West Indies v Australia, 3rd ODI, St Vincent

Australia 220 (M Hussey 67, Bailey 59, Narine 3-32) tied with West Indies 220 (Charles 45, Watson 3-30) 

Any lingering thoughts of a Caribbean holiday were swept decisively away from Australia by a thrilling and courageous West Indies chase to force a dramatic tie at a heaving Arnos Vale Ground. Tuesday had been declared a public holiday in St Vincent and a sold-out crowd was kept on its feet throughout as the two sides finished locked on 220 apiece on a pitch almost as lively for spin bowling as for dancing at the boundary's edge.

The West Indies needed only one run from the final three deliveries to be bowled by Brett Lee, but a mix-up between the captain Darren Sammy and the last man Kemar Roach saw both stranded at the striker's end as Lee broke the stumps at his. However, the hosts' fight to level the scores having been mired as deeply as 78 for 5 will provide plenty of belief for Sammy's men, while also showing Australia's players that they cannot afford to misstep quite so badly as they have done at times in the three matches so far.

This time the fault lay with the batsmen, who squandered the best of the conditions and failed completely to cope with the crafty spin of Sunil Narine. But there was also a cautionary note for the stand-in captain Shane Watson, who spoiled an otherwise admirable bowling stint with a no-ball that reprieved Andre Russell at a critical time. Watson fumed over the episode and may need to calm himself more rapidly on future captaincy assignments, not least on this tour.

Having built a sound platform to chase the 221 required at 52 for 1, the hosts lost four wickets for 26 as Xavier Doherty and Watson cut through the batting with a combination of spin, changes of pace and alert field placement. However a series of doughty contributions from Johnson Charles, Kieron Pollard, Russell and Carlton Baugh brought the West Indies to the brink, and Sammy would have taken his side home without a moment of running impulse from Roach.

In front of a teeming Kingstown gathering that caused a long trail of morning traffic to the ground, the Australians had been briefly delighted to find a pitch offering more pace than had been found in either of the first two fixtures here. However, they lost their previous enthusiasm when the offspinner Narine used it, along with the sharp spin that had been on offer all week, to cause considerable torment.

George Bailey, promoted to No. 4, and Michael Hussey provided some measure of stability to the innings, from an uncertain 58 for 3, but neither batsman could quite attain command of the bowling. Hussey's dismissal signalled another flurry of wickets, this time the giddy loss of five for six runs. Marlon Samuels and Roach both contributed with clever spells, but it was Narine's deception of the touring batsmen that was most complete, their muddle exemplified by two run-outs in the slipstream of Narine overs.

When West Indies chased, Charles and Kieran Powell enjoyed a more fruitful stand than their one-ball effort in the second ODI, and Watson had to introduce Doherty's spin in the seventh over as he sought a wicket. Powell hammered Doherty over the wide long-on rope, but next ball the spinner took revenge by running a delivery across the opener to draw a clear stumping for Matthew Wade.

Watson used a slower ball to tunnel through Samuels' defence, and in the same over Darren Bravo was confounded by a delivery that disturbed the surface and sent his drive straight to Bailey at short cover. A similar dismissal accounted for Charles, though he could have fewer queries about how the ball had reached him off the pitch, and Doherty used another straighter variation to cramp Dwayne Bravo's attempt to cut and coax an edge into Wade's gloves.

Pollard had seen the West Indies home on Sunday, but had a far sterner task ahead of him this time. For a while he delighted team-mates and spectators, sending one mighty swipe at Lee clean out of the ground. To rid him of this threat, Watson called on Nathan Lyon, Pollard's sometime compatriot in Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition.

As he has done before, Lyon was not afraid to sacrifice a six in search of a wicket: Pollard cleared Doherty at long-on once, but found him when attempting to repeat the stroke two balls later. Russell maintained the fight in the company of Baugh, smiting a rival to Pollard's earlier six when he crashed Clint McKay down the ground and beyond it.

The required rate crept up gradually, aided by Watson's thrift, and when Russell was bowled attempting an impatient heave the game appeared up. However replays showed that Watson had overstepped, and Russell's rearguard went on. As if to frustrate Watson further, Russell was also to be bowled by the resulting free-hit.

As he and Doherty had almost exhausted their overs, Watson called on McKay to probe for the clinching wickets. As the crowd clung to rum-fuelled visions of victory, he seemed to do just that: first teasing an edge out of Russell that Wade dived to claim, then prompting Baugh to send an attempted flick skyward for Daniel Christian to pouch.

Not willing to give up, Narine hit out boldly to reduce the requirement, and Sammy showed the sort of composure he is beginning to make a habit of. However Roach ran on the third-last ball as though it was the last, and Australia salvaged something.

Having won the toss, Watson had expected a similar surface to those previously encountered in Kingstown, but noted more evidence of dryness. In the first few overs he and David Warner timed the ball more successfully than at any stage of the first two games, and it was with the score a promising 33 for 0 that Sammy called on Narine. His first over saw the ball popping and spinning far more excitedly than the batsmen were expecting, and Watson's response in the next over was to chase a tight single that became fatal when Russell threw the stumps down.

The wicketkeeper Wade, back to No. 3 in the shuffle that had Peter Forrest dropped to make room for Lyon's spin, struggled mightily in his brief time against Narine, also narrowly avoiding a run-out. Shuffling too far across his crease, it was no great surprise when Narine spun a delivery around Wade's pads to bowl him for a fretful 2 from 11 balls. Narine's analysis told a tale of bewitchment: 5-1-5-1.

