1st ODI Sri Lanka v Bangladesh

Sri Lanka 238 for 2 (Dilshan 113*, Sangakkara 63) beat Bangladesh 259 for 8 (Tamim 112, Nasir 73*) by eight wickets (D-L method)
Bangladesh's first ODI of the year should be remembered for several events, including a Tamim Iqbal century, but the assault on their bowlers by the Sri Lanka openers overshadowed all that. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kushal Janith Perera, playing only his fifth ODI, took less than an hour to decimate an already feeble pace attack and demoralise the spinners, Bangladesh's strength. Sri Lanka eased to an eight-wicket victory, giving them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Bangladesh's score of 258 for 9 was supposed to test Sri Lanka, especially in Hambantota where the previous highest successful chase was 211. The added advantage for Bangladesh was the 85-minute delay in-between innings due to a power failure in two light towers, which gave Sri Lanka a revised target of 238 in 41 overs.

 

Sri Lanka's task had been made more difficult, but Dilshan and Perera responded ruthlessly. They added 106 in just 12.1 overs, hammering 13 boundaries and a six. Seven of those fours came off the first 14 deliveries that Abul Hasan and Rubel Hossain served up. It was one of those games the late Tony Greig would have loved to call; one of those carving the bowling, Kushal, was almost a copy of Sanath Jayasuriya.

 

Save the superstitious touches of the pad, helmet and bat, the stance and the shots of Kushal were reminiscent of Jayasuriya's style of play. The first square cut threw you back to the mid 1990s, when Jayasuriya gained the reputation for being a destroyer of bowling attacks.

 

As the fours poured in, there were signs of more similarity. Kushal's grip tends to stay towards the bottom of the handle as well, but his attacking instincts almost led to an early dismissal when he swept one straight to deep square leg. But Abdur Razzak parried the chance over the boundary ropes.

Kushal took a lot of the limelight, being the younger batsman, but it was Dilshan who was the wrecker-in-chief.

 

Dilshan contributed 56 to the opening partnership, and later consolidated on the start with Kumar Sangakkara. It appeared as if the pair had slowed down considerably but they scored at a fair clip, though the Bangladesh bowlers bowled better with an extra fielder outside the 30-yard circle. Sangakkara made 63 off 68 balls, adding 128 runs for the second wicket. He was caught at the third-man boundary, five runs short of victory.

 

Dilshan reached his 17th ODI century, his second against Bangladesh, in the 31st over. He was severe on anything overpitched, and there were several offerings from Rubel Hossain, Abul Hasan and Abdur Razzak, who were unable to stop the flow of boundaries.

 

The other century of the day came from Tamim's bat, but Bangladesh suffered a setback as he was ruled out of the series after injuring his right thumb during the chase. The century, his fourth in ODIs, was his first in international cricket in almost three years. It was also the first hundred in the format against Sri Lanka by a Bangladesh batsman in 31 matches between the teams.

 

Tamim's 112 off 136 balls, and an unbeaten 73 off 59 balls by Nasir Hossain, was undermined by the others' failure to make a significant contribution. Sri Lanka's bowlers showed patience to induce Anamul Haque, Mohammad Ashraful and captain Mushfiqur Rahim to play ordinary shots, and get out against the run of play. One dragged it on, the other fell to a lobbed drive, and Mushfiqur fell to an ugly hoick - the Bangladesh top and middle-order collapsed in the space of 31 deliveries.

 

Tamim held the innings together till the 44th over, being involved in key partnerships with Mahmudullah (for the fourth wicket) and Nasir (for the fifth). He played some of his favourite shots, especially the cuts and drives, as he found different angles and enough height to clear the fielders. Whenever the bowlers pitched it up or provided him width, he was at it quickly. Each of the twelve boundaries was well thought, while the six off Lasith Malinga was a calculated loft over long-on late in the innings. After he was run out, Nasir took over the baton to give the innings a final flourish. He smashed six fours and three sixes, as Bangladesh added 90 runs in the last 10 overs.

 

Sri Lanka picked up those 90 runs in the first 9.3 overs, without losing a wicket, facing two new balls and against bowlers who represent Bangladesh's "best available options" at the moment. The home side, too, has to fare better with the ball, but their challenge in this department is going to be much easier.

4th Test Day 2 India v Australia

India 266 for 8 (Vijay 58, Pujara 52, Lyon 5-94) lead Australia 262 (Siddle 51, Ashwin 5-57) by 4 runs
Loosened up, aggressive, focused and familiar enough with the conditions, Australia are ready to give India a fright at home. The only trouble for the tourists is that the strongest demonstration of their readiness for the task has arrived with the Test series in its death throes. The captain, Michael Clarke, has already flown home.

Defending a middling 262 on a Delhi pitch that was always less than trustworthy, the stand-in leader Shane Watson marshalled his men handily as India slipped to 266 for 8 by the close.

 

He benefited from a fine display by Nathan Lyon, who spun the ball sharply and landed it with greater consistency than he had managed all series. Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson also contributed useful spells, while in the field the tourists were generally alert and often combative.

 

Fired initially by the refusal of a very adjacent lbw appeal by Lyon against Sachin Tendulkar, the Australians became decidedly feisty during MS Dhoni's evening stay. Having earlier given Virat Kohli a send-off from the team huddle, David Warner took exception when Dhoni ran down the middle of the pitch while taking a run, moving the umpires to ask Watson to calm his opening batsman down.

 

All this had the hollow ring of a team fighting back well after the final bell had been rung, but there was consolation to be had for Lyon and Watson, both having endured particularly difficult tours. Certainly the decision to leave Lyon out of the Hyderabad match now appears to be the single most baffling piece of selection for the tour. Australia's least effective portfolio was the over rate, which slinked along at little more than 12 overs an hour.

 

India stuttered mainly because their batsmen did not go on from starts for the first time all series. Cheteshwar Pujara, M Vijay, Tendulkar, Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja all made starts but none went any further than 58, which was the sort of problem much more familiar to Australia over the preceding three Tests.

 

Australia had commenced with the unfortunate news that Maxwell was still at the team hotel due to stomach trouble, but harboured hopes of stretching the total beyond 300. Siddle's half-century was a just reward for his defiance, but he was not to venture much further, playing inside the line to R Ashwin and losing off stump. Pattinson was last out, a thin edge granting Pragyan Ojha his 100th wicket in Tests.

 

The Australians had their fourth different new ball pairing of the series, Johnson and Pattinson charging in at the hosts, and after a few promising early deliveries Watson was witness to the familiar sight of Indian batsmen collecting facile runs. Pujara was beaten between bat and pad by one Pattinson delivery that pranced back at him while disturbing the surface, but his response to the next ball, a serene back foot drive, typified the confidence with which the openers played.

 

If Johnson's off cutter appeared likely to be the cause of some discomfort on the dry, turning pitch, his early use of it was characterised by runs given up via the gloves of Matthew Wade rather than any wickets. It was somewhat surprising that Lyon's entry was delayed until 19 overs had been bowled, more so when he immediately had the ball turning and bouncing while finding his best rhythm of the tour.

 

The century stand arrived soon after Lyon's introduction, via the unedifying sight of Johnson throwing airily beyond Wade for four overthrows. Having fended off several off breaks that spun back dangerously, Pujara played for turn to a ball tossed up with more over spin and had his off stump tilted back. Lyon went around the wicket to Kohli and celebrated raucously when he pinned the batsman in front with a ball very similar to that with which he could easily have also dismissed Tendulkar.

