Bowlers set up big win for England

England Under-19s 97 for 3 (Tattersall 42*) beat United Arab Emirates Under-19s 94 (Chopra 46, Jones 3-19) by seven wickets
Scorecard

A comprehensive bowling performance from England Under-19s, led by legspinner Rob Jones, set up a seven-wicket win over United Arab Emirates Under-19s in Sharjah, keeping them in top spot, but tied on four points with Pakistan who still have a game in hand.

England began dominating proceedings soon after putting UAE in. Pacer Jack Winslade dismissed both openers within the first four overs to leave UAE struggling at 10 for 2. Fast bowler Harry Finch pitched in with two wickets in the ninth over before a 41-run, fifth-wicket stand between Shorye Chopra and Qazi Ayub tried injecting some resistance into the innings. Chopra was eventually dismissed for 46 off 57 balls by Jones, with the score at 66 for 5, and the legspinner combined with Miles Hammond to dismiss the rest of the UAE line-up for 94. Jones finished with figures of 3 for 19, while Winslade, Finch and Hammond took two wickets apiece.

In spite of a few quick wickets, England took a little more than 21 overs to overhaul the 95-run target. Opener Jonathan Tattersall, the captain of the side, scored an unbeaten 42 off 63 balls to guide England to its second win in the tournament.

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South Africa's ODI drought 'not ideal'

When South Africa next play ODI cricket, the country could have a new president, another IPL season will be complete, and winter will be on its way out. Their next 50-over assignment, according to the FTP, is in July - seven months away. With the focus on Test and Twenty20 cricket, ahead of the 2014 World T20, there is a danger that the gains AB de Villiers' ODI side has made over the last six weeks will be lost, affecting their build-up to the 2015 World Cup.

The tournament in Australia and New Zealand is in 15 months and South Africa's long break from ODI cricket is "absolutely not ideal," former players Shaun Pollock, Herschelle Gibbs and Boeta Dippenaar told ESPNcricinfo. They agreed that South Africa need to play more one-dayers to build on their recent impressive performance, which could shape their World Cup strategy, and have asked the national board to look at ways to schedule more one-dayers at home.

If the present schedule were adhered to, Dippenaar said, none of the players would have enough games - and not enough, according to Pollock, against good enough opposition. The series in July is in Zimbabwe and it is far from guaranteed because Zimbabwe Cricket is suffering from financial problems, which forced it to postpone a visit by Sri Lanka this year. Should that series be put off, South Africa's next scheduled ODIs are only in November 2014, five matches in Australia. Following that tour, South Africa will host West Indies for five more ODIs before the World Cup.

Cricket South Africa had displayed its proactivity by organising a last-minute home series against Pakistan to fill the gap in the season caused by the shortening of India's visit. "The amount of ODI cricket needs to go up when you're preparing for a World Cup. Its like a marathon runner who increased the distance every week in training before tapering off just before the race," Dippenaar said. "The pace and bounce of our pitches are similar to Australian wickets so it would be a good place to practice. I'd invite a team like England or New Zealand - they are scrappers so it would be good to play them, or even Sri Lanka.

"If that doesn't work then I'd say they should play three exhibition matches in South Africa. A best versus the rest, or something like that. They absolutely have to play something else before the World Cup."

While Dippenaar was adamant about adding to the schedule, Gibbs said that as long as South Africa were playing "some form of cricket against someone," they would benefit. De Villiers wasn't too concerned either.

"If we didn't win a series I would be very worried but now that we have, I feel we will get back into it again," de Villiers said. "It is a long time but when you finish things on a good note, you can pick it up again. The guys are doing well together, they seem to enjoy each others successes so I feel we will pick things up straight again in July."

Whether South Africa do so will have a significant impact on their chances of ending a poor run in ICC tournaments. After they crashed out of the 2011 World Cup, one-day cricket took a back seat as South Africa strived to become the No. 1 Test side. A result of that neglect was a poor showing at the 2013 Champions Trophy and in Sri Lanka, two tours that exposed how much South Africa's batting hadregressed.

