New Zealand 219 for 7 beat Sri Lanka 218 for 9 by three wickets
Sri Lanka discovered that at Hagley Oval what goes for New Zealand's Test team goes for their ODI outfit as well: the hosts' seamers are deadly dangerous in the early overs, and while the New Zealand top order is daunting, their lower-middle order can turn matches on their own too.
Brendon McCullum's fast bowlers made Sri Lanka regret choosing to bat on a pitch sporting grass, reducing the visitors to 82 for 4 in the 23rd over. Mahela Jayawardene held the bones of a lethargic batting effort together with his masterful 104 off 107 balls, but a total of 218 always seemed at least 30 runs too light.
Then, although Sri Lanka had New Zealand by the collar when the chase slipped to 101 for 5, Corey Anderson showed he had composure to go with his cow-corner clubs. He composed a steady 81 off 96 balls, enlisting the help of Luke Ronchi and Nathan McCullum to take his side to within 10 runs of victory. Anderson's dismissal made for some late jitters, but the hosts got home with seven overs and three wickets unused to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
While New Zealand lost four top-order wickets for 38 runs, at no stage were they under pressure to score quickly - partly because Sri Lanka had made so few, but also thanks to McCullum's 22-ball 51 to kick off the chase. He smote three sixes and six fours in his in all, targeting the square boundaries in particular.
McCullum was also fond of launching the offspin of Sachithra Senanayaka down the ground and equalled his and Ross Taylor's record for fastest New Zealand fifty, when he deposited Senanayake high over long-on off the 19th ball he faced.
McCullum, though, fell on his sword in the same over as Senanayake continued to flight the ball, made it dip and turn sharply to have the New Zealand captain stumped. Tom Latham and Kane Williamson were undone by spin too, and Grant Elliott was bowled by a Nuwan Kulasekara indipper, but Anderson worked his way steadily into the innings.
Playing out plenty of dot balls before attempting to even begin collecting the singles, he slammed Kulasekara through cover to collect his first boundary off his 17th ball. He remained choosy with the expansive strokes and the heave across the line that sent Thisara Perera to the boundary, or the mighty pull off Shaminda Eranga that deposited the ball into the crowd were in contrast to the risk-free innings Anderson strove to play.
Anderson added 48 runs for the sixth wicket with Ronchi and an additional 60 more with Nathan McCullum. Neither of his sidekicks looked comfortable at the crease, but they did enough to support a largely-secure Anderson. Nathan McCullum remained unbeaten on 25, hitting the winning run with Adam Milne at the other end.
It was fitting that Milne was at the crease to see the match won, because it had been he who cut the Sri Lanka top order open in the morning. He bent the ball in to strike Dimuth Karunaratne's front pad in the fourth over, then dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in the eighth, as his full, seaming delivery collected the outside edge and flew to point. Milne occasionally pipped 150kph on the speed gun, but it was the movement he gleaned off the seam that made him threatening.
Those early gains were not squandered by New Zealand, who were rarely loose with the ball, and kept attacking fields to every batsman throughout the game. Mitchell McClenaghan began a little waywardly, but was quickly hitting the back-of-a-length that Sri Lanka's batsmen found difficult to score off, and he and Nathan McCullum controlled the run rate through the middle overs.
McClenaghan was rewarded for his economy in the 47th over, when he claimed three wickets in four balls. Jeevan Mendis and Jaywardene were both out trying to lift short deliveries over the leg side, and Thisara Perera was snaffled at slip for a golden duck. McClenaghan finished with 4 for 36 from his 10 overs, while Milne claimed 2 for 37.
Jayawardene overcame early-innings inertia with an upper cut over the slips, followed by a breezy drive through the covers off successive McClenaghan deliveries, but then settled into a rhythm of singles and twos into the outfield, while wickets continued to fall at the other end. He didn't hit a boundary between the 19th and 32nd over, but rarely did his strike rate dip below 85. The fours resumed with a ramp over the keeper that took him past fifty, and Jayawardene began to look for the boundary more often as the death overs approached.
Lahiru Thirimanne had been a firm ally, after Angelo Mathews had been run out, but did little for the run rate during his 50-ball 23. Jayawardene, meanwhile, was lofting the quicks over cover and mid-off, as McCullum kept the field in, and it was only his positivity that prevented New Zealand from crowding the bat even further. He completed his 18th ODI ton in the 46th over, but was out shortly after, effectively sinking Sri Lanka's hopes of eclipsing 240.
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Saturday, 10 January 2015
4th Test Day 5 AUS drew with IND
India 475 and 7 for 252 drew with Australia 7 for 572 dec and 6 for 251 dec
Three wickets needed, a wearing SCG pitch, the light fading, India trying to cling on for a draw - it could have been the 2008 finish all over again. But Michael Clarke was in the commentary box this time, not out in the middle with ball in hand, and Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar held their nerve, and held off the Australian charge. Steven Smith's side instead had to settle for a draw and a 2-0 series victory.
At tea on the final day, India needed 189 for an unlikely win with eight wickets in hand; Virat Kohli and M Vijay were at the crease. But both men fell soon after the resumption, and with the ball reverse-swinging, the pitch providing variable bounce for Nathan Lyon, and the momentum with Australia, they were followed inside by Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha and R Ashwin.
But then came the match-saving partnership between Rahane and Bhuvneshwar, who survived for nearly 12 overs. Bhuvneshwar handled the final one of the match from Lyon, confident enough to even drive the first delivery to the long-off boundary with all the fieldsmen up, and India reached safety. It was a draw, but after their loss in similar circumstances in Adelaide, it was also an achievement.
Both men showed impressive calmness, Rahane doing his best to take most of the bowling himself, Bhuvneshwar able to keep Lyon's sharp offbreaks down instead of flying to the assortment of men close-in on the leg side. Smith tried all four of his frontline bowlers in the dying stages, but it was to no avail; India finished on 7 for 252, with Rahane on 38 and Bhuvneshwar on 20.
Notably, Australia did not break through in the final 10 overs of the match, after Smith took the new Kookaburra. He might later have reflected that a reverse-swinging bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Hazlewood, in particular, was getting the old ball to tail in to India's right-handers. Starc proved a handful with it as well, but they were unable to get the new ball to talk.
The session had started with all results possible, although India's victory chances required a change in approach after they seemed focussed on the draw for most of the day. Vijay had twice taken Lyon for 16 in an over earlier, but when he tried to lift the tempo against Hazlewood's pace his attempted cut resulted in an easy take for Brad Haddin, and he was out for 80.
Kohli followed on 46 when Starc got one to straighten and caught the edge through to Shane Watson at first slip, and thus started a mini-collapse that had the Sydney crowd roaring. Raina completed a pair in his first Test for two and a half years, trapped lbw when Starc moved a ball back in, and India's 2 for 178 had become 5 for 203.
It was 6 for 208 when Saha was done by a Lyon offbreak that stayed perilously low and struck him directly in line with middle stump. The last hour began with Australia four wickets from victory, and they claimed one when Ashwin, who had held out for 22 balls for his single run, was lbw when Hazlewood reversed the old ball in late and struck him in front.
But then came the new ball, and as it turned out, new hope for India. Hazlewood and Starc had been miserly all day, both conceding less than two an over. That helped to build the pressure as Lyon toiled at the other end, but for the first four hours of the day India handled the situation well, losing only one wicket in each session.
Occasionally India, or more specifically Vijay, went on the attack. Sixteen runs came from Lyon's penultimate over before tea, as Vijay used his feet to lift a six and a four down the ground, and swept another boundary. Another 16 had come in a Lyon over before lunch, including a lofted six over midwicket from Vijay, although in the same over Vijay edged a ball that ricocheted off Haddin and lobbed just out of reach of Watson at slip.
It was that kind of day for the Australians, half chances falling just out of reach and, on occasion, being dropped. Shaun Marsh at short cover put down a tough when Vijay had 42 and the bowler, Ryan Harris, responded in frustration next delivery when Vijay pushed the ball back to him and Harris hurled it at the stumps, only to see it bounce in the footmarks and over the head of the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for four overthrows.
In the next over, Rohit Sharma pushed at Watson and edged wide of slip, where Smith hurled himself to his right to clutch a stunning one-handed catch. The only other wicket to fall in the first two-thirds of the day was KL Rahul's, who advanced to Lyon but failed to get to the pitch of the ball and was caught off his glove at backward short leg.
Australia nearly made it two from two deliveries when Rohit's first ball resulted in a perilously close stumping chance; the TV umpire decided that there was enough doubt as to Rohit's foot position to reprieve him. At that point, India were all about defence, trying to get themselves into a solid position before any thoughts of victory entered their minds.
Not surprisingly, Australia had declared on their overnight score and set India 349 to win. For the third time in the series, the match went down to the last hour of the fifth day. There was no repeat of the dramatic Australian win in Adelaide, but nor was it the tamer draw of Melbourne. This result was somewhere in between, thrilling in its way, but with neither side coming out on top.
And in the end, 2-0 seemed a fitting scoreline in a series in which Australia were more consistently strong all round, but India fought hard and showed impressive resolve.
Three wickets needed, a wearing SCG pitch, the light fading, India trying to cling on for a draw - it could have been the 2008 finish all over again. But Michael Clarke was in the commentary box this time, not out in the middle with ball in hand, and Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar held their nerve, and held off the Australian charge. Steven Smith's side instead had to settle for a draw and a 2-0 series victory.
At tea on the final day, India needed 189 for an unlikely win with eight wickets in hand; Virat Kohli and M Vijay were at the crease. But both men fell soon after the resumption, and with the ball reverse-swinging, the pitch providing variable bounce for Nathan Lyon, and the momentum with Australia, they were followed inside by Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha and R Ashwin.
But then came the match-saving partnership between Rahane and Bhuvneshwar, who survived for nearly 12 overs. Bhuvneshwar handled the final one of the match from Lyon, confident enough to even drive the first delivery to the long-off boundary with all the fieldsmen up, and India reached safety. It was a draw, but after their loss in similar circumstances in Adelaide, it was also an achievement.
Both men showed impressive calmness, Rahane doing his best to take most of the bowling himself, Bhuvneshwar able to keep Lyon's sharp offbreaks down instead of flying to the assortment of men close-in on the leg side. Smith tried all four of his frontline bowlers in the dying stages, but it was to no avail; India finished on 7 for 252, with Rahane on 38 and Bhuvneshwar on 20.
Notably, Australia did not break through in the final 10 overs of the match, after Smith took the new Kookaburra. He might later have reflected that a reverse-swinging bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Hazlewood, in particular, was getting the old ball to tail in to India's right-handers. Starc proved a handful with it as well, but they were unable to get the new ball to talk.
The session had started with all results possible, although India's victory chances required a change in approach after they seemed focussed on the draw for most of the day. Vijay had twice taken Lyon for 16 in an over earlier, but when he tried to lift the tempo against Hazlewood's pace his attempted cut resulted in an easy take for Brad Haddin, and he was out for 80.
Kohli followed on 46 when Starc got one to straighten and caught the edge through to Shane Watson at first slip, and thus started a mini-collapse that had the Sydney crowd roaring. Raina completed a pair in his first Test for two and a half years, trapped lbw when Starc moved a ball back in, and India's 2 for 178 had become 5 for 203.
It was 6 for 208 when Saha was done by a Lyon offbreak that stayed perilously low and struck him directly in line with middle stump. The last hour began with Australia four wickets from victory, and they claimed one when Ashwin, who had held out for 22 balls for his single run, was lbw when Hazlewood reversed the old ball in late and struck him in front.
But then came the new ball, and as it turned out, new hope for India. Hazlewood and Starc had been miserly all day, both conceding less than two an over. That helped to build the pressure as Lyon toiled at the other end, but for the first four hours of the day India handled the situation well, losing only one wicket in each session.
Occasionally India, or more specifically Vijay, went on the attack. Sixteen runs came from Lyon's penultimate over before tea, as Vijay used his feet to lift a six and a four down the ground, and swept another boundary. Another 16 had come in a Lyon over before lunch, including a lofted six over midwicket from Vijay, although in the same over Vijay edged a ball that ricocheted off Haddin and lobbed just out of reach of Watson at slip.
It was that kind of day for the Australians, half chances falling just out of reach and, on occasion, being dropped. Shaun Marsh at short cover put down a tough when Vijay had 42 and the bowler, Ryan Harris, responded in frustration next delivery when Vijay pushed the ball back to him and Harris hurled it at the stumps, only to see it bounce in the footmarks and over the head of the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for four overthrows.
In the next over, Rohit Sharma pushed at Watson and edged wide of slip, where Smith hurled himself to his right to clutch a stunning one-handed catch. The only other wicket to fall in the first two-thirds of the day was KL Rahul's, who advanced to Lyon but failed to get to the pitch of the ball and was caught off his glove at backward short leg.
Australia nearly made it two from two deliveries when Rohit's first ball resulted in a perilously close stumping chance; the TV umpire decided that there was enough doubt as to Rohit's foot position to reprieve him. At that point, India were all about defence, trying to get themselves into a solid position before any thoughts of victory entered their minds.
Not surprisingly, Australia had declared on their overnight score and set India 349 to win. For the third time in the series, the match went down to the last hour of the fifth day. There was no repeat of the dramatic Australian win in Adelaide, but nor was it the tamer draw of Melbourne. This result was somewhere in between, thrilling in its way, but with neither side coming out on top.
And in the end, 2-0 seemed a fitting scoreline in a series in which Australia were more consistently strong all round, but India fought hard and showed impressive resolve.
Friday, 9 January 2015
1st T20 SA V WI
The West Indies have won the opening match in their T20 international series against South Africa, beating their hosts by four wickets in Cape Town this evening.
The home side won the toss and decided to bat first, but opening batsmen Morne van Wyk and Reeza Hendricks were both removed early on.
Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw provided some resistance, with the latter finishing unbeaten on 51, but Sheldon Cottrell led the West Indies attack to restrict South Africa to 165 off their 20 overs.
Needing 166 for victory, Dwayne Smith and Chris Gayle made a positive start, adding 78 for the opening wicket before Imran Tahir sent Smith back to the pavilion.
