SL A fight back after Fudadin ton

West Indies A 239 for 6 (Fudadin 103, Kraigg 75, Kaushal 5-94) v Sri Lanka A
Scorecard

Assad Fudadin's fourth first-class hundred helped West Indies A to a strong start in Moratuwa, but a five-wicket haul from the offspinner Tharindu Kaushal dragged the visitors down to 239 for 6 at stumps.

Opting to bat, West Indies began brightly as Fudadin and his opening partner Kraigg Brathwaite put up a 137-run stand. Kraigg muscled seven fours to make his way to 75, but his dismissal in the 38th over triggered a slide, as Kaushal struck at quick intervals to reduce West Indies A to 178 for 5.

Fudadin, though, batted through the collapse and managed to score 103, with 11 fours. He and Chadwick Walton hinted at a recovery with a 41-run partnership, but Fudadin was caught by Kaushal off his own bowling towards the end of the day.

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Disciplinary hearing on RCA postponed again

The BCCI disciplinary committee meeting has been deferred, once again, with none of the three stakeholders of the Rajasthan Cricket Association turning up for the hearing today at the BCCI headquarters. The BCCI had asked the Lalit Modi group, the opposing Amin Pathan faction and the Rajasthan State Sports Council to appear before its disciplinary committee today to discuss the RCA's suspension.

"None of the three parties turned up, so no proceedings could be held. But we will give them another chance to present their side," Shivlal Yadav, the BCCI interim president who is also a member of the disciplinary committee, told ESPNcricinfo. He said the date of the next meeting is yet to be decided.

While the Lalit Modi faction is the elected set of RCA office-bearers, the Pathan group had claimed to have overthrown it by moving a no-confidence motion last month. Since the Modi faction challenged the move in the Rajasthan High Court, the court handed over the administration of the association to the state sports council.

It was Modi's election as the RCA president in May that had forced the BCCI to suspend the RCA and forward the matter to the disciplinary committee. In its last hearing, on September 20, Mehmood Abdi, the RCA deputy president on the Modi side, had raised objections against the institution and composition of the committee, thus forcing the first adjournment of the hearing.

In his reply to the notice announcing the meeting on Saturday, Abdi continued to protest against Yadav and BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla's appointment. He cited a clause in the BCCI rulebook stating Yadav and Shukla were appointed "only for a year", and thus are ineligible to continue working as disciplinary committee members.

The BCCI, meanwhile, is considering continuing proceedings beyond the specified six-month deadline; according to its rulebook, suspension of a member association or individual ceases to exist if the disciplinary committee doesn't decide on the matter in six months. It is understood that, considering the complex and sensitive nature of the matter, the disciplinary committee will be asked to continue its proceedings beyond the six-month window though.

"The office-bearers can decide on it. Since there have been so many litigations about the RCA and the BCCI annual general meeting is scheduled for the next month, there won't be a problem if an extension is to be granted to the disciplinary committee," said a BCCI insider.

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Choosing the 'difficult path' pays off for Younis

Younis Khan, the Pakistan batsman, has said he chose the more difficult path by deciding to play the Tests against Australia, after being dropped for the ODIs, and the decision has paid off.

Younis had lashed out at the PCB and selectors for dropping him for the one-day series, and challenged them to build a team without him in the mix. However, he was picked for the Tests, and in Dubai he has gone on to break the record for the most Test hundreds for Pakistan, become the first player in 40 years to score two hundreds in a Test against Australia, and the seventh Pakistan batsmen to hit twin hundreds.

He admitted that he was happy he decided to play in the series. "There was a lot of talk about me, that I might not be picked in any team as I made myself unavailable," he said after the fourth day's play. "But when I saw Pakistan losing the T20 and ODI series comprehensively, I reconsidered my decision and thought a lot. I could have chosen an easy option, to shun playing against the top-rank Australia but I chose to put myself in a difficult situation instead of going away choosing the easy one - to quit.

