Yousuf upset over Younis delay

Mohammad Yousuf has cranked up the tension with Pakistan's selection committee by questioning its refusal to allow Younis Khan to come and bolster Pakistan's Test squad in Australia. Yousuf and the on-tour team management had made repeated requests from as early as the first Test in Melbourne to send Younis over, because they were concerned over the flimsiness of their batting line.

After much dithering the request was eventually turned down, with the selectors asking Younis to recapture some form in domestic cricket instead. Yousuf, having already overseen a series of batting collapses through New Zealand and Australia, was particularly incensed after Pakistan stumbled to 94 for 4 at the end of the second day on a pristine surface at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

"He is a good player for the team and country," Yousuf said. "You can ask the selectors about why they didn't send him earlier. We don't need to check him in first-class cricket. He has a 50 average and has been doing it for 10 years. We have to see him here, not there. Will someone also take my test [to prove my form] from now on?"

Younis has been selected for Pakistan's ODI squad and will be here for the five-match series beginning on Friday. That is the format he has struggled in most over the years and it was a string of failures in the Champions Trophy and against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi that formed part of the reason he stepped down from the captaincy and the game. And Younis is still struggling to score runs domestically, prompting doubt about the selectors' initial prerequisite that he show some form before being picked.

Yousuf also lashed out at calls that the senior members of Pakistan's squad be dropped now. "In Pakistan there is all this noise about youngsters needing to come in," Yousuf said. "If he is good then sure, like Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer. They are good - can they be dropped? But if you force it then what is the point? Why the rush to kick out older players? Is there anyone to replace them? Bring someone new then replace the old one."

The relationship between Yousuf and the selection committee, headed by Iqbal Qasim, has been tense over the course of this long tour. He had Misbah-ul-Haq sent over to New Zealand after the player had been dropped from all three formats of the game just a month before.

And as well as the Younis affair, there has been considerable discord over the matter of vice-captain and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal in the run-up to the third Test. Yousuf was keen on retaining Akmal for the final Test despite his error-strewn Sydney display, but the board and selectors had already sent Sarfraz Ahmed as a replacement and insisted that he would replace Akmal. Sarfraz eventually came into the side after days of Akmal insisting - with Yousuf silent - that he would play.

Australia extend lead to 277 after Butt ton

Salman Butt's third Test century and Ricky Ponting's decision not to enforce the follow-on should ensure the Hobart Test goes for the full five days, although Australia remain in control with a 277-run advantage. After the second day's play, Ponting talked up the likelihood of making Pakistan bat again straight away, but his mind was changed when it took the bowlers 105.4 overs to dismiss them the first time.

Eventually, after a 60-minute last-wicket partnership between Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif that spanned both sides of the tea break, Nathan Hauritz finished off Pakistan for 301, leaving them 218 short of Australia's total. But Ponting wanted a break for his fast men and, despite the expected showers over the next two days, will set Pakistan a fourth-innings target.

Australia reached 1 for 59 at stumps with Simon Katich on 33 and Ponting on 25 after Shane Watson departed in the second over for 1. Watson skied a catch when he miscued Mohammad Aamer and it was the first time since the summer-opening Gabba Test match that he had failed to post a half-century in either innings.

Batting wasn't difficult on the good surface, as demonstrated by the inability of Australia's fast men to break through with the second new ball when they were trying to prise out Gul and Asif. Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson didn't help their cause by abandoning the key principle of new-ball bowling - pitching up to allow swing - and banged it in far too short against the tailenders.

The pair added 53 for the final wicket and provided some entertaining highlights, including three powerful sixes from Gul, who finished unbeaten on 38. Asif posted 29, his highest Test score, before he skied a catch to mid-on off Hauritz, who ended up with 3 for 96. The tail-end pluck only served to highlight how disappointing much of Pakistan's batting effort was, with the exception of Butt and Shoaib Malik.

Their fighting three-hour stand that lasted until after lunch was characterised by concentration and patience, two traits that Pakistan's batsmen have so often lacked on this trip. Butt was strong off the back foot through the off side and Malik put in a good audition to permanently return to the Test line-up before the part-time spin of Katich split the pair up.

Katich had Butt caught at slip for 102, which was his first Test century for four years and a much-needed one after he was responsible for running out Mohammad Yousuf and Umar Akmal on the second afternoon. It was enough for Yousuf to brand Butt a "lazy" runner and although the captain wasn't spotted cheering Butt's century, he must surely have been pleased that his opener took on the extra responsibility after his lapses.

The loss of Butt led to a collapse of 5 for 35 as Katich ran through the lower middle-order and finished with 3 for 34, his second-best Test figures. Katich tossed one up across the body of the right-hander Sarfraz Ahmed, who edged to slip for 1, and then drew Aamer into an exotic slog-sweep that flew high in the air and was swallowed by Watson at cover.

In between, Hauritz had chipped in with the key wicket of Malik, who by then was Pakistan's best hope of avoiding the follow-on. He threw his innings away with a lusty aerial drive that was taken at mid-on, and Hauritz followed with Danish Kaneria, caught at cover.

Then came the last-wicket stand, which was Pakistan's best in Tests for three years. Together with the efforts of Butt and Malik, it was enough to make Ponting think twice about the follow-on and the next two days will reveal if it was enough to save the match.

Back injury rules out MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni has been ruled out of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong because of a back strain. Virender Sehwag, his deputy, will lead India in the match scheduled to start on Sunday, and Dinesh Karthik will replace him as the keeper, the Indian team manager Arshad Ayub confirmed.

Dhoni suffered a back spasm during morning practice, retired to the dressing room and sent Virender Sehwag for the traditional captain's pre-match conference. However Sehwag, in his inimitable style, just offered: "He is fine, just taking a break and he is enjoying in the dressing room."

"The spasm continued and refused to go away," Ayub told Cricinfo. "Dhoni didn't want to take any chances and decided at the team-meeting in the evening that he wouldn't play the Test. Karthik will replace him." Karthik played two games as an opener in the recently concluded tri-series.

Dhoni had earlier suffered a back spasm during India's tour of New Zealand early last year and, as a result, had to sit out of the second Test in Napier, which ended in a draw. Sehwag led India in Napier in Dhoni's absence and will be captaining his country in a Test for the third time when he steps out tomorrow.

India, England lead Cricinfo Awards nominations

Players from India and England lead the nominations for the ESPNcricinfo Awards, the shortlists for which were announced today. Each team had nine performances in the shortlists.

Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul were among eight players who received two nominations each. The others to be nominated more than once were Doug Bollinger, Kyle Mills, Andrew Flintoff, Gautam Gambhir, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chris Gayle.

The nominees also included eight men who made their international debuts in 2009: Bollinger, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Wayne Parnell, David Warner, Jonathan Trott, Gavin Tonge and Roelof van der Merwe. Swansongs from Flintoff and Shane Bond also found a mention.

This is the third edition of the awards, which break from the tradition of naming players of the year and instead recognise particular performances - usually match- or series-turning ones.

The awards honour performances in six categories: batting and bowling in all three international formats of the game.

Of last year's winners, only Virender Sehwag (Test batting) and Ajantha Mendis (Twenty20 bowling) have been nominated this year. Sanath Jayasuriya and Dale Steyn, the other winners from last year, didn't have a memorable 2009.

The jury that decides the winners includes former cricketers such as Ian Chappell, Geoff Boycott, Daryll Cullinan, Tony Greig, Ramiz Raja, Sanjay Manjrekar and David Lloyd, and Cricinfo's editors and columnists.

Apart from the performance awards, there also are the Statsguru Awards, based on detailed data analyses of performances in the year, and the Readers' Choice Awards, based on votes by Cricinfo users.

Calm Jayawardene takes Sri Lanka home

Historically, when it comes to finals of triangular tournaments, Sri Lanka have had the upper hand over India, who in the last decade succeeded in winning just four in 21 finals. A familiar tale panned out in Dhaka, where a frenetic start was followed by an enthralling finish and the result was yet another tournament win for Sri Lanka over India.

Of all the individual contributions that were spread across 96.5 overs of fluctuating cricket in Dhaka, the one that towered over all others was a 71. Those were the runs scored by Mahela Jayawardene, and it undermined the importance of his surprise call-up to the squad midway through the tri-series. Building on the good work of Sri Lanka's bowlers, especially the Man of the Match Nuwan Kulasekara, Jayawardene smoothed over two spin-induced wobbles and paced the chase precisely to steer them home with nine balls to spare on a chilly evening.

