Sunny, Dalal take Haryana to 296

Haryana 296 for 8 (Dalal 58, Sunny 53, Nadeem 3-108) v Jharkhand
Scorecard

A fine showing from Haryana's top order- including fifties from Sunny Singh and Rahul Dalal- helped them to 296 for 8 against Jharkhand in Rohtak.

With the exception of Nitin Saini who was dismissed for 8 in the fifth over, Haryana's first six batsmen all scored at least 30.

Sunny's 53 included eight fours, and he added 84 for the second wicket with Abhimanyu Khod, but Haryana were quickly pegged back by two quick wickets in the 28th and 29th overs, that left them at 96 for 3.

However, Dalal led the counterattack, putting up crucial stands of 71 and 54 for the fourth and fifth wickets with Avi Barot and Sachin Rana respectively. Dalal eventually departed for 58 - his second first-class half-century - having struck six fours, but Harshal Patel and Mohit Sharma continued the scoring, hitting a total of five fours and two sixes, that left the team on the verge of crossing the 300-run mark heading into day two.

Shahbaz Nadeem picked up three wickets for Jharkhand, and Varun Aaron and Shankar Rao picked up two each.

Karnataka 226 for 7 (Kapoor 57, Agarwal 42) v Gujarat
Scorecard

A young Gujarat attack played within its limitations to stifle and frustrate a strong Karnataka batting line-up that would be disappointed at its overall performance, given that the top order had done much of the ground work in a challenging first session.

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Mumbai 252 for 6 (Lad 74, Jaffer 61, Nehra 2-16) v Delhi
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On a wicket that aided pacers all throughout the day, Mumbai and Delhi both would be happy with the score at the end of the first day's play in their Ranji Trophy Group A league tie at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Bandra Kurla Complex facility. Or both the camps will perhaps be a tad disappointed with their efforts.

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Odisha 226 for 3 (Behera 90*, Podder 74) v Vidarbha
Scorecard

Odisha's slow and steady progress took them to a comfortable 226 for 3 at the end of the first day against Vidarbha as Niranjan Behera and Govind Podder scored half-centuries. Podder scored 74 after coming in at No. 4 and Behera was unbeaten on 90, getting closer to his third first-class hundred.

Odisha had won the toss and elected to bat but the decision seemed erroneous initially when they lost both openers - Girjia Rout and Natraj Behera - to Amol Jungade within the space of eight deliveries, leaving them at 26 for 2. However, Niranjan Behera and Podder revived the innings with a stable and patient stand of 150 runs for the third wicket. While Podder scored his second consecutive fifty, which included nine fours and two sixes, Niranjan took much more time to score his 90 runs.

The partnership was broken when left-arm pacer Shrikant Wagh had Podder caught behind at the score of 176. Niranjan and Biplab Samantray carried on till stumps by adding 50 runs together, out of which 31 were scored by Samantray.

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Close contest expected in derby final

There have been 31 matches. Seven were decided in the last two overs and three others finished with a result margin of one or two runs. And now there are two teams left.

South Africa's domestic one-day title will go the way of either the Titans or the Cobras in a north-south derby that, if recent records are to be believed, will be closely contested. They've already played each twice in the tournament, the Cobras winning both matches, once by two runs and the second time in the final over.

"We've had two great battles already so whatever happens, I think we'll have another one on Friday," Rob Walter, the Titans coach, told ESPNcricinfo. "Of course, it would be nice to be on the right side of things if we do."

In his first season as a franchise coach, Walter has already had his fair share of nerves. After losing four of their first seven fixtures, the Titans seemed destined to end in the lower half of the table. They needed wins in their last three pool matches and pulled them off. Then, they needed a win against the team Walter described as the "best side in this competition", the Dolphins, in the play-off and pulled that off too.

In the process, they lost their captain Henry Davids to national duty, their senior-most player, Jacques Rudolph, to a broken hand and yet, still, three of their batsmen are in the top five run-scorers of the season.

Leading the list is Heino Kuhn, the wicketkeeper-batsman who has made five Twenty20 appearances for South Africa but has since been overlooked. He is followed by Davids, who won't be able to finish what he started because he is in the UAE with South Africa's T20 squad and another national discard, Farhaan Behardien. Walter believes all three are ready to stake a claim for regular places in the national team.

