'Reduce government interference in cricket' - Lorgat review

Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC Chief Executive, has recommended less government interference in team selection, in addition to 23 other recommendations to Sri Lanka Cricket, in his review of the sport in the country. Lorgat was appointed short-term special advisor to the SLC in July, and was tasked with performing a wide-ranging review of governance, cricket structure, administration and finances, of which his ten-page report is the result. 



Among the issues Lorgat raises in his report is the poor reputation of the SLC, its weak financial position, lack of professional administration, non-existent organisational culture and a lack of transparency. He also recommends a restructuring of domestic cricket, and recruiting the help of former greats in the development of cricketers.

After Lorgat had presented his report, SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said it was now the job of the stakeholders - a wide ranging group including clubs, media, players and the SLC themselves - to implement Lorgat's recommendations.

"From my personal point of view, I feel all these recommendations need to be addressed by the stakeholders," Ranatunga said. "The improvements need to sit along with the stakeholders, and they need to come up with strategies to overcome it.

"The other option is to get an independent committee to come and look at this and come up with a solution."

The report's recommendations on reducing government interference focus on a law that requires international team selections to be approved by the Sports Minister, who also appoints a nominee to the selection panel. On the basis of responses from interviewees, the report inferred that the Minister appoints the entire selection panel. The report recommends SLC work towards an amendment to the law that might see a selection process free of government interference. It also suggests the SLC ensure independence for the selection committee, and consider having full time selectors.

Ranatunga said the board had already approached the Sports Minister about amending the Sports Law. "We have discussed this with the honourable Minister, and he was very positive about changing certain clauses in the Sports Law to accommodate this report. He was positive about the changes that are needed for the development of the game."



Lorgat's report also said external or State support are essential to overcoming SLC's debt, and recommended borrowing through 'soft' loans. It also said operational plans, including player payments, needed careful review to ensure they are justifiable expenditures.

The report further states that the administration lacks clear vision, is poorly managed and notes a lack of adequate communication between various arms of SLC. It recommends a reduction in the number of Executive Committee members, which presently stands at 22, and suggests appointment of a CEO who is "properly empowered to lead a professional administration that is held accountable by the board" and is the face of the organisation.

Lorgat has also advised a major restructuring of domestic cricket aimed at decentralising first-class and List A cricket in Sri Lanka from Colombo, and believes dialogue with the existing clubs are vital to that end. The report also suggests former players whose relationship with SLC has soured should be utilised in the development of cricketing talent, after tensions between the parties have been cleared. Lorgat makes mention of former captain Arjuna Ranatunga in his report, who has been an ardent critic of SLC in the past two years, and states he was unable to contact Ranatunga during his research. 



"Unfortunately Mr. Ranatunga was busy, he was traveling and was in the UK on occasions. I am still trying even today to get in touch with him."



Lorgat interviewed 42 stakeholders during his review, including current and former players, SLC staff, board members, club representatives and media.

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Flower admits selection errors

Andy Flower has admitted that England made a mistake in not selecting Monty Panesar for the first Test of the series against India at Ahmedabad. England lost the Test by nine wickets after conceding a first innings deficit of 330 with Flower, the England team director, also conceding that he misread the pitch.

But Flower declined to confirm that England would alter the balance of their attack for the second Test, which begins in Mumbai on Friday. While he conceded that England's seamers had been out-performed by their Indian counterparts in Ahmedabad, he said the England team management will inspect the pitch before any selection decision is made. As things stand, Flower expects Mumbai to offer more assistance to the seamers and would only confirm that England would bring in a batsman to replace Ian Bell, who is absent on paternity leave.

"With hindsight yes, it was a mistake not to play Panesar in Ahmedabad," Flower said. "I didn't expect that pitch to turn as early as it did. In fact, once we saw it turning early in the game I thought it might deteriorate more and I was surprised on day four and five how well it played. I certainly misjudged that pitch.

