West Indies v Australia, 3rd Test, Roseau, cricinfo,Watch highlights

Australia 328 and 259 beat West Indies 218 and 294 (Chanderpaul 69, Sammy 61, Clarke 5-86, Lyon 3-87) by 75 runs

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In the end, the final day of the tour followed the same script as the rest of the series: West Indies fought hard and provided Australia with a few headaches, but their efforts came to nought. Instead, Michael Clarke's second five-wicket haul in Tests helped the Australians wrap up a 75-run victory and they took the series 2-0, despite some powerful striking from the West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

It took Australia two hours on the fifth morning to take the five wickets that remained after the critical breakthrough in the last over of the fourth day, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was lbw. With each four and six that Sammy produced the West Indian fans dreamed of a famous win, but too much had been left to the lower order and a steady stream of wickets meant Sammy and the No.11 Shane Shillingford came together with 125 runs still needed.

Their 50-run partnership was promising but ended when Sammy, on 61 from 51 balls, top-edged a sweep off the bowling of Nathan Lyon (3 for 87) and was caught at short fine leg, leaving the local hero Shillingford unbeaten on 31. The result might have been a little closer than the Australians wanted, but Clarke was thrilled to emerge from the series with a 2-0 victory, the rain-affected Trinidad Test having not allowed either team enough time to push for a win.

Smart stats Australia's win is their seventh in Tests in the WesIndies t since 2000. Their last defeat in the West Indies was in Antigua in 2003 when West Indies chased a record 418. Australia have now won 17 Tests against West Indies since 2000. This is the highest number of matches they have won in this period against any team. Michael Clarke's five-wicket haul is his second in Tests and first against West Indies. It is his second-bestbowling performance, after the 6 for 9 in Mumbai in 2004. Clarke became the fourth Australian captain (spinners only) to pick up a five-wicket haul against West Indies and the eighth overall. Allan Border is the only player to do so twice. Darren Sammy's strike rate of 119.60 is the highest for a score between 50 and 99 for a West Indian batsman against Australia. It is also the third-highest strike rate for a 25-plus score for Sammy. Shane Shillingford's 31 is the second-highest score by a West Indian No.11 batsman against Australia, next only to Ravi Rampaul's 40 in Adelaide in 2009. Overall, it is the fifth-highest score by a West Indian No.11 batsman. The win lifts Australia to third place in the ICC Test rankings with 112 points, while India slip to fourth rank with 111.

While Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo were occupying the crease on the fourth day it could easily have gone awry for Australia. But starting the fifth day with Narsingh Deonarine as the last specialist batsman at the crease having been joined by the wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh, who was about to lose his place to Denesh Ramdin for the upcoming tour of England, West Indies needed something miraculous.

It didn't come from Deonarine, who added only two to his overnight total before he pushed at a Clarke delivery and provided a return catch on 13. Baugh followed on 12 when he pulled Nathan Lyon hard and Ricky Ponting at short midwicket showed immaculate reflexes to hold on to a difficult catch. But better was to come from the Australians in the field.

Clarke could do no wrong with the ball and he carried that touch with him into the slip cordon, thrusting his left hand low to the ground to snap up a brilliant catch when Kemar Roach (2) edged Lyon. In the next over Clarke collected his fifth wicket for the first time in a Test innings since his 6 for 9 in Mumbai in 2004 when Ravi Rampaul skied a catch to long on.

Clarke finished with 5 for 86 and took himself out of the attack after copping some punishment from Sammy, who was murderous through midwicket and long-on. Sammy struck four fours and three sixes and had excellent support from Shillingford, who hit six boundaries, but in the end the target was just too tall.

The Australians can now head home, or in many cases to the IPL, and enjoy a six-month break from Test cricket having capped off a strong first year under the captaincy of Clarke. West Indies head to England with a similar squad - Baugh and Kraigg Brathwaite were dropped though - and must find a way to play five strong days in a Test instead of two or three. Had they managed that over the past few weeks, an already entertaining series could have become a thriller.

New Zealand v South Africa, 3rd Test, Wellington, Day 5,Test Result DRAW

South Africa 474 for 9 dec (Petersen 156, Duminy 103, Gillespie 6-113) and 189 for 3 dec (de Villiers 68) drew with New Zealand 275 (Guptill 59, Philander 6-81) and 200 for 6 (Williamson 102*, Morkel 6-23)

An outstanding rearguard 102 from Kane Williamson negated Morne Morkel's career-best figures of 6 for 23, as New Zealand held on for 80.4 overs to draw the third Test at the Basin Reserve. South Africa gifted Williamson two lives and the umpires one, but a flawless last session, much of it in the company of a courageous Doug Bracewell, ensured his side could glean positives from a difficult series, though they lost 1-0. New Zealand ended at 200 for 6, 189 short of the target they never attempted. 



The sparse Wellington crowd cheered every wicketless delivery, as the full day's quota approached. Hampered by the loss of Ross Taylor, New Zealand had only nine wickets to play with, but Williamson and Bracewell, who played out 19.1 overs together ensured Mark Gillespie and Chris Martin were left unused. The Test had one final twist when the new ball became available with one over to bowl, but Vernon Philander could not break Bracewell, proving there were some things even he can't to with the ball, despite having enhanced his fearsome reputation with each game this tour. 



