Taylor assault makes it NZ's day

New Zealand 328 for 6 (Taylor 113, van Wyk 63*, Guptill 53, Ojha 4-90) v India

A sizzling counterattack by New Zealand captain Ross Taylor produced a high-speed century that sparked an improved display from the visitors on the opening day of the second Test against India. At stumps, New Zealand, who had elected to bat, were 328 for 6. Led by Taylor's incandescent 113, New Zealand's batsmen had, in the course of a single day, scored more runs than they had in both innings in Hyderabad.

Play was stopped due to bad light and eventually called off for the day about half an hour before the scheduled close, the umpires offering light to the batsman after Umesh Yadav bowled half of his first over with the second new ball. Kruger van Wyk and Doug Bracewell strode off, van Vyk batting on a deftly engineered 63 and Bracwell on 30. The two had found themselves at the crease after Taylor's departure, and within an hour had put on 82 for the seventh wicket.

Taylor's seventh Test century formed the bulk of the New Zealand batting effort. It was buffeted by two fifties, one by Martin Guptill at the top of the order which ended in dismay and the other by keeper van Wyk. It ensured that New Zealand could dismiss the innings and 115-run defeat in Hyderabad as a nightmare that need not be repeated.

After the departure of New Zealand's top three batsmen before lunch, Taylor let his aggression and intent take over. It was a fearless innings, the runs scored both robustly and in fine style. Taylor slog swept Ashwin for six before the lunch interval and when he returned, cranked the scoring up a gear. The India bowlers were hit all around the Chinnaswamy Stadium, with lusty slog sweeps, crisp straight drives and spanking shots through cover. New Zealand, or rather Taylor, was scoring at nearly seven runs an over in the hour after lunch. The hardworking Ojha was punished with four boundaries in his second over after lunch, Zaheer for two including a disdainful straight drive in his second spell, Ashwin was guided fine down to the boundary past leg slip. Taylor got to his century in 99 balls, cutting Ojha to the point boundary and two balls later, hit him down the ground for his second six over long-off.

For a captain who had a miserable first Test - losing the toss, dropping catches in slip and scoring nine in two innings - Taylor's innings on Friday was a more just exhibition of his batting abilities. On New Zealand's miserable tour of the West Indies in July, it was Taylor who had scored the sole New Zealand century, in the fourth ODI in St Kitts. New Zealand's previous Test century had come six months ago from Kane Williamson in a drawn Test against South Africa in Wellington.

Taylor's innings lit up the Bangalore crowd that grew through the day; his aggressive mode of batting had also been welcomed at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, when he had played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. The reception he received after his hundred against India, also, didn't lack in either enthusiasm or warmth.

Smart stats Ross Taylor's century is his seventh in Tests and his third against India. He is one among five New Zealand batsmen to score three Test centuries against India. Taylor's strike rate of 88.97 during his knock of 113 is his second-highest for a fifty-plus score. It is also the fifth-highest strike rate for a visiting batsman in India (centuries only). The 107-run stand between Taylor and Daniel Flynn is the fourth-highest fourth-wicket stand for New Zealand against India. It is, however, their highest fourth-wicket stand in India. The 82-run stand between Kruger van Wyk and Doug Bracewell is the fifth-highest seventh-wicket stand for New Zealand in India. Pragyan Ojha, who picked up 4 for 90, became the first specialist Indian spinner to open the bowling in a Test. The last Indian spinner (non-regular spinner) to do so was ML Jaisimha in 1969. New Zealand's run-rate at the end of 80 overs (3.95) is the fourth-highest for a visiting team in Tests in India. The highest (80-over run-rate) is Australia's 4.28 in Nagpur in 2004 followed by Sri Lanka's 4.11 in Mumbai (Brabourne) in 2009.

It was vital for New Zealand that their batting continued forcefully, after Martin Guptill had shaken off the early dismissal of Brendon McCullum in the morning. Guptill played the aggressor in his 63-run second-wicket stand with Kane Williamson. After being troubled by Ojha and dropped off Zaheer on 17, Guptill found his groove, his innings resolute in judgement and positive in strokeplay. He struck three boundaries off Yadav in a single over and two off Zaheer, including a cracking backfoot drive through extra cover. Less than half an hour before lunch though, Ojha pulled in the fielders, tossed one up and lured Guptill. It was the perfect bait: the ball didn't turn, Guptill's intended shot on the on-side ended up in Gautam Gambhir's hands at midwicket. Despite India's slow bowling tradition, Ojha was the first specialist India spinner to open the bowling in a Test match, and took four of the six New Zealand wickets to fall today.

Taylor, who owned the second session, was out in the fifth over after tea, forced to sweep against Ojha with the off side plugged. The ball was tossed up and Ojha hit Taylor in front of off and middle. His innings of 113 off 127 balls had slowed down only at the fall of Daniel Flynn's wicket, bringing to an end New Zealand's biggest partnership on this tour: 107 runs for the fourth wicket. Flynn had hung on gamely over an hour for 33, but for the third time in three innings, was leg before trying to sweep Ashwin. The loss of James Franklin - he hit a full toss from Ojha to a diving Suresh Raina at midwicket - had New Zealand stuttering at 215 for 5.

But inspired by Taylor's bold batsmanship, the undefeated 82-run seventh-wicket partnership between van Wyk and Bracewell added 32 runs in five overs following the captain's departure. Van Wyk's was an innings almost patented by chirpy, pocket-sized keepers; he was only 12 when Taylor was out and took charge, happy to have the quicker bowlers bowling at one end. Zaheer Khan was guided past slips, van Wyk taking 13 off the 16 balls he faced off him, and the quick-but-struggling Yadav went for 14 runs in six balls, including two fours an over. The partnership took New Zealand past 300, but they will be sobered by the knowledge that in the previous Test held in Bangalore in 2010, Australia had scored over 400 in their first innings and still lost.

'Preserve Tendulkar and Zaheer for South Africa 2013'

Harsha Bhogle, Sanjay Manjrekar and Sambit Bal discuss India's Test options and the changes they need to make starting this home season

This week has been an exciting one for Indian cricket, with the Under-19 team winning the World Cup and the senior side humbling New Zealand in Hyderabad. But how much should one read into these victories? And do India seem like they're planning for their next major overseas trip, to South Africa in 2013? Sanjay Manjrekar and ESPNcricinfo Editor Sambit Bal join Harsha Bhogle in a discussion.

