Pietersen not retained for new IPL

Kevin Pietersen's future has been pushed further into doubt with his IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils deciding not to retain any of their players.

Pietersen, who has a cloud hanging over his international career after a difficult Ashes series and reported rift with team director Andy Flower, was expected to be retained for IPL 2014 but Daredevils have instead chosen to build a new team.

Delhi tweeted: "DD will not be retaining any player from the previous squad for IPL-7. It was a unanimous decision by the management in order to build a fresh team that our fans will be proud of DD."

It is understood that Daredevils, who finished bottom of the IPL last season which Pietersen missed with a knee injury, were in negotiations with Pietersen and fellow star attractions Virender Sehwag and David Warner but the talks fell through with the franchise not willing to meet the price requested by the players.

Pietersen will now have to enter the auction, on February 12 and 13, for the seventh season of IPL. If he chooses not to, he would become available for the first half of Surrey's County Championship campaign ahead of the first Test of the English summer on June 12 against Sri Lanka.

Missing the tournament would send a clear message to the England management that Pietersen is still committed to international cricket. Pietersen, who has already tweeted his strong desire to remain an international player, will regard that as a gesture that he has no cause to make.

It is therefore highly likely that Pietersen, who previously requested more time to be made available for England players to take part in the IPL, will take advantage of the ECB's decision to shift back the first Test of the summer.

In a deal sealed in new central contracts which were not signed until England left for the Ashes tour, the agreed cut-off date for England players to return ahead of the international programme is May 13, which would give them seven days preparation ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka.

The IPL will also test the ambitions of Eoin Morgan, who is keen to return to Test cricket. Morgan has previously opted to play in the IPL and miss a large chunk of the English season. Last year he played for Kolkata Knight Riders and scored 307 runs at 27.90.

Morgan has played 16 Tests for England, the last in February 2012, but is still unproven in red-ball cricket with a first-class average of 34.45. Commitment to Championship cricket is surely a requisite for him to be considered for Test cricket again.

Jos Buttler is another England player who could be considered for Test duty but whose T20 talent should make him in-demand for the IPL. Ben Stokes, who has emerged as England's allrounder in all formats, is not expected to enter the auction.

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Is workload taking a toll on Ajmal?

Saeed Ajmal made a relatively late entry into international cricket but didn't play his first Test till he was almost 32. He is 36 now and is doing his best to make up for lost time having been a key player for Pakistan for many years

Pity Saeed Ajmal. Since May 2011, he's bowled the most overs in international cricket (1914.1 overs, far ahead of Graeme Swann's 1619.3 and James Anderson's 1640.1 overs). And he's missed only six international matches out of the 122 Pakistan have played since becoming a permanent member of the team across all formats. A relatively late entrant to international cricket, at the age of 30, he played his first Test when almost 32; now 36, it seems he's doing his best to make up for lost time.

He's been a key player for Pakistan for all this time. And now the strain is showing.

The Abu Dhabi Test took its toll on Ajmal. He has never waited so long for a wicket in a Test innings: his previous longest wait was 41.1 overs, in the first innings against England at Lord's in 2010 and he ended with figures of 2 for 126 from 44 overs. He remained wicketless in the second innings of the first Test with 49 overs, conceding 115 runs, and had to wait another 28.2 overs in Dubai to take his first wicket, making the stretch 77.2 overs.

There was a debate of sorts in the dressing room of the Sheikh Zayed Stadium before the first Test over resting Ajmal but captain Misbah-ul-Haq voted out the other spinner Abdur Rehman and insisted on sticking with the veteran. By no means has Ajmal been the wrong pick but he didn't fire in time. Probably, he wasn't given much support from the other end, or as Ramiz Raja suggests, he was "neutralised" well by the Sri Lanka batsmen.

Ajmal doesn't want to rest, he has barely asked for it. He wants to play every match and Pakistan don't want to drop him because he has been doing well. He was supposed to be rested with his suspected hernia last year but doctors cleared him with a week's rest before the ODI series in Scotland in May.

Saqlain Mushtaq, on the other hand, made his Test debut at 19 and became the quickest to 100 one-day-international wickets. His career was damaged by knee injury and in nine years - in which he played 49 Tests and 169 ODIs - his career was over. He made a final unsuccessful attempt in 2004 to force his way back into the Test side, against India in Multan, only to concede 204 runs in 43 overs. Disappointed with Ajmal's workload, Saqlain advised him to take a break to avoid getting fatigued.

