West Indies 275 for 9 (Brathwaite 106, Samuels 101, Morkel 4-69) drew with South Africa 417 for 8 dec (Elgar 121, du Plessis 103, Steyn 58)
A waterlogged outfield and persistent rain ruled out any chance of play on the fifth day of the Port Elizabeth Test, which ended in a draw with only 201 overs having been possible over five days.
Whenever play had been possible, the pitch threw up an excellent contest between bat and ball, with four batsmen scoring centuries, one tonking a 26-ball half-century, and the bowlers responding with 17 wickets, but the weather ruined any chance of a result. Replying to South Africa's 417 for 8 declared, West Indies had ended day four on 275 for 9.
The umpires inspected the outfield at hourly intervals between 10am and 1pm, but there was no improvement in its condition. Play was called off at 1.05pm. Kraigg Brathwaite was named Man of the Match for his innings of 106.
MS Dhoni has retired from Test cricket with immediate effect following the drawn Test against Australia in Melbourne. Virat Kohli will take over as India captain for the final Test of the series, which India have already lost, in Sydney.
Dhoni was batting on 24 when the Test was called off early at the MCG - four overs were left and India had four wickets in hand - and he made no mention of his retirement during the customary captain's press conference at the end of the match. The announcement was made via a BCCI press release shortly after and it cited "the strain of playing all formats" as the reason.
"One of India's greatest Test captains under whose leadership India became the No. 1 team in the test rankings, MS Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of cricket," the board said. "BCCI, while respecting the decision of MS Dhoni to retire from Test cricket, wishes to thank him for his enormous contribution to Test cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India. Virat Kohli will be the captain of the Indian team for the fourth and final Test against Australia to be played in Sydney."
In recent months Dhoni suffered from fitness issues, missing five ODIs against Sri Lanka in November because of a hand injury, which also sidelined him from the first Test against Australia in Adelaide.
Though Dhoni's place in India's Test side has not been under question, his batting form took a dip in 2014 and he averaged only 33 in 17 innings this year. His wicketkeeping has also deteriorated, in particular his ability to move laterally to take testing catches. India's overseas results have also suffered under Dhoni's leadership in recent years. Since 2011, they have won only two out of 22 away Tests and lost 13.
Dhoni, however, is India's most successful captain, having presided over 27 wins in his 60-Test tenure, which began in 2008. His first Test as captain was against South Africa in Kanpur in April that year, because of an injury to regular captain Anil Kumble, and he took over full time after Kumble retired following the Delhi Test against Australia in October. Dhoni led India to the No. 1 Test ranking in 2009, a position they enjoyed until the tour of England in 2011.
Overall, Dhoni played 90 Tests in a career that began in 2005 and scored 4876 runs at an average of 38, with a high score of 224 against Australia in Chennai in 2013. As a wicketkeeper, he effected 294 dismissals, the fifth highest in Test cricket.
Australia 530 (Smith 192) and 9 for 318 dec (Marsh 99, Rogers 69) drew with India 465 (Kohli 169, Rahane 147, Harris 4-70) and 6 for 174 (Kohli 54)
Australia did not need to win, and India never really thought seriously about doing so. A curiously muted final day of the Boxing Day Test petered out with four overs still to bowl; on recent evidence more than enough time to winkle out the visitors' last four wickets.
A draw was enough for Australia to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy under the stand-in captaincy of Steven Smith, and also enough for MS Dhoni's India to avoid a series whitewash. So hands were shaken, backs slapped and stumps drawn. Despite the odd moment of rancour - Virat Kohli versus Brad Haddin - or transcendence - Mitchell Johnson's ripping cutter to bowl Cheteshwar Pujara - this always seemed the most likely result.
It was a revealing day for Smith, showing that in his second Test as leader he was unprepared to risk a 2-0 series lead over opponents who had chased boldly and capably until tripping up within sight of the finishing post in Adelaide. In this, Smith showed a level of pragmatism more in common with another former captain who bowled leg spin in Richie Benaud, as opposed to the greater gambling instinct of Michael Clarke and his mentor Shane Warne.
Right from the start of the day, Smith had appeared intent on making sure India would not be presented with too amenable a target on what always remained a friendly batting surface. India's captain MS Dhoni seemed to be hoping just as much for a closure early in the morning session, affording his batsmen the chance to pursue a target in the region of 350.
But the hosts pushed on, Shaun Marsh advancing to the cusp of a third Test century when he chanced a quick single to mid-off and was thrown out by Virat Kohli's direct hit. When the innings was closed with Australia's last pair of Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood at the crease, it was the coach Darren Lehmann, not Smith, who waved them in.
Still, 70 overs was a not completely insubstantial amount of time. Ryan Harris struck with his second ball, finding late swing to pin Shikhar Dhawan in front of the stumps.
KL Rahul was unexpectedly promoted to No. 3, but completed an unhappy match when he hooked convulsively at Mitchell Johnson and was held by Shane Watson, jogging back from first slip. M Vijay fell to the first-change Josh Hazlewood soon after, struck in line though the ball appeared likely to be sliding past leg stump.
Kohli had made only four when he was almost run out - David Warner's excellent diving save devalued somewhat by a throw not accurate enough to strand Kohli as Haddin ran in to collect. The first verbal confrontation between Kohli and Haddin caused India's No. 4 to complain to the umpires, while Haddin goaded him with a series of exaggerated handclaps.
Not quite as fluent as they had been in the first innings, Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were helped by the ball losing some of its earlier hardness. Each had close calls, Harris raising an lbw query against Kohli and a fiercely struck Rahane cut shot bursting through the fingers of Chris Rogers at backward point.
India managed to reach tea without further loss, but that achievement was made moot when Kohli flicked a little too hastily at Harris' first ball of the evening session and arrowed it straight to Joe Burns at square leg. Pujara had been dropped down the order as something of a safety blanket, and his 95-ball union with Rahane was enough to dim Australian hopes.
Johnson had to conjure the ball of the Test to find a way past Pujara, his fast offbreak the stuff of Derek Underwood's wildest dreams, but there was not the same purchase for Lyon, and the other pacemen lost penetration as the day wore on. Rahane's mistimed pull shot to square leg left a narrow window open, but R Ashwin and Dhoni looked secure enough to leave Smith thinking he had run out of time four overs before he actually did so.
An enjoyable and well-attended match had thus faded away. The series is Australia's, not in the sort of circumstances that prompt wild celebrations, but more the sober handshakes in recognition of a job completed.
Rain continued to plague the second Test between South Africa and the West Indies on day four, but the hosts do have an outside chance of winning after a strong evening session.
No play was possible in the morning before West Indies duo Kraigg Braithwaite and Marlon Samuels both reached their centuries and lost their wickets before tea.
South Africa's chances of pulling off an unlikely day-five victory tomorrow were helped by a shortened final session where they took five wickets for just 30 runs.
That leaves the tourists on 275/9 going into the final day, with the forecast pointing to an disruption-free day.
