Pakistan ruing lack of third seamer

Mohammad Irfan's temporary exit from the field illuminated the issue of not having a third seaming option, with captain Misbah-ul-Haq having Saeed Ajmal operate at one end in order to rotate his depleted attack

When Mohammad Irfan left the field two balls into his fourth spell, Pakistan were already playing with limited bowling options. With only a pair of specialist seamers and spinners each, without him, Pakistan were down to three bowlers, and when he walked off, it seemed that could cause some problems.

Hashim Amla and JP Duminy were playing fluently, and with barely any turn on a deck that was flattening out, Pakistan seemed to be in for the long haul. They had already shown their reluctance to use Younis Khan's medium-pace when Zulfiqur Babar was brought on as first-change in the 10th over. The left-arm spinner's first spell was placid, as he tossed it up generously and offered some relief from one end.

Despite that, they managed to put the world's top-ranked team in a precarious position using only four bowlers, thanks largely to the efforts of Junaid Khan upfront, and the spinners later on. Junaid opened with a four-over spell and obtained significant movement to make Graeme Smith's stay at the crease uncomfortable. After a four-over break, he returned for another, beating Hashim Amla's bat on occasion, and getting the crucial wicket of Jacques Kallis with what was probably his delivery of the day - one which bent back in and took the inside edge.

But with the older ball, the South Africans found him easier to play, and that may have been where Pakistan missed a third seam-bowling option. Their lack of a pace-bowling all-rounder seems to offset the balance of their team and they will have to rely heavily on the spinners to make up for that.

The early signs suggest they can. Saeed Ajmal's stamina meant he could easily operate from one end all day once he was brought on, and it seemed that would be the case when he came on before lunch. He bowled non-stop from the 22nd over till tea, making it 17 overs on the trot.

Although he was fairly unthreatening in that time, the South Africans treated him with the respect his reputation has earned, and having him as a constant allowed Misbah-ul-Haq to rotate the rest of the bowlers from the other end. That may be the way Ajmal is used in the early exchanges between these two sides, as a slow poison of sorts to create frustration and allow things to happen at the other end before striking himself.

An example of that came when the man stationed in an unconventional position behind square leg for JP Duminy's sweep shot gave Babar his first Test wicket. And then things started to turn for the spinners, with Babar and Ajmal taking advantage. With South Africa at 222 for 8, they could have finished them off for under 250, but it was perhaps the lack of an additional bowler which made it difficult for them to achieve that.

Misbah will probably have to call on Younis at some stage, but will be relieved that Irfan was able to get back on to take the second new ball. The tall man later confirmed it was nothing more than a case of cramp, exacerbated by slight dehydration, and that he felt better after increasing his water intake. He confirmed he would be able to play a part in the rest of the match but predicted he may not be the danger man.

"At the end of the day, the spinners dominated," Irfan said. "Although it is not turning that much, our spinners are still getting something out of it, and will hopefully have more in the second innings."

Pakistan would have thought they were in a similar position of advantage after they bowled South Africa out for 253 in their first innings at the Wanderers in February. That was the first, and only time, in the home summer that South Africa were challenged, and that too in conditions tailor-made for their pace attack. All Pakistan could muster in response was 49 all out, thanks to a Dale Steyn special of 6 for 8 in 8.1 overs.

Nothing as emphatic should be expected tomorrow, given the conditions, but Duminy hinted the seamers are already smarting on behalf of their batsmen and will want to make up for a day which they "definitely" felt they ended "behind" on. "Having the bowling line-up that we do, you've got to back us to do a great job," Duminy said.

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Tucker appointed captain for qualifiers

38-year-old veteran Janeiro Tucker has been appointed Bermuda captain for next month's World T20 qualifier, for which they named a 15-man squad.

Bermuda aim to shrug off the one-hit wonder tag at the tournament as they target a place back at a major event for the first time since the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies - to date their only appearance at a global competition.

"I am happy to congratulate Janeiro Tucker on his appointment," Bermuda Cricket Board president Lloyd Fray said. "Janeiro has been an outstanding player at domestic and international level for a number of years and has a keen cricket mind. He is respected by the players and our community and is a proven leader on and off the cricket field.

