Dominant India set for big lead

India 292 for 2 (Gambhir 78, Sehwag 74, Dravid 69*, Tendulkar 57*) lead New Zealand 193 (McCullum 40, Southee 38, Ishant 4-43) by 99 runs Virender Sehwag continued toying with the bowling, Gautam Gambhir continued his return to form, after which Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar took India to a dominant position in the series decider. As Dravid and Tendulkar accumulated risk-free runs after the openers' aggressive start, the faces of the New Zealand players wore a resigned look for the first time on the tour. On the same flat pitch, New Zealand had been bowled out for 193, and are now looking at the prospect of having to bat out roughly two days to save the match. They lost their last three wickets for 45 today, thanks to Ishant Sharma's impressive spell. He got good bounce from lengths that weren't quite short and wasted little time in getting Brendon McCullum, who had moved a bit more freely today. One thick edge flew past gully, but the delivery immediately after was closer to the body and took the edge through to the keeper. He had New Zealand down to 165 for 9, but some lusty hitting from Southee kept India in the field a little longer. After three sixes in three overs, one Southee mis-hit ended up with Sehwag, who then rushed to pad up. Sehwag was in the same rush with the bat, but he was helped by the opposition too. New Zealand bowled to Sehwag the reputation, not Sehwag the batsman, and paid the price. Chris Martin hit him on the finger with a short ball first up, but overdid the short bit on a sluggish surface. Sehwag pulled and upper-cut with ease, scoring 39 off the 23 short deliveries bowled to him. Martin did manage to get him to fend uppishly on one occasion, but there was neither short leg nor leg gully to take advantage. Martin had taken a quick five-for in Ahmedabad with traditional swing bowling, but barely pitched anything up to Sehwag here. That hit on the fingers only encouraged him to keep bowling short. In Martin's second over, Sehwag pulled him for boundaries twice in front of long leg. It didn't help that when Martin pitched up later, he was driven square for four. The pitch was so slow that Sehwag once swayed out of the line of a short delivery, and then nonchalantly, as an afterthought, sliced it over gully. He was waiting to tuck into the full ones, whipping the next length ball off the pads. At the other end Gambhir, who did the dirty work in Hyderabad by scratching through for his first half-century in 10 months, looked confident. His clips off the pads went where he wanted them to, the walk down the pitch to counter swing was back, and so was the steer to third man. However, the steer, when attempted a touch carelessly, would eventually cost him a century. Gambhir was getting the singles to give Sehwag the strike. It wouldn't have been a good idea to keep Sehwag away from the strike. He welcomed Daniel Vettori with a six over long-on - a mere flick that went the distance - and then late-cut him for four delightfully. After lunch, he looked to keep feasting on the bowling, taking 17 off the first two overs after the interval. By the time the slowness of a Vettori delivery cost Sehwag his century, he had added 100 or more with Gambhir for the ninth time. Still, India needed to guard against the tendency to lose momentum once Sehwag gets out. Gambhir, although not trying to score at Sehwag's pace, made sure nothing of the sort happened, allowing Dravid time to get going. He brought up his fifty with a loft over mid-on, and followed it up by going back and cutting the same bowler, Vettori, in his next over. Best of all, he charged at Williamson, then merely caressed him between mid-off and extra cover. With India one short of New Zealand's score, Gambhir chased a wide delivery from Southee, and to his horror looked up and saw a fourth slip and a gully placed for that shot. It was an angry Gambhir that made the walk back. Dravid soon drew attention to himself with a lovely straight-drive just before tea. Post the interval, though, with Sehwag and Gambhir gone, New Zealand could bowl to a plan. The run-rate fell from 4.9 when Sehwag got out to around 3.5, but the two senior batsmen knew they had enough time on their hands. So it fairly sedate march to a 19th century partnership between them - except for a couple of blows Tendulkar took on the forearm, and an edge from Dravid that fell short of the keeper . Both men made half-centuries, making it 198 scores of 50 or more between them.

India news: Umesh Yadav and Wriddhiman Saha picked for South Africa Tests

India have picked wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and seamers Umesh Yadav and Jaidev Unadkat for the three-Test series in South Africa, which begins on December 16 in Centurion. Zaheer Khan makes a return to the squad after being ruled out of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand because of a groin strain, but he, along with four other senior players, will miss the first two ODIs of the series against New Zealand. Gautam Gambhir will lead the ODI team in the absence of MS Dhoni, who had said he would request the BCCI for rest after playing non-stop since the tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year. Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh were the other players rested for the ODIs against New Zealand due to "injury concerns, which require attention and rehabilitation". Unadkat, the left-arm seamer from Saurashtra, had been drafted in as Zaheer's replacement for the third Test while Yadav, who is currently playing for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy, impressed during the IPL with Delhi Daredevils and made it to India's squads for the World Twenty20 and the tour of Zimbabwe. Saha, who plays for Bengal and has represented India in one Test, is fresh from a century against Assam in the Ranji Trophy Super League. Saha will also make his ODI debut, having been included in the squad for the first two games against New Zealand. Dinesh Karthik, who has been the usual replacement for Dhoni in the 50-over format, was not selected. Saha, whose glove work is highly regarded, will have at least two games to prove his batting skills before the selectors pick probables for the World Cup. Allrounder Yusuf Pathan, who last played for India in June, made his return to the team for the ODI series. Pathan is having a good domestic season with Baroda, smashing 89 off 42 balls against Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and scoring 195 off 138 balls against Haryana in the Ranji Trophy. He performed with the ball as well, pickng up ten wickets in a defeat against Uttar Pradesh. Dhoni, on the eve of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand in Nagpur, had asked for rest for players like himself and Suresh Raina ahead of the tour of South Africa. India coach Gary Kirsten had stressed the need for a few players to depart early, at least a week ahead of the Test series, not only to acclimatise but also understand the ground conditions better. The BCCI agreed to send some players early to South Africa to make up for the absence of practice games ahead of the Test series, even if at the expense of participation in the ODIs against New Zealand. Despite Saturday's announcement of senior players being rested, it is still unclear as to who would make the trip to South Africa before the others. India face New Zealand in the first of five ODIs on November 28 in Guwahati. Squad for first two ODIs v New Zealand: Gautam Gambhir (capt), M Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Saurabh Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja. Squad for South Africa Tests: MS Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, M Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, Jaidev Unadkat, Pragyan Ojha.