If the West Indies are bowled out for 279 or less, it will be the lowest-scoring completed Test innings where all 10 wickets have fallen and two batsmen have notched centuries.
Tea Report
West Indies duo Kraigg Braithwaite and Marlon Samuels both achieved centuries as the tourists reached 245/4 in their first innings at tea on day four of the second Test against South Africa.
The match has been plagued by rain in Port Elizabeth and a draw continues to look like the probable outcome after the Proteas were only able to take two wickets in the afternoon session.
Braithwaite (106) and Samuels (101) started the day on 65 and 60 respectively and put on a partnership of 176 before both falling in quick succession.
First, Vernon Philander trapped Samuels lbw with the final ball of the 65th over before, three balls later, Braithwaite edged Morne Morkel's delivery to Alviro Peterson at second slip.
Going into the penultimate day's final session, South Africa lead by 172 runs with six wickets left to take.
Australia 530 and 7 for 261 (Rogers 69, Marsh 62*) lead India 465 (Kohli 169, Rahane 147, Harris 4-70) by 326 runs
A flat drop-in pitch. Possible rain. Brazen Indian batsmen. A brittle touring tail. Reverse swing. An extended day's play. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy not quite secured. A new captain and an older coach. A commitment to entertain.
These were just a few of the variables for Australia after four days of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, as the captain Steven Smith and the coach Darren Lehmann pondered the ideal target to set India on the final day of a contest that the hosts have largely dictated, albeit not firmly enough to keep the visitors beyond hope.
The cut and thrust of the final session, after two earlier brackets of less bracing stuff, left Australia to wonder how many overs they might need to bowl. Shaun Marsh drove, nudged and edged to his first Test 50 in Australia, following up on Chris Rogers' fourth in succession. Smith failed for the first time this series, Shane Watson for the fifth, and David Warner's smashing start was not sustained enough to rattle to a dominant lead.
At the forefront of Smith's mind will be the fact that an Indian victory would keep the series open, and that at this ground a year ago Australia chased down a target of 231 against England with such speed and comfort that a tally twice that many may not have been out of the question. Melbourne's drop-in pitch has shown precious few signs of deterioration.
Only four overs were lost despite an 86-minute rain interruption that delayed the resumption after lunch, and a series of Australian starts kept India interested for the fact that none pushed on to three figures. After India's final two wickets fell to Mitchell Johnson, Warner shrugged off a sore thumb and bruised arm to punch his way to 40 from 42 balls. His dismissal to R Ashwin, who also pouched Rogers, slowed Australia's scoring.
They had rolled up India's tail with familiar ease in the morning. Mitchell Johnson had Umesh Yadav falling caught behind, fending at a short one, second ball of the day, before Mohammed Shami was taken by Steven Smith in the slips when he flashed at a fuller delivery.
Warner cut the first delivery of the innings, an obligingly wide offering from Umesh, to the backward-point boundary, and any hope of early Australian wickets evaporated almost as rapidly - an all-run four came from the second ball. An inside edge past a diving Dhoni was more fortunate, but further boundaries had Umesh withdrawn from the attack nursing figures of 3-0-32-0 and the Australians on their way to a handsome lead by the time the morning concluded.
Ashwin drifted his way through Warner's forward defence to win an lbw verdict from the umpire Richard Kettleborough. Rogers and Shane Watson resumed sturdily enough when the covers were peeled back, their stand worth 41 when the allrounder failed to cover an Ishant Sharma delivery of teasing line and edged through to Dhoni.
Smith made his first low score of the series, a little unlucky to glance Umesh straight into the hands of Rahane at leg slip, but Rogers consistently punched through Dhoni's off side fields to pass 50 for the fourth consecutive innings. He looked set for a hundred until Ashwin, belatedly introduced after the rain, prompted a slightly late forward defensive that resulted in the ball rolling back onto the stumps.
Joe Burns did not last long, an angled bat resulting in an edge behind off Shami, and Brad Haddin was deemed to have glanced Yadav into Dhoni's gloves. Johnson's stay was a little longer and also more hot-tempered, his running battle with Virat Kohli continuing until he lobbed a catch to midwicket.
Marsh kept his cool, and a tally of 62 by the close provided valuable ballast to an innings that risked looking lightweight in the absence of a score from Smith. But Marsh's scoring was less dynamic than Warner or even Rogers' had been, leaving Smith and Lehmann to think long and hard about the many variables open to question when play resumes on day five.
New Zealand 441 (McCullum 195, Neesham 85) and 107 for 2 beat Sri Lanka 138 (Boult 3-25, Wagner 3-60) and 407 (Karunaratne 152, Boult 4-100, Southee 4-91) by eight wickets
It had to be black magic. Tim Southee and Trent Boult were swinging a 70-over old ball on the fourth morning. Both ways. Their skill accounted for 13 of the 20 Sri Lankan wickets and confirmed Brendon McCullum's Boxing Day assault as match winning. Christchurch witnessed New Zealand's fifth victory in 2014, marking it their best year in Test history.
A target of 105 appeared straightforward, but Sri Lanka created a few nervous moments for New Zealand along the way. A fluent Tom Latham was undone by a ripping turner from debutant offspinner Tharindu Kaushal and Hamish Rutherford was surprised by Shaminda Eranga's extra bounce and lobbed a catch to gully.
Sri Lanka strived hard for further inroads. Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson, though, were resolute and secured the Test in the seventh over after tea on the fourth day.
The visitors had begun the day 10 runs behind and with five wickets in hand, and their best chance was if their captain Angelo Mathews could shepherd the tail. But even he was unprepared for the bouncer from Southee, feathering an edge to the keeper off a front-foot pull early in the morning.
Kaushal, the night-watchman, managed a couple of pleasing strokes through square leg and cover off the front foot before a short ball in the off-stump corridor did him. He was caught in two minds and before he could pull the bat away, the edge flew to Mark Craig at second slip to give Southee his first strike of the morning.
Dhammika Prasad was reluctant to get in line for most of his 17 balls and was not ready when Southee sprung the trap with the fuller length - twice. Ross Taylor grassed an absolute dolly, but before his face could grow red another came his way and he caught it.
Sri Lanka did well to bat until lunch and their final-wicket pair even forced the umpires to take a half hour's extension. The lead was 17 when Mathews was dismissed, but Eranga and Suranga Lakmal conjured 59 runs off 57 balls. Their clear-the-front-leg-and-swing tactic frustrated New Zealand as they either watched the ball skirt past the outside edge or skim to the cow-corner boundary. Boult broke through and earned himself and his fellow bowlers some well-deserved rest after 196 testing overs across the two innings.
West Indies 147 for 2 (Brathwaite 65*, Samuels 60*, Morkel 2-24) trail South Africa 417 for 8 dec (Elgar 121, du Plessis 103, Steyn 58) by 270 runs
West Indies had the better of large swathes of day three, but Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, with bat and ball respectively, made the high-impact contributions that ensured South Africa were still in control of the game at stumps. Kraigg Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels put on an unbroken 92-run stand after Morkel had rocked West Indies with twin strikes just before tea, and West Indies were 71 short of the follow-on mark when rain and bad light brought play to a close.