Extracts from the discussion below. The numbers in the brackets are the duration for each segment.

Reaction to the Under-19 World Cup win, and the players who stood out. (1.43 - 5.06)

Sanjay Manjrekar: You can be forgiven for having some expectations from the players because they played well in Australia. I was there for about a week and had a good look at the conditions there. That pitch had pace, bounce, seam and everything. If you were batting first, the conditions were testing, especially for Indian-bred batsmen. We should be happy because they put in such a good performance in alien conditions.

Three guys impressed me. Unmukt Chand looks destined to play for India. Smit Patel has got a good attitude behind the stumps, talks a lot. He's a very good wicketkeeper and a decent batsman, who'll come in at No.6 and 7 and get you those important runs. He is a guy India should look forward to because it's a nice combination - a keeper-batsman. There's Baba Aparajith, who is a tremendous talent. He looks like a proper offspinner who'll bowl you the 10 overs and guess what, he bats at No.3, and has the temperament of a batsman who bats at No.3.

The contrast in the quality of Test cricket between the series in England won by South Africa and the one going on currently in India against New Zealand. (5.07 - 8.50)

Sambit Bal: (Watching the final Test at Lord's) reinforced what I've believed in the last three to four years, which is that Test cricket should be played between good teams that can be competitive. Coming back and watching New Zealand was dire. New Zealand don't seem like they belong to Test cricket anymore.

SB: South Africa were there for more than 40 days and they had a week's gap between each Test, so it was a shocker they didn't play at least four Tests. England should certainly not be playing so many one-dayers. There should be more meaningful Test cricket. England try to cram two Test series' in a season. Sometimes they start Tests too early. They must play at least one big series of five Tests (each season).

SM: If it had been a stronger Test team (playing in India), you would have had a better Test match. That's the thing I like about Test cricket. If there is a mismatch, the match finishes early, in three or four days. In 50-overs cricket, if there's a mismatch, you have to go through the agony of 100 overs.

Can India go to South Africa well prepared if they continue to play on such turners in the home season? Plus, do India need to plan from now for that series or should the focus be completely on home matches? (8.51 - 11.56)

SB: South Africa is a long way away. I believe that you should play on different kinds of pitches. The fact that India were not playing on turners for the last couple of years…we were missing out on seeing turning pitches. Like Aakash Chopra has said on our pages a couple of times, you must prepare turning pitches for Test matches but create enough good pitches for first-class cricket. But the Test players don't play first-class cricket, there's no time. So that's a tricky one.

SM: I wrote an article about this on ESPNcricinfo a couple of weeks back and for me, the tour of South Africa has to be Indian cricket's goal. It has to be Indian cricket's goal because of what happened in England and Australia. If India win eight out of the 10 Tests at home and lose as badly as they did in England and Australia , Indian cricket is back to square one. We prepared turning pitches at home and won in the nineties but Indian cricket's image…'tigers and home, lambs overseas', that was the tag then. We have to show the cricketing world that we have done something about it (0-8) and the next time we go we have to convince skeptics that that was an aberration - that should be the goal. Everything that you do before has to be directed towards a good performance in South Africa.

Has the time come for someone like Ajinkya Rahane to open the batting in Tests, with Virender Sehwag dropping down the order? (13.00 - 17.34)

SB: Sehwag doesn't want to open in the long term, and he's been saying that for a while. He is not getting younger and his hand-eye co-ordination is not getting better, I don't think he's your opener for South Africa. That's the problem I have with this team, not the turning pitches. For 2013, you should be getting the batting order right which I don't think they do right now.

SM: In the first innings of the Hyderabad Test, [Gautam] Gambhir and Sehwag put on 38 runs and that was the highest partnership for them in the last 11 innings, which were played overseas. I'm convinced that Gambhir and Sehwag cannot be your opening combination in South Africa. The problem with playing them in the home season is that they'll get runs and you'll feel you have an in-form opening pair that you'll take to South Africa. It's a huge gamble. This is the disappointment that I have with the selection that nobody's thinking long-term, but in India, as a country, we never think long-term. To expect Sehwag in overseas conditions to give India the kind of starts he used to in his pomp is unreasonable.

How does Cheteshwar Pujara look for a long-term No.3? (17.35 - 20.00)

SB: Even in South Africa, he batted 40 to 50 minutes in really tough conditions with Sachin Tendulkar. He wasn't out of place. He did get out but he got behind the line of the ball well. I think he'll do well, he's a proper Test-match batsman.

SM: You can't call him a front-foot or back-foot player. He does the basics of batting right. If the ball is pitched up, he goes forward, if it's short he goes back. That's a rare quality for a modern-day batsman. He's a guy who just likes to go on and on with his batting, you saw how disappointed he was when he got out on 159. I haven't yet seen him against a constant attack of short balls. But he has to be your No.3 batsman.

	"I'm convinced that Gambhir and Sehwag cannot be your opening combination in South Africa. The problem with playing them in the home season is that they'll get runs and you'll feel you have an in-form opening pair that you'll take to South Africa. It's a huge gamble." Sanjay Manjrekar

What are India's major bowling concerns? There's a shortage of bowlers coming through. (20.01 - 24.22)

SB: India haven't managed their bowlers well at all. We've always had bowlers who've shown promise over the last five to 10 years - Sreesanth, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan - but where are they (now)? Why haven't they gone on to have a Test career - that's a question the selectors and team management need to ask.

SM: It's the culture we have in India. If you hold an open trial at a maidan, 90% of the people would want to bat, it's the opposite in Pakistan. Another danger in modern-day cricket is the number of academies and people who have got involved in coaching. What is dangerous is half-knowledge. When I see young people coming through in first-class cricket, spinners, with basically wrong actions, I feel so bad about it [because] there's no recovery. If you get yourself into a bad bowling action, there's only so much you can grow.

Do you see Zaheer Khan going to South Africa in 2013? (24.23 - 25.37)

SM: This is why I keep disappointed with the thought process of the selectors. When I saw Zaheer in Australia, I could see he was not capable anymore of taking the burden of all three forms of cricket. The selectors had to talk to him and ask him the format of his choice. If I was a selector: no more one-day cricket for Zaheer, keep him fresh only for Test matches.

SB: Zaheer playing one-day cricket makes no sense. He's not going to play the next World Cup.