ws Pakistan v South Africa: de Villiers double makes it South Africa's day

Pakistan 59 for for 1 (Ali 34*, Steyn 1-27) trail South Africa 584 for 9 declared (de Villiers 278*, Kallis 105, Ahmed 6-120) by 525 runs AB de Villiers broke records and Pakistani spirits as South Africa took control on the second day at the Sheikh Abu Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. de Villiers compiled a monumental unvanquished 278, the highest individual score by a South African to help his side declare on 584 for 9. Pakistani resistance was by turns futile and worthwhile; debutante Tanvir Ahmed bagged a six-for by the close and an important unbroken 57-run stand between Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar allowed them to return to fight another day. The story and direction of the Test so far was set by de Villiers. Initially his was a muted, inevitable progression; a continuation of the stealthy way in which he went along on the first day. At no point did he choose to cut loose and it was really a matter of choice, for at no point in the day did he look insecure. A verbal dance with a luckless Umar Gul on the virtues or otherwise of walking - Pakistan thought de Villiers was out twice yesterday - was his highlight of the morning's first hour. He did break out 80 minutes in to the morning in one over against a tiring Ahmed, a delicious drive sandwiched by a pull and punch through midwicket; the last brought up 150. The damage to Pakistan didn't seem apparent at first: 74 runs and two wickets in the morning, in fact, was even-stevens. But as the day wore on, de Villiers killed Pakistan gradually, orchestrating a succession of useful lower-order stands. He put on 73 with Mark Boucher, 42 with Johan Botha and, irritatingly for Pakistan, 59 with Dale Steyn. Through them all were regular reminders of the simplicity of de Villiers' strokeplay, such as an easy glide through gully of Mohammad Sami. To bring up the double as tea approached, he first pulled Gul in front of square before guiding him through gully for another boundary. Steyn's post-lunch cameo was where the fun really began. There were flick-pulls, drives hit as hard as concrete as well as a magnificent dance-down six over long-on. Paul Harris added a handy 35 but a grand humiliation was served up in an unbeaten 107-run partnership unbeaten with Morne Morkel. A flurry of boundaries as matters came to an end amply demonstrated his complete and total superiority, as well as that of his side's. In the second session he scored an even 100. Two overs after tea, as he deftly took a single to midwicket, Graeme Smith stood tallest and loudest in the dressing room applauding as de Villiers went past his captain as holder of the highest individual Test score for South Africa. They had actually begun well, with Gul and Ahmed particularly tight. The latter struck first, a sharp, late inswinger surprising Boucher. The Flintoff-esque celebration was impressive and understandable. Another wicket later ensured the second-best figures on debut for a Pakistani, though by then the fizz had gone. Even Sami bowled an outstanding spell pre-lunch, full of whizzing outswingers. One such caught the edge but two truths of Sami's career remained unchallenged: one, he has no luck and two, catching is not an Akmal family strength. All things considered they didn't end badly either. Mohammad Hafeez went in the very first over, but Taufeeq Umar and Azhar Ali were firm in a session in which they probably weren't tested as they should've been. The latter looked particularly good, defending and driving with equal assurance. The proper ascent up the mountain will begin tomorrow.

Dhoni requests rest ahead of South Africa tour

MS Dhoni, the India captain, has said he will request the BCCI for some rest ahead of the tour of South Africa. India have had a busy schedule since the tour of Sri Lanka earlier in the year and Dhoni said players like himself and Suresh Raina haven't had a break. India play a five-match ODI series against New Zealand, their last international assignment ahead of the South Africa tour, and if Dhoni's request is accepted, he could likely be rested for that series. "If you look at the schedule players like myself and Suresh Raina have been playing non-stop cricket since the Sri Lanka tour," Dhoni told reporters in Nagpur on the eve of the third Test against New Zealand. "We went to play in the Champions League after that and came back and played the Australia and the New Zealand series. "So there has not been enough time to switch on and switch off. We will put in a request to the board but we have to see whether senior players are available or not." The BCCI, last month, had agreed to send some players early to South Africa to prepare for the Test series in December due to the absence of any practice games. Dhoni said the details still had to be "worked out". The first Test begins on December 16.

The Ashes 2010-11: Xavier Doherty in Test squad, Nathan Hauritz dropped

The offspinner Nathan Hauritz has been dropped for the first Ashes Test and been replaced by the spinners Xavier Doherty and Steven Smith, who have been included in the 13-man squad to face England on Thursday. Doherty, the left-arm orthodox from Tasmania, is a surprise inclusion after a bright start to the summer and the selectors hope he will be a threat for the right-handers in England's order. Doherty is now a certainty to play from Thursday while Smith, the legspinning allrounder, is likely to be considered more closely for the second game in Adelaide. Michael Hussey was selected after his century for Western Australia on Friday while Marcus North, the other under-pressure batsman, was also included. Four men were cut from the inflated 17-man unit chosen in Sydney on Monday. Callum Ferguson and Usman Khawaja failed to impress for Australia A in Hobart this week while Ryan Harris' knee makes him too much of a risk for such an important engagement. However, it is the omission of Hauritz, Australia's first-choice spinner since the 2009 Ashes, that is the biggest change. Hauritz struggled during the two Tests in India last month and has been under-bowled since returning home. He was given only six balls in New South Wales' Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania, in which Doherty collected two victims, including bowling Simon Katich around his legs. "Nathan Hauritz is one of these players omitted and he can consider himself unlucky as his Australian record has been very good over the past 12 months," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. "However the panel believes the left-arm orthodox variety Xavier Doherty provides against a predominantly right-handed English middle order is the better option in this game." Kevin Pietersen is not as comfortable against left-arm slow bowlers, with Steve O'Keefe adding to his problems by bowling him for 5 in the first innings in Hobart. England have two left-handed openers in Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook in their preferred XI, along with the bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Doherty's overall career average is 48.26 in 35 first-class games and he has only been a regular in the Tasmanian outfit since the start of the season. The past six Shield contests over two summers have earned him 23 wickets and he has impressed his state team-mate Ricky Ponting, whose captaincy career relies on what happens during the Ashes. Doug Bollinger returns to the squad after recovering from the stomach injury that ruled him out of the second Test in India last month. Bollinger was hit for six as Tasmania beat New South Wales yesterday, but he gained three wickets in the first innings and will battle with Peter Siddle for the final bowling place alongside Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus. The squad will arrive in Brisbane on Sunday. Australia squad Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Xavier Doherty, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger.

India v New Zealand: Sreesanth, Ishant run through NZ top order

TeaNew Zealand 72 for 5 (Ryder 26*, Hopkins 7*, Sreesanth 2-12, Ishant 2-24) v India

It was all going New Zealand's way. The pitch was flat, the wet outfield had done away with the morning session, the toss had been won, and India's best bowler was out, and yet it all went wrong for New Zealand. Once again, India's bowling unit put in an important performance just when people had stopped expecting one of them, giving India a big chance of finally putting one across New Zealand.

Sreesanth found swing and accuracy in his first spell to remove the openers, then Ishant Sharma, playing his first Test since his Mohali batting heroics, got a change of ends, extracted inswing and was rewarded with the wickets of Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori.

New Zealand, though, will look at half an hour before the start when they start dissecting where it all went wrong. When Vettori was walking out for the toss, he saw Brendon McCullum land awkwardly during fielding practice, and then come down with a back strain. A quick decision had to be made, and New Zealand went with the man who scored a double-century to save the Hyderabad Test, prepared to have him bat in the middle order. Yet no one would have expected all the other specialist batsmen to join McCullum off the field by the 16th over. In fact McCullum wasn't ready to bat even when Vettori became the fifth man to fall, in the next over, and it was Jesse Ryder and Gareth Hopkins that took New Zealand through to tea with a nine-over partnership.

This is a decision that will be debated long and hard in New Zealand, for it could have upset the whole team's mindset, but it should not take away from Sreesanth's first spell, or Ishant's second.

Sreesanth took some time to get into rhythm. He failed to involve the batsman for the first seven balls he bowled, operating wide outside off. Perhaps it helped him that there was no McCullum eager to hurt him as he warmed himself up into a rhythm. By the time he started making the batsmen play, he also started getting swing. Martin Guptill, who scored 85 at No. 3 in Hyderabad, got the best of Sreesanth. It was a back-of-a-length delivery, pitching off, making Guptill play, then shaping away a bit to take the edge. It wasn't a no-ball either.

By now Sreesanth had started getting the ball to swing in towards the left-hand opener, Tim McIntosh. One of those squeezed through the gap, although the loose defence made it look more spectacular than it was.

Ross Taylor did something similar against Ishant. With his across movement on the crease, he was always going to be susceptible to anything moving in sharply. Ishant produced one of those, and Simon Taufel correctly judged that he was hit just in front of off.

Vettori, usually just the man for these situations, was bent on pulling everything short and paid the price for it. It is a shot that has got Vettori many runs, but today he could play it only twice. One of them got him an ungainly single, and the other he dragged onto the stumps from way outside off. Between those two Ishant strikes, Kane Williamson's dismissal summed up New Zealand's day so far. It was a full delivery from Ojha, innocuous, promising to land close enough to him, but somehow Williamson managed to scoop it to short cover.