In the past six weeks, however, South Africa have smoothened out those wrinkles. They won two series out of three, one in the UAE against Pakistan and the other at home against India, the top-ranked ODI side. They had seven wins in 11 matches across the three series but the win-loss record did not highlight the numbers that mattered to de Villiers. South Africa's batsmen are showing more "care," he said, for partnerships.

In eight ODIs during the Champions Trophy and the tour of Sri Lanka, South Africa had only two century stands and eight half-century partnerships. In the next three series, they had five century stands and 13half-century partnerships. Their bowling was always impressive and now their batting has caught up. According to Pollock, South Africa have "probably settled on the 16 names they will take to the 2015 World Cup."

Whether they will be able to pick up where they left off is the question. "A break can be a dangerous thing when you are in good form," Dippenaar said, making a reference to the performance of the Test team after a seven-month break earlier this year. "The only reason they lost that first Test against Pakistan in Dubai is because they were rusty. It showed that when you're playing well, you need keep playing, so you can build on the things you do well to help you when you are struggling a bit."

Dippenaar stressed the concern was over younger players, like Quinton de Kock and David Miller, who are just starting to carve a niche for themselves and will now have that process interrupted. "Quinton needs to play as much as possible," he said.

Gibbs also said de Kock must be given opportunity to gain as much experience as possible. He believed the youngster will keep Graeme Smith out of World Cup contention. "I can't see Graeme forcing his way back now," Gibbs said. "So Quinton needs to play."

So does the person who may need to step in for Jacques Kallis, who should use the next seven months to make a firm decision about his ODI future, according to Pollock, Gibbs and Dippenaar. They seemed to be sayingthat Kallis may have to accept that the 2015 World Cup could be a bridge too far. "It will give Jacques the time to decide if he wants to continue," Pollock said.

Dippenaar was of the opinion that it may not be up to Kallis to make a decision. "There is the real question that he may not make it to the World Cup and then it's going to be tough on whoever has to replace him, because that person won't have enough games," Dippenaar said. Unless CSA step in and do something about the schedule.

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Zimbabwe players strike over non-payment of dues

Zimbabwe's players have gone on strike following delays in the payment of their salaries. ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that cricketers on national and domestic contracts will not participate in the ongoing domestic season until they are paid their dues.

It was learnt that players on national contract had not received payments for the last four months, while dues to players on domestic contracts had been delayed by two months. The players decided not to participate in the forthcoming round of the Logan Cup, the domestic first-class competition, which is scheduled before the Christmas break.

Zimbabwe Cricket has been undergoing financial problems, prompting action from players. In August this year, Zimbabwe players formed a union to participate in salary negotiations, prior to the series against Pakistan. The board's financial condition also resulted in Sri Lanka's tour to the country being deferred. The domestic competitions in Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin in November, were delayed due to lack of funds but the tournaments were finally held without any sponsors.

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Time for Fletcher to make visible impact

Duncan Flethcer hardly interacts with anyone except his bosses and the players, and the players have always been full of praise for him without being able to articulate how exactly he helps

Enigma is a word loosely used in sport analysis. Duncan Fletcher, the India coach, though, is one man on whom the word enigma won't be wasted. Fletcher the England coach was ruthless, result-oriented, modern, even before his time. He worked best with young batsmen, preferred pace, and didn't mind gamesmanship - remember how England riled Ricky Ponting with their substitute fielders during the 2005 Ashes? From what we know of him as the India coach, or rather India under him, for whatever reason youth hasn't been pushed for actively despite poor results - eight straight away defeats in Tests, accurate trundlers have been preferred to pace, and batsmen dismissed purely by their own fault have been called back.

The extent of Fletcher's role in all this is not known. We don't know if he has had the free rein he needs. He hardly interacts with anyone except his bosses and the players, and the players have always been full of praise for him without being able to articulate how exactly he helps. You knew Fletcher's role as a member of the support staff better when India last came to South Africa. No, he had nothing to do with India then. This was when Fletcher was the part-time batting consultant of South Africa. Back then, he would attend press conferences, talk about his role and about his players.    