Suresh Raina's first ODI century against serious opposition - his previous two were against Hong Kong and Bangladesh - had boosted India from 60 for 5 to a respectable 245 but they were a strike bowler short after Ashish Nehra took a wicket and left the field. Harbhajan Singh produced two openings with his tidy offspin yet Jayawardene was flawless in his match-winning effort. And to think he'd initially been ruled out of the series through injury.

When India dismissed the well-set pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara in the space of 14 deliveries on a rare dew-free evening, their total seemed around 40 runs more than it actually was. India turned in a fighting performance after Sangakkara and Dilshan fell, but fittingly it was Jayawardene, Sri Lanka's most experienced player, who anchored the chase.

After Nehra sent back Tharanga for his second consecutive duck, only to hobble off with a dodgy groin after bowling eight deliveries, Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth, especially, struggled with their bearings and Sangakkara, with very good use of the wrists, latched on readily. He was away with two expertly placed boundaries, just using the pace and putting width away through the off-side arc, and followed those up with two glorious drives past extra cover and point. With Sangakkara striking the ball sweetly, Dilshan set about erecting a platform that would see Sri Lanka through.

However, 93 for 1 soon turned into 109 for 3, with spin giving India some hope. MS Dhoni turned to Yuvraj Singh for the 17th over, and it took him one delivery to raise India's spirits. Dilshan, on 49, tried to cut but the ball stayed low and Dhoni made no mistake holding the bottom edge. In the 20th over Sangakkara, who had raised his half-century off just 48 balls, was tempted by a loopy one from Harbhajan Singh that forced him back and then drew the edge to slip.

Boundaries dried up and the tension was palpable, as was perhaps the batsmen's surprise at the minimal effect the dew had. Where cuts and glances had been abundant, suddenly hard-handed chops to backward point and inside edges off hurried drives became frequent. There was big turn for Harbhajan and Dhoni threw in a leg gully to go with a slip.

But Jayawardene is just the man you need to walk in with the asking rate under control and a batsman in good nick at the other end. He aided Sri Lanka's chase with customary effectiveness: a forward press here, a clipped single there, a deft boundary here, a cheeky two there. It was typical Jayawardene - aware of what the situation demanded and knowing which bowlers to take runs off and how.

Having eased the pressure with a lovely dab wide of backward point for four, Thilan Samaraweera failed to spot Ravindra Jadeja's arm ball and dragged it onto his stumps. That wicket snapped a 48-run partnership, but few circumstances ruffle Jayawardene and he ensured he was around till the end. Harbhajan's dismissal of Thilina Kandamby in his second spell didn't bother Jayawardene, who raised his fifty with a characteristic nudge off the pads. A drop by Harbhajan at point when Jayawardene was on 54 was as close as India came to dismissing him. Even the run out of Suraj Randiv with 18 needed from 21 balls wasn't enough. With three successive boundaries off Sreesanth, each played to different areas and with varying degrees of control, Jayawardene sealed the deal.

Jayawardene's innings overshadowed a splendid century earlier in the day. Raina's effort was the fourth-highest ODI score by an Indian at No. 6 and kept India afloat but Sri Lanka finished off well, taking the last four wickets for 32 runs in 5.2 overs. By bowling India out in 48.2 overs with some tight bowling at the end, they were always ahead in the match.

For the first 11 overs of the game on an overcast and mildly chilly Dhaka afternoon, India's innings resembled an automobile ignition on a wintry morning in Denmark. A mishmash of indiscreet shot selection, accurate new-ball bowling, efficient left-arm pace and smart catching is often a recipe for a lop-sided contest and India so nearly made it one. The top order played without purpose - completely failing to make use of the chance to bat time at the crease - and wickets fell in a heap within the first ten overs.

Gautam Gambhir's first-over dismissal - bowled off the pads while trying to glance Kulasekara - set about a brief period of chaos where India's batsmen made the slightly nippy Chanaka Welegedara look like Jeff Thomson. Though hovering in the late 120 to early 130 kmph, Welegedara drew a tentative waft from Kohli and made Yuvraj - who had not batted so early in the innings since November 8 against Australia - look like a novice with two slips licking their lips.

Overconfidence did Dhoni and Virender Sehwag in after a mini-recovery, as both fell to the accurate Kulasekara, and with India struggling at 76 for 5 after 15 overs, this was threatening to be one of the quickest finals in recent memory. Luckily for India, Raina and Jadeja proceeded to buckle down and give the innings some substance.

Raina never allowed the situation get to him. He was alert to the singles, was skillful at finding the gaps, and ran well with Jadeja. A pull through midwicket in the 20th over changed the tempo from caution to slow acceleration, and an open-faced steer between mid-off and extra cover was the shot of the innings. Forty one of Raina's runs came behind the wicket, all through dabs, steers, glances and gentle maneuvering, but it was the crisply struck drives that had spectators cheering. The cover area was regularly threaded, especially as Raina made room to dominate the bowlers.

At 166 for 5 in the 35th over, India appeared on course for 250 but Dilshan trapped Jadeja (38) plumb in front. Raina's attempt to boost the tempo after reaching his century didn't come off, with India losing wickets cheaply. Despite facing 53 dot balls, Raina's strike-rate was a swift 92.17; marvelous considering the mess he had walked out to. His excellent contribution at least gave India something to bowl at, but 245 just wasn't enough to prevent Sri Lanka from securing their first tri-series success since the 2008 Asia Cup - against the same opposition.

NZC holds on to foreign teams' passports at U-19 World Cup

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will be holding the passports of all visiting players at the upcoming Under-19 World Cup. The exercise is understood to be a precautionary measure after there were instances of players going missing at the qualifying tournament in Toronto last September.

An ICC spokesperson confirmed the developments and said the message had been communicated to the management of all teams prior to their departure, to which there were no objections. "They asked NZC to retain passports of players from certain countries, whom they considered to be a high-risk of overstaying," he told Cricinfo. "We did not feel it was fair to single out a small number of teams so NZC is holding the passports of all the teams."

During the qualifiers, seven Uganda players were unaccounted for, just before the team was due to return home from Canada. It later emerged five players and a coach of the Afghanistan squad also failed to return home with the rest of the squad, and were believed to be seeking asylum in Canada.

"Naturally, this [the Canada fiasco] has had a knock-on effect for the tournament proper in New Zealand with understandable concerns being raised by the immigration authorities that there may be a repeat occurrence," the spokesperson said. "The people at New Zealand Immigration have been extremely helpful and accommodating in ensuring that the teams taking part in the Under-19 World Cup were granted the necessary visas for the event but they did require certain assurances. All the teams understand the need to do this and it is being done in the best interests of the event and the game of cricket."

The Under-19 World Cup will kick off on January 15 with defending champions India taking on Afghanistan in the opening game at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

Ponting voted Player of the Decade

Ricky Ponting has been voted Player of the Decade by an overwhelming majority by a jury comprising former and current players and cricket writers.

Ponting got 60 points (a first-place vote fetched three points, a second place two, and third place one), 23 more than second-placed Jacques Kallis. Adam Gilchrist was ranked third (29 points), while positions four to seven went to Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath, Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne.

Ponting scored more runs and centuries in both forms of the game than any other batsman in the decade, and he was the only one to go past the 9000-mark in both Tests and ODIs. In 107 Tests between 2000 and 2009, he scored 9458 runs at 58.38, and 32 of his 38 centuries. Ponting and Kallis, along with Mohammad Yousuf, were the only batsmen to average more than 58 in Tests in the decade.

Ian Chappell, the former Australian captain who was part of the jury, said Ponting's ability to survive difficult periods and also counterattack successfully, made him the best batsman of the decade. New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said Ponting was the player of the decade "for his ability to dominate bowlers all across the world for such a long time".

Tony Greig, the former England captain, said there hadn't been a modern allrounder who produced as consistently with bat and ball as Kallis did. "Jacques Kallis has been Sobers-like in respect of his all-round contribution for South Africa."

Two of the biggest names of modern cricket, Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar didn't fare too well. Lara got just three points, after featuring as No. 1 in one juror's list. Of the 13 jurors who voted for Tendulkar, only three rated him as No. 1. Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Matthew Hayden, Graeme Smith, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf were among those who did not get any votes.

Apart from Chappell and Vettori, the 38-member jury included Graham Gooch, John Buchanan, Tom Moody, Javagal Srinath, Geoff Boycott, Mushtaq Ahmed, Rashid Latif, David Lloyd, Ranjan Madugalle, Tony Greig and Geoff Lawson.

