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[chandikagunawardhana]

Jayawardene powers Sri Lanka to series win

The morning may have belonged to the Akmal brothers and Pakistan, but it was all Sri Lanka in the afternoon, with an imperious century from Mahela Jayawardene central to a commanding six-wicket victory which clinched the series with two games to spare. The pursuit of 289 was made to look like child's play as Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga put on 202 for the first wicket, and not even a brief wobble thereafter could stop Sri Lanka's inexorable progress. Jayawardene's 123, his first hundred since 2007, took only 108 balls, and even cramps failed to curtail the boundary barrage as the bowlers were treated with disdain.

Jayawardene's driving down the ground, and over cover, was majestic, and any shortness in length was ruthlessly punished by the most elegant of pull shots. But for a huge leg-before shout from Shahid Afridi which he survived - the umpire suspecting a bottom edge - Jayawardene made few mistakes, finding the boundaries with elan as the bowling started to fall apart. There was even a cheeky reverse-sweep for four off Saeed Ajmal, as he cruised to his century from only 91 balls.

Tharanga had slowed after getting to his own half-century from 55 balls, content to work the ball around, but there was more than a measure of misfortune about his dismissal, with the Ajmal delivery clearly striking him outside the line of off stump. When Mahela followed, after a tired miscue to cover, Pakistan scented opportunity. And the feel-good factor increased when Thilan Samaraweera played one back to Ajmal off the leading edge.

But Sri Lanka weren't about to squander such a start. Thilina Kandamby and Kumar Sangakkara wrested the initiative back with a slew of boundaries, with Abdul Razzaq proving especially disappointing. Kandamby fell to Mohammad Aamer shortly before victory was clinched, but it was all too easy in the end.

The hard work had been done much earlier, with Tharanga and Jayawardene catching the new-ball bowlers cold. Tharanga led the way with some wonderfully fluid drives through cover, and Jayawardene soon impressed his class on proceedings with some delightful shots in the V. Razzaq could do nothing to control the runs, and when Younis Khan turned to Naved-ul-Hasan, replacing Umar Gul and playing his first match in two-and-a-half years, there was no ebb to the flow.

The pair played every shot in the book, from the paddle sweep, to the muscled heave over midwicket, but it was the drives threaded through the gaps that really caught the eye. Afridi, Pakistan's most consistent one-day bowler in recent times, was also treated with scant respect as the most imposing of platforms was built for the final surge.

Pakistan had done pretty well in that respect earlier in the day, with Umar Akmal carrying on where his brother, Kamran, left off. With Younis, Afridi, Razzaq and Naved contributing meaningful cameos, Pakistan finally had a total that could be defended.

It had started badly, with Nasir Jamshed guiding a Thilan Thushara delivery into the hands of slip, but Kamran and Younis quickly set about restoring parity. Neither Nuwan Kulasekara nor Thushara was allowed to settle, as both men picked the gaps and crashed the ball with impunity. After 56 came from the opening Powerplay, Sangakkara opted for the bustling pace of Dilhara Fernando and the medium pace of Angelo Mathews. And it was Mathews who delivered the breakthrough, tempting Kamran into one off-side flail too many. He had made 45 from 46 balls.

Shoaib Malik was undone by a superb lifter from Fernando, and when Younis succumbed to Thushara's throwing arm while risking a single to mid-on, Pakistan had slumped from 80 for 1 to 107 for 4. Fawad Alam then dawdled to 13 from 33 balls, and with Umar taking time to assess the bowlers, it was left to Afridi to inject urgency into the innings.

Both the impressive Mathews and Muttiah Muralitharan were targeted as Afridi breezed to 32 from 19 balls. But it was Murali who had the last laugh, and a few words, as Afridi missed a straighter one. And the edge on the feel then intensified as Umar moved up a gear, smacking four and a huge straight six off Murali after compiling a maiden half-century from just 59 balls. Murali got his man, going for an encore and though more sweet nothings were exchanged, this was one tussle that the spin maestro hadn't won.

Thanks to Jayawardene and Tharanga though, Sri Lanka won the only contest that mattered.

 

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Ineffective new-ball bowling cost us - Younis

Younis Khan has said his team's poor fielding and the inability to make early breakthroughs in the Sri Lankan innings were the reasons behind Pakistan's defeat in the third ODI in Dambulla. Sri Lanka took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, to record their first ODI series win against Pakistan at home.

"If you are defending 280-plus, fielding is important and our (poor) fielding made the difference in the match," Younis said.

Chasing Pakistan's score of 288, Sri Lanka's openers Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene put on a massive 202-run partnership, and laid the foundation for a comfortable victory. Younis praised the opening pair, but admitted Pakistan's bowling with the new ball was not effective. "Mahela and Upul put on a fantastic partnership of over 200. It was very easy for them after that, although we fought back with a couple of wickets," he said.

"On this wicket, if you don't take early wickets with the new ball you will lose the game."

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Sri Lanka savoring the good times

Kumar Sangakkara described his team's run of success against Pakistan as "the good times" but was guarded enough to warn Sri Lanka to also be prepared for the bad ones after their six-wicket win in Dambulla gave them an unassailable 3-0 lead.

"When you've got a team that's trying really hard it becomes easier," Sangakkara said at the end of the game. "These are the good times, but you've got to plan for the bad times as well which are surely going to come. We have to make sure we have the reserves, the mental and the physical strength to go through them."

Sri Lanka are unbeaten on this tour but despite their 2-0 win in Tests and now the victory in the ODIs, they didn't completely outplay Pakistan. The visitors squandered dominant positions by way of collapses to lose the Tests, and even today, were unable to defend a formidable score of 288.

Sangakkara admitted to some early lapses by Sri Lanka but lauded his team for the manner in which it fought back to emerge victorious. "There were a couple of situations where we showed a lack of maturity by not really closing the door on Pakistan in the Test series in all three games, but then we showed a lot of heart and a lot of hunger to come back in those tough situations and turn matches around," he said. "We have a long way to go again and we have lots of areas to improve upon. Every single player is not really satisfied that he is really there yet, but I think as a team it's a really good feeling that everyone is responding well. We are looking to play better cricket and improve."

The track in Dambulla has acquired a reputation for being bowler-friendly but it behaved quite differently today as Pakistan amassed a challenging total. Sangakkara acknowledged there was room for improvement. "The bowlers tried very hard on a wicket that was really good for batting," Sangakkara said. "The only area that we really got to improve on is our fielding. We got another 20 percent to give out there. We could have probably kept Pakistan down to 240."

Sri Lanka's batsmen made short work of the target, though, with openers Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga adding 202 to shut Pakistan out. "What can you say about the batting of Mahela and Upul," Sangakkara said. "It was just amazing; a double hundred opening stand when you are chasing 280, there is nothing more you can ask for."

Mahela Jayawardene opened the batting after Sanath Jayasuriya opted out of the game due to a stomach bug. It was only the second time that Jayawardene opened in an ODI, and he managed his 11th ODI century which was also his first since getting a hundred against New Zealand in Kingston in the 2007 World Cup semi-final. Sangakkara was all praise for his effort. "Mahela always bats well when he is free to play his strokes," he said. "Unfortunately and unfairly for him, we put him under a lot of pressure over the years by losing too many wickets upfront, but today he had a free hand to go out there and enjoy himself and express himself fully. He was really raring to go out there and open and hit the ball."