Smart stats Kane Williamson's hundred was his second in Tests. It was also the 15th century by a New Zealand batsmanagainst South Africa and the first since 2006. Since their readmission, South Africa have won seven of the eight series against New Zealand. The only drawn series was in 2003-04. Morne Morkel's 6 for 23 was his fifth five-wicket haul inTests and his first since his 5 for 20 against India in Centurion in 2010. Morkel's 6 for 23 was the third-best bowling performance by a South African in Tests against New Zealand. It was also fifth on the list of top bowling performances by visiting bowlers in Wellington. AB de Villiers' strike rate of 138.77 during his innings of 68 was his highest for a fifty-plus score in Tests. Overall, it was second on the list of highest strike rates for fifty-plus scores for South African batsmen.

South Africa added four clear-cut chances in the second innings to the five they'd missed yesterday. Alviro Petersen spilt Williamson on 10, diving to his right at gully only to palm it to the ground. The drop was particularly painful for Petersen who had appeared to take a low chance cleanly several overs before, only for the third umpire to deem Williamson not out, to South Africa's surprise. AB de Villiers was the next culprit, dropping a low chance at second slip with Williamson on 22. Dean Brownlie then got a life from Graeme Smith, though he didn't capitalise, adding no more runs before being dismissed and Bracewell was shelled late in the day, again by de Villiers at second slip. 



If Williamson had been fortunate to survive till tea, his batting through the final session was pure technique and application. Not having to contend with hooping outswing or biting turn, Williamson tuned his mind solely to blunting South Africa's favourite weapon in the third Test: bounce. Picking the lifters early, he'd duck everything South Africa pitched in their own half. If the balls were fuller - just short of a length - he'd climb on his tip-toes, elbows always high, and punch the ball down into the off side. Yorkers came into vogue later in the session, but having seen Morkel unleash hell with those at the other end, he was prepared. He dug them out dutifully, turning down runs into the outfield to keep himself on strike. 



New Zealand's now-abandoned four-seamer policy had been tried partly because Doug Bracewell's first class career had promised runs at Test level. Until his 59-ball 20 here, he'd barely distinguished himself above Chris Martin as a batsman. Bracewell flirted dangerously outside off stump twice; once off Morkel and once off Steyn, and was dropped in the slips once, but otherwise willow met leather comfortably whenever a stroke was offered. He even ventured two consecutive fours either side of the stumps off Marchant de Lange in the last half hour, as South Africa grew desperate. With Bracewell's defence seeming more secure with each stroke, Williamson no longer bothered shielding him from the strike towards the end. 



Williamson's 228-ball vigil had begun when Brendon McCullum was dismissed in the fifth over. With Taylor undergoing surgery, Williamson had been promoted to No. 4, and his inexperience showed, as both he and Martin Guptill shut down their scoring almost completely for the duration of their partnership. Williamson's first ten runs came from 55 deliveries, and with South Africa able to pool all their resources into attack, it was only a matter of time until the wicket came. Guptill edged Morkel to gully soon after lunch. 



Positivity eventually found its way into Williamson's game, and he and Dean Brownlie resisted, making their second 50-run stand of the game. A serene straight drive off Vernon Philander was followed by consecutive sweeps to the fence off JP Duminy, and Williamson flew towards his second fifty of the series as the field relaxed somewhat. Kruger van Wyk contributed another gritty knock, holding the visitors at bay for 80 deliveries either side of tea, and was perhaps unlucky that Morkel stuck out his left hand on his follow-through to snatch a bludgeoned drive. He partnered Williamson for the longest time of his team-mates, as their stand ate up more than a quarter of the overs New Zealand batted out. 



South Africa were hamstrung by a pitch that had flattened out significantly throughout the Test, but would have been disappointed that in spite of all the missed chances, only Morkel was able to take wickets. Philander was threatening, as always, sticking methodically to the back-of-a-length and off-stump line that had reaped him so much success in the series, but having suffered at his hands so severely, New Zealand finally seemed capable of combating his threat - even if the pitch did much of this for them. Steyn was unlucky, as he has been all series. Most of the dropped chances in the match were off his bowling, and Steyn swung the ball early, at good pace, for no reward. 



Three of Morkel's wickets came from searing yorkers. McCullum couldn't get bat to one that would have hit leg stump, Brownlie let one slip beneath his bat and Daniel Vettori barely had time to register being at the crease before Morkel bowled him first ball. Late in the day, Morkel tried everything to dismiss Williamson and Bracewell, but the batsmen were resolute. An over of short balls was followed by one where he pitched full, but nothing worked. 



Smith vexingly wasted thirteen overs by using JP Duminy, who never looked like breaking through, though among his other regrets may be batting for too long at the start of the day. Though de Villiers made good use of the time they kept New Zealand in the field, making a 49-ball 68, perhaps 388 was far too conservative a lead, given New Zealand had not passed 300 in the series.

New Zealand v South Africa, 3rd Test, Wellington, Day3,Cricinfo

Tea South Africa 437 for 7 (Boucher 30*, Philander 18*) v New Zealand  

A string of wickets in the second session lifted New Zealand from the dire to merely the desperate, but South Africa remained well ahead in the Test, moving to 437 for 7. Chris Martin and Mark Gillespie took two wickets each, clawing through South Africa's middle order in the first period in the match the hosts can claim to have won, but the wickets were still too few and the score already too large to give New Zealand anything more than a thin chance of levelling the series.

Movement off the pitch had largely evaded New Zealand throughout the innings, but a reinvigorated attack led by Martin used the seam to reap their most fruitful session of the Test. Alviro Petersen had scarcely played a false stroke in the first session, but was trapped in front by a Martin indipper in the first over of the second. AB de Villiers then fell to a similar ball four overs later, inside edging onto his middle stump.