After a wet outfield delayed the start of play, West Indies' seamers scythed through South Africa's middle order in rain-freshened conditions. It meant South Africa had lost five wickets for 74 runs starting with Faf du Plessis' dismissal on the rain-soaked second day. Steyn counterattacked thereafter, and hastened South Africa's declaration with a 28-ball 58 that lifted South Africa's score from 369 to 417 in five manic overs after lunch.
Clearing his front leg against Jerome Taylor and stepping confidently down the track to Sulieman Benn, Steyn freed his arms and struck the ball with ferocious power.
He swatted Taylor for two big sixes either side of a clanging drive down the ground for four, before taking a blow to the left forearm at the non-striker's end when Vernon Philander attempted to partake of the fun with a meaty straight hit.
That didn't hamper Steyn in any way, though, as he carved Benn for a four and two big sixes in the arc between extra cover and long-off, before holing out attempting another big hit. Hashim Amla declared as soon as Jason Holder wrapped his hands around the ball at long-on.
West Indies began solidly in reply, moving past 50 without loss before Morkel arrived to ruin the taste of their tea. Coming on as first change, Morkel hit Devon Smith on the side of the helmet with a bouncer in his second over, but otherwise stuck to a fullish length, angling the ball into the left-hander from around the wicket and getting a couple to seam away.
Smith, front foot striding hesitantly to the ball, poked at one of them and edged a catch to first slip. Morkel then suckered Leon Johnson, another left-hander, into driving away from his body at an even fuller ball and du Plessis at third slip took an excellent low catch.
Brathwaite had looked assured at the other end, batting with more freedom than he is known to, striking four fours before tea including two in two balls against Vernon Philander, a crisp straight drive followed by a sweetly timed back-foot punch through the covers.
He continued to look impressive after tea, cutting Steyn for two fours in an over and otherwise keeping the strike rolling over. He survived a tough chance when Imran Tahir failed to hold onto a rasping straight hit, but was otherwise untroubled in making his seventh Test half-century.
Samuels used his feet well to Tahir and hit him for five fours as he moved to 60 off 92 balls. He was less assured against the quicker bowlers at first, sending a thick edge flying wide of second slip off Steyn and having an lbw decision overturned after Morkel had struck him high on the pad with a sharp indipper that, according to Hawkeye, would have cleared the top of the stumps.
Philander produced some reverse swing late in the day and had Samuels edging streakily to the third man boundary, but there was less help from the surface than there had been at the start of the morning.
There are few more daunting sights for a bowling side at 289 for 3 than Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers walking out to bat, but West Indies managed to dismiss both in the space of seven balls.
Amla struck two fours off Taylor in the first over of the day, but Jason Holder brushed away the ominous signs with a ball that nipped back to get him lbw. There seemed to be doubts over the line of impact and the height, but Amla was shown to be right not to review, with Hawkeye saying umpire's call on both counts.
In the next over, Taylor produced the ball of the Test match. It was set up by the ball before, which angled in sharply towards de Villiers and struck him on the pad as he looked to work it into the leg side.
The umpire ruled not out, West Indies reviewed, and Hawkeye showed it to be shaving leg stump, not enough of it to overturn the umpire's decision. The next ball followed a similar trajectory three-fourths of its way to the batsman, angling in towards middle and off stump, but veered away late in the air, sneaked past the closed face of de Villiers' bat, and crashed into off stump.
South Africa had lost their three best batsmen for the addition of 30 runs, and into this situation were thrust Temba Bavuma, on debut, and Stiaan van Zyl, with one Test behind him. Taylor and Holder found both their edges and Holder had a big lbw shout turned down when Bavuma shouldered arms to an in-ducker, before a bowling change brought West Indies the breakthrough.
Before the Test began, Bavuma had suggested with surprising candour that his lack of height could be a disadvantage on bouncy pitches, and Shannon Gabriel produced a lifter that few batsmen could have done anything about. It followed Bavuma even as he tried to sway out of the way, and was too quick for him to drop his hands and prevent a scrape of glove through to the keeper.
Kenroy Peters then completed a morning in which every West Indian seamer picked up a wicket. Van Zyl sliced and drove the left-armer for two fours in three balls, and it was evident he would keep going after anything outside off stump. He sent the fifth ball rolling to the keeper off the inside edge, and then, chasing away from his body again, nicked the sixth to the keeper.
India 8 for 462 (Kohli 169, Rahane 147) trail Australia 530 by 68 runs
For one minute short of four hours, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli made the future of Indian Test cricket look very bright indeed. For the two hours or so either side, the rest of the touring side confirmed why that future is still some way short of being realised.
A hot and occasionally hot-tempered third day at the MCG had numerous fluctuations. First Australia prospered with a pair of early wickets to hasty strokes from Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay, and later they did so again through Nathan Lyon's persevering spin and a sharp spell of reverse swing from the admirable Ryan Harris.
But its centrepiece was a stand of 262 between Rahane and Kohli, a union that was both substantial enough to leave Steven Smith wondering where his next wicket was coming from but also swift enough to keep open the prospect of an outright result in this match, which India must win to stay in contention for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rahane set the tone of the partnership, skating past 30 at better than a run a ball to shift momentum away from Australia. Kohli was a little more collected, but carried on beyond the loss of his partner and other members of India's exceedingly collapsible tail to 169, his highest Test score. It was not until the last over of the day that Kohli fell, his edge clasped by a diving Brad Haddin. The second exceptional Haddin catch of the day contrasted with some rather indifferent fielding by Australia through mid-afternoon, when at least three chances went down. Nathan Lyon missed the gentlest of return catches from Rahane in the final over before the second new ball became due, and after Mitchell Johnson took it an edge from Kohli's bat was grassed by Shane Watson, diving to his left and into territory commonly reserved for Haddin.
Australian frustration with the Rahane-Kohli partnership was illustrated when Johnson fired a return at the stumps and caught Kohli in the lower back - words were exchanged at other times, and any visible acknowledgement of the Indian pair's hundreds could best be described as low key. They were more generous to Rahane upon his departure, and Kohli was applauded by all sections of the ground as he led the players off at stumps.
Pujara had seemed unusually eager to see bat on ball, and from Harris' second ball of the morning he aimed an uncharacteristic cut/glide to a ball he would have often left. The edge was thick and Haddin flew through the air, the milestone dismissal among his more spectacular, atoning for dropping the same batsman the previous evening.
Kohli was greeted by some fast stuff from Harris and Mitchell Johnson, but it was Vijay who was struck by the latter on the helmet with a short ball that reared up in defiance of an easy-paced pitch. Vijay shrugged off the blow, though its proximity to the rear of his head and neck made for a queasy replay viewing.
He had played and missed at more than his share of deliveries during another innings of otherwise calm temper, but he became impatient when teased by Watson's line and medium pace. Aiming a cut shot similar to Pujara's, he too offered a thick outside edge that this time sailed as far as Shaun Marsh at first slip.