"Many of us remember one of Bermuda's proudest moments in July 2005 when Bermuda qualified for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. I hope that we all remember that is was Janeiro Tucker who was captain at that time, he had taken over the reins when Clay Smith was injured in an early match, and he lead our country to qualification. I hope that proves to be a lucky omen for our country in next month's tournament."

The squad will travel to Dubai on November 8 for two warm-up matches against Italy and Canada before their first qualifier in Group B against Scotland on November 15.

Bermuda squad for World T20 qualifier
Janeiro Tucker (capt), Dion Stovell, Kwame Tucker, Christian Burgess, David Hemp, Terryn Fray, Tre Manders, Christopher Douglas, Allan Douglas Jnr, Jacobi Robinson, Derrick Brangman, Lionel Cann, Malachi Jones, Kamau Leverock, Kamal Bashir

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Amla, a master of patience and adaptability

Hashim Amla began his innings like he has often done this year - inside the first ten overs - and batted with simplicity and consideration to bring up his 20th Test century

Perhaps the most remarkable fact about Hashim Amla's triple-century at The Oval last July was that he did not change batting gloves once in the 13 hours and 10 minutes he spent at the crease. He took them off, of course, and dried them at lunch, tea and stumps but put the same pair back on when he resumed his innings.

Amla does not have a Neil McKenzie-type obsession with superstition; it was simply a case of not changing something that was still of perfectly good use. It was about getting rid of the unnecessary, which Amla has become better at as his career has progressed. The results are evident in his significantly less eye-catching back lift and his ability to capitalise when others are not able to.

JP Duminy aside, Amla was the only batsman who looked like he belonged to the No.1 Test team on the first day in Abu Dhabi. The openers struggled against a new-ball assault, which included extra bounce from Mohammad Irfan and movement from Junaid Khan, and Amla found himself walking out before three overs were up. He went on to play with the understanding of a man who had read this book many times before.

Amla has been in before ten overs have been bowled in five out of eight innings this year. Making up for the deficiencies of South Africa's openers has not been a burden, though, but a chance to do something special: Amla has gone past 50 each time and converted two into hundreds.

His patience has been praised at length on these pages and many others. Today Duminy called it "immense," how Amla resisted early in his innings against a tough seam attack and later on, when heat and spin could have worn him down.

Amla relied on simplicity of technique in those testing periods, and an awareness of his off stump allowed him to leave the ball comfortably, when others were more hesitant. It cannot be coincidence that Amla is the only South African Test player with first-class experience in the last month - a stint with Surrey - while his team-mates have either been recovering from injury or playing limited-overs cricket. Duminy also had some first-class cricket, although that was in August against India A.

The assurance that comes with game time was evident in the way Amla approached the practice game in Sharjah, where he attacked the bowling soon after settling, and the way he began his innings here. After ten balls of making the right decisions about what to leave and defend, Amla drove Junaid through mid off. If not for the sluggish outfield, he would not have had to run three.

Once he was satisfied that there were no dangers in the pitch, Amla wanted to get on with scoring. After pushing into the covers, he set off quickly for a run and had to be sent back by Jacques Kallis, a man who prefers to take his time. He was nearly run out. Amla had been part of several misunderstandings between the wickets last summer, and although he couldn't explain why, his enthusiasm for getting a move-on may be behind it.

After being reminded of Kallis' more leisurely preference, Amla adjusted to meet his partner's pace of scoring boundaries when they were available and ambling runs at other times. Amla has excelled at adapting to the tempo of his partner, which makes playing his own game easier, irrespective of who is with him.

When AB de Villiers, who found rhythm immediately, came in, Amla raised his strike rate from 44 to 60, the highest of his innings. With Duminy, who was making a comeback to Test cricket after 11 months, Amla assumed responsibility and scored in more measured fashion, allowing his partner time to feel comfortable.

Duminy said having someone of Amla's quality at the other end made batting easier. Amla is calm on the outside but intense within. Batting may seem as easy as breathing to him, but when he is out there he is thinking of ways for both he and his partner to profit.

