Zaheer, Tendulkar tune up at preparatory camp

At training on Saturday, Sachin Tendulkar seemed in control; the straight pushes were firm

Zaheer Khan exuded purpose and found his rhythm, Sachin Tendulkar's back-foot punch made regular appearances and the India squad seemingly had a fairly satisfactory five hours of practice on day two of their three-day preparatory camp in Mumbai ahead of the England Test series. While the players had practised for a little more than an hour on Friday, today was their first proper workout as a Test side in the nine weeks since the New Zealand series.

Again, like on day one of the camp, all eyes were on Zaheer. Whatever he does on the field is closely scrutinised, such has been his tendency to break down, combined with his importance to India's Test side. Over the years, Zaheer has missed or pulled out during several big series due to injury. He had pulled up sore during Mumbai's Ranji Trophy opener against Railways last week. On Friday, Zaheer had spent the majority of his time on the massage table. He eventually did bowl for a while but was clearly not extending himself.

These days, it takes him an eternity to warm up. There is a pronounced cautiousness to his stretches and squats as if he is worried when something might snap somewhere in his body. Today, though, with the ball in hand he looked a different man. He started with a few gentle ones before increasing the speed of both his run-up and his deliveries. His focus seemed to be on targeting the angle across the right-hand batsmen. Though he was not unplayable, he tested the batsmen. What was good to see was that he remained intense throughout his spell - and it wasn't a short one. Zaheer bowled for about forty minutes in the first session, and again for a similar period of time after the lunch interval.

Another key player who had been tentative on Friday, Tendulkar, also looked a different man today. He faced the three India fast bowlers - Zaheer, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav - with control, and without too many problems. The leaves were confident, the straight pushes were firm and, soon, the trademark back-foot punches appeared. He stood on his toes to send a rising Ishant delivery through extra cover. He pressed far forward to drive him down the ground. When Ishant moved one in close to off stump, Tendulkar left it safely and nodded towards the bowler in appreciation.

Unlike yesterday when they had batted in the nets, the batsmen played today against proper fields. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir started off, followed by Cheteshwar Pujara and Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh, and Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni. M Vijay, the reserve opener, batted along with the bowlers, who were out in full strength today with Harbhajan Singh joining the squad. Harbhajan came out in the second session, and after a lengthy fielding drill that included slip catching, and bowled to his fellow bowlers.

Pietersen ton completes comeback

England XI 408 for 3 (Pietersen 110, Cook 97, Compton 74, Bell 57*) v Haryana

Kevin Pietersen was in familiar, imperious form against a weak Haryana attack

Kevin Pietersen may have complained that "it isn't easy being me" in the England dressing room, but sometimes it looks preposterously easy to be him on the pitch. Pietersen took another step in his "rehabilitation" by plundering a century of dominance and disdain on the first day of England's warm-up match against Haryana.

In truth, there were never many doubts about Pietersen's on-field contributions to the England cause. He was dropped, after all, having just scored one of the best centuries of his Test career. The problems were more off the pitch. But this innings, as facile as it was, at least showed that Pietersen is in the form and, perhaps more importantly, the frame of mind, to flourish in the Test series ahead. Only time will tell if the cracks in the dressing room are to reappear.

Yet, like preparing to wrestle a tiger by feeding a kitten, the first day of this warm-up match may prove of little value to England ahead of the Test series against India. On a green pitch and against an unusually modest attack, England's top-order - Pietersen in particular - plundered runs with ease. Suffice it to say, the most uncomfortable moment any England batsman experienced was when Ian Bell's chair broke as he was waiting to bat.

But these runs will have brought hollow pleasure to England. While the team management thought they had ensured adequate preparation in agreeing three warm-up games ahead of the first Test, India had other ideas. By providing England with surfaces quite different to those anticipated in the Test series and with opposition some way below international standard, they are, arguably, denying their opposition any meaningful practice. It is a tactic that bears the hallmark of Duncan Fletcher.

While some may bridle at such an approach, it will remain legitimate until the precise details of these warm-up games - the nature of pitches and the quality of opposition - is contractually agreed in advance. At present, while the hospitality and facilities extended to England have been faultless, there is a faint echo of Cambridge United under John Beck, master of gamesmanship, in the Indian approach. It is not meant as a criticism.

The Sardar Patel B Ground in Motera is not a classically beautiful venue. Faintly reminiscent of Garon Park in Southend, but with red kites instead of seagulls, it is a venue most unlikely to be painted by Jocelyn Galsworthy. For much of the day, it seemed the circling kites looked as if they wanted to feast on the bowling, too.

Still, the day was not completely wasted. Pietersen proved his form and frame of mind, Alastair Cook fell three short of what would have been the softest century of his first-class career and Nick Compton compiled a sound half-century that has cemented his position in the team for the first Test. Bell and Jonathan Trott also enjoyed decent time at the crease. All will, at least, go into the Test series having enjoyed match practise in the heat. It is, after all, surely better to score runs against modest opposition than fail to score them.

There was, perhaps, just one warning sign for England. Amit Mishra, the one quality spinner England have faced on the tour to date, only introduced himself into the attack in the 51st over of the innings and struck almost immediately. He beat Nick Compton, prodding forward, with his seventh delivery and, in his sixth over trapped the previously untroubled Trott leg before as he missed a sweep. All rather familiar.

Mishra apart, there was little here to worry England. One of the opening bowlers, Sanjay Budhwar, is a left arm seamer who has not played a first-class game for two years, while the other, Amit Karamvir, was playing just his fourth first-class match. Neither are likely to follow in the footsteps of Haryana's most famous son, Kapil Dev, and go on to represent India. England will not face many bowlers like Chanderpal Saini, a seamer with the physical presence of Janette Krankie, in international cricket, either.

Cook, in particular, stood out. Usually content to pick up his runs from nudges and nurdles, here he struck 18 fours, most of them from glorious drives between extra cover and mid-off. It perhaps says more about the bowling than Cook's form that there were times in this innings when he bore passing resemblance to David Gower. Only a waft off a wide delivery denied him the 40th first-class century of his career.

Compton was less eye-catching but admirably sound. Quick to skip down the pitch to the spinners, he defended positively but showed a willingness to attack when appropriate and brought up his half-century from 88 balls with a pleasing lofted drive for six off Jayant Yadav's off spin. He survived one edge, on 33, but generally looked to have the technique and temperament to prosper in Test cricket. But much sterner tests await.

Bell was, perhaps, the one established batsman in the line-up under just a little bit of pressure. While his first scoring shot, an attempted loft over mid-on, was not completely convincing, he soon found form. Twice he danced down the wicket and drove Mishra for straight sixes and, though he struggled to find his most fluent timing, he became the third man of the day to bring up his half-century with a six over mid-off.

And then there was Pietersen. Asking him to bat against this attack was like asking Noam Chomsky to recite his two-times table. While he was, in theory, dropped on 42 to a sharp caught and bowled chance, Yadav may consider himself fortunate to still have his hand. Pietersen drove, swept, ramped and cut with ease and power that suggests his form and motivation are strong. He looked bored some time before reaching his century, from 86 balls with 14 fours and three sixes, with his second 50 occupying just 32 balls. He was badly missed on 85 by Sachin Rana on the mid-wicket boundary and retired, rehabilitated and ready for the struggle ahead.