Bailey and Hussey were vigilant as they built a significant union, tallying 112 before they were separated by Samuels. His role in the dismissal was more technical than practical, a short ball pulled venomously by Bailey - he had just struck a compelling straight six - straight into the hands of Bravo behind square leg. Bailey cursed his exit, just at the moment when it seemed Australia had wrested the advantage, and they would prove to be prescient oaths.

Michael Hussey misread Samuels' length and turn to be stumped by a distance. Next over David Hussey was deceived completely by Roach's perfectly pitched slower ball and bowled, and after a first-up wide Brett Lee fell to the same variation, this time dragging a shorter offering onto his stumps. The innings had lost its way; it so very nearly cost the match.

Smart stats

• The tie is the third in West Indies-Australia ODIs and the second between the teams in a bilateral series after the tie in Guyana in 1999. Overall, it is the ninth tie that Australia have been involved in and the sixth for West Indies.
• The 112-run stand between Michael Hussey and George Bailey is the first century stand of the series. It is also the ninth century stand for the fourth-wicket for Australia against West Indies and the second Hussey has been involved in.
• The half-centuries scored by Bailey and Hussey are the only fifty-plus scores in the series so far. Bailey was the top scorer in the first ODI which Australia won by 64 runs.
• Sunil Narine followed up his 4 for 27 in the second ODI with a three-wicket haul in the third game. He now figures twice in the top five bowling performances by West Indian spinners against Australia.
• The 64-run stand between Andre Russell and Carlton Baugh is the second-highest seventh-wicket stand for West Indies against Australia in ODIs.
• Only once before has Shane Watson conceded fewer runs than the 30 he conceded in the third ODI (completed ten-over spells only). However, on that occasion, he did not pick up a single wicket while he managed three in Kingstown.

New Zealand Sweep Series

New Zealand v Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI, Napier

New Zealand 373 for 8 (McCullum 119, Guptill 85, Nicol 61) beat Zimbabwe 171 (Brendan Taylor 65) by 202 runs 

A violent opening stand and a superbly-paced Brendon McCullum ton handed New Zealand their third huge win in as many one-dayers, as Zimbabwe fell 202 runs short of their gargantuan target of 374. Martin Guptill and Rob Nicol added 153 in 22 overs to provide the platform once more, before McCullum's 88-ball 119 propelled New Zealand beyond 370 for the second consecutive innings. Brendan Taylor's 65 was the only knock of note in Zimbabwe's reply with the visitors once more opting to spend time in the middle rather than go for the unlikely win. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 172 in the 44th over.

McCullum consolidated to begin with, following the quick demise of both openers, before exploiting some woeful death bowling to hurtle past 100. Keen not to let the early tempo abate, McCullum opted for the batting Powerplay in the 29th over with Jacob Oram for company, but allowed his partner to attempt the big shots while he turned over the strike. He continued to accumulate alongside Kane Williamson, as the flat Napier wicket and a worsening Zimbabwe attack allowed risk-free progress.

McCullum got a life on 48; Zimbabwe have seemed intent on giving every New Zealand batsman one of those at some point in the series, and it must have been his turn. Having worked his way to a run-a-ball strike-rate soon after reaching fifty, McCullum exploded in the 43rd over, launching Elton Chigumbura over long-off, before carving Kyle Jarvis through cover. Zimbabwe served up full tosses, half-volleys and length deliveries abundantly, and McCullum duly gorged, slapping Chigumbura into the leg-side stands twice in a row, before demolishing the woeful Brian Vitori to complete Zimbabwe's misery.

McCullum's breathless finish was set up by Guptill and Nicol, who began laying waste to the Zimbabwe attack almost immediately, as they carried New Zealand's Whangarei belligerence to Napier. Utterly unafraid of a pedestrian attack that had failed to test them throughout the tour, the pair had seemingly decided they would test themselves - by igniting the New Zealand innings at the most furious pace yet.

Nicol survived two close calls, one lbw shout that was overturned on review, and a top-edged pull that was predictably shelled, but apart from those early stutters, precious little troubled the openers. They blasted seven sixes and 13 fours between them, and took their combined half-century tally to five in three matches. Only Nicol missed out in the first ODI of the series.

Zimbabwe's bowlers rarely bowled two balls in the same place, but their woes were not all their own making against batsmen so cocksure, they could dispatch any ball in their chosen direction. Guptill favoured the leg side as he moved around the crease to pepper the ropes with an array of sweeps, paddles, pulls and pick-ups. Nicol meanwhile preferred to manipulate length by advancing, carting two balls over the stands at square leg.

Spin and a spread-out field stymied the breakneck pace somewhat after the first 10 overs, but while Nicol reined in his game, Guptill continued to attack, beating the field with innovation rather than power. When Taylor brought in fine leg to push long-off back, Guptill shovelled the next ball over his shoulder. When the leg side was strengthened, he shuffled to leg to send the ball screeching through the covers.

Guptill was eventually stumped as he knotted himself up after advancing down the pitch, a ball after Nicol had also fallen, but McCullum's furious innings ensured the base wasn't squandered.

Williamson accumulated busily, before Nathan McCullum thumped 21 runs off seven balls - 18 of them coming from the three successive sixes off Vitori, who became only the fourth bowler to concede over 100 runs in an ODI innings, and that despite bowling one over short.

For the fifth time in as many innings on tour, Zimbabwe's openers failed to reach double figures. As has been the case throughout the tour, Taylor was the only Zimbabwe player that batted positively, even dominating the New Zealand attack at times. Taylor measured out aggression methodically, rarely straying from the routine of rotating the strike after boundary hits, instead of attempting to tear apart a disciplined attack.