Therein might lay an advantage for Fletcher, a big chance to improve the overseas record of the India team under his watch: one win and eight losses outside Asia. Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis were part of the ODI squad that Fletcher worked with. That edge might not have been visible during the ODIs where India struggled to make an impression on pretty much the same set of batsmen - Quinton de Kock being the addition - but Fletcher's knowledge of South African cricket and conditions will still be a cane to this Indian team walking blind into the den, with negligible experience and little match time.

Other than this, Fletcher finally has a young side that he can mould. His expertise, it was said, was the main reason he was brought in as the coach in the first place, after Gary Kirsten didn't extend his contract soon after the World Cup win in 2011. At the start of his stint, Fletcher followed the Kirsten strategy of letting the senior players be, but with their games waning, it didn't work. Fletcher, though, managed to stay under the radar. Now, when he is back to what he was supposed to do - aid India in conditions he knows well, in England and South Africa, and facilitate the transition - Fletcher's role will be under more scrutiny.

The problem with scrutinising Fletcher's role, though, is the same: we don't exactly know how he works. What is clear, though, is that the players are impressed and singularly take the blame when the team fails to perform. "See, I think no failure can be pinpointed upon the support staff sitting back," R Ashwin said. "As players we have to accept the failure and say, 'Yes, we have failed as a group.' A person cannot go through the entire 11 players on the field, and what's going through their head and all that.

"Support staff can definitely facilitate you from behind. Support staff's role is always about creating a good environment. Having good facilities to practice and try and aid somebody who is going through a lean patch, and all that. On those regards he has never been short of what he has done. We had poor tours of Australia and England, but he has always been on the mark in terms of arranging practice and in terms of what guys want, going to them, talking to them. He has wanted to make a difference.

"There are two things: wanting to make a difference and actually creating a difference. [For] creating the difference the player also needs to play a role. He has always wanted to be the difference that a player wants. He has never been shy of going to talking to anybody, he has never been shy of going and offering a new suggestion for somebody to change his game. It's always up to the individual to take it or not. But I think for a failure the team has to accept the failure as a lot rather than saying the coach has not had a great record and all that. We have not had a great record."

That's a glowing endorsement at one level, but it doesn't really say much about Fletcher's role, other than facilitating training and ensuring good facilities. As a professional, Fletcher will see it as his failure, too, that he oversaw eight straight defeats away from home. He will be desperate to make sure it doesn't become 10 before 2013 is over.

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Gibbs sees a bit of himself in fearless de Kock

On a day when Quinton de Kock joined elite company with a third successive century, one of those who had managed the feat before him, Herschelle Gibbs, applauded the young batsman for his carefree method of play

When Quinton de Kock was on 99, he decided he was in a hurry. He charged down the track to Mohammad Shami and swung hard. Luckily for him, it didn't take the edge but ended up being mistimed down the track. There was a collective gulp at SuperSport Park from all but one man. Herschelle Gibbs was beaming.

"Look - he's not even interested in stats," Gibbs, who was part of one of the commentary teams, told ESPNcricinfo. "Others would have played a more conservative shot. But at least he wants to do something different."

A delivery later, de Kock tucked one away on the leg side to bring up his third consecutive century. Only Saeed Anwar, Zaheer Abbas, AB de Villiers and Herschelle Gibbs had managed that feat before him.

The man on air, Mluleki Ntsabo, reeled off the elite list de Kock had joined and when he got to Gibbs' name, Sunil Gavaskar fist bumped the South African, interrupting his soft applause. "It's out with the old and in with the new," Gibbs bellowed. For the first time since he last turned out for South Africa in May 2010, it sounded like he actually believed those words.

Gibbs has not retired from international cricket and he doesn't let people forget that. Just last month, in an interview with the local press agency, Gibbs reiterated his desire to play at top level. "I'd still like to play for South Africa... I know what I can offer and what I am capable of," he said then.

Fearless cricket is what Gibbs has always advocated and is the thing he believed he could to contribute to an outfit he has often criticised for being too formulaic. Gibbs held that up as the primary reason South Africa have failed to win a World Cup so far, and what he has repeatedly said they need to change if they are to be successful in future events. He usually put himself forward as the man who could lead that strategy but today, he handed the baton to someone else. Someone who reminds him a little bit of himself.