"There might be a little more bounce in Mumbai which will help our seamers. Of course we have to bring in a batsman, but on any other changes I'd like to see the pitch first. Then I'll try to make a better judgment than the last one. If it looks as though it will turn a lot, we will contemplate two spinners.

"I don't think our seamers bowled as well as they could have and the skill with reverse swing and finding the right length to hit the pads is a particular skill. I think India did that better than we did. Their seamers out-bowled our seamers, but I also think we gave them a couple of soft dismissals."

England's attempts to square the series in Mumbai have been dealt a severe blow with the news that Steven Finn will not be fit to play in the second Test. Indeed, Finn undergoes a scan on Tuesday that will define whether he had any further part to play on the tour. Stuart Meaker, who was called into the squad when Finn was injured in the first warm-up game, will remain with them rather than joining the England Performance Programme squad.

	"This will not go down as one of his memorable Tests but he's got three more to contribute to winning games for England." Andy Flower sanguine about Kevin Pietersen's form

"Finn unfortunately hurt that same area of his thigh and he's having a scan," Flower said. "We don't think there's any structural damage, we need to check. If there is not he will go and join our performance programme. He'll rehab with them and they've got a three-day game starting on the 27th which is the last day of this Test. Hopefully we can get him in that and test him out and if he comes through well he'll be available for the third Test."

Flower conceded there was an air of predictability about England's troubles in India but, despite the side now having lost five out of six Tests in Asian conditions this year, said "he would like to think" there was nothing fundamentally wrong with the team or the team set-up. Instead he felt that the batsmen, in particular, were guilty of simple errors. He did not condemn India's decision to deny them quality spin bowling in the warm-up matches, though he did jokingly suggest that England would be unlikely to respond by providing only spin bowlers for India in their warm-up games on their next tour of England.

"We have to overturn what seems predictable the moment," he said. "There are some very basic things that we haven't done well enough and I hope I'm not making personal excuses here. I don't think it's anything to do with the environment, or team dynamics, or the way we train. I think that we have failed in a number of first innings and if you do that in the subcontinent you pay the price. That's the area where we have failed and I don't think we should over-complicate it. I hope there is no real reason why it should keep happening in the first innings.

"If we'd batted in the first innings like we batted in the second it might have been a different story. Those three wickets hurt us at the end of day two, obviously, and the ball turned quite sharply and quite quickly in that first innings. And there were a few soft dismissals which cost us."

Flower was keen to defend Kevin Pietersen, who, in his first Test since his recall, scored 19 runs in two innings and was twice dismissed by the left-arm spin of Pragyan Ojha, but Flower stressed the excellence of his long-term record.

"Look, Kevin's a very fine cricketer and he has 21 Test centuries," Flower said. "This will not go down as one of his memorable Tests, of course, but he's got three more Tests to contribute to winning games for England.

"In this last Test the left-arm spinner got him out twice and he obviously struggled against him. But, only a few Tests ago against Sri Lanka, he scored a magnificent 150 and they had a reasonable left-arm spinner playing in subcontinent conditions. The method he used there was a very successful one. I'm not just talking about his very attacking method but his defensive one too. He's a very experienced cricketer and I trust he'll bring that experience to bear in the next Test match."

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Australia carry stronger form to Adelaide

Match facts

November 22-26, Adelaide Oval
Start time 1030 (0000 GMT)

Big Picture

Australia and South Africa don't do draws. But for a Saturday completely lost to rain, that trend may well have continued at the Gabba. Instead, the teams have headed to Adelaide still locked at 0-0, although Australia took more positives from the Brisbane Test. After a disappointing first day on which their bowlers took only two wickets, they fought back to be in the prime position on the final day, but time ran out for them to manufacture a result. All the same, they will head in to the second Test knowing that Ed Cowan has proven himself a Test-quality opener, Michael Clarke's monumental 2012 has shown no signs of ending early, Michael Hussey has broken a seven-year century drought against South Africa, and most of the bowlers found form as the Gabba Test played out. David Warner remains a slight concern at the top of the order but in the main things are simmering away nicely in the Australian setup.