Three first-choice bowlers to miss final warm up

Graeme Swann is expected to return in time for the first Test.

Graeme Swann, England's premier spinner, has flown home ahead of the final tour match against Haryana to spend time with his daughter who is unwell. He is expected to return before the first Test on November 15 in Ahmedabad.

"This is a personal matter and we would ask for everyone to give Graeme and his family privacy. We will not be making any further comment at this time," the ECB said in a statement.

The development means England will be without three of their first choice four-man attack in the final warm-up match ahead of the first Test against India with Stuart Broad and Steven Finn both suffering from injury.

Neither Broad or Finn are expected to play in the match against Haryana that starts on Thursday, meaning that, even if they recover in time for the Test that starts on November 15, they will have had very little preparation. Finn, who has a thigh strain, managed just four overs in the first warm-up match before he was forced from the pitch, while Broad, who has a bruised heel, missed the first game and bowled only 10 overs in the second. Finn's injury is thought to be the more serious and he must be considered most unlikely to play in the first Test.

England may also decide to rest James Anderson for the final warm-up match. Anderson, Broad and Finn were expected to play as part of a three-man seam attack in the Test series. With Anderson, who has played in both of the first two matches, the last man standing, his importance to the team has grown even further. England have called-up Surrey fast bowler Stuart Meaker as back-up and it is likely that he will come into the team to play Haryana. Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan are the other seamers with the squad.

"It's unlikely that Broad or Finn will be considered for this game," Graham Gooch, England's batting coach said. "They've both got injuries, and I don't think they're going to be ready for this game.

"With a bruised heel, it is something that can be very annoying and can take time to clear up. You've got to see how it goes each day, whether it gets better with the rest - keep checking it and see how it comes on. There's no other way of going about it really."

There was better news for England in the form of Kevin Pietersen. England were given a day-off on Wednesday, but Pietersen was among three players - Meaker and Samit Patel were the others - to take advantage of some extra batting practise. Certainly Gooch has been impressed by Pietersen's determination to prove his worth upon his return to the team.

With fences mended and differences made up, Pietersen's determination is renewed and his motivation high. "I know Kevin is focused," Gooch said. "I've seen the way he's been practising. A fit and strong Kevin Pietersen is a player to be reckoned with.

"He's looking forward. What's in the past is in the past. The only thing that counts is what's in the future - what he's going to do, how he's going to interact with the team, what sort of performances he's looking to give.

"I don't think it's an issue with Kevin. All the things have been done and dusted. From my conversations with him and from the way he is working, he's looking forward to this tour."

While it is anticipated that England's batsmen will face a trial by spin in India, Gooch is taking nothing for granted against India's seam attack. But as well as preparing batsmen for the cricketing challenges, the England management also prepared them for the noise and hostility they anticipate by playing crowd noise from loudspeakers and the team psychologist, Mark Bawden, occupying the net next to the batsmen and testing their ability to ignore distractions by clapping, appealing and shouting.

"We're not majoring on spin," Gooch said. "That's not the only type of bowling we're going to face. They've got two very good opening bowlers, two out of three from Umesh Yadav, Zaheer Khan or Ishant Sharma, and two spinners.

"Our build-up has gone to plan. People have got runs; there's been some wickets. Some of our players have learned a little bit in the couple of weeks we've been here.

"Nowadays, when you are trying to stimulate players with training, you come up with different ideas. There's a bit of noise there, a little idea to make it slightly different. You're looking to motivate, to push the players to get the very best out of them. You come up with different ideas. It's not a major thing, just something that's a little bit different.

"I think coming to India is one of the greatest challenges. It's a wonderful place to play cricket. The enthusiasm for the game - with the advent of the IPL - has created even more excitement. We know India are a top side in their own country. Not long ago they were rated number one, and you don't do that without putting on consistent performances. But we've come here to win the series; we've not come here to make up the numbers."

While only one new face - probably Nick Compton - is anticipated in the team for the first Test, there is likely to be an opportunity for another specialist batsmen in the second Test with Ian Bell expected to return to England to be present at the birth of his first child.

"It's going to be quite a difficult selection," Gooch said. "Our guys are pretty much all experienced Test players: Alastair Cook; Jonathan Trott; Kevin Pietersen; Ian Bell and Matt Prior. There will be maybe one new face.

"Nick Compton and Joe Root are two very good players, obviously at different levels of their career. One has been in the first-class game for quite a while. Compton has gained experience and found his mark. He has found the way he can score runs and been very successful over the last couple of years for Somerset.

"The other lad is obviously a young, exciting player. He has a good technique from what I've seen - this is the first time I've seen him close up - and he bowls a bit. So it's going to be quite a difficult selection.

"Then you've got Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Samit Patel all bidding for places. But I like competition for places. You want that. You want people to be putting their hand up and saying 'I want that place in the side'."

Sehwag keen to build on Ranji ton

Virender Sehwag, who scored a fighting century for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh on Monday, refused to be drawn into the debate about his form. His innings of 107 - his first century in any form of cricket in 11 months and his first in Ranji Trophy in six years - couldn't prevent Delhi's defeat, but it allayed the doubts over his indifferent form. Sehwag said he was happy to have scored the century and hoped to bat well in the upcoming Test series against England.

"I am happy that I scored 100 against UP. Whether I am back in form or not, is not for me to decide but I thought I played well enough and hope to do well (against England)," he told PTI.

Sehwag, who scored 25 in the first innings, suffered a cut on his ring finger when a chance off Mohammad Kaif flew past him at first slip on the second day. He didn't take the field for the first two sessions on the third day and only came out to bat at No. 6 as Delhi's bid to save the match started faltering. He batted for almost four hours and faced 165 balls during his innings.

Vijay happy to be back M Vijay has been rewarded for his big runs early in the domestic season with a place in the Test squad against England, as the third opener. Vijay hit 266 in the Irani Cup and scored 93 and 155 in the Challenger Trophy, and is now hoping to get a game in the Tests. "I worked really very hard over the last six months. I am happy that it has paid off. Now it is my job to do well for the country whenever I am given the opportunity," he said. "I feel like going out with the bat and start playing."

"My injury forced me to bat in the middle order," he said. "The doctor did not give me local anaesthesia on time. The team management decides [the move to] the middle order and not the player himself.

"My finger is getting better. It's fine at the moment."

There have been concerns over the form of Sehwag and his opening partner, Gautam Gambhir. But Sehwag, like Gambhir, believes they are still the best openers in India, and refused to comment on the selectors' decision to pick two more openers in the squad for England, Ajinkya Rahane and M Vijay.

"Yes, we are [the best opening pair in the country]. The decision [to include two more openers] is taken by the national selectors. They know it well."

Sehwag is also close to a personal milestone. He is just two matches short of becoming only the ninth Indian player to play 100 Tests. "It was my dream to play for my country. Since the time I achieved that, my next dream has been to perform well and play 100 Tests for India. I am very happy that moment is coming soon," he said.

Yuvraj and Harbhajan named in Test squad

As expected, Yuvraj Singh has been named in the squad for the first two Tests against England, starting November 15. Harbhajan Singh was also recalled while Suresh Raina was dropped. M Vijay was included as the third specialist opener in the squad of 15, with Ajinkya Rahane as a middle-order batsman.