If Amla sees that his partner has taken a liking to a certain bowler, he will happily let him have the strike. Duminy was enjoying playing the spinners and there was a five-and-half over period in which Amla faced just six balls.

Amla approached his century in his typical method - slowly. He spent 30 balls in the 90s and saw Duminy depart in that time. Soon after he enjoyed his 20th hundred, Faf du Plessis was out and Amla had to consolidate again. He let Robin Peterson and particularly Dale Steyn play with freedom, in the knowledge that he was there to hold fort. He saw off the second new ball with the same focus that he used for the first and will be back on the second morning to try and complete South Africa's escape.

Overnight, Amla is unlikely to have any anxious thoughts. He may enjoy a latte, one his favourite refreshments, and begin tomorrow as though he was batting for the first time. These are all indicators that Amla does not want for a lot to do his job properly. Duminy confirmed it. "All he basically needs is a sip of lukewarm water, even in that heat, and a towel on his head and he is pretty good," Duminy said. A change of batting gloves? Don't be silly.

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India begin Project Raina

India are trialling Suresh Raina at No 4 as back-up for Yuvraj Singh ahead of the 2015 World Cup. But does Raina have the game to succeed in the top order?

As he dissected India's performance after their heavy defeat to Australia in the first ODI, MS Dhoni also revealed an important development: India are trying to develop Suresh Raina as a No 4 batsman with an eye on the 2015 World Cup. This was why Raina had been sent in ahead of long-time No 4 Yuvraj Singh in Pune, and he would bat there for a while, according to his captain.

"As of now what we want is for Suresh to bat at No 4 for a considerable period of time," Dhoni said. "It's only Yuvraj Singh who we have got and if he is in good form and we go till the World Cup without anything happening, then he will bat there. But if he doesn't, all of a sudden we can't say we do not have a No 4 batsman.

"All the other slots, we have players and we even have replacements. But apart from Yuvraj, I don't see anybody who has batted 50 ODIs at No 4. That can be a concern and we will have to rectify that from this point. No point going too late and then saying we don't have time to do anything."

Dhoni's rationale in wanting a back-up for a crucial batting position is understandable, especially given Yuvraj's recent history. Yes, he's made his second comeback since recovering from cancer but it is still unclear how his form will hold up as the World Cup approaches. He is obviously the first-choice No 4 but there is every reason to have a contingency plan in place.

So for the second time in his eight-year international career, Raina will get another sustained run up the order. The first opportunity had come in 2008, when over 13 successive innings in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India, he produced one century and four fifties at an average of nearly 40.

As his career has progressed, Raina's desire to gain a promotion in the line-up has increased. He's seen Virat Kohli come in and establish himself at No 3 with a string of hundreds. Raina knows that for all the death-over slogging, it is the centuries that catch attention and bring lasting recognition. Last year, Raina pointed out that he'd "scored only three (ODI) hundreds", as he staked his claim for elevation again.

While Raina's desire cannot be faulted, mere elevation in the batting order will not result in more hundreds. They will have to be earned by taking on the responsibility of building an innings, something Raina hasn't exactly shown the inclination for when he has been given the chance. Captaincy should ideally translate into more cautious batting, as in Dhoni's case, but when Raina led India in Zimbabwe in 2010 and in the West Indies in 2011, he refused to change his aggressive approach.

India had sent second-string sides for both tours, and Raina mostly came in with plenty of overs to go after a top-order wobble. In nine innings over those tours, he averaged 23.57, including two not-outs in chases that were almost over by the time he walked in. Three times he failed going for his favourite slog-sweep when the situation demanded restraint.

In Pune, Raina looked to launch James Faulkner over midwicket, after gaining a hard-earned start against Mitchell Johnson's pace, and fell for 39. It was not the ideal response from a No 4 batsman at that point in a tough chase. Raina, however, is used to going for similar strokes to similar deliveries. Aggression comes naturally to him. Also, an overwhelming majority of his career has been spent at No 5 or below. Often, he doesn't have the luxury of getting himself in so these shots are instinctive.