The Ashes 2010-11: Troy Cooley backs 'awkward' Mitchell Johnson to lift

Troy Cooley is confident there will be no repeat of Mitchell Johnson's Ashes meltdown this summer, despite his disappointing recent Test form. Cooley is entering his last months as Australia's bowling coach, having been named the new head coach at the Centre of Excellence, and he is keen to finish on a high after the disappointment of 2009. One of his major challenges in the lead-up to next week's first Test at the Gabba is to help Johnson, who in Australia's past two Test series has taken only 11 wickets at 43.45. His form in the one-day series against Sri Lanka was poor, but in a major Test series, and in familiar conditions, Cooley expects Johnson to cause England's batsmen some problems with his pace and bounce. "Mitch brings a nice set of skills to our team and we accept that with his action, he's not going to get 100 balls in the right area at the right time," Cooley told ESPNcricinfo. "But the other strong components of his game come to the front and that's why he's taken wickets, that's why he's such an awkward bowler to face. "Our pitches definitely suit his style of bowling. He hits the deck hard, he's got a good quick bouncer and if it swings one day, it does; if it doesn't, well, he's found ways of getting wickets without having to be an out-and-out swing bowler. I think he's pretty comfortable with that." Johnson's miserable Test at Lord's last year, where he finished with match figures of 3 for 200 and completely lost his radar, was a key factor in Australia losing the Ashes. At least Johnson might take some confidence from his batting form; at the MCG on Thursday he struck his second first-class century against a Victorian attack that picked off Michael Hussey and Marcus North cheaply. While Johnson has been in Melbourne this week, Cooley has been in Hobart coaching Australia A against England, who have already sent their frontline bowlers to Brisbane to adjust to the conditions for the first Test. James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Graeme Swann make up a settled attack, but Cooley is confident Australia's bowlers have the edge. "I believe we have," Cooley said. "We have a pretty good attack, a couple of different options. It's good to see Hilfenhaus, Siddle and Bollinger all getting into good form. I think we're going pretty well. "We've got a collection of bowlers that come together quite nicely. That's what you need here in this country, with the tracks being a little bit different from place to place. You grow up in those conditions, you learn to bowl in those conditions, and everywhere else you go in the world you've got to try and adjust. I think the home conditions will definitely suit us." Cooley was renowned as the man who helped England's bowlers master reverse-swing during their 2005 Ashes triumph, and the Australians hoped that by poaching him he would have the same effect. Old-ball swing didn't play as huge a role in England last year - the more capable reverser, Doug Bollinger, was not yet part of the attack - and Cooley was still pleased with the efforts of Hilfenhaus, Siddle and Johnson, who topped the Ashes wicket tally. "I think Dougie is a great exponent of that," he said of reverse swing. "Pete Siddle does reverse it pretty well when the opportunities arise. Mitchell Johnson, with his arm action, predominantly only goes one way, but when it's reversing he's as dangerous as anyone going around. They're learning all the time. "That young attack we had over there had never bowled in England before. Even so, the top three of them still took more wickets [than the England bowlers] and their record was pretty good over there if you stack them up against anyone else. I think they did pretty well for an attack that hadn't been to England before." It's a similar challenge faced by England; Anderson is the only man in their first-choice bowling unit who has played a Test in Australia. And the two pace attacks could be the difference between the teams when the first Test starts next Thursday at the Gabba, where there is expected to be plenty of assistance for the fast men.

South Africa: Majola to be cleared of all charges

Gerald Majola, chief executive of Cricket South Africa (CSA), is expected to be "cleared of all charges" of financial impropriety at the associations board meeting on Friday, a CSA insider told ESPNcricinfo. The body's internal commission of inquiry, headed by CSA vice president AK Khan, that was looking into the bonus payments Majola received after last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, found "no evidence of fraud against Majola," according to the source. However, the methods of awarding bonuses to CSA staff members could face an overhaul after the committee presents its findings. "The questions of procedure and governance are totally different matters and what will probably happen now is that the board will put in rules in place over how bonuses should be paid out, so that everything is accounted for." Majola and 39 other staff members were paid bonuses after the successful second season of the T20 tournament, but they did not go through CSA's remunerations committee. This was picked up by CSA's auditors Deloitte who reported irregularities in the body's financial statements in August. CSA insiders said that nothing suspicious could be read into the payments because they were made according to a precedent for paying bonuses after major tournaments that was set at the 2003 World Cup. Also under the spotlight will be a report leaked to the Sunday Times newspaper, allegedly written by CSA president Doctor Mtutuzeli Nyoka, which accused Majola of other wrongdoings. The report alleged that besides questioning the bonus payments, Nyoka also claimed that Majola had used R318 238 (approximately US$ 45,462) in travel costs for his wife. The source expects Majola to be cleared on that charge as well. "I've heard as part his [Majola's] contract that he is given a travel allowance for his family and I've also heard that the numbers involves in the costs have been greatly inflated." The leaked report also brought to the fore what the insider claims is a "very strained relationship" between Majola and Nyoka. The two have been at loggerheads since Nyoka was Chairman of the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) at the turn of the millennium. In 2002, Nyoka resigned from his post at the GCB after unsuccessfully challenging then United Cricket Board (UCB) president Percy Sonn for his position. Nyoka was also one of the loudest critics of the UCB's pace of transformation and questioned the body's commitment to developing players of colour. At the time, Nyoka was quoted as saying, "Gerald Majola must understand that his appointment was an affirmative action and others should be getting the same opportunities as him if transformation is going to work." Nyoka returned to cricket in 2005, as chair of a 22-man steering committee that was set up to run the GCB. His role to assist in mediating between warring clubs who were up in arms over the lack of transformation in the province He was elected President of CSA in October 2008. The two have not had any public spats since then. CSA initially appointed an external commission, under Judge Pius Langa, to investigate the bonus payments but u-turned on their decision a few weeks later, opting to conduct the probe internally. At the time, ESPNcricinfo was told that the decision to make use of the Langa commission was made "unilaterally by a member of the CSA executive, who did not consult with the board". When the board met on the August 21, they voted to shift the probe internally because they had "not exhausted all their own procedures." The move resulted in CSA being criticised for a lack of transparency but the source said they took it upon themselves to ensure independence. "What will come out is that even though the commission was internal, CSA got an external person to run it. I can't say who that person is but those details will emerge on Friday." The board meeting will take place at 10am South African time at the OR Tambo International Airport.

New Zealand in India 2010-11: We are enjoying the challenge - Mark Greatbatch

New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch has praised his team's fighting spirit and has said the patience shown by the New Zealand players has been one of the key factors in their performance in India so far. New Zealand, ranked the No. 8 Test side in the world, were under pressure coming into the India tour following their 4-0 ODI series in loss in Bangladesh, but they managed to draw the first two Tests, against the No. 1 side to defy expectations.

"It has been a good war of attrition. The guys have been working hard for the two Tests - 10 days of cricket," Greatbatch told the Indian Express. "And that scenario we need to improve on.

"We have fought hard. We were behind in this game [in Hyderabad] but we caught up pretty well. We are fighting every ball, every over, every hour and every session. We are enjoying the challenge that India is throwing at us."

New Zealand were expected to struggle to take 20 wickets, given the inexperience in their fast bowling attack. But led by captain Daniel Vettori - the leading wicket-taker in the series - the New Zealand bowlers have bowled with discipline, backed by sharp fielding to surprise the Indian batsmen. "There are different plans to what you bowl in say, the UK or New Zealand," Greatbatch said. "The areas to bowl in India are straight. Aiming at the off and middle stump, you bring the lbw and clean-bowled into play. And in case the ball holds the line, there's a high possibility of an edge. If you can control the scoreboard it is a big plus. That way you can bowl a number of dot balls."

One of the positives to emerge from the second Test for New Zealand was the form of Brendon McCullum, promoted to open the innings. McCullum made a match-saving double-century, his highest Test score. "You've got to be patient. If you show patience you get good results. McCullum batted for nine hours and got good results."