"We had discussions about developing their games to put them in positions where they could compete for places at international level," he said. "With Heino, it was about going from being a keeper who can bat to showing he is a high-quality batsmen. With Henry, it was about taking good starts with beautiful shots and then getting out to having the responsibility to bat deeper; and with Farhaan it was also about conversion."

Kuhn has handed the gloves to Mangaliso Mosehle and is focused on his role as an opening batsmen. He scored back-to-back hundreds in the last two matches to put the Titans in winning positions. Behardien, who Walters said "stands out as a leader", has taken over the captaincy in Davids' absence and blossomed under the burden. He has a century and two fifties so far and has been working on the things that saw him dropped from the South African side, such as his shot selection.

While moulding men who can turn out on the international stage, Walter has also had to concentrate on filling a trophy cabinet that remained empty last summer - a rare lack for the Titans. He has had Roelof van der Merwe to help in that mission. The left-arm spinner is the team's leading wicket-taker and fourth overall. "He knew he had to go from being a containing bowler to an attacking one," Walter said. He has taken nine wickets in the last four games as proof.

All that individual brilliance will come up against a Cobras unit that have played like a team. Only the veteran Charl Langeveldt, who is likely to recover from a hip injury to play the final, is among the top five bowlers in the competition while none of their batsmen feature on the corresponding list.

"It was never one individual getting us home. We've had performances spread all around," Paul Adams, Cobras coach, said. "And I think it's really shown in our fielding, where we've picked up a lot of run-outs. In pressure games, the younger guys have learned to step up and the more experienced ones have shown their quality."

Justin Ontong top-scored with 97 in their second win against the Titans, Langeveldt took four wickets at the death when they beat the Lions, Andrew Puttick scored a century against the Warriors to set up a win but it was up to the newer players like Dane Piedt and Lizaad Williams to bowl the Cobras to victory. Adams said tense situations like those helped ready the team for a final. "Guys are really focused now, they know what to expect."

This is the second successive season in which Cobras will feature in the one-day cup final. Last summer, they shared the trophy with the Lions, after two washouts. This time, the Lions finished bottom of the table while the Cobras have maintained their impressive run.

"The most important thing is to have a big crop of players to call on and then managing them well so they can pace themselves through the competition," Adams said when asked how he was able to continue that run. Those stocks will be added to with the inclusion of Vernon Philander and Robin Peterson for the final game.

Adams, who is in his second season in charge admitted "the nerves are always there" but said he does his job by "looking for ways to inspire people". And the ones he wants to influence ahead of the final are the fans.

Despite the high quality of cricket, stadiums have been starkly empty throughout the tournament. Matches on school-nights and late finishes are the main reasons for the dampened interest but with no New Year's Test at Newlands, Adams hopes people will go and watch their domestic team tussle it out on Friday.

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Sammy's shot reflects West Indies' poor commitment

It is unclear what West Indies have really learned from Kolkata. Their batsmen remain distracted. Their bowlers continue to spray the ball all round. And their captain has failed to lead by example

Jeff Dujon: 'West Indies need to rotate the strike more'

Empty words. That is what Darren Sammy has delivered so far not only to the fans in the West Indies, but also the general cricketing crowd. For three innings in a row this series, the West Indies batsmen have displayed an utter lack of application and a level of patience thinner than that of a toddler. To say that West Indies would be somewhere else rather than playing the farewell series for Sachin Tendulkar would not be inaccurate.

Of course, every member of the West Indies squad has said that it is a privilege to play in Tendulkar's final series. Yet if they really understood Tendulkar, they would pay their respects with a hard fight and not the limp and lame manner in which they have fought in the four days of Test cricket played so far. In the nets, Tendulkar hates a distracted bowler. For him commitment to the game has always come first.

Seventy eight, 54.1, 55.2 are the number of overs West Indies have lasted in their three innings in Kolkata and today in Mumbai. The Kolkata Test ended in three days. Already there is talk about this one, too, not lasting the distance.