It is not to say Yuvraj would have never gone for the same shot at that moment. But at No 4, a batsman must temper the urge to turn a 10-run over into a 16-run over with an eye on the big picture. Yuvraj has done that successfully for more than a decade. He can hit six sixes in an over in a Twenty20, but he also makes sure he lasts long enough to get the big scores that win ODI games. That necessitates controlling the urge to deposit one more over midwicket. It needs one to duck under a few short balls early on rather than try to work them for singles, one of Raina's preferred ways of handling the bouncer barrage he usually faces. Dhoni knows Raina will need some time to unlearn and adjust.

"We will have to give him some kind of experience at No 4," Dhoni said. "He's batted too long at No 6. That is why sometimes you see these instinctive shots, when the batsman sees and goes after them. It is very important that he uses these opportunities well. Then we'll have two batsmen who have a fair amount of exposure at No 4."

Raina has the chance to increase his centuries from "only three." Will he able to adapt and rein himself in? India will have a clearer picture of his ability by the end of the Australia series.

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Bangladesh's greater unity brings rewards

Bangladesh are more cohesive than they were two years ago, and that's because of Mushfiqur Rahim's leadership and the rise in status of players like Sohag Gazi

If David Boon hadn't dived two feet to his right at short leg, there wouldn't have been an MCG hat-trick for Shane Warne. At Eden Gardens in 2001, it was Sadagoppan Ramesh's swift right hand that gave Harbhajan Singh his famous hat-trick. And today, Sohag Gazi needed Shakib Al Hasan to dive from leg slip and catch the ball as it was about to drop in front of first slip, after the edge from Doug Bracewell had ricocheted off the wicketkeeper Mushiqur Rahim's pads.

The catch that gave Gazi his hat-trick was stunning, because of the distance Shakib had to cover and his courage at not giving a hoot about the fielder who was about to swoop in from first slip.

Shakib's feat said a lot about this Bangladesh team. Gazi had talked about how senior players like Shakib and Abdur Razzak had talked to him about his bowling, when the Bangladesh board had made it clear that the spin consultant Saqlain Mushtaq would not be available before 2014. Gazi had never had a bowling mentor before, and he needed Saqlain at a time when his form had taken a dip.

The development of a more congenial environment in the team has not been talked about outwardly, but there have been moments in the field that indicate Bangladesh are a cohesive unit, and not a divisive one.

Bangladesh had gone through a hard time when there appeared to be a gap between Shakib and Tamim, and the rest of the team. It had to do with the high profiles of those two celebrity players, but the number of performers has increased over the last couple of years. Nasir Hossain, Mominul Haque, Robiul Islam and Gazi have not reached the status of Tamim or Shakib, but they are getting there. Within the team environment, it has become easier to handle stars and treat everyone more equally than before.

The captain Mushfiqur Rahim must take most of the credit, but he too has had to overcome difficulty. He took over two years ago, at a time when Bangladesh cricket was going through a tumultuous phase, having lost to Zimbabwe and with Shakib and Tamim being abruptly removed from leadership. Mushfiqur has handled several issues adroitly, such as the players regrouping after a controversial first BPL. He was in the most trouble for speaking out about the unpaid fees.

Mushfiqur picked that moment to inspire his side, and they won ODIs against India and Sri Lanka, and were eventual Asia Cup runners-up after a heart-breaking loss in the final. Mushfiqur also had to tackle long breaks between seasons, because Bangladesh do not get a lot of Test cricket.

After this year's BPL, Mushfiqur saw several players turning up injured for their preparatory camp ahead of the Sri Lanka tour, creating a chaotic situation with long queues outside the physio's room. He managed to shift the focus to Test cricket again, overcoming worries about injuries and more unpaid BPL wages.

Mushfiqur also had to battle his own demons. After losing the ODI series to Zimbabwe in May, he suddenly resigned. There were rumours flying about but it was clearly an emotional decision. He was quickly reappointed, but there was going to be a lot of pressure on him from the BCB directors had Bangladesh not done well in this game. It is necessary to understand the background of this team's development, when putting Gazi's hat-trick into context.

