Sri Lanka arrived in Adelaide less than a week ago promising aggression and focus as they bid for their first Test win on Australian soil. On the day they landed, their captain MahelaJayawardene made it clear that to compete against Australia in any form they must be on the ball for at least four days of the five.In the first warm-up match against the Chairman’s XI in Adelaide, they could not even concentrate for four sessions as their fielding fell apart over the last two of the three days. Five catches were dropped, with Jayawardene culpable in two instances – missing sitters at second and leg slip. He admitted that it was a “bad habit” the players must shake off, but was keen to downplay the fielding and happy to put it behind them.”It was just a lack of concentration,” Jayawardene said after the game ended in a draw. “We’ve had a long chat about it yesterday and today as well. The guys concentrate a lot on the batting and the bowling but it’s just on the field it seems to not have the same kind of concentration which is a bad habit obviously. We just need to make sure we don’t get into these kind of things, especially when playing Australia.”He was candid, too, about his batting performance which involved a first-innings duck and a fair fifty, with both innings ending in the softest of dismissals, popping up on the off side. “The first innings was a shambles the way I got out. I just wanted to spend some time out there in the middle. The way I was hitting the ball, that was pretty good, but towards the end I was just trying to do a few too many things.”And he took away some positives – “The way Sanath [Jayasuriya] played and the way we handled the conditions. A bit of a tough start, losing a bowler [Chanaka Welegedera] early wasn’t the best thing because we didn’t want to tax a lot of guys as well, we just wanted to get them into a rhythm.”The biggest plus was Muttiah Muralitharan who took four wickets. Jayawardene confirmed Murali was “100 per cent” and would be rested for the warm-up. Malinga Bandara will come in to replace him for the tour match in Queensland. “He bowled pretty well, I was very happy withthat – all in all it was a good outing for us.”That may be, but Kumar Sangakkara was injured in the process – tearing his left hamstring while batting. Chanaka Welegedera also tore his right quadricep muscle and will have a replacement – Sujeewa de Silva – flown in for him, hopefully in time for the next tour match whichbegins on Friday.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

This has been a match of partnerships, right from Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Sami’s rearguard action to the VVS Laxman-Mahendra Singh Dhoni stand that resurrected India on Friday. On the third day an opening partnership for Pakistan, unlikely as that sounds, set the stage, but the spin pair of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh picked up four wickets in the span of 47 runs to peg them back. And once again, it was a partnership, Misbah combining with Kamran Akmal, that restored the balance, with a rush of runs in the dying moments of the day taking Pakistan to 212 for 5, a threatening lead of 167.The momentum has swung both ways in the course of this game, and when play began on the third day, the balance was delicately poised. Danish Kaneria decided to rudely upset it, picking three of the four wickets to fall, bringing the curtain down on the Indian innings for a lead of only 45. VVS Laxman was unbeaten on 72, the top score of the Indian innings, but he made little effort to shield the tail, and this meant a rather quick end to proceedings.Anil Kumble, leading the side, and fresh from a Test hundred in his last match, against England at The Oval, can usually be counted on to resist. And he did not throw his wicket away. Rather Kaneria got one to bounce and turn a bit extra and the ball went off the shoulder of Kumble’s defensive bat straight to first slip. The rest of the tail, however, did not even attempt to fight.Harbhajan Singh was bowled attempting to flick Sohail Tanveer across the line, Zaheer Khan hit one six and then scooped to mid-off aiming to hit the ball out of the ground once more, and Munaf Patel swept off the stumps without having much idea where the ball was, trapped plumb in front. Laxman, through all this, was batting assuredly, but had not farmed the strike, and made 15 of the 48 runs added, pushing his own score to 72 not out as India closed on 276.A first-innings lead of 100 and over, with so much time left in the game, would have put India in control, but their lead of 45 left the door open for Pakistan to come back into the game. Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed stormed through this door with an aggressive opening partnership. While not necessarily looking to clatter every ball out of the park, the intent was positive from both openers.

