenging the ECB’s registration regulations in court in order to hang on to Jaques, but have now decided not to pursue the case. In a statement issued today, they said: “As a result of detailed discussions with the ECB, Northamptonshire have recognised that as Phil Jaques opted to qualify for Australia by playing for New South Wales during the winter, he contravenes current ECB regulations and would therefore not be able to play for Northamptonshire as a ‘qualified’ player in the 2004 season.”After considerable thought and consultation, the committee fully supportthe need for regulations which focus on the development of cricketers who arecommitted and qualified to play for England. In view of the above, the application to register Phil, as a result of holding a British passport, has been withdrawn.”Northants have already signed the South Africans Martin van Jaarsveld andJohann Louw as their two overseas players for the coming season, leaving no place for Jaques.Simon Schanschieff, Northamptonshire’s chairman, said: “Phil is an outstanding talent and we were delighted with the way he grasped his opportunity with us last season. We were naturally keen to retain his services, but we also support the governing body in their efforts to produce a successful England team. It is very disappointing for us, but it will give emerging players in our squad the opportunity they want to perform in first-division cricket.”And David Kemp, the chairman of the ECB’s Registration and Contracts committee,was delighted with the decision. He said: “The committee are very pleased this issue has been resolved. We are charged with drafting and implementing registration regulations agreed by the first-class counties, and we always aim to ensure these regulations best serve the interests of cricket in this country whilst being in accordance with the law.”

Muttiah Muralitharan, playing in his hometown, snapped up 4 for 48 and brought up the 500-wicket landmark when he bowled Michael Kapsprowicz through the gate with an offbreak that spun sharply back through the gate. Muralitharan’s contribution helped Sri Lanka bowl out Australia for 120, a record low against them.Muralitharan will now race with Shane Warne (501 wickets) to Courtney Walsh’s 519-wicket world-record. Both bowlers may not be able to attain it in this series, although there is an outside chance that they could overhaul it. So Muralitharan looks destined to break the world record during Sri Lanka’s two-Test tour to Zimbabwe in April.Hashan Tillakaratne praised Muralitharan before the second Test: “Murali is a great cricketer and a great team-man. He has done Sri Lanka proud and won so many matches for us. I don’t know where we would be were it not for his bowling.”Muralitharan, the only Tamil in the Sri Lanka team and the son of a successful biscuit manufacturer, first played for Sri Lanka against Australia in 1992, taking three wickets in his first Test. His career was later plagued by controversy after being called for throwing on tours to Australia in 1995-96 and 1998-99.But although his unique bowling still attracts suspicion in some quarters, he was cleared by the ICC after extensive, high-tech biomechanical analysis by three separate research institutes, including the University of Western Australia and the University of Hong Kong.Those studies concluded that his helicopter-wristed and locked-elbow action produced the “optical illusion” of throwing and did not contravene the game’s laws. Muralitharan has a congenital deformity that prevents him from fully straightening his arm and a super-flexible wrist which is responsible for generating prodigious spin.

Press conferences, especially pre or post-match, can be many things; routine, mundane, ritualistic. But almost without exception they lack in occasion, meaning and magnitude. All the better, then, when one comes along that evokes a rush of wistfulness and longing, such as that which marked the end of Waqar Younis’s illustrious career.Looking comfortable and relaxed in a snug-fitting beige top with jeans, with family in tow, Waqar’s press conference marked the close of a period in which Pakistan’s fast bowling richness rivaled, in quality if not quantity, that of the Caribbean pace attacks in the 1970s and `80s. While Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami struggle to match up, it merely sharpens the nostalgic images of Waqar’s contribution to Pakistan’s success for much of the swinging `90s.He may not have been the granddaddy of reverse swing – Sarfraz Nawaz will undoubtedly put in his two cents here – but he became its most glamorous and potent poster boy. Nobody, not Imran, not Wasim and certainly no-one from the current crop of Pakistan pacers, exploited a battered old ball and 90mph pace, with the "threading a needle" accuracy, as devastatingly as Waqar did. He may not have had the variety of a Wasim (very few do) but if he was a one-trick pony, then what a trick it was. And like his partner in swing, Wasim, his retirement will also evoke a curious and unsettling blend of sadness and relief.Sadness, definitely, for at his peak, the Burewala Express was a magnificent sight and a destructive force. Sadness, because we will most likely never see another spell like the one Waqar bowled at Durban in 1992-93 against South Africa – a spell which, incidentally, he recalled as one of his most memorable. Coasting along at 159 for 1, chasing a seemingly inadequate 209, Waqar scythed through a batting line-up including Andrew Hudson, Hansie Cronje and Daryl Cullinan, picking up five wickets for 25 runs.Sadness, because if bowlers in the `90s, as Gideon Haigh has argued, are becoming less ambitious and have been "taut, trained, restrictive and repetitive," then Waqar’s attacking raison d’etre was a glorious rejoinder to that notion. Sadness because of the bombast he brought to the game – while his economy rate in Test cricket was 3.25 and in ODIs, almost 5, his strike rates were among the best of all time (43 in Tests and 30 in ODIs) – if he wasn’t giving away runs, he was taking wickets.But there is also relief; because like other Pakistani cricketers, he too stayed on considerably past his peak. Although he developed into a bowler of some nous and skill in his latter years, his effectiveness was never the same. Relief because, as he said himself, he left the game with regrets – some, like the ’92 World Cup were unavoidable and thus more painful, but some, like his ongoing rivalry with Wasim, were avoidable and thus annoying.Relief also because his involvement in player politics brought an era of rampant factionalism and controversy within the Pakistan team. And relief because, during his captaincy, Pakistan lurched from disaster against Australia in Sharjah, to shame in South Africa in the World Cup.What lies ahead for Waqar? At the press conference, he revealed that an autobiography, predictably and depressingly tell-all in nature, was in the works. Then the media or maybe even, as is strongly rumoured, a stint as bowling coach for the national side. Probably, as is increasingly popular, it will be a combination of both. His success in what PCB Chairman Shahrayar Khan calls his "second innings" will depend heavily, however, on the who’s and how’s of the PCB power paradigm.His retirement undoubtedly book-ends an era in which, along with Wasim, he was more often than not the difference between a mediocre Pakistan and an extremely dangerous, if inconsistent, version. He began by stating that, for once, at a press conference, he wasn’t under any pressure. Thankfully, for once, we too were present at a press conference with some meaning.

