Mathews lauds Sri Lanka's spirit

Angelo Mathews said his team's two-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai was borne of spirit, after Sri Lanka chased down 286 with two balls and two wickets to spare. Sri Lanka's chase was the highest second-innings score at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and the second-highest overall.

Mathews, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal all crossed 40 in the chase, and Nuwan Kulasekara also contributed 32 from 26 balls at a key period.

"We had to fight really hard for that win," Mathews said. "Everyone contributed in bits and pieces It was a team effort. With these Powerplays if you have wickets in hand at the end, it helps. Against Pakistan, the game is never over - you have to fight till the last ball is bowled, and we did that. With the bowling attack that Pakistan have, we have to fight all the time and we have to stay positive. We can't give the chance, because they will knock us down."

"I thought the first couple of wickets were unfortunate incidents because they were run outs while Kusal Janith and Dilshan were batting well. They got us through to a good start, and the way Sangakkara and Chandimal got us back into the game. They set it up and we had to do the needful."

Mathews also lauded Sangakkara, whose top score of 58 had provided heft to the chase. Mathews revealed though, that Lahiru Thirimanne had been slated to come in at No.3 before he injured his right ankle in the pre-match warm-ups.

"We don't have Mahela Jayawardene in the team, so the experience of someone like Kumar Sangakkara becomes invaluable when you are dealing with high-quality spinners like Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi, and you want to control the middle overs. We didn't want to make big changes, but we thought it would have been good to play Kumar Sangakkara at No. 4.

"Thirimanne got injured a few minutes before the match, but we had been planning for him to bat at No. 3. We thought we needed a solid batsman at three, and Kumar would move down to four, and then we've got Dinesh Chandimal. The more you keep wickets in hand, the easier it is to chase later in the match."

Mathews also shed light on why Kulasekara had been left out for the first ODI in Sharjah, despite his enduring consistency. Kulasekara has taken his wickets at 25.33 with an economy rate of 4.64 in 2013, making him Sri Lanka's best seam bowler since January.

"Kulasekara is a very good player, but in Sharjah we thought an extra fast bowler would be good. Kulasekara, Thisara Perera and myself bowl roughly in the same style. The Sharjah field is very small and the pitch is also very good for batting. We thought there would be some reverse swing, so that's why we called up Suranga Lakmal."

Mathews predicted a tightly contest series, after the opening two were shared had featured tense finishes. The next three matches will be played in the space of seven days.

"It'll be a very exciting series. The first game was an exciting one, and so was the second. Hopefully it will stay the same and it will be an exciting one for all of us. When we walked into the game, we were very confident and our heads were high because even though we lost the last match, we almost chased the target."

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Pujara and Kohli defy expectations

The skill and acumen exhibited by Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in the Johannesburg Test befit batsmen who have had much longer stints in Test cricket

Match Point: 'Pujara, Kohli showed more patience than some veterans'

Cheteshwar Pujara is playing his third Test in South Africa, and his third outside Asia. Virat Kohli is in his first in South Africa, and his eighth outside Asia. The difference in conditions in Asia and elsewhere is huge: the ball bounces more, swings more, and moves more after pitching outside Asia. Despite the extra bounce, the key is to come forward at every possible opportunity. These two batsmen have not played a single first-class match on this tour. If you had taken a sabbatical from cricket, though, and had been doing whatever people do on sabbaticals from cricket, and had been sent to the Wanderers, you would have thought these were two veterans who have been playing Test cricket for 10 years. You might have even thought they were playing at home.

The reality, though, is that nobody had big expectations from them on this tour. People would have lived with failures too, as long as they didn't get out limply. However, to put India in a position to give back what they have been at the receiving end of is absolutely stunning. Think Trent Bridge, Edgbaston and The Oval. Think SCG, WACA and Adelaide Oval. India have been dished out a lot on their previous two away trips. Wonder if MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher quietly smiled at each other when Pujara and Kohli were going on the third day, never looking like getting out - that drop by Imran Tahir was against the run of play - building a big lead, grinding the opposition into the dust. The job is not done yet, but this is the kind of day India were dying to experience away from home.

Kohli had announced his arrival in the first innings, but Pujara was unfortunately run out. His turn came two days later. A 36-run first-innings lead was big on this pitch. Many a team would have tried to hit out at the top, and would have been happy had it snuck a defendable lead. Virender Sehwag tried to do that when India won in Durban the last time India were in South Africa. Here, though, India trusted themselves enough, and batted as if they were batting in the first innings. No anxiety, no nerves, just backing their games.

M Vijay's role cannot be overstated. He spent 155 of the most difficult minutes at the wicket, scoring just 39, but he blunted the new ball, and tired the weakened bowling unit in the absence of the injured Morne Morkel. Pujara, he was nearly perfect. He left the short ones well, moved forward whenever it was demanded, and defended solidly. Moving forward is one thing, but still managing to play late is quite another. Pujara did that.

Pujara let Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander blow their steam off, showing great acumen in knowing that the weaker bowlers will arrive at some stage. He knew this was going to be a long day for South Africa, and he wanted to be there to make it even longer. He was 9 off 64 at one stage, but you couldn't say he was struggling. Because he was not. He was waiting. He has done that many times in domestic cricket. His press forward began with a half-volley from Philander, the 65th ball he faced, which he put away for four. He hit two more fours relatively close to each other, but that brought the tea break, at which point he was 39 off 107.

After the break, it was time for a new start. He was restrained again. "We have got all the time, boys." This was proper Test-match batting. Off the next 17 balls he took only six, never mind that JP Duminy and Tahir had begun to bowl. He reached his fifty, and then saw Tahir drop him. About then, Pujara decided it was time to push the advantage. Once Pujara tires down the bowlers and fielders, he punishes every loose ball. Those who have seen him go from 150 to 200 in 17 balls when pushing for a declaration in a Ranji Trophy match, or those who witnessed the march - along with the tail - from 229 to 300 in 55 balls, will hardly be surprised that he went from 50 to 100 in 41 balls.

By the time Pujara does that, he has sussed out the conditions and the bowlers. And he does so with cricketing shots, without feeling the need to go in the air. There are few risks involved. It comes from solid trust in your game and technique. Pujara always had that trust, but it was pleasant to learn that he had the same confidence even in South Africa. This maturity - and that of Kohli - is hard to find in batsmen even on their third or fourth tours. On that count, these two have surpassed many an expectation.

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Misbah frustrated by bowling effort

Misbah-ul-Haq laid the blame for Pakistan's two-wicket loss in Dubai at the feet of his bowlers, although he admitted his team could perhaps have scored 15 more runs. Pakistan's 284 for 4 was the second-highest total at the stadium, but they conceded defeat with two balls to spare.

"Looking at the pitch, it was a good total and they were still needing around 50 runs, seven wickets down. We should have won that if we bowled according to the field. We lost the game in a few bad overs.

"The way the ball was coming on the pitch, it wasn't like Sharjah - it was a bit slow. And their bowlers were good at the death, bowling yorkers. That maybe prevented 10-15 runs from us at the end."

Otherwise Misbah chose to focus on the positives in Pakistan's performance. He had called for the top order to convert their starts ahead of the series, and in both matches so far, one of the top three has provided a hundred, while others in the top five have contributed significant scores. Ahmed Shehzad hit 124 in the second match.

"The biggest positive is that the batting is going well. Ahmed, again, it was a really good knock. He played a good one in South Africa and today, it was a mature one. It was good to see our top order getting big scores - that has been much needed for our team. It's normally the biggest problem for us, but I'm really happy with the way it's been going."

While conceding Pakistan's bowling and fielding was flawed, Misbah praised the efforts of Junaid Khan, whose three middle order wickets had brought Pakistan back into the match, and also said he was impressed with the run outs at the top of Sri Lanka's innings.

"Junaid is our outstanding bowler. In the last year and a half he's really improving and today he was good. But we really need to improve our death bowling. It was a problem for us.

"Our fielding was better. It brought us back into the game with the first two run outs. There were a few overthrows towards the end, but there were no lapses. Overall I think it was good."

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Taylor takes NZ to 349, Narine gets six

Tea New Zealand 349 (Taylor 131, Williamson 58, Narine 6-91) trail West Indies 367 by 18 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Ross Taylor made it three hundreds in three Tests but Sunil Narine cleaned up the tail to finish with six wickets and earn a slender lead for West Indies. The four remaining proper batsmen for New Zealand all went trying big strokes, the first two against spin and the last two against the second new ball. Taylor was the last of the specialist batsmen to depart, but not before he'd piloted New Zealand past 300.

Brendon McCullum and Corey Anderson gave it away in the morning. The West Indies spinners bowled 25 of the 34 overs in the session, and New Zealand fared reasonably well against them. It was their own aggression that led to the downfall of McCullum and Anderson, while Taylor ticked along calmly, moving along solidly at his own pace, never in doubt.

West Indies weren't able to exert pressure to the extent they had on the second evening, when their specialist spinners Sunil Narine and Veerasammy Permaul bowled in tandem. Instead, Darren Sammy gave himself a spell of nine overs at the start of the day, bowling along side Narine. Permaul was introduced only some time after the first drinks break as West Indies worked with the old ball throughout the session.

While Sammy was steady and generated some reverse towards the end of his spell, the New Zealand batsmen were much more comfortable against his medium pace, and whatever pressure Narine exerted at the other end wasn't maintained for long enough.

McCullum himself handed West Indies the breakthrough in the eighth over of the day. The New Zealand captain backed way to cut a sharply turning and bouncing offbreak, found himself cramped for room, and edged for Sammy to take his third sharp catch of the innings, at slip.

Anderson had an extremely nervy start against Narine as he played tentatively, expecting the carrom ball almost every delivery. It took him 13 balls to get off the mark, but he soon gained enough confidence to play his powerful strokes.

He cut and pulled Narine for three boundaries in the 88th over as the bowler, into his 34th successive over and 12th of the morning, dropped it short. Anderson had scored 39 in a 50-run stand with Taylor when he swung Permaul straight to deep square leg in the next over.