"Whole of my carrier I have chosen the same path. Before coming here I had no hundred against Australia and now suddenly I have two in one Test, which is great. So it's all about how you think and I am positive and always wanted to make my country and myself proud. I never ever thought that I will achieve the record and go pass Inzamam but after my 20th hundred I made myself believe that if I keep myself fit I can make 30-35 hundreds."

When asked if his second hundred against Australia were the result of the perfect execution of a plan or he just went with the flow, he said: "I didn't even think about a hundred today, but I thought about the heat and that the Australia bowlers are not used to it, so I have stand firm and runs will come automatically.

"At the same time, both the youngsters Ahmed Shehzad and Azhar Ali have made it very easy for me to excel from the other end. They way Ahmed hit their fast bowlers today, it was amazing and it's always good when these youngsters perform. All these factors pushed me to make it to the end of the day."

Michael Clarke, the Australian captain, was all praise for Younis: "He's a very good player and has been for a long time. I found out yesterday this is only his 93rd Test match, I thought he'd played a lot more than that. He's one of the gentlemen of our game, a class player. I was really impressed with the way he swept, especially left-arm orthodox bowling. It takes a class player to be able to sweep against the spin in those conditions. I'd like to see him not make as many runs, especially against Australia, but I like watching Younis bat."

In response, Younis said he respected the game and his opponents, and so got respect in return. "Main thing is I respect the game, I respect the bowler and I respect [opposition] teams. Whoever performs anywhere in the world, I am happy for them all the time. When they meet with me, I just go and shake hands with them, congratulate them. In the field they might go hard at me, but they know me off the field too. I respect people and in return I do get respect."

That Pakistan have done so well with the bat in this game, and are in the great position they find themselves in going into the final day, is also due to the way their other second-innings centurion, Ahmed Shehzad, played. Shehzad said his only plan was to 'go for the kill'.

"Playing here is always difficult but I had to open and used all my skills - played sweep shots, used my feet, as the idea was to not let their spinners settle," Shehzad said. "Because I know if I play six balls standing in the crease, one of the balls might hit a patch and undo me, so I had to go at things hard rather than be dominated. It was obviously a test of fitness as well, but it was the team requirement not to give them the control. We had the lead and the plan was to go for the kill.

"My motivation was when Younis bhai told me that it took him 12 [14] years to score a hundred against Australia, 'so make sure you don't have to take that long'. So I was determined, and it worked well."

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Clarke craves time in the middle after tough day

'Pakistan outplayed us in all areas' - Clarke

You have to hand it to Michael Clarke, he doesn't shirk responsibility when things go wrong. In a different era, the Australians used to ask then coach Tim Nielsen to answer the hard questions on days like this. "Tough Day Tim", the media called him. But often during Clarke's captaincy he has insisted he front the press when the team has failed, most notably when they were skittled for 47 in Cape Town in 2011. Add day four in Dubai to that list.

This was a day on which Pakistan scored 248 runs with what seemed the greatest of ease. At length, Australia claimed two wickets of little consequence as the lead ballooned. Then came the other side of the equation. In the space of 23 balls, Australia lost four wickets for five runs as the spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah bamboozled the batsmen. And most critically, Australia's best player of spin was one of them.

Clarke was on 3 when he prodded forward to Yasir and was adjudged lbw to a ball that straightened. A lengthy chat with his partner Chris Rogers led to a glum-looking Clarke deciding against a review and trudging off. Replays suggested that Clarke had got an inside edge on the ball and would likely have been reprieved had he challenged the decision. That he didn't said something about Australia's lack of confidence.

"Ah, I'd like to know as well," Clarke said when asked what had gone through his head. "There's a number of things. The fact that I wasn't sure if I hit the ball and I was unsure if it hit my bat before my pad. So I was thinking it was probably pad then bat if I did hit it at all. Chris was unsure as well up the other end.