And what about Sachin Tendulkar? (25.38 - 28.39)

SM: There are two important players who need to go to South Africa - Zaheer and Tendulkar. I cannot imagine the Indian batting team going to South Africa without Tendulkar in their team. These are two players that the selectors have to protect. Tell them, "we want you on the tour to South Africa and that's how we're going to plan your workload."

It will be one of his [Tendulkar's] toughest challenges. Tendulkar now is a solid batsman. He's not so much as defensive as Dravid was but he's become a proper, solid defensive player with a solid defence against pace and bounce. A lot of our younger players come with a short-ball problem, Tendulkar doesn't have that. His work ethic is so good. Throw him a challenge, tell him now that you want him there and he'll plan his cricket accordingly. Even in Australia, where everyone was failing, Tendulkar's footwork was the best of the lot.

SB: If Tendulkar is playing the whole of the home season, he is almost obliged to go to South Africa. You can't play 10 Tests here and not go to South Africa, because then suddenly a new guy will come in and bat at No.4. He almost owes it to Indian cricket that he goes to South Africa if he plays the home season.

Do you see Harbhajan Singh having a future in Indian cricket? And how's R Ashwin shaping up? (28.40 - 33.00)

SM: It would be a shame if his career comes to an end at this stage. He's doing the right thing. He's gone to England and is looking to take wickets. His wicket-taking form has to be observed by the selectors, not his rhythm because that has always looked pretty good. There are things he can learn from R Ashwin right now because Ashwin's lengths and lines, at least in home conditions, are very attacking at that's where Harbhajan, I thought, was a bit too short. He wasn't exploring too many options to take wickets.

SB: Ashwin gives you the impression of someone who's always thinking about his game and get better. He could get fitter, of course. It's amazing that a guy who's a product of this age is so unfit. But he'll get better there too. The challenge for him will be when he bowls on pitches that don't turn in South Africa, or in Australia where he struggled.

Numbers Game (33.48 - 38.08)

In the Hyderabad Test, spinners took 18 out of 20 wickets for India. It was the 20th time Indian spinners took 18 or more wickets in a Test. Three of those were in overseas Tests. Name the three instances.

Strauss retires from all cricket

Andrew Strauss has announced his retirement from professional cricket, ending a 10-year career at international level, the last three of which he was England's Test captain. Alastair Cook, the one-day captain, will take on the Test job.

His decision comes after a week of soul-searching during a family break following the 2-0 loss against South Africa which meant England lost the No. 1 Test ranking and also comes at a time when Kevin Pietersen's exile from the team has dominated the agenda.

Strauss played down the significance of the current Pietersen situation in his decision saying it "was not a factor at all" and retiring was on his mind before the series against South Africa started. He did, though, admit that his lack of runs had played a major part.


Strauss' decision ends a career that began in 1997, an international career that started in 2003 and captaincy reign that began early in 2009 in the wake of the Pietersen-Peter Moores fall out.

"After much thought over the last few weeks, I have decided to step down as England Test captain and announce my retirement from all forms of cricket," Strauss said. "It has clearly been a tough decision to make, but I believe that it is both in the best interests of the England cricket team and myself to step down at this stage.

"There are too many people who have helped me on this incredible journey to mention them all by name, but I would like to thank all the Middlesex and England players I have played alongside, as well as the phenomenal coaches and support staff with whom I have been fortunate enough to work.

"Particular mention has to go to Andy Flower and Duncan Fletcher in that regard. It would also be remiss of me not to thank Middlesex, the ECB and the PCA for their support and guidance over the years.

"No one can play international cricket for any length of time without having an incredibly strong support network around them, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family for going through it all alongside me over the course of my England career.

"I am extremely proud of everything I have achieved as a cricketer, and I have found myself very fortunate to play in an era when some of English cricket's greatest moments have occurred. I have loved every minute of it. All that remains is for me to wish Andy, Alastair and the rest of the team the very best for the coming months. I will be an interested spectator."

Strauss, 35, played his 100th Test at Lord's against South Africa and after the loss he said he still had "a lot of desire" but did not categorically declare his intention to continue leading the side. Strauss said at the time he was keen to take a break and then discuss the future with the coach Andy Flower.

ESPNcricinfo were the first to suggest immediately after the Test that perhaps Strauss was considering resignation.

The South African series was a difficult one for Strauss, who not only had to deal with the ongoing Pietersen saga but also his own struggle for runs - his best score during the three Tests was 37. Cook, who took on the ODI captaincy last year, will now step into the Test role and will start with the tour of India later this year.

Cook said: "Andrew's contribution to England cricket in recent years is evident to everyone who follows the sport but only those of us who have been lucky enough to share a dressing room with him are fully aware of his immense contribution to our success.

"He has been a fantastic captain, has led from the front for three and a half years and is a true ambassador for the game. To have played 100 Tests for your country is a phenomenal achievement and I want to congratulate him on a superb career. I know this can't have been an easy decision for him and everyone in the dressing room will be sad to see him go.

"I'm very excited by this new challenge, it is a huge honour to be appointed Test captain and am very much looking forward to captaining the side in India this winter and beyond, but my immediate focus is on this current NatWest one-day series. Once the series is over I will turn my attention to the Test captaincy and building on the work Andrew has started."

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: "On behalf of the ECB and everyone involved in cricket I'd like to thank Andrew Strauss for his outstanding contribution to the game.

"Andrew has been a highly successful captain and opening batsman for Middlesex and England, who will be remembered for leading the side to two Ashes victories and to the top of the Test rankings. He has shown tremendous integrity, dedication and commitment both on and off the field and under his leadership the side has grown immeasurably and reached new levels of professionalism.

"Andrew's calmness and authority when dealing with some of the most difficult moments in our sport in recent times should be applauded and I have no doubt that his contribution as an ambassador for the game will be recognised by anyone who has had an opportunity to spend time with him. His legacy within the game will be felt for many years to come and we now need to continue to build on the progress we have made under his leadership."

Strauss made his debut for England in 2004, scoring a century against New Zealand at Lord's in a performance that was enough to push former captain Nasser Hussain into retirement, and his most recent Test against South Africa was his 100th Test. When talking recently to mark the occasion he spoke about his desire to continue but events of recent weeks, including the controversy surrounding Pietersen, appear to have changed his mind.

As captain, Strauss led England to new heights, including back-to-back Ashes triumphs in 2009 and 2010-11 plus the No.1 Test ranking which they held for a year before losing the series against South Africa. That was the first home Test series England had lost under Strauss' leadership and just the third of his entire stint.