New Zealand were still way behind at 224 for 5, and looked to the calming presence of Taylor again. The former captain carried on from the second evening, unruffled by the odd delivery misbehaving or by what was happening at the other end.

Even as Narine jagged the odd straighter one past the bat, Taylor handled the offbreaks superbly, playing late and softly. Just before lunch, Narine was finally given a break after a marathon spell of 36-14-81-3, including 14 overs in the session.

West Indies took the second new ball in the 99th over, immediately after lunch, and the change earned them the wicket of BJ Watling. The wicketkeeper went hard at a Sammy outswinger to nick behind for 20.

Taylor had reached his hundred in the previous over, cover-driving Tino Best for a couple of boundaries. He now responded by taking 20 runs off Sammy in the 105th over, cutting and lofting him for two fours and two sixes. He departed soon after, upper-cutting Best to third man on 131.

Neil Wagner and Tim Southee cut the deficit further but the tail could not survive too long against Narine, and he spun out the last three to end with figures of 42.3-17-91-6. He now has 18 from three Tests against New Zealand, with the second-innings shootout still left.

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Tenacious India seamers rewrite script

The team has slipped from promising positions in overseas Tests in the past, but the Zaheer Khan-led bowling attack helped India maintain a firm grip on the second day

Dravid: India recognised and won critical moment

The first session of the second day had a bad old feeling for India. A movie seen before. A movie fresh in the mind.

In the first Test of their tour of Australia in 2011-12, India were 214 for 2 just before stumps on day two. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid got two beauties either side of stumps, and India collapsed. India still came back in the match - they had Australia effectively at 78 for 4 in the second innings - but bowled poorly to Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting. Never to come back in the series.

In the first Test of their tour of England, India troubled the hosts on day one but lost Zaheer Khan to injury. On the second day they had England at 62 for 5, but when they came back from lunch with a win still a remote possibility, India bowled Suresh Raina instead of an on-fire Ishant Sharma, and another big moment was lost. Two more big moments were lost in the next Test - the Stuart Broad-Graeme Swann partnership, and then a collapse with a big first-innings lead in sight. It all spiralled out of control after that.

On both tours, with those big moments lost, India didn't have the intensity, at times the fitness, and at others the skill, to come back. Days in the field became longer, batting innings passed in a blink of the eye, and India just kept running on the treadmill of defeat. After giving a good account of themselves on the first day - better than was expected but only good enough to keep the match in balance - India collapsed to a mix of good bowling and meek batting, in Zaheer's case. Zaheer came back well with the ball, almost had who is believed to be his bunny, Graeme Smith, but the catch was dropped. When they went into tea, India had only 162 runs in the bank, and were looking at a long South Africa batting line-up.

It was natural to be put in mind of the previous two tours. The two big moments were lost. Except that this time the 118 for 1 at tea did disservice to how well India had bowled. They had learned the lesson from the South Africa quicks, who bowled too short on day one and got all the wickets with fuller lengths on day two. Just that they had been unlucky at times. It would be a test of character, and also skill, to come back in the final session and keep the game alive.

The big difference here was that India still had a fit and intense three-man pace attack - the spinner not required so far might play a part in the final innings - and a lively pitch to work with. The last time Zaheer bowled more than 20 overs in a day's play was at MCG in 2010, when India lost those big moments. Even then his fitness and intensity were not quite in the clear. Today, after India had batted for more than an hour at the start of the day, Zaheer sent down 22 overs, the last as intense as the first, despite all the plays and misses and the drop catch. He was finally rewarded with Smith's wicket, 49 runs later than he should have been.

The rudder this attack badly needed had been provided by this new and fit Zaheer. He was not that great in the field, but the man has to pace himself. Zaheer has earned the right to such small allowances in an imperfect attack. Ishant and Mohammed Shami were no less intense. They kept bowling up, and not just floating it. There was a lot of emphasis on "right areas" in press conferences from India, but South African pitches need more. The more came from them. It took tenacity to keep at it despite being denied the results in the middle sessions. As it happens with Ishant, albeit not frequently enough, once he gets on a roll, things keep falling in place. Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis in two balls is as good as it gets in Test cricket. Shami delivered JP Duminy and AB de Villiers in the same over. India had come back from having lost the big moment. Those horrible memories were now being put back in the filing drawer.

It was not just the intensity. There was skill involved. On an outfield that had taken a lot of rain - fielders were slipping at its edge - India did something South Africa couldn't: reverse the ball. That added to the doubt for the batsmen. The ball was maintained superbly. The series was alive. This was reassurance that Virat Kohli's hundred on day one was not just a flicker. Even when Vernon Philander and Faf du Plessis got into a partnership, the field didn't spread out as was the case on those two previous two tours. The bowlers' intensity and fitness played a big part in it as did the fact that the pitch was offering some movement even with a 60-over-old ball.

That catch dropped by Rohit Sharma might still prove to be a big moment lost. Through that 67-run partnership between Philander and du Plessis, India will know beating South Africa - a 13-man team through the all-round roles of Kallis and de Villiers - in a Test is an incredibly difficult task. An extra batsman or an extra bowler pop out of nowhere to make you fight that extra fight. However, India have already not only exceeded expectations, they have done more than their bit to make this a classical Test.

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Hurting Philander eases South Africa's pain

Vernon Philander was suffering from a toothache last night but he was incisive with the ball, before shoring up a South Africa collapse with a defiant innings

'Philander ran in with purpose today'

Close to midnight after the first day of the Test, something was bothering Vernon Philander. "Toothache … you are starting to annoy the shit out of me now," he tweeted as the hour approached. "24 hour dentist, where are you? Sandton."

By the morning, Philander was ready to take his irritation out on someone. It showed in the first ball he delivered: short, outside off, seaming in a touch and drawing a careful push from Ajinkya Rahane. It showed even more the next delivery, which reared up and jagged away, forcing Rahane to play. It set the tone - as Allan Donald had asked his quicks to do - for the morning.

With a covering of cloud, moisture heavy in the air and a pain in his tooth, Philander beat MS Dhoni's bat, squared him up, and attacked the stumps more than any of the South African bowlers had on the first day. Although he was not the man who claimed the Indian captain's wicket, his rewards rolled in after that.

Rahane was dismissed in typical Philander fashion - poking at one outside off stump that nipped away at the last second. Zaheer Khan was comically caught on the back foot as he tried to do something that resembled playing at one that wobbled in the densely damp air. Ishant Sharma's defences were breached by a ball that was perfectly directed at the top of off stump.

All three dismissals paid homage to the consistency of Philander's bowling, the subtlety of movement he produces and the uncertainty he creates in batsmen's minds. After dismissing Ishant, Philander stood one wicket away from collecting his 100th Test scalp. But for a Morne Morkel no-ball in the over that followed, he would have had a chance to reach the landmark, but the extra delivery Morkel bowled accounted for India's last batsman.

Philander still has the second innings and the smart money will be on him to claim his 100th. If he gets there, he will become the fastest South African to the landmark, reaching it in 19 Tests, one fewer than Dale Steyn.

Philander is already the joint second-fastest to 50 Test wickets. The rate at which he has racked up those numbers could easily conjure up an image of a snarling speedster who juggles the ball as he delivers it. Philander is not that. He succeeds through consistency. The first day of this Test aside, he rarely offers width or bowls what batsmen may call a 'hit-me' delivery. He is tireless in his ability to maintain a line on or just outside off and a good length. He may sometimes have a few things to say but nothing as hostile as his opening partner Steyn.

His success has literally been achieved through hard work and the 100th wicket will be another illustration of that. Before he gets there, Philander will concentrate on batting South Africa towards safety, which he has already set about doing. He regards himself as a genuine allrounder, and with two first-class hundreds and two Test fifties to his name, few will argue with that. This is another opportunity to show it.

Philander has batted with the maturity of a senior batsman, despite not being the specialist at the crease. He walked out with his team on 146 for 6 and needing consolidation. Faf du Plessis, who has not scored a half-century in seven Test innings, was with him.

Philander was greeted with an outswinger, one that came back in and a short ball, and negotiated all three with ease. While du Plessis spent time trying to get in, Philander kept the score moving to avoid a build up of pressure. He took risks - an expansive drive off Ishant that he inside-edged for four - and he showed off his prowess when he pulled Mohammad Shami, punched Ishant through point and flicked Zaheer Khan.

Because of Philander, du Plessis had the time to gain his confidence and South Africa remained alive in the match. Philander got the balance between caution and aggression right, treated the bowling with respect but punished it when he had the chance. "Having Faf and Vernon there has been a major help for us," Hashim Amla said. "If you think back to Lord's, Vernon batted really well and he did so here again on a wicket that has done a bit."

Against England last August, Philander had joined JP Duminy at the crease with South Africa on 163 for 6. Both batsmen scored 61 and their partnership gave South Africa a decent total. Philander's last day five-for also played a major part in South Africa winning the Test, the series and the coveted mace. "He has proven his worth as a bowler and batsman for us," Amla said.

His team-mates seemed to know little about the discomfort Philander was in today, with Amla saying he wasn't aware of the toothache. "I didn't know but he did pretty well. I don't think it's affected him too badly," he said. Philander was only due to see the dentist at the end of play today. Given the way he performed with the pain so far, Amla hinted his team-mates may not be too unhappy if he wasn't cured completely by the morning.

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Watling keeps Ronchi on his toes

BJ Watling will be able to put pressure on Luke Ronchi for New Zealand's one-day wicketkeeping slot if he can increase his strike-rate. That was the strong indication given by Bruce Edgar, the national selection, after he named the one-day squad to face West Indies where Ronchi will be given a chance to cement the keeper's role in the middle order but faces competition.

Watling is secure in the Test position having enjoyed a productive 2013 where he has scored, as of the start of the Hamilton Test, 576 runs at 41.14 and performed tidily with the gloves. However, now that Brendon McCullum's career behind the stumps is over there is potentially more fluidity in the one-day position and although Ronchi has the frontrunner's position there are others in the frame.