 

On resumption after tea Siddle gave up 10 runs to suggest India might zip clear, but he made amends with a swift bouncer that surprised Vijay and resulted in a simple chance to Wade off the glove. Ajinkya Rahane's first Test innings was nervy and brief, ending with a Lyon off break gloved straight to leg slip, and Dhoni had barely begun his customary counterattack when Tendulkar was again pinned in front by Lyon, and this time given out. 

 

Dhoni's stay did not extend far beyond his exchange with Warner, a half-hearted pull shot picking out Watson at a square midwicket, and Jadeja failed to offer a shot to a delivery that appeared bound to flick off stump. It had been bowled by Maxwell, recovered from his bout of gastro.

 

India inched ahead, but Watson remained eager for wickets. Following a brief rest, Watson swung Lyon around to the other end for the final over, and he completed the day's Australian rehabilitation by pinning Ashwin for his deserved fifth. If only it wasn't the fourth Test.

3rd Test Day 2 New Zealand v England

New Zealand 312 for 4 (McCullum 14*, Brownlie 6*) v England

New Zealand is sometimes known as the adrenalin capital of the world: a country where people seem to think nothing of throwing themselves from bridges, mountains and towers secured only by pieces of elastic. A country where people think nothing of rafting in white water that would leave a salmon thinking it might be best to walk.

It seems safe to assume that Peter Fulton's batting appeals to a different audience. The sort of audience that likes to watch glaciers progress, grass grow or paint dry. Suffice it to say, Fulton's batting in the first session of the second day would have been ideally suited for pregnant mothers and those with heart conditions. Resuming on his overnight score of 124, Fulton faced 69 deliveries in about 140 minutes in the morning and scored just 12 runs.

 

There is merit in such fortitude. It can, in the right conditions, blunt an attack or save a match.

 

But in these circumstances, with New Zealand resuming on 250 for 1, Fulton's inert display of batting surrendered the initiative and resulted in New Zealand grinding to something approaching a halt. Occupying the crease is all well and good, but without some runs to show for it, there is limited point.

 

Batting was not straightforward. James Anderson, gaining just a little swing, found the edge of Kane Williamson's perfectly reasonable - if not fully committed - forward defensive stroke with a beauty that moved away just enough in the fifth over of the day, and England's ploy of plugging away outside Fulton's off stump - an area of obvious weakness for him - meant the game drifted towards stalemate. His policy of blocking on off stump and picking up runs when the bowlers stray can work well if bowlers perform as loosely as they did on the first day. But against better quality bowling, it looks desperately limited.

 

And perhaps Fulton scorelessness contributed to Ross Taylor's demise. While Taylor drove his seventh delivery, from Stuart Broad, for a flowing four through extra-cover, he looked increasingly frustrated by his side's lack of progress. He utilised the short boundary to flick Monty Panesar for 10 in two deliveries - a six followed by a four - over midwicket but, attempting to flick another one into the leg side a couple of balls later, was beaten by one that held its own and gifted a leading edge back to the bowler.

If the ball that accounted for Fulton was unimpressive - a thigh-high delivery heading down the leg side from Steven Finn - the catch was exceptional. Matt Prior, leaping to his left, clung on to a superb one-handed chance that Fulton must have thought was heading to the boundary as he glanced it fine.

It could have been even worse for New Zealand. Brendon McCullum was originally given out by the on-field umpire, Paul Reiffel, to the second delivery he faced from a partially rejuvenated Finn only to review it and win a reprieve. Whether Reiffel thought McCullum had edged the ball or been trapped lbw remains unclear, but replays suggested neither decision would have been correct.

 

It may yet prove to be a key moment. It took McCullum only nine deliveries to contribute more runs in the session than Fulton, and New Zealand's captain, with the ability and intention to push on, could yet take this Test out of reach of England.

 

In all New Zealand scored 62 runs in the session for the loss of three wickets. At 312 for four, they may still have their noses in front, but England would have been far the happier team with their morning's work.

England 50 for 2 (Boult 2-26) trail New Zealand 443 (Fulton 136, Williamson 91, Finn 6-125) by 393 runs

England still have a slim chance to win the Auckland Test, and with it the series, but they will have to set new records if they are to do so. Never before have England won a Test after seeing a side they have inserted score more than 409.
 

It may provide some encouragement for them that the team they beat on that occasion, at Leeds in 2004, was also New Zealand but, with three days of this series to go, it is surely the hosts who would be more disappointed to settle for a draw, especially after taking two England wickets before the close and with Kevin Pietersen's series over because of knee trouble. Their combative qualities have been apparent throughout.

 

New Zealand's position of authority was ground out in uncompromising fashion, with Peter Fulton's unbeauteous hundred, the longest in terms of balls faced by a New Zealand batsman against England, lingering long in the memory. Fulton became one of six wickets for Steven Finn, who equalled his Test-best bowling return with 6 for 125, but even he had limited cause for celebration as late-order wickets fell his way after two arduous days in the field.

 

If ever the doubters required an example of the virtues of the Decision Review System (DRS), they received it on the second day. With the series level at 0-0 and the game poised delicately, umpire Paul Reiffel gave New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum out to the second ball he faced.

 

Quite why he gave McCullum out remains unclear: it might have lbw and it could have been caught behind. But the batsman immediately utilised the DRS and replays showed that he should not be dismissed on either account. He was reprieved and went on to contribute a fluent 38 that took the game just a little further out of the reach of England. Had DRS not been in use, New Zealand would have been 297 for 5 and England would have felt themselves right back in the game.

 

The incident was not atypical of the day as a whole. Each time that England thought they had clawed their way back into the game, New Zealand produced a little extra to regain the initiative. England could be justifiably proud of claiming the last nine New Zealand wickets to fall on the second day for a cost of another 193 runs but, by the close, New Zealand were still the side in the stronger position.

Smart stats Peter Fulton's innings spanned 346 deliveries, which is the longest innings by a New Zealand batsman since April 2006, when Stephen Fleming played 423 balls for his 262. Fulton's innings is the longest by a New Zealand opener against England (in terms of balls faced). The previous-best was John Wright's 343-ball 119 in 1986. It's also the joint second-highest score by a New Zealand opener against England - the best is Hamish Rutherford's 171 in the first Test of the same series. New Zealand's openers have together averaged 60.37 in this series, which is their eighth best, and their second best against England. The 181-run stand between Fulton and Kane Williamson is the second-highest for the second wicket for New Zealand against England. Since 2000, this is the third-highest total that England have conceded in the first innings after inserting the opposition.

If England are to fight their way back into the game, they will have to do so with inexperienced players. Three men in England's top-order - Nick Compton, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow - came into this match with just 14 Tests between them and the lower-order lack the all-round skill of Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan due to injury.

 

Most pertinently they are missing the magic of Pietersen. With him, miracles have not been uncommon. Without him, an England player may have to produce the innings of his life.

 

England dominated the morning session. Bowling with more discipline than the previous day, they conceded just 62 runs and, having been looking down the barrel of a huge total when New Zealand reached stumps on the first day on 250 for 1, reduced New Zealand to a less daunting 297 for 4 by lunch.

Batting was not straightforward in that first session. James Anderson, gaining just a little swing, found the edge of Kane Williamson's perfectly reasonable - if not fully committed - forward defensive stroke with a beauty that moved away just enough in the fifth over of the day, and England's ploy of plugging away outside Fulton's off stump - an area of obvious weakness for him - resulted in the game drifting towards a stalemate.

