Kohli takes pride in 'learning innings'

Early this year, Virat Kohli scored a scarcely believable 133 off 86 to help India chase 321 in 36.4 overs. In his last Test innings of the year, Kohli showed the other side of his batting by scoring 103 off 295 balls. These two completely different innings have proved he is India's player of the year and their impact has been similar.

The first innings - a blazing century in Hobart which kept India alive in the CB Series only for Sri Lanka to crush their hopes two days later - showed Kolhi the power of a free mind with nothing to lose.

This latest hundred has emphasised what can be achieved through patience, an innings which has kept India alive in the series, even if the state of a slow and low pitch suggests that England are likely to crush India's hopes again.

Kohli, though, is wiser after the effort. "I didn't think about the runs, I didn't think about the number of balls I was playing, I was just batting," he said. "You just keep batting, you just keep watching the ball and eventually you get the right results. I was pretty pleased to bat for long hours in this game and that is something you will need to do in future in Test matches. It was a learning innings for me."

What had been going wrong earlier in the series then? "Three times I got 20," he said. "I probably got a good ball in Ahmedabad in the first innings, and I made a few mistakes after that. Sometimes you need that bit of luck, you get beaten and then sometimes you know today is the right day and you put your foot down and concentrate for long hours.

"I was waiting for this one innings, I was not doubting myself at all. I was working hard for the last one month and eventually if you keep working hard these little things happen in cricket."

Kohli said he and MS Dhoni, who scored 99, had to stay patient. "It was challenging for both of us," he said. "It was a slowish wicket, not that easy to get the ball away. I had to show some patience and I just thought of applying myself and not think of anything else. It was all about showing patience and just watching the ball and reacting to it rather than thinking about what we are going to be at the end of the day or the end of the session."

Not thinking about where they will be at the end of the day actually put them on the path to a strong position, but a mix of slow run rate - that can't be helped because of the slow pitch - and late wickets relinquished that position. India still see a way to win, though, said Kohli.

"You get some runs' lead and you put the opposition under pressure," he said. "It won't be easy to defend all day. That is not something you can do every Test match. We will just be looking for the one opening and probably get two-three wickets and you never know where the game goes from there."

India, 2-1 down in the series, still trail by 33, and will need all the help from the pitch and England to bowl the opposition out in four sessions at most, and then chase the total down. The pitch has given the bowlers nothing at all. Kohli said that can change.

"The wicket hasn't changed much," he said, "but I think the cracks are opening up slowly so you might see a completely different wicket tomorrow. The spinners might come into play a bit more. This is kind of wicket where you need to apply yourself the whole time, you just can't relax."

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Pakistan must play aggressively against India - Inzamam

Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan's former captain and newly-appointed batting consultant, has advised his batsmen to be 'aggressive' against India. The team that handles pressure better, he said, could control how the matches go in the upcoming limited-overs series'.

Pakistan are preparing for the India series with a conditioning camp at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and Inzamam will spend the week with the batsmen to assist them. Since his retirement in 2007, Inzamam had not been associated with Pakistan cricket in any form, running a business instead; this is the first in five years that he has taken up a role with the team.

"My job will be to pass on my playing experience to the players, rather than working on batsmen's techniques," Inzamam told reporters at the end of the day's training. "I will be discussing with them how to chase, how to set a target and what's required while batting."

Pakistan will kick-off their tour of India with a two-match T20 series, followed by three ODIs. Inzamam, who led Pakistan in 22 ODIs against India and has a win-loss ratio of 12-10, said Pakistan have plenty of matchwinners in the squad but they need 'collective' effort.

"Pakistan have a lot of players who could individually win matches for us, it's a good sign,'' he said. "But cricket is a team game, we lack in collective effort from the batsmen. Our bowling is very strong and we have to have confidence in ourselves. We have to make up our minds that we can win.

"Playing in Indian conditions isn't different; we have been winning [there] and can win again. It's only about pressure and how to handle it. What we need is to play aggressively and whoever copes with it [pressure] well, will play better."

Pakistan have played 16 completed ODIs in 2012, losing four out of eight while chasing and failing to defend their target on six instances out of eight. Batting first this year, they have crossed the 200-run mark seven times, winning only twice. When chasing a target of more than 200, they have won only on one occasion out of five.