No one was a bigger culprit today than Sammy. He had just played one ball, against R Ashwin. The previous delivery Narsingh Deonarine had been caught brilliantly at short gully. West Indies had already lost all their specialist batsmen except Denesh Ramdin. They had not played even 50 overs while they were yet to reach the 170-run mark. The ball was turning big. Yet Sammy slog swept Ashwin's next delivery, another turner, with a face that declared a pre-determined intent to clear the ground, except the leading edge did not even cross the 30-yard circle. A member of the West Indies management clearly showed his frustration at the selection of the captain's shot.

What really was Sammy thinking? Did he even consider playing the situation? What happened to his statement after the Kolkata defeat about learning from the pair of Rohit Sharma and Ashwin, whose record double-century partnership, had punctured West Indies' spirits decisively.

Sammy's position in the team had already been questioned going into the match. Michael Holding, former West Indies fast bowler, speaking on ESPNcricinfo's Match Point was categorical in saying Sammy did not deserve to hold a place in the team as an allrounder. According to Holding, Sammy could not adapt to the demands of a Test batsman while as a bowler he was mediocre. Just being a cheerleader, Holding pointed out, was not helping West Indies win matches.

To defend himself Sammy might send this retort to Holding: he averages 25.4 when he comes in to bat with West Indies five down or more for less than 200 runs. This is more than his career average of 21.60. His solitary Test century and three of his four half-centuries have come in these innings. But ridiculous shot selections like today and in Kolkata just diminish the importance of those numbers.

Regardless, the question about his worth in the Test team will not die down. Sammy is an impressive leader in the shorter formats where his players like to express themselves in the manner they like - be aggressive. Sammy himself contributes in all three departments with influential performances, but in the Tests he does not have the same kind of respect, the same level of influence that he can extract the best out of his players.

West Indies' last six wickets have averaged 11.38 in this series - the lowest they have averaged for their last six wickets in any series in Tests. Sadly, all the main batsmen for West Indies, men who have the ability to have an impact on the match, have failed miserably.

Chris Gayle is playing his 99th Test. Sadly, he has sleepwalked so far on this tour. Darren Bravo once again got the start but threw it away with hanging his bat to a turning away delivery against Ashwin.

Marlon Samuels was made to look like he was walking over a bed of hot coal by Mohammed Shami today. In Kolkata it was the reverse swing that Samuels found hard to negotiate. On a hard Wankhede pitch, Samuels was at large trying hard to figure out which way Shami was moving the ball. In the end, Samuels charged two successive balls but it only turned out to be a hit-and-miss exercise.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul's 150th Test was ruined as he failed to counter the away swing and seam movement that Bhuvneshwar Kumar got off the pitch and in the air. Chanderpaul in the end was squared up and edged to slips.

Ramdin can watch himself in the mirror and get embarrassed at the moment he decided to unfurl the piece of paper on which was scribbled in capital letters: " "YEH, VIV, TALK NAH."" after scoring a century in the Edgbaston Test against England in 2011. Ramdin apologised immediately to Richards, who had been critical of the Trinidadian for being inconsistent. Ramdin has just one century after that match, against Bangladesh.

Even the tailend pair of Tino Best and Shane Shillingford today played irresponsibly to get out when they had seen Ashwin, India's No. 8, score a match-turning century.

It is unclear what West Indies have really learned from Kolkata. Their batsmen remain distracted. Their bowlers continue to spray the ball all round. Their captain is under pressure. To make matters worse, West Indies do not have a batting coach after Toby Radford joined Glamorgan recently.

Sammy and West Indies might point out that they have not played Test cricket after March. But it's the same case with India. So clearly it is a question of adapting in the mind and being ready than trying to look for reasons. After their victory in the World T20 and Test victories against New Zealand (home), Bangladesh (away) and Zimbabwe (home), there has been talk about West Indies, now No. 6 on the ICC Test rankings, being on the road to recovery. But have West Indies really turned the corner?

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Injured Corey Anderson to return home

New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson has been ruled out of the remainder of the Sri Lanka tour to begin rehabilitation on the rib injury which ruled him out of the second ODI in Hambantota.

Anderson underwent an MRI scan of his side on Wednesday, which ruled out any major damage. He is being flown back to New Zealand as a precautionary measure and will miss the third and final ODI on Saturday and the two T20s.