 

Fulton's policy of blocking on off stump and picking up runs when the bowlers stray on to his legs can work well if bowlers perform as loosely as they did on the first day. But against better quality bowling, it looks desperately limited. Resuming on his overnight score of 124, Fulton faced 69 deliveries in about 140 minutes in the morning and scored just 12 runs.

 

Perhaps Fulton scorelessness contributed to Ross Taylor's demise. While Taylor drove his seventh delivery, from Stuart Broad, for a flowing four through extra cover, he looked increasingly frustrated by his side's lack of progress. He utilised the short boundary to flick Monty Panesar for 10 in two deliveries - a six followed by a four - over midwicket but, attempting to flick another ball onto the leg side a couple of deliveries later, was beaten by one that held its own and gifted a leading edge back to the bowler.

 

If the ball that accounted for Fulton was unimpressive - a thigh-high delivery heading down the leg side from Finn - the catch was exceptional. Matt Prior, leaping to his left, clung on to a superb one-handed chance that Fulton must have thought was heading to the boundary as he glanced it fine.

 

While McCullum and Dean Brownlie added 68 runs for the fifth wicket, England again thought they had struck back when McCullum was dismissed. With McCullum batting with a freedom that none of his top-order colleagues could match, England captain Alastair Cook turned to Trott as a last resort. The medium pacer responded with a teasing over that might have dismissed McCullum twice already before he was drawn into a drive at a wide ball that swing away gently, took the outside edge and was superbly caught by Prior standing up to the stumps.

 

England celebrated like men who knew they had caught a life line. But even then New Zealand were not finished. Tim Southee plundered 44 in 33 balls, pulling Stuart Broad for successive sixes and thrashed four fours - two drives, a cut and a pull - off Steven Finn as the bowler struggled with his length and the seventh-wicket partnership added 51 more runs.

 

Finn, who took the last four wickets in the space of 14 balls, finished with six wickets but would accept that he was somewhat flattered by his haul. Twice he benefitted from catches down the legside, with Watling falling in similar fashion to Fulton, and he also profited from the tailenders' attempts to thrash quick runs. It was Finn's first five-wicket haul in Test cricket since the first Ashes Test in Brisbane in November 2010 and his first in first-class cricket since a Division Two County Championship match against Kent in August 2011.

 

While New Zealand's total of 443 was more than respectable, it was not, perhaps, the daunting score that had looked possible when they reached stumps on the first day on 250 for 1.

 

But England's hopes of overhauling the total suffered an early blow when Cook, attempting a nudge to fine leg, became the third man on the day to be caught down the legside and Trott, falling to the off side and attempting to play a straight ball from the impressive Trent Boult through square leg, fell leg before. To compound the error, Trott squandered a DRS referral more in hope than expectation. Compton and Bell saw England to stumps without further loss, but a great deal more will be required from them on the third day if England are to leave New Zealand with a Test series victory.

2nd Test Day 3 West Indies v Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe 77 for 4 (Waller 4*, Ervine 3*, Shillingford 2-15) and 175 trail West Indies 381 for 8 dec (Chanderpaul 108, Gayle 101, Ramdin 86) by 129 runs

West Indies stand an strong chance of finishing the second Test on the third day itself, as they picked up four wickets before lunch after declaring in the morning during a 15-minute rain delay. Things seemed to look up for Zimbabwe after their openers delivered a solid start in good conditions to bat, the only significant worry being some encouraging bounce in the track for West Indies' bowlers. But that promise was short lived, leaving the middle order to stage a rescue act to put pressure back on West Indies, a task that could possibly be beyond the visitors.
 

The seamers Kemar Roach and Tino Best were guilty of conceding runs down the leg side and bowling too short to create chances. When they did induce the batsmen to play forward, Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda proved adept at driving through the line. Sibanda looked good all-round, slashing hard over the slips and past gully when the ball was dropped short and driving Shannon Gabriel handsomely past extra cover and mid-off to collect boundaries.

 

Best, however, struck in the 11th over with a round-the-wicket angle. He was convinced he had Masakadza out off a short ball that forced the batsman on the back foot as he tried to defend. The umpire Tony Hill gave it out, Masakadza immediately reviewed the decision and, in the absence of Hot Spot, the third umpire overturned the call after several replays, possibly due to the fact that there was no change in the direction or the rotation of the ball as it went past the outside edge. But there was no fortune for Masakadza three balls later, when Hill ruled him not out, only to be overturned by a West Indies review. As Masakadza tried to fend a ball down the leg side, there appeared to be a change in rotation just at the time it reached the glove, indicating there may have been contact.

 

As the spinner Shane Shillingford was introduced into the attack, he derived spin and testing bounce, but was swept well by both Sibanda, who struck him for six over deep square leg, and Brendan Taylor. But, as in the first Test, the Zimbabwe batsmen's ability against bounce was again under scrutiny, and Taylor succumbed when one turned in sharply to catch the glove and lobbed to short leg.

Sibanda, who had looked solid, tried to rashly swing Darren Sammy across the line and was trapped in front, his failed review confirming the ball would have clipped the bails. Sean Williams resisted for 19 deliveries and the bounce did him in, as Shillingford got one to spit away from off stump, resulting in a top edge to point off a loose attempt to cut the ball. Yet again, Zimbabwe seemed unable to sustain an encouraging display long enough to seriously challenge a superior opposition.

West Indies 381 for 8 dec (Chanderpaul 108, Gayle 101) beat Zimbabwe 175 (Taylor 33, Shillingford 5-59) and 141 (Sibanda 35, Shillingford 5-34) by an innings and 65 runs
It took just 42.2 overs on the third day for West Indies to clinch the second Test, sweep the series, win six Tests in a row and inflict another surrender to spin on Zimbabwe. 
 

The hosts promptly declared during a 15-minute rain delay in the morning, and a solid start from the Zimbabwe batsmen was a hugely misleading prelude to what was to follow. Once again, Zimbabwe failed to sustain a promising phase of play long enough against a superior opposition. Shane Shillingford was their nemesis again, picking up 10 wickets in the match, several of which owed to the unsettling bounce he was able to extract from the track in his hometown. 

 

The strategy for West Indies was simple, having successfully employed it in the first Test and the first innings in Dominica. The spinners, Shillingford, brought on in the 13th over, and Marlon Samuels, who picked up six wickets in the game, got the ball to turn, and more crucially bounce, from the off stump, surrounded the Zimbabwe batsmen with close-in fielders, who snapped up what came their way or had their team-mates in the outfield ready for opportunities borne out of a desperate attempt to find a release. 

 

Vusi Sibanda and Brendan Taylor countered that pressure temporarily by sweeping Shillingford, Sibanda even struck him for six over deep square leg, but it was only a matter of time before the spitting bounce that proved Zimbabwe's undoing throughout the series returned to trouble them. Taylor was caught on the glove when Shillingford held his length back and caught at short leg. 

 

Taylor's wicket marked the start of the spinners coming to dominate the innings, but Tino Best and Darren Sammy did their bit to end Zimbabwe's early resistance. Best was guilty of bowling too short, and Sibanda had cashed in, slashing hard through the off side and even driving handsomely for boundaries when the ball was pitched up, as he did against Shannon Gabriel. But Best went round the wicket to Hamilton Masakadza, who was also set, got him to seemingly glove one down the leg side, reviewed the "not out" decision and got it overturned. A possible reason for the third umpire to reverse the original call was a change in rotation of the ball as it reached Masakadza's glove, indicating there may have been contact. 