Once he fell at 115 for 5, New Zealand simply stayed patient to wait for the remaining wickets. Tarun Nethula had an impressive second spell that yielded his first two international scalps, as he found the confidence to flight and turn the ball after a nervous debut. Doug Bracewell and Michael Bates were both lively, considering the flatness of the pitch, and picked up a wicket apiece, before Nathan McCullum polished off the tail to end the hopelessly one-sided series.

Highlights

• Brendon McCullum scored his fourth century in his 198th match. It is also his highest score against Zimbabwe. The strike rate of 135.71 is the highest for a 100-plus score for McCullum.
• McCullum's century is also the third-highest score and the eighth century overall to be scored by a captain-wicketkeeper in ODIs. MS Dhoni is the only player to do so more than once (four occasions).
• Both Brian Vitori and Elton Chigumbura went for over 90 runs in the New Zealand innings. This is the first timein ODIs that two bowlers have conceded 90-plus runs in the same innings.
• Vitori also narrowly missed out on becoming the bowler to concede the most runs in an innings, a record held by Mick Lewis, who conceded 113 runs against South Africa in 2006. However, his economy rate of 11.66 is the highest among bowlers who have bowled at least eight overs in an innings.
• New Zealand, who scored 373, surpassed their total of 372 which they made in the second ODI. The 373 is their third-highest total overall in ODIs and the second-highest against Zimbabwe after the 397 in Bulawayo in 2005.
• New Zealand's victory margin of 202 runs is their largest in ODIs against Zimbabwe and their fourth-largest overall. It is also the fifth time they have won by a margin of 200 runs or more.
• For the second time in two ODIs and the third time against Zimbabwe overall, New Zealand hit 16 sixes in their innings. It is the joint second-highest on the list of most sixes hit in an innings by any team.
• The opening pair of Rob Nicol and Martin Guptill went past their previous best partnership of 131 with a 153-run stand. It equals the third-highest opening stand for New Zealand against Zimbabwe.
• Ray Price became the fourth Zimbabwe bowler to reach the 100-wicket mark in ODIs. His average of 35.75 is second only to Heath Streak's 29.81 among Zimbabwe bowlers with over 100 wickets.

West Indies Win 3rd ODI By 16 Runs

Narine kept building the pressure - Rampaul

West Indies captain Darren Sammy and fast bowlerRavi Rampaul have praised the offspinner Sunil Narine, whose performance on debut helped his team win its first match on the tour of India. Narine took 2 for 34 in the third ODI in Ahmedabad, where West Indies won by 16 runs to keep the five-match series alive at 2-1.

"It was a good fight back from the boys. The way we batted, that spell from Rampaul, [Marlon] Samuels bowled well, and the debutant Narine also. It was a team effort," Sammy said. "Narine came here [to India] in the CLT20 and bowled in the pressure situations. He's used to it, it's a role he has performed for T&T [Trinidad & Tobago]."

Narine, 23, began his spell with the new ball during the mandatory Powerplay and also bowled during the bowling and batting Powerplays. He picked up the wickets of Virat Kohli and R Ashwin, after the No. 7 batsman had added 91 runs with Rohit Sharma to bring India back into the chase.

"He [Narine] came in and did a very good job for the team. It was a great way to start your international career," Rampaul said. "He bowled early and got a key wicket and came back at the end, there, to pick up another vital wicket for us. He kept building the pressure on the Indian batsmen and it paid off for us."

Rampaul had struck body blows himself by dismissing Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir with his first two deliveries in the second over of India's chase. The hosts were 8 for 2 chasing 261 and were set back severely. Rampaul returned to dismiss Suresh Raina and then picked up the final wicket, that of Abhimanyu Mithun, to finish with 4 for 57 in 8.5 overs. Mithun had scored 23 off 16 balls, and before his dismissal, India needed 16 off 20 deliveries with one wicket in hand to win the match and the series.

"I would say getting those early breakthroughs proved to be the key point in the match, when we bowled. We got up to a good score thanks to some great batting from Sammy and Russell but we still had a big job to do with the ball," Rampaul, who was Man of the Match, said. "I am used to bowling on these slow, low wickets as they are similar to what I play on in Trinidad. Also, the experience of playing here [in India] for Trinidad & Tobago in the Champions League as well as in the World Cup has helped me a lot.

"My strategy was to bowl wicket to wicket and it was good that I got the ball to swing as well. Finally, we have a win on the tour and it means a lot to us as a team. We came close on quite a few occasions and tonight we got the reward. We will look for more in the coming matches."

Rampaul has 28 wickets at an average of 19 in 14 ODIs in 2011, and Monday's four-wicket haul came after he had broken the record for the highest score by a No. 10, an unbeaten 86 off 66 balls in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam.

That West Indies had a competitive target to defend at Motera was because of a late assault from allrounders Sammy and Andre Russell. Sammy scored 41 off 17 balls and Russell 40 off 18 as 93 runs came off the final seven overs. Sehwag, the India captain, said his bowlers had not executed their plans.

"When two big hitters like Russell and Sammy were batting, it was difficult to bowl, they were connecting well," Sehwag said. "I told my boys to bowl as many yorkers as they could. They tried but couldn't get perfect yorkers, but the team fought really well."

Sehwag, however, took responsibility for the defeat, saying the top-order collapse, which he was part of, was the most significant problem. "It is very hard to chase when your top order fails. In the last three games, our lower order's contribution has been more than the top order and we need to look at ourselves. One of the top order batsman has to bat for 30-40 overs."

India Vs West Indies 3rd ODI Cricinfo,Live Score,Ahmedabad

50 overs West Indies 260 for 5 (Samuels 58, Sammy 41*, Russell 40*) v India

It took Darren Sammy and Andre Russell 5.4 overs of mayhem to undo an afternoon of impressive work from India, and leave the hosts chasing a tricky 261 to take the series. The pair came together after Ravindra Jadeja pulled off an outfield catch for the ages to remove Kieron Pollard, West Indies' most dangerous batsman on paper. Sammy and Russell proceeded to test that assumption with a partnership of delightful ferocity that yielded 79 in all, and 52 off the last three overs, giving West Indies a chance to win their fourth win in five visits to Ahmedabad.