"Corey felt pain in his right side while bowling during the first ODI. Post-match assessment indicated a minor case of rib impingement," New Zealand physiotherapist Paul Close said. "We decided it's in Corey's best interest to return home and focus on making a full recovery for the series against West Indies."

New Zealand did seek any replacement for Anderson for the remaining games. New Zealand lead the three-match ODI series 1-0.

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Fawad, Azam set up big win for NBP

A clinical performance in both departments put Habib Bank Limited over Khan Research Laboratories by seven wickets in Rawalpindi.

The slide started early for Habib Bank as they chose to bat. They lost Imran Farhat off the first ball and fumbled to 40 for 5, with captain Younis Khan (69) holding the innings together. He forged a 64-run union with wicketkeeper Jamal Anwar but with only three batsmen reaching double figures, the innings folded for 162, with more than seven overs remaining. Medium-pacer Yasir Arafat was the most successful bowler with 3 for 35 off nine overs, but was ably supported by Rahat Ali and Ali Khan who picked up two wickets apiece.

The opening partnership whittled away well over half the target as Zain Abbas (57) and Mohammad Yasin (78) eased to half-centuries. Though they lost two wickets in between the 35th and 36th overs, the game was already in the bag.

National Bank of Pakistan recovered from a horrid start to roll over State Bank by 77 runs. Fawad Alam's century led a recovery from 0 for 2 and Hammad Azam blasted 91 off 66 helped amass a match-winning total.

Tabish Khan's successes in the first over proved anti-climatic as opener Sami Aslam and Alam compiled a brisk 165-run stand for the third wicket. Reprieve did not come when Aslam fell four runs short of a second List A century, but the incoming Pakistan Under-23 captain Azam blitzed 10 fours and five sixes to power his side to a daunting 313 in the allotted 45 overs. Alam remained unbeaten with 102, with 12 fours.

Rameez Raja and Raheel Majeed made cautious fifties after losing a couple of early wickets, but with the required rate ever rising - it crossed eight before 20 overs - State Bank were always chasing the game. Both batsmen perished attempting to accelerate, as they lost three wickets in three overs to sag on 177 for 7 by the 35th over. Gulraiz Sadaf remained unbeaten on a 28-ball 43, but his efforts came far too late and were not supported by the tail as State Bank was bowled out for 236.

Steady contributions all through the batting order and a disciplined bowling effort, let by the captain Azhar Ali ensured Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited recorded a 71-run win over United Bank Limited in Faisalabad.

Choosing to bat first, they enjoyed a prosperous opening stand which fetched 62 runs, but were hurt by two quick wickets. Though only Hussain Talat, who remained unbeaten, was the only batsman to cross fifty, SNGPL were not lacking in partnerships, one of which was accounted for 100 runs between Talat and Saleem Mughal, who made 43 off 49. For United Bank, Tariq Haroon was the most successful bowler taking 2 for 30 off seven overs .

Though United Bank began promisingly in their chase of the 254-run target, losing five wickets for 27 runs foiled the efforts of opener Abid Ali who stuck it out for 49 off 64 balls. He became one of Azhar's victims as the spinners picked up six wickets between them. Wicketkeeper Bismillah Khan did his best to keep United Bank in the hunt with his aggressive 42, but they fell well short of the target in the 38th over.

Pakistan Television slumped to their third successive loss when they fell short of their target of 257 by 53 runs against Pakistan International Airlines in Islamabad. Their top and middle-order batsmen got starts but could not capitalise on them and an unbeaten fifty from No. 7 Zohaib Ahmed also went in vain.

PIA were put in to bat and after losing Shehzar Mohammad early, their next three batsmen laid the platform for a competitive score. Kamran Sajid and Fahad Iqbal scored 45 and 42 respectively and Faisal Iqbal scored 56. PTV struck back with four wickets within 35 runs, leaving PIA at 213 for 8, but Tahir Khan's 18-ball 35 charged them to 256.