Gazi had done extremely well in first-class cricket but since he played for Barisal Division, one of the worst teams, he had gone unnoticed. Under Mushfiqur and former chief selector Akram Khan, however, the focus has been on good performers, regardless of their pedigree. Gazi is a product of all the troubles Mushfiqur had to solve. He is here because Bangladesh cricket is slowly moving away from the tradition of promoting talented cricketers from age-group competitions.

Ever since his Test debut, Gazi has made headlines. Mushfiqur asked him to open the attack against Chris Galye in the Dhaka Test last year. It made Gazi the first offspinner in Test history to bowl the first over of a match on debut, and the first debutant spinner to do so in 103 years. Within a few overs, he dismissed Chris Gayle, who had earlier smacked him for a six off his first ball. Gazi took nine wickets in the match, and on his ODI debut, he was the Man of the Match for his four-wicket haul, which won Bangladesh the game in Khulna.

Gazi's fortune dipped in Sri Lanka where, on his first tour, he had to be the lead bowler in the absence of Shakib. The Zimbabwe tour wasn't great either, as he struggled in different conditions. There was a poor tour of England two months ago, as well as unremarkable performance in the Dhaka Premier League too.

However, as Gazi felt the arm ball slide out of his fingers and then saw it dip and nick Doug Bracewell's edge, clip Mushfiqur Rahim's right pad and fall into Shakib's diving fingers, the hat-trick was completed and the place in history secured. But he had done the same thing nearly a year ago.

Only a small group of most ardent followers in Bangladesh and highly-aware cricket statisticians around the world know that Gazi has scored a hundred, taken a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul in a first-class match, for Barisal against Khulna in the National Cricket League.

He took the wickets of Taposh Ghosh, Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain, which gave him seven wickets in the innings and nine in the match. Earlier in the game, Gazi had struck 119 off 93 balls, after reaching the century off 76. It was the second fastest first-class century in Bangladesh, just behind a 67-ball century in October 2011 - his own feat.

Gazi's set and broken records in the month of October, in 2011, 2012 and 2013. What will October 2014 bring, when Zimbabwe tour Bangladesh?

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Spin and heat lessen mismatch

Match facts

October 14-18
Start time 10.00 am local time (6.00am GMT)

Big picture

South Africa have shown their dominance at home, blanking opponents in both series last season, and in England and Australia, where they have won on their previous two visits. Their focus will now turn to underlining their superiority on the spin-friendly tracks in the heat of Asia. They get fewer matches in Asia - Vernon Philander, an integral member of the side, is yet to play a Test there - and they haven't quite been as commanding on visits there: South Africa drew against India in 2008 and 2010, and shared the series against Pakistan in the UAE three years ago. Though they were not outclassed in any of those contests, the series win has proved elusive in recent years.

While South Africa are a settled unit, three of their regulars are returning after lengthy breaks: Graeme Smith was out with a foot problem, Jacques Kallis opted to take a break after the IPL and JP Duminy, while he has made limited-overs appearances recently, last played a Test nearly a year ago after being sidelined with an Achilles injury.

Pakistan, in the meantime, have had a humbling year. They were out of their depth in South Africa and only managed a draw in the series in Zimbabwe last month. They are far more in their element in the UAE, where the pitches give their spinners more to work with. The big question mark for Pakistan remains their batting, and whether it has the backbone to keep out a potent South Africa attack. Misbah-ul-Haq has become a master of the firefight after his top-order batsmen keel over, but he'll need more support if Pakistan are to pose a challenge to the No. 1 side in the world.

Form guide

Pakistan LWLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWWWW

In the spotlight

Pakistan's top order has been a huge problem: in ten Test innings this year, the top three wickets have only had two half-century stands, and there have been 15 partnerships of ten or less. Pakistan have discarded Mohammad Hafeez, and have a couple of uncapped players vying for an opener's spot. The 'established' opener is Khurram Manzoor, only nine-Tests-old himself, and having only returned to the side after a three-year absence in the recent Zimbabwe series.

For over a decade Graeme Smith has been an effective, if not elegant, run-getter for South Africa at the top of the order, shielding his middle-order batsmen from the new ball. He hasn't played much cricket in the lead-up to this series, however, having been out of competitive cricket for over 21 weeks with a foot injury. He didn't get much time in the middle in the practice game either, but he is confident he is ready for the rigours of Test cricket.