"He also doesn't think a lot," Gibbs joked. "He is more of an instinctive player. Which is what a lot of 20-year-olds are. I haven't seen a lot of him but I know he has got all the shots. Now he's putting the pieces together."

What impresses Gibbs about de Kock is his carefreeness at the crease, something South Africa are trying to keep under some control. That's why a senior player reminds him to "take it easy" at the end of most overs. De Kock has mostly heeded the advice and reined in the urge to whack everything that comes his way into next week.

That was on display today more than usual when he saw off a controlled opening spell of swing from Shami and more discipline from the other two Indian pacers than they have shown in the series so far. "We saw him bat uncharacteristically for the first 40 runs," Gibbs said. "He kept the big shots in the bag, which was a good thing to see at his age. And then he rode his luck."

De Kock was dropped twice - on 37 and 43 - but did not let that affect the way he played. He had AB de Villiers to run singles with and was allowed some aggression, particularly off Virat Kohli.

Once he passed the fifty mark, de Kock converted the knock into a triple-digit score again to keep his record at 100%. He played the drive and pull that he is making his name on, but also continued to charge all the bowlers and punish half volleys.

"His shot selection is really good," Gibbs said. "But his power play is as good as his touch play, which is what you need to score hundreds. He likes the game going forward and is not shy to hit boundaries even in the middle period. He has got all the shots and all the understanding. The more he plays, the more he will learn."

Gibbs predicted de Kock will continue to keep Graeme Smith out of the side and will be one the key players in South Africa's 2015 World Cup campaign. Gibbs hopes de Kock does not focus that far ahead just yet, however, but concentrates on more immediate matters instead.

"Who is the next one-day series against?" Gibbs asked. When he was informed South Africa are not scheduled to play any 50-overs cricket before taking on Zimbabwe next July, he only had one thing on his mind. "He could make it four in four," he said, referring to hundreds.

"I almost did it," he remembered. Gibbs' three consecutive hundreds started at the 2002 Champions Trophy when he raised his bat against Kenya and India. In the home series which followed against Bangladesh he scored 153 off 131 balls and saw an opportunity to do it again in Benoni but with South Africa chasing just 155, he ended unbeaten on 97. "We ran out of runs," he said, with a tinge of regret that soon gave way to smile.

So does Gibbs have any advice for de Kock if he finds himself in a similar situation? "No, I don't really know him that well. I just chatted with him briefly on the plane from Johannesburg to Cape Town after the first Twenty20 against Pakistan. We didn't speak about too much," Gibbs confessed. "He didn't ask my advice. He doesn't need it."

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De Kock laughs off Ishant's 'lucky' remark

There were a few sniggers in the pressroom when India fast bowler Ishant Sharma said that Quinton de Kock, who scored three consecutive hundreds in the ODI series, had "been quite lucky."

When asked if India were sick and tired at the sight of de Kock at the wicket, and if they were relieved he was not part of the Test squad, Ishant said: "I think he has been quite lucky. I can say that. Because the ball is getting in between fielders, he is getting top edges, players have been dropping catches off him. I think, you have to take positives. If he is scoring, good for him. What we can do is more important."

Minutes later, de Kock and his captain AB de Villiers had a laugh about it. "He was telling the truth," de Kock said, folding his arms and trying to hide his laughter. "I did get a bit lucky today. There were two dropped catches and I was really angry with myself. I just had to go back into my bubble again."

De Kock, on 37, had offered Ajinkya Rahane a regulation chance at short fine leg, and he also gave Yuvraj Singh an opportunity at mid-on six runs later. Neither catch was taken and de Kock was shaken by his carelessness, in conditions "where you had to fight for runs upfront."

De Kock's only rash move after those reprieves was on 99, when he charged Mohammed Shami and mis-timed the ball. In the commentator's box Herschelle Gibbs, whom de Kock joined as one of five batsmen to score three successive ODI hundreds, was impressed because he believed the young batsman had showed guts. At the non-striker's end, de Villiers, who also has three straight ODI tons, was not. He marched towards de Kock to have a word.

"I don't remember what he said," de Kock admitted, after the game had been washed out. De Villiers, who was sitting beside him, put on an expression of mock shock. "You don't remember anything," he joked. De Kock blushed a little while the people in the room laughed, and de Villiers explained what he had told the newest member of his team.