 

Minutes earlier, in the same over, Masakadza had successfully reviewed another caught-behind decision, this time having been given out, though the evidence, in the absence of Hot Spot, was again inconclusive. 

 

Just two balls after Taylor had been sent back, Sibanda played a rash shot across the line to Sammy to be trapped in front, his failed review confirming the ball would have clipped the bails. 

 

With the top order out of the way, Shillingford and Samuels eased past those that came after. Sean Williams got a top-edge while trying to play a cut against Shillingford, to be caught at point, and the capitulation picked up speed following the lunch break. Craig Ervine survived 34 balls but was caught brilliantly by Chris Gayle diving to his left at slip to pouch an edge with one hand. The extra bounce in the track brought the backward short leg into play and Malcolm Waller found that fielder when he tried to work Samuels away off the back foot. Shillingford had, six overs earlier, dismissed Tino Mawoyo, forced to bat at No.7 after missing a good part of the second day's play, in the same region. 

 

With Waller, perhaps Zimbabwe's best batsman in the limited-overs series this tour, back in the pavilion, West Indies required just four more overs to wrap up the innings. Graeme Cremer's stand-out shot was a six over long-on with his eyes staring at the ground at the point of, as well as after, impact, but inside-edged a catch towards midwicket trying the same stroke to give Shillingford his fifth wicket. It was also Shillingford's tenth for the match and 19th for the series - the best returns in a two-match series for a West Indies bowler, going past Courtney Walsh's 16 in New Zealand in 1994-95.

 

Paul Jarvis and Tendai Chatara lasted just two deliveries, Samuels hastening the end of a mismatch that continued West Indies' best run of consecutive victories in Tests - now six - since 1988.

4th Test Day 1 India v Australia

Australia 231 for 8 (Siddle 47*, Ashwin 4-40) v India
On a Feroz Shah Kotla track that had plenty of cracks even before the game began, there was variable bounce and movement for the quicks in the morning, and TV commentators were left wondering whether this match was being played at Headingley. After lunch, it was back to an all-too familiar sight this series: Australia's batsmen pinned by the turn and bounce of India's spinners.
 

That may seem a tailor-made surface for bowling first, but Australia's stand-in captain Shane Watson, taking over from an injured Michael Clarke, decided to bat knowing that the track will become even more difficult to score on as the match progresses. India could have shot out Australia for under 200, but for the resistance provided by Steven Smith, whose Test crediblity increased for the second match in succession, and Peter Siddle, who put away the mindless swipes usually associated with tailenders, to reach a career-best 47, and defy India for three hours.

 

Much of the threat in the first session had come from Ishant Sharma, who dismissed David Warner for a duck, and had Hughes bowled for an enterprising 45. The spinners took over after lunch, as the ball began to rip, and the numbers of appeal ratcheted up. Cowan had played his typical unflashy innings, intent on preserving his wicket in the testing conditions, before he became the third Australian top-order batsman to be bowled round the legs by R Ashwin in the series, while attempting a sweep.

 

That wicket opened the doors to a collapse, and from a healthy 106 for 2, Australia tumbled to 136 for 7. The middle order for this Test - Hughes, Watson, Smith, Matthew Wade and Glenn Maxwell - is the weakest Australia have fielded in decades, and they were unable to cope with the accuracy of the spinners, and the ball darting around. The questions over whether Watson deserves a permanent place in the side will only grow after another failure - he was stumped off Ravindra Jadeja, who continued to torment Australia's captain this series.

Smart stats The number of maidens bowled by R Ashwin (17) is the joint-highest for India (since 1990) in an innings (overs bowled between 30 and 35). The record is 22 maiden overs by Zimbabwe's Malcolm Jarvis against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo in 1994. The number of balls faced during the eighth and ninth wicket stands (264) is the fourth-highest in an innings for Australia. Three of the top four such efforts have come against India. Peter Siddle's 47 is his highest Test score surpassing his previous best of 43 against England in Sydney in 2011. It is also the third-highest score by an Australia No. 9 batsman against India. Ravindra Jadeja has now dismissed the Australian captain in six out of seven innings. He got Michael Clarke out five times and Shane Watson once. For the eighth time since the start of 2010 (second in this series), none of the top eight Australian batsmen passed fifty. On only one of those eight occasions (Sydney 2010 against Pakistan) did Australia manage to win the game.

A fit-again Matthew Wade, reclaiming the wicketkeeping gloves from Brad Haddin, was unlucky to be dismissed bat-pad when there was no bat involved. That brought together two players who the Australian public hardly rate as Test players, Smith and Maxwell. Both began with confident straight hits for six, but Maxwell threw it away with an against-the-turn lofted hit that only went as far as mid-on.

 

Smith was at the non-striker's end for the most memorable dismissal of the innings, of Mitchell Johnson who was playing his first game of the series. An Ashwin carrom ball cannoned into off stump after Johnson shouldered arms.

 

India were celebrating, but Johnson had no idea he was bowled, thinking perhaps that MS Dhoni had broken the stumps after collecting the ball. What is usually the most direct form of dismissal in cricket needed the umpire to intervene to send the batsman on his way.

 

With Australia losing seven wickets midway through the day, it was expected that Ashwin and Jadeja would wrap things up soon after. Smith, though, showed more of the composure that helped him so much in Mohali, knuckling down after that initial six - his next boundary came 65 deliveries later - content to block, and confident using his feet. He and Siddle had defied India for more than an hour and a half before Smith fell to a sharp catch by debutant Ajinkya Rahane at short leg.

 

Siddle survived plenty of close lbw calls, and had to face some unplayable deliveries, somehow managing to hang in, not trying anything extravagant, and succeeding in frustrating India's bowlers. Even after Smith's dismissal, the no-frills batting from Siddle and James Pattinson kept out India, and ensured Australia weren't bowled out on the first day.

 

Australia had been more flamboyant in the morning, chiefly due to Hughes, who less than a week ago was set to go down as the new benchmark for bumbling batting after a torturous time against spin. He continued to play with the confidence gleaned from his battling 69 in Mohali. He was helped by some wayward bowling from the quicks early on, thumping three fours in a Bhuvneshwar Kumar over. 

 

Everyone was waiting for the first spinner to come on, both to see how much the ball would rip, and to see how Hughes would cope. Ashwin, India's most successful bowler in the series, came on in the ninth over and Hughes promptly struck him for two boundaries through midwicket to gallop to 29 off 23 deliveries.

 

The quick scoring came, though there were puffs of dust coming off the pitch when the new-ball bowlers were on. Ishant sent down a grubber early on that zipped through at ankle height. In the 21st over he bowled a snorter that sprang up from short of a length to thud into Hughes' helmet. Hughes grinned ruefully, amazed at how much that delivery lifted, and two balls later his aggressive innings came to an end, as he tentatively poked at an Ishant delivery that crashed into the stumps. 

 

Australia will be content with how the first and third session went, but their soft middle order was exposed once more, and left them on the back foot after the first day.

3rd Test Day 1 New Zealand v England

Lunch New Zealand 79 for 1 (Fulton 41*, Williamson 0*) v England

A wicket on the brink of the lunch interval offered England a lifeline on a morning dominated by New Zealand. Hamish Rutherford, having seen off the new ball and laid the foundations for a match-defining contribution, threw away his wicket with a footless slash that flew to slip. Lunch was taken only eight balls later.