Gillespie also found immediate reward for movement, removing Jacques Rudolph for 11 with another one that wobbled off the seam. Rudolph, who had tweeted his disapproval of the Wellington weather the previous evening, can hardly have improved his opinion of the place after a failure with the bat.

Dale Steyn preceded Vernon Philander to the crease, but was soon sent back, again by Gillespie, who surprised him with a foot of extra bounce. For the first time in the match, New Zealand had prevented opposition partnerships from taking root, and having toiled for 3 wickets while South Africa amassed 362, the hosts had suddenly taken 4 for 42.

Philander partnered Mark Boucher astutely, exercising caution and opportunism in equal parts - much as the top order had done previously, and the pair put on an unbeaten 33 without offering a chance.

Earlier, hundreds from Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy had consolidated South Africa's dominance, and taken them to a near unassailable position. Petersen had been perched on 96 overnight, and although New Zealand had the new ball with which to eke a nervous stroke, Petersen moved to triple figures as smoothly as he had navigated the wind and the rain on day two. A cover drive off Chris Martin's fourth ball reaped the first two runs of the day, before a rasping cut brought his third Test ton, confirming his place in the batting order after four muddling performances on tour had put it in jeopardy.

His approach changed little following the milestone as he stuck methodically to the scoring strokes that had carried him to his first success in New Zealand. Drives straight and through cover were measured out when the hosts went looking for swing, and the pull again proved productive, particularly off Daniel Vettori, who had bowled a touch short throughout the Test.

JP Duminy moved deep into the nineties with three consecutive cover drives, handsomely struck off Doug Bracewell, but was made to wait 18 balls to move from 98 to 100. He did not allow his anxiety to turn into rashness, though. A clip off the pads brought him his century - the second in his career after the match-winning 166 at the MCG in 2008. The pair had put on 200 for the third wicket before Duminy was caught at slip off Gillespie.

New Zealand v South Africa, 3rd Test, Wellington, Day1,Cricinfo

South Africa 136 for 2 (Amla 63, Petersen 44*, Duminy 23*) v New Zealand 

A fluent 63 from Hashim Amla eased South Africa to 136 for 2 at stumps, after a wet outfield in the morning and poor light late in the day only allowed 42 overs to be bowled. Ross Taylor chose to field on a green surface expected to seam, but although Graeme Smith was removed by one that jagged off the pitch, New Zealand struggled to achieve pronounced movement for extended periods, with spinner Daniel Vettori called on to contribute more than a quarter of the hosts' overs. Alviro Petersen played a restrained knock to end the day in sight of his first half-century of the series, while JP Duminy, who replaced an injured Jacques Kallis, was unbeaten on 23.

Amla was gifted a leg-glance to the fine-leg fence to ease him into his innings, but it wasn't long before the offside repertoire was humming happily as well. A back-foot stroke through the covers was more unwound, than punched or played, while two cuts either side of point disappeared to the boundary before the fielder had budged, much less moved, to intercept the shot. He was beaten soundly twice on the inside edge, but didn't allow either ball to dent his positivity, dispatching Dean Brownlie for three commanding boundaries in the same over he went past 50.

But the languid nature of Amla's strokeplay was increasingly matched by the slowness of his movement in the middle - perhaps hampered by a ball he'd edged onto his groin early on - and he perished playing an uncharacteristically flat-footed pull off Mark Gillespie soon after tea.

Alviro Petersen was reserved in comparison, often finding sprightly fielders when he played full-blooded shots, but content to defend nonetheless. He had struggled with the ball that came into him, falling to it thrice in four innings so far in the series, but navigated Chris Martin's inswingers with more poise on this occasion, dabbing it straight against the early movement. He charged Daniel Vettori to loft him over the ropes before leaning back to blast him through square leg as tea approached, but they were rare shows of violence in a dour display.

New Zealand had started well through Martin and Doug Bracewell, but waned in threat as the movement steadily gave out despite their discipline. Gillespie could find neither the direction nor the pace that decimated South Africa's middle order in the first innings in Hamilton, and was lucky to claim Amla with a short, wide ball. That wicket breathed some edge into the New Zealand attack in the nine overs after tea, but Duminy only helped himself to some quick runs into the vacant outfield with the bowlers attacking.

Early in the day's play, New Zealand's first wicket was marred somewhat by controversy. Martin beat Smith's outside edge repeatedly with movement in the air and off the pitch, but it was the other edge that brought the batsman's demise, even though Smith felt he had not made contact. Aleem Dar and New Zealand were convinced ball brushed the willow when Bracewell brought one in past Smith's cover drive, but despite a review from the batsman, and Hot Spot showing nothing, Dar's decision was upheld.

Pakistan Get Test Series 3-0 By England

Pakistan 99 (Broad 4-36) and 365 (Azhar 157, Panesar 5-124) beat England 141 (Strauss 56, Rehman 5-40) and 252 (Prior 49*, Gul 4-61, Ajmal 4-67) by 71 runs 

Pakistan duly completed their first clean sweep against England in a Test series, an extraordinary achievement for a side with no home to call its own, a side that lives out of a suitcase and does it rather well. Along with the socks and the toothpaste they certainly unpacked quite a shock for the No. 1 ranked side.