The Top 10

* Ricky Ponting 60 points (13 No. 1s, 6 No. 2s, 9 No. 3s)
* Jacques Kallis 37 (5, 9, 4)
* Adam Gilchrist 29 (7, 3, 2)
* Muttiah Muralitharan 27 (3, 5, 8)
* Glenn McGrath 24 (3, 5, 5)
* Sachin Tendulkar 23.5 (3, 5, 4.5)
* Shane Warne 20.5 (3. 5. 1.5)
* Brian Lara 3 (1, 0, 0)
* Rahul Dravid 2 (0, 0, 2)
* Shivnarine Chanderpaul 1 (0, 0, 1)

Ponting got 13 No. 1 votes, eight more than Kallis. Gilchrist, who got seven No.1 places, lost out overall because he got only three No. 2 slots as compared to Kallis' nine. A clear indication of Ponting's domination was that while he didn't figure at all in nine juror lists, Kallis was missing from 20. A pointer also, to Australia's pre-eminence as a team is that four of their players make it to the top seven.

Tony Cozier, commentator and journalist, said many people didn't realise just how impressive Ponting's numbers were. "Mark Twain might have been right when he said there are lies, damn and statistics but even he couldn't argue with Ponting's amazing numbers."

Ponting's most productive year of the decade was 2003: in 11 Tests he scored 1503 at 100.20, with three double-centuries. Outside Australia, he played in England most, averaging 43.28 from 15 Tests there. Among countries where he played five or more Tests in the decade, his form was worst in India: 21.85 from eight Tests, with only one century. Kallis, on the other hand, thrived in India and fared poorly in England.

Ponting's best periods in ODIs came in the World Cup years. In the 2003 tournament he scored 415 runs, including an unbeaten 140 in the final. In 2007 he made 539 from 11 matches. Apart from his phenomenal batting exploits, he also led Australia to 192 wins (40 Tests, 145 ODIs and seven Twenty20s), including two World Cups and two Champions Trophies

Australia ride to safety on Ponting and Clarke tons

On the day when he was voted the world's best cricketer of the past ten years, Ricky Ponting showed his use-by date didn't arrive with the end of the decade. Ponting and Michael Clarke each scored centuries in a merciless 231-run partnership that left Pakistan dejected, bereft of ideas, and rueful of yet another dropped catch that took their tally to 14 for the series.

In Sydney, Ponting was caught for a duck in the first innings when he hooked straight to the man on the boundary and this time, again without scoring, he whipped a Mohammad Asif bouncer from in front of his eyebrows straight to the man at deep backward square leg. Mohammad Aamer didn't have to move a single step but grassed the chance, slumping on the ground in dismay at his error.

Teams know that if they miss a chance to get rid of Ponting, they may not get another. And after Australia were 3 for 71 in the opening session, the bright start that Pakistan's seamers made after a third lost toss for the series was wasted. Soon, Mohammad Yousuf's defensive fields crept back in, Pakistani shoulders slumped and by the final hour, the bowlers were interested only in stopping runs with a wide-outside-off line.

But while Pakistan contributed to their own disappointment, Australia's captain and vice-captain deserve high praise for their concentration and determination to reach 3 for 302 at stumps with Ponting on 137 and Clarke on 111. Both men entered the match hoping to turn around personally fruitless summers: Clarke needed to show that he could return to his Ashes form and Ponting required a big knock to avoid his least productive home Test summer in a decade.

Ponting was scrappy early. His ears have been ringing over his favourite hook and pull shots, which he has struggled to middle in recent times, and today they were pounding in pain when he misjudged a hook off Umar Gul and was hit on the helmet. Several other horizontal-bat shots were missed or edged but he didn't put the shot away and after reaching his half-century nailed a beautiful pull for four off Gul.

Gradually, the Ponting trademarks returned: a textbook back-foot drive through point, a cover-drive on the up to the boundary, an aerial loft off the legspinner Danish Kaneria. His 39th Test century and his second at his home ground in Hobart arrived with a paddle sweep for two. Ponting's celebrations were serious and focused: a kiss of the helmet and a bat pointed at the stands, and not much of a smile. It was his first hundred since the opening Ashes Test and it silenced any growing concerns over his form.

At the other end, Clarke was watchful early but never looked scratchy. He has made several starts this summer without going on, but in concert with his captain he was keen to ensure a fine finale to the home Test season. Clarke drove and cut with aplomb, and in typical style used his feet brilliantly to Kaneria, who looked all out of sorts and rarely appeared likely to get a wicket. Clarke's 13th Test ton came with a quick single clipped off his pads from his 188th delivery.

Unlike Ponting, Clarke didn't give a chance and their wonderful partnership was their highest stand together at Test level, beating the 210 runs they put on against India in Adelaide two seasons ago, and Australia's highest fourth-wicket effort against Pakistan. They were a major frustration for Yousuf's men, who had shown a real spark in the first session. The match started in overcast, swing-friendly conditions and Asif in particular was a regular threat in the first couple of hours.

He ended Simon Katich's return to the Test side early with a lovely ball that pitched in line, straightened, and had the batsman trapped lbw on review for 11. Four changes to the team helped freshen things up and the debutant wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, who replaced Kamran Akmal, pouched his first Test catch when Aamer drew an edge behind from Michael Hussey on 6. But sometimes, the more things change the more they stay the same and Pakistan's fielding remained poor overall.

On top of Aamer's drop of Ponting, Asif saw another opportunity evade his fielders when Shane Watson top-edged an attempted pull. Khurram Manzoor, another of the new men for this Test, and Imran Farhat ran back from the cordon but managed to collide with each other and miss the ball completely. Fortunately for Pakistan, that mistake wasn't crucial and Watson departed soon afterwards for 29 when he cut Gul straight to gully, where Farhat took the catch.

But the fielding degenerated again after lunch and misfields galore contributed to Pakistan's disheartenment. Ponting and Clarke don't need to be given such liberties.

Morkel wrecks England top-order

England's hopes of emerging from South Africa with a memorable series win were dealt a devastating blow on a breathless first morning at Johannesburg, as Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel struck four times inside the first ten overs of the fourth and final Test to leave England limping on 39 for 4 on a helpful but not unplayable surface. By lunch, Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell had reprised their Cape Town heroics to stitch the innings together with a 61-run stand, but much more of the same will be required to rescue their team from a predicament largely of their own making.

England's recent visits to the Wanderers have rarely been dull affairs, and this match began in sensational fashion, reminiscent of their 2 for 4 collapse in November 1999, when Andrew Strauss became the first England cricketer since Stan Worthington in 1936 to fall to the very first delivery of a Test match. The ball that got him, from Steyn, was a largely anonymous sighter on leg stump, but Hashim Amla had been cleverly positioned at backward short leg, and reacted in an instant to dive full-length to his right and scoop a brilliant low chance.

Strauss had earlier won the toss and batted first with some slight trepidation, recognising the likelihood of a tough first hour in dank conditions against a pumped-up new-ball pairing. Without his rock-solid temperament to guide their approach, England's middle-order faltered disastrously, with Jonathan Trott producing his nerviest and least convincing Test innings to date. He inside-edged his fourth delivery, from Morkel, inches past his leg stump before swishing loosely outside off one ball later. And before the over was out, Morkel had got his man, as Trott sized up a speculative on-drive and was pinned plumb lbw for 5.

That brought Kevin Pietersen to the middle, under pressure following one of the leanest spells of his career, and habitually anxious to get off the mark as soon as possible. Twice in his first eight deliveries he sold his partner, Alastair Cook, a dummy as he set off for non-existent singles into the covers, and Cook came inches from a direct-hit run-out on the second of those occasions. He eventually found the gap from his tenth ball, before clipping Morkel sweetly through midwicket for a nerve-settling boundary. But Morkel responded with a short ball in the same over, and Pietersen was aghast as he wellied a muffed pull to Wayne Parnell, one of South Africa's two debutants, at mid-on.

All the while, Cook had looked on phlegmatically from the non-striker's end, exuding the rediscovered composure that has made him arguably the most prized wicket in the England set-up at present. He survived a tough chance on 4 when Amla at short leg couldn't cling onto a firm push off the pads, but with two more convincing clips off his toes he had moved along to 21 when Morkel struck for the third time in his spell - a full-length delivery that zipped from a leg-stump line to trap Cook on the crease. The decision went to review, and though there was some suspicion of a no-ball, umpire Daryl Harper rightly upheld the onfield decision.