Until that moment, England must have been ruing their decision to insert New Zealand after winning the toss. Perhaps he was seduced by the talk of the drop-in pitch, the slight tinge of green or the talk of the surface becoming ever easier for batting, but Alastair Cook must have been regretting his decision as New Zealand's openers established a 79 run partnership without undue incident.

 

Certainly there was nothing untoward in the surface. There was some pace from the much-debated drop-in pitch, but precious little swing or seam movement and little prospect of spin later and, had Rutherford not lost concentration on the brink of the interval, New Zealand would have earned themselves a decent foothold in the decisive game of the series. With the series level at 0-0 going into this last Test, New Zealand have a chance to clinch just their second home Test series victory over England. The other one came in 1983-84.

Cook's doubts will have been tempered somewhat by the knowledge that his counterpart, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum admitted that he, too, would have chosen to bowl first. But England may also reflect that they failed to utilise the new ball as they might have done. Neither James Anderson and Stuart Broad made the batsmen play as often as they would have liked in the opening overs and, with the conditions offering little assistance to the bowlers, batting looked increasingly and, from an England perspective, worryingly comfortable.

There were a few tricky moments for New Zealand. Rutherford was struck on the grille of the helmet from a bouncer from James Anderson in the course of an increasingly impressive eight-over opening spell and both batsmen played and missed on occasion.

 

Generally, however, they resisted well. When Anderson overpitched, Rutherford pushed the ball back past the bowler for a pleasing boundary and when Broad strayed on to Peter Fulton's legs the batsmen flicked the ball behind square for four. The ease was underlined when Fulton brought up the 50 partnership with a flowing on-drive for four off Broad and Rutherford greeted Monty Panesar's arrival in the attack by driving the left-arm spinner for two sixes in his second over.

 

Both batsmen had their little bits of luck though. On 12, Fulton was fortunate to see his indeterminate prod at a ball from Anderson fly to the boundary just past third slip. And, perhaps, on a larger playing surface, he might have been caught on 30 when he top-edged a pull off Broad and saw the ball clear the fine leg boundary, just 53 metres from the bat. Rutherford, his concentration perhaps unsettled by the drinks break, attempted two loose drives in succession off Steven Finn when played resumed. While he has enjoyed an impressive start to his Test career, the propensity to lose concentration either side of intervals may be a weakness.

 

With the seamers finding little help in the surface, both teams will be relieved they decided to stick with their spinners. Indeed, New Zealand retained the same XI that had represented them in the first two Tests, resisting the opportunity to bring in Doug Bracewell for either the spinner Bruce Martin or to freshen up the seam attack, while England brought in Jonny Bairstow in place of the injured Kevin Pietersen.

New Zealand 250 for 1 (Fulton 124*, Williamson 83*) v England
Had Alastair Cook arrived at Auckland with a case of wine and box of chocolates for his New Zealand hosts he could hardly have been a more gracious guest. Cook, perhaps seduced by a hint of green and a theory that the drop-in pitch in use for this Test might aid his seamers, inserted New Zealand upon winning the toss and thereby surrendered first use of a fine surface. 
 

Under bright skies and on a true pitch, barely a ball deviated in the air or off the pitch all day as New Zealand reached 250 for the loss of just one wicket by stumps. With the series level at 0-0 going into this final match, New Zealand have earned an excellent opportunity to win a Test series at home against England for just the second time. The first was in 1983-84.

Cook's insertion may well draw comparison with Nasser Hussain's infamous decision in Brisbane in 2002. To be fair to Cook, there is little reason to suppose this pitch will deteriorate. It is hard, easy paced and true. It offered precious little swing or seam movement and promises little better for spinners later in the game. 

 

The lush outfield and lack of other pitches limits the opportunity for reverse swing, too. If it was ever going to help the bowlers, it was going to be in the first hour. But his decision has allowed New Zealand to claim the initiative and, in the decisive Test of a series, leaves England in a precarious position. Even a drawn series would have been considered a setback at the start of the tour.

 

Perhaps Cook's decision was not so much at fault as England's execution of the decision. Certainly they will reflect that they did not fully utilise the new ball. It is not that James Anderson or Stuart Broad bowled badly - far from it - just that they did not make the New Zealand openers play as often as they might in the first few overs. By the time they had found their line, the openers had settled and the ball offered nothing.

 

The main beneficiary of England's generosity was Peter Fulton. The 34-year-old New Zealand opener had previously only passed 50 twice in Test cricket and his previous highest score was 75, made almost exactly seven years ago. Here, however, at the age of at 34 years and 49 days, he benefited from the benign conditions and a small outfield to become the second oldest man to score his maiden Test century for New Zealand. The oldest is Zin Harris.

Smart stats It's the first time New Zealand have stayed with the same XI over a series of three or more Tests. The unbroken 171-run stand between Peter Fulton and Kane Williamson is currently New Zealand's third-best for the second wicket against England. This is only the seventh time a team has scored more than 200 for 1 in their first innings after being put in to bat by England. Fulton's unbeaten 124 is his maiden Test hundred, in his 20th Test innings. His previous-best was 75, against West Indies, in his third Test innings. This is only the ninth time that two New Zealand openers have scored centuries in a Test series, but the third such instance for them against England. Kane Williamson's unbeaten 83 is his fifth 50-plus score in 14 Test innings at home; in home Tests he averages 47.63, compared to an away average of 28.51 in 27 innings.

Whatever his fragility on the off side - and several times he was drawn into playing at deliveries he should have left and on 12 was fortunate to see an indeterminate prod off Anderson fly past third slip - Fulton is a beast off his legs. He scored 98 of his 124 first-day runs on the leg side and at one stage plundered Monty Panesar for 14 - a six and two fours - in three balls, all over midwicket. 

 

Perhaps, on a larger playing surface, he might have been caught on 30 when he top-edged a pull off Broad and saw the ball clear the fine leg boundary, just 53 metres from the bat, but generally he blocked on off stump and waited for England's bowlers to stray either too full or on to his legs.

 

He on drove sweetly - the stroke that took him to 50 was delightful - and showed a willingness to hit over the top, clubbing Panesar for two sixes over midwicket.

 

Kane Williamson was, in many ways, even more impressive. More secure in defending his off stump than his partner, he also unveiled some delightful strokes with a couple of straight drives off Anderson bearing the hallmark of true class. Quick to pick-up the length, he cut and pulled Panesar for boundaries and, at the age of just 22, resumes on day two just 17 short of a fourth Test century.

 

He has already helped Fulton add 171 for the second wicket, with his preference for the off side complementing his partner's leg-side skill.

 

Initially it was Hamish Rutherford who impressed. He scored 37 of an opening partnership of 79, easing New Zealand's early nerves with a pleasing straight drive for four off Anderson and lofting Panesar for two straight sixes in the spinner's second over.

 

His wicket, in the penultimate over before lunch, owed more to a lapse of concentration than any incisive bowling. Slashing at a wide one without foot movement, he was well taken at first slip and left the pitch knowing he had squandered an ideal opportunity of a big score.

England were underwhelming in the field.

 

While Broad and Anderson persevered in conditions offering them little, Finn, lacking rhythm from his new run-up, failed to generate the pace that might have been expected of him, while Monty Panesar, with no help from the conditions, was ineffectual. While the flat pitch should offer few fears to England's batsmen, it is tough to see how England can claim the 19 wickets they need to win this series.