"He [Ajmal] is a quality spinner and has proven himself in every format but he looked tired against Sri Lanka and perhaps he needs to be given a break from the sport so that he can refresh himself and come back fresh," Saqlain said. "He can still play for some more years and is our match winner."

Ajmal is an automatic selection in every format for Pakistan and dropping him could be the hardest thing for the selectors who normally adopt a safety-first policy. Rotation doesn't work in Pakistan, players are insecure, selections are inconsistent and players have no guarantee if they will be recalled after been rested.

Cricket is money in Pakistan and for Ajmal it's no exception. He wants to earn as much as he can before he walks away. He has been one of the best spinners in the world in the last three years but he is missing out on the IPL money. After a late entry and with age not on his side, it's uncertain how long he will manage to play. He would want to play the 2015 World Cup but Pakistan would prefer an in-form and fit Ajmal who can contribute with his performances.

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Younis defends younger players

At 19 for 3, Pakistan seemed to be heading towards an inevitable defeat, but Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored fifties to keep Sri Lanka at bay on the third day. The hosts still trailed by 91 runs at the end of play, but Younis insisted that the team's fightback would continue. Younis was unbeaten on 62, while Misbah hit 52 not out, as the pair put up an unbroken stand of 113 for the fourth wicket.

"I tried to fight back," Younis said. "In the end, it was good that I had a partnership with Misbah. The seniors always perform whenever the team needs them to, so that's good."

What would have hurt Pakistan is the fact that their bowlers had actually done well to dismiss Sri Lanka within 28 overs on day three, conceding only 70 runs in the process to keep the visitors' lead at 223. The hosts, however, immediately collapsed and lost Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez and Khurram Manzoor in quick succession. Given Pakistan's recent batting performances, it would have been safe to assume that the rest of their batting would also fold, but Younis and Misbah stayed firm to launch a counterattack.

"What was needed was to keep it simple on the pitch and play according to the situation. It's always good whenever Misbah plays with me as we just take singles and we try to cash in on easy deliveries. It was the same when I was with Yousuf, with whom I had a big partnership."

When asked why the youngsters like Shehzad and Manzoor were not taking on the responsibility, Younis said: "Ahmed is new to Test cricket so I think we must give him some time. Khurram is doing well as he has had some experience in Tests. I hope they learn from their mistakes. I think if they play for 14 years, they will also play like us. It's as simple as that."

"Khurram has played 10 Tests while it's just the start for Ahmed. I think that with time they will learn, especially after playing so many T20s and ODIs. When you play an ODI, you field for 50 overs and then bat.

"But in Test cricket, you sometimes have to field for more than 150 overs and then go open. The first four batting positions are very crucial in Tests, so you can say it has something to do with their fitness, as much as their experience. If you look at them after five years, maybe you will say they are batting better than us."

Despite the recovery, Pakistan are still facing an uphill task, with Asad Shafiq the only reputed batsman left to come. Still, Younis is optimistic that Pakistan can take a commanding lead.

"The first target is that we get a lead of around 220. Something like 200-300 runs on the board will be good for us. One thing that happened in Abu Dhabi was that the ball was seaming, but they [Sri Lanka] took the match away from us," he said. "So I thought if we played correctly and according to the situation, we could be in a similar position. If we cashed in on one or two sessions and stayed there together, you never know. Anything can happen on the last day."

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A fresh start, or just more pain?

Match Facts

January 12, 2013, Melbourne
Start time 2.20pm (0320GMT)

The Big Picture

For Australia there is a World Cup to build for and the chance to add more pain. For England there is a World Cup to build for and a chance to start repairing some of the damage from the Ashes humiliation.

In the previous four Ashes series the side watching the victors celebrate with the urn have achieved some modicum of retribution, albeit small, with success in the one-day contests that follow. However, given the traumatising effect of the last six weeks, it would be a brave person who would back Alastair Cook's side to continue that trend.

In 2006-07, Andrew Flintoff's brittle and disenchanted team somehow managed to snatch the CB Series from Australia's grasp with such names as Liam Plunkett, Ed Joyce and Paul Nixon to the fore. That fleeting moment of relief was followed by a shocking World Cup campaign while Australia went unbeaten to a hat-trick of titles.