However, the runs had largely dried up for Strauss in recent years. The two hundreds he scored against West Indies earlier this season hinted that he could recapture some of his best form but reality hit home against South Africa when he scored 107 runs in six innings. Having started his time as captain with three hundreds against West Indies in 2009 he managed just four more. He will finish with 21 Test centuries, one behind the England record held by Geoff Boycott, Colin Cowdrey and Wally Hammond.

In his 100 Tests Strauss has scored 7037 runs at 40.91 and in the 50 Tests he captained (which included four before being appointed fulltime captian, against Pakistan in 2006) he won 24 of them.

Strauss is the third England captain to resign either during or after a series against a South Africa side led by Graeme Smith. Hussain stood down early in the 2003 series and Michael Vaughan ended his time as captain after South Africa won the 2008 series with victory at Edgbaston.


His 158 Vs INDIA in World Cup 2011

Amla ton leads SA to third No. 1 spot

South Africa 287 for 5 (Amla 150, Smith 52) beat England 207 (Bell 45, Patel 45) by 80 runs


South Africa became the first side to be ranked No. 1 in all three formats and did it in fitting style, with a crushing 80-run victory in the second one-day international to end England's run of 10 consecutive wins. South Africa's success was, not for the first time on this tour, set around a fantastic innings from Hashim Amla as he made a career-best 150 from 124 balls on a pitch that was far from easy for strokeplay.

Amla's innings, South Africa's sixth-highest in one-day internationals, marshalled South Africa to an imposing 287 for 5 and England never really threatening to get close once Ian Bell's sprightly knock was ended by Robin Peterson. The spinners played a key role on a helpful surface - England's had earlier found some turn, too - and when Eoin Morgan pulled JP Duminy to deep midwicket the game was up.

This match, though, was about a man who is having a defining tour. It was another day when Amla's run-scoring feats came into clear focus as he became the fastest man to 3000 ODI runs, beating the previous record held by Viv Richards. His innings included 16 boundaries, ranging from the expansive flick over midwicket to the cover drive to the wonderfully cheeky deflection past the keeper off Tim Bresnan late in the innings.

Amla and Graeme Smith added 89 for the first wicket - after being forced to battle against some lively new-ball bowling - which laid the platform for South Africa. Amla then took over with one of the finest pieces of one-day batting you could wish to see. Amla's hundred, his tenth in one-day internationals, came off 96 balls and it was an innings full of deft placement. He toyed with the England bowlers right to the final moment when he threaded Steven Finn through backward point to reach 150; his third fifty needed just 27 deliveries.

England, though, did not help their cause as far as Amla was concerned. He could have been run out twice - on 1 when Samit Patel, preferred at the last minute to Chris Woakes, was slow to the ball from mid-off, and then on 62 when James Anderson produced a poor throw from short fine leg - and was also dropped twice. The first catching chance came on 42 when Craig Kieswetter put down a thin edge off Patel and the wicketkeeper dropped another, one-handed down the leg side, when Amla had 92.

It was a poor day for Kieswetter and a bad time for fallibility to rear its head, with Jonny Bairstow and Matt Prior breathing down his neck. In a tough analysis of his performance he also missed a chance offered by AB de Villiers, on 1, diving full stretch to his right. It was the hardest of his chances, but the type Kieswetter had started to pluck out of thin air.

The early stages looked much like the Test series. Smith and Amla resisted whatever pressure the England bowlers were able to exert although both had moments of fortune, especially during the first spells from Finn and James Anderson. South Africa waited until the sixth over for their first boundary when Smith, in typical style, took a ball from well outside off straight past mid-off when most batsman would have driven through extra cover.

Smart stats

• Hashim Amla's 150 is the sixth score of 150 or more by a South African batsman, but the first by a South African in England.
• Amla became the third South African to score an ODI century in England, after Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis. This was only the second ODI hundred by a South African against England in England.
• Amla has 28 fifty-plus scores in 57 ODI innings; in 2012, his ODI scores are 112, 55, 8, 92, 76, 150.
• In wins, Amla averages 72.47; in defeats, it drops to 26.18. Only three of his 28 fifty-plus scores have come in defeats, the highest of them being 65.
• South Africa's win here is only their sixth in 18 ODIs against England in England. They've lost ten, with two matches being washed out.

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Tough, competitive, and memorable

The difference in the quality of teams was lesser and the pitches were testing, resulting in a tournament that left players with invaluable lessons learnt

It's the day after the Under-19 World Cup final and Townsville feels different. Flinders Street bears no sign of the Indian party the night before, and the cafés on Palmer are missing the groups of young cricketers who've been ever-present over the last two weeks. For the 240 players who've left the city, the fortnight gone by has been probably the most revealing, instructive and emotional of their teenage lives.

The 2012 Under-19 World Cup has felt like a bowler's tournament; perhaps it was the imprint left by the first day, when England were dismissed for 143 by Australia after which Reece Topley broke Jimmy Peirson's middle stump and Jamie Overton let rip at scary speeds for someone so young.

However, though it might not have felt like it when Pakistan collapsed for 136 and India lost nine wickets in a successful chase, the batsmen of the class of 2012 have surpassed those of both 2010 and 2008 by a striking distance. In those previous two tournaments, you could have counted the number of centurions on one hand; you'll need three for 2012. In fact, there were as many hundreds - three - scored on the pitches at Tony Ireland Stadium, the venue where the bowlers had it best, as they were in the whole of the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.

The abundance of runs in international cricket over the last few years has raised expectations of batsmen but the kids in Queensland seem to have met those high standards. The 15 centuries scored in the 2012 tournament are the most for the Under-19 World Cup, and the run aggregate and average also compare favorably to most other World Cups. On the other hand, the average per wicket for bowlers was 25 in 2012, which is smack in the middle when compared to other tournaments.

The competition was tough too, in 2012. Unlike in 2008, when India won all their matches, there was no undefeated team in Queensland. Like in 2010, when Australia, South Africa and Pakistan won five out of six games, there were three teams with similar records in 2012. India lost only their first game, to West Indies; Australia lost only the final, to India; and South Africa were beaten in the semi-final by Australia and won their third-place playoff. South Africa, always strong contenders at this level, had the best stats in the tournament but failed to win it once again.