"It's not a new problem, it's been going on for a long time now," Inzamam said of their batting issues, citing the lack of quality cricket in Pakistan, which has been a no-go zone for major international cricket teams. "For the last two years we have not played a lot of cricket and the batsmen are lacking in temperament due to T20 cricket.

"Flaws in our players are down to us not playing on a regular basis. If we start playing 10-12 Test matches every year, you will obviously see an improvement in our batting. As more we play cricket, the more players will learn from it."

Inzamam said it will be important for the players to put aside distractions in India and focus on the cricket: "Against India, one should be focused on the game instead of other activities. We have to focus on our game and don't worry about what others are doing. If we keep focus on ourselves, we will perform better.

"India will play with passion, so must Pakistan. I think the way this Pakistan team lines-up, we can put pressure on India. But they're a big team too and could make a comeback [after faltering in the Test series against England], so we have to focus ourselves."

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Dilshan ton drives Sri Lanka

Lunch Sri Lanka 4 for 187 (Dilshan 103*, Mathews 45*) trail Australia 5 for 450 dec by 263 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Tillakaratne Dilshan's third century from his past four Tests steered Sri Lanka safely through until lunch on the third day in Hobart as Australia's bowlers failed to make a breakthrough in the morning session. Rain arrived half an hour before the scheduled lunch break and an early interval was declared at 12.20pm, with Dilshan on 103, Angelo Mathews on 45 and the total on 4 for 187.

It meant the Sri Lankans needed only another 64 runs to avoid the follow-on, although even if the opportunity arose for Michael Clarke, he would be unlikely to make Sri Lanka bat again due to the loss of one of his key bowlers. Ben Hilfenhaus left the field after delivering two balls of his fourth over of the morning and was sent for scans on what was suspected to be a side strain, and he was unlikely to take any further part in Australia's bowling effort.

His departure meant a greater bowling workload for the rest of the Australians, including Shane Watson, whose accuracy helped keep Dilshan in the nineties for half an hour. Dilshan eventually brought up his hundred from his 148th delivery by steering a delivery from Peter Siddle behind point for a boundary and his vocal celebration showed how important the innings was to him and his team, after the Sri Lankans went to stumps last night at 4 for 87.

Dilshan and Mathews denied the Australians any real opportunities on the third morning, but at the same time they were able to move the score along briskly for most of the session. Dilshan was very strong through the off side, cutting and driving with power and he struck 16 boundaries in his century, largely in the region from backward point to extra cover.

Mathews picked up a couple of early boundaries by pulling short deliveries and was very impressive down the ground to the spinner Nathan Lyon, using his feet well and taking few risks. By the time lunch was called, the Dilshan-Mathews partnership had reached exactly 100 at a run rate of 3.72, and Clarke was left wondering who could break the stand, with none of his bowlers having proven much of a danger in the morning.

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Hilfenhaus side injury exposes Australia again

Australia face the grim prospect of trying to win a Test with only three specialist bowlers for the second time in three matches after Ben Hilfenhaus shuffled off Bellerive Oval with a suspected left side strain.

After bowling the second ball of his 13th over to Sri Lanka's vice-captain Angelo Mathews, Hilfenhaus grimaced, felt for his hip or side, spoke briefly to his captain Michael Clarke and left the field, leaving Shane Watson to complete the over. He later left the ground for further medical examination. "Ben Hilfenhaus has some sort of left side injury, which is being investigated," a team spokesperson said. "He is going for scans to give further clarity on the injury."

The injury is a serious blow to the hosts, as Hilfenhaus had been considered alongside Peter Siddle one of the two durable, senior bowlers to be relied upon across the summer. They were outlined as critical to Australia's planning as the youthful group including Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood could be rotated around them.

Of that quartet, only Starc has reached this point of the summer without being sidelined, while John Hastings, called up when both Siddle and Hilfenhaus missed the Perth Test against South Africa, is recovering from a back injury.

Siddle and Hilfenhaus were unable to be considered for the WACA match as a direct result of Pattinson's withdrawal midway through the draining Adelaide Test due to a side/rib injury, which left the older duo with a heavy workload across the second innings.