Though Jayawardene was not accustomed to opening the batting, making the transition, he said, was not too difficult. In fact, he volunteered to open when Jayasuriya was ruled out. "Opening the batting wasn't a big thing," Jayawardene said. "I've played enough cricket to realize how to handle the situation.

"When I got to know that Sanath was sick I went up to the coach and the captain and asked them if I could open as we would have a right and left-hand combination, and because we didn't have any openers who were coming into the side with the experience to go up and bat. I knew the conditions were going to be difficult and I thought as a senior player I should take responsibility on this occasion. Sanath was an experienced player we've lost upfront, and to take that burden from the team I asked them to give me an opportunity to go out and bat as well as to get my confidence back."

Jayawardene played an attacking knock, suffering cramps along the way, making 123 off just 108 balls to put his team on course for a comfortable win. His innings was laced with 14 fours and a six before being terminated by Abdur Razzaq. "Opening the batting you can take a few chances, calculated risks and try and build the innings. That's what I tried to do," he said. "I know I won't get that opportunity batting at number four because you have to bat according to the situation and then go after the run rate if you're especially chasing runs. Today it was much easier for me to get a good start and continue to bat.

"Wish I could get more hundreds like this. Today I knew that after the first 15 overs, I just had to bat through. Unfortunately with the cramps I couldn't finish the game off for the team, which was disappointing."

Twenty20 cricket, Jayawardene believed, did have an impact on his strokeplay when it came to ODIs. "T20 has definitely changed the approach," he said. "We've got new freedom and the way we've gone about in the IPL and Twenty20 international matches, you have that confidence of playing those big shots at the right time.

It's all about getting control out there and creating those opportunities, that's what we did."

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Australia's new working-class hero

Michael Clarke, the flashy millionaire who grew up playing all the shots, fine-tuned his working-class values to secure a relieving draw for Australia. Clarke has become Australia's most reliable batsman, stepping up when Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey have wobbled, and in partnership with Marcus North ensured the tourists head to Yorkshire with a chance to level the series.

Given how they have been outplayed in the past two Tests, Australia will have to be at their best to hold the urn at The Oval later in the month, but Clarke and North kept the team breathing for at least another week. It was the first time Clarke had battled successfully to save a Test, doing it with calm assurance, tight defense and a straight bat. This might have happened before, but Clarke has not had many opportunities to shield his team in such a situation over 50 matches.

Three times against India he has stayed for long periods in the last innings, but on each occasion Australia were too far out of reach, both in time and in target, and losses ensued. It was the same at Lord's two weeks ago when his delightful 136 delayed England's convincing victory. He took little public comfort in the display but in his room would have been satisfied with his individual brilliance.

He is aspirational, well off and well marketed, traits which can lead to accusations of being distant and distracted. As vice-captain, his on-field characteristics have been recognised by the hierarchy and there was no drift in focus on the final day, no thinking of cocktail parties while still at the office.

Australia weren't safe until deep into the second session and Clarke made sure he stayed till the end with another composed century. "It's good," he said. "It was a bit disappointing when I got out at Lord's, so to be there at the end, I'm pretty happy with that."

In consecutive matches he has fought to inspire a team that should become his whenever Ponting decides he has had - or done - enough. Clarke batted like a leader today, waiting, watching, nudging and pushing. Tested by Graeme Swann's spin, he swept a fierce boundary, but when he looked for runs it was mostly in front of the wicket.

It is a shame not to see him hitting over cover, like he did when he arrived with a flash of cheeky smiles in 2004, but his driving along the ground is also pretty special. It is a trade he has made to succeed long term, both in normal conditions and the swinging ones which are causing problems for his mates.

He will start the fourth Test as the side's leading run-scorer in the series, having taken 352 at 88.00, 104 more than Simon Katich. If he checks his player profile this week he will also see his career average has gone above 50, the mark of a great, for the first time since 2004. By posting 83, 1, 136, 29 and 103 not out, he has displayed the most in-tune attitude of the spluttering outfit.

When North, who started accelerating late in the day with some rural swings, fell on 96, slashing a catch to James Anderson who dived spectacularly in the gully, Clarke dropped his head. In a previous life he gave up starts, threw away hundreds and rued the misses. His main mistake today came on 38 when he pulled one of Ravi Bopara's meek mediums to Andrew Strauss at midwicket and watched the captain drop it.

With the result secure and the only thing of interest left his impending century, Clarke did lose some intensity. He had his off stump tickled by Stuart Broad on 92 without the bail toppling and he edged a Bopara no-ball to slip. "When it's your day, it's your day," he said.

He remained until the sides shook hands for the stalemate after raising his 12th Test century. "I did ask when he was on 96 if he wanted to go off and quite surprisingly he said no," Strauss said. "We just had to wait." An eased three to midwicket took Clarke to 99 and the hundred arrived with a pull behind square off Bopara.

Until now his heaviest contribution in the latter stages of a Test draw was 39 at Old Trafford, the day when Ponting's masterful 156 speed-bumped England's Ashes surge. Back then Ponting couldn't lift his side for more than a day and they lost the next match at Trent Bridge. The less sparkly version of Clarke will attempt to do better at Headingley from Friday.

 

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Flintoff's fitness under the spotlight again

It was, on the face of it, a dull final day at Edgbaston - the least enthralling of the series so far, as England's slim victory prospects were thwarted almost as early as the first hour. But in Ashes cricket, nothing takes place without subtext, and as Australia's batsmen rumbled onwards against a toothless, swing-less attack, the state of Andrew Flintoff's fitness became a significant cause for concern.

A fortnight ago on the final day at Lord's, Flintoff produced the finest spell of his career - a ten-over rampage to seize the second Test and push England into the ascendancy in the series. Today, he was a pillion passenger at best, with just 11 laboured overs in the entire day, and none at all in the drifty final session. While he has rarely got the rewards his wholehearted style deserves, it is almost unheard of for him to go an entire Test without a single wicket - the last time it happened was in Perth in December 2006 when England surrendered the Ashes, and before that you have to rewind to July 2003.

Instead of one of the flamboyant celebrations that lit up Lord's, the enduring image of Flintoff's effort came when his left ankle crumpled in his delivery stride, midway through his second spell. Back-to-back contests are notoriously tough for fast bowlers at the best of times, but seeing as Flintoff endured two further injections in his ragged right knee just to take the field for this match, Friday's fourth Test at Headingley cannot come along quickly enough for Ricky Ponting's newly uplifted Australians.

"You could see he went downhill pretty quickly during the course of this game," said Ponting, "so his injury is probably taking more of an effect than we realise as well. But we'll see what happens on the morning of the game. It's been visible over the last couple of days, he's been struggling more than he did during the Lord's Test. When he bowled yesterday he was hobbling a bit and he only bowled 11 overs today. No doubt they protected him late this afternoon, knowing how big a figure he is for the team."

"There wasn't as much in this wicket for him as there has been on previous wickets," countered Andrew Strauss. "It was one of those wickets where the more you hit the deck, the slower it came off, and at the back of my mind I'm conscious that when the conditions aren't really helping him, there's no point in tearing him to death. There's obviously some soreness there, but I don't think anything has deteriorated massively over the course of the game. But he needs to rest up well because back-to-back Tests are hard for any bowler. We'll see how he is for Thursday."