The first national selection meeting of the newly-appointed panel, headed by Sandeep Patil at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai, also attended by the captain MS Dhoni, didn't last long. While it was announced earlier that only the first Test squad would be selected, the selectors picked the squad for the first two Tests.

While Yuvraj has proven his fitness for the rigours of Test cricket over the last month after recovering from a germ cell cancer, Harbhajan was selected for his experience and lack of options once Piyush Chawla failed to recover from a thumb injury.

Yuvraj last featured in a Test in November 2011, (against the West Indies in Mumbai). The fact that Raina, who scored a half-century in the second Test against New Zealand in Bangalore, has been replaced by Vijay as the reserve opener clearly indicates that the selectors are looking at Ajinkya Rahane more as a middle-order batsman than as an opening option.

"We have selected three openers, not four," Patil told the BCCI website. "Ajinkya Rahane has been picked as a middle-order batsman. We have tried to provide the captain and the team management with a backup option for all departments. We have an extra spinner, top-order batsman, middle-order batsman and pacer."

India squad for first two Tests MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, Zaheer Khan

Harbhajan, who last played a Test during the 2011 England tour, was included despite an ordinary start to the Ranji Tropy season. He went wicketless in 21 overs in the first innings for Punjab against Hyderabad, but picked up three wickets in the second. Harbhajan was recalled for the World Twenty20, where he turned in a match-winning 4 for 12 against England. He was not considered for Test selection by the previous selection panel following the England tour.

Asked whether the selectors had any specific long-term goal for the team, Patil said "No, we're going match by match and series by series. Every match is going to be important and we want the Indian team to do well in each of those matches. Let's not talk about the season ahead of us but this series against England that is coming up."

The only bone of contention for the selectors was to check Zaheer Khan's fitness status. The left-arm seamer had left the field with discomfort on Monday during Mumbai's Ranji Trophy game against Railways and underwent a fitness test. Minutes after the National Cricket Academy physiotherapist Ashish Kaushik submitted his report to the selection panel, the selectors finalised the squad.

Bairstow digs in for England

England XI 338 for 5 (Bairstow 118, Morgan 76, Patel 59*) v Mumbai A

Jonny Bairstow made optimum use of his first outing on England's tour of India as his century coupled with a 156-run stand for the fifth wicket resurrected the England innings and helped the visitors end the opening day at 338 for 6 against a mediocre Mumbai A bowling attack at the Dr DY Patil Sports Stadium on the outskirts of Mumbai.

Though Bairstow, Morgan and Samit Patel managed to get valuable game practice, a revamped England XI - with five changes from the team that took on India A earlier this week - was deprived of facing quality spin yet again as the second-string Mumbai team management seemed to have taken a cue from the national selectors' policy of not including a specialist spinner in the team. While the national selectors hadn't included one for the game at the Brabourne Stadium, the only specialist spinner in the Mumbai A squad, Sagar Gorivale, served drinks all through the day instead of bowling on a wicket that had a tinge of grass.

So it didn't come as surprise that bulk of the bowling load was shared by pace bowlers. On a day that saw the Mumbai A failing short by three overs, only 23 were bowled by part-time offspin of newly married Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav and Nikhil Patil (Jr).

The wicket did assist seam bowlers early on and the Mumbai A bowling attack, led by Kshemal Waingankar who had 11 first-class caps before coming into the game, troubled both the England openers vying for the slot vacated by Andrew Strauss. While Joe Root, replacing captain Alastair Cook, survived the first session, Nick Compton failed to make a mark for the second successive time.

Compton, who failed to open his account against India A, saw his off stump being uprooted by Waingankar, who had dismissed five England batsmen in a one-day warm-up game four years ago, off the first ball of the fifth over.

While Root preferred to guard his wicket, Jonathan Trott timed the ball sweetly ever since he took guard. Having driven Shardul Thakur and Javed Khan, both right-arm medium pacers, through covers, Trott seemed to be set to better his 59 against India A at the Brabourne.

However, Trott's attempt to drive one from Khan that was slightly short of a length after spending a little over an hour at the wicket failed and he could only managed to nick it straight into wicketkeeper Sufiyan Shaikh's hands. And that set the loudest cheer from the scant crowd at the stadium that was hosting its maiden first-class game. Not because the handful of spectators, dominated by students as the stadium is situated in the premises of a university, were happy to see the back of Trott but in anticipation of Kevin Pietersen's arrival at the crease.

Not many were aware that Pietersen was rested along with Cook, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann and the injured Steven Finn for the game. In walked Ian Bell but even before getting his eye in, edged one from Waingankar during the bowler's second spell into Sufiyan's waiting gloves.

As if it wasn't enough to have been reduced to 64 for 3 in the opening session, Root, who appeared to be compact against pacers, glided par-timer Yadav straight into Nikhil Patil's hands at forward short leg at the stroke of lunch.

With 66 for 4, England were in danger of being bundled out cheaply. As a result, it didn't come as a surprise that Morgan and Bairstow curbed their instincts in the second session and focused more on saving their wickets rather than trying to score freely. But once they grew in confidence and the pace troika started feeling the heat, the scoring rate was on the rise in the second half of the day's play.

"It was pretty good to spend so much time at the crease and score the runs," Bairstow said. "There is a massive amount of competition in the England middle order and at the end of the only eleven people can go out there. Hopefully scoring these runs in the warm-up games will push me for a place in that side.

"I think I am targeting the first Test as well. Without doubt anyone would like to be among the eleven guys representing England. I will keep working hard and hopefully score some runs in the next warm-up game as well and if not selected I will still work hard in the nets."

The drives and the cuts and the flicks started coming at will after tea but Morgan was trapped by a Thakur yorker against the run of the play to end the 156-run association for the fifth wicket. But Samit Patel carried on from where he had left against India A and with Bairstow coming into his elements, boundaries were on the rise.

Bairstow, who will be keeping wickets in Prior's absence, completed his eighth first-class century with a square cut off Waingankar that fetched him his 12th boundary. Although England would have liked both the aggressive batsmen to take guard on the second morning, with 15 minutes remaining for the close of play, Bairstow edged Khan to Dhawan in the slip cordon.

Cook resists after wicket-burst

India A 369 v England XI 203/4

Abhinav, Tiwary make it India A's day

India A 369 for 9 (Tiwary 93, Abhinav 73, Bresnan 3-59, Swann 3-90) v England XI

Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann took three wickets apiece to help England XI cut through India A's top order on day one of the tour match in Mumbai, but it was still the hosts' day. Firstly, fast bowler Steven Finn experienced a niggle in his right thigh, for which he required a scan, and then India A forged a comeback led by a determined Manoj Tiwary. They ended the day on 369 for 9, with the last pairing of Vinay Kumar and Parvinder Awana knocking off quick runs.

Finn felt a pain in his thigh while chasing a ball within the first hour of play at the Brabourne Stadium, after bowling just four overs. Being a bowler down, however, didn't prevent England's bowlers from leaving India in some trouble at 190 for 6. India scored rather quickly all through, with opener Abhinav Mukund and Yuvraj Singh, getting to half-centuries, but none of the batsmen could kick on. It needed a 110-run seventh-wicket partnership between Tiwary and Irfan Pathan to lift them to a competitive score.