This wicket seemed to tilt the morning towards Australia, but Kohli and Rahane responded with a counterattack of considerable verve. Rahane wasted very little time, and after a fortunate first boundary which bisected Haddin and Watson from a Lyon away-drifter, he struck a quartet far more convincing to help raise a 50-stand in as many minutes.
They went on with it in the afternoon, mixing some handsome and inventive strokes with eager running between the wickets and manipulation of Smith's fields. The certainty with which Rahane and Kohli played seemed to work against Australian concentration, so when chances arrived they were not quite sharp enough to take them.
Lyon in particular will wonder for a long time how he managed to hash Rahane's bunted return catch: in the 80th over of the innings it would have been a pivotal blow. But the miss allowed the stand to go on past tea, and to a point where India began to ponder a first-innings lead.
Ultimately it was Lyon who broke the stand, winning an lbw verdict from Kumar Dharmasena against a sweeping Rahane, though replays suggested the ball had not straightened enough to flick off stump. Having waited so long for his debut innings, KL Rahul's stay was short but action-filled as he was dropped by substitute Peter Siddle when he tried to flick Lyon over midwicket, then held at short fine leg when trying an ambitious sweep next ball.
Harris gained some sharp bend and proved too good for both Dhoni and R Ashwin, before a somewhat off-key Johnson tempted Kohli into error in the day's final over. With Rahane, Kohli had made this India's day, but the less flattering passages either side of their stand meant the match may still lean towards Australia.
Sri Lanka 138 and 293 for 5 (Karunaratne 152, Mathews 53*, Boult 3-62) (f/o) trail New Zealand 441 by ten runs
A duck in the first innings. His team following on amid consistent movement for the seamers. The deficit humongous and the pressure applied made it seem larger. These were the conditions Dimuth Karunaratne beat to register his maiden Test ton.
The dream would have been to bat out the day, but Trent Boult matched Karunaratne's fitness and concentration to deliver the strike New Zealand desperately needed in his 26th over of the innings. The pace was up at 140 kph and the delivery would have left most swing bowlers envious - angling to leg, curling through the air to pitch middle and seaming further away to topple off stump. A fitting delivery to end the highest score by a Sri Lankan while following-on; the deficit was only 10 but the visitors had only five wickets remaining.
There are only two recognised batsmen left for Sri Lanka - Angelo Mathews batting on 53, and Prasanna Jayawardene - to push for a meaningful lead.
Karunaratne's patience and a steadfast knowledge of his off stump frustrated New Zealand's seamers and their slip cordon through the day. The odd ball fizzed past his outside edge, as was bound to happen considering the quality of bowling he was facing, but his ability to shrug that off and get back into his bubble was striking. He made 28 off 88 deliveries in the morning, 39 off 102 in the afternoon, and 36 off 64 in the evening to finish 152 off 363 and ensure Sri Lanka recovered from a poor start.
The ball was 35 overs old at the start of the third day. It wouldn't swing as readily anymore. Sri Lanka's opening partnership was nearing their Test record when following-on. You could almost imagine Southee and Boult having a smirk at each other and saying, "challenge accepted".
Kaushal Silva was nipped out with the sixth ball of the day - a scrambled-seam delivery from Southee finding the outside edge - and Kumar Sangakkara's contribution in the match was limited to 7, Boult showing his ability to work a batsman out. Sangakkara's previous single-figure aggregate in a Test was in December 2011.
Sangakkara did not want to repeat his first-innings dismissal, when he had nicked to slip. He waited for the straighter ball to get off the mark, but was beaten by two terrific deliveries in between. Boult realised the length had to be even fuller and closer to off stump. The drive came again, the edge was taken again, and Boult claimed bragging rights over a batsman who had made at least fifty in each of his last nine Tests.
Run-scoring became secondary - Sri Lanka made 47 in 30 overs in the first session - and the only thing that mattered for Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne was reaching lunch with their wickets intact.
Having reached his fifty, Karunaratne knew it was his responsibility to mitigate the early damage. He was happiest on the back foot, but with time at the crease he began leaning forward. He did not, however, let the bat stray too far from his body. Out came punches down the ground and flicks through square leg as Karunaratne performed the job of tiring the bowlers and giving Sri Lanka's batting some structure.
He added 87 runs for the third wicket in 45.3 overs with a determined Thirimanne, who was coming off a poor stretch of form and batting in Mahela Jayawardene's position. The second new ball broke their union, but Karunaratne remained solid and the captain Mathews made a counterattacking half-century to lead his team into another day.
"We had a bad session. But we learn a lot from that innings, now it's time to show what you learn. Never give up guys. Fight hard" Karunaratne had tweeted yesterday. Today he came out and played a knock that spanned over eight hours to ensure Sri Lanka would not go down without a fight. His dismissal and that of Niroshan Dickwella late in the day to Boult, however, left the game in New Zealand's control.
Rain ensured only six overs were possible on day two, and West Indies managed to pick up their third wicket in that time. The start was delayed by two hours, and the drizzle sent the players back indoors half an hour into the morning session. The weather remained grim over the next few hours, and the umpires officially called off play at 5.05pm. South Africa will begin the third day on 289 for 3, with Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers at the crease.
Faf du Plessis, on 99 overnight, reached his century off the first ball of the day with a clip to the long leg boundary and fell next ball, nicking a Jerome Taylor outswinger to the keeper. It was pitched on the perfect length, freezing du Plessis' feet and causing his hands to follow the ball, and the Snickometer revealed that it had kissed his outside edge, after umpire Paul Reiffel initially ruled it not out.
Taylor and Jason Holder continued to move the ball around, and opened up both Amla and de Villiers, finding their leading edges as they looked to play across the line. Both batsmen were just finding their feet when it began drizzling again, and de Villiers unfurled a couple of gorgeous drives off Holder, one through extra cover and one down the ground.
India 1 for 108 (Vijay 55*) trail Australia 530 (Smith 192, Harris 74, Rogers 57, Haddin 55, Watson 52) by 422 runs
On Christmas Eve, it was pointed out in a local newspaper that for all Steven Smith's recent achievements he had yet to conquer the MCG. Not once had he passed 50 in a Test match at Australian cricket's colosseum. On a day of blue skies, a raucous crowd of 51,566, and some dreadful Indian fielding and bowling, Smith put that particular matter to rest. His 192 was a masterpiece of light and shade, determination and dominance, pace and patience. Smith was happy to play a minor role in no fewer than three significant partnerships on the second day, but in showing when to stick and when to twist he guided his side to 530. Having hoped to be chasing somewhere in the region of 300 when Australia's fifth wicket fell at 216 on Boxing Day Afternoon, India were bereft of ideas against Smith, and were fortunate to reach stumps as tidily placed as 1 for 108. Shikhar Dhawan was winkled out by Ryan Harris, and Cheteshwar Pujara survived only through an untidy miss by Brad Haddin from the accuracy of Josh Hazlewood.