The smaller gap in quality between the sides is perhaps due to an increasing investment in youth cricket. While India, England and Pakistan always had elaborate preparations for their Under-19 sides, other countries have tried to follow suit. Australia, who are increasingly on the hunt for young talent these days, and West Indies have stepped up their Under-19 programmes; Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have had tours as well, though Sri Lanka failed to make it through the toughest group. Only cash-strapped New Zealand came in from the cold of their winter, and credit to them for finishing fourth.

The finalists were perhaps the best prepared sides and their success a vindication of the investment made. India gave their players exposure by going on two tours, to Malaysia and Townsville, and hosting a quadrangular series. Their players had been tested by foreign conditions and demanding situations several times before they faced the pressures of the World Cup. The Indians also had an elaborate camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore where, apart from their cricket skills, the players worked on intangible factors such as building trust and team spirit.

The Australians went to India last year and hosted a quadrangular series as well. They also invited Pakistan for three one-dayers in the week before the World Cup. And, in addition to the significant advantage of playing at home, their cricketers also had the expertise of Stuart Law, Greg Chappell and Craig McDermott in their management group. Law said often that at this age-group, the more competitive matches a team plays, the better it becomes.

The on-field lessons have been numerous and invaluable. The batsmen were challenged by the bounce of Australian pitches and the speed of Ronsford Beaton and Reece Topley, the strangling accuracy of George Dockrell, the guile of Harmeet Singh, and the swing of Sandeep Sharma, to name the best in their disciplines. They've learned the importance of leaving the ball, of giving the first hour to the bowler if necessary, of making a start count once the hard work's been done.

The bowlers learned from not getting carried away on helpful pitches, from bowling at batsmen whose strengths are unique to their part of the world, from being unable to dismiss William Bosisto. Topley spoke of the instructive value of bowling on a large ground, where the gaps between fielders are larger for a batsman to knock an inaccurate delivery into. Their patience has been tested, because wickets haven't been as forthcoming as they have been in age-cricket at home.

For a lot of the players coming to Australia for the first time, the adjustment to culture, cuisine, technology and the difference in daily life from the way it is back home has been a transformative experience. They have striven to overcome unfamiliarity so that their on-field performances are unaffected.

The players who were in Queensland will now follow different paths and traverse them at different speeds. Those from most of the Associates and Affiliates will find a relatively unblocked route into their national teams because of a lack of competition for places from outside the age-group structure. Those from the Full Members will attempt to break into their first-class teams and apply the lessons learned in a much tougher environment of men. Their senior-team caps will not be easily earned.

The 2012 Under-19 World Cup was the time of Reece Topley and Anamul Haque, of William Bosisto and Unmukt Chand, the stars of a stage protected by age. Whether it is they, or someone who was hidden in obscurity during the last two weeks, who will succeed in greater arenas, it is much too early to tell. Most of the cricketers who came to Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Townsville will never return again, but perhaps the time they spent here will be the making of some of them.

Ashwin spins India to innings win

A young girl, sitting in the lower level of the pavilion stand at the Uppal stadium, barely a few rows behind the long-on boundary, was worried about the possibility of the ball hitting her courtesy a big stroke. "Don't worry," someone said. "It's New Zealand batting. Nothing's coming this way." The remark, only half in jest, sums up the kind of image the visitors have brought with them. New Zealand have had a terrible start to the season after a long break, losing all but one of two Tests, five ODIs and two T20Is on their recent tour of the West Indies. The perception of their being pushovers actually does them a disservice, though, especially given their record in India. On their previous four visits here, New Zealand have drawn two Tests each time, and have lost three series by just one Test. They don't have superstar players as India do, playing spin does not come naturally to them, these conditions are quite alien to them yet somehow they have proved to be difficult to beat in India over the years. In the first Test on their previous trip in 2010, they gave India a massive scare in Ahmedabad, replying with 459 - Kane Williamson made 131 on debut - to the hosts' 487 and then reducing them to 65 for 6 in the second innings. India had to rely on Harbhajan Singh's maiden Test hundred and VVS Laxman's 91 to avoid defeat. In the second Test in Hyderabad, India had hopes of capitalising on a 122-run lead but ran into Brendon McCullum, who cracked an astonishing second-innings double hundred, making 225 off 308, to draw the game. Laxman had,at the time, praised New Zealand's showing in those two Tests. "They've always been [a tough bunch]," Laxman had said. "They are good players of spin bowling. The most important thing is that they are playing with a lot of patience and not throwing away their wickets." Good players of spin, patience, not throwing it away. You would struggle to believe all of that after New Zealand's capitulation against R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha in the first innings of the ongoing Test. McCullum threw it away off the third ball of spin, holing out to cover. Williamson tried to cut a bouncing delivery and edged to slip, Daniel Flynn tried too many sweeps and was trapped lbw when he missed one. Their lower order lasted less than 90 minutes this morning, and some had already started talking of a three-day finish when India, with an eye on the cloudy weather, refreshingly enforced the follow-on. But New Zealand began even more refreshingly in their second innings, with McCullum and Martin Guptill showing the very patience Laxman had praised. McCullum's game is based on instinctive, often indiscreet, hitting, and you could see he was making an exaggerated effort to defend. He lunged forward to block Zaheer Khan's length deliveries from round the stumps; normally he would have tried to smash them. He took it to the extreme against Ojha, playing out 32 dots of 35 deliveries faced. He swept the spinners frequently during that 225, but today, he was almost Dravid-like in his defensive intent. Despite the rain saving New Zealand a session-and-a-half of bother, there are still two days left, and they still need 238 more to make India bat again. But if they are to "fight" in this Test, something their offspinner Jeetan Patel said they do a lot, New Zealand have two of their best batsmen out there right now. McCullum, given how destructive he can be, and how much he resisted self-destructing today. Williamson, probably their best player of spin, who in his debut Test innings alone faced 212 deliveries from the India spinners. He also lasted more balls in the first innings than the rest of the New Zealand top five put together had. Williamson is almost sub-continental against spin, minus the wrists. He plays with soft hands, is quick to go forward or back, bends very low when he stretches out, and makes sure he puts even slightly loose deliveries away. History can only tell you so much, though. How will New Zealand approach this game now? Weather is of course a huge factor, but there is too much time left for them to depend too much on it. James Franklin, who made a calm unbeaten 43 in the first innings, spoke about what New Zealand needed to do. "We have been working on defensive options because we have to bat a long time now," Franklin said. "We have to bat at least another day and a half. It's all about time at the crease. Our guys are capable enough technically to capitalise on any bad balls. It may look like we have had a slow start but it's also a reflection of how well the Indians have bowled. "There has to be a bit of discipline. We can't rely solely on scoring fast. We have to take a bit of time out of the game. The guys are trying to dig in there and play as long as they can. And put away the bad balls. It's about not giving India too much sniff." Franklin's own method might sound too simple, but that is what New Zealand will have to do, if they are to get anywhere close to drawing this one. "I don't think there was a massive amount of turn. Ashwin got a few balls to turn and bounce but that was the exception rather than the norm. Obviously there were always going to be some balls that were going to spin past me. I was just trying not to worry about them too much and focus on the balls coming to you each time."