The Flintoff factor is becoming a double-edged sword for England - Australia will continue to fear and respect him so long as he remains in the side, but it's becoming increasingly hard for the selectors to know how best to deal with such a talismanic figure. Though Strauss suggested that his momentum-seizing innings of 74 had been a bonus, the reality is that it muddied the waters even further. Had Flintoff merely been performing as a pace man, then Steve Harmison could step in at Headingley as a like-for-like replacement. Instead, to rest Flintoff on Friday with the Ashes up for grabs would risk unsettling the entire balance of the current team.

Andrew Flintoff ponders his options, after being dispatched by Michael Hussey, England v Australia, 3rd Test, Edgbaston, 5th day, August 3, 2009
Andrew Flintoff had a rare, wicketless Test at Edgbaston © Getty Images

"If he's fit to play then we want to play him, if he's not, we won't, because the Headingley Test is a massive Test," said Strauss. "It's an opportunity to win the Ashes, and we want to play our best team in every game we play. But we've got to be conscious that if he's not fit enough to do his job, he won't play.

"He will be assessed tomorrow, and he knows what he needs to do with his injury," Strauss added. "A lot of it comes down to how he feels with his own body - he's got to be honest about that and he has been so far. He's obviously desperate to play in the last two games, and we're optimistic he'll be fine, but I think he realises that if he's not fit he won't help us."

England did everything they could to force Flintoff onto centre stage for this final day at Edgbaston - even, arguably, to the detriment of their own match prospects. When play resumed with a 28-over-old ball, all eyes turned naturally to the man who wrecked Australia's first innings, James Anderson who, like Ben Hilfenhaus, had found the best swing-bowling conditions around the 30-over mark, when the lacquer had started to come off the still-hard ball. Instead Flintoff galloped in for seven largely ineffectual overs, and when Anderson eventually struck with his sixth ball of the day, an hour into the session, the deficit had been written off and Australia were starting to feel comfortable at the crease.

"We weren't expecting it to swing straight away this morning, so we thought it important to set the tone and Fred's obviously very good at that," said Strauss, who felt that Graham Onions at the other end had served as a barometer for the moving ball. Ponting, however, expressed his surprise at the move. "The ball has started to swing at the exact time that England had [it] this morning," he said. "Flintoff was their best bowler at Lord's, but the wicket and conditions here, being slow, didn't suit his bowling as much, it suited Anderson and Onions more."

All of which adds up to a curious conundrum for England, who have shown a worrying lack of penetration at three crucial moments of all three Tests. When the ball swings, as it has done in the first innings at Lord's and on the second morning at Edgbaston, the bowlers - principally Anderson - have filled their boots with alacrity. But in Australia's only innings at Cardiff, and then for long and untroubled spells in the second innings of the next two Tests, they have rumbled along with barely a moment's alarm, as the series century count - currently 6-1 in their favour - amply testifies.

"When a wicket's flat, it's flat, and it's very hard to conjure something out of nothing," said Strauss, which is why Flintoff's bone-jarring performance at Lord's stands out for the manner in which it bucked the trend. But for that very reason, there is simply no point in playing him if he is anything less than 100% fit. England, to give them their due, have said that all throughout this saga, but at the same time, it will take a gutsy call to withdraw him so close to the finishing line, with absolutely everything at stake - including his own legacy in Test retirement.

"I think we can cope without him," said Strauss. "We've had to do it a number of times in the last two years, so it wouldn't be anything new to us. Generally the bowlers have stepped up when he hasn't played, but at the moment he's in great nick with both ball and bat, so we don't want to play without him if we can help it. You have to swing with the punches you get, and if [he's unfit] we've got a good enough squad to be able to deal with that."

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Ponting says Australia have turned the corner

Australia never seemed likely to erase their 1-0 series deficit at Edgbaston, but a bullish Ricky Ponting believes enough positives were drawn from the third Test to indicate his side had finally turned the corner ahead of the final two matches at Headingley and The Oval. The apparent deterioration of Andrew Flintoff's knee, the revival of Mitchell Johnson and a stoic fifth-day batting performance have convinced Ponting that, despite an unconvincing first-innings performance, Australia are finding their rhythm after a month of frustration and disappointment.

"I'm sort of feeling now that things today went a bit more to plan than they have at other times in the series," Ponting said. "Some of the guys who missed out in the first couple of Tests got some results going their way, and that should probably put us in a good frame of mind going into the next game. Losing two days from this game and being in the position we were, could have developed into a really good game. It would have been hard to bat. We've done what I expected us to day today and we've kept England in the field for a full day, which is a really good thing for us."

Astonishingly, the tourists possess four of the five leading wicket-takers and five of the six leading run-scorers after three Tests, but have thus far fallen short in the key moments due to form, confidence, experience and team balance. Key to those failures have been the performances of Johnson who, after a horrid July, appeared to find some semblance of form during 21 straighter overs at Edgbaston.

There is no overstating Johnson's importance to Australia's planning. Earmarked as the leader of a youthful pace attack prior to the tour, Johnson's wilting in the Ashes spotlight was Australia's single greatest area of concern after the first two Tests, and played a role in the move to drop Phillip Hughes for the more versatile Shane Watson after Lord's.

But after finding direction, swing and, until his last spell, a fuller length at Edgbaston, Ponting is confident Johnson would prove less of a liability and more of an asset at Headingley.

"Mitchell was a different bowler altogether than he was the last couple of Tests," Ponting said. "Not having the new ball might have made it easier for him, not running in trying to swing the new ball. That's helped him, using him in slightly different ways. It was good to see him get another couple of wickets and look the bowler we know he can be. Hopefully he backs it up for another good game in Leeds."

Ponting was not the only player at Edgbaston to notice a marked improvement in Johnson. "Certainly when the ball was swinging he looked useful," said Andrew Struass. . "He looked to be a bit more aggressive. It wasn't a wicket for masses of short balls really but he did bowl a few and maybe as his rhythm came back a little bit more he was a bit more aggressive."

Australia, for the first time this series, will enter a Test match with a full complement of fast bowlers to choose from. Ponting hinted that Peter Siddle's position in the Australian line-up could come under review, with Stuart Clark the bowler favoured to be drafted in if change is deemed necessary by the selectors.

Brett Lee has bowled extensively in the nets since arriving in Birmingham, but Ponting would presumably be loath to risk him given he has not played a match since the tour match in Worcester prior to the first Test. Lee has struggled through recent Tests in Melbourne and the early stages of the 2008 tour of India with injury and illness, and he is unlikely to be exposed in the international arena before playing the tour match against Kent prior to The Oval Test.

"The selectors and I have shown great faith in [the fast bowlers] because we know what they're capable of," Ponting said. "We've been waiting for some of their best bowling to come out. At different times in the series they have bowled particularly well. I'm really happy with what Mitchell has come out of the game. Siddle has a little bit of work left to do, but he was the one who had the initial breakthrough the other day. He is better to left-handers than to right-handers and [England] have two at the top, so there are lots of pluses for this group of bowlers at the moment. But we'll keep and eye on Brett and we know what Clark is capable of. It is my job and the selectors' to work out the best attack for Headingley."

Ponting was enthused by Australia's second innings batting effort at Edgbaston, during which they limited England to just five wickets in 112.2 overs.

"It's great to see Mike Hussey get some real good quality time in the middle, certainly in the last three quarters of his innings he looked particularly good," he said. "And Marcus [North] and Michael [Clarke] led the way with a terrific partnership.