M Vijay at least maintained his command of India's top order, passing 50 for the fourth time in five innings and weathering some searing overs late in the day from Mitchell Johnson, who charged in with the crowd baying expectantly behind him. They had been roused to life early by Haddin's free-spirited start alongside Smith.
Stands of 110 with Haddin and 50 with Johnson set the scene for a rollicking union of 106 between Smith and Ryan Harris, who posted his highest Test score. In the end only the lure of a double-century before tea tripped up Smith, bowled when attempting to ramp Umesh Yadav to fine leg with last man Josh Hazlewood looking on.
All India's bowlers conceded centuries of their own, and none could find a way past Smith, who is finding exceptionally rare territory with his current glut of runs. Chris Rogers had ranked him alongside AB de Villiers on the first evening, and said it was "scary" how good Smith may yet become. In front of an appreciative MCG crowd, Smith scared the living daylights out of MS Dhoni.
This was his third hundred in as many matches, making him the first Australian to pass three figures in each of his first two Tests as captain. Smith and Haddin looked assured as stumps neared on the first evening, and they resumed as though the interval had been only a few minutes rather than a night's sleep. Haddin was untroubled by India's short-ball fixation, playing one neat hook shot and another more outlandish overhead, cross-court forehand. This convinced Shami to revert to over the wicket, but when he did Haddin delivered the shot of the morning: an iron-wristed punch through point for which there was no need to run. A brace of boundaries in the following over from Ishant Sharma took Haddin to 50 - his first in 15 innings and a reassuring sight for the Australian selectors.
Smith had announced his intent for the morning by gliding Shami through cover for three in the day's second over, and a flurry of boundaries through cover, point and midwicket took him to the cusp of another century. Shami was obliging with a leg-stump offering that Smith flicked fine of long leg, and he cast his eyes on Phillip Hughes and the heavens upon notching his first Test hundred at the MCG.
Haddin did not last much longer, snicking Shami behind while trying to leave one alone, but Johnson showed plenty of verve and power in a racy 28. A dance down the wicket to R Ashwin had Johnson stumped after a stand of precisely 50, and there was time for Harris to deliver one boundary of his own and Smith to pass 500 runs for the series before lunch arrived.
Harris and Smith set a cracking pace in the afternoon, the No. 9 batsman briefly putting his captain in the shade with a series of hefty blows that reaped the majority of a hundred stand. A towering six over midwicket took Harris to his Test best, but next ball he was lbw to Ashwin just as spectators began thinking of a Harris hundred.
Smith resumed the dominant posture in adding a riotous 48 with Nathan Lyon in 38 balls, and it was only in attempting a stroke of outrageous intent that the captain met his end. Given how well Smith had played to this point, it was hard to blame him.
Sri Lanka 138 (Mathews 50, Boult 3-25, Wagner 3-60) and 84 for 0 (Karunaratne 49*, Silva 33*) (f/o) trail New Zealand 441 (McCullum 195, Neesham 85, Mathews 3-39) by 219 runs
Having been battered and bruised on Boxing Day, the ball finally had its way in Christchurch. Trent Boult summoned swing, Tim Southee got it to seam, and Sri Lanka collapsed to 138 in reply to New Zealand's massive 441 and were forced to follow-on. Sri Lanka showed better mettle in the second innings, as Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva shared an unbroken, opening stand of 84. The first ball of the morning, at Angelo Mathews' gentle pace, had swung past the outside edge. The trend continued, only the tourists began their innings with 13 straight overs of Boult and Southee manipulating their length and line to suit the swing on offer. They attacked middle and off stump, moving wide of the crease every so often to create difficult angles. Sri Lanka were reduced to 15 for 3. Recovery appeared, and eventually turned out to be, impossible. Karunaratne had the courtesy one sighter before he was put under scrutiny. Boult's fourth ball of the innings threatened to shape away, had a change of heart once it hit the pitch and jagged back to pin him in front of the stumps. A delivery that befit the occasion of Boult's 100th wicket, in only his 29th Test.
Boult's inswing was the reason for Silva's second single-figure score of 2014. The opener had got across too early and was extremely late in preventing the ball striking pad. He did challenge the umpire's leg-before decision, hoping the exaggerated swing would save him but had to accept his dismissal. Kumar Sangakkara's mistake was in direct contrast to Silva's. His feet did not move to a teasing outswinger from Boult, especially considering the choice of shot - his favourite cover drive. Southee, at third slip, held the outside edge and Sangakkara, who had begun his innings 12 short of 12000 Test runs, was out for 6. Southee had nothing to show for his work in the first session. He remained patient though and was rewarded when Lahiru Thirimanne drove a touch carelessly outside off in the eighth over after lunch. Four balls later, Niroshan Dickwella closed the face too early and spoon a catch to short cover. With New Zealand's skill to move the ball in the air, it almost seemed cruel that Southee got a cross-seamed delivery to misbehave. Mathews was the only man who resisted, biding his time until the movement diminished. He pushed himself to make twos, backed himself to slam Boult into the sight-screen and willed himself to a half-century. New Zealand would have been wary of his average of 89.46 in the last 12 months and a penchant to lead the tail, but this time his team-mates barely lasted long enough to even think about offering support. Brendon McCullum was already prepping for the follow-on, having pulled Southee and Boult out of the attack with half the opposition dismissed and more than 10 overs left for tea.
In Sri Lanka's second innings, Boult and Southee were unable to reprise the same threat. Not as many deliveries demanded the two Sri Lanka openers to play, even though the ball was moving late into the final session. Silva and Karunaratne saw the side through to stumps. Both took care to play with bat and pad together and as late as possible and tried not get bogged down. There were a few deliveries fizzing past the outside edge, the substitute fielder dropped a straightforward catch in the 12th over and another difficult chance could not be converted at point in the 27th. But they attacked as New Zealand bowled shorter with the old ball to salvage a poor day. Things had looked just a bit better at start of play when they had dismiss New Zealand's tail in under six overs. There were no specialist batsmen left after wicketkeeper BJ Watling was lbw off what became the final delivery of Boxing Day. The final five wickets were able to contribute only 21 runs, but what happened previously and a little bit later was more than enough compensation for the home side.
South Africa 270 for 2 (Elgar 121, du Plessis 99*) v West Indies
Dean Elgar's third Test century and an unbeaten 99 from Faf du Plessis put South Africa in a dominant position at the close of day one in Port Elizabeth. On a slow pitch that offered a bit of sideways movement and uneven bounce, both batsmen benefited from missed chances during the second session and powered on in the third to propel South Africa to 270 for 2 at stumps. Kenroy Peters, the debutant left-arm seamer, struck in the 75th over to have Elgar edging behind, but by then he had made his highest Test score and added 179 for the second wicket with du Plessis. At 226 for 2 with the second new ball imminent, West Indies had a small window to force their way back into the game, but du Plessis and Hashim Amla saw the day through without too much bother.
