2nd Test: England v Pakistan at Dubai
Day 1 Stumps: PAK 282/4
Pakistan had left Abu Dhabi with their batting momentarily in disarray, but as the Test series moved on to Dubai, Misbah-ul-Haq looked matters up and down and took the chance to restore a sense of gravitas. England bowled with heart and consistency on a surface that was a test of their stoicism, just as Abu Dhabi had been before, but Misbah ensured their rewards were limited on the opening day with a century of great nous and deliberation.
He could not have reached that hundred in a more maverick manner. For the last half an hour or so, he had blocked mechanically for the close, his only aim to prevent calamity against the second new ball, and was still 13 runs short of his personal target by the time Moeen Ali bowled the final over.
When he swung the first ball for six into the empty terraces at deep square, it felt like a show of defiance. When the third was planted over long-on, a warm-down routine had begun in earnest. A frisky reverse sweep provided the final single and a hundred only he can have envisaged.
He has now equalled Inzamam-ul-Haq's record of seven hundreds as Pakistan captain - two energy-preserving batsmen who could teach VW a thing or two about low emissions.
Misbah proceeded with stiff stolidity, a headmasterly batsman able to bring discipline to proceedings with a single expression. One imagines he would teach Latin - and be demanding when it came to declensions. At the back of the class, where knots of supporters were battered by the heat, concentration was sometimes lacking.
Conditions were in his favour but at least this was a cricket pitch, unlike the monstrosity in Abu Dhabi. That one was surely marked as poor, not that Andy Pycroft, the match referee and an ICC apparatchik, has had any intention of saying.
Misbah does not hook these days, and ducking was not always an option. As a result, he took the occasional blow on the body, as well as being struck on the helmet by Mark Wood, who disturbed him more than anybody. An imposing figure, he weathered the assault patiently, aware that the surface was loaded in his favour. England took the second new ball, but a late success did not materialise.
Twice Misbah mistimed attacking shots against Adil Rashid and was fortunate to evade a fielder, and even he broke his bat handle when running it into the crease amid vague concerns of a run out. At times of crisis, he allows himself a smile of defiance, but such crises occurred irregularly and for the most part he was impervious to anything that life might throw at him.
As Misbah walked solemnly to the wicket at 85 for 3, with the afternoon session only one ball old, England would have hoped for something better. To have three wickets already banked was a merciful release for an attack whose suspicions that they would again be living on scraps were well founded.
It was a hot and airless day, flags hanging limply, and an eerily empty stadium echoing to England's shouts of encouragement as they tried to push Pakistan's first-innings score in Abu Dhabi - 523 for 8 declared - to the back of their mind. There was a little more pace and bounce on offer than in the opening Test, although it was all relative, and there was also a hint of first-session turn, especially when Moeen's offspin took the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez.
That breakthrough came in the first over after drinks, Hafeez, who had kept short leg interested on several previous occasions, deflecting gently to Jonny Bairstow via an inside edge as he pushed forward, the first of two short-leg catches.
Ben Stokes had looked peaky after a pre-match net session, the sun already beating down on his wan complexion and even his tattoos looking a little more washed out than normal, but England had enough faith in his resolve to be confident his stomach bug would not overly affect him.
Stokes soon had something to hearten him - a wicket with his fourth ball. If Bairstow's first catch was a gimme, the one that accounted for Shoaib Malik was something special, demonstrating an unyielding mind as the ball rapped him flush in the chest and then a spring to his left to hold a rebound with such alacrity that he made it look part of the plan.
Although Shan Masood passed 50 for the third time in Tests, when he nicked the first ball of the afternoon session to the wicketkeeper it meant that James Anderson had dismissed him three times in the series in only 13 deliveries. For a fast bowler to have a bunny is never more gratefully received than in the arid conditions of the UAE.
Masood was a more secure figure than the unsettled batsman seen in the opening Test in Abu Dhabi, without entirely dispelling England's notion that he is vulnerable against the short ball. A controlled pull against Wood was his best retort, and he showed a striking enthusiasm for using his feet against Moeen, dancing down the pitch to loft him straight for six and then stroke him to the cover boundary.
His decision to review his dismissal made no sense as an umpire not armed with Hot Spot or Snicko hardly had the tools to overturn the decision. In any case, Ultra Edge - the flavour of the month, and being used by Sky Sports - showed an edge.
With Stokes' health potentially compromised, not that he showed it, and Wood's ability to withstand back-to-back Tests always in question because of his persistent ankle trouble, Moeen sought with limited success to fulfil a holding role, so allowing the seamers to bowl in short spells. The legspin of Rashid was used lightly: his time, England will calculate, will come later in the match.