After choosing to bat on a greenish pitch, India lost opener M Vijay early through a run-out; Bresnan effected the run-out and followed it up with the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane for 4. But the other opener, Abhinav, did not back down, scoring 73 off 83 deliveries with 16 boundaries.

At 57 for 2, he was joined by Yuvraj. After being dropped first ball by the square-leg fielder, Yuvraj stuck around, sharing a 56-run stand with Abhinav. Once Abhinav fell - rather unluckily caught by Ian Bell at short leg while flicking - Suresh Raina could not make his chance count. When wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha departed in the 47th over, India had slipped to 190 for 6.

Then Tiwary and No. 8 Irfan began the repair work. They batted for 28 overs, carrying their team to 300 before Irfan fell four short of his half-century. Offspinner Swann had by then taken three wickets.

Tiwary batted differently to Abhinav; while he did play some fluent strokes, he was disciplined and patient, willing to bide his time. Four overs before close of play, Bresnan removed Tiwary, as he played over a yorker. Bresnan got No.10 Ashok Dinda off the very next delivery, but the last pair went on to add 22 and make sure England XI would have to come out again on day two.

England will play two more warm-up games after this one, against Mumbai A and - it was confirmed on Tuesday - Haryana, before the first Test begins in Ahmedabad on November 15.

Sydney maul Lions to take title

Sydney Sixers 124 for 0 (Lumb 82*, Haddin 37*) beat Lions 121 (Symes 51, Hazlewood 3-22, McCullum 3-24) by 10 wickets


The groundsman, the commentators, the general manager who played at the Wanderers on March 12, 2006, all spoke about the resemblance of the pitch to the 438 game, but the way the Lions started it took major rebuilding to go past 38. Seemingly surprised by Sydney Sixers' spin with new ball from both ends, the Lions batsmen played some average shots to be reduced to 9 for 4, and the little chance that Jean Symes' maiden T20 fifty provided them slipped through their palms with the drops of both the Sydney openers.

This was the second Champions League T20 title for a team from New South Wales; current champions Brad Haddin, Steve O'Keefe, Moises Henriques, Steve Smith and Ben Rohrer were part of the winning NSW squad in 2009 too. Like the previous final, Haddin almost missed this one with an injured thumb, but not only was he spot on with the call at the toss, he spun a rabbit out of his hat after putting Lions in.

Sixers' three fast bowlers could one day form the Australia Test attack, they have been the talk of the tournament, but they opened with two spinners on a pitch that reminded Stuart Clark of his six-over-54-run nightmare at the same venue six years ago. Nathan McCullum, who wasn't called upon to bowl and scored a golden duck in the semi-final, was to perform the opening act of the big night. And it seemed the tournament would get worse for him when Gulam Bodi lofted the third ball of the match over long-on.

Then the leading run-getter of the tournament, Bodi, didn't pause for a breath, and top-edged the next ball straight to deep square leg. A little more meat behind the mis-hit, and it might have travelled all the way in the rarefied Highveld air, and McCullum would have been 13 runs down. As it turned out, it was to be the night of the man from southern New Zealand playing for a southern Australian state.

The rest of the Lions top order then, seemingly over-reaching on the flat track, played some ordinary shots. Quinton de Kock and Neil McKenzie swiped across the line for top edges, and continuing with the momentum O'Keefe snared captain Alviro Petersen with one that turned across him. Symes then put up a lesson for his mates. His hitting through the line and along the ground showed the pitch was flat as expected, and that the shot selection hadn't been spot on.

After the promotion of Sohail Tanvir flopped to make it 32 for 5, Symes added 41 with the hit-and-miss Thami Tsolekile and 38 with the big-hitting Dwaine Pretorius. During the second of those partnerships, Sixers began to make a few mistakes in the field, but Rohrer roared back with a direct hit from point to run Pretorius out. That was Lions' final slide as they lost their last four wickets for 10.

The injured Haddin came out to open with Michael Lumb, and they were cautious against Sohail Tanvir and Dirk Nannes, reaching only 23 after five overs. At the first sight of spin, Lumb tried to break free, but Bodi dropped him at long-off. In the next over, it was Haddin's turn to be dropped, by Pretorius at deep square leg. There wasn't to be a third chance. Just to rub it in, though, Lumb overtook the man who dropped him, Bodi, as the leading run-scorer of the tournament. Mitchell Starc led the wickets tally to make it a clean sweep for Sixers.

Scorchers out, Delhi take low-scorer

Delhi Daredevils 123 for 7 (Sehwag 52) beat Perth Scorchers 121 for 5 (S Marsh 39, Morkel 3-19) by three wickets

The clouds hung heavy over Newlands but the rain that has blighted much of this Champions League Twenty20 stayed away, allowing a tight and intense encounter that ended with Delhi Daredevils moving top of the group. The headliner for Daredevils was the much-maligned Ajit Agarkar, who took two big wickets before coolly finishing off the game with the bat.

Though Perth Scorchers were eliminated after this defeat, they showed typical Australian tenaciousness to take the match to the final over. On a track where it was tough for the batsmen to time the ball, Scorchers could run up only 121, a score which is rarely defended in Twenty20 cricket and which looked even smaller given the heavyweights in the Daredevils batting. The heads didn't drop, however, and they steadily chipped away at the Daredevils.

Their appetite for a scrap was highlighted by Nathan Rimmington. In the 15th over, Virender Sehwag, nearing a half-century and the last big-name batsman remaining, slashed a chance to third man, where Rimmington fluffed the catch, and for a six too. In a low-scoring match, that seemed the slip that would seal Scorchers' fate. Instead, Rimmington hit back by removing Irfan Pathan off the very next delivery, and then getting the critical wicket of Sehwag three balls later.

That set up a tense finale. Naman Ojha, the last recognised batsman, put away a short delivery from Brad Hogg for four, but was otherwise ill at ease. He nicked a jaffa from Nathan Coulter-Nile to the keeper in the 18th over but wasn't given out, though two balls later he edged it once more, and this time there was no need for the umpire to even raise his finger as the deviation was so clear.

Three wickets in hand, and 17 to get off the final two overs on a difficult track. Not a problem for Agarkar, who carved an inside-out lofted off drive for four in the penultimate over, before crashing a low full toss for four on the first ball of the final over to ease Daredevils towards victory.

The trickiness of the pitch was shown by Sehwag's scoring pattern. Usually a batsman who loves the boundaries, and isn't the keenest between the wickets, Sehwag had to run 30 of his 52 and was regularly looking for the quick single, instead of the massive hit out of the park. He was the only one of the Daredevils batting stars to get to double-digits: Mahela Jayawardene guided a half-volley to short fine leg, Ross Taylor missed a straighter one from Michael Beer and Kevin Pietersen miscued to backward point.

Daredevils' other overseas player, Morne Morkel, was at his best, though, as were the rest of their four-pronged pace attack. After Morkel bowled Herschelle Gibbs in the first over, Shaun Marsh and Simon Katich re-built the innings with a 73-run stand. They could step up the pace, though, and just as they looked to open out, Agarkar removed both to suck the momentum midway through the innings.

Morkel, Daredevils' bowler of the tournament in the IPL, then returned to inflict more damage. The highlight was the 19th over, when with Scorchers looking to swing at everything, he conceded just a single and dismissed the dangerous Mitchell Marsh.