While Butt was merely translating his one-day form into Test runs, Hameed showed real promise, putting away loose deliveries almost unfailingly. Pakistan have juggled opening partnerships plenty in the recent past, but it is this combine that has looked the most likely to succeed, and even once put up 100 against Australia, the only such stand in the last three years.On the day they were well on course to building something big, having got a good measure of the fast bowlers. When Kumble introduced himself into the attack, perhaps a touch late, things changed. There was a hesitancy in the batting, a tendency to not commit fully and the partnership was duly broken. Hameed (36) pushed firmly to off, but failed to keep the ball down and Laxman plucked the ball out of the air just inches from the ground.The opening stand of 71 gave Younis a chance to express himself and he too looked to play aggressively, picking up boundaries against the spinners and fast bowlers. But the relentlessness of Kumble eventually won a positive result from Simon Taufel as a full ball struck Younis on the pad, getting past bat. Younis had made 23 in another mini partnership, but the pressure was beginning to tell on Pakistan, even with the score on 114 for 2.Mohammad Yousuf then began his occupation of the crease, and just as he looked set for a long stint, the late introduction of Harbhajan brought joy for India. Yousuf looked to drive Harbhajan’s first ball through leg and ballooned a catch back to the bowler. Then Kumble prised out Butt, who had made 67 vital runs. Bowling round the stumps Kumble floated in a googly that landed in the footmarks, Butt took the bait and flashed hard, edging straight to Dravid at slip.When Harbhajan added a fortuitous wicket to his kitty – Shoaib Malik dragged one that bounced a bit extra onto his stumps via pad – Pakistan had lost four wickets for only 47 runs. But luck soon swung the other way as Misbah edged Kumble straight to forward short leg only for Wasim Jaffer to fluff the simplest of catches. Perhaps taking that as a sign, Misbah gave up the dour prodding, leaving that to Akmal, and began to counterattack. He lofted Harbhajan over the long-on and midwicket, as the shadows lengthened at the Ferozshah Kotla. Stumps were drawn not long after, with Pakistan on 212 for 5. India won’t want the lead, which currently stands at 167, to swell into something much bigger, for chasing might just be tricky with Shoaib Akhtar steaming in.

Stuart MacGill will have surgery on his right hand on Thursday and is likely to miss at least the first two Tests of the series against India. He had originally been tipped to have an operation – on his problem right knee – but after two weeks of heavy scrutiny after his poor bowling in the Hobart Test a decision on his treatment has been made.”MacGill will undergo surgery in Sydney on Thursday for carpal tunnel syndrome in the right hand, a common problem that causes hand numbness,” Trefor James, the team doctor who examined MacGill in Melbourne, said. “The surgery is expected to keep Stuart out for four to six weeks.”Australia’s series with India begins on Boxing Day and the selectors will now have to decide between the spin of Brad Hogg or using four fast men on the drop-in pitch. “My gut feeling is that we have to pick our four best bowlers,” the Australia coach Tim Nielsen said in the Herald Sun. “It doesn’t matter if they are spinners or quicks.”MacGill’s problems severely affect the national team as he was meant to operate as the link man between the Shane Warne era and the next generation of spinners. MacGill is 36 and he faces a huge battle to prove himself after admitting he was unfit leading into the Sri Lanka series. He could be ready to return late in the four-Test contest with India, but there is also the option of waiting for the tour of Pakistan in March.”Although Stuart has had mild symptoms for several months, it only began to affect his bowling during the second Test against Sri Lanka in Hobart last month,” James said. “The problem has been the subject of a thorough investigation and assessment since the Test.”MacGill has also been hampered by a serious knee condition but James ruled out any further surgery. He struggled in the series against Sri Lanka, managing to pick up five wickets at an average of 65.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