Twice in a few months, the leading Test side in the world has been found wanting. India were whitewashed in England last summer and now England have suffered a similar humiliation. Test cricket in Asia, described by England's captain, Andrew Strauss, as "the final frontier," has proved as unconquerable as ever.

The sunny disposition of Saeed Ajmal, the Man of the Series, and the stiff-limbed tenacity of Abdur Rehman tormented England to the end. They shared 43 wickets between them in a three-Test series and England barely played a shot in anger. Even after dismissing Pakistan for 99 in their first innings, they could not summon either the method or confidence to prevail. Only when the game was as good as lost did Matt Prior, who has looked likelier than most throughout the series, play with gusto in making an unbeaten 49.

There was plentiful spin for Pakistan's spinners, not quick turn but leaping turn at times when the ball struck the rough. Fittingly, the match finished on an lbw referral as Monty Panesar swept at Rehman, only to find that his retro scoop bat had no magical qualities. DRS upheld the umpire's decision and the all-time record of 43 lbw decisions in a series was equalled.

Until then, Rehman had counted Strauss as his sole success as he bowled unchanged for two sessions, 30 overs sent down with unerring accuracy. He is the sort of spin bowler who looks slightly weary from the outset, but never noticeably tires after that.

The emphasis has been upon spin, but Umar Gul reminded England that the quicker bowlers carried their own threat. His four wickets set the course of the Test unquestionably towards Pakistan. Ian Bell averaged more than 100 last summer, less than 10 in this series and when he slapped a long hop wide of point it summed up his state of mind. Reverse swing accounted for Eoin Morgan, whose dance down the pitch was nothing compared to the merry jig from the wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, after he had caught it. If Pakistan had doubts about taking the new ball, Gul allayed them as Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann risked all-out attack and got out almost immediately.

Cook had put up statuesque resistance, 187 balls for 49. Along the way he became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age. His most attacking shot of the morning, a loft into the leg side against Rehman, caused the bowler to taunt him with applause. He lived on scraps, combating the turning ball with thoughtful defence and numerous works to the leg side and that proved his undoing as a leading edge was brilliantly held by Younis Khan, diving to his left at first slip.

England, 36 runs banked the previous evening, needed a further 288 at start of play. Strauss fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot once more. He reviewed it, although he would have been better advised to head smartly for the dressing room. When it comes to captain's reviews Strauss cannot match Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah was lbw on five occasions in this series and took a review every time. It must be a captain's prerogative.

Without lapses in the field, Pakistan might have won sooner. They had dropped Cook the previous evening, a relatively simple chance to Taufeeq Umar at third slip and Gul's drop in the shadows of the stand at deep square gave him another reprieve as Pakistan lost the efficiency that has characterised their cricket throughout this series. Rehman made his frustration clear when he caught Jonathan Trott at deep square and flung the ball into the turf with feeling at the errors that had gone before.

Kevin Pietersen was bent upon playing enterprisingly. The first ball of the afternoon provided a reminder of his vulnerability when a bat-pad against Rehman flew high past short leg, but he had the fleeting satisfaction of striking him straight for six before Ajmal, from around the wicket, spun one through the gate and beamed at further bounty.

Adnan Akmal's fumble behind the stumps to reprieve Strauss, although not costly as the England captain was out in the next over, was the worst miss of all. Adnan has had a good series behind the stumps and has the opportunity to be Pakistan's first-choice keeper for many years to come but his excitable chatter was at times counterproductive. Strauss' edge flew to him at comfortable height but he put it down. For a few minutes he was quiet and you could hear your ears ringing.

Adnan's cacophony of cries often rent the air for inexplicable reasons. As do parrots, Adnan vocalises for many reasons. He may be excitedly greeting the day or summoning his family at sunset. He may be screeching when he is excited or when he is merely trying it on. He may screech when he thinks things have got too quiet or when he thinks it is his duty to scream. He just likes screeching. At one point he burst out coughing as if in sore need of a lozenge and Trott looked at him in deadpan fashion.

Adnan is also incorrigibly optimistic about reviewing umpiring decisions. "Do it, do it, yes, yes, all good," you could sense him saying from first moment to last. Misbah learned not to take his evidence into consideration and looked askance at him. He will not be looking askance tonight - every Pakistan player will share Adnan's excitement.

Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, Day1,Cricinfo

Pakistan 99

England 87/4 (32.3 ov)

England's batting has been so ineffably weak in this Test series that even the sight of a Pakistan side bundled out for 99 was not about to fill them with resolve. They were not short of alarms themselves, losing Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott in eight overs by tea that again left them stricken by self doubt.

Memories of England's batting debacles as they lost the first two Tests must have preyed on Cook's mind as he fell to the sort of hesitant jab against Umar Gul that Australia, in England's victorious Ashes series barely a year ago, must have dreamed of. Gul also had Trott lbw, a dodgy decision by the umpire, Steve Davis, that England failed to review.

A Test series that had promised more attritional cricket on unresponsive pitches once again threw up an unexpected twist. Broad and James Anderson produced spritely, persistent new-ball spells and England took drinks at 21 for 5, the series lost but respect partially recovered. Then again, they have not batted against Saeed Ajmal yet.

There was a little swing and some unexpected bounce. This was far from a fast bowlers' feast but Broad and Anderson maintained fullish lengths and Pakistan's top order, which has escaped criticism only because of England's more theatrical vulnerability, was again found wanting. This has not been an impressive series for batsmen.