The ICC has stated that it is open to the idea of having a two-tier format for Tests. Reacting to Sourav Ganguly’s suggestion that all Test teams be grouped into two levels, Ehsan Mani, the ICC president, said in a chat with BBC Hindi: “The ICC is considering suggestions like that of Ganguly’s with an open mind. We have received many suggestions like these. A decision on having a two-tier Test format can be taken by June next year.”Mani clarified that the ICC was currently in the process of studying various aspects of the game. “The ICC is having a strategic review of international cricket these days where we will definitely review and analyse all these things. We are trying to find out a better way of running cricket competitions in the world. We shall probably make a decision on this by June 2005 when the final document should be ready. You should understand that this would have far-reaching implications.”The ICC had earlier indicated that it was hoping to offer full membership to six more countries in the medium-term, prompting Ganguly to suggest that a two-tier system was the only way to preserve the standards of Test cricket. The clamour for the new format has also gained ground after Zimbabwe’s second string was thrashed in the Tests and the one-dayers by Sri Lanka. Australia are already in Zimbabwe for a series that many fear will be the most one-sided in the history of Test cricket.

The Indian board today announced the six Test venues for the forthcoming series against Australia and South Africa later this year. Kanpur, Nagpur, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai all made the grade, but there was no place for Delhi.Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the board, confirmed the venues after the first day of the working committee meeting at Delhi. He said, “Delhi said that it could not host a Test match. So we have decided on these six venues besides a couple of stand byes in case there is any casualty.”Dalymiya added that the dates of the matches for these venues would not be decided until tomorrow, but did confirm that Hyderabad and Jaipur would host the warm-up matches. Australia are due to play four Test matches between September 30 and November 7, while the South Africans are scheduled to play two Tests in November.Dalmiya also discussed other issues such as increasing the pension for former Test players and umpires. “The major decision taken today was that under the Platinum Pension Scheme, the Test players and umpires who retired prior to 1976 would be getting Rs 10,000 per month instead of Rs 5,000," he said. "But those who retired after 1976, would continue to get Rs 5,000."Another topic for discussion was a change in format of the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy, which will now be played in the same structure of the Ranji Trophy. “The Elite and Plate format in the Ranji Trophy is extremely successful. Now the same will be applied to under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy from this year," Dalmiya said. “It was decided that two teams instead of the existing one team would now qualify for the knock-out stage of the Ranji Trophy one-day tournament.”It was further decided that the proposal to do away with the toss before the start of matches would not be implemented now and that there would be a financial penalty for pitch doctoring.”Lastly, Dalmiya revealed that to mark 75 years of Indian cricket, they would host a one-off one-dayer against Pakistan: “The date for the match against Pakistan has not been finalised. We would be deciding on the venue and date in a few days time.”