Nathan Lyon was also leaned on heavily in Pattinson's absence, and he can now expect another hefty shift while Hilfenhaus convalesces. Watson's return to the team in the interim as an allrounder will be of some help to Clarke's bowling options, but Australia's captain is reluctant to overbowl his deputy out of fear it will both detract from his batting and also cause another round of injury.

Hilfenhaus' bowling has been the subject of considerable scrutiny so far this summer, as he appeared to lapse into the bad habits that bedevilled him during the 2010-11 Ashes series following a year punctuated by lots of Twenty20 assignments and precious little first-class cricket.

When Hilfenhaus was recalled after missing the Perth Test, having picked up a slight knee niggle in Adelaide while wrestling with his bowling action, the national selector John Inverarity described his halting progress, which has required plenty of time with Australia's bowling coach Ali de Winter.

"The history with Ben, he was doing well then the last series against England in Australia [in 2010-11] he didn't bowl to his highest level," Inverarity said. "He got things sorted out, a few niggles were sorted out and he got his bowling action right, and his bowling last summer was superb. He bowled at good pace and very well.

"His bowling in the first Test was a bit like against England, it wasn't as good as he'd hoped. So he needs to get 100% fit to perform, and his action so that he bowls like he did against India last summer, and we're hopefully that during this little break he'll be back to that sort of form."

In Hobart, Hilfenhaus did not generate his customary outswing, and struggled early on for his line as he drifted too often into the pads of Tillakaratne Dilshan. This angle proved more profitable against Dimuth Karunaratne, as a ball running across the left-hander caught an outside edge on the way through to Matthew Wade. As things stand, it will be his last major contribution to this match.

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India series a 'tough one' - Whatmore

With India and Pakistan set to face-off in a bilateral series for the first time in five years, Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore is excited. On the opening day of Pakistan's preparatory camp in Lahore, he said he is 'very keen to play the series' and take on the challenge of playing India in India.

"India v Pakistan in India is not going to be an easy one, particularly with the added interest of the neighbours playing each other [for the first time in a while]," Whatmore said at the Gaddafi Stadium. "But it's fantastic. I can tell you players from both sides respect each other, we are fellow professionals. We understand the pressures that exist but sadly there are a number other people who build it up as something different … But that's the way it is. We are very keen to play our neighbours and we are looking forward to it very much."

The series, which begins with a Twenty20 in Bangalore on December 25, will be the first bilateral series between the two sides since Pakistan toured India in late 2007. They have since met in multinational tournaments, but bilateral ties between the two were put on hold following the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. India had withdrawn from their planned tour of Pakistan in 2009 and, after the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore that stalled international cricket in Pakistan, have not agreed to play a series at a neutral venue as has been the case with all Pakistan's 'home' series.

"It's a privilege to be involved in series like this," Whatmore said. "I've been involved in the odd match at ICC events and Asian Cricket Council events, but this will be first time we'll play more that two or three times in a small series.

"It will be an experience, particularly playing in India, where the fans are also very keen to come out and have a look and support their team."

Saeed Ajmal will be Pakistan's trump card, Whatmore said. "We will pick our group of bowlers depending on the conditions. You can't do that until you've had a look [at the conditions]. We feel we've enough boys in the group to satisfy the requirements of any conditions. But Saeed Ajmal will always remain a trump card for us, he will always remain a threat [for the opposition]."

Despite India's struggles during the ongoing England Test series, Whatmore refused to be complacent. "England are playing very well at the moment and India have a big job to square the series. But one Test series [results] doesn't necessarily mean that they are weak, we all know how good they have been over many years. I wouldn't read much into that."

Fifteen players of the 22 who will travel to India for the three Twenty20s and three ODIs attended the inaugural day of the camp; Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq were absent due to various reasons.

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MCC Royal Charter eases financial fears

MCC has been granted a Royal Charter, so easing the fears of its members that they could become liable should the club's redevelopment plans ever run into financial difficulties.

The charter, which comes into effect in July next year, is awarded by the Queen on the advice of the Privy Council and alters MCC's status from that of unincorporated association to become a body incorporated by royal charter.

Royal Charters are reserved for eminent professional bodies or charities with a proven record of achievement and which can show that they operate in the public interest.