"I've always said about Australian teams that when we face the most adversity, generally we play our best cricket. I'm very confident that we've got a squad of players that if we play our best cricket we are going to be ultra competitive. When we have played anywhere near our best it's been excellent cricket, we need to have longer periods of good cricket in our next game, then you'll see a very competitive team."

 

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Former players slam PCB for defeats

Former Pakistan players have demanded major changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board's setup and have asked the senior team management to take responsibility for the defeats in the Tests and ODI series against Sri Lanka and resign.

After the high of the World Twenty20 win against the same team in June, Pakistan's fortunes swung in Sri Lanka when they lost the Tests 2-0 despite finding themselves in strong positions in all three games. They're already trailing 3-0 in the ODIs, with only pride to play for in the two remaining games.

Former captain Aamer Sohail said the decision to experiment with makeshift openers was baffling.

"No one, from the board officials to the team management, seems to have a clear plan in mind," Sohail told AFP. "Some of the decisions make no sense, like two regular openers were sent to Sri Lanka but we used makeshift openers in the series which we have lost now."

Another former captain, Zaheer Abbas, said the blame lay with the PCB. "The World Twenty20 win had hid all the weaknesses in the team and the cricket board," he said. "Since this board has taken over we have lost the Champions Trophy (hosting rights), we have been stripped of World Cup 2011 matches and we have failed to handle the team, so this is total mismanagement, which is unacceptable.

"The coach (Intikhab Alam) must go, and the captain (Younis Khan) also lacks the qualities of a good leader."

Former chief selector Abdul Qadir was unhappy with the nature of the defeats. "They should feel ashamed," he said. "Defeats are part and parcel of the game, but shameful defeats are unacceptable."

Former wicketkeeper Rashid Latif, however, ruled out changes in management and said the fault lay with the players. "Changes are not the solution," Latif said. "I think the team needs to go back to basics and there should be no interference in team planning. The team must play to its own plan." Younis Khan has said the poor domestic structure was to blame.

 

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North aims for consistency

Marcus North wants his vital 96 on the final day at Edgbaston to be the innings that kick-starts a run of consistency and eliminates all doubt over his position at No. 6. Despite North scoring two centuries in his opening four Tests, there were whispers last week that he could make way for Shane Watson to help the team's balance, but he was rightly retained and played a key part in the draw that kept Australia in the series.

The tourists, who must win the final two games to hold their No. 1 Test rating, travel to Leeds on Tuesday and are desperate to level the contest at 1-1, although they will face more familiar obstacles. Rain is forecast throughout the Test and there are concerns the fourth match could follow the same pattern as the third, which lost almost two days to the weather. The overcast conditions will also encourage the seamers and the Australians have already shown their fragility against the moving ball.

They sailed from the safety of 126 for 1 on the opening day in Birmingham to being all-out for 263 after James Anderson and Graham Onions ran through them. "It's not the first time we've faced the swinging ball, it's just one of those innings," North said. "We'll work this week [on it for] the Test at Headingley [on Friday]. It does swing around a bit when it gets overcast there. It's about us being a bit more disciplined in the way we are batting."

At Edgbaston North was incredibly focussed in the second innings when he and Michael Clarke, who was unbeaten on 103, saved the game during a 183-run stand. England started the day with thoughts of winning but North and Clarke only looked in danger when the result had been determined. North started expanding his game towards the end of the day and was caught athletically by James Anderson in the gully when trying to slice through gully to bring up his century.

"I'm very disappointed not to get those four runs, but very satisfied with that partnership with Clarkey," he said. "To see the day off and walk away with a pretty positive result."

North's performance continued a pattern in his Test career where he either scores heavily or lightly. After starting with 117 on debut in Johannesburg he followed up with 5, 38 and 0 in his other innings against South Africa before producing 125 not out in Cardiff, 0 and 6 at Lord's and 12 and 96 at Edgbaston. During his domestic career he has also experienced similar variations and when Tom Moody returned from Sri Lanka to coach Western Australia he had a long discussion with North over his sometimes casual attitude.

"Give me a chance, it's only my fifth Test," North said. "Hopefully I can change that around in the next couple of Tests and get a bit more consistent. It's something I'm always trying to work on, making sure there's always some middle ground there. It's consistency, but I'm pretty pleased with the way I've started Test cricket."

North was also happy with the character shown by the team in securing the draw and wants to take the momentum gained from a strong finish into the match into Leeds. "I have no doubt England went out there believing they could win that game," he said. "We were four down with a lead of 200 and building, we played some very good cricket in this Test. Yesterday, hopefully, was a pretty important day of test cricket for the Australian team."

Despite their position, North said the side was very confident of taking the series. "If we play our best cricket we walk away winning Tests against any opponent," he said. "We take away with us a lot of momentum and character and fight out of this Test, and hopefully that can set us up for the remaining two Tests."

 

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Australia losing grip on No. 1 spot

Rain might finish the job the South Africans started last year, and Mickey Arthur could hardly be happier. Australia require victory at both Headingley and The Oval to retain their No. 1 Test ranking from South Africa, but a bleak weather forecast for Yorkshire could ensure Ricky Ponting's men are left with a difficult task in forcing a result in the fourth Test against England.

Short of a marked turnaround in fortunes, Australia stand to lose substantially more than their aura over the next month. Defeat in the Ashes will precipitate a stunning fall from grace by relegating Australia to fourth place on the ICC Test ladder behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India. A drawn series will place them second after Graeme Smith's men.

Not since 2003, when South Africa held the ICC Test mace for a four-month period, have Australia occupied a place anywhere other than the pinnacle of Test cricket. South Africa made clear their intentions to recapture the No. 1 ranking when they defeated Australia in a Test series for the first time in 16 years last summer, but Australia's stirring riposte on South African soil provided them with a degree of breathing room.

Australia have won just five of their past 14 Tests, three of which were against the South Africans, and their inability to register a victory in the first three Tests of the Ashes series has drawn Smith's men to within two points of the top ranking. Arthur, who so very nearly engineered Australia's overthrow earlier this year, was adamant his side was worthy of recognition as the world's premier Test side, even if rain proves the deciding factor.

"I have been following the rankings a little bit, and I don't think we would be out of place at all (with the No. 1 ranking) if that was to happen," Arthur told Cricinfo. "We have played some very solid cricket over the past 18 months. We defeated England, Australia and Pakistan away, and we are certainly proud of that. But whatever happens, I think what is clear is that there is very little now between us, Australia, India and even England. That's healthy for the game."

Arthur expressed surprise and disappointment at Australia's performances over the course of the Ashes, having previously predicted them to comfortably account for England. The South African coach has been particularly stunned by the move to overlook the dependable Stuart Clark and Australia's poor showings in several pressurised situations in the series to date.

Like Andrew Strauss, Arthur feels the Australians have lost their aura, but warned England against underestimating them in the final two Tests of the Ashes series.

"I do agree with Andrew in that the Australians have looked susceptible when placed under pressure," Arthur said. "With Australian sides of old, you could try and place all the pressure in the world on them and they would come through it unscathed more often than not. This younger side has shown the odd crack in those situations, and we saw that when we won many of the big moments when we played them in Australia.

"Their bowling attack has disappointed me. I'm not surprised that they have tried to stick with the fast bowlers who did the job in South Africa, but I was at the move not to play Clark, especially with (Mitchell) Johnson and (Peter) Siddle leaking runs. They have needed someone to do that holding job, and Watson looks a little undercooked to me to be doing that. It wouldn't surprise me if they had a big think about it going into the last few Tests."