Gayle kept the runs coming, finishing with 77 off just 31 balls before edging a Tahir ball behind to Van Wyk, with the tourists needing just 52 more for victory.
It looked like South Africa's score would be high enough though as Tahir claimed a third wicket before Wayne Parnell got Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell out cheaply.
However, Keiron Pollard held on just long enough to hit the winning runs with four balls to spare, giving the tourists the lead in the series.
The home side won the toss and decided to bat first, but opening batsmen Morne van Wyk and Reeza Hendricks were both removed early on.
Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw provided some resistance, with the latter finishing unbeaten on 51, but Sheldon Cottrell led the West Indies attack to restrict South Africa to 165 off their 20 overs.
Gayle kept the runs coming, finishing with 77 off just 31 balls before edging a Tahir ball behind to Van Wyk, with the tourists needing just 52 more for victory.
It looked like South Africa's score would be high enough though as Tahir claimed a third wicket before Wayne Parnell got Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell out cheaply.
However, Keiron Pollard held on just long enough to hit the winning runs with four balls to spare, giving the tourists the lead in the series.
4th Test Day 4 AUS 572/7d & 251/6 v IND 475
Australia 7 for 572 dec and 6 for 251 (Smith 71, Burns 66, Rogers 56, Ashwin 4-105) lead India 475 (Kohli 147, Rahul 110, Rohit 53, Ashwin 50, Starc 3-106) by 348 runs
For three and a half days it was like this Test was under the influence of sedatives; now it seems it has taken a bunch of caffeine pills. On the fourth afternoon at the SCG, Australia rollicked along at better than a run a ball in their second innings, hoping to beat India and the weather. Steven Smith broke another record, Chris Rogers scored another fifty, Joe Burns thumped a 33-ball half-century and at stumps Australia's lead was 348.
Already it meant that India would need to complete the highest successful pursuit in a Sydney Test - Australia set the record by hunting down 288 against South Africa nine years ago. But Virat Kohli is a scarier chaser than Inspector Javert, and Australia will not rest easy on the fifth day until they have his wicket. Even then, India's lower order showed on day four they are capable of batting time.
An overnight declaration from Smith was all but inevitable, especially with rain expected on the fifth day and the pitch starting to offer plenty of turn. Australia's limited-overs style approach after they dismissed India for 475 had such a declaration in mind. As the shadows grew longer and the SCG somehow avoided the heavy downpours that fell elsewhere in Sydney, Australia went for their shots.
Smith tried a bit of everything during his 71 from 70 balls, smashing R Ashwin over cover for six against some substantial spin, and reverse sweeping a boundary off him to bring up his half-century. He was lbw to Mohammed Shami, but not before he had surpassed Don Bradman's 1947-48 record as the highest scorer in an Australia-India Test series. Smith finished with 769 at 128.16.
He had put on 80 for the third wicket with Rogers, who enjoyed another chance to throw caution to the wind. Rogers struck seven fours on his way to a sixth consecutive Test score of fifty-plus; that is the Australian record and one Rogers now shares with Jack Ryder, Doug Walters, Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Michael Hussey, Phil Jaques and David Warner.
Rogers was out for 56 when he slogged Bhuvneshwar Kumar down the throat of Suresh Raina at deep midwicket, but more runs were to come for the Australians. Burns and Haddin had licence to clear the boundary, and their 86-run partnership in the dying light came at nearly 10 an over. Haddin finished unbeaten on 31 from 30 balls when play was curtailed.
Burns batted like he was playing for the Brisbane Heat, not Australia's Test team.
He smashed Ashwin with the spin and hit three sixes off him, racing to a 33-ball half-century. He had moved on to 66 from 39 deliveries when he sent a catch to Umesh Yadav in the deep, but not before he and Haddin had destroyed Yadav's figures - his three overs leaked 45 runs.
In among all the run scoring, there were some signs that spin was starting to play a major role. Ashwin collected four wickets and extracted plenty of turn. He opened the bowling and in his first over had Warner caught at slip, and had Shaun Marsh caught the same way for 1. He also tossed one up to bowl Shane Watson, who on 16 went for a cut but under-edged on to his stumps.
Although his economy rate was 5.52, it was a productive day for Ashwin overall, after he scored a half-century to ensure India's lower order frustrated the Australians before and after lunch. India moved along to 475 and a deficit of 97 runs, thanks largely to a 65-run stand between Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the eighth wicket.
That partnership ended with a controversial umpiring decision, when Bhuvneshwar was given out caught at slip off Nathan Lyon for 30. He jammed down on a fullish ball outside off and the umpire Richard Kettleborough asked for help from TV official Simon Fry to determine if it was a bump ball.
The replays appeared inconclusive, although the likelihood seemed that the ball had touched the ground after hitting Bhuvneshwar's bat. The umpires did not see it that way, and Bhuvneshwar was sent on his way. Ashwin then fell for 50 when he edged behind off Mitchell Starc, who straightened one with the old ball.
Starc finished with three wickets and the innings ended when Ryan Harris took the third new ball and Yadav, on 4, skied a catch that swirled and was taken, with some difficulty, by Haddin. It left Mohammed Shami unbeaten on 16, having struck two fours and a six.
Earlier, Kohli had added only seven to his overnight score; on 147 he flicked Harris uppishly off his pads and was sharply taken low to the ground at short midwicket by Rogers, who had spent most of the third day off the field with back spasms. Wriddhiman Saha was out for 35 top-edging a Josh Hazlewood bouncer, and Australia might have hoped to run through the lower order quickly.
But India's fight was a sign that things might not go all Australia's way on the final day.
For three and a half days it was like this Test was under the influence of sedatives; now it seems it has taken a bunch of caffeine pills. On the fourth afternoon at the SCG, Australia rollicked along at better than a run a ball in their second innings, hoping to beat India and the weather. Steven Smith broke another record, Chris Rogers scored another fifty, Joe Burns thumped a 33-ball half-century and at stumps Australia's lead was 348.
Already it meant that India would need to complete the highest successful pursuit in a Sydney Test - Australia set the record by hunting down 288 against South Africa nine years ago. But Virat Kohli is a scarier chaser than Inspector Javert, and Australia will not rest easy on the fifth day until they have his wicket. Even then, India's lower order showed on day four they are capable of batting time.
An overnight declaration from Smith was all but inevitable, especially with rain expected on the fifth day and the pitch starting to offer plenty of turn. Australia's limited-overs style approach after they dismissed India for 475 had such a declaration in mind. As the shadows grew longer and the SCG somehow avoided the heavy downpours that fell elsewhere in Sydney, Australia went for their shots.
Smith tried a bit of everything during his 71 from 70 balls, smashing R Ashwin over cover for six against some substantial spin, and reverse sweeping a boundary off him to bring up his half-century. He was lbw to Mohammed Shami, but not before he had surpassed Don Bradman's 1947-48 record as the highest scorer in an Australia-India Test series. Smith finished with 769 at 128.16.
He had put on 80 for the third wicket with Rogers, who enjoyed another chance to throw caution to the wind. Rogers struck seven fours on his way to a sixth consecutive Test score of fifty-plus; that is the Australian record and one Rogers now shares with Jack Ryder, Doug Walters, Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Michael Hussey, Phil Jaques and David Warner.
Rogers was out for 56 when he slogged Bhuvneshwar Kumar down the throat of Suresh Raina at deep midwicket, but more runs were to come for the Australians. Burns and Haddin had licence to clear the boundary, and their 86-run partnership in the dying light came at nearly 10 an over. Haddin finished unbeaten on 31 from 30 balls when play was curtailed.
Burns batted like he was playing for the Brisbane Heat, not Australia's Test team.
He smashed Ashwin with the spin and hit three sixes off him, racing to a 33-ball half-century. He had moved on to 66 from 39 deliveries when he sent a catch to Umesh Yadav in the deep, but not before he and Haddin had destroyed Yadav's figures - his three overs leaked 45 runs.
In among all the run scoring, there were some signs that spin was starting to play a major role. Ashwin collected four wickets and extracted plenty of turn. He opened the bowling and in his first over had Warner caught at slip, and had Shaun Marsh caught the same way for 1. He also tossed one up to bowl Shane Watson, who on 16 went for a cut but under-edged on to his stumps.
Although his economy rate was 5.52, it was a productive day for Ashwin overall, after he scored a half-century to ensure India's lower order frustrated the Australians before and after lunch. India moved along to 475 and a deficit of 97 runs, thanks largely to a 65-run stand between Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the eighth wicket.
That partnership ended with a controversial umpiring decision, when Bhuvneshwar was given out caught at slip off Nathan Lyon for 30. He jammed down on a fullish ball outside off and the umpire Richard Kettleborough asked for help from TV official Simon Fry to determine if it was a bump ball.
The replays appeared inconclusive, although the likelihood seemed that the ball had touched the ground after hitting Bhuvneshwar's bat. The umpires did not see it that way, and Bhuvneshwar was sent on his way. Ashwin then fell for 50 when he edged behind off Mitchell Starc, who straightened one with the old ball.
Starc finished with three wickets and the innings ended when Ryan Harris took the third new ball and Yadav, on 4, skied a catch that swirled and was taken, with some difficulty, by Haddin. It left Mohammed Shami unbeaten on 16, having struck two fours and a six.
Earlier, Kohli had added only seven to his overnight score; on 147 he flicked Harris uppishly off his pads and was sharply taken low to the ground at short midwicket by Rogers, who had spent most of the third day off the field with back spasms. Wriddhiman Saha was out for 35 top-edging a Josh Hazlewood bouncer, and Australia might have hoped to run through the lower order quickly.
But India's fight was a sign that things might not go all Australia's way on the final day.
Thursday, 8 January 2015
4th Test Day 3 AUS 572/7d V IND 342/5
India 5 for 342 (Kohli 140*, Rahul 110, Rohit 53) trail Australia 7 for 572 dec by 230 runs
It is hard to decide what was more predictable on a belter of a Sydney pitch, the Steven Smith century that was raised on day two or the Virat Kohli hundred that arrived on day three. They now have four centuries each for the series, and are duelling for records. Much less expected was a maiden Test ton from KL Rahul, whose debut in Melbourne was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
The third day at the SCG was much the same as the first two, terrific for batting and full of toil and despondency for the bowling side. Australia managed four wickets for the day, including two in two balls from Shane Watson after tea, but India added 271 runs to their total and by stumps were 5 for 342. Kohli was on 140, Wriddhiman Saha had 14, the deficit was 230, and a draw was the favourite.
Of course, with two days to play Australia could yet run through India's tail, or sporting declarations could make a game of it. But a total of 12 wickets from the first three days of play was an indication of the true nature of the surface. Kohli and Rahul enjoyed it most of the Indian batsman, although Rohit Sharma also managed a half-century on his return to the side.
The key partnership for India was the 141-run third-wicket stand between Rahul and Kohli. Together they steered India untroubled through the second session, and lifted the scoring tempo following a tepid first session in which dot balls piled up and only 51 runs were scored. If it was slow, it was at least solid, and gave India the platform they required.
A slipshod fielding effort from the Australians helped India - Smith put down two catches and a run-out chance was missed when a substitute fielder threw to the wrong end. But the batsmen made the most of their opportunities and scored all around the wicket. Kohli's hundred came from his 162nd delivery with a push past the bowler Josh Hazlewood for two, and it continued a remarkable series.
Kohli became the third visiting batsman after Herbert Sutcliffe and Wally Hammond to score four centuries in a Test series in Australia, and later he went past Rahul Dravid's 619 in the 2003-04 series in Australia for the most runs by an Indian in a Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Both he and Smith remain in the hunt to break Don Bradman's all-time record of 715 runs in an Australia-India series.
Kohli struck 20 fours and was especially strong driving through the off side and pulling anything short, but really there was almost no weakness in his game. He did give a chance on 59 when he edged the second new ball to second slip off Mitchell Starc, and was fortunate that it burst through the hands of Smith above his head.
Kohli's first ball had been eventful - he pushed at Lyon and the ball ricocheted off Brad Haddin's thigh, and Rahul wanted a run. He was turned back, but the substitute fielder threw to Haddin instead of the bowler. Smith was frustrated at that lapse, which could have ended Rahul's innings, and it was far from the only frustration for the Australians throughout the day.
Smith gave Rahul a life before lunch when on 46 he top-edged a pull off Watson and Smith running back from slip appeared distracted by SpiderCam and put down the chance. Rahul then brought up his half-century from his 161st delivery with a boundary through extra cover off Lyon.
Like Kohli, Rahul was impressive when pulling the spinners but mostly when finding the gaps through the off side. Nine of his 13 boundaries came in the region from backward point to extra cover, and his century came in the final over before tea when he steered a Starc delivery behind point for a boundary from his 253rd ball.
Having been out slogging across the line batting down the order in both innings in Melbourne, this was a chance to prove himself in the more familiar opening role, and he did not disappoint. Eventually, Rahul fell for 110 when he skied a top-edged pull off Starc and the bowler did well to avoid colliding with the batsman and take the return catch.
It was the first of three wickets for Australia in the final session. Ajinkya Rahane was unlucky to be given out lbw to a Watson delivery that would have gone over the top, and next ball Suresh Raina's long-awaited return Test innings ended first delivery when he edged a fullish ball behind to Brad Haddin. Watson missed the hat-trick but for the first time since the 47 all out Cape Town Test of 2011, he had taken more than one wicket in a Test innings.
It meant Australia had four wickets for the day after Nathan Lyon claimed Rohit in the first session. Rohit's half-century had come from his 132nd delivery when he drove a boundary through cover off Ryan Harris, but on 53 he tried to sweep Lyon from outside off and his under-edge deflected back onto the stumps.
Although Lyon was the only wicket-taker in the first session, the pressure built by the other Australian bowlers was generally excellent. Collectively the Australians bowled 157 dot balls during the session and India had 22 scoring shots. By the end of the day, they had many, many more.