There was no brave rearguard partnership, no stubborn resistance which delayed the inevitable on the third day in Wellington as New Zealand crushed Bangladesh by an innings and 137 runs in less than seven sessions to seal the 2-0 clean sweep of the series. New Zealand took four out of the required five wickets in 25 overs this morning, and with Tamim Iqbal nursing a broken thumb in the dressing room, the Bangladesh innings ended on 113 for 9.Bangladesh had saved their most feeble batting performance for their final innings of the tour. In Dunedin they had batted 46.1 and 83.1 overs in the first and second innings respectively. They were abject in the first innings at the Basin Reserve, surviving only 45.3 overs and it did not get much better in the second, in which they collapsed in 47 overs. The overcast, windy conditions and a pitch that offered plenty of bounce and lateral movement, which New Zealand’s seam attack exploited, simply proved to be beyond the Bangladesh batsmen’s abilities. Only Shakib Al Hasan, who had replaced Enamul Haque Jnr to strengthen the batting, resisted, remaining unbeaten on 41 but he too offered two chances to slip.The capitulation began in the first over of the day. Chris Martin got one to nip back into Habibul Bashar, who played outside of the line of the ball without moving his feet, and the leg before decision was easy for Peter Parker to make. New Zealand’s bowlers endured a barren patch of 13 overs before their next wicket and it was during this period that Shakib was dropped twice, on 19 and 29, off Iain O’Brien. He received his first let off when Matthew Bell dropped a sharp chance at second slip and it was Bell, again, who made no attempt to catch one that flew between him and first slip.Shahadat Hossain stuck around for 37 balls before fending away from his body and edging O’Brien to McCullum and an awful mix-up immediately after the drinks break left Sajidul Islam stranded half-way down the pitch to give New Zealand the eighth wicket.Mashrafe Mortaza, who was demoted to No. 11 yet again, and Shakib added 30 runs for the final wicket before Mortaza was splendidly caught by Mills, diving to his right at point, to end the game ten minutes before lunch. The last wicket had produced Bangladesh’s highest partnership, an indictment of how poor the batting performance had been.

One of the most arresting images from this match came a few minutes after the end. Harbhajan Singh, tricolour in hand, sprinted onto the field to join his ecstatic team-mates and quickly merged into a group jumping up and down. For a brief moment, before the support staff arrived, it was about white clothing, blue caps and a national flag.This has always been a close-knit unit but it’s obvious that defeat in Sydney, and subsequent events, brought them closer. The scorecard shows that the spoils were divided equally (there wasn’t a century nor a five-wicket haul) but there was so much more to suggest a beautiful bond. Like at Nottingham last year, this was a band of musketeers rallying around each other.Sample this for team effort: Ishant Sharma has bowled seven overs, RP Singh, ready to take over, has his cap and jumper off, Anil Kumble chats to Virender Sehwag, hears that Ishant is used to long spells in domestic cricket, Tendulkar joins in, RP too, Kumble realises Ponting is on strike, and hands the ball to Ishant. One ball later they’re all back together, this time celebrating Ponting’s wicket.Wickets came at the right time, largely because the bowlers didn’t waver. Rarely have three Indian fast bowlers bowled so well in partnership. Ishant stood out this morning but his effectiveness was enhanced because neither RP Singh nor Pathan gave much away opposite him. The run-rate was in control and, more importantly, the ball regularly hustled the batsman. No bowler was dominated and the fours were largely because of some outstanding batting on view.It’s tough to zero in on any one critical moment: RP Singh’s ball to trap Michael Hussey was as important as Ishant’s straighter one to get Ricky Ponting or Kumble’s fizzer to outdo Michael Clarke, or Sehwag’s beauty to nail Adam Gilchrist or even Irfan Pathan’s away-goer to beat Stuart Clark. Kumble has long insisted that India possess the bowling attack to thrive on any pitch and his troops showed how swing and seam could be far more lethal than pace.”As long as you are confident it doesn’t matter what sort of surface you bowl on,” said Kumble. “It’s important to stick to a plan and repeat it again and again. We’ve played enough cricket to understand how to adjust accordingly.”Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were always on hand for advice, Rahul Dravid had a word or two to offer between overs, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, apart from his chattering behind the stumps, seemed to inform everyone about the direction of the breeze. It was fitting that the slip fielders were standing so close to each other, almost indicating the glue binding the team. When RP Singh hurried Clarke with a bouncer, striking him on the bat handle, Pathan ran in about 30 metres, from mid-on to the batsman, to urge everyone on. That was how desperate this team was to claw their way back.Team work is tough to quantify but a few pointers help: like in recent triumphs, the tail played a big hand, the batting order put together nuggety cameos, and the training sessions were joyous and sprightly. When Tendulkar dropped Andrew Symonds in the first innings, Dhoni’s reaction was instructive: he rehearsed how he could have gone for the catch, as if to say it was his. It wasn’t but it was a signal that he was on hand to help.The spirit seemed to infect even those not fully on board. India began the day with an intense session of catching practice. Gary Kirsten, the coach-in-waiting, whacked ball after ball in the air and made them practice taking skiers. “He’s been positive throughout, a great help in the dressing room,” Kumble said. “Having played against Australia, having played in Perth, he provided some valuable inputs. He’s been exceptional.”The end was reminiscent of the Kingston triumph in 2006. Like then, two lower-order batsmen were in belligerent mode and clearing the field almost at will. Catches were dropped and runs were leaked. The bowling plan partly went awry. But the effort was never found wanting. If it was Kumble who crashed through Dwayne Bravo’s defences then, it was Pathan out-doing Stuart Clark here. Like at Sabina Park, the stands at the northern end of the ground were packed with Indian supporters. Like then it was a must-win game and like then it was a side that just refused to give in.