They may have been aided in their cause by West Indies only taking the new ball in the 88th and final over of the day.
South Africa's run rate, under three an over through the first two sessions, shot up at the start of the final session as Elgar and du Plessis grew in confidence, and the loose balls grew in frequency. The shots that had been shelved before tea came out of the kitbag, and boundaries flowed as chants of ole, ole rang out in the crowd, loud enough to be heard above the brass band.
Elgar reverse-swept Sulieman Benn past slip and cut him away behind point. Du Plessis clipped Jerome Taylor through midwicket and punched him off the back foot through square cover. Elgar drove Peters through the covers and past mid-on. Six fours had come in the space of four overs, and nothing was going West Indies' way.
It could so easily have been so different. West Indies chose to bowl first, and their five-man attack bowled well enough for most part to justify that decision. But the fielders simply didn't back it up. In the fourth over after lunch, du Plessis flashed at a back-of-a-length ball from Jerome Taylor and sliced it to the left of gully.
Marlon Samuels only had a short way to fall to his left, and the ball was a good couple of feet above the ground, but he grabbed at it with anxious hands and couldn't hold on. Nine overs later, du Plessis ran down the track to Benn, and was beaten by dip and turn.
Going hard at the ball again, the batsman edged it. This time, it went low and a fair way to the right of Devon Smith, but again he got his hands to the ball and counted as a legitimate chance. Next ball, it was Elgar's turn to rush out of his crease. He got too close to the pitch of the ball, and yorked himself. Elgar was stranded a long way down the pitch but Denesh Ramdin stood up too early behind the stumps - it did keep a little low, in his defence - and his gloves were nowhere near the ball, which instead thudded into his pads. Rubbing it in a little more, Elgar danced down the track and launched Benn back over his head to bring up his half-century.
Benn took his cap and dragged himself away to his position at gully, and even his sunglasses couldn't hide the wounded look on his face.
Later, missed direct hits reprieved Elgar (on 73) and Amla (on 5) when they went for non-existent singles. It can be argued that these were lesser offences, but both times the batsmen were stranded halfway down the pitch and the fielders had plenty of time to aim at the stumps. Instead, they snatched at the opportunities and threw off-balance.
For all the help they got, South Africa needed to show plenty of application to score as many runs as they did. Elgar, taking guard on off stump, stayed close to the line of the ball and played the rising ball with soft hands to keep the edges down short of the slips. Shortly after reaching his hundred, this method helped him survive an excellent delivery from Taylor, angling in from around the wicket and jagging away off the pitch.
Elgar waited for anything he could work off his pads, and anything he could pull - even the marginally short ball. The slowness of the pitch usually allowed him to do this, but uncertain bounce always lurked around the corner, and he top-edged a hook into his helmet against a Shannon Gabriel lifter when he was on 83. Against Benn he used his feet well, and generally looked to hit down the ground.
Du Plessis scratched around when he first came in, and was on 6 off 35 balls at lunch. He remained jittery after the interval, surviving those two drops and sending a leading edge off Taylor flying through the gap between point and gully. But he grew in fluency as his innings progressed, as any batsman of his quality will when given so many lives.
The first session was a story of two halves. Taylor and Peters were a little loose at the start, and South Africa's openers scored 40 in the first ten overs without really looking to score that briskly. West Indies then made a double change, and Gabriel and Jason Holder immediately settled into a rhythm, finding movement from a good-length spot just outside off stump. They bowled 11 overs in tandem, giving away only 17 runs and picking up the wicket of Alviro Petersen.
The dismissal was well in keeping with how the morning had gone. It came with the score on 47 - a decent start, not a good one. It came off a steeply rising half-tracker wide outside off stump that Petersen could have easily ignored. He reached for it instead and scooped it to the backtracking cover fielder.
Australia 5 for 259 (Smith 72*, Rogers 57, Watson 52) v India
"Just give me a start."
It can't be known for sure whether or not Steven Smith has said this to his team yet, but on the evidence of the summer so far Australia's new captain could be forgiven for uttering just such an instruction. Once again, Smith radiated certainty, adapting to the idiosyncrasies of the MCG's drop-in pitch, India's persevering bowlers and the occasion of Boxing Day, the biggest on the national cricket calendar.
He did not walk to the wicket until the day's 37th over due to important early innings from Chris Rogers and Shane Watson. Both men failed to go on from starts, and compounded the missed opportunity by falling in successive overs, but their work against the new ball was critical after David Warner fell to the ball angled across him as India belatedly abandoned their around the wicket brainstorm.
Shaun Marsh helped Smith steady the innings and Joe Burns made a brief debut appearance, before Brad Haddin shrugged off another concerted short-pitched attack on his body - wearing one hefty blow on the back - to accompany Smith to the close. On a surface that has offered variable pace and bounce plus a modicum of movement for the pacemen, Australia's tally is already useful, and they can rely on Smith to add to it on day two.
Recalled in place of Varun Aaron, Mohammed Shami bowled neatly for the visitors, while R Ashwin delivered long and teasing spells from the Great Southern Stand end of the ground. He was rewarded only with the wicket of Watson, who followed a familiar pattern by starting fluently, losing momentum then losing his wicket to a somewhat ambitious stroke.
The weather at the MCG was fair, and the pitch provided some early assistance for India's seamers. Rogers was struck amidships by an Ishant Sharma delivery that cut back at him in the first over of the morning, and in the second Umesh Yadav found the perfect delivery from over the wicket, fast and seaming, to coax an outside edge from Warner.
Shikhar Dhawan held a fine catch, and amid India's celebrations they might have wondered why this was the first time in the series that Warner was asked to face a ball angled across him rather than moving in from around the wicket before he had found his bearings. A sore thumb cannot have helped either.
Ishant, Shami and Umesh all delivered some vexing overs to follow-up, but found Rogers well attuned to the challenges of day-one batting at the MCG through his vast experience for Victoria. Watson was also fluent and alert, though fortunate that a few edges either did not carry or bisected MS Dhoni's cordon.
Together, they took shine from the new ball while also scoring with a good degree of freedom - Rogers strong down the ground and through point, while Watson prospered through the pull shot and also manoeuvred the ball through midwicket without quite so much apparent risk of lbw as spectators have become used to.
Dhawan went from 100% to 50% when he dropped Watson's edge from Shami 10 minutes before the lunch interval, taking three bites at the ball before guiding it to ground. This reprieve, and a few other misfields, left Rogers and Watson to amble to lunch in happier circumstances than they might have imagined when Warner was dismissed.
A boundary to Watson from the final ball of the second over after lunch seemed to herald more free-scoring, but it was in fact the last such scoring shot for more than 16 overs. Australian progress was stymied by Shami and, particularly, Ashwin, who used his height and variations in pace to good effect.
Rogers went to his 50, as did Watson, but neither would go on. A Shami delivery of teasing line and in-between length found Rogers' outside edge on 57, and in the following over Watson swept across a straight ball from Ashwin and was lbw.