"I spoke to him twice," de Villiers said. "I spoke to him before the start of the game today and I told him never to be satisfied. And then I spoke to him when he was the 90s. Anyway, he can't remember anything."

De Kock does remember that this was, "one of the harder hundreds of these last three," and not only because of the conditions. South Africa had been in trouble at 28 for 3 and de Kock did not have the support of Hashim Amla in this game. He said the innings - 101 off 120 balls - showed how he had matured "I think I have grown a lot," he said. "My confidence was never there before. It has grown a lot. My work ethic has grown as well."

Despite de Kock being in such rich form, South Africa's selectors did not pick him for the two Tests against India. He simply accepted he has more work to do to play the longer format at the top level. "I'm sure anybody would love to be part of the Test squad, but I will have to go back to four-day cricket, bide my time and hopefully score some runs there.

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Ballance shows form and Mills fires

WA XI 8 for 319 dec and 6 for 167 (Armstrong 71* Mills 3-6) lead EPP 2 for 220 dec (Robson 108*, Ballance 89*) by 266 runs

England have confirmed they will not draft any more players into their Test squad, but Tymal Mills may have given Andy Flower a few things to consider after a lively burst for the EPP against a Western Australia XI.

Mills, the Essex left-arm quick who was called up to be a net bowler with the main squad at the start of the tour, removed the WA top order in their second innings during a spell of 3 for 6 which reduced the hosts to 4 for 14. Mills wickets all came in an eight-ball at the start of the innings.

Flower, however, will show faith with those in the original squad even though the three tall quicks - Chris Tremlett, Boyd Rankin and Steven Finn - have failed to impress on the tour. England's fast bowlers have not been able to compete for pace with Australia's and Mills is considered the quickest bowler in English cricket.

Of more relevance to England's potential line-up at the WACA was the form of Gary Ballance, the Yorkshire left-hander, who struck 89 having left Adelaide early to allow him to play in this match. The same applied to Jonny Bairstow, but the EPP's declaration meant he did not get an innings.

Ballance had a tough start to the Ashes tour with scores of 0 and 4 in the early tour matches before making an unbeaten 55 against the Chairman's XI in Alice Springs although Ben Stokes was preferred for a Test debut in Adelaide.

Ballance said he would be prepared to come into England's middle order if the call came. "I haven't really thought about that too much," he told BBC Radio Five Live. "I'm just trying to look at this as good preparation. If I do get a chance, I feel I am ready.''

Ballance added 193 with Sam Robson, the Australia-born Middlesex opener, and unlike Ballance, Robson converted into three figures.

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Watling, lower order boost NZ to 441

1st innings New Zealand 441 (Taylor 129, Watling 65, Best 4-110) v West Indies
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Another day, another dropped catch from West Indies, and another New Zealand batsman making them pay. Had Tino Best not made a total misjudgment at deep midwicket, Trent Boult would have been gone for 3, and New Zealand would have been dismissed for 386. Instead, Best palmed the slog over the boundary, and the final pair of Boult and BJ Watling proceeded to thrash 58 runs at over a run a ball. By the time Watling missed a slog off Shannon Gabriel to be bowled for 65, New Zealand had surged to 441, an addition of 134 runs in 25.1 overs to their overnight 307 for 6. On day one, West Indies had put down Ross Taylor on zero and watched him make 129.

After rain delayed the start by an hour and 15 minutes, New Zealand's progress was largely down to Watling, who showed his versatility by constantly doing what the situation demanded. On the first evening, he had stonewalled to 8 off 47 as stumps approached. This morning, he and Tim Southee came out positive, attacking anything either too short and wide or too full.

Seeing Best go for 12 in the day's opening over, Darren Sammy brought himself on and soon had Southee holing out to deep square leg for a 14-ball 21. Just as they had done through the innings, New Zealand were to string together another useful stand, of 49 between Ish Sodhi and Watling. Sodhi was extremely competent for a No. 9. He defended solidly and duly put the loose ones away. Watling, seeing that Sodhi was in no trouble, turned the strike over as regularly as one would alongside a specialist batsman.