This time there is still a year until the global 50-over trophy is up for grabs, but that time will pass quickly and important markers can be laid over the coming weeks. England need to work out the balance of their top six and which bowlers will support Stuart Broad and James Anderson, although the latter is perhaps not certain to be there. Who of Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin, Tim Bresnan, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes are the men to star with the white ball?

Australia, although understandably carrying the swagger of 5-0 winners, have some pace-bowling slots of their own to nail down and need to decide whether Xavier Doherty is the man to be their spinner in 2015. There is also a battle at the top of the order with Aaron Finch aiming to firm up an opening slot alongside the recalled David Warner.

Form guide

(Completed matches, most recent first)

Australia LLWLW
England LWLWL

Watch out for

Ravi Bopara enjoyed a resurgent 2013 in England's one-day side after his troubles of the previous year. If his pull off Ishant Sharma in the Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston had been placed slightly better he could have produced the defining performance of his career. Ifs and buts don't mean much although the way Bopara went about his ODI cricket was highly encouraging both with bat and ball. It was in Australia, on the 2006-07 tour, that he made his debut and much was expected of him. Development has taken longer than many hoped, but now he has the chance to show he is here for the long haul.

James Faulkner was at the Ashes celebrations in Sydney, but during the series itself he was the perennial 12th man, unable to force a change in the Australian line-up. This, though, is a format where he has already shown his worth: his previous ODI innings was a hair-raising 116 off 73 balls, batting at No. 7, against India in Bangalore. Bowling in that series was a fearsome prospect, but Faulkner came out of the carnage better than some. Neither, as his comments on his Test debut showed, is he shy at having a word or two.

Team news

There will be plenty of fresh faces for England, particularly in the middle order where Bopara and Eoin Morgan will form the fulcrum followed by Jos Buttler. Stuart Broad is rested for this and the second match meaning the likes of Chris Jordan or Chris Woakes will get a chance. The former's extra pace should make him favourite.

England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Boyd Rankin

James Pattinson will have to wait a little longer for his international return while Shaun Marsh is the batsman to miss out. Darren Lehmann has said that Clint McKay is under pressure to lift after struggling in India - although he was not the only bowler to take a hammering - and being dropped from his BBL team.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 George Bailey, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty

Pitch and conditions

A true surface can be expected although sometimes they are a little on the slow side. The really hot weather is not due until next week and there is a chance of a shower on match day although it is expected to clear by the time the game begins.

Stats and trivia

• When these teams previously met at the MCG in 2011, Shane Watson hit an unbeaten 161 to take Australia to victory chasing 295.
• Xavier Doherty needs one wicket to reach 50 in ODIs
• This fixture will be repeated on the opening day of the World Cup on February 14 next year

Quotes

"The psychological edge we take is our success against the same team recently in the UK. I don't look too much into what's just happened in the five Test matches."
Michael Clarke

"We came here to win the Ashes, everyone knows how important they are, but now we've lost them if we win this one-day series we can salvage some pride.
Alastair Cook

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Kaushal knock as good as a ton - Mahela

Kaushal Silva narrowly missed a maiden hundred on day two in Abu Dhabi, but Mahela Jayawardene emphasised the value of Silva's 95, which he said was as good as a ton. Silva forged a 139-run fourth-wicket stand with Jayawardene to help consolidate the advantage Sri Lanka's fast bowlers had earned on day one, and had been the more fluent partner during their association.

Silva had also hit 81 in Abu Dhabi - his first Test since 2011 - as he stepped into the opener's role made vacant by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Silva has been a middle-order batsman for his first-class side, but Jayawardene lauded the work-ethic that has bred his success in a new position.

"Kaushal was unfortunate to miss a hundred," Jayawardene said. "The little guy is batting really well. I'm very proud of him. He's a clubmate of mine and he works really hard at his game. Good to see that he has shown the same kind of commitment at this level and he fully deserves what he has got. Two good knocks, but although he didn't get a hundred, today's knock was as good as a hundred. He batted through the pressure situations and carried the team in that time. He's quite familiar getting big scores so I'm sure once he gets one he'll continue to get a few more for us."

Pakistan had only made 165 in the first innings, but Jayawardene joined Silva in a tense period, after Sri Lanka's third wicket had fallen for 88. The pair scored at only 2.4 runs per over in the first 30 overs of their stand, as Pakistan bowled with discipline.