It is hard to decide what was more predictable on a belter of a Sydney pitch, the Steven Smith century that was raised on day two or the Virat Kohli hundred that arrived on day three. They now have four centuries each for the series, and are duelling for records. Much less expected was a maiden Test ton from KL Rahul, whose debut in Melbourne was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
The third day at the SCG was much the same as the first two, terrific for batting and full of toil and despondency for the bowling side. Australia managed four wickets for the day, including two in two balls from Shane Watson after tea, but India added 271 runs to their total and by stumps were 5 for 342. Kohli was on 140, Wriddhiman Saha had 14, the deficit was 230, and a draw was the favourite.
Of course, with two days to play Australia could yet run through India's tail, or sporting declarations could make a game of it. But a total of 12 wickets from the first three days of play was an indication of the true nature of the surface. Kohli and Rahul enjoyed it most of the Indian batsman, although Rohit Sharma also managed a half-century on his return to the side.
The key partnership for India was the 141-run third-wicket stand between Rahul and Kohli. Together they steered India untroubled through the second session, and lifted the scoring tempo following a tepid first session in which dot balls piled up and only 51 runs were scored. If it was slow, it was at least solid, and gave India the platform they required.
A slipshod fielding effort from the Australians helped India - Smith put down two catches and a run-out chance was missed when a substitute fielder threw to the wrong end. But the batsmen made the most of their opportunities and scored all around the wicket. Kohli's hundred came from his 162nd delivery with a push past the bowler Josh Hazlewood for two, and it continued a remarkable series.
Kohli became the third visiting batsman after Herbert Sutcliffe and Wally Hammond to score four centuries in a Test series in Australia, and later he went past Rahul Dravid's 619 in the 2003-04 series in Australia for the most runs by an Indian in a Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Both he and Smith remain in the hunt to break Don Bradman's all-time record of 715 runs in an Australia-India series.
Kohli struck 20 fours and was especially strong driving through the off side and pulling anything short, but really there was almost no weakness in his game. He did give a chance on 59 when he edged the second new ball to second slip off Mitchell Starc, and was fortunate that it burst through the hands of Smith above his head.
Kohli's first ball had been eventful - he pushed at Lyon and the ball ricocheted off Brad Haddin's thigh, and Rahul wanted a run. He was turned back, but the substitute fielder threw to Haddin instead of the bowler. Smith was frustrated at that lapse, which could have ended Rahul's innings, and it was far from the only frustration for the Australians throughout the day.
Smith gave Rahul a life before lunch when on 46 he top-edged a pull off Watson and Smith running back from slip appeared distracted by SpiderCam and put down the chance. Rahul then brought up his half-century from his 161st delivery with a boundary through extra cover off Lyon.
Like Kohli, Rahul was impressive when pulling the spinners but mostly when finding the gaps through the off side. Nine of his 13 boundaries came in the region from backward point to extra cover, and his century came in the final over before tea when he steered a Starc delivery behind point for a boundary from his 253rd ball.
Having been out slogging across the line batting down the order in both innings in Melbourne, this was a chance to prove himself in the more familiar opening role, and he did not disappoint. Eventually, Rahul fell for 110 when he skied a top-edged pull off Starc and the bowler did well to avoid colliding with the batsman and take the return catch.
It was the first of three wickets for Australia in the final session. Ajinkya Rahane was unlucky to be given out lbw to a Watson delivery that would have gone over the top, and next ball Suresh Raina's long-awaited return Test innings ended first delivery when he edged a fullish ball behind to Brad Haddin. Watson missed the hat-trick but for the first time since the 47 all out Cape Town Test of 2011, he had taken more than one wicket in a Test innings.
It meant Australia had four wickets for the day after Nathan Lyon claimed Rohit in the first session. Rohit's half-century had come from his 132nd delivery when he drove a boundary through cover off Ryan Harris, but on 53 he tried to sweep Lyon from outside off and his under-edge deflected back onto the stumps.
Although Lyon was the only wicket-taker in the first session, the pressure built by the other Australian bowlers was generally excellent. Collectively the Australians bowled 157 dot balls during the session and India had 22 scoring shots. By the end of the day, they had many, many more.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
4th Test Day 2 AUS 572/7d v IND 71/1
India 1 for 71 (Rohit 40*, Rahul 31*) trail Australia 7 for 572 dec (Smith 117, Warner 101, Rogers 95, Marsh 73, Burns 58, Shami 5-112) by 501 runs
Everywhere you turned on the second day in Sydney there were stats, and Steven Smith was at the centre of most of them. But at the end of the day the only figure that really mattered was 501. That was the deficit India faced at stumps, when they had moved their score along to 1 for 71, with Rohit Sharma on 40 and KL Rahul on 31. On a good batting surface, India need to make day three a big one.
The first two were great ones for Australia, who declared at 7 for 572 shortly after tea. It was the first time Australia's top six batsmen had all reached fifty in an innings, the first time since West Indies toured in 1968-69 that Australia had posted four consecutive 500-plus first-innings totals in a series, and the first time since Bradman that an Australian had scored hundreds in four consecutive Tests in a series.
The man who achieved that was Smith, whose 117 continued a most outrageous run of first-innings form at home that stretches back more than a year. Six of his past seven first-innings scores in Tests in Australia have been hundreds, the last three of those as captain. In Sydney, he put on 196 for the third wicket with Shane Watson, their partnership ending in the morning session on day two.
Smith reached his hundred from his 168th delivery with a flick through midwicket for a boundary off a low full toss from Umesh Yadav, and celebrated with a raise of the bat, a glance to the sky and a hug from Watson. Eventually he fell for 117 when Yadav pitched the ball up outside off, and a rare lack of footwork from Smith resulted in an edge behind.
Already Watson had departed, caught at deep midwicket when his pull off Mohammed Shami picked out the fielder, R Ashwin. His 81 was a good contribution but in friendly conditions a fifth century was there for the taking; instead it was his 23rd time out between 50 and 100. Not that the loss of Watson and Smith hurt Australia much, for India's bowlers were unable to get anything out of the pitch.
Joe Burns and Shaun Marsh each scored half-centuries as 118 were added during the middle session for the loss of only Marsh, who steered a catch behind off Shami for 73. Marsh was typically strong when driving straight and cutting, and his fifty came from 87 deliveries, although he had received a life on 9 when he prodded Ashwin and M Vijay, in close on the off side, was unable to cling on.
Burns took 19 balls to get off the mark and when he did so two consecutive boundaries arrived off Ashwin, but after reaching 30 he again became bogged down for a period. He was not at his most fluent when going over the top but began to find his rhythm and put away the bad balls, and his half-century came from 94 deliveries.
He was helped after lunch by Virat Kohli's strange decision to bowl Suresh Raina with Burns and Marsh both reasonably new to the crease, although in truth none of the bowlers looked especially threatening. Burns' registered his maiden Test fifty with a sweep for four off Ashwin, but was caught at long-on for 58 when Australia chased quick runs after tea.
Brad Haddin, who cleared the long-on boundary off Shami from his first ball, and Ryan Harris boosted the total as 34 runs came in 3.3 overs after tea, before Smith's declaration. That came when Harris, who had struck 19 off one over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was caught at deep midwicket for 25 off nine balls. It gave Shami the consolation of a five-wicket haul.
He was the only bowler to manage multiple wickets. Notably, Bhuvneshwar's pace was well down throughout the innings and decreased even further, to the point where in his first over after tea every delivery was 115kph or slower.
On the first day it had taken India three hours to break Australia's opening partnership; on the second day it took Australia only three balls to end India's opening stand. Mitchell Starc took the new ball and lured M Vijay into wafting outside off and he tickled behind to Brad Haddin to give Australia the perfect start.
Rahul, who moved up the order to open, had a few plays and misses early but survived, and Rohit had struck a couple of sixes by stumps. But with a 501-run deficit, it was going to take a lot more than that for India to fight back into the match.
Everywhere you turned on the second day in Sydney there were stats, and Steven Smith was at the centre of most of them. But at the end of the day the only figure that really mattered was 501. That was the deficit India faced at stumps, when they had moved their score along to 1 for 71, with Rohit Sharma on 40 and KL Rahul on 31. On a good batting surface, India need to make day three a big one.
The first two were great ones for Australia, who declared at 7 for 572 shortly after tea. It was the first time Australia's top six batsmen had all reached fifty in an innings, the first time since West Indies toured in 1968-69 that Australia had posted four consecutive 500-plus first-innings totals in a series, and the first time since Bradman that an Australian had scored hundreds in four consecutive Tests in a series.
The man who achieved that was Smith, whose 117 continued a most outrageous run of first-innings form at home that stretches back more than a year. Six of his past seven first-innings scores in Tests in Australia have been hundreds, the last three of those as captain. In Sydney, he put on 196 for the third wicket with Shane Watson, their partnership ending in the morning session on day two.
Smith reached his hundred from his 168th delivery with a flick through midwicket for a boundary off a low full toss from Umesh Yadav, and celebrated with a raise of the bat, a glance to the sky and a hug from Watson. Eventually he fell for 117 when Yadav pitched the ball up outside off, and a rare lack of footwork from Smith resulted in an edge behind.
Already Watson had departed, caught at deep midwicket when his pull off Mohammed Shami picked out the fielder, R Ashwin. His 81 was a good contribution but in friendly conditions a fifth century was there for the taking; instead it was his 23rd time out between 50 and 100. Not that the loss of Watson and Smith hurt Australia much, for India's bowlers were unable to get anything out of the pitch.
Joe Burns and Shaun Marsh each scored half-centuries as 118 were added during the middle session for the loss of only Marsh, who steered a catch behind off Shami for 73. Marsh was typically strong when driving straight and cutting, and his fifty came from 87 deliveries, although he had received a life on 9 when he prodded Ashwin and M Vijay, in close on the off side, was unable to cling on.
Burns took 19 balls to get off the mark and when he did so two consecutive boundaries arrived off Ashwin, but after reaching 30 he again became bogged down for a period. He was not at his most fluent when going over the top but began to find his rhythm and put away the bad balls, and his half-century came from 94 deliveries.
He was helped after lunch by Virat Kohli's strange decision to bowl Suresh Raina with Burns and Marsh both reasonably new to the crease, although in truth none of the bowlers looked especially threatening. Burns' registered his maiden Test fifty with a sweep for four off Ashwin, but was caught at long-on for 58 when Australia chased quick runs after tea.
Brad Haddin, who cleared the long-on boundary off Shami from his first ball, and Ryan Harris boosted the total as 34 runs came in 3.3 overs after tea, before Smith's declaration. That came when Harris, who had struck 19 off one over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was caught at deep midwicket for 25 off nine balls. It gave Shami the consolation of a five-wicket haul.
He was the only bowler to manage multiple wickets. Notably, Bhuvneshwar's pace was well down throughout the innings and decreased even further, to the point where in his first over after tea every delivery was 115kph or slower.
On the first day it had taken India three hours to break Australia's opening partnership; on the second day it took Australia only three balls to end India's opening stand. Mitchell Starc took the new ball and lured M Vijay into wafting outside off and he tickled behind to Brad Haddin to give Australia the perfect start.
Rahul, who moved up the order to open, had a few plays and misses early but survived, and Rohit had struck a couple of sixes by stumps. But with a 501-run deficit, it was going to take a lot more than that for India to fight back into the match.
2nd Test Day 5 NZ bt SL by 193 runs
New Zealand 221 (Williamson 69, Pradeep 4-63) and 524 for 5 dec (Williamson 242*, Watling 142*) beat Sri Lanka 356 (Sangakkara 203*, Chandimal 67) and 196 (Thirimanne 62*, Craig 4-63) by 193 runs
The way the fourth day had panned out - only one wicket - New Zealand would have known going through the Sri Lanka batting line-up was not going to be easy. The visitors had played out almost 11 hours in the second innings of the Christchurch Test without Kumar Sangakkara. The pitch was flatter in Wellington and Sangakkara was back in form. But once New Zealand picked up four wickets - including Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews for single-digit scores - in the first session, the result was more or less decided.
Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell did the early damage before Mark Craig ran through the tail to complete one of New Zealand's most remarkable Test wins. It was only the second time they had recovered from a deficit of more than 100 to win a game, the last instance being their five-wicket win against Pakistan almost 21 years ago. The situation in this Test had been bleak too, until Kane
Williamson and BJ Watling turned the tables on Sri Lanka with a record 365-run sixth-wicket stand.
Batting had seemed easy then and it would have lent Sri Lanka the belief this match could be saved.
But they suffered the big blow in the first half-hour of the day. Sangakkara had just clipped Tim Southee through square leg to pick up his first boundary. He was not troubled once during his brief stay, defending comfortably off the back foot and denying Kaushal Silva's calls for dicey runs in loud and clear terms. He appeared every bit the fourth-innings saviour Sri Lanka needed. Moreover, neither Boult nor Southee managed any movement despite moisture in the air.
It was perhaps this lack of lateral movement or the assured strokeplay from Silva at the other end that coaxed Sangakkara into a loose shot. Boult pushed a length ball a bit wide outside off. Sangakkara had left a few, ducked under others that were not there to hit, and chose to chase this particular delivery, but it flew past the bat. There was not much support from behind the stumps for Boult's appeal for caught behind, but as Brendon McCullum put it, "it was worth" a review.
With the edge in question - the under edge of the bat, hidden from the Hot Spot view - the third umpire overturned the on-field call on the basis of a faint spike on the Snickometer. New Zealand were buoyed and Sangakkara, who had appeared confident while waiting for the decision, was visibly disappointed as he walked back. It was the third time this series that Sangakkara had fallen to Boult. With him went a fair chunk of Sri Lanka's resistance.
The other major blow came at the stroke of lunch. Mathews had been in for ten minutes and was almost bowled through the gate by Craig, but the bounce carried the ball just over the stumps. He wasn't so lucky three balls later. Williamson leaped up to a thick edge, got both hands on the ball, saw it pop out, yet still managed to grab the rebound one-handed. Sangakkara and Mathews contributed 13 runs between them.
Mathews had come to the crease at the dismissal of Silva, who had looked the most solid batsman. He ran his runs hard, drove anything pitched in his half, and reached his half-century with a paddle shot off Craig. The only time he made a mistake - an outside edge off Bracewell - he was snaffled up brilliantly by second slip. Like Silva, Lahiru Thirimanne too had no issues and helped himself to his third Test fifty.