Understandably, Smith and Marsh took their time to avert further loss, but as tea loomed both had found something approaching a decent batting rhythm. Smith opened up the final session by sallying forth to deposit Ashwin into the long-off seats, but lost Marsh when he snicked Shami, firm-footed, through to Dhoni.
Burns was greeted by an optimistic MCG ovation, and looked compact and sure on his way to 13. But Umesh cramped an attempted pull shot and found the thinnest of bottom edges to send Burns on his way, no doubt hoping to improve on a first innings all too brief. Haddin weathered the short ball without looking entirely comfortable - he often turned his head away - but a straight six off Ashwin signalled he was feeling more relaxed at the crease.
Smith and Haddin negotiated the final few overs safely enough, and the day ended on the stroke of scheduled stumps. In its own way, this instance of timeliness was as notable as the rich vein Smith is currently mining.
New Zealand 429 for 7 (McCullum 195, Neesham 85, Willliamson 54) v Sri Lanka
Brendon McCullum KO-ed Sri Lanka on Boxing Day with the fastest century in New Zealand's Test history. Not content with that, he nearly broke the world record for the quickest double-hundred, but fell five runs short - for 195 off 134 deliveries.
McCullum put severe pressure on the bowlers and fed off the resulting inconsistency to ensure that all his four 50-plus scores in 2014 were turned into massive centuries - 224, 302, 202 and 195. The rest of the side played in his image and even an out-of-form James Neesham found fluency such that the fifth-wicket partnership produced 153 runs in 117 balls.
New Zealand finished on 429 for 7 in the 80th over - the most they have ever made in a day's Test cricket - having maintained a run-rate of 6.63 in the final session despite McCullum's exit. Neesham was the prime reason for that, exploiting his strength to pepper the long-on boundary during an innings of 85 off 80 balls.
Sri Lanka played to McCullum's strengths as well, seduced into bowling a touch short by the ample carry on offer at Hagley Oval. McCullum slashed through point whether there was width or not and pulled despite two men lurking in the deep. His front-foot play would not be outdone either and a vicious six over long-off crowned him as the first New Zealander to score 1000 Test runs in a calendar year.
Sri Lanka's attempt to stifle him by spin backfired as well, with McCullum constantly running at 21-year old debutant Tharindu Kaushal and refusing to let him settle. Having practiced against slow bowling, he felt at ease stepping down against the quicks as well and Lakmal felt the brunt, going for 26 runs in an over, the joint-fourth worst in Test history.
New Zealand's first Boxing Day Test in 11 years, and Christchurch's first in eight, was well attended and McCullum's bullish knock was exactly what the crowd wanted.
It isn't often that batsmen can challenge Vivian Richards for swagger, but McCullum's was almost tangible every time he decided to attack and that was often as 18 fours and 11 sixes suggest. That he was munching on a piece of gum and preying on the confidence of fast bowlers was the cherry on top. Like Richards, McCullum has an impressive captaincy record - undefeated in six out of eight series in the last two years - and he gave New Zealand a perfect start to the home summer.
Things had seemed promising at the toss for Sri Lanka, with Angelo Mathews having all of his first-choice seamers fit. The pitch had been quite green in the lead-up to the Test, but much of the grass was removed on match day, leaving Shaminda Eranga, Suranga Lakmal and Dhammika Prasad to count a bit more on their patience.
There was a brief period after drinks in the first session when they threatened. Lakmal produced just enough inswing to breach Hamish Rutherford's defences. A steady Tom Latham was dismissed when a flick took the leading edge and lobbed to point.
Williamson held firm though, coaxing his first ball to the cover boundary, and capped the morning session with a solid back-foot punch through point. He appeared less sure of his game after the break though, and Sri Lanka could have capitalised had Lakmal held onto a return catch in the 29th over.
The next ball was glanced to the fine-leg boundary, typifying the see-sawing in the bowlers' consistency. He contributed 20 runs to a partnership of 126 with McCullum, and was bowled through the gate for 54 when Prasad pitched the ball up.
That Sri Lanka took a little time to settle into their lengths was not such a surprise. Only one of their three frontline seamers has played more than 20 Tests. Four of the visitors' bowlers went at well over four an over, with Kaushal leaking 159 in 22.
Sri Lanka's batsmen were left with a daunting rescue mission, considering New Zealand's bowlers are quicker and more suited to these conditions.
Australia have defeated India in the second Test to take a 2-0 lead in their series as Steve Smith tasted victory in his first match as temporary captain of the team.
The Baggy Greens needed a further 103 runs in the final session on day four at Brisbane to secure the win, following an early morning collapse by MS Dhoni's side.
Chris Rogers and Smith steadied the ship as they guided Australia past the 50-run mark, although the tourists did waste a golden chance to dismiss the Aussie captain when Virat Kohli dropped the batsman on five.
Rogers soon brought up his half-century off 51 balls to bring his side within sight of their target, but he was then dismissed by Ishant Sharma as he cut the ball straight to Shikhar Dhawan at gully for 55.
Smith and Shaun Marsh edged the Baggy Greens closer to their victory target, but Marsh fell for 17 when he edged behind down the legside to Dhoni off the bowling of Umesh Yadav.
The captain soon followed him back to the pavillion for 28 when he was run out with his side still six runs short of victory. Brad Haddin continued the collapse as he pulled straight to Kohli for one to set the home team's nerves a jangle at 122-6.
However, Mitchell Marsh held his nerve to strike the winning runs to fire his side to a four-wicket victory at the Gabba.
South Africa have thrashed West Indies to win the first test in just over three days, after the visitors were unable to avoid a follow-on on the fourth day at Centurion.
The hosts scored big after a nervy start, as AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla both scored centuries on the first day.
Amla then went on to get a double-ton as South Africa finished on 552-5.
Vernon Philander put the hosts in full control after a spectacular bowling display on the third day, picking up four wickets and leaving the West Indies to follow-on.
Only 15 overs were played on the fourth day of the test as Dale Steyn picked up six wickets in just eight overs.
Morne Morkel picked up two and Philander added another wicket to his already impressive tally this test match.
West Indies were all out for 131 in their second innings and lose the first test match by 220 runs and an innings.
South Africa 340 for 3 (de Villiers 141*, Amla 133*) v West Indies When a third wicket fell in 15 balls during the morning session, possibilities for the opening day at Centurion abounded but the final outcome involved two very common sights: Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers with hundreds to their name.
The pair came together on 57 for 3 following the loss of three wickets for no runs either side of drinks as West Indies briefly found their venom and they were not separated for the rest of the day. There was added significance in both hundreds, for Amla it was his first Test as captain on home soil and for de Villiers it marked 10 years to the day since he made his Test debut against England, at Port Elizabeth - a match that also marked the first appearance for Dale Steyn.
Their stand at the close was worth a fourth-wicket South Africa record 283 in 75 overs - 115 runs coming between lunch and tea - the run rate highlighting both the counter-attacking nature of the batting and also the number of scoring opportunities offered by the West Indies attack.