For South Africa, there wasn't much to like about the Gabba Test apart from the continued brilliance of Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis. Alviro Petersen showed why he should not be underestimated on the first day with 64, but that was about it. Questions remain around whether Jacques Rudolph offers enough value; since his return to the side last November he has played 12 Tests for one century. But more than the batting it was South Africa's bowling that left much to be desired at the Gabba. Perhaps they expected the pitch, by reputation a seamer but in reality a true surface, to do the work for them. Whatever the case, that they allowed 487 runs to pass between bowlers' wickets - Cowan's run-out was the only breakthrough on the fourth day - was a massive problem. Vernon Philander lacked impact, Dale Steyn showed only glimpses of his best and Morne Morkel needs to curb his habit of over-stepping on crucial deliveries. Not that any of these issues concerned the coach Gary Kirsten enough to encourage him to spend every day working with the squad between Tests; instead he flew home for a whistle-stop trip to see his wife and children.

At Adelaide Oval, the teams will again be greeted by a good batting surface. Life won't be easy for the fast men early on but the pitch will wear and provide some uneven bounce and help for the spinners later on. During the 1980s the venue had the reputation of being a ground where draws were almost inevitable but that is no longer a fair assessment, and only three of the past 20 Adelaide Tests have failed to find a winner. If that trend continues this year, whichever team comes out on top cannot lose the series. And if it's South Africa, the No.1 ranking will be out of Australia's reach.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Australia DWDWW
South Africa DWDWD

In the spotlight

South Africa's batsmen tried to belt Nathan Lyon out of the attack at the Gabba but he kept his nerve, continued to flight the ball and picked up two wickets in each innings, as well as having a skied catch put down off his bowling. A 25-over spell on the third day helped Lyon get back into his rhythm after some undemanding Sheffield Shield work in the lead-up, and at his home venue of Adelaide Oval, where he took five wickets against India last summer, he will be a key man as the pitch deteriorates. With Shane Watson unable to bowl even if he does play, Lyon will again be asked to bowl some long spells to give the fast men some rest.

Vernon Philander had so much success in his first ten Test matches that it was a major surprise that he went wicketless at the Gabba, having also failed to claim a victim the tour match in Sydney. At times in Brisbane the Australians found it a little too easy to leave Philander's deliveries alone and on a pitch like Adelaide, which won't offer the bowlers much apart from perhaps some variable bounce as the game wears on, he will need to make the batsmen play more often.

Team news

Australia are unchanged from Brisbane, with Shane Watson's bid to play as a batsman ending predictably on match eve. Ben Hilfenhaus retains his spot ahead of Mitchell Starc, and Rob Quiney has another Test to prove himself at No. 3.

Australia 1 Ed Cowan, 2 David Warner, 3 Rob Quiney, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Nathan Lyon.

JP Duminy's injury meant South Africa had to make at least one change from the Gabba side and it has been confirmed that Faf du Plessis will make his debut in Adelaide. Imran Tahir has also been named and will replace Rory Kleinveldt in the starting XI.

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

Pitch and conditions

Like the Gabba, the Adelaide Oval surface should provide plenty of runs early in the match, but it is also likely to deteriorate as the game wears on, which will bring the spinners into play. The forecast for the duration of the match is hot and sunny.

Stats and trivia

• The Gabba match was the first draw between these two sides in 14 Tests, the previous one having come at the WACA in December 2005. The teams haven't drawn two consecutive Tests since 1921
• Michael Hussey is in line to play his 75th consecutive Test since his debut in November 2005, but AB de Villiers is in the midst of an even better run and should step out for his 79th consecutive Test since his debut in 2004
• The only member of South Africa's side who has played Test cricket at Adelaide Oval is Jacques Kallis, who in two matches there has scored 15, 15, 5 and 65 not out
• Ricky Ponting has scored more runs at Adelaide Oval than any other Test venue, 1723 at an average of 63.81