Thirimanne remained unbeaten on 62, but had to watch his partners succumbing to spin. After a 51-minute resistance, Prasanna Jayawardene uncharacteristically drove a wide delivery straight to Williamson at cover. Dinesh Chandimal did not hold himself back against Craig, swinging at a couple for boundaries, but was caught in the crease to a straighter one and edged it to the keeper. Rangana Herath was trapped lbw next ball and the innings ended 17 minutes later when Southee yorked Nuwan Pradeep.
The way the fourth day had panned out - only one wicket - New Zealand would have known going through the Sri Lanka batting line-up was not going to be easy. The visitors had played out almost 11 hours in the second innings of the Christchurch Test without Kumar Sangakkara. The pitch was flatter in Wellington and Sangakkara was back in form. But once New Zealand picked up four wickets - including Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews for single-digit scores - in the first session, the result was more or less decided.
Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell did the early damage before Mark Craig ran through the tail to complete one of New Zealand's most remarkable Test wins. It was only the second time they had recovered from a deficit of more than 100 to win a game, the last instance being their five-wicket win against Pakistan almost 21 years ago. The situation in this Test had been bleak too, until Kane
Williamson and BJ Watling turned the tables on Sri Lanka with a record 365-run sixth-wicket stand.
Batting had seemed easy then and it would have lent Sri Lanka the belief this match could be saved.
But they suffered the big blow in the first half-hour of the day. Sangakkara had just clipped Tim Southee through square leg to pick up his first boundary. He was not troubled once during his brief stay, defending comfortably off the back foot and denying Kaushal Silva's calls for dicey runs in loud and clear terms. He appeared every bit the fourth-innings saviour Sri Lanka needed. Moreover, neither Boult nor Southee managed any movement despite moisture in the air.
It was perhaps this lack of lateral movement or the assured strokeplay from Silva at the other end that coaxed Sangakkara into a loose shot. Boult pushed a length ball a bit wide outside off. Sangakkara had left a few, ducked under others that were not there to hit, and chose to chase this particular delivery, but it flew past the bat. There was not much support from behind the stumps for Boult's appeal for caught behind, but as Brendon McCullum put it, "it was worth" a review.
With the edge in question - the under edge of the bat, hidden from the Hot Spot view - the third umpire overturned the on-field call on the basis of a faint spike on the Snickometer. New Zealand were buoyed and Sangakkara, who had appeared confident while waiting for the decision, was visibly disappointed as he walked back. It was the third time this series that Sangakkara had fallen to Boult. With him went a fair chunk of Sri Lanka's resistance.
The other major blow came at the stroke of lunch. Mathews had been in for ten minutes and was almost bowled through the gate by Craig, but the bounce carried the ball just over the stumps. He wasn't so lucky three balls later. Williamson leaped up to a thick edge, got both hands on the ball, saw it pop out, yet still managed to grab the rebound one-handed. Sangakkara and Mathews contributed 13 runs between them.
Mathews had come to the crease at the dismissal of Silva, who had looked the most solid batsman. He ran his runs hard, drove anything pitched in his half, and reached his half-century with a paddle shot off Craig. The only time he made a mistake - an outside edge off Bracewell - he was snaffled up brilliantly by second slip. Like Silva, Lahiru Thirimanne too had no issues and helped himself to his third Test fifty.
Thirimanne remained unbeaten on 62, but had to watch his partners succumbing to spin. After a 51-minute resistance, Prasanna Jayawardene uncharacteristically drove a wide delivery straight to Williamson at cover. Dinesh Chandimal did not hold himself back against Craig, swinging at a couple for boundaries, but was caught in the crease to a straighter one and edged it to the keeper. Rangana Herath was trapped lbw next ball and the innings ended 17 minutes later when Southee yorked Nuwan Pradeep.
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
3rd Test Day 5 SA 421 & 124/2 beat WI 329 & 215 by 8 wkts
South Africa 421 and 124 for 2 beat West Indies 329 and 215 by eight wickets
South Africa duly completed an eight-wicket victory against West Indies on the fifth day, but initially at least it was not quite the stroll in the park that the scorecard suggests. West Indies stuck to their task with spirit and it required an exacting half-century from Dean Elgar to shepherd them to the win that brought a 2-0 win in the series.
South Africa, who had lost Alviro Petersen in the three overs on the fourth evening in what was later confirmed as the last innings of his international career, needed another 115. If they had been chasing 200, and West Indies - especially the left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn - had enjoyed a break or two, it could have been much closer. As it was, the last 30 or 40 runs came quickly and the series result left South Africa's status as No. 1 Test side in the world undiminished.
The winning runs came 10 minutes before lunch when Marlon Samuels dropped short and Hashim Amla, the serenest of captains, hammered him through the covers. Elgar remained unbeaten on 60 to follow up his century in the second Test in Port Elizabeth.
There will be no let-up for West Indies in Tests following the World Cup. They will complete series against the top three in the world when they face England and Australia later in the year. They have competed well at times only to fall away under pressure with both bat and ball and with such a formidable task awaiting them it will be a challenge to hold body and soul together. The World Cup might be a welcome interlude.
Much of their challenge on the fifth morning rested with the long-suffering Benn. He has laboured on West Indies' behalf throughout the series, but six wickets at 62 is not much of a reward. He has looked like one of life's deserving. If he had been born in Cuba they would have built a statue of him to represent the value of strife. There was turn and bounce, especially against Elgar from the footholes. What there were not were wickets.
Benn did account for Faf du Plessis with the score 51, rearing one out of the rough to force a simple catch in the off side, with Jermaine Blackwood clinging on despite a gentle collision with Kraigg Braithwaite coming in from backward point. It was to be their only breakthrough.
Elgar was wary on the drive on this final-day surface, but the pull shot sustained him. It almost brought about his downfall, too, on 45, when he pulled Shannon Gabriel over midwicket where Brathwaite just failed to hold a running, one-handed chance.
If South Africa were intent on issuing an early message of intent, du Plessis pulled off a neat psychological ploy. When the sightscreen failed to turn around correctly, he just got on with the game. It was if he was saying "This won't be a problem". Soon afterwards, Elgar had the same opportunity, but his advert was red. You don't try psychological ploys with a red ball against a red sightscreen - not even with only 115 needed.
West Indies mixed pace and spin: the serious intent of Jerome Taylor and the accompaniment of Benn, a towering figure of toil. They were right on the money. The mood was grave. Forty-five balls passed without a run until Taylor fired one in short and Elgar responded with an assertive front foot pull.
With Benn occasionally finding substantial turn and bounce, West Indies still clung to hopes of victory. Du Plessis needed 28 balls to get off the mark - a tight single, too. Taylor found Elgar's edge but it fell in front of second slip. Twice, Jason Holder jagged one back at De Plessis only to concede four off the inside edge.
There is a turning point in such run chases when an innings awash with tension becomes an inevitable victory. Elgar's long-on six against Benn, out of the footmarks, was a little early to be that moment; perhaps it was when Amla drove Gabriel through the covers and West Indies, their hopes fading, misfielded for the first time. West Indies failed with a review against Amla, beaten on the pull by Gabriel, but even then they knew in their hearts that it was just a matter of time.
South Africa duly completed an eight-wicket victory against West Indies on the fifth day, but initially at least it was not quite the stroll in the park that the scorecard suggests. West Indies stuck to their task with spirit and it required an exacting half-century from Dean Elgar to shepherd them to the win that brought a 2-0 win in the series.
South Africa, who had lost Alviro Petersen in the three overs on the fourth evening in what was later confirmed as the last innings of his international career, needed another 115. If they had been chasing 200, and West Indies - especially the left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn - had enjoyed a break or two, it could have been much closer. As it was, the last 30 or 40 runs came quickly and the series result left South Africa's status as No. 1 Test side in the world undiminished.
The winning runs came 10 minutes before lunch when Marlon Samuels dropped short and Hashim Amla, the serenest of captains, hammered him through the covers. Elgar remained unbeaten on 60 to follow up his century in the second Test in Port Elizabeth.
There will be no let-up for West Indies in Tests following the World Cup. They will complete series against the top three in the world when they face England and Australia later in the year. They have competed well at times only to fall away under pressure with both bat and ball and with such a formidable task awaiting them it will be a challenge to hold body and soul together. The World Cup might be a welcome interlude.
Much of their challenge on the fifth morning rested with the long-suffering Benn. He has laboured on West Indies' behalf throughout the series, but six wickets at 62 is not much of a reward. He has looked like one of life's deserving. If he had been born in Cuba they would have built a statue of him to represent the value of strife. There was turn and bounce, especially against Elgar from the footholes. What there were not were wickets.
Benn did account for Faf du Plessis with the score 51, rearing one out of the rough to force a simple catch in the off side, with Jermaine Blackwood clinging on despite a gentle collision with Kraigg Braithwaite coming in from backward point. It was to be their only breakthrough.
Elgar was wary on the drive on this final-day surface, but the pull shot sustained him. It almost brought about his downfall, too, on 45, when he pulled Shannon Gabriel over midwicket where Brathwaite just failed to hold a running, one-handed chance.
If South Africa were intent on issuing an early message of intent, du Plessis pulled off a neat psychological ploy. When the sightscreen failed to turn around correctly, he just got on with the game. It was if he was saying "This won't be a problem". Soon afterwards, Elgar had the same opportunity, but his advert was red. You don't try psychological ploys with a red ball against a red sightscreen - not even with only 115 needed.
West Indies mixed pace and spin: the serious intent of Jerome Taylor and the accompaniment of Benn, a towering figure of toil. They were right on the money. The mood was grave. Forty-five balls passed without a run until Taylor fired one in short and Elgar responded with an assertive front foot pull.
With Benn occasionally finding substantial turn and bounce, West Indies still clung to hopes of victory. Du Plessis needed 28 balls to get off the mark - a tight single, too. Taylor found Elgar's edge but it fell in front of second slip. Twice, Jason Holder jagged one back at De Plessis only to concede four off the inside edge.
There is a turning point in such run chases when an innings awash with tension becomes an inevitable victory. Elgar's long-on six against Benn, out of the footmarks, was a little early to be that moment; perhaps it was when Amla drove Gabriel through the covers and West Indies, their hopes fading, misfielded for the first time. West Indies failed with a review against Amla, beaten on the pull by Gabriel, but even then they knew in their hearts that it was just a matter of time.
4th Test Day 1 AUS 348/2 v IND
Australia 2 for 348 (Warner 101, Rogers 95, Smith 82*, Watson 61*) v India
Another year, another David Warner hundred, another Steven Smith fifty. Australia's two leading scorers of 2014 began 2015 in similarly productive fashion, although on a flat SCG pitch against a listless India attack, they were not the only ones who enjoyed the first day. Chris Rogers narrowly missed a century and Shane Watson had a fifty of his own by stumps.
The series started at Adelaide Oval with Australia reaching 6 for 354 on an emotional first day's play, Warner having scored a century and Smith on his way to one. The similarities were obvious on the first day in Sydney, where Australia finished in an even stronger position at 2 for 348, with Smith on 82 and Watson on 61 and India seemingly waiting to see what would happen next.
In Adelaide, the grief after Phillip Hughes' death was still raw, and Warner looked to the sky when he reached his hundred, remembering his fallen friend. In Sydney he did so again, but the more poignant moment came when he tickled a single to move to 63, removed his helmet and gloves and knelt down to kiss the grass by the side of the pitch where Hughes had collapsed.
Hughes would be forever 63 not out, and Warner went to lunch at 63 not out as well. Perhaps it was coincidence, or maybe he orchestrated it that way. India's lacklustre bowling certainly gave him the opportunity. The match started in overcast conditions but there was no swing available, and little spin, and the bowlers were unable to give Virat Kohli the control he desired.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, in for his first Test of the series having missed the first three with an ankle injury, was down on pace. Umesh Yadav leaked six an over. R Ashwin was the only man who looked like he might trouble the Australians on a semi-regular basis, but on a first-day pitch that only occasionally offered notable spin, his work was cut out for him.
India's fielding did not help. KL Rahul, retained after an atrocious debut at the MCG, dropped a regulation chance at slip off Mohammed Shami when Rogers was on 19, and then did not move quickly enough at point when Warner cut uppishly off Ashwin on 62. And on the penultimate ball of the day, Watson's thick edge off Umesh flew to first slip, where Ashwin failed to cling on.
Chances were few and far between in good batting conditions. Warner and Rogers put on 200 for the opening wicket before both fell in consecutive overs, and the Watson-Smith stand by stumps was worth 144. Smith used his feet in characteristic style, getting off the mark with a lofted drive for four off Ashwin and picking up five boundaries off spin and five off pace.
His half-century came from 67 deliveries and it continued his remarkably fluent summer - it is the seventh consecutive Test in which Smith has made a fifty or a century, the best such stretch by an Australian since Simon Katich went nine Tests with such scores in 2009-10. By stumps, he appeared to be on track for a fourth consecutive first-innings hundred.
Watson was slower initially and waited for bad balls to put away, using his muscle to force through gaps when he could. He struck six boundaries and on what is effectively the tenth anniversary of his Test debut against Pakistan at the SCG in January 2005, he now has the chance to turn his fifty into the fifth century of his Test career.
Smith and Watson had come together after Warner and Rogers fell either side of the drinks break in the second session. On 95, Rogers played on to Shami, the frustration evident on Rogers' face as he walked off having missed another chance for a hundred. His past five Test innings have all brought half-centuries but his most recent ton came in Port Elizabeth in February, and the conditions in Sydney appeared perfect for another.
In the previous over, on 101, Warner had tried to turn Ashwin to leg and instead popped a catch up to M Vijay at slip. Australia's total at the time was 200 and it was the first double-century opening stand by an Australian pair in a Test since Warner and Ed Cowan put on 214 at the WACA against India three years ago.
Warner's 12th Test hundred had arrived from 108 deliveries with a pull through square leg for four off Shami, and his now traditional leaping celebration followed, as well as a look up to the sky. He had reached his half-century from just 45 deliveries but generally was in control, going after anything loose from the Indians, and there were plenty of opportunities.