"My mindset is because I'm unsure I didn't want to waste the referral when I knew the rest of my team-mates were probably going to need them tomorrow. It was certainly a mistake, an error on my part looking back at the replay once I walked off the field. I'm extremely disappointed. I'm disappointed that it was even that close. The ball didn't really spin much. I should have used my bat."

It continued a disappointing tour for Clarke, who scratched to 2 in the first innings before inside-edging onto pad and up to short leg in the first innings, having made 10 and 5 in the warm-up game in Sharjah. His limited preparation was unavoidable, given the hamstring injury he suffered during the one-day series in Zimbabwe in August, but has left him short of game time in the lead-up to the Test.

"My performance in this Test match has been disappointing with the bat. There's no doubt about it," Clarke said. "I read somewhere the other day that I'm short of match practice and that probably sums my form up at the moment. In the last Test match I played I scored a big hundred for Australia. But I'm short of time in the middle.

"It has been seven months since our last Test match and I've only played one one-dayer in between that time. That doesn't make it easier. But you're playing at the highest level. You've got to find a way to fight your backside off and spend time in the middle and then once you get in the game it gradually gets easier."

The problem for Australia's batsmen in this Test has been surviving long enough for batting to become easier. Five of Pakistan's batsmen in the first innings faced more than 100 balls, and two in the second innings. The only men who achieved that feat for Australia in the first innings were the openers David Warner and Chris Rogers, while rapid-fire wickets in the second ended any hope of players building an innings.

"I'm not looking to blame anybody else or criticise anybody else," Clarke said. "I've always loved the challenge of facing spin bowling. I've been out twice to spin bowling in this Test match. The guys are working hard, they're doing everything they can. In subcontinental conditions, generally your first innings is your key, you need to go as big as you can.

"I know Pakistan had the best of batting conditions, but I think in the second innings they showed again their class, batting on wickets that have a little bit of spin. But it's not so much the spin, I think it's the slowness of the wicket. The spin is a little bit inconsistent and I think that's probably what has caught us out today, guys have played for spin and a lot of us have been out to balls that actually haven't spun too much."

It has not just been Pakistan's bowlers who have troubled the Australians in Dubai, though. The efforts of Younis Khan in particular to score two centuries in the game, and Pakistan's batsmen more generally have frustrated Clarke and his men in the field. Clarke said the Australians had been outplayed in every facet of the game over the first four days, and could learn from the way Younis and his colleagues batted.

"We probably haven't been able to find as much out of the wicket as Pakistan have on one hand," he said. "On the other hand Pakistan have batted a lot better than us ... They've got a lot of experience in their Test team, and I think you've seen that so far over the four days. Younis has played exceptionally well and generally does in these conditions.

"You need to take notice, watch and learn and all of us, for the guys that are out, we need to find a way to be full of confidence and be hitting the ball better than we are come the second Test match. For the guys that are left to help see us fight tomorrow. It's really important they play their natural game and back themselves. Anything can happen in this game."

Clarke is usually a believer in the Shane Warne "win from anywhere" mantra, but the word "win" did not spill from Clarke's mouth even once during his 12-minute press conference. Realistically, a draw is the best Australia can hope for with only six wickets in hand, and even that requires a good deal of optimism. This is one place in the world where praying for rain is pointless.

"I don't think Australians give up without a fight and that'll be our goal tomorrow, to fight our backsides off and you never know," Clarke said. "Steve Smith is a very good player of spin bowling, Brad Haddin has a lot of experience, Mitchell Marsh looked good in the first innings and Chris Rogers is fighting. So we'll wait and see."

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VVS Laxman named Bengal batting consultant

VVS Laxman has been named batting consultant by the Cricket Association of Bengal as part of its Vision 2020 project, which aims to help Bengal players progress to the national team. In March, Muttiah Muralitharan had been named as Bengal's spin bowling consultant.

"Over the period of next year, I'll be coming here for at least 30 days. We'll work out what's best for myself as well as the youngsters," Laxman told reporters at the Eden Gardens. "The ultimate aim for a batsman is to score runs. Run making is also a technique along with the skill. I'm looking forward to contribute."