In Ahmedabad, New Zealand were hampered by the absence of fast bowler Hamish Bennett, who injured his groin on the first day and bowled only 15 overs. Jesse Ryder, who bowled 17 overs in the first innings in Ahmedabad, picking up one wicket, didn't bowl in the second innings because of a calf injury. Greatbatch, though, said such problems were unavoidable.

"Everyone has to think about their responsibility and not be distracted by such things. You need to think about the things that you can control. It could be about the next ball or next over you are facing. It is all about focussing on the hour and keeping a strong mind."

The third and final Test begins in Nagpur on Saturday. New Zealand are yet to win a Test series in India and, despite their strong performance so far, Greatbatch was cautious in looking ahead. "This has been a see-saw series. We have dominated play at the same time we have fought back after India have dominated. We will relax the mind and body for the next day and half. We need to go to Nagpur and look at what we face there."

West Indies resume hunt for wickets

Stumps Sri Lanka 165 for 3 (M Jayawardene 51*, Samaraweera 11*) trail West Indies 580 for 9 dec by 415 runs A testing morning spell from the West Indies bowlers had the hosts struggling at 165 for three on the third day in Galle, before bad light, then rain, intervened to offer them some respite. The hosts will surely have one eye on a draw with just two days remaining in the match and more rain forecast for the week. Before the interrutption, there was movement, pace, spin and bounce from the West Indies attack, all of which made batting difficult, and despite the presence of the experienced Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera in the middle, Sri Lanka ended the day's play knowing they had a steep climb ahead of them. West Indies didn't have to wait long for their first wicket of the morning as Tharanga Paranavitana, who had poked, prodded and wafted for 10 during his agonising 53-ball stay, was eventually put out of misery by Kemar Roach, who jagged one back in to uproot the off stump. West Indies' seamers had beaten Paranavitana's edge on numerous occasions, both last evening and this morning, and the opener never looked like making a substantial contribution to the Sri Lankan recovery effort. Kumar Sangakkara was characteristically classy in his 73, combining measured defense with a spate of serene cover drives off the seamers, while negotiating the lone spinner, Shane Shillingford, with relative ease, despite the turn and bounce on offer. The Sri Lanka captain raced to his half-century in 45 deliveries after having ended the previous day's play on 33 off 32 balls, but adopted a more watchful approach after the milestone, following the loss of Paranavitana. Dwayne Bravo persevered with a good length outside the off stump for Sangakkara throughout the attritional session, with a short cover in place in the hope of enticing an aerial drive. But it was the change-up yorker that did the job for Bravo. After Sangakkara had watched ball after ball fly through to the keeper, a terrific delivery that angled in from round the wicket sneaked under the bat to peg back the middle stump. While Sangakkara's patience was tested at one end from Bravo, Jayawardene was facing an interrogation of his own from Shillingford, bowling from the Fort End. Jayawardene had twice advanced down the track to whip the spinner over midwicket, but struggled whenever he attempted to hit against the turn. He survived a couple of extremely close lbw shouts - one which was unsuccessfully reviewed by West Indies, and another that they wrongly chose not to refer - in addition to almost chopping onto the stumps, attempting to cut too close to his body. Darren Sammy kept the pressure on right through the morning session for Shillingford, adding a fourth fielder to the trio of close-in catchers that awaited a mistake from the batsmen. The foot remained firmly on the Sri Lankans' throat when they returned from the break, but there was just enough time for Jayawardene to complete his 37th half-century, before the umpires deemed it too dark to continue, minutes before the heavens opened up and washed out the remaining day's play.

Pakistan news: ICC clears Kamran Akmal for selection

Kamran Akmal has been told by the ICC that he is clear to seek Pakistan selection. Kamran, Pakistan's first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman, has not played since the one-day series against England in September. He wasn't selected for the current series against South Africa, ostensibly because he wasn't fit when the squad was announced; he had undergone an appendicitis operation days before the announcement. But clouds of suspicion, the fall-out of the spot-fixing scandal, have swirled around his non-selection.

Kamran has recovered and has been playing domestic cricket for his employers National Bank of Pakistan. Tellingly, however, the selectors chose to call up his brother, Adnan Akmal, as the wicketkeeper when Zulqarnain Haider fled to England from Dubai halfway during the series against South Africa.

The PCB has not made any statement on why Kamran was left out, though his particularly poor performance with the gloves - especially in Tests - suggests his exclusion might have been on form alone. But in the absence of any clear communication, Kamran, a vital part of Pakistan's limited-overs set-up where he doubles as a hard-hitting opener, was compelled to contact the ICC midway during the South Africa one-day series. ESPNcricinfo understands that Kamran broadly asked whether he was facing any charges linked to spot-fixing that might be blocking his selection. He was informed soon after by the world's governing body that he wasn't and that he is clear for selection.

Kamran was one of two Pakistan players - the other was Salman Butt - sent notices by the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACSU) after the Nottingham Test against England this summer. The notices sought information about events related to the 2010 World Twenty20 held in the Caribbean in May. It is not yet clear whether Kamran's enquiry and the ICC's response are linked to these notices.

Since the spot-fixing scandal, the PCB has begun implementing a rash of measures designed to eliminate corrupt influences from the game in Pakistan. As part of an unofficial confidence-building measure, the board will send a list of probables for the 2011 World Cup to the ACSU to be vetted before the pool of 30 is announced on November 30.

Additionally, the board's newly formed integrity committee will also clear players for selection. Danish Kaneria, who was embroiled but eventually cleared in a separate spot-fixing case with his county Essex in the summer, was not cleared by the committee to join the Test side in the UAE. Kaneria, Pakistan's leading spin wicket-taker, was originally selected in the squad, but was prevented from travelling by the board at the very last minute. No official reason has been provided for his exclusion.

The Ashes 2010-11: Justin Langer keeps faith in Michael Hussey and Marcus North

Justin Langer believes Marcus North and Michael Hussey will make it through the Ashes as long as they stay focused and ignore the mountain of distractions. Langer, Australia's batting coach, was under similar pressure for his spot before the 2006-07 campaign and expects the struggling pair to be on duty at the Gabba next week.

The Australian contenders are having a difficult time securing their places ahead of the series, with Hussey (0), North (17), Usman Khawaja (13) and Callum Ferguson (7) failing in their various matches on Wednesday. However, Langer retains faith in the battling incumbents.

"Marcus North has got five hundreds in 19 Tests," Langer told ESPNcricinfo. "Mike Hussey basically averages 50 in Test cricket. They are very, very good players. What they have to do is eliminate the distraction of what has happened in the past and concentrate on getting balance in their stance and being ready for the first ball.

"You don't lose your talent and your ability. Sometimes because of distractions you might lose a little bit of focus. They're good enough and been around long enough."

Langer said the same approach is necessary for Ricky Ponting if he is to reach his peak against England. "Hussey and Ponting are absolute warriors of Australian cricket," Langer said. "I'm very confident that if they get their focus right they'll be fine and they're a very important part of us winning back the Ashes."

Australia named a huge 17-man squad on Monday for the opening Test, with the influx of new talent adding to the distractions of the under-pressure senior players. The outfit will be trimmed over the weekend and Langer understands what it's like to be a target before a major series.

"In 2006-07 there was a lot of conjecture about my place because Phil Jaques was doing well," he said. "The day that they announced the 12 players to be selected and I knew that I was in that side, the whole world was off my shoulders and then I could just focus and concentrate on playing the first Test."

In his new book Australia You Little Beauty - the English edition is called Keeping My Head - Langer writes about the moments in the 2005 Ashes when the pressure became too much.

The breaking point arrived during the third Test at Old Trafford when Langer, who was not out on the fourth evening, went back to the team hotel and was taunted by a couple of Barmy Army supporters. He almost punched one of them. "The pressure of the Ashes has built to bursting point," he wrote of the day.

Langer said the players in this series could escape those sorts of troughs by ignoring the distractions. "Mental toughness is being able to concentrate on what's important," he said. "It sounds simple, but it's the whole essence of peak performance.