Ronchi's and Watling's one-day statistics make for an interesting comparison. In List A cricket, Watling averages 39.03 but his strike-rate is a steady 69.24 whereas Ronchi's lower average of 28 comes with the eye-catching strike-rate of 105.12. At the moment it's the scoring rate which is swaying the selectors.

"He gives us firepower and naturally scores quickly," Edgar said. "He's got a strike-rate of around 120. BJ is also pushing the door, he's close but he doesn't quite give us that firepower. We know he's working hard on it and he wants to challenge that spot."

Ronchi is already on his second chance having initially been dropped after a tough return to international cricket, following his previous stint for Australia, on the England tour and subsequent Champions Trophy earlier this year.

He made 47 runs in six innings and was not in the squad to tour Bangladesh and Sri Lanka until Kane Williamson broke his thumb and McCullum was forced out with his back injury. He produced some solid displays in Sri Lanka and will now be the man with the gloves, and at No. 7, for the series against West Indies.

New Zealand's one-day squad was a statement of wanting to play aggressive cricket. Alongside the recall for Jesse Ryder, Edgar has also told Adam Milne, the Central Districts quick bowler, to let the handbrake go against West Indies. Milne, who went wicketless during the series in Sri Lanka, has the most to gain from Tim Southee missing the opening two matches due to needing minor toe surgery.

"Adam did the hard yards on some pretty slow wickets and we want to give him the opportunity in the West Indies ODIs and give him a chance on our tracks which are hopefully quicker and bit bouncier and he can demonstrate how quick he is."

He also gave support to Mitchell McClenaghan to continue in his role as strike-bowler after he found life tougher in the subcontinent. Overall, McCleanghan has an impressive return of 35 wickets in 14 matches at 20.08.

"His economy rate…was a factor of learning to bowl the right lengths on those pitches which is quite difficult. Prior to that his strike rate was very good and economy rate very good. He's a hustler and tries to get wickets. By all accounts in the most recent Plunket Shield match he was giving guys a good hurry up. He wants to get wickets and knock the top off."

Fellow left-arm Trent Boult, who took 10 for 80 in the Wellington Test against West Indies, has been given hope of feature at the 2015 World Cup despite being overlooked for this squad. Boult has not played an ODI since February, against England in Napier, and is viewed as a red-ball specialist at the moment.

"Trent has aspirations to play one-day cricket, we've had that discussion with him," Edgar said. "He's very keen to develop his white ball game and perhaps is less confident with the white ball over the red. He wants to do more work and become more confident and comfortable in that space.

"We see him as part of our 2015 planning and it's just a case of how he's moving along. There may be an opportunity for him to come and play but we just want to see where he sits and how he's going."

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WI remove Rutherford and Fulton

Tea New Zealand 76 for 2 (Williamson 34*, Taylor 15*) trail West Indies 367 (Chanderpaul 122*, Ramdin 107, Southee 4-79) by 291 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

West Indies threw New Zealand their stiffest challenge of the series. First, their last two wickets added 60 to stretch the innings to 367. And then, their bowlers tied down the New Zealand top order in batting-friendly conditions. Hamish Rutherford fell to his own premature exuberance and Peter Fulton went in Sunil Narine's first over after failing to rotate the strike for an hour and a half.

Playing two specialist spinners, West Indies had to open the bowling with Darren Sammy's medium pace from one end, but the captain stuck to what he does usually, holding one end up and taking the odd wicket. He also caught brilliantly, both wickets owing more to his own brilliance in the field than the quality of the deliveries.

He first bent low in his followthrough to pluck a low catch as Rutherford drove hard in the sixth over. In the 22nd over, he snapped up an extremely sharp reflex chance at backward short leg as Fulton flicked Narine. Fulton batted 71 deliveries to make just 11. While he left well, he hit deliveries hard and straight to the fielders.

Williamson wasn't free-flowing as well in the company of Fulton, but opened up as Ross Taylor came in. Both batsmen looked to take singles, and their stand had grown to 33 by the tea break in just under ten overs. It was not without alarms against the spinners, though. Taylor survived a review for leg-before by West Indies off Narine, and Williamson escaped a few times, uppishly driving Veerasammy Permaul.

In the morning, Shivnarine Chanderpaul equalled Don Bradman's 29 Test centuries, went past Allan Border's tally of 11174 runs and remained unbeaten for the 45th time in 260 innings. Tino Best and Permaul contributed twenties to push West Indies past 350, a mark that had seemed unimaginable at 86 for 5 on the first afternoon.

New Zealand could have ended the innings on 339, but Fulton dropped Best in the slips off Corey Anderson, another blot on the hosts' catching in this game. Best was on 4 then, and went on to make 25, his innings a mix of typical slogs and unusually sensible batting, before edging a heave to the wicketkeeper off legspinner Ish Sodhi in the 117th over.

Permaul clubbed a run-a-ball 20, lofting and pulling Tim Southee for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries. Even as Brendon McCullum spread the field, Southee held his nerve to pitch another one up and Permaul, trying to hit a third successive boundary, edged a sharp catch to Fulton.

The efforts of Nos 10 and 11, along with the indefatigable Chanderpaul, turned around a poor morning start for West Indies. Southee began with his outswingers on target, getting Sammy to nick behind in the sixth over of the day. Sammy blocked his way to 3 off 28, following from his pair in a day in Wellington. But in the second session, he made some amends.

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Can Kallis make a U-turn?

He may have hit one of the roughest patches in his career, but Jacques Kallis, in the past, has shown he can recover spectacularly

Cullinan: Kallis should assess where his career is

At Mark Boucher's tribute dinner recently, he wished his best friend Jacques Kallis "best of luck for the next 20 years of your international cricket career". Amid laughter Kallis responded he would either stop enjoying it or stop contributing if he keeps playing to offer some reassurance to the audience. Those people may revisit that evening and wonder what Kallis thinks about that quip now.

A golden duck at the Wanderers - only the second of his career - is not a reason to condemn the man widely acknowledged as the best cricketer South Africa has ever produced to retirement. But because it's part of a streak in which he has only gone into double figures only once in the last six Test innings, it is an indication of something worrying.

Kallis has had the leanest Test year in 2013, for years in which he has played more than one match. In seven Tests, he's managed only 160 runs at an average of 16.00. He has not scored a century for the first time in a calendar year since 1997. In the three years preceding this one, he has averaged over 50.00.

More alarming than the sudden dip will be the manner in which he has been dismissed. In the five of his last six Test innings, including today Kallis has been out lbw to deliveries that have come into him, even if only slightly. On every occasion, he has played across the line and been late on the shot.

No example of that was clearer than today. Ishant, having bowled Hashim Amla the ball before, follow-up perfectly. He kept it full and directed it straight. Kallis looked a little slow on the shot, played across and knew he was out as soon as the ball struck the pad.

The method of dismissal could be a reflection of Kallis battling to judge the line quickly enough or simply a sign that he is short on confidence early on in his innings. As one of the most technically correct batsman around, it's likelier it is the second. That would not be too surprising considering the year Kallis has had.

He has been betwixt and between in terms of how he wants to manage what he admits are the twilight years of his career. Having said he wants to play one-day cricket, with the eventual aim of turning in the 2015 World Cup, Kallis initially made himself available for the Champions Trophy. He withdrew on the eve of the squad announcement citing a need for a break.

Since then, he has recommitted to the ODI team but his comeback has not been as successful as he would have liked. After being absent from the fifty-over squad for 19 months from March 2012, he scored a half-century on his comeback against Pakistan, but managed just 26 runs in the three innings after that.

South Africa rested him as soon as the series against both Pakistan and India were decided. While missing out on the Pakistan game with the series lost appeared a genuine attempt in managing Kallis workload, leaving him out of the India game could have been the selectors way of kindly nudging him to the exit sign in that format.

But if Kallis' career needs clipping, that should be the extent for now because Kallis still has plenty to offer in the longest format. He has had lean patches in Tests before - most recently at the end of 2011 when he scored just one half-century in seven innings - and recovered spectacularly. So there is reason to believe he will do it again.

Then, there were also concerns about his reaction times as well, particularly because he was being peppered with short balls by a young, quick Australian pack. Matters came to a head when Kallis recorded his first pair against Sri Lanka in Durban, some said his shelf life was over. Kallis responded with a double hundred in Cape Town and centuries on all three of the tours that followed.

The fourth visit - to the UAE a year later - did not bring the same success. With three single-figure scores and no wickets, statistically Kallis had the worst outing of his career. When Graeme Smith was asked if it was cause for concern, he brushed it off, adamant that the desire to continue playing at the highest level was still high for Kallis. No-one can doubt the hunger remains and the second innings may be the perfect opportunity to begin satiating the appetite.

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SSC, NCC, Colts and Ragama in semis

Sinhalese Sports Club, Colts Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club and Ragama Cricket Club will contest the semi-finals of the Premier Limited Overs competition, after finishing in the top two of their groups at the end of the round-robin phase. Both semi-finals will be played at the Premadasa Stadium with Colts taking on NCC on December 21, before SSC face Ragama on December 23.

Group B

Opening the batting in his first match of the tournament, Mahela Jayawardene hit 90 from 83 for SSC, who moved to the top of their group with a 38-run Duckworth-Lewis win over Moors Sports Club. His 133-run opening stand with Danushka Gunathilaka, who scored an unbeaten 75, effectively set up the victory. SSC had been chasing 277, but their innings was cut short by bad weather at 38 overs. Having lost only two wickets at that stage, their 215 runs comfortably secured the match.

Allrounder Chaturanga de Silva's 71 from 67 balls and Isham Ghouse's 57 had provided the substance in Moors' innings, as they amassed what was a commanding score of 276 for 8 by this season's standards. Seam bowlers Dhammika Prasad and Charith Jayampathi struck at various stages of the innings to take five wickets between them. In the end, SSC's bowlers had done enough to ensure a top order strengthened by Jayawardene's arrival would secure their place atop the table.