Team news

There was some concern over Smith's ankle but he is expected to play and has trained a day ahead of the match. South Africa are likely to go in with one frontline spinner in Robin Peterson, and Dean Elgar is set to make way for Duminy.

South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 JP Duminy, 7 Faf du Plessis, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Vernon Philander, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel

Besides the top-order conundrum, Pakistan have to pick the support quick bowler for Junaid Khan - one of Mohammad Irfan or Rahat Ali. The rest of the side is fairly settled.

Pakistan: 1 Shan Masood, 2 Khurram Manzoor, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Mohammad Irfan

Pitch and conditions

Smith expected the pitch to be similar to the one South Africa played on in 2010, when these teams were involved in a high-scoring draw. It is warm in Abu Dhabi, with temperatures likely to be in excess of 30 C over the course of the match. The South African players have been using ice vests to try and get some relief from the heat.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa lead the head-to-head record in Tests against Pakistan 11-3
• Pakistan (23) and South Africa (24) have played the fewest Tests among the top eight countries in the last three years

Quotes

"There are a great bunch of boys and I had a good time with them in Zimbabwe. Even though we lost a Test match, overall the performance and the conduct was wonderful. It's good for me to be around them and I know a lot of them - like when Misbah made his debut, I was the captain."
Moin Khan, the Pakistan team manager

"We haven't dwelled on any past experiences. But every time you win away from home you gain an inner strength. That confidence has grown because we know we've been able to compete in all conditions away from home.
Graeme Smith on South Africa's unbeaten record away from home, which has stretched to seven years

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Elation and disbelief for Gazi after hat-trick

Sohag Gazi watched as everything seemed to moving in slow motion. He had just delivered the ball, hoping for a hat-trick. It had taken the edge and struck wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim on his right pad. Nasir Hossain at slip came forward, slid a little, then stopped. Shakib Al Hasan had by this time slunk over from leg-slip. He dived and completed the catch. Gazi ran away, chased by Robiul Islam, Marshall Ayub and Nasir. He couldn't believe it and, even hours later, he found it hard to describe the moment.

"I just couldn't believe what was happening," Gazi said, as he walked with a group of journalists after the game. "The hat-trick was 99% Shakib bhai's doing.

"I was stunned into silence when the ball hit Mushfiq bhai's pads and had taken off. Everything was happening in slow-motion for me from that point. Nasir was standing still, and in that last moment, Shakib bhai dived in."

Gazi had targeted the same spot from which he got the previous delivery to jump at BJ Watling. It took the edge, slammed into Mushfiqur's chest but was eventually caught, giving him two from two.

Mushfiqur added a leg-slip to complete the umbrella around Bracewell. Sohag had his eyes on that spot which didn't have a crack, but offered him some promise.

"Mushfiqur bhai always sets the field. I talk to him if I need to make little changes. Ahead of that hat-trick ball, I didn't say anything to him, or want to make any changes. I just wanted to bowl the same delivery as I did the previous ball. I was hoping to land it there and let it go straight. He could either edge it or miss it."

He fended off questions about what he felt before, during and after the hat-trick. He had done the same after he had scored the hundred on the fourth day. But the fact remains, there was a lot on Gazi's mind ahead of the game.

He had been earmarked as one of the less fit players in the team, and the situation was magnified when the media picked up on it. There wasn't much talk about it publicly, but there must have been reactions internally, within the Bangladesh setup. Gazi said that had been a motivating factor: "There was so much talk about my fitness. I took this Test match as a challenge. I really wanted to prove that I am fit."

Mushfiqur, too, said Gazi needed that six-wicket haul in the second innings, and praised his maiden century, terming it a "smart knock". "I was hoping that I could take the catch [to complete the hat-trick], but unfortunately I couldn't. But I am very happy for him," Mushfiqur said. "He really needed this performance. I would hope for him to hold on to it.

"He gave us that crucial lead in the first innings. I have seen him hit around before, but he batted very smartly in this innings. He controlled himself according to the fields that were set to curb him. He added 100-odd with Robiul Islam. It was a matured innings."