Younis Khan and Misbah in unison is a familiar sight and the afternoon belonged to them, their stand worth 93 runs in 29 overs as they picked off opportunities with consummate ease. Stokes was England's most unfortunate bowler as he passed the outside edge more times than he had reason to expect. When Misbah did edge, the ball trundled between first and second slip, reminding the bowler of a slow surface and Joe Root's stiff back - a condition that might again restrict his potential use later in the match as England's third spinner.
Younis was the slightly more venturesome of the two old stagers, but England again struck early in a session, three overs having elapsed after tea when Younis was caught down the leg side, a decisive push at a ball from Wood as he sprung catlike across his stumps and a walk from the crease before the umpire could raise his finger, frustrated that he had fallen when well set.
That Pakistan's batsmen did add useful runs in the final throes of the day owed much to a willingness to attack Rashid, who bowled with more confidence than he had in the first innings at Abu Dhabi but still disappeared at five an over. When Rashid was withdrawn, Misbah decided to block for the morrow. Or so it seemed.
2nd Test: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Colombo (PSS)
West Indies 17 for 1 trail Sri Lanka 200 (Siriwardana 68, Warrican 4-67) by 183 runs
Buoyed by a quicker pitch with some live grass on it, West Indies' three-pronged pace attack made light work of Sri Lanka's top order before debutant left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican claimed four wickets to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings at 200, two hours into the final session on the first day at the P Sara Oval.
In response, the visitors lost Shai Hope lbw to Dhammika Prasad in the first over but Kraigg Brathwaite and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo hung around before deteriorating light forced stumps.
Jerome Taylor had woken up a groin niggle but passed a fitness test and consistently hit speeds above 140kph. He struck with his fourth ball - a beauty that angled in and curved away, leaving Kaushal Silva prodding and edging to the wicketkeeper. West Indies reviewed and the third umpire Marias Erasmus decided there was enough evidence to overturn umpire Rod Tucker's on-field decision of not out. Silva was out for a duck and his lean patch was extended - he had failed to build on a start in the first Test against West Indies after managing only 87 in six innings against India.
That wicket proved a scene-setter and each of the West Indies' fast bowlers got extra bounce and zip before Warrican took over. Milinda Siriwardana, playing his second Test, scored his maiden fifty in the format, and Rangana Herath, promoted to vice-captaincy after Lahiru Thirimanne was left out, indulged in hacks and hooks to avoid a total wipe out.
The morning session was packed with action, containing as many as five reviews. West Indies' second review, coming after the Silva wicket, was also successful, and accounted for 20-year old Kusal Mendis for an edgy 13 on Test debut. Mendis had wafted at a Kemar Roach ball that straightened a touch and nicked behind.
Jason Holder's first dismissal - West Indies' second of the morning - had also involved a review. He had Dimuth Karunaratne lbw for 13 in his second over; Sri Lanka's review going in vain this time. The quicks rattled the batsmen and beat the outside edge regularly and reduced Sri Lanka to 59 for 4, six minutes before lunch. The session ended with West Indies bowling coach Curtly Ambrose welcoming his bowlers with warm applause.
Siriwardana helped Sri Lanka recover briefly, adding 31 and 37 with Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Perera respectively. With Siriwardana joining hands with another left-handed batsman in Kusal, West Indies' premier spinner Bishoo was held back. He had come into the attack only after 36 overs in the Galle Test. Today, he came in after 46 overs.
Siriwardana was assured in defence and cashed in when fed with width. He carved Holder over covers, eased Taylor past the same region, and slashed Warrican behind point. He pushed on to bring up his fifty off 76 balls by dancing out and launching a straight six. He had a life when he was shelled at square leg on 63 but added only five more to his tally before he miscued Warrican into Taylor's lap at long-off.
Warrican began with a half-tracker, which was dispatched by Angelo Mathews to the point boundary with a strong cut. He settled down quickly, and twirled away in an uninterrupted 14-over spell after lunch. His reward came off a bad ball: Kusal Perera stepped out and spooned a return catch off a full toss, becoming Warrican's maiden Test victim. Having received his Test cap from Garry Sobers, it turned out to a happy day for Warrican.
West Indies, who had spilled five catches to add to a sixth chance that was not attempted in the first Test, lifted themselves significantly on the field, with the only blip being the Siriwardana drop. Marlon Samuels made a diving save at backward point while Holder threw himself around mid-off. Brathwaite, though, produced the best piece of fielding when he bent forward from second slip to grab a sharp, low catch to snaffle Mathews for 14. The catch was deemed legal after being sent to the third umpire.