In other ranking developments Michael Clarke has risen two places to third spot on the back of consecutive second-innings centuries in the Ashes, while Ricky Ponting has slid to ninth.

The only change in the Test bowling top ten was Stuart Clark slipping one place to No. 5, with Makahya Ntini taking the fourth spot. Mitchell Johnson, despite his struggles in England, remains in third place among pacemen and second in the all-rounder category.

 

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Sidebottom in the frame for Headingley

Ryan Sidebottom has earned a recall to England's squad for the fourth Test at Headingley, while Warwickshire's in-form batsman, Jonathan Trott, has been drafted in as batting cover for the struggling Andrew Flintoff, as England seek to bounce back from a chastening final day at Edgbaston.

Having begun the day with an outside chance of forcing victory in the third Test, England's attack was instead left looking toothless by Australia's middle order, in particular Michael Clarke and Marcus North, whose fifth-wicket stand of 185 saved the match with ease.

What is more, England finished the game with serious concerns about the fitness and form of two of their bowlers - Flintoff, whose dodgy right knee restricted him to just 11 overs in the day and left his participation at Headingley in serious doubt, and Stuart Broad, whose hit-the-deck style caused Australia few problems for the third match running.

Sidebottom's inclusion on his former home ground is a clear indication that England intend to use swing as their preferred route to Ashes success. Trott's inclusion, meanwhile, is a sure sign that the selectors are anxious about the fitness of Flintoff, as they seek extra batting cover in the event of having to rejig the balance of their side. Trott is currently averaging 99.75 in first-class cricket, but has not featured in an England squad since playing two Twenty20s against West Indies in 2007.

"Both players have been in good form for their counties in recent weeks and as selectors we are delighted that competition for places in the side is so strong," said the national selector, Geoff Miller. "Jonathan Trott has also performed really well for Warwickshire this season and his place in the squad is fully deserved. His inclusion will provide us with the option of playing six batsmen if we feel this is appropriate.

"We will continue to closely monitor Andrew Flintoff's fitness in the build-up-up to Headingley. His right knee will be reassessed by our medical staff over the next forty-eight hours and no final decision on his availability will be taken until closer to the start of the Test match."

Sidebottom's inclusion in the squad was telegraphed by an ECB request to his county side Nottinghamshire, who have been asked to omit him from their team for tomorrow's County Championship fixture at Horsham.

Though he has not played a Test for England since the tour of the Caribbean in February, when he struggled with an Achilles injury and managed just one wicket in 59 overs on tour, Sidebottom's accuracy and ability as a left-armer to bend the ball back into the right-hander has long been prized by the England selectors.

He was England's Player of the Year in 2008 after a remarkable return to the side after six years on the sidelines, in which he claimed 53 wickets in 12 months, including a haul of 24 in three Tests in a series-winning display in New Zealand. His comeback fixture took place in May 2007 at Headingley, where he learnt his trade with Yorkshire for six seasons from 1997, and he marked the occasion with eight wickets to set up an innings victory over West Indies.

Lateral movement has been England's key to success in an Ashes series in which they lead 1-0 despite being outbatted by six centuries to one in the three Tests to date. Australia's batting has crumbled on the two occasions when England have moved the ball consistently through the air - in the decisive first innings at Lord's, when they were shot out for 215, and then again on the second morning at Edgbaston, when they lost 7 for 77 in the session. Aside from those two occasions, Australia have amassed 1455 runs for the loss of 21 wickets.

"When a wicket's flat, it's flat, and it's very hard to kind of conjure something out of nothing," said England's captain, Andrew Strauss. "It's something we've got to keep working on, because all around the world these days a lot of the wickets are like that. We've got to keep working on our plan Bs, what we can do as variations. It's always a big challenge when there's not much happening on the pitch."

That's where Sidebottom's innate ability comes into the equation, having prised out five wickets on a typically flat deck at Taunton last week. Although Broad contributed some very useful runs at No. 8, and was praised by his captain for producing his best spell of the series on the final afternoon at Edgbaston, he has so far managed six wickets at 57.50, and it's becoming increasingly clear that England cannot afford to include two hit-the-deck bowlers against this current Australian batting line-up, especially if one of them, Flintoff, is less than fully fit.

Strauss nevertheless remains "optimistic" that Flintoff will be fit for Headingley. "There is obviously some soreness there but I don't think there's anything that has deteriorated massively over the course of the game," he said. "He needs to rest up well because back-to-back Tests are hard for any bowlers and we'll see how he is on Thursday. We want to play our best team in every game we play but we've got to be conscious that if he's not fit enough to do his job then he won't play."

Steve Harmison remains on standby as Flintoff's like-for-like replacement, having played through the pain of blistered feet to wrap up Durham's sixth Championship win of the series against Sussex yesterday. His second-innings figures of 3 for 68 took his season tally to 53 wickets at 19.37, and underlined his stated "desperation" to play a part in the Ashes.

"In choosing our squad for this Test match, we decided to omit a second spinner as Headingley is not usually a ground where two spinners are required and therefore Monty Panesar misses out on selection this time," said Miller. "We will need to carefully assess the pitch and the overhead conditions at Headingley before finalising our eleven for this Test and the inclusion of Stephen Harmison and Ryan Sidebottom will give us different types of pace bowling options."

Squad 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Graham Onions, 12 Steve Harmison, 13 Ryan Sidebottom, 14 Jonathan Trott.

 

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Barmy Army deny Ponting abuse

The Barmy Army have rejected criticism that they have actively booed Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, in the Ashes.

Ponting was roundly booed by the Edgbaston crowd as he came into bat in both innings of the drawn third Test, but Katy Cooke, the general manager of the Barmy Army, insisted that her group were not the culprits.

"We weren't responsible for the booing of Ponting," Cooke said. "From what I can gather it was pretty tongue in cheek. He is one of the best, if not the best, batsman in the world and if we can do a bit to get under his skin and stop him concentrating 100% on his batting then we are doing a service to the England team."

England fans have long been considered some of the most courteous in the world, but there has been far less reverence towards Australia's players on the current Ashes tour, and in particular to Ponting. At the post-match presentations at Lord's, for example, Ponting revealed that the replay screen had shown his dropped catch off Peter Siddle countless times, and he was at odds to explain why the crowd seemed to be so against him.

"I'm not sure what all the animosity was there," Ponting said. "They seemed to take great pleasure out of me dropping that catch. I won't lose any sleep, though. I got my first clap as I left the stage after the post-game interview. But it took me to crack a little joke to get a laugh out of them."

Cooke, however, maintained that the Barmy Army were not actively encouraging foul play by their members, insisting that the England team have long been fans of these particular fans. "Andrew and (his wife) Ruth Strauss sat down with a couple of our guys after the Lord's Test and said, 'You guys rock.' I have a framed letter on the wall, hand-written by Michael Vaughan thanking us for all the support we have given him and the team during his captaincy and to carry on the hard work.

"We are supporters of the England cricket team and as long as we get that feedback we're not doing anything wrong."

 

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Clarke being treated for stomach strain

Michael Clarke, the Australia vice-captain, has joined Andrew Flintoff as a key injury concern ahead of the crucial fourth Test in Headingley from Friday. While Flintoff, who was named in England's 14 man squad, is having his knee problem monitored daily, Clarke has begun regular treatment for a stomach strain picked up during his unbeaten 103 at Edgbaston on Monday.