Broad's new-ball return of 3 for 12 in six overs included two overturned decisions for the Australian umpire Simon Taufel as England successfully resorted to DRS. There was little argument about the first as Azhar Ali's inside edge, and catch by the wicketkeeper Matt Prior moving to his left, was confirmed by hot spot, but the dismissal of Mohammad Hafeez was more controversial.

England were searching for a wicketkeeper's catch but there seemed to be little conclusive evidence to overturn Taufel's decision. Those blessed with the eyes of a hawk and high-definition TVs also spotted a slight mark on hot spot that should have reprieved Hafeez. Shavir Tarapore, the third umpire from India in his fourth Test, gave him out, causing Hafeez to walk to the dressing room slapping his bat in unconcealed disgust.

In the seconds a fielding side has to decide on a review, the captain, Andrew Strauss, mentally dons a business suit, calls a management meeting, studies a report, draws conclusions and lays out a systematic process. The sense is of clipboards, posh pens and PowerPoint presentations. He can barely score a run or hold a slip catch but in terms of managerial qualities he is exceptional.

In England in 2010, Pakistan collapsed for 72, 76 and 80, three batting disasters at Edgbaston, Lord's and Trent Bridge that count among their eight lowest Test scores in history. They no longer had to contend with a surly English summer but they did face the debilitating effect of a series already secured.

Their collapse began in the first over, Taufeeq Umar defeated by Anderson's inswinger. There were few demons in the ball from Broad that dismissed Azhar and Younis Khan's jab at a wide, rising ball, even allowing for the unexpected steepness of the bounce: another poor shot in a career nearing its end.

Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan's captain, by now had donned his undertaker's expression and he was unable to stem the flow of England wickets. He opted for a review after Anderson rattled a full delivery into his pads but the decision of umpire Steve Davis was upheld.

Adnan Akmal's recourse to DRS after Broad won an lbw decision had an air of desperation and wasted Pakistan's second review. Adnan should also have been run out when he pushed Anderson into the offside and was drawn into a single he never fancied. But Eoin Morgan, who had been preferred to Ravi Bopara in an unchanged England XI, missed the stumps with an overarm throw.

Abdur Rehman's slog at Graeme Swann, in his solitary over, was the worst shot of the morning. Kevin Pietersen following his uncertain catch as he pedalled back at mid-off with a treatise about how the ball had come out of the largest sun you ever did see.

For Pakistan the morning brought back bad memories of their first Test in the UAE. Against Australia in Sharjah ten years ago they were dismissed for 53 and 59 - Pakistan's two lowest Test scores. Misbah, Taufeeq and Younis were all in the top six then. In some ways little has changed in Pakistan cricket. In other, more significant ways, everything has changed.

India Vs Australia 3rd Test at Perth Cricinfo

In WACA Attack would be best defence for India 

Attack would be the best defence for India against a rampaging Australian pace battery when the two sides square off on the dreaded greentop wicket of WACA in the do-or-die third cricket Test starting on Friday.

Down 0-2 in the four-Test series, the Indians would be loathe to let a lot of deliveries go past their off-stump and allow the pressure to build in the WACA Test -- as has been the method of Australians in this series.

From Michael Clarke to James Pattinson to Peter Siddle to Mike Hussey, everyone has harped that bowling dot balls and stringing together maiden overs is the surest way to plot the downfall of this famed Indian batting line-up.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin went a step further by stating that Sachin Tendulkar doesn’t like it if he doesn’t “feel bat on ball and he wants to get into a rhythm...if we can push him a little wider, make him feel for the ball a bit, we can build enough pressure to get a chance and it’s worked in the last two Tests.”

The Indians now want to carry the attack into the rivals camp and it is a theory which is supported by possibly India’s greatest batsman against pace among the last two generations -- Mohinder Amarnath, now a national selector.

Just before he flew back to India after watching India go down abysmally in the first two Tests of this Australian summer, Amarnath mentioned he always believed a good pace battery can only be tamed and never worn down by a battle of attrition.

It’s a point which history lends support to -- the only way to tame a pack of hounds is to gun them down and not by sparring with them.

Amarnath played a few of his most stirring innings against pace attacks of Pakistan and West Indies between 1980-82.

In a withering space of two away series and successive 11 Tests, standing up to the pace of Imran Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Sikandar Bakht, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner, Amarnath scored nearly 1200 runs with five hundreds and seven fifties -- an awe-inspiring feat to which there are no parallels in world cricket.

Amarnath never took a step back and two of his innings which have found place in cricketing folklore were the 91 and 80 he hit during the Barbados Test of 1982-83 series. This was nearly 50 per cent of India’s two innings of 209 and 277 against the West Indies’ fearsome pace quartet.

Amarnath was smashed in his mouth by a Marshall delivery and blood poured out in a gush during the second innings.

Amarnath went out only to have stitches done and then returned to attack on his way to 80.

Sunil Gavaskar was a man fighting for his career after Marshall infamously made him “drop” his bat in a Test in Kanpur in 1983.

He “unfurled” a shot he had left in his locker of strokes for too long -- the majestic hook with which he tamed Marshall and Co. and scored a stirring 121 off only 128 balls in New Delhi in the very next Test.

Dilip Vengsarkar too firmly believed that fast bowlers needed to be tamed and attacked at all times. He had two successive hundreds in 1983-84 -- 159 off 236 balls and 100 off 135 balls -- where he hit out with gay abandon against rampant West Indian quicks.