Laxman said he was working with Bengal mainly due to Sourav Ganguly, who is currently joint secretary of the CAB. "It's because of him that I'm here. He persuaded me to take up this role. Really excited to see the young talents on display."

Ganguly said that Laxman will be working with Bengal players at all levels. "He's here for the Vision 2020 not for the senior (Ranji) side," Ganguly said. "Ashok Malhotra is there for the senior team. Everybody who's there with the senior team are also associated with Vision 2020. Laxman is for the development of players of Bengal."

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Brathwaite in West Indies A one-day squad

Opener Kraigg Brathwaite has been named in the West Indies A squad for the one-dayers against Sri Lanka A in the first week of November. West Indies A are currently trailing Sri Lanka A 1-0 after two four-day matches, with the third and final match starting on Saturday. Brathwaite is available for the matches after the West Indies senior team pulled out midway of their India tour earlier this month.

Carlos Brathwaite, who is leading the squad for the four-dayers, will continue to be the captain for the three one-dayers. Among those will head home after the four-dayers are batsman Kirk Edwards, offspinner Shane Shillingford and legspinner Devendra Bishoo.

The three one-day matches will be played on November 1, 3 and 5 in Dambulla, Kurunegala and Colombo respectively.

Squad Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Miguel Cummins, Andre Fletcher, Assad Fudadin, Shannon Gabriel, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Chadwick Walton

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Australia slow on the uptake of the slow

Australia's performances on slow pitches are consistent. And the more they struggle, the more teams will prepare slow surfaces to greet them

To Chennai, Hyderabad, Mohali, Delhi, Nottingham, Lord's, Chester-le-Street and Port Elizabeth can now be added Dubai. Not yet in terms of Australia's losing venues over the past 18 months, for they will hold out hope of preventing defeat over the next two days. But all were pitches that lacked the pace and bounce Australia are used to in their home conditions. And all were pitches on which Australia's batsmen struggled.

"It's hard to get in," they like to say of such surfaces. They have proved it's easy to get out. In many cases, to get yourself out. In England last year, new coach Darren Lehmann had plenty of cause for disappointment but was particularly irate after the loss in Durham. Set 299 to win, Australia started with a 109-run opening stand from David Warner and Chris Rogers. They were bowled out for 224.

"Blokes are missing straight ones. That doesn't help," Lehmann said after that loss. A penny for his thoughts on the two wickets Zulfiqar Babar claimed in Dubai, when Michael Clarke inside edged an arm ball to short leg and Mitchell Marsh was lbw to a straight one. For all the talk of raging turners in the UAE, that is not what has greeted Australia. Here we have witnessed a slow pitch with a little rough and a lot of batsmen making bad choices.

That is not to devalue Pakistan's bowling. They assessed what would work against Australia and made it happen. The finger spinners, Babar and Mohammad Hafeez, worked on accuracy and kept the runs down. Yasir Shah's legspin provided more scoring opportunities but also sharper turn. Warner aside, Australia were made to look poor against an attack whose four specialists entered the match with a combined eight Tests of experience.

Again Australia had a strong opening partnership, this time of 128. But Warner and Rogers were their two top-scorers. If reaching 20 can be considered a start, four more men made starts after the openers but none passed 40. Australia lost 10 for 190 on the third day, six of those wickets to spin, but the pitch was not deteriorating, nor the ball zipping around corners. It was just sluggish, the ball did not come on.  

In such circumstances, either Warneresque attack or extreme patience is required. Rogers faced 103 dot balls on his crawling route to 38. He is a man designed for endurance, but also for scoring against the fast bowlers. When he tried to force the pace with a cut, he played on to Rahat Ali. For him, 130 deliveries of "getting in" were still not enough; 230 may not have been either.

Alex Doolan got so bogged down that he tried for a run where a run barely existed. Clarke and Marsh were done by straight balls from Babar; Steve O'Keefe might have wished he could bowl to them instead of the Pakistan batsmen.