Only Kemar Roach ended in credit, his first spell have been an exacting six overs worth 2 for 16, but there was the worrying sight of him hobbling off the field five balls into his 16th over with what appeared to be an ankle injury. With Roach off the ground, the day ended with the dispiriting sight of Sulieman Benn, Marlon Samuels and Kraigg Braithwaite going through overs of spin with the old ball.
De Villiers was first to the three figures, his 20th hundred in Tests, from 138 balls and Amla followed a short while later from 161 deliveries, his first century against West Indies which leaves only Zimbabwe for him to tick off. Both had a stroke of fortune; one a slice of outrageous luck and the other a sloppy mistake by West Indies in the field.
The first significant moment came shortly after lunch when Amla was on 25 and Roach beat the edge with another wicked legcutter, the ball clipped the off stump but the bails refused to fall to the ground. Later, there was a self-induced error when de Villiers was 63, Benn could not collect a throw at the stumps with the batsmen well short of his ground.
De Villiers struck two sixes, advancing at Benn and Samuels, but neither batsman had to go out of their way to keep the scoring rate high with most overs offering a scoring opportunity. Still, the driving from both was, as ever, a joy to behold. Jerome Taylor - who was the biggest let down for West Indies - regularly offered up width, and Sheldon Cottrell managed just three maidens between them in 35 overs.
West Indies were playing their first international since the contracts dispute which led them to withdrawing from the India series in October and they did not seem in gear for a Test series.
Play was delayed by half an hour due to early morning rain and the skies remained heavy as Denesh Ramdin and Amla emerged for the toss. It was no surprise when Ramdin was quick to insert South Africa. But the West Indies quicks did not get the memo regarding conditions and could not find a consistent line and length in the early exchanges: the first 10 overs brought nine boundaries, six to Alviro Petersen and three to Dean Elgar.
Roach, surprisingly, was not given the new ball and by the time he came into the attack South Africa already had 44 on the board in nine overs. He brought menace and consistency to the attack, started to build up some pressure and was rewarded with Petersen's edge with a delivery which straightened and went to first slip. The message was starting to reach the West Indies bowlers and Cottrell's second spell began to offer a double-pronged threat as the runs dried up.
While Petersen received a decent delivery to end his stay, that could not be said for Elgar who helped a short, wide offering from Cottrell to gully - an awful waste for a batsman in conditions when a good ball is never far away. Cottrell, the former soldier, who used to stand guard at Sabina Park before turning his hand to fast bowling, gave a salute as Samuels held the chance.
West Indies were buoyed and a few moments later were ecstatic when Roach's probing line found Faf du Plessis' outside edge - his first Test duck in his 29th innings - and the third wicket fell with the score on 57. It was an opening for West Indies but they were not good enough to force through it. Whether they get another opportunity, in this match or even the series, remains to be seen.
New Zealand 299 for 5 (Williamson 123, Guptill 58) beat Pakistan 292 for 8 (Younis 103, Afridi 49, Vettori 3-53) by seven runs
New Zealand withstood Younis Khan's first ODI hundred since November 2008 and another thunderous blitz from Shahid Afridi to beat Pakistan by seven runs and tie the series 2-2 going into the final ODI. Kane Williamson built on a strong opening partnership to make his fourth ODI hundred and set a target of 300. Pakistan, reduced to 82 for 4, kept pace with an asking-rate of around nine for nearly half their innings to come within a couple of strokes from victory.
Pakistan's fightback was of staggering proportions. Their top order had been roughed up by searing pace from Adam Milne and Matt Henry. Ahmed Shehzad's off stump had been knocked over by a ripping outswinger second ball. Nasir Jamshed and Younis somehow got through that burst and had started to prosper against the change bowlers when Corey Anderson slipped in a slower one to trap Jamshed lbw. Daniel Vettori consumed Mohammad Hafeez and Haris Sohail cheaply.
Younis and Umar Akmal dug in. Younis had been put down by Ross Taylor at first slip off Milne on 2. He was on the same score after facing 19 deliveries. Pakistan were to go without a boundary for 11 overs against the combination of Vettori and pace.
Then Younis woke up, with a slog-swept six off Vettori in the 30th over. Sensing some momentum, Pakistan took the batting Powerplay in the 32nd. Younis, who had been made to hop by sharp bouncers, swung Henry for six more. Akmal hared between the wickets to motor to 29 as Pakistan collected 45 off the Powerplay.
Then misfortune struck. Younis slammed a straight drive, the bowler Mitchell McClenaghan got a hand to it, the ball ricocheted on to the non-striker's stumps, and Akmal was out of his ground. The partnership was worth 90 in 14.4 overs, Younis' contribution 56.
In came Afridi and Pakistan surged faster. This stand grew to 66 in just seven overs. Younis contributed 15. Afridi ransacked 49 off 25. Pulls, sweeps, slogs. The express Henry lost his line and bowled a wide. Afridi walloped the extra delivery for six more.
The second express bowler, Milne, stepped up now. With 62 needed from 42, he had Afridi edging behind. In the next over, Younis missed a slog off fellow veteran Vettori to depart for 103 off 117, only 28 of his runs having come in boundaries.
Sarfraz Ahmed flickered briefly but a McClenaghan bouncer took care of him. The ninth-wicket pair of Anwar Ali and Sohail Tanvir scored 31 off the remaining 23 balls, but fell just short.
New Zealand's innings did not have the kind of thrills Pakistan's had, but Williamson's smooth acceleration meant they took 91 off their last ten overs. Going into the Powerplay, Williamson had hit only two fours but was still going at a healthy rate on 41 off 49. He ended with 12 fours, accelerating to 123 off 104 before he was bowled off the last ball of the innings by Mohammad Irfan.
The New Zealand openers Dean Brownlie and Martin Guptill had looked good for plenty more before giving it away. Both had no problems against the new balls on the slow pitch.
They played safely against Irfan but powerfully dispatched Tanvir through the packed off-side infield. The introduction of Anwar Ali and Shahid Afridi slowed down the pace of scoring a bit but Pakistan did not look like breaking through before Brownlie provided them the opening at the stroke of the first drinks break. It was a short ball from Afridi but Brownlie could not keep a whip down and found midwicket on 42.
The solid Williamson joined Guptill and the partnership grew to 44 at run-a-ball, causing Afridi to shuffle his bowlers around in search of a wicket. Tanvir was brought back and Guptill tried to force him off the back foot only to nick behind for 58.
Williamson moved past 50 with a series of calm straight drives and repeatedly made room to lift the fast bowlers over extra cover at the death, using the size of the outfield to run 15 twos. Pakistan did not help themselves by bowling short with mid-off up. Williamson also walked outside off stump to pull often and reached his century off 92 balls with such a stroke off Irfan.
Williamson put on 72 for the fifth wicket with Tom Latham. Williamson's dominance was evident as Latham contributed 14 to the stand, turning the strike over regularly to his captain. It was enough in the end, but barely.