A few most stirring innings of ‘World Series Cricket’ in late 70s were played by Greg Chappell. In five ‘Super Tests’ of that unauthorised series, Chappell slammed 621 runs at 69 and his cutting and hooking against the West Indian quicks is still spoken of with awe.

The problems for the Indians in this series have been accentuated by the Australians’ reliance on green pitches to do the trick.

There aren’t many short deliveries bowled at batsmen -- except to lower order -- and the reliance has been on bowling seaming stuff around the off-stump.

“We came here with the belief that the bowling would be back-of-length kind in Australia where we needed to spar or duck under the lifting delivery.

“Instead, they are bowling fuller and there is a grass cover to help them obtain that critical swing. From worrying about the backfoot, we are now forced on the front-foot and it has compounded our problems,” said a young batsman of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team.

Most Indian batsmen are very good square of the wicket.

But Virender Sehwag’s two unfortunate dismissals off rank short balls have forced batsmen to leave deliveries on the off-stump.

It’s not the preferred way -- Indians must cut hard and pull and hook-whenever possible -- to force the Australians to abandon the strategy of bowling dot balls and stringing together maiden overs.

Amarnath once famously said, “facing fast bowling is like facing a heavyweight boxer in the ring. There’s no running away.”

South Africa Vs Sri Lanka 3rd Test at Cape Town Day4 Cricinfo,Live Score

South Africa 580 for 4 decl. (Kallis 224, de Villiers 160*, Petersen 109) and 2 for 0 beat Sri Lanka 239 (Dilshan 78, Philander 3-46, Steyn 3-56) and 342 (Samaraweera 115*, Kallis 3-35) by 10 wickets 

South Africa won their first home series since 2008, a period in which they had been denied on five occasions, prevailing over Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to take the rubber 2-1. An innings defeat seemed the most likely result at the start of the day, but a wicketless pre-lunch session and another century from the resurgent Thilan Samaraweera helped Sri Lanka barely avoid that ignominy.

Needing two runs to win in the fourth innings, South Africa got home without facing a legal delivery, with Dhammika Prasad over-stepping and Alviro Petersen punching down the ground to trigger relief and smiles in the home camp. Graeme Smith has now captained his side to 41 Test wins - joint second with Steve Waugh in the all-time list. Only Ricky Ponting, with 48, lies ahead.

Smart stats Sri Lanka have now lost all the four series they have played in South Africa. However, this is the first tour in which they have won a match. South Africa regained form by winning their first home series since 2008. Their last home series win came against West Indies in 2008 (excluding Bangladesh matches). Since then, they lost to Australia and drew series against England, India and Australia. South Africa improved on their Cape Town record with another victory. They have now won 16 matches and lost just three at the venue since their readmission. Their only losses have come against Australia. The win is South Africa's sixth by a margin of ten wickets (excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe matches). It is also their second ten-wicket win in Tests in Cape Town after the victory against England in 1995-96. Thilan Samaraweera, who scored his second century of the series, becomes the first Sri Lankan batsman and the 11th visiting player to score two or more centuries in a series in South Africa since 1990.. Samaraweera became the seventh Sri Lankan player to score 5000 runs in Tests. His average of 53.42 is the second-highest among Sri Lankan players who have 5000-plus runs. Jacques Kallis became the second South African player to take six catches in a Test. Only five players have taken more catches (7) in a Test. Kallis also became only the fourth player to score a century and take six of more catches in the same Test. Matthew Hayden, Garry Sobers and Frank Woolley are the others to achieve this. Dale Steyn went wicketless in a completed innings for the second time in the series. While in Durban, he bowled 23 fruitless overs, on this occasion, he went 20 overs without success.

Once again, Vernon Philander made the breakthroughs for South Africa in a passage when they were beginning to look listless. Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews had extended their overnight association to 142 runs, and were looking at ease against the second new ball, when Philander ended the fun with a double-strike. The tail slogged along merrily, while Samaraweera chiselled his way to three-figures. Jacques Kallis and Imran Tahir side-stepped his defiance, and ended the innings at the stroke of tea.

Samaraweera's effort took his series tally to 339 runs, and put to rest all doubts over his ability to handle conditions outside the subcontinent. His century was only the fourth by a Sri Lankan in this country, with three of them coming on this tour, but it wasn't enough to extend the match to the fifth day.

As on the third evening, South Africa were persistent with their lines of attack at the start of play, but the rewards were not so readily available. The closest they came to getting a wicket before lunch was when Samaraweera was stranded mid-pitch following a misunderstanding with Mathews. Petersen picked up rapidly in the covers and had a good sight of the stumps as he threw, but missed. A little later, Mathews came close to being run out, but this time Hashim Amla's throw went wide.

Barring those two scares, Sri Lanka had few concerns in the morning. Samaraweera got going with a neat flick through square leg off the day's second ball, and a couple of controlled edges through the off side. Thereafter, he settled down to wait and pick off the leg-stump offerings that came his way. He got to his fifty by steering Tahir to third man as the first hour drew to a close. Mathews' first boundary of the morning came off a thick edge that flew past the cordon, but he gradually buckled down to seal his end. Progress came through dabs and tucks, until Tahir slipped a full toss on the pads that Mathews whipped expertly to the boundary.

With the pitch slowing down and seam movement absent, Smith moved the cordon from behind the wicket to front. Armed with the old ball, Kallis sent down an energetic spell of fast bumpers, with slip, short leg, short cover, silly mid-on, and later leg slip, in place, but Samaraweera stayed firm. The gambit had failed, and it was over to Philander with the second new ball.