Chand ton gives India World Cup

India 227 for 4 (Chand 111*, Patel 62*) beat Australia 225 for 8 (Bosisto 87*, Sandeep 4-54) by six wickets
Unmukt Chand led India to World Cup glory at Tony Ireland Stadium, his unbeaten century ensuring his side saved its best batting performance for when it counted most, pulling off the highest successful chase at this venue to beat defending champions Australia in the final. Chand, who was ably supported by Baba Aparajith and Smit Patel, secured India's third Under-19 world title, after triumphs in 2000 and 2008. Chand and Patel shared an unbroken 130-run stand for the fifth wicket, after India had slipped from 75 for 1 to 97 for 4. At no stage of the chase did they let the asking rate climb too much, and several huge hits on the home stretch ensured the target was achieved in the 48th over. Smit pulling Turner to the midwicket boundary was the signal for thirteen Indians to sprint to the middle, carrying flags and piling on to their heroes. Chand's innings was the defining performance of the World Cup and he chose the perfect moment to produce it, outshining his worthy counterpart William Bosisto, whose 87 had dragged Australia from 38 for 4 towards a competitive score. Bosisto finished unbeaten for the fifth time in six innings, ending the tournament with an average of 276. He would have gladly swapped that for a more human figure, though, in return for not dropping Chand when India needed 49 off 41 balls. India's manic celebrations at the finish indicated a release of tremendous pressure that had built up during the pursuit. They had lost Prashant Chopra early and, in Mark Steketee's second over, Chand was lucky to survive a close lbw shout. He was on 3 at the time. Like in the semi-final, Chand was a nervy starter, playing and missing and edging past his stumps. At the other end, however, Baba Aparajith began to play an array of exquisite drives on the off side, and Chand soon found his touch too. When Gurinder Sandhu was brought into the attack in the ninth over, Chand attacked him right away, cutting in the air to the backward point boundary and lofting on the up for six over long-off. The 50 partnership came off 48 balls. Aparajith showed he could play the short ball too, controlling a hook off Steketee to the fine-leg boundary. India had been 11 for 1 after four overs. They were 60 for 1 after ten. The Chand-Aparajith partnership had produced 73 when Aparajith was caught on the drive by Turner at extra cover, two balls after he had driven Sandhu for another sublime four. Turner made another quick breakthrough, catching Hanuma Vihari off his own bowling for 4. As Vijay Zol walked in, Chand went up to him, had a chat and patted him on the back, but he edged to Peirson for 1 off 14balls. India were suddenly 97 for 4. They would have been five down had Peirson held a tough chance off Chand in the 19th over, when he was on 38. Patel was let off by Peirson too, on 2, and he made Australia pay. Patel was the cool partner that Chand needed and the two batsmen focused on keeping wickets in hand for the end game, finding the boundary occasionally but taking singles and two frequently. The asking rate touched six an over for the first time when there were 17 left; India needed 102 and they had the batting Powerplay to come. In the final over of fielding restrictions, Chand heaved Turner for perhaps the biggest six hit at Tony Ireland Stadium during this tournament. It nearly went on to the road beyond the midwicket boundary. The equation had boiled down to 49 off 41, and then Chand chipped Gregory straight to midwicket, where Bosisto dropped a sitter. Three balls later, Chand launched Gregory over the straight boundary, a blow that was bound to have broken Australia. He hit another six off Gregory, his fifth of six, over cover to bring up his century and stayed on to finish the job. India's batsmen came good after their bowlers had a hot and cold day, their first such performance in this tournament. India had won the toss for the first time at this venue and Sandeep struck with his fourth delivery. He bowled an inswinger that Jimmy Peirson shouldered arms to, hit off stump, and celebrated with the nonchalance of a man who has made an early wicket a habit. In his second over, Sandeep had the other opener Cameron Bancroft lbw, reducing Australia to 8 for 2. The other new-ball bowler Kamal Passi wasn't as successful. At the end of their first spells, Sandeep had figures of 5-2-8-2 and Passi 4-0-24-0. Chand brought on his offspinner in the 11th over and Aparajith went round the wicket immediately to the left-hand batsman Kurtis Patterson and bowled him. In the next, Ravikant drew an edge from Meyrick Buchanan and Australiawere 38 for 4. Bosisto and Travis Head had to rescue the innings, like they had against England and Bangladesh. They had barely got started when Head, on 5, cut Ravikant to point where Akshdeep Nath dropped a straightforward chance. He was lucky to survive an lbw appeal from Aparajith on 20 as well and went on to score 37 out of a 65-run stand with Bosisto. The partnership ended in a run out, after Harmeet Singh had moved swiftly to his left at point to intercept a Bosisto cut and threw at the non-striker's end. Head had run a long way down and was a few inches short when Aparajith broke the stumps even though he dived desperately. Australia were 103 for 5 in the 30th over and Head stormed off the field rapidly. The mix-up did not fluster Bosisto. He forged a 93-run partnership with the offspinner Ashton Turner, who was dropped on 2 when he tried to cut Aparajith and gave Smit Patel a reflex chance. Passi returned for a third spell in the 35th over but his day did not improve. Bosisto pulled a short ball, it had taken him 71 balls to hit his first boundary. Bosisto picked up speed, sweeping both spinners and driving Sandeep for boundaries, to score 59 off his last 50 balls and was a knackered man as he walked off the field to the applause of his team-mates and the crowd. Bosisto was applauded later, too, when he picked up the Player of the Tournament award. However, it was his counterpart, Chand, who had won the day and the World Cup for India.