Ports Authority Cricket Club finished just outside the reckoning for the semi-finals in their group, despite a low-scoring three-wicket win over Bloomfield Cricket Club, at Bloomfield's ground. Seam-bowler Isuru Udana did not open the bowling, but it was he who sparked a Bloomfield collapse that would see them sink to 58 for 5, before finishing at 127 all out in the 34th over. Udana took 3 for 33 and left-arm spinner Anuk de Alwis also claimed three wickets, for 37 runs.

Ports Authority wobbled early in their chase, losing both openers in the fourth over to Suraj Randiv's offspin. However they regrouped through Sachithra Serasingha's 45 lower down the order. Ports Authority lost two wickets when tied with Bloomfield, making the result seem closer than it was, but they completed the chase in the 32nd over.

Tamil Union Cricket Club ended a disappointing tournament with a 196-run victory over the group's bottom team, Chilaw Marians, at the P Sara Oval. The victory was Tamil Union's second in the competition, and was set up by a opener Pabasara Waduge's 120 from 122 balls - an innings that featured 17 fours. Several other Tamil Union batsmen got starts but none crossed 40, as they strode to 300 for 9 from 50 overs. Seam bowler Saliya Saman took 3 for 54 for Chilaw.

Legspinner Jeevan Mendis collected five wickets for 12 as Chilaw unraveled quickly during their reply. The visitors had been 50 for 2 in the 15th over before Mendis began to strike, and he wrapped up Chilaw innings for 104 in the 34th over with some help for Ramith Rambukwella, who claimed two scalps.

Group A

Air Force Sports Club recorded a 40-run victory over Badureliya Sports Club, in a match in which neither team could hope to qualify for the semi-finals. Left-arm seam bowler Ruvinda Shamen took 5 for 32 for Badureliya after they had asked the opposition to bat first, but Sajith Kalumpriya struck 68 to help propel Air Force to 194 all out in the 47th over.

Badureliya lost both openers for ducks, inside the first two overs of their reply, and continued to stumble against seam bowler Lasanda Rukmal, who took 4 wickets for 58. Andy Solomons walloped 90 from 60 bakks and put on a 78-run stand with Leven Helambage for the fifth wicket, but it was not enough to save Badureliya, who finished bottom of the group.

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Hurting Philander eases South Africa's pain

Vernon Philander was suffering from a toothache last night but he was incisive with the ball, before shoring up a South Africa collapse with a defiant innings

'Philander ran in with purpose today'

Close to midnight after the first day of the Test, something was bothering Vernon Philander. "Toothache … you are starting to annoy the shit out of me now," he tweeted as the hour approached. "24 hour dentist, where are you? Sandton."

By the morning, Philander was ready to take his irritation out on someone. It showed in the first ball he delivered: short, outside off, seaming in a touch and drawing a careful push from Ajinkya Rahane. It showed even more the next delivery, which reared up and jagged away, forcing Rahane to play. It set the tone - as Allan Donald had asked his quicks to do - for the morning.

With a covering of cloud, moisture heavy in the air and a pain in his tooth, Philander beat MS Dhoni's bat, squared him up, and attacked the stumps more than any of the South African bowlers had on the first day. Although he was not the man who claimed the Indian captain's wicket, his rewards rolled in after that.

Rahane was dismissed in typical Philander fashion - poking at one outside off stump that nipped away at the last second. Zaheer Khan was comically caught on the back foot as he tried to do something that resembled playing at one that wobbled in the densely damp air. Ishant Sharma's defences were breached by a ball that was perfectly directed at the top of off stump.

All three dismissals paid homage to the consistency of Philander's bowling, the subtlety of movement he produces and the uncertainty he creates in batsmen's minds. After dismissing Ishant, Philander stood one wicket away from collecting his 100th Test scalp. But for a Morne Morkel no-ball in the over that followed, he would have had a chance to reach the landmark, but the extra delivery Morkel bowled accounted for India's last batsman.

Philander still has the second innings and the smart money will be on him to claim his 100th. If he gets there, he will become the fastest South African to the landmark, reaching it in 19 Tests, one fewer than Dale Steyn.

Philander is already the joint second-fastest to 50 Test wickets. The rate at which he has racked up those numbers could easily conjure up an image of a snarling speedster who juggles the ball as he delivers it. Philander is not that. He succeeds through consistency. The first day of this Test aside, he rarely offers width or bowls what batsmen may call a 'hit-me' delivery. He is tireless in his ability to maintain a line on or just outside off and a good length. He may sometimes have a few things to say but nothing as hostile as his opening partner Steyn.

His success has literally been achieved through hard work and the 100th wicket will be another illustration of that. Before he gets there, Philander will concentrate on batting South Africa towards safety, which he has already set about doing. He regards himself as a genuine allrounder, and with two first-class hundreds and two Test fifties to his name, few will argue with that. This is another opportunity to show it.

Philander has batted with the maturity of a senior batsman, despite not being the specialist at the crease. He walked out with his team on 146 for 6 and needing consolidation. Faf du Plessis, who has not scored a half-century in seven Test innings, was with him.

Philander was greeted with an outswinger, one that came back in and a short ball, and negotiated all three with ease. While du Plessis spent time trying to get in, Philander kept the score moving to avoid a build up of pressure. He took risks - an expansive drive off Ishant that he inside-edged for four - and he showed off his prowess when he pulled Mohammad Shami, punched Ishant through point and flicked Zaheer Khan.

Because of Philander, du Plessis had the time to gain his confidence and South Africa remained alive in the match. Philander got the balance between caution and aggression right, treated the bowling with respect but punished it when he had the chance. "Having Faf and Vernon there has been a major help for us," Hashim Amla said. "If you think back to Lord's, Vernon batted really well and he did so here again on a wicket that has done a bit."

Against England last August, Philander had joined JP Duminy at the crease with South Africa on 163 for 6. Both batsmen scored 61 and their partnership gave South Africa a decent total. Philander's last day five-for also played a major part in South Africa winning the Test, the series and the coveted mace. "He has proven his worth as a bowler and batsman for us," Amla said.

His team-mates seemed to know little about the discomfort Philander was in today, with Amla saying he wasn't aware of the toothache. "I didn't know but he did pretty well. I don't think it's affected him too badly," he said. Philander was only due to see the dentist at the end of play today. Given the way he performed with the pain so far, Amla hinted his team-mates may not be too unhappy if he wasn't cured completely by the morning.

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Tenacious India seamers rewrite script

The team has slipped from promising positions in overseas Tests in the past, but the Zaheer Khan-led bowling attack helped India maintain a firm grip on the second day

Manjrekar: India batsmen had better footwork than SA

The first session of the second day had a bad old feeling for India. A movie seen before. A movie fresh in the mind.

In the first Test of their tour of Australia in 2011-12, India were 214 for 2 just before stumps on day two. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid got two beauties either side of stumps, and India collapsed. India still came back in the match - they had Australia effectively at 78 for 4 in the second innings - but bowled poorly to Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting. Never to come back in the series.

In the first Test of their tour of England, India troubled the hosts on day one but lost Zaheer Khan to injury. On the second day they had England at 62 for 5, but when they came back from lunch with a win still a remote possibility, India bowled Suresh Raina instead of an on-fire Ishant Sharma, and another big moment was lost. Two more big moments were lost in the next Test - the Stuart Broad-Graeme Swann partnership, and then a collapse with a big first-innings lead in sight. It all spiralled out of control after that.

On both tours, with those big moments lost, India didn't have the intensity, at times the fitness, and at others the skill, to come back. Days in the field became longer, batting innings passed in a blink of the eye, and India just kept running on the treadmill of defeat. After giving a good account of themselves on the first day - better than was expected but only good enough to keep the match in balance - India collapsed to a mix of good bowling and meek batting, in Zaheer's case. Zaheer came back well with the ball, almost had who is believed to be his bunny, Graeme Smith, but the catch was dropped. When they went into tea, India had only 162 runs in the bank, and were looking at a long South Africa batting line-up.

It was natural to be put in mind of the previous two tours. The two big moments were lost. Except that this time the 118 for 1 at tea did disservice to how well India had bowled. They had learned the lesson from the South Africa quicks, who bowled too short on day one and got all the wickets with fuller lengths on day two. Just that they had been unlucky at times. It would be a test of character, and also skill, to come back in the final session and keep the game alive.

The big difference here was that India still had a fit and intense three-man pace attack - the spinner not required so far might play a part in the final innings - and a lively pitch to work with. The last time Zaheer bowled more than 20 overs in a day's play was at MCG in 2010, when India lost those big moments. Even then his fitness and intensity were not quite in the clear. Today, after India had batted for more than an hour at the start of the day, Zaheer sent down 22 overs, the last as intense as the first, despite all the plays and misses and the drop catch. He was finally rewarded with Smith's wicket, 49 runs later than he should have been.

The rudder this attack badly needed had been provided by this new and fit Zaheer. He was not that great in the field, but the man has to pace himself. Zaheer has earned the right to such small allowances in an imperfect attack. Ishant and Mohammed Shami were no less intense. They kept bowling up, and not just floating it. There was a lot of emphasis on "right areas" in press conferences from India, but South African pitches need more. The more came from them. It took tenacity to keep at it despite being denied the results in the middle sessions. As it happens with Ishant, albeit not frequently enough, once he gets on a roll, things keep falling in place. Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis in two balls is as good as it gets in Test cricket. Shami delivered JP Duminy and AB de Villiers in the same over. India had come back from having lost the big moment. Those horrible memories were now being put back in the filing drawer.

It was not just the intensity. There was skill involved. On an outfield that had taken a lot of rain - fielders were slipping at its edge - India did something South Africa couldn't: reverse the ball. That added to the doubt for the batsmen. The ball was maintained superbly. The series was alive. This was reassurance that Virat Kohli's hundred on day one was not just a flicker. Even when Vernon Philander and Faf du Plessis got into a partnership, the field didn't spread out as was the case on those two previous two tours. The bowlers' intensity and fitness played a big part in it as did the fact that the pitch was offering some movement even with a 60-over-old ball.