Sensing the pivotal moment of the day, Samaraweera took Philander on. He cracked one square, plastered another down the ground, and pulled emphatically to take three boundaries in an over. Philander persevered, though, and dispatched Mathews in his next over, with an indipper that kept low to hit the pads. Two overs later, Dinesh Chandimal perished to a lazy waft away from the body, giving Kallis his fifth sharp catch in the match, all of them in the slips. He would later come on to hold a sixth off his own bowling, to go with three wickets and a double-century. The Man-of-the-Match adjudicators had an open-and-shut case in front of them.

South Africa Vs Sri Lanka 3rd Test at Cape Town Day3 Cricinfo,Live Score

Sri Lanka 138 for 4 (Mathews 28*, Samaraweera 19*) and 239 (Dilshan 78, Steyn 3-56, Philander 3-46) trail South Africa 580 for 4 dec by 203 runs

South Africa produced an exhibition of blistering seam and swing in the first innings, followed by nagging persistence in the second, to nip out 12 of the 18 wickets they needed for victory at the start of the third day. Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander delivered spells of unmitigated menace to demolish Sri Lanka's last eight first-innings wickets for 90 runs, allowing South Africa to enforce the follow-on around 30 minutes after lunch.

The pair's combined first-innings effort on the third morning yielded 6 for 28 in 17 overs, and provided a cruel twist to Sri Lanka's plans of batting through the day. Wickets weren't that easy to come by in the second innings, following Tillakaratne Dilshan's customary brainfade, but South Africa chipped away to skim the top order by stumps.

The wicket-fest left Sri Lanka staring at defeat with two days of good weather expected in Cape Town. Their euphoria after winning the Boxing Day Test has steadily dissipated since the toss at Newlands, and the tone for another day of disappointment was set early in the piece.

Kumar Sangakkara leaned out to the third ball of the morning to square-drive Steyn uppishly to point, where Hashim Amla gleefully pouched the chance. Sangakkara's exit meant Thilan Samaraweera was in the middle much earlier than he'd have bargained for. Philander proceeded to systematically work him over with an exhibition of high quality seam bowling, easily the highlight of the day's action.

Philander hit his default lengths in his very first over, and got a couple to curl away devilishly as Samaraweera groped inside the line. In his next over, he repeated the dose to Mahela Jayawardene, befuddling him with another one that leapt away. Samaraweera nearly covered the line the next time, nudging it off the outer half of the blade towards gully.

Philander gradually moved the lure closer to off stump. Samaraweera spotted another one that straightened and let it whistle by, uneasily close to off stump. As if to get Samaraweera thinking, Philander nipped the final ball of that over - the last before drinks - back in, to produce an inside edge. The variation may have been on Samawaraweera's mind as he sipped on his drinks, and the uncertainty could have only increased when Philander's first ball after the break also jagged in. Samaraweera was gone next ball, clearly unsure which way the ball was going, and offering a limp bat in response. The ball snapped away to take the outside edge and land in the slips, putting a smile in Philander's face. Not once did he touch 140 kph in that spell. He didn't have to.

Steyn then took over, getting fast outswingers to buzz away in his second spell. His full length first drew Jayawardene into a fatal poke, and in his next over, Angelo Mathews feathered one that kept swerving from the time it left Steyn's hand. Imran Tahir ended the first session with a ball that confirmed there would be no respite against spin. It landed a couple of feet outside Thisara Perera's off stump, on the bowlers' foot marks, and spun back in viciously to have him bowled. Within the space of a session, Sri Lanka's outlook had turned just as drastically. Dinesh Chandimal kept fighting, but the tail had no chance against Philander after the break.

There might be a defence for Dilshan's strange decision at the toss, but there can be none for the shot he played in the second innings. He seemed to be walking to the dressing room even as he wafted loosely and edged Philander, who was snaking the shiny new ball even more viciously than in the morning. Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne stonewalled for 26.1 overs to produce Sri Lanka's longest partnership of the match thus far, but it was only a matter of time before South Africa made further incisions.

Thirimanne feathered Jacques Kallis onto his pad en route to short leg, to bring Sangakkara and Jayawardene together for the second time in the day. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, their two best batsmen were about to fail them again. By now, Tahir was getting the ball to do magic out of the rough, and Sangakkara inevitably nudged one to Kallis at slip. A little later, Kallis bent low and plucked Jayawardene's second outside edge of the day, this time against Morne Morkel. Samaraweera survived to stumps along with Mathews, but even a machine-gun celebration from him tomorrow might not suffice to rescue Sri Lanka.

South Africa walked back smiling and chirpy, but one man in the home team must be apprehensive. Mark Boucher clanged two regulation chances, that are not expected to affect the course of the game, unlike his drop of Sangakkara in Durban. Still, the South African selectors will be tempted to look at a young replacement sooner than later.

South Africa Vs Sri Lanka 3rd Test at Centurian Day2 Cricinfo,Live Score,Highlights

Lunch South Africa 453 for 4 (de Villiers 84*) v Sri Lanka

There was a sense of déjà vu as the action unfolded on the second morning at Newlands. Sri Lanka were systematically deflated in the pre-lunch session, raising visions of a nightmarish day, such as the one India had endured a few hours earlier in a different part of the world. Like Michael Clarke in Sydney, Jacques Kallis strolled inevitably to a double-century in front of his home crowd. Like in Centurion, where he had scored his only previous double-ton in December 2010, Kallis had AB de Villiers for company when he reached the landmark. Back then, de Villiers had smashed the fastest century by a South African. This time he was on the verge of a more sedate but equally assured ton, though Kallis succumbed to boredom at the stroke of lunch.