India continued to dominate the Hyderabad Test, courtesy a six-wicket haul by R Ashwin

NZ take out Tendulkar after lunch

New Zealand's Trent Boult bowled Sachin Tendulkar for 19 soon after lunch on day one in Hyderabad

Pragyan Ojha has a bowl, watched by his team-mates, on the eve of the India-New Zealand Hyderabad Test

Pragyan Ojha has a bowl, watched by his team-mates, on the eve of the India-New Zealand Hyderabad Test India are without Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman; New Zealand are without Daniel Vettori. The last time an India-New Zealand Test was played without any of these three players was in November 1995, in Cuttack. Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, none of those - from either team - who played in that Test are playing international cricket today. Neither team has had a happy time in Test cricket over the last year. Both India and New Zealand are in a state of flux, which makes this series more meaningful than might have been otherwise. (Between them, the two teams have lost seven of their last ten Tests.) For India's young batsmen, it's a wonderful opportunity to stake a permanent place in the middle order, instead of only being seen as replacements when the top stars are unavailable. Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina and S Badrinath will be fighting for two spots, but this series will probably be the easier part of the challenge, given that England and Australia will tour next, followed by a series in South Africa in 2013.

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McCullum to open in India Tests

Brendon McCullum will return to the top of the order for New Zealand's Tests against India, set to open with Martin Guptill after playing at first drop during the past two series. Daniel Flynn, BJ Watling and Rob Nicol were all given a chance to partner Guptill during New Zealand's past two series, against South Africa and West Indies, but that won't be the case this time around. "Martin Guptill and Brendon will open the innings," the New Zealand captain Ross Taylor told reporters in India after the squad touched down ahead of the first Test, starting in Hyderabad on Thursday. "Brendon batted well here on previous occasions and, hopefully, he will continue in the same vein in the upcoming Tests." McCullum's highest Test score, 225, came on New Zealand's most recent Test tour of India, during the Hyderabad Test of 2010-11. McCullum and his team-mates don't have long to acclimatise to the conditions ahead of the first Test, but Taylor said the players were familiar enough with India that he was confident they could adjust quickly. "We would certainly like to put some good plans in place and be positive about the way we look to play. India is a familiar place for a lot of us," he said. "We have played well here and are looking forward to the contest." New Zealand are coming off a demoralising tour of the West Indies in which they lost the Tests and limited-overs legs comprehensively. They also lost 1-0 last time they visited India for Tests, but their bowlers at times left the Indian batting in positions of trouble, and their batting clicked, the highlights being McCullum's double-century and a debut hundred by Kane Williamson. Harbhajan Singh rescued India from dicey positions in the series, scoring two centuries and a fifty. Taylor said the side would nevertheless take heart from that tour. "We hadn't had bad memories the last time we played here. Brendon got 225. We had our opportunities but Harbhajan batted well and took the game away from us. However, it is a different time of the year, and hopefully, we will continue to play well." Daniel Vettori, with 14 wickets, was the highest wicket-taker in the series. Taylor said his spinners would be keen to take advantage of the conditions. "They have a few spinners in their side and we don't play lot of spinners back home," he said. "It will be a good challenge and we are looking forward to put India under pressure." He said India played well at home and his side would have to take that into account. "India is always tough in their home conditions. Whether they play north or down south they play very well. We should be careful about the reverse swing and the spinners. We have to learn quickly through the series." The two-Test series will be followed by two T20Is in September as a prelude to the World T20.

Team India feels new jersey more lighter, stylish!

Mumbai, Aug 17: After unveiling the new jersey, Indian cricketers also shared their opinion on wearing the exclusive T20 dry-fit jersey at Mumbai on Thursday.

Team India skipper felt the move was good as cricket fans around the world distinguish the formats with the jerseys worn by cricketers and India had white and blue for longer and limited overs format respectively. With the new blue jersey designed exclusively for the shortest version of the game, admirers can identify the jerseys with their respective formats.
"This is a very good start. When people are swapping channels they see white and immediately know it is Test cricket and blue with One Day cricket. Now that we have a T20 shirt there will be a strong association between the format and the T-shirt," said the captain.
Dhoni also made a light-hearted comment saying that he was not sure if the new T20 jersey would help the team score extra runs, but it would definitely make them feel comfortable as it was 43% lighter than the regular jersey.
"Lots of research has gone into it. I don't know whether the research will result in extra runs but we will definitely feel more comfortable," added Dhoni. India's dashing opener Virender Sehwag, who was also present at the launch, said the colours of the national flag on the jersey makes it very special.
"When I wear the India colours I have to give my best. That's what I always focus on. The jersey also has the colour of the national flag on it (along with blue) which is close to my heart. Makes it very special," Sehwag said.
Similarly, Irfan Pathan also echoed skipper Dhoni's opinion and said the new jersey was lighter than the ones he had worn earlier.
India's latest batting sensation Virat Kohli, who has been a trend setter for youth, came up with yet another classic expression as he said the jersey's design and colour drew his attention the most.
"Pretty stylish! Colour and design are eye-catching," said Kohli about the jersey. The jersey includes a new collar, tricolours near the left shoulder and three stars above BCCI's logo signifying the World Cup victories, which make it more special.