Until the Sammy-Russell show, West Indies' innings followed a rather strange progression. Seam and swing weren't supposed to be part of the agenda on a sweltering afternoon in Ahmedabad, but someone forgot to tell India's fast bowlers. The top order had to contend with away seamers from Vinay Kumar, pace and swing from Umesh Yadav, and a raft of indippers from Abhimanyu Mithun. They chose caution over valour, and were restricted to a slow start, before India's spinners backed up the seamers well, as India kept winning the big moments. The best batsman on display, Marlon Samuels, exited at the start of the batting Powerplay. The man most likely to assist him, Darren Bravo, was forced to retire hurt with a hamstring strain. The innings was faltering badly when Jadeja's brilliance ended Pollard's stay. The tide was about to turn, though.

West Indies' cause was aided by the inexperience in the Indian ranks as Yadav and Mithun delivered despicable lengths in the slog. Sammy wound up for the fun by redirecting Vinay for two fours in the 47th over, before Russell carted Yadav for a monster six in the next over. Next, Sammy turned his attention towards Mithun, scything a wide ball, and hammering a length delivery for fours. He then unfurled two sixes dripping with typical Caribbean audacity, on either side of the wicket - flat-batting a wide ball over cover, before merrily whiplashing a full toss on the pads over midwicket - to take 23 off the over. Russell then went ballistic in the last over, drilling a near yorker down the ground and fore-handing a length ball for fours, before teeing off towards the press box, as life came a full circle for Yadav.

Full report to follow ...

25 overs West Indies 93 for 2 (Samuels 46*, Bravo 23*) v India

Seam and swing weren't supposed to be part of the agenda on a sweltering afternoon in Ahmedabad, but someone forgot to tell India's fast bowlers. West Indies' top order had to contend with away seamers from Vinay Kumar, pace and swing from Umesh Yadav, and a raft of indippers from Abhimanyu Mithun. They chose caution over valour, and were restricted to a slow start, but had wickets in hand to shift gears in the second half of their innings.

With the India selectors expected to meet later to pick Praveen Kumar's replacement for the Australia tour, Vinay and Mithun - who came on first-change - had an extra incentive to impress. Both of them made early incisions in their opening spells, but Umesh Yadav, already booked on the flight to Australia, was once again the most captivating bowler on view.

Vinay started off with a series of sprightly away seamers, and Lendl Simmons succumbed early to one of them, edging loosely through to Parthiv Patel. Thereafter, Yadav methodically tied down Danza Hyatt and Marlon Samuels, and in the process revealed a new dimension to his bowling. Having caught the eye with pace in the previous games, Yadav chose to drop his speed a few times and let the ball float and curve in the air. He squared up both Hyatt and Samuels with drastic swing, while Vinay worked away with seam.

Hyatt was mostly shot-less in his troubled stay as a make-shift opener, with a sparkling cover drive and a mow over midwicket standing out amidst several meek pushes to cover. His listless innings ended in listless fashion, as he squeezed an inswinger from Mithun that was heading harmlessly down the leg side, through to Parthiv. Mithun's average pace was in the mid-to-high 120s, and his inability to get the ball to straighten reduced his threat.

As has been his method in recent times, Samuels chose to counter the movement with an outrageously open stance deep in his crease. He opened up against Mithun, lofting him over mid-off and flaying him through point for successive fours, but receded into his shell until Yadav came on for a second spell in the bowling Powerplay. He heaved successive length balls in the 19th over through the leg side for a six and a four, before crashing a misdirected slower ball through point. West Indies took 16 off that over to finally give the innings some semblance of momentum.

Darren Bravo looked at ease against spin, but was struggling with a left hamstring niggle that affected his mobility. In the 22nd over, R Ashwin fluffled a run-out chance from about ten yards away from the stumps, with Bravo stranded mid-pitch. It was an important reprieve, given the lack of batting pedigree in West Indies' line-up.

Pakistan Lead ODI Series 2-1

Pakistan 257 for 8 (Hafeez 83, Farhat 70, Prasanna 2-39) beat Sri Lanka 236 (Dilshan 64, Ajmal 3-42, Gul 3-48) by 21 runs

Match highlights

For the second time in five days, a game was won and lost in the batting Powerplay. This time, however, Sri Lanka were at the receiving end as they fluffed the phase, picking up just 19 for the loss of two huge wickets, leaving their tail needing 72 off the last 10 overs. In conditions aiding spin, especially of Pakistan's varied vintage, that was a bridge too far for Angelo Mathews to cross.

Batsmen from both sides survived prodigious seam bowling but came unstuck against spin. The similarities didn't end there - Pakistan made an almighty hash of their own batting Powerplay, to subside from a dominant 150 for 0 in 29 overs to 257 for 8, which in itself was a strong recovery. In the end, it proved sufficient to sneak home by 21 runs.

Having gone past 10,000 ODI runs, Mahela Jayawardene looked set to launch a sortie similar to the one he had purveyed in the previous game, when the fielders came in with 91 needed off 15 overs. Saeed Ajmal ensured there was no reprisal, though, as he slipped a straighter one past Jayawardene's forward press. Sarfraz Ahmed collected the ball and zipped the bails out at electric speed, with Jayawardene's back foot hovering inches away from safety. Pakistan sensed the kill and choked Mathews - with the single unavailable, he played out ten dot balls before opening his account as the required-rate crossed seven.