"There are going to be so many distractions: media hype, all the stuff in public, worrying about winning or not winning the Ashes, thoughts about personal form, what's happened in the last week or two, thinking about their position in the side. All those things are pure and simple distractions. All that really matters is the contest between bat and ball and the psyches of each player on Thursday the 25th at the Gabba."

Australia A v England XI, Hobart, 2nd day: England lose Monty Panesar in rain-shortened session

Lunch England XI 2 for 38 (Cook 14*, Trott 0*) trail Australia A 230 by 192 runs England lost their nightwatchman Monty Panesar during a rain-interrupted session at Bellerive Oval. Only 7.2 overs were possible due to the intermittent showers, which delayed the start by more than an hour and then ended the session ten minutes early, while there was also a short break after the first 4.1 overs. England added 16 runs to their overnight total and reached 2 for 38, with Alastair Cook on 14 and Jonathan Trott yet to score. The only wicket to fall was that of Panesar, who entertained the crowd with a few ambitious swings, including a boundary slapped back down the ground off Clint McKay. It was McKay who made the breakthrough when Panesar, on 13, top-edged a hook and was taken at fine leg by Mark Cameron. Despite the showers forcing an early lunch, the skies cleared and the covers were off during the break, which gave the players some hope of getting plenty of play in during the afternoon.

Pakistan v South Africa: Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq return in style

Younis Khan reminded Pakistan just what they had been missing as his 17th Test hundred guided them to safety on the final day in Dubai. Together with another returnee, the new captain Misbah-ul-Haq, the pair combined to defy South Africa for 57 overs, sharing an unbroken stand of 186 to pull off a result which looked unlikely after Pakistan conceded a 132 first-innings deficit. Shorn of Younis' services since July last year, the brittle Pakistan line-up have struggled against Australia and England but his resilience alongside Misbah, playing his first Test since the Sydney debacle, ensured a satisfying return. Younis will rightly take the plaudits, anchoring the rearguard with third hundred against South Africa but, as Misbah himself acknowledged, it was the he who was under most scrutiny. "This feels like a win. The team put in a wonderful effort under pressure," he said. "I was under quite a bit of pressure before this Test but I think my performance today will make it easier for me." Pakistan's first-innings collapse from 176 for 2 to 248 all out underlines just how important Misbah's contribution was, all the more so given that the next man in was Umar Akmal. It ensured that the "fresh start" Misbah promised on the eve of the game ended well and he singled out praise for his partner. "On the second day the bowlers brought us back into the game the plan today was to be positive and not just try to stick it out. Younis' knock today was a special one." Returning as the senior batsman in a volatile side, Younis could have been forgiven for feeling the burden of responsibility. Yet after a cautious start his increasingly expansive and certain strokeplay betrayed a man just relieved to be back where he belongs. "There wasn't any pressure on us because the wicket here is different to those in the subcontinent," he said. "It didn't have the kind of uneven bounce that causes the ball to bounce up off the pads. On this wicket it was possible to bat positively and that's what I was trying to do. I was trying to hit the bad balls for boundaries." Both batsmen, impressive as they were, had some generous South African fielding to thank. Younis was put down twice, on 16 by Mark Boucher and again by Jacques Kallis when on 70, and Misbah got a slice of luck when Hashim Amla spilled a chance at short leg just before lunch. It meant another final-innings disappointment for South Africa after twice being denied by England last year but on a flat track Graeme Smith was happy enough with his side's performance. "We knew it was going to be hard because on this wicket once the batsmen get in it was tough to get them out," he said. "The wicket got slower and slower as the Test went on. Credit must go to Pakistan, especially to Younis, he played really well. "Missed chances are always costly but nobody does it on purpose. It was unusual for those guys to miss those chances because they have been stalwarts of the team for a long time. So obviously they are disappointed with that. But we've played good positive cricket throughout the game and we'll take that into Abu Dhabi."

Pakistan v South Africa: Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq return in style

Younis Khan reminded Pakistan just what they had been missing as his 17th Test hundred guided them to safety on the final day in Dubai. Together with another returnee, the new captain Misbah-ul-Haq, the pair combined to defy South Africa for 57 overs, sharing an unbroken stand of 186 to pull off a result which looked unlikely after Pakistan conceded a 132 first-innings deficit. Shorn of Younis' services since July last year, the brittle Pakistan line-up have struggled against Australia and England but his resilience alongside Misbah, playing his first Test since the Sydney debacle, ensured a satisfying return. Younis will rightly take the plaudits, anchoring the rearguard with third hundred against South Africa but, as Misbah himself acknowledged, it was the he who was under most scrutiny. "This feels like a win. The team put in a wonderful effort under pressure," he said. "I was under quite a bit of pressure before this Test but I think my performance today will make it easier for me." Pakistan's first-innings collapse from 176 for 2 to 248 all out underlines just how important Misbah's contribution was, all the more so given that the next man in was Umar Akmal. It ensured that the "fresh start" Misbah promised on the eve of the game ended well and he singled out praise for his partner. "On the second day the bowlers brought us back into the game the plan today was to be positive and not just try to stick it out. Younis' knock today was a special one." Returning as the senior batsman in a volatile side, Younis could have been forgiven for feeling the burden of responsibility. Yet after a cautious start his increasingly expansive and certain strokeplay betrayed a man just relieved to be back where he belongs. "There wasn't any pressure on us because the wicket here is different to those in the subcontinent," he said. "It didn't have the kind of uneven bounce that causes the ball to bounce up off the pads. On this wicket it was possible to bat positively and that's what I was trying to do. I was trying to hit the bad balls for boundaries." Both batsmen, impressive as they were, had some generous South African fielding to thank. Younis was put down twice, on 16 by Mark Boucher and again by Jacques Kallis when on 70, and Misbah got a slice of luck when Hashim Amla spilled a chance at short leg just before lunch. It meant another final-innings disappointment for South Africa after twice being denied by England last year but on a flat track Graeme Smith was happy enough with his side's performance. "We knew it was going to be hard because on this wicket once the batsmen get in it was tough to get them out," he said. "The wicket got slower and slower as the Test went on. Credit must go to Pakistan, especially to Younis, he played really well. "Missed chances are always costly but nobody does it on purpose. It was unusual for those guys to miss those chances because they have been stalwarts of the team for a long time. So obviously they are disappointed with that. But we've played good positive cricket throughout the game and we'll take that into Abu Dhabi."

Pakistan v South Africa: Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq return in style

Younis Khan reminded Pakistan just what they had been missing as his 17th Test hundred guided them to safety on the final day in Dubai. Together with another returnee, the new captain Misbah-ul-Haq, the pair combined to defy South Africa for 57 overs, sharing an unbroken stand of 186 to pull off a result which looked unlikely after Pakistan conceded a 132 first-innings deficit. Shorn of Younis' services since July last year, the brittle Pakistan line-up have struggled against Australia and England but his resilience alongside Misbah, playing his first Test since the Sydney debacle, ensured a satisfying return. Younis will rightly take the plaudits, anchoring the rearguard with third hundred against South Africa but, as Misbah himself acknowledged, it was the he who was under most scrutiny. "This feels like a win. The team put in a wonderful effort under pressure," he said. "I was under quite a bit of pressure before this Test but I think my performance today will make it easier for me." Pakistan's first-innings collapse from 176 for 2 to 248 all out underlines just how important Misbah's contribution was, all the more so given that the next man in was Umar Akmal. It ensured that the "fresh start" Misbah promised on the eve of the game ended well and he singled out praise for his partner. "On the second day the bowlers brought us back into the game the plan today was to be positive and not just try to stick it out. Younis' knock today was a special one." Returning as the senior batsman in a volatile side, Younis could have been forgiven for feeling the burden of responsibility. Yet after a cautious start his increasingly expansive and certain strokeplay betrayed a man just relieved to be back where he belongs. "There wasn't any pressure on us because the wicket here is different to those in the subcontinent," he said. "It didn't have the kind of uneven bounce that causes the ball to bounce up off the pads. On this wicket it was possible to bat positively and that's what I was trying to do. I was trying to hit the bad balls for boundaries." Both batsmen, impressive as they were, had some generous South African fielding to thank. Younis was put down twice, on 16 by Mark Boucher and again by Jacques Kallis when on 70, and Misbah got a slice of luck when Hashim Amla spilled a chance at short leg just before lunch. It meant another final-innings disappointment for South Africa after twice being denied by England last year but on a flat track Graeme Smith was happy enough with his side's performance. "We knew it was going to be hard because on this wicket once the batsmen get in it was tough to get them out," he said. "The wicket got slower and slower as the Test went on. Credit must go to Pakistan, especially to Younis, he played really well. "Missed chances are always costly but nobody does it on purpose. It was unusual for those guys to miss those chances because they have been stalwarts of the team for a long time. So obviously they are disappointed with that. But we've played good positive cricket throughout the game and we'll take that into Abu Dhabi."