Yuvraj named in T20 squad, Rohit dropped from Test team

Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were named in the T20 squad © AFP
India's squads Test squad: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav, Pragyan Ojha, Piyush Chawla, Ishant Sharma
T20 squad: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, R Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, L Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Dinda
India batsman Yuvraj Singh has been named in India's T20 squad for the home series against New Zealand and the ICC World Twenty20 next month in Sri Lanka, marking a return to cricket after battling with cancer. VVS Laxman, Ishant Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Piyush Chawla and Ajinkya Rahane have been included for the home Tests against New Zealand later this month. Rohit Sharma has been left out of the Test squad after a lean period with the bat.
Yuvraj, who last played for India during the home Tests against West Indies, was passed fit when the selection committee met in Mumbai to pick the respective squads. During his recovery from cancer, Yuvraj said last month that Twenty20 would be ideal format to mark his return to competitive cricket. However, he was picked despite lacking in match practice.
The Twenty20 squad had a few surprises, most notably the recall of the legspinner Chawla (in both squads), offspinner Harbhajan Singh and the seamer L Balaji. Chawla last played for India during the 2011 World Cup, and his previous Test goes back a further three years. Balaji, who suffered career-threatening injuries through the previous decade, last played for India in 2009. What may have boosted his selection was a successful IPL 2012, during which he played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders' title win.
Laxman's future as a Test batsman was in doubt after a poor tour of Australia, where he only managed 155 runs in eight innings. Rohit did not get a chance in any of those games, but Rahul Dravid's retirement opened the door not just for him but for a few other young batsmen hoping to break into the Test team. However, Rohit failed to make a mark in the recently concluded limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, possibly jeopardising his Test selection. Pujara's batting for India A in the West Indies made it hard for the selectors to ignore him. He was already earmarked as a Test middle-order prospect.
Rahane, who sparkled during the IPL, was left out of the Twenty20 squad but included for the Tests as a reserve opener. Ishant too returns from a layoff, after skipping the IPL to recover from an ankle surgery. Suresh Raina is back in India's Test plans, after being ignored for the Australia tour.
Kris Srikkanth, in his last selection meeting as chairman of selectors, said: "We have picked the best possible Test team. We looked at the conditions (in Sri Lanka) for the World T20. We feel that we have picked a team that will win us the World Cup. We are very happy Yuvi (Yuvraj) has been declared fit. In 2011 World Cup, he was the Man of the Series. He is a crucial factor from India's point of view."
This selection marks the end of a long and traumatic period for Yuvraj. His began with breathing difficulties, nausea and bouts of vomiting blood during India's successful run through the 2011 World Cup, which he ended as the player of the tournament. Six months later he was diagnosed with a rare for of cancer - mediastinal seminoma - and subsequently underwent chemotherapy in the US. He returned to India in April and began training at the NCA in Bangalore in June.
India play two Tests and two Twenty20s against New Zealand before heading to Sri Lanka for the World Twenty20.

Kohli and Irfan seal comfortable win

India 155 for 3 (Kohli 68, Raina 34*, Eranga 2-30) beat Sri Lanka 116 (Mathews 31, Dinda 4-19, Irfan 3-27) by 39 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Virat Kohli continued to be imperious, and Irfan Pathan impressed once again, as India completed a successful limited-overs campaign in Sri Lanka with a comfortable win in the only T20 international on the tour. Kohli was in complete command, picking gaps at will, finding boundaries with minimum effort, even off the occasional mistimed shot, and helped take India to 155. Irfan, who found considerable swing, undermined a Sri Lankan fightback with the ball in the death overs by dismissing three senior Sri Lanka batsmen and was backed up by a containing effort by the rest. The game began brightly for Sri Lanka, with Shaminda Eranga completing a unique achievement; his wicket off Gautam Gambhir meant he's now picked up a wicket in the first over of his debuts in Tests, ODIs and T20 internationals. But Kohli's entry to the crease ensured that early high was short-lived. Sri Lanka's bowlers targeted the off side, Kohli's preferred areas being through square leg and midwicket, and bowled to their field, but such was his dominance that no part of the ground was secure. A short ball from Angelo Mathews was clubbed over midwicket, a good length delivery next ball was guided through point and Eranga was taken for fours to each part of the off side - point, extra cover and then mid-off, though two of those shots were mistimed. When Thisara Perera was brought on in the sixth over, he made the mistake of bowling too straight and was promptly struck for three fours in a row, two past short fine leg. His low backlift helped Kohli to adapt easily to deliveries that were pushed in fuller and his wristwork, as always, was his primary weapon. Thirty-six off his first 38 runs came in boundaries. The introduction of spin after the field restrictions slowed India down, and accounted for Rahane's wicket as he drove one straight back at Jeevan Mendis. Overs nine to 12 yielded only 25, though they included a six and a four from Kohli as he charged out of the crease on each occasion. Suresh Raina walked in ahead of Rohit Sharma and picked up a couple of neatly-clipped fours off Eranga and Perera through the leg side. Kohli survived a close run-out chance but following a stand of 48, he timed one shot a touch too well, smacking a slower one from Eranga straight to deep midwicket. There were some hits and misses from MS Dhoni that gave him some frustrating moments and even though Raina dispatched Lasith Malinga over long-off, the Sri Lankan seamers were largely accurate in their lengths in the final few overs. Only 31 came off the last five, but India were not made to rue that slip. Irfan was off target on occasion - his first ball was wide and cut for four - but got the ball to move in through the air and castled Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over. The ball curved away from the left-handed Upul Tharaga and he chased a wide one in Irfan's next over to be caught at slip. Mahela Jayawardene, who opened the batting, threatened a counter-attack, targeting Umesh Yadav. He used Yadav's pace to guide him for fours through third man and point, then cut and whipped him in the same over to collect 17 runs off it. But his stay, too, was ended by an Irfan inswinger in the fifth over. Jayawardene moved back and closed the face but was struck on the pads just in line with leg stump. Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews tried to maintain the tempo, stepping out and going over the top and adding 33 in quick time. But Thirimanne's attempt to reverse-sweep a straight ball from R Ashwin failed and cost him his wicket. The run-rate slipped, the pressure grew and wickets continued to tumble. Mathews nicked Ashok Dinda - who also cleaned up the tail to finish with four wickets - to the keeper, Jeevan Mendis spooned a catch to extra cover and Perera was run out by a direct hit from Manoj Tiwary, all in a space of 15 deliveries. Seven down and with 54 needed off 28, Sri Lanka had to attack and their efforts to do so hastened their end. They'll now look to the Sri Lanka Premier League to sharpen their T20 skills while India await New Zealand before they return to this country for the World T20.

India rise to No. 2 with narrow win

Chance for teams to iron out creases Sri Lanka handed over the series to India in Colombo with two failed attempts at defending the target but can end the series - this is also, surprisingly, their last ODI this year - on a positive note in Pallekele. They beat India in the second ODI in Hambantota and came close in the third ODI in Colombo, and if they get help from the cooler and cloudier climes of Pallekele, where India have never played, their medium pacers could be a handful.

India minimise Malinga threat, again
One of the world's best death bowlers is taken for runs at the death by India's batsmen. A renowned game-changer has struggled to change games against India. Why does it happen?
Records show that no team plays Lasith Malinga better than India do. In 27 ODIs spread over eight years against India, Malinga averages nearly 43 for his 31 wickets, at an economy-rate of almost six an over. The trend has continued in this series, in which Malinga's five wickets in four games have cost 44 runs each and he has conceded 6.19 runs an over. Even in the third game, when he removed MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma off successive deliveries, Malinga went for 60 in his ten overs. That kept another trend intact - Malinga has never taken more than two wickets in any game against India.