Shaking off their initial waywardness, West Indies targetted the fuller lengths they had largely missed on the first day. Gabriel, especially, was unlucky not to break through, going past the edge on a few occasions. But New Zealand were fast approaching 400.

Having batted with so much calm, Sodhi suddenly had a loose waft at a wide one from Best to depart for 27. Neil Wager lasted one ball, Best pitching it up for once and producing an edge to second slip. Boult easily dealt with the hat-trick ball, but nearly gave it away next over. After reining himself in and blocking five balls from Shane Shillingford, he swung the final one straight to Best in the deep, only to be reprieved.

Then began the entertainment from Boult. He charged Shillingford thrice in the offspinner's next over, cleanly striking a boundary down the ground each time, the last one sailing for six. Soon, the partnership had tallied 50 off just 47 balls, even though Boult hadn't had too much of the strike, Watling protecting him, especially against Best. The only time Watling couldn't - a flash not going wide enough of third man and resulting in only a single - Boult came on strike and promptly took ten off the next three balls from Best with two cuts and a straight drive. He would remain unbeaten on 38 off 27 as Watling fell to Gabriel. New Zealand will hope the workout with the bat has sufficiently warmed up their quick bowlers, following four days off after their exertions in Dunedin.

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Siddle and Harris give Australia 2-0 lead

Australia 9 for 570 dec (Clarke 148, Haddin 118, Broad 3-98) and 3 for 132 dec (Warner 83*) beat England 172 (Bell 72*, Carberry 60, Johnson 7-40) and 312 (Root 87, Prior 69, Siddle 4-57, Harris 3-54) by 218 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Australia took a 2-0 lead in the Ashes series, with three to play as they inflicted a 218-run defeat on England in the Adelaide Test to follow up their overwhelming 381-run win in the opening match in Brisbane.

It took Australia only 11.4 overs to remove England's last four wickets for the addition of a further 65 runs after light morning rain, which delayed the start by 10 minutes, cleared and the Test was completed with floodlights piercing the gloom.

England's one consolation was a return to form for Matt Prior, albeit in insignificant circumstances. Prior, 31 not out overnight, was ninth out for 69 from 110 balls, the first time he had passed 50 in 17 attempts, a sequence stretching back to his match-saving century against New Zealand in Auckland in March. It will probably be enough to protect his place in Perth.

Prior pulled with gusto, but the shot also proved his downfall as he deposited Peter Siddle into the hands of Ryan Harris at deep square. It was a bountiful morning for Siddle and Harris, who had toiled away impressively on the fourth day, but who did not have to extend themselves unduly to round things up with two wickets apiece on the final morning.

Siddle and Harris took seven wickets between them. That should not alter the salient fact: Mitchell Johnson might not be the only reason for the shift in power, but he has been the overriding reason.

Australia, after seven defeats in nine, have now won two Tests on the bounce; England, unbeaten in 13 before this series, have been heavily beaten in both. Under the coaching influence of Darren Lehmann, Australia are playing positive cricket, fielding tigerishly and their bowling plans are working. England look weary and disorientated, a team which has so far failed to challenge the notion that it is in decline.

No England team has ever come back from 2-0 down to win a series in Australia, the one thing in England's favour being that they only need to draw the series to retain the Ashes.

But England will be particularly unsettled by the fact that they have lost so heavily in Adelaide where a dry pitch of comfortable pace bore a similarity to surfaces on which they have achieved many recent victories and offered arguably their best opportunity of the series.

Adelaide's first drop-in pitch displayed the ground's traditional characteristics, offering more spin as the match progressed, and will have delighted the curator Damien Hough.

Alastair Cook said three times at the post-match ceremony that England need to "look at ourselves". It will be the mantra ahead of Perth. He said: "We had a few opportunities on that first day to put pressure on that first day and we missed them. Mitchell Johnson has bowled well and quickly and we have to look at ourselves, our techniques and our shot selection."

Michael Clarke, Australia's captain, admitted that he had been unsettled when he drew back the curtains to see rain falling. He said: "The last thing we wanted was rain today - and I guess not enforcing the follow-on made me a little more nervous. I thought our bowlers could do with a rest and come out fresh in the second innings.