India v New Zealand: Zaheer Khan ruled out of Nagpur Test

India fast bowler Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the deciding third Test against New Zealand in Nagpur due to a groin strain. Left-arm seamer Jaidev Unadkat has been called in as his replacement. The injury resulted in Zaheer missing a good part of the fourth day of the second Test in Hyderabad, where he left the field during New Zealand's second innings, and the bulk of the fifth day when he bowled just three overs. The decision to leave him out of the third Test is a precautionary measure. Zaheer's absence was felt in Hyderabad as India struggled to make inroads and New Zealand, led by Brendon McCullum, steered the Test to a draw. Zaheer had triggered India's fightback in the first innings after New Zealand had taken the first-day honours, and helped bowl the visitors out for 350. His injury means Ishant Sharma could be drafted in for the final game to partner Sreesanth, who picked up four wickets in the Hyderabad Test. Unadkat, who will take Zaheer's place in the squad, represents Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy and has picked up 26 wickets in six first-class games at an average of 26.34

India v New Zealand: McCullum double-century draws Test

New Zealand 350 (McIntosh 102, Guptill 85, Zaheer 4-69) and 448 for 8 decl. (McCullum 225, Williamson 69) drew with India 472 (Harbhajan 111, Sehwag 96, Vettori 5-135) and 68 for 0 (Sehwag 54*) Brendon McCullum reaped rewards for his hard work on day four, milking a tired bowling unit to get to the third-highest score in second innings in Tests in India. The game was headed for a draw the moment Zaheer Khan left the field again - he had been out of action for a good part of the fourth day due to an abdominal strain - after bowling just three overs in the morning session. New Zealand, the No. 8 side in the world, have now held India, the No. 1 side, to four consecutive draws; in two of those India have done the surviving. India, who seemed to have given up surprisingly early in the morning, have now conceded 400 or more in at least one innings of their last seven Tests. There were two outside chances for the game to come to life, but both were duly thwarted. Cheteshwar Pujara dropped McCullum at forward short leg when the batsman was 148, and the lead 185. That was the only chance Harbhajan Singh had created in 26 overs until then. The next time Harbhajan created an opportunity, some excitement was manufactured, with Kane Williamson given out lbw erroneously to an offbreak certain to miss the leg stump. Williamson was on his way to becoming only the seventh man to begin his Test career with back-to-back centuries. He had survived the tense moments last evening, started the day with three boundaries in the first over, and then settled in for an innings full of his trademark back-foot punches. When he got out, though, New Zealand were 223 ahead, and there were 57 overs to go. For those who hope or fear too much, a collapse could still direct the game towards a result. McCullum and Daniel Vettori, though, took 20 runs off the next four overs to disappoint the hopeful and the fearful. It may have seemed like milking because of the ease with which McCullum got his runs, but he did it with some style and nonchalance. India tried to pack the leg side and bowled round the wicket, only to see him casually reverse-sweep them for boundaries. They were not exactly reverse-sweeps, he was so confident he just bent the knees half way and guided them past point. His maiden double-hundred he brought up with the "McScoop", having scored his last 24 runs off 19 balls. That spell of hitting also included a six over long-off off Pragyan Ojha and two reverse-swept fours off Suresh Raina. McCullum's double-century was only the second by a New Zealand batsman in India and is third on the list of top scores by New Zealand batsmen against India.McCullum's double-century is the fifth in the team second innings in India. The highest is VVS Laxman's 281 at Kolkata in 2001.Harbhajan Singh has conceded 305 runs and picked up six wickets at an average over 50 in the series so far. On the other hand, he has scored 295 runs with two centuries.Gautam Gambhir scored his first runs in the second innings after three ducks in his previous three outings.Virender Sehwag scored his first second innings half-century since November 2009, when he made 51 against Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad. He averages just over 30 in the second innings and over 70 in the first innings. --> As McCullum's good friend and former Kolkata Knight Riders team-mate Chris Gayle moved assuredly towards a triple-century in Galle, a triple was on here in Hyderabad too. There were 32 overs to go to the start of the mandatory overs, and there was no way New Zealand were going to declare without letting him have a go at the highest score by a New Zealander - 299 by Martin Crowe. Hence McCullum's charge towards the record books. He reversed-swept another boundary, played the chip over midwicket, crashed Sreesanth back past him, and then cut him furiously to get to 225. It was after this that Sreesanth achieved slight personal redemption, removing McCullum with a slower legbreak. Then he bounced Tim Southee, who had hit him three times with bouncers when he was batting. Some softening-up and eye-balling later, Sreesanth bowled Southee. Perhaps to keep their tail away from any more bouncers, New Zealand declared during tea, and bowled 17 overs before the last hour. Virender Sehwag, usually bored in such situations, helped himself to a quick fifty, giving the crowd some entertainment.