That catch dropped by Rohit Sharma might still prove to be a big moment lost. Through that 67-run partnership between Philander and du Plessis, India will know beating South Africa - a 13-man team through the all-round roles of Kallis and de Villiers - in a Test is an incredibly difficult task. An extra batsman or an extra bowler pop out of nowhere to make you fight that extra fight. However, India have already not only exceeded expectations, they have done more than their bit to make this a classical Test.

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Ramdin, Chanderpaul halt collapse

Tea West Indies 142 for 5 (Chanderpaul 30*, Ramdin 30*) v New Zealand
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

West Indies showed they could collapse regardless of the pitch, conditions or bowling. Put in on a slow surface that was nowhere close to being difficult for batting, they went from 77 for 1 to 86 for 5 in the space of 34 deliveries. On a day they could have dominated for once in the series, they consigned themselves to recovery mode. At tea, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin were doing a fine job, having added 56 for the sixth wicket.

The way the pitch played, New Zealand seemed to have made the wrong decision. The quick bowlers were hampered by the slowness, and some solid defensive batting from West Indies. Although there was swing available, there was much less bite in the pitch compared to Wellington.

Kraigg Brathwaite, playing his first Test since April 2012, helped the visitors navigate the first session for the loss of only Kieran Powell. Brathwaite and Powell survived for more than an hour without too many alarms and put on 41 before the latter departed, edging an attempted upper cut to the wicketkeeper off a Neil Wagner bouncer.

Most of the batsmen were to fall attempting strokes. It was Tim Southee who kickstarted the drama soon after lunch. Brathwaite had been tentative often but had survived through some pluck and some fortune. But when Southee dug it in short, Brathwaite's awkward style conspired to send the ball to gully.

Southee was bowling some big outswingers now, and Kirk Edwards feathered one of them behind while trying to leave it, and was given out after New Zealand reviewed.

Marlon Samuels flayed irresponsibly at his ninth delivery to edge to gully for a duck and Narsingh Deonarine missed a clip to be caught in front.

Yet again, it was down to Chanderpaul, and while he had a couple of close shaves against the legspinner Ish Sodhi, he wasn't going to throw it away easily on such a pitch. Refreshingly, even Denesh Ramdin wasn't willing to. The pair scored at a decent rate given the situation but West Indies had ceded too much advantage too soon, and there was a lot of catching up to do.

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South African quicks aim to refocus radar

Just as they did at The Oval last July, South Africa's quicks bowled too wide on the first day. Allan Donald hopes they can stage an Oval-style turnaround

Cullinan: 'Smith could've managed bowlers better'

M Vijay vigilantly watched half of the first over of this Test match sail past him. Dale Steyn was steaming in, swinging the ball away, and although he beat Vijay's outside edge once, he also provided enough room outside off stump to ensure the opener was not forced into a shot on three occasions. Eighty overs later, with Steyn taking hold of the second new ball, MS Dhoni watched four out of six balls carry through to AB de Villiers. Sandwiched between those two overs was the reason South Africa did not have more success on the opening day of this series: they did not make the Indian batsmen play enough and did not show enough discipline.

They bowled too wide of off stump and the unexpectedly stoic attitude from India's batsmen left the first day delicately balanced. It also highlighted South Africa's occasional lapses into lethargy, otherwise known as 'starting slowly.'

South Africa, by their own admission, sometimes stutter in their attempt to get off the blocks, especially if they have been on a break. They took half a Test to get into their groove in the UAE after a seven-month layoff, by which time the first match was all but lost. Then, they could not adjust to conditions quickly enough. Today, at the Wanderers, their showing was reminiscent of their display at The Oval last July.

England finished the first day 267 for 3, with Alastair Cook scoring a century. England had been allowed a free pass, as South Africa bowled without the attacking intent they had built their reputation on. Even though Allan Donald said then that they knew width was not an option, they persisted with a line outside the off stump and England's batsmen could settle.

Donald, South Africa's bowling coach, recognised the similarities between that day and this one immediately. "I went back to the day we had at The Oval where we asked the right questions to start with but at the same time, we were slightly wide and a little bit too short," he said.

India's openers left almost half of the first ten overs - 27 deliveries out of 60. Vijay spent 41 balls being watchful. He ignored anything he had to reach for, for more than an hour. He only faltered after being given a working over by Morne Morkel, who, as he did at The Oval, delivered the most impressive of South Africa's opening acts.

Morkel extracted steep bounce and used the short ball to good effect, directing it at the batsmen's bodies in the hope of getting them to fend to short leg. It almost worked. After Vijay was dropped at short leg, Morkel sensed he would be vulnerable and dished up the fuller one, which Vijay could not stop fishing at.

Mistakes like that were what South Africa were waiting for. At 24 for 2, with both India batsmen falling to a plan and the evidence of the one-day series still fresh in their minds, they could hardly be faulted for expecting more of the same. Cheteshwar Pujara only offered one chance - when he edged Morkel short of first slip - and even though Virat Kohli initially looked uncertain, especially against Morkel, he soon showed his prowess on the back foot.

With Pujara's determination and Kohli's strokeplay, the frustrators became the frustrated. Kohli had time to ease in and sensed it would get easier for him if he rode out the initial test. "I don't think they were threatening at all," he said. "It was all about respecting the conditions. After that, you have to respect yourself. You have to respect the good balls that are thrown at you and use your opportunity to hit when you could. Later on, they started bowling on fifth, sixth stump."

That was after lunch and it was when South Africa's day threatened to unravel. The usually impeccable line of Vernon Philander veered much wider than usual and the spinners, on a first-day Wanderers pitch, were ineffective and expensive. Imran Tahir's mash-up of long-hops and full tosses provided relief and runs for India, proving that patience pays.

Still, Donald said South Africa never felt India took the game away. "They fired down," he said. The run-out of Pujara and Kohli's soft dismissal kept South Africa on a fairly even keel. Despite Ajinkya Rahane being handed the same leeway, with South Africa offering as much, if not more, width at the end of the day as they did at the beginning, Donald was largely satisfied. "I will say I will take it. It was a mixture of asking the right questions but then being a bit sloppy in patches. There's no doubt we have to make a big play tomorrow."

For that, Donald will ask them to remember The Oval. South Africa surged back on the second day with much more conviction and purpose. The chat Donald had with them may have had something to do with it. "I went to bowlers individually and spoke to them," he said. "I chatted with Dale especially about setting the tone."

Led by a fired-up Steyn, South Africa took the last seven England wickets for 114 runs. "We locked in so well and didn't give England anything," Donald said. "That's what we have to do tomorrow. There is a lot riding on tomorrow's first session and how the bowlers set the tone."

In recent months, South Africa have not stacked up bad days and Donald is convinced that won't change, especially if he has something to do with it. "When we have a rusty day, we get back into things and we pride ourselves on how we find a way. We have done that successfully against teams all around the world. Tomorrow is another one of those days where we have to do it."

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Don't think SA quicks were threatening - Kohli

'Kohli showed tremendous adjustment'

After scoring a hundred in his first Test innings in South Africa, a knock that reminded Allan Donald of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli displayed a sense of occasion befitting an elder statesman, and some anger at host broadcasters. Both motivate him, and should not be overly frowned upon. It was at Wanderers that Kohli was hit by a short ball in the ribcage - he was early on the pull - a clip that was shown during the third ODI with a caption that said "Virat Kotli - softened up." It was by all accounts a harmless piece of television to accompany a commentary discussion about getting hit on the body and then coming back, but it obviously rubbed India the wrong way.

At Wanderers again, Kohli pulled Dale Steyn for two fours, and Jacques Kallis for one. The third of these pulls was sumptuous, but not as spicy as Kohli's description of it. "Apparently I was pretty soft after the first ODI," Kohli said. "I always had it in mind that we were all going to get short stuff unless you attack them. So rather get out playing your shots than fishing outside the off stump. I was prepared and I was watching the ball closely. Later on they started bowling at the fifth-sixth [stump], so I don't know where that bodyline bowling went. It is all about dictating terms when you bat. You can't always play under pressure. Let them know you are here to compete. We have shown we have learnt from mistakes, we have practised hard. We stuck to plans, and you will see us improving as we play next."

Dictating the terms remained the refrain of the Kohli press conference. "I have been waiting for this opportunity to bat up the order," Kohli said. "It's something that I badly wanted to do in Test cricket because I am so used to going in at No. 3 in ODIs. I like to be in the action early on and get in while conditions are tough and then dictate terms. I had a plan in mind that I wanted to stick to, and wasn't thinking about bowling, conditions, or the wicket. I just wanted to execute my plan."

That does sound a bit like Ricky Ponting. There was more to come, without being disrespectful or obnoxious. "I don't think they were threatening at all," Kohli said of South Africa's attack. "They are quality bowlers, but it was about respecting the conditions early on when you went in and the kind of bowling you were facing after that. You have got to get in and back yourself throughout. If they are good enough to play at this level, so are you. I had that belief, but had to respect the good balls that are being thrown at you. At the same time, you have got to be aware of cashing in on opportunities that are presented. That was key to my knock today, I latched on to whatever chances came my way, putting them away for boundaries."

The press conference wasn't all about sledging, though. Kohli displayed his mellow side too. "Funny because even during the ODIs versus Australia, I was thinking about getting a Test hundred in South Africa," he said. "That was all that was on my mind. I wasn't even focussing on those ODIs or any other games we played against West Indies. Every training session we had I was motivating myself to do something like this. Because I know how special it has been for players to get a hundred in South Africa, it was very pleasing to do so. It is probably the best I have batted in Test cricket till now. It is just about building on to it and it feels nice when you plan something and it comes together, especially against a world-class bowling attack."