MCC established a working party last year under the chairmanship of Peter Leaver, a London-based barrister, to consider the status and governance of the club. MCC's 18,000-strong membership overwhelmingly approved a recommendation to apply for a Royal Charter with 97.4% voting in favour at a special general meeting in June this year.

The club accordingly sent a petition to the Privy Council, together with a draft charter. It was considered and approved by The Queen at a meeting of the Privy Council on Wednesday.

Incorporation will enable MCC to hold assets - not least Lord's itself - in its own name, rather than through a custodian trustee. It will also remove any potential liability of individual members - as owners of the club - in the event of MCC finding itself in great financial difficulty.

Royal Charters are far from automatic - even for such an august body as MCC. The club has applied unsuccessfully twice before, in 1864 and 1929.

MCC's president, Mike Griffith, said: "After two previously unsuccessful attempts, it is a great honour to be incorporated by Royal Charter - and one of which the club is immensely proud. "MCC plays an important role in the promotion, protection and development of cricket - it is a private members' club with a very public responsibility. This charter means we can better protect our members' rights and assets, and strengthens our ability to work for the good of game in the UK and abroad."

At one time a Royal Charter was the sole means by which an incorporated body could be formed, but other means, such as forming a limited company, are normally used nowadays.

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Delhi target outright win with four quicks

As the winter in Delhi begins to bite, its Ranji Trophy team has decided it must do the same - with a bullet. With only two matches left and 11 miserable points from six matches, Delhi will attempt to bring all their powers of purpose down on Maharashtra from Saturday at the Roshanara Club in north Delhi. Those powers begin with the fortuitous occurrence of a home ground going into preparation lockdown for an international game against Pakistan. It is why Delhi must move groundstaff, supersopper, catering unit and everything else it needs to play yet another all-or-nothing match on the fastest wicket in the neighbourhood with the promise of a four-man pace attack and a 9:15 start time known usually for freezing fingers in Delhi's Decembers.

Even though the Kotla ODI between India and Pakistan is more than three weeks away, the logistical nightmare of moving from the Kotla to the private Roshanara Club, around 8 km away, will have to be undergone. The grumbling will be kept to the minimum if the move ends up being to Delhi's eventual advantage, even though Ashish Nehra, their most experienced of quick men, is not on the team roster and Parvinder Awana, their quickest and most successful, finds himself in the Indian dressing room.

Instead, said coach Vijay Dahiya, medium-pacer Vikas Tokas had been called into the 15. If he does indeed turn up in the XI, Tokas will make his debut for Delhi after having played two Ranji matches for Railways in 2010-11. He completes the quartet of Delhi quicks being promised to stomp all over the Roshanara Club alongside Pawan Suyal, Pradeep Sangwan and Sumit Narwal. Delhi may be tempted to play five bowlers, including left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra, according to Dahiya, given that they are trying to snatch two outright wins and sneak their way into the knock-outs.

Against them will be a batting line-up that has rattled up totals of 764, 315, 333 and 540 and has six centuries, including a triple, from their batsmen in five matches. Yet, Maharashtra do not have a single outright win. Against Tamil Nadu, they were all out for 88 in their second innings in Chennai and beaten by 104 runs. Eight points and many tall totals have come from four draws, from first-innings leads against Vidarbha and Haryana. They may have three group games still left as compared to Delhi's two, but at the tail-end of the Ranji Trophy, it is only strong and desperate opposition that lies in wait. First Delhi on what the day before the game looked like a green top, and then Baroda and Karnataka. In Group B, given Haryana's unpredictability, Maharashtra must do all they can to ensure they do not end up hitting the bottom of the points table.

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Hussey and Wade steer steady Australia

Lunch Australia 5 for 364 (Hussey 66*, Wade 31*) v Sri Lanka
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Michael Hussey continued his productive summer with a half-century that kept Australia on track for a very healthy first-innings total against Sri Lanka. In a session shortened by rain, the Australians added 65 to their overnight score and went to lunch on 5 for 364, with Hussey on 66 and Matthew Wade on 31, and the Sri Lankans had so far been unable to find the spark they needed in the field to fight their way back into the contest.