4th ODI: India v South Africa at Chennai
India 299 for 8 (Virat 138, Raina 53) beat South Africa 264 for 9 (de Villiers 112) by 35 runs
Virat Kohli scored his first ODI century against South Africa and first in 14 innings since the World Cup to anchor an authoritative Indian batting performance. Although they did not reach 300, this was their highest score of the series so far, and their spinners made sure it was enough.
On a slow surface which took turn, the slow men burrowed their way into South Africa's middle order, taking 32 for 3 between the 10th and 20th over, to blunt the challenge even with AB de Villiers still at the crease. The captain did his bit with a heroic hundred and a share in the highest stand of South African innings, 56 for the fifth-wicket alongside Farhaan Behardien, but by then it was too late.
What South Africa lacked was big partnerships, which India had a double dose of. Kohli put on 104 with Ajinkya Rahane and 127 with Suresh Raina, who scored a much-needed half-century after back-to-back ducks, to set India up for a substantial score despite a squeeze at the end of their innings.
South Africa's seamers bookended the Kohli assault with incision, restricting India to 35 for 2 in the first eight overs and claiming 4 for 29 in the final five but it was what happened inbetween that separated the sides. Kohli was in sublime touch, timed the ball well and paced his innings sensibly.
He took advantage of a six-man attack that was found strategically wanting, overusing the short ball and obviously missed Morne Morkel, who was out with an quad injury and could have generated awkward bounce. Morkel's replacement, Chris Morris, ended up being the most expensive of the South African seamers but did not concede as much as Imran Tahir, who led an ineffective slower-bowling section that could not find the same control India's did.
It did not always look as though South Africa would toil that hard. They asked questions of both Rohit Sharma (caught at midwicket) and Shikhar Dhawan's (caught behind off an attempted pull) shot selection and seemed to be extracting some early lift but that quickly disappeared. Aaron Phangiso and Tahir struggled to maintain the tone Kagiso Rabada set, especially against an enterprising Kohli.
Together with Rahane, Kohli showed energy at the crease and urgency running between the wicket, found gaps and the boundary, and had raced to a 51-ball fifty. In searching for a wicket, de Villiers brought his seamers back but Kohli was in control and it was only when Steyn returned for a third spell, in the 27th over, that South Africa broke through. Rahane flashed at a wide one without moving his feet. The ball kept low and took the bottom edge on its way through to de Kock, who took it low down with both hands.
MS Dhoni did not promote himself above the under-fire Raina, who had the situation and the space to play himself back into form. He took his time sussing out conditions and the scoring rate slowed. There was only one boundary in the next seven overs but for South Africa's attack the respite was only temporary.
With the last ten overs approaching, Kohli's slow-burn was ready to burst into flames. He brought up his century with a six off Phangiso, smacking the ball over Steyn's head at long-on and putting a total in excess of 300 in India's sights. Raina saw that as his cue to accelerate as well. After taking 12 runs off 16 balls, he scored his next 38 runs off 34 balls and reached his half-century off 48. He was particularly severe on the full ball, while Kohli punished the spin.
India were headed for a score in excess of 300 but South Africa dragged them back in the final five overs. Kohli was struggling with cramp, and battled to get Rabada away at the end and was caught behind. Both Rabada and Steyn took two in two but the damage was already done.
Quinton de Kock threatened to undo that damage, providing a speedy start. He survived the early loss of Hashim Amla (who has scored the same number of runs in this series as Dhawan) and owned the area outside off stump, but then spin struck. Harbhajan ended de Kock's dictatorship when he tossed one up - de Kock drove and the edge carried to second slip.
De Kock's wicket came three overs into the spin squeeze as India began to run rings around the South Africans. Faf du Plessis was caught behind off a sharply turning delivery from Axar Patel and showed his displeasure at the dismissal, and David Miller was trapped lbw by a Harbhajan delivery that pitched on off and hit him in front of middle. At 88 or 4, with only one recognised batting pair left, South Africa were finished, but de Villiers showed remarkable fight.
He seemed to be batting on a different surface and did not struggle against the spinners. He was harsh on Amit Mishra, who he charged to turn a delivery into a low full toss, swept and reverse-swept, and attacked Harbhajan. Momentarily, it looked like he may win the match single-handedly. But the bubble burst when Bhuvneshwar had him caught behind off a short ball. The series now hangs in the balance ahead of Sunday's decider.
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