Sri Lanka v West Indies: Chris Gayle triple-century lights up Galle

Sri Lanka 54 for 1 trail West Indies 580 for 9 dec (Gayle 333, Nash 64, Darren Bravo 58, Barath 50, Mendis 6-169) by 526 runs A mesmerising late spell from Ajantha Mendis was not enough to overshadow a Chris Gayle triple-century on the second day of the first Test in Galle, as the West Indies opener's 333 took the visitors to a daunting first innings total of 580 for 9 declared. Gayle etched his name in history when he became just the fourth batsman after Bradman, Lara and Sehwag to make two 300-plus scores in Tests, and celebrated the milestone not by lying down on the pitch as he did yesterday, but by kneeling with his arms aloft, grateful that he had given his side the perfect platform to pursue their first ever Test win on Sri Lankan soil. two triple centuries after Don Bradman (334 and 304), Brian Lara (375 and 400*) and Virender Sehwag (309 and 319).Gayle went past Rohan Kanhai's 256 to become the West Indian batsman with the highest individual score in the subcontinent.The triple hundred is the 24th overall and the tenth by a left hander. It was also the third triple hundred in Sri Lanka.Gayle holds the record for the highest individual score against Sri Lanka, going past Younis Khan's 313.Gayle's 333 is the highest away score by a West Indies batsman, surpassing Viv Richards' 291 at the Oval in 1976..Gayle's knock is the highest individual score by a visiting batsman in Sri Lanka, going past Stephen Fleming's 274.With nine sixes in his innings, Gayle holds the record for the most sixes by a West Indian batsman in a Test innings.The 167 run stand between Brendan Nash and Gayle for the fourth wicket is the best for the West Indies against Sri Lanka and the seventh highest for the fourth wicket against Sri Lanka.This was Anjantha Mendis' third five wicket haul and second at Galle after his 6 for 117 against India in July 2008. Of his 56 wickets, 46 have come at home at an average of 29.23. His away record is very poor with ten wickets at 46.80. --> Yesterday Gayle broke the back of the Sri Lankan attack with a blistering double-ton. Today, he took careful aim at the records. First to go was the stadium top score. Mahela Jayawardene's 237 was eclipsed in the morning session by a subdued Gayle, who seemed to be a more determined version of the swashbuckling dynamo that had set the ground alight on day one - he added just nine more boundaries in over two sessions of batting after smashing 26 fours and eight sixes on the first day. Soon after lunch Gayle bettered the highest score by a West Indies batsman in the subcontinent - Rohan Kanhai's 256 in Kolkata - a record that had stood for 48 years. Following the tea break, he surpassed Younis Khan's 313 to make the highest score by any batsman against Sri Lanka as well as improving on his own previous best of 317 a few deliveries later. The first milestone of the day however, was not Gayle's, but Shivnarine Chanderpaul's, as he went past 9000 Test runs before being undone by Suraj Randiv's bounce on 32. Brendan Nash then hunkered down alongside Gayle as they accumulated intelligently, picking the gaps to good effect and hitting the odd boundary to keep the scoreboard moving at a decent clip. The pair cemented West Indies' absolute dominance over the game with a 167-run partnership for the fourth wicket and, almost as crucially, ensured that the hosts were made to toil in the sapping Galle heat for two more sessions. Still a little dazed by Gayle's first day ballistics, Sri Lanka were ground into the dust by a determined display from the West Indies top order. With the team flagging, Mendis somehow produced an inspired burst to run through the remainder of the West Indies order, and hastened a declaration that at one stage seemed light years away. Mendis first had Nash trapped plumb in front for 64 with a straighter delivery, before repeating the dose for Dwayne Bravo in his next over, this time with a googly. Gayle's marathon knock finally came to an end when he was bowled by a terrific Mendis carrom ball, and when Darren Sammy departed the very next ball, the end was finally nigh for West Indies. Mendis picked up one more wicket to make it a six-wicket haul, and Suraj Randiv added one more to his tally, before Sammy ended the innings with a declaration that was long overdue. Tillekeratne Dilshan made matters worse for the hosts when he lamely lobbed Andre Russell's second ball towards Shane Shillingford at mid on to leave the hosts at 6 for 1 and give Russell his first Test wicket, but Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara came out playing his shots, and his unbeaten 32-ball 33 would have given the hosts hope, especially if the pitch remains good for batting on day three.

Pakistan v South Africa: Younis century keeps Pakistan alive

Stumps Pakistan 248 and 343 for 3 (Younis 131*, Misbah 76*) drew with South Africa 380 and 318 for 2 dec (Amla 118*, Kallis 135*)

Younis Khan defied South Africa to guide Pakistan safely to a draw in the first Test at Dubai, cracking an unbeaten 130 - his 17th Test hundred and his third fourth innings century in his last three Tests against the South Africans. Pakistan's top order resisted everything South Africa's bowlers could hurl at them and, befitting the occasion on the first day of Eid, passed a number of records in a feast of runscoring.

Younis was ably assisted by Azhar Ali, who contributed a brave 63, and captain Misbah-ul-Haq, with whom he added an unbeaten 186 for the fourth wicket - Pakistan's highest partnership in Tests against South Africa. The match was called off shortly after entering the final hour of the day as Pakistan reached 343 for 3, their highest fourth innings total in Tests.

South Africa were left ruing three clear chances that went down as Younis was dropped by Mark Boucher on 16 and Jacques Kallis when he had reached 70, while Hashim Amla couldn't quite cling on to a tough chance off Misbah at short leg minutes before lunch. Younis, who had experience of just this sort of situation having scored fourth-innings hundreds against South Africa at Lahore and Karachi in 2007, took full toll as he and Azhar took the honours in the first hour this morning, compiling an 82-run partnership, though not without some luck.

Younis had started tentatively, fencing outside off stump and getting a thin edge to a Steyn outswinger that dropped short of Boucher in the second over of the day. In Steyn's next over he slashed wildly outside off stump to send a chance flying to the right of a diving Boucher, but the ball spilled out of the wicketkeeper's gloves as he hit the ground. With a panicked Younis stranded mid-pitch, a shy at the stumps went wide to give him yet another life.

At other end, Azhar was still visibly battling with the effects of the blow to the hand he received on the fourth afternoon but quickly settled into a defensive groove, and as the batsmen eased to Pakistan's highest third-wicket partnership of 2010 - beating the 65 this same pair put on in the first innings - Smith turned Johan Botha's offspin and Jacques Kallis's reliable seamers.

While Botha kept things tight, finding a reasonable amount of turn and variable bounce, Kallis tested Azhar's mettle with a series of short-pitched deliveries with fielders circling close in at midwicket, cover and short leg. The first thumped painfully off his hand and into his ribs, but Azhar quickly waved the medical staff off the field and counter-attacked in fine style, thumping the next ball - another bouncer - to the midwicket boundary.

The partnership had reached 80, Azhar reaching a third Test half-century, when Paul Harris joined the attack with almost immediate results. Coming round the wicket, he spun the final ball of his first over of the day past the outer half of Azhar's bat and onto the off stump. South Africa celebrated the dismissal with due enthusiasm, and Misbah entered a testing cauldron as the spinners operated in tandem with men all around the bat and the appearance of renewed life in the pitch.

Botha created another chance as, just before lunch, the ball exploded out of the rough and bounced off Misbah's glove towards Amla under the helmet at short leg. Misbah was out in identical circumstances in the first innnings, but Amla couldn't quite grasp onto the chance today, the ball bobbling out of his hands as his shoulder hit the turf.

Younis, a bundle of fidgety energy first thing this morning, burst into life after the interval. With no forewarning, he leapt down the wicket to smite a floated offspinner from Botha high over long-on and followed that up with a powerful sweep to long leg. Steyn returned with the old ball and was immediately slapped for two smouldering fours, through mid-off and deep cover. That prompted Smith to take the new ball - already overdue - and an eventful over was completed when Younis thrust his bat out at a ball he might have left and a thick edge burst through Kallis's hands at third slip to leave the fast bowler absolutely livid.

It appeared a fourth chance had been pouched when a delivery from Morkel ricocheted off Younis's pad and Amla plucked it out of the air at short leg, but Asoka de Silva decided there had been no inside edge and was vindicated by replays. Younis retaliated by scorching an imperious drive on the up through cover, and as the heat of the afternoon began to take its toll tempers frayed on both sides.

Morkel opted for a bruising, round-the-wicket line of attack once again and after a series of bouncers engaged in some heated banter with Younis. Both Misbah and Umpire Daryl Harper stepped in to appeal for calm, Harper warning Morkel for running on the pitch, and amid an eventful spell Misbah survived an enthusiastic appeal for lbw off the same bowler. After Younis flowed past his hundred with 12 runs in a single Botha over, Misbah brought up his own fifty with a mighty slog-sweep over deep midwicket just before tea, and suddenly it appeared that Pakistan might have a world-record chase in mind.

It soon became clear that a draw would be regarded as a victory in itself, however, as both Younis and Misbah settled into stubborn defence. With the match meandering towards a draw, Younis helped himself to two more sixes off Botha before both captains decided to call the game off minutes into the final hour.