Their only success during the session was the early wicket of Michael Clarke, who added only four to his score in the morning before he was caught at slip. In the third over of the morning, Shaminda Eranga got one to nip away off the seam and Clarke, on 74, saw his edge snapped up by Kumar Sangakkara at first slip. That brought Wade to the crease to join Hussey, and by lunch their partnership had reached 60 runs.

The Sri Lankans had a chance to get rid of Wade on 20 when he pulled Chanaka Welegedara and the ball whizzed through the fingers of the substitute fielder Suraj Randiv at midwicket. The ball was flying but Randiv, typically a very reliable fielder, had a genuine chance to make the catch stick, but instead it raced away and became Wade's first boundary.

Wade was generally watchful in his first Test innings on the ground on which he grew up playing his club cricket, while Hussey was also careful. But both men accumulated enough runs to keep things from stagnating and Hussey's half-century came from his 114th delivery with a single to mid-off from Welegedara, in an over that cost the Sri Lankans ten runs.

It was Hussey's fourth fifty-plus score in his six Test innings this summer and by lunch he was in a position to push for what could become his fourth Test hundred this year, which would be a personal record. Hussey and Clarke had to wait 50 minutes beyond the scheduled start time before they could resume in the morning, due to wet weather.

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Eagles, Rhinos clinch easy wins

Mashonaland Eagles 182 for 2 (Matsikenyeri 77, Raza 46) beat Mountaineers 179 for 9 (S Masakadza 52*, H Masakadza 49) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A 102-run partnership between opener Stuart Matsikenyeri and No. 4 Sikandar Raza sealed Mashonaland Eagles' eight-wicket win over Mountaineers in Harare. This was after their collective bowling effort helped restrict Mountaineers to 179 for 9, an innings which featured a half-century from lower-order batsman Shingi Masakadza, and a near half-century (49) by his brother Hamilton. But besides the two knocks, Mountaineers couldn't offer much resistance to the bowling.

Their innings was full of small partnerships, but none progressed beyond 42 runs. The most productive stand, between Shingi Masakadza and Donald Tiripano was for the eighth wicket, after they were in trouble at 104 for 7. Towards the end of the innings, the last-wicket pair added 33 in 3.3 overs to boost their total. But that didn't prove to be a difficult one to chase, as Matsikenyeri, scoring 77, featured in productive partnerships with three other top-order batsmen to clinch victory in the 43rd over.

Mid West Rhinos 302 for 6 (Taylor 134, Sibanda 106, Musoko 3-67) beat Southern Rocks 113 (Masvaure 40, Nkala 5-35) by 189 runs
Scorecard

At the Kwekwe Sports Club, another one-sided contest took place. Centuries by opener Vusi Sibanda and Brendan Taylor, and an effective spell of 5 for 35 from seamer Mluleki Nkala ensured a comprehensive 189-run win for Mid West Rhinos over Southern Rocks. After being put in to bat, Sibanda and Taylor scored 204 runs together to lead their side to a strong 302 for 6, after which seamer Richard Muzhange, by taking early wickets, laid the base for fellow seamers Ed Rainsford and Nkala to ensure a clinical win.

Sibanda's knock of 106 contained nine boundaries and a six, but the more aggressive innings was played by captain Taylor, who scored 134 off 106 deliveries with the help of 15 boundaries. When their mammoth stand was broken in the 43rd over, their team was a strong 247 for 2. Towards the end there was slight stutter, but they managed to reach 300. In reply, only middle-order batsman Prince Masvaure resisted, with his knock of 40, as the seamers ran through the line-up.

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Shakib ties knot with US-based girl

Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has married Umme Ahmed Shishir, a US-based software engineer, in Dhaka on Wednesday. The private ceremony was held at a five-star hotel where the couple completed their Akhd, the Islamic marriage formality.

The media wasn't allowed inside the hotel, and when the couple arrived to find photographers and cameramen trying to capture them, it resulted in a melee. It is the most talked about wedding in the country given Shakib's superstar status. Local newspapers have reported that the couple will host the traditional Bangladeshi ceremonies in March, but a date for it hasn't been made public.

The duo met in 2010 in United Kingdom, where Shakib was playing county cricket for Worcestershire. Shishir is a software engineer based in Minnesota, USA. She is originally from Narayanganj, a small town south of Dhaka.

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