And so, at 39 for 4, it was down to the guts and grit of Collingwood and Bell once again. Of the two, it was Collingwood who set the tempo in an innings of significantly greater aggression to his stonewalling performance at Newlands. With attacking fields in place, there were plenty runs on offer for his favourite clips and nudges, as well as his trademark one-day pull shot, with which he picked off two sixes, including one, off Jacques Kallis, from the very last ball of the session.

By lunch, Collingwood was 44 not out from 55 balls, which was four more runs than he had managed in 133 more deliveries in his previous Test innings. Bell, at the other end, was calmly bedded in on 19 not out, on a pitch that was proving to be as good for batting as Strauss had hoped it would be at the toss. Unfortunately for England, their early collapse had set their prospects back significantly.

Prior to the toss, there were a couple of surprises sprung in the selection of both sides. Parnell's selection at the age of 20 was anticipated from the moment that Friedel de Wet dropped out of contention with a back injury, but the allrounder Ryan McLaren was also chosen for a debut, at the expense of the left-arm spinner, Paul Harris, who was so disappointing in the pivotal fourth innings at Cape Town last week. England, meanwhile, opted to recall Ryan Sidebottom at the expense of Graham Onions, at a venue where swing has often proven to be king.

Intikhab says Sarfraz will play

After days of confusion, Intikhab Alam has put an emphatic end to speculation surrounding Pakistan's wicketkeeping spot, saying that there is "no doubt" Sarfraz Ahmed will play as the wicketkeeper in Kamran Akmal's place in the third Test in Hobart starting on Thursday.

Speculation has been rife and silly since the Sydney Test about Akmal and his role in the Pakistan side. Reports emerged blaming his late-night babysitting for the four dropped catches at the SCG and there has been talk of his younger brother Umar pulling out of the third Test with an allegedly feigned back injury in protest at the axing.

The team was given a day off from practice today, but Umar and Sarfraz trained at the Bellerive Oval under the eyes of Intikhab and Aaqib Javed, the assistant coach. There will be a selection meeting the day before the Test begins but Intikhab indicated that if it comes to a vote with the four-man selection committee (Mohammad Yousuf, Akmal, Intikhab and manager Abdur Raquib form the panel), Akmal will step aside.

"Naturally he [Sarfraz] has been sent as a reinforcement," Intikhab said. "Unfortunately Kamran had a bad game and he is a very good wicketkeeper-batsman. It can happen to anyone but the fact of the matter is Sarfraz has been sent here and we will give him a chance.

"It has happened in the past [a vice-captain having a vote on his own position in the side]. We were in Sri Lanka, the vice-captain was Misbah-ul-Haq and he wasn't having a good time and we decided in the meeting, at times you have to take that tough decision and we'll take that decision. And there is no doubt that Sarfraz will play.

"We have a three-member committee but this time the manager will also sit in. We're sure the right decision will be taken and he will have a vote as well. I have already spoken to Kamran and I think he understands. These things happen in cricket. I'm sure he's good enough and he'll come back."

Younger brother Umar had a longish net session, having sat out practice yesterday and woken up this morning to stories about the stiff back being merely a ploy to protest at the treatment of Kamran. Intikhab said the back was fine and talk of protest absolute rubbish.

He is ok. He had a sore back. The last few days the guys have been working very, very hard, and so I gave them a day off today," Intikhab said. "Umar didn't practice yesterday, he was sent to hospital and had x-rays done and the doctors said there is nothing wrong with him. He has had one painkilling injection but that's why I brought him here to make sure he is fit and raring to go.

"It's [the stories of his protest] all rubbish. At times I laugh when I read such stories. He's one of the emerging cricketers in world cricket and he is capable and has the ability to do that. He is ok."

Training cheerily alongside Umar was Sarfraz, who having played eight ODIs in 2008, finally finds himself on the verge of a Test debut, the first man other than Akmal to don Pakistan's Test gloves since late 2004.

"Of course the pressure is there for representing your country against Australia," Sarfraz said. "But all the coaches, the manager and players have really supported me and told me to take no pressure and treat it like you are playing a normal first-class match."

Sarfraz was part of the same Pakistan A tour to Australia as Umar in June-July last year and had a similarly successful time, picking up 11 victims and three fifties in the two 'Tests'. And some advice had already come his way on conditions here, he said, from the man he is set to replace. "Kami supported me and said play your natural game. I arrived two days ago and he said no pressure. He told me about the pitch here, a little bounce and some break. He is a very good player no doubt and everyone goes through a bad patch. I will give my 100% for our team.

Form book points to India

With all due to respect to Bangladesh, the teams with the more commanding records were always expected to meet in the final. After going at each other for the past two months, Sri Lanka and India clash at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, and if recent encounters are any clue, India are the favourites.

That's not a tag they have ever been comfortable with. Finals of multi-team tournaments have long been India's dreaded bogie, but against Sri Lanka there will at least be the comfort of familiarity - they have played each other 22 times in the last 19 months, with India winning 13 and losing seven times. Since MS Dhoni took over the leadership India have reached four finals and won two. Those two losses, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the summer of 2008, left a sour taste and India will be keen to impose their strength.

On the other hand, Kumar Sangakkara has only won one ODI series since he became captain in early 2009. Defeats to India in the home tri-series and the away tour must rankle, and his leadership has come under heavy fire of late.

A look back at the league phase, which ended on Monday with India comfortably handing Bangladesh their fourth loss in a row, indicates that neither they nor Sri Lanka had a tough time reaching this point. Both batting line-ups are in form, the fielding has improved significantly from when they played each other in December, but it is the bowling which is still a concern. No frontline fast bowler from either side has averaged less than 5.38 runs an over or 31.20 per wicket, and the most successful bowler overall has been the allrounder Thissara Perera, whose five wickets have come at 18.20 and 4.33 an over.

Inaccurate bowling at the start and during the death overs hampered both India and Sri Lanka in the limited-overs series before the New Year. India's fast bowlers were lukewarm in their first two games of this series, failing to defend a total of 279 against Sri Lanka and allowing Bangladesh to post 296 after that. The rookie Sudeep Tyagi has impressed in two games but is not a certainty for the final, Sreesanth has been wayward and expensive, and most of the responsibility has been shouldered by Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. Both have had more off days than good ones.

The situation is even more worrying for Sri Lanka. Apart from Chanaka Welegedara's five-wicket haul in the first game against India, no pace bowler has been impressive, and the pick of the attack has been the young offspinner, Suraj Randiv. Their two most experienced bowlers, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara, have been poor and Suranga Lakmal all over the place. Too much pressure has been put on Randiv and Perera, and neither can be expected to carry Sri Lanka's attack.

After Sri Lanka's defeat on Sunday, Sangakkara admitted that the result had robbed them of some momentum going into the final. The mantra for this series has been simple - field first. With that in mind, the bowling will have to be extremely proficient.

Form guide
India - WWWLW
Sri Lanka - LWWWL

Watch out for...
Virender Sehwag: After being given two matches to rest up before the big game, Sehwag - who averaged 45.00 in 2009 with three centuries - will slot back alongside good mate Gautam Gambhir at the top. In two games this series Sehwag has scores of 47 and 13, and his overall average in tournament finals isn't so hot, with no century yet. Expect him to try and rectify that tomorrow.

The battle of the openers: India's first-choice openers, Gambhir and Sehwag, have added 44 for the first wicket in two games this tournament; Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan have put on 35 in two games. Dilshan and Sehwag have both missed two games, but will return for the final. How Gambhir and Tharanga adjust to having their stronger and flashier accomplices back in the saddle could be crucial.

Suraj Randiv v Yuvraj Singh: Four innings have resulted in just 96 runs for Yuvraj, and in the last outing against Bangladesh he looked particularly uneasy against spin. The 25 deliveries he faced for his 13 runs were all against spin, and there was but one dominating shot. Against the offspinner Naeem Islam, a similar bowler to Randiv, Yuvraj managed eight runs in 18 balls before he was out lbw. Randiv has been impressive in not allowing batsmen to dominate, so watch this battle closely.

Team news
India rested Sehwag for the last two games, so he will slip back at the top for Dinesh Karthik. Sreesanth's patchy form may not guarantee him a place, especially since Tyagi has done well as a replacement for Nehra and Zaheer, who are certain to play. Harbhajan Singh's return means Amit Mishra will go back to the bench. India had an optional training day, indicative of their schedule and confidence, and just six players turned up.