Steven Smith showed his class against spin with a whip through midwicket against the turn of Yasir for four, but then lost his head cutting a long hop to point. Yasir pitched it short and wide and there was a touch extra bounce, but it was as if the ball was so unexpectedly mediocre that Smith's normal thought process ceased to function. In short, it was Steven Smith getting out to a Steven Smith ball.

The delivery that finally removed Warner turned out of the rough and struck middle stump, but Warner admonished himself for not defending it as he had similar balls. Instead he tried to open the face and get the score moving after the hour-long lunch break.

"I tried to be too cute and look for a run and played all around it," Warner said after play. "Credit to him, he got me out, but I was looking to score and I made a half-tracker look like a good ball."

It was better than a half-tracker, but nor was it unplayable. And that was the story of Australia throughout the innings. On a slow pitch, the dots compiled and they tried to force the issue, or in a couple of cases tricked themselves into thinking the ball would turn from the middle of the pitch. In Warner's opinion, the rough is too wide to be a major threat.

"There's a bit of turn there but it is turn that is outside the [danger] areas," he said. "The bowlers are going to have to pitch it out wide and it will be easy to sweep as a batsman rather than being defensive ... I think it [the pitch] has been the same as day one, very consistent."

What is also consistent is Australia's performances on such pitches. And the more they struggle, the more teams will prepare slow surfaces to greet them. Already it is happening outside Asia, as the Ashes in England last year demonstrated. There is another Ashes tour there next year. But first, they must find a way to get through this series unscathed.

Perhaps more liberal use of the sweep, as Warner suggested and Pakistan demonstrated on the first two days, might help tick the scoreboard over in the second innings and keep players from getting mired down. That and not missing straight ones. Otherwise Australia's list of recent losing venues will have another entry.

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Yasir Shah makes early impact after long wait

The legspinner made his first-class debut back in 2002, and grabbed his Test chance when it finally came

Yasir thrilled with Warne praise

Pakistan usually have several quality legspinners in their domestic circuit but it has taken four years for one to reach the national team after the decline of Danish Kaneria. And this time the legspinner has emerged from the northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - a region which is more renowned for producing aggressive fast bowlers. Yasir Shah announced himself on the Test stage with a three-wicket haul that helped Pakistan take a hefty first-innings lead.

Shah, 28, is a Pathan by ethnicity and was born in the town of Swabi but mostly played cricket in nearby Peshawar due to the lack of cricket facilities in his hometown. He isn't someone plucked from obscurity and pitchforked into the national team. He has played at every rung Under-19s upwards but found it difficult to secure a place thanks to the presence of Kaneria, Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal over the past decade.

In nearly 13 years since his first-class debut, he has 279 wickets at 24.43 in 76 matches. He did earn his ODI and T20 debut soon after the 2011 World Cup but with Ajmal developing into a world-class performer, Shah couldn't establish himself. Now with Ajmal facing an uncertain future due to his suspect bowling action, Shah has been afforded another chance. He hails from the same town that produced Pakistan left-arm pacer Junaid Khan and legspinner Fawad Ahmed, who represented Australia in 2013 after being fast-tracked to citizenship.

Pakistan has a great history with legspinners, starting from Amir Elahi during the country's early days in international cricket to Intikhab Alam, Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed and Danish Kaneria. It's a list Shah aims to join.

"I have been waiting for the chance for so long," Shah said with a big smile after the third day's play in Dubai. "I think it's still not late as I have plenty of cricket ahead of me. I had obviously played my whole career in domestic wishing to play Test cricket so I am happy with the opportunity that finally came my way."

Shah grew up watching plenty of Shane Warne videos but his action and stride are different from Warne. He has more of a fast bowler's temperament, constantly attacking the batsman. While commenting on Shah, Warne said: "I like the look of this leggie Yasir Shah, plenty of energy & nice variations of pace."