Despite the batting letdown, Scorchers gave it their all but couldn't dent the chances of the only IPL team still alive in the tournament.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP Last 5 overs NB/Wides Perth Scorchers 53 10 1 34/1 32/2 0/4 Delhi Daredevils 45 9 1 38/2 29/1 0/9

ICC World T20 Rankings on 6/10/2012

All-round Windies crush Australia

Starved of the strike at first then hampered by a muscle strain, Chris Gayle led West Indies to a lofty 205 for 4 against an increasingly bedraggled Australia in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20 at Premadasa Stadium. Taking their time early, West Indies gathered greater momentum with each over, and ended the innings on a murderous note as Xavier Doherty's final over went for 25.

Kieron Pollard did most of the damage in that final over, but the importance of Gayle's innings could not be underestimated. He was careful in his stroke choices, aggressive but not indiscriminate, and formed a trio of key partnerships with Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo and Pollard.

Mitchell Starc again bowled intelligently and Pat Cummins delivered one of his better spells of the tournament. But Shane Watson delivered his first wicket-less stint of the event, and the spinners Brad Hogg and Xavier Doherty were unable to capitalise on a powdery surface. Doherty was a curious choice by the captain George Bailey for the final over after his first two overs went for 23.

Batting first on a surface that promised to be at least somewhat more amenable to batsmen than that for the first semi-final, West Indies made a sedate start. Gayle began carefully, wary of the new-ball swing on offer for Starc, and watched from the other end as Johnson Charles heaved without foot movement and edged behind.

The non-striker's end was the vantage point from which Gayle watched an inordinate amount of deliveries, as Australia's bowlers and fielders did their best to keep him away from the batting crease. His brief encounters with Doherty were satisfying enough, but Hogg was a little more successful in keeping the runs down with his indecipherable googlies.

By the time 10 overs had elapsed, Gayle had faced only 18 balls, while Samuels and Bravo, chosen ahead of his brother Darren, took a greater share. Samuels managed a quartet of clean blows before being outsmarted by Cummins and bowled by a slower ball. Bravo soaked up plenty of dot balls but summoned a six whenever he was becalmed.

Australia's sloppiness also helped West Indies keep the momentum. Matthew Wade missed a full toss to allow four byes, Starc swung one delivery down the leg side for five wides, and the recalled David Hussey allowed a bouncing shot to burst through his hands on the boundary.

The innings still required a supercharge, and it arrived in the 15th over, delivered by David Hussey. Gayle sent one delivery into the stratosphere, and pinched two more boundaries for the over which fetched 19. In the next, Bravo crunched a steepling six but perished to a flatter hit next ball, the partnership ending at 83 from 51 balls.

Pollard offered sound support in the closing overs, as Gayle finally enjoyed a greater share of the strike, though he was by this time clearly hampered by an apparent abdominal strain. It mattered little in the final over, however, as Gayle slammed a full toss for six first ball then left Pollard to collar three more. Pollard's dismissal from the final ball of the innings was scant consolation for Doherty.

Windies power their way to 205

Sri Lanka enter World Twenty20 final

The powdery surface that had begun to explode upon impact by the third over of the first innings called for quality batting in order to score at more than a run a ball. Mahela Jayawardene was equal to the task, playing the spinners delicately and delightfully, but Pakistan rid of him before he could cause irreparable damage. They got Kumar Sangakkara out early enough too. Had Sangakkara, who scored a fluent 18 off 11, played for longer, it wouldn't have looked pretty for Pakistan. From 85 for 2 in the 13th over, Pakistan restricted the rest to an eventual 139 despite a 16-run last over, a testing total against a varied attack, but not out of reach.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, the third musketeer, didn't mind looking ungainly, or a strike-rate of 50 for the first 20 balls of his innings, accelerated to 35 off 43, but he too fell before he could provide the decisive burst.

The three big breakthroughs were brought about by Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Gul, but the first impact on the night was created by Sohail Tanvir. Most of Pakistan fans would have worried about the worst when Tanvir's name was announced in the XI, but he is always a good pick for a big night, considering Pakistan can afford to have one bowler have an off day.

On his good days, Tanvir can be a pain to face. He was one on the big night, bowling the first three overs for 11, getting the upright seam to hit the flaky surface frequently. Jayawardene, though, played a gem. With the ball turning square at times, he stayed low, swept and reverse-swept often to play with the spinners' rhythm. Dilshan seemed to be batting on a different pitch.







It was not just that he was sweeping and reversing, it was the range of that shot, able to beat the two square fielders on either side. He connected with four reverse-sweeps, scoring 12. Then there was the regulation sweep and the lap shot. This innings was shaping up to be a big-stage classic when he failed to connect well with a lap off Afridi, giving Pakistan their first wicket.

That didn't bring them any relief, though. Sangakkara began with a four to midwicket first ball, and later displayed a lovely chip over extra cover. Hafeez, though, outmanoeuvred him. Watching him move too much around the crease, Hafeez pulled out off a delivery. When he did ball, he bowled it wide and out of reach of the moving Sangakkara, and prised out a catch in the deep.

Now, with Dilshan looking to break free, it was down to the two big Twenty20 men, Saeed Ajmal and Gul. Ajmal had had two ordinary overs for 20 by then, and it was Gul who subdued Sri Lanka with lovely yorkers. He had a struggling Jeevan Mendis lbw but that was later ruled a no-ball. A few bowlers in this tournament have broken down after that event, but Gul came back to trap Dilshan with an even better one to reduce Sri Lanka to 117 for 3 after 17.3.

Ajmal came back well with Jeevan's wicket in the next over, but Gul missed his yorkers by the slightest of margins in the last over. Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews took toll of it, but Gul also seemed to suggest the ball had got wet with the due. That could end up being the decisive factor later in the night.

India, SA need win and a bit of luck

The Group 2 matches on Sunday had big billings, but turned out to be far from closely fought. Australia are now the team to beat, and India, with all their selection headaches ahead of the game against Pakistan, ultimately eased to victory. That success will give India's line-up some stability for their final game against South Africa. Their opponents, on the other hand, after a comprehensive defeat against Australia, desperately need to rebound, and rebound strongly, though even that may not be enough. The requirements for each team will be clearly laid out upon conclusion of the Australia-Pakistan game in the afternoon.

Should Pakistan beat Australia, South Africa will bow out and they'll be playing for pride against India. That would leave India needing to beat South Africa by a margin large enough to overtake either Pakistan or Australia's net run-rate, depending on which of those teams is second in the table. Should Australia beat Pakistan, a win over South Africa will see India through. A win for South Africa, in the same situation, will bring it down to net run-rates between three teams - India, South Africa and Pakistan.









India will be relieved, though concerns over Yuvraj Singh's fitness, despite his impressive show against Pakistan, will remain. Their fifth bowler - the combination of Yuvraj and Virat Kohli - picked up three wickets, though it remains to be seen if they bring in an extra spinner against South Africa.

South Africa's problems against Xavier Doherty will prompt questions over how their batting will cope against India's slow bowlers. Their fielding was off the mark and the pressure created by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in their early spells proved unsustainable, as the rest of the bowling didn't deliver. The concerns are multiple, as AB de Villiers has admitted, and the slide in form in the Super Eights has threatened to push them out of another ICC tournament. The right results and the right numbers, though, may yet rescue them.








Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)
India: W L W W L
South Africa: L L W W L
Watch out for

Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel bowled with pace, hit the right lengths, beat the bat and tested Australia's opening pair in Colombo. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir can counterattack with equal ferocity, but their approach will be interesting to watch.

Rohit Sharma, who's been under pressure, has had a good outing in Sri Lanka so far and has also had his captain's backing. He'll look back on a crucial half-century he scored against South Africa in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, when an Indian win knocked the hosts out of the tournament.










Team news

Faf du Plessis was the South African to pad up and bat in the nets on the eve of the game, and he could well be picked in place of the struggling opener Richard Levi.

South Africa (possible): 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 JP Duminy, 5 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Robin Peterson, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel.

South Africa have had issues against spin, and India could be tempted to play an extra specialist spinner. This could mean the impressive L Balaji may have to sit out.

India (possible): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 R Ashwin, 11 Zaheer Khan.

Pitch and conditions

There was some early morning rain in Colombo on the eve of the match, but practice was unaffected. The forecast is for partly cloudy weather during the day, but clear skies at night.














Stats and trivia
India have beaten South Africa in four of the six Twenty20 internationals between the teams, including twice in World Twenty20s.
JP Duminy is 64 runs away from becoming the first South African to reach 1000 runs in T20 internationals.
Quotes
"The first match starts at 3:30 so we can watch on television if the ball is turning or not, since all teams have good spinners. That too has an impact on deciding the playing XI."
MS Dhoni on India's selection plans for the final Super Eights game

"We haven't played well enough in the key moments. We should have won the Pakistan game. It is disappointing that we have had opportunities to close out games and we haven't done it."
Gary Kirsten on one of South Africa's problems this World T20

Sri Lanka and West Indies qualify for semis

Malinga five sends England out

And in another exciting match of the Day, the champions England are knocked out of the tournament as Sri Lanka wins the match by 19 runs...

Brilliance from Virat. Perfection from India.

Points table of ICC World Twenty20, after the 30th of September

Points table of ICC World Twenty20, after the 30th of September
4 more matches left in Super 8's.
1st of October - West Indies v New Zealand & Sri Lanka v England
2nd of October - Pakistan v Australia & India v South Africa

Which 4 teams will qualify for the semis?

Steady India thrash anxious Pakistan

India 129 for 2 (Kohli 78, Sehwag 29) beat Pakistan 128 (Malik 28, Balaji 3-22, Ashwin 2-16, Yuvraj 2-16) by eight wickets


India-Pakistan matches - never mind the tournament context - often tend to be a contest as much of nerves as of cricketing skills. Keeping in with recent times, where India have tended to come out the mentally stronger side, Pakistan's batsmen tried too hard and imploded to waste a dream start and post the lowest total of the Super Eights stage of this World Twenty20. Virat Kohli, who had scored 183 in his previous match against Pakistan, then steered the chase of 129 with his eighth fifty-plus score in his last 11 international innings.

This was a game where one of two jinxes would be broken. It was India, needing to win this to stay alive, who posted their first Super Eights win in World Twenty20s since 2007. Pakistan were still without a win over India in any World Cup match. Pakistan were every bit a team with a bogey attached to them. They tried flamboyance with the bat and failed, and didn't show heart to back up their talented bowling and attack. India, on the other hand, did the small things well after a nervous start, and were there to accept every opportunity that Pakistan presented.






Anxious more than enthusiastic, Pakistan began with 26 runs and five boundaries in the first two overs, but regressed in the coming overs. Some of their batsmen just froze, including captain Mohammad Hafeez who scored 15 off 28, and they took 6.5 overs to score the next 26. Pakistan played 53 dot balls against bowling that was steady at best. Add to that two balls they didn't even make India bowl.

It might look like a canter looking at the scorecard, but the match had got off to an edgy start. India even looked a little meek and Pakistan tried to intimidate them. Zaheer Khan brought back memories of his first over in the 2003 World Cup final, bowling three wides in his first over here. One of them, nearly a regulation take for the keeper, found its way to the boundary. The first ball Imran Nazeer faced he smoked away to the cover-point boundary. The first ball he faced from the other end, he inside-edged Irfan Pathan for four, but the bowler came back with a trademark lbw in the same over.







In the second over, out came the six-or-nothing Shahid Afridi. It was a pair of Pathans opening for India against one of the more celebrated Pathan cricketers, who was full of intent. The first ball: whacked away to long-on, the fourth: thrashed through covers. Even against Zaheer, Afridi kept swinging at everything. MS Dhoni went to the surprise pick, L Balaji, in the fifth over. Balaji began with a slower bouncer that Afridi didn't pick, and then got him caught in the deep with the regulation bouncer in the same over.

If this was a pressure match, it showed the most on Pakistan captain Hafeez, playing his 100th consecutive international for Pakistan. He would have had a perfect day had he gone to a shooting range. Almost every shot he played went straight to a fielder. As the dot balls piled on, it seemed the perfect time to introduce Yuvraj Singh, whose fitness has recently been questioned.

Yuvraj had set the tone for the day early when he dived full length to save four runs off the first legitimate delivery of the match. Now he teased the Pakistan batsmen with his slow tossed-up non-turners. With pressure mounting thanks to Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed was the first to fall, trying to slog-sweep Yuvraj. Dhoni showed he had recovered from his earlier slip as he caught the underside edge cleanly. Kamran Akmal, too, edged Yuvraj in his next over, Dhoni again pouching the sharp chance. Yuvraj would fill in with a direct-hit run-out from point later.







Shoaib Malik continued his love of playing India, and added 47 with Umar Akmal, but that was the last bit of fight Pakistan put up. When the time came to step up, R Ashwin's three remaining overs came handy, and he got them both caught at deep midwicket. The pressure of the dot balls earlier was too much.

All India's pre-match moves were working. The part-timers went for a combined 3 for 37 in their six overs, which justified playing only four bowlers. Balaji returned figures of 3 for 22. For a moment in the chase, though, it seemed it wasn't going to be all easy. Pakistan's new spinner Raza Hasan removed Gautam Gambhir for a duck, but they ran into a Kohli-sized brick wall.

Making his comeback, Virender Sehwag played a useful hand too, adding 74 for the second wicket, but it was his partner at the wicket who was the star of the show. It helped that it was Pakistan who were meek now. Attacking men were conspicuous in their absence, and when Kohli edged Afridi through the vacant slip in the ninth over, with the run rate still about a run a ball, the match had completely slipped out of Pakistan's hands.

Kohli remained calm even after Sehwag's fall, summing up India's calmness on the big night.

Watson stars in commanding win

Shane Watson dominated the South African attack to score 70, leading Australia to an eight-wicket win in Colombo.

The absurdity of making Irfan open

Knock knock? Who's there? Irfan. Irfan who? New-ball bowler? Bowling allrounder? Batting allrounder? None of these. For the moment, opener. If the sight of Irfan Pathan walking out with Gautam Gambhir to open the India innings against Australia does not seal the argument in favour of MS Dhoni primarily being a defensive captain, nothing will. On the day he took what he called one of his toughest decisions, Dhoni effectively nullified the rare selection decisiveness he had shown in leaving Virender Sehwag out by having Irfan open.