Sri Lanka began the day against two world-class batsmen, under bright sunshine, with the pitch at the flattest it is likely to be over the course of the Test. As if to reiterate their woeful position, five of the first 12 balls sped to the boundary. Two of those were outside edges from de Villiers that ran through a sparsely populated slip cordon, but Sri Lanka couldn't have been blamed for not having too many catchers. The three other boundaries were vintage Kallis strokes, unfurled seemingly for the benefit of those who may have missed the first day's action - the sumptuous cover drive, the violent pull in front of square, and the coaxed on-drive that gained speed as it bounded down the ground.

Sri Lanka had their rare moments, but weren't alert enough to make them count. Dhammika Prasad got one to take Kallis' edge as it moved away off the seam, but Mahela Jayawardene couldn't hold on to a regulation take at second slip. That was in the third over of the day, and by the time the second chance came, Sri Lanka were down to just one fly slip. Angelo Mathews produced a nifty legcutter that reared up alarmingly and jumped away, though it was delivered at a speed of just 121 kph. Kallis fended and got another edge, but Jayawardene couldn't reach it as he dived desperately to the left.

The fields were spread out, but the runs flowed generously all the same. Sri Lanka managed only two maidens in the session, and the first one left Welegedara pleasantly surprised as Kallis shouldered arms six times. Their plight was epitomised by a breath-taking stroke from de Villiers off Mathews. The ball landed short of a length, well outside off stump, with the field set on the off side. Only mid-on, deep backward square leg and deep midwicket patrolled the leg side, and de Villiers tagetted the gap at wide mid-on by skipping across audaciously and whipping against the angle.

A robust cut and another punched drive through mid-on took Kallis through the 190s, and he brought up the double by chopping Perera through point. Just as murmurs of a first 300 by a South African batsman began to do the rounds, Kallis lost his concentration and gifted Rangana Herath his wicket with a feeble lofted drive. That breach gave Sri Lanka some heart after Herath had got a few to spin and bounce sharply. de Villiers and the lower order, though, will be keen on keeping them on the field for the bulk of the day.

South Africa Vs Sri Lanka 3rd Test at Newlands,Day1,Cricinfo,Live Score Card

Lunch South Africa 135 for 2 (Petersen 54*, Kallis 47*, Prasad 2-30) v Sri Lanka

Alviro Petersen made a confident return to Test cricket, while Jacques Kallis enjoyed his new-found batting freedom as South Africa merrily progressed at five runs per over in the first session at Newlands. The lunch-time tally of 135 suggested the move to bowl first had backfired on Sri Lanka, despite a couple of breaches by their replacement seamer Dhammika Prasad, who came in for the injured Dilhara Fernando.

There was merit to Sri Lanka's decision; their historic win in Durban did not mask their problems against pace and bounce, and was founded upon South Africa's own abject form with the bat. Dilshan's call to bowl shielded his weaker suit, and gave his seamers the mandate to attack South Africa in marginally helpful conditions. The call was, however, let down by a sketchy plan of action.

Sri Lanka erred on the fuller side in the first hour of play, before swinging to the other extreme after drinks. Chanaka Welegedara produced prodigious swing from full lengths but without the pace to make it menacing. Thisara Perera, too, went full in search of the dream away seamer, allowing the batsmen to press forward and drive. In the latter stages of the session, Angelo Mathews and Prasad dropped short repeatedly, inviting South Africa to duck out of danger, or pull with power. The indiscreet lengths meant 21 boundaries were hit in the 27-over session.

In between-times, though, Prasad managed to hit the in-between lengths. His ability to ramp the pace up to 140 kph - a shade more than the average speeds hit by his colleagues - earned him success. Graeme Smith began with a couple of robust straight drives against Welegedara, but succumbed to a familiar failing against Prasad's first ball. It angled across Smith without offering room for the cut, or the length for the drive, but Smith sparred at it without getting across, and inside-edged onto the stumps.

Hashim Amla, too, checked in with a bunch of ominous boundaries, which must have left Tillakaratne Dilshan a touch worried. Prasad, however, nipped him out for 16 with another length ball that shaped in and rapped the pad as Amla walked across the stumps. Amla consulted with Petersen, and rightly chose not to review the decision. That wasn't the only instance of Petersen's exemplary judgement on his return to Test colours.

Exactly a year after playing his last Test, at the same venue against India, Petersen would have felt the nerves when he took guard. Sri Lanka eased him into early touch, though, failing to test him often enough outside off stump. A couple of early drives down the ground and a nudge through square leg signalled that he had carried his domestic form into the big league. Thereafter, Petersen built steadily, before summoning the spirit to thrash Prasad over square leg for a six. He brought up his fifty with a brace of boundaries against Perera, and looked good for a lot more.

Kallis came out throwing punches in all directions, reminiscent of his half-century against Australia in the recent Johannesburg Test. He nearly pulled Prasad straight to fine-leg, where Welegedara inexplicably backed out of going for the catch. Another pull off Mathews spiralled towards midwicket and landed safe. Encouraged, Mathews persisted with the short stuff, but Kallis pounded him with a series of pull shots. Perera tested him on the front foot with lunch in sight, and Kallis unfurled a series of gorgeous cover drives that left South Africa in charge.