India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ashish Nehra, 10 Sreesanth/Sudeep Tyagi.

With the team progressing smoothly to the finals, Sri Lanka may not tinker too much with their combination. At training on the eve of the final, Welegedara and Lakmal were practising a lot of yorkers and bouncers. Welegedera more yorkers, Lakmal more bouncers. Thushara was also seen trying to get bounce from short of a length. Sri Lanka will have to decide between one of them and Kulasekara.

Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt./wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Thissara Perera, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Thilan Thushara, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.

Stats and trivia

* The final will be the 121st ODI between India and Sri Lanka, a record for most matches played between two teams. Australia and West Indies have played 120, while Sri Lanka have played 119 against Pakistan.

* In neutral venues India hold a 19-11 advantage against Sri Lanka, and have won eight of the last 12. In Bangladesh, though, Sri Lanka have won three out of five.

* Sangakkara has an overall batting average of 35.72 against India, but in the last year he has done much better, averaging 46.78 at a strike rate of 91.48 in 14 matches since the beginning of 2009. In these 14 innings he has struck seven half-centuries. Mahela Jayawardene has struggled, though, scoring only 222 runs in 12 innings during this period.

* Among India's current batsmen, MS Dhoni and Gambhir have been the most successful (in terms of averages) against Sri Lanka: Dhoni averages 63.08 at a strike rate of 90.93 in 31 innings, while Gambhir averages 49.60 at a strike rate of 91.68 in 23 innings.

* All six matches in the tournament so far have been won by the team batting second.

"I don't rate India a long-term No.1" - Ian Chappell

Former Australian captain and leading commentator Ian Chappell has said India don't have the resources to retain their No.1 spot in the ICC Test rankings for a long enough period to emulate Australia and the great West Indies teams of the past. Chappell said that India's batting alone will not sustain them and to do so, they will have to unearth a couple of champion bowlers.

Chappell and former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar aired their views in Time Out, Cricinfo's new fortnightly audio show hosted by the leading commentator Harsha Bhogle. India bagged the top ranking from Australia after beating Sri Lanka 2-0 in the three-Test series at home last month. India jumped from No. 3 to No.1 for first time since the rankings came into place in May 2001.

Manjrekar said a big reason for India's success is the arrival of a strong opening pair in Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, and the ability to adjust to foreign conditions.

"It's a huge asset to have, a stable opening pair. I noticed a change in India's batting around the time Sourav Ganguly was leading India, John Wright was in charge, and I saw India playing on foreign pitches," Manjrekar said. "I found that the new generation of Indian batsmen could play the pull shot, the cut shot, and they were pretty good against the short deliveries."

However, Chappell felt that India have completed only half the job of being a well-rounded team.

"I don't think great teams are built on opening batting partnerships. But to me, there is a far more important thing, and this is one reason why I don't rate India as a long-term No.1, " Chappell said. "I think you have got to have two champion bowlers in your line-up to be a long-term successful cricket team. That is where India is falling down at the moment.

"When I look at the averages and the strike-rates for India in the last 12 months, I don't see two champion bowlers. In fact, I am struggling to find one champion bowler in that line-up. They've got some good bowlers. Sure, they have got a very good batting line-up, but the bowling is really not good enough to see them win consistently all around the world."

Over the last two years, India have played 20 Tests, winning nine and losing three. Three of those wins have come against Australia, including one in Perth during their last tour in 2007-08. Chappell acknowledged that India had performed above themselves in the last two tours of Australia, but their success would have tasted much better had they beaten them while they were still a major force in international cricket.

Since the collective retirement of their champion players like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Justin Langer and later Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, Australia haven't produced the same level of consistency in results.

"I would have thought it was a greater achievement if they had caught up with Australia while Australia was still very much a great side, rather than waiting for Australia to come back to the field," Chappell said. "That to me has been the disappointing thing. It seems to me that the other teams have almost thrown their hands and said that 'it's hard to beat them, we will just wait for them to fall back and then we will catch them'.

Arthur admits: 'It's desperation time

South Africa have no choice but to go for broke in the final Test against England as they aim to level the series at the Wanderers, and their coach Mickey Arthur has admitted it's a time for gambling and aggression. It makes for a potent mix and promises a fascinating contest on a surface that the home side are determined to make sure will provide a result.

Arthur has had conversations with Chris Scott, the Wanderers groundsman, and the teams are likely to be greeted with a heavily grassed pitch on Thursday morning. It's a move that could well backfire, but South Africa are taking the approach that they may as well lose 2-0 in an attempt to level the contest. It's an unfamiliar, but desperately needed, attitude from a normally conservative team.

"We might gamble a little on the wicket, we'll just see what the weather brings," Arthur said. "It's a gamble you take. The England seamers have bowled very well, but if you are looking for a result it's a gamble you have to take down the line. Even though you look for a grassy wicket it won't be a major green mamba out there. It will allow the batters to get stuck in.

"We have had a meeting, that's no secret, and we'll have a look how it pans out. I always say you can take grass off but you can't put it back on. We'll probably make our final shout on Wednesday in terms of what we need once we know the weather forecast. We've got to go for it, we don't have an option."

However, it will take a huge effort for the South Africans to lift themselves after the gut-wrenching disappointment of pulling up one wicket short of victory at Newlands - the second time that last-man Graham Onions had defied them in the series.

"Hats off to Onions, is he Man of the Series?" Arthur said with a wry smile. "He has thwarted us, and who would have thought England could have done it three times in eight Tests. It probably shows the resilience of this new England side under Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss."

In a surprisingly open assessment, Arthur admitted the dressing room had been shattered by not completing victory at Cape Town and that the contrast with the joyous scenes in the England camp had hit home.
Arthur denies 'malicious' intent

* Mickey Arthur has said South Africa were satisfied with the umpire's and match referee's decision not to take the home side's issues over the state of the ball any further in Cape Town. South Africa 'raised concerns' on the third day after Stuart Broad was shown standing on the ball, but declined to make the complaint official and Andrew Strauss called the move 'malicious'.

"I certainly don't think it was malicious at all," Arthur said. "If it was malicious we would have laid the complaint as ICC asked us to do. We didn't want to get involved in all of that.

"We felt it was up to the umpires and referee to make a decision and if they were comfortable with it then so were we. We did raise our concerns and once they were cleared up that was it."

However, Arthur does think that England will be careful how they handle the ball during the final Test. "I think they'd be very stupid if TV cameras caught them doing anything,' he said. 'I don't think Broady is going to be trapping the ball again."

"It almost felt as if England had won and we were deflated," he said. "You carry that edge into the next Test. It was the same in Cardiff [during the Ashes] as they put in a great performance at Lord's. I walked through to thank Andy Flower and happened to end up in the England dressing room as the players arrived.

"The celebrations, rightly so, were as though they'd won. It was bit deflating to come back to our changing room - even though we'd had the better of the Test - and it felt as though we'd lost. I think we've got better and better as the series has gone on. I know the boys are smarting and will want to get a result."

The first challenge, though, is to finalise a team that gives South Africa the best chance of winning the Test. They have a number of issues to confront, from the balance of the attack to the form of key members in the top order. Arthur confirmed that Friedel de Wet will be out of action for the foreseeable future with a serious back injury so Wayne Parnell is likely to make his debut, but he didn't rule out an all-seam attack which would also mean a debut for Ryan McLaren, at the expense of the under-pressure Paul Harris.

However, changes to the top-order are unlikely despite Ashwell Prince's lean series while JP Duminy's offspin has given him an extra role in the team which could be an additional factor in persuading South Africa to leave out Harris. "I don't like going in without a spinner and I think Harry has done a tremendous job," Arthur said. "A spinner in Test cricket is vital, but if conditions offer it perhaps we could look at it."

There is still a sense of disbelief among the home team that they enter this final Test trailing in the series and if South Africa don't rescue a share of the spoils it will leave a number of people nervous about their positions, not least Arthur himself.

"There's always pressure," Arthur said. "In any Test there is pressure and I'd lying if I said we didn't feel it. We have to be able to handle that, it's nothing new to us, we've been here before. We've played very good cricket and I think good enough for the series to be 1-1. I won't say 2-1 because England have been very good too at times. Other than a day-and-a-half in Durban we have played very good cricket so hopefully we can pull out the stops here.