Shoaib Akhtar has refused the special retainership he was offered by the PCB after being overlooked for a central contract. But the fast bowler insists he is optimistic over his international future.Based on a formula devised by the board, taking into account players’ performance over the last six months, 15 players were awarded contracts, but Shoaib was overlooked. He was, instead, demoted to a retainership, having been awarded a Category A contract last year.”Central contracts are not an issue because I play for my country and not for money. I will not accept retainership,” Shoaib said after training at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, with Pakistan’s 15-man squad for the fifth ODI against Zimbabwe. Having sought permission from the team management, Shoaib bowled in the nets for an hour and said later he was optimistic over his future.”I have no problems against the board for not giving me a contract. In fact, thinking of financial gains instead of putting the needs of my country first would’ve been a source of embarrassment on my part,” he said. “I turned up for my country when I was ill because I was required [during the Test series against India] and I will do so again whenever required. I’m fit, I’m strong and I’m ready to resume my international career with Pakistan with or without a contract.”Although ruing the missed opportunity to play against Zimbabwe, Shoaib confirmed that he will take part in the forthcoming Pentangular Cup in order to prove his fitness and form. Omitted from the squad for the Zimbabwe series, the PCB had requested Shoaib to prove his match fitness by participating in the tournament before being eligible for selection for theseries against Australia.”I will certainly take part [in the Pentangular Cup] and prove my fitness. I don’t know what the fuss was about prior to the series [against Zimbabwe]. Omission from a squad is part and parcel of the game. Even Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis went through that phase. However, I wanted to play the series as it would’ve proved useful in preparing for the Australian series. They [the Australians] will not be easy to beat even though we will be playing at home.”Shoaib also played down reports that he was more interested in seeking a career in Bollywood, reiterating that cricket remained his focus. “It’s my life and I can do what I want. I don’t know why the PCB is making a huge fuss of all this especially when I haven’t even signed anything yet. For the moment it’s cricket but I might think about a film career when it comes to it.It has been speculated that Shoaib was demoted primarily due to reasons of discipline and fitness, arising from last year’s tour to India. But Shoaib said he had the coach’s backing and had done nothing wrong.”There were no issues of discipline with me on the Indian tour and coach Geoff Lawson praised my attitude and concentration, so all those things were baseless that I fell short on discipline.”Shoaib Malik, Pakistan’s captain, said the fast bowler’s return to fitness was an encouraging sign for the future of the team. “He is a great bowler and an asset to the team,” Malik said. “His fitness and form will only benefit Pakistan, especially with a tough series against Australia coming up.”