Clarke's century, his 12th in Tests, ensured Australia left Birmingham with a draw and kept them within one match of levelling the five-game series. He will not train at Headingley on Wednesday and pulled out of a promotional appearance in Leeds on Tuesday night.

Alex Kountouris, the Australian physiotherapist, said Clarke felt the injury after the game finished. "He will continue to be treated with a view to him being fit for the fourth Test," he said.

Australia are also waiting to see whether Brad Haddin's broken finger improves enough for him to regain his spot. Graham Manou stepped in at the last minute and put in a strong performance behind the stumps after Haddin was hurt in the warm-up shortly before the match.

Haddin was able to put his glove on the injured hand on Monday, but previously had struggled to hold a bat. Brett Lee, who hopes to bowl at full pace throughout this week, is another Australian on the comeback trail following a rib injury picked up before the series started.

 

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Lee is '100% ready to go'

Brett Lee is adamant he is fit enough to lead Australia's Ashes fightback at Headingley on Friday despite concerns within the team over his ability to last the match. Lee missed the opening three Tests with a side strain but has bowled for the past eight days and believes he has done enough to demand selection.

When asked if he was ready to play, Lee was blunt: "Yes, 100%." And have you done the work? "Yes."

He spoke minutes after Shane Watson said Lee would need a warm-up game before appearing in a Test and Jamie Cox, the selector on duty, must have reservations about the fast bowler appearing in such a crucial contest. Australia have to win at Headingley to have a chance of taking the series and retaining their No. 1 ranking, which will drop to four if they lose.

After improving his output over the past week, Lee, who has been given a medical clearance, does not understand the fitness concerns. "Hopefully I've done everything I can to prove that I'm ready to go," he said. "I'm confident if I was called upon tomorrow I'd be ready to get through. I was out there today charging in, bowling rapid, and am really happy with the way I've gone."

At the start of the tour there were serious questions over Lee's place in the side following a long recovery from ankle surgery, but he showed he was still Australia's leading man with seven wickets in Worcester during the final warm-up before the opening Test. However, his plans were crushed when he suffered the side problem and had to watch Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle struggle while England took a 1-0 lead.

"Honestly, it's been really, really difficult," he said of watching. "I love playing cricket and would love to be out there. Sitting on the sidelines [was hard] when I was ready to play the first Test. Unfortunately I've had two muscle strains in 18 to 20 years of cricket. It's just happened at the wrong time." If Lee is picked, it will increase pressure on Siddle and Johnson, while Stuart Clark is also being considered following Australia's problems over the past two matches.

Lee bowled with menacing intent for more than an hour on Wednesday and struck Michael Hussey on the side of the helmet with a fearful blow. His speed increased as the session progressed in an encouraging return to full training duties.

"I've been bowling for two weeks, and bowled eight days straight," he said. "Most days have been bowling back-to-back, morning and afternoon sessions. Today I bowled pretty much a full session and my pace felt really good. I'm 100% ready to go."

Lee was spotted on Tuesday in a private session under the supervision of the coach Tim Nielsen, the bowling coach Troy Cooley and the physiotherapist Alex Kountouris. His comeback has provided Australia with a full complement of fast bowlers to choose from for the first time this series.

Shane Watson, who will open in the fourth Test and provide some back-up overs, has his doubts over Lee. "Coming back from a side injury, or any injury in general, you normally need at least one game under your belt to have a big crack in a game before a Test match or a real big game," Watson said. "I know from my experience that you're not absolutely fully confident you are able to get through it until you do get through a big game. I think at the moment that there's probably less chance of him being picked because of that reason."

Lee has endured a frustrating month on the sidelines, undergoing several different rounds of treatment on the affected rib area, including one involving a laser. Wednesday's net session at Headingley provided him with an avenue to channel his pent-up aggression, and Australia's batsmen were hurried throughout.

"He bowled at full pace, which is not the nicest thing to face in the nets when the nets aren't super flat," Watson said. "It's great for him to see him charging in. Obviously he's still maybe a game away to get under his belt before he might be in calculation for selection, but it's great to see him out there firing." Lee thinks much differently but will have to wait to learn whether he adds to his 76 Tests and 310 wickets.

 

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Treat cricketers differently - Yuvraj

Yuvraj Singh has hit back at the criticism over the Indian cricketers' decision to reject the World Anti Doping Agency's regulations concerning drug testing, asking for cricketers to be treated differently from other sportsmen.

"Their sports and our sport is different," he said. "We play more and we get very little time with our families and I feel we are travelling more. We are playing a lot of time in a year and we should be given more space, with due respect to other sports."

The 11 Indian cricketers in the ICC's testing pool have raised concerns that the code's 'whereabouts' clause that will require them to divulge information about their location three months in advance and say that this that could violate privacy and threaten their security. However, several top Indian athletes previously tested by WADA have said the code does not infringe on privacy.

The extensive travelling, Yuvraj said, gave India's cricketers too few days to spend at home each year. "After nine months of playing, we come home for just ten days," he told news channel CNN-IBN. "We don't want somebody to intrude upon our privacy for dope tests during that small period. We have put out our points in front of the BCCI and they will speak to the ICC."

The Indian sports minister MS Gill endorsed the view of some of India's leading athletes who've expressed no problems subscribing to the code, saying all national sports bodies and players should support the WADA and adhere to its regulations. The BCCI plans to ask the ICC to walk out of the WADA umbrella and develop a cricket-specific anti-doping code, but cricket's governing body is unlikely to support such a suggestion.

 

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We're stronger with Flintoff - Onions

Andrew Flintoff featured only briefly during England's training session at Headingley on Wednesday, but Graham Onions is confident the ailing allrounder will be available for the fourth Test. Flintoff, battling an injured right knee, was withheld from all bowling and running drills, but did bat for 20 minutes, a mildly encouraging sign for England.

Such is the concern over Flintoff's fitness that England named an expanded squad for the fourth Test including Jonathan Trott as batting cover, and bowling insurance in the form of Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Harmison. Flintoff's fitness and the condition of the Headingley pitch will determine the eventual make-up of England's XI and no decision is expected until the morning of the match.

Flintoff is determined to round out his Test career with rousing performances at Headingley and The Oval, but whether his knee will allow him to participate, much less excel, remains to be seen. Onions, for his part, was hopeful Flintoff would be cleared to play the fourth Test, but only if he was confident of surviving five days.

"We all know he's a legend," Onions said prior to training. "He's a great person to have in our team. Being totally honest, I think we're stronger with him in the team, but that's only if we're 100% fit. Andrew's going to be very honest. He's going to have a run out today and it's great for him. He's batting and bowling really well. It's a shame his body's in discomfort for the moment but he'll do everything he can to be fit."

Flintoff may have gone wicketless at Edgbaston last week, but still served as an inspiration for his team-mates in the field. Onions said Flintoff's advice and positive reinforcement boosted the spirits of England's younger fast bowlers as they strove to shut the Australians out of the series.

"What was great in the last Test was he got the bowlers together and said, 'We can win this game," Onions said. "He gave us a few reminders at different times what we needed to bowl to different batters. That's Andrew Flintoff. He'll give everything to the team and will do everything he possibly can for England to win the Ashes. He said, 'I know you're all very excited, but just hold your nerve and as long as you keep believing in tough times we'll come out on top.'"