Mathews broke free in the 39th over against Sohail Tanvir, prompting Misbah-ul-Haq to revert to spin. Ajmal slipped another floater across the well-set Dinesh Chandimal, who scythed an outer edge to point. Lasith Malinga, who was among the runs in the Champions League T20, was promoted to No. 7, but Shahid Afridi pinned him with a quicker one. With Mathews out of sorts, Jeevan Mendis kept Sri Lanka alive, but Mohammad Hafeez ended his cameo. Mathews showed little intent to guard the tail - he took singles off the first balls of the last three overs of the game. Umar Gul needed no second invitation to finish the job.

The pitch was neither the feather-bed that Pakistan's 151-run opening stand - the biggest for any wicket in Dubai - suggested, nor the snake pit that their phase of 42 for 5 in the middle overs made it out to be. There was seam movement, sluggish bounce as well as real carry. Hafeez struggled against the first two, while Imran Farhat was clunked on the helmet when Dilhara Fernando thudded one in short.

With the mischief in the pitch making itself apparent, Hafeez chose to be sedate. He survived a close lbw shout against Seekkuge Prasanna, and went on to prosper on width. Hafeez had meandered to 24 off 55 balls at one stage, before taking Fernando for four fours in one over. Sri Lanka's slackening discipline was epitomised when Prasanna clanged Hafeez in the covers. Pakistan underlined their dominance with each opener slugging a six against the spinners, but the tide was about to turn.

Smart stats Pakistan, who have now played 68 matches against Sri Lanka in neutral venues have won 44 times. Overall, in the UAE, Pakistan have won 86 and lost 44 matches. The 151-run stand between Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat is eighth on the list of highest opening stands for Pakistan against Sri Lanka. It is also the second-highest stand for this opening pair after their 228 against Zimbabwe earlier this year. Hafeez scored his 12th half-century in ODIs to go with three centuries. In his last ten innings, he has scored 508 runs at an average of 56.44 with two centuries and three fifties. Mahela Jayawardene became the ninth batsman overall and the second Sri Lankan batsman to reach the 10,000-run mark in ODIs. He now has 10,004 runs at an average of 33.45 with 15 centuries and 61 fifties. The 106-run stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan is the 12th century stand for the second wicket for Sri Lanka against Pakistan. It is also the seventh second-wicket century stand for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in neutral venues.

Hafeez fell playing a tired pull, Farhat holed out, and suddenly Sri Lanka's spinners found an extra gear. Tillakaratne Dilshan hid the fast bowlers against Abdul Razzaq, promoted to No. 3, and he promptly hauled Prasanna straight to long-on. When Umar Akmal walked too far past a Malinga yorker to lose leg stump, Pakistan found themselves in an extraordinary rut; the Powerplay had just come on, and they had their two most obdurate batsmen - Misbah and Younis Khan - fresh at the crease. When Pakistan made 22 for 2 in their five-over block, Sri Lanka wouldn't have gambled on doing worse when their turn came. Younis shepherded Pakistan through the end overs to give them a reasonable score.

The chase was set up by a feverish 106-run stand between Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara, after Gul produced a corker to flatten Upul Tharanga's off stump. Gul's legcutters and Sohail Tanvir's innate curve made scoring difficult, but Dilshan and Sangakkara had the shots to find a way out. Plays-and-misses were interspersed with gorgeous strokes - Dilshan's cover drives and Sangakkara's glides standing out - and a lot of madcap running. Pakistan missed at least two direct-hits, before Sangakkara escaped the ignominy of becoming the first batsmen given out for obstructing the field under the new rules.

Dilshan refused a single in the 19th over after pushing to Afridi at cover and setting off. Both batsmen were haring towards the keeper's end when Afridi hurled the ball to him. Sarfraz, however, flicked one bail off before collecting the ball even as Dilshan ran into him. Sarfraz regrouped and shied at the other end, but this time Sangakkara, making a questionably circuitous turn, came in the way of the throw. Pakistan's appeal was only for the miss at Dilshan's end, which was rightly over-ruled by the third umpire.

They didn't have to wait long for redemption. In the 23rd over, Sangakkara pushed straight to mid-on and took off. The throw this time did not go to the keeper, but smashed out the stumps at the striker's end with Sangakkara well short. The cameras panned to the trademark celebration of the fielder, the only man in the Pakistan team who puts his arms out and soaks in the adulation. He repeated the celebration five overs later, when Dilshan somehow contrived to guide him from a foot outside leg onto the stumps via his arm. In a game of many heroes for Pakistan, Afridi had once again made the biggest moves.

Srilanka Vs Pakistan 3rd ODI at Dubai Live Score Card With Cricinfo

Toss Pakistan chose to bat v Sri Lanka

Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss for the first time in the series, giving his team an opportunity to bat first in Dubai. Both the previous games followed similar templates in the first 25 overs of play, with Sri Lanka's top order struggling to force the pace. They never recovered in the first game, but perked up during the batting Powerplay in the second. Misbah was wary of the early challenges posed by the pitch, and hoped his batsmen would "take the responsibility and give the bowlers a chance".

Pakistan made one change to their line-up with the wrong-footed left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir coming in for Aizaz Cheema. Sri Lanka stuck to the side that levelled the series at 1-1 on Monday. Tillakaratne Dilshan mentioned that there were no plans to promote the in-form Mahela Jayawardene up the order.

Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Seekkuge Prasanna, 11 Dilhara Fernando

Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Sohail Tanvir

Australia Win 3rd ODI By 3 Wickets Get Series

Hussey guides  Australia To Series Win

 

Match Highlights

Australia's batsmen held their nerve to secure a 2-1 ODI series victory over South Africa in a slogging contest in Durban, taking valuable momentum into next month's Test matches in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The predicted rain never arrived as Michael Hussey guided his side home in the company of a wide-eyed Pat Cummins with 15 balls to spare, after the captain Michael Clarke, the recalled Shaun Marsh and the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin had all contributed cameos. Hussey rounded it off with a crisply pulled six, immediately embracing Cummins in what was a valuable early experience for the 18-year-old.

Shane Watson had made a crucially belligerent contribution at the top of the order for the tourists on a slow pitch, crashing one six in his 49, a useful tally to add to his tidy bowling after recovering from the back spasms that dogged him in the second match.

Spin bowlers Johan Botha and JP Duminy posed the greatest threat among South Africa's bowlers, gaining some turn, but Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe were expensive with few runs to defend, and Jacques Kallis was used sparingly ahead of the Tests.

Kallis and Hashim Amla earlier posted half-centuries for the hosts but the acceleration expected from the halfway point of 114 for 1 never quite eventuated as Australia's bowlers showed tremendous discipline once the shine was gone from the ball to hold the total to 222 for 6. Xavier Doherty's spin was particularly difficult to dig out, and Watson resumed bowling after back spasms in the second match at St George's Park to concede just one run from the 46th over.

Cummins regained his control impressively once his first over went for 16 runs, while Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson also bowled with considerable diligence.

When the tourists chased, David Warner finished his series with an unsatisfying stroke, caught behind while trying to leave a delivery from Morkel, who was expensive despite the wicket. Watson was responsible for most of the damage, helping to take Morkel for 20 from the ninth over of the innings, including one mighty blow over long off.

However he was the next man to go, dragging Kallis onto the stumps while trying to glide the ball to third man. Ricky Ponting had made only 10 when he pushed a catch back to the tidy Botha next over, before Clarke and Marsh steadied the innings.

Both played neatly but both would be dismissed with the game still in doubt, Clarke bowled between bat and pad as he advanced to Duminy's first delivery, while Marsh also had his stumps disturbed by Duminy as he made room to push through the offside. Haddin joined Hussey with 67 still to get yet, thanks to Watson's earlier hitting, plenty of deliveries in which to collect them. They took their time against some searching stuff from the hosts, before Haddin unfurled a series of regal strikes to rapidly close in on the target.

A slice to deep point ended Haddin's stay, and Johnson edged behind with 10 still required, but Hussey was on hand to complete the task in the company of Cummins, who struck the boundary off Kallis that relieved the last of the tension.

Amla had chosen to bat first after the hosts named an unchanged team for the third consecutive match, leaving the legspinner Imran Tahir on the sidelines under heavily overcast skies that appeared heavy with potential rain.

Australian retained the allrounder and vice-captain Watson following his back trouble, but dropped another allrounder in Steve Smith to make room for the return of Marsh. Marsh batted in the middle order, allowing Warner to continue his good form at the top of the order in partnership with Watson.

Amla took a liking to Cummins in his first over, punching two boundaries through cover then cutting when the teenager tried to counter with shorter stuff and finally flicking through midwicket when a further over-correction delivered a ball on leg stump.

This early flurry was not indicative of much that followed however, as Bollinger and Johnson in particular delivered handy spells, Johnson striking Amla on the helmet in an echo of his hostile 2009 efforts. Despite the overhead conditions, it was the spin of Doherty that broke through, Graeme Smith sweeping uppishly for Hussey to take an agile catch, diving forward.

Amla and Kallis batted in plenty of comfort and it came as a surprise when the captain was run out, too slow to reach the striker's end after chancing a single to the strong arm of Cummins at short third man. Like Smith, Kallis also miscalculated on the sweep against Doherty to make only one more run than Amla, while Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy perished in vain attempts to lift the scoring rate against parsimonious bowling and an alert fielding unit.

Watson's ninth over, the 46th of the innings, was on course to be a maiden until a single from scampered from the final ball, a becalmed David Miller unable to repeat the free-scoring he had managed in Port Elizabeth.

Australia 227 for 7 (Watson 49, Hussey 45*, Kallis 2-17, Duminy 2-29) beat South Africa 222 for 6 (Kallis 54, Amla 53, Doherty 2-34, Johnson 2-37) by 3 wickets

India Lead 3-0,and get Series

Rahane, Gambhir set up the chase for India

 

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Just when it seemed that India had safely tucked the match in its pocket, England almost managed to pick it.

Looking demoralised at the brink of a deflating defeat, England produced its competitive best to run through the middle-order and kept up the pressure until Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja held their nerves to script a thrilling five-wicket triumph for the home team.

The exciting finish could not be visualised when India, chasing 299 to a winning 3-0 lead in the five-match contest, was riding on the shoulders of Ajinkya Rahane and Gautam Gambhir. With the score reading 190 for one in the 34th over, India was well on course.

But the departures of Gambhir, Rahane and Suresh Raina in the space of 37 runs spread over 5.2 overs changed the complexion of the game. When Graeme Swann dismissed the in-form Virat Kohli for 35, India still needed 64 runs from 8.2 overs.

But Dhoni and Jadeja covered the distance in 47 deliveries after bringing down the asking rate to seven runs in the final over. The captain hit two boundaries in succession off Tim Bresnan to finish the job.

Heartbreaking defeat

It was indeed a heartbreaking defeat for England which came up with its best batting performance to reach 298 for four. But given India's batting strength in home conditions, it was important for the England bowlers, too, to get their act together. They did bounce back but slipped eventually.