Kohli expressed disappointment at not having batted through the day, but was not thinking twice about the shot he played, a wide ball that he chased, which stopped on him and lobbed for a catch to short cover.

"If you are batting at 120 and don't got for your shots, you can never go for your shots."

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Ryder recalled to one-day squad

Jesse Ryder has been recalled to New Zealand colours for the first time since February 2012 as part of a 13-man squad for the one-day series against West Indies.

Elsewhere in the squad, Martin Guptill has returned from injury and will partner Ryder at the top of the order, meaning that Tom Latham misses out. Tim Southee will miss the first two matches of the series to have a toe problem dealt with, but is expected to return for the third ODI in Queenstown.

Ryder has not played at international level after being dropped for disciplinary issues during the one-day series against South Africa. He has since had to serve a six-month suspension for taking banned stimulants, a period which coincided with his recovery from the serious assault he suffered in Christchurch earlier this year.

Since returning to domestic cricket for Otago, following a move away from Wellington, he has scored 454 runs at 64.85 in four Plunket Shield matches. There has been understandable caution about Ryder's return to the New Zealand fold, but Ryder is now ready to put a tough period behind him.

"I set the goal to make it back earlier this year and it is a great end to a tough year for me," Ryder said. "I'm more motivated than ever to perform for the Blackcaps."

Bruce Edgar, the national selector, said: "Jesse gives us added firepower at the top of the order and he has a proven international record.

"We know Martin is a quality player at this level," Edgar added. "You only need to look at his dominance in the one-day series in England during the year where he scored 189 not out and 103 not out. His dynamic fielding is also a valuable asset for the team."

It has also been confirmed that Luke Ronchi will have the wicketkeeping gloves throughout the series. Last week Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, confirmed that Brendon McCullum's days as a wicketkeeper were over due to his back problems.

Adam Milne, the 21-year-old Central Districts pace bowler, who was part of the squad in Sri Lanka has been retained despite not taking a wicket in those three matches.

Squad: Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson

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Can England's senior players fight back?

It used to be said that a player never recovers from the disappointment of a poor Ashes tour. What are the prospects for the senior England players who failed to deliver?

It used to be said that a player never recovers from the disappointment of a poor Ashes tour.

There is plentiful evidence in this England side to suggest otherwise: Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, James Anderson and Kevin Pietersen were all part of the grim 2006-07 Ashes campaign yet have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers.

But when a man as reserved as Cook starts to talk about senior figures in the England side "playing for their futures" then you know something has gone seriously amiss.

England, for the first time since 2009, do not hold the Ashes and several of the senior players on which they built their hopes have failed to deliver.

Ashes defeats - particularly overwhelming Ashes defeats - tend to mark watershed moments in careers. There will be calls for resignations, there will be calls for sackings and calls for players to be dropped. It is likely some of those calls will be answered. There may even be a retirement, or at least a partial retirement, in the offing.

It is surely relevant that most of those who have endured disappointing series are those who have been involved in the England set-up for some time. As such, they have played a huge amount of cricket, they have spent around 250 days a year in hotels and they have been in the same high-intensity environment. Somewhere along the line, it appears they have become jaded.

The case of Jonathan Trott - forced home with mental exhaustion - might be extreme, but there are several other players on this tour who might be not so far from a similar fate.

Equally, it may be no coincidence that, of those to have enjoyed better series, three are relatively new to the set-up. Michael Carberry, Joe Root and Ben Stokes are all relatively fresh to international cricket, are yet to be wearied by the treadmill or worn down by the intensity of the England set-up. All three showed the mental strength to fight just a little harder than their more experienced colleagues.

Here we look at the performance of five senior players and weigh-up their chances of being involved when the Ashes is next contested, in England in 2015.

Alastair Cook: Age 28 Record in the series: 154 runs at 25.66 Chances of being involved in 2015: High

By Cook's high standards, he has endured a poor six months. He has not made a century in any of the eight Tests against Australia and, with ponderous feet and a backlift that appears to bring his bat down at an angle, he has looked an increasingly hesitant, awkward figure at the crease. A propensity to plant his back foot may be the long-term issue: he is reaching and pushing for the ball outside the off stump and over balancing towards the off side when playing off his legs. He has also, simplistic though it may sound, been the unfortunate victim of a couple of very fine deliveries. The best batsmen find ways to deal with such issues, but Cook might consider himself somewhat unfortunate. Weariness may be a factor. No batsman in international cricket has faced as many deliveries as as Cook since the 2010-11 Ashes series - he has actually faced more than 1,000 more than anyone else - and he is also carrying the burden of captaincy. When England fought back to win in India, the responsibility appeared to benefit Cook's game but perhaps the attritional nature of the role has worn him down.

He has struggled technically before. Towards the end of 2010, the Pakistan seamers provoked a crisis of self-confidence, before Cook rediscovered his form in Australia. With a record as good as his - he has already scored more Test centuries than any England player - it seems hard to imagine he will not find a way past his current predicament and it is inconceivable that Cook will step down or be sacked in the near future.

James Anderson: Age 31 Record in the series: 7 wickets at 52.48 apiece Chances of being involved in 2015: Medium

Sometimes it is a mistake to judge simply by returns. Anderson has, for much of this series, bowled far better than his figures suggest. While comparisons with the end of Matthew Hoggard's Test career have been made - Hoggard was dropped having lost just a little of his pace - Anderson has been bowling briskly - he passed 90mph in Perth - and has rarely delivered loose balls. But his failure to find much lateral movement has rendered him worryingly impotent on pitches on which Australia's trio of seamers have proved more adept. Anderson has also suffered through the failure of his batting colleagues: provided with little time to rest between innings, he has invariably been forced into the field in the second innings with Australia's batsmen benefiting from a dominant match position. It would be simplistic to dismiss Anderson as dangerous only in English conditions, too: only a year ago MS Dhoni rated him the difference between the teams in India and he was excellent in Australia three years ago. This is far from the vintage performance that Anderson produced in 2010-11, but his chances of being involved when Australia return to the UK in 2015 remain decent.

Graeme Swann: Age: 34 Record in the series: 7 wicket at 80 apiece. Chances of being involved in 2015: Low.

Swann has bowled better than his figures suggest. On pitches offering him little - he is far from the first spinner to find life tough in Australia - and invariably facing match situations providing the batsmen with a license to attack, he has been given very little opportunity to shine. The relative lack of left-handers in the Australian order has done him few favours, either, while the lack of turn has rendered his arm-ball something of an irrelevance. You could not tell from the figures, but he produced his best bowling of the series in Perth, gaining pleasing dip and beating as good a player of spin as Michael Clarke in the flight in the first innings. He has failed to find much turn, however, and has also not generated the bounce of his opposite number, Nathan Lyon. There have been occasional, though unconfirmed, signs that his right elbow - twice operated upon and an increasing concern - is bothering him again and a nagging suspicion that he is not quite able to sustain the dip and turn he once could through long spells. With many, many miles on the clock and plentiful opportunities in other walks of life beckoning, it would be no surprise if Swann retired from at least one form of the game in the coming weeks.

Kevin Pietersen Age: 33 Record in the series: 165 runs at 27.50 Chances of being involved in 2015: High.

It is the manner of Pietersen's dismissals that provokes such criticism. It can often seem he is getting himself out: twice he has been caught clipping to mid-wicket, twice he has been caught pulling and once he has been caught on the long-on boundary when trying to drive over the fielder positioned for the stroke. But such a view fails to credit the excellence of the Australian bowling against him. Pietersen has been tied down by tight bowling and inventive fields that have led to him looking for release shots. While the redoubtable Peter Siddle has gained the credit for having something of a hold over Pietersen, the truth is less straightforward. Pietersen was often forced to defend for long periods against Johnson and Harris and looked to target Siddle as the weaker member of the seam unit. People may look for easy explanations - his recent knee problems, for example - but there is little evidence of any long-term issue other than his frustration at being tied down by good, accurate bowling. There has been no shortage of fight: his strike-rate for the series - 51.40 - is considerably down on his career rate - 62.01 - and Pietersen has been conspicuous in his efforts to advise and encourage other members of the squad. He has had a disappointing series, certainly, and some will always look to punish him for perceived errors in the past. But Pietersen has recently suggested he intends to continue playing international cricket until 2015 and, whether in decline or not, remains as dangerous a player as England possess. He is far too good to be jettisoned.

Matt Prior Age: 31 Record in the series: 107 runs at 17.83 Chances of being involved in 2015: Low.

From the moment in May that Prior was presented with England's player of the year award for the previous 12 months, his form has deteriorated. At first it was just his batting - Prior has made only one half-century in 19 subsequent innings - but of late his keeping has started to suffer, too. As a player who likes to counter-attack, part of the problem is that Prior has been brought to the crease too early against a hard ball and fresh bowlers. But he has also shown some faulty shot selection, failing to show the requisite patience and judgement about which balls to leave and defend. And, as his run of low scores increased, so his confidence has fallen. He has been another victim of some fine, disciplined bowling from Australia. The fact that his challengers - the likes of Jos Buttler, Steve Davies or Jonny Bairstow - are deemed either not to be ready or not to be in the best of form, might win him some more time, but Prior has already been the beneficiary of the selectors' faith. Time is running out for him.

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NZ aim to bury brittle Windies

Match Facts

December 19-23, 2013, Hamilton
Start time 10.30am (2130GMT previous day)

The Big Picture

It was always suspected that New Zealand would be too good against West Indies in home conditions. Then came the Dunedin fightback. Perhaps the visitors could offer a sterner challenge. Then came Wellington. No they couldn't, at least over those three days.

There is nothing to be ashamed about in losing against swing, seam and a hint of bounce, but West Indies didn't look up for the fight on the third day at the Basin save for the second-innings opening stand. That is what has frustrated Ottis Gibson the most. He wants the fight back. If you then lose to a better team, fair enough.