Flintoff's mortgage on the back pages of the nation's newspapers was temporarily lifted at Edgbaston when Onions opened the second day's play with the wickets of Shane Watson and Michael Hussey off consecutive deliveries. Onions also accounted for Ricky Ponting in a spell notable for deft swing and a relentless probing of the pads.

His efforts justified the faith of Geoff Miller's selection panel, which has preferred him over the more seasoned Steve Harmison at Lord's and Edgbaston, and continued a stunning rise to prominence at international level. Onions' eight wickets in this series have come at the unrivalled strike-rate of 41.7, taking his career tally to 18 wickets at 23.50 from four matches.

"It was very special - to get two wickets in two balls (and) to have the captain throw me the ball in the first place was great for me," he said. "Andrew Strauss said at the start, 'You're under no pressure at all, just go out and enjoy yourself'. I'm trying to say that every time I'm out there and go out to bowl. It's the same as with Durham. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. It's a great time in my career, and I'm not feeling under too much pressure at the moment.

"It does take a little while to find your feet. I'm playing an Ashes series against the best team in the world. I just have to remind myself that. I'm my own biggest critic. But that's me, that's Graham Onions. I push myself hard all the time, whether it's my fifth Test or my 60th Test."

Onions and James Anderson received a none too subtle backhander from Ricky Ponting after the Edgbaston draw over their supposed inability take wickets when the ball does not swing. The England duo combined for nine wickets under heavy Birmingham skies in Australia's first innings, but managed just two over the final five sessions when neither pitch nor atmosphere was providing them assistance.

Onions has played precisely 130 fewer Tests than Ponting, but appeared unruffled by the Australian captain's remarks. Rather, Onions expressed confidence his past experience of playing at Headingley would hold him in good stead.

"We all know that when the ball swings it's massive for us," he said. "If you're just bowling straight against good players you're going to go for runs. As England cricketers we need to make sure that ball swings or does something off the straight or be aggressive. [The second] morning [at Edgbaston] was quite humid. If we get a day like that here - and I've had many days for Durham like that - then the ball does swing.

"I feel as though we're good enough if the ball doesn't swing. I believe, and everyone in the England dressing room believes, we can still beat Australia. That's without the swinging ball and just as using our skills as bowlers. We were close to winning the last Test. We put ourselves in a strong position, and of course it didn't happen. We took a lot of confidence from that."

 

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Watson wants high intensity

Shane Watson is desperate for Australia to lift their intensity to match England at Headingley from Friday as they battle to stay in the Ashes. The tourists must win the fourth Test to have a chance of taking the series and Watson believes his team can deal with the increase in pressure and "argy bargy" as the contest peaks.

"We need to raise the intensity," Watson said after Australia's training session on Wednesday. "We've been able to do it for a period of time, but we haven't been able to do it consistently, to keep it going for the whole five days. That's something we know we need to achieve to win this series."

The sides became engaged in frequent on-field arguments during the third Test when the Australians, who were led by Mitchell Johnson, vowed to get in the faces of the home batsmen. It added a further element to an already gripping campaign while showing the strain from both camps as the players seek to land the winning blow.

Watson has predicted more edge at Leeds. "Yeah, definitely," he said. "It's getting closer to the end. It's great to have some competitive banter out there. Everyone's going hammer and tongs to give yourself the best chance of winning and there's normally a bit of friction in the crowd as well."

After taking Phillip Hughes' spot at Edgbaston, Watson stepped up with two half-centuries as an opener and will face more close examinations in his new role this week. If it's cloudy at Headlingley the ball will move consistently through the air, but if it's sunny the surface should be excellent for batting.

Watson is usually a middle-order player and has had to tone down his style to cope with life at the top of the order in England. "When the ball is swinging around you can't be as aggressive as you would be batting in the middle order, but it's something that I really enjoy the challenge of," he said. "Playing against a brand new ball is great fun."

It wasn't the start of the innings that troubled Watson in Birmingham, but what happened when he started to think of reaching three figures. He was out for 62 on the second morning, having spent the previous night wondering how far he would get, and survived a torrid period from Andrew Flintoff on the final day before succumbing to James Anderson.

He was struck on the arm trying to avoid a Flintoff lifter but seemed convincing when he said he liked the experience of facing England's hero. "I have felt confident out there once I got going," he said. "With the short ball that hit me, that is part and parcel of dealing with guys who can bowl fast. It didn't hurt too much so it was okay."

While Watson's second match as opener is a subplot to the game, everything comes back to how Australia will cope over the next week as they try to stay in the series. "There's pressure definitely on us," he said. "We've got to be at our best in the last two Tests for us to be able to achieve the things we want to achieve."

 

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Tendulkar targets 15,000 Test runs

Sachin Tendulkar has said he is not satisfied with his achievements and hopes to accumulate 15,000 runs and win the World Cup in 2011.

"I am not pleased yet with what I have done," Tendulkar, who has scored a record 12773 Test runs at an average of 54.58 from 159 matches, said in an interview with the Wisden Cricketer. "Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me and would come and catch me if I didn't. I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement, but that is not the only aim." His other big cricketing ambition is to "win the World Cup in 2011".

Tendulkar, 36, also spoke about how he has been consistently playing with pain. "I always play in pain, all the time. I played with a broken finger for the last three months, but you know when pain is manageable or not, and most of the time I can do it," he said. "I can still do what I did when I was 25 but the body is changing, so your thought process has to change too. I have had to change how I think, which is about taking less risk."

Tendulkar also disagreed with John Buchanan, former Australia coach, who felt Tendulkar had become susceptible to the short ball early in his innings because of a lack of footwork. "It is only his opinion; John Buchanan doesn't have to be right all the time. If I couldn't handle short deliveries, then I wouldn't still be scoring runs," he said. "Maybe he needs to change his opinion. There must be something very wrong with all the bowlers around the world that they have allowed me to score so many runs."

Don Bradman had said Tendulkar reminded him of himself and the Indian batsman was the only modern player in Bradman's all-time XI. Does Tendulkar think the same way about anyone? "I would say Virender Sehwag comes closest to my style."

Tendulkar said he was not thinking about retirement yet but he would know when to quit cricket. "I will know when it is the right time, I won't have to be dragged away. I am the person who will make the decision and I will know whether I still belong."

He admitted life after cricket wouldn't be easy. "It's a scary thought. It has been there for my whole adult life, it will be difficult, I have been around for a long time, I can imagine when I finish I will long to face just 10 more balls but you have to move."

 

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Hughes stays positive despite axing

Phillip Hughes has vowed to hit back after the disappointment of his Test sacking and regain his spot in the line-up. Hughes, 20, was replaced by Shane Watson in Edgbaston to end an up-and-down start to his international career.

In South Africa, Hughes scored two centuries in his second Test, but struggled in England when Andrew Flintoff and Co aimed short balls at his body. While he is unlikely to get a chance to regain his spot on this trip, he will not give up hope.

"I started very strongly in my first five Tests but I got dropped," he told Fox Sports. "That's the risk that happens when you play the game of cricket and play for Australia. It's obviously very disappointing but you have to try to bounce back and be as strong as you can. I will try to improve my game in all aspects."

Since missing out in Birmingham, Hughes has spent time in the nets trying to overcome the problems that resulted in only 57 runs in three innings. One helpful team-mate has been Watson, who spoke with Hughes after training on Wednesday to keep his spirits up.