His century featured 16 boundaries, including a well-struck reverse sweep off Ashwin. He also had moments of luck, notably an inside edge past leg stump early in his innings off Yadav. Rogers also had fortune early, following his life on 19 with a slashed cut for four through point.
Rogers played confidently and was especially impressive when driving on the front foot, both through cover and straight down the ground. The century stand was the sixth between Rogers and Warner from only 31 innings together at the top of the order.
They were operating against an inexperienced India line-up - for the first time since September 2001 India were playing a Test with no members of their side having more than 50 Test caps to his name. Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma were all left out, along with the retired MS Dhoni, and Bhuvneshwar, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Wriddhiman Saha came in.
At the end of the day, the names might have changed, but the outcome looked much the same - India were conceding another hefty first-innings total.
Another year, another David Warner hundred, another Steven Smith fifty. Australia's two leading scorers of 2014 began 2015 in similarly productive fashion, although on a flat SCG pitch against a listless India attack, they were not the only ones who enjoyed the first day. Chris Rogers narrowly missed a century and Shane Watson had a fifty of his own by stumps.
The series started at Adelaide Oval with Australia reaching 6 for 354 on an emotional first day's play, Warner having scored a century and Smith on his way to one. The similarities were obvious on the first day in Sydney, where Australia finished in an even stronger position at 2 for 348, with Smith on 82 and Watson on 61 and India seemingly waiting to see what would happen next.
In Adelaide, the grief after Phillip Hughes' death was still raw, and Warner looked to the sky when he reached his hundred, remembering his fallen friend. In Sydney he did so again, but the more poignant moment came when he tickled a single to move to 63, removed his helmet and gloves and knelt down to kiss the grass by the side of the pitch where Hughes had collapsed.
Hughes would be forever 63 not out, and Warner went to lunch at 63 not out as well. Perhaps it was coincidence, or maybe he orchestrated it that way. India's lacklustre bowling certainly gave him the opportunity. The match started in overcast conditions but there was no swing available, and little spin, and the bowlers were unable to give Virat Kohli the control he desired.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, in for his first Test of the series having missed the first three with an ankle injury, was down on pace. Umesh Yadav leaked six an over. R Ashwin was the only man who looked like he might trouble the Australians on a semi-regular basis, but on a first-day pitch that only occasionally offered notable spin, his work was cut out for him.
India's fielding did not help. KL Rahul, retained after an atrocious debut at the MCG, dropped a regulation chance at slip off Mohammed Shami when Rogers was on 19, and then did not move quickly enough at point when Warner cut uppishly off Ashwin on 62. And on the penultimate ball of the day, Watson's thick edge off Umesh flew to first slip, where Ashwin failed to cling on.
Chances were few and far between in good batting conditions. Warner and Rogers put on 200 for the opening wicket before both fell in consecutive overs, and the Watson-Smith stand by stumps was worth 144. Smith used his feet in characteristic style, getting off the mark with a lofted drive for four off Ashwin and picking up five boundaries off spin and five off pace.
His half-century came from 67 deliveries and it continued his remarkably fluent summer - it is the seventh consecutive Test in which Smith has made a fifty or a century, the best such stretch by an Australian since Simon Katich went nine Tests with such scores in 2009-10. By stumps, he appeared to be on track for a fourth consecutive first-innings hundred.
Watson was slower initially and waited for bad balls to put away, using his muscle to force through gaps when he could. He struck six boundaries and on what is effectively the tenth anniversary of his Test debut against Pakistan at the SCG in January 2005, he now has the chance to turn his fifty into the fifth century of his Test career.
Smith and Watson had come together after Warner and Rogers fell either side of the drinks break in the second session. On 95, Rogers played on to Shami, the frustration evident on Rogers' face as he walked off having missed another chance for a hundred. His past five Test innings have all brought half-centuries but his most recent ton came in Port Elizabeth in February, and the conditions in Sydney appeared perfect for another.
In the previous over, on 101, Warner had tried to turn Ashwin to leg and instead popped a catch up to M Vijay at slip. Australia's total at the time was 200 and it was the first double-century opening stand by an Australian pair in a Test since Warner and Ed Cowan put on 214 at the WACA against India three years ago.
Warner's 12th Test hundred had arrived from 108 deliveries with a pull through square leg for four off Shami, and his now traditional leaping celebration followed, as well as a look up to the sky. He had reached his half-century from just 45 deliveries but generally was in control, going after anything loose from the Indians, and there were plenty of opportunities.
His century featured 16 boundaries, including a well-struck reverse sweep off Ashwin. He also had moments of luck, notably an inside edge past leg stump early in his innings off Yadav. Rogers also had fortune early, following his life on 19 with a slashed cut for four through point.
Rogers played confidently and was especially impressive when driving on the front foot, both through cover and straight down the ground. The century stand was the sixth between Rogers and Warner from only 31 innings together at the top of the order.
They were operating against an inexperienced India line-up - for the first time since September 2001 India were playing a Test with no members of their side having more than 50 Test caps to his name. Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma were all left out, along with the retired MS Dhoni, and Bhuvneshwar, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Wriddhiman Saha came in.
At the end of the day, the names might have changed, but the outcome looked much the same - India were conceding another hefty first-innings total.
2nd Test Day 4 NZ 221 & 524/5d v SL 356 & 45/1
Sri Lanka 356 and 45 for 1 (Silva 20*, Craig 1-0) need another 345 runs to beat New Zealand 221 and 524 for 5 dec (Williamson 242*, Watling 142*)
Kane Williamson and BJ Watling used the slow grind to drive away the thoughts Sri Lanka had at the start of day four of winning the Wellington Test and levelling the series. In the process, they first broke the 27-year-old record of New Zealand's highest sixth-wicket partnership against Sri Lanka, and then smashed the all-time record for the sixth-wicket stand set up last year by Watling and Brendon McCullum at the same ground, making redundant the bronze plaque ground authorities had set in concrete only three days ago.
During the course of their unbeaten 365-run partnership, Williamson reached his maiden Test double-century, while Watling grafted his way to his fourth Test hundred. The two batsmen stretched Sri Lanka's wait for a wicket to almost eight hours, before McCullum provided the visiting fielders some relief by declaring an hour before the close of play. The 390-run target was well past the highest total successfully chased at the ground.
Even though the pitch was flat, Sri Lanka were left with the tricky task of surviving 17 overs on the fourth evening. Trent Boult and Tim Southee did not manage any extravagant swing but still beat the Sri Lankan openers regularly. Mark Craig struck in his first over, getting Dimuth Karunaratne caught at mid-off. It was the only wicket to fall on the day.
Williamson's fighting innings did his growing reputation as one of the world's best batsmen no harm. He has been in terrific form in all forms of the game and his previous two Test centuries had both been in excess of 150. He was dismissed a couple of hits short of a double-century just over a month ago, in Sharjah, but there was the same inevitability about him getting to the landmark in Wellington, as there was with Kumar Sangakkara, once he had manoeuvred the New Zealand innings safely till lunch.
Plenty of singles were collected square of the pitch on both sides. His drives were controlled shots, yielding twos or three. The first boundary came in the 13th over of the morning - also, the first for 30 overs - as Williamson stepped out to drive Herath to wide long-on, moving to 99 with that shot. An over later, he clipped one to the leg side to complete his ninth century - and his third in the second innings. His second boundary of the day, one with more flourish, came late in the first session as he punched Nuwan Pradeep through covers.
After lunch, however, Williamson's intent signalled New Zealand had a target in mind for Sri Lanka. The boundaries were not easy to get with the field scattered, but he kept pushing the ball in the gaps with efficient, but hardly noticeable, shots.
He stepped out against Rangana Herath, who had been ineffective in this Test, and chipped over midwicket to reach the 200 landmark, the shot also bringing the 300 of the partnership between Williamson and Watling. Two overs later, he played the perfect cover drive off the second new ball to become the fastest New Zealand batsman to 3000 runs, beating Martin Crowe's record by three innings.
Sri Lanka did not help their chances by letting slip another opportunity to dismiss Williamson early in the day. The batsman had been dropped on 29 and 60 on the third day, and soon after he reached his hundred Herath extracted the outside edge with a delivery that reared sharply off an otherwise benign pitch, but the wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene could not hold on to the deflection.
It was a tough chance, and the only one the bowlers were able to generate all morning. By the time a second came - a missed stumping with Williamson on 233 - Sri Lanka were far behind in the game. There was hardly any swing, seam or spin from the pitch.
Sri Lanka's bowlers tried different lines, bowled from either sides of the stumps, the captain set up leg-side traps, and managed to keep the boundary count to three in the first session, but Williamson and Watling kept turning the strike over.
With the batsmen hardly facing any trouble and plenty of time remaining in the match, the match drifted into the zone in which the probability of a Sri Lanka win rapidly diminished towards zero. Slips were removed and men placed in the deep to keep a tab on the scoring. But that in turn opened up gaps for Williamson and Watling to pick more singles and twos.
Watling's batting heavily depends on dabs behind point and clips through square leg. It's his comfort zone and he had no intentions of coming out of it. It meant that while Williamson was immovable at the other end, Watling also was testing the bowlers' mental resolve, blocking everything out. It was fitting that Watling's century came off a soft push to cover point, off the 270th delivery he had faced.
For most of the day, he had just one boundary to his name. Even after crossing his century, his primary mode of making runs was ... running. Only towards the end of the innings did he played forceful shots in front of square, including a lofted shot off Herath that landed over the boundary at wide long-on that took the partnership to 350. The record may have been updated, but one half of it remained with Watling. He finished unbeaten on 142, his career-best score.
Kane Williamson and BJ Watling used the slow grind to drive away the thoughts Sri Lanka had at the start of day four of winning the Wellington Test and levelling the series. In the process, they first broke the 27-year-old record of New Zealand's highest sixth-wicket partnership against Sri Lanka, and then smashed the all-time record for the sixth-wicket stand set up last year by Watling and Brendon McCullum at the same ground, making redundant the bronze plaque ground authorities had set in concrete only three days ago.
During the course of their unbeaten 365-run partnership, Williamson reached his maiden Test double-century, while Watling grafted his way to his fourth Test hundred. The two batsmen stretched Sri Lanka's wait for a wicket to almost eight hours, before McCullum provided the visiting fielders some relief by declaring an hour before the close of play. The 390-run target was well past the highest total successfully chased at the ground.
Even though the pitch was flat, Sri Lanka were left with the tricky task of surviving 17 overs on the fourth evening. Trent Boult and Tim Southee did not manage any extravagant swing but still beat the Sri Lankan openers regularly. Mark Craig struck in his first over, getting Dimuth Karunaratne caught at mid-off. It was the only wicket to fall on the day.
Williamson's fighting innings did his growing reputation as one of the world's best batsmen no harm. He has been in terrific form in all forms of the game and his previous two Test centuries had both been in excess of 150. He was dismissed a couple of hits short of a double-century just over a month ago, in Sharjah, but there was the same inevitability about him getting to the landmark in Wellington, as there was with Kumar Sangakkara, once he had manoeuvred the New Zealand innings safely till lunch.
Plenty of singles were collected square of the pitch on both sides. His drives were controlled shots, yielding twos or three. The first boundary came in the 13th over of the morning - also, the first for 30 overs - as Williamson stepped out to drive Herath to wide long-on, moving to 99 with that shot. An over later, he clipped one to the leg side to complete his ninth century - and his third in the second innings. His second boundary of the day, one with more flourish, came late in the first session as he punched Nuwan Pradeep through covers.
After lunch, however, Williamson's intent signalled New Zealand had a target in mind for Sri Lanka. The boundaries were not easy to get with the field scattered, but he kept pushing the ball in the gaps with efficient, but hardly noticeable, shots.
He stepped out against Rangana Herath, who had been ineffective in this Test, and chipped over midwicket to reach the 200 landmark, the shot also bringing the 300 of the partnership between Williamson and Watling. Two overs later, he played the perfect cover drive off the second new ball to become the fastest New Zealand batsman to 3000 runs, beating Martin Crowe's record by three innings.
Sri Lanka did not help their chances by letting slip another opportunity to dismiss Williamson early in the day. The batsman had been dropped on 29 and 60 on the third day, and soon after he reached his hundred Herath extracted the outside edge with a delivery that reared sharply off an otherwise benign pitch, but the wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene could not hold on to the deflection.
It was a tough chance, and the only one the bowlers were able to generate all morning. By the time a second came - a missed stumping with Williamson on 233 - Sri Lanka were far behind in the game. There was hardly any swing, seam or spin from the pitch.
Sri Lanka's bowlers tried different lines, bowled from either sides of the stumps, the captain set up leg-side traps, and managed to keep the boundary count to three in the first session, but Williamson and Watling kept turning the strike over.
With the batsmen hardly facing any trouble and plenty of time remaining in the match, the match drifted into the zone in which the probability of a Sri Lanka win rapidly diminished towards zero. Slips were removed and men placed in the deep to keep a tab on the scoring. But that in turn opened up gaps for Williamson and Watling to pick more singles and twos.
Watling's batting heavily depends on dabs behind point and clips through square leg. It's his comfort zone and he had no intentions of coming out of it. It meant that while Williamson was immovable at the other end, Watling also was testing the bowlers' mental resolve, blocking everything out. It was fitting that Watling's century came off a soft push to cover point, off the 270th delivery he had faced.
For most of the day, he had just one boundary to his name. Even after crossing his century, his primary mode of making runs was ... running. Only towards the end of the innings did he played forceful shots in front of square, including a lofted shot off Herath that landed over the boundary at wide long-on that took the partnership to 350. The record may have been updated, but one half of it remained with Watling. He finished unbeaten on 142, his career-best score.
Monday, 5 January 2015
3rd Test Day 4 SA 421 & 9/1 v WI 329 & 215
South Africa 421 and 9 for 1 need a further 115 to beat West Indies 329 and 215 (Samuels 74, Chanderpaul 50, Harmer 4-82, Steyn 3-75)
South Africa were left needing 124 to win the third Test at Newlands and take the series 2-0 after a monumental West Indies collapse on the fourth day. West Indies' last seven wickets tumbled for only 33 runs in 15 overs as not for the first time in the series they were blown aside.