New Zealand are the better team in these conditions (the return series in the Caribbean next year may be different) but that gives them the added pressure of not slipping up in Hamilton. There was such a vast margin between the teams last week it's barely possible to see it happening, but it only takes one batting collapse although they are becoming rare at home for New Zealand.

Against England they went into the final Test at 0-0 and dominated the match from start to finish only to be denied at the end. This time, they have a lead they are desperate not to surrender but it is not Brendon McCullum's way to play defensive cricket - this is also a West Indies team on the back foot and ripe for the taking.

Form guide

(Most recent first)

New Zealand WDDDL
West Indies LDLLWW

Watch out for

The only New Zealand batsman to make hundreds in three consecutive Tests is Mark Burgess - spread over nearly three years from 1969 to 1972 against three teams; Pakistan, England and West Indies. Given the form Ross Taylor has shown in this series, and the doses of fortune that have gone his way, don't bet against him achieving that feat. If Taylor can score 38 runs in this Test he will become only the third New Zealand batsman, after Andrew Jones and Glenn Turner, to make 400 runs in a three-Test series.

With Shane Shillingford suspended from bowling, Sunil Narine will make his return to the Test team. A record of 15 wickets in five matches at 48.06 does not shout out matchwinner, but at least he'll bring is tricky set of deliveries. In one-day, the skid he generates is a significant weapon and on a grassy surface that could be something in his favour. However, he has not bowled in a first-class match (of which he has still only played 12) since March of this year when he took 10 wickets in the match against Guyana.

Team news

Brendon McCullum confirmed an unchanged XI. Corey Anderson was the one minor doubt but his shin problem isn't major. Neil Wagner is under some pressure, but an injury to Doug Bracewell and his second-innings spell in Wellington means he will keep his place.

New Zealand (probable) 1 Hamish Rutherford, 2 Peter Fulton, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt), 6 Corey Anderson, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent Boult

Options a few-and-far between for West Indies. Narine will replace Shillingford, while Sheldron Cottrell for Shannon Gabriel is one possible switch. If they wanted to take a gamble they could still play two frontline spinners, calling in left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul.

West Indies (probable) 1 Kieran Powell, 2 Kirk Edwards, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Narsingh Deonarine, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Tino Best, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Pitch and conditions

Five of New Zealand's likely team play their domestic cricket for Northern Districts so will know what to expect. BJ Watling, one of those, said a couple of types of surfaces have been tried this year; a drier pitch which proved pretty flat and one with more grass where the opposition were bowled out for less than 100. Perhaps something in the middle for the Test? The forecast is for most of the Test is warm and sunny.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand's previous series victory against anyone other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe came against West Indies in 2005-06
• Tim Southee needs six wickets to reach 100 in Tests - he took six playing for Northern Districts at Hamilton in November
• West Indies' only previous Test at Seddon Park came in 1999 when they lost by nine wickets despite an opening stand of 276 in the first innings.

Quotes

"Feeling everyone experienced in the dressing room the other day after that Test win is something that people hold onto as a motivating factor every time they rock up and play another Test."
Brendon McCullum does not want the winning feeling to be a one-off

"With the new developments we have put so many different scenarios on the table so tonight we'll definitely come up with what we think will be the suitable or right mix for us before 10am when I put on my jacket and go to toss."
Darren Sammy admits there are some selection headaches

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Warner, Smith, Bailey released to BBL

Victory in the Ashes has allowed Cricket Australia to make a concession to the start of the Big Bash League, releasing David Warner, Steven Smith and George Bailey to take part in the opening round of the Twenty20 competition this week.

Warner, Smith and Bailey were all key contributors to Australia's series-clinching win at the WACA Ground, the two New South Welshmen each making centuries while the Tasmanian put the capstone on the hosts' second innings by ransacking 28 runs from a single over bowled by James Anderson.

Australian cricket's priorities have been hotly debated over the past few seasons, with the commercial demands of the BBL and the Champions League often running headlong into the best laid plans for the national team. CA's team performance manager Pat Howard has engaged in plenty of debate with BBL teams over the issue of player availability for round one, but the swift and comprehensive nature of Australia's Ashes defeat of England has offered some room to manoeuvre between the end of the Perth Test and the Boxing Day match in Melbourne.

"We have worked closely with the BBL clubs for several months about Test player availability given the early stages of the tournament are played while the Ashes series is still in progress," Howard said. "Our Test squad has a very specific training and recovery program throughout the Ashes and we are keen to maintain that where possible.

"That being said, yesterday's series victory has given us the opportunity to be more flexible in our approach to BBL availability. After careful consideration of player fitness and workload issues, we have agreed to release George Bailey, Steve Smith and David Warner for BBL duties on 21 and 22 December.

"On this occasion, the bowlers from the first three Tests were not considered for release given their recent workload and the need to prepare for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests. We will continue to work closely with all BBL clubs on player availability and preparation."

Apart from Warner going back to the Sydney Thunder, Bailey playing for the Hobart Hurricanes and Smith the Sydney Sixers, the reserve fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Nathan Coulter-Nile have also been allowed to play in round one.

Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon have all been granted time to rest following their exertions over the first three Tests.

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'I'd love to spill my guts' - Sammy

Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, has bit his lip over the suspension of offspinner Shane Shillingford due an illegal action but admitted there was a lot he would like to say about the issue.

There is a strong sense that West Indies feel harshly treated over Shillingford, whose doosra and traditional offspinner were found to breach the 15-degree limit laid down by the ICC. Before the report was issued Ottis Gibson, the coach, said "there are a few people around the world bowling with similar, if not worse actions."

It is the second time he has been suspended from international cricket and the WICB are still digesting the full report before deciding on their next course of action. Marlon Samuels was also banned from using his faster ball although the impact on his immediate career is far more limited than for Shillingford.

"I'd love to spill my guts out and say what I have to say," Sammy said. "No matter what the situation there is a procedure in which things are done. I've always been one whose stuck by the rules. I don't want find myself in any compromising situation.

"I would have loved to say a lot of things but I've always been a diplomatic guy so won't take part in that. We all have our personal opinions. Some have voiced it and we'll just put all our energy into this Test.

"The board and coach and director of cricket at home are going to handle it and I'm backing them to handle it in the best possible way for us as a team and esp for Shilly and Marlon."

Sammy and Shillingford are domestic and international team-mates, playing for Windward Islands, so have known each other for many years. He wants West Indies to channel their feelings into the final Test against New Zealand which they need to win to level the series.

"Shilly is a very close friend of mine and he's quite sad and disappointed about the results but that's life and sometimes you get curve balls thrown at you. You have to face it and come back stronger. It's a tough pill to swallow. We all support Shilly as a team. He's been through that before and hopefully his mental toughness will carry him through."

"When your backs are really against the wall is when you can reach the highest point," he added. "That's what we face in this Test. We will go out and fight for one of our team-mates, come out strong and hit back at New Zealand.

Shillingford is still with the West Indies squad in Hamilton, but Sammy said he hoped he would be able to return home to the Caribbean in time for Christmas before beginning the process of working on his action.

"I guess he wants to be home with his closer loved ones at that time," Sammy said. "I would also suggest that he goes home and spends some time with his fiancée or his mum or his parent, where he will feel an even stronger bond and love and where he can move on."

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India's next gen gear for torrid test

When Sachin Tendulkar was not a former India player, he always took the front left seat on the team bus. Nobody used to sit next to him. It was always Tendulkar and his thoughts. Two days before India go into a big test of their transition, Virat Kohli was in that seat on the team bus. It was perhaps symbolic that while Kohli might have sat in that row, he didn't take the Tendulkar seat. He sat in the aisle. The window seat was vacant. It reminded you of the MS Dhoni joke before India left for here: that they will pick Nos 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Jokes aside, while Kohli is the perfect fit to take that No. 4 position, and the pressures of comparison that might come with it, this tour is a stern test for the Indian batting. Once again, they will find themselves with all to do. If the bowlers outbowl their South African counterparts, it will be a bonus. Two days before the Wanderers Test, hopefully used to the bounce here, they trained for three hours, in what is expected to be their batting order in the Test.

Shikhar Dhawan knows he is not going to get too many balls to drive outside off. There will be a lot of short stuff into his body, and many short of a length outside off. Accordingly in the nets, he asked the bowlers to first bowl short of a length, on and around off. He left everything alone. Here was a man reacquainting himself with the off stump after a long stretch of playing either Tests in India or ODIs where you don't pay too much for not knowing the whereabouts of the off stump. He just looked obsessed with leaving balls alone. Duncan Fletcher, for whom this is a big test too, looked on from behind. After the leaving was done, Dhawan asked for the bouncers. There will be quite a few of them in the Tests. And he hooked them all.

M Vijay, his opening partner, went through a more normal routine in the nets, although he came back for a second round when all were done. He says it is not about special preparations for him. It is about how he is feeling, how he is hitting the ball. He will need to hit it really well here then: 459 of his 1108 Test runs have come in three innings against one team and in India. This is the first time he has travelled outside India knowing he is going to be the first-choice opener, by right and not because someone has rested. Vijay, though, doesn't have ODI runs to fall back upon.

Cheteshwar Pujara, along with Vijay the only India batsman to have played in South Africa, was his usual self, just loving to bat. South Africa will have noticed his tendency to hook a little compulsively. He has been out caught three times playing that shot in Tests, once in Durban on the previous trip. He likes playing the shot, manages to keep it down, but when it gets higher than the shoulder he sometimes fails to pull out of the shot. India will look to him for the solidity. When Rahul Dravid first came on a full trip to South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar told him he would have done well if he scored 250 runs. That won't be a bad target for Pujara, although this is just a two-Test series.

Kohli has been at the receiving end of some intense bowling from South Africa. They know he can run away with the game. They have tried to soften him up. There was a mini-controversy when reports suggested the Indian management objected to the clip of his getting injured being shown during a match week after the injury had occurred. It was denied by the team management. Ray Jennings, who has worked with Kohli, feels there might be a chink or two in his game when it comes to fast bowling but if he stays confident he can ride the tide.