Quotes

"I think the players can take confidence from the way we performed and improved in that Test match, but it doesn't guarantee much. Like words, it doesn't really matter what you say it's what you do and we need to have that attitude and make sure come tomorrow we're 100% ready for that first delivery whether we're batting or bowling."
Michael Clarke

"The changeroom attendant said the one thing you can expect is the same Adelaide wicket. It will probably get drier as the game goes on. It's got a good grass covering. The field is looking really good. The square is probably the greenest I have seen it in a long time."
Graeme Smith

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Clarke insists Watson saga no distraction

Australia's captain Michael Clarke has denied the saga surrounding Shane Watson's futile attempt to be fit for the Adelaide Test is a distraction for the team as they attempt to claim a 1-0 lead in the series against South Africa. Watson was predictably ruled out on Wednesday morning after a series of fitness tests showed he was not yet close to full readiness for the rigours of a five-day match, even if he were to play as a batsman only.

Clarke's announcement of an unchanged Australian XI for the second Test ended any doubt in the mind of the No.3 batsman Rob Quiney, who took Watson's place in Brisbane but has spent three days in Adelaide unsure of whether he would be playing or not. David Warner, too, has not been entirely certain of his spot after the national selector john Inverarity refused to guarantee it when he named Watson in a 13-man group for Adelaide. However Clarke was adamant the episode had not affected his team's focus.

"I think the intent was great that Watto plus support staff, plus the team want him back out on the park, want him playing because we know how important he is to our group as a player," Clarke said. "I just think we've given Watto every chance and we feel, support staff, selectors and Shane as well, probably feels he's a few days short of being at his best. I don't think the speculation has had any impact on the team. The guys have all gone about their work as well as they can. Rob Quiney still did all his preparation, so I don't think it's had an effect on the team."

There have been rumblings for some time of various differences of opinion between Clarke and Watson, his vice-captain, most revolving around the allrounder's choice of preparation for Test assignments and the role he is to fulfil when on them. Clarke seemed intent on scotching this particular brand of chatter, damaging as it can be to have words circulating widely that the captain and his deputy speak with something less than the same voice.

"We have a great relationship firstly, I know there's been talk of that being a bit different, but Watto and I, our friendship and our professional relationship when it comes to captain and vice-captain is as close as I can certainly ask for," Clarke said. "We spoke daily, even before we flew to Adelaide as a team, and I was kept well and truly in the loop of where he was at preparation wise. Once we got here our intent was to give Watto every single chance as a very important player and vice-captain to play in this Test match, but unfortunately we've just run out of time.

"Watto sees himself as an allrounder, he wants to be an allrounder. He knows the impact he has in this game with both bat and ball and he's a huge part of our squad when he's doing both very well. Our plans are to try to get him to 100% as quick as we can, knowing we've got eight days now before the third Test in Perth."

The other major decision Clarke and his fellow selectors had to make revolved around the balance of the bowling attack. Ultimately Clarke settled on an unchanged quartet of Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon, leaving Mitchell Starc carrying the drinks in Adelaide but favoured to be included for the third Test in Perth.

Hilfenhaus had notable technical struggles in Brisbane, his arm low and his action not as precise as it had been when he was so successful last summer. But Clarke said he felt enough improvement from Hilfenhaus and his fellow pacemen as the Gabba Test unfolded to choose them again for Adelaide. Starc's control over the red ball is improving with every innings, but it was also reasoned that the steadier Hilfenhaus will be more capable of bowling maidens on request during stretches of the Adelaide match that may be devoid of assistance through the air or off the pitch.

"We had a lot of success last summer, there was rain in Brisbane but after day one I thought the bowlers came back really well," Clarke said. "We took 14 of the South African wickets and they only took five of ours. I think we've got a good mixture of aggression but also bowlers who can bowl long spells and dry runs up if required on that wicket. Generally at Adelaide there are periods of the game where you have to bowl quite tight. As a bowling unit throughout that whole first Test we improved and I'm confident as a team we'll be better for the hit-out in Brisbane and come out and perform better.