"We have to be realistic: that is only our second Test win in [11] months and that is not good enough if we want to be the No 1 Test side in the world - and that is our goal."

Johnson, man of the match after his first-innings 7 for 40, can now look forward to what is routinely viewed as his banker: the WACA. He said: "I'm really excited about being back in this team." He confirmed the mo stays on for the rest of the series.

Once the skies cleared so quickly, England's cause was hopeless: 304 runs short of victory with only four wickets remaining. They played as if they knew it.

Quite what Stuart Broad was up to, only he knew. Five balls into the day, he became the third England batsman to perish to the hook shot. Siddle fired in two short balls in his first over of the day. The first, a lackadaisical affair, was pulled by Broad for six. The next ball was quicker and shoulder height and Broad hooked it into the hands of Nathan Lyon at deep square.

Harris, delayed until first change, was also presented with a wicket in his first over as Graeme Swann dangled his bat at a wide one, which moved away slightly, and presented a comfortable catch to second slip. His second wicket of the morning, Panesar driving feebly to short extra, completed the job.

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'We're nowhere near the No. 1 team in the world' - de Villiers

Beat the No. 1 side by 141 runs. Beat them again by 134. In the first game, put them under a mountain of runs and straitjacket them with exceptional quick bowling. In the next, watch the same batsmen capitulate through low-percentage shots. This tour has all the makings of being to South Africa what the West Indies series was to India in November. And never mind what Dale Steyn feels, South Africa's elder statesmen are not getting ahead of themselves. AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla both laughed heartily when asked if this Indian team was proving to be too easy, but they wouldn't get drawn into making what could be seen as inappropriate statements that might come back to bite them later.

De Villiers was at pains to not be seen as arrogant when ahead. When asked if it was becoming a bit easy, because it felt so from the outside, de Villiers repeated the "no" five times.

"They are a world-class unit," de Villiers said. "They are world champions. I can go for an hour if I talk about the Indian team. [I] still expect them to come back in the third ODI. A lot of pride to play for. It will be massive for us to beat them 3-0. A lot to play for. They are still a world-class unit. We will always have respect for them as a team."

After his press conference, de Villiers moved to the right, and gave unassuming Hashim Amla the seat in front of the microphones. Now Amla and Quinton de Kock have added more than 150 in back-to-back games against India's bowling, becoming only the second pair in ODIs to do so. At times in the Durban ODI, it looked like they were not tested at all. Like de Villiers, Amla, too, was asked if the Indian bowling was "easy meat" for the openers.

Amla let out a loud laugh and said, "You want such a controversial thing for me to say."

After everyone had had their laughs and drawn their own inferences, Amla went on to say: "Nothing at all like that. Fortunately for me and Quinny [de Kock] - to score runs you need things to go your way. In both games, we could have got caught with leading edges, caught third man… Things have just gone our way in the last two games. India have bowled well upfront. We haven't gone off to blistering starts, just knocked it around a bit and bided our time. In the first game, AB and JP [Duminy] were the guys who did a bulk of the damage at the back end. Before that, they had bowled quite well. So there is no such thing as easy meat. We have fortunately got things going our way."

Having said that, de Villiers was pretty pleased his side had beaten the No. 1 side in ODIs so comprehensively in successive matches.

"We are nowhere near the No. 1 team in the world at the moment even though we have beaten them two in a row now," de Villiers said. "We know tournaments like the World Cup, they are about 11 games, this is just two in a row. It's definitely a step in the right direction, but in a humble way we would like to work hard on our game and make sure we still compete with the best in the world consistently."

Steyn's remarks that a few of the Indian batsmen might have been scared were still being talked about, but de Villiers also said that his batsmen have been setting up the games. He was "chuffed" that his lower order got him crucial runs in this match - especially the 29 in the last two overs - that turned a total just over par into a superlative one. Especially given South Africa's bowling, which now seems to have established a hold on the Indian batsmen.

"Hopefully, we did scare off a few of their batters going into the final ODI and the Test series," de Villiers said. "It's always nice to sort of scare a few batters going into a big series like this, especially a batting line-up like the Indian team has. I think they are very talented and to sort of get under their skin is always important, especially in home conditions."

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