Jacob Oram, trying to figure out just how his worth was perceived to be $US675,000 for the Indian Premier League’s Chennai franchise, the Super Kings, says his priority is still with New Zealand. While he was very excited to be a part of the inaugural Twenty20 tournament, whose eight teams were finalised in a much-hyped auction in Mumbai yesterday, Oram remained unsure about the extent of his participation.The 44-day competition, starting on April 18, clashes with New Zealand’s tour of England and Oram was waiting for details to be worked through with New Zealand Cricket. “Playing for New Zealand and the English tour is priority No.1,” he told the website sportal.co.nz.”It is massive money they are throwing around and the IPL have stated that this is here to stay and everything around the IPL has just been out of the top drawer so while it is going to be great opportunity and experience to be part of it for me No.1 is still going to be to go back and play for New Zealand.””I’ll need warm-ups in England. I’ll need preparation that is the same as for other tours which is to get myself right for Test matches which is every cricketers’ No.1 goal.”Oram said that his view was shared by Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum, who have also been snapped up by IPL franchises. “I don’t want to get into a situation where I turn up two or three days before the Lord’s Test and have egg on my face because I’m not prepared for a Test match because they are two totally different games.”I would need to prepare as I would any other Test match which means I get overs under my belt and time at the crease,” he said. “”It changes your life and security for us for the future and family, if that comes around, so it is a massive shift in my whole life.”Oram, who will be play alongside the likes of Stephen Fleming, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Muttiah Muralitharan, Matthew Hayden, Albie Morkel, Makhaya Ntini and Michael Hussey for Chennai, felt the atmosphere in the dressing room would be something to look forward to.”I’ve never been in a situation where that sort of money is being thrown around or talked about and to be right in the mix of it is quite surreal…and pleasant,” he said. “We were just sitting at the hotel having a few beers celebrating Jamie’s [How’s] wonderful knock, the wonderful game that it was.”We were getting second-hand information through friends and family. When I first head it I didn’t want to believe it until I saw it for myself in black and white on the internet and when I saw that it took my breath away to be honest.”

The ICC has told Sunil Gavaskar that he would have to quit from the post of the chairman of the cricket committee if he wishes to continue as a media columnist and commentator to avoid a potential conflict of interest between the two roles.Gavaskar was told “very clearly” by Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, during a meeting between the two in Dubai on Wednesday that the ICC expected a final decision. The ICC’s cricket committee will meet on May 5-6 and Gavaskar has been given the same deadline. The ICC board will review the issue at its next meeting, during the ICC Annual Conference week, between June 29 and July 4.Speed had last week been authorised by the ICC board to ask Gavaskar to choose between the two roles. “That situation still stands, and Gavaskar will have to convey his decision to the ICC after the cricket committee meeting,” an ICC source told Cricinfo. “The message was conveyed very clearly to Gavaskar. But the meeting, as such, was held in a cordial atmosphere. Speed and Gavaskar have been working together for so long, that was not a problem.”The issue of a potential conflict of interest came up in the aftermath of the Sydney Test between Australia and India last January, when Gavaskar criticised match referee Mike Procter in his newspaper column for banning Harbhajan Singh for alleged racial abuse.After the ICC’s executive board meeting in Dubai last week, Gavaskar criticised the boards of England and Australia in another syndicated newspaper column. “Gone are the days when two countries, England and Australia, had the veto power in international cricket, even though the dinosaurs may not open their eyes and see the reality,” he wrote. “The cricketing world has found that India has no longer a diffident voice but a confident one that knows what is good for its cricket, and will strive to get it.”