"There was a bit of pressure early on when I was batting with Kaushal. We talked and spoke of batting long, because the longer we batted and the more tired the bowlers got, the better chances we had of getting in the game."

Jayawardene said the pitch also still posed difficulties for batsmen, despite only three wickets having fallen on day two. Sri Lanka finished the day 153 runs ahead, with six first-innings wickets still in hand.

"A first day wicket should have a little bit in it, and we were fortunate enough to win the toss and get the first use out of that. If you see, the new ball is still doing a bit. It's a wicket that you don't feel that you're set all the time. There's a little bit of spin for Saeed Ajmal as well. We had to really fight hard. Batting against Pakistan was not easy - they were not giving us easy runs. They bowled well in patches and we had to ride that through."

Batting with three stitches after splitting the webbing between two fingers on his left hand on the first day, Jayawardene revealed why he had come in at No. 5 - one place lower than his normal position.

"Last night, Dinesh Chandimal had been ready to bat at No. 4, so we didn't want to change that too much this morning. I had already decided I would bat either 4 or 5 and not lower, because with my injury, I can't go for too many big shots and that doesn't help when you have to bat with the tail."

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Lack of discipline hurting Pakistan bowlers

Pakistan's seamers failed to create opportunities as a unit. Their bowling coach Mohammad Akram reiterated that the bowlers let Sri Lanka off the hook by not maintaining any pressure

Saeed Ajmal went wicket-less. Junaid Khan was tidy. Bilawal Bhatti was ineffective. Mohamamd Hafeez was under-bowled and Rahat Ali was unlucky. That was the tale of Pakistan's bowlers on the second day in Dubai. They managed to take only three wickets, conceded 261 as Sri Lanka walked away with a decent lead of 153 runs and six wickets in hand. Pakistan walked away with few positives in terms of the bowling, on a pitch that is expected to get flatter and test them further.

Pakistan stumbled to 165 after losing the toss yesterday - an improvement from their 99 after opting to bat first against South Africa on the same pitch in October. The toss was the difference but bowlers toiled hard on both occasions to mend the mistakes made by the batsmen from day one.

The chatter in the press box was mainly about Rahat being 'unlucky'. He toiled for 26 overs with little success, with several edges dropping in front of the slips and a regulation take that was spilled by the wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed. Ajmal was economical but unsuccessful. Bhatti, playing in his second Test, was the quickest - clocking 147 kmph - but lacked discipline. Coach Dav Whatmore said before the Test that his bowlers had the ability to take 20 wickets to win the contest but today, the bowlers struggled to take half that number to try and restrict the Sri Lankan batsmen.

"The pitch played better than yesterday and it was very obvious when they (Sri Lanka) won the toss and bowled first," Mohammad Akram, Pakistan's bowling coach, said. "There was a bit of juice in the pitch yesterday. We knew that the pitch will get better (for batting) but still, our bowlers held them well. But yes, they needed to be more disciplined."

There was occasional seam movement but the lengths didn't work and the bowlers rarely troubled the Sri Lankan batsman. Rahat was in fact lucky when Kumar Sangakkara's bat was stuck under his boot, only to be trapped in front of the stumps. It was Rahat's only wicket. Akram said the bowlers didn't put in enough effort.

"When you are bundled out for 165, there is a bit of frustration (among bowlers), and you look to pick up wickets," Akram said. "That's the time when you really need to be disciplined. At times we bowled too many loose balls as well but the effort was there as the bowlers still ran in with their heads up.

"We lacked disciplined in the bowling. You can't offer a loose ball early in the day and let the batsman get set. The pitch is far different today to what it was on the first day so had we batted sensibly and survived, it could have been a different scenario for us.

"Our bowling attack is still the best in the world. But what we are lacking is the experience and if you add the number of matches the seamers have played it is hardly 17 or 18. Unless these bowlers play, they won't thrive."

Akram wasn't worried about Ajmal being off-color, acknowledging that the conditions had challenged him. Ajmal had picked up a six-wicket haul in the Test against South Africa.

"Ajmal is our main bowler, but there was a lot of grass on the pitch and hence not much purchase for Ajmal," Akram said. "The seamers had to do the job. We need not panic and there is no reason to be frustrated if he (Ajmal) isn't picking wickets. It happens and you can't judge him on these two matches as he has done a lot in the past."