Though the Dhoni-Jadeja stand put the finishing touches to the run-chase, India owed much more to Rahane and Gambhir for setting up the win with their 111-run partnership off 106 deliveries. If Gambhir was his usual self, Rahane was a revelation. He shared the opening stand of 79 runs with Patel and then played his part with Gambhir to frustrate England.

Timely call

In fact, after failures at Hyderabad and Delhi, it was a phone call from Pravin Amre that brought about a refreshing transformation in Rahane's approach. For someone who was good at karate, plotting comes naturally to this Mumbai batsman. “I told him they (England) were targeting him with the short ball. It was important for him to control his shots and rely on timing and gaps and not on power,” said Amre.

However, it was the ‘nervous 90s' that took its toll on Rahane who failed to read a slower one and offered a low catch to mid off.

Gambhir dominated the bowling without looking flashy and looked set for a century. However, that was not to be.

He fell to a brilliant diving one-handed catch by Kevin Pietersen.

Kohli, lucky to be dropped at four, could not make the most of the Craig Kieswetter's generosity after Raina failed to get going.

Solid innings

The English innings was built around Trott's rock-solid innings.

Trott played his role to perfection even as Kieswetter, Pietersen, Ravi Bopara and Samit Patel took turns to step up the run-rate from the other end after another cheap dismissal of skipper Alastair Cook.

Trott missed a well-deserved century by two runs but his 15th ODI half- century was indeed a very special one.

Currently the top run-getter in ODIs this year, Trott provided the much-needed assurance to his teammates in the dressing room.

Unlike in Delhi, where England allowed 173 dot balls, the number was down to 127 here.

Trott, was lucky to escape being run-out when on 32 with Kohli failing to strike the stumps from close.

Playing with authority

Pietersen once again missed a big one. Most of his nine boundaries during the 61-ball innings were struck with authority.

It was unfinished stand of 103 between Trott and a confident Patel that really helped England inch close to 300.

Patel's maiden unbeaten 70 off just 43 deliveries provided the impetus. But on this day, an Indian victory was delayed, but not denied.

Scoreboard

England: A. Cook lbw b Vinay 3 (10b), C. Kieswetter b Kohli 36 (38b, 3x4, 2x6), J. Trott (not out) 98 (116b, 8x4), K. Pietersen lbw b Jadeja 64 (61b, 9x4), R. Bopara b Praveen 24 (32b, 3x4), Samit (not out) 70 (43b, 7x4, 2x6); Extras (lb-1, w-2): 3; Total (for four wkts. in 50 overs): 298.

Power Plays: One (1-10): 40/1; Bowling (16-20): 35/0; Batting (36-40): 30/1.

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Cook), 2-53 (Kieswetter), 3-154 (Pietersen), 4-195 (Bopara).

India bowling: Praveen 10-0-56-1, Vinay 9-1-64-1, Kohli 3-0-20-1, Yadav 10-0-71-0, Ashwin 10-0-45-0, Jadeja 8-0-41-1.

India: Parthiv lbw b Bresnan 38 (46b, 3x4), A. Rahane c Cook b Finn 91 (104b, 6x4), G. Gambhir c Pietersen b Finn 58 (60b, 3x4, 1x6), V. Kohli lbw b Swann 35 (30b, 5x4), S. Raina c Pietersen b Bresnan 0 (3b), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 35 (31b, 3x4), R. Jadeja (not out) 26 (24b, 2x4); Extras (lb-8, nb-2, w-7): 17; Total (for five wkts. in 49.2 overs): 300.

Power Plays: One (1-10): 57/0; Bowling (16-20): 31/1; Batting (36-40): 33/2.

Fall of wickets: 1-79 (Parthiv), 2-190 (Gambhir), 3-212 (Rahane), 4-217 (Raina), 5-235 (Kohli).

England bowling: Finn 10-0-44-2, Bresnan 7.2-0-62-2, Dernbach 10-0-69-0, Samit 10-0-50-0, Swann 10-0-59-1, Bopara 2-0-8-

India Target: 299 runs in 50 overs, Now India need 152 runs in 143 balls, Req. RR 6.36

Trott, Pietersen take England to 298

Jonathan Trott scored a majestic unbeaten 98 and stitched two crucial partnerships with Kevin Pietersen and Samit Patel to guide England to a challenging 298 for four against India in the third cricket one—dayer here on Thursday.

Trott anchored the England innings during his 116—ball unconquered knock, and together with Pietersen (64) and Patel (70 not out) added 101 and unbeaten 103 runs, respectively.

Trott crafted his innings beautifully, playing cautiously initially when Pietersen was going great guns but opened up later on in Patel’s company.

Trott and Patel took the task to the opposition and sent the Indian bowlers on a leather hunt to pile up a huge 91 runs in the last 10 overs.

Patel was the more aggressive of the two as he did not spare a single Indian bowler en route to his quickfire half—century that came off just 43 balls, studded with seven boundaries and two huge hits over the fence.

All the Indian bowlers bled runs today with left—arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja being the most economical among the wicket—takers, with figures of one for 41 from his eight overs.

England, however, did not have the best of starts after electing to bat as they lost captain Alastair Cook early in the fourth over with the scoreboard reading eight.

Cook was dismissed lbw to a R Viany Kumar delivery that jabbed in after pitching.

Handed a difficult lifeline by Praveen Kumar off his own bowling in the ninth over, Craig Kieswetter finally broke the shackles, hitting the pacer over the deep midwicket fence to bring up England’s first six of the innings.

Kieswetter meted out the same treat to Vinay Kumar in the next over, but this time with a slash over the third man boundary.

Virat Kohli, who was bought into the attack in the 11th over replacing Praveen, broke the 53—run second wicket partnership, dismissing the dangerous Kieswetter, who played on a full delivery onto the stumps.