"There was certainly talk about Starcy coming into the XI, he's performed really well for NSW, he's been bowling beautifully in the shorter form of the game and in the nets as well. I just think we feel at the moment our attack improved as the game went on in Brisbane. There were a few nerves in on day one and it was our first game together as a team for quite a while, so I think everyone will be better for that."

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Kent 'heard nothing' of Sussex approach

Kent have said they were not aware of the recent match fixing allegations regarding their CB40 match against Sussex in 2011 until the claims were made in a newly published book.

Bookie, Gambler, Fixer Spy: A Journey to the Corrupt Heart of Cricket's Underworld, claims to reveal details of match-fixing in cricket, including an approach made to Sussex players to fix a CB40 match against Kent at Hove, which was televised live.

Sussex admitted their players were approached and a report was made to the ECB. An internal investigation was also held where no evidence of wrongdoing was found. Kent have stated the publication of the book was the first they heard of the incident.

"We'd actually heard nothing," chairman of cricket Graham Johnson said. "When it came out in the press that was the first Kent were aware of it. Sussex said they were looking into certain things and it was internal. We've said is there anything you need from us but they said it's internal and dealt with."

Commenting on the dangers of corruption in county cricket, Johnson added, "Obviously history tells us that if stuff starts getting televised in the subcontinent it raises the profile and the potential for that to happen."

Kent chief executive Jamie Clifford admitted the recent allegations had shown the dangers of match and spot fixing. "You've got the issues relating to players at Essex and now the revelations from Sussex about players being approached. Those are two of our neighbouring counties so I think we'd be naïve to say 'oh we don't think there's any problem'. We have to be alive to the dangers."

Clifford also explained the steps the club was taking against corruption. "Our staff, both playing and off-field are briefed regularly about the potential that exists in relation to match and spot fixing and urged to be extremely vigilant in that regard. They know very clearly that as a club there's no way we'd tolerate any involvement of any individual in something like that. The onus is on them if they're approached to make it clear to us at a very early stage that that has happened."

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Pandey, Ojha help Madhya Pradesh to safety

Madhya Pradesh 256 (Bundela 53, Rameez 54, Rajan 45, Pankaj 4-63, Rituraj 4-68) and 200 for 1 (Ojha 102*, Zafar 54) lead Rajasthan 379 (Parida 108, Bist 85, Khatri 47*, Pandey 6-92) by 77 runs
Scorecard

After being outplayed on the first two days in Jaipur, Madhya Pradesh ended the third in a better position by restricting Rajasthan's first-innings lead to 123, and then setting up a strong second innings. They may now escape with a draw, and not suffer outright defeat.

Fast bowler Ishwar Pandey and wicketkeeper-opener Naman Ojha made MP's recovery possible. Rajasthan were dismissed 379 due to Pandey's six-wicket haul, and then Ojha's unbeaten century took MP to 200 for 1 at stumps, ahead by 77. With the green wicket not offering much assistance to the bowlers, and without a quality spinner, Rajasthan may find it difficult to force a result on the final day.

Pandey had taken four wickets on the second day, including those of stand-in captain Vineet Saxena, Ashok Menaria and centurion Rashmi Parida. He claimed two more on the third morning. Resuming at 306 for 6, wicketkeeper Sidhant Yagnik and Madhur Khatri began the day well for Rajasthan, hitting four boundaries in four overs. But then Pandey settled into a nagging line to left-hand batsman Yagnik, who edged one in the ninth over of the day to keeper Ojha.

Before Rituraj Singh could get his eye in, Pandey put in some extra effort, and the additional bounce had Rituraj edging his delivery to Zafar Ali at second slip. Though Khatri, primarily in the side as an offspinner, played an effortless knock, he ran out of partners on 47 when Anand Rajan bowled last man Aniket Choudhury to earn his 100th first-class wicket.

Rajasthan's lead wasn't a small one, especially with more than a day and a half remaining in the game. After a disastrous performance by MP's top order on the opening day, when they were reduced to 71 for 5 in the first session, the openers had to come good to earn one point. Ojha and Ali learnt from their first-innings mistakes to put on 134 before Ali was trapped lbw by Rituraj.