2nd Test Day 2 West Indies v Zimbabwe

West Indies 201 for 4 (Chanderpaul 40*, Ramdin 4*) lead Zimbabwe 175 (Shillingford 5-59, Samuels 3-15) by 26 runs

Zimbabwe started the second day in the best possible fashion, with a wicket from the first delivery - it could only go downhill from there. Chris Gayle roused himself to record his 15th Test century and although a brilliant catch from Kyle Jarvis removed him for 101, Shivanarine Chanderpaul, the No. 3-ranked Test batsman, was hunkered down and incrementally increasing the West Indies lead, inch by unforgiving inch.

By lunch, West Indies were 26 runs ahead with six first-innings wickets in hand. Their plodding run rate was testament to Zimbabwe doggedly sticking to their task but, even as the dot balls accumulated, too often there was a four-ball served up to release the pressure on the batsmen.

 

Having collapsed in a tangle of limbs against the spin of Shane Shillingford and Marlon Samuels, Zimbabwe needed early wickets to prevent the hosts careering away from them. With Gayle and Marlon Samuels at the crease, and a deficit of only 61, there was every prospect of West Indies cracking on but Tendai Chatara threw a sleeper under the train with his opening delivery, full and wickedly swinging from leg stump to hit off as Samuels played around it.

 

The unexpected breakthrough ended a 79-run partnership and allowed the bowlers to create some pressure. Chatara, in particular, extracted seam movement from a pitch that was offering appreciable turn on the first day.

 

Chanderpaul may be among the most difficult batsmen in Test cricket to dislodge but he required a bit of luck to remain at the crease, edging Chatara short of the slips and nearly playing on to Jarvis. There was also a sharp chance to leg slip against Graeme Cremer but Hamilton Masakadza was unable to get his hands under the ball and a review survived against Prosper Utseya.

 

After scoring a couple of early boundaries, Chanderpaul battened down the hatches, adding just five runs from 34 deliveries. Gayle, too, seemed becalmed, as 44 came from the first 17 overs. Even in Test cricket, Gayle is hard to tie down, however, and he moved from 81 to 100 in five deliveries, three of them swatted lazily over the ropes for sixes.

 

One run after reaching his century Gayle miscued after taking the attack to Utseya again but it took terrific catch from Jarvis, running in circles under a swirling ball at wide long-off, to remove him. Gayle had been sent to Room 101; Zimbabwe will be hoping Chanderpaul doesn't join him there.

Tea West Indies 295 for 4 (Chanderpaul 80*, Ramdin 58*) lead Zimbabwe 175 (Shillingford 5-59, Samuels 3-15) by 120 runs

It has been a long tour for Zimbabwe, beaten in all six matches against West Indies so far, but on the second day of the Roseau Test they were presented with a new experience, when they finally fell under the wheel of Shivnarine Chanderpaul. In partnership with Denesh Ramdin, who scored his second half-century of the series, Chanderpaul added an unbroken 114 for the sixth wicket and submitted bowlers of all types to cricket's version of water torture.

Having dismissed Marlon Samuels with the first ball of the day and Chris Gayle, who reached his 15th Test century but only added 40 runs to his overnight score, Zimbabwe may have glimpsed a route back into the contest. If anything, it was merely sweat running into the eyes, as Chanderpaul tapped the match gently but inexorably away from them. The lead was over 100 by tea and, with six wickets in hand, West Indies have the foundation in place to ensure they only have to bat once.

 

Despite a probing spell from Tendai Chatara early on, any edge on the bowling was quickly worn away. Chanderpaul has never scored a Test century against Zimbabwe - he needs them and Sri Lanka to complete the set - and he would not be hurried in pursuit of one here. He absorbed 207 of the 378 balls Zimbabwe sent down, with only the occasional glide through the covers or crabbed flick to leg to demonstrate that he was actively pursuing runs. Twenty more of them will take him to a 28th Test hundred, one behind Bradman.

 

He had some luck early on, surviving a handful of half-chances, as well as a forlorn review of an lbw appeal. Zimbabwe's application could not be faulted and the plodding run rate attested to their dogged approach in the field - as much as to Chanderpaul's natural mindset - but the spin that had manifested itself so extravagantly on the first day was largely absent for Graeme Cremer and Prosper Utseya. Cremer drifted a googly past Chanderpaul's outside edge on the brink of tea but that was as close as Zimbabwe came to a wicket in the session.

 

They had started the second day in the best possible fashion, with a wicket from the first delivery - inevitably, it could only go downhill from there. Gayle then roused himself after an unusually tentative performance on the previous evening, although a brilliant catch from Kyle Jarvis removed him for 101.

 

Having collapsed in a tangle of limbs against the spin of Shane Shillingford and Marlon Samuels, Zimbabwe needed early wickets to prevent the hosts careering away from them. With Gayle and Marlon Samuels at the crease, and a deficit of only 61, there was every prospect of West Indies cracking on but Tendai Chatara threw a sleeper under the train with his opening delivery, full and wickedly swinging from leg stump to hit off as Samuels played around it.

 

The unexpected breakthrough ended a 79-run partnership and allowed the bowlers to create some pressure. Chatara, in particular, extracted seam movement from the pitch but there were to be few further rewards.

 

Chanderpaul may be among the most difficult batsmen in Test cricket to dislodge but he required a bit of luck to remain at the crease, edging Chatara short of the slips and nearly playing on to Jarvis. There was also a sharp chance to leg slip against Graeme Cremer but Hamilton Masakadza was unable to get his hands under the ball; a review was wasted when a Prosper Utseya delivery was shown to be pitching outside leg and missing off.

 

After scoring a couple of early boundaries, Chanderpaul battened down the hatches. Gayle, too, seemed becalmed, as 44 came from the first 17 overs of the day. Even in Test cricket, Gayle is hard to tie down, however, and he moved from 81 to 100 in five deliveries, three of them swatted lazily over the ropes for sixes. One run after reaching his century, Gayle miscued after taking the attack to Utseya again but it took a terrific catch from Jarvis, running in circles under a swirling ball at wide long-off, to remove him. Gayle had been sent to Room 101 but, at tea, Chanderpaul did not look in the mood to let Zimbabwe off that easily.

West Indies 381 for 8 (Chanderpaul 108, Gayle 101, Ramdin 86) lead Zimbabwe 175 (Shillingford 5-59, Samuels 3-15) by 206 runs

It has been a long tour for Zimbabwe, beaten in all six matches against West Indies so far, but on the second day of the Roseau Test they were presented with a new experience, when they finally fell under the wheel of Shivnarine Chanderpaul. His 28th Test century took him to within one of Bradman - albeit from almost three times as many matches - and, coming after Chris Gayle's more belligerent effort, left Zimbabwe facing a 206-run deficit and the prospect of another probing from the spin-quisition on Friday.

Chanderpaul's 173-run stand with Denesh Ramdin, who added his second half-century of the series, all but snuffed out Zimbabwean hopes of making a contest of the match. There were numerous half-chances and missed opportunities and on 88 he was hit on the helmet but it looked as if Chanderpaul would there at the close, if not this time next week, until Sean Williams claimed a dubious catch in the covers off Prosper Utseya. Recourse to the third umpire would surely have seen Chanderpaul sent back - but perhaps even the officials felt that he'd had a long enough go by then.