Irfan is no Shane Watson. He has a decent technique and can hit a few big shots, but he is nowhere close to being Twenty20 opening material. It was immaterial how many runs Irfan actually got against Australia. For the record, he made one of the scratchiest thirties you'll ever see. But it was never about how many runs Irfan could have scored anyway. He was opening not because Dhoni thought he was the best opener in the selected XI, but because Dhoni did not want any of his middle-order batsmen to. He was opening because Dhoni did not want Irfan to bat at No. 7, a position where normally Dhoni himself or Suresh Raina bat. It was the height of defensive compromise to needlessly cushion a brave, by Dhoni's standards, selection decision.






Dhoni invests a lot in setting an innings up for a final assault. It is evident in the way he bats, content to play out several dot balls initially with the confidence that he or someone like Raina can make up at the death. At times, he has been criticised for leaving it for too late, for letting the pressure build up. Gambhir made the point in the Australia tri-series earlier this year that Dhoni should not have taken the chase till the final over in an ODI against the hosts.

Whether Gambhir or the world agrees with Dhoni or not, that is the way he has approached limited-overs cricket increasingly over the years, and his record shows he has mostly been successful, especially in ODIs. The point is, can the need to have a potent batsman at No. 6 or No. 7 justify fiddling with the opening slot, especially in a format where there is little time to recover from a diffident start? The bigger point is, Dhoni's most-eggs-in-the-death-overs-basket batting strategy does not suit T20s as much as it suits ODIs. There is a limit to how much damage even the best finishers can cause in a T20 because of the sheer paucity of time in the format. That is why most sides have their best batsmen opening in Twenty20 internationals. Watson and David Warner for Australia, Chris Gayle for West Indies, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene for Sri Lanka, Tamim Iqbal for Bangladesh.






India had opened with Irfan against England as well, but that was an inconsequential game, and Dhoni wanted to give the fringe players in his squad a chance. But against Australia in the opening game of the Super Eights, a stage where India have famously struggled in the World Twenty20 in the past?

Will Irfan open against Pakistan as well? India had an optional nets session today at the beautiful Colts Cricket Club ground in Colombo for which the entire squad turned up. Most of the time was spent in playing a lengthy game of football after which a few batsmen practised in the nets for a short time. Sehwag was not one of them. Irfan was.

If Sehwag plays against Pakistan, the Irfan debate ends there. If Sehwag is left out again tomorrow, there is no justification in having poor Irfan open. It is not as if there is no one else in the middle order to do the job. Virat Kohli can and has done it before. If India feel he is too valuable a batsman to be disturbed from his No. 3 position, Rohit Sharma is another man who has done it before.






Will Irfan get the new ball tomorrow at least? Don't bet on it. He came on in the 10th over against Australia.

Shastri, Manjrekar question Yuvraj's hasty comeback

Drop Yuvraj, pick Sehwag, say Shastri, Manjrekar

Former India players Ravi Shastri and Sanjay Manjrekar have questioned the hasty comeback of Yuvraj Singh after he recovered from cancer earlier this year. Both feel he is not back to full fitness. Shastri said Yuvraj should be left out for the crucial Super Eights match against Pakistan on Sunday, and Manjrekar said he should have been left out of the game against Australia too.

"My contention is, [for] eight months Yuvraj Singh has hardly played cricket, and when it comes to India vs Pakistan I'm not the kind to get emotional," Shastri told TIMES NOW. "I want to pick the best team and beat them. You can't be sentimental here, but be practical."

"My team would have Sehwag opening the innings, especially against Australia," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo. "I think it was an opportunity missed, because that was the kind of attack Sehwag likes on this kind of a pitch.






"I would have dropped Yuvraj Singh from my team in that last match, purely because we have seen in the last few matches Yuvraj Singh is still not quite 70% or 80%, maybe it is time now to slowly get him to work on his fitness, keep him involved in Indian cricket, but leaving out Sehwag was not such a good idea because he does what you need right at the start of the innings: put the opposition under pressure."

Yuvraj was included in the World Twenty20 squad, ahead of Ajinkya Rahane, even before he had had any serious match practice, and has played only a handful of T20s since undergoing chemotherapy in March. Shastri said Yuvraj's rustiness was obvious.

"We got to see if Yuvraj is 100% fit, and let's not think about Yuvraj 10 months ago," Shastri said. "No question that he straight away could have walked into any side in world cricket at that time, but having seen him he's still rusty and he's still a bit slow." Yuvraj has scored 60 runs in four T20I matches, and taken four wickets since his return.






Yuvraj is not the only thorny issue Dhoni has to grapple with. Sehwag's exclusion from the previous match, in which Australia thrashed India by nine wickets, has divided opinion. Shastri said he should be picked against Pakistan at the expense of Yuvraj. "If you go in with three fast bowlers and two spinners, then you have to think about your batting line-up and if Sehwag has to come - which I think he should - then who do you drop in that middle order, and one batsman that comes up is Yuvraj Singh.

"It's not the question of what Yuvraj Singh can do but what is his current state of mind after what he has done and you have to respect that. You can't be too greedy and ask too much from that body that quickly."

Shastri also talked up the impact Sehwag could have on the Pakistan match. "You just have to look at Sehwag's record against Pakistan - it's Bradman-like when you look at his average against them. So Sehwag will have the psychological edge when he gets out there plus the fact that he's been asked to sit out, and I think rightly so, in the last game against Australia, he'll be fired up." Sehwag averages 91.14 against Pakistan in Tests, but only 35.72 against them in ODIs, which is almost exactly the same as his career average. He has played only one T20I against them.







Sehwag's omission in the last game effectively facilitated the inclusion of a third specialist spinner, who had combined figures of 6.5-0-66-0 against Australia. Manjrekar was against going in with three of them for the Pakistan match. "The key is going to be the pitch, let's assume the pitch is going to be the same as we had in the last match, still three spinners is a bit too much, Sehwag has to come back in," he said.

"Even if they want Yuvraj Singh in there, they can get Virender Sehwag in and maybe drop one spinner, either Harbhajan Singh or Piyush Chawla, the choice is up to the captain who they want. I would go for a variation, because when you have Chawla you have a variation of R Ashwin and Chawla as the legspinner, but after his last performance I doubt whether Chawla will get another match if India is playing two specialist spinners."





Shastri said there was no need to play three spinners, given the number of part-time options India had. He also said there was no way India should be opening with Irfan Pathan, which denies their best batsmen the use of crucial overs of a 20-over match.

India's big defeat against Australia means their net run-rate has taken a beating, and they will probably need to win both their remaining Super Eight matches to qualify.

Franklin fifty lifts NZ total to 148

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Dhoni defends Sehwag's omission, says can't justify every move

MS Dhoni , India's captain, has defended his decision to leave Virender Sehwag out and play three specialist spinners against Australia, saying tournaments like World Twenty20 merited a "horses for courses" policy. Dhoni's omission of Sehwag was widely criticised - both after the toss when the team was announced, and after the match - and his team-mate, Suresh Raina, admitted that it would not be "easy" to get through the remaining Super Eights games without Sehwag in the XI.