PTV had two strong partnerships - for the second and fourth wickets - but once they were 121 for 4, PIA's bowlers struck regularly to ensure PTV never came back in the game. Three of PTV's batsmen scored 23 and Mohammad Sami scored 43 apart from Ahmed's 52 not out, but all of those weren't enough to take them close to victory.

A four-wicket haul by Sohail Khan bowled out Water and Power Development Authority out for 183, before half-centuries by Kamran Younis and Khalid Latif helped Port Qasim Authority to an easy eight-wicket win. WAPDA were struggling at 55 for 6 before Saad Nasim resisted with 65. A 124-run stand between Younis and Latif had all but sealed the game for PQA.

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Mathews' weather gamble backfires

Angelo Mathews has admitted Sri Lanka did not consider the likelihood of rain when they chose their XI for the second ODI against New Zealand, nor did they vouch on weather hampering the team bowling second, at the toss.

New Zealand have hoped to bowl first in both matches in Hambantota, reasoning that Duckworth-Lewis recalculations favour chasing sides, but despite the potency of Sri Lanka's ongoing monsoon season, Mathews has wished to bat first on both occasions, focusing on the inclination of the venue's surface instead. The first match had been washed out after 54.1 overs, and last November's ODI series against New Zealand had also been severely affected by rain, with the team batting first gaining a discernible advantage in those matches.

Sri Lanka were doubly disadvantaged by the rain in the second match, as they contended with a wet ball that the spinners in particular found harder to grip, and a wet outfield that lubricated the ball's passage over it. The visitors eventually secured a thrilling four-wicket win, off the last ball of the match.

"We played two spinners, because we didn't make a decision based on the weather," Mathews said. "If you looked at our innings, their spinners managed to get some good turn, which showed the pitch was susceptible to spin. We weren't taking rainfall into the equation. There was rain in the past few days, but because we couldn't foresee what would happen with the weather, we took the choice to have a balanced attack - with three fast bowlers and two spinners.

"If you look at the pitch here, it's good to bat on at the start and gets more and more suited to spin, and plays slower as the match goes on. We aimed to put a big total on the board first up, but didn't take the rain into account."

In a frank assessment of his team's failure, however, Mathews suggested changes to that strategy might be afoot, ahead of the last match of the series in Dambulla. Sri Lanka must win that match - provided the rains relent long enough to allow a game of cricket - in order to draw the series.

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All-round Imad Wasim helps Leopards to big win

Group II

A century from Afaq Raheem and a half-century from the captain Imad Wasim helped Islamabad Leopards to a massive 356 and set up a 103-run win against Hyderabad Hawks at Diamond Club Ground. Wasim also took three wickets with his left-arm spin to cap a fine all-round performance. Leopards were put in to bat and they were powered initially by a stand of 137 between Raheem and Asadullah Sumari. Raheem was dismissed for 126 off 100 balls with 16 fours and four sixes. Wasim was responsible for the fireworks towards the end with 82 off 42 balls with nine fours and three sixes. For Hawks, Haris Khan, Faisal Athar and Lal Kumar scored half-centuries but succumbed to the huge target, getting bowled out for 253 within 38 overs.

A four-wicket haul by the left-arm spinner Mohammad Irfan helped Multan Tigers sneak in a nine-run win in a low-scoring match against Lahore Lions in Lahore. Chasing 169, the Tigers fell from 58 for 1 to 82 for 6. Irfan cut through the middle order to finish with miserly figures of 4 for 12 from nine overs and the Tigers were bowled out for 159, with Aamer Yamin resisting with 45 off 40 balls. Earlier, Waqas Saleem was the top scorer for Lions with 34 but the middle and lower order failed to chip in. Ahad Raza, the offspinner, finished with 4 for 31. Lions could only make 168, but it turned out to be a winning score.

In another low-scoring encounter, in Karachi, an eighth-wicket stand of 32 between Saad Ali and Khurram Shahzad helped Karachi Dolphins to a three-wicket win over Quetta Bears. Chasing 170, the Dolphins were comfortably placed at 81 for 1 but a three-wicket burst by Mohibullah reduced them to 105 for 5, and later 137 for 7. Shahzad and Saad, unbeaten on 44, saw them through. It was a similar story for the Bears as well after they were put in to bat. Led by Abid Ali's 45, they progressed to 89 for 1 and then collapsed to 125 for 7. Shahzaib Ahmed took 4 for 31 to bowl out Bears for 169.