The ball before Marlon Samuels self-destructed to cries of condemnation from all quarters West Indies seemed to be making a fist of it. Samuels and Shiv Chanderpaul put up prolonged resistance in a fourth-wicket stand of 87 in 28 overs, which was enough to take them into a lead of 90, but once Samuels perished attempting to strike Simon Harmer straight for six, it all became very messy.
West Indies did at least take an unexpected wicket in the three overs remaining. If they were disorientated with the bat, that seemed nothing compared to their bizarre tactics in the field as 2.3 overs were shared by Jerome Taylor, Samuels of all people, and a second spinner, Sulieman Benn.
Benn's third delivery, though, a quicker arm ball, left Alviro Petersen transfixed. Comprehensively bowled for 0, his Test career remained as troubled at the end of the series as it had been at the start.
It would be easy to condemn Samuels for the manner of his departure as he holed out to straight long-on, with Dean Elgar, one of several boundary outriders, making good ground to take the catch.
"Arrogant", "brainless" and "inexcusable" were just three words on commentators' lips.
In his defence, it was exactly the sort of shot that had first indicated West Indian defiance. If he had broken Harmer, the sole spinner, he might have exposed South Africa in a single session that had the potential to extend for up to four hours.
Harmer, though, is not easily broken. He has had an excellent debut Test, taking seven wickets in the match and going at three runs per over. He has shown enough attacking potential, too, to suggest that he might prove himself a more adaptable spin bowler than some who have answered the Proteas' needs.
Dale Steyn was deadly once the ball started to reverse, his pace unnerving, his accuracy immaculate and his eyes so dead they might have won the part of the oldest character in the Twilight fantasy series. He bowled Jermaine Blackwood with a wicked outswinger to follow a couple of inswingers and was on a hat-trick after picking up Denesh Ramdin first ball, Ramdin finding Harmer in front of square leg as he played too early.
Morne Morkel's hostility deserved a greater reward than two top-order wickets. Vernon Philander had a wicketless Newlands Test. Initially so destructive here, with 30 wickets in his first four Tests, he has managed only one in his last two appearances.
The rain was teeming down in Cape Town at the scheduled start of play. When things got underway at 3pm, there was quite a shock in store, especially for the South African bowlers: a single session of 53 overs or three-and-a-half hours - with, of course, the potential for an extra half hour if they did not bowl their overs fast enough. Statisticians mulled over whether this must be the longest session in Test history and share prices for Ceylon Tea fell on the Colombo exchange.
There was not the merest hint that South Africa's bowlers felt the need to pace themselves. The longest session depended entirely on West Indies' ability to survive it.
At 88 for 2 at start of play, they were only four runs behind and had played gamely in this Test, but few imagined they might carry it through to something substantial. That suspicion deepened with the departure of Leon Johnson in the third over of the day. Two aerial drives against Steyn, the first whizzing over Hashim Amla at first slip, took West Indies into the lead, but Morkel unpinned him with a rising delivery around off stump.
Samuels and Chanderpaul are the oddest couple at the crease. One dances; one sits back and observes. One is forever vulnerable to conceit; one measures risk by a single grain. Samuels was eager to dismiss Harmer from his presence; Chanderpaul watched every ball intently, as if slow turn was really fast turn, leaping from the cracks, his caution encouraged when Harmer found a thin edge and AB de Villiers dropped an inviting chance.
Still at three down, it was possible to imagine that Chanderpaul's reprieve might be costly. But the rush of wickets following Samuels' dismissal soon revealed a familiar truth. Harmer's agony was shelved as Holder clipped him carelessly to short midwicket and, two balls later, Taylor's ungodly wind-up plopped into the hands of deep midwicket.
When Steyn picked off Benn, all that was left was for West Indies to complete their innings in a manner that summed up the disarray of the previous hour. This they duly achieved as Chanderpaul and Shannon Gabriel were lost in confusion in midwicket, leaving Bavuma's direct hit from backward point to end proceedings.
South Africa were left needing 124 to win the third Test at Newlands and take the series 2-0 after a monumental West Indies collapse on the fourth day. West Indies' last seven wickets tumbled for only 33 runs in 15 overs as not for the first time in the series they were blown aside.
The ball before Marlon Samuels self-destructed to cries of condemnation from all quarters West Indies seemed to be making a fist of it. Samuels and Shiv Chanderpaul put up prolonged resistance in a fourth-wicket stand of 87 in 28 overs, which was enough to take them into a lead of 90, but once Samuels perished attempting to strike Simon Harmer straight for six, it all became very messy.
West Indies did at least take an unexpected wicket in the three overs remaining. If they were disorientated with the bat, that seemed nothing compared to their bizarre tactics in the field as 2.3 overs were shared by Jerome Taylor, Samuels of all people, and a second spinner, Sulieman Benn.
Benn's third delivery, though, a quicker arm ball, left Alviro Petersen transfixed. Comprehensively bowled for 0, his Test career remained as troubled at the end of the series as it had been at the start.
It would be easy to condemn Samuels for the manner of his departure as he holed out to straight long-on, with Dean Elgar, one of several boundary outriders, making good ground to take the catch.
"Arrogant", "brainless" and "inexcusable" were just three words on commentators' lips.
In his defence, it was exactly the sort of shot that had first indicated West Indian defiance. If he had broken Harmer, the sole spinner, he might have exposed South Africa in a single session that had the potential to extend for up to four hours.
Harmer, though, is not easily broken. He has had an excellent debut Test, taking seven wickets in the match and going at three runs per over. He has shown enough attacking potential, too, to suggest that he might prove himself a more adaptable spin bowler than some who have answered the Proteas' needs.
Dale Steyn was deadly once the ball started to reverse, his pace unnerving, his accuracy immaculate and his eyes so dead they might have won the part of the oldest character in the Twilight fantasy series. He bowled Jermaine Blackwood with a wicked outswinger to follow a couple of inswingers and was on a hat-trick after picking up Denesh Ramdin first ball, Ramdin finding Harmer in front of square leg as he played too early.
Morne Morkel's hostility deserved a greater reward than two top-order wickets. Vernon Philander had a wicketless Newlands Test. Initially so destructive here, with 30 wickets in his first four Tests, he has managed only one in his last two appearances.
The rain was teeming down in Cape Town at the scheduled start of play. When things got underway at 3pm, there was quite a shock in store, especially for the South African bowlers: a single session of 53 overs or three-and-a-half hours - with, of course, the potential for an extra half hour if they did not bowl their overs fast enough. Statisticians mulled over whether this must be the longest session in Test history and share prices for Ceylon Tea fell on the Colombo exchange.
There was not the merest hint that South Africa's bowlers felt the need to pace themselves. The longest session depended entirely on West Indies' ability to survive it.
At 88 for 2 at start of play, they were only four runs behind and had played gamely in this Test, but few imagined they might carry it through to something substantial. That suspicion deepened with the departure of Leon Johnson in the third over of the day. Two aerial drives against Steyn, the first whizzing over Hashim Amla at first slip, took West Indies into the lead, but Morkel unpinned him with a rising delivery around off stump.
Samuels and Chanderpaul are the oddest couple at the crease. One dances; one sits back and observes. One is forever vulnerable to conceit; one measures risk by a single grain. Samuels was eager to dismiss Harmer from his presence; Chanderpaul watched every ball intently, as if slow turn was really fast turn, leaping from the cracks, his caution encouraged when Harmer found a thin edge and AB de Villiers dropped an inviting chance.
Still at three down, it was possible to imagine that Chanderpaul's reprieve might be costly. But the rush of wickets following Samuels' dismissal soon revealed a familiar truth. Harmer's agony was shelved as Holder clipped him carelessly to short midwicket and, two balls later, Taylor's ungodly wind-up plopped into the hands of deep midwicket.
When Steyn picked off Benn, all that was left was for West Indies to complete their innings in a manner that summed up the disarray of the previous hour. This they duly achieved as Chanderpaul and Shannon Gabriel were lost in confusion in midwicket, leaving Bavuma's direct hit from backward point to end proceedings.
2nd Test Day 3 NZ 221 & 253/5 V SL 356
New Zealand 221 and 253 for 5 (Williamson 80*) lead Sri Lanka 356 by 118 runs
In the previous Test played at Basin Reserve, a 352-run stand between Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling had turned the tables on India. Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal added 130 in this Test, a momentum-changing partnership that lifted Sri Lanka from a precarious position in their first innings. The two stands had been different in size, but similar in impact. Call it a new love affair between the sixth-wicket pairs and this ground, or dependability of No. 7s, but another stand could play a decisive role in the match.
New Zealand were tottering on 159 for 5, with a slender lead of 24, when BJ Watling joined Kane Williamson. In the first innings, the New Zealand lower order had succumbed tamely and with the Sri Lanka bowlers working well as a group, a repeat appeared likely. Watling did not do much to change that outlook as he picked three boundaries through gully early in his innings. But by the end of the day, he had added an obdurate 94 in 40.3 overs with Williamson, slowly building the lead past 100 to leave scope for drama later in the game.
Sri Lanka were wicketless in the last session, but on a pitch with a reputation of getting more batsmen friendly with time, they would still have their sights on a series-equalising win. Their seamers had bowled with discipline throughout the day, while Rangana Herath maintained the stranglehold. Nuwan Pradeep struck twice in two overs to remove both New Zealand openers after a solid stand had whittled the deficit to 60 runs, and added another to his tally - James Neesham - late in the second session.
There were no easy deliveries as Sri Lanka barged into the engine room of New Zealand's batting - Williamson and Brendon McCullum - just before lunch. The two batsmen were watchful during a 43-run stand but managed to take toll of the odd loose delivery. However, a Dhammika Prasad delivery in the 47th over caught McCullum plumb in front, leaving Williamson with the job of marshalling the rest of the innings.
Williamson was solid in defence but used his feet well from time to time to provide a release from Herath's grip. After McCullum's departure, he added 37 with Neesham to help New Zealand take the lead in the 51st over. He did provide a couple of chances: Herath could not hold on to a difficult return chance when the batsman was on 29, while Pradeep dropped a sitter when he was on 60, a couple of overs before the new ball was taken. For a batsman who has grown in stature over the last couple of seasons, those could prove to be two chances too many.
At the age 24, the completeness in Williamson's batting can be scary for bowlers. Still, today was not the day to dazzle, and so he buckled up and accumulated runs with deft touches. His half-century came off 117 deliveries and had only four hits to the boundary. By the end of the day, he had played 200 deliveries for an unbeaten 80 and had averted the threat of the new ball. The plan was to play a tight game, but he did play a delectable on-drive against the new ball as Pradeep went too straight.
Sri Lanka had to be patient, just like they had been in the morning. Hamish Rutherford and Tom Latham added 75 for the first wicket - their first 50-plus stand - but New Zealand lost three wickets for four runs after Rutherford walked into a trap. In the 27th over, Mathews removed a fielder from the slip cordon and placed him at a fine third-man position, in addition to a regular third man, and waited for a mistake. Pradeep, a bit quicker than the other two seamers, cramped the batsman by going round the stumps and surprised him with a couple of quick bouncers.
The third delivery was short too, but just wide enough to lure the batsman into a cut. Rutherford obliged and the thick edge carried straight to Dinesh Chandimal at the fine third man, sparking loud celebrations from the Sri Lanka fielders who knew the plan had worked to perfection. In Pradeep's next over Latham, who had been more solid of the two openers, attempted his first expansive shot - a drive at an angling delivery - and immediately paid the price, edging it to the keeper.
As two new batsmen arrived at the crease, Pradeep and Herath ensured there were no easy runs. The sudden stop in scoring brought another wicket, this time to an excellent delivery from Herath. Taylor was beaten in flight as he pushed forward with his hands, only to see the ball turn just enough past the outside edge and graze the outside of off stump. From 75 for 0, New Zealand were 79 for 3.
Rutherford had been lucky in the second over of the morning. In trying to leave a back of length delivery from Prasad, he was unable to get the glove out of the way and edged it to the keeper.
However, the umpire Steve Davis had called a front-foot no-ball immediately even though replays suggested Prasad had some part of his heel behind the line. Rutherford cut and drove through off to pick up four more boundaries and it appeared his long wait - 15 innings - for his second half-century was coming to an end. But, he fell after getting yet another start.
In the previous Test played at Basin Reserve, a 352-run stand between Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling had turned the tables on India. Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal added 130 in this Test, a momentum-changing partnership that lifted Sri Lanka from a precarious position in their first innings. The two stands had been different in size, but similar in impact. Call it a new love affair between the sixth-wicket pairs and this ground, or dependability of No. 7s, but another stand could play a decisive role in the match.
New Zealand were tottering on 159 for 5, with a slender lead of 24, when BJ Watling joined Kane Williamson. In the first innings, the New Zealand lower order had succumbed tamely and with the Sri Lanka bowlers working well as a group, a repeat appeared likely. Watling did not do much to change that outlook as he picked three boundaries through gully early in his innings. But by the end of the day, he had added an obdurate 94 in 40.3 overs with Williamson, slowly building the lead past 100 to leave scope for drama later in the game.
Sri Lanka were wicketless in the last session, but on a pitch with a reputation of getting more batsmen friendly with time, they would still have their sights on a series-equalising win. Their seamers had bowled with discipline throughout the day, while Rangana Herath maintained the stranglehold. Nuwan Pradeep struck twice in two overs to remove both New Zealand openers after a solid stand had whittled the deficit to 60 runs, and added another to his tally - James Neesham - late in the second session.
There were no easy deliveries as Sri Lanka barged into the engine room of New Zealand's batting - Williamson and Brendon McCullum - just before lunch. The two batsmen were watchful during a 43-run stand but managed to take toll of the odd loose delivery. However, a Dhammika Prasad delivery in the 47th over caught McCullum plumb in front, leaving Williamson with the job of marshalling the rest of the innings.