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'Disappointed to settle for draw' - Mushfiqur

The first Test in Chittagong was only Bangladesh's second drawn match against New Zealand but the home captain Mushfiqur Rahim was not satisfied with the result.

"We are disappointed to settle for a draw," he said. "It was an opportunity, and if the wicket was any different, it would have been a different ball game for our spinners. We could have lost, but at the same time we could have used our full strength. Credit goes to them also, they played well."

Five out of New Zealand's eight wins against Bangladesh were by an innings and the only time the margin was tight was during the 2008 Chittagong Test, which New Zealand eventually won by three wickets. With a head-to-head like that, the expectation was on New Zealand to seize the initiative in the second innings, especially with a lead of 85 runs at the start of the final day.

"On that wicket it was hard to generate a good strike-rate, " McCullum, the New Zealand captain, said. "When we looked to go after the bowling, a couple of balls kept low, a couple turned. They made it difficult for us by picking up wickets. I certainly can't fault our batting tactics. We are happy with 256 off 46 overs. We played some good cricket in this game. Bangladesh did well too. None of the teams gave away an inch. It is a nice way to start a tour."

McCullum's calculations had not revolved around a total as much as protecting his fast bowlers on a pitch that had nothing for them. "The way we batted before lunch and just after lunch prior to the hat-trick, we set a target in mind. But it was about the number of overs we leave for our seamers to bowl. We didn't want to leave too many overs.

Mushfiqur hadn't expected New Zealand to attack any more than they did in the one-and-a-half sessions they batted. "I wasn't too surprised at their approach in the second innings. We pretty much knew that they wouldn't attack us early. They always had to take a safe option from where they couldn't lose. We knew that they wouldn't want to lose wickets. We knew they'd attack after lunch, so Gazi's spell was just amazing"

Mushfiqur was pleased with the performances of his spinners Gazi and Abdur Razzak, who had to shoulder a greater share of the 247.1 overs bowled by Bangladesh, because Shakib-Al-Hasan and Robiul Islam were returning from injury.

"We had to be careful managing the load of the bowlers," he said. "Sohag and Razzak are good bowlers, and we had to make sure Shakib slowly comes back to full load. Robiul has also been injured for the last three months, so he too bowled less than Rubel, who took up the responsibility."

McCullum was content with his side's batting after Kane Williamson and BJ Watling's centuries set up a huge first-innings total and he saw encouraging signs from his spinners as well, who claimed five wickets between them. "Our batting was a positive. We got 469 batting first with couple of guys getting big scores. The second innings was positive too. We were behind the game but the guys still applied their processes and plans so that we could set a declaration. We need to improve our fielding. The pacers did well in trying conditions. The spinners did better as the game went on."

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Questions for both sides in opener

Match facts

Sunday, October 13, 2013
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)

Big Picture

If you trace a line through the venues for this ODI series, it starts from western India and runs across the northern, eastern and central parts of the country before culminating in the shape of a question mark in the south. As India and Australia traverse that line for the next three-and-a-half weeks, they will doubtless ask questions of each other. The foremost for Australia will be - can this squad, sorely lacking experience compared to previous sides, come close to matching their limited-overs deeds in India?

The last ODI Australia played in India was the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup. The churn Australian cricket has gone through since then is reflected in the fact that only three members of that XI are part of the current touring party. Previous Australia ODI visits to India have been successful due to two big factors; powerful, dominating batsmen who have taken toll of India's relatively weaker attacks on benign pitches, and bowlers of real pace who have squeezed enough out of those surfaces to prevent the home batsmen from running amok.

Names such as Brett Lee, and later, Doug Bollinger, come to mind, hustling India batsmen with extra speed. Mitchell Johnson is the only such bowler in the present squad, although Nathan Coulter-Nile can produce bursts as well. However, Australia are well served on the power-batting front, Aaron Finch, in Rajkot, providing enough evidence of that.