When Shah was informed that his hero Warne had praised his bowling, his face lit up. He thanked Warne for his kind words. "I actually started bowling legspin watching Shane Warne and he is my idol so I am privileged that he has acknowledged me. My brother who is in UK used to show me his videos and send me the copies so I tried to model my career watching him. I really appreciate the comment by such a legendary player."

His sixth ball in Test cricket was a no-ball, which was reverse swept by David Warner for a boundary. It was the first no-ball by a Pakistani spinner in the last two years. He conceded six fours and two sixes and conceded four runs per over - the most expensive bowler in the side. He however delivered quality spells, besides getting the crucial wickets of David Warner and Steven Smith. "Initially, to concentrate on line and length, I had to bowl a little quick, as it helped me get into the proper position and land the ball in the right spot," he said.

Yasir also said the experienced pair of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan gave him plenty of advice. "Obviously on a debut you are nervous but I got off to a good start and that further gave me confidence. I was positive as I viewed the match as similar to a domestic game. I am happy I have got an important wicket like Warner."

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Loughborough becomes fourth bowlers' testing centre

Loughborough University, home of the ECB's national cricket performance centre, has become the fourth accredited testing centre for suspected illegal bowling actions.

Loughborough joins Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cricket Australia's national cricket centre in Brisbane and the Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai, which were all announced earlier this month.

Testing in Loughborough will be overseen by the University's Dr Mark King, who will act as the lead human-movement specialist in all testing cases. The centre will also continue to be used to test bowlers on behalf of the ECB - Gloucestershire's Jack Taylor was one of the bowlers required to be tested recently - and other cricket boards.

"The ECB is committed to assisting the ICC in tackling the issue of illegal bowling actions in international cricket," ECB Acting Chief Executive, Brian Havill, said. "It is excellent news that the NCPC's facilities, equipment and expertise through Dr Mark King and Loughborough University can be utilised for this purpose."

Loughborough was selected following the ICC's assessment against a range of criteria, including having an indoor area large enough to allow a player to bowl off his or her normal full run-up; a motion analysis system with a minimum of 12 high-speed cameras capable of producing three-dimensional data, suitably qualified personnel experienced in using such systems, and implementing the ICC testing protocol.

The testing protocol was created to allow for a consistent assessment of bowlers across the different facilities and countries.

"Loughborough University is the latest centre to assist in the management of the issue of illegal bowling actions in cricket," ICC cricket general manager Geoff Allardice said. "This strengthens the ICC's ongoing commitment to eradicating illegal bowling actions and we look forward to continuing the good work that has been done."

The ICC's testing facilities have been busy in recent months with Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal, Kane Williamson, the New Zealander, Sohag Gazi from Bangladesh and Sri Lankan Sachithra Senanayake all required to undergo testing.

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South collapse after Uthappa century

South Zone 236 for 9 (Uthappa 120, Shukla 4-30) v East Zone
Scorecard

On a green surface in Lahli, South Zone were put in to bat, and for three-fourths of the day Robin Uthappa and the top-order kept East Zone at bay. Towards the end of the day though, East sliced through the middle-and lower-order to leave South gasping at 236 for 9.

South Zone, packed with eight Karnataka players including the top four, began well. Uthappa, who was dropped on 10 by Sudip Chatterjee, and KL Rahul started slowly but stuck together for more than 25 overs on a testing pitch. Rahul was then bowled by a swerving Laxmi Shukla delivery, bringing in Karun Nair. Uthappa dominated a 94-run second-wicket stand with Nair, before Nair became Shukla's second victim.

Uthappa was involved in a third substantial partnership on his way to his 15th first-class century as he and Manish Pandey added 74 for the third wicket before Pandey fell attempting a wild shot. Eight balls later, Uthappa was caught behind off Rana Dutta and the collapse was under way.

B Aparajith was taken out by a peach from medium-pacer Basant Mohanty, before Dinesh Karthik was bowled by Shukla. Two deliveries later, South captain Vinay Kumar was caught and bowled by Shukla for a duck, and by stumps South had lost seven wickets for 25 after having been 211 for 2.

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