Williamson was solid in defence but used his feet well from time to time to provide a release from Herath's grip. After McCullum's departure, he added 37 with Neesham to help New Zealand take the lead in the 51st over. He did provide a couple of chances: Herath could not hold on to a difficult return chance when the batsman was on 29, while Pradeep dropped a sitter when he was on 60, a couple of overs before the new ball was taken. For a batsman who has grown in stature over the last couple of seasons, those could prove to be two chances too many.
At the age 24, the completeness in Williamson's batting can be scary for bowlers. Still, today was not the day to dazzle, and so he buckled up and accumulated runs with deft touches. His half-century came off 117 deliveries and had only four hits to the boundary. By the end of the day, he had played 200 deliveries for an unbeaten 80 and had averted the threat of the new ball. The plan was to play a tight game, but he did play a delectable on-drive against the new ball as Pradeep went too straight.
Sri Lanka had to be patient, just like they had been in the morning. Hamish Rutherford and Tom Latham added 75 for the first wicket - their first 50-plus stand - but New Zealand lost three wickets for four runs after Rutherford walked into a trap. In the 27th over, Mathews removed a fielder from the slip cordon and placed him at a fine third-man position, in addition to a regular third man, and waited for a mistake. Pradeep, a bit quicker than the other two seamers, cramped the batsman by going round the stumps and surprised him with a couple of quick bouncers.
The third delivery was short too, but just wide enough to lure the batsman into a cut. Rutherford obliged and the thick edge carried straight to Dinesh Chandimal at the fine third man, sparking loud celebrations from the Sri Lanka fielders who knew the plan had worked to perfection. In Pradeep's next over Latham, who had been more solid of the two openers, attempted his first expansive shot - a drive at an angling delivery - and immediately paid the price, edging it to the keeper.
As two new batsmen arrived at the crease, Pradeep and Herath ensured there were no easy runs. The sudden stop in scoring brought another wicket, this time to an excellent delivery from Herath. Taylor was beaten in flight as he pushed forward with his hands, only to see the ball turn just enough past the outside edge and graze the outside of off stump. From 75 for 0, New Zealand were 79 for 3.
Rutherford had been lucky in the second over of the morning. In trying to leave a back of length delivery from Prasad, he was unable to get the glove out of the way and edged it to the keeper.
However, the umpire Steve Davis had called a front-foot no-ball immediately even though replays suggested Prasad had some part of his heel behind the line. Rutherford cut and drove through off to pick up four more boundaries and it appeared his long wait - 15 innings - for his second half-century was coming to an end. But, he fell after getting yet another start.
Sunday, 4 January 2015
3rd Test Day 3 SA 421 v WI 329 & 88/2
West Indies 329 (Steyn 4-78, Harmer 3-71) and 88 for 2 (Johnson 37*) trail South Africa 421 (De Villiers 148) by four runs
AB de Villiers produced the outstanding innings that the Cape Town Test craved, but even his redoubtable efforts have yet to shake off West Indies. Facing a first-innings deficit of 92 runs at tea on the third day, they battled doggedly to clip that deficit to four runs by the close of the day. Eight wickets still stand. It has been a respectable effort.
If one leading bookmaker regarded West Indies as 12-1 outsiders at change of innings, it owed as much to the perceived imbalance between these two sides as the state of the game. It had fallen markedly by the close. If this dry, cracked surface deteriorates at the right time for West Indies, they are still in this game. As yet, despite occasional uneven bounce and some slow turn, it is biding its time.
De Villiers' 148, his 21st Test hundred, was a gem. He was last out, finally silenced when he tried to deposit Marlon Samuels into the crowd and Shannon Gabriel caught him, second attempt, at long-on. He had become the first batsman to make good his start after eight had fallen between 42 and 68, most because of a lapse in concentration. But West Indies had hung in the match by removing the last five wickets for 37 runs in 14 overs.
De Villiers' progression to his century was another career highlight. In six balls, he introduced the reverse sweep, once and for all, into polite society: at least when he accompanies it anyway. Perhaps it takes the No. 1 ranked Test batsman in the world to play the shot with no sense of risk when a century is on his mind, a first-innings lead is beckoning and a Test is in the balance on a testing surface. Or perhaps it was all done by computer graphics.
De Villiers achieved that mood in one memorable over against Samuels, moving from 87 to 103 as he took 16 off the over, 10 of them with reverse sweeps so authoritative that had they been witnessed for the first time the shot would have seemed as politic as the straightest of forward defensives.
He displayed his rare ability to meld two distinct forms of the game, to introduce a daring approach borne of T20 cricket into a Test in the balance without the merest hint of ill-judgment. First came an assessment of the field, then a perfectly-timed adjustment of his bottom hand, finally a faultless execution. He fancies he can attack Samuels: it was both forthright and appropriate.
Quite why Samuels was bowling the fourth over after lunch with the Test so keenly poised and the second new ball only 15 overs old was a mystery, even allowing for West Indies' limited options. He didn't bowl another one. De Villiers welcomed him with a crease-scrubbing reversed sweep for four, rocked back to cut the next ball to the boundary, and polished off the over with another reverse - his third - which scooted away to the fence.
With South Africa still 102 behind at start of play, and a new ball just over 10 overs away, it was a period in which a lack of concentration could hand over the initiative. Fortunately for West Indies, Samuels' start to the day - three successive desultory full tosses - did not set the tone.
A ball change five overs into the day provided succour. Holder immediately dismissed Amla, finding just enough away movement from a tight line to find the edge. At the non-striker's end, de Villiers shook his head, not just at the wicket but at recognition that his job had become harder. Holder, recognising the opportunity, tightened his line and bowled the best spell of the match, finally resembling a third seamer's worth.
It was a tough entrance for Temba Bavuma, the diminutive kid from Langa, a Cape Town township, playing in only his second Test; the first black African batsman to play Tests for South Africa. A push through mid-on to get off the mark was warmly greeted. But Gabriel picked up Bavuma in his second over, the batsman playing on, minded to leave.
When West Indies were not confronted by de Villiers, they fell foul of some mediocre umpiring. Quite how Sulieman Benn maintained a sunny disposition when Simon Harmer was not given out for his own version of the reverse sweep was a mystery.
Harmer swept the left-arm spinner out of the rough and, although umpire Paul Reiffel declared not out, a West Indies review clearly showed the ball deflecting off the glove as it looped up to the wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. The TV umpire, Billy Bowden, was not convinced. West Indies were bemused. Gentle Ben was a TV series in the 1960s involving an orphaned bear, but for a few seconds there seemed to be the chance of a remake.
It fitted a frustrating pattern for Benn as South Africa edged towards supremacy. Van Zyl's unconvincing innings ended on 33 when he fell lbw to Samuels, but he needed two reviews to get that far. A South Africa review spared him when he padded up to Benn and then West Indies failed to overturn a decision when he botched a sweep. Finally, they got him - but even that needed a review.
De Villiers apart, South Africa's first innings malfunctioned. Vernon Philander was run out without scoring, failing to steal a single to Jason Holder at midwicket; Harmer's debut innings ended when he fell lbw to Jerome Taylor; and Steyn became the third South Africa batsman to be run out, well short as Leon Johnson hit direct from mid-off.
There was much work for West Indies' batsmen to do to complete a battling day; indeed, a battling Test. When Morne Morkel had Devon Smith caught at the wicket and Kraigg Braithwaite was bowled by Harmer - his first few overs showing good, attacking purpose - it looked bleak for West Indies, but Johnson and Samuels saw out the final 20 overs to leave this Test still full of possibilities.
AB de Villiers produced the outstanding innings that the Cape Town Test craved, but even his redoubtable efforts have yet to shake off West Indies. Facing a first-innings deficit of 92 runs at tea on the third day, they battled doggedly to clip that deficit to four runs by the close of the day. Eight wickets still stand. It has been a respectable effort.
If one leading bookmaker regarded West Indies as 12-1 outsiders at change of innings, it owed as much to the perceived imbalance between these two sides as the state of the game. It had fallen markedly by the close. If this dry, cracked surface deteriorates at the right time for West Indies, they are still in this game. As yet, despite occasional uneven bounce and some slow turn, it is biding its time.
De Villiers' 148, his 21st Test hundred, was a gem. He was last out, finally silenced when he tried to deposit Marlon Samuels into the crowd and Shannon Gabriel caught him, second attempt, at long-on. He had become the first batsman to make good his start after eight had fallen between 42 and 68, most because of a lapse in concentration. But West Indies had hung in the match by removing the last five wickets for 37 runs in 14 overs.
De Villiers' progression to his century was another career highlight. In six balls, he introduced the reverse sweep, once and for all, into polite society: at least when he accompanies it anyway. Perhaps it takes the No. 1 ranked Test batsman in the world to play the shot with no sense of risk when a century is on his mind, a first-innings lead is beckoning and a Test is in the balance on a testing surface. Or perhaps it was all done by computer graphics.
De Villiers achieved that mood in one memorable over against Samuels, moving from 87 to 103 as he took 16 off the over, 10 of them with reverse sweeps so authoritative that had they been witnessed for the first time the shot would have seemed as politic as the straightest of forward defensives.
He displayed his rare ability to meld two distinct forms of the game, to introduce a daring approach borne of T20 cricket into a Test in the balance without the merest hint of ill-judgment. First came an assessment of the field, then a perfectly-timed adjustment of his bottom hand, finally a faultless execution. He fancies he can attack Samuels: it was both forthright and appropriate.
Quite why Samuels was bowling the fourth over after lunch with the Test so keenly poised and the second new ball only 15 overs old was a mystery, even allowing for West Indies' limited options. He didn't bowl another one. De Villiers welcomed him with a crease-scrubbing reversed sweep for four, rocked back to cut the next ball to the boundary, and polished off the over with another reverse - his third - which scooted away to the fence.
With South Africa still 102 behind at start of play, and a new ball just over 10 overs away, it was a period in which a lack of concentration could hand over the initiative. Fortunately for West Indies, Samuels' start to the day - three successive desultory full tosses - did not set the tone.
A ball change five overs into the day provided succour. Holder immediately dismissed Amla, finding just enough away movement from a tight line to find the edge. At the non-striker's end, de Villiers shook his head, not just at the wicket but at recognition that his job had become harder. Holder, recognising the opportunity, tightened his line and bowled the best spell of the match, finally resembling a third seamer's worth.
It was a tough entrance for Temba Bavuma, the diminutive kid from Langa, a Cape Town township, playing in only his second Test; the first black African batsman to play Tests for South Africa. A push through mid-on to get off the mark was warmly greeted. But Gabriel picked up Bavuma in his second over, the batsman playing on, minded to leave.
When West Indies were not confronted by de Villiers, they fell foul of some mediocre umpiring. Quite how Sulieman Benn maintained a sunny disposition when Simon Harmer was not given out for his own version of the reverse sweep was a mystery.
Harmer swept the left-arm spinner out of the rough and, although umpire Paul Reiffel declared not out, a West Indies review clearly showed the ball deflecting off the glove as it looped up to the wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. The TV umpire, Billy Bowden, was not convinced. West Indies were bemused. Gentle Ben was a TV series in the 1960s involving an orphaned bear, but for a few seconds there seemed to be the chance of a remake.
It fitted a frustrating pattern for Benn as South Africa edged towards supremacy. Van Zyl's unconvincing innings ended on 33 when he fell lbw to Samuels, but he needed two reviews to get that far. A South Africa review spared him when he padded up to Benn and then West Indies failed to overturn a decision when he botched a sweep. Finally, they got him - but even that needed a review.
De Villiers apart, South Africa's first innings malfunctioned. Vernon Philander was run out without scoring, failing to steal a single to Jason Holder at midwicket; Harmer's debut innings ended when he fell lbw to Jerome Taylor; and Steyn became the third South Africa batsman to be run out, well short as Leon Johnson hit direct from mid-off.
There was much work for West Indies' batsmen to do to complete a battling day; indeed, a battling Test. When Morne Morkel had Devon Smith caught at the wicket and Kraigg Braithwaite was bowled by Harmer - his first few overs showing good, attacking purpose - it looked bleak for West Indies, but Johnson and Samuels saw out the final 20 overs to leave this Test still full of possibilities.
2nd Test Day 2 NZ 221 & 22/0 V SL 356
New Zealand 221 and 22 for 0 trail Sri Lanka 356 (Sangakkara 203, Chandimal 67, Neesham 3-42) by 113 runs
The closest New Zealand came to taking a huge first-innings lead - or, as it panned out, not conceding a huge one - in Wellington was off the first delivery of Trent Boult's first over of the day, when the ball swung sharply past the outside edge as Kumar Sangakkara went for a drive. Twice, in Christchurch, Sangakkara had fallen for single-digit scores edging similar deliveries from Boult. The cover drive may be Sangakkara's signature shot, but that early wake-up call was a sign he had to lock the shot in a safe, at least till Sri Lanka were out of danger.
By the time the shot started making regular appearances, Sangakkara had cruised past yet another century - his 38th in Tests and his third in New Zealand - and lifted Sri Lanka to a position of strength. The last time he scored off that cover drive in the innings, it took him to his 11th double-century, one short of Don Bradman's record 12, and the 143-run deficit at the start of the day had been transformed into a game-changing 135-run lead. The New Zealand openers survived 11 overs before the close of play, reducing the deficit by 22 runs.
Sangakkara's was an innings of two halves. Gritty first, one in which Sangakkara was prepared to give the bowlers, and the conditions, due respect and bide his time, like the young Vito Corleone. Then, the matinee-show entertainment, as the second new ball was taken apart by an authoritative, Brando's Vito-like ruthlessness. While the first 100 had taken 191 deliveries with seven fours, the second came off only 110 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes, lifting Sangakkara's Test average briefly over 59, before dropping to 58.92 on his departure.
Sangakkara had needed support in the first half, and that came through his fighting 130-run stand for the sixth wicket with Dinesh Chandimal. The partnership was critical. Sangakkara and Chandimal knew they had to survive an opening burst from Tim Southee and Boult to get any closer to New Zealand's total. Sangakkara appeared in discomfort against Boult's swing, playing out 29 balls to score eight runs in the bowler's testing opening spell of six overs. During that period, he curbed his scoring instinct and focused on defending from the back foot. It was the kind of restraint and discipline Sri Lanka needed too. It also meant that Chandimal only faced seven deliveries in that spell from Boult, who had looked the most threatening of the pace trio. Only 20 runs came in the first eight overs of the morning.