India's No 1 ODI ranking is on the line, although it will require a 1-6 hammering, something that would leave Australia captain George Bailey "very surprised" if it happens. For MS Dhoni, as always, the question is not how to make runs, but how to prevent them from being made by the opposition. The new ODI rule restricting deep fielders to a maximum of four has only added to his problems. "I don't know where to bring in that one fielder inside in the last ten overs when the batsmen are intent going for the bowlers," Dhoni said. "That's one area where we have to work on. We have to see how to use that channel to put pressure on the opposition."

Form guide (Most recent games first)

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In the spotlight

Rohit Sharma has reinvented himself as an ODI opener following successful outings in the Champions Trophy, in the West Indies and in Zimbabwe. The promotion had come at home against England earlier this year. But his strike-rate has taken a beating at the top of the order. The needs in overseas conditions were different, but in Indian conditions, he will be required to provide explosive starts.

The last time Australia toured India for a bilateral ODI series, in 2009, Shane Watson was their highest wicket-taker and third-highest run-getter, after Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting. Those two are no longer around, meaning extra responsibility for Watson. More pertinently, he had an agonizing time during the Test tour earlier this year leading to much upheaval within the team and will have to play a role completely different from the divisive one he did then.

Team news

India have the same squad that played the solitary T20 and should stick to the same XI, unless Vinay Kumar, who hurt his left wrist in Rajkot, fails to recover.

India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Vinay Kumar/Mohammed Shami/Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Ishant Sharma

Callum Ferguson and Phillip Hughes are the additions to the Australia squad from the T20 one. Nic Maddinson impressed on debut in Rajkot, but he isn't part of the ODI group, which means one of Ferguson and Hughes should come in.

Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Shane Watson, 4 George Bailey, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Brad Haddin (wk), 7 Moises Henriques, 8 Nathan Coulter-Nile/James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty

Pitch and conditions

The Maharashtra Cricket Association's new stadium on the outskirts of Pune will make its ODI debut. Its pitch has played notoriously and stubbornly slow and low during IPL seasons. The IPL comes at the end of the season, but even during the early-season Ranji Trophy matches, the venue hasn't seen much life. Last November, Maharashtra declared on 764 for 6. Uttar Pradesh replied with 669 for 7, and their coach Venkatesh Prasad was moved into terming the surface "pathetic", albeit for a four-day match.

The start time for all games this series has been advanced by an hour to 1.30pm to try and counter the autumn's prospect of dewy nights. Before that, the match will have to weather the 50% rain that is forecast for the day, although not much of it is expected in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• India have won their last eight ODIs
• The MCA Stadium in Pune will become India's 42nd ODI venue. The Nehru Stadium, the old international venue in the city, hosted the last of its eight matches in November 2005.

Quotes

"I don't think there's any advantage. It's a nice statistic though but there's no advantage to be gained from this. I don't worry about it too much. I am not really thinking about maintaining the streak."
George Bailey on Australia's ODI record in India

"Australia have good batting depth and can bat up to No 9. That's their strength and that is why in the T20, they were not too concerned about losing wickets and adopted an aggressive approach."
MS Dhoni

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Parnell's six snuffs out Knights

Warriors 242 for 8 (Ingram 79) beat Knights 231 (van Biljon 67, Parnell 6-51) by 11 runs
Scorecard

An extraordinary six-wicket haul from Wayne Parnell gave Warriors a winning start to the Momentum One-day Cup with an 11-run win over Knights at Kimberley.

Parnell ran through the middle order for his best List A haul and took the wickets of Pite van Biljon and Quinton Friend, who both threatened to rally Knights to their target of 243. But they were bowled out with more than four overs remaining.

Parnell began with a wicket in his third over but it was his second spell that did the damage with five wickets in six overs. His side needed wickets because they were leaking runs at a healthy rate and van Biljon's 65-ball fifty led the chase. But when he was seventh out to Parnell, Knights were running out of room. Friend revitalised the chase with 35 in 30 balls but Parnell again removed the danger and Andrew Birch claimed the final wicket.

Having been put in to bat, Colin Ingram played the strongest hand in Warriors' solid total. He struck seven fours and a six and added 75 for the third wicket with Ryan Bailey. Useful cameos from Christiaan Jonker and Simon Harmer boosted their total, which Parnell ensured was healthy enough.

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