India v New Zealand: McCullum leads New Zealand's quest for safety

New Zealand 350 and 131 for 1 (McCullum 73*, Guptill 4*) lead India 472 (Harbhajan 111*, Sehwag 96, Laxman 74, Vettori 5-135) by 9 runs At tea on day four, New Zealand needed to bat out two-and-a-half to three more sessions to achieve consecutive draws against India, and they had nine wickets in hand. Given the style in which Brendon McCullum and Tim McIntosh went about the job against a Zaheer Khan-less India, wiping off the 122-run deficit in 35 overs, they might need even lesser time to attain a sufficient lead. Harbhajan Singh's unique feat of getting consecutive centuries from No. 8 was overshadowed by New Zealand's first century opening stand since June 2004. McCullum's calculated approach made the job easier for McIntosh, who - like in first innings - didn't mind staying inconspicuous. McCullum went after every new bowler in his first two overs, spread the field around, and then settled down in his defensive pursuit. Once he grew confident, he gave up the defensive part, and swept both the spinners with glee. McCullum's plan worked the best against Sreesanth, whom he cover-drove and upper-cut for boundaries in his first two overs, posting the first double-digit opening for New Zealand in five attempts. In Sreesanth's third over, he top-edged a pull from outside off, but it landed safe, the closest India came to dismissing him. Sreesanth began trying too hard, bowling three no-balls in the first spell of four overs, cutting the side crease once. Both openers then negotiated him with ease. It didn't help India that Zaheer pulled up with an abdominal strain and left the field midway into his fifth over. Especially because Zaheer was the only bowler who created opportunities, inducing two edges in the first over, both from McIntosh, but each flew between the second slip and gully. Against the other bowlers, McCullum continued with his strategy. He hit the fourth ball he faced from Harbhajan for a straight six, and the fifth and sixth from Pragyan Ojha for a six and a four. McIntosh, 30 off 102 at one stage, also grew in confidence, and came down the track to both spinners and lofted them into the cow-corner area, in a fashion reminiscent of Stephen Fleming. Just before tea, though, with nothing happening for India, they got a lucky break. It was a superb reflex catch at forward short leg from Cheteshwar Pujara, substituting for Zaheer, but McIntosh didn't seem to have touched the ball as he missed a sweep off Ojha. He was one short of scoring a century and a fifty in the Test immediately after bagging a pair. Harbhajan, who bowled 13 wicketless overs, would have loved to carry his batting form from the morning session. It was his batsman-like effort that made sure only New Zealand could lose this match. He added 105 with Sreesanth, the third-highest 10th-wicket partnership for India. Thirty-six of those came today. Daniel Vettori finally separated them, more than 45 minutes into the day, with one that went straight with the angle, catching Sreesanth in front of off, thus completing a five-for. Resuming on 85, Harbhajan showed no anxiety whatsoever in trying to get to the hundred. He faced two consecutive overs from Tim Southee, picking three couples into the heavily populated leg side. Then Sreesanth found a single against spin, and Harbhajan welcomed that with a six straight into the sight screen. Even on 98, Harbhajan turned down singles at the start of the over. He exploited the tired New Zealand minds, getting there with two easy singles spread over two overs. He celebrated it with another six, and Sreesanth with an edged four. Sreesanth lasted 71 balls, his longest innings in Tests.

Pakistan v South Africa: Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla build huge lead

Lunch South Africa 380 and 239 for 2 (Amla 85*, Kallis 90*) lead Pakistan 248 by 371 runs South Africa had few problems taking their lead to an imposing 371 on the fourth morning in Dubai to set themselves up for a declaration during the second session. Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis both closed in on centuries as they took their third-wicket stand to 163 and were basically able to play the game at their own pace. The match was already getting out of Pakistan's reach when play started, but when they failed to break through in the first 20 minutes it became a waiting game as South Africa piled on the runs. Misbah-ul-Haq soon set his field back, abandoning all pretence of taking wickets, and tried to slow the scoring. Ironically, one of their best chances to break through came when Kallis edged a Saeed Ajmal doosra through the vacant slip area - but the lead was already at 350. Kallis was the aggressor during the session and signalled a positive intent by launching Ajmal off the first ball of the day over the sightscreen. It was a moment that took everyone by surprise and for the rest of the first hour he was content to work the ball around. After drinks, he briefly cut loose with 16 coming off another Ajmal over when Kallis cracked him straight for another six then slog-swept over midwicket. Amla continued his wonderful form with an innings full of stylish touches. He opened his account for the day with a crisp back-foot drive off Umar Gul, and then rocked back to pull him through midwicket. His second fifty of the match came from 104 balls, although he was fortunate to survive an lbw against Ajmal when he was on 58, off a dlivery that would have hit leg stump. Apart from that Pakistan posed few problems and now it's just a case of how many South Africa want before unleashing their bowlers again.

Sri Lanka v West Indies: Attractive Gayle century puts West Indies on top

Tea West Indies 238 for 1 (Gayle 145*, Darren Bravo 32*) v Sri Lanka

Runs continued to flow freely from the blade of Chris Gayle in the afternoon session of the first day at Galle, as the West Indies opener creamed a blistering century off just 116 deliveries to take his team to 238 for 1 at the tea break. Gayle brought up his century, his first in the subcontinent and 13th overall, with a six over long off to complete an astounding seven-ball burst in which he plundered 25 runs. The batsman then went on to celebrate the landmark in a most unusual fashion: with a casual lie-down in the middle of the pitch, while teammates and opposition alike watched on with bemused grins.

The Sri Lanka bowlers had little response to the rampant Gayle, with Sangakkara forced to defend the boundaries when the left-hander was on strike. Suraj Randiv was on the receiving end of the onslaught with one of his overs going for 18 runs, but the remainder of the Sri Lankan attack didn't escape lightly either. Ajantha Mendis was muscled over mid wicket for six and any short deliveries from the medium pacemen were dispatched to the boundary with disdainful ease by Gayle, who hit nineteen fours and six sixes in his unbeaten innings of 145.

Darren Bravo went into the break on 32 on his debut, having played sidekick to Gayle for much of the session. Bravo played a chanceless innings, safely negotiating the Sri Lanka bowlers and regularly turning the strike over to his more bloody-minded partner at the other end. Sangakkara found respite with a packed off side field for the seamers later on in the session, as both batsmen struggled to pierce the infield - but the lack of genuine chances will trouble the Sri Lanka skipper who finds his side firmly on the back foot heading into the final session of the day.

Suresh Raina replaces Yuvraj Singh in BCCI's Grade A contracts list

Suresh Raina has replaced Yuvraj Singh in the Grade A level - the highest - of the BCCI's list of central contracts for 2010-11. Virat Kohli, M Vijay and Pragyan Ojha have moved up to Grade B, while Rohit Sharma has been demoted to C. RP Singh and Munaf Patel, who were previously in Grade B, have not been offered contracts. The board has made several changes to the structure, reducing the total number of contracted players from 41 to 24, and doing away with Grade D. The annual retainers have been increased from Rs. 60 lakh to Rs. 1 crore ($135,594 to $225,990) for Grade A and from Rs 40 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh ($90,396 to $112,995) for Grade B. The fees for category C remain at Rs. 25 lakhs ($56,498). Yuvraj has had a forgettable 2010, with indifferent form and fitness dogging him through one of the toughest phases of the career. He was disappointing at the World Twenty20 in the West Indies and was subsequently dropped for the Asia Cup but returned for the Tests in Sri Lanka. In the first Test, he scored 52 and 5 in Galle, before missing the second with fever. He was declared fit to play in the third but was passed over from the final XI in favour of Raina, who had replaced him for the second Test and scored a century on debut. Gautam Gambhir has, on the other hand, been more fortunate and has retained his Grade A classification despite an indifferent year - he has missed three of India's last six Tests with injuries, and has bagged ducks in the second innings in each of other three. Rahul Dravid, who has been out of India's limited-overs plans since the 2009 Champions Trophy, also features in the A category, despite his recent dip in Test form. Karnataka seamers Abhimanyu Mithun and Vinay Kumar, who forced their way into the national side through impressive shows in the 2009-10 first-class season, have been added to Grade C, along with Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored a fluent half-century against Australia on Test debut. Dinesh Karthik, who has been in and out of the one-day side as a back-up wicketkeeper and a make-shift opener, has been axed from the contracts list, along with Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary and Dhawal Kulkarni. Shikhar Dhawan, Abhishek Nayar and Sudeep Tyagi also find themselves out of contracts. Grade A: Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan Grade B: Yuvraj Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Virat Kohli, M Vijay, Pragyan Ojha Grade C: Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vinay Kumar