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Rasool to J&K's rescue again

At the start of the second day of the quarter-final in Baroda, Punjab employed four slips, a gully, and one man each at point and short leg. They had only scored 304 runs, but the attacking fields made it appear as if they were leading by 500. It was either a reflection of Punjab's belief in their seamers, or an assessment of Jammu & Kashmir's batting ability.

The ball was seaming, bouncing and flying past the bat. Adil Rishi had just top-edged a bouncer over the keeper's head after being hurried by the pace. Punjab were imposing themselves and for J&K, someone needed to stand up.

J&K's rise this season has been built around a potent pace attack, but they have also managed to get the necessary runs on the board. Parvez Rasool, who has brought the state's cricket to the limelight, has not shirked away from that responsibility.

On the last day of their last league game against Tripura, Rasool produced his best bowling figures of the season, and batted solidly to lead J&K past Goa into the knockouts. Today, he produced his best batting performance of the season.

Rasool started with a four through point, and reached his century with a couple more through the same region. In between, he expertly manoeuvred the ball at will and forced Punjab to spread the field. That helped his partners too as Rishi and Samiullah Beigh both thrived in his presence.

"Not everyone fires in every match," Rasool said. "It's always about two or three players scoring runs. Some of us could have played a little longer, like Adil was playing well, but got out just before lunch. Then Sami bhai was also playing well, but he too got out after being set. It could have been better."

By no means were these easy batting conditions as Punjab boast a formidable seam attack. A leaner MS Gony generated pace and bounce while VRV Singh bowled quick and got the ball to seam. Sandeep Sharma produced swing - both conventional and reverse. Rasool's plan, however, was to not let them control the game. He was unruffled, and with the ball coming onto the bat, kept the scoring rate high.

"One delivery from VRV Singh which I left thinking it was very wide outside off, but it came in sharply," he said. "It must have hit a crack. This pitch is good for fast bowlers, but it's also good for the batsmen as the ball comes on to the bat evenly."

Even as the ball grew soft and the conditions eased out, Rasool had an experienced spin combo to deal with. Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh's powers as bowlers may have waned, but at domestic level, they still remain a threat. However, a couple of drives pushed the fielders out to the boundary, and the spinners were not allowed to settle into a rhythm at all as Rasool easily worked the ball into the gaps.

Unlike Harbhajan's walloping assault on the first day, Rasool's was a measured dismantling job. Harbhajan was taken for 57 in 12 overs. Rasool eventually fell soon after reaching his century- possibly the best of his five first-class tons- but his fighting knock gave J&K the will to win. The team will need that in abundance if they are to cause an upset.

"I am very happy with my innings, especially because it came at a crucial moment for us," he said. "Unfortunately, I got out a little early. I wanted to make sure that we get the lead. But I hope our bowlers will do the job. They have started well by getting rid of the openers. The match will be decided more or less tomorrow, so we want our bowlers to rest well and come out strongly."

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CSK retain Dhoni, Raina, Ashwin, Jadeja, Bravo

Chennai Super Kings have retained MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo ahead of the IPL 2014 auction. The tournament rules allow for five players to be retained, of whom only four can be capped India players. This will leave the franchise with one right-to-match card at the auction on February 12.

Super Kings have been the most successful of the IPL franchises, making the final five times out of six, and winning on two occasions - in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, they did the double of winning the IPL and the Champions League T20. They have also been one of the most settled franchises, with the core of the team remaining the same over the seasons. So it comes as no surprise that they have retained as many players as possible here.

Among the players staying with Super Kings, captain Dhoni, batsman Raina and offspinner Ashwin have never played for another IPL franchise. Dhoni, India's captain and arguably the best finisher in limited-overs cricket, was the most expensive buy of the inaugural IPL auction back in 2008. Raina, the tournament's leading run-getter overall, is yet to miss a single match for Super Kings. Ashwin has been one of many players who adds local flavour to the team, and until the recently-concluded series against South Africa, was India's first-choice spinner.

On Boxing Day, in Durban, Ashwin - perhaps temporarily - lost that title to Jadeja. Super Kings had bought allrounder Jadeja at the 2012 auction, paying more than US$2 million for him after his bidding went into a secret tie-breaker with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. West Indies allrounder Bravo, who in 2013 set a new record for the most wickets in an IPL season, completes the list.