First-change Johnson enjoys new role

Away from the limelight, Mitchell Johnson has quietly worked his way back from the horrors of the Ashes last year into something resembling his best form. He is no longer Australia's opening bowler, but a new role at first-change has brought considerable success.

With one Test still to go in the home summer, Johnson has picked up 28 wickets almost unnoticed in five Tests against the West Indies and Pakistan. Against the latter, he has bowled several critical spells, taking two wickets in the first over of the final morning at the MCG to set Australia on the path to victory and then two again in an over on the tumultuous fourth day at the SCG.

"I've had a fair bit of time to think about it [being first change] and recently it's been on my mind a lot," Johnson said. "To be honest I'm happy where I am and it's something I have learnt to do well. It probably started with ODI cricket, bowling first change and using those change-ups so it's something I've had a bit of time to deal with. If I get the opportunity to bowl with the new ball again I will put my hand up. I'm happy to do whatever is best for the team.

"Through the West Indies series I was a little slow through the air. I probably wasn't quite at my best. But sometimes you come up against those teams and you relax a little bit. But as they showed they are a quality side and we almost let them off the hook a little bit. And coming up against Pakistan we know how good they are. I guess I've stepped up in the second half of the summer."

With 31 Tests behind him now, Johnson is the most experienced member of the attack and even though he no longer has the new ball, he remains the key man. He is also reaching a period in his career widely regarded as the peak years for a fast bowler.

"I guess leading is showing the guys on and off the field training, going at a 100% and speaking to the guys about knowledge of the game," Johnson said. "I've played 30 games and some of the guys coming through now have only played a few so I feel it's my responsibility to speak to those guys about conditions and the guys we are playing against. Leading the attack out in the middle is going out there and really just doing the things I do best. I try to break those partnerships and that is one of the big things I try and do and just enjoy my cricket.

"You've had guys like Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee and guys in the past that have talked in the past about being at their peak around 27, 28 and 29. I feel like I'm starting to know my game a hell of a lot better than in the past."

Johnson's had good support through the summer from Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle, even if Siddle hasn't been rewarded for all his spells with a proportionate number of wickets. It is not, says Johnson, a major concern.

"Sid's not too fussed at the moment," he said. "He hasn't spoken about it too much. He's still pretty pumped up and he's doing a great job for us. He might not be getting rewards but he is still a big part of the side, tying down ends or being aggressive. He's still doing a great job for us. Doug brings a lot of energy to the side and he is great to have around.

Shafiul Islam included for India Tests

Shakib Al Hasan will continue to lead the Bangladesh Test side for the two-match series against India in the absence of Mashrafe Mortaza, who still has not recovered from a knee injury. Mortaza had also missed the ongoing tri-series despite being named in the preliminary squad.

There were no major surprises in the 14-man squad for the series as the selectors opted for nearly the same set of players who toured the West Indies last July and swept the series 2-0. Fast bowler Shafiul Islam, who made his international debut in the ongoing tri-series, is the only player in the squad without Test experience.

Besides Mortaza, allrounder Mehrab Hossain jnr and reserve wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain were left out from the squad which had gone to the West Indies. Opener Shahriar Nafees earned a Test recall after quitting ties with the Indian Cricket League. Nafees is the fourth opener in the squad besides Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes and Junaid Siddique.

The first Test starts on January 17 in Chittagong.

Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (vice-capt/wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan, Mahmudullah, Shahriar Nafees, Shahadat Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Enamul Haque jnr, Mahbubul Alam, Shafiul Islam.

India dominate Sri Lanka on way to final

India's best fielding performance in ODIs since the Champions Trophy in September last year set up their march to the final by way of a thumping win. It wasn't anything spectacular: half chances were taken and easy ones not missed, marking a big improvement on their recent fielding form. That, coupled with impressive bowling from Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra, pulled Sri Lanka from an explosive start and restricted them to a paltry 213, which was chased down with 17.2 overs to spare.

Zaheer was the pick of the bowlers, creating one half chance, and two fairly easy ones. At one stage his figures read 6-2-11-2. Sri Lanka had chosen to bat to allow their bowlers experience first-hand the wet conditions before the final, but it took resilient half-centuries from Kumar Sangakkara and Suraj Randiv to take the match far enough for the dew to set in.

If Sangakkara and Randiv had to work hard, India's runs came with predictable ease: Gautam Gambhir scored his 19th half-century, Dinesh Karthik narrowly missed a fourth, and Virat Kohli made it to his fourth 50-plus score in his last five innings.

But it was the first 11 overs of the match that staged the decisive action: two wicket-maidens, a wicket in the first over of new spells on three occasions and, between that, scintillating batting from Tillakaratne Dilshan. Coming back from a groin injury, Dilshan decided to do away with the running. He just drove, cut, pulled and late-cut eight boundaries in 17 deliveries to deflate any confidence India and Sudeep Tyagi would have gained from getting Upul Tharanga out in the first over.

When Zaheer was brought on, in the sixth over, Dilshan had hit seven boundaries in his 29, and Sri Lanka nine in their 38. He was pulled for a four second ball. The next ball took a thick edge, and was dying on Gambhir at fine gully before he snared it. Zaheer was pumped, and proceeded to bowl to a plan that worked just fine for him. Nothing to drive, a short cover in place, playing on the batsmen's patience with the nagging accuracy. Mahela Jayawardene gave in, driving a ball that should not have been driven, and Kohli hung on to a sharp catch at short cover.

Back came Sreesanth, whose first two overs had gone for 16, and Thilan Samaraweera walked across to a straight delivery and missed. Forty-two for 1 in 5.2 overs became 61 for 4 in 10.2. Soon Thilina Kandamby was run out, his fifth such dismissal out of 23. This time, though, he was sold a dummy by his captain, and was done in a by a smart throw from Karthik and quick backing-up by Zaheer.

Thissara Perera, bounced and verbalised by Zaheer, tried to target Mishra, but Yuvraj Singh pulled out a diving catch at wide long-on, not his last contribution to Sri Lanka's woes. Sangakkara, who had reached 32 off 42 by then, responded to Perera's wicket by stepping out and hitting Sreesanth for four. He dominated a seventh-wicket partnership that took Sri Lanka closer to 150, but that's when Yuvraj struck.

Sangakkara had tried to make full use of every loose delivery that came his way, and also took calculated risks to keep the scoreboard from stagnating. But when he pulled a Yuvraj delivery which was too full, he had completed 43 innings without a century. Randiv and Thilan Thushara added 59 for the eighth wicket, a stand that saw Randiv through to his first List A fifty. But when the time came to press on, when they opted for the Powerplay in the 44th over, the tail came up short, and Sri Lanka were bundled out by Zaheer and Mishra, with four overs still to go.

If there was any doubt to which way the match was going, Karthik and Gambhir removed it by taking 86 off the first 10 overs. Sri Lanka's last chance of preventing India from getting the bonus point vanished when Dilshan and Tharanga dropped Gambhir on 41 and 44 respectively.

Karthik did no harm to his chances of pushing for a place in further matches by following up a catch and a smart run-out with a dominating role in the opening partnership. He started off with a streaky boundary past the slip but soon got into the groove, punishing errors in both line and length. Anything straying on the pads was flicked through midwicket, and the ones short were cut through point and covers. Gambhir smartly assumed the second fiddle, capitalising on width when not milking singles.

Once with Kohli, and with fields spread, the two got down to exploiting the gaps, running almost on intuition, scoring 60 off their 72-run partnership on foot. Upon Gambhir's dismissal, Kohli asked for the Powerplay and quickly finished Sri Lanka off, accelerating from 33 off 48 to 71 off 68.

Confusion hovers over Kamran Akmal

In the aftermath of Sydney, confusion. As Pakistan look ahead to the third Test in Hobart, contradictory noises are being made over the future of under-fire wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.

After the loss at the SCG, in which Akmal dropped four catches, an incensed PCB sent Sarfraz Ahmed as a replacement from Pakistan, insisting in a strongly-worded statement that he "will participate" in the Hobart Test.

Akmal, however, has said that he is expecting to keep his place, as reports emerge that he has the backing of a number of players within the side, including possibly the captain, Mohammad Yousuf. "I was very successful with my batting and wicketkeeping on the New Zealand tour and before the New Zealand tour. So I was very happy,'' Akmal was quoted as saying in Hobart by AAP.

"But I think the third day of the Sydney Test match was not good for me - this happens. I'm very keen. My confidence is very high. Management is very confident for me and coaches, Intikhab Alam, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, and my team-mates also. I will play the third Test match and more matches for my country."