Dhoni said after the defeat: "Regarding why Sehwag [was left out], we had only two options [in terms of players]. I don't like to take individual names, I think in such tournaments we should go 'horses for courses'. To exactly justify why a particular player was dropped is difficult."

Raina told the BBC: "For me I think Virender Sehwag can be very dangerous. I hope he'll play the next two games. I think it won't be easy to play the next two games without him."

Friday's match was India's first Super Eight match of this World Twenty20: they scored 140, which Australia chased inside 15 overs. Irfan Pathan, opening in Sehwag's absence, scored 31 off 30, failing to kick on after a good start. Piyush Chawla, effectively the extra spinner accommodated through Sehwag's omission, went for 14 runs in one over. The same combination, though, had worked well in the group game against England, which India won by 90 runs, with Chawla taking 2 for 13 against the hapless English batsmen who had little experience of quality spin.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar lamented the absence of a settled opening partnership and the fear factor that Sehwag brings. "Gautam Gambhir is a very good street smart cricketer," Gavaskar told NDTV. "He has a very good understanding with Sehwag and so breaking their partnership was not a good idea. He (Sehwag) has a fear factor against the opposition."

Gavaskar was more severe about Chawla's incusion. "Piyush Chawla, since the 2011 World Cup, has not figured anywhere in the Indian team," he said. "Has not even been in the back of any selector's mind. Why not go with Amit Mishra? What's wrong with Rahul Sharma? I sit in the commentary box and I look at his [Chawla's] face and I hope to God, 'Let him not be hit for a boundary.'" He also said Chawla's body language "does not inspire confidence".

Kevin Pietersen, now a pundit with the host broadcasters Star Cricket, was also disappointed Sehwag didn't play. "I feel sorry for Viru," Pietersen said. "I know Australia would rather face an Indian side without Sehwag in it."




However, Sourav Ganguly, another former India captain, said he could understand why the move was made. "I'm not surprised with that," Ganguly said. "It's the right decision, looking at the context of the game and the nature of the pitch. India have gone in with five bowlers and three spinners … It's a good decision, but a one-off decision I'm sure. Sehwag will come back, it's horses for courses."

Ganguly and Pietersen were speaking before the start of the game.

Watson and Warner destroy India

Australia's captain George Bailey doesn't think his side is over-dependent on Shane Watson. Who'd be able to tell? Watson has hardly given any of his team-mates a chance so far in this tournament, and that continued in Australia's first Super Eights match as they crushed India by nine wickets in Colombo. To be fair, David Warner was also outstanding and Pat Cummins played a key role with the ball. But Watson was again the stand-out performer, as he has been in all of Australia's matches in the World Twenty20.

Chasing 141, the Australians reached their target with 31 balls to spare. India's decision to pick three spinners - Virender Sehwag was left out to accommodate a fifth bowler - did not work, although there was little distinction between the slow bowlers and the fast men. They were all monstered by Watson and Warner. Yuvraj Singh picked up the only wicket, when Watson drove to cover with eight runs still needed and it meant India narrowly avoided their first ten-wicket defeat in a T20.

Watson had made 72 from 42 deliveries with two fours and seven sixes. He cleared the boundary straight down the ground, over midwicket and over square leg. A pair of enormous consecutive sixes pulled over midwicket off Irfan Pathan showed Watson's power, but also highlighted India's poor bowling. Short balls on the leg side to Watson made about as much sense as dropping Sehwag.

In slightly slippery conditions the spinners also failed to have any impact and were routinely dispatched by both Watson and Warner, whose 133-run partnership was their second century stand in a T20 international this month, and the Australian record for any wicket. Warner muscled three sixes of his own, including two in a row off Harbhajan Singh, whose two overs cost 20 runs. Rare though it may be, Warner was the quiet partner.

He still managed 63 not out from 41 deliveries, striking seven fours and playing a key role in demoralising India early in the chase. They remained disheartened throughout the innings, and the comprehensive nature of the result will make it hard for them to drag themselves back into form for their next match. But they must do so to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals. And to do that, they need not only to bowl much better, but to bat with more conviction as well.

Their batsmen struggled for firepower and stammered to 140 for 7, which seemed like just a moderately competitive total. That India managed only two sixes said a lot about their performance. Cummins was especially difficult for the batsmen to score from and his pace and accuracy brought him 2 for 16 from his four overs, while Watson picked up 3 for 34 and jumped to the top of the wicket tally for the tournament, with eight from three games.

A few late boundaries from R Ashwin and Suresh Raina helped India push their total up but at no point did their batsmen dominate. Gautam Gambhir picked up a few early boundaries before he was run out for 17 from 12 deliveries, the victim of a fine piece of footwork from the bowler Cummins, who soccered the ball onto the stumps at the striker's end in his follow through.

Pathan and Virat Kohli added 35 for the second wicket before Kohli top-edged Cummins and was caught for 15, and Yuvraj Singh (8) also succumbed to a top-edge when he was taken at deep midwicket off Watson's bowling. Watson struck again in the same over when Pathan (31) chipped to midwicket and things didn't get better for India any time soon.

Rohit Sharma was done in by the angle from around the wicket of the left-armer Mitchell Starc, who bowled him for 1, and at 74 for 5 India were in trouble. Dhoni and Raina steadied with a 30-run partnership but neither man really went on the attack and a build-up of pressure from the Australians eventually brought the end for Dhoni, who drove Cummins to cover for 15.

Ashwin clubbed Starc over midwicket for six and Raina found the boundary twice in the last over from Watson before he holed out to long-off. They at least gave India's bowlers something to defend, but the way India bowled and the way Watson and Warner batted, Australia could have chased down 200. Australia will now enter their second Super Eights match against South Africa full of confidence. And maybe someone other than Watson will get a go next time.

A grand final before the semis

An early grand final, Michael Hussey called this match. A loss won't end the tournament for either side but in a difficult Super Eights group also featuring South Africa and Pakistan, Australia and India are both desperate to begin with a victory. Both teams enter the match with a solid if not spectacular form-line behind them. India accounted for a plucky Afghanistan and then annihilated a lacklustre England in the group stages, while Australia thrashed Ireland and then did enough against a strong West Indies side to be ahead on Duckworth-Lewis when the rain came halfway through their hefty chase.

Australia have had a settled line-up so far in this tournament and that is unlikely to change now. Shane Watson in particular has been outstanding, both with the ball and at the top of the batting order, and has been Man of the Match in both games so far. India's team selections are much less obvious, especially after Virender Sehwag was left out of their second match. Zaheer Khan and R Ashwin also didn't play against England and finding someone to squeeze out of the side after their 90-run win won't be easy. Harbhajan Singh, who didn't play the first game, seems to have cemented his spot with four wickets against England.

The presence of Harbhajan will add an extra dimension to the match. These are teams with a history of fiery clashes, and Harbhajan has often been part of that. However, in recent battles between India and Australia the tensions have faded considerably. Australia's captain George Bailey still expects some verbal stoushes in the heat of a World Twenty20 contest, especially with Harbhajan back and Australia's mouthy opener David Warner unlikely to keep quiet. "We have players who probably engage in some of that and players who don't," Bailey told reporters on Thursday. "You'll find that most of those guys who like to verbal, they instigate it. That's the way they get their juices flowing. It gets them switched on."

Just as long as neither side allows such sideshows to distract them from the main game.

Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWLL
India WWLWL