January 10 is the deadline for the IPL franchises to announce their list of retained players, ahead of the auction on February 12. Aside from retained players, franchises can buy back additional members of their squads at the auction via right-to-match cards. The number of right-to-match cards available to each franchise will depend on the number of players already retained. Since Super Kings have retained five players, they will have one right-to-match card at the auction.

A fixed amount will be deducted from Super Kings' auction purse of Rs 600 million (approx. US$ 9.6 million, at the current exchange rate) for each player retained: Rs 125 million for player one, Rs 95 million for player two, Rs 75 million for player three, Rs 55 million for player four and Rs 40 million for player five. That will leave the franchise with Rs 210 million to spend at the auction. This season, each squad must include no less than 16 and no more than 27 players, with a maximum of nine overseas players.

The amount deducted from the auction purse is not necessarily the IPL fee agreed to between the franchise and the retained player.

In 2011, apart from Dhoni and Raina, Super Kings had retained India batsman M Vijay and South Africa allrounder Albie Morkel. The pair missed out this time, along with former Australia batsman Michael Hussey, who was IPL 2013's leading run-getter. Super Kings tweeted confirmation of their list of retained players late on Thursday night.

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Holders England prepare for Australia heat

'Anything against Australia is hard fought' - Taylor

Big Picture

A little over four months ago, Charlotte Edwards and her team stood on the pitch in Durham and celebrated an emphatic 12-4 series victory over Australia. As their male counterparts have emphatically proved, however, back-to-back Ashes series leave little time to revel in victory. A series win over the Southern Stars in England, even a recent one, means nothing in Australian conditions, and must be put out of the visiting players' minds completely when the Test starts in Perth on Friday.

What has happened in the four months since that series ended? It might be thought that England are better prepared for the forthcoming series; Australia have played no international cricket since the Ashes ended in August, whereas many of the England squad played in the recent T20 tri-series in the Caribbean, as well as the victorious ODI series against West Indies. But Australia's players are, of course, fresh from their domestic season, the importance of which should not be underestimated. The squad in fact appears to have been selected largely on the basis of some impressive recent performances in women's state cricket.

And then, of course, there is the climate. Aside from Edwards, the England squad will have been in Perth for less than a fortnight before the Test begins in 40C heat. Practising in the nets at Loughborough with the heating on, as England have reportedly been doing, is no substitute for these conditions. There is a reason why England have only ever beaten Australia in Australia twice (in 1934-35 and in 2008); retaining the Ashes is bound to be an uphill struggle. Australia, this time around, must be the favourites.

The Format

Once again the series being played across all three formats, with points on offer for each (six for the Test - or two for a draw - and two for each of the ODIs and T20s). This multi-format structure, used for the first time in England, is still a pioneering concept, with all the possibilities yet to play out, but it is clear from what transpired last year that momentum is a massive factor: a good performance in the Test, or the subsequent ODIs, is vital for Ashes success.

The WACA, venue for the Test, will therefore be a crucial battleground for the two teams. It looks to be a green wicket, similar to the one which the men's Test was played on a few weeks ago. The conditions will suit pace: Katherine Brunt and Georgia Elwiss for England, and Ellyse Perry and Holly Ferling for Australia, will be looking for early breakthroughs. Back in England, both sides played defensively throughout the drawn Test; this is not a pitch which will allow for such tactics. Meg Lanning, Australia's newly appointed vice-captain, agrees. "I really do think there'll be a result here this time," she said. "I think that just being at the WACA, and the pace and bounce, the game will always be moving. We'll see some really attacking cricket being played."

The Players

Both the England and Australia squads look similar to those that competed for the Ashes in England last year. Heather Knight, England's Wormsley centurion, missed the recent tour of the Caribbean but she is now well and truly back to match fitness, hitting an unbeaten 123 in the two-day warm-up match against Australia A, and will again open for England in the Test. Brunt and Anya Shrubsole, who also missed the West Indies tour through injury, will be England's opening bowling partnership throughout the series, assuming both remain fit. That is a big if, though: they bowled just eight and nine overs respectively in Perth. Match fitness in a multi-format series is an even more important factor and could prove the decider.

England are not short of second-change pace bowlers, though: Elwiss, back from injury having not played since the World Cup in India last year, will have an important role to play on the bouncier pitches and Natalie Sciver will almost certainly play in all three formats, fresh from her T20 hat-trick against New Zealand in Barbados. England, crucially, also have the run-machine that is Edwards in their armoury: Perth will be her 12th Ashes Test, second only to one other woman.