Ojha, however, was the star of the day. In the first innings, he had poked at and edged a delivery that moved away from off stump. This time, Ojha didn't flash his bat outside off for the first hour. He preferred to leave as many balls as he could.

Ojha didn't go into a shell either; he chose the balls he wanted to score off. Soon after he reached his fifty, he went after the part-time spinner Ashok Menaria, hitting two sixes over long-off and cutting to the point boundary. In the next over, however, Ali was dismissed. With Pankaj Singh and Rituraj steaming in, Ojha, batting on 78, defended for the next hour.

Only in the last over of the day, when Khatri was brought on, did Ojha attack again. He stepped out to hit a six over long-off and then swept the next ball through square leg for a boundary to raise his ninth first-class century.

"[Ojha] was terribly disappointed after being dismissed in that manner (in the first innings)," MP coach Mukesh Sahani said. "We had a chat about it. He realised that he hadn't justified his position of being among the senior players in the team by getting out in that manner. It was heartening to see him rectifying it."

Despite playing first-class cricket for 12 years, Ojha has not fulfilled his batting potential "I haven't converted as many starts into hundreds as I should have but over the last few years, I have realised the need for scoring big hundreds and have been working towards it," Ojha said. "Since I came to the Ranji Trophy days after playing the Champions League [for Delhi Daredevils], it took time for me to switch into the first-class mode. But now that I have, I hope I can continue for the rest of the season."

After stumps, most of the MP squad played a game of football until the light faded, unlike other days. Though the team had conceded three points with the first-innings lead, their relieved faces indicated that their primary objective at the start of the penultimate day - to avoid being in a position to concede an outright victory to Rajasthan - had been achieved.

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Delhi lay ground for first-innings battle

Delhi 215 for 3 (Mohit 71, Unmukt 51) trail Baroda 561 (Rayudu 131, Chauhan 113, Panchal 80, Gagandeep 76, Awana 4-104) by 346 runs
Scorecard

Delhi laid the base for a strong reply to Baroda's 561, setting up a fight for the first-innings lead on the final day at Feroz Shah Kotla. Half-centuries by Mohit Sharma, who was playing his second first-class game, and Unmukt Chand led the hosts to 215 for 3 at stumps. They need 347 more to earn three points.

Having batted for 168 overs in two days, Baroda chose not to declare and played another 10 overs before being dismissed for 561. Resuming on 525 for 7, Ketan Panchal and Gagandeep Singh, who were batting on 72 and 70 respectively, added little to their overnight scores as seamer Parvinder Awana claimed their wickets quickly.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan started Delhi's innings aggressively, but Baroda captain Ambati Rayudu set a defensive field to counter it. When left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt bowled to Mohit, there was a long leg, a deep midwicket and long-on to stop the boundaries.

After fast bowler Murtuja Vahora dismissed Dhawan for 30, Mohit played patiently and added 87 with Unmukt. Unmukt played a lot of drives, but due to the presence of a sweeper cover, many of them were singles. The stand was broken when Bhatt got a delivery to pitch on middle-stump line and turn to clip the off bail. Unmukt seemed disappointed and reluctant to leave the crease.

Mohit added 78 runs with Mithun Manhas, playing smartly to take singles and doubles to negate the defensive field. Seamer Firdaush Bhaja trapped Mohit lbw 5.4 overs before stumps.

Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya wanted his batsmen to score more after getting set, because it will not be easy for the hosts to chase Baroda's score successfully on a slow pitch. With fading light not allowing the required number of overs to be bowled in the day, there is also a possibility of a draw without two completed innings.

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England to look at selection - Cook

Alastair Cook admitted England would have to reflect on the selection of their side after succumbing to a nine-wicket loss against India in the first Test in Ahmedabad.

England's bowling attack, with three frontline seamers and one specialist spinner, looked ill-suited for a Test played on a low, slow wicket, with the seamers claiming 1 for 254 in the match.