During and after the loss in Sydney Yousuf resisted talk of dropping Akmal, maintaining that a player of his record cannot so easily be dropped from the side. Akmal is vice-captain of the side and a popular member within the team. If there is even talk of retaining him - let alone if he is eventually retained - it seems to place the touring team management on a direct crash course with the board back home.

The situation between the two sides has anyway been poor on this tour; persistent calls by Yousuf for Younis Khan to be sent to strengthen the batting almost from the moment the tour started fell on deaf ears, the selection committee in Pakistan first delaying and finally turning down the request.

But at least two members of the on-tour selection committee say that Akmal will not play in Hobart. "They have sent Sarfraz all the way here for what if not to play?" one told Cricinfo. "Akmal will not play the third Test." As ever with Pakistan and its many power centres that is unlikely to be the last word on the matter.

Akmal's younger brother Umar, who has impressed and infuriated in equal doses so far on the tour, pulled up at training with a stiff back. Management remain confident that he will be fine for the Test, due to begin on January 14. Mohammad Aamer, who missed the second Test with a groin complaint, has also been training and is said to be progressing well, making it likelier still that Pakistan may finally be able to field their first-choice attack in Hobart at the third time of asking.

Seaming pitch expected at Wanderers

South Africa will bank on home advantage finally paying off against England with a pitch that will boost their chances of levelling the series in the final Test at the Wanderers. After failing to take the visitors' last wicket at Newlands, South Africa must win to avoid successive home series defeats, following last year's loss to Australia, and are looking for a few favours.

The pitch at Cape Town became slower as the match went on making the new ball a crucial period of each innings. However, the expectation is that the surface at Johannesburg will offer something for the quicks throughout after above average rainfall around the highveld in the last few weeks.

The man in charge of producing the 22 yards is Chris Scott and he knows what South Africa are looking for. "Obviously they have to win the Test, they don't want to lose the series. They are looking at a result wicket because they don't want to end with another draw," he told Cricinfo.

The Test strip will be one of the surfaces that was used for the Champions Trophy in September, which provided considerable help for the quick bowlers. Scott expects similar conditions this week, but has ensured his main surfaces have been protected with no matches on them since the Champions Trophy.

The Wanderers has staged a huge amount of cricket in the last 12 months, with Scott also having to produce surfaces for the IPL. His job has been made harder by a reduction in the number of pitches available down from six to four, which has meant a juggling act to get surfaces ready.

"Last year, I lost two of my main pitches and they are out of commission for the whole season so everything has had to be squeezed on the others and it has been more of a challenge," he said. "But I've kept the Test pitch protected, there hasn't been any cricket on it since the Champions Trophy to allow them to recover.

"They'll be pretty much like the Champions Trophy I would say," he added. "The pitches for the Champions Trophy were not accidental, I said before the tournament that the pitches would be more lively, but I had to have them that way because I needed to look after them because they were my Test and ODI surfaces. I had to nurture them because I only had the other two to fall back on."

Despite having produced a mass of pitches for one-day and Twenty20 cricket in recent months, it is still the skill of providing a Test strip that gives Scott most satisfaction.

"I've always maintained that a Test wicket should live up to its name in that it's a test between bat and ball, unlike one-day cricket where everything is so loaded towards the batsman that the bowlers almost have no chance," he said.

"I actually enjoy doing a Test wicket because it allows you to create something that is going to have a balance and I love seeing Test cricket in that sense. The bowlers have got something to work with, there's a bit more grass on the pitch, and over five days - if it lasts that long - the pitch will deteriorate.

Hand injury forces Razzaq out of Australia tour

Pakistan allrounder Abdul Razzaq has injured his hand and will be unavailable for the limited-overs leg of the tour of Australia. "I've sustained a fracture while batting" Razzaq told Pakpassion.net. "It was one of those out-of-the-blue injuries, where I was batting and the ball smashed into my hand. The hand has been plastered and I've been advised rest for one month by the medical staff. It's very unfortunate, as I was really looking forward to playing in Australia for Pakistan if selected."

Pakistan have already surrendered the Test series, with the third and final Test in Hobart still to be played, and they were hoping to make amends in the five one-dayers and lone Twenty20 international that follow.

Having played a key role in Pakistan's 2009 World Twenty20 triumph on his return from the unofficial ICL, Razzaq's all-round ability, especially his big hitting lower down the order will, no doubt, be missed by the visitors.

The 30-year-old last featured for Pakistan against New Zealand in November last year. Pakistan lost the three-match ODI series in Abu Dhabi 2-1, but swept the Twenty20 internationals in Dubai 2-0.

Ponting won't give up pulling

Ricky Ponting believes his pulling will become less risky as soon as his injured elbow heals properly. Ponting has been dismissed twice to the shot during the Pakistan series and there have been calls for him to shelve it to extend his outstanding career.

However, Ponting, 35, is determined to keep playing the way that has gained him 11,561 runs at 54.79 in 141 Tests. "Wait until I get fit again and we'll see if everyone is still saying the same thing about it then," Ponting said in the Sunday Telegraph. "They are such reactive shots, they are instinctive. I'm not sure how people in the past have gone about putting them away.

"I think I have been out twice this summer pulling, but it is a shot that keeps bringing me runs so we'll see how we go with that. But as I said, if I get my elbow right then I think you'll see me playing with a lot more freedom and not only those shots, but a lot of other shots around the ground as well."

Ponting is having his worst home Test summer in more than a decade after picking up 216 runs in the five games against West Indies and Pakistan. The problems stem from his sore left elbow, which was tenderised by a Kemar Roach bouncer at the WACA last month, and there have also been suggestions that he step down from his preferred No.3.

"I read it for the first time the other day midway through the Test match, when all the negative stuff was in the papers about the team and about certain individuals and selecting of the team," Ponting said. "I haven't thought about that.

"But if the day comes where I think there is someone better in the order to bat at No. 3 than myself, then by all means I will give it some thought, but I still think I'm the best equipped to be batting at No. 3 in the Test side. Hopefully I can show everybody that over the next few weeks."

Ponting has the summer's final Test on his home ground in Hobart to find some form before the start of limited-overs campaigns against Pakistan and West Indies. He felt the extra rest between the second and third matches would help his elbow.

"Where I've struggled with it is I've had two or three days at a time in between batting days and I've just needed a little bit longer than that," he said. "From where I batted in the second innings in the Sydney Test, I'll have had about six or seven days without batting. So when I hit the nets on Monday it will be better than it has been in the last couple of weeks.

'We can compete with any side' - Mohammad Yousuf

Pakistan will hope to pick up the pieces from the traumatic Sydney defeat as they build-up to what will now be a dead rubber at Hobart, where the best they can do is avoid a fourth successive whitewash at the hands of Australia.

The squad has taken the 36-run loss hard and Mohammad Yousuf, the captain, has been trying since to lift the side for the final Test, which begins on January 14. "The team was very, very disappointed after Sydney," Yousuf told Cricinfo.

"But as I told them after the Melbourne loss, we have to see that we continue to play good cricket. We could and should have won at Sydney but we didn't. Few people thought that we could match Australia before we came on this tour, but we played very well here for three days and had one very poor day."

The comments would seem to reinforce what has been the main criticism of Pakistan on this tour; that the side hasn't believed at any point they could challenge and topple Australia. The opening days of the Boxing Day Test and the last at the SCG were particularly illuminating, when Pakistan veered between timidity and blind panic.

Reaction in Pakistan has been predictably harsh, which also reveals how eagerly this series was being followed. Jamshed Dasti, head of the national assembly's committee on sports, has been at the forefront of the backlash, asking with force once again for the ouster of the PCB chief Ijaz Butt. This time there might be enough momentum building for it to result in something.

A number of ex-players, as expected, have not held back, asking for the heads of Yousuf, coach Intikhab Alam, the selection committee and a number of other players. "I think we can expect the criticism," Yousuf said. "I'm not saying don't criticise us but maybe it should be more constructive and it should also highlight the positives that have come out from the Test series as a whole."

Changes are expected in the Test side for Hobart and one is guaranteed. In an unusual move indicative of just how seriously they are viewing the loss, the PCB has issued a release stating that Sarfraz Ahmed is not only flying out to Australia, he will also be keeping wickets in the third Test ahead of Kamran Akmal.