ScorecardScotland have a scent of victory against Namibia in Windhoek despite a career-best six-wicket haul from Kola Burger. Half centuries from Fraser Watts and Qasim Sheikh enabled Scotland to reach a lead of 236, then John Blain struck three blows late in the day to leave the home side struggling.After an opening day when 20 wickets fell it looked as though a similar pattern would unfold again as Douglas Lockhart fell in the first over. Watts and Sheikh then produced the first period of the match where the bat dominated, adding 111 in 41 overs.But the fall of Watts, lbw to Burger for 54, began another collapse as nine wickets went for 100 with Burger claiming the key duo of Ryan Watson and Gavin Hamilton in consecutive balls. Craig Wright, at No. 9, was the only other batsman to reach double figures.There was something in the pitch throughout, so chasing 237 was never going to be an easy task and Namibia made an unsteady start. Blain immediately set to work adding to his first-innings haul of 5 for 48 dispatching both openers and Gerrie Snyman with just 16 on the board. Sarel and Louis Burger managed to negotiate the final passage of play to leave a tense third day in prospect.

Scorecard

The weather gods tried to upset play on the second day at Lord’s, but Middlesex scrapped and clawed their way back into the reckoning against Glamorgan. With Tim Murtagh prising out three quick wickets before the close, Glamorgan hobbled to stumps trailing by 223 runs.Murtagh bowled seven lively overs unchanged from the Nursery End in perfect late-afternoon sunshine, finding one to hold its line on Matthew Wood, whose feet were planted. Glamorgan were 0 for 1 and in spite of the seemingly perfect batting conditions, Murtagh and Chris Silverwood were moving the ball prodigously. After clipping two neat fours David Hemp was bowled through the gate by a cracking off-cutter which jarred down the slope, and Gareth Rees – who was earlier struck a nasty blow between the knees – poked tentatively at one which held its line on the off stump.Mike Powell – Glamorgan’s dogfighter – was the first Glamorgan batsman to move his feet noticably and benefitted accordingly, on-driving Murtagh for four past mid-on to alleviate the drought Middlesex’s bowlers had imposed. Together with Jamie Dalrymple, making his Glamorgan debut against his former team-mates, the pair guided their side to relative safety in the dying light.That Murtagh and Silverwood were able to impose such pressure with the ball was down to Middlesex’s gritty determination with the bat. Only ten, turgid overs were possible in between the morning rain but after lunch, Murtagh in particular showed composure and class in his brief but valuable 22. The inconsistent David Harrison was cover-driven for four, and he followed it up with the day’s most elegant off drive to nudge Middlesex past 250.Still, as impressive as Murtagh’s brief innings was, Middlesex were most indebted to David Nash, who resumed on 53. Orthodox is not an adjective often used to describe Middlesex’s wicketkeeper but today, in difficult seaming conditions, he was just that. Using the crease well, he nudged Harrison repeatedly through the leg side and twice back-cut Ryan Watkins – whose energy was admirable, if not so his line and length – for delicate fours, albeit with the impish charm that befits wicketkeeper-batsmen.Nash received good support from Gareth Berg, a Kolpak-qualified South African making his Championship debut, with whom he put on 61 for the sixth wicket. Berg was confident off the back foot, flaying Watkins through extra cover before pulling him through midwicket, but Robert Croft out-thought him on 33 when he bat-padded a cleverly-flighted delivery. Silverwood added a swift and agricultural 16, but Nash was last-man out four short of a deserved hundred when he wellied Alex Wharf to short square-leg. Nevertheless, 308 represented somewhat of a recovery from yesterday’s 198 for 5.As the light drew in Powell survived a very confident appeal for lbw from Steven Finn, Middlesex’s immensely promising 6ft 8in fast bowler, but Glamorgan were spared further loss. Not since 1954 have Glamorgan celebrated a win at Lord’s, and they face an uphill haul if they are to end that 54-year drought over the final two days.