Their batsmen also struggled and, in eight innings between them, England's middle-order of Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and Samit Patel contributed just 68 runs. By contrast, Cheteshwar Pujara scored 247 runs in the match without being dismissed and India's two spinners claimed 13 wickets between them.

While Cook admitted the problem, in part, was simply that several players had underperformed, he also conceded that the team management would have to reconsider the make-up and balance of the side ahead of the second Test which begins in Mumbai on Friday.

"Clearly we're going to have to look at our selection," Cook said. "There are some good people making decisions in this England team and we thought we were doing the right thing for the side. The result showed we might have got it wrong. When you get beaten by nine wickets, you have a look at a lot of areas and we have to look at what we could have done better. There will be a lot to ponder. We'll have to look at our squad for the next game."

The omission of left-arm spinner Monty Panesar has been highlighted as a key error by many critics but Cook felt the failure of England's batting line-up in the first innings was more of an issue. He refuted any suggestion that England had been underprepared, but accepted that they would require far more of the team to contribute if they were to fight their way back in the series.

"Our batting, especially in the first innings, didn't deliver enough runs," Cook said. "I thought it was a very good cricket wicket. There was a little bit in it for the spinners, but if you applied yourself with the bat it held together probably better than we thought it would. It was turning, yes. But runs were able to be had out there, as we showed in our second innings.

"If we're going to win out here, everyone in the game has to contribute. We need everyone to stick their hands up at certain times. The lads who haven't performed as well as they would have liked in this game will be very disappointed. We showed a lot of character in that second half of the game. There are a lot of quality players in that dressing-room, with very good records who have scored hundreds against every attack in the world. They didn't deliver in this game, and they know that. The middle order didn't score enough runs. Everyone has to have a look at themselves if we want to take something out of this series."

The defeat means England have lost five out of six Tests in Asian conditions this year, leaving Cook to agree that mental scars might be as large an impediment to progress as technical deficiencies. "I'd say it's a bit of both. Clearly, there are always technical issues before the mental ones kick in. We're doing the right things. It's now getting it right out in the middle and trusting our method there. We can only continue working as hard as we are doing, and I can't fault the lads for that. It's a case of working as hard as we can in the nets, and trusting our method out in the middle."

Cook also said the result had soured the memory of one of his finest innings. "I'm very happy with the way I batted," he said. "To score any hundred for England is very special and to score one in that situation probably made it even more special for me.

"Technically, it might have been a good innings. But you always get more satisfaction when you do it in a winning cause or to save a game. Maybe the 230 in Brisbane, in a similar match situation, is a better innings. But the result is what really matters and we weren't good enough over the five days to win. I'd have been even prouder if I'd survived and dragged a draw out of it. I'm bitterly disappointed."

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Parida century gives Rajasthan the lead

Rajasthan 306 for 6 (Parida 108, Bist 85, Pandey 4-65) lead Madhya Pradesh 256 (Bundela 53, Rameez 54, Rituraj 4-68, Pankaj 4-63) by 50 runs
Scorecard

Rashmi Parida has been playing domestic cricket since the mid-1990s and during that time he has grown used to being the unsung hero. Whether for his home team Orissa or for the adopted Rajasthan, Parida's contributions in the middle order have usually been overshadowed by those of his team-mates.

When Parida was holding one end up for Orissa for 15 seasons, he was playing second fiddle to the likes of Pravanjan Mullick and SS Das. And when he joined Rajasthan as a professional, his two professional colleagues Aakash Chopra and skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar walked away with much of the credit for their rags-to-riches story in the last two seasons.

One of the few times Parida got his due was during the 2010-11 final, when his 56 and 89 earned him the Man-of-the-Match award. But even though he doesn't make headlines as much he should, Parida has been Rajasthan's go-to man over the last three years. And he did his reputation no harm by scoring his 16th first-class century on the second day of Rajasthan's Group A match against Madhya Pradesh at the KL Saini stadium in Jaipur.