The positions of Faisal Iqbal and Misbah-ul-Haq will also come under intense scrutiny; they have one fifty between them in four innings here. However, the paucity of Pakistan's batting resources is such that they will most likely be replaced by Khurram Manzoor and Shoaib Malik, both of whom were dropped halfway through the New Zealand tour. Questions will be asked about why Fawad Alam was so hastily sent back and not tried after one Test failure in New Zealand; that came two Tests after a debut hundred as an opener, a position he had never played in before.

"We have to look at the positives as we get ready for Hobart," Yousuf said. "Nobody can say whether we will win or lose but we just have to play good cricket for the entire duration. We had our moments in the first Test, where we fought hard. We did well for three days in Sydney. I think the positives are that we know we can compete with any side in the world.

"We now need to learn from our mistakes because if we do then we can beat any side out there.

Imran Tahir withdrawn from South Africa quad

Barely a day after they named him in the squad for the crucial final Test against England, South Africa's selectors have withdrawn Imran Tahir, the uncapped legspinner, owing to issues over is eligibility for the country.

Tahir, who was born in Lahore, qualified for South Africa on April 1, 2009 as he is married to a local woman and a Cricket South Africa spokesman said his withdrawal was due to issues with his residency paperwork. "His permanent residence papers have not come through yet, so we will just have to put him on hold until they do," he said.

It is unlikely that Tahir would have featured in the final Test, but Mickey Arthur is known to be keen to assess the legspinner ahead of the tours of India and the West Indies and this situation is likely to be cleared up in time for the India trip in February.

Tahir's original selection was a shot across the bows for Paul Harris, the current No. 1 spinner, after his disappointing display in the second innings at Newlands as South Africa finished one wicket short of victory for the second time in the series.

Although Harris took three wickets in the final innings at Newlands, his length was erratic and he delivered several full tosses. He was out-bowled by JP Duminy, whose part-time offspin sparked England's collapse with the wickets of Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior.

Duminy's offspin has been more than handy during this series, fetching him six wickets at 26.50, compared to Harris' 11 at 40.36. Mike Procter, the convenor of selectors, admitted there was concern over the form of the frontline spinner.

"To a certain extent, yes. Paul Harris has done well for South Africa over the years and it is a little disappointing when your frontline spinner wasn't able to extract more on a wicket that turned," Procter told Cricinfo. "We want to look at Tahir for the future as well. He hasn't been around the squad before and he could be useful in the series to come. He's only been playing amateur cricket really this season, he's at the Titans but he's moving at the end of the season."

However, Tahir's inclusion comes at a time when he isn't making first-team appearances for the Titans. He is set to move franchises at the end of the season, having played just two of the eight Supersport matches this campaign for a return of seven wickets at 51.

With the domestic season currently in MTN40 mode, Tahir was not part of the Titans side and has been playing most of his cricket for Easterns in the amateur three-day tournament. His form has been impressive with 36 wickets at 15.61. Tahir was prolific for Hampshire in his recent stint in county cricket, claiming 52 wickets at 32.90. He played two matches for Pakistan A back in 2005, and has also featured for Middlesex and Yorkshire.

South Africa's squad is now down to 14 names and includes left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell, who was released from the squad for the first Test in Centurion, in favour of Friedel de Wet. De Wet, however, has been struggling with a back injury that required an injection on the final day at Newlands. He was noticeably down on pace throughout his last-day spell, and his place in the XI will depend on the outcome of a scan. Makhaya Ntini was another name in the frame for a last hurrah, but his latest omission has all but confirmed his international retirement.

South Africa squad Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Friedel de Wet, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn.

India aim for final berth against familiar rivals

Big picture
You heard it right. India and Sri Lanka are playing an ODI. Again. For the 21st time in less than 19 months. Not even a final. Nor has this been a back-and-forth rivalry that the marketing gurus might be interested in milking. Ever since their Asia Cup final win in 2008, Sri Lanka have been on the receiving end, thumped in three bilateral series, and also the tri-series final in Sri Lanka. The 12-7 scoreline in India's favour says as much.

In fact, any significance this fixture is likely to earn will be down to the next match, and whether Bangladesh can catch India on the hop twice in a row. If Monday's match between India and Bangladesh goes down the expected route, this one on Sunday will only take familiarity one step closer to contempt. India, though, will not want to leave it till the Bangladesh match, and Sri Lanka will like to keep that winning feeling going, something they have started to feel consistently after a long time.

On the other hand, if the captains feel adventurous - and Kumar Sangakkara is more likely to, because he is assured of the final berth - they could choose to bat first and get some practice of bowling with a bar of soap. Yes, the matches are being won and lost at the toss, but the teams will want to try and do all they can to reverse the result if they lose the toss in the final.

Form guide (last 5 completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWLL
India WLWWL

Watch out for
Harbhajan Singh had a horrible day in the field against Bangladesh, dropping two catches and going for 56 runs in nine overs. That a game after he was the standout bowler against Sri Lanka. Which Harbhajan will turn up on Sunday?

Upul Tharanga has settled the debate as to who should be Tillakaratne Dilshan's opening partner in ODIs, displacing Sanath Jayasuriya. Now that he is assured of his place, perhaps for the first time in his career, Tharanga seems a completely different batsman. Thanks to his starts, Sri Lanka so far haven't even missed Dilshan in this series.

Team news
Nor are Sri Lanka likely to miss Dilshan against India. Because Dilshan is all set to return to action, having recovered from his groin strain. That should push Mahela Jayawardene, who scored a century while opening against Bangladesh, down into the middle order, where he will meet another centurion, Thilan Samaraweera.

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt./wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Thissara Perera, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Thilan Thushara, 11 Malinga Bandara

India could retain the XI that beat Bangladesh.

India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt./wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8, Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Sreesanth

Stats and trivia

* Twenty of India's last 46 ODIs have been against Sri Lanka. Only 12 of those 46 have been outside the subcontinent. Their next most frequent opponent has been Australia, against whom they have played seven games.

* Jayawardene averages 62.5 as an opener. Two of his 12 ODI centuries have come during his four attempts at opening the innings.

Quotes
"We were disappointed to lose the ODI series [in India] as we played some very good cricket there. Both the teams have played a lot recently and probably both knew each other inside out. I am looking forward to the match on Sunday."
Mahela Jayawardene wants to set a few records straight.

"Not a single frontline bowler was up to the mark. Only Yuvraj Singh bowled well. We cannot take Ravindra Jadeja as a frontline bowler, but he bowled well.

Eric Simons named India's bowling consultant

The South African presence in the Indian coaching bench has gained further weight after it was revealed that Eric Simons, the former South Africa coach, was appointed bowling consultant for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.

The duration of his appointment is not yet certain but Simons will join the Indian squad sometime next week, ahead of the first Test starting in Chittagong on January 17. "Yes, he [Simons] would be joining the squad from the Bangladesh Test series as consultant," a top BCCI official confirmed to Cricinfo.

It has been learned that Simons spoke to Gary Kirsten, India's coach, last week and that was the first occasion he learned of the management's interest in him. Last Tuesday when the former South African fast bowler Allan Donald's name cropped up as one of the contenders for the vacant bowling coach position, Cricinfo checked with Simons, who said nobody from the BCCI had yet approached him.

MS Dhoni, India's captain, recently admitted that the absence of a specialist bowling coach is hurting the team's performance. It was no understatement, because the inconsistency in the fast bowling department has remained a concern right from the World Twenty20. In England, Zaheer Khan had aggravated the shoulder injury he picked during the IPL in South Africa. His inability to go full throttle exposed the younger lot like Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, and though Ashish Nehra was around he was just finding his own feet, having made a return after a long time. Things did not improve during the Champions Trophy, and India's problems were exacerbated during the home ODI series against Australia, which they lost 4-2.

During the recently concluded Sri Lanka series the Indian fast bowlers were lukewarm even if they improved on their death bowling, and in the current tri-series in Bangladesh they have been disappointing. They failed to defend a total of 279 against Sri Lanka and allowed Bangladesh to post 296.

The 47-year-old Simons, who played 23 one-day internationals for South Africa and toured New Zealand in 1995, has a rich pedigree in the coaching profession and was South Africa's head coach from 2002-2004, a period when Kirsten played under him. Simons spread his first-class career, mostly with Western Province, over 17 seasons as a right-arm medium pacer and a handy lower middle order batsman.

He has never had any experience as a bowling coach except for the brief stint in the second IPL in South Africa last year, where he worked as a consultant with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Simons has worked in various capacities at the prestigious High Performance Centre in Pretoria along with the likes of Kepler Wessels.