The Asia Cup is back: the latest incarnation starts in Sri Lanka on Friday (July 16). In contrast to the past, when first India then Pakistan contrived to avoid taking part for one reason or another, all four of Asia’s Test nations will be there. Making up the numbers are the United Arab Emirates and, for the first time, Hong Kong, who made their way here via a qualifying tournament.There’s a fly in the ointment. The matches have been scheduled for a time when it invariably rains in Sri Lanka. (Click here and scroll down for a ten-day weather forecast for Colombo: “Scattered T-Storms” are predicted on each and every day.) Also, as if to make up for all the cricket that is likely to be rained off, the organisers scheduled rather too much of it. After all six teams play a league phase, the four qualifiers play another all-play-all round-robin to determine the finalists.But if the rains hold off, the Asia Cup could still serve up some wonderful cricket. Muttiah Muralitharan will be back in the playing arena, India will be looking to recreate the momentum of the last season at the beginning of this challenging one, Pakistan will play for the first time under their new coach, Bob Woolmer, and Bangladesh, coached by Dav Whatmore, will be out to inflict an upset or two. No offence to Bangladesh, but the tournament will certainly be won by one of the other three.Take a look at the ICC ODI table: Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India occupy places 4 to 6, within four points of one another, with Nos 2 and 3 not far ahead. In fact, all the teams barring Australia are bunched so close together that this season represents a great opportunity for one of them to string together some impressive wins and climb to No. 2, and establish a gap on the others. All of these three teams are capable of doing just that, and the Asia Cup will be a good place to start. This is not just another meaningless one-day tournament; it is a vital cog in the progress of each team.India are coming off some quiet months following the successful tour to Pakistan, and they will be quietly confident. Their batting has been excellent of late, and they have had a problem of plenty: so many fast bowlers were in contention for the squad that they were forced to leave out Ajit Agarkar, and a further quandary will present itself if they decide to play just one specialist spinner, and have to choose between Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, who is returning after injury. Sourav Ganguly has also dropped hints recently that the question of who will open the batting is not yet settled, so that will be interesting to watch. Virender Sehwag has indicated that he would like to score one-day international cricket’s first double-century against one of the minnows, and Sachin Tendulkar also has an eye for records – the India v UAE game on July 16 promises to be exciting for that reason alone.But once the tournament gets serious, India might face a problem if one of their batsmen is injured – there are no back-ups for them in the squad. Either Parthiv Patel, or an extra bowler, might have to come into the side then. Patel had been selected as a specialist wicketkeeper even after the team management had made it perfectly clear that they would ask Rahul Dravid to open, and the management and the selectors need to be on the same wavelength if India are to continue advancing in world cricket.Pakistan will also be a side to watch. My colleague, Osman Samiuddin, commented recently on Pakistan’s refreshing decision to opt for continuity, even after their defeat against India, and that, as well as their move to hire Bob Woolmer, indicates that they mean business. From the era of amateur coaches who beseech their team to “put 150% effort” to a professional age, under one of the finest modern coaches – if Pakistan continue on this road, which India embarked upon when they hired John Wright, it could transform their cricket. Will the first signs of change be visible in this Asia Cup? The world will be watching closely.Both India and Pakistan will be hard-pressed to beat Sri Lanka. At home, and with Murali in their ranks, Sri Lanka are a powerful side. Also, unlike their opponents, they come into this tournament with plenty of recent match practice behind them. Will they be sharp after their battles in Australia, or weary (surely that’s just wishful thinking)?And what can Bangladesh do? They almost won a Test in the West Indies, but beyond that, there are few signs that Whatmore has made much difference to a notoriously diffident side. But the process of becoming a contender from a minnow is a long one, and Whatmore has been down that road before, with Sri Lanka. Does he have enough talent available to repeat that process with them? Can Bangladesh cause an upset or two in this tournament? Well, maybe they can. But first, they must get past the even minnower talents of Hong Kong.Amit Varma is managing editor of Wisden Cricinfo in India.

India A 135 for 0 (Jadhav 60*, Gambhir 59*) beat Kenya 133 (Odumbe 40, Bhandari 3-20, Bahutule 3-26) by 10 wickets
ScorecardIndia A registered their second victory in successive days in the tri-nation one-day tournament in Nairobi, thrashing Kenya by ten wickets in a hopelessly one-sided contest.Kenya had beaten India A by 22 runs in the first round of the group matches, but this time they stood no chance after Amit Bhandari wrecked their top order with an incisive new-ball spell. He took three early wickets as Kenya slumped to 18 for 3. Maurice Odumbe led a mini-revival with 40, but Kenya managed only a paltry 133, which the Indian openers knocked off in just 25 overs.Bhandari started the Kenyan slide early on, trapping Kennedy Obuya in front for 5 (8 for 1). Then, with the score on 18, Bhandari struck twice, having Hitesh Modi caught behind for 3, before nailing Steve Tikolo, Kenya’s captain, in similar fashion for a duck.Odumbe and Ravindu Shah got the innings back on track, putting on 62 for the fourth wicket, but all their good work was undone when four wickets went down for the addition of just one run, with Sairaj Bahutule and Aavishkar Salvi doing the damage. Odumbe was finally stumped by Mahendra Dhoni – who had five victims in the match – off Bahutule, and though the tail resisted briefly, 133 was all that Kenya could manage.It was a target which was never likely to test the Indians, and Gautam Gambhir and Dheeraj Jadhav ensured an early finish. Both scored half-centuries – Jadhav was unbeaten on 60 while Gambhir made 59 not out – as India romped home with half their total overs unused. India A and Kenya now have two wins from three games, while Pakistan A have lost both their matches so far.