 

Zimbabwe will have to put up a much stiffer display with the bat if they are going to make West Indies utilise their second innings but if they absorbed anything other than sweat and dirt during Chanderpaul's near six-hour stay at the crease then it would be the lessons of self-denial and discipline that are so important for success in Test cricket.

 

It is easy to caricature Chanderpaul as seemingly the only man alive still playing timeless Tests. Crabbing and shuffling around the crease he sometimes appears to be shot-less but he is a master accumulator and his occasional glides through the covers and flicks to leg steadily wore the edge off the Zimbabwe bowling. He no longer plays limited-overs cricket and only made 26 in Barbados but here he set his mind to reaching a first Test hundred against Zimbabwe - he only needs Sri Lanka to complete the set - going back above Mahela Jayawardene on the leading run-scorers' list in the process. Chanderpaul now lies eighth, with Steve Waugh in his ambit.

 

He faced 284 balls for his 108 runs, twice escaping chances to leg slip off Graeme Cremer, who toiled long and hard for his 2 for 102. Zimbabwe's application could not be faulted, the plodding run rate attesting to their dogged approach in the field, and four wickets fell in the final hour as Cremer and Utseya finally garnered some reward. The spin that had manifested itself so extravagantly on the first day was largely absent for the Zimbabwe bowlers but Shane Shillingford has already proved himself adept on this surface and he will have a chance to assess conditions at the wicket in the morning, should West Indies decide to continue batting.

 

Zimbabwe had started the second day in the best possible fashion, with a wicket from the first delivery - inevitably, it could only go downhill from there. Gayle roused himself after an unusually tentative performance on the previous evening to record his 15th century in Tests - his first significant innings since making 150 and 64 on his comeback last year - but added only 40 to his overnight score before a brilliant catch from Kyle Jarvis removed him for 101.

 

Having collapsed in a tangle of limbs against spin in their first innings, Zimbabwe needed early wickets to prevent the hosts careering away from them. With Gayle and Marlon Samuels at the crease, and a deficit of only 61, there was every prospect of West Indies cracking on but Tendai Chatara threw a sleeper under the train with his opening delivery, full and wickedly swinging from leg stump to hit off as Samuels played around the ball.

 

The unexpected breakthrough ended a 79-run partnership and allowed the bowlers to create some pressure. Chatara, in particular, extracted seam movement from the pitch but after Gayle's dismissal with the score on 181 - and the lead just six - the bowlers were to send down more than 50 wicketless overs in succession as the fourth-wicket pairing of Chanderpaul and Ramdin ground on, inch by unforgiving inch.

 

Chanderpaul may be among the most difficult batsmen in Test cricket to dislodge but he required a bit of luck as he was starting out, edging Chatara short of the slips and nearly playing on to Jarvis. There was also a sharp chance to leg slip against Cremer but Hamilton Masakadza was unable to get his hands under the ball; a review was wasted when an Utseya delivery was shown to be pitching outside leg and missing off.

 

After scoring a couple of early boundaries, Chanderpaul battened down the hatches. Gayle, too, seemed becalmed, as 44 came from the first 17 overs of the day. Even in Test cricket, Gayle is hard to tie down, however, and he moved from 81 to 100 in five deliveries, three of them swatted lazily over the ropes. One run after reaching his century, Gayle miscued taking the attack to Utseya again but it took a terrific catch from Jarvis, running in circles under a swirling ball at wide long-off, to remove him. Gayle had been sent to Room 101 and, late in the day, Sibanda failed to grasp a catch with Chanderpaul on the same score. It may not be difficult to work out which player the Zimbabweans would have chosen to consign for all eternity.

4th ODI South Africa v Pakistan

South Africa 234 for 9 (de Villiers 75, Ajmal 3-42) v Pakistan 

Twin strikes off the first two balls of the match, two more in the first ten overs and two in the batting powerplay was how Pakistan restricted South Africa in their must-win match in Durban. Sandwiched in between that was a 115-run fifth-wicket partnership between AB de Villiers and David Miller, which saved South Africa's blushes and Kingsmead's reputation.

At 38 for 4, it appeared the Durban demons had struck again and the team management's decision to water a pitch they initially complained about as too dry, backfired on them as they juiced it up for the quicks. But, it was not the surface that did the damage. Crafty bowling from Pakistan's opening bowlers and, later on, Saeed Ajmal were the main protagonists.

 

Mohammed Irfan struck with his first two deliveries to give Pakistan an immediate advantage. Hashim Amla poked at the first one, which angled across him, and got a thick outside edge. Kamran Akmal did well to dive to his right and pouch it.

 

Colin Ingram arrived with the team in trouble again but there was nothing he could do to help them. He was on the receiving end of a perfect yorker that swung away before straightening, caught him in his crease and removed his offstump. AB de Villiers found himself facing a hat-trick ball, and a man on fire, but only received a gentle full toss.

 

Graeme Smith had watched the carnage from the other end and was determined not to become part of it. He saw off a maiden over from Junaid Khan, all short of a length balls and one that caught him in the ribs, and five more deliveries to bring up his first run after 11 balls.

 

His only release was a chest-high ball from Irfan which he pulled over mid-wicket for six but Pakistan were quick to spot a technical error they could exploit. Smith persisted in moving across his off-stump and Junaid Khan slipped in a leg-side full toss that bowled him.

 

With inexperience in the South African middle order, that was a massive scalp for Pakistan but Junaid went one better. He bowled one that swung back in to Farhaan Behardien, who played away from his body and got an inside edge through to Akmal to leave South Africa in tatters.

 

It gave David Miller the perfect opportunity to make a big impact for the team and he almost let it go. He was let off on 9 when he clipped Mohammed Hafeez to Imran Farhat at short mid-wicket and an easy catch was put down. Pakistan paid for that mistake as Miller and AB de Villiers built steadily. 

 

De Villiers was more assured than his junior partner, who played some streaky shots including an edge to third man to break a 10-over boundary drought. Miller survived an lbw review off Saeed Ajmal that was correctly given not out on-field.

 

He went on to sweep and play the reverse paddle confidently and brought up his third half-century, off 63 balls, with a cover drive. De Villiers had already reached his, with a quiet drive to sweeper cover. De Villiers only scored one boundary in the partnerships as he focused on strike rotation. 

 

With the pair at the crease, Pakistan may have had shades of Centurion in their memories. There, they let South Africa finish on 191 after having them 62 for 5. They were spared somewhat because the duo did not take the powerplay and by the time it arrived, Miller was already out.

 

After registering his highest ODI score, Miller was trapped on the pad trying to play the paddle off Ajmal. He was given out and reviewed in vain. De Villiers managed to put on 17 more runs with Ryan McLaren before he was caught behind sweeping Ajmal and he had no reviews left to question whether he had gloved the ball.

 

McLaren tried to take responsibility but holed out to long-off. Irfan was stationed there but staring into the sun and stuck out a hand into which the ball landed. The powerplay yielded 17 runs for 2 wickets and put Pakistan firmly in control but they allowed South Africa to take back some it. 

 

Robin Peterson put on 30 runs with Rory Kleinveldt, 14 with Dale Steyn and struck two boundaries in the final over to ensure South Africa crossed the 230 mark and gave their bowlers something to defend. In the history of one-day cricket, there have only been two victories after a team was 0 for 2. South Africa will take heart from knowing one of those was them against India in Cape Town 2006. Pakistan will do the same in knowing they were other team to achieve that.