But then came in Pietersen, who gave momentum to the England innings, and with Trott put up a century stand.

After the initial calm period, Pietersen and Trott milked the Indian bowlers perfectly with ones and twos with boundaries in between to lay the platform for the visitors.

Pietersen was at his fluent best and struck Jadeja for two boundaries in the 25th over to rush to his half—century in just 48 balls.

Since his arrival at the crease, Pietersen was in a murderous mood and did not even get bogged down by Umesh Yadav’s pace, clobbering the pacer for back—to—back fours in the 27th over.

But soon after bringing up the 100—run partnership for the third wicket in just 98 balls, the dangerous—looking Pietersen departed one run later, lbw to Jadeja after scoring a fluent 64 off 61 balls, during which he hit nine boundaries.

Dhoni’s decision to bring Jadeja in place of R Ashwin from the other end bore fruit as he scalped the vital wicket of Pietersen with the first delivery, a decision which did not impress the right—handed batsman at all.

Dhoni’s bowling changes turned out to be masterstroke today as his decision to replace Vinay Kumar with Praveen in the 39th over yielded yet another wicket for India.

Praveen uprooted Ravi Bopara’s (24 off 32) middle stump with a swinging yorker, which the batsman failed to dig out and ended up playing on.

Bopara hit three fours during his stay and added 41 runs with Trott for the fourth wicket that came off 54 balls.

But then a set Trott and new man in Patel joined hands and used their long handle to great effect to take England near the 300—run mark.

Scores:

England:

Alastair Cook lbw b Vinay 3

Craig Kieswetter b Kohli 36

Jonathan Trott not out 98

Kevin Pietersen lbw b Jadeja 64

Ravi Bopara b Praveen 24

Samit Patel not out 70

Extras: (LB—1, W—2) 3

Total: (For 4 wkts in 50 overs) 298

Fall of wickets: 1/8 2/53 3/154 4/195

Bowling: Praveen 10—0—56—1, Vinay 9—1—64—1, Kohli 3—0—20—1, Yadav 10—0—71—0, Ashwin 10—0—45—0, Jadeja 8—0—41—1.

Airtel Trophy 3rd ODI Ind vs Eng Cricinfo

India will look to wrap up the series

Alastair Cook needs to look for a new recipe to make his teammates hungry for victory once again. He knows only too well that the Indians are once again ready to feast on friendly offerings like they did on way to massive victories at Hyderabad and New Delhi.

The England captain did express “concern” after India doubled its lead in the five-match series on Monday night.

Still, it was clear that in spite of the magnitude of thesedefeats, Cook was not going to be any less positive ahead of the crucial clash here on Thursday.

Indeed, it will be hard to claw back from two losses, but England has reason to be optimistic. After all, earlier this summer, England bounced back from 1-2 at home to beat Sri Lanka 3-2.

At present, England is looking to stay afloat in the series. Cook believes the team has the batsmen to make up for the inadequacies in the bowling department.

The team is also clearly missing the injured duo of Stuart Broad and Eoin Morgan, apart from James Anderson who has been rested.

Given the successive batting failures, England can well be expected to bring in the tested and trusted Ian Bell.

Psychologically, it will not be easy for the Englishmen to cope with the defeats.

The England captain mentioned that his batsmen were learning from the way Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir batted the other night.

At the same time, the English camp believes that the difference between the strengths of the two sides is much less than what the results so far suggest.

Despite having been outplayed in every department of the game, England sees a chance of a turnabout here.

The fresh and firm pitch at the PCA Stadium sports a ‘green' look. The fast, lush-green outfield, is surely the best maintained in the country. The evening breeze should assist swing and seam.

Dew factor

Dew is a factor that the team batting second will have to deal with though curator Daljit Singh was certain it would not make a decisive difference.

Kevin Pietersen, who scored 144 on this pitch three years ago in a Test, is unquestionably the biggest threat India faces.

Pietersen is due for a big score and M.S. Dhoni and his men would hope that it does not come over the next week.

In the last match, Pietersen took his time to settle down but fell before he could assume the role of destroyer.

Similarly, Jonathan Trott, Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, if retained, and Jonathan Bairstow will be keen to make amends for failing to build on the starts they got.

Craig Kieswetter is yet to live up to the reputation of a big-hitter in the opening slot.

Cook, of course, has troubled India often. How the English fast bowlers bowl on this pitch to the upbeat Indians may well impact the result.

Unlike Cook, Dhoni does not have to do anything different or differently.

The side has managed to put runs on the board as well as chased down a target with plenty to spare. The spinners did the job in the first match and medium pacers in the second.

The Indian captain needs no reminding the fact that the job is far from over.

Any sign of complacency will have to be dealt with quickly and firmly. Dhoni will be expecting the openers — Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane — to fire.

The bowling, in spite of two good days at work, lacks muscle.

The combination involving Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja could find it really tough to contain the rival top-order should a couple of them get going.

Overall, England will try to make things happen in order to save the series.

India, on the other hand, can expect the first serious challenge of the week.

The teams (from):

India: M.S. Dhoni (captain), G. Gambhir, A. Rahane, P. Patel, V. Kohli, S. Raina, M. Tiwary, R. Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, R. Vinay Kumar, R. Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, V. Aaron, S. Arvind and Rahul Sharma.

England: A. Cook (captain), C. Kieswetter, Ian Bell, J. Trott, K. Pietersen, J. Bairstow, R. Bopara, A. Hales, J. Buttler, S. Borthwick, Samit Patel, G. Swann, T. Bresnan, J. Dernbach, S. Finn, C. Woakes and S. Meaker.

Umpires: Billy Bowden and Sudhir Asnani; Third umpire: Shavir Tarapore.Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.