Kohli has looked reasonably confident on this tour. He has asserted neither he nor his team-mates are scared of fast bowling. Just that the ODIs have been too short a sample. Courage is often over-rated, the word perhaps should be temperament. South Africa will test Kohli's. They will dry up his boundaries, and will ask him to play away from his body, which he does well in India. Here the ball will bounce and seam. Kohli will have to show - he has done so before - his temperament.

Rohit Sharma should move to No. 5. He had a long session in the nets, including throwdowns that took much of the time. They first came from MS Dhoni who struggled to pitch the ball. However, Trevor Penney, the fielding coach, and CMK Dhananjay, the analyst, gave him a good workout. Not as stern a working over as Dale Steyn gave him in the ODIs. He is one of the few Indian batsmen who like to hang back, a bit like VVS Laxman. And like Lamxan needed to be, he will need to be wary of the full ball, lest he doesn't cover the movement by staying back.

Rohit will in all likelihood be followed by Mumbai team-mate Ajinkya Rahane, who will be in the most precarious position of all the batsmen. He will virtually be making Test debut in South Africa. He is not carrying the confidence of the runs the rest of the batsmen are carrying, regardless of the failure in the two ODIs. There will be nerves there. He has waited for a long time to get a proper place in the Test side, and it is coming in South Africa and against arguably the best attack in the world.

The Indian batsmen know it's not going to be easy, but they also know the pressure of expectations is not going to be as high as on the teams that were whitewashed in England and Australia on the last two overseas trips. They know that seat by the window in the front row on the left can be left vacant. Their captain doesn't want replacements for the seats vacated. He wants men that will just do the job.

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Israrullah double-ton gives Peshawar innings win

Group I

Peshawar jumped to second place with an innings win over Lahore Ravi in Peshawar. Israrullah's double hundred was the highlight of the match which gave Peshawar a 279-run lead in the first innings.

Lahore opted to bat but managed only 239 despite good starts from Abdul Wahab Dar (40), Jahangir (51) and Tanzeel Altaf (52). However, Azizullah's four wickets restricted them before Israrullah registered a career-best 222, and along with Adil Amin (51) and Mohammad Idrees (86), charged them to 514.

Lahore were batting to save the game but could not succeed as Jibran Khan took 4 for 32 and the Lahore captain Jahangir Mirza's 72 went in vain.

Group II

Faisalabad were left one wicket away from victory and had to settle for a draw with Hyderabad who remained at the bottom of the table.

Chasing 305, Hyderabad ended the last day on 244 for 9 with a fighting fifty from Lal Kumar (59*). Asked to bat, Faisalabad scored 323 with a hundred from Ammar Mahmood and a fifty from Imran Ahmed (60) as Nasir Awais (6 for 80) ran through their tail. The Hyderabad batsmen managed starts but not any big scores as Imran Ahmed took 4 for 42 and Faisal Athar (53) took them to 287. Faisalabad built further on their lead with a hundred from Shahid Siddiq (107) but the absence of any substantial scores from their lower order kept their lead to 304.

Hyderabad lost wickets regularly because of Salman Ali (4 for 86) and Naseer Akram (3 for 49) but Haris Khan, Mir Ali (35) and Kumar prevented a defeat.

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Jogiyani ton leads Saurashtra reply

Saurashtra 362 for 3 (Jogiyani 137*, Jackson 84, Pathak 81) trail Madhya Pradesh 619 for 8 dec by 257 runs
Scorecard

Saurashtra rallied from losing a wicket in the second over of the day's play through Sagar Jogiyani's unbeaten century but, despite a strong day's performance - 313 runs for the loss of three wickets - Madhya Pradesh are still a considerable distance ahead.

A misfiring Jogiyani - he had two fifty-plus scores and three single-figure scores coming into this game - lasted the entire day to record his sixth first-class century, replete with 18 fours and a six. Sheldon Jackson, who racked up a rapid 84, offered good support as the duo participated in a 152-run stand for the third wicket, which came on the back of another century stand between Jogiyani and opener Chirag Pathak who also made a useful half-century.

Should Saurashtra's quest to claim a first-innings lead come to fruition, they will tie with Bengal in third place in Group B, while Madhya Pradesh languish in eighth, after two losses and no wins.

Tamil Nadu 10 for 1 (Badrinath 4*, Anureet 1-3) and 246 lead Railways 169 (Karn 51, Balaji 4-31) by 87 runs
Scorecard

Persistent fog at Jamia Millia Ground limited play to only 23 overs in which time Railways were bundled out for 169 and Tamil Nadu sustained the loss of an early wicket.

Karn Sharma could only add one run to his overnight half-century and the final man in, Ranjitkumar Mali, resisted for 18 deliveries before he succumbed as well. Both were dismissed by the TN captain L Balaji as he finished with 4 for 31, his best figures this season.

Tamil Nadu's second innings received an unsavoury jolt and trundled along at less than one run per over after Abhinav Mukund was caught behind for 2 off pacer Anureet Singh who sported figures of 6-4-3-1 by the end of day's play.

Read the full report of Baroda v Services here: Munaf sends Services crashing for 31

Read the full report of Bengal v Uttar Pradesh here: Dinda ten-for scripts Bengal's first win

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WACA faces uncertain future

The WACA faces an uncertain future as an international venue after a major redevelopment plan was abandoned on Monday. The project had been intended to provide the venue with financial security by linking an upgrade of the ground to the construction of commercial and residential buildings on site, but disappointing pre-sales for that development has led to the scrapping of the plan.

That means the WACA will need to find another way of increasing the ground's capacity and improving its facilities to meet ICC standards. Perth has already been left off the Test schedule for next summer, where there are only four Tests against India due to the presence of the World Cup in the fixture later in the season, and unless it can fund an upgrade it may be in danger of losing future international matches.

It is likely that from 2018, major internationals in Perth will be held at the Burswood Stadium, which is currently under construction opposite the WACA on the east side of the Swan River. That venue will be a multi-purpose and mulit-sport 60,000-seat stadium that the Western Australia minister for sport and recreation Terry Waldron said last week would be fan-friendly from day one.

"The WACA is the home of cricket in Western Australia and will continue to be," Waldron said. "The construction of this 60,000-seat stadium with the ability to play cricket here gives them flexibility to hold big matches here, the bigger Tests, one-day internationals, World Cup fixtures, Twenty20 competitions. This stadium will be world-class right from the start. It will be for the fans."

However, since then the WACA's redevelopment has been shelved, leaving the situation until the completion of the Burswood Stadium unclear. The WACA chairman, Sam Gannon, said that the residential and commercial proposal couldn't go ahead due to the lack of sales.

"Despite strong sales up to November and a renewed marketing effort, we have been unable to achieve the pre-sales target required to achieve finance on acceptable terms in time to meet our commitments for the 2015 Cricket World Cup," Gannon said. "I would like to thank the board and advisors for their considered advice. We have given this development every opportunity but the final decision not to proceed is in the best long-term interest of members and stakeholders."

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Delhi dominate, Sehwag strikes form

Delhi 448 for 9 (Manha 100, Yadav 81, Nehra 57, Sehwag 56) lead Vidarbha 88 by 360 runs
Scorecard

Virender Sehwag showed glimpses of his shot-making prowess for an hour and 49 minutes as Delhi's batsmen took apart a below-par Vidarbha attack. On the same Roshanara track where Vidarbha were shot out for 88 on the first day, Sehwag hit his first half-century of the season.

While Sehwag will take most of the headlines, the biggest contributor for Delhi was the experienced Mithun Manhas, who scored his 25th first-class century to stretch the lead to 360 by stumps on the second day.

It is unlikely that captain Gautam Gambhir will extend Delhi's innings further as he would want his bowlers to use the freshness of the Roshanara track on Monday morning to take seven points, which will be crucial to his team's progress.

If Manhas and Sehwag consolidated Delhi's position in the match, wicketkeeper batsman Rahul Yadav (81) and Ashish Nehra (57) - fresh from his six-wicket haul on Saturday - clobbered the Vidarbha bowlers into submission, adding 122 for the eighth wicket. This was Nehra's first 50-plus score in any senior level cricket, and the towering sixes that he hit to cow corner were cheered boisterously by his team-mates.

The pitch had good bounce today as well but it was a mix of better batting and some ordinary bowling that led to Delhi taking a firm grip on the match.

The BCCI had hurriedly sent the head of their Pitches and Grounds committee, Daljeet Singh, today to Roshanara, probably to gauge what went wrong with the surface yesterday, but Delhi's batsmen certainly made the track seem less tricky with some solid batting.

Sehwag got going with a punch straight down the ground off Amol Jungade, after left-arm seamers Shrikant Wagh and Ravi Thakur initially tested him with a few short deliveries.

Sehwag went in to lunch on 20 and it was in the first 30 minutes of the second session that he was in his element. The best shot was a late cut off seamer Sandeep Sharma which was applauded by everyone at the ground. Sehwag started walking down the pitch as Sharma charged in and bowled a fuller delivery. Any other batsman would have left it alone but Sehwag just opened the face at the last moment to guide it wide of third slip for a boundary.

There were signature cover drives but the other boundary that stood out was the manner in which he dug out a Wagh yorker and sent the ball racing to the midwicket boundary. He didn't even complete the full follow-through of a forward defensive push off Jungade as the ball raced past mid-on for four to bring up the half-century off 62 deliveries.

Sehwag then lofted Jungade for a straight boundary, but was caught by Vidarbha captain Shalabh Srivastava running back from mid-off when trying the same shot again off the part-time seamer Faiz Fazal.

During Sehwag's rampage, the calming presence of Manhas also guided Delhi as it has so often over the past decade-and-a-half. Manhas played the square cut with authority. He clipped anything on the legs through midwicket, and he drove the half-volleys through cover to bring up his third century of the season. It leaves Delhi in a overwhelmingly dominant position at Roshnara, as they push towards a crowded top third of the Group A table.

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