Group I

At the National Stadium, Karachi Zebras sneaked home by four runs against Lahore Eagles to claim their third successive win. Put in to bat, Zebras were bowled out for 182, led by the opener Ashraf Ali's 59. Qaiser Ashraf and Tanzeel Altaf took three wickets each. Chasing 183, the Eagles' top order made starts but couldn't carry on. Zeeshan Ali top scored with 37 but his side failed to match the asking rate and ended on 178 for 8.

Half-centuries by Naved Malik, Awais Zia and Muzammil Nizam helped Rawalpindi Rams beat Peshawar Panthers by five wickets in a high-scoring game at Rawalpindi Stadium. Malik and Zia made 59 and 55 respectively to set the Rams on course in their chase of 270. Nizam's unbeaten 68 off 56 balls saw the side through with more than three overs to spare. Their knocks overshadowed fifties by Panthers' opener Iftikhar Ahmed and an unbeaten 90 by Mehran Ibrahim. Ahmed's knock laid the foundation while Ibrahim took the score to 269, hitting 11 fours and a six.

An unbeaten 63 from Kamran Ghulam helped Abbottabad Falcons to a four-wicket win over Sialkot Stallions in Abbottabad. Chasing 220, the Falcons were in a spot of bother at 172 for 6, but Ghulam's unbeaten 63 off 65 balls saw them through. For the Stallions, there were no hefty contributions apart from Naved Sarwar's 72. The others batted around Sarwar, who remained unbeaten. Aziz-ur-Rehman and Shakeel Shah took three wickets apiece.

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Sixteen-year-old Doran to face England

Jake Doran, a 16-year-old, batsman from New South Wales, has been chosen to play against England in their tour match in Alice Springs that follows the first Test in Brisbane. Doran has been named in the 12-man squad for the Cricket Australia Chairman's XI and the former Test spinner Michael Beer will captain the side for the two-day match.

Most members of the side are fringe state players, with Beer the only man in the group who has played at international level. Alister McDermott, Josh Lalor and Kane Richardson will be the main pace options, while Beer, James Muirhead and Ashton Turner are the spinners in the outfit.

The top order will be made up of Tasmania's Steven Cazzulino, Western Australia's Marcus Harris and the Victorian pair of Michael Hill and Alex Keath. However, much interest will surround the teenager Doran, who last month became the youngest player to represent the New South Wales second XI since Doug Walters.

Doran, a left-hand batsman who plays for the Fairfield-Liverpool club in Sydney's grade competition, is the younger brother of sometime New South Wales spinner Luke Doran, and is considered one of the brightest young batting prospects in the country. Greg Chappell, Cricket Australia's national talent manager, said the squad boasted an exciting list of up-and-coming players.

"England has been one of the most successful international teams in recent years and the Chairman's XI team contains some of the most exciting young cricketers in the country," Chappell said. "Kane Richardson and Luke Robins are both products of the very successful youth development program in the Northern Territory, while Josh Lalor is one of two indigenous cricketers on state contract lists, with Daniel Christian being the other.

"This will be a great leadership opportunity for captain Michael Beer, who made his Test debut for Australia at the previous home Ashes series in 2011, and at age 29 still has a lot to offer. This is a great opportunity to bring elite cricket to Alice Springs. Traeger Park is a high-class venue at which we expect top-class cricket will become a regular visitor."

CA Chairman's XI Steve Cazzulino, Michael Hill, Marcus Harris, Alex Keath, Jake Doran, Ashton Turner, Kane Richardson, James Muirhead, Michael Beer (capt), Josh Lalor, Alister McDermott, Luke Robins (NT).

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Dhawal Kulkarni in India ODI squad, Ishant dropped

Mumbai pace bowler Dhawal Kulkarni has earned a maiden national limited-overs call-up, being picked in India's 15-man squad for the one-dayers against West Indies. Ishant Sharma and Vinay Kumar, who had forgettable series against Australia last month, have been dropped.

Allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was rested for the preceding Test series to allow him the chance to recover from a shoulder niggle, is back. Yuvraj Singh, who also had a very poor one-day series against Australia, retains his place.