Chandimal showed more intent, both in his shot-making and his running between the wickets, to ensure Sri Lanka kept trudging ahead while Sangakkara held one end. He clipped Southee a couple of times to the square-leg boundary early in his innings. Chandimal had his fair share of plays and misses to deliveries wide outside off, but with time, his defence grew tighter. He reached his sixth half-century soon after lunch, and went on to complete 1000 runs in Tests with a paddle sweep for four.
For New Zealand, the first objective for the second day was straightforward - break the stand between Sangakkara and Chandimal, and expose the tail to the seamers - but, as they found out, not simple. Sangakkara's pedigree aside, even Chandimal has in the past shown a stomach for fight in overseas Tests. Still, New Zealand's seamers and even the spinner generated enough from the pitch to keep the batsmen alert, but by the time James Neesham broke the stand - in the 70th over - Sri Lanka were only 13 behind.
If New Zealand thought they could quickly clean up the tail, they were in for a rude shock. Sangakkara had just moved to 93 with his signature shot. The previous two times he had crossed 50 in New Zealand, he had gone on to score unbeaten centuries. He ensured he was not going to miss out on this start. Enter phase two.
The new ball was due in 10 overs, so Sangakkara increased the pace of scoring, picking up two boundaries off Neesham in the 76th over, then charged down the pitch against Doug Bracewell, lifting him over mid-on. The lead was 37 when the new ball was taken, but by then Sangakkara was already in an unrelenting mood. He had given Boult his time under the sun, now it was his turn. Boult was greeted with a flashing cover drive, then sliced through point in the same over. He was driven for two more boundaries through cover, over the infield, before he was taken off. The scores, if anyone was keeping them, had been well and truly settled.
Dhammika Prasad, Rangana Herath and Suranga Lakmal played their parts in rapid stands worth 34, 47 and 67, allowing Sangakkara to complete his masterclass.
The closest New Zealand came to taking a huge first-innings lead - or, as it panned out, not conceding a huge one - in Wellington was off the first delivery of Trent Boult's first over of the day, when the ball swung sharply past the outside edge as Kumar Sangakkara went for a drive. Twice, in Christchurch, Sangakkara had fallen for single-digit scores edging similar deliveries from Boult. The cover drive may be Sangakkara's signature shot, but that early wake-up call was a sign he had to lock the shot in a safe, at least till Sri Lanka were out of danger.
By the time the shot started making regular appearances, Sangakkara had cruised past yet another century - his 38th in Tests and his third in New Zealand - and lifted Sri Lanka to a position of strength. The last time he scored off that cover drive in the innings, it took him to his 11th double-century, one short of Don Bradman's record 12, and the 143-run deficit at the start of the day had been transformed into a game-changing 135-run lead. The New Zealand openers survived 11 overs before the close of play, reducing the deficit by 22 runs.
Sangakkara's was an innings of two halves. Gritty first, one in which Sangakkara was prepared to give the bowlers, and the conditions, due respect and bide his time, like the young Vito Corleone. Then, the matinee-show entertainment, as the second new ball was taken apart by an authoritative, Brando's Vito-like ruthlessness. While the first 100 had taken 191 deliveries with seven fours, the second came off only 110 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes, lifting Sangakkara's Test average briefly over 59, before dropping to 58.92 on his departure.
Sangakkara had needed support in the first half, and that came through his fighting 130-run stand for the sixth wicket with Dinesh Chandimal. The partnership was critical. Sangakkara and Chandimal knew they had to survive an opening burst from Tim Southee and Boult to get any closer to New Zealand's total. Sangakkara appeared in discomfort against Boult's swing, playing out 29 balls to score eight runs in the bowler's testing opening spell of six overs. During that period, he curbed his scoring instinct and focused on defending from the back foot. It was the kind of restraint and discipline Sri Lanka needed too. It also meant that Chandimal only faced seven deliveries in that spell from Boult, who had looked the most threatening of the pace trio. Only 20 runs came in the first eight overs of the morning.
Chandimal showed more intent, both in his shot-making and his running between the wickets, to ensure Sri Lanka kept trudging ahead while Sangakkara held one end. He clipped Southee a couple of times to the square-leg boundary early in his innings. Chandimal had his fair share of plays and misses to deliveries wide outside off, but with time, his defence grew tighter. He reached his sixth half-century soon after lunch, and went on to complete 1000 runs in Tests with a paddle sweep for four.
For New Zealand, the first objective for the second day was straightforward - break the stand between Sangakkara and Chandimal, and expose the tail to the seamers - but, as they found out, not simple. Sangakkara's pedigree aside, even Chandimal has in the past shown a stomach for fight in overseas Tests. Still, New Zealand's seamers and even the spinner generated enough from the pitch to keep the batsmen alert, but by the time James Neesham broke the stand - in the 70th over - Sri Lanka were only 13 behind.
If New Zealand thought they could quickly clean up the tail, they were in for a rude shock. Sangakkara had just moved to 93 with his signature shot. The previous two times he had crossed 50 in New Zealand, he had gone on to score unbeaten centuries. He ensured he was not going to miss out on this start. Enter phase two.
The new ball was due in 10 overs, so Sangakkara increased the pace of scoring, picking up two boundaries off Neesham in the 76th over, then charged down the pitch against Doug Bracewell, lifting him over mid-on. The lead was 37 when the new ball was taken, but by then Sangakkara was already in an unrelenting mood. He had given Boult his time under the sun, now it was his turn. Boult was greeted with a flashing cover drive, then sliced through point in the same over. He was driven for two more boundaries through cover, over the infield, before he was taken off. The scores, if anyone was keeping them, had been well and truly settled.
Dhammika Prasad, Rangana Herath and Suranga Lakmal played their parts in rapid stands worth 34, 47 and 67, allowing Sangakkara to complete his masterclass.
Saturday, 3 January 2015
3rd Test Day 2 SA 227/3 V WI 329
South Africa 227 for 3 (Amla 55*, de Villiers 32*) trail West Indies 329 (Johnson 54, Blackwood 56, Ramdin 53, Steyn 4-78) by 102 runs
It was a languid day at Newlands. A decent crowd lolled contentedly for much of the time under blue skies and confidently awaited a position of South African dominance: if not today, maybe tomorrow, a few bottles of Castle hence. A dry, cracked surface only occasionally displayed the awkwardness that many anticipate later in the Test. It was the sort of day for Alviro Petersen to get his Test career on track; instead he found his own devils.
It looked as if Faf du Plessis drew Petersen into a misconceived single that caused his downfall, enquiring about a single to Jermaine Blackwood at backward point and agreeing to it with doubts already forming. But it was Petersen, the non-striker, who accepted it and he was still well short of his ground when Blackwood's graceful throw struck the stumps.
That left Petersen with only limited reward for a disciplined innings: 42 from 85 balls, an innings of undelivered promise in a Test full of them. In the Cape Town New Year's Test two years ago, he made a century against New Zealand. He must have had visions of another one. Instead, he has three fifties in 26 knocks.
South Africa made two mistakes - and even one feels out of character for their top-order batsmen when they cloak themselves in the disciplines of Test cricket, as natural an accoutrement for them as the cloud dressing Table Mountain, a cloud that gathered during the day and caused rain to end play prematurely with nine overs still unbowled.
Du Plessis, partial architect in Petersen's downfall, will also wonder what he was playing at when he charged at the left-arm spin of Sulieman Benn and never got to grips with a wide delivery, leaving Denesh Ramdin with an age to complete the stumping.
For du Plessis to falter on 68 maintained the pattern of this Test in which six batsmen have been dismissed between 42 and 68, most of them carelessly. Hashim Amla also has a half-century, but his is unbeaten and he is better designed than most to play the quintessential innings.
His presence in a rain-abbreviated final session, firstly with du Plessis and then with AB de Villiers, guided South Africa to within 102 runs of West Indies' first-innings 329: a conscientious commitment in the face of a solid West Indies bowling display towards what they hoped would eventually be a position of authority.
It was Benn, who bore much of the West Indies burden in the second half of the day, a big man varying his pace intelligently and finding occasional, if unstartling, turn. He perseveres throughout these long spells as if fatigue will not be long coming and only an iron will is keeping him going, see-sawing through the crease slightly stiffly as if springing out of a rocking chair in search of his favourite slippers.
South Africa lost a wicket in each session. The morning went swimmingly as they took slightly less than ten overs to take the last four West Indies wickets as they fell for 329, the one blot on the landscape when Dean Elgar succumbed to the penultimate ball of the session, lbw working to leg as Jason Holder produced a big inducker from around the wicket.
A dryer-than-normal Newlands surface gave West Indies encouragement, but there were few alarms, one painful rap on the glove for Elgar when Jerome Taylor found some uneven bounce proving to be a harbinger of well, not much at all really. But South Africa have to bat last on this surface and, if West Indies can keep them within 50 runs on first innings they would remain very much in the game as they seek a victory in this third Test to pull back to 1-1 in the series.
If six down for 276 overnight could be presented as a job well done for West Indies, as batsmen remember the labours undergone, six down the following morning with Steyn steaming in with a newish ball, felt like a different proposition. Steyn sensed some quick pickings, finishing with four wickets as West Indies opted for an enterprising finale to their innings, thwarted in his search for another five-for by a deserved intervention by Morne Morkel, who had bowled well on the first day without reward.
An exploratory over from Simon Harmer was an unexpected prelude, designed for Dale Steyn to switch ends but, that dispensed with, the threat was more physical. 33 were rattled up in 25 balls. Blackwood, 45 not out overnight, secured his half-century before Steyn had him lbw with a fullish delivery. Blackwood reviewed to no avail.
Holder, having got away with a pull against Vernon Philander, took on the more challenging task of pulling Steyn and scythed a catch to mid on. Morkel caught the mood: another short ball, an uncontrolled flick of his hips and Jerome Taylor picked out Steyn, moving back at long leg. It all ended with Benn pushing Morkel low to mid off.
It was a languid day at Newlands. A decent crowd lolled contentedly for much of the time under blue skies and confidently awaited a position of South African dominance: if not today, maybe tomorrow, a few bottles of Castle hence. A dry, cracked surface only occasionally displayed the awkwardness that many anticipate later in the Test. It was the sort of day for Alviro Petersen to get his Test career on track; instead he found his own devils.
It looked as if Faf du Plessis drew Petersen into a misconceived single that caused his downfall, enquiring about a single to Jermaine Blackwood at backward point and agreeing to it with doubts already forming. But it was Petersen, the non-striker, who accepted it and he was still well short of his ground when Blackwood's graceful throw struck the stumps.
That left Petersen with only limited reward for a disciplined innings: 42 from 85 balls, an innings of undelivered promise in a Test full of them. In the Cape Town New Year's Test two years ago, he made a century against New Zealand. He must have had visions of another one. Instead, he has three fifties in 26 knocks.
South Africa made two mistakes - and even one feels out of character for their top-order batsmen when they cloak themselves in the disciplines of Test cricket, as natural an accoutrement for them as the cloud dressing Table Mountain, a cloud that gathered during the day and caused rain to end play prematurely with nine overs still unbowled.
Du Plessis, partial architect in Petersen's downfall, will also wonder what he was playing at when he charged at the left-arm spin of Sulieman Benn and never got to grips with a wide delivery, leaving Denesh Ramdin with an age to complete the stumping.
For du Plessis to falter on 68 maintained the pattern of this Test in which six batsmen have been dismissed between 42 and 68, most of them carelessly. Hashim Amla also has a half-century, but his is unbeaten and he is better designed than most to play the quintessential innings.
His presence in a rain-abbreviated final session, firstly with du Plessis and then with AB de Villiers, guided South Africa to within 102 runs of West Indies' first-innings 329: a conscientious commitment in the face of a solid West Indies bowling display towards what they hoped would eventually be a position of authority.
It was Benn, who bore much of the West Indies burden in the second half of the day, a big man varying his pace intelligently and finding occasional, if unstartling, turn. He perseveres throughout these long spells as if fatigue will not be long coming and only an iron will is keeping him going, see-sawing through the crease slightly stiffly as if springing out of a rocking chair in search of his favourite slippers.
South Africa lost a wicket in each session. The morning went swimmingly as they took slightly less than ten overs to take the last four West Indies wickets as they fell for 329, the one blot on the landscape when Dean Elgar succumbed to the penultimate ball of the session, lbw working to leg as Jason Holder produced a big inducker from around the wicket.
A dryer-than-normal Newlands surface gave West Indies encouragement, but there were few alarms, one painful rap on the glove for Elgar when Jerome Taylor found some uneven bounce proving to be a harbinger of well, not much at all really. But South Africa have to bat last on this surface and, if West Indies can keep them within 50 runs on first innings they would remain very much in the game as they seek a victory in this third Test to pull back to 1-1 in the series.
If six down for 276 overnight could be presented as a job well done for West Indies, as batsmen remember the labours undergone, six down the following morning with Steyn steaming in with a newish ball, felt like a different proposition. Steyn sensed some quick pickings, finishing with four wickets as West Indies opted for an enterprising finale to their innings, thwarted in his search for another five-for by a deserved intervention by Morne Morkel, who had bowled well on the first day without reward.
An exploratory over from Simon Harmer was an unexpected prelude, designed for Dale Steyn to switch ends but, that dispensed with, the threat was more physical. 33 were rattled up in 25 balls. Blackwood, 45 not out overnight, secured his half-century before Steyn had him lbw with a fullish delivery. Blackwood reviewed to no avail.
Holder, having got away with a pull against Vernon Philander, took on the more challenging task of pulling Steyn and scythed a catch to mid on. Morkel caught the mood: another short ball, an uncontrolled flick of his hips and Jerome Taylor picked out Steyn, moving back at long leg. It all ended with Benn pushing Morkel low to mid off.
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