With Chopra having ended his association with Rajasthan after two years, and the captain Kanitkar missing the game because of a calf strain, it was up to Parida to help Rajasthan overhaul MP's first innings total of 256 and keep them in the hunt for a much-needed outright victory. Along with contributions from his team-mates, especially Robin Bist who made 85, Parida did his job to near-perfection. He was dismissed for 108 in the penultimate over of the day, and Rajasthan finished on 306 for 6, ahead by 50 runs.

After Vineet Saxena and Robin Bist had begun Rajasthan's recovery from 7 for 1, the stand-in captain Saxena was trapped lbw by Ishwar Pandey, who was the pick of the MP bowlers, around an hour before lunch. Two balls later Ashok Menaria fished at one that was pitched slightly outside off to offer a regulation catch to wicketkeeper Naman Ojha.

At 87 for 3, Parida joined his Air India junior Bist. With a rookie batsman, a wicketkeeper and a long tail to follow, Rajasthan needed significant contributions from both batsmen, and they delivered.

"The manner in which Paddy bhai [Parida] started off took all the pressure off me. He bats with such ease that it just makes you feel how easy batting is," Bist said. "He bats in a manner like, ball ko chot na lag jaaye [the ball shouldn't get hurt]."

Even after Bist was caught down the leg side off Anand Rajan, Parida continued to flourish. Puneet Yadav was getting a rare outing due to Kanitkar's injury and Rajasthan were still 85 runs adrift of the lead. Parida not only gave his young partner confidence but also took pressure off him by going after the bowlers a bit. After playing some fluent cuts, Yadav was dismissed against the run of play when Anand Singh caught at well-timed flick at forward short leg.

Though his partners kept changing, Parida continued towards a deserving century. And when he finally got there, with a push to mid-off for a single, Parida was cheered loudly and given a standing ovation by his team-mates. He had failed to score one last season, despite having scored more than 500 runs. "The fact that I couldn't score a century last season was playing on my mind all along," he said. "It's good that the monkey is off the back early in the season."

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Baroda continue to pile on the runs

Baroda 525 for 7 (Rayudu 131*, Chauhan 113, Panchal 72*) v Delhi
Scorecard

Baroda, led by centuries from captain Ambati Rayudu and Abhimanyu Chauhan, continued to pile on the runs against a listless Delhi attack, reaching 525 for seven at stumps on the second day. There were no signs of declaration and it now seems a foregone conclusion that the visitors will be playing for three points on a track that is getting slower. Baroda will back themselves, given Delhi's inconsistent batting over the last two games.

Rayudu and Chauhan laid the foundation for a big score, and were backed by important contributions from the lower middle-order batsmen. Gagandeep Singh entertained the small Sunday crowd with some big hits while Ketan Panchal also batted sensibly, putting on 126 runs for the eighth wicket. Together, Gagandeep and Panchal hit half a dozen sixes and 14 fours.

The eighth-wicket partnership further hurt the Delhi bowlers, who had been deflated by the benign Feroz Shah Kotla surface. Rayudu has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and he notched up his 13th first-class century. Chauhan, who put on a 213-run stand with Rayudu, batted in a manner reminiscent of Wasim Jaffer, with his confident on-side strokeplay, and reached his second successive century this season.

For Delhi, it was a pity that seamer Parvinder Awana, who worked up brisk pace and used variations effectively, picked up only two wickets in 32 overs. The delivery with which he dismissed Rayudu was a beauty. It pitched on the leg and middle line and completely squared up the batsman, who lost his middle stump.

Rajat Bhatia was economical but his wicket-to-wicket bowling yielded just one wicket on the second day. Pawan Suyal strived for extra pace, and was targeted by Rayudu.

Manan Sharma's performance left much to be desired. His left-arm spin was taken on by Gagandeep and Panchal, who gave him the charge repeatedly. The ball was keeping low and one expected him to use the arm ball, but it seemed he didn't.

Baroda have a sizeable score and they could go on for more, but Delhi, too, have batsmen who can bat big and bat long. Shikhar Dhawan and Mithun Manhas are among them.

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