One problem for England may be their lack of spin options, with Holly Colvin having made herself unavailable and Laura Marsh still injured. Australia have no such issues: their first-choice spinner, Erin Osborne, has had an excellent season for New South Wales, taking 10 wickets in the WNCL at an average of 12.50. Jess Jonassen, who will come in to play in the ODIs and T20s, is also bowling well and took 2 for 45 in the warm-up match.

Jonassen may also be picked at least partly for her batting - she hit 43 against England's bowlers in the same match - as may Elyse Villani, who has 494 runs in the T20 Cup this season. Nicole Bolton has also been selected in the 14-man squad on the basis of her exceptional batting this season, and may well open in the Test, while also offering a back-up offspin option.

In terms of pace for Australia, Perry is certain to take the new ball throughout the series, with Ferling, Megan Schutt and Sarah Coyte all in contention for bowling spots alongside her. In Rene Farrell they also have an experienced Ashes player returning to the side for the first time since the 2011 Test in Sydney, when she took 5 for 23 in England's second innings, including a hat-trick, and helped win the Test for Australia. The Southern Stars will be hoping she can emulate this over the coming days.

Stats and trivia

• 2014 marks the 80th anniversary of the first ever women's Test match, played in December 1934 in Brisbane on England's tour of Australia.
• The WACA has hosted two previous women's Tests, in 1958 and in 1984. Both were drawn.
• When Charlotte Edwards leads her team out, she will have played in more Ashes Tests than anyone aside from Myrtle Maclagan, who leads the list on 12. Edwards has captained in 3 of them.
• Edwards needs just 103 runs to overtake Jan Brittin's total of 1024 in Ashes Test runs and become the leading Ashes run-scorer; and only 47 runs to make her the second-highest run-scorer ever in women's Tests.

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Manzoor makes use of lifeline

Question marks will continue to hang over Khurram Manzoor's technique, but the opener fought it out to score 73 on a day when few of his team-mates could put bat on ball

There are few batsmen in the Pakistan side who can safely be called technically sound, and Khurram Manzoor isn't one of them. He might not have the prettiest technique, but it worked well enough for him to score 73 on a day when barely any of his team-mates managed to put bat on ball. On a day dominated by Sri Lanka's seam attack, Pakistan lost their last eight wickets for 58 runs to be bowled out for 165.

Pakistan's top order has been in transition for ages, and they have tried a number of opening combinations over the years. As one of four openers in this squad, Manzoor himself was facing the axe. Since scoring 146 against South Africa in Abu Dhabi more than three months ago, his visits to the crease in Test cricket before this innings had yielded him scores of 4, 0, 0, 21 and 8. It was expected that Shan Masood would replace Manzoor for this Test. But the team management gave him another chance, and they would have been pleased with the manner in which he grabbed it.

For all that, it wasn't a particularly fluent innings, and didn't entirely answer the questions about his technique that have dogged him right since the time he was dropped after his seventh Test - in Hobart in January 2010 - with a record reading 326 runs at 29.63. He returned, after a gap of nearly four years, and has since scored 373 runs at 33.90 in six Tests in which his fortunes have swung dramatically. In the two-Test series against South Africa, for instance, he followed up a match-winning century in the first Test with a pair in the second.

At the Dubai International Stadium today, Manzoor spent 214 similarly fluctuating minutes at the crease. He oscillated between fluent drives and streaky edges through the slips, and looked shaky even after he had crossed 50.

"It wasn't easy out there. The toss was vital because the pitch is helping seam bowlers," Manzoor said. "The ball was seaming exceptionally and it was tough and this is the reason why we all struggled. Also credit should be given to the Sri Lanka bowlers. I took time and was positive and that's why I got runs and that's all I have been thinking, to stay positive."

Having witnessed batsmen come and go at the other end, he seemed set to get to a hundred, having smacked three successive boundaries off Nuwan Pradeep and a six over mid-on off Rangana Herath. An injudicious poke at an away-going ball from Suranga Lakmal, however, ended his innings at 73.

The innings might not have stalled Sri Lanka's charge, but it should help Manzoor retain his place for the next Test in Sharjah. Beyond that, Manzoor will have to show he can kick on from this knock and produce a sustained run of good scores. He won't want this to become just another spike in a wildly fluctuating career graph.

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