"We've had a number of chats about how Shane's been in and out of the side with injuries and how he has bounced back," Hughes said. "He talked about his frustrations over the past couple of years about playing a couple of games and then having to sit out.

"He said that sometimes it could take you a week or two to get your mind fresh. He always looked on the positive side of things. His advice was to always stay positive."

 

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Pakistan search for winning formula

A series of lopsided fortunes is dead in terms of a contest. So what to do the teams play for?

For Pakistan there is only pride to play for, a position which is becoming all-too-familiar for this team in recent times. In their previous ODI series, against Australia in the UAE, Pakistan managed a face-saving win in the dead match. Given their current predicament and lack of one-day direction, they cannot waste any opportunity to find some form.

Just before the start of the ODI series there was talk of 'undesirable elements' lurking in the team hotel along with reports of factionalism and rifts in the team. The seniors players have consistently underperformed, adding to the pressure on captain Younis Khan. Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq were dropped after the first ODI, and Shoaib Malik has been a non-starter with scores of 9, 0 and 12.

Each defeat has been followed by talk of the need to 'execute plans' and Younis rejecting claims of 'groupism'. These have almost become buzzwords for a side struggling to win all tour. Instead of offering excuses and denying rumours, what Pakistan need to do is get back to the basics: bowl straight, field sharply and not throw away wickets. At the Premadasa they have to forget what has gone before and start again.

On the flip side, Sri Lanka can use the two games - and later the one-off Twenty20 - as a celebration of their most successful home series against Pakistan. Kumar Sangakkara's appointment as captain worked instant wonders for the team - they won the Tests and now three ODIs on the trot, their first home series wins over Pakistan. The last two games offer the chance to test their bench strength while aiming to avoid complacency as they chase a clean sweep and keep up the momentum ahead of New Zealand's arrival.

 

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Ponting brushes off spectator incident

Ricky Ponting has confirmed that he "exchanged words" with a spectator during an unfortunate incident in last week's third Test at Edgbaston, but suggested that a shortcoming in the ground's security arrangements was to blame rather than the boisterous nature of the crowd. Overall, he said, he still believes that England's cricket fans are among the best sports supporters in the world, and that the banter from the boundary's edge has, by and large, been a welcome feature of the series so far.

The incident, which the Sky cameras chose not to televise, took place on Sunday evening as Ponting returned to the pavilion after being bowled by Graeme Swann. "The spectator was actually leaning over the grandstand and gave me a bit of a gobful as I got out," said Ponting. "And as it turned out, he was later thrown out of the ground so he was probably in the wrong, doing what he did.

"We exchanged words," he said. "It's a security thing more than anything else. Where we walked on and off was very close to the vicinity of all the spectators, so if there's one place in the world where a security guard should have been standing, it was right there. It's been well documented in the last few weeks that I've copped a bit from the crowds, so it wasn't a big deal at all. It was just a few words that I didn't think needed to happen."

Trailing 1-0 with two Tests to come, Ponting stands on the verge of becoming the first Australian captain in more than 100 years to lose two Ashes series in England. He has been jeered routinely for the past two matches, ever since his comments in the aftermath of the Cardiff Test, and while he feels a lot of the vitriol is unnecessary, there is a part of him that wants the abuse to continue.

"If I actually play well I get booed more, so hopefully I get booed more," he said. Ponting is treating the issue lightly but Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, has asked fans at Headingley to respect Australia's captain during Friday's fourth Test.

After the opening draw in Wales, Ponting questioned Andrew Strauss's time-wasting tactics and since then has been shouted at every time he has walked out to bat. The crowd at Edgbaston was particularly noisy last week - although the supporters did stand when Ponting became Australia's all-time leading run-scorer, a fact which he himself acknowledged - and the Australians can expect another raucous experience this week in Leeds, which is notorious for its Western Stand.

Ponting joked Clarke's plea should have been made three Tests ago. "It comes with the territory of being an Australian cricket captain in this part of the world," he said. "There's not much I can do about it. I'll just take it with a grain of salt. I've almost expected it after the first day at Lord's. It's no skin off my nose. If anything it just makes me more determined to play well.

"It happens everywhere around the world, and it's no bigger deal here than in other series around the world, to be honest. I've actually really enjoyed a lot of the spectator participation in the series. The Barmy Army, as I've always said, are the best group of sports supporters I've seen in any sport in the world. They come to the cricket to enjoy themselves, and it's small minorities that make days a little bit disappointing for others."

Strauss called for the supporters to get behind his team, but also asked them not to cross the line with Ponting. "I do empathise with him a little bit," he said. "I think booing him in those circumstances is a bit over the mark, but I think our supporters generally are fantastic. There's a bit of light-hearted ribbing there and that's the way it should be, and certainly what we'll get when we [go to Australia].

"I think supporters should always be mindful of being respectful to players and I'm very confident the supporters here this week will get that balance pretty much spot-on," he added. "They generally do and if they do that, they're going to be as supportive as possible to our team which is what we want to see.

"I don't think it was not malicious to be honest with you. It's just the way it's construed more than anything. In a way it's probably a sign of respect for him. You just don't want to see things develop and get worse and worse and worse to the extent there's genuine abuse of opposition players - no-one wants to see that. But some light-hearted ribbing is obviously both entertaining and quite helpful."

The Headingley authorities have responded to the Edgbaston incidents by promising to clamp down on unruly behaviour, and have banned flags, musical instruments and the stacking of empty pint pots to create "beer snakes". Ponting, however, was unconvinced such measures were necessary. "I think you can definitely go too far the other way," he said. "You're not going to stop someone who has something to say.

"These complaints haven't come from us, the Australian team or the players," he stressed. "Ii think it's been the administrators at some of the venues who have been disappointed with how the crowds have reacted, so it's out of our hands. There's nothing I can do about it, nothing the team can do about it, and to a certain extent, there's nothing the administrators can do about it either. You can't have one security guard per spectator in the ground."

"I don't think anyone wants to see the crowd sit there in silence," said Strauss. "We want to see them be as supportive as possible. If that means that when we get a wicket there's huge roars and people revving up a great atmosphere, then that's absolutely fantastic. There's a line you don't want to cross in terms of abuse of opposition players but as I've said before, English crowds have generally been pretty good at that."

In Cardiff Ponting stroked 150, but since then he has struggled with 2, 38, 38 and 5 as the obstacles to the team's success have grown. His side starts the fourth Test one win behind and the repercussions of another defeat in the final two games are severe: Australia will drop to fourth on the rankings and Ponting will join Billy Murdoch as their country's only captains to have lost twice in England.

Strauss is more interested in winning the urn than knocking Australia from the top spot and Ponting said the ranking "means nothing to us". "That's been a thing that's happened as the result of some long sustained periods of very good cricket," he said. "Never is it mentioned around the group, never is it mentioned in team meetings, because at the end of the day all we can control is our performances."

Despite the gloom, Ponting is boosted by an impressive record at Leeds, where he averages 114.33 in two games. It was here that he was recalled in 1997, scoring 127 for his maiden Test century, and four years later he followed with 144 and 72, although he could not stop Mark Butcher from stealing the victory.

"It does make you feel a bit better when you turn up," he said. "Things look familiar and you have good memories. My first Test hundred was here, that's a great memory, and the last time I played here I got a hundred. Let's hope it's three out of three at the end of the week." If he can do that even the England fans will cheer.