25 overs Pakistan 85 for 3 (Farhat 32*, Misbah 31*) need 150 runs to beat South Africa 234 for 9 (de Villiers 75, Ajmal 3-42)

Pakistan laboured in pursuit of a modest target to level the series but a combination of rotten luck and determined South African bowling played its part in their struggles.

Mohammed Hafeez became the first batsman in international cricket to be dismissed obstructing the field under the new laws while Kamran Akmal was caught magnificently by the same man Pakistan had dropped a sitter off. South Africa's seamers troubled them with tight lines and extraction of the same awkward bounce the Pakistan quicks were able to make use of but the first wicket had nothing to do with them.

 

After Imran Farhat flicked the ball to long leg, he called for a second run but Hafeez was slow in turning. As he tried to make his way through, he glanced over his shoulder at the keeper, who was aiming his throw towards non-striker's end, and when he saw he was in danger of being run-out, altered the line of his path slightly so as to run closer to the stumps. Under the new playing conditions, that is enough to be ruled out.

 

AB de Villiers fell foul of this law in a domestic match shortly after it was introduced and knew that an appeal would likely result in a wicket. South Africa went up and Hafeez was given out on referral. He was livid at the decision, shook his head from the moment the finger went up until he had left the field and the dressing room looked on in disbelief but there was still a match to be won.

 

Farhat and Kamran Akmal showed the right kind of aggression and took advantage of anything too short or too wide but still frustration built. Farhat was beaten by Dale Steyn's pace and spliced a ball back to the quick who attempted a return catch that resulted in him falling chest on with his arm underneath him. Steyn bowled two more overs before leaving the field clutching his shoulder.

 

While one Pakistan batsmen was counting his luck, another's ran out. Irony was thick in the air when David Miller, who was dropped when offering a sitter, pulled off a blinder at point. Kamran cut it towards Miller's toes and the local boy got down on his knee and snatched the catch.

 

Younis Khan was required to do some damage control but only caused even more. He went for a cut in Rory Kleinveldt first over to offer Graeme Smith a chance at slip and before he would sigh in relief that it was put down, played on in the same over. Kleinveldt got some good seam movement and Younis' poor series continued.

 

Pakistan found in almost exactly the same situation South Africa were in at 33 for 3 (the hosts were 34 for 3) and it was up to Farhat and Misbah-ul-Haq to do what AB de Villiers and Miller did. They were required to employ immense patience, struggled to get the bowlers away and were strangled by Robin Peterson, who had a catch dropped of his bowling when Farhat edged off a cut and de Villiers could not hold on.

 

The required run-rate jumped from 4.7 at the beginning of the innings to close to six an over and Pakistan will have to be more industrious if they hope to level the series.

Pakistan 236 for 7 (Farhat 93, Misbah 80) beat South Africa 234 for 9 (De Villiers 75, Miller 67, Ajmal 3-42) by three wickets

Hold a mirror up to Pakistan's match-winning innings at Kingsmead and you will see South Africa's, minus one major crack. Both sides lost early wickets before being anchored by a sizeable partnership, and Misbah-ul-Haq and Imran Farhat's 153-run stand made the ultimate difference.

Misbah scored his second half-century in the series and Farhat celebrated his return to the side with a well-paced knock. Farhat fell with only nine runs to get and by then he had done enough to negate South Africa's attack. On the whole, they were too generous in the extras department and lacked the same bite Pakistan had shown in the Powerplays.

Pakistan got first use of a pitch South Africa were worried would be too dry; they ordered it to be juiced up on the eve of the match. But the surface could not be credited for the top-order collapse as much as the potency of Pakistan's opening bowlers. Mohammed Irfan stunned South Africa with the first two deliveries of the match. He had Hashim Amla caught behind and removed Colin Ingram with a yorker.

Graeme Smith joined the procession when Junaid Khan bowled him off a full toss bowling on leg stump. Junaid plucked the fourth when Farhaan Behardien inside-edged through to Kamran Akmal and South Africa were reeling at 38 for 4.

In that mess, lay an opportunity for David Miller to make an impact and he almost let it go, while he was dropped on 9. Pakistan paid for that mistake as Miller taunted them with some streaky shots. He edged to third man twice and survived an lbw review off Saeed Ajmal. But, he was strong on the sweep and reverse-paddle and brought up his third half-century off 63 balls. AB De Villiers had already reached his fifty by then. He only scored one boundary in the partnership, as he focussed on strike-rotation.

De Villiers, however, may have missed a trick by not taking the Powerplay while Miller was still there. He waited until it was mandatory by which time Miller was out, trapped in front by Ajmal. He reviewed it in vain and may have even cost his captain later on. De Villiers was caught behind sweeping Ajmal and he had no reviews left to question whether he had gloved the ball or not. The Powerplay, which also included the wicket of Ryan McLaren, yielded 17 runs and two wickets to put Pakistan firmly in control.

Robin Peterson helped South Africa go past the 230-mark but with the knowledge that scores above 250 are rare at the ground, Pakistan would have been confident. Their start to the chase would have hurt that. Mohammed Hafeez became the first batsman in international cricket to be dismissed obstructing the field under the new laws, and Kamran Akmal was caught magnificently by Miller. Hafeez was livid with his dismissal, but it was nothing more than application of the playing conditions. When returning for a second run, he altered the line of his path slightly to be struck, but it was enough to be ruled out. De Villiers fell prey to this law in a domestic match shortly after it was introduced and knew that an appeal would likely result in a wicket.

Farhat and Akmal showed some aggression but also flirted with danger. When Farhat spliced a ball back to Dale Steyn, he could have been caught in the follow-through but Steyn fell hard on his chest. Steyn bowled two more overs before leaving the field clutching his shoulder. Akmal didn't have the same luck. When he cut to point, Miller was waiting. The fortune pendulum went back Pakistan's way when Younis Khan was dropped by Smith at slip but that did not cost South Africa because played on in the same over.

At 33 for 3, Farhat and Misbah-ul-Haq had to do what de Villiers and Miller did for South Africa. They had to employ immense patience in the face of strangulation from Peterson, who could have had Farhat for 26, had de Villiers held on to a bottom edge. The pair was content to bide time. The stand was not risk free, however. Misbah scored the fifth and sixth boundaries of the innings in the 25th and 26th over, and they were both streaky - an inside edge and a top-edge.

With nerves rising, de Villiers took a gamble and brought on Ingram - who has not bowled in international cricket - for some part-time leg spin. Misbah smashed him for two sixes down the ground with a four sandwiched in between. The over cost 17 runs and was the most expensive of the innings but that was not the only reason it was notable. It brought the required-rate down to under six and took the pressure off Pakistan considerably.

Another boundary was not scored for three overs but the body language had changed. South Africa were desperate, Pakistan hopeful, and Misbah sensed a century. He played a selection of stylish strokes, a majority of them in his preferred straight area. He was the favourite of the two in-batsmen to register three-figures but top-edged Peterson to Behardien at midwicket.

When Shahid Afridi boomed briefly and then went bust, the path was clear for Farhat to finish the job. The shot that defined his innings was a six over Steyn's head when he cleared his front leg and swatted the ball over the boundary. That took him into the 90s and that was when the excitement got to him.

In his haste to bring up a milestone, Farhat tried to clear the in-field but was caught by Berhardien who chased it down from cover. By then, Pakistan needed runs in single-figures and even though Wahab Riaz was run out trying to get them, Ajmal and Shoaib Malik finished it off. The series will be decided on Sunday in Benoni where South Africa could find themselves without Steyn and Smith, who has a knee problem.