Haryana seamer Mohit Sharma, who featured in the second-string squad that played in Zimbabwe in August, has also been included. Mohit showed good touch in the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy; he has seven wickets from two games, having extracted swing from the helpful Lahli track and claimed the prize wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in his final domestic game, as well as contributing with the bat when his team was in trouble.

Kulkarni had played in the same Lahli match and picked up three wickets. He was part of the India A squad that played New Zealand in Visakhapatnam in August-September, and claimed five wickets from two List A games there.

Ishant and Vinay were both battered during the high-scoring Australia one-dayers. While that was the case with most of the bowlers in the series, the manner in which they bowled, repeatedly erring in their lengths and lines, brought them much criticism. The duo was the most expensive among specialist bowlers from both sides, both with an economy rate a shade under eight. The lowlight for Ishant was the Mohali match, in which he was taken for 30 runs in an over by James Faulkner, with India losing the game when they looked to be on course for a victory.

In that batsman dominated series, Yuvraj produced his worst series stats in one-dayers, scoring 19 runs in four innings with a high score of 12. On comeback to the Indian team, however, in the one-off Twenty20 that was played before the ODIs, he had hit a match-winning, unbeaten 77 to propel India in a stiff chase.

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Willey looks to build on T20 exploits

David Willey is already Northamptonshire's answer to Ian Botham but he is not done there - he has already set his sights on the international stage.

That might sound like a bold claim for a man who rocketed into the public consciousness for the first time last summer with his exploits on Friends Life t20 finals day.

But after a call-up to the England Performance Programme for the winter tour of Australia, Willey, at 23, is now firmly on Andy Flower's radar. The squad depart for Perth on Thursday.

Until his impressive summer with the ball in 2012, the most famous cricketing Willey incontestably remained his father, Peter, who has followed up 26 Tests for England with more than 20 years as one of the sternest umpires on the circuit.

But David's all-round display on finals day at Edgbaston in August cemented him as a star on the rise: Willey took Surrey for a 19-ball half-century, the fastest of the season, pulled off a direct-hit run-out from the deep and finished off the match with a hat-trick as part of a four-wicket haul. It all assured him of the PCA award as the most valuable player of the season in t20.

While the left-armer is quick to admit that days like that probably only come around once in a career, with a Performance Programme tour to look forward to, Willey is confident the foundations are in place for him to end the long search for England's next allrounder.

"I probably won't have another game like that in my whole career," he admitted. "But hopefully the summer and the EPP call up is a step in the right direction and I can use it as a catalyst to kick on for the rest of my career.

"I think in all formats I would like to see myself as a genuine allrounder. Throw in the fact that I like to think I am a good fielder as well and I hope I can be an all-round player who is important in any format.

"I like to think of myself as a bit of an action man, I like to be involved and contribute in all three aspects of the game and I hope in the selectors' eyes that can only be a good thing. I definitely look at my skill set and think that the England all-rounder is a position I would like to make my own.

"I'm not denying that I am not the finished article yet and I have got areas to work on, but I will keep working on all aspects of my game so that I can put myself in the picture."

Willey is part of a 16-man EPP squad and among the 13 heading to Australia this month, swiftly following on from his appearances for the Lions against Bangladesh A in August.

England's much-vaunted programme has seen two recent graduates, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, go on to establish themselves in the senior set-up with a third Yorkshire batsman, Gary Ballance, hot on their heels.

Willey is anxious for his career to be kicked ahead in similar fashion. "With the EPP are some of the best coaches so it's the best place to progress and work on things," he said. "Hopefully, there is a lot for us to work on and we can get stuck in and make a good progression.

"On the bowling side I want to work a bit on my action, making it a bit more economical to hopefully prevent some injuries, and I also want to try and work on a genuine awayswinger to the right hander. Then on the batting side it is about drawing up a game plan so I can bat for whole days: that's how you score the big runs.

"You can see from the past record of this programme that it is one of the best, if not the best, in the world for bringing players on, so to be a part of it is fantastic.

Follow the England Performance Programme squad and their progress this winter at www.ecb.co.uk/epp

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